Tuesday March 29 It's Raining

So... it's been a few days since I have updated the blog. Well its been an amazing few days:

On Thursday I got to spend some time with my ever lovely Mom-in-Law Leora. Thank you for that precious and wonderful time Lee! While we were out driving we went through alot of different neighborhoods of Lincoln; besides that I stayed downtown. I had forgotten how beautiful Lincoln NE is...

On Friday I met up with my Sister-in-Law Brenda and her crazy kids.... plus Destiny of course. Thank you all for the time as well. It is always special spending time with these folks because their sense of family is SO strong you can feel it. They fight, tease, laugh, support and love each other so much and so freely. They had me laughing so hard... but feeling loved as well. Can't beat that. It was SO great to see all of you and have lunch. I can't wait to come back for Alysha's graduation. She truly makes me feel old but we won't go there... btw... the new kitchen is absolutely beautiful. I think Brenda should come to El Cerrito and work some magic on our kitchen.

So here is us at lunch... I still don't know why Destiny knew everyone at the bar but hey... no judgements! Ha ha...

















So next stop was supposed to be Toledo... I was hoping to get past Chicago and spend the night. But when I got on the road I so wired that I told myself that I would just drive until I got tired... which ended up to be somewhere in New York State. I tried to take the advice of Deana and snuggle up to a trucker but that didn't go over so well... maybe it was the out of state plates.. who knows?

But I did take a nap for about an hour and woke up FREEZING. It was 22 degrees! What is that? Maybe that's why I was so wired...

So I kept driving. Upper state New York is just beautiful with all the farms and hills. Makes me want to can apples or buy a chicken or something. I went through the Bronx (Susan - I thought about stopping until I was on the GW bridge and the traffic was, shall we say, congested). I was also at that point very determined to make it to New England.

It was cool going past New Rochelle... I wanted to stop by and say hello to the Petri Family. Most of you are too young and will not even get that reference but too bad.

Conneticut drivers are horrible. Just mean and horrible. The state seems recesssion proof though... there was building going on everywhere... particularly in New Haven.

So then I am in Mass - how weird. That's when it hits me - I really drove cross-country. Very cool! Now I am close to all that food I missed. Oh yeah and the family too. :)

I did go to Papa Gino's for a pizza waiting to meet up with my sister Kathy and her husband Duane. Yum! I ate an entire large pizza except for 1 piece. Disgusting but true.

It was so incredible to see Kathy, Duane, and the puppies Mia and Sammy. I don't think they were too thrilled when I showed up a day early but hey... flexbility is a key characteristic of the new economy right?

Kathy and Duane are model HGTV viewers. They are remodeling every room in their house at the same time. I'm sorry. Did I say remodel? I meant to say remodel, refurnishing and redecorating. They even own a big truck and power tools!

But think of poor Kathy... house tore-up and guests on the way... but wait - the guest is a day early! Ha ha. Bless her heart - especially after the heart attack I gave her. I did get a hotel room prior so that they wouldn't freak out so bad but they still did.... gotta love them.

So since I arrived we all have been spending time together. My mom (just amazing to see her too!) came down on Sunday and we had a great dinner (as seen below).



In this pic... I put my mom to work helping me while I cooked dinner for everyone. Early that day Kathy and I went shopping - she introduced me to her best friends at Pottery Barn. Yes they really do know her by her first name and knew my name as well. Can you tell she has a gay brother or what?

To fix dinner... I needed to find a good butcher which I did in Haverhill. The reviews looked great so I ordered on-line early on Sunday morning. Someone from the store called me and went over the order; asked me a bunch of questions to help finalize the order and then confirmed pick-up time. Kathy drove me down and the shop ended up being in the old downtown part of Haverhill. This is an old mill town and the downtown screams potential but is actually Oakland-like. Well we ended up meeting the owner of the shop - it was SO cool. He and his wife had bought this butcher shop that had been downtown for 50 plus years and doing poorly. He gets it too... quality and service. I was amazed to have received a call from them about the order. That will help him distinguish himself from the chains. He is taking part in the revival of that historic part of Haverhill.

It was so strange having dinner together after so long... but there was no awkwardness to it... just love and laughter. Very cool. We even called Keith so we could all talk to him together. Awe... give me a moment please. Ha ha.

While I was cooking, Duane was outside (yes that is their view folks! At night you can see eyes looking back at you) making a gift for me and Keith.

You see one of their puppies is getting on in age and is experiencing some mobility challenges (aren't we all?) so Duane built her this great ramp to get into the house.

I asked him to build one for my two old puppies so that they could still climb into bed. This is a pic of him building our ramp.

This next pic is of Kathy helping Duane... can anyone identify at least 3 safety issues in this pic? Oh god.. work keeps popping out.

I would post a pic of the ramp but I want to surprise Keith and the puppies. It was quite amazing though and how absolutely wonderful of Duane. Thank you Sir!

So Kathy is back to work for the next couple of days and I am headed up to stay in Manchester NH for a couple of days. It has started to rain quite a bit which can't be good from what I've seen - every lake and river is at capacity. I have never seen the Merrimack River so high. Really quite incredible.

On Monday I met up with my mother. She has a cat Midnight who actually came out to visit Keith and I last year. I am not sure if she remembered me or not but she is still gorgeous. Of course I am talking about my mother there.. not the cat. Ha Ha. I am going to take my mom shopping on Tuesday.

Speaking of shopping... I forgot to mention this. For those of you who know me know that I am a dairy queen... love milk, butter, cheese, etc... well can you believe that Land-0-Lakes Butter was on sale for $1.66 a pound! Incredible! I wish I could find a way to stock and bring it home. Mmmmm. Perhaps there is a business opportunity here....

You can find gas for around $2.3o also. Imagine!

Made it to Lincoln NE

So happy to be leaving SLC...... there is ice on my car when I leave - haven't seen that in years. It is SO cold... or so I thought. More on that later.

The valley just past SLC is absolutely beautiful. farms in the lower valley and big expensive-looking houses on the lower hills. There is a man-made lake - of course frozen - toward the end of the valley and the views are stunning.

It seems horses are popular pets because everyone has one. Keith - what do you think? The corgis and Willy would love that!


Or perhaps some cows....

I promise this is the first and last picture with animals. I could get carried away.. in fact yesterday I saw packs of animals on the hills on the side of highway in Wyoming but have NO idea what there were....

One question though: why do people leave horses outside in this frigid weather?





So the next few pictures are of Utah and Wyoming. Very beautiful and very cold. I can't believe how cold it is.

I stopped for lunch in Rock Springs and it was 22 degrees! Besides the cold.. I feel like I should be driving a pick-up truck - and wearing a cowboy hat. Everyone drives a pick-up truck and wears a hat. I am certain that the locals know I am not from here. :) In Wyoming Highway 80 was closed - there were signs 100 miles prior that the road was closed. I decide to ignore the warning. I really do appreciate the warning but in Wyoming there are not other alternative highway choices. I also figure that whatever the "wreck" is - it should be cleared up by the time I get there... the sign did say 100 miles.

Well... after Rock Springs the highway patrol was pulling everyone off the highway. The choice was to turn around or wait in an area off the highway. I decide to wait and parked with about 100 other cars and trucks. 3 hours and one nap later we are still parked - but joined by about 300 other cars and trucks. I felt like we were all waiting for Tammy Wynette to make an appearance.


I decide to wing it and take a local road.. which was great since I got on the old "Lincoln Highway" for a while. I avoided a few highway entrances and finally got back on. No cars... It was strange at first and I kept checking for a cop to pull me over or a helicopter to come out of nowhere and shoot at me... (road imagination again) but then I got confidence that everyone else was just wearing a hat that was too tight.

Well... about 25 miles down the highway there is a huge accident and highway patrol everywhere. Oooops..

I got pulled over and asked "how the @#*% did I get on the highway and did I know that there was a $750.00 fine? Well since I buzz my head now I can't pull the blonde thing... come to think about it I never had blonde hair.... I also have not brought the twins so that's out. I didn't think the gay cop fantasy would work in Wyoming either so let's see... I will pull the Dumb Californian. It worked! He let me through and past the accident (which in California would have been pushed over in two minutes to let the traffic through). I respect their dedication to the job.

So the highway for me after that was free sailing. I got to thinking about how cold it was and how nice warm weather would be... and decided to change my iternary to visit the family in Nebraska on the way to the east rather than on the way back. That way I can drive south on the way back. So I decide to drive to Lincoln and spend a couple of days there. It was a long drive but that disco nap at the Tammy drive-in show helped alot.

Stopped in Laramie, WY on the way... creepy place. I was thinking about Susan and Matthew when I stopped for lunch. I was trying to understand what Susan meant by giving them her money..... usually the opposite would occur but I get it.

I ended up driving through Nebraska in the dark of the night - which was probably good because if it had been daytime I would probably not eat beef for years. Those of you who have been down I5 will understand that.

One last story... I stopped for dinner in Sidney Nebraska. I needed a salad SO bad (how often does one get to say that?!). The waiter was a very young guy who had blonde and black shoulder length hair (obviously dyed). We talked a bit and when he found out I was from California he really got to talking. He had moved here from California because his Dad got a job in Sidney. He said that he was adjusting pretty well. I can't help but think about what it would be like to be his age with his hair in Nebraska. Hopefully it is much easier than when I was younger. Readers: don't even go there!

Wednesday morning

Well... its 6:30 am Wednesday morning. I stopped last night around 10:00 pm but more on that later.... Here are some shots of the beautiful Sierra Nevadas...

Here is a pic of Reno.... pretty eh?

I was determined to pass Nevada at all cost yesterday - a casino in West Wendover almost got my attention for some gambling until I pulled into to town and saw how sad it was. One question: why do people put tires on their mobile home roof?

The sights yesterday were amazing overall - even the high desert of Nevada attracts me and makes my imagination run. I think that's why I like road trips so much - I can imagine all the cars and people from years ago going down the old two lane road that runs next to the Interstate. Going cross country perhaps like me but a whole lot slower..... can't say that was better or worse, but I think you can guess. That's why I am not flying back to the East coast - you miss the journey.

I get so distracted watching and thinking about that old road that I sometimes (close your eyes Keith) almost drive off the road. Interestingly, Nevada has these groves in their roads that make alot of noise when you drive over them.... early warning system. Works every time.

This pic is great with the farm... the old road is just past the railway....

So last night I drove to Salt Lake City... I just wanted to pass Nevada and get past it. However when I got to SLC it was late and the first hotel I tried was booked. Great for SLC but really.... SLC booked? So then I thought I would drive past SLC (there is no way I am going downtown near that building) and find a hotel on the other side of the city. So I am following 80 and without any warning end up starting to climb the mountains. It seems I had past SLC but there were no hotels - or anything - anywhere. And no exit to turn around. Of course I was also low on gas because I thought I was about to stop for the night. Ooooo - the drama!

Then it gets really cold... and snow is everywhere..... mind you I still have on shorts from the California weather. At the summit there is an exit for an area for a gas station. Ah - a gift from the heavens.

So I pull over and there are feets of snow everywhere... plus it is almost 20 degrees. I have to get out and pump gas at a station that looks deserted and it's pitch black out - in shorts. I was SO cold. Not complaining though because I now had gas and the cold air gave me my 2nd, 3rd and 4th wind to keep driving.

Luckily, just a few miles down the road was civilization and I was able to find a hotel - with a room.

So today it's off to Denver. I don't think I am going to push it as much as yesterday and instead get to Denver and try to find a diner from the Food Network show.

Leftlane – news, reviews, and info for the auto-industry

Leftlane – news, reviews, and info for the auto-industry

Introduction

My name is David. Last week I was "asked to resign" from my job as a nursing home administrator - first time I've ever been fired in my life. Once the shock wore off (does it ever really?), I began to think about my next step. Being a nursing home administrator, particularly for a larger facility, is 24/7 all-consuming - I hadn't had a vacation in years (made for a great last check though....). So what to do?

One thing I have always wanted to do all my life was drive cross country. The opportunity had never presented itself before now... so why not? I was not convinced at first. My first inclination was to start to look for a new job - which I did. Old habits die slowly.

Then I had dinner with my partner of 19 years and some friends on this past Sunday and we were talking about it. Well, thanks to Euhler, Kirk and Susan - and Keith of course, I am packed this Tuesday morning and ready to go.

I am leaving four dogs at home with my partner - hoping not to return home later to any new rugs on the floor. I will miss them terribly. There is no schedule and no deadlines... a first for me ever! The feeling is strange and I am a bit apprehensive but also very excited.

My goals (have to at least have some goals right?!) are to see some great sites; meet new people; relax; eat a disgusting amount of food; and eventually make my way back to New England to visit my family.

This blog will allow me to keep people posted on my progress and activity, as well as allow me to work through losing a job that I loved and moving on toward the next big thing - whatever or where ever that will be.

I haven't written much since college so if they are any readers - please be forgiving.