Road Trip West 2014

It took 28.5 hours. We drove almost 1400 miles. I can't tell you exactly because I forgot to reset the odometer until sometime past Weatherford. It wasn't eventful but yet here are some highlights.

- It took almost to Abilene it seemed for Slugs to "get" that we were going to be driving for a while. It took most of Texas for him to remember how to comfortably lay on the front seat so he could sleep but also be within arms reach :) He then slept pretty much the rest of the way!

- Pecos TX was about the most exciting venue, I think.
First, we got gas with a bunch of oil rig workers. Or something like that. There were lots of trucks - work trucks with stuff in the back - and lots of men wearing the same khaki shirt. There was an emblem but I didn't want to stare...
Then, we went for a short walk in the "grass" (actual green grass is hard to find). I wasn't paying a whole lot of attention to Slugs cuz it's not like there was much of anything to attract him. But he started barking and pulling on the leash. I turned my head to see a rooster. A ROOSTER!! trotting along like he belonged in the truck stop parking lot! I remarked aloud that this was something you don't usually see. The man walking by looked at me like I was the crazy one for talking to myself. Whatever. Sorry I didn't get a picture. The phone/camera was in the car.
Because that wasn't enough, we got back in the car and headed off. I don't remember why I stopped before getting back on the freeway. I kinda just pulled over in the parking lot of a different truck stop. While we were there, it rained. No, it poured. No... it was a deluge. No... I don't know the word. But for about 3 minutes, it was raining so hard, I couldn't see anything but water on the windshield (with the wipers going!) and the car shook!! I checked the weather. Luckily it was headed northeast and I was headed southwest :) It lightened up enough I felt I could drive and we drove right out of it in about 2 minutes. It was very strange to see sunny blue skies ahead and look in the rear view and see a wall of black. We were definitely going the right direction!!

- El Paso TX is doing construction on I10. The entire freeway was shut down in two separate places. Luckily, still being in TX there were frontage roads, and decent signage so it wasn't too much of a detour. Just annoying. And reminded me how badly I see with my contacts in. They came out shortly after I got into NM.

- Hwy 38 CA is the mountain road that goes to Big Bear. Well, one of three really, but the one that is closest to dad's house! Once you get actually onto 38, it's about 35 miles to dad's house. Right at the bottom (it goes up the mountain so it starts at the bottom) there was a sign that said "road construction next 34 miles". Uh, that's the whole way people!! I realized that I was driving on very nice new road, while the other side, going down, was old road. I figured they were repaving. Yup. And of course, to do this on a mountain road where there is no shoulder or multiple lanes, one lane must be closed... I was SO tired and ready to stop driving (not to mention really needing a restroom) that I thought I was going to cry when I saw the flagger man and his stop sign. Especially since I was the first one there, meaning I would have to wait even longer probably. Sure enough. I think I was there about 10 minutes. But I talked to dad and he told me where to find a restroom :) And we FINALLY got to dad's house, almost exactly 28.5 hours after leaving our garage. And Slugger was SOOOO excited to see dad!! It had been a year, but he obviously remembered!! It made my heart happy :)

More excitement to come, I am sure!! Stay tuned :)