I pray that we one day find as complementary life partners as we have found in each other.......or maybe we are destined to become the spinster Hartman sisters? Either way, we are pretty darn good at this co-driving, team road-warrior setup. Divide and conquer, that's what we do.
When time for gas, we split the tasks between us: one gets gas & windshield cleaning duty, the other pays for gas, gets water & ice. Rufus just chills like a prince-sphinx that he is, resting on top of his padded carrier-perch in-between us. Mind you, he doesn't know his chillax attitude is influenced by a safe-for-animals natural sedative spray. ;-) Chill away, buddy. Dream your kitty dreams, rest up & let us do the heavy lifting. For I remember the day when we had nothing to do but chill and how my folks would tell us to enjoy it b/c before we knew it we would have bills and adult responsibilities just like them. Well, today on my 30th birthday, as I recollect those 'chill' times, I revel in the chillness of today and this week. Chill, much like happiness & a positive attitude, is a state of mind. These are things we can control. Things
on the road like weather, traffic, road conditions, we cannot.
Yesterday as we made our way from AZ to NM we passed red rock mountains, what's called the 'Painted Desert' in NM; gorgeousssss landscape. God's work is amazing. Stunning. The expansive mesas, the [man-made?] mountainside teepees, the sprawling fields, the random livestock, the dramatic thunderheads teasing of ominous weather overhead. "We're going to beat this weather, even though rain is in the forecast ahead. The weather will stay gorgeous for us, I just know it. It just is." I am an optimist in case you haven't picked up on that.
With Kel still at the wheel - our natural routine has become so that she drives the first half and I the second half - I located a Yelp-approved Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque for us to nosh on some dericious Mexican food..........it was been established that we will have Mexican food from there on out because of the rumors we hear about there not being adequate authentic Mexican cuisine in NYC........or at least up to our native-California standards. 'Monroe's Restaurant' (very Mexican name, eh?) Was where we chose and we had ze best salsa, aldovada, and sopavillas (?) This side of the Colorado. Mmmm. We filled up our bellies, the truck's gas, loaded up with ice, and headed into the warm - not hot by any means - NM sun and towards those gorgeous thunderheads.......
Not more than a few miles up the road - okay, maybe 50? - rain started to break, regardless of how positive my outlook. The rain got heavier, and harder, and eventually turned into a torrential downpour with distant lightning. "You okay?" asked Kel. She has always been so good at looking out for me, no matter how selfish and inconsiderate I have been. "Yup." I said. "Just take it slow, there's no rush. We just need to get there alive," she said. And slow I went. For the next 30 minutes. White-knuckled, constantly praying, "Dear Lord please protect us. Dear Lord please keep us safe. Dear Lord please guide us." Guidance, clarity, & protection are three of my constant prayers. Oh, and forgiveness. Everyday. =) The thing about rain in any other state vs. CA rain is that CA rain is mild and infrequent. From what I have experienced in other states, this 'other' rain defines rain and makes CA 'rain' seem like sprinkles. NM rain + the gusty wind warning = no visibility. Good times for the next 30 minutes. Well, on the bright side, it washed the truck off!
We survived! After the rainstorm, I felt stronger, rejuvenated, like I could take on a tornado, yeah.......well, let's not get ahead of ourselves now. We drove for a whole until we noted another 150 miles until Amarillo and we had a little over 1/4 tank of gas......which has become our rules since Day 1, to not let tank get below 1/4. D'oh! We stopped off in a spot named Tucumcari.....a place my Dad remembered from his driving days. Well, Pops, gotta tell you that uh, things may have changed in the past 30 years. Tucumcari is more like Tucnomori. 8( So sad. Not sure if the recession has deflated their economy so much that the city resembles a ghost town now. A modern day Calico with a handful of folks still living there.....barely. God bless those people. We fueled up, got to see Casting Crowns' touring buses (Christian band.....took this as a sign from God while we were seemingly in a hellhole, that He was with us). Push on to Amarillo!
Amarillo came and went. And again, maybe its my 'Coaster' standards and skewed expectations, or maybe its my novice road tripper outlook in which I just have not seen very much of central America/the south and/or what lies between the beautiful West & East Coasts, that I am have high expectations when I see a seemingly huge landmark on the map, only to pass through a much smaller and less-developed city than I anticipated. I have a case of high-expectation blues that flares up every now and again. Although the anticipation is what drives me. Kel and I both love anticipation.
We chose not to stay in Amarillo because again, I was feeling good and wanted to press on if we could. I believe my words were, "I'm a champion! I could've been a fracking Olympian!" when Kel checked in on my driving state. Making each other laugh comes naturally. Laughing fits, on the other hand, seemed to come unexpectedly and more frequently after we threw back a couple '5 Hour Energy'. What's in those things anyway........?!
Driving has always allowed me time to think, the process, to deprogram, to prepare. There was a time when I lived at my folks still and I drove up the coast to Santa Barbara and back just in order to do some heavy-thinking, alone.
So the drive on Day 2, even though Kel said I took the "beast of the burden" didn't feel like so. I enjoy driving. Maybe because its in my blood? Maybe because I cherished this time alone with just sis & I (and Rufus, ok). Or maybe its because I'm a champion. 8)
We pushed on to little ole Shamrock, TX, 90 miles east of Amarillo, where we stayed at yet another 'Choice Hotel', Econo Lodge. Oh, the choice we made in staying there. And at Quality Inn the night before. Hey man, its buy 2 nights get 1 free. When you're averaging $300/day in gas, lodge, & meals (actually not that bad), you'll take a discount where you can get it. And hey, this makes for a better story. We opted not to have dinner last night, rather, just snacks. Not because we were were feeling el cheapo, but because we just weren't hungry or feeling dinner. We settled in, showered up, checked off our to-do list, and headed to bed. The last night of my 20s. At EconoLodge in Shamrock, TX. But I was safe, warm, not hungry, clean, and most importantly, had my best friend o&o sister lying in the next bed. Oops. And there went a sleep-fart and a grunt.
All's well that ends well. Welcome to Texas.=)
*****PHOTO UPDATE*****
When time for gas, we split the tasks between us: one gets gas & windshield cleaning duty, the other pays for gas, gets water & ice. Rufus just chills like a prince-sphinx that he is, resting on top of his padded carrier-perch in-between us. Mind you, he doesn't know his chillax attitude is influenced by a safe-for-animals natural sedative spray. ;-) Chill away, buddy. Dream your kitty dreams, rest up & let us do the heavy lifting. For I remember the day when we had nothing to do but chill and how my folks would tell us to enjoy it b/c before we knew it we would have bills and adult responsibilities just like them. Well, today on my 30th birthday, as I recollect those 'chill' times, I revel in the chillness of today and this week. Chill, much like happiness & a positive attitude, is a state of mind. These are things we can control. Things
on the road like weather, traffic, road conditions, we cannot.
Yesterday as we made our way from AZ to NM we passed red rock mountains, what's called the 'Painted Desert' in NM; gorgeousssss landscape. God's work is amazing. Stunning. The expansive mesas, the [man-made?] mountainside teepees, the sprawling fields, the random livestock, the dramatic thunderheads teasing of ominous weather overhead. "We're going to beat this weather, even though rain is in the forecast ahead. The weather will stay gorgeous for us, I just know it. It just is." I am an optimist in case you haven't picked up on that.
With Kel still at the wheel - our natural routine has become so that she drives the first half and I the second half - I located a Yelp-approved Mexican restaurant in Albuquerque for us to nosh on some dericious Mexican food..........it was been established that we will have Mexican food from there on out because of the rumors we hear about there not being adequate authentic Mexican cuisine in NYC........or at least up to our native-California standards. 'Monroe's Restaurant' (very Mexican name, eh?) Was where we chose and we had ze best salsa, aldovada, and sopavillas (?) This side of the Colorado. Mmmm. We filled up our bellies, the truck's gas, loaded up with ice, and headed into the warm - not hot by any means - NM sun and towards those gorgeous thunderheads.......
Not more than a few miles up the road - okay, maybe 50? - rain started to break, regardless of how positive my outlook. The rain got heavier, and harder, and eventually turned into a torrential downpour with distant lightning. "You okay?" asked Kel. She has always been so good at looking out for me, no matter how selfish and inconsiderate I have been. "Yup." I said. "Just take it slow, there's no rush. We just need to get there alive," she said. And slow I went. For the next 30 minutes. White-knuckled, constantly praying, "Dear Lord please protect us. Dear Lord please keep us safe. Dear Lord please guide us." Guidance, clarity, & protection are three of my constant prayers. Oh, and forgiveness. Everyday. =) The thing about rain in any other state vs. CA rain is that CA rain is mild and infrequent. From what I have experienced in other states, this 'other' rain defines rain and makes CA 'rain' seem like sprinkles. NM rain + the gusty wind warning = no visibility. Good times for the next 30 minutes. Well, on the bright side, it washed the truck off!
We survived! After the rainstorm, I felt stronger, rejuvenated, like I could take on a tornado, yeah.......well, let's not get ahead of ourselves now. We drove for a whole until we noted another 150 miles until Amarillo and we had a little over 1/4 tank of gas......which has become our rules since Day 1, to not let tank get below 1/4. D'oh! We stopped off in a spot named Tucumcari.....a place my Dad remembered from his driving days. Well, Pops, gotta tell you that uh, things may have changed in the past 30 years. Tucumcari is more like Tucnomori. 8( So sad. Not sure if the recession has deflated their economy so much that the city resembles a ghost town now. A modern day Calico with a handful of folks still living there.....barely. God bless those people. We fueled up, got to see Casting Crowns' touring buses (Christian band.....took this as a sign from God while we were seemingly in a hellhole, that He was with us). Push on to Amarillo!
Amarillo came and went. And again, maybe its my 'Coaster' standards and skewed expectations, or maybe its my novice road tripper outlook in which I just have not seen very much of central America/the south and/or what lies between the beautiful West & East Coasts, that I am have high expectations when I see a seemingly huge landmark on the map, only to pass through a much smaller and less-developed city than I anticipated. I have a case of high-expectation blues that flares up every now and again. Although the anticipation is what drives me. Kel and I both love anticipation.
We chose not to stay in Amarillo because again, I was feeling good and wanted to press on if we could. I believe my words were, "I'm a champion! I could've been a fracking Olympian!" when Kel checked in on my driving state. Making each other laugh comes naturally. Laughing fits, on the other hand, seemed to come unexpectedly and more frequently after we threw back a couple '5 Hour Energy'. What's in those things anyway........?!
Driving has always allowed me time to think, the process, to deprogram, to prepare. There was a time when I lived at my folks still and I drove up the coast to Santa Barbara and back just in order to do some heavy-thinking, alone.
So the drive on Day 2, even though Kel said I took the "beast of the burden" didn't feel like so. I enjoy driving. Maybe because its in my blood? Maybe because I cherished this time alone with just sis & I (and Rufus, ok). Or maybe its because I'm a champion. 8)
We pushed on to little ole Shamrock, TX, 90 miles east of Amarillo, where we stayed at yet another 'Choice Hotel', Econo Lodge. Oh, the choice we made in staying there. And at Quality Inn the night before. Hey man, its buy 2 nights get 1 free. When you're averaging $300/day in gas, lodge, & meals (actually not that bad), you'll take a discount where you can get it. And hey, this makes for a better story. We opted not to have dinner last night, rather, just snacks. Not because we were were feeling el cheapo, but because we just weren't hungry or feeling dinner. We settled in, showered up, checked off our to-do list, and headed to bed. The last night of my 20s. At EconoLodge in Shamrock, TX. But I was safe, warm, not hungry, clean, and most importantly, had my best friend o&o sister lying in the next bed. Oops. And there went a sleep-fart and a grunt.
All's well that ends well. Welcome to Texas.=)
*****PHOTO UPDATE*****
Standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona...
Rufus was chill and ready for a day of driving.
Starting mileage for the day.
A tee pee!
Random weird bumps.
More bumps.
Horsies!
There were lots of Indian reservations along the 40.
We were tempted to get off and get some moccasins.
More trains.
They were always around.
Racing the choochoo.
This photo isn't life-changing, but I do love the color of my hair. Thanks, Briana! I'll miss you!
Enchantment, eh?
That's the yellow horse, to the right.
Where the rivers begin to flow differently.
I have to admit, New Mexico was prettier than Arizona.
The hills, the rock formations, the plateaus, etc.
If you look closely you can see the dust devil that we saw.
Rivers along the 40 are like churches in Italy.
We stopped in Albequerque for some Mexican food. It was delicious!
Megan took over the wheel after lunch, and we noticed some very ominous clouds on the horizon.
We don't have photos of the deluge, because I was keeping Rufus calm, and Megan was keeping us on the road. But this was Meg's face during the crazy downpour that reduced visibility to 20 feet and freaked us all out.
But sunny skies emerged once again.
We pulled off to fuel up in Tucumcari, a place that our Dad had mentioned with a certain degree of fondness.
I have no idea what he saw in Tucumcari. It was almost like a ghost town.
These fine characters were hanging out at the gas station we stopped at. Just hanging there. Smoking.
Thankfully, we also saw these huge tour buses when we stopped for some grub.
Turns out it was Casting Crowns! A Christian rock band, so we took it for a sign.
Back on the road toward Amarillo. Amarillo by... afternoon?
Yeeeeeeeeeeeehaw!
We were on the Purple Heart Trail most of the way there.
Cows.
Large homes on the range.
We accumulated a lot of bugs on our windshield...
We saw this advertisement a lot, apparently clean restrooms is a big draw along the 40.
Oh hello there.
Car art in Texas. It's the Cadillac Ranch.
I was surprised to see cyclists in Texas.
This is for you, Daddy-O!
It was really quite gorgeous.
The biggest cross I have ever seen in my life.
Something's a lil off here, methinks.
I would love to photograph this more if we weren't on the road.
Finally settled in to our Econo Lodge in Shamrock, Texas. I captured Megan in the last few moments before she turned 30. Isn't she lovely?
I've been following your blog for a few weeks now, and have wanted to comment, but never did, for whatever reason. Anyway, I am a bit envious (and so happy for you both!) of your coming out to New York City and starting a new chapter in your lives and the fact that you both have each other to experience this amazing time in your lives. You both are so lucky to have each other. When I moved out to NYC, I was alone and wished so much to have someone, anyone here.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes on your move out here to NYC. :-)
Thanks, <3 Nova! Kelly & I are incredibly blessed not only with this opportunity but also and more importantly to have each other for support and for the added fun! It would not be the same without being together. Thanks for your kind words of encouragement, especially from a fellow New Yorker. ;-)
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