December 26, 2014

I was so excited about the road trip last night that I was unable to fall sleep until after 1 o'clock in morning, so I reset the alarm to 4 o'clock in the morning rather than three, but Maggie woke me up at 3:45,   worried that I'd overslept, so we got up and ended up leaving the house open an hour later then and initially anticipated.   Heading over Tahoe summit,  I stopped by a gas station to inquire about the pass is being open before wasting two hours in having to turn back, like last time we came this route.  I met a woman from Germany who absolutely detested the fact that she was German. This is the first time in my life I've ever run into someone who hates their country of origin so deeply.   I swear, if she'd have been able to spit on the floor to emphasize her hatred, she would have done it.  Forty-five minutes later, it was 2 degrees and I regretted having left the chains at home*.   A few hours later the kids and I came upon a  bakery with the best french rolls...  We tried them, fell in love, so I went back in for more.     
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As the kids slept in the car, I listen to the audio book "The Help" since I've never seen the movie. While I understand about people being raised with certain ideas and notions,  I have little tolerance for people who look down upon other ethnicities the way that is portrayed  in this book and I'm  so grateful I wasn't born in Texas several decades earlier, when racism was  predominant.  I think back to going to the country club, having so much fun in the changing rooms and up in the club house after tennis lessons with those two black gentlemen.  I remember those faces so well and with such affection.  They were so kind, and I loved sitting there, talking to them (I was about 8 years old), yet looking back on it - all of the people at the country club who worked there were black.  Was this Midland's way of racial superiority??  The very thought fills me with shame.  I detest that.  I could never be a country club person now.  No way in hell.


The weather made the drive over the icy areas take much longer than usual and it added about an hour or hour and a half to our time.  I was grateful I didn't need to buy more chains,  I just needed to drive very carefully over the ice. What annoyed me the worst was the 2 1/2 hours spent in Southern California on the 15 to 215 in the 10 freeway, driving about 17 mph.  Nope - never moving here again.




My eyes were crossed because of all the driving.  We were only on the road about 16 hours, which
seemed even more because of the traffic in  in Southern California. The driving, itself? It drives me *crazy* that people don't know about getting in the right-hand lane if they're driving slower. Do you know how much time would be saved if people would just move over and let other people pass them by? It was thrilling for me when I would set the proper example of constantly going back into the right-hand lane and when I would see the car eventually learn and move into the correct lane, I would give them silent high-fives.   Wooo!  My job is done here.

Our Denny's tradition has been silenced this evening.  The food is absolutely disgusting. It was cool to see Elvis, though, and after that I saw Morgan Freeman and his wife.  He was trying to find the cash register.  After Denny's, we headed to the hotel.  The only one we could find with two  beds was Motel 6, which was kinda gross**.  Although the lights are on.  My eyelids are vibrating.  I'm out.


*I also forgot the gifts for everyone here and the (heavy) antique tortilla press, which was to be gifted to Jose, who runs the commissary.  iSuck.

**The internet I paid for didn't work, despite 2 calls to the customer tech service.

Pictures:  The 395 near Mammoth in CA; More Mammoth;  Manzanar Relocation Center, CA