January 9, 2015

I slept so luxuriously in that hotel, I didn't want to get up. However, I woke up at 7 o'clock and couldn't go back to sleep again. So instead, I just lay there, thinking about many of the experiences I've had recently.  It has been one hell of a road trip. There were so many closures, there were many goodbyes, and a special hello.  I got dressed, went downstairs to get some coffee  and gave the kids few more minutes to sleep in while I drank my first cup of coffee, then I woke them up, saying we should go downstairs to eat breakfast before it closed and get on the road quickly.

A delicious breakfast, we finished up packing, got the car loaded and got on the road. This time, there was no messing with LA traffic at all: we hit the 15 to Vegas, the 58 to Bakersfield, then the 395 all the way up into Nevada. We passed through Lone Pine fairly quickly,  the kids were asleep in the car.  I decided to fill up for some gas in Independence.  These little towns really stick it to you for gas prices.... it was $2.79,  I believe? We got to Bishop and I stopped at Schatt's Bakery again, then  across the street for some Texas barbecue.  We sat for about 15 minutes while I ate, then back on the road again.

Pretty soon we hit Mono Lake, which I want to go explore.We pulled into the park, getting of the car like some odd clown car, each of us heading in different directions.  It was in the low 40s and I know menopause looms on the horizon because I was walking around with a short sleeve T-shirt and there was a group of Japanese men with heavy parkas and scarves on who must have been talking about that crazy white woman who must be menopausing.  Men-o-pause.  I just got it.  Fuck.  No wonder I'm single.  It's written genetically.  The kids and I got on the trail and ran down towards the lake.   I saw later that there was an easy lake access which delivered you  feet away from the lake, but for now, it was a lot of fun galloping down the decomposed granite trail with the kids as Japanese tourists watched us.

There really wasn't that much further to go, so naturally when I turned into Bridgeport,  I couldn't remember driving trough the first time.  I was convinced I taken a wrong turn, so I headed the other direction and, soon found myself lost.  We were in the Bridgeport Indian colony.  They must not get many visitors, because a  Paiute woman looked at us with an odd expression on her face.  Shortly thereafter (and with the help of GPS),  we found ourselves on the right path, and we took off again.  It was dark and I realize that the GPS directions were leading us to an area that was closed due to snow so we simply took the 395 to Nevada and crossed over towards Tahoe.   I've done a lot of driving... I enjoy driving and I'm very alert and focused when I drive,  but I did not like being on the 88 tonight. It's a road I don't know, I don't like the bright lights of oncoming traffic, and  I'm not sure of the road's direction since I haven't been on very often.  I got very dizzy and disoriented, so after I filled up the final time, we headed to Chevy's.  Yuk.  Though we did a win a Sierra-at-Tahoe koozy from the rep. I saw that one coming...(really...Mags looked at our raffle ticket and I told her - you just jinxed us, we're winning the next prize.  We did.


Finally, we were home.  Within minutes the car was unpacked and I was <don't ask> cleaning out the refrigerator and considering taking down the Christmas tree <we left at 4 a.m. on Dec 26 for  4 day stay>.  Ethan was rearranging his room (aka, setting up his new boom box), Maggie was texting all her friends, and me...well...after this posts, it's bed.  I'm excited to be back with my true love - the bed.  Hope to go for a hike with the pups this weekend.



Pictures:  Mono Lake; A shot on the 395 near Mammoth; The kids running to the lake; Mags holding a large pumice stone.