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DES MOINES, IA - Bonanza Steakhouse
I just ordered the buffet. The host was ready to run through all my options,
but I cut them off, no steak.
About ½ the food was labeled, so
being a person with food allergies, I had to ask what a couple of items were.
Salad bar all looked fresh and what I had all tasted fresh (except the black
olives … those I only like fresh out a can.)
Besides two helpings of
salad, I also had 'Oreo whip,' corn, garlic bread sticks, ham & potato
casserole. For mean I had couple of kinds of chicken and meat balls in sausage
gravy. The meat balls were better the 1st two helpings, by the 3rd they had
lost their appeal :.
Food was all good, the black olives were the only
thing I left on my plate.
KANSAS CITY, KS - COMFORT INN
They advertise truck parking, but I didn't see any designated spots,
just a large lot so park it where it lands. Tonight that was not a problem,
only one other truck and only a dozen or so cars. Not sure why it was so empty
… just a Thursday night?
No issues with check in or checking out.
Room covers the basics (and then some), hot water, clean warm room. Definitely
up to Comfort Inn standards.
Breakfast had all the usual plus eggs and
bacon. I usually do not eat breakfast but today I was running late and it was
almost 9 am so I did have some to go. The only thing missing was juice, other
than orange and apple. I prefer something other than those two.
Can't
think of anything it was missing so it gets a 5.
SHAMROCK, TX
- SLEEP INN
"Never again." (Now that I have your attention) The reason
I say that is price, I had never stayed at a Sleep Inn before and didn't expect
the price to be 'out of my league.' (If you've read my other reviews, I usually
stay in $30-$50 motels, I am working when on the road and every dollar comes
out of my take home)
I was supposed to have been in Amarillo tonight at a
$30 motel, but due to 'issues,' I ended up in Shamrock with one shot at picking
a motel without knowing all my options.
That all said … having never
stayed at a Sleep Inn, I don't know their standards … but I could not find
a thing wrong with this place. 1st class all the way. (Only) if I were on
vacation, I would stop here again.
On my photo's, notice the light colored
carpeting, it looks brand new …
Besides the basics for breakfast,
they also had Western omelette, sausage, biscuits and gravy (but like the
Comfort Inn yesterday), only OJ and apple juice … no cranberry, etc.
… and they do have a separate lot for truck parking.
Both the check
in and out went well, they worked with me to (likely) get me the best rate they
could, knowing my story.
HOLBROOK, AZ - MOTEL 6
"One
of a kind - For a Motel 6" (From my other reviews you may know I am not a big
fan of Motel 6's, due to the small rooms and 'generally' hard beds … but I
am cheap) FOOD … and price were the reason I stopped here tonight. Other
motels were close to the same price and included breakfast, but I don't eat
usually breakfast. But I do eat in the evening and Denny's was right next door.
Two items put this in one of a kind.
1) Three computers in the
check in area for customer use
2) Grills in the pool area
Also
rare for Motel 6's, free internet and actual truck parking that is graded and
covered with crushed rock.
Beyond that, this is an old motel that has
started to upgrade. My room had the new 'wood' floor and new style bedding, but
old bed, old sink style (which I prefer) and old style TV (as I was leaving in
the AM I could see other rooms did have new flat screen TV's.) I don't watch TV
so not an issue.
This room only had a shower, no tub. Again, not an issue
for me, in 10 years on the road I have never taken a bath (only showers).
The room only had one bed so it didn't seem as crowded as those with two beds
… I'll have to look, is this the first '6 I've given a 5?
(I
also took pictures of this '6)
HOLBROOK, AZ - DENNY'S
"Lacking in attention"
1st impressions mean a lot and my first
impressions were not good. When I walk in there is already someone waiting at
the counter to pay their bill. I didn't time it, so I am only guessing but I'm
guessing it was 5-10 minutes before anyone acknowledged either group was here.
Then they had to go find someone to help the ones at the register.
During
this time, at least six people had walked past the register, some of them
2-3-more times. And the person who came back to run the register had been one
of those people. A simple 'Just a minute' by any of them would have gone a long
way (The following night, I ate at a different Denny's and was acknowledged by
all three people the first time they saw me)
Once seated, my order was
taken promptly and food served quickly. Food was good.
Sorry, based on
'customer service,' tonight's visit only gets a '2.' (But I'll be back, it's
the only place in town I know that is open 24-7)
1000 PALMS,
CA - RED ROOF
"Location, location, location."
It is located next
to a truck stop / truck wash. The motel does not have any truck parking but
plenty of it next door.
Check in person was helpful, doors were still
locked at checkout so I have no idea if / what was avail for breakfast.
The room is showing it's age, the words on the heater/AC were worn off so I
didn't realize it was on AC, not heat and the coverings on one of the chairs
had started to crack … not big issues for me, so I'll give it one more
try.
I say 'one more,' because their pillows were way too hard for me. If
next time I find the same thing, I'll have to find somewhere else to say …
I'm here to sleep. Lots of motels have one (or more) of each … soft, med,
hard.
Sleeps the reason I was here … it gets a three only because
everything else was good.
1000 PALMS, CA - DENNY'S
I
was acknowledged by the first three people who saw me … I say that because
last night at a different Denny's location, at least six people walked past me
multiple times before anyone acknowledged me. So for this, and good food this
locations gets a 5.
I had a Philly with a side salad, all good and more
than I could eat. Meat was tender, bun grilled just right.
Thursday - 3/21/13
Most drivers do this run in four days, but I don't
want to be on a red-eye and have nothing else going on so I'll pay the extra
nights motel and take my time.
8 AM - -5 degree's, vehicle will not
start. I head back home until noon when I get a call, someone got it started so
back to work
4 HOURS DELAYED.
This thing had been fueled, but
wasn't full. That had me concerned that there were issues, so I back-tracked to
a fueling station so I'd still be close to a shop if there was something wrong.
Turns out the only thing wrong was 'driver error.' Vehicle took almost another
100 gallons of fuel.
1 HOUR DELAYED.
These delays have gotten
me off my planned stops, it was supposed to have been Wichita, Santa Rosa,
Phoenix. Those were the motels I had checked out. Now I'll be lucky to make it
to Kansas City. My day started at 8 AM as soon as I touched my vehicle, 14
hours from then I have to be off the clock.
Don't remember anything
'new' or eventful (compared to the rest of this trip)
In the past I
have usually stopped at the rest area in the Ankeny area just north of Des
Moines … that rest area is gone … building on the southbound is still
there but the road and parking lot have been seeded into grass. So that and it
being supper time instead of noon because of my delays, I decided to stop and
eat. I knew this place was adjacent to a large parking lot which is what I need
for this 60 foot rig.
Straight to the motel tonight, no time to fuel.
Friday - 3/22/13
Three miles from the motel is my next
fuel stop, been here before but things have changed. We now need to back in
from the street, about 150 feet … and they don't want us even backing 40
foot rigs. Not a good fill but I know it's enough to get me to the next fuel so
I don't waste any time trying to get more in.
Scales are open today
… KS, OK … but no issues.
Between the Guthrie, OK exits
… BANG! … and ½ of my driver's window was shattered (it's
designed in two pieces.) The window is still there, but in a million pieces (or
so). I see two cars and a truck ahead of me, but no one that would have been
near me when it happened ???
I slow down and drive the mile to the
exit, then park on the shoulder and called dispatch. They didn't have an
immediate answer so I moved to a road less traveled. I was afraid that just the
wind from the passing trucks was going to be enough to make the window
collapse. I gave dispatch my new locations and they found that just across the
street was a Wal-Mart that I hadn't seen. I was to go in and buy tape, trash
bags and a broom to clean up after myself. 9
Seeing this rig is worth
over a half a million, I would have expected that it I would be taking it
somewhere to have a temp window put in … nope.
This is my least
favorite part of this job, I don't do well at fixing things.
I find
Duck tape, plastic, trash bags and a broom/dust pan … Wal-Mart has
everything.
My plan was to tape the window enough to hold it together
enough not to get glass all over when I knocked it out. Once I started taping,
I decided to just leave it in … not sure what the DOT was going to think.
Two hours and a large role of Duck tape later, I take a couple of pictures and
am on my way.
2 HOURS DELAYED
We have always been stopping in
OKC for fuel but it looks like I'll be able to make it to our 'top off
location.' While I was down, one of the drivers called and I told him I was
going to by-pass OKC and he told me the 'top off' location was weak and to stop
in Weatherford instead. I did, and will suggest that to dispatch. The two OKC
locations are not good, not bad, just issues.
No issues with my
non-window, I can see my mirror just fine. I just have to lean forward to see
if anything is coming when I'm at a stop sign. The interactions that aren't at
90 degree angles are an issue.
For a while I think I might still make
Amarillo, maybe be over by a few minutes, but close and then think the better
of it.
… AND that is why I always try to stay two steps on the
right side of the law. Flashing red lights in my rear view … five miles
from Shamrock, where I had decided to spend the night. Now I will for sure.
He asks the basics … where am I going … to see my log …
if I am on Eastern time (I'd be over hours in minutes) … asked if I had
ever been inspected before … "Oh, yeah."
He then wants me to
follow him to the check station and he has me pull into the shed, over the pit.
He goes under to look around, looks through the inside then has me pull over to
the scale. Now is when the 'non window' is an issue. I can't see him but I can
see the lights so not an issue ??? He never does make a comment about the
window.
Then he has me go to his truck, I'm clean he says … just
a non-CSA citation for the company. Whewwwwwwww
He thanks me for being
diplomatic … I say nothing. I usually like to quiz these guys but tonight
I decide to say as little as possible.
I do ask about motels, saying
I'm looking for a Days Inn/Super 8 range … he directs me to the next exit
where he says there is truck parking next to the McDonalds (I do need to eat,
so food is a priority) I go past a Econo Lodge, no food. And a whole bunch of
Ma-Pa motels with no food and no truck parking. I find McDonalds and just a
Holiday Inn or Sleep Inn … A Best Western is across the freeway but I
don't know if they have truck parking and I am now out of hours. I don't want
to be where the cop can find me so I go for the Sleep Inn
… OUCH.
But I have no choice. I had planned on calling my corp card when I got to town
and even dug out the card with the number after I was stopped, but never got
the time. If I had I would have known … OUCH.
Saturday -
3/23/13
In at 11 last night, can't roll until 9 am … that is
almost my lunch time so I actually grab some food to eat in my room before
heading out.
Rain … glad the window is still in for now.
As I pull onto the freeway, I see there was also a Motel 6 in town … and
I'm sure it was a whole lot less than what I paid. I don't see any other food
that would have been open at 11. That was one VERY expensive Big Mac.
Turns out I was over an hour from Amarillo, I realized that as soon as it
started showing up on the highway signs. Lots of motels in Amarillo for under
$100. I'll need to look at the aerial photos of the place I was planning on
staying, from the Interstate it doesn't look like they have any truck parking.
Last time I was there I had dropped in Guymon, OK and had gotten a three hour
courtesy shuttle from the customers. (and other customers won't let you use
their phone.)
About 100 miles into the day the sun comes out, but the
rain has done it's damage. My window is going to give way. I make the mistake
of trying to push it back into place. Forgetting that I no longer have a
window, it is just a pile of glass held in place by tape. Maybe more tape would
have done the trick if I had put on at the start. But now I use the last of it
and know it's just a matter of miles.
As soon as I can see daylight at
the top of the window I slow down and make it the two miles to the next exit.
Middle of nowhere, TX. I bust out the perimeter,cover the inside with a trash
bag and then go outside to do the rest. As carefully as I can, I pull down the
window and try to get it into one garbage bag. I do, 'In' is the wrong word,
the trash bag is no match for the glass, so I create a double bag and bag the
bag. Then comes the slow work, I try to pull as much glass off as I can first.
None of this is a good job for someone who is on blood thinner, and
who's number is currently off the top of the charts. But I'm wearing gloves
(most of the time) and my glasses. I do get one sliver in me, but not enough to
draw blood, just enough to say 'Ouch.'
Yesterday when I was cleaning
up the glass, I did find glass slivers all the way across to the other side of
the dash … good thing I was not looking at the window that second … I
don't wear glasses when I drive. (Tomorrow when I change shirts I will find
that I have collected a bunch of glass chips in my shirt pocket.)
… after I get the main glass piece out, then I have to knock out the
pieces around the edges. That sends the glass flying … I use the hardest
thing I have, a Wal-Mart vise-grip. This side window is not one that opens and
it extends long past the opening. It is glued in a number of places, I am able
to pull off one rubber seal that has been flopping in the wind, everything else
I try to cover with re-used Duck-tape.
Then on to the cleanup, I use
my little brush and dustpan and start sweeping the highway with a nine-inch
brush. Actually this part didn't take too long, I had done a good job of taping
the mess together, it was just the edges I knocked out with the vise-grips that
I have to track down. I get (most of) what hasn't fallen under the bus and head
back on the highway.
It is nice that by now it has warmed up, feels
like to the 70's. And it is nice to be able to see and not be waiting for the
other 'shoe to drop.' It's over, it's done with … for now.
And
I'm glad it happened before the NM scales, to them it will just look like an
open window … (with a whole lot of Duck-tape)
No issues at the NM
scale, just a nod to go and park. Pay $10 and I'm on my way.
No issues
for me … as I'm getting my permit, I hear one of the DOT guys say "This XX
truck plates are assigned to YY." By the time I left both drivers in that truck
were on the phone … "Houston … we have a problem."
Another
transporter is parked next to me, I motion for him to go ahead as we leave the
lot. I'll see him a few more times today.
I need to get some more
Duck-tape to cover the rough edges, I don't know if there is a Wal-Mart in
Tucumcari but I know where a Kmart is, then I decide to try Loves truckstop
first. I'm hungry and they have an Arby's. … and I can see their parking
lot before I exit and they have plenty of room, I won't even need to back in.
I see the other transporter at the gas pumps and let him know he has a
headlight out, he already knows. New truck … his problem, not mine.
No Duck-tape, just a look-a-like … and it is 'no' Duck-tape. I
may even send an email to Love's. I wasted as much as I used trying to work
with that stuff, but that is later. Now I just eat and run … still kills a
½ hour.
One thing the guy at the scale said was enjoy the
weather … while it lasts. I hit the 60 mph winds around Tucumcari. I
wouldn't hit 65 mph for most of the day. Either because of the headwinds or
from the side winds rocking me so much I didn't dare go any faster. Didn't come
close to losing it that I know of but it did look like the back half was
dog-legging a lot.
ABQ for my next fuel stop, and even with the head
winds I still come in with more than enough fuel. It's been two years and I had
forgotten how long it takes to fuel at some of these locations. This is a
strong pump and still with three restarts it ends up taking me an hour. An hour
here, and hour there and soon I'm up against my 14 hours again.
ABQ
fuel stop is where I have time to tape up the rough edges and tear off the
loose tape … opps, what was I thinking. I tear off one section and wad it
into a ball … DUH … that tape has glass in it and I draw blood. What
could be more sanitary than some cheap imitation duck-tape?
150 miles
from ABQ to the AZ scale, by now it's dark and the wind has finally died down.
No comment here about my window either, just park and bring in my stuff.
And here I see the other transporter guy again. His paperwork doesn't
have the complete VIN so he has to go copy it down. DOT is in a good mood
today, maybe because they are not busy.
My paperwork does not have the
dimensions on it, it should but I didn't look close enough, Bad on my part, but
he puts something in and I'm on my way.
I guess it was back in ABQ
that I had gotten cold enough to put on an extra shirt and an extra tee-shirt.
Now I grab my gloves and put my ear flaps down. Not sure how cold it is
tonight, but by tomorrow AM when I get up it's be 15 degrees … at 60 mph
and no window … the heater just can't keep up.
I thought I'd make
up some miles today and I did, 15 miles. I had hoped for 50 plus. Flagstaff was
my goal this AM so that is where I had looked for motels. I pull into Holbrook
with minutes to spare. Enough time to check at a motel and not get stuck with
another $100 one. Food is also an issue again, I need to eat.
The
Ramada Express has a sign for $39, I've stayed there before, free breakfast
… great, but I need food now. Motel 6 is $39 but I decide to turn too lake
and have to make a U-turn. End up turning into the Travelodge, I've stayed here
before too. As long as I'm here I go in, chatty fellow, but when he says he can
knock of $20 and it's still over $39 I have to tell him "Not tonight, I WAY
overspent last night. So back to the Motel 6.
I do a quick tape job
with the plastic I had bought, just enough to keep any rain out, not enough to
drive with it in.
Denny's next door … two nights in a row my
motel has been picked because of food.
Sunday - 3/24/13
Glad to see the sun up when I get up, it is going to be a cold ride today. 15
degrees this AM, but the sun should help. It does, by Flagstaff the ear-flaps
are up and the gloves are gone, By the time I hit Phoenix I realize that the
reason I'm still cold is that this rig only has an on/off for temperate. I had
it 'on' and it decided it needed to run the AC. I shut that off.
Winslow, AZ … the former Pilot truck stop is still vacant … and
yesterday the large truckstop across from the TA and Pilot in Gallup is now
open again, some Ma/Pa place. Not a chain. TA picked up another location, think
it was just past the power plant west of Holbrook but I don't remember for
sure.
Wind is gone today, so much better speed even on the up hill
climb into Flagstaff, this rig has a retarder that kicks on if you don't have
your foot on the accelerator … it works. From 7,000 feet down to
1,000-2,000 feet from Flagstaff to PHX I never had to use the breaks, the
retarder did the rest.
Had thought I was staying in Flagstaff last
night, Ramada or Howard Johnson. From the Interstate neither looks like they
have any truck parking except on the frontage road. Guess that would work but I
might just stick to the Rodeway Inn that has designated truck parking in their
parking lot.
Food … I need food … and '40 acres to turn this
rig around.' All I can think of is an outlet mall about 30 miles before PHX. I
see room for the rig and a sign that says 'Food Court.' I'll be able to find
something … and something I did. Our local outlet mall has a Burger King
and the other two malls don't even have food. This one had 6-8 different
places, including Subway, Charlies, Aunt who-ever's pretzels,an Italian place
I've seen before, a BBQ I haven't seen before along with a couple of others.
Charlies it was … maybe next time it'll be the BBQ.
I've stayed
at the Primer Inn in PHX a couple of times but it looked like the area was on
the way down. Not so … the Olive Garden I had eaten at has moved to a new
building with more freeway visibility with another new restaurant next to it.
The Bennigans that was vacant is now a new Roadhouse (? TN ? ), only one
building still for sale and no vacant lots.
In PHX, I have to swing
wide to get into this fuel stop but I do it … of course :
If it
wasn't for having to take a 30 minute break I might just skip this fuel stop
… maybe not, I will add on a lot of fuel again in CA, so maybe not a good
idea.
Someone from the business next door to the fuel pump comes out
to take a picture, I talk to him briefly and he shows me another picture he had
taken of a similar rig a month ago … ? … maybe he'll be driving for
us someday.
Another 150 miles to the border. Opps … AZ now has a
form we are to display in the front window, new since my last run this way two
years ago. I did put it in the window when I got it, but today I needed the
clipboard it was attached to for writing on and forgot to put it back in the
window. I do a quick stop at an exit ramp a few miles from the border. And then
the scale is closed, haven't seen it open … yet.
'All vehicles
must stop,' at the CA border. I have always gone through the truck lane but
next time I'll try another lane, they have never stopped me yet.
CA
… truck speed limit is 55 mph.
Right about Desert Center, that is
the name of the town, traffic comes to a stop … 250 miles from LA. This
could be a long day. No, just a long few miles. Someone had rolled a pickup.
Once past that traffic speeded up but I'm guessing I lost close to another
hour. Then traffic was thick enough that it was hard to pass so a lot of 'slow'
even after the accident.
I fuel in 1,000 Palms and then go to North
Palm Springs to scale. I don't remember it being that far but it is about 15
miles each way. Glad I got it done. I weighted the rig and the guy on the PA
says 'Got it." And he is gone, so I have to call again
"Did you get
all three axels? I ask.
"Just a minute." He says.
Lots of
minutes later I finally go into the building to get their attention. The person
I was talking to on the speaker didn't know what I was talking about, and was
waiting for someone else who was busy. The 2nd person had weighed the other
units so knew what we wanted (better than I did, it had been a couple of years)
As long as I was 'in' I thought I could just get my scale ticket and
leave. Nope, they claim that the ticket won't print until the scale is clear.
Sooo, I had to go and back it into a parking spot, I didn't hit anything so I'd
call it a success.
Back to the motel … they have removed the exit
where we used to exit but I had found that out on the way from the fueling
station. I'm washing 1st thing in the AM so I park at the wash and go next door
to the Red Roof.
… AND, I because I have to wash tomorrow, I use
plastic and tape the window over tonight.
ONE HOUR DELAY.
My
choice of food tonight is fast food or Denny's. The manager at the Red Roof
suggested the Mexican place next to Denny's. Sounded good to me, then as I got
closer I decided no. Then after I've past their building I take a U-turn and go
inside. It is fast food with liquor, but nothing on the menu looks good so I do
end up at Denny's. I meet someone carrying a to-go bag and decide that is what
I am up for tonight … so I order and go back to the motel.
While
I'm eating I'm thinking about tomorrow. All I have is the name of the place, it
matches to a business in Riverside. I call there and find out from their
recording that they open at 6:30. I also do some math and realize that I only
have about 2 hours where they can fix the window before I'll need to move my
flight to the next day. Not likely that the window would 'cure' that fast even
if they could work on it right away.
Monday - 3/25/13
I'm
awake at 3:30 local, still awake at 4:30 so I get going at 5 AM instead of
5:30. Great perk about parking at the wash, I could have pulled straight into
the open bay, but I'd have been close on the mirrors so with just a little
swerve I'm in the wash bay. No to wake people up : Actually one person was
awake, others were sleeping in their car and he woke them, not me.
I
decided to leave the plastic on this AM, I had sealed it for the wash and it
'might' stay on. But once I hit highway speed I gave it about three minutes and
I was right. By the first exit I was on the shoulder tearing it off. It had
come loose enough that I didn't even get out of my seat, just ripped it and
rolled … oh, and put the ear-flaps back down and the gloves on.
CA-60 … is not a freeway, up over the mountains, two lanes each direction,
no shoulders ... hang on (I only hit the rumble strips once, not bad with a 60
footer)
I mapped my route out a couple of days ago and wrote the notes
down last night BUT … never looked at the big picture. I'm looking for
I-215, then I know I only have two exits to go.
Problem is that there
were signs for I-215 south but I wanted north, about the time I thought I
missed it, signs showed I-215 … but once on the I-215 I was already past
my exit. It took me a few miles to realize that the road I was on BECAME I-215
north at the exit for I-215 south. No signs, but signs are lacking in CA, most
places there is only a sign saying ___ exit one mile. Up until then you don't
know if it's a right or a left exit.
And it didn't help that the extra
20 miles I put on was in road construction, narrow lanes, no shoulder, just a
concrete barrier.
So much for being there when they opened. Once I
knew why I missed it, I had no problem finding it on the way back. But 1st I
needed to call dispatch to find out if this was the correct place, it was.
I manage to find the 'main office' and have someone located, didn't
check the time but I'm guessing ½ hour plus before the correct person
showed up (others stopped by to look.) Even though he was the right person, he
had no idea I was coming. I asked when it might be ready to go … no idea,
doesn't know if they have the parts, etc.
Now I've got a signed bill,
I'm ready to go and I realize I didn't look up taxi numbers … so I call
dispatch first (which may have cost me). Dispatch gives me the 'local' taxi
number and they are there in about 15 minutes or so, another five to the train
station and I watch the train pull out … no big deal … at the time.
I had thought about walking to the train station, it was less than two
miles, but with a loaded backpack … and then seeing the rolled barbwire on
top of the fences in the area sealed the deal, a taxi it was.
I had
used the LA train system a dozen or so times but I was still having issues, it
said there was not a train going to LA at 10:24, as I'm on the phone waiting
for someone to pick up I realize that I have to buy two tickets, one to San
Bernardino and a 2nd from San Bern to LA. An extra $6 by taking this route. My
next issue was which track was it going to come in on, no one here now knew,
not even the cleaning crew.
I do find a sign that lists a few of the
routes and all the San Bern arrive on track #3. A while later I ask a security
guy and he just says … "You were in the right place." (? I've been all
over ?) With two hours to go I decide to sit in the sun and enjoy, I finally
set my alarm afraid I would doze off and not be able to get to the correct
tracks in time.
When the next train comes in, the same security guard
comes over and asks "You're going to LA right?" He tells me I should be over by
the other tracks and it's clear he wants me to move over there. At some point I
realize the reason is that this train is going to be sitting here, it's the end
of the line and he didn't want anyone hanging around the empty train.
Once I was 'awake,' I couldn't go back to sleep so I just relax.
Train
comes early and I find out right away that this will be my same train all the
way to LA, it just has a layover in San Bern. So I pull out my laptop and start
this report, the train has power but no WiFi, it gives me almost two hours.
Every stop they remind us that there is a 'quiet car' on the train, no
talking, no radio, no …
And of all the times I've been on the
train this is the first time they have had a fully armed police officer
checking for tickets, before it was just someone in a hat or no-one at all.
Once at LA Union Station, I take a wrong turn … which explains
why nothing looked familiar. I finally asked. But I got to see the old station,
the part where they used to sell tickets was gated off but looked like it
likely looked 100 years ago.
After asking again once I was closer I
did find where the bus would take me to LAX and by the time I had my ticket,
the bus was there. What a ride … glad I was not the one who had to drive
in this traffic.
At the airline, I swipe my drivers license but their
computer has no record of me. Turns out to be a good thing. It didn't find me
because my middle name was not on my ticket. The good news was because I had to
have an agent help me, I got an isle seat in the exit row.
Security
lines aren't bad, but I only got to the airport an hour before my flight (makes
me wonder why I still got a great seat?) By the time I get to my gate they are
letting people know how they are going to board. But I know I have time enough
to use the restroom and grab a bite. It's almost 3PM and all I've had is some
cookie crumbs while sitting waiting for the train.
I walk into a place
called Ruby's Dinette and meet a customer walking away from the counter …
"Don't bother, you'll never get your food." Hadn't thought about that, so I
walk across the isle to Monet's California Deli and grab a chicken croissant
and a juice off the shelf, $13 and change. But what is money when you need
food, cost wasn't/couldn't be an option.
I get back to the gate and
sit down and have about ½ my sandwich eaten by the time my group is
called. It's great to have an emergency row seat … seat 'C,' I'll have to
remember that.
Got another hour plus on my computer before dropping
into Denver. I send my wife a text asking if she'll pick me up at 10PM or do I
take a taxi. "Taxi … your flight is delayed" was the reply.
I
should have eaten again, but it had only been a few hours and I couldn't find
anything light, like yogurt. No deli's so I would settle for more cookie crumbs
and airline juice. (Cookie crumbs were from Subway cookies I had put in my back
pack, they didn't hold up very well.)
No exit row this time, but still
a 'C' seat. I work for a while and then the guy ahead of me puts his seat back
… lucky no 'crunch' from my computer screen. This airline did have free
ear-buds at the top of the walkway, but I didn't grab any. Once in the air they
announced that 'due to some of you being stuck in Denver since Saturday (it is
now the last flight out on Monday) all movies would be free for everyone."
Didn't realize the storm was that bad, or that far east. All I knew was that
Kansas City got a few inches again.
We ended up landing about an hour
late, then instead of a ride waiting I had to take a shuttle … another
hour wait … and another hour dropping off other customers. Then almost a
BIG oops … I had given the shuttle driver our parking lot address,
normally they drop me off, I unlock the gate and get my car. Problem was, my
car was not at the lot … I was less than two miles away when I remembered
where my car was …
What a trip, 1 AM and I am home at last …
finally. |
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