Tuesday, February 27....Right Here Waiting

   Left Gallup, NM at about 7:30 a.m., heading to Holbrook, AZ. From there Rapunzel was routing us through the mountains to Phoenix. Kim had to refill the coolant again before we left because oops! the truck left another puddle in a hotel parking lot. Today’s adventure included a ‘Drain Water Separator’ message popping up on the truck information screen. Kim’s first question was “what is a water separator?” and then “how do I drain it?” Someone had to find the answers to those questions, so I put my Vanna White hat on and started reading those manuals. 😉

   We stopped so Kim could do the draining…got back on the road and 10 minutes later we hear a ‘ding’ and the same warning pops up.  Dang!  And now the truck is pumping out cool air again which means the small leak has possibly become larger.  Kim now wants to stop at a dealership in Phoenix…however, phone service is spotty and the calls keep dropping.  As we continue onward to Phoenix with me keeping a close eye on the phone signal, I see a Ford dealer…it has a service department and there’s no time like the present to get this checked out.  At this point neither of us even know the name of the town but the service manager says they can look at the truck after lunch, so we unhooked the trailer, took off the bike rack in front, parked the truck and came inside to wait….which is how I came to be writing this update at about noon while sitting in a Ford dealership somewhere in the mountains between Holbrook and Phoenix. 

   Just part of the adventure, right?😏

Update at 5 pm:  Now I’m sitting in a motel about ¼ to ½ mile from the Ford dealership.  It’s a nice room and fairly inexpensive but it’s not in Quartzsite, AZ…and we didn’t drive in our truck to get here, either.  Found out the name of where we are is Star Valley.  We also found out that the repair that the truck needs requires parts that the service manager doesn’t

A beautiful day for walking *big sigh*

have in stock. However, parts will be here first thing in the morning…repairs should be done by afternoon.  Earlier, just on a lark, Kim had asked someone if there was a nearby motel.  “Yes, it’s about a ¼ mile up the road, just past the Circle K gas station.  It’s nice...and cheap, too.” The dealership doesn’t have any loaner cars but the service manager did offer us a ride.  We declined…the weather is beautiful and we could use the exercise.  So, we took what we might need for a sleepover and started walking.  I put all my technology in my computer bag which made it a bit bulky and slightly heavy; I was looking forward to getting to that motel so I could set it down…because, by the way, the hotel was more than a ¼ mile from the dealership.  Anyway, we reach the motel and there is a sign on the door that reads: Went to town!  Please call 928-970-XXXX…Manager. I dutifully called the number, explained that we needed a room, and the very accommodating woman said to hang tight, she’d be there in 5 to 7 minutes…turns out she was on a pre-school pickup run.  Thankfully, there were chairs so we could sit in the warm sunshine while we waited.  The manager arrived, we got a room, deposited our bags and walked to the pub on the other side of the Circle K to get something to eat. We stopped at the Circle K on the way back to the room to get water and pop.  So now here we are, waiting.    

Update at 7 pm:  Yes, this is a nice room.  It has a table with chairs, a sink, refrigerator, microwave, and TV…everything you’d need if you were going to rent it for an extended stay.  Well, everything but adequate lighting and enough outlets.  But we’re making it work…I opened the curtains to let light in and I’ve managed to get my technology charged by unplugging the microwave.  The television is not on the wall…it’s not a flat screen…it’s not HD.  It’s an old style tube TV but it gets good reception…NCIS is on and we’ve made ourselves comfy.  It’s still a dark room but if I suspend reality, I can imagine I’m watching one of my favorite shows in a theater…the screen is just a bit smaller. 😏 Kim went to the pub for pizza… so we have each other for company, food to eat, television to watch, Kindles for reading or playing cribbage, and the Mobile Command Center has been set up so we can access the outside world.  What more could we want?  Hmmm….maybe our truck?   

Room #7 at the Star Valley Motel

There's no one I'd rather be on this adventure with than Kim!

Monday, February 26....Breakdown (A Long Way From Home)

Happy 3^rd Birthday to Dylan and Clayton, a.k.a. The Twinsies.  And along with their little sister Shelby, they are the crew known as the Kentucky WonderKids. 

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    Put about 550 miles behind us yesterday (Sunday)…got a room in Shamrock, TX, at about 9:30 p.m., where I could not get online to do the blog thing.  Oh, well, no problem…I’ll just use the Mobile Command Center tomorrow. 😊   

   And because we wanted to get on the road earlier than we typically do, we went to bed earlier than we typically do.  Woke before the sun was up…got showering, shaving and primping done…walked out the hotel door at about 7:45 a.m. to find a puddle under the truck.  We had pulled in after dark so Kim wasn’t even sure it was from us.  But a drip was discovered and Kim investigated but couldn’t really determine the cause.  It didn’t appear to be brake fluid, so we decided to start out, keep an eye on the gauges and find the nearest Ford dealership on our westward route.  A quick Google search revealed that the nearest Ford dealer is in Amarillo, about 70 miles away.  Jump in the truck with a plan to stop in Amarillo but we didn’t get 10 miles down the road before Kim figured out what the fluid was because there was cold air coming out of the heater.  Coolant was the mystery fluid.  Stopped to refill the coolant and voila! there was heat in the truck.  My feet were very appreciative. So we’re still heading to a dealership to find out why we left a puddle of coolant back at the hotel.   

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Revisiting the Cadillac Ranch

Revisited the Cadillac Ranch west of Amarillo.  It wasn’t on Kim’s list of things to do but he agreed hoping it would cut down on the number of future stops for such things.  Hmmm…don’t know about that.  Anyway, didn’t have any paint with us but previous ‘graffiti artists’ had left their paint behind and we knew the routine: Paint our KB² and a smiley face…selfie stick time…on our way.  It was a quick but appreciated stop.   

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We’ve only been this way twice before, once in a vehicle and once on the bikes, several years apart...and we’re finding there are places and sights along the way that strike memories.  It's kind of surreal to be driving along 1,500 miles away from home, see a particular sight and ask, "Do I know this place...?"  

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We didn’t make a stop in Amarillo at the Ford dealership as planned.  We made a stop to stock up on coolant and Kim just kept an eye on the fluid level.  The leak was very slow, so he just added coolant as necessary.  Truck ran fine and temperature gauge stayed in the right zone.  Still need to get it checked out but aiming for Quartzsite, AZ, now. 

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Giant Red Arrow photo op

We did make a couple of stops in Albuquerque, NM.  I had a specific destination in mind and as we took our exit I saw another interesting bicycle sculpture that was calling to me.  So first we had to find the Giant Red Arrow and then we came back to the bike sculpture.  Neither the arrow or the sculpture was far off the highway but I directed us the wrong way at first, so it turned into a bit more city driving than anticipated.  The Giant Red Arrow was fun for the photo op it presented, but other than that it wasn’t much.  And while the bicycle sculpture was intriguing, it didn’t have a sign to identify the artist or explain the concept.  But there was a huge black ball, which turned out to resemble a time bomb, that had pictures of people scattered on it with #MakeEmBoom on one side of it.  I don’t tweet but my curiosity was satisfied by a quick search or two on Google.  #MakeEmBoom is an annual charity campaign brought to you by boomtime. Each year, we team up with local businesses to raise money for worthy non-profits and charities.  This particular time bomb was located at the Green Jeans Farmery location. And the Green Jeans Farmery is a one-stop multiple-option destination of eateries, confectionaries, adult drinkeries, shops, plazas and places to hang out, constructed entirely with shipping containers as building blocks.  Green Jeans is an indoor/outdoor gathering place that builds on ingenuity, fun and localist choices with a message of community, healthy living and fun.  Thank you, Google! Not sure ‘drinkeries’ and ‘localist’ are actual Webster dictionary words, but I copied right from the website so I’m sticking with it.  Besides I’m too tired to care beyond this point.

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Sunshine all day long!  Saw a high of 64^o and at times it was downright hot in the cab of the truck.  Took my shoes and socks off in favor of my summer footwear…Keen sandals. There was a good breeze, though, so being outside of the truck was a bit of a cool down.  Good thing time spent outside the truck was at a minimum.  Later in the afternoon, approaching Gallup, New Mexico, we realized there was snow in among the bushes and along the side of the highway…mostly in the shadow areas.  With the elevation being over 6,000 ft., the temperature had cooled down significantly also.   I found some snow in the shadow of the hotel and took a foot picture, still wearing my sandals.  I’m splitting the difference tomorrow…socks with sandals. 👍

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We cruised into Mountain Time sometime today, which I didn’t realize until I noticed the sun was too high for 7 p.m. which is what the truck was reading. Checked my phone then and saw it was reading 5 p.m.  Ahh...that's right...the truck clock is still on Eastern/Michigan time and doesn't automatically change like my phone does.  My phone is two hours behind our normal time so that means Mountain Time.  This time change is playing games with me...having gotten up early today to get on the road, I was tired and ready to crawl into bed at 7:30.  No way!  I’d be awake at 3 in the morning with nothing to do but wait.  Decided to fine tune the journal and check out the pictures I took today…all in an effort to last until 9 o’clock.  We’re planning on getting up early again because Quartzsite is within striking distance now.  I think we’re under 8 hours at this point. 

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 Observations from the road:

*Texas cotton fields…piles of cotton bolls scattered around the fields are reminiscent of the last remnants of snow.   

*If the wind is right, you can smell the massive stockyards long before you can see them.

*The current material used for billboards doesn’t stand a chance against the winds blowing across the Great Plains.

Sunday, February 25...Take the Money and Run

   Last night, we weathered the storm and then were treated to a chorus of heavenly sounding voices.  We made a bathroom stop when atmospheric conditions were such that it was safe to get out of the truck without being struck by lightning or being washed away by the rain.  What an absolute delight to step out into the 62^o night air and then realize that the spring peepers were singing!!😇

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   I’ve used the time in the truck to type up my journal on the computer which is a time saver once we get to a hotel.  Of course, it’s only been two days so far but it sometimes amazes me how much can happen when just driving cross country.  We’ve been staying at hotels and it works well to upload the journal to the blog and then link it to Facebook once we’re at the hotel.  It’ll be a slightly different process once we start camping.

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I see shadows!!

Frost on the truck when we woke up, but the sun was out and it didn’t take long for the frost to disappear. Kim is wearing a sleeveless shirt and instead of my typical winter gear of 2 shirts, I’m wearing only one long sleeved shirt in honor of the sun. 🌞

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   I finally transferred the journal entries to the blog last night but was having design issues so I didn’t link it to Facebook then…thought I’d do that this morning.  Since I knew correcting the design issue to my satisfaction could be time consuming because first I had to figure out what was causing the issue so I could figure out how to fix it, I decided not to take the time this morning at the hotel.  Came up with another idea that would make better use of our time all the way around and possibly widen my technology boundaries…or else it was going to be a complete bust, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?  I was planning on turning the passenger seat into a Mobile Command Center…using my phone as the mobile hotspot that would allow me to use the computer to search the blog site to find and correct the issue I was experiencing…all while we were traveling down the road. Kim helped me find the necessary cords, etc. to make it happen, then we were on the road and my Mobile Command Center (MCC) was in business!  

   Once we were on the road, I explained my blog design issue to Kim; he said it sounded like an archive issue.  That made sense so I started searching how to access the archived files, which led me to investigate the ‘permalink’ feature, and within minutes I had found the source of my irritation.  A few minutes more and voila! my issue was fixed and I could move forward, meaning I could link it to Facebook and have it look like I wanted.  To say it made my day was a bit premature because it was only 9 a.m. and I had lots of day left…but to say it gave me great joy and got me day off to a good start is not an overstatement. Lots of happy, happy, joy, joy in the MCC!👍

   I do have to say that the truck works as a MCC only when the internet signal is decent enough to be found.  I lost my connection a couple of times but it was a simple process of waiting and reconnecting when the signal improved.  Good thing national security isn’t at stake here….

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The 'talking' bust of GWC

   To break up the driving monotony of just flying down the highway, I looked up Roadside America to see what oddities Missouri had to offer. Oh, Drat!  We had just passed the exit for the World’s Largest Fork and despite my desire to see it, I passed on it.  It was located at the outer edge of downtown Springfield but I figured the Everly Brothers search had already used up my quota of Kim’s patience with pulling this rig through a town/city. I set my sights on the George Washington Carver National Monument, which featured a ‘talking’ bust of the man.  Well, talking in the sense that it contained the actual recording of a him reading a poem during the speech he gave at the 1942 commencement ceremony at Selma College...available to hear at the push of a button.  We found the monument out in the country near Diamond, MO, which is the area where he grew up. We wandered around the museum, watched the 28 minute film and wandered around the walking path.  And I feel that we only scratched the surface of the life of George Washington Carver, who was known as the Plant Doctor and Peanut Man at various times in his life.  A museum exhibit mentioned his soprano style voice...I thought it referred to his childhood voice. When we came to the ‘talking’ bust and Kim pushed the button, I was caught off guard by the voice reciting the aforementioned poem….it sounded just like a woman’s voice! I only saw that one mention of his voice in all that I read, so it seemed that being accepted as a man with a woman’s voice was easier than being accepted as a ‘person of color’. Born toward the end of the Civil War to a 13 year old slave, Carver had to go to extremes to participate in what I always took for granted and sometimes didn’t appreciate…learning in a classroom.  But he persevered and did what he had to do in order to learn.  Along the way he broke several social barriers in his pursuit of an education, eventually had a huge impact in the area of interracial cooperation and was a person who had a great belief in God.  Ultimately it was his knowledge, wisdom and personal philosophy, not the pitch of his voice that impacted people.  I think spending a day with him would have been a worthwhile experience. 😊   

 **The poem he read was called Equipment, written by Edgar Albert Guest.  It has a timeless message and here is just an excerpt of it:  

You are the handicap you must face,

You are the one who must choose your place,

You must say where you want to go.

How much you will study the truth to know,

God has equipped you for life, But He

Lets you decide what you want to be.

Courage must come from the soul within,

The man must furnish the will to win,

So figure it out for yourself, my lad,

You were born with all that the great have had,

With your equipment they all began.

Get hold of yourself, and say: "I can."

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   The route that Rapunzel plotted for us included the Oklahoma Turnpike, which we didn’t realize until we came to the 1^st toll plaza.  No problem.  The 2^nd toll plaza wasn’t a problem either.  Both had attendants that took our money, gave us our change and receipt, and sent us on our merry way.   
  We took an exit to get fuel and food, then had to pay again to re-enter the turnpike (toll #3).  Kim was willing to drive through because we had paid the 2^nd toll of over $11 about 15 miles back. However, I was properly intimidated by the sign that said “Payment of tolls is strictly enforced”, so we scrounged for the ‘exact change, no bills’, because there was no attendant.  I insisted we play the game by the rules because I didn’t want to receive a nasty gram in the mail from the Oklahoma Toll Authority.  
   Another 10 miles down the road, there’s toll plaza #4.  What?!   As we angle toward the booth that had the ‘Attended’ sign visible because we don’t have the exact change, a woman walks out to turn the sign around to ‘Unattended’.  Really?!  She waited by the sign as we pulled up and inquired, “Now what do we do?”  In return, she asked, “Do you have exact change?” to which I replied “Uh, no, we only have this” as I waved my $5 bill.  She then asked what denomination it was, then pointed to the change machine 10 feet ahead and said we could use that to get change, but it only takes ones and fives.  She walks away and we pull ahead.  Frustration is mounting as Kim can’t get the machine to take the bill, then on the third try it suddenly sucks it in but routes it up and over into a spot above the proper bottom slot.  No change came out.  I start to suggest we just drive on through, but Kim finds another five in his pocket, puts it in the machine and…again, no change came out.  As I'm once again suggesting a drive through, the machine forcefully starts spitting out coins.  A couple coins hit the ground and roll under the truck but Kim managed to get the rest.  As I’m counting out the required $2.65, I realize there’s too many nickels and not enough quarters to equal $5, but whatever at this point.  We pay the toll…the light turns green…I put the rest of the change in the console…we bid a fond farewell to the toll booth and start grumbling.  
  Not 10 miles down the road, there’s toll booth #5… again no attendant, exact change only, no bills…but we now have nothing smaller than a ten.  As I’m saying “Screw this…just drive on through…I’ll tell them that they owe us because their machine ate our money at the last...”, Kim is saying, “Just give me whatever change is left from the last time.”  He throws in $1.50 because that’s what we have…the light turns green but there’s a loud bell which indicates insufficient money was deposited. Too bad.  As we pull away there’s some general cursing and more grumbling about the Oklahoma Turnpike system.    
   It’s at this point that I think "This is the perfect time to eat those Reese’s Peanut Butter Easter eggs I bought back at that gas station". I was going to use the perfect blend of peanut butter and chocolate to ease my frustration. I offered one to Kim.  His response? “No, thanks, I don’t want any.  What I want is to run over a freakin’ toll booth!”  😏

   It occurred to me later that encountering all these toll booths out here was like driving around Chicago except with better scenery. 

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Footnote:  What I find interesting in looking back at that entire scenario is that I went from being a law abiding Pollyanna to having an outlaw Bonnie and Clyde mentality in about 15 minutes without giving it a second thought.  Hmmm…wonder what that says about me.