Wow...it seems that I had LESS time this week than normal...I thought being on vacation meant having more free time…!
Flashing back a few days….
I still have not decided what I'm going to do...of course, NO decision IS a decision, and my original thoughts of spending several days along the Colorado River are pretty much out the door. I'm mildly upset about this...I spent a couple of days doing some "tasks" here to get ready for the trip, which ate up much of my time. I have a company vehicle I use for work, so I don't drive my car all that often, just to run small errands around here. So, to go on a trip I needed to do some small repairs--went out and got tires, did some other stuff to make it more road-worthy--and now have too few days to enjoy the fruits of my labor, so to speak. Of course, the dividends paid later on when I DO decide to travel on a weekend will be worthwhile.
I was hoping to start at Laughlin and gradually end up in (lovely!) Blythe, CA, duplicating one of my Routes I had with previous jobs. When I used to go there years ago I would start at Laughlin, travel through Bullhead City, through Ft. Mohave...then Needles, CA and take I-40 to Lake Havasu...then on through Parker and end up in Blythe. Then it's back home. I really like the Colorado River...it's a beautiful jade green, and it's the closest we have here in AZ to life on the beach, like the Florida keys or that state in general. Of course, there's nothing like the ocean...but like I said, it's the closest we have.
The comment in parentheses about Blythe, CA being lovely (!!) is particularly relevant if you've ever been there...it's a not-too-attractive place. It's a typical "transient" town...i.e., situated on an Interstate and on the edge of two states. I've always imagined visitors driving from back East to California, and the first town they see in that state of legend is Blythe, with its homeless people, its prison, its fast food restaurants and endless motels (indeed the town’s architecture is kind of interesting, although a lot of the better stuff is now abandoned and broken down). I should know...I did that while in college—drive to California from back East. I guess I expected suntanned babes, guys in offroad vehicles, and just generally a lot different than what is there. See, California is seen a lot different back East than it is here, than it REALLY is (I think New York City is looked upon the same way here). It is the place of Legend…fueled by endless Beach Boy songs and the television shows we grew up with…like “Dragnet”, “LA Law”, “Moonlighting”, “The Beverly Hillbillies”, and so on and on.
But instead in Blythe you have the "Mayor", a locally-nicknamed homeless person whom my Mom nicknamed "Moses" when she first saw him last year. As I said before, I've been through Blythe many times in the course of two Route Sales jobs from 1995-99, and at every visit but one have I seen the "Mayor". I've never talked to him or interacted with him in any way, though...he smells pretty bad and is kind of imposing. He carries a large walking stick, has matted hair and is kind of a big man...I'm not messing with someone who likely has an already bad attitude.
I did go to a Diamondbacks game this week, the last one before they renamed the stadium from Bank One Ballpark to Chase Field…it was almost as fulfilling and enjoyable as a vacation I might have embarked on.
Before the game I visited some places I used to visit when I lived in Phoenix years ago…this was the cause of some disappointment, which I will likely write about later.
And, moving back to the present…I wanted to spend an overnight in Globe AZ, to get away and kind of reflect on things. That didn’t happen, mostly due to getting back late Thursday night after the game and just not feeling like I wanted to drive another 150+ miles. Yeah yeah I know…me not want to drive? Please!
But it’s almost too much…one week off a year for a vacation (next year it will be two). The pressure to do something, ANYthing, to make it worthwhile. I don’t recall ever staying home for an entire vacation, as I did this year.
But there are things that are happening that are going to cause some changes…and there will be some traveling. Perhaps I will still be able to visit the Colorado River soon…and many other places as well.
Time will tell, as it’s been said…time will tell.
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