New Mexico Route 66

New Mexico poster
Originally uploaded by Debora Drower

Today, James and I are in Tucumcari, NM. We came in last night - and planned to stay one whole day. While I was shooting up a motel (ha ha), we bump into a guy who was forced to stay in Tucumcari because his car broke down and they can't get the parts for it.

We get up today and the sky is grey. Thick grey clouds. My one day of shooting is ruined. I love the blue New Mexico sky. James tells me to be patient - he'd keep saying, "I'm working on it." I'd look outside, grey but with some blue. By the time we get our shit together - the sky has is blue - not one cloud. It worked - he did it! We get in the car and the battery is dead. We get a jump from the lady at the hotel. But I worry what will happen when we stop the car. And what if the clouds come back. We drive up and down Route 66 to charge the battery. We stop at a gas station, turn off the car and the battery is dead again. Shit! No one has any jumper cables. I call the rental car company and ask them what to do. They ask can I drive to my end destination - that would be Denver when we fly out on Friday. And there's no Dollar Rental company in town. Then they give us the o.k. for us to buy a battery.

One really nice guy offers to drive us to the Car Quest for the battery. James has written down the car make and battery model number and the nice guy drives us back to our dead car. We thank him profusely. The battery, technically correct, did not fit. At all. Somehow, James manages to connect the battery at a hideous angle. We drive back to the Car Quest with the hood barely shut. It takes him three tries to find the right car battery that would fit. Luckily, I could get some shots in while James was being Mr Fixit. Finally two hours later, the battery fits, and works and the car starts. And life is good.

We resumed our tooling up and down Route 66 (and also on the main street in town.) We see the guy from last night, and I tell him all our car adventures. I hope he didn't put a curse on us. Actually, if we had this happen out in any of the past spots we've been it - it would've been a hellish nightmare. We made new friends, got to see all the signs and now the car is ready for the next part of our trip

Dennis' Place for games - Belmont & Sheffield - Chicago

Dennis' Place for GAMES - Belmont & Sheffield - Chicago
Originally uploaded by Mark 2400

I had dinner with my cousins in Albuquerque and this sign came up. Kudos to whomever found this - and uploaded it. I didn't throw up laughing - but I could've. Only your family can make you laugh that hard.

Travel

1950 travel style
Originally uploaded by myvintagevogue

I really don't like getting ready for a trip. It's the fear of what will I forget. And then I start on with the what will I miss. My bed, my pillows, making my own coffee in the morning. I am a mess when I have to get ready for a trip. There's scattered piles of clothes and whatnot in every room. Then I feel I have to totally clean the whole house and do every project I've been putting off - raking or polishing the floor. Stupid stuff

Miss Lady has a nice worried expression. She's about to abandon her luggage and try to make it through her flight in that tiny waisted dress. I'll be more comfortably attired but as equally worried about my luggage and what oceans are between Minnesota and Phoenix. Shut up - I'm bad at geography.

Then I'm on the trip and I'm used to the new routine and all is well.
Then comes the end. I have to pack up all my dirty clothes and I don't want to go home. I'm used to hotel or gas station coffee and getting food by hunting and gathering (or going to weird places). I come home and it's not where I want to be even though I didn't want to leave in the first place.

But I'll get the itch again, I'll start dreaming of my next road trip and I won't remember any of the angst. Until the day before, among the piles.

Technicolor Yawn

I woke up at 5 am and and I am so tired. My world looks like a Sid and Marty Krofft show. The overbright colors and weird creatures. And nothing making sense. I've tried watching H.R. Pufnstuf as an adult and I just don't get it. It was easier to watch it in the 1970s. Was it because I was young or because it was the 1970s? I am not understanding any thing today. Not a thing.

If you received a coherent email from me today, it was an anomaly.

Gifts

Gift Box Confirmation Cake
Originally uploaded by fabcakelady

I love giving gifts. I really do. The best is when you get someone something that really want or need. I would love to buy a friend a birthday cake like this I don't know if they'd freak. Maybe it will just be a small but great cupcake.

One of my favorite gifts was to Caroline. We were out road tripping and I had an alarm clock with a white noise generator. I'd wake up and be so freakin' scared that Caroline was dead. She was out. OUT. I was holding up mirrors to see if she was breathing - that kind of shit. She'd wake up so happy that she slept so soundly. I found a similar clock and sent it to her - unbeknownst to me, her neighbor had begun well drilling or jack hammering and it was making Caroline crazy. The white noise clock arrives the jack hammer - gone. How did I know? I knew she totally dug it a month before while we toured rural Texas. And she still uses it.That's the best, if it's something you totally wanted, or needed. And not a waste of space.

Mickey's Diner, St Paul, MN

Mickey's Diner, St Paul, MN
Originally uploaded by Debora Drower

Carrie, we need to go to Mickey's NOW. Get your quarters, and I'll bring mine because we need to get burgers, coffee and play Patsy Cline's "Crazy" until we break the juke box. I'll see you there.

Incense And Peppermints

I dig this, man. So simple! And a good song.