and so it was a road trip: a christmas story part II

So, where was I? Ah yes, a nine hour drive from SC, a stop over in Tennesse, grabbing a twin, and hitting the road. I wanted all you canadians to see to see just how far of a drive it is from south carolina to our place here in cali. Here is the link to see it on google maps:

http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wl&qen&tab=wl&q

(my directions thing didnt work, but you can see SC on the very far right side, and Cali, on the very far left -- for you geographically ignorant canadians).

So, after we left Tennesse, we only stopped for the neccessities, gas, food and the bathroom - in that order. I tell you, I saw some gnarly bathrooms on that road trip, but nothing beats the horror show that I was privy to in LA. We decided to detour south of our route, and bipass colorado, as they were having a snow storm, and instead drive the width of texas. That state is huge! We had dinner in the evening on the eastern boarder, drove all night, and when we had breakfast we were still in texas! I had the 2-5 driving shift, as we decided it may be best to let me drive when all other sound minded people were sleeping. I was driving when the sky started to lighten, and we could see that there was desert all around us -- but it wasnt as I imagined the desert to be. It was very pretty, with lots of hills and a beatiful sunrise.


We drove and drove and drove, and came close enough to the mexican border that we began to see patrol cars, another highly effective american plan to aid in illegal immigration (this is where i roll my eyes). Anyway, we saw a ton of those trucks, but not one illegal running around on the side of the road, so who knows, maybe they are infact effective (this is where you would hear my sarcasm if we were speaking).

Of course we saw some interesting billboards in texas, this one, didnt surprise me at all considering our location, but if was say, on the outskirts of vancouver, i think it would have been more strange. Regardless, i got a good laugh.



Speaking of odd billboards, i dont know if you can see whats in this picture or not, but its a giant wood and metal roadrunner. Its like, at least 15 feet high, maybe taller it was hard to tell from the highway.


Also an odd billboard, and a bad picture, is this billboard/wood cut out of a baby, playing by itself in a lone feild. As far as I can tell there is no Ad that goes with this baby. Its just a baby sitting, all alone, in a feild. Talk about neglect. Maybe its a subliminal public service announcement. Who knows, but it is definetly odd, dont you think? No offence texas, i know i know, dont mess with texas, even if they have strange things on the sides of their roads.


K theres nothing odd about this next shot, its just the classic desert cactus shot. It was SO warm here that i was uncomfortable in long sleeves when we stopped at the gas station.

Looks hot, dont it?


Once we got out of texas the drive seemed not to drag on as bad as it had been. Its possible by that time we were all just a bit sleep deprived, and were suffering from cabin fever. Everything seemed that much more funny, especially the orange sunglasses that stowed away in Cs glove box. They were hours of fun. Just ask Christopher.. doesnt he look like hes having a blast?


This shot is taken through the glasses. Like I said, they were hours of fun (for me anyway). Who needs photo shop, or sepia function on their cameras when you got a fancy pair of yellow sunglasses??




I was really amazed to see how much new mexico, and the southern edges of Cali were just like texas geographically speaking. I mean, i know it never rains where i am in cali, but we have greenery. There wasnt alot of that along the eastern cali border, and for the most part, its hard to tell where my pictures are from, after we hit texas.

Heres a cool shot, of what the area looked like generally. Really cool rock formations -- and cheryl i thought about you the whole way through this part, and how you'd climb every rock there if you had the chance. Especially this one!


The sun set a few hours after we crossed the Cali border, and it was a georgous sunset. My pictures just dont do it justice, but heres a few anyways.


I was a little dissapointed that the sun went down before we got to LA, cause i wanted to see what it looked like. Well that was before I went through LA. As far as Im concerned now, that place could fall into the ocean and i wouldnt think twice about it. It was terrible. We got lost. Had to use this bathroom at a gas station that was so gross it rivals the nasty shell at the corner of clark and 6th. You know the one, the one that has the black light in it so junkies cant shoot up in it? Not to mention the wonderful graffitti, garbage, and aroma of je ne sais quoi. Anyway, we went further into LA than we wanted to cause we veered off onto the wrong highway. We went pretty far into LA, turned off the highway to try to pee and get directions, when we got back on the freeway, it wasnt the one we got off of. So, in trying to find the freeway we were on before the gas station, we saw a sign for the original highway we had accidently gotten off. Ureeka, it was like a gift from god, and we were yet again, on our way home, after a 2 hour detour of HellLa. We had to drive through a mountain pass to get home, just out side of LA. I had no idea they had mountains there. It was so windy, christopher was double handed and white knuckling it on the steering wheel, and i still thought the wind was going to pick us up and put us in the other lane. We made it through, and shortly there after we were driving along, and christopher and I smelled this unbelievably horrid stench. I ignored it, blowing it off as a farm, but after about 10 minutes, it just got stronger, and there was no farm in sight. Christopher looked over at me and whispered that maybe his brother had had an "accident". I shook my head, no, its just not possible for a grown man to deficate in his own pants, with out copious amounts of drugs or alcohol. But, as time passed and the smell got worse, i was frightened to admit he may be right. I think eventually our giggling woke blake up, and we watched him through the rearview to see if he was upset about anything. Finally C broke down and asked him if everything was ok, and i guess my initial hypothesis was correct, altough we couldnt see them, we had to be passing some sort of farm. Blake was clean. Heheheh. I took over driving, and yet again, geography that i had previously considered hills, became yet again mountains, and of course the california fog rolled in right at that time. I looked over at the clock after about an hour or so of driving. It was midnight, on the button, new years eve. I looked over at blake, my perfect copiolet and muttered grumpily "happy new years" as i gripped the steering wheel, driving through foggy mountains about 2 or so hours from home. We made in at about 3am and went straight to bed, and i tell you, i havent slept that well in a very long time.

So you kids know, I am heading to vancouver for 10 whole days tomorrow! So, not that its that strange for me to go 10 days with out posting, but i thought id tell ya just incase any of you were wondering where the heck i was. For you other folks, I will see you very soon!