California is My Home... Day 1- 1.1k words

Back on Honey! - SUNDAY 9/27/09:  KILLEEN (TX) to VAN HORN (TX)

I slept in 'til 6:30am, although really it was 4:30am for me (PST).  Taumie had very graciously let me share her bed with her, as her husband Gerry was off on a 'church mission' in Big Bend, in the southern part of the State.  For those of you who haven't read "Please Allow Me To Introduce My Selves" yet… so you understand… Gerry's 'church' is the rugged wilderness.  Just him and his Jeep.  A boy and his toy.

Gerry was taking some private time, as part of his mental preparation for his next deployment to Korea… hopefully his last before his upcoming retirement.

After two cups of coffee with Taumie & Kristie, I pulled the tarp I'd covered Honey with, off her and sighed heavily with disgust at myself for the condition I'd left her in.  When I'd decided to fly back to California, and move in for my trial run with Gaier, I'd left in such a hurry that I didn't bother to clean Honey after her 2,400-mile trip out there.  She was a mess and my heart ached for her.  When I pushed her starter button she creaked and squeaked with the metal on metal sound of two months of not being started.

She reminded me of me, when I get up in the morning.  Creek… groan… ache… pop… snap… twinge…  It took about 10 full seconds of grinding away, before she finally made a sputter.  Then quickly another gasping grasp at ignition, and then about 15 or 20 seconds of a faltering rough idle before she obediently settled into her beautiful soft purring.  Never has there been a more faithful filly.  This is one lucky ol' California cowboy.

I walked her out front, gave her a quick sponge bath, and got her packed for our trip.  It would be time better used to get on the road, rather than spend the three hours it would take to thoroughly clean her… just so she could get dirty again.  Poor Honey.

I spent over an hour with Taumie and Kristie on the back patio, so I didn't hit the road until 9am.  No worries, I was taking I-10 for most of the trip today, so I knew I'd make it to Van Horn in time to watch the Cardinal-Colt football game.

My first stop was about 30 miles down the trail at Lampasas.  I was very pleased to see Chelsie working behind the counter at the local GSMM (gas station mini mart for you 'new' readers out there).  She remembered me!  I'd spent about 45 minutes with her and one of her co-worker/ friends almost exactly a year ago… helping her celebrate her birthday.

She showed me pictures of her daughter (she was pregnant when I'd met her), and she made me gooey inside when she said, "Joella and I talk about you all the time."  She also remembered the alien I had on Honey, and even (almost) remembered her name.  She called her "Abby."  Pretty close… "Allyson" is the name she used when she introduced herself to me, when we'd met in Roswell the year before.

I put a six pack of Bud on the counter, but had forgotten about the silly law that Texas had recently come up with, which doesn't allow the sale of alcohol before noon on Sundays, so I bought water instead and went outside to make journal notes.

That's when M.A. Wiley, the 'old man from Lampasas', waved me over to his truck.  He introduced himself, apologized for 'being nosey', and asked me which direction I was headed.  I told him, and he said I'd be in (the town of) Junction in about two and a half hours, and could buy beer there, but that he'd be happy to give me a couple to get me there (I Love California, but I Still Love Texas).

I told him on almost any other day, I'd jump at the offer, but after being reminded   of the law, I'd decided I was gonna 'be a good boy' and wait 'til noon.  Sure 'nuff, Junction arrived at 12:15pm, and the beer tasted great.

My love affair with the State continued to grow as I passed several signs on the freeway that simply said, "Drive Friendly."  I'd noticed this before, and this trip was the same… people really do drive more casually and respectfully in this State.  I'm not sure why… maybe 'cuz it's so fucking big, and it feels like there's more room in it, for everyone to get from point A to point B, without it feeling so much like a race, like it does in California.

After I made two quick stops in the towns of Sonora and Ozona, I came to the 'My Eyes are Burning' part of the day's ride.  The first time it happened, I was able to keep Honey on the road, but the second time, I had to pull over.  Fortunately there was an off-ramp available.  It was all I could do to get her parked on the side of the road.  I scrambled off my faithful mare, and blindly opened my saddlebag for my water bottle to rinse my eyes out.  It was most likely pollen, 'cuz I hadn't seen or felt any dust.  In any case, it was one of the most painful (and dangerous) episodes I'd experienced while riding in a long time.  In all the adventure trips I've done so far, there was only one other incident where I was even close to any real danger, and I do not take that fact lightly.  I'm knocking on wood as I write these words.

After I extinguished the burning fire in my eyes, and was back on the road… I experienced the only 'unfriendly drivers' I've ever had the misfortune to run into in Texas.  I coined them 'The Beemer Ass-holes.'  Two guys on BMW bikes who slowly passed me on the freeway and didn't look over at me, or even wave.  That was literally the only evidence of 'non-friendly' driving I've ever had in all the driving I've done in Texas.  Then, as they were pulling away, I saw the reason… both bikes had California plates on them.

Fort Stockton was just down the road for my last gas stop of the day, and then I was back in the saddle for my last leg to Van Horn.  I got Honey unpacked, myself showered and fed, and stretched out on the bed, just in time to see the opening kick off @ 7pm.  I woke up at 10:15, just in time to see the Cards loose, and was asleep for good at 10:30.   Day one:  511 miles.

I LOVE TEXAS - Day 7 (and epilogue) - 825 words

ABILENE, TX to KILLEEN, TX   (Sunday, July 26)

4:20am - Up and at 'em, 10 minutes before my alarm was set to wake me up.

6:20am - Posts and coffee complete, time for my morning beer and packing ritual.

8:00am - On the road again.  It felt like it was already about 75, and I was sweating when I finished packing up.  It was nice though, 'cuz the wetness on my tee shirt felt good as the breeze hit me, as I headed down the frontage road to the highway.  The forecast was for intermittent thunder showers, but all I saw was a slight overcast… not a cloud in the sky.

8:09am - Apache High School's sign, at the southern outskirts of Abilene, told me I was wrong about the temperature.  It was already 80.

8:25am - Denton Valley Store.  Good thing I had one beer in my cooler left, it looked like it had been a few years since this establishment had served any customers.

 

I had gotten off the major highway, and onto a two laner.  No more highways or freeways until a short stretch, just coming into Killeen (pronounced kill een)… my final destination for this trip.

9:00am - Crossplains.  How many dry Counties are there in Texas?  I did find sunscreen and aloe though.  My skin was turning into 'A Darker Shade of Leather.'

Met Victor, who said there was a lot of construction going on in Abilene.  I would've never guessed it from what I had seen.   I knew that it was true in Killeen though… that's the reason I was headed there, and his news gave me hope that I would be able to find steady employment for the first time in too many years.

9:10am - Passed a turn off to a town named 'Nimrod'.  I kid you not.  I would love to meet some people from that town… I bet I'd fit right in.

9:15am - Rising Star.  A different County… but the same dry story.  A local told me that he thought that Comanche, down the road was damp.  When I told him my guess as to what that meant, he confirmed me to be correct… beer and wine, but no liquor.

10:00am - Comanche.  The guy in the last town was right, but what he didn't mention to me was that there was a new law (throughout Texas) that wouldn't allow the sale of any alcohol before noon on Sundays.  I wondered if God was trying to tell me something.

I still love Texas, but I've decided that if I'm gonna do road trips in this State, I have only three options:  1) drink less;   2) ride faster thru the dry Counties;  or 3) carry a bigger ice chest.

The clerk at the mini mart told me that Gatesville, down the road was damp, but it was only an hour's ride, and it would be only 11am when I got there.  I sure didn't want to run the risk of continuing down the road, finding myself in another one of those confounded dry Counties when the drinking lantern was finally lit.  That would have been a horrible thing… no… it would have been a disaster.

10:30am - Hamilton.  I stopped at Storms, a cozy little country style restaurant.  Their parking lot was full, so I figured it would be a good place to get some grub and kill some time.  $4.32 for a 3-egg omelet with cheese, onions, hash browns, toast, and a side of salsa.  I love Texas.  The only thing was, just like last night… the salsa was as tasteless as bland tomato sauce.  I added some Tabasco to put a little life in it.

12:30pm - Gatesville.  I stopped at three different stores, and spent over an hour trying to find a Texas State Flag for Honey.  No luck.  But I did find some beer, thank ya jesus.

1:00pm - Copperas Cove.  Stopped at two more stores, looking for Honey's Flag.  Interesting… as proud as Texans are of their State, they sure are making it hard for me to show that Honey and I are too.

1:36pm - Killeen.  Taumie's House.    Final Destination.    209 miles for the day.         

                                                  2,406 for the Voyage.   Bon, that is.

 

                                                                     EPILOGUE

The next day, even before I could schedule my first interview for employment, I got a call from Gaeir, the gal I'd met just before leaving.  After only three dates, and less than two hours in bed, she told me she wanted me to move in and live with her, and be her 'personal assistant'.

She told me she would support me in my effort to follow my new path towards a better understanding of my spirituality.   She also offered her experience and knowledge that she gained while working as an editor for a publishing firm, to help me become a published author.  I'm crossing my fingers for both.