December 2 2019

When I left Chiquita's place for the Starbucks early in the morning, I was 99% sure I would be leaving for Arizona. We chatted and coffee'd before she departed for work for what was to be a long work day for her as a polling judge. She knew my travel plans were pretty much set. I would text her when it was a "for sure". At Starbucks I tanked up on coffee, researched my route, checked on weather. It had been a nice visit, but it was time to move on. I plan to retrace my travel route when I return home, and I told her I may very well stop in Albuquerque and drop by before heading back home. I had packed in anticipation so I was set, I was ready to rock and roll. I filled up the gas tank and got on the road.

I was heading to Arizona, to a particular rest stop where I planned to spend the night. I was gonna travel 469 miles in about 7.5 hours via I-40 West. It should be noted that I actually like to travel by automobile while covering long distances. The mind (well, my mind anyway) settles down. It naturally meditates, sets to cleanse and process all that needs processing. The vast American landscape and its companion, the road, are the primary, steady-as-she-goes components. They pave the way. The car gobbles up the black top while the scenery just floats by, rhythmically hypnotizing the traveler into a near, trance like state.

I got sleepy here and there but never did the nodding-out business. Drove the speed limit, used the cruise control all the time, thanked heaven for satellite radio. Bent to it, I racked up the small towns and sights from New Mexico to Arizona: Grants, Gallup, through the Petrified National Forest Park, then the long stretch to Phoenix where the traffic, which is always terrible, was not bad.

Just outside of Phoenix I pulled into a Circle K to gas up and buy a bag of ice. While pumping the fuel I was approached by a woman who was probably not much older than I am, but looked a lot older (on-the-streets old). She was, I believed, a homeless person. I saw her coming and knew what she wanted. I did not let her begin her spiel, quickly cutting her off, dismissing her rudely and curtly with "I'm sorry I can't help you". My tone was not sympathetic or friendly. She turned away and wandered off, beaten, probably somewhat impervious to jerks like me. I immediately felt terrible about how I'd treated her. As soon as I was done filling up, I decided, I would look for her and give her some money. But she had faded into the busy tanking area where cars were coming and going while customers entered and exited the store for snacks, drinks and bathroom visits. I went inside and bought my bag of ice. As I was exiting the store, she was coming in. I got her attention and asked her to meet me outside, told her I wanted to give her something. She followed me and I gave her all the change I had and a dollar bill and she thanked me. She had one of those hospital band thingy's on her wrist, she'd just gotten out, just been treated from some sort of COPD condition. She told me she needed the money for gas. For her son. I wished her good luck and to take it easy and I meant it. But I knew that giving her a couple of bucks was mostly something I'd done to relieve my guilt for being a jerk to her. It helped a little. But just a little.

I only had a short one hour stretch to reach the Burnt Wells rest stop. Alert with anticipation, I got there in no time and pulled in to the very large, but somewhat empty parking area. I had spent a night there on two previous occasions. It's big, well lit, clean, I go out of my way to stop there when traveling. I hit the facilities, took a few snapshots, and made myself a cup of coffee, using my mini Coleman portable camp stove. I was settling in. This would be my first night inside the new, ATXBreeze Van. I had tricked out the inside just for this situation. Bed, bedding, drawers, cooler, foodstuff. I prepared my dinner after my coffee. Din, just like last year, not only was rather simple, but tasty too. Chicharones, sausage, cheese, and to drink, red wine. I felt rather satiated and quite satisfied when I was done. While working on my 2nd glass of the red, I listened to my iTunes library of songs on my laptop and set about to relax. It got dark quick. I was tired and a bit buzzed and slid under the covers, turned everything off, and shut the light. It was a little on the cold side outside, but I did not go to a second blanket.

The rest stop parking lot was not flat, so my parked van was pointing down a few degrees. I woke up at 4am or so and found that I had slid down the bed a good ways. I shimmied back up and went back to sleep. Slept well!

Alarm sounded at 6:30a. Made coffee, put the Van back in traveling order, got on the highway, and headed for Indio California, which was about 3 hours and 200 miles away.