December 3, 2019 (Indio, California)

I pulled out of the the Arizona Burnt Wells rest area at the crack of dawn, a freshly brewed hot coffee in my cup holder, everything packed and ready to roll. I was heading to my favorite small California town, Indio. My destination was 200 miles ahead and would take three hours via I-10 West. The relatively short distance made the drive easy. The rising sun was inching up the horizon, almost directly behind me. It was casting a very soothing dim orangy blanket of light on the path ahead, which was very pleasing.

Just after you cross the Arizona/California border you come upon the small town on Blythe, and just after that, comes the Blythe Agricultural Inspection Station. Funny, but I've always enjoyed going through there. It gives me the feeling that I'm now "officially" in California. It may be connected to a vague, childhood memory of passing through there as a 5 year old boy when my family was moving from Laredo to Simi Valley back in 1963. Or maybe I just like being in California.

When I got the inspection station booth I began to slow down and to stop. But the smiling lady in the booth casually waved me through. And right away, I was back on the highway doing 70 mph. 90 minutes later, I was inside the Indio city limits. I was looking for exit 143, Jackson Street, my off ramp. A right turn and another right turn, muscle memory, I pulled into the the same Starbucks parking lot I had the year before, and the year before that. I even parked in the exact same spot I had the previous year. The eagle had landed.

When I got the Starbucks counter, I was greeted with a familiar face, a barista that I had gotten to know last year, Kat. She remembered me, too. She even (almost) remembered how I liked my coffee (with heavy whipping cream)! So that was nice. I spent the entire day there updating this here blog until they closed at 10 (I did leave mid-day to pick up an Amazon order that had been delivered to a pick up station).

When I'd had it working on this here site, and the staff started mopping the floor (throw in over-caffeinated and approaching exhaustion, too), I drove myself to the only place in all of Indio that allows boondocking (it's actually in Coachella, just outside of Indio, 3 miles), the Spotlight 29 Casino. HUGE parking lot, big rigs lined up, idling, all side by side in one section. RVs, vans and cars, anyone needing a place to park and rest, in another section (this section was rather empty. Winter perhaps?). I stationed my van next to large Coachman RV to muffle the nearby highway sound and commenced to winding down my evening. Dinner was exactly as the night before and just as yummy. Per my routine, I stretched out and relaxed and enjoyed a glass of vino while listening to my iTunes. An elederly gentleman exited the RV next to me and I said hello (I had the van sliding door wide open). He told me he thought I was a security guard who had pulled up next to them. But when he saw the bed in my van and all my other stuff, he said, "Oh, you're camping". Last year I was able to log into the wifi from the Casino but this night I had no luck. I found the free Spotlight 29 wifi connection on my laptop but it just never registered so I gave up. I'd done enough surfing for one day. Outside, it had begun to drizzle. Around 10p, I shut everything down and went to bed.

I once again slept well throughout the night. When my iPhone alarm sounded at 6:30a, I got up, looked around, and saw that it had been raining all night. Indeed, it's supposed to rain all day today.

December 4, 2019

And it did rain all day. But never very hard. Just a steady drizzle, supported by gray skies that stuck around from sun up to sun down. I spent the entire day, once again, working on this site while at Starbucks. I left a little after 1p to a Walmart I'd been to once before to do a little shopping. There I bought a few more bottles of $2.97 bottles of Shiraz (Oak Leaf), 4 more bags of chicharrones, a small towel and a pair to toe nail clippers. When I returned I tried out a new internet strategy that did not involve Starbucks direrctly. I parked as close as I could to Howard's Place and attempted to log on and lo and behold, I could. So I surfed/worked while inside the van, but eventually went inside for a decaf. While surfing for free is never a bad idea, being inside the building has its advantages. Electricity for charging all my chargeables (my iPhone battery is dying. It no longer retains a charge throughout the evening, ugh), easy access to the bathroom, and much more comfortable seating. The vastly eclectic piped in music to this Starbucks (and all Starbucks) is pretty good IMHO. The musical selection is always solid, and always at precisely the right volume.

While on the topic of places to surf and drink coffee and loiter for long-ass hours, I'm reminded of another option I've neglected, another place I've been to on more than one occasion to do just that: McDonalds. Last year I stopped at several Micky Ds and was always pleased by the price of the coffee (one buck, free refills) and the quality of the internet. Only problem is no place to plug in, and the so called "ambience". Alto I'm not sure about the following, people who buy Big Mac's, Super Fries and Large Cokes differ, perhaps ever so slightly, from folks who spend 10 bucks (or more) on some kind of mocha latte monstrosity. Both groups are totally okay and terrible in their own way so no judgement there. I just point this out as a potential customer "experience," specifically when one visits these establishments to work on the computer. Also, and I'm only guessing, there are probably less children at Starbucks. If this is the case, it would be a very good reason to go there and (way) over pay for coffee. No kids, no children, trumps all.

(As the reader knows by now, I'm boondocking at Spotlight 29 casino parking lot. Boondocking is the camping traveler word for spending time/nights just parked somewhere that has no facilities. No bath,, no water, no shower, no nothing. I can handle several days of not showering, but I do perfer to brush my teeth twice a day. And I have. I do it in the Starbucks bathroom. So used to it that I keep my toothpaste and tootbrush in my laptop bag where it's nice and handy. I wander into the SB WC first thing in the morning and and last thing the evening, right before I leave, my dental supplies tucked into my back pocket. Around here no one seems to notice anything. The Starbucks staff is too busy steaming milk, mixing terribly expensivec caffinated concoctions, and talking and laughing among themselves. Still on the topic of hygene, I decided to find a place to shower before I leave for San Diego (Fallbrook) Saturday, somewhere around here. And I did, and it could not be more convenient. Right next to where I spend my nights is TravelCenters of America. This place specializes in providing services for travelers. I called today and it's $15. This includes 5 towels, soap and shampoo. The guy on the phone told me that any time is a good time (I'm trying to avoid rush hour), so I'll aim for mid morn tomorrow.)

Drove back to Spotlight 29 'round 9p and once again parked alongside a large RV to help muffle the highway sound. Settled in and wound down predictably, same foodstuff and drink which was all very satisfying (I was hungry!) When I turned on my MacBook to cap off the evening with iTunes and a 2nd glass of red, my computer, all on it's own, logged into the Spotlight 29 wifi! (it didn't/couldn't the night before). I did not feel the urge to surf anymore so I didn't launch a web browser but instead just leaned back and enjoyed some tunes. I'd opened the van side door to let some fresh air in and noticed it was getting cooler, maybe even a little cold. I rearranged the van interior in prep for bedtime (depending on what I'm doing inside the van, I'll move stuff around to make that particular task easier). At the last moment, I put my 2nd blanket over the covers, the heavy, extra warm Pendelton blanket. And boy, did it come in handy. It got pretty cold last night and the Pendelton provided just the right amount of warmth. I had the best "van-sleep" of the trip so far.

December 5

Alarm sounds, I rise, stretch, warm up leftover coffee (frugal or cheap you decide. ) It still tastes good. Happy to see the sun's gonna make an appearance today. As noted before, I have a full, grubby thing going on. I've contacted TravelAmercia, which is right next door to the Casino I'm boondocking. They provide showers. Situation could not be more convenient. As noted before, 15 bucks for a shower, all the necessities included. But I'm gonna wait. Gonna drag out this pending hygiene step one more day since I'm traveling to visit a friend in Fallbrook and wanna show up at my relatively cleanest. Before I headed to Starbucks, I thought I would top off the gas tank and searched online for the cheapest. Again, super convenient, one block from my Starbucks. Arco, $3:35 a gallon. I had, before hitting the Arco, pulled into a Chevron since I was driving right by it. There, a gallon was over 4 bucks! Pulled out of there and you know the rest. Another thing of note is ALL gas stations in Indio ALL require a PIN number. As I pulled out of the gas station I saw a Dollar Tree across the street and thought I poke my head inside. It would be my first time into this particular "dollar" store (I've been to the "Family Dollar" in Austin, the one by my place, once or twice).

Wow. Everything was really a dollar. I bought a mirror with a suction cup in the back, 2 bags chicharrones, 2 blocks of cheese and a package of Oscar Meyer salami, all for $6 plus tax. Nice! I may go back there tomorrow.

At the Starbucks I spent loads of time updating this site (added photos!) and watching people come and go ALL day to purchase caffeinated concoctions of every damn variety. I noticed that many people buy what looks like iced, clear-ish liquid drinks (resembling a 7UP, or Strawberry soda). I asked one of the baristas if these drinks contain caffeine. And of course they do. Lots. She told me she's shocked at how parents buy these (large) drinks for their children. Whipped cream, steamed milk, sprinkles, syrups, loads of sugar and coffee in every size and combination fly off the the counter here, too, as they do at every Starbucks everywhere. That's the way of the world, and I wonder if this is what Howard had in mind when he opened his first shop in 1971.

When sufficiently caught up on the ATXBreeze blog, I decided to place a Craigs List ad to see if I couldn't meet up with an Indio local and learn a little about the city (I spend all my time drinking coffee and working on the blog!). Also inquire about real estate, not just here, but the general high desert valley. Wanted to break up my day a little, mix it up. The ad could not have been clearer, neutral, and unambiguous. Talk and Coffee, that's all I'm after. I even included "Strictly on the up and up, no funny business, just talk and java. And I'm buying! :)" But of course, the wierdos began to reply. And all the resonses were all sex tinged, with clumsy, transparent code words used here and there for all manner of naughty stuff. I ignored them. But left the AD up.

All day, and the day before, I sent text messages to my friend Beverly, who I plan to visit on Saturday in her town of Fallbrook (just outside of San Diego). As of right now (the closing of the day), I have not heard back, so hmmm. One more day in Indio, Friday. Selah

December 6

Great sleep. The kind where you stretch right there on your back a few moments after you rouse. Rearranged the van for breakfasting and made myself two cups of Taster's Choice French Roast (my fav) with cream and a bag of the pink stuff. Logged onto the casino wifi and my phone and laptop both indicated messages and texts. I've got my backyard cottage advertised for rent on Craig's List back home and some guy had inquired so I exchanged emails and texts with him. I also heard from what appeared to be a legit response to my "meet someone around here to talk and have coffee" ad. Responded, but haven't heard back, so far. Number one thing I wanted to do this morning was hit TravelCenters of America and take a much needed shower. This place specializes in providing services for travelers, especially truckers. As noted before, it's right next to where I'm boondocking. So I went there directly. Could not have been a smoother experience. 15 bucks. Large, clean, uber private shower/bathroom. Lots of towels and all the soap necessary to take five showers. And clean as a whistle. I was done in less than half an hour, nowhere close to the two hour limit. Spic and span and outfitted with a clean wardrobe (I'd been wearing the same shorts and T for several days), I walked out of there a new man. Got on the highway, and three short miles later, pulled into my favorite coffee shop, ordered a large cup, stationed myself at my regular spot, and with apologies to JT, wrote down this blog.

Early in the afternoon I got hungry and went inside my van and had some lunch. Cheese, salami and chicharrones. When I was done eating, and got ready to go back inside, I did something sneaky. I had my Starbucks empty coffee cup with me (the big one), and I brewed my own coffee inside the van and poured it into the cup, and went back inside. I'd already kinda done that, adding my own brew to existing Starbucks coffee. But this time, I filled up and entirely empty cup with my own. Whenever possible, I think I'll keep this up with my latter day cups. But I'll probably continue to buy my 1st cup every morning from Howard's place.

All caught up on the blog, I got antsy and looked up nearby parks and found one real close: George S. Patton Park. Yep, that Patton. The General. It was tiny and nearly empty. There were two nice tennis courts there and wished I'd been there days before and discovered them. I could have placed and ad in Craig's looking for someone to hit with. I think I will place an ad since I'm gonna pass through here on my way back from Fallbrook, plan to stay a couple of days. I am, afterall, traveling with my tennis racket and three tennis balls :) Spent about an hour at GSPP, a part of it napping inside my van, drifting in and out of sleep, the faint sounds of children laughing in the distant background as they knocked themselves out on a jungle gym.

My caffeine HQ is surrounded by businessess. A Home Depot, an LA Fitness, McDonalds, you get the picture, oneof everything. There's also a Winco Grocery store I could walk to (it's HEB big), it's that close. On my way back from the park I stopped and picked up a few things. My recent diet of food, I decided, needs a change, so I bought a pre-made salad. It looks delish! I'll be having it for dinner tonight. Bought 2 gallons of water, a diet 2 liter soft drink and a bag of ice. Everything in California is more expensive, but I did not get the feeling as I went up and down the aisles. Maybe it's just the gas, quien sabe.

Left Starbucks, stopped at Winco one more time for some Taster's Choice decaf (I've been indulging in way too much caffeine consumption by any objective standard since I hit the road). Headed to overnight park/spend the night you know where, had an untypical dinner (delicious, premade salad), and upped on the typical vino consuption (+1) iTunes seranaded me clear to bedtime. After lights out, got a text from Bev. All okay to head to Fallbrook tomorrow (pending problem at home no longer a problem). There was a 50-50 chance I'd stop at Hemet instead where she was staying with her mom. I would not have minded this at all, was looking forward to meet her madre. I like mom's :) Then I fell asleep.

December 7

Rousing mere moments before the assistance of my alarm alarm, I immediately began to prep in anticipation of travel. I was going to Fallbrook today. But first things first: I drank a steaming hot cup of coffee in the van while at the same time preparing another large cup for my "Starbucks Trick" This trick/chicanery business goes as follows: I brew a cup of joe inside an old ((yesterday's)) Starbucks container, cap it with the lid, and waltz in with the rest of the Starbucks clientele like the paper cup in my right hand is a store bought Starbucks Pike. I plant myself and get to work on the computer HAVING ignored the "agreement" between customer and establishment that says you gotta buy coffee to plant yourself there and surf. Why do I do this? My so called Starbucks "trick"? it's the most obvious explanaiton of course, I'm shamelessly cheap! A venti Starbucks is nearly 3 bucks. A Taster's Choice in a venti cup (and just as tasty coffee) is about a dime.

When I got there, van all packed for travel, I went inside for the 4th morning in a row (it was Saturday and real busy), was greeted by the friendly staff, stationed myself at my favorite spot, and did some last minute interweb communications with a network of friends and neighbors about things back home (my cat, my stuffed mailbox). The staff, as you can imagine, didn't notice or care whether I was an actual paying customer, and actively ignored me. I kept the charade going while sipping on my Taster's Choice instant while I went over the travel route one more time on the computer. An hour or so later, I left the Starbucks, and minutes later, was merging onto the highway 10 West. I was going to visit my friend Beverly, who was expecting me around noon. It had just began to drizzle. So long, Indio. I'll be back on my way back, in 3 or 4 days :)

December 11th (Wednesday)

Trip from Fallbrook to Indio was uneventfull. Same crooked route with lots of stops in every little town (Hemit, Menefee, etc.) all between here and there, not terrible, just "long/short trip annonying". ~2 hours later I was being prompted by the GPS to exit on Jackson Street and I turned the GPS off because I knew where I was, familiar territory. I aimed my van toward the Starbucks, but I was really heading for the Winco in the same shopping area. There, I stocked up on a few more supplies and a bag of ice. Then I drove thru the huge parking lot, didn't even buckle up, and pulled into a spot directly in front of the Starbucks front door. Grabbed the computer bag, waltzed in, saw that all my regular spots were taken, and chose a corner spot, a tall desk and tall chair set up, not my first choice. But it worked out great. I got to work - standing up (I have a sitting/standing computer set up at home so all good). For hours I worked on updating this site. I did one, possibly two, Venti refills. I left around 8 or 9 for my overnight destination, Spotlight 29, without the assistance of my GPS, and wound down my evening in typical dinner fashion (+ a Winco premade salad, delish!).

When I was almost done with my 2nd and final glass of red for the evening, I noticed some movement coming from the large RV I had parked next to (even tho the parking lot is huge, I park alongside tall RVs because they block bright parking lot lights. On one side, anyway) What I saw was a woman leaning out of the RV window. Way out. The window was toward the rear, probably the bedroom windown. She was smoking a cigarette. Because of my tinted van windows (and I had no lights on at the time) AND I was a mere 5 feet away, she could not see me. I watched her smoking, a perfectly a common thing. But it was how she was smoking that prompts this accounting - specifically the speed with which she tackled her ciggy. Without time variation, and until she flicked the butt away, she took a deep drag every 1.5 seconds. One after the other, over and over, until there was no tobacco left I suppose because she eventually stopped. It was a "speedsmoke", unlike anything I'd ever seen. I wondered what had prompted the rapid smoke. Had she been "sneaking" a cig from her showering/slumbering husband? Had she stopped smoking for a while and suddenly snapped, lit one and binged? Or the strangest of all possibilities, was it the way she always smoked a cigarette? She slid the window shut, closed the curtain. When I pulled out before day break the next morning, the RV was still there. So were all the other RVs. I was heading for Starbucks for one last Indio-time.

December 12

I had decided to hit the Starbucks one last time before leaving Indio for Albuquerque to tank up on coffee and review my travel path (Google maps, online assistance, going thru the heart of Phoenix, lots of different highways, on and off, etc.). Never really satisfied with the particulars of the route, told myself (naively) I'd figure it out when I got there, I packed up and hit the road.

And I said to no one in particualr but eveyone in the desert town of Indio in general, so long friends, and sure hope I get to see you soon!