It had been a long day; no make that a long two days. Excruciating. I hurt from my feet to lower back. When we got back to the hotel, all I wanted to do was relax. Unwind. Chill out. I had bought a cigar on the Wharf from a pompous owner of a generic company called STOOGIES. It was the best I could do on short notice and limited knowledge of the city. The family owned brand from the Canary Islands would have to work.
I waited for the right moment and after two days of touring I was ready to smoke. Faith was passing out in her bed; Kellee was putting on her nightgown and getting ready to settle in for the night. So, I made my way out to the patio with a Pepsi in one hand and my cigar in the other. We had a first floor room which was nice because the patio was open and led to the walkway and around to the pool; not that we used the pool but it was nice to know that the option was available.
Kellee stepped out to the patio and pulled up a chair, she was in her nightgown but it a quite dark morning and no one was stirring. I lit my cigar and filled my mouth with an aroma full of succulent cancer. It wasn’t the greatest cigar and I was sure that I would not finish it, but for the moment it was doing the trick. Everything was peaceful. I was beginning to relax from a strenuous day of exploring. Then Kellee went over to the sliding door to slide it closed just a little more so that the smoke would not seep into the room (though the smoke was blowing the other way and not affecting her or the room). All of the sudden I hear from behind me the sliding door close and a quick sudden ping; stress just swelled up again. Unbeknownst to Kellee the sliding door had a hair-trigger pin that automatically delivered itself into the pre-drilled hole at the top of the slider, ultimately locking us out.
We left the Key cards inside the room. This meant that I would have to go and humble myself before the Honorable and Holy Hotel Host. I suppose I should back track and tell you that before I ever cut the tip of my cigar, I had gone and complained to his Holy Host, the Ruler of the Best Western about my living conditions; there was no cable for the internet, The movie channels (HBO and Showtime) were not available as promised, and the air conditioning was not working (though it was only 66 degrees outside). So, I made a small stink and the all-knowing 18 year old tried his best to make the accommodations work, all the while doing his best to hide his frustration that came from me disturbing his night. He had his security guard still a cable for me from another room and promised to have the air fixed in the morning, unfortunately he couldn’t fix the cable TV which was alright with me, since all I really cared about was the sports channels. Everything was agreed upon, the stink was made and cleared up.
Now, here I had to walk back to the throne-counter and ask permission to have a new key (hopefully without being charged). I told the 18-year-old Best Western Night Manager-Guru my predicament. His eyes scoffed, his lips tightened and turned to a grin...the grin of power. He knew he had me and he was going to flex his mighty benevolent hand out to me, giving me a new key. There would be no more complaints. I was beaten.
I walked back to the door, ready to drift into dreams. I put my new key into the slot and pushed the door; Nothing… Nothing happened. I tried it again, again, again. A yellow light came on, not the green, everything-is- ok- go-ahead-and-enter-light, I was expecting. His highness gave me a faulty card! So I made the trip back and told him that it wasn’t working. In annoyance he gave me another one. That one wasn’t working either; something was dreadfully wrong. And then I remembered I locked the top security latch of the front door as well.
Panic was settling in, I was beginning to worry about my daughter. What if she woke up and we weren’t there? Would she start screaming? What if she hit her head or fell off the bed? Quickly as my tired feet would take me, I went back to the front counter and told him about the latch. Our eyes met, I could see it for the first time, his all-knowingness was beginning to wane, and The Best Western Night-King was unsure what to do. So he sent his trusty security guard.
Now the night watchman was of African roots and he himself sounded like Bob Marley. He too could not get the door to budge and kept going around and round with the Night-King about giving him the master key. The leader of the Western finally admitted that he did not know where this mysterious key was located and was not sure if such a device existed or was only a myth that one told weary travelers who could not get into their rooms. So, they called the voice. I’m not sure who the voice is, but the voice knew where this mythical key could be located…in the front drawer behind the Night-King's counter.
Security-reggae man grabbed a tool that was designed to pop these locks. We went to the barred door and he fumbled with the lock while I looked for elvish writings. The door was finally opened part way (by the master key, not by my finding elvish riddles). We jammed, pushed, tugged, pressed, and scrapped the security latch all to no avail. This was a new lock. Its youthfulness would not give sway. It was doing its duty and standing firm.
I was getting worried. My wife was waiting on the porch in the cold, my daughter asleep and alone. If she woke and was afraid or distressed I would most certainly have to break the window or door. It had been over an hour and we were hitting the 2 o’clock hour. I was considering a locksmith.
Then Jah-security decided that this tool was of no use and would get the tool of his youth while running wild in the shanty towns; a tire iron. He came back and wedged the bar into the sliver slot and pried, pried, pried. The youthful lock was bent and battered and in another second popped off its hinges. We both chuckled at how easy the lock came off and shook congratulatory hands. I was grateful to the shantytown security man for reconnecting me with my family and he was grateful that I gave him something interesting to do for the evening.
Kellee and I walked into our room 1200, relieved that the ordeal had come to an end. We turned on the lights and went over to give Faith a kiss…then we both inhaled and forgot to exhale for a minute. Faith was gone! I looked behind the curtains and under the bed. Kellee checked the Bathroom. Nowhere. I started to panic, panic, panic. My worst nightmare was coming true. Then we both noticed the pillow at the bottom of the bed under the blankets. Relief with it sighs came when we pulled back the sheets and found her fast asleep.
Showing posts with label Non-Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Non-Fiction. Show all posts
Monday, September 10, 2007
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
At the Car Wash
We did it! We planned a vacation on short notice. I had wanted to head out of town for a while and had thrown out some ideas, but life kept interrupting and I didn’t think that we would be able to leave. We decided on Thursday (maybe Wednesday) that we could take a small vacation if we planned it right and kept things tighter than usual.
So it came down to Vegas or Frisco. Upon exploring the idea, Vegas would be a little more interesting, but the heat became a factor. Kellee hates to be hot! It’s like she turns into a Demon who becomes enraged with the heat because it knows what’s in store for the future. Topped with the fact that this was a pregnant angry Kellee, I felt that I might be putting myself into harms way by heading east. Frisco became the easy choice.
On Saturday we headed up to visit my parents and Grandmother for the evening. I figured this was the best route to go since I would be getting up late in the afternoon and didn’t want to waste the money for a room that I would hardly be in.
Upon arriving my mom decided to take us to eat. We went to Denny’s; you should know that this was based on very narrow options. My Denny’s days were done long ago; those late night social gatherings ended in my early twenties. I rarely choose to go to Denny’s, as the old saying goes “No one chooses to go to Denny’s they just end up there”. The only reason I am telling you this is because, I had the worst sandwich of my life. Now I didn’t get anything to sophisticated or complex, just a BLT. I admit they gave me exactly what I asked for (but I have had this before and it was made properly). They gave me wilted lettuce on stale bread with a couple of crumbled up pieces of bacon that they made a two mornings ago. On top of that, the waitress never came by to give me a refill on my Pepsi (which is tantamount to an Anathema) …and there was only one other family in the place!
Afterwards, I took my truck through a gas station car wash, so that I could look good while traveling. My truck had a thick layer of dirt of a morning rain left on it and a couple days worth of bird droppings, so it was definitely due for at least a quick wash. It had to be quick. I couldn’t wait around and have it done right, because I had my pregnant wife, tired two-year old, and my grumpy grandmother in the car. I went passed about three or four car washes all of which were filled with lines of cars wanting to due the same thing as me. Now this is about 8:00 pm, so I’m not really sure what is going on around this town. Is this what the locals due for fun? Do they teens hang out at the local wash and just keep driving thru? Is this the latest trend?
I finally found a chevron with only two cars ahead of me; I decided to make my stand! So I ran up and paid for the wash. Now as I waited, I noticed that the guy in front of me punched in his code before the other person had finished. Smart move; get it all ready in advance. So when it was my turn, I did the same thing…punched in the code and waited. Then something weird happened. While the man in front of me was getting his car washed he did something… I don’t think he had his truck in park and his car slid back just a little. Then the wash stopped. His truck got stuck on the rail and he was squealing his tires to get them free! Then everything was fine. He got it all figured out and got the car wash going again. But wait a minute…it sort of looked like the wash was starting over again. It was! It was! He was washing his car on my dime…or my $5 bucks! Arghhhh! He’s stealing my car wash. Maybe, I was mistaken; this fool can’t really be getting two for the price of one? So, after he’s finished I reluctantly pull forward. Now I’m hoping, praying that this contraption is going to go and I’m simply worrying for nothing. When I enter the wash, my worst fears are realized…Nothing happens. I’ve already been in line for twenty minutes and Grandma’s grumbling and the child’s curious as to why there is no water. There are now three cars behind me. What to do? I can’t back up and if I go forward I lose my spot. Everyone’s in a panic. Fuming, I reluctantly pull the truck out of the wash STILL DIRTY.
My plan is simple; get my money back and call it a night! I walk into the mini-mart and tell the kid who are wet-behind-the pierced –big-lobed ears who it is very evident that this is his first job, about my predicament and he tells me that getting my money back is out of the question. He points to the sign that states NO REFUNDS on car washes. This in his mind should end the discussion and I should just leave. However, I’m stingy with my $5 and I want recompense.
So, he tells me “ok, ok go and type the number in again and see if it works.”
I know it’s not going to work; the other guy just used my wash! So I tell him that this is not possible, there are four other cars in line and I’m not going to wait for another ½ hour with a pregnant wife, tired kid, and cranky grandmother in my car! This would mean certain death if I went back to the truck and told them that we were going to wait around.
So, he asked that I stand aside so he can get the other customers through and then he would help me. Grudgingly I obliged, with his request. After a couple more customers go through, I step back to the counter to talk with the annoyed teenager with butthole earlobes. I ask him what can be done; I don’t want to wait in line and he won’t give me a refund, so the best idea would be to come back in the morning before I head out and get the car wash, all he has to do is give me another code to use.
“Uhh..alright, well just comeback in the morning then and they’ll give you a new code.”
Now, I might be goofy looking and an oaf, but that doesn’t mean I just fell off the turnip truck. So with a simpelton's cleverness I ask, “ So…your still going to be here in the morning?”
“Well, ummm.. No. I won’t be, but someone else will be able to help you.”
“How are they going to know what happened? How will they know that I’m telling the truth?”
“I guess you can get in line right now.”
I am burning fumes talking in circles with Jaguar’s Paw, so in very heated breath I ask, “You can’t just give me a new code?”
His frustration becomes visibly apparent, “Well, I can give you a code but it’s only good for today.”
“You mean until 12:00 am? Fine. I’ll take it.” I am exhausted from infuriation. I just want to get the Ladies home.
With the ever coveted code in hand I was out the door. However, the story does not end there. I take Faith and my Grandma Beans back to her house and head out with Kellee to complete our days task. When we arrive back to the gas station only to find there is another truck ahead of us in line (and no, I did not punch my code in while he was in the wash, thank you for asking). While in back of this truck I notice that there is something odd going on in the bed of his truck…like there are big pieces of soap-foam floating around. Upon futher investigation and straining eyes, I realize that this is not the case, rather there are projectiles flying out of the bed of his truck and the closer the water gets to the bed the harder they fly out. In a split second I realize what they are…Water Bottles! And they are gunning for me.
Most of you probably don’t know but water bottles have become my pet peeve as of late. Kellee and Faith drink warm water non-stop in my truck and when I go to get in there are always water bottles rolling out trying to make a quick escape. So to see Water Bottles (I suspect that the were empty- I hope) used as ammo was almost some sort of prophetic sign of future wrath. Maybe a bad omen of things to come. Thankfully, it must have been only a warning because we escaped unharmed and lived to tell the tale.
So it came down to Vegas or Frisco. Upon exploring the idea, Vegas would be a little more interesting, but the heat became a factor. Kellee hates to be hot! It’s like she turns into a Demon who becomes enraged with the heat because it knows what’s in store for the future. Topped with the fact that this was a pregnant angry Kellee, I felt that I might be putting myself into harms way by heading east. Frisco became the easy choice.
On Saturday we headed up to visit my parents and Grandmother for the evening. I figured this was the best route to go since I would be getting up late in the afternoon and didn’t want to waste the money for a room that I would hardly be in.
Upon arriving my mom decided to take us to eat. We went to Denny’s; you should know that this was based on very narrow options. My Denny’s days were done long ago; those late night social gatherings ended in my early twenties. I rarely choose to go to Denny’s, as the old saying goes “No one chooses to go to Denny’s they just end up there”. The only reason I am telling you this is because, I had the worst sandwich of my life. Now I didn’t get anything to sophisticated or complex, just a BLT. I admit they gave me exactly what I asked for (but I have had this before and it was made properly). They gave me wilted lettuce on stale bread with a couple of crumbled up pieces of bacon that they made a two mornings ago. On top of that, the waitress never came by to give me a refill on my Pepsi (which is tantamount to an Anathema) …and there was only one other family in the place!
Afterwards, I took my truck through a gas station car wash, so that I could look good while traveling. My truck had a thick layer of dirt of a morning rain left on it and a couple days worth of bird droppings, so it was definitely due for at least a quick wash. It had to be quick. I couldn’t wait around and have it done right, because I had my pregnant wife, tired two-year old, and my grumpy grandmother in the car. I went passed about three or four car washes all of which were filled with lines of cars wanting to due the same thing as me. Now this is about 8:00 pm, so I’m not really sure what is going on around this town. Is this what the locals due for fun? Do they teens hang out at the local wash and just keep driving thru? Is this the latest trend?
I finally found a chevron with only two cars ahead of me; I decided to make my stand! So I ran up and paid for the wash. Now as I waited, I noticed that the guy in front of me punched in his code before the other person had finished. Smart move; get it all ready in advance. So when it was my turn, I did the same thing…punched in the code and waited. Then something weird happened. While the man in front of me was getting his car washed he did something… I don’t think he had his truck in park and his car slid back just a little. Then the wash stopped. His truck got stuck on the rail and he was squealing his tires to get them free! Then everything was fine. He got it all figured out and got the car wash going again. But wait a minute…it sort of looked like the wash was starting over again. It was! It was! He was washing his car on my dime…or my $5 bucks! Arghhhh! He’s stealing my car wash. Maybe, I was mistaken; this fool can’t really be getting two for the price of one? So, after he’s finished I reluctantly pull forward. Now I’m hoping, praying that this contraption is going to go and I’m simply worrying for nothing. When I enter the wash, my worst fears are realized…Nothing happens. I’ve already been in line for twenty minutes and Grandma’s grumbling and the child’s curious as to why there is no water. There are now three cars behind me. What to do? I can’t back up and if I go forward I lose my spot. Everyone’s in a panic. Fuming, I reluctantly pull the truck out of the wash STILL DIRTY.
My plan is simple; get my money back and call it a night! I walk into the mini-mart and tell the kid who are wet-behind-the pierced –big-lobed ears who it is very evident that this is his first job, about my predicament and he tells me that getting my money back is out of the question. He points to the sign that states NO REFUNDS on car washes. This in his mind should end the discussion and I should just leave. However, I’m stingy with my $5 and I want recompense.
So, he tells me “ok, ok go and type the number in again and see if it works.”
I know it’s not going to work; the other guy just used my wash! So I tell him that this is not possible, there are four other cars in line and I’m not going to wait for another ½ hour with a pregnant wife, tired kid, and cranky grandmother in my car! This would mean certain death if I went back to the truck and told them that we were going to wait around.
So, he asked that I stand aside so he can get the other customers through and then he would help me. Grudgingly I obliged, with his request. After a couple more customers go through, I step back to the counter to talk with the annoyed teenager with butthole earlobes. I ask him what can be done; I don’t want to wait in line and he won’t give me a refund, so the best idea would be to come back in the morning before I head out and get the car wash, all he has to do is give me another code to use.
“Uhh..alright, well just comeback in the morning then and they’ll give you a new code.”
Now, I might be goofy looking and an oaf, but that doesn’t mean I just fell off the turnip truck. So with a simpelton's cleverness I ask, “ So…your still going to be here in the morning?”
“Well, ummm.. No. I won’t be, but someone else will be able to help you.”
“How are they going to know what happened? How will they know that I’m telling the truth?”
“I guess you can get in line right now.”
I am burning fumes talking in circles with Jaguar’s Paw, so in very heated breath I ask, “You can’t just give me a new code?”
His frustration becomes visibly apparent, “Well, I can give you a code but it’s only good for today.”
“You mean until 12:00 am? Fine. I’ll take it.” I am exhausted from infuriation. I just want to get the Ladies home.
With the ever coveted code in hand I was out the door. However, the story does not end there. I take Faith and my Grandma Beans back to her house and head out with Kellee to complete our days task. When we arrive back to the gas station only to find there is another truck ahead of us in line (and no, I did not punch my code in while he was in the wash, thank you for asking). While in back of this truck I notice that there is something odd going on in the bed of his truck…like there are big pieces of soap-foam floating around. Upon futher investigation and straining eyes, I realize that this is not the case, rather there are projectiles flying out of the bed of his truck and the closer the water gets to the bed the harder they fly out. In a split second I realize what they are…Water Bottles! And they are gunning for me.
Most of you probably don’t know but water bottles have become my pet peeve as of late. Kellee and Faith drink warm water non-stop in my truck and when I go to get in there are always water bottles rolling out trying to make a quick escape. So to see Water Bottles (I suspect that the were empty- I hope) used as ammo was almost some sort of prophetic sign of future wrath. Maybe a bad omen of things to come. Thankfully, it must have been only a warning because we escaped unharmed and lived to tell the tale.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Croup De Ville/ SLO 4 (November 29th, 2006)
Heading home, we stopped by my parents to pick up Faith. My parents were excited, they loved having her for those couple days. They described all the cute things faith did with them, like singing happy Birthday to everyone that walked by in the Supermarket.
Kellee and I noticed though that Faith wasn't her outgoing self. She usually runs up to me and Yells, "Papa"!!! However, she just quietly hugged me and said, "Papas home".
I just chalked this up to us being away from her for two days for the first time since we brought her home from her homeland.
My mom told us that she woke up with a little cold and seemed to be wheezy. It didn't seem like a big deal. Faith did seem to be getting worse by the minute though, so I thought she might do well to just rest in the truck.
We stopped by Starbucks; it was a 4-5 hr ride home and I was already tired from staying late. I picked Faith up some Tea with Chamomile and honey to sooth her little throat that was getting more and more horse by the minute.
In the meantime Kellee is freaking out over what? A little wheezing? A sore throat? She is telling me that she wants to call her doctor and when she does they're at lunch, so now Kellee is in a panic! I tell her to call her mom. They talk for a minute and decide that we should give her some cold medicine (but we never get around to it).
We get on the highway and go a couple miles, when we notice that Faith is yawning every couple of seconds. Kellee tells me that she is struggling to breathe. I look at Kellee and see the panic in her face, and thinking she is overreacting, I turn back to look at faith. She has a look of terror in her eyes as she is gasping for breath and when she gets one she begins to cry; this happens a couple times within a minute. Something is definitely wrong! I tell Kellee to call 911 and find us a nearby hospital. She does and the dispatch tells us of one that is a couple miles up the road. So I put my truck into B for boogie and head down Highway 101 going over 100 miles an hour; flying around diesel trucks and weekend drivers.
We rush he into the emergency room where a very warm and attentive nurse checks Faiths breathing and other vitals. Once they figure out that everything is ok they send us over to the Urgent Care where we sit and wait and wait and wait. The doctor over at the urgent care tells us that he believes that Faith has the Croup (a viral infection that clogs up a child's airways), and one of the telltale signs is a barking seal like cough.
However, Faith is not coughing and doesn't do so the whole time we are in the Urgent care. As a precaution they take x-rays to make sure that faith didn't swallow anything, gave her a breathing treatment, and filled her up with some anti-biotic. The doctor tells us that Faith is now getting 98% oxygen and we should be able to get home, but if anything should arise then immediately get off the road and back to a hospital.
We made it home; faith slept most of the way. But, it was still one of the scariest trips 4 hour ride I have had in awhile (it ranks up there with my car breaking down in the middle of the desert without a phone or Triple A).
When we put Faith to bed, she finally began to cough, and sure enough the little thing sounded like a seal. Kellee took her to her doctor the next day and sure enough she had the croup. One of the strangest things happened the next day as well: the doctor from the urgent care in Santa Maria called our house to make sure we got home alright! I don't think I have ever heard of that happening!
Kellee and I noticed though that Faith wasn't her outgoing self. She usually runs up to me and Yells, "Papa"!!! However, she just quietly hugged me and said, "Papas home".
I just chalked this up to us being away from her for two days for the first time since we brought her home from her homeland.
My mom told us that she woke up with a little cold and seemed to be wheezy. It didn't seem like a big deal. Faith did seem to be getting worse by the minute though, so I thought she might do well to just rest in the truck.
We stopped by Starbucks; it was a 4-5 hr ride home and I was already tired from staying late. I picked Faith up some Tea with Chamomile and honey to sooth her little throat that was getting more and more horse by the minute.
In the meantime Kellee is freaking out over what? A little wheezing? A sore throat? She is telling me that she wants to call her doctor and when she does they're at lunch, so now Kellee is in a panic! I tell her to call her mom. They talk for a minute and decide that we should give her some cold medicine (but we never get around to it).
We get on the highway and go a couple miles, when we notice that Faith is yawning every couple of seconds. Kellee tells me that she is struggling to breathe. I look at Kellee and see the panic in her face, and thinking she is overreacting, I turn back to look at faith. She has a look of terror in her eyes as she is gasping for breath and when she gets one she begins to cry; this happens a couple times within a minute. Something is definitely wrong! I tell Kellee to call 911 and find us a nearby hospital. She does and the dispatch tells us of one that is a couple miles up the road. So I put my truck into B for boogie and head down Highway 101 going over 100 miles an hour; flying around diesel trucks and weekend drivers.
We rush he into the emergency room where a very warm and attentive nurse checks Faiths breathing and other vitals. Once they figure out that everything is ok they send us over to the Urgent Care where we sit and wait and wait and wait. The doctor over at the urgent care tells us that he believes that Faith has the Croup (a viral infection that clogs up a child's airways), and one of the telltale signs is a barking seal like cough.
However, Faith is not coughing and doesn't do so the whole time we are in the Urgent care. As a precaution they take x-rays to make sure that faith didn't swallow anything, gave her a breathing treatment, and filled her up with some anti-biotic. The doctor tells us that Faith is now getting 98% oxygen and we should be able to get home, but if anything should arise then immediately get off the road and back to a hospital.
We made it home; faith slept most of the way. But, it was still one of the scariest trips 4 hour ride I have had in awhile (it ranks up there with my car breaking down in the middle of the desert without a phone or Triple A).
When we put Faith to bed, she finally began to cough, and sure enough the little thing sounded like a seal. Kellee took her to her doctor the next day and sure enough she had the croup. One of the strangest things happened the next day as well: the doctor from the urgent care in Santa Maria called our house to make sure we got home alright! I don't think I have ever heard of that happening!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Havasu Hell (July 21 2006)
Have you ever had one of those icky-sickly feelings in your gut that tells you not to do something, because it probably will end really badly? That happened to me last week as I was planning my familys vacation to Lake Havasu. I kept telling myself this is not going to go well, back out while you still can, but I went against my conscience thinking that it was just a small fear of going camping for the first time without my in-laws. I should have listened to the small voice in my head.
The day before we left for our trip, I called my wife and asked her if she picked up our propeller from the shop where we took it to get it fixed or replaced.
"No, I didnt know I needed to go over there, you never told me that," was her reply.
So I frantically called the shop from my work to see if we could still go over and get it, but to know avail; they were closed. So now we are planning to go to Havasu with only one dinged-up, bent propthats not good. The sickly feeling is even greater at this moment as I knew this was a sign not to go.
Things were already in motion at this point, everything was packed, all my daughter kept talking about was the BOAT, my niece was ready to ride the tube, and I had already paid for the camp site. We were going to Havasu.
So there we were Sunday morning preparing to leave, the only problem was that we were not prepared. So we didnt end up leaving until 1:00pm. On our way out we had to stop and get gas. We chose to go to Chevron in lieu of my favorite pump place, ARCO. When I opened the door to get out and start pumping, my dog, Boo, darted out of the door and disappeared in a nearby field. My wife wanted to look for him, but we were on a schedule. Make no mistake, I was actually thrilled and elated that he had scrammed. Ive been wanting this to happen for awhile. I have wanted to be rid of Boo but my wife always talks me out of it. Now Im not the bad guy, the dog darted on his own.
As I was pumping the gas, my wife and niece went in to get drinks for the trip. They came out with a 44oz iced coffee that would make you gag by just the smell. Where was my Pepsi? They were out, in fact they were out of everything, Pepsi, Coke, Dr. Pepper, and their Sprite tasted just like water. Now Im not a person that believes there are signs all around you and you just need to find them, but if ever there was a sign not to partake on this trip this would have been it! I knew right then that I should turn around and go home.
On the way out of the gas station, Kellee was holding back tears because I was not going to go looking for our mutt, and my niece kept asking, cant we just go look over in the field. I tried to explain that we were on a tight schedule and that Boo has made his decision, but neither seemed to buy this answer. Then I remembered that I forgot to fill up the gas cans, and check the air in my tires, so we headed back to Chevron. As we pulled up, there came Boo running at full speed towards my truck. Kellee and Savonna were jumping up and down, hugging and kissing this miserable mutt for being a good dog and coming back. The only good thing about this trip was short lived.
So we headed out for Havasu; we made it to Hesperia. As we were coming out of the pass, my boat was swerving back and forth, so I pulled over to see what was going on. All the tread on one of my tires had come off. It was completely bald, ready to blow at any moment. So I had to drive very slowly on the freeway about 5 miles into Hesperia. Ever try finding a local tire place thats open on a Sunday? We found oneFirestone. They had a tire that would work, but it wasnt a trailer tire. So off we went in search of a trailer tire. Everyone else was closedwell, except for mega-chain Wal-Mart. So we headed to Wal-Mart! They had the exact same tire as Firestone, only I would have to take the tire off myself and of course it would be a 4 hour wait. That little voice in my head was now screaming at me GO HOME!!! Do not go forward, it can only get worse!. I refused to listen to my conscience, so we returned to Firestone and had the tire fixed. Once again we were off to Lake Havasu.
About 100 miles from our destination, we stopped at a rest area so we could stretch and relieve ourselves. Thats when we began to notice the clouds. They were dark and terrorizing, thunder was rolling, and lighting was beginning to spark on the darkened horizon..
Storm approaching: it looks like a tornado
We got back out on the road and in no time at all we were caught in a flash flood monsoon storm. There was literally lighting touching down within 10 yards of my truck from the North, West, and East. I could barely see in front of me, just enough to notice in time that everyone in front of me was throwing on their brakes. A big rig had jack-knifed in front of us and clipped another car, blocking the two lane highway. So there we sat in the midst of heavy rain and lighting, blocked from getting out of this storm. A couple of years a go I would have thought this was the greatest thing in the world. But now my daughter is in the car, and I am beginning to worry. Traffic slowly begins to move, everyone is going around the diesel truck, and soon it becomes my turn. The only way around is to go off road in the muddy desert sand. I know if I dont move everyone behind me is going to become enraged, because the want to get out of the storm as well, but if I go off-roading, then chances are high that I am going to get stuck in the mud and life is going to be even more miserable. We went for it and made it through, but it was still a scary ordeal.
We out ran the storm, but it pursued us and was closing in. Our only hope was to get to the campsite soon and set up quickly before the storm was on top of us. We arrived at our site at 10:00pm. We stepped out to a sweltering 107 degrees of cool night time weather. We were in a rush to get the tent up so we made haste and pulled out the tent we borrowed form Kellees parents and in a mad rush tried to put it up. There were only a few small problems; we had never put this thing together before and were now trying to do it under the use of Chevy headlights. Also, we didnt have tent stakes! How can you put up a tent without tent stakes, especially, when there is a storm coming and its heavy winds are going to beat against your tent?
So there we were, drenched in sweat, and furiously frustrated trying to put this tent together, while at the same time trying to keep an eye on our daughter who kept wandering off into the darkness or stumbling over the tent poles. Finally, a grandmother who was in the campsite across from us, could not bear seeing my sweaty-tear stained daughter running around crying any longer. So she brought us over 4 tent stakes and with some rocks we were able to put the tent together. It was only 2 ½ hours later; thankfully the storm never made its way to our camp that night. However, the humidity that the surrounding storms brought was almost unbearable. Within an hour our tent became a sauna, and our air mattress was a waterbed from our sweat. I literally drank two Gatorade bottles in my sleep, which wasnt much because my daughter kept waking up and screaming through out the night. My only hope was that tomorrow offered a new day.
Monday came and with it so did Dave Mustaine (of Megadeath).
Dave Mustiane of Megadeath; not really the person in the story, but looks alot like him.
As I was waking up and getting ready to spend my day on the river, up drives this Hessian on a tiny-tikes motor bike that looks like he just left the Dio concert last night. So he rides up to me and says, how long are you guys going to be here?.
Thinking that he was making polite conversation and that I might have my first river-rat buddy, I reply gleefully, Until Wednesday.
At that he instantly becomes enraged and shakes his head in disgust. He then angrily asks, Is your dog going to be barking every morning?
I was taken a little bit back by this, Especially when I realize that me and Megadeath arent going to be rockin out together any time soon. So I answered his stupid question with, probably, hes a dog.
He then revs his little-mans bike up and shouts, well that f@$#ing sucks!. And off goes my hopes of once again becoming a metal-muncher.
Soon after the incident with Megadeath, Kellee points out that our campsite has a lot of bees. I dont mean a handful, more like a hive full, all swarming around our dingy cramped little bit of dirt. Not, too much later, I notice that our site also has a peculiar smell; much like a fish corpse rotting in the Havasu heat that had already reached 100 degrees by early morning.
Twenty minutes after the encounter with my Hessian neighbor, the Indian maintence man came by to see how everything was going. He asked if we had paid yet, and I told him no but that we did have a reservation. So he directed me to the office and then told me that he had already received complaints about my dog. Irked but still smiling I told the Indian manager that I would keep an eye on him and make sure that he was not yapping. All this and its barely 8:00AM.
So, Kellee and I went to the office to pay the bill and talk with the manager about the situation and see if we could switch our campsite for the betterment of all involved. I walk into the office and guess who is there? Thats right, metal-muching-methed-out-Megadeath- Mr. Mustaine! He is in there complaining about me again!!! And at the moment I walk in the lady at the front office tells him, its one thing to have a barking dog, but the fact that he was rude to you is a whole different ordeal. She then asks if she can assist me, so I tell her that I am here to pay the bill and see if I can move campsites. She then asks, well what campsite are you at?
"701" I respond.
Mind you Mr. Mustaine looks like a kid who just got caught telling a lie and the Indian manager just has a shocked, quizzical look of his face like oh s&#Àhe just caught us talking about him. So there I am furious and still wearing a smile, but somehow laughing at this situation over a beagle that I want to throw into the middle of Lake Havasu. Anyhow, Metalhead is now content and I can get on with my vacation. However, Kellee told me that When the metal mulisha walked out and went to get on his tiny-tots bike that was parked right next to my truck, Boo stuck his head out the window about 4 in. from his face and started howling his head off. Thus, infuriating Megadeath even moreI guess Boo is not completely worthless after all.
So now we are moving our whole campsite at 10:00 am. I should have been out in the water 2 hours ago, but instead I am having to relocate my camp. It was worth it though, no noisy neighbors, a bigger camp, close to the bathrooms (a must when you have a newly potty trained little girl), and no Bees or fishy smell.
We head out to the boat and cruise around for awhile. Savonna rode the tube by her self and had a blast, though she was angered that I drove a little to fast. Then I took Faith on the tube and rode around a little. After that the tube ripped, thus ending our moments of fun and excitement.
Crusing in our boat
In the evening, our good friends The Kriedels came out to visit us. That was a great time and made the frustration of the morning and previous day slip away. Its funny how with some people you can go years with out seeing them and then just pick up where you left off when you are reunited. It was great to see their three kids and get a chance to hear all that God is doing in their lives.
We decided to take the boat to the sandbar and let the kids run around and swim in the water. Someone however, forgot to mention that the lake was low. On our way up to the sandbar we bottomed out a couple of times. Kolby and I had to get out of the boat and push it up river. We pushed until the river ran deep again, however that dinged up, bent prop that I was cruising around on really took a hit when I hit bottom. We couldnt get the boat past 20rpms. Not wanting to risk damaging my boat any further we decided to turn around and push the boat back to open waters and cruise back to camp.
Pushing our boat into deeper waters
The Kriedels left at 11:00pm and as they left the storm moved in. With the thunder and showers came the humidity, and therefore another night of sleeping in the sauna. It was so bad that Kellee got up in the middle of the night, went to the showers and soaked herself, pajamas and all, came back to bed and laid down next to me without drying off. She also soaked a towel and had Faith sleep on it. Surprisingly Faith and Kellee slept great, while I was waking up drinking Gatorade and wiping off the sweat that was covering my body.
Faith sweating but cool from a wet towel.
When we got up in the morning, we decided we were done. We packed up and left a day early. It is nice to be home.
The day before we left for our trip, I called my wife and asked her if she picked up our propeller from the shop where we took it to get it fixed or replaced.
"No, I didnt know I needed to go over there, you never told me that," was her reply.
So I frantically called the shop from my work to see if we could still go over and get it, but to know avail; they were closed. So now we are planning to go to Havasu with only one dinged-up, bent propthats not good. The sickly feeling is even greater at this moment as I knew this was a sign not to go.
Things were already in motion at this point, everything was packed, all my daughter kept talking about was the BOAT, my niece was ready to ride the tube, and I had already paid for the camp site. We were going to Havasu.
So there we were Sunday morning preparing to leave, the only problem was that we were not prepared. So we didnt end up leaving until 1:00pm. On our way out we had to stop and get gas. We chose to go to Chevron in lieu of my favorite pump place, ARCO. When I opened the door to get out and start pumping, my dog, Boo, darted out of the door and disappeared in a nearby field. My wife wanted to look for him, but we were on a schedule. Make no mistake, I was actually thrilled and elated that he had scrammed. Ive been wanting this to happen for awhile. I have wanted to be rid of Boo but my wife always talks me out of it. Now Im not the bad guy, the dog darted on his own.
As I was pumping the gas, my wife and niece went in to get drinks for the trip. They came out with a 44oz iced coffee that would make you gag by just the smell. Where was my Pepsi? They were out, in fact they were out of everything, Pepsi, Coke, Dr. Pepper, and their Sprite tasted just like water. Now Im not a person that believes there are signs all around you and you just need to find them, but if ever there was a sign not to partake on this trip this would have been it! I knew right then that I should turn around and go home.
On the way out of the gas station, Kellee was holding back tears because I was not going to go looking for our mutt, and my niece kept asking, cant we just go look over in the field. I tried to explain that we were on a tight schedule and that Boo has made his decision, but neither seemed to buy this answer. Then I remembered that I forgot to fill up the gas cans, and check the air in my tires, so we headed back to Chevron. As we pulled up, there came Boo running at full speed towards my truck. Kellee and Savonna were jumping up and down, hugging and kissing this miserable mutt for being a good dog and coming back. The only good thing about this trip was short lived.
So we headed out for Havasu; we made it to Hesperia. As we were coming out of the pass, my boat was swerving back and forth, so I pulled over to see what was going on. All the tread on one of my tires had come off. It was completely bald, ready to blow at any moment. So I had to drive very slowly on the freeway about 5 miles into Hesperia. Ever try finding a local tire place thats open on a Sunday? We found oneFirestone. They had a tire that would work, but it wasnt a trailer tire. So off we went in search of a trailer tire. Everyone else was closedwell, except for mega-chain Wal-Mart. So we headed to Wal-Mart! They had the exact same tire as Firestone, only I would have to take the tire off myself and of course it would be a 4 hour wait. That little voice in my head was now screaming at me GO HOME!!! Do not go forward, it can only get worse!. I refused to listen to my conscience, so we returned to Firestone and had the tire fixed. Once again we were off to Lake Havasu.
About 100 miles from our destination, we stopped at a rest area so we could stretch and relieve ourselves. Thats when we began to notice the clouds. They were dark and terrorizing, thunder was rolling, and lighting was beginning to spark on the darkened horizon..
Storm approaching: it looks like a tornado
We got back out on the road and in no time at all we were caught in a flash flood monsoon storm. There was literally lighting touching down within 10 yards of my truck from the North, West, and East. I could barely see in front of me, just enough to notice in time that everyone in front of me was throwing on their brakes. A big rig had jack-knifed in front of us and clipped another car, blocking the two lane highway. So there we sat in the midst of heavy rain and lighting, blocked from getting out of this storm. A couple of years a go I would have thought this was the greatest thing in the world. But now my daughter is in the car, and I am beginning to worry. Traffic slowly begins to move, everyone is going around the diesel truck, and soon it becomes my turn. The only way around is to go off road in the muddy desert sand. I know if I dont move everyone behind me is going to become enraged, because the want to get out of the storm as well, but if I go off-roading, then chances are high that I am going to get stuck in the mud and life is going to be even more miserable. We went for it and made it through, but it was still a scary ordeal.
We out ran the storm, but it pursued us and was closing in. Our only hope was to get to the campsite soon and set up quickly before the storm was on top of us. We arrived at our site at 10:00pm. We stepped out to a sweltering 107 degrees of cool night time weather. We were in a rush to get the tent up so we made haste and pulled out the tent we borrowed form Kellees parents and in a mad rush tried to put it up. There were only a few small problems; we had never put this thing together before and were now trying to do it under the use of Chevy headlights. Also, we didnt have tent stakes! How can you put up a tent without tent stakes, especially, when there is a storm coming and its heavy winds are going to beat against your tent?
So there we were, drenched in sweat, and furiously frustrated trying to put this tent together, while at the same time trying to keep an eye on our daughter who kept wandering off into the darkness or stumbling over the tent poles. Finally, a grandmother who was in the campsite across from us, could not bear seeing my sweaty-tear stained daughter running around crying any longer. So she brought us over 4 tent stakes and with some rocks we were able to put the tent together. It was only 2 ½ hours later; thankfully the storm never made its way to our camp that night. However, the humidity that the surrounding storms brought was almost unbearable. Within an hour our tent became a sauna, and our air mattress was a waterbed from our sweat. I literally drank two Gatorade bottles in my sleep, which wasnt much because my daughter kept waking up and screaming through out the night. My only hope was that tomorrow offered a new day.
Monday came and with it so did Dave Mustaine (of Megadeath).
Dave Mustiane of Megadeath; not really the person in the story, but looks alot like him.
As I was waking up and getting ready to spend my day on the river, up drives this Hessian on a tiny-tikes motor bike that looks like he just left the Dio concert last night. So he rides up to me and says, how long are you guys going to be here?.
Thinking that he was making polite conversation and that I might have my first river-rat buddy, I reply gleefully, Until Wednesday.
At that he instantly becomes enraged and shakes his head in disgust. He then angrily asks, Is your dog going to be barking every morning?
I was taken a little bit back by this, Especially when I realize that me and Megadeath arent going to be rockin out together any time soon. So I answered his stupid question with, probably, hes a dog.
He then revs his little-mans bike up and shouts, well that f@$#ing sucks!. And off goes my hopes of once again becoming a metal-muncher.
Soon after the incident with Megadeath, Kellee points out that our campsite has a lot of bees. I dont mean a handful, more like a hive full, all swarming around our dingy cramped little bit of dirt. Not, too much later, I notice that our site also has a peculiar smell; much like a fish corpse rotting in the Havasu heat that had already reached 100 degrees by early morning.
Twenty minutes after the encounter with my Hessian neighbor, the Indian maintence man came by to see how everything was going. He asked if we had paid yet, and I told him no but that we did have a reservation. So he directed me to the office and then told me that he had already received complaints about my dog. Irked but still smiling I told the Indian manager that I would keep an eye on him and make sure that he was not yapping. All this and its barely 8:00AM.
So, Kellee and I went to the office to pay the bill and talk with the manager about the situation and see if we could switch our campsite for the betterment of all involved. I walk into the office and guess who is there? Thats right, metal-muching-methed-out-Megadeath- Mr. Mustaine! He is in there complaining about me again!!! And at the moment I walk in the lady at the front office tells him, its one thing to have a barking dog, but the fact that he was rude to you is a whole different ordeal. She then asks if she can assist me, so I tell her that I am here to pay the bill and see if I can move campsites. She then asks, well what campsite are you at?
"701" I respond.
Mind you Mr. Mustaine looks like a kid who just got caught telling a lie and the Indian manager just has a shocked, quizzical look of his face like oh s&#Àhe just caught us talking about him. So there I am furious and still wearing a smile, but somehow laughing at this situation over a beagle that I want to throw into the middle of Lake Havasu. Anyhow, Metalhead is now content and I can get on with my vacation. However, Kellee told me that When the metal mulisha walked out and went to get on his tiny-tots bike that was parked right next to my truck, Boo stuck his head out the window about 4 in. from his face and started howling his head off. Thus, infuriating Megadeath even moreI guess Boo is not completely worthless after all.
So now we are moving our whole campsite at 10:00 am. I should have been out in the water 2 hours ago, but instead I am having to relocate my camp. It was worth it though, no noisy neighbors, a bigger camp, close to the bathrooms (a must when you have a newly potty trained little girl), and no Bees or fishy smell.
We head out to the boat and cruise around for awhile. Savonna rode the tube by her self and had a blast, though she was angered that I drove a little to fast. Then I took Faith on the tube and rode around a little. After that the tube ripped, thus ending our moments of fun and excitement.
Crusing in our boat
In the evening, our good friends The Kriedels came out to visit us. That was a great time and made the frustration of the morning and previous day slip away. Its funny how with some people you can go years with out seeing them and then just pick up where you left off when you are reunited. It was great to see their three kids and get a chance to hear all that God is doing in their lives.
We decided to take the boat to the sandbar and let the kids run around and swim in the water. Someone however, forgot to mention that the lake was low. On our way up to the sandbar we bottomed out a couple of times. Kolby and I had to get out of the boat and push it up river. We pushed until the river ran deep again, however that dinged up, bent prop that I was cruising around on really took a hit when I hit bottom. We couldnt get the boat past 20rpms. Not wanting to risk damaging my boat any further we decided to turn around and push the boat back to open waters and cruise back to camp.
Pushing our boat into deeper waters
The Kriedels left at 11:00pm and as they left the storm moved in. With the thunder and showers came the humidity, and therefore another night of sleeping in the sauna. It was so bad that Kellee got up in the middle of the night, went to the showers and soaked herself, pajamas and all, came back to bed and laid down next to me without drying off. She also soaked a towel and had Faith sleep on it. Surprisingly Faith and Kellee slept great, while I was waking up drinking Gatorade and wiping off the sweat that was covering my body.
Faith sweating but cool from a wet towel.
When we got up in the morning, we decided we were done. We packed up and left a day early. It is nice to be home.
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