The Journey Home Begins

  • It sure was fun making an unannounced visit and surprising your aunt with flowers while trying to pretend being a flower deliver man.  The look on her face was absolutely pricess.  That experience alone made the trip worthwhile. It was also great seeing other family members in San Diego (Santee acutally) as well.
  • California actually has stop lights on entrance ramps to the freeway.
  • Mmmmmmmmmmmmm In-N-Out Burger.  It’s interesting to look back in the kitchen and see that they cut their french fries fresh daily, you can definately taste the difference.  The closest In-N-Out Burger to Texas is in Arizona. :-(  One of my cousins says they would gladly trade their In-N-Out Burgers for the Sonic Drive-Ins we have in Texas.  That’s one trade I would gladly make.
  • Our journey back home started by traveling east on Interstate 8 in which we hugged the U.S. -  Mexico border.  There are some parts of the border that is heavly patrolled by the Border Patrol, and then there are parts that are desolate.  We actually had to stop at an inspection area on the interstate.
  • You learn some interesting facts reading the Randy McNally Road Atlas that we picked up at a truck stop for $5.99.  For instance, Interstate 19 that runs from Tucson to Mexico uses metric mileposts.  I also learned that even though Alaska is the largest state in terms of size it ranks 47th in population with its largest city hold around 275,000 people.  So that’s lot of land and a lot of nothing for a state that my pastor’s sister lives in. 😉
  • The drive west is easier as the sun is behind you for most of the trip and the time change works in your favor.
  • A little suggestion for those planning long road trips, try to plan around rush hour of major cities.  We were able to plan around the morning Phoenix traffic, but the evening El Paso traffic was ugly – not DFW ugly, but still ugly.
  • Ealier I made a comment about how the Texas speed limit is 70 mph in the day and 65 mph at night.  Well, we are currently 30 miles west of El Paso and have seen a posted speed limit of 80 mph.
  • WifeGeeding is driving now so I’m forced to listen to showtunes and country music, this trip can’t end soon enough.  I will have to clense myself with some U2 as soon as I get behing the wheel.
    I really miss DogGeeding.
  • Some folks were teasing me that WifeGeeding and I were going to get really sick and tired of each other, but it really has been an absolute joy being around each other for so long.  I’m sure she would say the same thing minus the all the farting I do in the vehicle.
  • Everytime I enter a new time zone my phone will automatically change – wayy cool.
  • I think tonight we will arrive in Midland/Odessa around 11:00 PM and stay the night there, so we should reach Geeding Manor sometime in the afternoon.
Posted in Personal | 5 Comments

Disneyland to San Diego

Time to catch up on a few thoughts before I visit family in San Diego:

  • From Vegas to Disneyland I actually saw highway signs using the metric system. I also saw that there was a set apart solid white line lane just for vehicles with trailers.
  • In the Disneyland parking lot we saw a posted speed limit sign of 14 mph . . . 14?
  • Disneyland has now built a gigantic five story parking garage, it’s fantastic.
  • Maybe it’s just one of those things we don’t understand since we are not parents, but we have a hard time understanding why so many parents bring their stroller strapped kids. It seems that if the child has to be pushed around in a stroller that child not only can’t participate in all the attractions because of physical limitations but they also can’t conceptually appreciate the experience. Not to mention, it must be a bear pushing that stroller and dodging other park guests.
  • We heard one mother say to her child who was about to roam the park all on her own, “If you get lost or need help, just ask anyone with a Disney shirt for help.” I recommended to her that a park name tag might be a little more beneficial.
  • The happiest person in the entire park had to be WifeGeeding.
  • We were very fortunate that not only was the weather PERFECT but the crowd was actually pretty small. How small, only about a 20-30 minute wait for Indiana Jones and Space Mountain which we road multiple times.
  • The castle in Disneyworld is much larger than the one in Disneyland.
  • Surviving Space Mountain:
    spacemountgeedingads1.jpg
  • Surviving the Tea Cups:

Posted in Goofy, Personal | 3 Comments

Vegas Update

  • If you are looking for crappy service and hospitality check out the Monte Carlo, they will stop at no means to disappoint.  Just when you think they can’t disappoint you any more, they will certainly surprise you.
  • On the flip side, if you want the absolute best service you can ever have by a waitress and are looking to feel appreciated and adored, stop by Wolfgang Puck’s Postrio at the Venetian and request Sarah.  I’ve eaten there twice in my life and each time I was fortunate enough to have her as my waitress.  She is such a delight and so absolutely wonderful it makes you want to name your child after her.
  • Random fact: Of the 25 largest hotels in the world, 18 of them are on the Vegas Strip.
  • It must be a sign of aging, but the crowd and atmosphere now gets on my nerves.  I use to enjoy walking from hotel to hotel; however, the Sunday crowed is much more pleasing.
  • When people come to Vegas they forget to walk to the right, urghhh.
  • Of the three times I’ve been to Vegas, it has rained twice.  I thought it doesn’t rain often in the dessert.
  • Every time I see those Hispanic people on the Strip thumping those little escort cards trying to pass them out my heart just breaks.  For them to be doing that degrading humiliating act, in their mind, that is a step up from the quality of life they were living before.
  • I’m not a parent, but I see wayyyyy too many baby strollers in the Strip and the Casinos.
  • My feet hurt.
  • We watched two shows last night.  The first was one of my childhood idols, David Copperfield, the second was one of those Cirque shows.
  • While crossing the street yesterday I heard someone yell my name.  Turns out it was one of my old high school friends that I haven’t seen in over ten years.
  • I saw Pete Rose yesterday.  I almost took a picture with him, but then I noticed he was wearing some really ugly white boots which left me no respect for the man.  You can go ahead and bet on baseball, but I draw the line at ugly boots.
    charliehustleafd.jpg
  • It’s time to hit the road again.
Posted in Personal | 3 Comments