Thanks for tolerating the interruption in service, folks. Back in my home state after a helluva roadtrip with a (mostly) well-behaved English Cream Golden Retriever.
My dominant thought, after seven days of traversing the heartland? America needs to get its shit together.
Bobby Zim warned us that “Everything is Broken” three and a half decades ago. In 2001, a wise young man at Bellevue observed, “Nothing works here.”
I don’t think things have gotten any better. Out of about 30 attempts to obtain water for the doggo at rest-area fountains, 28 failed. We’re not talking about San Francisco or NYC — I expect more from Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Virginia.
I believe all but one of my fast-food orders got something wrong.
And drivers? Don’t get me started. A significant number appear to be on edibles, a bit tipsy, texting, or otherwise distracted. I agree with comedian Alonzo Bodden, who speculated that the safe operation of a motor vehicle has become, at best, the third priority of most people behind the wheel.
But enough complaining. On to the pictures! Well, don’t expect to be overwhelmed. Didn’t pass by/through Zion or Lake Tahoe or Monument Valley. These are more for amusement than enjoyment.
Abandoned Denny’s in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Spooky. (Back door was open. We didn’t go in.)
After all these years, still haven’t visited. (It’s closed on Sundays.)
In a pinch, an ice bucket works just fine as a water bowl.
What’s true in Brinkley, Arkansas is probably true in your town, too.
Seriously considering a career with Buc-ee’s.
Don’t know if you’re aware, but music is very big in Tennessee.
Kudos to New York for not even pretending that its water fountains work.
Don’t judge me. You’re not perfect.
Guess who’s in charge of the family orchard now?
Again, apologies for the hiatus. Back to our regularly scheduled programing. (And look for an epic-length Bureaucrats Behaving Badly on Friday!)
Glad you made it safely home. Looking forward to the continuation of NDAI (although the hiatus gave me a chance to catch up on my other emails :-)!). Looks like the dog traveled well and is adjusting to the NE. It will appreciate the lower temperatures in the summer and plenty of shade from the orchard.
After having settled down in NM and running my own business, I started to long for the time that I took long road trips across the country. In the early 1990s, I bought a nice car from my brother-in-law's mother in Syracuse. . I flew back to Syracuse and drove the 1950 miles from Syracuse to Albuquerque, by myself, in 2 and 1/2 days. That settled, forever, my need or desire for a long road trip. I suspect that you now feel the same.