The Drive from Wisconsin to California

Driving to Cali took 3 days-ish from Friday night to Monday night. We slept in the car for a few hours Friday night/Saturday morning 130AMish to 530AMish, drove all day Saturday, stopped Saturday night @ Little America, Wyoming, less than an hour from the Nevada border...

I drove us completely through Utah while Mike rested. Mike did most of the night driving. Sunday night we stayed in Reno - we drove through Nevada all afternoon Sunday after driving through Utah all morning. I drove until I started to feel fatigued and the evening sun was bright in my eyes as it started its descent. Mike took over driving until Reno.

It was 1130ish when we checked in at Reno.

The front desk guy was a total asshole. He said "it only takes one person to ruin your whole day."

This comment was directed at me because I:

1) did not want to give him my cell phone number,
2) wanted a copy of our rate agreement, and
3) asked why he would not honor the rate on the sign outside. ("It's because there are two of you and that rate was only for one person." I thought this was deceiving and I told him as much, though it wasn't rudely, so I feel.)

My asking a few questions was enough for him to point at the sign behind him indicating he has the right to refuse service and saying "I can refuse service if you want to argue it."

Asking questions is not arguing. I've never felt so mistreated by a customer service person in my life! I know I was tired but I've worked numerous customer service positions and I know how it feels and thusly know how to treat people! I was NOT being rude to this guy. He automatically took the position that I was the enemy. Not good customer service. Not cool.

Monday morning I woke up feeling like I had been punched in the eye. I asked Mike if he punched me in the his sleep.

"I don't know. I was sleeping," he said.

It turns out I had a sty eye infection.

Grody.

Monday we stopped in some little town to get gas and a few snacks about 30 minutes outside of Sacramento. We were finally in California! We stopped in Sacramento for a little while too, wandered around this super touristy shopping area. It was sooo hot out, like 85 degrees or so it felt to me. Mike said Sacramento is basically the ghetto but also is the capital. He showed me the capital building and pointed out a park full of about a hundred different trees. We ate at this little hole-in-the-wall-in-a-charming-way Mexican restaurant called Vallejos. It had been Mike's favorite place when he used to live there. The cheese enchiladas were to die for. He pointed out the apartments Josh was born in. Then we hit the road and drove to San Francisco.

Haight Street.

Market Street.

Crazy scary.

I can see why public transportation is the way to go in San Fran - they do NOT cater to the motorists. Mike drove like a pro but I was still freaked out.

A guy lit up a doobie in the middle of Market Street in broad daylight. Hundreds of people walking everywhere and nary a glance at Doobie Guy.

Mike said he was pretty sure this guy was standing outside of the Medical Marijuana Club.

OK.

Tons of bicyclists rode right with the motorists and half the time motorists had nothing but tracks to drive on which they "shared" with the puclic transportation. By "share" I mean "stay the hell outta the way of the buses;" they stop and go and drive wherever they please regardless of any other vehicles.

We walked around on upper Haight Street for about an hour. It was by far the craziest, most liberal place I've ever seen in my life. In my teeshirt and jeans and sneakers I looked so white bread and out of place. My hair was too normal and my nose stud was laughable. Even my geek specs were too square to be anything cool. I wished like hell I had just one visible tattoo but that probably would have only further emphasized how I am trying too hard to fit in or something of that nature. It was sooooo hot inside all the shops but pretty comfortable outside. We window shopped a bit which Mike said was an exercise in discipline.

We drove around San Francisco a bit more which I liked but Mike didn't because he was trying to find the Golden Gate Bridge while I was sight seeing from the passenger seat. At least he was good-natured about it. Finally we drove across the bridge northbound on the 101 to my new home in Eureka. About four hours and a few stops later we were finally home.

Tuesday was my first day in Eureka. I woke up apprehensive. Tired. Out of place. I had a terrible headache, it felt like a migraine, and my eye (the sty eye) was puffy and red and I could see my eyelid. Mike got me advil and water and I went back to sleep. I woke up late - nearly 11AM my new time (that's Pacific Time I now live in) and felt much better. My headache was gone. Mike and I eventually went grocery shopping and bought detergent too. When we got back home I did a load of sheets and towels. Things felt a little more normal. We went for a walk too, even though by this time it was dark. I still didn't have to wear my mittens @ 11 @ night so this was an improvement from Wisconsin.

I feel homesick for my family and friends but simultaneously excited to be in Eureka and ready for this brand new life. It's mixed up sometimes.

Wednesday we sat out in the sunny backyard and drank our coffee. Mike fixed a glitch on my computer and I caught up on some email correspondence on his.We had some breakfast and I had a cup of my new favorite tea: mint (herbal).

Then we ran some errands in town and went for a walk in Redwood Forest next to HSU in Arcata. We came back home and made some lunch together. Mike went over to Liz's to see the kids and pick up a few things while I rested. Now I'm sitting @ the BMX race track where we walked over from our house (Sarah and Ari's) - Mike is practicing/relieving stress. Me too. :) Mine involves not doing dangerous things on a bicycle. Mine is sitting on the bleachers and writing.