I drove 540 miles yesterday.
The grandkids were down for a visit, and after a week of swimming, staying up late and being bored it was time to take them down to Bakersfield to be picked up by Grandpa Richard.
Not having kids around for years (13,12,9,9) it really was tiring, I slept in a tent in the backyard, watched them swim, swam with them, took them to a park, heard them fight and took them to the store / Mcdonalds.
I checked into renting a car but due to the pandemic, most cars were rented. I checked on Turo (app that allows people to rent out their car) and could never find a car that sat 6 people, and didn't cap the miles at around 200 to 300 miles. Most would wham you for .30 cents a mile over 300. A rental would be around $100 and add $60 plus whatever else you would have to pay.
So in the civic we went at 10am, I had to ask my son in law (who I think dreamed up this vacation for his kids) for his fathers phone number when he was here dropping the kids off and when he went back to Washington, during the week the kids were here.
Not quite sure how we were going to make the exchange happen. Magic? Finally my daughter responds and I formulate a text. I suggested meeting at a restaurant. Gave a time (4 hours) and some room for stops and traffic.
His drive was 2 hours from Lancaster over the grapevine. As we were driving minor fighting between the twins ensued, /quelled by Angie and RJ. RJ in the front seat was busy with his phone as most 12 years olds tend to be these days.
I was going to stop in Fresno for something to eat as it was 12, but decided to see if the kids would chime in with needing to go to the bathroom or hunger. Just past the main part of Fresno someone said they were hungry. Needing gas, I pulled off at a gas station / food mart. While pumping gas, a strange man pulls up and flashes a gold watch (I could not tell what it was) and asks for help. Sorry dude, no money (not really sorry, just want him gone).
We go in, the kids get slushies, takkis, beef jerky, I get a chicken salad sandwich (yuck). Landon hits the bathroom and we are off.
There is allot of construction going on and we are down to two lanes when we reach Bakersfield. A semi truck stalls in the left lane congesting traffic. We are 2 exits away from Brundage lane. Grandpa Richard calls Angie and she tells him we are close. I get off on Brundage lane locate the restaurant on the left side and pull into the parking lot, which is pretty full. Grandpa Richard has parking on the street across from the restaurant. He gets out waves and then pulls his truck behind the civic. When we had gotten out, it was so hot and humid in Bakersfield, about 10 times worse than here. The kids pull out their luggage and it gets stowed in the truck bed. Hugs around and they are gone. I have to pee and need coffee, so I plug in Starbucks and I am directed to Ming road (sounds familiar). It is, we have been here before from some long ago soccer tourney and I remember. The Starbucks is in the mall. People just walk right in front of the car when I am driving to find a parking spot. The vibe in this town is one of irritated hot people. Starbucks is crowded and I walk the mall to find the bathroom. The mall is poorly air conditioned and people mill about blocking my passage further angering me. After, I go back to Starbucks wait in line, order a cheese sandwich and Large Flat white.
Jumping back in, I press go home on Garman, and proceed home. I try to maintain 74 miles per hour, I am trying to get into a flow, but everyone is zipping in and out of traffic and suddenly smashing their breaks and then going again. I constantly have to disengage cruise control and flow does not come. Somewhere before Madera, a loud balloon pop shatters the monotony. I think someone shot at me, no windows were blown out, blood is not leaking out of me. I use the mirrors to scan the car while driving but can find no holes. The wheels on the car go round and round and no lights are on in the car. Freaked, I continue to drive for eternity and drain the car down to 3 fuel bars when I finally park in my garage. I look the car over top to bottom and cannot find anything.
The 8 hours of driving have left my left knee sore, due to the angle of the sitting.
I start wondering about all the driving everyone else has had to do, Daughter and Son in Law 700 here 700 back , rinse and repeat to pickup the kids (1400) me 540 miles, Grandpa Rich 184 miles, Grandma Christina 772
2936 total miles, Elk Grove to New York NY is 2829. Basically a trip across America.
I poised the question of all this driving to my dear wife, she said, oh the twins are not vaccinated , I counter with, but they are going to Disneyland amongst the hoards how different will that be from a plane ride?
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