Vacating

Just came back from 6 days on the road, fairly literally. We left town Thursday morning, got to Santa Fe Friday just in time for my step-brother's wedding rehearsal dinner, attended a wedding Saturday, had breakfast with best friend Susan Sunday morning, then headed back Sunday afternoon, finally coming to a halt back home last night.

When I get back to work, everyone's going to ask me how my vacation went.

On the more positive side I got a definite break from normality, which is a vacation-of-sorts. For those of you who might be doing the grand road trip experience, I offer the following travel advisories:

Iowa: truckers are the more aggressive here than anywhere else in the country. Stay on multilane highways if you can, because a semitruck stuck behind you for hours is a scary thing.

Nebraska: around dusk, you can see lots of deer in the fields. We even saw bucks wading in a pond -- very cool, very, very big racks. The truckers are more patient once you turn south.

Colorado: sign posted in our hotel room at the Budget Host Platte Valley Inn of Julesburg:

ATTENTION
HUNTERS

Please do not clean birds in the room

There is a cleaning station beside the trailer on the South side of motel.

THANK YOU

New Mexico: in the midst of a 3-year drought. Bring your own water, leave matches at home. About half of the pinon trees are dying, so expect to see prices for pine nuts skyrocket in the next year and buy accordingly.

Texas: didn't see much. But they do put up official "don't mess with Texas" signs alongside the highways.

Oklahoma: very into road construction signs, not so into the road construction itself.

Missouri: just because actual construction has left highway traffic with one lane, it's night, it's pouring rain and a pervasive mist has reduced visibility to five feet doesn't mean anyone slows down. Lots of small town eateries with clear, well-maintained signage advertising great food ... and boarded-up windows.