November 27, 2009 – Palm Desert to Fort McDowell, AZ

Well, I’ll be doggoned, they were able to get the rig rolling pretty early in the morning! It took Don getting up around 5:00 AM and getting his internet browsing out of the way, but we were hooked up to the truck and rolling out about nine. I even got a decent walk out of it. We were making good time on Highway 10 for about twenty minutes when we came to a dead stop; the traffic was backed up as far as our eyes could see! We started moving slowly and fitfully, with the two lanes of traffic eventually merging into one with the help of CalTrans workers and a sign that said “Road Work”. I could see that Don was mentally composing a steaming letter to Governor Schwartzenterminator on scheduling road work on a major highway during one of the highest traffic days of the year. About an hour after our original stoppage, we came to the actual cause; a big rig truck on the shoulder of the fast lane with the side of the trailer sheared off and cargo all over the ground. The tractor was a mess also, with big parts of the side of it missing. Dog knows what happened to it.

We moved along pretty well after that, and I got some napping in. We had a rest stop in a Rest Area totally devoid of grass (shades of West Texas), and a fuel stop in Quartzite, then pressed on into Phoenix and rush hour traffic. Don and Geri decided to entrust our guidance to the new Garmie, who passed the test perfectly, rolling us into Eagle View RV Resort about 4:30. After getting the rig set up, Geri and Don got themselves ready to go to dinner with David (Craig) and Jane, previously and erroneously referred to by myself as “jerks”, Bob, Robyn and Jane’s legendary grandma Laura, and Jane’s brother Ken. The occasion was Craig (David) and Jane’s eleventh anniversary; impressive to me anyway, that’s longer than I’ve been alive. They obviously spent a lot of time eating, ‘cause they didn’t make it back to the coach until almost eleven. Again, no leftovers for their best friend. They told me about the food, though, just to torture me; they were at a place called Ruth’s Chris (what kind of a name is that?) and they said their steaks were fabulous. OK, rub it in; made me want to go out and catch a rabbit and eat it all myself. Well, maybe not, I’d probably try to make friends with it. Think I’ll go to bed. G’nite!