Rambling with Words

Sunday, October 20, 2002

Going Home!

When I woke up Mike had walked the few miles more he needed during the night and was looking pretty tired. The guys were headed out to play disc golf but I needed to head out so I said goodbye to Mike and Lauri this morning and drove through Joshua Tree National Park. There was almost no traffic and it was great driving through the empty land. This is a relatively undeveloped park and even the campgrounds are fairly minimal. We had only pit toilets and no water. You had to get that at the ranger station. Mike found this out yesterday when he couldn't find water at the campgrounds he first got to and had to beg from some campers. There were some great views.

Finally it was out the other side and right into I-10. I turned left and headed east to home. I basically drove straight through as I had food and just needed to stop for gas and toilets. I didn't want to get home late and didn't have any reason to stop. Just before Buckeye I turned south on AZ-85 to Gila Bend in order to avoid Phoenix. I don't know if you save much time since most of AZ-85 is two lane but it is nicer to drive. I know I don't have to go fast on the interstate but I do since everyone else is and I feel like I have to keep up. On the two lanes I enjoy getting behind someone slow because then I can't go fast and I just take it easy and feel much more relaxed.

I-8 from Gila Bend to I-10 is more scenic than I-10, more rugged and rolling. I always enjoy it as a change from the fairly flat drive between Tucson and Phoenix. It was good to roll into Tucson. Coming home to my own bed and chair is always a relief.

Since I had the car I did some shopping after I unloaded. It was so nice to drive from store to store instead of deciding which store would have most of what I wanted.

It's good to sit in my chair with my feet up, catch up with my email (way too much!) and watch television. Cool. I also finished another book "Night Kills" by Charlotte Hughes. The quiet southern town that Lee Cates lives in is shattered when Lee Cates's sister is sadistically murdered. Lee finds out too much about not only her sister, but other people she's close to as secrets are uncovered and more violence stalks her. It's a good book with an interesting plot.