Plans Surviving Contact...

Lisa called a little while ago to tell me that she was running badly behind schedule and probably won't be at my grandfather's house until after 6 PM tonight -- maybe even later. Fortunately, today and tomorrow are the days that had some of the most slack available, so I canceled the reservation in Reno and made one in Yuba City. That means tomorrow's drive to Wells will be longer, of course, but it's do-able. And we'll be able to have lunch at John's Oyster Bar in Reno, one of our favorite places, whereas even if we'd stayed on schedule today, we would have shown up in Reno about 15 minutes before closing, and I hate going to places just before they close because I always feel the staff are trying to shoo you out so they can go home.

Time to Go

Lisa left another message saying she'll be even worse delayed than she thought, for she had to backtrack clear to Mehama for something critical she left behind. But setting the rendezvous point at Yuba City means she can still catch up to me, albeit that she'll now be rushed for the rest of the day and won't be here until late tonight.

I am as packed as I think I'll be. I think I've remembered everything. The van is full of boxes of Other People's Stuff, the Match Game SF kit, and, oh, yes, a couple of pieces of my luggage. And I haven't forgotten to leave room for Lisa's luggage, the electric cooler she's bringing, and of course, Kuma Bear.

So I'm heading out the door in a few minutes. Next checkpoint will be the Holiday Inn Express in Yuba City sometime tonight.

Blowing a Fuse

I knew that leaving at nearly 3 PM instead of Noon would mean I'd be hitting heavier traffic, but I hadn't realized just how bad it would be. The first 70 miles took more than two hours. It was stop-and-go from south of Walnut Creek to the Benicia Bridge, and then from near Cordelia Junction into Vacaville. Yow. I finally made it to Yuba City around 7 PM, checked in to the hotel, and headed out to my grandfather's house.

( Lisa delayed in route )

( Van blew a fuse, I think )

( Happy birthday to my grandfather )

After leaving my grandfather's house, I stopped by Raley's to buy some sunscreen. While driving up through Concord, I realized that I'd forgotten to pack suncreen, and I should have had some today, for I could really feel the sun, and it will just get worse as we head across Nevada tomorrow. Then it was back to the hotel to wait for Lisa. But since I have no idea when she'll get here, I've left a key with her name on it at the front desk, and I will try to get to bed pretty soon, as we have a long day tomorrow.

Lisa Arrives

Lisa arrived about 10:45 or thereabouts. She was not in the best of condition. It was a rough trip down from Oregon, especially when you include having to backtrack from the Klamath River rest area on I-5 back to Mehama. She headed for the bathtub and sent me out to buy orange juice. Unfortunately, her tinnitus, which had subsided for a while, came back with a vengeance. With luck things will be better tomorrow.