Thanksgiving Day in Sutter
Nov. 25th, 2010 09:06 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kevin_standleeWe got away from the hotel in Sacramento without incident, and after stopping to refuel Lisa's pickup and to buy a few last-minute items from Raley's grocery store, we headed north on CA-99. As we neared Tudor, the town where I lived for six years growing up, I saw signs for the "Tudor Bypass.
I realized that the highway diverted from its historical course just north of the site of the old Wilson School (site now completely razed). Approaching the point where the bypass rejoined the original highway, I looked off to my right and saw a familiar-looking building. It was the old barn and the house in which I lived for almost seven years. It's a place I thought I'd never see again because it was located more than a mile from the highway on a private road, and the property and the road is no longer owned by anyone in my family. The Tudor Bypass looks like it cuts through the old duck pond south of the home where I lived from Kindergarten through sixth grade.
As we passed through Yuba City, I saw that the sign for the Holiday Inn Express is now covered with sloppy-looking brown paint, and a banner now hangs in front of the hotel declaring that it is the "Onstott Hotel." I reckon that unless they manage to do a deal with another of the major road chains, they're unlikely to go anywhere but down, as they'll be left with only random traffic off the highway.
Just as we approached the turn for Sutter, my mother called to ask how long before we would be there. "About five minutes," I said as we rolled down Acacia Avenue.
This was a small gathering: just Lisa and me with my mother and grandfather. Mom did however do an excellent traditional Thanksgiving dinner, and we dug in with vigor to the turkey, dressing, potatoes, etc., topped off with a slice of pumpkin pie. I restrained myself from seconds on anything, despite wanting more.
After all of that good food, Lisa and I went for a walk, since the weather was nice and clear (although cold). We walked down to my old high school and the Little League field where I spent a couple of seasons as an umpire and scorekeeper. Sutter High School, my alma mater, is in the midst of a building boom, with one new building that looks like it will soon be the new library and another building under construction. As the existing buildings (which I think were build in the late 1960s or early 1970s) are looking tired and old, this is probably a good thing.
Spending 45 minutes walking several kilometers around town was good for my blood sugar, which tested in normal range. We spent an hour or so more visiting with my family before hitting the road for the Bay Area. With the schedules that both Lisa and I have had lately, we were minded to try to get to bed early.
In an effort to maximize stays instead of points from Priority Club, I stayed in one IC Hotel last night and a different one tonight. Tonight's Holiday Inn Express is one of the shrinking number of non-refurbished HIXs, and the front desk clerk confided that it was about to stop being an Express, although she didn't know what the new hotel would be. I reckon that "refresh" when the brand changes from the old blue-and-gold signage to the new green-and-white signage is probably pretty expensive, and thus too much for some franchisees. Tomorrow morning we'll head down to San Jose and SorcerorCon.
I realized that the highway diverted from its historical course just north of the site of the old Wilson School (site now completely razed). Approaching the point where the bypass rejoined the original highway, I looked off to my right and saw a familiar-looking building. It was the old barn and the house in which I lived for almost seven years. It's a place I thought I'd never see again because it was located more than a mile from the highway on a private road, and the property and the road is no longer owned by anyone in my family. The Tudor Bypass looks like it cuts through the old duck pond south of the home where I lived from Kindergarten through sixth grade.
As we passed through Yuba City, I saw that the sign for the Holiday Inn Express is now covered with sloppy-looking brown paint, and a banner now hangs in front of the hotel declaring that it is the "Onstott Hotel." I reckon that unless they manage to do a deal with another of the major road chains, they're unlikely to go anywhere but down, as they'll be left with only random traffic off the highway.
Just as we approached the turn for Sutter, my mother called to ask how long before we would be there. "About five minutes," I said as we rolled down Acacia Avenue.
This was a small gathering: just Lisa and me with my mother and grandfather. Mom did however do an excellent traditional Thanksgiving dinner, and we dug in with vigor to the turkey, dressing, potatoes, etc., topped off with a slice of pumpkin pie. I restrained myself from seconds on anything, despite wanting more.
After all of that good food, Lisa and I went for a walk, since the weather was nice and clear (although cold). We walked down to my old high school and the Little League field where I spent a couple of seasons as an umpire and scorekeeper. Sutter High School, my alma mater, is in the midst of a building boom, with one new building that looks like it will soon be the new library and another building under construction. As the existing buildings (which I think were build in the late 1960s or early 1970s) are looking tired and old, this is probably a good thing.
Spending 45 minutes walking several kilometers around town was good for my blood sugar, which tested in normal range. We spent an hour or so more visiting with my family before hitting the road for the Bay Area. With the schedules that both Lisa and I have had lately, we were minded to try to get to bed early.
In an effort to maximize stays instead of points from Priority Club, I stayed in one IC Hotel last night and a different one tonight. Tonight's Holiday Inn Express is one of the shrinking number of non-refurbished HIXs, and the front desk clerk confided that it was about to stop being an Express, although she didn't know what the new hotel would be. I reckon that "refresh" when the brand changes from the old blue-and-gold signage to the new green-and-white signage is probably pretty expensive, and thus too much for some franchisees. Tomorrow morning we'll head down to San Jose and SorcerorCon.
