I flew back into Omaha today, to continue the next phase of this trip - attending the BCCE in Bloomington, Indiana. I was going to go to this anyway, but Dave's funeral just changed the plans a little bit. I thought that since I don't have to be at the meeting until Saturday morning, I would fly into Omaha Thursday night and then spend Friday driving to Bloomington. This plan necessitates getting a hotel room in the Omaha area for Thursday night. Actually I decided to get a room in Council Bluffs since that's marginally closer to Indiana than Omaha.
So it was a long set of three flights, ending finally around midnight, and I decided - and this was a bad call, in hindsight - that before getting a hotel room maybe I should head on down to the riverboat casino. Well, an hour later and $59 poorer I'm back on the road looking for a room and...they are all booked. Apparently there's a Neil Diamond concert, deaf kids going back to school, and basically the perfect convergence of events to book pretty much all the hotel rooms in Council Bluffs. So I figure, it's 1:30 AM at this point, I will continue to drive east until I find some sign of a hotel room. The very next exit has a hotel! The parking lot also looks very full, so I hesitantly inquire if there is a room, and lo and behold there is exactly one room left - the "deluxe room", which goes for $89.99. Which, if you know me, is about 50% more than I expect to pay for a hotel room. But it's late and I'm desperate so I take the room. Ugh.
Between the expensive airport food, the outrageous parking fees at the Omaha airport, my foolish gambling and the overpriced room, it's been an expensive day. But at least there's wireless internet and "free" continental breakfast.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
The Service
The service on Wednesday was a Mass of Christian Burial at La Grande's Catholic church. I thought it was a very nice service. There were three priests there and they all offered very consoling words to Anna and her family. At one point one of the priests said that there are some things that are just beyond human comprehension. I'm starting to agree with that now. It is still hard for me to understand how a man could be so tormeted with depression without anyone, not even his own wife, having a hint that something was wrong. He also said that we must find it within ourselves to forgive Dave, which I thought also was very wise. It's easy to be angry with Dave for being so "selfish" as to take his own life in a fit of despair when he leaves behind a family who must suffer as a result. But that invariably isn't the correct story and, as above, we may never truly understand.
I was teary-eyed throughout the whole service and then when I finally got a chance to talk to Anna I just let loose a torrent of tears. It was one of the saddest moments of my life. I don't think I even felt this way when my own grandparents died. Anna really is like family to me and it hurts me so much that she is suffering so tremendously. And I continue to be amazed by Anna's strength. I would have been a wreck throughout the whole thing, but Anna...
The small bit of good news is that Anna's established a David Mayes Memorial Scholarship Fund. You can read about it in the La Grande Observer obituary.
Goodbye, Dave. We will all miss you.
I was teary-eyed throughout the whole service and then when I finally got a chance to talk to Anna I just let loose a torrent of tears. It was one of the saddest moments of my life. I don't think I even felt this way when my own grandparents died. Anna really is like family to me and it hurts me so much that she is suffering so tremendously. And I continue to be amazed by Anna's strength. I would have been a wreck throughout the whole thing, but Anna...
The small bit of good news is that Anna's established a David Mayes Memorial Scholarship Fund. You can read about it in the La Grande Observer obituary.
Goodbye, Dave. We will all miss you.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Sad News
I was going to write a blog entry about my thoughts on Lincoln now that I’ve returned after a long time away. I was going to write an entry about my bumbling and incompetent apartment search. I was even thinking about writing a blog entry about Zoe, the mean, elderly cat of Gerry and Marjorie.
But all that was before I heard the terrible news: David Mayes, husband of Anna and good friend, passed away last Friday. He apparently took his own life via carbon monoxide poisoning.
This is an incredible shock to everyone. Nobody, absolutely nobody, saw this coming. Even after four days of pondering it is still an incomprehensible mystery to me.
I had a beer with Dave, Anna, and some other folks on the Thursday before I left. We talked about the matrix eigenvector problem that he had been working on for quite some time, and the good news that a CS student, Doug, had finally figured out how to use the parallel computing cluster to find the eigenvectors of massive arrays. We were hopeful that we would be able to take his large quantity of spectrophotometer data and transform it into a series of usable spectra. Dave also talked about his model train project, and how he wanted me to illegally transport some creosote from Nebraska back to La Grande, just so the model trains would have an authentic smell. It seemed like a lot of trouble for a small detail, but Dave was also the guy who would scour the Internet to find authentic bolts for restoring his VWs. Dave also was a DJ at the college’s radio station, where he would play an eclectic blend of music that was unlikely to be played anywhere else. Dave also was working to build a spectrometer business based on a near-infrared spectrophotomer that he himself designed and built. He had many creative ideas for how to use his spectrophotometer: as a method for measuring protein content in grains without subjecting them to a wet chemical analysis, and as a method for instantly determining the quality of a spot weld, for instance. Dave was a brilliant guy; he had B.S. degrees in both physics and chemistry, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Washington (no slouch of an institution). When you disagreed with Dave, you wanted to make sure that you were really sure about what you were saying, because Dave had a way of incisively exposing your weakness. He also had a rather corny sense of humor; this is evident from his choice of domain names, http://www.amayesing.com/. Dave not only leaves Anna behind, but also two stepdaughters and a son, Mark, who’s about 12 years old.
So, I am now at the Omaha airport about to fly back to La Grande to attend Dave’s funeral, which is tomorrow. It is a surreal nightmare that I am even here. I take my leisurely time to drive out to Lincoln from La Grande, having on balance a pleasant time, and now I must fly back for the saddest of events.
I’m starting to tear up just writing this. I can’t believe he’s really gone.
But all that was before I heard the terrible news: David Mayes, husband of Anna and good friend, passed away last Friday. He apparently took his own life via carbon monoxide poisoning.
This is an incredible shock to everyone. Nobody, absolutely nobody, saw this coming. Even after four days of pondering it is still an incomprehensible mystery to me.
I had a beer with Dave, Anna, and some other folks on the Thursday before I left. We talked about the matrix eigenvector problem that he had been working on for quite some time, and the good news that a CS student, Doug, had finally figured out how to use the parallel computing cluster to find the eigenvectors of massive arrays. We were hopeful that we would be able to take his large quantity of spectrophotometer data and transform it into a series of usable spectra. Dave also talked about his model train project, and how he wanted me to illegally transport some creosote from Nebraska back to La Grande, just so the model trains would have an authentic smell. It seemed like a lot of trouble for a small detail, but Dave was also the guy who would scour the Internet to find authentic bolts for restoring his VWs. Dave also was a DJ at the college’s radio station, where he would play an eclectic blend of music that was unlikely to be played anywhere else. Dave also was working to build a spectrometer business based on a near-infrared spectrophotomer that he himself designed and built. He had many creative ideas for how to use his spectrophotometer: as a method for measuring protein content in grains without subjecting them to a wet chemical analysis, and as a method for instantly determining the quality of a spot weld, for instance. Dave was a brilliant guy; he had B.S. degrees in both physics and chemistry, and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Washington (no slouch of an institution). When you disagreed with Dave, you wanted to make sure that you were really sure about what you were saying, because Dave had a way of incisively exposing your weakness. He also had a rather corny sense of humor; this is evident from his choice of domain names, http://www.amayesing.com/. Dave not only leaves Anna behind, but also two stepdaughters and a son, Mark, who’s about 12 years old.
So, I am now at the Omaha airport about to fly back to La Grande to attend Dave’s funeral, which is tomorrow. It is a surreal nightmare that I am even here. I take my leisurely time to drive out to Lincoln from La Grande, having on balance a pleasant time, and now I must fly back for the saddest of events.
I’m starting to tear up just writing this. I can’t believe he’s really gone.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
The End and the Beginning
And then I arrived in Lincoln. Here's one view of the Capitol building (actually taken on Friday).
It is the end of my roadtrip and the true beginning of my sabbatical. I was fortunate that my sabbatical host, Gerry Harbison, was actually leaving on Friday for a mini-vacation, since he asked me to house-sit for him while he was gone. So I have a place to stay at least temporarily.
I don't yet have an office but I have already begun my work. I'm excited about this project, it involves theoretical modeling of explosives and their decomposition products.
It is the end of my roadtrip and the true beginning of my sabbatical. I was fortunate that my sabbatical host, Gerry Harbison, was actually leaving on Friday for a mini-vacation, since he asked me to house-sit for him while he was gone. So I have a place to stay at least temporarily.
I don't yet have an office but I have already begun my work. I'm excited about this project, it involves theoretical modeling of explosives and their decomposition products.
Ball of Twine
On Thursday, I drove from Salina, KS to Lincoln, with a brief detour to the charming town of Cawker City, Kansas. This town has the distinct honor of housing the World's Largest Ball of Twine.
And it is quite the majestic sight, too. Here it is!
As of 2006, its total length is 7,801,766 feet. That's 1,477 miles. That's approximately the distance between La Grande and Lincoln. That's freaky. It also weighs in at 17,886 pounds, or almost 9 tons.
Unlike in Seguin, TX, which seemed almost embarrassed to have a giant pecan on their courthouse lawn, the town of Cawker City is absolutely ga-ga over their ball of twine. There's twine this and twine that. For instance, here's a place to stay in Cawker City.
The most interesting part, I thought, were the pop art displays depicting balls of twine. For instance, here's a depiction of Stonehenge had it been constructed in Cawker City instead:
And, of course, two of the most famous paintings of all time, "American Gothic" and "Mona Lisa", Cawker City-style.
The ball of twine even has its own URL, although the website doesn't seem to be configured correctly (I get a 403 Forbidden error).
Additionally, the town has a "Twine Walk" where visitors may follow a squiggly yellow line on the sidewalk to various establishments that have a Ball of Twine theme to them (basically, all of them). And there is a "Twine-a-thon" in mid-August where the townsfolk add more twine to the ball.
Thus was my excursion into Twineland.
And it is quite the majestic sight, too. Here it is!
As of 2006, its total length is 7,801,766 feet. That's 1,477 miles. That's approximately the distance between La Grande and Lincoln. That's freaky. It also weighs in at 17,886 pounds, or almost 9 tons.
Unlike in Seguin, TX, which seemed almost embarrassed to have a giant pecan on their courthouse lawn, the town of Cawker City is absolutely ga-ga over their ball of twine. There's twine this and twine that. For instance, here's a place to stay in Cawker City.
The most interesting part, I thought, were the pop art displays depicting balls of twine. For instance, here's a depiction of Stonehenge had it been constructed in Cawker City instead:
And, of course, two of the most famous paintings of all time, "American Gothic" and "Mona Lisa", Cawker City-style.
The ball of twine even has its own URL, although the website doesn't seem to be configured correctly (I get a 403 Forbidden error).
Additionally, the town has a "Twine Walk" where visitors may follow a squiggly yellow line on the sidewalk to various establishments that have a Ball of Twine theme to them (basically, all of them). And there is a "Twine-a-thon" in mid-August where the townsfolk add more twine to the ball.
Thus was my excursion into Twineland.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Day 8: Houston to Salina, Kansas
So I never again want to drive in Houston traffic when I can't use my rear view mirror because my car is packed so full. It is downright scary. Dallas drivers aren't much better. So much for "Drive Friendly The Texas Way".
Anyhoo, on the way to Salina, my car hit a milestone:
My car is now officially "over the hill". (And yes I slowed down for the second picture, it was a construction zone.) Ironically, the big moment occurred just outside of Sulphur, Oklahoma.
Got to Salinas and drove around a while. It reminds me a lot of La Grande. I was surprised to find no hotel in the downtown area, they are all near the interstate. Went to this great Italian restaurant, Martinelli's. The food is very good and cheap too! Then went down to the street to have a couple of beers. The people are pleasant enough. Everybody seemed to know everybody else inside the bar. Again more La Grande-ish feel - it could have been Ten Depot.
Now I'm back at the hotel and I'll finally be arriving in Lincoln tomorrow, but I will first make a quick detour to another surprise destination along the way. Stay tuned to see what's in store for tomorrow!
Anyhoo, on the way to Salina, my car hit a milestone:
My car is now officially "over the hill". (And yes I slowed down for the second picture, it was a construction zone.) Ironically, the big moment occurred just outside of Sulphur, Oklahoma.
Got to Salinas and drove around a while. It reminds me a lot of La Grande. I was surprised to find no hotel in the downtown area, they are all near the interstate. Went to this great Italian restaurant, Martinelli's. The food is very good and cheap too! Then went down to the street to have a couple of beers. The people are pleasant enough. Everybody seemed to know everybody else inside the bar. Again more La Grande-ish feel - it could have been Ten Depot.
Now I'm back at the hotel and I'll finally be arriving in Lincoln tomorrow, but I will first make a quick detour to another surprise destination along the way. Stay tuned to see what's in store for tomorrow!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Day 7: Lounging in Houston
So I didn't do very much today, just lounged around Kim's apartment. Went shopping for some new shorts, did some laundry, met all of Kim's cats. (She has 7.) Then had a nice dinner at Two Rows Restaurant & Brewery, a nice microbrew in the Village area of Houston.
Oh, another cool thing is that I was able to get through to Dave Ramsey's radio show to talk about the situation with Kim's car. The car is a bit of a sore subject between Kim & me so it was good to hear a neutral, third-party opinion on what to do. Dave offered some good ideas and Kim agreed to at least consider them.
Tomorrow I'm off to Salina, Kansas. (Woo-hoo!)
Oh, another cool thing is that I was able to get through to Dave Ramsey's radio show to talk about the situation with Kim's car. The car is a bit of a sore subject between Kim & me so it was good to hear a neutral, third-party opinion on what to do. Dave offered some good ideas and Kim agreed to at least consider them.
Tomorrow I'm off to Salina, Kansas. (Woo-hoo!)
Pictures
As promised, here are some pictures from yesterday.
Here is a view of the courtyard inside the Alamo:
Here is the view of the front:
Here is a closeup view of the columns on the front:
Here is the view of above the doorway just before you walk in (pictures aren't permitted inside):
Here is me in front of the Alamo:
And, here is the "Texas-Sized Pecan":
Here is a closeup of the plaque underneath:
Here is a view of the courtyard inside the Alamo:
Here is the view of the front:
Here is a closeup view of the columns on the front:
Here is the view of above the doorway just before you walk in (pictures aren't permitted inside):
Here is me in front of the Alamo:
And, here is the "Texas-Sized Pecan":
Here is a closeup of the plaque underneath:
Monday, July 7, 2008
Day 6: Ozona to Houston
First, went to San Antonio to see The Alamo. It really is quite a remarkable structure. I'll post some pictures later, as I left the camera in the car. I was impressed how big the place is. I thought it was just the little iconic chapel-like structure that you see in all the pictures, but it was actually quite a bit larger than that, enclosing an entire compound with barracks, a plaza, and the whole works. Did you know that the battle lasted only a couple of hours? I was surprised how short it was. The place is a sacred spot on Texan soil, that is for sure.
Then I proceeded to Seguin, Texas, to view...the world's second-largest pecan! According to the report on roadsideamerica.com, at one point it was the world's largest, but it's been edged out by some folks from Missouri. (How dare they!) So in the official Seguin literature it's not called the "world's second largest pecan" - that's just embarrassing - but instead, it's called a "Texas-sized pecan". I thought that was clever. The article also seems to imply that the town's identity is based off of this pecan, and so when I arrived I expected to see signs leading to the way to the town's identifying trademark. But, there isn't a sign in sight that directs you to the pecan. I had to stop at the Chamber of Commerce to get a map to the pecan. It's hidden away on the courthouse lawn. Anyway, I'll post pictures of this later too.
Then I got to my sister's place. She has an apartment in this gigantic sprawling apartment complex. Kim tells me that there are about 1,000 apartment units in this place. There are always people coming and going, as far as I can tell, and Kim's apartment is on the ground floor near the entrance gate. It's a wonder she gets any sleep at all. We had a leisurely dinner and a nice drive through western Houston before retiring to her place to watch the last episode of "Bachelorette". (Sigh.) Had some problems finding a place to stay - Kim isn't really capable of hosting visitors and apparently there is some sort of conference in town gobbling up all of the hotel rooms nearby. So I am at a Ramada Inn that's a little ways away, but still close by Houston standards. It's now about 11:40 PM and the temperature is still 85 degrees and the humidity is insane. It is true what they say - when the humidity is this high, taking a shower really doesn't help. Now I'm off to bed.
Hey all you lurkers, drop me a line! I know you read this blog and I'd like to know what you think of it. If you don't want to register for an account here, that's fine, just send me an email to chemjeff27@yahoo.com with your thoughts.
Then I proceeded to Seguin, Texas, to view...the world's second-largest pecan! According to the report on roadsideamerica.com, at one point it was the world's largest, but it's been edged out by some folks from Missouri. (How dare they!) So in the official Seguin literature it's not called the "world's second largest pecan" - that's just embarrassing - but instead, it's called a "Texas-sized pecan". I thought that was clever. The article also seems to imply that the town's identity is based off of this pecan, and so when I arrived I expected to see signs leading to the way to the town's identifying trademark. But, there isn't a sign in sight that directs you to the pecan. I had to stop at the Chamber of Commerce to get a map to the pecan. It's hidden away on the courthouse lawn. Anyway, I'll post pictures of this later too.
Then I got to my sister's place. She has an apartment in this gigantic sprawling apartment complex. Kim tells me that there are about 1,000 apartment units in this place. There are always people coming and going, as far as I can tell, and Kim's apartment is on the ground floor near the entrance gate. It's a wonder she gets any sleep at all. We had a leisurely dinner and a nice drive through western Houston before retiring to her place to watch the last episode of "Bachelorette". (Sigh.) Had some problems finding a place to stay - Kim isn't really capable of hosting visitors and apparently there is some sort of conference in town gobbling up all of the hotel rooms nearby. So I am at a Ramada Inn that's a little ways away, but still close by Houston standards. It's now about 11:40 PM and the temperature is still 85 degrees and the humidity is insane. It is true what they say - when the humidity is this high, taking a shower really doesn't help. Now I'm off to bed.
Hey all you lurkers, drop me a line! I know you read this blog and I'd like to know what you think of it. If you don't want to register for an account here, that's fine, just send me an email to chemjeff27@yahoo.com with your thoughts.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Day 5: Phoenix to Ozona, TX
Got up real early in order to try to make it to Junction, TX by tonight. Didn't quite make it though, time and nightfall persuaded me to call it a night in Ozona, about 100 or so miles before Junction. My Lord, Texas is a big state. Here's me entering Texas via El Paso:
(Take careful note of the text at the bottom of the sign.)
And here is the view of Mexico as seen from Texas on I-10.
One disturbing thing was that I was stopped on I-10 by the border patrol people, along with all of the other cars traveling eastward. The guy was obviously looking for illegal aliens since when he got to my car and saw my overstuffed trunk, in which no other human being could possibly be hiding, he just waved me on through. This is contrary to the treatment that I received at Hoover Dam, as I recall, where my excessive amount of stuff warranted further inspection. I was a little bit perturbed by this; why was Border Patrol disturbing passengers who were already in this country? Is this a tacit admission that Border Patrol can't really stop people at the border and so they must hassle everyone on the interstate to compensate for their failures at the border?
And then I got to Fort Stockton, where I stopped for gas and was hoping to get dinner. There are surprisingly few restaurant options in Fort Stockton, other than fast food, which I didn't really want. There was an IHOP, but there was a 20 minute wait for a table and I really didn't feel like waiting for 20 minutes for a table at IHOP even if I wasn't in a hurry. So I proceeded onward, a little hungry, thinking that I could get food at the next town over.
Well the next town turned out to be Ozona, which is even smaller than Ft. Stockton and by time I got here all of the reputable restaurants had closed, including fast food joints. Which, of course, means that I had to settle for overfried greasy burritos that had been sitting under a truck stop heating lamp for God only knows how long. So, two burritos later and I am now at America's Best Value Inn (which really isn't that great of a value, BTW). I feel that I must consume an entire watermelon covered in tofu and vitamins to compensate for the two greasebombs that I just devoured.
I am quite fortunate, though, that I haven't had any major misfortunes along the way. No flat tires, no mechanical problems with the car, no speeding tickets, no leaving gas caps behind at gas stations, and no highway robbery (knock on wood). I pray that my luck continues for the entire trip.
Tomorrow I hope to see the Alamo in San Antonio and a surprise destination (stay tuned!) before meeting my sister in Houston.
(Take careful note of the text at the bottom of the sign.)
And here is the view of Mexico as seen from Texas on I-10.
One disturbing thing was that I was stopped on I-10 by the border patrol people, along with all of the other cars traveling eastward. The guy was obviously looking for illegal aliens since when he got to my car and saw my overstuffed trunk, in which no other human being could possibly be hiding, he just waved me on through. This is contrary to the treatment that I received at Hoover Dam, as I recall, where my excessive amount of stuff warranted further inspection. I was a little bit perturbed by this; why was Border Patrol disturbing passengers who were already in this country? Is this a tacit admission that Border Patrol can't really stop people at the border and so they must hassle everyone on the interstate to compensate for their failures at the border?
And then I got to Fort Stockton, where I stopped for gas and was hoping to get dinner. There are surprisingly few restaurant options in Fort Stockton, other than fast food, which I didn't really want. There was an IHOP, but there was a 20 minute wait for a table and I really didn't feel like waiting for 20 minutes for a table at IHOP even if I wasn't in a hurry. So I proceeded onward, a little hungry, thinking that I could get food at the next town over.
Well the next town turned out to be Ozona, which is even smaller than Ft. Stockton and by time I got here all of the reputable restaurants had closed, including fast food joints. Which, of course, means that I had to settle for overfried greasy burritos that had been sitting under a truck stop heating lamp for God only knows how long. So, two burritos later and I am now at America's Best Value Inn (which really isn't that great of a value, BTW). I feel that I must consume an entire watermelon covered in tofu and vitamins to compensate for the two greasebombs that I just devoured.
I am quite fortunate, though, that I haven't had any major misfortunes along the way. No flat tires, no mechanical problems with the car, no speeding tickets, no leaving gas caps behind at gas stations, and no highway robbery (knock on wood). I pray that my luck continues for the entire trip.
Tomorrow I hope to see the Alamo in San Antonio and a surprise destination (stay tuned!) before meeting my sister in Houston.
Day 4: Last Day in Phoenix
On this day we just lounged around, mainly. We went to a baseball game to see the Padres play the Diamondbacks. Here's the view from our seats:
Padres won but it was still a fun game.
Padres won but it was still a fun game.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Day 3: Independence Day in Phoenix
Had a pretty leisurely day today. Went with Scott and Freder to the duck park to feed the ducks. Here is a picture of Freder:
We then came home and had lunch, then lounged around a bit. We went to Lee's for a snack. Lee's is the weirdest eating establishment I have had the pleasure to enjoy - it features French pastries and Vietnamese food. Hmm. But in a place like Phoenix, it works. We went to see the fireworks but they were delayed or something so we didn't get to see very much of them. But we did get ice cream. Mmmmm, ice cream.
We then came home and had lunch, then lounged around a bit. We went to Lee's for a snack. Lee's is the weirdest eating establishment I have had the pleasure to enjoy - it features French pastries and Vietnamese food. Hmm. But in a place like Phoenix, it works. We went to see the fireworks but they were delayed or something so we didn't get to see very much of them. But we did get ice cream. Mmmmm, ice cream.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Day 2: Ely to Phoenix
So, I was going to confess that I didn't actually double my money last night, it was the beer talking. And then I was going to castigate myself for blowing $25 more bucks the next morning after breakfast, throwing away what little I did win. However, when I got to Las Vegas, I decided to stop by Binion's Horseshoe Casino and gamble a little bit, and...
...I managed to turn $20 into $100.
That's the most I've ever won on slots. And it was penny slots no less!
Anyhoo, then I drove over Hoover Dam. It is a gigantic dam, no doubt, however I've seen it before and so the awe factor wasn't such a big deal for me. But, when I got there I noticed that they are building another bridge over the Colorado River gorge to bypass the two-lane road that currently goes over the dam. This bridge is humongous. I'm not kidding when I say that the bridge dwarfs Hoover Dam itself. It's not done but you can see how monstrous the project is:
I'm almost a little sad to see this gigantic bridge going over the canyon, dwarfing the Hoover Dam itself. Hoover Dam is supposed to be this monumental feat of engineering, costing the lives of many workers, built when the nation's spirit was at an ebb as a tribute to America's can-do mentality. And now the majesty of Hoover Dam is being dwarfed by a four-lane bridge solely for the purpose of traffic control.
Here are some more Hoover Dam pictures:
This last one is of these two eagle statues that appear to be "standing guard" to the entrance to the dam roadway. It reminded me of Egyptian mythological statues. Hmm.
Then, after a few wrong turns and a bizarre Phoenix road system, I finally made it to Scott and Jen and Freder's place. I reek of sunscreen and I'm ready for bed.
Scott has said, "Still blogging?" I guess it's time to finish.
P.S. Wow! It's raining in Phoenix in July! Snow in Nevada, rain in Arizona...what will happen once I get to Texas?
...I managed to turn $20 into $100.
That's the most I've ever won on slots. And it was penny slots no less!
Anyhoo, then I drove over Hoover Dam. It is a gigantic dam, no doubt, however I've seen it before and so the awe factor wasn't such a big deal for me. But, when I got there I noticed that they are building another bridge over the Colorado River gorge to bypass the two-lane road that currently goes over the dam. This bridge is humongous. I'm not kidding when I say that the bridge dwarfs Hoover Dam itself. It's not done but you can see how monstrous the project is:
I'm almost a little sad to see this gigantic bridge going over the canyon, dwarfing the Hoover Dam itself. Hoover Dam is supposed to be this monumental feat of engineering, costing the lives of many workers, built when the nation's spirit was at an ebb as a tribute to America's can-do mentality. And now the majesty of Hoover Dam is being dwarfed by a four-lane bridge solely for the purpose of traffic control.
Here are some more Hoover Dam pictures:
This last one is of these two eagle statues that appear to be "standing guard" to the entrance to the dam roadway. It reminded me of Egyptian mythological statues. Hmm.
Then, after a few wrong turns and a bizarre Phoenix road system, I finally made it to Scott and Jen and Freder's place. I reek of sunscreen and I'm ready for bed.
Scott has said, "Still blogging?" I guess it's time to finish.
P.S. Wow! It's raining in Phoenix in July! Snow in Nevada, rain in Arizona...what will happen once I get to Texas?
Gambling
Wow. My luck was freakin' amazing tonight. I more than doubled my money. Man I love penny slots.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Day 1: La Grande to Ely, NV
So I didn't get to leave until about 10:00, when the oil change was finished. Then I hit the road. Here is the view leaving the valley:
Drive through Boise was uneventful, mercifully. Finally got to Twin Falls and the US-93 turnoff. I was excited when I got to Jackpot, NV because I had heard so much about it. I was expecting massive casinos. Instead, what I got was this:
There is nothing here. Nothing at all. A couple of pathetic-looking casinos.
Got to Wells, and I saw what I thought was snow on the mountains, in July even! You be the judge.
Finally made it to Ely, NV, at about 7:00 PM. I am staying at the Hotel Nevada and Casino, a historic landmark for the whole state. The rooms are nice but you can tell they were definitely built many decades ago - a bit on the small side, there's a sign in the bathroom that says the hot & cold water fluctuate uncontrollably and there's nothing they can do about it. Hmm. The room was only $45 though so it's okay. Went to the restaurant and had - of course - prime rib! Only $8.99! (Yes, Mona, I also had horseradish with it.) Came with veggies, mashed potatoes, salad and a roll. The prime rib was a little on the overcooked side but otherwise quite tasty. It was all too much, I couldn't finish the meal. While I was eating, right next door at the casino, some announcer dude was just giving away $75 and $100 in cash to random people. I might learn to like this place.
Oh, incidentally my gas mileage so far is about 27 MPG. That's pretty good for my heavily laden mini-SUV. I have also started to tire of driving, already. This isn't a good sign as I have at least 5 more days of all-day driving ahead of me. I will have to find some other distractions to pass the time other than AM radio.
Now I am off to the casino to win me some big bucks.
Drive through Boise was uneventful, mercifully. Finally got to Twin Falls and the US-93 turnoff. I was excited when I got to Jackpot, NV because I had heard so much about it. I was expecting massive casinos. Instead, what I got was this:
There is nothing here. Nothing at all. A couple of pathetic-looking casinos.
Got to Wells, and I saw what I thought was snow on the mountains, in July even! You be the judge.
Finally made it to Ely, NV, at about 7:00 PM. I am staying at the Hotel Nevada and Casino, a historic landmark for the whole state. The rooms are nice but you can tell they were definitely built many decades ago - a bit on the small side, there's a sign in the bathroom that says the hot & cold water fluctuate uncontrollably and there's nothing they can do about it. Hmm. The room was only $45 though so it's okay. Went to the restaurant and had - of course - prime rib! Only $8.99! (Yes, Mona, I also had horseradish with it.) Came with veggies, mashed potatoes, salad and a roll. The prime rib was a little on the overcooked side but otherwise quite tasty. It was all too much, I couldn't finish the meal. While I was eating, right next door at the casino, some announcer dude was just giving away $75 and $100 in cash to random people. I might learn to like this place.
Oh, incidentally my gas mileage so far is about 27 MPG. That's pretty good for my heavily laden mini-SUV. I have also started to tire of driving, already. This isn't a good sign as I have at least 5 more days of all-day driving ahead of me. I will have to find some other distractions to pass the time other than AM radio.
Now I am off to the casino to win me some big bucks.
This Is The End
The car is packed up and ready to go. All that's left is to get an oil change, some bottled water, and sunscreen. It's hard to believe that this day has finally arrived. The day I am moving out of my garage apartment in La Grande. The day that I begin my sabbatical year in Lincoln. The day that I am free (temporarily) from the daily grind of university life. I'm looking forward to the adventure but I'm also going to miss the people I won't see for a year, including:
Kat, Jo, Mona, Kimberly, Ryan, Josh, Anna, Ron, Colin, Abel, Calvin, Sue, Jim, Colleen, Steve, Joe, Shaun, Richard, Frederick, Suranga, John, Vickie, Dean Marilyn, Kerry, Joe, Tom, Tony, Phil, Kevin, Peter, Jessica, Doug, and probably a bunch more that I can't think of right now. And of course Jeannie. Can't forget Jeannie. Oh and of course my wonderful research students that I am leaving behind, especially Wade, Nick and Emily.
Well, it is time to go. This is the end, my friend.
Kat, Jo, Mona, Kimberly, Ryan, Josh, Anna, Ron, Colin, Abel, Calvin, Sue, Jim, Colleen, Steve, Joe, Shaun, Richard, Frederick, Suranga, John, Vickie, Dean Marilyn, Kerry, Joe, Tom, Tony, Phil, Kevin, Peter, Jessica, Doug, and probably a bunch more that I can't think of right now. And of course Jeannie. Can't forget Jeannie. Oh and of course my wonderful research students that I am leaving behind, especially Wade, Nick and Emily.
Well, it is time to go. This is the end, my friend.
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