Road Trip Day 2

Day 2


The next morning gathering our camping gear we head out for a hardy nutritious breakfast of eggs, bacon and pancakes, the all American breakfast of champions.

On the road again heading towards Idaho State, let me tell you, I’ve never seen such beautiful scenery. It's a two way lane surrounded by mountains, and tall luscious green trees, while the Clear Water River crosses right under us. We stop several times to stretch our legs and drink in the view.


90 more miles of winding road to reach Montana and the rain starts to hammer from above. Snacking and munching all the way, Hani and I come up with a game to keep us entertained. I come up with a story, were mine ends he picks up to continue and on and on. Until the poor woman in the story finds herself naked, abandoned and hallucinating on cookies in the woods...

It's 12:30am and we're finally in Montana, we make our final coffee stop and it's time for me to take over the wheel. Hani starts getting comfortable and secure that I’d wake him up when we reach the house in Bozeman, which only takes 30 miles. 
That’s how secure my brother was to leave the last 30 miles for me, which is about 30 minutes depending how fast you drive.

I start jamming with the radio to keep myself awake and I pass Bozeman by oh let’s just say by only 60 miles - SHIYZA... AAH Hani I think we're lost. Yep I was so into singing to Sting that I didn't realize until I saw a sign welcoming me to Yellowstone. 
 Well no problem we just need to find a gas station, as the half tank of gas that was supposedly good enough to Bozeman is now on empty and no gas station in sight. We finally find one and my brother pushes me to the passenger side to take over. Well at least he got an hour’s sleep!

Road Trip 2007

Road trip – California (Hidden Valley) to Montana

May 2007

Day 1


It's 2am and after many many little sips from the wine bottle, my cells start to wobble in front of my eyes. I really need to sleep it off if we're going to start out at 8am.


Morning arrives too soon, thanking God that I had the sense in packing the other night, vowing to never drink again to the insisting pounding in my head. My brother 
Hani, his friend Steve and I get in the truck on our way to meet up with another friend Shawn in another town. With two cars zooming on the highway, we get off to a more scenic road. Me being the keeper of the map, I got to dictate the best routes to reach our destination.




By mid afternoon, our first stop was Oregon. We reached a rural road to search for some famous obsidian rock, which my brother and his friends were in need to share with their class. Yes folks I was joining my brother to attend a workshop on surviving in the wilderness.


After being bitten by mosquitos, I vote to stay in the car while the boys go dig up their little hearts out. 
Night starts to fall, in which my brother "decides", of course including us with the voting, to stay the night and camp out in the middle of nowhere. Now I had my reservations, it's been ages since I’ve camped out. What am I going to do with the bathroom situation! I mean I was young and in the scouts when I did these things and I still had bathroom issues, which haven't completely dissipated. 
Hey I’m cool, I’m an adventurous person, why not it's a road trip anything can happen on a road trip.

I help gather some wood for the fire, while I search for an insect and animal free tree to do my business. Shivering from the cold, but happy to be walking away insect free, I go to the car to gather some warm cloths. Now remember I was in Arizona, desert Arizona, Hot and Dry Arizona. Can you guess what I forgot to bring with me...yep, warm cloths. My attire consisted of cargo pants on top of sweat pants, multiple shirts and sweatshirts. Oh yeah, I was a walking grizzly bear with no fashion sense. Oh well at least they have the fire going and...wait! Does my nose deceive me, do I actually smell something that will take all the insect bites and scary wolves calling to the moon in the distance seem like a dream? 
I think I’m going to cry.

Around that glorious fire they're passing my favorite doobie...oh yeah baby, come to mama!

Blast From The Past

Happy New Year, 2012, my dear friends and family!

Hope this year brings you the drive, patience and well being to keep moving on in this crazy world. 

I would like to add to those who have been predicting the end, are already at their end.  Would you all stop with the doomsday routine! When the time comes the time comes.

After all the hubbub of the holiday, the best part of today is enjoying the sunrise when it first hits your window gently nudging you to wake with barely a peep from the outside world. Although all you want to do is stay in bed under the covers, you know that your mini celebratory feast has come to an end. In a way, my pants did not feel celebratory as they were tugged and jerked to an inch of their pant life this holiday, i'm sure they'll be happy to know it will be taken care of :p

Trying to get back to a routine seems too conventional, yet I feel full of inspiration and gumption. And first on my list was deciding whether or not to share my older travel posts. So here goes…

Stuck at the airport indefinitely

May 2007

Starting out late I miss my 8:30am flight to Sacramento by 2 minutes. Scheduled on another, no problem I think, I’ll just have to wait another 2 hours plus a lay over in Orange County airport. Hey my middle name is go with the flow, especially when I have a good book.


Waiting in the plane at OC airport, passengers started to board. The Captain comes out of the cockpit microphone in hand explaining that since the airport is so close to a residential area, he would have to blast up directly to a 1000 feet before leveling out in the sky. 


Well now, this should be interesting. Seatbelt sign on and ready for that adventurous take off.

The engines start revving to full blast with a short distance of runway and off we go. Up UP UP UPPPPPPPP...have you ever been on a rollercoaster and you know it's going to take you to that final ascent and just drop with all your insides hovering up to your nose! Well, my heart just lodged into my throat. When the plane "LEVELED", leveled interesting word leveled: flattened, steamrolled, demolished.... is that what the Captain said! Please, it felt like we were plummeting back down to earth. 
After the initial shock and a sideways smile to my fellow passenger, I wanted to try it again. WOOOHOOO! That was fun and I could've missed it if I made that earlier flight.


Happily deplaning at 1:30pm, I called my brother who explained that I had to wait until my scheduled pick up comes back at 3:30/4pm. No problem, I have my iPod, I grab a coffee and light a cigarette.

5PM - where are they? I call my brother again and he says that it seemed the driver left because he couldn't find me. COULDN'T FIND ME!?!@?

Ok calming down, I start doing my OUJI breathing. BLOODY EFFIN HELL! 
Ok no problem, my brother will pick me up which will take him another 2 EFFIN hours!!!

Trying to act less of a crazy person I start walking around outside and light my 5th cigarette, shaking my bum bum to BEP. As I stop right under the passenger pick up sign, a guy smiles at me and states: "did they forget you?"…really...really… But I smile sweetly as he continues on with a shake to his head. My smile grows wider as I say "you're zipper's open" with a flutter of my eyelashes and an innocent smile...ok ok, so I didn't say that, but I did say, no kidding. 
 Would somebody get me out of here!

Finally 7pm arrives and with it my brother and my two beautiful nieces.