2026 TRIP

A nice pleasant uneventful 465 mile drive from Surprise to Albuquerque in hundred+ degree heat. Went through some very scenic (I was driving too fast to take any pictures since I was driving). I tend to drive 14 mph over the limit and have found troopers don’t bother you if you aren’t passing others in a crazy manner. Driving in the open spaces where the limit is 75 mph and you’re doing 89 and still so many are passing you, you almost feel like you’re standing still.  If you pass someone and you look at the dashboard you see you’re going 95 or more.  Why, someone I know oh so very well and drives a car just exactly like mine and is doing the exact same trip told me they were shocked to see that in passing someone they saw they were doing 112 and didn’t feel it. HIPAA rues preclude me from telling you who that person is.

I got to my hotel and relaxed for a few hours before meeting cousins Alan & Ruth Ivener for dinner. Brian & Bonnie Ivener were also supposed to join us but Bonnie got sick on their drive back from St. Louis so they couldn’t make it.   We went for BBQ at Rudy’s which is a chain of cafeteria style restaurants.  I had baby back ribs.  No sauce, extremely meaty and not fall off the bone but just enough of a tug when you bite into them.  Deeeelish!!!  I guess my vegan adventure yesterday didn’t convert me no matter how good that was.  I truly missed seeing Bonnie and Brian because the times I've visited with them in the past have always been such nice warm times.

Tomorrow it’s about a 650+ mile drive to Mesquite, Texas.  Not visiting anyone there but I will look for some Texas BBQ.  Good thing I also packed some clothes that are a bit roomier than what I usually wear. I'll be scared to get on the scale when I return home.

Tune in again tomorrow kiddies for the next chapter.