Captain’s Log  4,274

Back in the saddle of my own space in my own chair with my own French press coffee and a big dog asleep at my feet.  Home again and it feels nice.  Even so, I cannot wait to get out there on the road again.  So much to see.  So many adventures to have.  It’s funny.  When most people get older, they want things to be easier.  I still enjoy the challenge of finding a place to stay for the night and buying stale candy bars in a nearly-dead gas station in exchange for using a restroom that hasn’t seen a cleaning tool for a dozen years.  These are the things that make a memory.  I cannot fathom white bread travel where everything stays the same.  The Accidental Tourist had a profound impact on me.  I hope my life never becomes completely routine and ordinary.  Home is not a place, it’s a state of mind.  It’s not a predictable thing that you can just leave unattended.

I had an idea yesterday morning and I asked Anneke what she thought.  My plan is to ask a major business (well-known by all)  to sponsor me to travel across the country.  I would stop at one of their places of business once a day to update the trip, take photos, report on things, etc.  I would like it to be a slow mosey across the United States, and I want them to pay for it.  I want them to pay for all my expenses and a reasonable fee in exchange for an internet travelogue that features their product from coast to coast.  I have nothing to lose with this idea.  I started fleshing it out in my mind last night.  It’s a bold idea but I don’t think it’s been done.  It’s worth a try.

This trip was amazing too.  In addition to seeing all the cool places, riding aerial trams and trains, visiting rubber dinosaurs, and meeting an old friend, it was a chance to relax and take stock of where my life is right now.  I simply have too much stress, and poor Anneke was on the receiving end of some of my tears of frustration in a coffeeshop in Sedona.  I didn’t mean to cry.  It just happened.  I am not someone who does that easily or often.  It surprised even me.  Being the gentle soul she is, Anneke listened and helped me sort through it all.  Bless her heart.  Real good. 

But on a happier note, I have decided to post some completely random photos for awhile to share the flavor of the things we saw and the adventures we had.  So here goes…..

Waiting for the Verde Canyon train.  It was sprinkling.  Anneke was prepared for a tsunami.

Big rubber dinosaur at the Creation Museum in Palm Springs.  They contend that cave dwellers shared the planet with these big guys.  They even had an exhibit of a knight on a horse jousting with a dinosaur.  Hmmmmmm…..  I wonder who won.

Chapel on the Hill.  Sedona, Arizona.  I could almost see my house from the top!

Heinous being bad in our hotel room in Sedona.  We didn’t stay there long because of……bedbugs!  Holy crap!  And yes, we got our money back and we had to find a new place to stay at 11:00 at night.  I didn’t even bother to change out of jammies.  I just threw on a jacket and drove to the other side of town.  Anneke had more class and put her clothes back on.  Do NOT stay at the King’s Ransom Inn in Sedona!  And yes, I reported them to the official bedbug registry. 

Weird statue of Sonny Bono in downtown Palm Springs.  Most people look strange when their likeness is cast in bronze.  He looks demonic. 

Off to work for two days.  Then…..playtime with our Chicago friend who arrives this morning!

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