Towns and services got scarce after the New Mexico - Colorado border. Same all the way into Pueblo, where the highway parallels the edge of the foothills. Nothing to see after an initial great view on the Rockies on the horizon. The rest of the way to Denver, you cannot see the mountains. I took the four-lane, which partially explains the extra mileage. Most unpleasant were the trucks. Once more, the interstates are nothing but a trucker's free-for-all, blasting along 24/7 making life difficult for all other users. On the steeper grades at this altitude, I used a lot of third gear (of five) and was often down to 35 mph. The left lane is for passing only, as it should be. Got that, Florida. Mind you, in Florida, not that many people know their left from right.
Why this a decent blog for a change? I'm stranded in Denver waiting for the passes to clear. The arriving cars say there is only one snow plow at work. It was a clear day, so even that one plow should open the passes tomorrow. That's the route I-70 through the Rockies. I dont' mind cold and I'm okay as long as the snow is not on the freeway. A friend of mine put me up in La Quinta overnight since his house was so messy. Now, I'm a bachelor, and although my place isn't messy, I've seen messy. I knew a guitar player that you had to walk a path through his living room out to the balcony where he had Xmas trees from Christmas' past. But okay, I'll go to Sheabeen's later and see who is out this chilly Friday night.
Last evening, I crashed in the Walmart lot on Abilene. See, I talk like I know the whole town because I lived here two months. There was no answer on Dartmouth, so I bedded down early after clearing with the security guard. Always check in with them and you don't have to go into the store. Mind you, whenever the Walmart has a designated overnight parking area, you occasionally find the downside of boondocking. I'll explain, but don't get me wrong, my camper rig gets a lot of attention everywhere and I've not heard a bad word on it yet. (Have I done something most men only dream of with this camper?)
Oh yes, the downside. You get the crowd who permanently stay in Walmart lots, living out of their cars. Again, usually they are only a problem when you can't choose where to park. There was one dude who buys a tray of cheap muffins and walks around to the other campers offering to share. But you do not eat late at night when you are camping. Anyway, I don't know if it is a scam but he was a little too talkative for me. These people are rarely my type to start with, but he was also like a Canadian. Every answer to every question just led to more questions, never-ending.
Where you from? What part? Is that near Miami? Who do you know there? On and friggen on. Is he overly curious or casing the joint? I’ve got two brothers and I know the difference between genuine interest and somebody nosing around. Tell me where you are headed and where you are from, even I can guess how much cash you are likely to have on you. I let him "accidentally" trip my alarm and noticed he stayed 30 feet away after that.
Travel news does wonders for my tally, so I may consider buying a used laptop on the road. That’s something before the latest versions of Windows, which have terrible reputations for moving and hiding all the familiar buttons. It was considerably warmer toward evening, meaning a clear day tomorrow for my junket over the mountains. I’ve never driven I-70 before, but the next freeway north is terrible for trucks.
The day was easy. I had breakfast at Denny’s, then over to Gander Mountain for more winter gear. That set me back $100 plus another $96 for a full face helmet. But I’m going to need these things by the looks of it. I got extra keys cut and then headed for Unique Thrift for a cold weather sleeping bag, winter parka and a few doodads for the camper. By late afternoon I had good weather to get everything packed and tested. Good weather that will soon be in short supply.
Then, off to Sheabeen’s. Where I was promptly Shanghai-ed into being a judge for the Halloween contest, along with two other members of the audience. This is out west, where they have real cash prizes, so it got down to the Ghostbuster guy second place. And first place was, well, this guy, let’s just say he was a “Devil With A Blue Dress”. That was so novel, he got the hundred bucks. I made a special effort to keep the list of costumes, but now can’t find it.
The entertainment was three guitar players, two of whom I’ve jammed with but cannot remember names. Their presentation really missed and suffered because of no bass, but they did a respectable job of it. I met a few fellow travelers who came over the pass. They said only one snow plow was at work, so tomorrow, I chance it. One plow means no drifts across the pavement. Time to get a move on, bright and early tomorrow, it’s “Pitter-patter, let’s git atter.”
