My Trip Home, Day Two

standard disclaimer, you don't have to read it, etc.

09/14/2002 Leo

Cut yourself some slack in case you need room to maneuver. The
element of chance has more to do with things than you may realize. A
new lesson is only as painful as you make it, so try to muster up
some enthusiasm before it's too late. When you help someone else out
of a difficult situation, you realize that it's more rewarding to put
your ego on the shelf than to pursue fleeting fame. Nobody thanks you
for your arrogance.

... turtlenecks.

Ok, so I am early. I seem to have a new driving companion, as long as
the cell towers hang around near the interstate. Toast has now put in
about 5 hours of listening to me talk, thereby keeping me awake. We
talked from 9:30- midnight local time last night and he just kept me
company through New Mexico. On the one hand, we'd have probably spent
at least that much time chatting online if I'd been near a computer. On
the other hand, he's not as much of a "verbal" person as a "textual"
person. On the other hand, no one is ever required to say much with me
around. :-)

Which comes to the point of this note which is that all of you are
being my audience for whom I am performing-- Toast just a little more
one-on-one, mostly because he has the time available to spend. And
because I think he's cool. But then, most everyone does-- he's the once
and future mayor of FurryMUCK after all!

But I seem to perform better for an audience. I have driven 1200 miles
from the bay area. Only 1400 miles from home. Yes, Pinky. I have been
on the road some 28 hours, and I have gone 1200 miles. I have stopped
twice for full meals, several times for gas, and at least 5 1/2 hours
for other rest breaks. I have topped 90 mph at times, something I have
never before been known to do. Not bad, eh?

I am writing now because I am in El Paso, and there's a palm
connection, and there's great hyuge tracts of land in Texas, and I
don't know when, where, if I will have connection again. Although I
would give a silver dollar to know if Toast's friend Kiarrah is at home
in Abilene tonight.

I ended up being up all night. I didn't mean to. I had to stop from
midnight to 3:30 am because Toby would have a nap. Food, water, he
won't take. But the car will stop for him to sleep. Or he will miau in
my ear non-stop.

But I was fidgety. We drove on. Just past Phoenix at dawn, stopped in
Tucson for breakfast. Cracker Barrel breakfast casserole- yum! The
waitress thought I should stop and get a job there. It made me laugh to
think how some of my friends would freak out at how familiar (forward,
friendly) the waitress was-- what a difference a state makes!

I am about ready to sleep soon, but I hope to make I-20... it's around
here somewhere.

I had never before seen southeastern arizona in the daytime--
beautiful, simply gorgeous. So colorful. Made me want to go hiking.
Roundy hills and stacky ones and pointy ones and rocky ones. Green and
yellow, tan and brown, white and orange. I like these vistas best of
all I have seen so far.

I will try to be more clever tomorrow. In the meantime- *mwah* I love
you all! Goodnight!

Milestone

Today, the waitress asked me what I did. I said, "I'm a writer."