Oh yeah– I've been driving a big dog across the
country in a Prius during Stormageddon, then totally wearing out my welcome at
my friends' houses while I look for a house, and continuing to work the whole
time as well. Yup. Might I recommend that if you're going to move
cross-country, you not do it in the dead of winter, with a big dog, and while
trying to keep up with your regular life? Even to a sane person, this can get
pretty stressful. I will tell you the end of the story first, which is that we
found a great house, and I am now just waiting for the movers to arrive with our
stuff so I can begin The Great Unpacking of 2010, which I hope goes faster than
The Great Packing of 2009. Sheesh!
So, where was I on the narration of the
cross-country travel? Oh yes– Flagstaff, Arizona. After leaving the comforts
of my friend Brook's guesthouse, I drove all day and ended up in Flagstaff,
Arizona, where it had just snowed a gazillion inches. I was trying to be
ambitious and get the bulk of my driving done during weekend days so I could
focus on work during weekdays, so that day I drove five or six hundred miles.
Oh, but wait. I almost forgot about how I had to
get AAA to bring me gas in Blythe, because did you know they closed that gas
station at Desert Center? Yeah, they did. Something about how an old man owned
the gas station, and he saw an alien once, and then the city wanted him to bring
his station up to code, but instead he spent the money on imported palm trees to
shield himself from the aliens, but then he got cancer anyway, so he died, and
NOW THERE IS NOWHERE TO GET GAS BETWEEN INDIO AND BLYTHE, EVEN THOUGH THE SIGNS
STILL SAY THERE IS. So, being a cautious driver, I didn't want to run my Prius
out of gas on Day One of the trip, and since it was the middle of the afternoon,
I let them bring me some gas. Not a big deal, but I did just want to include a
mention of the old man, and the aliens, and the palm trees, and the fact that
this means that the guy from the gas station in Blythe ends up driving gas out
to people multiple times per day. So, if you're thinking of moving to Desert
Center, there is definitely money to be made in re-opening that gas station, but
you'll need to bring it up to code, because of the aliens and all. Just a
thought.
Anyhoo, there I am in Flagstaff, Arizona, right
after the big snowstorm ends, trying to sneak my big dog into the hotel. You
know I can't be staying in a Motel 6 all alone, right? I have to go a little
more upscale, and also, I need a room with a kitchen, because I can't leave the
dog in the hotel room OR in the car for very long, because it is winter (did I
mention that I don't recommend this trip? Too many moving pieces). So, I get
him up there, eat my peanut butter and banana sandwich for dinner, and then take
him out to conduct his nighttime business– upon which time he falls into a
snowdrift and I have to dig him out with my bare hands.
Yep. Baxter has never fallen into a snowdrift up
to his eyes before, ok? He needed help. Bear in mind that the whole reason for
the trip is the fact that I love my dog and I will not put him in the cargo hold
of the plane. Of course, this means I have to give him more arthritis medicine
and dry him off with a hair dryer.
The next day, we ventured to Santa Fe, where we
spent the day (and the night) visiting my friend, the lovely and talented Kelly
Howell from Theatre of the Mind– she would be the famous person I was referring to in the last post.
Turns out Baxter and Kelly's dog have some kind of psychic connection. Kelly
and her husband Bill were nice enough to host us overnight, which really is a
big deal when you're traveling with your big dog in tow. For the record, Baxter
learned his lesson, and stayed FAR AWAY from the big pile of snow in their
backyard.
If this story is stressing you out, maybe you should go over to Kelly's site and download some of her awesome programs. I'm just sayin.