Started out the road trip strong, late of course, but strong. Anyone who knows me knows I am notoriously late, it is a family trait really, but I have worked very hard to overcome it and save my marriage. My husband is a time fanatic, as where I was the complete opposite. I worked hard to learn to be ontime now, avoid fights, keep peace, and in general be a better person – because to be on the receiving end of lateness is annoying to other folks, now that I am on time for the most part I realize how frustrating it is to sit and wait on others. Sometimes though, left to my own defenses I am late. It isn’t out of laziness; I simply try to cram too many things into a short time span. Today was one of those days, an early morning presentation, a 1.5 hour flight, stop by my office to sign contracts & check-in, pack the car, pick up the dog from boarding, and be on the road by 1:00 pm – even as I write it down it is clear it just wasn’t going to happen. Instead of 1:00, Brodie and I left Denver at 2:30.
Brodie is our 2 ½ year old chocolate Labrador and he is a great traveler, super cute, reasonably mannered, but super-duper spoiled. Because he is chocolate we also refer to him formally as Brodie Brown, and or Mr. Brown to honor his chocolate coloring. He seems to respond best when you use his full name: Brodie Brown. According to the receipt time stamp at the boarding facility, I picked him at 2:30 pm and we headed straight for I-25 north. The route was to take us from Denver, to Cheyenne, across Wyoming, then straight up into eastern Idaho where my family was eargerly awaiting my arrival. As per my style I did a few ‘calls’, work mainly, checked in with a candidate I was recruiting, called the CEO of the company I work for, called an employee or two for status updates, and made a final call to a favorite client. The ordering of these events were fatal because the last call to a client was disconnected twice due to bad service in Wyoming and I eventually got off a text message to him that said simply “I give up, will email/call later this weekend”. At that point, 2 hours into the drive, I finally settled into the road trip mentally.
On my way up I-25 I drove past the High Park fire in Colorado, anyone interested in the history can google it. At the time I drove past it it had been burning for two weeks, and only at 50% containment. It is sobering to see a set of mountains on fire, thick white smoke billowing up towards the sky to reach then mingle with the clouds. It produced an emotional charge throughout my body, the loss of life, the loss of homes, wildlife, livestock, pets, etc… The effect and impact of a fire is wide spread and is devestating. I had these thoughts while on the phone doing calls, but was still affected by the sheer magnitude of the living history situation along side me.
I took the I-80 west interchange in Cheyenne with a big smile and a happy heart. At the end of this segment of the trip I would be at my aunt & uncles house, see my husband, see my other aunt & cousins. I could do this, and I would enjoy it. I cruised happily along, a tad over the speed limit, but not too much to get noticed, focused the radio on two country stations that I liked, that way if one song irritated me, I could switch quickly to the other without missing a beat. I was singing my heart out, Brodie dozed in and out and. The drive was really windy and hot – record temps that week, but the AC in the car kept the perfect temperature inside the car for both of us. I was cruising and I knew I could handle this road trip.
Got to the halfway point, stopped for gas and fed Brodie dinner, while hopping from leg to leg on a small grassy patch near the gas pumps. I had to pee so badly and I had mistakenly sequenced taking care of the car and Brodie before my own human needs. As I danced back and forth I realized how ridiculous my choices were, I loaded Brodie up quickly and did that crazy tight leg “I have to pee” walk to get to the bathrooms without embarrassing myself by peeing in my pants. Once that was taken care of, and I could think again, I finsihed up with Brodie, took some diet pills to keep me awake, called my husband and got back on the road – 4 hours to go.
Accordingly to google maps I was to head north now, towards the Tetons, 255 miles, then take a left into Idaho. Seemed simple enough, my phone would do the rest of the navigation directly to my aunt’s house. Interesting point about my technology driven life; this car has navigation, problem is I have never figured out how to use it. So all I had was my printed directions from google and was confident I would find my way. I had the windows down, Brodie was hanging out the window enjoying the cool air, the temperature had dropped considerably, it was now a comfortbale 75 and I was singing along to the radio and enjoying the drive. l was aware the speed limit was 65, but thought, no one is out here on this two lane highway, and there shouldn’t be any harm in going my favorite speed, 80+ miles/hour. I past through several small towns, from the road you can see the whole thing, they weren’t the same, but they were: only 3 buildings in each town. One post office, one bar, and one church – nothing else but farms and wide open spaces. Made me think though, where do these people go for groceries, if they need to go to Costco it must be a full day trip, and how do you not have any options for takeout or restarunts when you are just too tired to cook? These towns were simple and I wondered if you lived here you knew peace, happiness, and contentment in your soul?
My speed turned out to be a problem – that is what the Wyoming state trooper said when he pulled me over. He said he had been tracking me for some time, and named some of the towns I had passed through, which didn’t resonate with me becuase I had forgotten the town names as soon as I left them in my rear view mirror. But, his point was he had been tracking me for about 30 miles. I never saw him, and I didn’t notice anything in the air, so I am still perplexed on how this actually happened. Here I was on the side of the road handing over my license & registration to a state trooper. He was extremely cute and very polite about the whole thing. He inquired about my destination, Idaho Falls was my response. At this he raised his eyebrow; you shouldn’t be on this road from CA if you are trying to get to Idaho Falls. I expalained that I have been living in Denver temporarily and this was the first leg of our journey home to California. Once he figured out I didn’t have any warrants, he came back to the car and told me “this one will just be a warning, but you have to keep you speed at 65 while on this highway, we dont allow speeding like they do in California.” Okay officer, I promise to put the cruise control on and keep it at 65 to honor your warning. He left me with one final comment “did you really think driving a shiny black Escalade through Wyoming with California plates didn’t make you stick out like a sore thumb?” Nope, it actually never occurred to me!
The slow down in speed turned a road trip that was going okay into a super boring event. All that was ahead of me was torturous. I don’t know if the troopers speed demands turned the road trip into torture, or if it was bound to happen given it had been 5 hours of driving and I was just hitting my natural wall. I hate doing anything for more than a few hours, this includes driving or riding in a car. I just don’t enjoy the time in a car, I am more a “get to the destination as fast as you can” kind of girl. But right now, I didn’t have a choice, I was warned by a trooper and the only human in this car to finish the drive, there wasn’t anywhere to stop even if I wanted to. I sucked it up and kept driving – slowly.
Hours pass, the sun goes down, I chat on the phone a bit with a girlfriend interuppted time to time with a disconnect, but the conversation helped the time go by. She laughs that I got pulled over, the last time she got a ticket she was speeding and talking on the phone to me, years ago, but we still laugh about it like it was yesterday. She warns me about the type of roads I am on and to be very careful, “doesn’t like me out there” she says. I tell her I will be fine, I travel the country, and I can certainly handle this road trip, not sure if I am convincing her or me! Brodie is up & down, but he is a great traveler, so there isn’t any crying or whining, at one point he lays his paws & head on the center console stretching his body from the back seat to the front. I scratch his ears and tell him he is good boy and mean it, he is a great dog and I needed him as a companion in Colorado and also in the car. I wasn’t scared in the dark on a lonely mountain road, although in hindsight, I should have been. I just wanted someone with me, and as sad as it sounds he was my someone. As the drive got windier up and over the Tetons into Targhee national forest he had his head on the console and I could feel his breathing on my arm and I was content. Slow, because I am a person of my word I never went over 65.
It is dark, really dark, and I am trying so hard to do all the right things – manage my speed, high beams off and on for passing cars, stay awake and keep my family informed of my whereabouts. Eventually it occurs to me that I am not on the road they think I am – they think I will be hitting I-15 soon, I won’t. According to my map, I couldn’t be any further from I-15 than if I was in California already. As I am figuring out logistics & my map out of this dark abyss I see another set of flashing red & blue lights behind me! WTF – I look down, 62 Mph – what does this guy want? I find a pull out; given this is a mountain road I cannot pull over just anywhere, more stuff to manage: turn off brights, get Brodie off the console, try to remain clam – staying calm was the hardest part!
Same routine – where are your headed, why are your speeding, can’t get to Idaho via Wyoming from California, yada yada.
Me: I am not speeding officer, your friend a few hours ago told me to slow down, and I did – 62 is not speeding.
Officer: It is when the speedlimit has changed to 55.
Me: Well, I obviously didn’t see that and I apologize for speeding. How close am I to Idaho?
Officer: 2 miles.
Me: Are you kidding me? Just let me get to the boarder please – I will cross over and never be your problem again, I promise.
Officer: License & registration please
Me: Crap balls. Okay, here you go. Since you are detaining me and delaying my trip, I am gonna get out with my dog & and let him pee.
Officer: I would prefer you wouldn’t, you could get yourself hit.
Me: Well I would prefer not to be pulled over, and he needs to pee.
Peeing and waiting commence while I assume he is checking on my story & my warrants.
Officer: Mama, I will let you off with a warning again, but please slow down and pay attention – be safe.
Me: Thank you
WTF – why did i just say thank you, he just held me up for 15 mins for a minor speeding infraction and then gets me to thank him – what a dumb ass I am.
Back on the road, 2 miles later in Idaho – but still not on the road my family expects me to be on.
Aunt Jacquie is calling – how close are you?
Me: Sign says 73 miles to Idaho Falls
Aunt Jacquie: Crap – where the hell are you?
Me: Just saw a sign – Pallisades!
Aunt Jacquie: Oh shit, why are you there?
Me: Google maps, and definitely later now because the second trooper pulled me over.
Aunt Jacquie: What! A second trooper?
Me: Yes, story to be told tomorrow, I am 73 miles from you, doing the f-ing speed limit and hope to be there soon. Will call when I reach town and get closer to you.
Aunt Jacquie: “okay, watch out for critters & be safe” – famous last words
Exhasuted, diet pills worn off, cranky, stiff from sitting, done with the radio, hating myself, this idea, this car, the state of Wyoming, etc… This sucks. The only person I like right now is brodie and he isn’t a person. Trying, trying, and trying to stay awake. I would stop for gas station coffee if there was a gas station. There is absolutley nothing out here, nothing, only darkness and apparenly critters. Out of the brush two eyes appear with the body of a raccoon following. Why oh why would he jet out of the darkenss into the headlights of my car? Aren’t they safe in the darkness, dont their raccoon mothers teach them this? Avoid lights, typically equal death, use your nose and stay in the darkness. I avoid hitting him and ending his life with my superb driving skills & cat like reflexes. Actuslly that is a total lie, I have no cat like reflexes and I am as ungraceful as a human being can be born – but somehow I avoid hitting & killing this animal and sending Brodie and I into a ditch.
The end is in sight, GPS says 9 miles to go. I am singing along to the radio again and trying to keep alert for the road signs that will lead me to my family. I see it, a yellow intersection sign that tells me to turn left, just a few more miles now. In a full on state of delirium, I have been in the car 11 hours and awake for nearly 24 hours, I talk to Brodie as if he is a human, expecting a response. He is tired too, bored with this road trip, I imagine he would say to me “bitch, when are we getting out of this car, this is ridiculous, it’s like being a hostage”. He would say that, but it wouldnt be true, he is the most spoiled Labrador in America – this I know for sure. I may not be able to naviagte my way from Denver to Idaho Falls like a champ, but I can raise a Lab and love & spoil him with everything in my power. When we hit the driveway the relief is palatable – for both of us. The only one awake in the house is my aunt and she is a site for sore eyes, I have missed her, I have missed this place, and I needed some family. Brodie is out like a shot and running through the yard with glee & does a few laps around the house, he is no help with the bags, but that is likely because he doesn’t have thumbs – and oh yeah, that spoiled part. He jumps on & off the bed a few times when he sees my husband sleeping – I dont try to correct his behavior – that man should be up & helping me into to house – not sleeping off a 12 pack of beer consumed with my uncle!
Finally we all settle down, no more running, but we do pick out a few toys, have a bit of water, wash the face (that part is me) and head for bed. Brodie won’t sleep – wants to be up – can’t turn it off. I say “Brodie settle down”, I dont know if he understands my words or my tone of voice but he finds his dad’s side of the bed, hops up, curls into as tiny a ball as an 85 lb labrador can get, and starts breathing deeply. I know my husband is squished, I don’t care, we made it safe & sound and sharing the bed seems like the right thing in this moment – although in ALL other moment in life I say no to the dog in the bed. Everyone is finally down and I say “goodnight Brodie Brown, mamma loves you”. Just for good measure and not to be out done I hear my husband say “and poppa does too”. And with that we sleep.
Read Full Post »
brandinarvaez
Living with a Labrador 