Day 6
July 20, 2006
Chula Vista, California
We got up around 8:00am. We got all our stuff together. I handled a couple of phone calls while Jason packed some stuff. Then, we left Las Vegas for California. Jason didn’t want to leave. He liked Vegas. Most people do.
Las Vegas has so much energy. It never sleeps, my kind of town. Last night we walked all over that place. I bet we walked around four miles. My butt was worn out. We were dragging. We still were sore from our hike in the giant hole. We looked like too old men walking around town. We realized, after we had painted the town, that The World Poker Tour was being held at the Rio Casino and Hotel. So, we took a left on Tropicana Blvd and headed to the Rio. We could see it in the distance. Jason said, “It’s not too far.” I thought we would never get there. We walked and walked and walked. God have mercy. I thought I would die. We finally got there.
We got in the Rio. I was thirsty. Really thirsty doesn’t describe what I was. I felt like someone had poured salt and sand down my throat. I couldn’t have spit if my life had depended upon it. Jason and I went to the bar and got some water. Had you Baptists on the edge with that one huh? Don’t worry! The alcohol comes in the story later. I aim to please.
We got directions to the tournament from a lady at a blackjack table. She said it was at the very back of the building. She was right about that. It was. Those casinos are huge. We walked for another five hundred yards. We made it. There were over two hundred poker tables in the convention center. It was cool. We saw some famous poker players, the ones we had seen on television. Jason was star struck.
We took a taxi to Harrah’s, our hotel. We couldn’t walk another step. It was the best ten dollars we had spent all week.
We left Vegas the next day. Just outside of Vegas is the Mojave Desert. It was hot. It was around 115 degrees. Just North of us in Death Valley it was supposed to get up to 132 degrees. That’s crazy. We ate in the Mojave at Mad Greeks. It is a Greek restaurant. We had good gyros.
We stopped my by cousin’s ex-wife’s house. She re-married and moved to Corona, CA just outside of Los Angeles. We met her husband Gus and saw her sons. We also met their dog Cleo. I am still wearing the spit and hair of this feisty pup. She is a boxer with a great love for people. At one point, I believe she was sitting on my head. Another time she nearly broke my arm. I remember once her tongue was lapping my face. She is a sweet animal with a big heart. She went back and forth between Jason and me. It was hilarious.
We went to San Diego from our stop in Corona. Remember we are camping. We didn’t camp in Vegas. But, we are camping in other places. We were going to camp in San Diego. But, the spots were all full. So, we went to dinner at La Lena’s, a true Mexican experience. After that, we decided to find a hotel room. The campground we wanted to stay at was full. We tried to find a camping spot. We finally gave up and settled for a room. We chose the Best Choice Hotel. I am going to take exception with their choice of names. Best Choice Hotel doesn’t exactly describe what I am experiencing. I can think of a few better names. Let me give them to you. How about “Smells Like Crap Hotel?” Or, “Hasn’t Been Cleaned Hotel?” Maybe, “Did I Actually Pay for This Hotel?” A personal favorite, “Should I Sleep in This Bed Hotel?” Or, “I Wonder if I Will Get Killed in This Hotel?” There’s the, “Why Didn’t We Just Spring for the Extra Ten Bucks Each and Stay at the Best Western Hotel.” Finally a good name might be, “Is That a Prostitute Standing Outside My Window? No It’s Just a Drug Addict Hotel.” As you can tell, we are in a less than perfect hotel. I guess we will live with it. It’s just one night. And tonight, our address is Room 219, Best Choice Hotel, Chula Vista, CA.
Day 7
July 21, 2006
Chula Vista, CA
This traveling thing is not for the weary. There is a lot of driving and a lot of walking. We go at a very intense pace. We hiked the Canyons. We hiked throughout Vegas. We have driven 2,250 miles so far. Today we will go to Tijuana, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, maybe Malibu, and then head north to get closer to San Francisco. Jason is meeting with an advisor out there. He will be starting school at the Academy of Arts in San Francisco this fall.
Not only is the traveling tough. You don’t get to pick the people that you encounter. That is good and bad in different ways. There are some rough people on the road. You have to have an open disposition.
Last night there was a lot of commotion just outside our door. It sounded like someone was trying to break in. I had locked the door with the latch. Jason jumped up to brace the door. I just figured if they got in we would deal with it then. When I woke up this morning, I heard someone scrubbing the concrete floor just outside our door. I can’t help but think that maybe they were trying to get up the blood from the ruckus the night before. I chose not to go see. Ignorance is bliss.
July 21, 2006
Day 7
Leaving Hollywood
We visited Tijuana. Jason bought some jewelry. We just walked around and he took a couple hundred pictures. We met a guy named Rene, nicknamed Flaco (or something like that). He was informing us of a business that he represented. He used some choice words and expressions. He gave a listing with prices of the services his ladies offered. He also offered me marijuana and cocaine. We didn’t stick around for any of that. I figured I could just jab myself with a dirty needle if I wanted a bunch of diseases. We headed back for the border but not before Jason had a shot of tequila and I had a cold Corona.
Out of San Diego we headed up Highway One. We went through Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, and Huntington Beach. We went to the Santa Monica Pier. We had dinner on the pier. We hung out there for a while and watched the sunset. It was beautiful. Carla White called me. She was at Shawn Garrison’s wedding with Jimmy and Eric.
I talked to Tina today. She said that she got goose bumps when she read my blog. There were things in there that she had prayed specifically about. She prayed that my knee would be ok. I had put that in there. She prayed that Vegas would show me the sadness of people. I had put that in there. She said some of it was the exact wording that she had prayed. I love the fact that You are working in her life. She is one of the shining gems in all of this.
Jason was driving from L.A. to wherever we decided to stop and camp. He was busy playing Jeff Gordon and missed the Highway 5 exit. I was typing in my journal. So, I didn’t notice until I looked at the signs and realize that we were still on 101. At that point, it would have been out of the way to take go across to 5. We stayed the course. I quit writing long enough to realize that we were still on Highway 101. I asked Jason what happened to Highway 5. He said that he hadn’t seen it. I looked at the atlas. I found it, about thirty-five miles behind us. So, we stopped for fuel. I got milk, water, a King Size Kit Kat, and Diamond Smokehouse Almonds. Jason got some Frapacino and water. I walked out and found him taking to Austin from Palm Springs. Austin was on a business trip. We were about ten miles south of Santa Barbara. I asked him what he did. He is a marketer for Marriott. He said that he had been watching porn and got bored. He was fetching some chips. I guess he needed some energy food. He asked me what we do. Jason told him his story. I said that I was in between jobs. He asked what I did. I said that I had a degree in Psychology. I told him that I was a minister and that I also had gone to Seminary. He said, “That’ll f… you up.” I said, “That’s about the best way I know to put it.” I am so glad that he didn’t try to explain away the fact that he had been watching porn when he found out that I was a minister. I love people who are real.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Day 8
Petaluma (North of San Francisco)
We finally ended up driving to Pismo Beach to camp. It was about two and a half hours north of L.A.
When we got to Pismo Beach it was about midnight. We were both pretty tired. We had driven all day. We didn’t feel like putting up the tent or clearing out the back of the Volvo. We did that one night in Arizona because it was raining. We folded the seats down. Either way we decided to open the gate of the Volvo and attach a tent tarp to it so it could hang over us. We put out our mats underneath it. It worked pretty well.
We got going early. We took showers and headed out for San Francisco. We ate at Denny’s. Now there’s some fine dining for you. I had eggs (sunny side up), sausage (pig parts and fat), and French toast. I can’t think of an alternative name for French toast. I would like to have one; I am not fond of the French. Snots!
Jason was navigating which equates to us getting lost. He’ll love that. But, this is my blog. I’ll admit, him getting us lost led us down Highway 1 or the Pacific Coast Highway. It was beautiful. I hadn’t been on this stretch of highway before. I didn’t realize that there was such a beautiful drive in the U.S. I could take an entire vacation just on this highway. There is so much to see. Check out pictures of Big Sur and Monterrey online.
I have to say at this point that the traffic in California sucks. Is that too strong for you? Cause I really want to convey how much I hate the traffic here. I can empathize with people who have used guns in this traffic. I think that drive by shootings in L.A. result from people who find themselves on a road with no traffic; this unimaginable reality sends them into delirium and they just start shooting a gun out the window. I can say that it is good I left my gun at home or someone would at least be limping right now.
We were sitting on the 101 today. No, I really mean just sitting there in the car. California must be where they got the word Parkway for a road. We were parked. We finally get going and a woman gets in the left lane. She won’t get over. She is poking. I was extremely frustrated. I whipped around her, saw that she was on her phone, and gave here a friendly wave.
We got to San Francisco. We visited where Jason will be attending school, The Academy of Arts. We met with his advisor. I didn’t have anything else to do. So, I tagged along. We ate at a Mexican restaurant called Chevy’s. It was good. The service was pretty slow. We went to Fisherman’s Wharf to see Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Both are really cool. But, Alcatraz is so awesome. Then, we called Suzanne Edmondson. This is Sheran’s daughter if you know whom I am talking about. She and her friend or boyfriend, I’m not sure, met us for a drink. His name is Tim too.
We just drove across the Golden Gate Bridge. That was neat. We set up camp at a KOA in Petaluma. It is about sixty-eight degrees. These KOA campgrounds are insane. I bet that there are about 400 people camping here.
Tomorrow we go to the wine country in Napa Valley. I am excited. It’s about thirty miles northwest. More later.
July 23, 2006
Day 9
Pentaluma
We hit the wine country today. That was a highlight for me. We started out at the Domaine Carneros. We didn’t taste there. It was just such a beautiful vineyard and building that we had to see it. We tasted at V. Sutelli. This winery doesn’t sell wine in stores. The only way you can get it is to buy it there or order it and have it shipped. They had a Family Red Wine that was good. It is 75% Zinfandel and 25% Cabernet. I bought some of that. From there we went to the Robert Mondavi Winery. Then, we tasted at the Van der Heyden Vineyards. It was a small family vineyard.
This is my first time to Napa Valley. I could really get into this. I am certainly going to come back this way sometime in the future. Napa Valley is gorgeous. It’s just rolling hills with vineyards. It is something to see. There are over four hundred wineries in Napa Valley alone. You couldn’t cover it in a month. If you did, you would probably be considered an alcoholic.
We found a Dutch Winery called the Van Der Heyden. We had a real live Dutch guy for the wine at the Van Der Heyden. He was kind of abrupt. If you were talking he would ring a cowbell. You can imagine that he rang it at me a couple of times. It was a family owned winery. The tasting room was tiny. It was about as big as a small bedroom, 10’ X 12’. We had about fifteen people crammed in there.
The V. Sutelli tasting area was huge. They had a deli and store. They had like eight sections to taste wine. Our pourer was an Asian lady named Linh. She was cool. We met some folks from Texas there. One girl was Vanessa from Austin. She liked red wines. I don’t know her mom’s name. She liked the wine with brandy in it, called Angelica. Jason also liked that one.
We met a lady, Debby, at this Italian deli. I had a chicken salad sandwich. While we were standing in line, Debby asked us if we had ever eaten beef tongue. I told her that I had. Jason said that he had not. She had the butcher cut us all a sample of the beef tongue. It was really good. We sat and talked to Debby for a while. She is from Arizona. When we left she said, “It was good to share some tongue with you.” I thought it was kind of funny.
With the proper care from the vinedressers, these grapes simply flourish. We got some good close up shots of bunches of grapes. We could walk right up to some of them and touch them. It was kind of cool. There are all kinds of different varieties of grapes. The conditions and the care given to these vines allow the grapes to just burst forth. There are tons of grapes in this area. The grapes don’t really do anything. They just grow. The reason they grow is because they are in the right geographic location that has a particular climate. The vines are watered either by the vinedresser or the rain. They are pruned and tended to by the vinedresser. He has a big job. A lot is done to the vines. The same is true for the branches. They are an extension of the vine. They receive everything through the vine itself. If they are not connected into the vine, they just wither and die. It is their source. Then one day, the grapes pop out on the branch somewhere.
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” Real simple, all the work is in our Vinedresser’s hands. We simply abide in Him. He takes care of the details and produces fruit through Vine, Jesus, and His branches, us. He takes great care of his vineyard. It is impeccable.
July 24, 2006
Day ?
San Francisco (Downtown)
Last night Jason and I cooked spaghetti on a coleman stove. It was also about 9:30pm when we started. We basically poured Ragu into a pot and warmed it up. Then we boiled and burned the noodles. We were starving. We dumped the sauce into the big noodle pot. We grabbed forks and went face to face shoving spaghetti down our throats like we had never eaten before. At first the spaghetti was alright. After about five or six bites the reality that what we were eating actually tasted bad began to set in. Our fury slowly came to a halt. I looked at Jason with my flashlight, of course, and said, "This sucks." He agreed. We basically filled an empty spot.
After dinner, we grabbed a pipe and a beer and walked over to the general pavilion. There we met Phillipe, Francois, and Natalie. They were three French chaperones with twenty French teenagers who were touring through the West for three weeks. We met them when one of their students looked at me and started singing "Staying Alive" by the Bee Gee's. Of course, they thought I looked like Barry Gibbs. That broke the ice. We began to talk to the chaperones. We had so much fun, so much fun that we got kicked out of the pavilion around midnight because we were too loud.
I also had a guy yell out the window of his car at me, "Holy Shit, it's David Spade."
I spent some time with the French folks today before we left the campsite. We exchanged e-mails. If I go to France, I am going to look them up. They said the same about coming to Alabama. I warned them about the culture shock that it would be.
My attitude about the French changed some this week. It just goes to show that when you get to know someone, the preconceived prejudices fall away. They were awesome people. I look forward to writing them and maybe seeing them again.
By the way, there were around 2,000 people at the KOA campgrounds last Saturday night.
Jason and I are leaving San Francisco today. I believe we are turning east. We are low on funds.
Try to blog again before the end of the week.
I love you, your servant, your friend,
July 20, 2006
Chula Vista, California
We got up around 8:00am. We got all our stuff together. I handled a couple of phone calls while Jason packed some stuff. Then, we left Las Vegas for California. Jason didn’t want to leave. He liked Vegas. Most people do.
Las Vegas has so much energy. It never sleeps, my kind of town. Last night we walked all over that place. I bet we walked around four miles. My butt was worn out. We were dragging. We still were sore from our hike in the giant hole. We looked like too old men walking around town. We realized, after we had painted the town, that The World Poker Tour was being held at the Rio Casino and Hotel. So, we took a left on Tropicana Blvd and headed to the Rio. We could see it in the distance. Jason said, “It’s not too far.” I thought we would never get there. We walked and walked and walked. God have mercy. I thought I would die. We finally got there.
We got in the Rio. I was thirsty. Really thirsty doesn’t describe what I was. I felt like someone had poured salt and sand down my throat. I couldn’t have spit if my life had depended upon it. Jason and I went to the bar and got some water. Had you Baptists on the edge with that one huh? Don’t worry! The alcohol comes in the story later. I aim to please.
We got directions to the tournament from a lady at a blackjack table. She said it was at the very back of the building. She was right about that. It was. Those casinos are huge. We walked for another five hundred yards. We made it. There were over two hundred poker tables in the convention center. It was cool. We saw some famous poker players, the ones we had seen on television. Jason was star struck.
We took a taxi to Harrah’s, our hotel. We couldn’t walk another step. It was the best ten dollars we had spent all week.
We left Vegas the next day. Just outside of Vegas is the Mojave Desert. It was hot. It was around 115 degrees. Just North of us in Death Valley it was supposed to get up to 132 degrees. That’s crazy. We ate in the Mojave at Mad Greeks. It is a Greek restaurant. We had good gyros.
We stopped my by cousin’s ex-wife’s house. She re-married and moved to Corona, CA just outside of Los Angeles. We met her husband Gus and saw her sons. We also met their dog Cleo. I am still wearing the spit and hair of this feisty pup. She is a boxer with a great love for people. At one point, I believe she was sitting on my head. Another time she nearly broke my arm. I remember once her tongue was lapping my face. She is a sweet animal with a big heart. She went back and forth between Jason and me. It was hilarious.
We went to San Diego from our stop in Corona. Remember we are camping. We didn’t camp in Vegas. But, we are camping in other places. We were going to camp in San Diego. But, the spots were all full. So, we went to dinner at La Lena’s, a true Mexican experience. After that, we decided to find a hotel room. The campground we wanted to stay at was full. We tried to find a camping spot. We finally gave up and settled for a room. We chose the Best Choice Hotel. I am going to take exception with their choice of names. Best Choice Hotel doesn’t exactly describe what I am experiencing. I can think of a few better names. Let me give them to you. How about “Smells Like Crap Hotel?” Or, “Hasn’t Been Cleaned Hotel?” Maybe, “Did I Actually Pay for This Hotel?” A personal favorite, “Should I Sleep in This Bed Hotel?” Or, “I Wonder if I Will Get Killed in This Hotel?” There’s the, “Why Didn’t We Just Spring for the Extra Ten Bucks Each and Stay at the Best Western Hotel.” Finally a good name might be, “Is That a Prostitute Standing Outside My Window? No It’s Just a Drug Addict Hotel.” As you can tell, we are in a less than perfect hotel. I guess we will live with it. It’s just one night. And tonight, our address is Room 219, Best Choice Hotel, Chula Vista, CA.
Day 7
July 21, 2006
Chula Vista, CA
This traveling thing is not for the weary. There is a lot of driving and a lot of walking. We go at a very intense pace. We hiked the Canyons. We hiked throughout Vegas. We have driven 2,250 miles so far. Today we will go to Tijuana, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, maybe Malibu, and then head north to get closer to San Francisco. Jason is meeting with an advisor out there. He will be starting school at the Academy of Arts in San Francisco this fall.
Not only is the traveling tough. You don’t get to pick the people that you encounter. That is good and bad in different ways. There are some rough people on the road. You have to have an open disposition.
Last night there was a lot of commotion just outside our door. It sounded like someone was trying to break in. I had locked the door with the latch. Jason jumped up to brace the door. I just figured if they got in we would deal with it then. When I woke up this morning, I heard someone scrubbing the concrete floor just outside our door. I can’t help but think that maybe they were trying to get up the blood from the ruckus the night before. I chose not to go see. Ignorance is bliss.
July 21, 2006
Day 7
Leaving Hollywood
We visited Tijuana. Jason bought some jewelry. We just walked around and he took a couple hundred pictures. We met a guy named Rene, nicknamed Flaco (or something like that). He was informing us of a business that he represented. He used some choice words and expressions. He gave a listing with prices of the services his ladies offered. He also offered me marijuana and cocaine. We didn’t stick around for any of that. I figured I could just jab myself with a dirty needle if I wanted a bunch of diseases. We headed back for the border but not before Jason had a shot of tequila and I had a cold Corona.
Out of San Diego we headed up Highway One. We went through Laguna Beach, Newport Beach, and Huntington Beach. We went to the Santa Monica Pier. We had dinner on the pier. We hung out there for a while and watched the sunset. It was beautiful. Carla White called me. She was at Shawn Garrison’s wedding with Jimmy and Eric.
I talked to Tina today. She said that she got goose bumps when she read my blog. There were things in there that she had prayed specifically about. She prayed that my knee would be ok. I had put that in there. She prayed that Vegas would show me the sadness of people. I had put that in there. She said some of it was the exact wording that she had prayed. I love the fact that You are working in her life. She is one of the shining gems in all of this.
Jason was driving from L.A. to wherever we decided to stop and camp. He was busy playing Jeff Gordon and missed the Highway 5 exit. I was typing in my journal. So, I didn’t notice until I looked at the signs and realize that we were still on 101. At that point, it would have been out of the way to take go across to 5. We stayed the course. I quit writing long enough to realize that we were still on Highway 101. I asked Jason what happened to Highway 5. He said that he hadn’t seen it. I looked at the atlas. I found it, about thirty-five miles behind us. So, we stopped for fuel. I got milk, water, a King Size Kit Kat, and Diamond Smokehouse Almonds. Jason got some Frapacino and water. I walked out and found him taking to Austin from Palm Springs. Austin was on a business trip. We were about ten miles south of Santa Barbara. I asked him what he did. He is a marketer for Marriott. He said that he had been watching porn and got bored. He was fetching some chips. I guess he needed some energy food. He asked me what we do. Jason told him his story. I said that I was in between jobs. He asked what I did. I said that I had a degree in Psychology. I told him that I was a minister and that I also had gone to Seminary. He said, “That’ll f… you up.” I said, “That’s about the best way I know to put it.” I am so glad that he didn’t try to explain away the fact that he had been watching porn when he found out that I was a minister. I love people who are real.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
Day 8
Petaluma (North of San Francisco)
We finally ended up driving to Pismo Beach to camp. It was about two and a half hours north of L.A.
When we got to Pismo Beach it was about midnight. We were both pretty tired. We had driven all day. We didn’t feel like putting up the tent or clearing out the back of the Volvo. We did that one night in Arizona because it was raining. We folded the seats down. Either way we decided to open the gate of the Volvo and attach a tent tarp to it so it could hang over us. We put out our mats underneath it. It worked pretty well.
We got going early. We took showers and headed out for San Francisco. We ate at Denny’s. Now there’s some fine dining for you. I had eggs (sunny side up), sausage (pig parts and fat), and French toast. I can’t think of an alternative name for French toast. I would like to have one; I am not fond of the French. Snots!
Jason was navigating which equates to us getting lost. He’ll love that. But, this is my blog. I’ll admit, him getting us lost led us down Highway 1 or the Pacific Coast Highway. It was beautiful. I hadn’t been on this stretch of highway before. I didn’t realize that there was such a beautiful drive in the U.S. I could take an entire vacation just on this highway. There is so much to see. Check out pictures of Big Sur and Monterrey online.
I have to say at this point that the traffic in California sucks. Is that too strong for you? Cause I really want to convey how much I hate the traffic here. I can empathize with people who have used guns in this traffic. I think that drive by shootings in L.A. result from people who find themselves on a road with no traffic; this unimaginable reality sends them into delirium and they just start shooting a gun out the window. I can say that it is good I left my gun at home or someone would at least be limping right now.
We were sitting on the 101 today. No, I really mean just sitting there in the car. California must be where they got the word Parkway for a road. We were parked. We finally get going and a woman gets in the left lane. She won’t get over. She is poking. I was extremely frustrated. I whipped around her, saw that she was on her phone, and gave here a friendly wave.
We got to San Francisco. We visited where Jason will be attending school, The Academy of Arts. We met with his advisor. I didn’t have anything else to do. So, I tagged along. We ate at a Mexican restaurant called Chevy’s. It was good. The service was pretty slow. We went to Fisherman’s Wharf to see Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge. Both are really cool. But, Alcatraz is so awesome. Then, we called Suzanne Edmondson. This is Sheran’s daughter if you know whom I am talking about. She and her friend or boyfriend, I’m not sure, met us for a drink. His name is Tim too.
We just drove across the Golden Gate Bridge. That was neat. We set up camp at a KOA in Petaluma. It is about sixty-eight degrees. These KOA campgrounds are insane. I bet that there are about 400 people camping here.
Tomorrow we go to the wine country in Napa Valley. I am excited. It’s about thirty miles northwest. More later.
July 23, 2006
Day 9
Pentaluma
We hit the wine country today. That was a highlight for me. We started out at the Domaine Carneros. We didn’t taste there. It was just such a beautiful vineyard and building that we had to see it. We tasted at V. Sutelli. This winery doesn’t sell wine in stores. The only way you can get it is to buy it there or order it and have it shipped. They had a Family Red Wine that was good. It is 75% Zinfandel and 25% Cabernet. I bought some of that. From there we went to the Robert Mondavi Winery. Then, we tasted at the Van der Heyden Vineyards. It was a small family vineyard.
This is my first time to Napa Valley. I could really get into this. I am certainly going to come back this way sometime in the future. Napa Valley is gorgeous. It’s just rolling hills with vineyards. It is something to see. There are over four hundred wineries in Napa Valley alone. You couldn’t cover it in a month. If you did, you would probably be considered an alcoholic.
We found a Dutch Winery called the Van Der Heyden. We had a real live Dutch guy for the wine at the Van Der Heyden. He was kind of abrupt. If you were talking he would ring a cowbell. You can imagine that he rang it at me a couple of times. It was a family owned winery. The tasting room was tiny. It was about as big as a small bedroom, 10’ X 12’. We had about fifteen people crammed in there.
The V. Sutelli tasting area was huge. They had a deli and store. They had like eight sections to taste wine. Our pourer was an Asian lady named Linh. She was cool. We met some folks from Texas there. One girl was Vanessa from Austin. She liked red wines. I don’t know her mom’s name. She liked the wine with brandy in it, called Angelica. Jason also liked that one.
We met a lady, Debby, at this Italian deli. I had a chicken salad sandwich. While we were standing in line, Debby asked us if we had ever eaten beef tongue. I told her that I had. Jason said that he had not. She had the butcher cut us all a sample of the beef tongue. It was really good. We sat and talked to Debby for a while. She is from Arizona. When we left she said, “It was good to share some tongue with you.” I thought it was kind of funny.
With the proper care from the vinedressers, these grapes simply flourish. We got some good close up shots of bunches of grapes. We could walk right up to some of them and touch them. It was kind of cool. There are all kinds of different varieties of grapes. The conditions and the care given to these vines allow the grapes to just burst forth. There are tons of grapes in this area. The grapes don’t really do anything. They just grow. The reason they grow is because they are in the right geographic location that has a particular climate. The vines are watered either by the vinedresser or the rain. They are pruned and tended to by the vinedresser. He has a big job. A lot is done to the vines. The same is true for the branches. They are an extension of the vine. They receive everything through the vine itself. If they are not connected into the vine, they just wither and die. It is their source. Then one day, the grapes pop out on the branch somewhere.
“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” Real simple, all the work is in our Vinedresser’s hands. We simply abide in Him. He takes care of the details and produces fruit through Vine, Jesus, and His branches, us. He takes great care of his vineyard. It is impeccable.
July 24, 2006
Day ?
San Francisco (Downtown)
Last night Jason and I cooked spaghetti on a coleman stove. It was also about 9:30pm when we started. We basically poured Ragu into a pot and warmed it up. Then we boiled and burned the noodles. We were starving. We dumped the sauce into the big noodle pot. We grabbed forks and went face to face shoving spaghetti down our throats like we had never eaten before. At first the spaghetti was alright. After about five or six bites the reality that what we were eating actually tasted bad began to set in. Our fury slowly came to a halt. I looked at Jason with my flashlight, of course, and said, "This sucks." He agreed. We basically filled an empty spot.
After dinner, we grabbed a pipe and a beer and walked over to the general pavilion. There we met Phillipe, Francois, and Natalie. They were three French chaperones with twenty French teenagers who were touring through the West for three weeks. We met them when one of their students looked at me and started singing "Staying Alive" by the Bee Gee's. Of course, they thought I looked like Barry Gibbs. That broke the ice. We began to talk to the chaperones. We had so much fun, so much fun that we got kicked out of the pavilion around midnight because we were too loud.
I also had a guy yell out the window of his car at me, "Holy Shit, it's David Spade."
I spent some time with the French folks today before we left the campsite. We exchanged e-mails. If I go to France, I am going to look them up. They said the same about coming to Alabama. I warned them about the culture shock that it would be.
My attitude about the French changed some this week. It just goes to show that when you get to know someone, the preconceived prejudices fall away. They were awesome people. I look forward to writing them and maybe seeing them again.
By the way, there were around 2,000 people at the KOA campgrounds last Saturday night.
Jason and I are leaving San Francisco today. I believe we are turning east. We are low on funds.
Try to blog again before the end of the week.
I love you, your servant, your friend,
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