Visiting Mom with Darryl and Cynthia

Darryl and Cynthia came with me to visit Mom at her house. She was bedridden, and in great discomfort, but she was clearly pleased to see them. It might have been hard for them to tell, but I'd been visiting her a lot in the past few days, and I could see that she was positively beaming.

Day 5 of my drive to California

A stop in New Mexico
Originally uploaded by Snap Man

Left El Paso, Texas, in the morning. Drove around the city in the A.M., then on to New Mexico, eating a burger and a burrito at Burger Time in Las Cruces. Continued on I-10 into Arizona, stopping to take pics at various points along the way – San Simon rest area, Texas Canyon rest area, and Picacho Peak. Drove around Tucson a bit, then stopped in Chandler, Arizona, for the night – staying at a Super 8. Ate dinner at a nearby sports bar.

Day 4 of my drive to California

On the road in West Texas
Originally uploaded by Snap Man

Left Weatherford, Texas, in the morning, drove I-20 across Texas, through Abilene, Odessa, and Pecos (where I took some pics, and ate dinner at 4:30). Then on to El Paso, arriving there at 7:45 (Mountain Standard Time); took a room at the Quality Inn, had a couple of drinks at the Mine Shaft, next door. 592 miles for the day.

Day 3 of my drive to California

Tombstone: Horace Barnum Kanouse (1821 - 1883)
Originally uploaded by Snap Man

Left Benton, Arkansas in the morning, driving west on I-30 to Texarkana (1:30 PM). From there, I detoured south on 34 to Terrell, Texas, to check out the town where my Kanouse ancestors settled, moving from New Jersey, in the 1850s. Not sure what I was looking for, other than seeing the town, I walked into a used book store, and struck gold. The proprietor, on hearing my story, phoned an old codger who was the authority on everything about Terrell’s history – and knew exactly where my Kanouse and Laroe ancestors were buried, down to instructions of where to find them once I got to the graveyard. Amazing!

So I found the graves of my grandfather’s grandparents, Horace Barnum Kanouse and Lydia Ann Laroe, in a plot devoted to Kanouse and Laroe relatives. My middle name is Laroe, and I’d never felt much of a connection before.

I left Terrell at 6:40, and drove on to Weatherford, Texas, where I ate at a rib joint and checked in to a Super 8 Motel. Watched the Braves win the NLCS (4 games to 2 over the Mets). Phoned Robin, read Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil. 398 Miles for the day.

Sun Records

Sun Records
Originally uploaded by Snap Man

On my way to California. Left Pevely, Missouri at 10:30, driving south on I-55; breakfast at Dairy Queen, got a speeding ticket in mid-afternoon. After making it to Arkansas, I took a detour across the Mississippi into Memphis: saw the Sun Records studio, Beale Street, and Graceland (from the outside), and grabbed a bite to eat in Southhaven, Mississippi. Back on the road: I-40 to Little Rock, then southwest on I-30. Overnight at a Ramada Inn in Benton, Arkansas. Phoned Robin, then watched the Yankees take the ALCS against the Red Sox. 466 miles for the day.

At a motel in Pevely, Missouri

Coke machine
Originally uploaded by Snap Man

On my way to California, in my '97 Hyundai, with all my computer equipment in the trunk. It's step one on our move back to L. A., where I have job interviews and prospects, Robin and Mike to follow when I find us a place. I've always loved cross-country drives, and I plan to take the time to enjoy it.

Mom's condition

Spoke with David on the phone (he's in Urbana visiting Sarah and Sascha); Mom is still in the hospital, now being treated for three different infections, and is mostly unresponsive. After another two weeks in a nursing facility, she will likely recover -- but the doctor is raising the question of how long we should continue such aggressive treatment in the future, considering the quality of life she's enduring.

Depressing.

Fire next door!

Apartment Fire
Originally uploaded by Snap Man

What a day! I was preparing for a phone interview with Northrop, an aerospace company in Southern California, when I heard the sirens, and saw the fire trucks pull up to the apartment building next door to our house. I could see at a glance that this was no small deal - a threat to our own house - so I phoned Robin at her work, leaving a message for her to come ASAP. By the time my Northrop phone interview started - one of those calls where half a dozen people were on the line to take turns questioning me - there were firemen traipsing through my living room, telling me to gather up my valuables and pets. Talk about an interview from hell! Meanwhile, Robin had gotten my message, and had rushed home with such complete disregard for stop lights, stop signs, and speed limits, that several police cars arrived with her, flashing their own red lights. Aside from Robin's traffic tickets, things turned out okay for us - but the apartment building next door was a total loss, demolished a few months later.

A report from David

Nothing new on Mom. Her cognitive status fluctuates quite a bit, but she never seems to go very long without getting wires crossed regarding whom she's talking to, how old she is, who is still living and who isn't, etc. She's puzzled that Ed hasn't been around lately.