If you ever take any bits of advice from my blog - take these three: (a) Don't ever try to drive after a red eye, (b) Don't ever drive the 5 between LA and San Francisco (if you can help it), and (c) Don't ever drive the 5 between LA and San Francisco after a red eye. It was (nearly) a freaking disaster. All four of our guardian angels were really, really over-taxed on that trip.
We started off ok - but then about an hour into it, I started to notice David's eyes closing about every 2-5 minutes. Like, literally closing and we would end up in a ditch closing. So, I decide to take over. Well, everyone else in the car fell asleep and no one was on sentry duty - I was on my own. I was in some kind of trance and the cars suddenly all stopped in front me and I jerked the entire car awake with a little extra cautious use of the brake.
So we decided maybe what we needed was some breakfast and a steady stream of caffeine. We landed at a most amazing little spot - the Harris Ranch which is somewhere in the middle of God awful nowhere in the middle of California where the air has a wonderful mix of smells - feed lot mixed with sulfur - ooh, reminds me of southeast New Mexico!
So what does one eat for breakfast at Harris Ranch? Why, steak, of course! What else would one eat for breakfast?
Another word of advice: steak for breakfast isn't exactly "get up and going" fare - it's more like stuff my poor little stomach 'til broke then go lie down on a nice soft bed until it all feels better.
Here's another problem. I have myself pumped up with so much caffeine half the time that when I really need to feel its effects, bucketloads do little or nothing.
Lesson learned: I must generally make better choices in life.
Well, too late for that one - back on the road after a half pound of steak, a half dozen eggs, and maybe a half gallon of coffee, we weren't all that much better off. We had a bit of an argument over whether or not to listen to the audiobook -
David, "Oh no, I really want to listen to the story."
Heather, "But his voice is putting you straight to sleep."
"No, no... I'm really into it."
"But your eyes keep closing" - poke, poke - "They are closing!! Wake up! We need to turn it off."
"No we don't."
"They are closing again!" - leg slap.
And so it continued, for quite some time, with me ever vigilant with slaps and pokes at the slightest sign of eye closing. I don't remember much of the story.
But we made it - in good time, actually, which is only more frightening when you think about the speed we must've been maintaining.
The whole time I was telling myself that surely this must be better than staying at home alone for Christmas with our broken septic system and resident mice up on the hill. Surely.
Well - I'd have to say that it definitely was, and the whole experience will surely be memorable. We had the chance to participate in the traditions of David's "California family" (of which we are now honorary members, given that we also emigrated west), and had a great time spending more time with his grandparents. Ethan got to build the most incredible Kynex double-loop roller coaster, and David and I met up with our friend Leonard to enjoy the Christmas Day night life of downtown Livermore at the "Good Time Tavern" where I was served the biggest gin&tonic I'd ever seen - surely to ensure I did in fact have a "good time".
Now that you suffered through all that text, I'll end with the photos. Some of the pictures are from our second Christmas, which was held when my parents arrived on New Years Eve. In addition to exchanging gifts with them, it was also my chance to redeem myself with David - I hadn't bought him a single gift to open on Christmas Day - I know, worst wife ever - you're looking at her. Seriously, I suck. So we took advantage of the several-days-after-Christmas sales and loaded him up with gifts.
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