Blog

After a day of sessions, a few drinks, and food on the Queen Mary’s and then a self-guided night tour, Deborah was tired (and she is still on East Coast Time) and ready for sleep. We arrived in Air VW the Gray, and Deborah walked up while I parked the EV. I had managed to forget my wallet and had to walk back to the parked VW and retrieve it after I reached the hotel. The EV was just under 70% charge. I used a charge station, a slow one, at the QM parking lot. I paid $25 for parking and a few bucks for the charge. Half the machines were not working.

Before this, Deborah was done with her sessions and turned down a dinner with a vendor she is not using at King’s Fish House in the Art Deco part of Long Beach and instead joined me for a walk in the garage to reach Air VW the Gray to travel to the QM.  It was a short pop over a bridge and then plugging in the EV. I had been there in the afternoon to see if this was something we wanted to do. I learned from the gift store and ticket seller that there was a Jazz Night, which was $0 and came with an after-night complimentary access to the QM. While not a tour, it was a chance to walk the ship. I donated $10 each to the ship’s restoration and got the tickets.

We were on the guest list and soon were in the Observation Louge at a small table. Our waiter, Michelle, got Deborah a drink special (a vodka and expresso take on a Creme Brule) with a large piece of candy sugar covering a third of the cocktail glass while I had a Stella. We had some light food and enjoyed the music.

The band singer was great and leaned into her role. The crowd was mixed from tourist T-shirts and shorts to period 1940s and earlier outfits. Folks danced to the music. It was lovely.

We paid our bill with some complexity to align with Deborah’s expense report.  Next, we walked the decks and enjoyed a perfect evening and all the lights of Long Beach. We found the bridge, looked at it through the glass, and viewed ballrooms and other places. We walked from the front to the back and down three decks. The ship looked more alive and ready to sail with the darkened light than a museum. Even with the bar bill and parking, it was still a cheap night in Long Beach.  Excellent, and I recommend the Jazz Night on the QM.

(Scary)

Before this, I was in the hotel debating writing options with Mariah by text. It was not going well. I may just stick to blogs and forget fantasy. I may have aged out with my idea of Fantasy as Elric and Lankhmar stories.

Before that, I drove the EV across two large, scary (for me) bridges to get to the Battleship Iowa, first in the class and the last American design of completed battleships. The ship was in excellent shape (it has now been a museum longer than in active service), and I did a self-guided tour. I was sorry that my tour missed the engine room, but Midway’s Engine room is open and closely matches the Iowa Fast Battleship design. I did get to the bridge and flag bridge and crew’s quarters. No tour of the big guns and only a door open to see inside a 5′ gun.

I must visit Philadelphia Naval Yard and Battleship New Jersey to see more areas. Also, the deck is in poor shape and covered with plywood (only part of QM was this way). I was told that one area was open today as they had just finished the re-decking. It looked good. I know that New Jersey decking is almost finished after years of work.

I wanted to see inside the 16″ guns and engine room. Maybe there will be a special tour for those who want to go. Next time!

It was an excellent walk, and ladders were often steep and required care. It was not yet hot, but I suspect that seeing Iowa in the heat would be awful. Glad I got it on a cool morning.

Before this, Deborah rushed to her sessions. She got some expense report-approved breakfast and was soon crammed into small rooms, as her sessions were well attended but in too small a setting. I walked to the Pot Holder Cafe and had breakfast there while writing. It is the usual breakfast place with the typical $20+ price (coffee was $4.50). It is not bad, but there is no reason to return. I wrote the blog there, and the staff was kind and thoughtful (maybe that would be a reason to return).

I was surprised by the many Art Deco buildings and lovely food joints a few blocks from the Hyatt. I will be back as we have until Wednesday here.

And that takes me to the start of Thursday.

 

We could sleep in and spend some time together before Deborah started her sessions. We slept well, both tired from driving or flying, and we did a lot of steps (just under 9,000 for me and more for Deborah). We found a reasonably priced breakfast at Cafe 301 in the building with the US Customs Service. I chatted with a few agents and thanked them for their work; Long Beach is a vital import port for the USA.

We walked back, and Deborah headed into the sessions. I headed to our room, 803 at the Hyatt Regency, and saw the cleaning woman working (she seemed to work long hours) and gave her a tip. She offered more coffee (you get only two pods and cups), but I had my own pods, Duncan Donut’s coffee, from my last trip, which I paid too much for and intended to drink. There, I grabbed my laptop and headed downstairs to write the blog. I sat in a comfortable bench seat with a table and wrote. I was surrounded by groups and individuals, all wearing the convention badge. I wrote for a few hours.

Deborah walked past me as she was in full convention mode (I have been there myself–you focus on what is next) and rested in the room. I met her there when I finished the blog and put away the laptop. We walked back down together, and she grabbed a drink and then headed back (walking past me).

I walked again to the Rainbow Harbor and tried Chilli’s for lunch. The food was OK, with me having the appetizer special for lunch. Devon was my waiter, and Devon shared with me she works full-time there and lives in the area with a couple of roommates to help share the high rent ($2,500-$3,000 a month from what I saw on the Internet). I had asked her if she lived here (yes) and how she could afford it. She works only one job. Deborah reminded me that labor shortages have increased wages to over $20 an hour (or 3,200+ monthly). I was happy to learn that you can make it in Long Beach waiting tables.

I walked from there to the lighthouse and around the harbor. I realized that the Queen Mary is not nearby. It is big. I found the aquarium and think we will do that over the weekend. Deborah calls, and I meet her at Waba Grill for her lunch. We also purchased a spray bottle (no rhinestones) for Deborah’s hair at Five Below (which I thought was an ice bar–wrong!).

I returned to the hotel and found my laptop again. The room was neat, and there was even extra coffee and cups. “Excellent” (in Mr. Burns’ voice). I took the laptop down to the pool area and sat in the sun (having changed my sweater vest and business shirt for a T-shirt). Then, I sat in the hot sun and wrote. I am using Scrivener to write a new story about Brass, a wizard in my new fantasy world. I am still working on the characters and a conflict for Brass to resolve. I added a few characters and updated a few items. I am starting with the conflict definition. My mind creates a character, but the details are not formed until I write about them. I also add new things that need to be expanded and explored as an aside but not necessarily explored in the story.

I am using the software as this will likely be a longer story, and I will need something to help organize my Fantasy setting and thinking. Fantasy setting means creating worlds, magic systems, and even Gods and religions. You often echo your own times.

Deborah finds me at the pool at the end of her sessions. She had dinner plans at a most excellent Middle Eastern place, Ammatolí. Deborah has a great meal with some folks she knows. I head to the Irish place across from the convention center.

There, I get one of the last chairs at the bar and sit next to a guy who tells me he is Mexican. He is there to get paid but finds his check short. Some hours got lost. He was offered a few beers to help reduce the string. I talked to him for a while and even gave him my business card. We agreed that it seemed like an honest mistake, but he should find work elsewhere if it happens again. He is a cook, and I am sure he can find work in Long Beach.

I have a few Harp beers and texted Clint (he married Susie’s cousin and is an ‘outlaw’ like me in the Hill and Guild family) and Barb (Susie’s sister) that I was thinking of them (we often met in Irish places). I have the Scotch Egg and have tasted it for a long time (while it is good, it will not be partaken of again).

Deborah and I meet at the pub and then return to the hotel. We get an early start and soon sleep early (14,000+ steps for Deborah and 10,000+ for me).

Thanks for reading!

I rose at 6 and enjoyed the industrial breakfast at the Comfort Suites in Visalia, California. Deborah was already on her flight enjoying plane WiFi and eventually connected with me while I was driving to Long Beach. I learned about the local news playing in the breakfast area (no National Fox News playing here, local valuable news instead). The harsh weather has not closed roads on my way to LA. I missed two tornados on Monday in the rain storms that made the drive difficult. I missed the twisters by about an hour each. You have to love driving trips! I got my few items from the room, forgot nothing, and boarded Air VW the Gray, looking for the charger in the same parking structure. Nope.

Today’s travel was shorter, but the EV options were fewer. I had to charge in Bakersfield at 10%, so I looked for other options. I discovered that CalTrans had charging machines along 99 and Interstate 5 in the Rest Area, but they were not offered as charge options (though free) on my Nav. Hmmm. I missed my first chance as I noticed this.

My trip to Visalia caused some backtracking, and soon, I was back on my way towards Long Beach. The hotel was cheaper than the Fesno ones, and I liked the town. It is also where the famous horse saddles (American and also known as Western) came from; the original site is now a bar. I was wondering how I knew the name. The Internet suggests the shop is now in Oregon.

Aside: I checked the pricing. It is $7,000 for a saddle, but at least there is no sales tax in Oregon.

Once I am out of the city traffic, it is mostly 70+ on roads filled with other transports driving between 100 and 55. This requires considerable attention. I drive for about an hour and park, and attempt to charge at a bowling alley with a decent charger. The guy in an electric Ford Mustang (who hates the car and the $70 a day he pays in fast charging twice a day) says, “It is not that fast,” but helps me work out how to charge with yet-another-app (YAA). It takes me three tries and one password reset, but I spend an hour charging to 100%.  Walmarts, bowling places, and grocery stores are my leading providers of electrical charges for Air VW the Gray.

I see mountains and wonder if I am again crossing. Yes! It seems I am constantly climbing mountains. This time, it is 4,000+ feet and cold up there. It’s not freezing or snowing this time. I stopped at a rest area and topped off the EV to 80% for free (a 10% charge would not have got me there) while I used the facility. And it does not require YAA! Next time! It is cold and clear in the mountains outside of LA. It is lovely with the farms and then the mountains on 99 and 5. Glad I drove!

Santa Monica bound to pass around LA, and Highway 405 was the following road.

Aside: In the USA, interstates cross states and have one—or two-digit numbers. Hundreds are added to them for local ring roads or connections (thus, Interstate 95 travels the East Coast, and 495 is the beltway around Washington, D.C., that connects to it). Odd numbers run North and South.

LA traffic and folks range from insane speeding and lane changes to slow, scared driving. I am in the left lane and get a stop-and-go, then fly to over 80 and brake to stop-and-go. I am at 60% charge, so all is good. I am happy that I topped off in the mountains. Deborah has landed, and we are both racing to the hotel. I managed to beat her by only minutes. She even sees Air VW the Gray outside as I check us in. We are reunited at the hotel.

We have a few hours, and our room is ready. We get to our room, unpack, clean up, etc. Deborah has a reception and soon heads out while I head to find a hairbrush–the required brush was forgotten. Claira’s Outlet store has a pink metallic one with “Glam” in rhinestones. It is the most subtle one they have. Later, I think it looks excellent in Deborah’s hands when she brushes her hair. Hmmm.

I walk to Rainbow Harbor and all the tourist-like shops and see all the usual food joints for those on high-expense report limits. Prices are not low, but not the insane Las Vegas corporate limit-melting levels. I find a local shop in the local tourist mall selling a nice-looking T-shirt, and I check in with Corwin while looking at all the sailing boats I do not own. I get one for Corwin at Queen Mary Couture in Shoreline Village Shops. You can get some fake fur and a hat for that night on the Queen Mary! I enjoy my walk.

Deborah is done and tired, and her internal clock is on East Coast Time. We stopped at the hotel bar and got a sandwich with the worst Spanish coffee ever. Paper cups and just rum poured into coffee in paper cups. “Yes, we will take cream,” we say, wondering what happened to the whipped cream.

Other teachers from Las Vegas sit with us, order better drinks, and listen to the odd bartender’s suggestion for food. We talk about education and travel. We beg off as they continue with their evening.

I am tired from my drive, and Deborah’s body is in the wrong time zone. We soon are resting.

Thanks for reading.

 

 

 

 

 

The night was sleep and more sleep. I can’t remember a time when I slept so much. I have been having trouble sleeping, and I have been sad. I wake up and feel better. I figure out how the shower works in this hotel room. Why are there so many ways to run a shower in one of those hotel mysteries I have never dared to try to solve? I am content with just getting the shower to work. The water pressure is intense and excellent. I am soon clean, shaved, and assembled for the industrial breakfast. The same eggs and bacon and plenty of coffee get me started. Deborah called me, and it was nice to have her help begin my morning.

I took my bag, computer, and coat to Air VW the Gray and slipped them on the ice. There was no fall. The car was frozen. I decided to delay my start and plug into the ChargePoint charger at the hotel. At these temperatures, the charge takes more than an hour and will get me only 188 miles. I talk to Deborah and listen to my book as I charge.

The EV melts a bit, and I feel good about the hour-long investment. I leave, and snow greets me as I watch the black butte disappear in my mirror. The snow was short-lived, and soon, I was dropping a thousand feet every twenty minutes. The drive is terrific; every turn is another postcard view of the rolling hills with clouds. The fire damage turned some forests into burned sticks and blackened hills. Still, there is now green here and there as the earth reclaims the fire loss.

I also write the blog while I melt. I started it at breakfast and had time to publish it in the car. Interestingly, the EV supplies the network.

The twists and turns require attention, and I do not listen to a book while driving the descent. Shasta Lake is the end of the mountain passes and twists. As with every drive-through, I promise I will come back and try the lake and the caves—maybe this time. I have to get to a nearby Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Sacramento looks lovely, and I swear I have been there for a train connection. The first charging plan is next. The first one fails to work on two tries. A Tesla leaves, and I take its spot. It is only 150, and I take an extra 20 minutes to charge it to 100%. A huge Hummer EV (they make those!) shows up. It takes two places to charge. A petite gal pops out of the giant monster car. It is from Oregon! She plugs it in to charge. Wow, it is big!

My VW showing its love…

After a few hours of driving, it is time to take a charge break. Every station is full! I wait ten minutes, and one comes open, and I connect. The Tesla’s owner told me he was unhappy with his car. It seems like a gadget to him, and like my choice of a VW, it is a more practical car in his mind. Interesting.

I used the nearby Walmart restroom, had another snack in the car, and listened to my book more. Scott recommended it, and it is fantastic: Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to A by Yuval Noah Harari. It explains how information and people interact and covers why networks can run without truth. It is fascinating to me. Recommended.

I have enough charge to make it to the hotel, with a remaining 50% charge. Excellent. The last push is hard as I get tired, and the pouring rain is hard at the end. I make it to Visalia, turn onto a five-lane one-way the wrong way, get turned around, and find my hotel.

The room was fine. I parked the car according to instructions and found Rookies, a local bar recommended by the hotel. I had a large beer to celebrate surviving the drive and to remember St. Patrick’s Day. Their Reuben sandwich is enormous and contains freshly cooked corned beef. Excellent.

Thanks for reading. Tomorrow, I’m driving to Long Beach to meet Deborah. It will take just four hours. Air VW the Gray has handled well, and the charging has been good. Forced breaks are not bad.

My morning started with me waking at 4 and then waking late again at 6:45. I meant to be out by 6:30-7, but I managed to get out at 7:30. I got a message about constructions and found myself rerouted through Portland to avoid 217, but I drove that way anyway, and it was fine. The Nav reset, and soon, I was on my way.

The Air VW the Gray Nav included finding and routing to charging stations. Mostly, Electrify America stops, which I have credit for as a new VW driver. These are fast-charge stations, but not as fast as Tesla stations, which I still cannot use (there are after-market devices to breach this, but they are not approved by Tesla or VW). I wait about 45 minutes each time and charge 100%, not the 80% often recommended. The cost is zero, but the amount is about $32 a charge, which, when I translate it into 22 miles to the gallon, is about $3.20 a gallon. This is stiff pricing; remember, the state gas tax is NOT included. This is all going to the corporation that made the charging station, but new infrastructure is never cheap, and there are few government programs to defer this cost. Also, the type of energy production is not visible. I could fill the EV with power for coal-fired plants! The charger is green energy at the house and at a much lower price. It is also a level 2 charger and takes twice as long to charge. Best to use overnight when power use is low in the Pacific Northwest and time is available. Travel pricing is what I am facing, just like buying gas on the turnpikes in the old days. Always the highest price paid on a trip.

Deborah detected that I was sad today. Depression and grief sneak up on me. There is a strange letdown when I finally start something I have planned. I was also more tired than I realized. I got some coffee and food and was better. Just something I will have to watch for.

Weather is my challenge, and the snow and the rain is harsh. My wipers run at full and still have trouble clearing. Passing cars or, when I pass, throw water, blinding you for a moment. The EV slips on some water, but even at high speeds, it handles well. Unlike the Volvo, I must be careful as the steering is tight. My attention is entirely on driving once the passes approach and temperatures fall. I get down to 38F but with clear roads. I have socks as traction devices, but I do not need them. I never feel at risk, but it is an exhausting drive for four hours in the mountains.

Two charging stops, one in Medford, Oregon, put good breaks in my trip. I have some food at each stop. I also take a rest stop at Seven Feathers. The rest stop road is covered with sand and rocks as the mountain streams overflow and cover the streets. Back to driving and get to the other side of the storm!

The storm became less on the other side of the 4,000-foot pass that leads to California. Four inches of snow fell near the road, the roads were clear and wet, and the winds closed Ashland ski lifts, I read later. I nearly run the EV off the road trying to take a picture of the sign to California! Oops!

The rest of the trip is easy, and I arrive in Weed, California, and find my corporate Comfort Inn. I miss the fact that there is a fast charging station there! The desk clerk, Preston, suggests dinner at American-Asian BBQ. I am shocked as the rain and clouds clear, and a perfect image of Black Butte is at the hotel!

It is a hole-in-the-wall place, and I spend $35 for two perfect beef ribs. The best I have ever had. But I would seldom pay that, but it is open, and I am there. I eat it there on a plastic chair and chat with the cook.

Yes, we are in California!

I return to the hotel. I was talking to Deborah on the charging stops and at the hotel. I rest and sleep until 11. A surprise. I take my meds, close my eyes, and do not wake until 4ish. Roll over and start at 6 with my alarm.

Thanks for reading.

I wrote this while charging at the hotel. It was icy, so I decided to let things melt a bit and then travel, which allowed me to get charged.