8-8-08

Today I’m officially on vacation. And I am beat.
Last night I boarded a hot, sweaty and cramped plane for my flight to Denver. I was supposed to have flown out last week but was given the wrong date and so here i am today. It was a long night, starting with that lovely flight. The flight actually left Billings early but as we neared Denver there were storms passing through the area that kept us in the air in a holding pattern. A very bumpy holding pattern. I guess I shouldn’t be whining, other flights were detoured to Colorado Springs and then had to turn around later for Denver. We were one of the first flights allowed back in after the storm had moved away.

After getting my bags I made my way to Avis where I picked up my upgraded car. It was only 7 bucks more a day and got better gas milage, so maybe I’ll save in the end. After hooking up my new Garmin 270 Nuvi I was on my way. Man I love that gadget!
I set my destination as Motel 6 in Pueblo. It took me straight there with no problems. The only thing,,,,Motel 6 was booked solid. After about an hour of traveling around suburbs of Pueblo searching for another place to lay my head, I found every hotel booked solid! Grumble, grumble, bad words, grumble!! It was about 1am and my eyes were fading when I saw it, behind a small moving company, a little glowing sign that read USA Motel. I maneuvered my way there through a couple parking lots and saw above the entrance ,,,,Vacancy. Yes! It was a small motel and the room was just like my plane, hot and humid, but I spied an ac in the window and I cranked that sucker up and although it vibrated and shook all night, I was cool.



I wanted to sleep in today but awoke at around 630 am and couldn’t get back. I thumbed through my new PDN.
Around 9 am the owners of the motel, and I believe one of these doors in my room attaches to their living area, started cooking and while I usually love the smell of breakfast on the road, I caught the smell of something that made me roll to the side of my bed and want to hurl. It's not that it smelled really bad, but it's the fact that I have been a bit sick over the last week and most smells of late have made me feel ill. And I haven't eaten much in that time either. The people who own the motel are asian and even though I grew up with the aromas of asian food, my best friends are asian, this morning was too much. I layed there for a while with the sheet wrapped around my face, staring off the bed at the bible on the night stand.
I've always wondered why there is a bible in every hotel-motel. Still don't know.



Well, things have gotten better. I found, thanks to my Garmin, an organic grocery and the Wireworks Coffeehouse, where I'm sitting right now. I actually found a Starbucks here in Pueblo, but couldn't get the wi-fi to work, even though I had to buy a card, activate it and so on. Wireworks is free, and this place is very artsy-cool. I even tried something I usually don't ever touch, a mint coffee. This one, topped with whip cream is the Grasshopper Mocha. Very good indeed. Why, when I'm not liking too many flavors and smells at the moment, try something I usually detest? Hell if I know, but it's good.
So, now that it is nearly noon, I suppose I should mosy on south to Walsenburg, that is my temporary final destination. My grandmothers 84th birthday party is today and the whole Ruiz clan will be there. I think something like 40 or so of us, maybe more. I just talked to my sister and she has reserved a room for me, so no headaches tonight. Now Walsenburg is very small, so I don't know that I'll be able to blog while there, but I may head to Santa Fe on Monday, I'll check in then.
Later dudes and dudettes.