Day One at 940 Westview- Early Morning

I set the alarm for 620am, but got up at 6am. Restless night.

Last night I watched a documentary called LOOK AT US NOW, MOTHER! which was the story of the relationship between a Jewish daughter, about my age, and her mother. The film was almost a summation of anger issues and examples of general failure to confront the obvious. The theme seems to be that this was just the way people interacted in the 50's and 60's.

This trip is further complicated by the fact that I have a temporary bridge. If this thing cracks or comes loose I'll really be in a bind. Last night I thought that a piece of it fell off, but I think that it was just a piece of food- Grape Nuts?

I think that I've got everything packed. At 545am this morning I realized that I hadn't included a toothbrush, but now it's on the list.

Listening to Marc Maron interview Fred Armisen on WTF

I swear that this is the last time I drive to St. Louis to catch a flight. I see it as a vast opportunity for something to go wrong (and miss the flight).

The plan is to hit the highway shortly before 8am. This should put me at the Renaissance Hotel Long Term Parking well before 10am. The flight leaves at High Noon.

9am Stopped at the Homestead Rest area. This didn't ring any bells from when I drove, I know it had been there but no recollection.

945am To the Renaissance Parking. I can't believe that I didn't get lost. The road became almost a dirt track and it seemed way out in the middle of nowhere. The lot was practically ON the airport grounds. Three minute trip, and the driver said that the gates were broken, and they had no way to tell who paid and who didn't.  I hope it goes smoothly when I pick up the car on Sunday.

10am Through security and at the terminal for the flight to Phoenix at noon. Read/Walked/Read.

In the air at noon, and you could sit anywhere you wanted. I was four rows back from the front of the plane. Peanuts/chips/tomato juice---free.

Read about a hundred pages of LILY WHITE.

145pm Touchdown Phoenix Time. Two hrs. 45" in the air.

2-3pm in line at Fox. They're really selling auto insurance and a car is just part of that deal. No Thanks.

The Yaris is a pregnant skateboard with a fine  AC

4pm Motel 6 on Bell Road near Rt. 17. I haven't stayed in such a dump since I was in my twenties.  And, they have the gall to charge for a decent internet connection. Five bucks for 24hrs.

430p over to Paradise Lane.  He's clearly suffering from some form of dementia. Not aware of what's going on, and loudly asks, "What do I do"?, and then shuts down any suggestions. Edith and Marilyn are his roomies, and there was another woman who wouldn't leave her room.  One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, and I was the only hippie in sight.

I stayed until 630pm and even had dinner with the gang. Beef stroganoff and a salad. The lettuce was picked in their garden, but the stroganoff was cooked to death- lifeless in a house full of 'lifeless'. Took a nifty video of Edith singing and Uncle Natty loudly demanding attention.

When I left I went to a Walmart that only sold food. I was looking for a styrofoam cooler since the room doesn't have a fridge or a microwave, and they had a beauty for $2.50. Got a couple of large bags of lettuce, a thirty pack of tortillas, cheese, ranch dressing, and a loaf of bread.....and a case of Pabst.

Back to the room and I had trouble getting the wifi setup. It hooked me to the $2.99 plan- not the premium rate so I couldn't watch videos. The guy at the desk fixed it, but it's a total ripoff.

Listening to Google Play- Captain Beefheart/James Brown /Miles Davis. A scruffy group here at the Motel 6,  but they look like construction workers, and  I fit right in. But after dark, it's a low profile for me. To the joint's credit- Lots of lights and guests must register at the front desk. Not much going on mid-week, wonder what Friday and Saturday will bring ?

On the bright side-

The long term parking at the Renaissance is ridiculously handy and cheap- $30 for four days, and the hotel is practically on the runway of the STL airport. It's not even three minutes to the terminal. However, although I drove directly to the hotel, near the end, it is an extremely circuitous route, and the road veers toward a dirt track, and you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere. 

I don't think that I've ever experienced a better flight in my life. Although it was cloudy and raining in St. Louis, by the time we got farther west, it was clear sailing. Because I booked early, I was in the 'A Group'. I went in right after Business Class and sat four rows from the front. I sat at the window, and saw some of the most unforgettable scenery, and still read over a hundred pages of LILY WHITE. When the plane landed in Phoenix, there was another plane just to the right of us that touched down nearly the same time that we did. I've never seen that before. 

And now the Not So Bright-

The wait at Fox Rental was insane. There are about eight car rentals at the Phoenix airport, but Fox had the only line- I don't even think that these other places had people working there.  It reminded me of going into a food court at a large mall. There are ten restaurants, but only one is open, and there are lines out the door! What's going on? The other outfits are sold out...they just don't care?  

And, the clerks are not really renting cars, but primarily selling auto insurance. I talked with my State Farm agent before I left and she said that my auto insurance would cover a rental vehicle. But the clerk at Fox made it seem like it would be better to jump out of the plane without a parachute than to not buy his insurance. To buy their plan would add 33% to the cost of the rental. No Thanks!

The Toyota Yaris a a blister on a skateboard with a surprisingly adequate AC. I can live with it, but just barely- if I was here for a longer period of time, I would insist on a trunk. The Yaris is a hatchback, and I was done with that kind of car design thirty years ago. 

And, the Motel 6 is austere at best. I haven't stayed in a joint this 'lean and mean' since I was in my twenties. ..No micro/ No fridge/ and I get 'Free Coffee' in the morning....  Yippie!! ...And, they have the audacity to charge for internet. However, the parking lot is well lit, and it's far from a bastion of criminal activity. There are many 'scruffy types', but they seem to be construction workers on jobs, and I probably fall into the 'scruffy looking category' as well....but it's just a hop skip and a jump to Paradise Lane. 

The visit to Paradise Lane was surreal. I would say he's about 25% in control of himself. He seems to spend most of the day shouting, "What do I do Now"?, and when they tell him what to do, he ignores them. He wanted to hold on to my hands several times, but I doubt if he really knows who 'Kenny, your son' is. 

I had dinner with the crew. Edith is a new member and she's a frail force to be reckoned with, and Marilyn is much diminished from the last time I saw. her. They had Beef Stroganoff, and I have to say this was the worst I have ever eaten. It was cooked to death, and tasted like greasy sludge, but I guess it might be a pleasant repast if you were in your nineties, or more. However, the salad was outstanding. They grow their own lettuce on site....I loved that, even with the Dollar Store Fat Free Dressing (they had other dressings, but the Fat Free was their least popular)

Tomorrow I will run outside in this beautiful weather, and then hit the LA Fitness. Then, I'll go back to Paradise Ln. and see what happens. I suppose I'm going to have to take him in the car, but I hope that I can just push him on the wheelchair around the neighborhood. I'm more than a little afraid of what I would do if he were to fall and we were in an outing in  the car.

We'll see what happens. Just trying to bang this out...To keep the observations for you and the blog.    sipping a Pabst Blue Ribbon, which I can t' remember having since the 70's.....seeya...kw

And, I'll attempt to include the video I shot today at Elsie's.