Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach, and the Cliff House

I'm falling into a pattern here in the bay area! Saturday I sleep in till 8am, get up and eat pancakes, then head into the city! Usually with Lisa the traveling OT who's glad to beat the city sidewalks with me. Sunday is for cleaning house, doing laundry, going to church and finding food.

Yesterday we disembarked at Powell street BART station and caught the #5 bus down to Golden Gate park. I'll have to do another complete day at the park- I just walked through a bit of it this time. It's bigger than Central Park in NYC (according to an article found by Lisa).

For $5 we meandered around the winding paths of the Japanese Tea Garden, and for $3.95 we shared a pot of tea and a bowl of crackers, fortune cookies and rice puff. It was money well spent for a moment of zen. The garden was large enough to get a little lost in, but small enough to find your way out. The tea and cookies were a great snack.



We caught the #5 again and rode it all the way down to Ocean beach which was larger than I thought it would be. It's a good sized slice of sand. No swimming due to dangerous currents, but it's a great walking beach and you can do after dusk fires in their fire pits. The rocks are Seal Rock-- turned white from bird poo and former residence of the Pier 39 sea lions.



We walked up the hill to the Cliff House which has an interesting history and two separate restaurants within its walls. We ate in the more casual upstairs dining area and requested a seat by the window so we could watch the waves and the beginning of the sunset over the water. I ate the Frutti de Mare and it was fabulous. Lots of seafood!



Then the sun began to set. We walked the path down to the Sutro bath ruins and watched the coolest sunset I have ever seen in my life. It was my second sunset over the Pacific ocean, and the first that was unfettered by fog. I smiled the entire time and even did little happy skips as I bounced down the path. God is great. Sunsets over the ocean are proof.



And, just to add to the incredible experience, up on the cliff wall above us stood three musicians. They played drums and pipe until the last edge of the sun had slipped below the horizon. Then they quietly packed up and walked away. I applauded at the end of the sunset. *Sigh* it was cool. If you look in the right hand corner of the picture- you'll see the musicians.

FAQ- TLTR for most people.

Occasionally I get questions regarding traveling. Often it's from a graduate student, but occasionally it's from someone who has a permanent job and feels curious about the differences between traveling and permanent status. My usual response is to write an email to them if they've left an address- but I guess I could just refer them to this link for the most common questions!

Honestly, I'm too lazy to dig up the emails I've had over the last 3 years, but I'll summarize the most frequently asked questions. I'll still answer any specific questions one may have about traveling, but here's the general gist.

1. I'm a graduate student- would you recommend a traveling position for my CF year?

Absolutely not. There are multiple reasons for that strong answer. First of all, contracts don't really want to train you. They expect you to come in the door knowing how to be a Speech Language Pathologist. They want to train you in how to do their paperwork system, where the bathrooms are, and anything else specific to that place of employment. You would do better receiving the experience of a CF from a permanent placement. I'd recommend completing your CF, then working at that same location for at least a year, 2 if possible, before heading out on the road. I strongly recommend teaching hospitals because of the general excitement towards learning that prevail there.

Afterall, you'll often be required to be THE swallowing and communciation expert at a contract. You are representing all SLPs everywhere at that contract. You'll be the first impression into our profession many times. You don't want to be a false expert or a crappy therapist. Inadequate training harms our professional integrity and I would never recommend pretending to know more that you actually do know. A strong foundation will allow you to be an excellent therapist to all your patients- no matter how long you are with them.

I'm embarrassed to share how many times I hear awful stories regarding the contract Speech Therapist my contracts dealt with before. Let's just say the bar isn't set real high for me in many of my contracts. I strive to be the best, most knowledgeable person at my place of work in the areas of Swallowing and Communication. I'm proud to be an SLP and I cringe to know how many bad contract SLPs are floating around out there. Rant over. Get trained, then get traveling, in that order please.

2. How long are contracts?

Usually 13 weeks, though I often will extend. Every contract I've had has asked me to extend my contract. I'm still in this for the traveling and varied experience, so I've never extended past 6 months. If you extend 12 months- there's some tax stuff that starts to occur so it's not recommended. Anyways, if you are extending 12 months, why not just settle in and make it a permanent relationship???

3. Is pay better?

I've found it to be about the same size pay check ( a little bigger?) but the perks are pretty lucrative. I don't pay for my housing (they tell me where to live and I arrive- everything is set up for me down to the shower curtains!) I don't usually pay for my utilities. I get tax credits for gas and phone. Sometimes I even get free cable! My disposable income is pretty high- I'm able to put sizable chunks into savings. If you are saving up for a house or paying off debt- traveling is a great way to do it relatively quickly.

Companies take about half of your money- but you don''t know what they actually charge the "client" so you don't miss it. They do make a good amount of money from you- but they get to do all the stress of finding interviews, writing contracts, and finding your housing.

4. Do you interview for each job?

My resume is sent by my company and a phone interview comes from anyone who's interested. Phone interviews are fun- they can be completed in your pajamas! I usually have my resume in front of me during the interview because it's embarrassing to be asked when you worked last with a certain population and in the stress of the moment you forget which contract you completed where and when! I also take a lot of notes during the interview. Usually I'll have 2-5 interviews in a week (usually a few weeks before the end of my current contract) and I'll decide by Friday which one I'll accept. On the client side, they talk with you and give your company an "offer" or they'll say "no thanks".

5. What companies have you worked for?

I'm currently with Core Medical Group and I like working with them. Contact me if you want me to "recommend you". We'll talk. And yes, I get a bonus for referring you. :-) But I do like working with Core. I worked with Medical Staffing Network for one contract and I didn't like how they dealt with my need to get CEUs (they made me cover costs for both my conference AND for housing costs on the days I had to take off!!!). I would not recommend them based on their poor tolerance for continuing education. I worked for Sunbelt Staffing for over a year. I loved these guys- small company with really great people. I spent quality time with them during the ASHA conference in Miami, FL and they were super. The only reason I'm not still working with them is that they started offering me too many school contracts and I'm a hospital and rehab therapist. I'll work in a school once in a while, but I really thrive off of rehabilitation. If you go with Sunbelt- Julie Cole was a superb rep.

Benefits vary from company to company. Core offers an incentive trip (go read about my Mexico posts from March 2009). Sunbelt offered CEU money and paid vacation time. MSN- who knows- I didn't work with them long enough to accrue anything.

Whichever contract company you work with- talk to several and get a feel for them. Pick a rep who has a similar organizational style to you. Be organized, write things down and for goodness sake--- READ YOUR CONTRACTS CLOSELY EVERY TIME. Don't sign until you are happy with it. I've only ever had to recommend a few changes over the years. Usually it's to add some parking money for city assignments or guarantee 40 hours (necessary to work at least 35 to keep most benefits).

6. Why do traveling therapy?

Everyone has reasons. You can save up money. You get to see different areas of the USA. You get to see various styles of leadership and organization by moving employment locations every 13 weeks. You get exposed to many therapy styles. You learn there are multiple right ways of doing things. You meet lots of people (I overcame a lifelong shyness on my journeys!) You can take lots of pretty pictures. You can taste the food from many ethnicities, live in many different styles of apartments, and try out lots of churches and gyms. I've met travelers who are running from exes, or seeing the world, or just making money. There's no wrong or right reason to travel. Just be the best therapist you can in each location and take full advantage of every hour of every day exploring your new digs.

7. Any further recommendations?

Become organized. Put your stuff in storage. Get the experience you need to be a good therapist and then travel. Keep doing your CEUs to keep yourself updated in the profession.

Pick a location that you will call "home base". Mine is my parents' home. I visit them between assignments if possible. At home base, I have a dentist, a hair stylist, and my storage facility. My boxes that I get into are labeled: "Therapy material for adults", "Therapy material for kids", "Winter clothes", "Summer clothes", "camping equipment", "resource books". That way I can just grab the entire box before heading out to my assignment based on the season and patient population.

If I get sick on an assignment I asked coworkers who their doctor is and then I look it up to see if they are a provider for my PPO- most are. I'm rarely sick- but it has happened. You'll need to see a doctor for an annual checkup anyway (required for most companies). Urine tests are also required by most assignments- they pay for it. Don't do drugs, man. :-) And don't be insulted- they don't know you from the man in the moon so just let them be careful.

Let go of the stress. You will have to complete paperwork last minute ("Gee, the client needs you to fill this out immediately and fax it back!"). You will not know where your next contract will be more than a month in advance. You will not know your new address sometimes until the day you move in (with two of my contracts, and two different companies, I've driven into town not knowing exactly what address I'm heading to- it always works out!) If this scares the crap out of you, then maybe you NEED to travel so you can get over it! :-) There's a certain adrenaline high one gets each time they start a new contract. There's a sense of excitement to walking into a contract or town without knowing exactly what you will have to deal with. You learn to go with the flow and develop a sense of blowing in the wind. I don't stress about that stuff. Housing is not my responsibility. Nothing in employment is so horrible you can't deal with it for 13 weeks. Do what you can do- then walk away from the bad ones. If you get into a situation where they ask you be be unethical- walk away sooner. No GOOD company will prevent you from ending a contract for ethical issues.

In closing: I love traveling. I won't do it forever. I miss building relationships between myself and the doctors. I miss seeing how my patients are doing months and years after I've worked with them. I miss planting professional and personal roots. I miss being in the church choir! I'll be done in the next year or so and I'll have loads of pictures and relationships from across the nation. I'll have done something cool in my life. I have the pictures to prove it.

If there are further questions- post them here. I'll answer in the comment section!

Coit Tower and July 4th

It's so nice to have a good friend close by that's willing to stomp all over town all day long with you! Lisa and I went exploring again this past weekend- this time with my new/old camera in a brand new camera bag. I packed my point-and-shoot camera too just in case.

Here's the Transamerica Pyramid with my old point and shoot (Canon Powershot SD600):



And here's the Transamerica Pyramid with my brother's camera (Nikon D100):



Ummmm... Yeah, when they are compared directly my point-and-shoot Canon is much clearer and has more color. I think the potential for the Nikon may be higher than what I'm reaching. The stuff I used to trick my Canon into doing has an actual setting/button on the Nikon. Anyways, I look like a more serious photographer with the big honking Nikon! I think the key will be taking classes to figure out why this is a better camera.

Okay- on to exploring!

We looped around from Embarcadero station down to the piers and then looped up to Columbus Ave for lunch at Cafe Delucci's. We then ascended the steep incline to Coit Tower.



It was a rather pretty tower.



And for $5 bucks you could take the elevator to the top for some panoramic views of the city (no stair option).



What's really wonderful about this tower are the elaborate murals inside the halls of the base of the tower. They were one of the earliest WPA projects from the Great Depression and showed scenes of California. Apparently they were quite controversial due to the fact that the artists inserted certain political figures as heros and villains in the murals and snuck in all sorts of political opinions- such as this robbery in the picture of the city's financial district.



Here's another one of the "California cows are happy cows" section.



We headed down the street, wandered through Washington Square, and took a small break at XOX Truffles for some bite size truffles and coffee. Then down the street to Stella's pastry- where we shared a small (heheheh) pastry. Lisa is not good for my diet. It's all her fault.

Our only redeeming thought was that we were walking up and down a lot of hills- which was bound to help us work off either the truffles or the pastry. We checked out some hotels for Lisa's upcoming visit from her mom and nephews, then headed down to the piers to pick one from which to watch fireworks.

I'm embarrassed to admit it, but i had read on a SF blog that pier 3 was a great place to watch the fireworks. That information was completely and utterly wrong. Pier 3 was NO WHERE NEAR the fireworks. We saw them in the distance though. Here's my best firework picture from the new camera- I put the shutter speed on 2.5 after much playing around as a compromise between how much exposure verses how still I could keep the camera.



Fireworks are difficult to take pictures of. Not the best subject for the first day testing a camera that's way beyond my ability!

We finished the night at El Mar, a peruvian place the proved to me that octopus does not need to be rubbery or chewy- in fact, it tasted like a tender mild chicken with incredible spices. The crowd dispersed while we ate and flirted with the peruvian waitstaff (they were cute) and we headed back to the east bay area at midnight. And we didn't get mugged. :-)

My best night picture from the new camera:

Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco

For the record, I'm heterosexual.

For the record I have gay friends.

For the record, I consider myself a practicing Catholic.

These are some raging rapids of controversy I have to navigate right here.

I love all my friends and I have a tendency to be non-judgmental personally and professionally. Without going into it too deeply, my God who I worship is a God who appreciates good acts. If you live a good life, and are a good person, then the rest is up to him to judge. I love my friends because they are good people and I accept the people that they love also.

This blog is not to discuss such things. My life right now is measured in experiences. So, on to the Parade!

My old friend Lisa (an OT who I worked with in Baltimore, MD and is now conveniently working in Walnut Creek, CA) arrived separately and met up at the parade. We stood with about 5 ga-gillion people from 10:30 am until 2pm watching various groups march by our spot. We stood with a lesbian couple to our left and a male couple to our right. A heterosexual couple stood behind us. By the end of the parade, we were all very much friends and had caught some awesome stuff. Personally, I caught a bandana from Macy's that says "Pride and Joy", a snow globe with two fellows holding hands in front of SF City Hall (in tuxes), and a condom. The girl next to me caught a vibrator. There weren't a lot of throws at the parade (both Baltimore's Gay Pride parade and the Martis Gras parade in New Orleans left me with so much stuff I couldn't carry it all), but I have to admit the quality was better. I've never caught a snow globe before!!!

I saw some wonderful costumes!





















There were various celebrities and groups ranging from Dykes on Bikes, to Children of same-sex couples on Trikes. There was a group that was angry their penises were snipped at birth and another group stating that they were asexual. There were very stable couples strolling down the street (this couple has been together 21 years) and couples who were involved in subservient relationships:












































There were Protesters.



And police- many of them holding hands with same sex partners.



The book mobile made an appearance and people marched along side with pictures of books that had a homosexual character-- including one holding a picture of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (Dumbledore came out of the magical closet a while back).



And there was some really random stuff. For example, a bike that appeared to sit 5 people (maybe 6?) and was man-powered.



I'm glad I went. I enjoyed watching the different groups and sharing the experience with the crowd. It always amazes me that no matter how different we are, we all agree that dressing your partner up as a horse and using reins to control him/her is a little strange. The same-sex and different-sex couples around me whole-heartedly agreed.

Growing Pains

Ah, the life of a traveler is fraught with stress.

They changed the office I'm working out of. Instead of a 15 minute commute in the morning, I have between a 60-90 minute commute. I'm not real happy about the commute. The added pain of the moment is the fact that I love my apartment. It's big, airy, high ceilings, lots of natural light, full washer and dryer, nice view from the porch, pool that's large enough to swim laps, hot tub next to the pool...need I go on? It's a lovely place. It's in a cooler micro-climate to boot.

But due to the unexpected change (which I did not approve) I am now facing a move. Maybe. I can't seem to get a straight answer on this situation from anyone due to the fact that the week I started my contract everyone else who was involved went on vacation. My housing lady is on vacation. My immediate supervisor at the contract is on vacation.

I'm left driving 90 minutes to my first patient in the morning. Depending on traffic.

I am awaiting news, and trying to enjoy the apartment while I have it. I'm trying not to feel frustrated every time I fill my car with gas (5 X in two weeks- getting expensive!) I need to move closer to my clients, but I'm pissed because it really is a lovely apartment and the area that my clients live in is a bit more expensive. That means the apartment will be less nice-especially since the money will have to cover the set up of the new apartment.

I've been screwed by a contract change I didn't approve and I'm navigating new waters. I've never had a contract change like this. I like the job and the patients and the coworkers so far- but I'm very tempted to give 30 days notice due to the underhanded nature of this last minute contract change and the resulting effects on my personal life and checkbook. I'm not sure if I'm more angry with the client (company I'm temporarily working for who made the change) or my company (who has been unresponsive to the situation and is failing to both communicate how this situation happened and is failing to respond to it in a timely manner).

Rant over. Time to download some reasons that I travel! I've been busy despite the drama and unexpected crappy commute.

Home Sweet Home in Hayward, CA

Friday we drove up the Pacific Coast Highway from San Simeon to San Francisco.

This post is a bit delayed (should be dated 6/19/09).

Beautiful. Stunning. Curvy.



Five minutes up the road we stopped at a sign that said "View Elephant Seals". We parked and noticed a few seal heads sticking up out of the water far into the distance. There were louder barking sounds coming from the right of the parking lot so we followed our ears, though a gate and along a bluff. There, 15 feet below us, were a pod of Elephant seals in all their stinky amusing glory. They were enormous.



The seals would heave themselves out of the water, wiggle along for a few feet, then collapse. Then they'd wiggle a few more feet, then collapse. If they accidently knocked into another seal, they argued by lifting their heads way back and barking/burping into each other's faces. It was extremely entertaining and not at all how I expected to spend my first hour "on the road" that morning. A second pod was further down the path, as were several rabbits and some birds. I'm not sure if it was because we weren't expecting this sight, or if it was because it was entirely cool, but I do believe the Elephant Seals are the highlight of the trip.



The curvy beautiful coast continued north through fog layered mountain and sea views. We stopped at a bakery ran by hippies and ate some lovely quiche at a picnic table in the sun. An old man gave me the code to life. He wrote on a piece of paper "A-Z" and "0-9" and told me that with this code you can write your life story. I liked the old bald hippie. The cookie I carried from the store and ate later that day was good enough to make me want to make a special trip back to their hippie garden.



There were some wind surfers in wet suits at one of the beaches, and a surfer dude selling weird two-seeded cherries at another beach. A light house was another stop. We saw more seals there, but nothing compared to the Elephant seal beach.



At 11am I finally received the message from my company as to what address I would be calling home for the next 3+months. A thought this was way too stressful and proclaimed the life of contracting would not sit well with her- she likes a plan. My philosophy is that my company is responsible for finding me a place to sleep- it's not something I worry about. If it's unsafe or gross, I'll send them pictures. That's only happened once in the 3 years I've been traveling! We popped the address in Garmin and continued up the road and then over east to San Francisco.

A helped me unload my car- I told her she could just sit with the car and I'd run the loads up the 3 flights of steps but she's way too nice and wanted to carry as well. It took 11 trips (5 each, and one box that both of us carried). We found target and spent $150 on soap, groceries and other stuff necessary to make a house livable (Soap: dishwasher soap, laundry detergent, hand soap, dish soap for hand washing pots, shampoo/conditioner, 409 and clorex wipes...we are a very clean nation!)

Then we found my new sushi place and had a fabulous dinner. I will be visiting this sushi restaurant often- the BBQ eel was spectacular and the dynamite rainbow row had great spice.

I'm sure I'll be sharing pictures of the actual city of San Francisco in a later post. We do plan on a quick trip tomorrow, but it's more of a scouting trip for me. I'll do the city justice and devote a few weekends to just being a photo-bug. And good news! My brother is selling me his old camera- I'm upgrading from the point-and-shoot that I've taken all my blog pictures with! We shall compare the professional camera to the point-and-shoot and decide if it's worth it to lug it around on my adventures.



Adam- I'll devote a post to your questions as well. Give me a few days and then check back!

Road to California; Day 5; Arrival

Kingman, AZ was only about 40 minutes from the border of California. We crossed the Colorado river and entered into the very hot and sunny California sun.

The border patrol confiscated my two oranges. I had placed one behind my front seat within grabbing distance for a morning snack. Apparently the oranges did not pass the inspection's high standards.

Today I was very glad that friend A was here. The Mojave desert was intimidating with the call boxes placed every few miles, the endless scrub land with little ugly cacti, and the sun that beat down through the windows. Even through frequent sunblock was applied (spf 70), I now have pink arms, cheeks, and neck. I was not expecting to be fearful during this drive, but the combination of forces and the knowledge that a friend of mine had broken down on the same stretch of highway worried me. We made it through without incident. The desert gave way to brown dried hills with Dr. Suess-like trees. I believe they are the famed Josua Trees.



On the hilltops were armies of windmills. The windfarms were a bit scary to look at- I think it was the size and sheer number, combined with the fact that they lined every surrounding hill around us at times.



The general rule for the trip has been: keep the tank at least half full, always have water, and keep an eye on where we are. I think these rules have helped keep us safe.

We made no interesting stops on the way (other than border patrol) and arrived at the Pacific ocean at 5:45pm today. A and I parked in the closest beach access and skipped down to the water. Fog was rolling in from the ocean-during our drive we had wondered if it was fog or smoke from a local fire. The water was frigid, and the wind was chilling. We took some quick pictures and proceeded to the Best Western in San Simeon, CA.

Best Western was a pleasant surprise. We had jumped from Holiday Inn to Holiday Inn Express all the way across the United States, but there wasn't one along this stretch of highway. Best Western had an ocean front location, restaurant next door, parking right outside the room (better to watch my car full of belongings). Furthermore, they lit fire pits 20 minutes prior to sunset.

A and I ate at the restaurant and headed to a fire pit to watch the sunset. The fire fought back the chill and the fog cleared enough to enjoy a soft glowy sunset. We laughed at the family sharing our fire pit as they attempted s'mores for the first time. I demonstrated some roasting marshmellow tricks for the teenager who was obviously hanging out with his mom and aunts.



Day is done. Gone the sun. Goal is reached. I'm in California and I've now seen the Pacific ocean.

Road to California; Day 4

4 am is actually really early, for those who do not routinely wake up at this time. It is the time before dawn; the time before hotel bills being slipped under the door; and the time before coffee being properly brewed. And it was this time we chose to wake and depart. We were on the road by 4:20 pm. Not bad for two girls.

The darkness was consuming, and we had been warned to watch out for elk. I drove in part because I felt that if we hit and elk, I should be driving the car, and in part because we had already determined that my friend A is overdue for a new glasses prescription. We did not see elk.

We did not see the photographed sunrise over the Grand Canyon, but it was still very pretty.



A cloudy sunrise gave way to rain and the view was occluded. We drove to the other side of the south rim and tried a trail. The rain chased us back up the steep trail and we dodged mule poop the entire way back. We headed to the entrance of the park and attended the IMAX movie- it could not have been better! When we stepped out the theater, we smiled and headed back to the Canyons. The sun was back.

Lunch was eaten on the edge of the canyon overlooking the beauty. I had a very interested friend hoping for crumbs (or, if I had turned my back, half my sandwich!)



Puffy white clouds and sunlight brought out some of the colors of the canyon.



And then the rain swept back across the canyon. First, a smaller storm across the canyon. Then, a larger storm engulfing the area in lightening. We headed back to the car and drove what seemed to be a never-ending journey to Kingman, AZ.



Kingman, AZ- Oyster's Mexican restaurant was surprisingly good, and within walking distance of the Holiday Inn Express. This was good, as we were out of energy. As I type this, A is fast asleep and I'm ashamed to say I've been "resting" my eyes as each picture loads. It's almost 10 pm and I'm ready to sleep. Am I so tired due to getting up prior to the crack of dawn or is it the fatigue from racing across the United States? I don't know. I'm glad this trip occurred and I'm enjoying it immensely. Tomorrow, we enter California and we have absolutely no plans other than to pick up my apartment key Friday or Saturday. I don't know what tomorrow holds, but it can't possibly be as full as today.

Road to California; Day 3

Delayed due to faulty internet connect in the Holiday Inn in Williams, AZ.

Day 3 started much the same as Day 2, but with less stress than Day 1.

We stayed in Tucomcari, NM - much futher than planned- on night three. By mutual agreement, we decided that the marathon pace would give way to more sight-seeing these later days and our first stop of the day was Albuquerque, NM. We drove down the route 66 into town (construction on I-40) and drove through a poor hispanic district, a trendy town by the University of New Mexico, and finally Old town. Old town is a quiet green square surrounded by tourism and arts. Many of the shops are junk shops, but the feeling of the town is more than that. All of the other shops are local artists selling their wares. I really enjoyed Albuquerque and the 1 hour we alloted to this stopover became 2 hours. We saw the church of San Felipe de Neri and I bought a pretty cross at their gift shop.





To be honest, it reminded me of my Zorro movies. My opinion may be skewed, but I liked Albuquerque, NM.

Our next two stops were to be Petrified Forrest, AZ and Meteorite, AZ with possibly a sunset visit to the Grand Canyon.

Petrified Forrest stopped us in our tracks and completely ruined the itinerary. We estimated 30 minutes to see a bunch of petrified wood, but ended up spending almost 3 hours in the park. It was a beautiful drive- and we ended up doing a small hike around the Crystal forrest as well as spending quite some time taking pictures of both landscape and still life of the wood. I'm not sure what held our interest for so long, but we were held and the rest of the day didn't happen.





We arrived in Williams, AZ far after sunset and well into the night. It was 11 pm before we were in bed. We decided that life is short, and tomorrow we would see the sunrise over the Grand Canyon-despite the hour drive to the rim and the lateness of the hour. We set the alarm for 4 am.

Road to California; Day 2

Arkansas was a whole lot of nothing.

Oklahoma, despite the upbeat musical, was also a whole bunch of nothing. I did not see a surrey with a fringe and the cowmen and the farmers were in constant conflict.

I did stop and see the Memorial for the Federal building in Oklahoma City- what a beautiful memorial! Two arches, with the times 9:01 and 9:03 on them, embrace a reflection pool. The pool is 9:02 am April 19, 1995 when the federal building was attached. Rows of chairs line the pool, organized by where the victims were working in the building, and differing in size according to whether they were children or adults. There were way too many small chair there. Some pictures:





After Oklahoma came Texas. Right outside of Amarillo, TX we stopped at Cadillac Ranch. An art project planted in 1974, these cadillac are half buried. The artists encourage interaction with the project and you may spray paint them, write on them, climb on them, or whatever. It was great! Guess what I wrote? Look closely at the gold wheel!







We drove 720 miles today and were in 4 states (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and now New Mexico). We are now in Mountain time. We are now quite tired. It is time for bed. Tomorrow, we plan a much less road weary day and several Arizona attractions are calling our name. Tomorrow night I'll hopefully be writing from the Grand Canyon!

BTW-iphone vibrated for 15 minutes this morning as we entered Oklahoma. Not sure if iphone just did not agree with Oklahoma or if there is a software problem that is raising it's ugly head. There may be an Apple Store visit in the future!