arfur
03-30-2006, 09:53 AM
Last one! (I almost) Promise!!!! :D
Well as you know, the trip out to Irvine was memorable (hows that for an understatement!?). And the day spent meeting and greeting was great fun - with countless highlights, and an aching head......
Still - managed to get there - gotta get back!
During the M&G, Ron (1bad4dr) had asked when I was leaving to head back to Texas. I said that I hadn't decided, but I was only planning on one stop for the way back and hadn't booked anywhere yet. He very kindly offered his home to me as a stepping stone for the trek home!!! How kwel was that!
I said that that would be very nice as he knew the roads and it saved me some 'cabbage' and I would have some company! Then something funny happened. I told SWMBO that I had met this guy called Ron and his dad Fred and that I had been offered a place to stay in a spare room for the night. She says "How long have you known him?" and "Are you sure - you don' know him that well?" and "I wish you would be careful!!" etc etc. Remember according to the UK news, America is full of mass murderers and psychos!! I assured her tha I had spent time drinking and chatting with Ron and I didn't see there being a problem. Anyway - an uneasy truce was called and I was going with Ron and Fred to his house. On the other side of the coin, Ron had phoned his missus and informed her that they would be entertaining a guest that evening......Her response "How long have you known him?" and "Are you sure?" etc etc. I didn't want to tell Ron what SWMBO had said at first cos I didn't want him to take offence (like he would anyway!!!) but decided to as SWMBO wanted the adress of the house and a contact number - so she would feel better. So I leveled with Ron about Shelly's fears and he told me about Mauren's!! Well - that was that - I was going to visit to Albuquerque!
Around 07:30 the morning we were due to leave, Ron phones me on my cell and I go to meet them for breakfast. Then I find out that the brekkie is not part of my room charge and it would be an extra 11+ bucks!! I went in and found Ron anf Fred and said that I was not paying 11 bloody buck to have brekkie - especially after how much the room cost me. Ron said not to worry and kindly covered the charge!!!!!
Afetr we had been sated, it was time to hit the road. And you know when you think you've pretty much seen everything there is to see about convoys and forum members and caravans and driving........... You follow 1bad4dr for 700+ miles!!!!
Now - being the SRT-8 type vehicle, and being a local, Ron took point. All I had to do was follow him all the way home. Not a problem. As soon as we left the conurbations of Irvine/LA and got onto the open roads.......Ron ppicks up the pace. Yet again, there were drivrs who for some reason were incapable of moving over once they had passed a vehicle - wot a surprise, but with only two of us, we started making short work of any rolling road blocks. Now the good thing is that Ron has a set of zoomers on his car....so every time he started to apply throttle for a manoeuvre, I would be alerted to this because of the bellowing racket (ok - it was a ruble/roar) that would hit my windscreen! It's almost like having inverse brakelights - a signal that speed would be increasing!!!!
Anyways, there we are bundling along, when we start to get out into the sticks. Lots more space and the speed increases again. Ron and Fed up front keeping an eye out, me scuttling behind (making a particularly sad effort of watching the back door....which of course Ron had covered anyway......) We blew past a couple of Cops, but had slowed in enough time to not get any attention. Then something happens that I really should have been expecting....our tiny caravan comes accross a Corvette as we get into some hilly country. Anyody want to guess where this is going?????
Well, we pass and then the Corvette comes back. Ron starts playing a little tag with the guy - nothing serious (I think they were flexing muscles and eyeing ech other up!). Finally Ron gets a move on and I follow, overtaking the Corvette. I look over and the guy driving is laughing and smiling and loks as if he's enjoting himself (his missu didn't look so impressed sitting next to him!!!), so as I went ast him, I flicked the hazards on for a few flashed as a greeting and he sticks his thumb up. Anyway, what happens next is a little foggy, but somehow this Corvette and Ron end up level again (traffic I think) and we get to the top of a big incline........... Well there I am again - way back on my own as both Ron and this Corvette suddenly shoot off at a huge rate of knots down an empty road!! Man they flew. I (of course) kicked my trusy steed and shot off after them....but they just kept getting smaller and smaller. I get to 120 and still can't see them around the next bend!!!! So anyways, eventually the shape of Rons car grows back to its normal size in my windscreen and I can let off the gas. I can't remember what speed they got to - I think Ron said around 150 - but teh good news was that he won the race!!!
Things became a little more stable and we plodded on at a steady 90. We wre joining another highway when this POS Toyota (I think it was) cuts straight out on Ron - I'm talking a couple of feet in front of him. Ron slams the brakes on and I do the same. Anyway, she finally gets out the way - cue zoomers - cue me at full throttle as well. So we sod off and are cruising along 90/95, when this Toyota starts catching us up! the stoopid woman driving it then decides she is gonna camp out on my rear bumper. Ron sees that I am being harassed, so shoots off - I follow can't remember how fast we went (he went a lot faster tho) but we kept the pace for a couple of miles. We slow down and are cruising again. I can see that this Toyota hasn't given up trying to catch us, but then I see Ron braking sharply, just fater he had passed a lorry. I do the same and there at the side of the road was a traffic unit - phew - close call! We didn't speak to each other, but both Ron and I when talking later had thought that the Toyota might get yanked by the cops if she didn't see them in time. Unfortunately, a lorry in the slow lane pulled out to pass the unit on the hard shoulder and caused the Toyota to slow. Bugga.
We pick up speed again and blow me - guess who comes crawling up behind me??? For cryin' out loud! Ron again sees this and pulls into the slow lane and decelerates - I do the same. That bloody Toyota then slows doan and pulls right in behind me again!!! It is obvious to be that she was using Ron and I as minesweepers - which wasn't such a bad thing, but she was getting so close to the rear of my car!!! We start coming up on another vehicle in the slow lane and Ron puts his hand out his window and signals me to pass - I know exactly what he was gonna do. I draw level and tell him that she is gonna keep doing this cos she wants us to lead the way! I go past, Ron pulls out behind me - and I nail it! So Ron lets me get a couple of miles up front (I had been doing 110/120) whilst he stays level with the car we were overtaking in the slow lane - keeping the Toyota stuck behind him. After he has judged my distance to be about right - he hammers it and leaves this Toats spinning in space. He catches up to me after a minute or so (crumbs that thing grew quickly in the rear view!!!!) and then takes point again - he later told me he got to 155 on that run and the car felt very stable - rather him than me!!!
Well - you've guessed it - 10 to 15 minutes later, the fukcing Toyota shows up again. We are coming to a rest area and Ron pulls off - I follow. The Toyota stays on the freeway!!! Horahhhhh! :D
We all take a comfort break and then hit the road again. And all I can say is that the rest of the journey went very smoothly, until it got dark (for me anyway). Although we had rested and re-fuelled - stopped for lunch and taken it relatively easy, we had driven a long way and I was fatigued. Something very strange started to happen to me. As I looked out the windscreen, following Ron, my lit up dials on the dash started to float around (or so it seemed to me). Every bump I went over seemed to cause a phase lag with the dials in the acr - I would go up and come down, then the dials would!!! WTF - didn't like this! So I found the controls and dropped the intensity down to minimum. That sorted that out! Phew.
Then - why me I often wonder - soemthing strange started to happen to Rons SRT-8 - it seemed as if he had started to float and he was drifting around in front of me - sort of on the road - but not if you see what I mean. Now I had read that you can start to get mesmorized on freeways and began to wonder if the hours of driving had started me off - especially as I had been looking at the same view of the back of Rons car for 10 hours! I decided that I needed to change the view a little so dropped right back and then pulled up again....dropped right back and then pulled up again over 5-10 mins or so. This definitely helped, as the view in front of me was now changing slightly.
Finally, we made it to AQQ and near to Rons house! Of course he started to go round so many back roads, I was beginning to wonder if I was being led to a field somewhere........??? :ninja:
Got to his safely and went inside - after meeting his mum and good wife and a small chat - it was off to the land of nod.
Before I left the next day, Fred treated me to a cooked breakfast at a local eatery (which he insisted on paying for) and then once more I hit the road. After settign the splat nav, it told me that I had 500+ miles to go. Not too bad - definitely got the majority of the jouney out the way yesterday!
I won't describe the rest of the journey, cos I was on my own and therefore out of the influence of those that would have made the journey more exciting. I couldn't even get up much speed - there were Police everywhere! So after leaving NM into TX, I knew it was nearly over. Set the cruise for 73ish and just sat there. I lost count of the amount of traffic units and sheriffs vehicles I saw on the way back - lets put it this way - had I been doing 90 - there would have been at least 4 occasions where I would not have been able to slow down in time!
Got home safe - phoned SWMBO and then Ron to let him know. That was it - end of chapter, end of journey. No dings, no tickets - but one hell of a huge smile!!!!
I would like to take this oppertunity to thank Ron, Maureen, Fred and Joeanne for putting up with me for that evening. It really did make a difference on the joureny that I was going to have to undertake to get home. Also thanks for the grub that you got for me. Hope to see you all again at some point in the future.
p.s. Thanks to anybody that actually read this far!!
p.p.s Here's Rons house! (with my car outside the next morning!)
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e363/arfur100/P4010085.jpg
Well as you know, the trip out to Irvine was memorable (hows that for an understatement!?). And the day spent meeting and greeting was great fun - with countless highlights, and an aching head......
Still - managed to get there - gotta get back!
During the M&G, Ron (1bad4dr) had asked when I was leaving to head back to Texas. I said that I hadn't decided, but I was only planning on one stop for the way back and hadn't booked anywhere yet. He very kindly offered his home to me as a stepping stone for the trek home!!! How kwel was that!
I said that that would be very nice as he knew the roads and it saved me some 'cabbage' and I would have some company! Then something funny happened. I told SWMBO that I had met this guy called Ron and his dad Fred and that I had been offered a place to stay in a spare room for the night. She says "How long have you known him?" and "Are you sure - you don' know him that well?" and "I wish you would be careful!!" etc etc. Remember according to the UK news, America is full of mass murderers and psychos!! I assured her tha I had spent time drinking and chatting with Ron and I didn't see there being a problem. Anyway - an uneasy truce was called and I was going with Ron and Fred to his house. On the other side of the coin, Ron had phoned his missus and informed her that they would be entertaining a guest that evening......Her response "How long have you known him?" and "Are you sure?" etc etc. I didn't want to tell Ron what SWMBO had said at first cos I didn't want him to take offence (like he would anyway!!!) but decided to as SWMBO wanted the adress of the house and a contact number - so she would feel better. So I leveled with Ron about Shelly's fears and he told me about Mauren's!! Well - that was that - I was going to visit to Albuquerque!
Around 07:30 the morning we were due to leave, Ron phones me on my cell and I go to meet them for breakfast. Then I find out that the brekkie is not part of my room charge and it would be an extra 11+ bucks!! I went in and found Ron anf Fred and said that I was not paying 11 bloody buck to have brekkie - especially after how much the room cost me. Ron said not to worry and kindly covered the charge!!!!!
Afetr we had been sated, it was time to hit the road. And you know when you think you've pretty much seen everything there is to see about convoys and forum members and caravans and driving........... You follow 1bad4dr for 700+ miles!!!!
Now - being the SRT-8 type vehicle, and being a local, Ron took point. All I had to do was follow him all the way home. Not a problem. As soon as we left the conurbations of Irvine/LA and got onto the open roads.......Ron ppicks up the pace. Yet again, there were drivrs who for some reason were incapable of moving over once they had passed a vehicle - wot a surprise, but with only two of us, we started making short work of any rolling road blocks. Now the good thing is that Ron has a set of zoomers on his car....so every time he started to apply throttle for a manoeuvre, I would be alerted to this because of the bellowing racket (ok - it was a ruble/roar) that would hit my windscreen! It's almost like having inverse brakelights - a signal that speed would be increasing!!!!
Anyways, there we are bundling along, when we start to get out into the sticks. Lots more space and the speed increases again. Ron and Fed up front keeping an eye out, me scuttling behind (making a particularly sad effort of watching the back door....which of course Ron had covered anyway......) We blew past a couple of Cops, but had slowed in enough time to not get any attention. Then something happens that I really should have been expecting....our tiny caravan comes accross a Corvette as we get into some hilly country. Anyody want to guess where this is going?????
Well, we pass and then the Corvette comes back. Ron starts playing a little tag with the guy - nothing serious (I think they were flexing muscles and eyeing ech other up!). Finally Ron gets a move on and I follow, overtaking the Corvette. I look over and the guy driving is laughing and smiling and loks as if he's enjoting himself (his missu didn't look so impressed sitting next to him!!!), so as I went ast him, I flicked the hazards on for a few flashed as a greeting and he sticks his thumb up. Anyway, what happens next is a little foggy, but somehow this Corvette and Ron end up level again (traffic I think) and we get to the top of a big incline........... Well there I am again - way back on my own as both Ron and this Corvette suddenly shoot off at a huge rate of knots down an empty road!! Man they flew. I (of course) kicked my trusy steed and shot off after them....but they just kept getting smaller and smaller. I get to 120 and still can't see them around the next bend!!!! So anyways, eventually the shape of Rons car grows back to its normal size in my windscreen and I can let off the gas. I can't remember what speed they got to - I think Ron said around 150 - but teh good news was that he won the race!!!
Things became a little more stable and we plodded on at a steady 90. We wre joining another highway when this POS Toyota (I think it was) cuts straight out on Ron - I'm talking a couple of feet in front of him. Ron slams the brakes on and I do the same. Anyway, she finally gets out the way - cue zoomers - cue me at full throttle as well. So we sod off and are cruising along 90/95, when this Toyota starts catching us up! the stoopid woman driving it then decides she is gonna camp out on my rear bumper. Ron sees that I am being harassed, so shoots off - I follow can't remember how fast we went (he went a lot faster tho) but we kept the pace for a couple of miles. We slow down and are cruising again. I can see that this Toyota hasn't given up trying to catch us, but then I see Ron braking sharply, just fater he had passed a lorry. I do the same and there at the side of the road was a traffic unit - phew - close call! We didn't speak to each other, but both Ron and I when talking later had thought that the Toyota might get yanked by the cops if she didn't see them in time. Unfortunately, a lorry in the slow lane pulled out to pass the unit on the hard shoulder and caused the Toyota to slow. Bugga.
We pick up speed again and blow me - guess who comes crawling up behind me??? For cryin' out loud! Ron again sees this and pulls into the slow lane and decelerates - I do the same. That bloody Toyota then slows doan and pulls right in behind me again!!! It is obvious to be that she was using Ron and I as minesweepers - which wasn't such a bad thing, but she was getting so close to the rear of my car!!! We start coming up on another vehicle in the slow lane and Ron puts his hand out his window and signals me to pass - I know exactly what he was gonna do. I draw level and tell him that she is gonna keep doing this cos she wants us to lead the way! I go past, Ron pulls out behind me - and I nail it! So Ron lets me get a couple of miles up front (I had been doing 110/120) whilst he stays level with the car we were overtaking in the slow lane - keeping the Toyota stuck behind him. After he has judged my distance to be about right - he hammers it and leaves this Toats spinning in space. He catches up to me after a minute or so (crumbs that thing grew quickly in the rear view!!!!) and then takes point again - he later told me he got to 155 on that run and the car felt very stable - rather him than me!!!
Well - you've guessed it - 10 to 15 minutes later, the fukcing Toyota shows up again. We are coming to a rest area and Ron pulls off - I follow. The Toyota stays on the freeway!!! Horahhhhh! :D
We all take a comfort break and then hit the road again. And all I can say is that the rest of the journey went very smoothly, until it got dark (for me anyway). Although we had rested and re-fuelled - stopped for lunch and taken it relatively easy, we had driven a long way and I was fatigued. Something very strange started to happen to me. As I looked out the windscreen, following Ron, my lit up dials on the dash started to float around (or so it seemed to me). Every bump I went over seemed to cause a phase lag with the dials in the acr - I would go up and come down, then the dials would!!! WTF - didn't like this! So I found the controls and dropped the intensity down to minimum. That sorted that out! Phew.
Then - why me I often wonder - soemthing strange started to happen to Rons SRT-8 - it seemed as if he had started to float and he was drifting around in front of me - sort of on the road - but not if you see what I mean. Now I had read that you can start to get mesmorized on freeways and began to wonder if the hours of driving had started me off - especially as I had been looking at the same view of the back of Rons car for 10 hours! I decided that I needed to change the view a little so dropped right back and then pulled up again....dropped right back and then pulled up again over 5-10 mins or so. This definitely helped, as the view in front of me was now changing slightly.
Finally, we made it to AQQ and near to Rons house! Of course he started to go round so many back roads, I was beginning to wonder if I was being led to a field somewhere........??? :ninja:
Got to his safely and went inside - after meeting his mum and good wife and a small chat - it was off to the land of nod.
Before I left the next day, Fred treated me to a cooked breakfast at a local eatery (which he insisted on paying for) and then once more I hit the road. After settign the splat nav, it told me that I had 500+ miles to go. Not too bad - definitely got the majority of the jouney out the way yesterday!
I won't describe the rest of the journey, cos I was on my own and therefore out of the influence of those that would have made the journey more exciting. I couldn't even get up much speed - there were Police everywhere! So after leaving NM into TX, I knew it was nearly over. Set the cruise for 73ish and just sat there. I lost count of the amount of traffic units and sheriffs vehicles I saw on the way back - lets put it this way - had I been doing 90 - there would have been at least 4 occasions where I would not have been able to slow down in time!
Got home safe - phoned SWMBO and then Ron to let him know. That was it - end of chapter, end of journey. No dings, no tickets - but one hell of a huge smile!!!!
I would like to take this oppertunity to thank Ron, Maureen, Fred and Joeanne for putting up with me for that evening. It really did make a difference on the joureny that I was going to have to undertake to get home. Also thanks for the grub that you got for me. Hope to see you all again at some point in the future.
p.s. Thanks to anybody that actually read this far!!
p.p.s Here's Rons house! (with my car outside the next morning!)
http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e363/arfur100/P4010085.jpg