Snow In Iowa and First Day On The Road

Des Moines, Iowa started snowing while some movers were loading up Jessica's U-Haul truck for a move to California.

It ended up snowing overnight and left about 3-4 inches of snow on the ground. We had to wait a day before departing after hooking up a car carrier trailer to the truck on Sunday. Once it was loaded, we departed Iowa.

We ended up at a Motel 6 in Overland Park, Kansas the first night. It had to have been the worst Motel 6 I've ever been in. But I was too tired to try looking for another place to stay. 

Some photos of the snow in Des Moines/Ankeny, Iowa:

Back Home From A Long Trip

Above, yours truly at the airport in Houston, Texas during a layover on the way to Des Moines..

Several people wondered why there has been no blog posts over the past 10 days. The reason is simple: I was away from home and didn't bring a computer with me.

I went to Des Moines, Iowa back on December 5 to drive my ex-roommate Jessica's U-Haul Truck with a car carrier from there to Orange County, California. She decided to move from Iowa and will be residing with her mom. 

I got home last night after flying from John Wayne Airport to Albuquerque and then driving the RV from Albuquerque to Jamestown. To say that I am exhausted from the trip would be an understatement.

Above, the statue of the Duke at John Wayne Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Still, the drive wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. We had to delay our departure from Des Moines due to a snowstorm. 

I decided to drive straight south to Oklahoma City on Interstate 35 to get on Interstate 40 going west. This was to avoid any more snowstorms. 

We stayed in several places along the way: Overland Park, Kansas; El Reno, Oklahoma; Santa Rosa, New Mexico; home for one night in Jamestown; and Needles, California. We reached our destination on Friday. We made a few stops at some attractions along the way. Those will be covered in other blog posts.

Saturday morning was spent transferring Jessica's belongings to a storage unit in Orange County. The movers were quite good. Two men took only three hours to complete the job. 

Saturday night, Jessica, her mom and I went out for sushi dinner in Costa Mesa. I then flew home yesterday from John Wayne Airport. This was the first time I have ever flown from John Wayne or even been there. I did stop to take some phots of the John Wayne statue there. 

Now I am home and relaxing.  

Home Again

Above, Jessica and I at the Olive Garden.

Last night, I got home from a five day trip to Des Moines, Iowa to help my ex-roommate Jessica to pack up and and take things to a storage unit. 

To say that the work was tedious and strenuous would be putting it mildly. Especially so or this 71-year-old. But we got it done.

We did have some good times which included dinners a the Wasabi sushi restaurant and Olive Garden.

It was interesting to see snow already over the Rockies on the way home along with views of the Grand Canyon. 

For once, I had no problems with the flights. All were on time and without any incident. Going over to Iowa I flew on Delta Airlines and on Southwest Airlines on the the way back. 

I started the trip by staying Sunday night at the Rodeway Inn in Albuquerque as I had an early morning flight. I ate dinner and a breakfast at the nearby Waffle House. 

A few photos:

2024: Not Bad

Above, during the horseback ride in Monument Valley.

Well, 2024 is just about wrapped up.

The year hasn't been bad for me. For one thing, nobody in the family has passed away, which is always a good thing.

Above, during a boat tour in Nassau, Bahamas. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Thus far, it has been a mild winter. Not much snow has fallen as of late. But there's always January and February. 

I managed to do some traveling. Two clampouts were attended. A cruise to the Bahamas was taken. Helped with the John Wayne Cancer Foundation Half Marathon in Ridgway, Colorado. That was immediately followed by a trip to Monument Valley. A visit with ex-roomie Jessica in Des Moines, Iowa. That included a visit to the John Wayne Birthplace and Museum in nearby Winterset. Christmas was spent with the Geriminskys in Lake Havasu. I also visited Fort Sumner, New Mexico and toured the Billy the Kid Museum and gravesite. I attended this year's G-FEST in Rosemont, Illinois (near Chicago). It was good to see everyone there.

Above, during a Jeep drive to McGaffey Lake in May.

Happily, the 2024 Election turned out the way I wanted. We even gained some ground in the New Mexico legislature during the election. That is certainly a plus!

Above. with the gang at Grandpa's Grill in Gallup.

What 2025 holds is anyone's guess, but I am optimistic.

I plan on staying home tonight. It is safer that way. 

Happy New Year!

Probably Done With Air Travel

For the past several years, whenever I have taken a trip by plane I can get to my destination from home without any problem. But getting back home has been a whole different story.

Flight delays and flight cancellations due to weather or other causes have been the norm. 

That was the case again last week when I was trying to get home from Des Moines, Iowa. I was set to fly home last Thursday evening via American Airlines with an arrival at the Albuquerque Sunport around 11:00 PM. But the flight got delayed due to mechanical issues in the plane's cockpit. 

Well, it is better to discover a problem on the ground than at 35,000 feet in the air.

Above, at the bar at Des Moines Airport waiting for my flight to be rescheduled. It was later canceled.

First, it was to be delayed and hour. Then, as time passed, departure time was updated several times to 5:00 am. Then, the delay time was reversed backwards. Finally, the flight was canceled. We were given vouchers for a hotel room (mine was for the Quality Inn near the airport) and a meal. 

I also had my flights rescheduled for the next day. That should have been the end of it, but it wasn't. 

My morning flight from Des Moines International Airport to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport was delayed an hour of some oil issue with the plane. This delay caused me to reach the airport just after boarding for my flight to Albuquerque ended.

Well, I went over to American Airlines' customer service desk and got flight to Albuquerque scheduled to depart hour and a half later. This was fine, except my luggage was aboard the flight that I missed. It was waiting for me at the baggage area at the Albuquerque Sunport. 

Above, waiting at the Des Moines Airport hotel shuttle area
for the shuttle to the Quality Inn. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Flying has become more of a nightmarish chore than a pleasure. The only flights in recent years that had no problems was my trip to and from Miami in August for the Bahamas cruise. We did get a half hour delay for our connector flight from Atlanta, but that actually worked out better as passengers from our Miami flight took their sweet time getting their overhead carry-on luggage and getting off the plane. I actually had to say something to spur them on. We made it to the gate before boarding started.

I am either never flying with American Airlines (they seem to be the worst) again or not flying altogether. I have had enough of this.

Airlines need to have passengers with connecting flights seated towards the front of the plane so they can get out faster. They also need to not have short layover times in case of delays. 

In Iowa

This past week, I went to Des Moines, Iowa to help out my former roomie Jessica with some business related to her late dad's estate and other stuff.

The first day or so was spent decompressing from the long flight and to try out a local sushi restaurant, Wasabi, in Ankeny, a Des Moines suburb. It has been a while since either of us had sushi, so it was an extra special treat.

I had to fly in via Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. It is hard these days to get a direct flight anywhere at a reasonable cost. 

The Des Moines International Airport was roughly the size of the Albuquerque Sunport, but much older. they are a undergoing some building at the airport. 

I took a few photos:

Above. yours truly at the Albuquerque Sunport.

Above, at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, at Des Moines International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Jessica at her apartment's gazebo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Jessica's cat Smokey. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, at Wasabi for dinner.

Above, the platter of sushi and sashimi for two. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, inside Wasabi Japanese restaurant. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The next batch of photos will be from my trek to the John Wayne Birthplace and Museum in Winterset, Iowa. 

More Snow Photos

Now that the sun is up, we can get a better view of the season's first snow,

It is not unusual for Jamestown, New Mexico to get snow in October. Usually, it's lighter than this. Well, can use the water and will help tamp down the pollen that has been giving my allergies fits this past week.

I didn't put the motorhome into the garage as I am taking it today to Albuquerque to catch a flight to Des Moines, Iowa tomorrow morning. Hopefully, Interstate 40 will be clear of any snow and crashes.

I took some phots of the yard:

 

Last Night's Trump Rally In Des Moines

Well, it looks like President Trump doesn't have a chance to win re-election on November 3. Nobody bothered to show up at his rally last night in Des Moines, Iowa.