I'm Off Then

Today was the first day of my Road Trip 2011. Sasha got me up at 4:30 for his breakfast. I fed him and then went to sleep on the sofa until about 6:45. Then I finished packing and somewhat ordering the apartment. I started loading up the car at about 8:00, then I had to go to the bank, get coffee and gas. At 9:00 I got on the road.

First stop was Acton to the library so that I could drop off some library materials. They would have been seriously overdue by the time I got back.

Then I stopped off in Lake LA to see Mary. Then I got lost for a bit, I ran around on the back roads of San Bernadino County for a while before I pulled out the Iphone Map function to find myself. I got back on the right track, stopped for a late lunch at Mandalay Bay in Vegas. The lunch buffet was tasty--I stuffed myself on shrimp, salmon, and seafood paella. Yum.
Then back on the road for Utah. One more turn around before I made my way to Springdale which is at the mouth of Zion National Park. I didn't mind this turn around at all.

I went through the very quaint town of Toqueville and then when I turned around to come back, I stopped to take a photo of the view and watched a covey of quail cross into the wash below. One after another they followed each other down, chirping the entire way. These sort of things are why I don't really get upset for constantly getting turned around.

At about 8:00 Mountain Time, I checked into Zion Best Western. After I checked in, I went walked over to the Sports Bar for a Veggie Burger and a beer--I tried the Polygamy Stout local brew.
The drive was good. I listened to The Swan Thieves on audio book. It's an interesting story. A couple of weeks ago, I was going through the donation pile and this title caught my eye. I checked the catalog, it's one of those borderline cases where, I could add it but I would need to send in a item correction because I had the trade paperback but the catalog entry is only for the hard cover. So it has been sitting on my desk for the last week waiting for me to decide if I really will add it or put it back into the donation pile. I looked at a few reviews and was intrigued but it is pretty hefty and I already have about 20 books to read. Then on Saturday I saw that we had The Swan Thieves in audiobook format on the shelf. Then I noticed that Treat Williams is one of the readers. I had such a crush on Treat Williams in Hair when I in Jr. High School, I have a soft spot for him to this day. And at 17 discs it promised to hold me through a couple of states. And it has. And what serendipity, I am in the midst of all things art with our Season of Art library programming. Also I have recently read The Greater Journey: American in Paris by David McCullough and I Am Madame X by Gioia Diliberto about the subject of John Singer Sargent's controversial painting. The Swan Thieves is about a brilliant artist who has had a mental break because he seems to be obsessed with the subject of a French painting for the late 1870s. Part of the book is set in Paris in the 1870s. This book coalesces brilliantly with what have been reading and what my current professional interests are. I love it when things fall into place!!