Spring Break '08 - Part 2 (the Mojave Desert)

For any of you who may be reading this and have never been to California I have a piece of advice.  Here it is.  FLY.  On an airplane.  Pay the extra money and fly.  For goodness sake, fly.  Let me begin by saying that my kids were pretty good the whole way down.  They didn't complain and kept pretty busy.  Jake reminded me a lot of my Grandpa Simper because he delighted in every change of scenery and pointed out every interesting rock, cliff, plant, etc.  And then we reached the Mojave Desert.  And the kids were still good.  And Reed was good.  And I was not.  I thought I would go crazy.  These were my thoughts:  "It will never end.  The Mojave Desert won't end.  We are still in the desert.  I can't take it.  The desert won't end.  I am going crazy.  Pull over the car and let me out.  I can't stand it.  Wait, if I get out I will still be in the desert.  This must be what purgatory is like.  Driving and driving and never getting anywhere and still seeing the same desert.  Are we going in circles?  Stop the car, I want off this ride.  No, drive faster.  Get me out of here.  Please for the love of Pete stop the desert.  AAAaggghhhh."  And then I couldn't take any more and Reed had to talk me down.  And we were still in the desert.  And still in it.  And still, still, and still.... and still in it, and I am hugging my legs and rocking back and forth humming to myself thinking happy thoughts and then we were out.  Thank goodness.  I thought it would never end.  The whole rest of the trip I was devising ways that I could fly home and leave the rest to drive home, through the Mojave Desert.  I do not like the Mojave Desert, I do not like it, Nat I am.