When I left Los Angeles this morning, the sun was shining. But, by the time I got to my lunch pit stop in Kettleman City, it started raining. I had a reason for stopping at this oasis off I-5... In N Out Burger! I had mentally prepared myself for the delectable double double burger the night before, so I was ready for it...really ready! After placing my order, I was standing in the near empty restaurant, sipping my soda when a guy sitting nearby made friendly talk. He was admiring my Nike basketball shoes and we soon got into a conversation on our Nike collections. The guy was really nice and we progressed our dialogue to our prospective college teams. I enjoyed the brief exchange with a total stranger.
I was in a good mood as I continued north on the interstate. The rain dissipated and the Pet Shop Boys was rockin' my Blazer. Just as one of my favorite songs of theirs started playing and I was just passing the town of Patterson, I almost got into an accident. Several cars were merging onto the freeway so I moved into the left lane. I watched as the cars moved into the right lane, including an old Mercedes pulling the rear. It was a good thing I kept my eye on it because...it kept moving to the left. Directly toward my me! I almost traded paint with the Mercedes as I laid on the horn, braked hard and moved slightly to the left to avoid the car. I was steamed! It was an old, balding man who realized belatedly that I was even there! Hey stupid, ever heard of head check? He looked in his rear mirror after hearing my horn, and sheepishly waved his hand. What an idiot! I had to follow the dummy until he passed the other cars and SLOWLY pulled back into the right lane. It was only my defensive driving skills that prevented me from damaging my beloved groupie mobile.
It took about 5 minutes for the adrenaline rush from my near catastrophe to disappear. By the time I got to my only sightseeing destination of the day, I had calmed down. At the Oakland Museum of California, I enjoyed a very impressive exhibit on The Story of California. I had seen bits and pieces of California history in a number of museums, but this one seemed to have everything...and then some! It took about two hours for me to see and read everything in the exhibit, it was that fascinating!
Tomorrow, it should be a nice day, albeit a bit cooler than Los Angeles. In other words, my kind of weather! I'll be doing some walking and historic sites. I'll try to make the best of my outdoor day because it's supposed to rain for the next two. That will put a damper on my plans, but I think I can find other things to do in San Francisco!
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