2 RV's to Carson City, NV, delivered

1 Bus to Austin, TX

... spending the night in Santa Nella, CA.

It is now a day and a half later, and breakfast is a blur as likely are other things.

I had enough fuel to make it ... if my range didn't change. Not likely. The range seems to go down faster than the miles on the last quarter tank. So I thought I would put in two extra gallons, then rounded it up to three and a half. $10.

1st stop was next door to the hotel at the Pilot, I got fuel, BB did not. Even after I put in $10 she still had a longer range than I did. That's what we get for talking to each other while we were filling.

Off the interstate today. Two lane highway for about 50 miles. I had thought there wasn't any fuel stops but I did see them as we went past so I could have waited until closer to put in any needed fuel.

2nd stop - Mostly from memory I found the rental car place. I led BB in, she parked her RV to get the rental car and I went to fuel. Only one hose working at this place. I put in final fuel and headed to the drop. Company pays for final fuel and it has to be in the same zip code as the drop.

3rd stop. I got to the drop a half hour before our appointment so I went inside to ask where to park it. Nope, they were ready to inspect now. Then BB got there and we went back to get the 2nd RV. It was about two miles back. She fueled and then followed me to the drop. They were still inspecting mine when we got back. I wasn't planning on giving them my paperwork when I got there so I hadn't taken it out of the bag it comes in ... they ended up keeping my bag, so now I have to keep my paperwork elsewhere until it's filed at home.

I got a clean inspection, BB almost did, then we both noticed that one of the decals was coming off. Opps, not our fault but an issue. Oh I did have an issue too. My fuel gauge and range would not go up after I put in my final fuel. But it still showed as 1/4 from my morning fill so they were OK. It should have been showing 1/2.. I've had units do that before. They don't want to reset. I and they shut it off and back on, nope, wouldn't reset.

4th stop. We drove up to the Reno airport to get a car to take to Livermore. We saved about $200 by using a rental car to go get a different rental car. I dropped BB off and then waited in the cell phone lot until she had a car. They we both headed back to Carson City. I hadn't really looked at a map and tried to come in from a different direction. I wouldn't have had an issue if I would have come in either the way we came in or the way we left.

But it's a 'small' town. State capital. So I was able to guess my way around and got back to the rental car place. But on my way I was stopped at a light when I noticed a homeless gal picking up her bags. Not sure if she saw me looking but she walked straight towards my car across the traffic lanes. I had stopped looking directly at her but could see her peripherally. Thought she might try to get in the car, but she kept walking past ... down the traffic lanes.

5th stop - Then I had to fuel the car before returning it. We had only driven it 60 miles but had to put something in it. At first it the gauge wouldn't move ... and then it did, past where we had picked it up at.

6th stop - BB and I parked on the back side of the rental car place so we could move all our stuff from one car to the other ... and then she could return it as she had rented it.

7th stop. By now BB was hungry so we went to a place in the same parking lot. The 395 Grill. It is on US highway 395. Lots of character. The first thing I noticed was the steam powered blacktop packer. Then I noticed all the bottles and bottle caps on the walls. Then the pictures ... then the picture frames. The picture frames were made out of pop/beer cans. Then ... after we had gone to the restroom we noticed when leaving ... looking at the door heading of the restroom ... it was made to look like you were looking at the backwards lettering of the opposite. Made you stop and think, even if you were sober. Food was good. BB got a fish sandwich, I got a reuben and onion strings. Too good, too much.

8th stop - seeing we were only a mile from a cemetery, we headed there. As soon as I turned in that direction BB reminded me that we would be short on time. I didn't see that as an issue. I'd looked online and comments were these people were helpful. They would have been more helpful if I had had the names correct. But we found what I came for. This time it was a 2nd cousin of mine, her husband and son.

By now it is 1 PM and we have a three and a half hour drive to get to Livermore. I wanted to go the 'shortest' route which was a road we had never been on. Another plus.

A few miles down the road we saw the signs about tire chains ... hadn't thought about that. But it was a clear beautiful day so we shouldn't have any issues. Clear and beautiful at least at the bottom of the pass.

It wasn't too long until we were up in the snow. The roads were mostly clear. But there were places they were not and lots of gates, open today, but to block the roads when the roads were closed. The cruise was not used much today. Lots of curves hugging the mountain. BB took lots of pictures for me. But I doubt they do it justice, I haven't looked at them yet. I know she missed a couple of pictures ... the signs that said avalanche area and a two second opportunity of distant landscape. But lots of pictures showing the snow banks higher than the cars.

This next could have happened anywhere. We come up to a flag person, My lane is coned off and a stop sign lying on the ground, person talking on the phone. So I look at the oncoming traffic. I am seeing the 'slow' side of that sign so the oncoming traffic must have the stop. I start to go around the person in my lane, they wave ... to me it looks like they are pointing where to drive, so I aim for there and THEN they get excited. NO, I need to stay stopped, we are at a cross road and the side traffic has the right of way ... opps.

I call the bus dispatcher again, I had called from our drop to let him know we were in town. This time he tells me he has one from KS.

And yes, time is now an issue. All this slow and go through the mountains has eaten up a lot of time. Once we are out of the pass area we stop at a Wendy's to use the restroom and eat. Only the drive threw is open. Not sure if they have 'to go' cups for someone that really has to go ...

We didn't order and kept going until we got to Livermore.

9th stop - McDonalds in Livermore. Then fuel at an ARCO in the same lot. We put in $5. In CA, the ARCO are cash or debit card only so we had to prepay. When BB picked up this car they told her the car was full of gas, but the gauge didn't work properly so bring it back on a quarter of a tank. So we got 3/4 of a tank free. Then we BB returns the car she asks, no, the pickup location did not mark the car as 1/4, but we do enough business with this location they just changed it.

10th stop - Picking up the bus. As soon as we got there, he told us we were going to TX instead of KS. Less miles paid, more miles and motels to get home. At some point when we were driving BB asked how many hours I had left to drive this week. I didn't know.

No issues with the bus, asked the dispatcher a few questions ... which were all answered on my paperwork once I got it from him.

BB called just before I pulled out wanting to know if it was OK to return the car. It's now dark and she doesn't like having to drive in the dark so she left as soon as everything was moved from the rental car to the bus. It was still daylight then.

I took her route this time for the 1st time. Seems longer than the route I have taken a couple of dozen times. But there was a film on both the inside and outside of the windows that made it harder to see in the dark. It didn't wipe off with just a dry towel.

Picked up BB and now had an hour drive in rush hour traffic to Santa Nella.

11th and Final stop. Quality Inn in Santa Nella. I have a place I like to park here, but I have to back in around a corner. I didn't have the feel for it tonight and it took a few times. And like sometimes, there are people that want to get past and have to go around the building a different way. Finally got it. Then realized tonight I could have parked a couple of different places on the street. Next time I'll look at those first.

Almost a 14 hour day.

Now to do the math. I have 25 hours to work in the next three days, then 10+ on Friday. But the drop closes at 3 PM on Friday. We won't know until tomorrow and we are past LA if we have a chance of making it Friday or if we wait and deliver on Monday.