"Shakedown" trip progresses!

Back to the story.  We checked our calendars and agreed on a departure date about two and a half weeks into the future.  DJ (I noticed I did not give the lady a name in my first post) had family commitments and I had to finish applying bottom and hull paint on my boat; get it back in the water; and take it from Redondo Beach to Long Beach (about 30 miles).  As the time passed we talked very little but exchanged several emails.  In one email I suggested that we should go out to dinner before the trip so she could be sure she wanted to go through with it.  Her response was " Oh no you don't; you want to go to dinner so you can be sure.  I'm sure already!"

Time flew by and the departure date arrived.  Miraculously, her new home was just over a mile from my house.  She was living with her son and his family as a live-in babysitter while she began a new career in real estate.  I made the 5 minute trip; pulled up in front of her driveway; the garage door opened and there she was!    A quick hug hello and we were loading her luggage into Dod.  As I loaded one bag, she told me to be careful that the wine was in that bag.  Things are getting better by the minute.

One block into the trip we had to go back for a comforter she had forgotten.  Okay, I forget things too.  After the second start we had gone less than a mile when she asked me to pull over.  She didn't like the odor (cat urine) that seemed to be coming out of the air vents.  Now I am getting a little concerned.  I don't like the smell of cat urine either but I swear, I didn't even notice it.  I closed the vents opened the windows and we were off again.  About 3 miles later she asked:  "Are you sure you're going the right way?  The 405 freeway is that way (pointing to the right)."  I was really concerned then.  We were only a few miles and minutes into a 250 mile round trip and 6 days and 5 nights together.  I had made this trip 20 times or more and believe me I knew where I was going.  I very nicely explained the route we would be taking.

It turns out that she knew of a second route that would take us right by her daughter's house in Irvine.  She was right if you think that 10 miles each way from our route is going "right by" her daughter's house.  Another problem with her route was that it would increase the round trip by 60 miles, require using two toll roads and climbing over a 3,000 foot summit.

We were headed to Idyllwild, CA with a quick stop in Hemet to purchase a piece of siding to finish the repairs to Dod's cab over.  I don't want to be picky but the driveway of the only company west of the Mississippi that still stocks this particular siding was actually on the highway used in my route.  Okay, maybe I did want to be picky.

This post is taking much longer than I had planned!  More tomorrow.