h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

So, Courtesy and I meet up about 7, go have dinner, and head off down the freeway. At dinner, we began talking about politics, and the excellent conversation continued. Even with our opposing views, no one was maimed, and we are still friends.

The driving is smooth, and I don't meep once (at least, I don't think I did). We drive through the night, getting stopped by the Border Patrol 3 times (or was it 4). One had a drug dog, another asked "are you US citizens?" and didn't seem to care what our answer was. We saw a brush fire off in the distance, and I fell asleep quite a few times, often mid-conversation. What can I say? I was tired!

We arrived in Alamagordo and had breakfast at a local dive right next to a chain restaurant. I can guarantee it was better than a chain would have ever been. White Sands, the missile testing range, was quiet. And the number of boys in uniforms (and my goodness but they were boys) made me somewhat sad, really.

Fed and ready to roll, we continued on to Carizozo. Great houses, great character, and an aching sadness for a town that had seen much, much better days. I could buy a 4 bedroom, 3 bath house there for not much more than two years of rent in Irvine...we stopped at the local cafe, had a soda, and moved on.

Driving into Lincoln, we realized that neither of us had any signal on our phones. How were we to let Lil know we were there? How to find her house. Courtesy went into the post office and asked. They called her, and she came and stood outside.

Yes, Lincoln is that small.

Part II: The rest of the party arrives.