Tuesday September 5 2017  TIME CHANGES JUST DON’T MAKE SENSE

My computer just clicked to midnight.  My husband’s watch says it is 11:00 p.m. and our phones say it is 10:00 p.m.  We are in Arizona.  Arizona does not change to Daylight Savings Time.  So we go through New Mexico and when we cross over the Arizona state line we lose an hour because New Mexico abides by Daylight Savings Time.  And we already lost one hour when we went from central time to Mountain Standard Time.  So it is 11:00 p.m. where we were yesterday, 12:00 midnight from where we started from in Wisconsin, and 10:00 p.m. in actual time in regards to where we are right now.  Tomorrow when we cross over the California state border there will again be an hour’s difference as California is on Pacific Daylight Time verses during winter when they are on Pacific Standard Time.

If I haven’t confused you by now I’ll tell you the rest.  I plan to publish this evening September 5, 2017.  However, since I have decided to not reset any of my time pieces my computer will read that it is two hours later than it actually is and will thus publish what I write on the 5^th as if it is September 6^th.  I have too many time pieces to mess with the upheaval and figure that when I arrive back home all will be well once again.

I wrote a blog in the car a couple of days ago and it would not transmit from my iPhone to my computer so I lost it.  I suppose I lost the poem as well as I spoke everything into my phone and now it is gone.  I won’t even try to recall that which I wrote two days ago due to all the new adventures I have encountered since.

Though this trip is being made quickly, somehow we always seems to find time to meet new and interesting people along the way.  We met Andy yesterday at the Tucumcari, NM hotel in which we stayed.  He is collecting for the disaster relief for the victims of Harvey.  He will also be going down to work among those who lost everything the hurricane.  This is something he does through his church organization and it was quite interesting to listen to his inside stories.

Yesterday afternoon we met two men from Argentina visiting a friend who is now a resident in Florida.  The one living in Florida spoke English and it was amazing to hear all about their trip around the United States.  As of now they are following the old Route 66 Highway.  And that is where we are parked for the night, old Route 66.  I had forgotten that Interstate 40 follows part of the old 66 Highway.  Before he left he did an awesome selfie including Dave and I as well as his two buddies from Argentina.  We could have talked a lot longer but we promised ourselves that we would arrive before dark to our destination still several hours away. 

Today we met three additional people.  I thought they were all together but only the man and woman were traveling together, the third was a lady on the solo mission of moving herself from the east to Southern California.  We ended up exchanging stories and making connections so as to stay in touch via email. 

This afternoon we met two musicians who are traveling with a group.  Extremely interesting to hear about their lives, one was from Incline Village by Lake Tahoe and the other in the Tahoe area as well but on the California side of the lake.

What I found interesting in all these encounters was that when I was ready to leave at least one in the party held out their arms to me and asked for a hug.  And of course then all the others in the group wanted a hug as well.  You know what, it felt good to talk to “strangers” and walk away with a depth of comradery between us.  It mattered not that our colors, nations, languages, and histories were not the same, there was a connection; an inherent, inborn desire to be accepted by others and in return fulfill their same innate need.

When we arrived at our hotel this evening we met two young men from London who are also on an epic journey through the United States.  They actually spoke English but I could only decipher a bit of what they said.  Their English sounded like a foreign language to me.  They were the only ones that did not offer me a hug!

Dave is tucked into bed and my poem is not yet written.  I just thought you might enjoy hearing about our travels.  Oh yes, I now remember what I wrote on Monday which was lost in cyber space.  I will expound BRIEFLY.

We spent Sunday night in Oklahoma City, OK.  We wanted to see the state Capitol building even though it was not open for guided tours.  We had called ahead and knew the building would be open.   It was eerie because the downtown of a Capitol City was uncannily quiet due to the holiday.  We had no idea where we could park because they were all reserved for the House Members and the Senate members.  I spoke to a policeman and he told us to go right up to the door that was open and park in one of the closest parking places.  We parked within a few feet of the building.  We still had to empty our pockets as we went through security check.  There were more officers present than there were visitors.  We only saw two other parties touring, each with two people.  We met a father and his young son who were from the area and learned quite a bit about the Capitol from the father.  He even showed us how to get into the Legislative Room.  It was awesome!  It is a beautiful Capitol undergoing renovation.  It will take several years to complete.  It is amazing when we read the statistics of what would be replaced.  I took photos but they are on my real camera and I am unable to send them.

We left the building later than we had intended but still arrived in Tucumcari NM before Dark.

MY THANK YOU POEM

Kathleen Martens

September 5, 2017

http://www.visionsofpoetry.com

Lord, thank You for wonderful days

As we journey across the land.

Thank you for the people you bring,

So more of life I understand.

Thank You Father for Your protection

Through miles of highway roads.

And thank You for stamina and strength

And for a car to carry our load.

Thank You God the Creator

For the sights, sounds, and smells

Refreshing beauty fills my soul

And does a body well.

Let me never take for granted

That which You allow me to hear.

Open my heart to those who come

Whom You are drawing near.

GOOD NIGHT AND GOD BLESS YOU!