Frankie Frost / Marin Unbiased Journal
Barry Tompkins
I hoped to take the bullet practice to Los Angeles for Thanksgiving this 12 months. At the very least I assumed this might be accessible to me now that it has been talked about and “deliberate” because the Carter administration.
Sadly, I used to be solely in a position to go south on the bullet practice with an actual bullet. I count on the LA-SF bullet practice will nonetheless be nothing greater than a rattling good concept in a few a long time when my grandchildren come to go to me on the Hebrew Nursing House.
That left me with the standard selection between flying or driving a automotive. Having spent most of my life sitting with my seat within the absolutely upright and locked place, I’ve sufficient air miles to not solely fly to Los Angeles, but in addition to have weekly journeys to Papeete, French Polynesia, and do not run out of frequent flyer miles.
The issue with going to LA for a household Thanksgiving dinner is that whereas I have not checked a bag on an airplane in 4 a long time, I wanted 4 luggage, a steamer suitcase, and 4 Sherpas to get the fundamentals for a Thanksgiving dinner. Caught in my household to have.
As I’ve talked about a number of instances on this weekly article over the previous few years, for my household meals is synonymous with the start of your firstborn, enormous success in an IPO, and successful the lottery. We don’t take these occasions flippantly. And so we solely carry the naked necessities from our personal kitchen in order that nothing stands in the way in which of replicating grandma’s corn bread filling. In my case, that might be all of the necessities (which, in fact, might by no means be present in an LA grocery store), the fridge, and the grandma, who is simply taken from the attic on particular events.
Now for the driving half.
I cherished driving, particularly after I was 16 years previous and drove round San Francisco in my 1947 Chevrolet coupe that I purchased for $ 100. I cherished driving after I was spending cash from a summer season job to purchase a Triumph TR3 on the age of 19. I used to be fairly cool. I even began smoking a pipe simply to look a little bit extra British. However over time my pleasure of wanting behind the wheel and feeling free has given solution to the recurring thought, “Give me the quickest solution to get from level A to level B and I am going to do it.”
And of all of the possible automotive journeys that preserve telling me, “You simply need to do it,” the drive to Los Angeles on Freeway 5 ends so low on the checklist that I’d in all probability have been higher off ultimately, Grandma and go away the fridge to take residence and rent the Sherpas once more.
That is one experience so boring that after I obtained to Fresno I attempted to shock Siri with foolish questions on rising raisins within the San Joaquin Valley.
Once we obtained to Bakersfield I felt just like the Donner Get together and my spouse checked out me like a chocolate croissant.
Once we obtained to the Grapevine – the gateway to Los Angeles – I had a full beard and my spouse’s hair had turned grey. We each knew it was solely seven hours, and but we all know that we felt similar to Roald Amundsen when he lastly crossed the Northwest Passage.
It is simply one thing to go practically 400 miles with out turning the steering wheel whereas taking a look at a steady panorama with one subject adopted by one other simply punctuated by gasoline stations and quick meals eating places that makes me need that Cease the automotive and switch it right into a planter someplace close to Patterson.
Grandma and the fridge are on their very own.
Barry Tompkins is a longtime sports activities broadcaster dwelling in Marin. Contact him at barrytompkins1@gmail.com
