"On the road again...", or "Travels with Charley... er, Jack"

3/25 - Got into El Paso late last night. Everything's gone well so far, apart from the fact that both dad and I are suffering from sinus infections, and thus a little irritable and short-tempered. However, after dropping off the truck this morning, we rented a car and found a walk-in clinic (The Doctors In. Cute name, no?). Took several hours, but at the end of it, we had a prescription for antibiotics for me (hooray!). Plus, dad called his doc in longview for an identical prescription, which was filled at a local walgreen's. So both of us should be on the mend shortly (and thank god for that, or it'd be a difficult trip back to pasadena). However, I think this rules out the possible side trip to the Grand Canyon... I'd like to get back to pasadena so I can sleep and not drive 8 hours per day... and perhaps actually have time to work on my paper on my laptop. I'd forgotten how difficult it was to construct a paper with pen and paper in a bumpy truck. Plus there's the whole 'motion-sickness' factor - for some reason, involved reading and note-taking over bumpy roads brings on a headache within thirty minutes, though I can easily read light material for hours without nausea. Hmm. Oh well.
Also, the truck has now passed muster on El Paso smog checks two years running. -grins- No worries about my truck polluting Pasadena more than its fair share... on the contrary, it's way below both the high and low speed standard marks. Gosh, but it's a great truck. And the only thing that's gone out so far has been the door lock on my side (just the switch and not the actuator - a solenoid - thank goodness), and that was easily enough replaced today.
Moral of this story? Remember, when looking for a new or used truck, buy Chevy, kids. ;)
What else... paper's coming along, I suppose. Currently I'm still plowing through the reading as best I can on the roads and in the evening when we've stopped for the night, but I think I can finish this over spring break. I think the final topic will be along the lines of "Emergence and Evolution of the Sonata", tracing this musical form from its conception in the Baroque period through the internal changes it sustained in the Romantic and Classical periods. I figured it was somewhat shameful that I've played flute for 9 years, yet I don't know that much about music history and forms... so this is a good way to learn more and fill in a few of the gaps in my education. Yaay for Brewer's class, and yaay for open-season paper topics.

I think that's about all for now... right now, I believe we'll be back in Pasadena on Thursday night, barring any unforeseen delays. To all of you on break and at home, I hope you're having fun, seeing old friends and relaxing. Same goes to all twelve (?) of you staying at tech - can't wait to see you guys again. Especially Sam (although I'll wager you've been doing nothing but sleeping till 12 -or later!- and playing Baldur's Gate and Magic:the Gathering the whole time I've been gone. Just like before I left. :) love you).