I got up early on Saturday to my mom waking me reminding me my dad wants to leave to get me a rental car. I was pretty much already awake so I got a good shower and headed out the door.
The rental car had two choices:
HHR by Chevy and Nissan Sentra. The Nissan was chosen as it was small and looked good on gas. I’m not a fan of retro looking Chevy’s.
After some hanging out with my mum and dad we hit the road. South ahoy!
Right down the street left on warm Springs.. Left on Scott Creek and wham 680 south to the 101 to Pacheco pass.
THE TRIP
Pacheco pass when I was a small child was Blood Alley..Also land of Case De Fruita.. Some of the best pie in the land..
It used to have 2 lanes for the whole hour you were on it with no divider.. Cars crashed left and right..I saw a motor home burn to nothing once when I was 20.
Now we have 2 and 2 and a small divider.. Wooohooo improvements! But you pass the Casa De Fruita.. Right as My sister left a message to watch for ghosts on Mai’s page we saw a lone tombstone on a hill to the south.. Was kinda creepy.
THE ROAD IS KINDA CREEPY!

Haunted Pacheco Pass
Casa De Fruita one of my fave places on earth.

The rest of the trip was mundane.. pics out the car window.. Freaky rest areas..
All in the heart of California.. Well if the valley of Five is the heart.. Is Pacheco Pass the colon?
I did point out highway 41..

Why 41 is not a magic highway
this was a jesus station talking about the wrath of satan.. read it upside down.

I refuse to ever stop for food or drink before ButtonWillow..And sometimes even Lamont.. this time was no exception…

Since Maia was celebrating her birthday Turning 18 I let her choose.
Starbucks.. fruit and cheese tray and a lot of coffee.. We so needed iced coffees!

Saw a cool pig on a bumper in the lot..

Then it was off to another of the maybe less than a dozen businesses in Buttonwillow for the birthday girl.. LOTTERY TICKETS!

The guy was cool who sold them to her.. She promised to come back and visit if she wins!
Then back in the car and away we went…

We pulled up to the house at 20 till 5…. I knocked.. I heard a women’s voice tell the kid.. “It’s Gidget guys.. Let her in!”
A beautiful woman opened the door.. With a small boy who looked up at me with big eyes.. He knew who I was.. He looked over and blushed when he saw Maia..At that moment I felt as if I had met these people a thousand times and was just over for coffee. It never once felt like meeting someone for the first time.
Hillary showed me the guest room and Maia had to pee.
I didn’t need a shower as I didn’t even sweat at all on the road down and still smelled good.. I changed into a maxi dress. Put on some makeup and went out to hug everyone else.
First hug belonged to Adam Waltmire. Then Cathy.. Both of them I felt like I just hadn’t seen them in weeks. John Borack was next…
And many other new friends to be made.
See Hillary was having a BBQ.. She does this the weekend of the OC fair that we would be attending the next day to see Hillary play with Nushu and Play with the Popdudes both.. John of course is the drummer for the Popdudes and Adam is the guy putting on the show from Pop Garden Radio..All long time friends.
Soon Rachelanne and Jason showed up and it was a good mix of yours, mine and ours.
The food was served and this nice looking redhead say hey Gidget to me and I drew a blank.. He said “I’m Dave”.. And clearly my head went right to Cheech and Chong.
It was an artist I had been playing for over a year named Dave Stephens.. Real awesome guy in person..
All in all I am usually mostly shy but this party at Hillary’s changed all that.. I was with my people and I was comfortable. People were swimming eating drinking and I was making all kinds of new and wonderful friends.
I am utterly in love with Hillary’s small children.. They were the best small hosts ever!
It was of course Maia’s birthday and Hillary gave her a cake all for herself and had the most adorable cupcakes! Maia looked like she was gonna cry,, I really think this was a birthday that couldn’t be topped.
(party photos are the crap she shoots page)
Hillary’s husband Mike was just really wonderful with his BBQ’d pineapple upside down cake and his wonderful conversations. I just wanted to stay forever..
But alas we needed to head down to Pasadena to stay the night at Rachelanne and Jason’s.
So we said goodnight.
And when we got to Pasadena we also said goodnight.. But of course we stole the cutest cat named bump.. Played with the dog called Gidget.. And watched Moondoggie the cat give us the evil eye…
Grateful for a day of making old friends that we just met..
And then slept really really good..
Next Stop Willerby.