Bakersfield: On The Road Again

It was an enjoyable day when I headed out to Bakersfield for a mandatory settlement conference.

I haven't been up to Bakersfield for a long while. There was light traffic on Interstate 5 going north. It was clear out and the surrounding hills were green. Pyramid Lake looked inviting. As I approached, on the left was the lake. Ahead and to the right was the Smokey Bear Road exit. (Yes, there really is a Smokey Bear Road. Google it!)

Beyond Smokey Bear Road and Pyramid Lake was Gorman. It snowed up in Gorman earlier in the week. There was no evidence of snow there today. The old Caravan Inn signs were gone, as was the Caravan Inn.

The Grapevine looked a bit more built up. There's an enormous Ikea distribution center there.

A little further up, I stopped briefly at the Wheeler Ridge TA Truckstop on the Tejon Ranch for coffee and snacks. I was disappointed that the sit-down restaurant they had was gone and replaced by several fast-food outlets.

Bakersfield looked a little more built up. Parking was a source of annoyance in the area around the courthouse. The nearest parking lot allowing parking for more than two hours was three blocks away.

Still, it was good to be up there after so many years.

From Burbank To Bakersfield

It has been interesting to see the venom from left wing bloggers and other sites directed at Andrew Breitbart, who passed away suddenly yesterday morning shortly after midnight. Interesting, but not surprising. It only shows what a bunch of classless bums they are. Breitbart was a happy warrior who championed truth that the mainstream media refused to cover, and for freedom.

It was a treat to listen to a local radio talk show tonight featuring actors Ed Ames, Clint Howard and Morgan Brittany, with Ann Coulter on the phone. Each praised the work of Breitbart.

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Today is a busy one for me. It began with working in my "parachute" job patrolling the Burbank Hills on the graveyard shift. Following that, I will be immediately heading north to Bakersfield for a late-morning mandatory settlement conference on an insurance claim as the representative for the insurer.

I haven't been to Bakersfield for quite a long time (I can't even remember the last time I was there). It'll be interesting to see any changes to it and along Highway 99.

Thankfully, I will be well-compensated for my drive time as well as the mileage put on my car. Good thing I recently had the engine rebuilt. It should be fun. The car loves the open highway.

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This should be a good month with insurance work coming in along with the sales of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan. To cap off today's activities, I will come home to another great meal prepared by my roomie.