Odds and Ends and Bertha

Due to the fullness of our RV, something must go out when something comes in.  I bought a new laptop to take to Paris.  When we got back I discovered it was too big to go in the drawer I had allocated for its storage.  I've been hanging on to a technologically defunct PC for a few years due to having taxes on it.  We decided that the old laptop could go.  Since the laptop was covered in Social Security numbers we disassembled it to get to the hard drive.  I've never seen one before, they're pretty cool. It's amazing how much data can be stored in such a small space.  We still need to take a hammer to it just to be sure nothing is accessible.

This was taken yesterday.  It is really hot.  Today it's really hot and windy.  Tomorrow will be less hot and less windy.  That will be good.

We walked this morning and saw this boy.  This makes me really sad.  It's an escaped cockatiel.  He's fully flighted, so he can travel.  The trouble with domesticated birds is they don't know how to forage for food.

Now for a Bertha update.  She's drilling underneath the Alaskan Way Viaduct, which as you no doubt recall, is a double decker highway.  Highway 99, which includes the viaduct, is closed during the tunneling process through Seattle, for at least two weeks.  This removes carrying capacity for 100,000 cars per day.  Without 99, people shift to I5.  I5 backs up to a standstill.  People trying to leave West Seattle on to I5 can't do it because I5 is gridlocked.  Traffic backs up in to West Seattle.  We're so glad we sold the house we owned in West Seattle!  Here is an interesting piece on the traffic nightmare that is Seattle.  (This article no longer exists.)
This picture is of Admiral Way.  It's about two miles, and was taking an hour to transit this morning.

On the left is I5 northbound Tuesday morning.  It's good not to be in the area just yet.

We are leaving Tucson on May 15.  We going to go up 395 to head north.  We're going to stay in Lone Pine three nights.  I called today to extend our stay, the man who answered the phone couldn't find the original reservation.  So, I rebooked today, but he's not inspiring confidence that he can use the computer system.  We're going to call back tomorrow, I'm hoping someone else will answer the phone so I can confirm that we have a reservation.  It will be good to be gone from the desert.