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Published: June 17th 2007
The drive to Lubbock, Texas proved to be more eventful than we had anticipated. It started out fine, as we drove along long roads that seemed to go on forever. Seriously, there is nothing for miles and miles, and the land is so flat. You can look out in every direction and see the land meet the sky. It really feels like you can look out onto the horizon forever.
We stopped at a small burger joint in Amarillo, Texas. The place was filled mostly with locals, but we were pleased with the good food at a low price. We then got back on the road with only a short two hours left on the drive.
Only an hour outside of Lubbock, and with Allison at the wheel, we heard another “gug-gug-gug” coming from the rear of the car. Within a matter of seconds we saw our tire tread blow off and fly back (for the second time this trip). This time, it was the rear left tire that had blown, and the car began to shake and swerve (this car is sweet!!!!). Much credit goes to Allison for keeping the car as steady as she could, and safely parking us on the shoulder. We got out and looked at the damage, seeing a bit more torn off than last time, including a part of the siding of the car. Luckily, a very nice man in a pickup came to our rescue. He assessed the damage, determined it was ok to drive for a little bit, and led us back on a side road to the previous town. He led us right up to the Walmart, where we thanked him and he went back on his way. We bought two new rear tires (so they could match size), and a warranty, and were back on the road for a mere $200 (so this is how road trips get so expensive). The rest of the ride to Lubbock was short, smooth, and safe.
We arrived at Allison’s cousin Katie’s house in the mid-afternoon. Katie, and her husband Lonny, have a really nice home, and we were pleased to find they had cooked a dinner for all of us. After the tasty dinner, we all decided to go see the movie, “Knocked Up.” The movie had many of the cast members from “40-Year Old Virgin,” and we all thought the movie was hilarious (I recommend everyone to go see it). It was definitely the best movie I have seen in a while. With not much else to do in Lubbock, a cool college town except everyone is gone for the summer, we went back to the house and just hung out. We left early the next morning for Santa Fe, New Mexico, and faced some more unexpected incidents out on the road.
The trip to Santa Fe was lengthy, and again took us on roads that were totally straight, flat, and long (and boring). In some places the speed limit is as high as 75 mph, so with new tires, and driving through the middle of nowhere, we made sure to take breaks to let the tires cool down. Then, with Allison at the wheel, and in the middle of nowhere, we heard sirens. Sure enough, the cop pulled us over for speeding. Apparently the speed limit had been lowered to 55 as we drove through some deserted town, and the policeman said we had been going 19 mph over the limit. Needless to say, we were both shocked and a little worried. Allison was a bit caught up by the moment (like a deer in the headlights), and left most of the talking to me. The cop seemed like a nice enough guy, but after getting our license and registration we thought we were doomed. That cop was doing paperwork in his car for what seemed like an eternity, and we were getting a ticket for sure. When he came back out, he chatted with me for a bit more before Allison hit him with the look. When asked if she we had received any citations so far on the trip, Allison drooped her mouth into a big frown, showed him those big puppy dog eyes, and in a half-sob/half-stutter said, “No, this is the first time I’ve ever been pulled over.” Well, that just clinched it for her. The cop only gave us a warning, and even felt so bad for Allison, that he gave her directions on a short cut on how to get to Santa Fe. We drove back onto the open road, very thankful for a nice cop, and laughing (and laughing!) about how lucky/awesome/pathetic Allison’s performance had been. She would like everyone to think her single line got us out of the ticket, but I’ll know my friendly, sociable nature got us away free.
Brian & Allison
PS (written by Allison) - I’d just like to put in my two cents about the speeding incident! First, let me say that I did not shed A TEAR the way most girls do when they get pulled over. Second, we all know that if it had been Brian at the wheel we’d have driven away with a $115 ticket no matter how sociable Brian was! That’s all! (Devil Wears Prada voice…if you’ve seen the movie you know exactly what I’m talking about…if not, go rent it!).
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Dad LaGasse
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Allison Speeding
Brian, since it was a male officer, I think Allison was the one who got out of the ticket. Allison, no more speeding and what is with the deer in the highlights reaction? Stay safe and have fun.