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FATE'S FAULT |
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CHAPTER ONE I arrived just in time to pick up the non-goofy looking model and the account executive accompanying her at the Humboldt County Airport in McKinleyville, about fifteen miles north of Eureka. |
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CHAPTER ONE I walked into the tiny terminal building and stood around until a United Express commuter plane landed and taxied up to the gate. Well, there isn't a gate in the big airport sense of the term. A couple of guys rolled a boarding ramp on wheels out to the little Bombardier CRJ200. |
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CHAPTER ONE Seeing her always had the same effect on me. A small pang of regret passed through me along with the lyrics to THIS NEARLY WAS MINE from Rogers and Hammerstein's nineteen-fifties musical, SOUTH PACIFIC. |
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CHAPTER ONE Kieley looked at the vehicles lined up in the parking area just outside the terminal, and said, "Let me guess." |
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CHAPTER TWO The Mansion was built in the 1880s by William Carson, one of California's first lumber barons. Today, the mansion is a private club and signs make it clear trespassing will not be tolerate, but all we needed was the sidewalk and the elaborate wrought iron fence, so permission wasn't required. |
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CHAPTER TWO Twenty minutes down 101 brought us to the historic Benbow Inn near Garberville. It is a luxury hotel, restaurant, and spa that began attracting celebrities in the mid-1920s. The Benbow has the appearance of a Tudor castle nestled in the redwoods, which made a decent setting for another photo series. The inn would also give us a place to stay that kept us on track location-wise if Oliva said, "Go." |
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CHAPTER THREE Our overlook was adjacent to a highway bridge and Kieley pointed to the bridge railing, suggesting she sit on it facing south so the scene would have the surf and the cliffs at the other end of the bridge as background. I walked to the railing and looked down. I looked a long, long way down. |
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CHAPTER THREE The tree came down nearly parallel to the roadway and smackdab in the middle of it. What was left of the roots were at our end of the fallen tree and close enough to the embankment on the high side of the road to prevent us from sneaking the Jeep by over there. A sheer drop-off left us no room to clear the tree on the other side of the road.
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CHAPTER THREE Getting back into the Jeep, I said, "Looks like lunch is about to be served."
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CHAPTER FOUR "With many lines of communication already down because of Friday's quake, reports of damage and injury from the affected areas are still spotty. It is suspected, however, that San Francisco suffered major damage over and above that caused by the tsunami following yesterday's earthquake. A second tsunami will likely follow this most recent quake, but the NOAA has not issued a statement or warnings yet.
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CHAPTER FOUR She caught up with me in the cracker aisle, where she looked kind of sheepish as she eyed the shelves. I said, "Okay, Kieley, what is it you want me to get, but you're embarrassed to ask for?" Kieley came over and whispered in my ear, "Cheez-Its, please." |
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CHAPTER FOUR I turned left on Commercial Street to go around the debris, and what we saw as the Jeep's headlight showed us the way was an old movie theater with a collapsed marquee and a partially collapsed roof. Despite what it said on a coming attractions poster, a Disney animated feature would not be coming to the Noyo Theater anytime soon.
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CHAPTER FOUR Kristina said enthusiastically, "Hi, Kevin! Nice to meet you, and thanks for taking care of my best friend." | 
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CHAPTER FOUR We got back on 101 and followed the signs for Interstate-580. Eventually, we passed the front door of San Quentin State Prison and drove onto the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge. |
CHAPTER FOUR Just as in Willits, surface thoroughfares were clogged with debris—sometimes with entire buildings. Kieley just kept steering us around this block and that block until we finally arrived at 355 Berry Street in the Mission Bay District, about three blocks south and west of the Giant's baseball stadium, Oracle Park. |
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CHAPTER FIVE We stopped for lunch at an Applebee's in Dublin. Applebee's is never my first choice among chain eateries, but it was handy and it seemed like a big deal to actually sit at a table and order from a menu. |
CHAPTER FIVE A few miles further, 580 turned south to head for a junction with I-5. Actually seeing a mileage sign that said Los Angeles raised my spirits considerably. |
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CHAPTER FIVE It was the Elk Hills Oil Field, a federal oil reserve. It held more than a hundred-million barrels of crude and had some two-thousand wells to pump it out of the ground if the oil was needed in a national emergency. I momentarily wondered how all that stored oil was affected by the shaking. |
CHAPTER FIVE I tried the Rodeway's office door and it opened. From that point my conversation with the fellow behind a registration counter lit by a candle was a replay of one I'd had at the Laytonville Budget Inn last Friday, except this time I needed two rooms and the guy thought his rooms without power, heat, or hot water were worth fifteen dollars a night instead of ten. |
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CHAPTER SIX Our first turn was only a few miles west of Interstate-5. We turned south on Wasco Road. The terrain remained flat, but the scenery became more agricultural. |
CHAPTER SIX The best news was a Chevron Station on our right. It appeared essentially undamaged and was already open for business at seven in the morning. I pulled in and filled up the tank while Kieley and Kristina went into the station's food mart to stock up on provisions, including fresh coffee. |
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CHAPTER SIX Ultimately, State Route 150 delivered us to the town of Santa Paula, where there once were a lot of older wood frame houses. They were mostly rubble now and I was reminded of the towns up north we saw after the first quake. Once again, we were forced to do a lot of twisting and turning to avoid the debris. |
| CHAPTER SIX We were heading for Highway 101, which runs, or ran, east to west on its way to Hollywood and Los Angeles from the coast. I had no reason to expect 101 to be any more passable than State Route 23, but now we were in my backyard and I knew my way around. |
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CHAPTER SIX At four-fifteen I turned into my driveway, and we all bailed out of the Jeep. I breathed a small sigh of relief because, at least from the street, everything looked okay. |
CHAPTER SEVEN When we came upon a USA station in a strip mall, I pulled in and filled the tank while Kieley and Kristina made use of the restrooms. |
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CHAPTER SEVEN "Did you guys notice the Albertson's Market over there on the other side of this center?" Kristina grinned. "Of course! A woman is always aware of any nearby shopping possibilities." |
CHAPTER SEVEN West of Mojave, Highway 58 is a divided four-lane road through the sort of country you see in old cowboy movies. Kieley, who is an avid fan of Randolph Scott and Gene Autry movies was soaking it all in. |
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CHAPTER SEVEN Looking at his Taurus, I asked, "Is that the all-wheel drive model?" "Yes, and if I'm getting your drift, it was somewhat helpful when I had to get off the road coming down here, but the ground clearance on this rig is practically nonexistent. They built this car to do 130-plus on pavement, not for off-roading." |
CHAPTER SEVEN "Yes, I have my Glock 19 and a Remington 870 12-guage Tactical in the trunk, along with ammo for both." |
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CHAPTER EIGHT Magnitude describes the energy of a quake on the Richter Magnitude Scale. Most people living in earthquake country are familiar with Richter numbers, which describe the strength of an earthquake at its source or epicenter. |
CHAPTER EIGHT We found out what would come next soon after filling our gas tanks at a Union 76 Station in Barstow near the junction of Highway 58 and Interstate-15. Major quake number five struck at 11:42 a.m. on Sunday, August 21, 2022. |
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CHAPTER EIGHT I stepped on it and we rolled into Las Vegas around seven-thirty, and I was immediately struck by how normal everything was. Until you've been through what we went through during the past week, you can't imagine how good it feels to drive through a town in which normalcy prevails—where buildings are still vertical, cars drive on the roads, and people walk on the sidewalks. |
CHAPTER EIGHT Around eight o' clock we were checked into the Comfort Inn north of town and were drinking margaritas at a Mexican restaurant called Viva Zapata's a few blocks up the road from the hotel. |
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CHAPTER NINE It startled Kieley so much she nearly dropped the phone. After touching a couple of commands on the screen, Kieley said, "It's from Bailey. He says, 'Kris's blood pressure somewhat improved; breathing better; and pulse steady, but still too high. Admitting her to Valley Hospital.'" |
CHAPTER NINE Surprisingly, their computer was on top of things and the receptionist said we would find Ms Kristina Bryant in the Cardiac Critical Care ward on the third floor and we should check in at the nursing station there. |
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CHAPTER TEN Thursday afternoon I woke up before the wake-up call and found myself looking into the prettiest pale blue eyes on the planet. Kieley said, "Good afternoon, Darling. I hope I didn't wake you." |
CHAPTER TEN It was nearly seven when we parked at the Cannery Casino Hotel about eight blocks west of the Comfort Inn on East Craig Road. |
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CHAPTER ELEVEN Our first stop was a UPS store on Craig Road. We came out with a snail mail address for Kieley and Kevin Taylor. |
CHAPTER ELEVEN "Now where do we go to get a marriage license or whatever it's called in Sin City?" Kieley grinned. "To the Las Vegas Marriage License Bureau, of course. It is in the Regional Justice Center at 201 East Clark Avenue." |
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CHAPTER ELEVEN Inside, the Las Vegas Marriage License Bureau reminded me a little of the Hollywood DMV office. We filled out an application form and stood in line waiting for our turn at one of ten windows. |
CHAPTER ELEVEN Inside, the center was designed to replicate Venice by someone who has never seen Venice. Being careful not to fall into a canal, lest we be run over by a passing gondola, we found a directory and followed its directions to a jewelry store named Objets Brillants, which Kieley translated with her high school French to mean "Shiny Objects,” or something along those lines. |
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CHAPTER ELEVEN I held up my left wrist. Knowing our plans for the day, I swapped the relatively inexpensive Citizen watch I usually wear for the Rolex I brought from my safe at home. When she saw the big letters R-O-L-E-X on the face of the watch, she smiled and shook her head in what I took to be amazement at my technique for handling snooty sales people. |
CHAPTER ELEVEN She was looking at a ring the salesman described as a central diamond accented by two sapphires and set in a sweeping yellow gold tone setting. Sinatra would have described a diamond that size as a "meatball." |
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CHAPTER TWELVE Kieley gave Kris a questioning look and Kris said, "If I must stay for breakfast, I'll have a Denver Omelette with sourdough toast." |
CHAPTER THIRTEEN "I know just the place. Turn south on Las Vegas Boulevard. I noticed a Nordstrom yesterday near that center with the gondolas where we picked out my ring." |
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN I found a CVS, where they filled Kristina's prescription without any fuss. They had Metoprolol in stock, and all I had to do was present Kris's insurance info, sign for the drug, and pay a copay. Done. |
CHAPTER THIRTEEN By four o'clock we were back at the hotel, where I was treated to an impromptu fashion show, which included a couple of skirts and tops for Kristina and an Ocean Pacific windbreaker for Kieley. |
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN After I judged the shopping excursion a success, Kieley went across the hall to help Kris stuff her old wardrobe into a laundry bag and fill out the form. |
CHAPTER THIRTEEN Recalling what little cardiac first-aid I knew, I said, "Kris, I want you to chew this tablet. Don't just swallow it, chew it first. Do you understand?" |
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CHAPTER THIRTEEN Kieley made a call. I heard her say, "Yes, please. We have our Clark County license and we want to get married in a simple civil ceremony without Elvis impersonators, pink Cadillacs, or animatronic swans. Can you please suggest a place where we can do that?" |
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Before getting back on the highway, we pulled into a Farmer Boys Restaurant drive-thru, where the girls ordered southwest chicken salads and I got a charbroiled chicken club sandwich and an order of fries. |
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN The housing tracts went on for miles, and then they suddenly ended. After that there was one puny golf course, and beyond that nothing for miles until we passed Creech Air Force Base. |
CHAPTER FOURTEEN Unpacking the blood pressure cuff, Kieley said, "This is made by the same company that makes the ones they use at Valley Hospital. I hope that means it is accurate." |
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CHAPTER FOURTEEN When she got back, Kieley handed me a small paper sack, saying, "It's not much of a wedding gift, but it's from the heart." I opened the bag and found a box of Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop-Tarts. Leaning across the console, I kissed her. |
CHAPTER FOURTEEN . . . we finally got to the Comfort Inn and Suites across Interstate 580 from-the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. |
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CHAPTER FIFTEEN It was 10:45 when we pulled into the parking lot at Renown Medical Center in downtown Reno. If their building was any indication, they were doing all right for themselves. |
CHAPTER FIFTEEN There is a block-square park across the street, so we took advantage of what turned out to be a warm sunny day by making ourselves at home on a bench. |
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CHAPTER SIXTEEN As we inched our way along the frontage road that parallels the freeway, Kieley was looking intently at the Reno Tahoe International Airport on the other side of the freeway. |
CHAPTER SIXTEEN It was about three o'clock when we finally arrived at the Homewood Suites, a rather bland looking tan stucco building bordered on the east by light industry and on the west and south by upscale housing developments . . . |
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CHAPTER SIXTEEN Our suite consisted of three main rooms, a central "living room" with a bedroom on each side. The bedrooms each had a bathroom, and the living room featured a kitchenette alcove. |
CHAPTER SIXTEEN Kieley said, "It's the CalTrans website you were talking about the other day. I asked it for conditions on US Highway Three-Ninety-Five in California and it gave them to me. |
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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Kieley looped her arm through mine and leaned against me. "Girlfriend, I assure you it is not Reno making me smile like this." |
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN "Again, we don't know how badly the area was effected by the quakes, but all things being equal, I've always liked the north end of the lake, like around Crystal Bay and Incline. |
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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN It was only around twelve-forty when we arrived at the Tahoe Regency Hotel, so we decided to check in and grab a bite of lunch. |
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN I asked for a Club House sandwich on white. Different sandwiches require a specific bread to be done right, like a Reuben goes on marbled rye. A club sandwich is not a club sandwich unless it's on white bread or white bread toast. |
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CHAPTER SEVENTEEN There, Kieley raised a very reasonable question. "Where the heck does a person buy groceries around here?" The answer to that question showed up a moment later when we turned into a shopping center boasting a Raley's market |
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN I parked the Jeep and went in search of the Tahoe Regency's fine dining restaurant. It turns out the place is called Reggie's . . . or more correctly, Reggie's at the Regency. The ambiance, however, was much nicer than the name would make you think. There was a decidedly woodsy feel about the place with knotty pine paneling and paintings of the lake in rustic frames on its walls. |
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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN "The beautiful lady to my right will have a Mai Tai made with Appleton Estate Reserve, blended, and served with a pineapple spear garnish, please." |
CHAPTER NINETEEN About five minutes after nine, we trooped into the North Shore Real Estate and Property Management Company's office, where Tracy Bingaman was waiting for us with a list of six homes she felt met our requirements. |
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CHAPTER NINETEEN According to Ms Bingaman's fact sheet, the fourth house we looked at was a new four bedroom, four bath thirty-six-hundred square foot, two-and-half-story home on a hill above Crystal Bay. |
CHAPTER NINETEEN Its most attractive features included a great room plus a large family room with a deck of its own and a large bedroom/office, all with lake views. |
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CHAPTER NINETEEN "Mark invited us on a sunset dinner cruise tonight. He said the food is good and the scenery is really pretty. Would you guys like to go?" |
CHAPTER TWENTY An eruption of flame from the far side of the ship answered her question. I put the obvious conclusion into words. "The damned cruise ship is on fire. Do you see Kris out there anywhere?" "Not yet." |
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CHAPTER TWENTY I could see the flashing red and amber lights of several fire department rescue vehicles in the parking lot and steered Mark toward them. |
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE From the southeast corner of the deck we watched the sunset and counted our blessings. |
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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE We pulled into the Incline Community Hospital parking lot and Kris was out of the Jeep almost before we stopped moving. |
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE The tab for our purchases totaled more than two hundred bucks and I knew there would be many such shopping expeditions. We were equipping an entire house more or less from scratch and four bathrooms require a lot of toilet paper. |
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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE I noticed a white Four Series BMW coupe following us. When it pulled into our driveway behind us, I figured Mark had arrived. |
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE He unpacked the tools and organized them in the chest. |
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CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE I recommend their meatball pizza." He quickly added, "But that's not necessarily a medical recommendation." |
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO A limo picked us up at home, ostensibly so Kieley would have my Jeep for some shopping she needed to do. |
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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO I simply told the salesman to find us a red one with every option known to man on it. Of course, he happened to have just such a Jeep . . . . |
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Kris picked out a three-piece gift set of Calvin Klein's Obsession, Kieley's favorite scent, which would go to Kieley with Kris's name on it. |
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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO In Best Buy's computer department we chose a state of the art all-in-one Lenovo computer and accessories for Kieley to use in our new home office. |
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Next, we picked out a Sony five-speaker sound system with Bluetooth to drive additional wireless speakers. |
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CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Kieley bought along with a black and chrome deco-style cocktail trolley. |
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO It was mild enough to sit outside and enjoy the twinkling lights surrounding the lake below. |
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