Live: The Road

After a long drive, it takes a little while to feel like your insides are no longer going 75 miles an hour. Mine were going roughly that fast for most of today as I drove from Los Angeles to San Francisco. The Mazda had me worried -- the left rear brake rotor is probably ruined, and it wasn't an easy start this morning -- but I'm now warm, dry, and in one piece, and I guess the car is all right for the moment.

The morning's near-zero-visibility gave way to stunning blue skyscapes as I descended the Grapevine. The whole weather system revealed itself at once, with the storm caught in the mountains toward the Coast as the Valley opened up in front of me. My lunch break in sad little Kettleman City was bathed in sunlight. It didn't last forever, as I caught more rain as I sped toward tornado-stricken Sacramento, but I'm thankful that at least some portion of my eight-hour ride was somewhat dry, after the frightful scene in Los Angeles.

In both directions, time seemed to pass more quickly than usual, despite the ghastly weather. I credit the iTrip, which cost $35 in Gilroy and transformed the iPod into the best FM radio station ever.


Music now playing: The Kinks Are The Village Green Preservation Society, which I had somehow not recognized as a great thing until recently