June 20

Last night we left Seven Feathers Casino in Canyonville Oregon at 2 AM. I said to Angela i will try to drive as much as i can to get closer to Reno and stop somewhere. That somewhere turned out to be Ashland still in Oregon i guess. First i looked at a Holiday Inn, but scared by the shape of the ACs at the windows. Best Western was sold out. There was an Ashland Hills accross the street but there was a VIP bus iddling its engine in the parking lot and usually where there's such a but there's also a VIP or more. So i passed and stopped in the first rest area and tried to sleep there. Slept 4 hours in the car and wokeup in a big noise from a van. Biggest trouble falling asleep was from the smoke from Casino coming out of our clothes (Second night with only 4 hours, first was at the apartment after i came in contact with an irritating substance that created pains all over my body). Tried to move the car and saw a warning light on the dashboard. It was the left rear brake signal, in plain English. I didn't know that car was that smart. I took it part. It was oxide in bulb's terminal, bulb was in a good shape.

The car was stinking like dog s... big time. Drove the most part of the 500 miles from Canyonville to here with windows a bit lowered but still. BTW this Elantra handles much better than the old one at high speed. (Angela just made some noodles soup and that one stinks also because they absorbed the smell from the apartment. Grabbed the last poop from outside the door just before i left)

All the way from there to here a number of big trucks and SUV approached at high speed from behind and had to pull literally out of the way. For a while Angela drove and it happened to her too once. She got to save my life this way also.

Angela wanted to make a stop at Win River Casino in Redding which we did. While driving on 20 close to 49 gas yellow warning light came on. I didn't know i was so low on gas. Was lucky enough to make it to the first Chevron on 80. But there, trouble. The pump grabbed my card and had to go inside. The man (i think Iranian) came outside, pressed the clear button and then the machine released my card. But i done that myself earlier and it didn't work. He then grabbed my card t and asked me how much gas i wanted. Fill i said, but he kept asking how much and i know the car has a capacity of 13 gallons and i said @12 and took it inside and said to start pumping which i did. T'hen i went inside and he showed me my card on the counter in hard to reach place and had to extend my hand under the plastic protective window to grab it. Then i gave it to him and i payed for... 12 gallons. When i asked him, he said it was a fill-up which the needle was showing it. When i calculated the mileage, it was 34. Never made with this car so low on highways only. But i figured i was on top of the mountains and mileage would have recovered while going down.

A traffic jam on 80 right after and i followed Google Maps and Google maps sent me in a loop and got back exactly where i exited, in the same jam, only one hour later.

For the whole trip our phones were crazy. First think i'm doing when i get back to Portland is i get rid of Hello Mobile by T Mobile (25 dollars a month). Will try now with Mint (15 dollars a month)

I knew from past experiences. When getting close to Reno the craziness begins. This time with too many cars tailgating. Too many cars touching the line between lanes. A guy in a huge truck waiting on the "dead space" between lanes then and then exiting suddenly just when i wanted to exit at exit... 32 in Reno. Had to go on shoulder to avoid it. On Moana and... Virginia avenues. a Panske van was following.

At hotel. Didn't want to park on the main multi-floor parking. Last time when i did so i got to step in some silica absorbent material in the only spot i could find. So i parked in front of the casino (Peppermill). But there is a long way from that parking to the hotel check in. Got there and they were one hour long lines. But they were these machines where you could check in for yourself. Which i did however from the 30 dollars mail offer i started with for a queen now i got without knowing until i got in in a 2 king.

Hotel here has an Italian theme and towers are named Toscany, Milan, etc.. Got my mistake in the Milan tower were a woman with a kid was waiting for her husband in front of her room. Being both so tired, i was sitting in a chair by the elvator, Angela asked her and she of course didn't have a clue. But she still wanted to see the receipt. And the she said she doesn't have a clue. While i was watching the scene, on both screens at hallway entrance scenes with food were unfolding. But what's on the receipt? Nothing except the room number which we finally found in an area of the hotel with rooms for conferences and stuff (VIP i guess). Dialed 0 on the phone and tried to ask the woman then and she passed me to the check in which was busier than usual. Now i'm way too tired with all that driving and no sleeeping so i'm just going to wait to see the final invoice.