Modesto

I've been driving up and down Hwy 99 that runs between Bakersfield and Sacramento,  since the mid 80's. Until today, I thought it ran north/south. After 2 hours of driving into the setting soon, I realize my assumption  is incorrect.  Never once did I look up at the compass on the mirror and it was saying "N".  It was always west or northwest. The setting sun was brutal.  And then there was road periodic construction. Whoever decided to take 3 lanes to 1 was just plain stupid. I finally see the sign that says the street I want to exit on is only 1 mile ahead. The next sign says "ramp closed"... So 2 miles to the next exit and trying to figure out how to get back to the street I originally wanted and then my hotel... But, I finally got here....
I set a new personal best for long lunch today when I spent 4.5 hours at lunch today.  I met a long time friend of Larry's for lunch on my way leaving LA today. We talked a lot when Larry was sick and after he died but I had never met her..  Anyway, we had a great time getting acquainted and reminicing about Larry.
 I was a little early for lunch so went in the nearby Walmart to kill some time. Of course I found a few things that I couldn't live without including some peanut M&M's. The cashier starts ringing it us and asked "do you want these in a bag?" I look at her a second thinking what kind of a question is that before I say "please".  Then says "a paper bag is 10 cents and a recycle bag is 20 cents."  Then it dawns on me..I'm in California who is banning plastic bags. I took the recycle which is the ame shape as a typical plastic bag but made out of a thin recycle clothlike material.
Tomorrow I'm doing some genealogy research at the Stanislaus County Historical Library here in Modesto before I head on up to Sacramento.