There were likely several reasons that Kelz decided that she would move back in with me during her pregnancy. The first was that she knew that I was concerned about the health of her unborn child and would provide her with a safe place to sleep and food to eat. She was also aware that since all my friends were not criminals, I wouldn't have anybody coming by the apartment who would get her back into her addict lifestyle. But it wouldn't surprise me to find out that a big reason was that she had somewhere to go for Christmas.
Just four months earlier, my Mom had invited her to come back to Artesia for Christmas. If Mom hadn't done that, I don't know that Kelz would have continued to stay with me after we returned to San Diego. She had spent her last Christmas with her family, so I can only guess that she wanted that feeling of belonging again for the holidays.
I had purchased presents for Mom, Dend, Dad, Gred and Loyd. However, my Mom told me that Grandma Bend, Aunt Cind and her family were all going to be there, too. Mom told me what I could get Grandma Bend, but I was pretty much on my own for what I could get Cind's family.
The last time I had seen Aunt Cind and her kids was when they went to Disneyland. I was able to get a couple of them in for free because Chud could show up and get us free passes. He rode with us on the Indiana Jones ride, which he had helped design. I suddenly realized what I could get them. Chud had several posters based on artwork he had created for the ride, which featured the ride car backing up from the rolling boulder. I asked him for a signed copy and had him ship it to me.
It arrived the day before Kelz and I were supposed to take off. I was expecting him to put it in a tube, but it came in a large rectangular box. Fortunately, there was enough room in my hatchback to bring it. (Kelz and I actually packed a little light.)
Nothing spectacular happened the first day of the road trip. We stopped and spent the night somewhere in Arizona after we passed Tuscon. (We got a lot further than we did on the last road trip.) I do remember listening to KOA broadcast the final Chargers game of the season before we stopped. They were playing the Broncos and they won, which gave them an 8-8 season.
We woke up the next morning and ate breakfast at the restaurant near the motel. We went back to the room after we finished and I started loading our stuff into the car. Kelz asked, "Why are we leaving so early?" I told her that we needed to get on the road so we could get to Artesia. That was the whole purpose of the trip. She finally got ready and we were on the road again.
Since Mom had Grandma Bend and Cind's family staying at her house, she arranged for me and Kelz to stay at a motel in Artesia. It was a new motel that had recently been built. One of the bonuses was that you could brew your own coffee there in the room. Kelz took full advantage of that.
After we checked in with Mom and everyone else at her house, we went to the motel. Kelz just wanted to sleep while I went to visit with Dad. Dad drove me around a little and talked to me. One of the things he told me was that he didn't want me bringing Kelz over to his house. I said, "Well, that's okay, because Kelz already knows you don't like her." "I'm afraid of her coming into the house and bringing all those diseases with her."
I spent that evening at Dad's house. At some point, Kelz called Mom to come get her because she was feeling a little sociable. I went over there to pick her up. She seemed to enjoy being with my family when I wasn't around. We went back to the room and slept in separate beds.
Tomorrow: Kelz wrecks Christmas!
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