After getting laid off last month from my job of chauffeuring Paulette and her quilting friends around southern California, I was rehired yesterday and had to get my uniform out of mothballs. It was all Sandy’s fault as she won a $50 gift certificate for the Cherry Berry Quilt Store in Calimesa and the money was burning a hole in her pocket. Paulette and her quilter friends don’t need an excuse.
Flowers in a small park located on Frank Sinatra Drive
We left the Sands a little before 10am heading west on I-10 for our first stop 45 minutes away at the Cherry Berry Quilt Store in Calimesa. In preparation for this road trip, I had taken our truck to a car wash on Tuesday and then filled it up with diesel – all part of my required chauffeuring duties and responsibilities.
Heading up and over the Banning Pass out of Palm Springs, the weather turned noticeably cooler and we drove right into the clouds that the San Jacinto and San Gorgonio Mountains always seem to protect us from. In short order, the further west we drove the more miserable the weather became. When I dropped Paulette and her friends off at the Quilt shop, I just sat in the truck with Molly and Rylie and read my e-book. I darned near turned the heater on!
The Cherry Berry Quilt Shop was a huge success, everyone was happy, and Sandy had no trouble at all blowing her entire $50 gift certificate. Our next stop was The Painted Lady Quilt store in Redlands just a few more miles west on I-10. It was just as cold there so after taking Molly and Rylie for a walk around the block it was back into the truck to read some more.
Our final stop for the day surprisingly wasn’t another quilt shop but rather the giant Skechers Factory Store in the Morongo Valley. It was on our way back Redlands – sort of! It was another successful shopping foray as everyone came out of the store with 2 boxes of shoes. Apparently, at Skechers, if you buy one pair of shoes the second is always half-price. It seems this means that it is an absolute rule to always buy 2 pairs to therefore save money. OK.
With the shopping all done for the day, we headed east on Hwy. 60 to hook us up with I-10 to take us into Palm Springs. The further east we drove the warmer it became and as we reached the top of Banning Pass to head down into the Coachella Valley and Palm Springs the temperature gauge kept rising. By the time we drove into the Sands at 2:30 we were a full 20 degrees Fahrenheit warmer than it was back in Redlands. The rest of my day was very uneventful.
This golf course used to be sandy desert wash
On Wednesday, after getting our truck washed, I took it to the local GM dealer in Palm Springs to get an estimate on repairing the ding and dent on the box side panel. The body shop foreman came out, spent about 2 minutes looking at the damage then went back into his office, sat at his computer and began typing away furiously. About 5 minutes later he walked out with a firm estimate of $1,495.
Sometime next month my truck should be repaired as good as new
When I got back to our site, I phoned our Insurance Corporation of B.C. (ICBC) agent and was told that with my coverage I would only have to pay the $300 deductible for the repair. Also, I could get the job done in Palm Springs or wait until we got home. I thanked the agent and told her I’d wait until we arrived home as I’d like to take it to a local body shop I’ve dealt with before and they do a terrific job especially on matching paint. So, it wasn’t so bad after all.
Have a great Friday, and thanks again for visiting!
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