New Mexico, 26 degrees F

I woke up around 6 AM. J drove all night to try to make up for our late start. I had been at the wheel all day before conceding control around 2 in the morning (1AM California time-- we crossed our first time zone). I dosed on and off between 2 AM and dawn. The cat medicine wasn't working anymore-- Dharma meowed the whole night.

We got into New Mexico and missed most of Arizona in darkness. Actually, we passed the Thing right when I was falling asleep. It was closed so we couldn't stop. I took over driving and he went to sleep. I only let him sleep a little while, because to was too beautiful a drive to enjoy alone.

Update
I saw the Thing once when I was eighteen and on a road trip with my Grandma. I won't give it away, although I am sure the above link does. Let's just say I was surprised to find something so cathartic and silently unexpected. My first site-specific art piece, made in 1998, was in direct response to this piece, and named for it. I regret we are in such a hurry to get where we are going we cannot stop at more roadside phenomenons such as this.