We’ve been on the road for less than twenty-four hours now and already our list is getting more than our ancient minds can remember.  First and foremost:  Do Not Attempt Under Any Circumstances to Stay in No Frills Accommodations!  Not even for one night.  Otherwise, it’s what? No Kleenex?  What? Pay extra for internet access?  What? No Coffee?  When you’re old, you need your creature comforts.

The assumption, of course, is that when you are old you either a) have money to burn or b) you are sensible enough to stay home.  Wrong on both counts!  And, I’m not even sorry.  Yet.  We are headed to California – but not the part of the current state that will stay California when the latest bit of legislation jumps through all the proper hoops.

There have been many proposals over the years to “do something” about California – even one that would have it secede from the United States and become one country.  Say proponents of that plan, it would become the fifth largest country in the world when considering its economic impact.  Other plans have based divisions upon water sheds, geography, who knows what all.  So far, none have gotten very far.

The current plan, which will be on California’s November 6th ballot, is a proposal by Silicon Valley billionaire Tim Draper and is based upon his belief that “political representation of California’s diverse population and economies has rendered the state nearly ungovernable.”  The state would be divided into California, Southern California, and Northern California. The population of each new state would be roughly 1.3 million to 13.0 million.

Pundits give it a slim-to-none chance of passing, citing the strong desire of Democrats to keep the Golden State intact.  Even if it does make it over the first hurdle, it would need the approval of Congress.  Constitutional lawyers say that’s not likely to happen for a whole host of reasons – a no-brainer conclusion given a political climate in which there is never agreement on anything.  Period.

In any event, we are going to Northern California to visit old friends.  In my mind, our destination (the Bay Area) has always been Northern California – it’s what we called it when we were growing up there and that new state would be perfect.  Not so much the other parts though.  To us Northern Californians, Southern California and L.A. were pretty much synonymous.  If Mr. Draper had consulted some of us old-timers, he’d have made some serious adjustments name-wise.  And, coffee-wise,  these for-the-budget-minded motels would do well to consult us old folks, too…