“Emergency” travel..

Just in case there’s a person out there that doesn’t read my Facebook and/or my Toob channel I’m making a quasi-emergency trip to Portland. At the moment I’m in this diner in the middle of Idaho eating the kind of biscuits, gravy, and egg blue plate you’d expect from a truck stop diner in the middle of nowhere.

I’m kind-of reflective on this trip. It’s been a good trip so far (I’m only about 24 hours into it) .. and I feel actually pretty good. When I drove the other way coming to Denver I felt like absolute shit, and while there were moments on that journey that were … well, we’ll just say “fun” in polite company … I made it, tired and exhausted.

This time, I’ve made it a little over half way, driving straight from Denver to Twin Falls, ID. I was tired when I arrived in Twin Falls, I was exhausted, but not unreasonably so. I was coherent long enough to check in to the hotel, do my medication provisions for the week, and even play a little Yahtzee!

I did get to use my new Verizon Hum for the first time. A check engine light has come on, and there’s a “mechanics assistance” button you can push and they use the CAN data to give you an idea of what might be wrong (and dispatch a tow truck if necessary). Apparently I’ve got some random flywheel timing problem. I’m going to stop at a Chevy dealership in Portland and have them give me a quick diagnosis. The car is still covered under a warranty, so hopefully this can be a quick fix and I can be on the road back home once Silvia’s ready to go in the van.

So, looking forward to Portland. Two hours and I’ll be back in the Beaver State.

Travel plans update..

Ah, travel by the way of hospital.

So I’ve been sick on and off the past week. I don’t know what’s been causing it, but maybe stress or maybe nerves or maybe meds or the thought of the potatoes in Idaho eating me, I don’t know. in either case, I think today is the day I finally start on the road.

Today my plans are to stop over in Kings Valley and grab a few things out of the RV and get it ready for sale and/or disposal, probably after I stop over in Veneta and visit a certain little black kitty before I head out. Tonight I plan on being in Portland.

Monday I’m going to start taking it slow. I want to try to see if Halsey Automotive has a part I need for the van before I begin the long trek, and I’m still recovering from the dental surgery I had on Friday, so I need to take it as easy as possible. The plan was to meet a few folks for lunch in Bend Tuesday, and then start the long drive to Boise and pick up I-84.

From there, SLC to Cheyenne to Denver. We’ll post more updates as we go. Stay tuned to Twitter for live updates as I can.

Travel Planning…

So here’s the tentative travel planning for the Denver trip.

Saturday I have plans to head to Kings Valley and deal with my old rig at the Faire site.

I want to leave Monday June 8th early in the AM and drive to Portland by way of Kings Valley. I need to pick up / drop off a few things in the storage unit in Milwaukie that will be later transported to Denver by moving van once I get settled somewhere.

From Portland I will be driving to Bend and taking care of a few things there on Tuesday morning. It would be awesome to visit a few old BendBroadband folks for lunch.. after that I plan on heading east towards Salt Lake City via US-20 and I-84. My goal is to get to at least Boise (if not the other side of Idaho entirely) by Tuesday nightfall.

Wednesday begins the ID/UT/WY segment of this journey, as I get past Salt Lake City around maybe lunchtime with the goal of Cheyenne by nightfall. There’s a few people I know in SLC: would be fun to meet up at the InNOut Burger in Ogden for lunch (that’s my plan).

Thursday is the final leg: Cheyenne to Denver. I may try to get all the way to DTC, but I will at least try to make it to the northern edge of the metro.

I haven’t made any hotel reservations for this trip mostly because I’ll be traveling in the VW (so theoretically I can just slumber in the back at a rest stop or campground).

So needs on this trip. I don’t have my cash relocation yet, and that will be waiting for me in Denver when I arrive. Anyone who can work out a personal loan for 30 days I’d appreciate it, and I’ll pay you back once I arrive in Denver and get money.

… and here’s to hoping that old beast makes it up the Rockies.

Oh, and I got home last night around 8:00pm. This completes my 2011 Road Trip. I’ll probably post a summary of things I didn’t get around to commenting on in a bit.

Travel update, abbreviated edition..

Went to “Southern Faire” today.  Haven’t been in years.  Love the present site.  Went looking for a couple of people I knew, didn’t see Gaffer at all, but saw the booh of a couple of others I knew and left word.  Had a good time, even if it was brief.  And I certainly had my notebook out.  Got some ideas I should steal …

Updates from the Frontier (part 2)

Today I’m supposed to be heading out to Bakersfield and points south.  It’s really hard to leave: I still love San Francisco.  Went down to Weird Stuff Warehouse yesterday, which was fun.  Also got to hang out a bit with a couple of friends.

Into the abyss known as the Central Valley…

Update from the frontier…

Okay, just one of those bloggy updates about where I’m at and what’s going on. On Thursday I started driving south, and wound up in San Francisco. Been spending the last couple of days immersing myself in the city I love.

On Friday I did a little whirlwind tour: Fisherman’s Wharf, the Musee Mecanique (and I got much delight from freaking out my travelling companion with Laughing Sal), Ghirardelli Square (and got the required Death By Chocolate), and a ride on the cable car.

We are staying in a cheap motel in Pleasanton, which means that BART is the carriage of choice into the City.. when did BART replace the carpet with the plastic flooring?  The new flooring seems to make the already noisy BART experience that much worse.. is it just me?

Anyway, on Saturday we drove up to Lucky Mojo Curio Co. near Santa Rosa.  This is a great little “all things occult” store, with awesome incense, oils, and herbs.  I picked up a very beautiful blue crystal ball and a new Tarot card deck I’ve never seen before.  It was a wonderfully pleasant drive in the Northern California country to boot.

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