Seeing the sights in East Texas.

I drove through eastern Texas today. It’s really beautiful here with lots of trees, green grass and rolling hills. I was only on the Interstate for a few minutes when I noticed the frontage road was running parallel to me. So I got off and took the frontage road, which wound through the back country and a lot of little towns. Naturally, I took a turn and ended up off my map, but I just kept heading in the general direction and it worked out fine.

I’m now at the KOA in Texarkana, Texas. Great internet access but I have to sit in the laundry room to get my computer to connect. It’s warm though.
I finally signed up for a KOA card since it gives 10% off the price. It should pay for itself soon, as KOA is now the official camping area for the In Search Of Pie Team, namely, me. I’m addicted to the hot showers.

The guy at the desk told me the main drag is actually the border between Texas and Arkansas. There’s a government building down there that sits astride the line with a place where you can take a picture of yourself in 2 different states. Naturally, I’ll have to do that!

Flicka called to give me directions to their shop and also gave me a lot of info about where to stay, where to eat, what to see, etc.
I guess I’m only 2 hours from my destination and my new Ural!

Oh yeah, last night I was in the KOA near Caddo Mills, Texas and want to report on 2 things.
For the guys, the nearby village of Caddo Mills has a little market and the manager is the prettiest, most voluptuous blue-eyed Texan woman I’ve seen. Any single guys who live in the area need to go check that out.

The other thing…just after it got dark, the sky clouded up way up high so you couldn’t see the stars. I was looking up and a bright ball of light flew across the sky above the clouds and I could see it plain as day. It must have been really bright.
I guess it was a shooting star, but I’ve never seen one that huge! But as they say, everything’s bigger in Texas.

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A visit to Jake's Evil Lair.

I’ve been telling everybody I meet along the way that I’m going to Lewisville to ride in the original Mad Max car. It’s located near Dallas at a secret and infamous location, “Jakes Evil Lair.”

I called ahead and Jake said he’d meet me at the freeway off-ramp to guide me in. Naturally, the exit wasn’t marked due to heavy construction but Jake spotted me and I spotted him. He was on the famous ex-Fitch BMW. We went to the next exit and since he had no minions available to blindfold me and drive my car, he took me on a circuitous route to the lair where I had to sign non-disclosure papers.

After a look at all of the toys he took me to a Mexican restaurant where I had the biggest and best carne asada ever! Sorry La Fiesta, this place knocked your carne asada down to 2nd best. One thing I love about Texas is the Tex-Mex food.

We spent the rest of the evening playing with various guy toys and I was able to get on-line and clear out my 200 messages about Saving the Children, increasing the size of my organ (I don’t get it, I don’t even have on organ, I’m a bass player) and collecting the 200 million pounds locked in a Nigerian account.
I tell you; those African countries could solve all their problems if they could just get that money out before I get it. It’s taking a while to get to me though. It must be the slow postal systems.

Anyhow, the next morning after a hearty breakfast at Mickey Dees, Jake took me for a ride in the Bluesmobile, complete down to the trash and smashed pop-top Bud can on the dash. With the Blues Brothers blaring “I Can’t Turn You Loose” on the tape deck we made the rounds of his hood. What a car!

After that, he got out “The Last V-8.” This is the actual car from the Mad Max and Road Warrior movies with the steering wheel on the wrong side (for us Yanks.) It’s presently set-up in the “Road Warrior” style with the huge gas tanks in the back. The sound of the motor and the pipes is awesome! We cruised around a while and never once did Jake break the speed limit. (It also started raining pigs.)

Time ran out but I got a good look at the replica Goose Kawasaki (from the Mad Max movie.) What a beautiful bike. There was also a big Kawasaki police bike hidden in the lair. I wouldn’t know which one to choose, if I had to choose.

Jake had to go to his flying lesson so I got back on the road heading east to Arkansas and my waiting Ural Gear-Up.

All the way down the road I kept singing “I Can’t Turn You Loose.”

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Goodbye to an old friend.

The handoff of the Ural to Richard, the new owner, was successful.
Richard and Linda are a very nice couple that have Harleys and ride them all over the place. Linda’s bike has blue flames!
I brought the Ural over to their house on Wednesday night just after they arrived home from a Baja fishing trip. A storm was threatening and I wanted to get the bike inside as it has never spent any time out in the rain. They popped a bottle of good white wine and we polished it off while swapping life stories.
The next morning, after breakfast, I showed Richard the ins and outs of the Ural and he took it around the block, tried out the reverse, etc.
It’s a bit intimidating driving a hack for the first time but once you get the hang of it, it’s a lot of fun.
I bade farewell to the old girl but I know she’s in a good home. Plus she’ll have a cool dog, Ivan, to ride in her.

I headed south, sort of aiming for a campground outside of Tulsa but I kept getting lost in Kansas. Well, not really lost but turned around.
My map isn’t detailed enough to show all the roads and I was wandering around a bunch of back roads. I wasn’t sure exactly where I was but I knew I was heading in the right direction. Then the sky got real dark and I couldn’t see the sun.
Living on the coast I always have good landmarks like the ocean and mountains to orient myself. But in a flat prairie with no sun to guide me, I was thinking it was a good thing I had extra food and water in the van.

One thing I’ve found about the back roads is there are no shoulders or rest stops where one can pull over. A few times I wanted to stop to examine the map but had a big semi pushing me so I was forced to drive until I hit the next town.
One trick I learned is to stop before intersections, if there’s a spot to do so, and use my binoculars to read the signs. That works well so I don’t get run over deciding which way I have to turn.
I guess I could get a better map, but this has become a game with me. I’d hate to have anyone think I would ask for directions. That would be unmanly.

So anyway, I ended up in Chelsea, Oklahoma for the night. I believe Keith and Okie Bill from the W650 group live around here.
The motel owner hails from Maryland originally and rides an old shovelhead. I was wearing a motorcycle T-shirt and we started talking about the good old days, when bikes sucked valves and electrical systems fried exactly at the moment when most needed.
I told him I was heading to pick up a Ural and he had never heard of them. After telling him about it, he was pretty intrigued and said he will go read about them on the web.

This area is getting a LOT of rain. So far it seems I’ve been traveling in the eye of the storm, just getting sprinkles. The wind was blowing real hard all the way down and my gas mileage dropped down to 15 mpg. Gas around here is $3.35 to $3.50. These days, that’s the low end of the scale.

I’ve been seeing some pretty depressed areas in my travels, mostly out in the rural areas.
There’s also an incredible amount of damage to trees from ice storms.
I went through one town (Coffeyville, Kansas) that looked like it might have been hit by a tornado a while back. Houses missing and businesses all closed up
Amazing, I’ve never seen anything like that.

I watched the news for the first time in a week and hear there are food riots in other countries and rationing of rice at some stores here in the states. Sounds scary.

I watched about a minute of “the candidates” doing their thing. Pah!
I just wish the politicians would dump their entourages, get in an old van and drive around the country incognito to see first-hand what they’re doing to our country.
I doubt there’s anyone in congress going hungry or worrying about filling up their limo.

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Charles Bronsen film festival.

How lucky can I get?
While hanging out at the motel, waiting to finish the bike deal, the TV station AMC started showing a string of Charles Bronsen movies. There was that really good one set in Canada (with Lee Marvin as the Mountie, can’t remember the name), then all the “Death Wish” movies in a row.
When I got to another motel outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma, I got to see another one.
I have to say the original one was a good movie but they definitely went downhill from there.


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On vacation from my vacation.

I’m having a vacation from my vacation. How cool is that?

Mssr. Richard H., the new Ural owner, is out of town until tomorrow night so I’m shacked up in a cozy motel just a few blocks from his house, waiting for his return.
The TV has a bazillion channels so there’ll be some heavy remote action tonight.

The internet access is wireless. I hate wireless! The signal keeps dropping off and I lose the connection. It’s probably something to do with my laptop because folks with better laptops don’t seem to have any problems like that. At least when it does work, it works pretty well.

This morning I got the bike off the trailer and took it for a spin around Clay Center, Kansas. It’s sunny and warm so all I needed was a T-shirt and helmet.
(Oh yeah, just to stave off the comments…pants, boots, socks and underwear too. This IS Kansas after all, not San Francisco.)

The locals tell me this is the first nice weather they’ve had. They’ve had a long, cold winter. One guy I talked to asked me if I was cold in just a T-shirt, as he felt it was still a bit cool. I told him if the temperature ever got up this high in Bandon, people would start dropping from heat stroke and the real estate agents would be jostling each other taking pictures of their properties for their internet ads.
He didn’t seem to get it. Folks around here seem pretty straight-forward. Nice, but no foolin’ around.

I discovered this store today while I was out scouting for some supplies. It’s called Dollar General. I’ve been seeing them all over the place since I got to Kansas. In one town a local even gave me directions using it, “Go down there, turn right at the dollar general….”

Lord have mercy! Everything is a dollar, or multiple or fraction thereof, and the place is packed with stuff. Nothing really expensive or unnecessary, but if you need some plastic bowls, high-lighting pens or 25 envelopes for 50 cents, it’s the place to go.

Took me an hour to get out of there and only cost me $5.00.
I got a big magnifying glass with a light, perfect for looking at a map in a hurry. Before, I had to put on my cheaters and try to look over the tops to see the road while trying to look at the map…especially important when trying to judge if a 63 year old prostrate can make it to the next rest stop or if one should just head for the bushes! This gizmo should help.

I asked the lady about the store and she said it was a national chain, it was moving west and is in Colorado now.
I can’t wait for it to get to Oregon. It’ll give us retirees a place to do some recreational shopping on our fixed incomes.

Cruised around some more and discovered the locals don’t give tourists much of a break in traffic. You better know which way you’re going or just go with the flow. I took a wrong turn and ended up on the highway heading out of town. I had to go 5 miles to find a place to turn around, all the while with a huge semi on my butt.
I’m always nice to tourists back home and give them plenty of breaks. Oh well…

I also discovered the restaurant attached to the motel is a Mexican place. I went in and tried it out. Pretty good, but they don’t beat La Fiesta back in Bandon.

Tomorrow I’ll shine up the bike, gas up the car, do some laundry, etc. After I deliver the bike, I’m back on the road.

Speaking of being on the road, I’ve found that KOA is a pretty good deal these days. Back in the day I scoffed at their campgrounds and their excessive price. State campgrounds used to be a couple of bucks and KOA was $20.
Nowadays, they still cost $20 (or less) but we all know $20 ain’t what it used to be. Anyhow, they have hot showers, laundromats, tent areas and hook-ups if you need ‘em.

BTW, I fooled around with the blog settings and now anyone can leave comments. I just looked back and saw a bunch. Pretty cool, this blog stuff.

Nap time!

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Brunhilda has landed.

I made it. I'm in Clay Center, Kansas. New home of the Ural sidecar.
I'm so buzzed from driving all day I need to come down a bit.

Here's a few odds-n-ends about Kansas...as they drift through my frazzled consciousness, or however you spell that word.

My left arm is sunburned to beat hell. It hurts. I'll slather it with lotion before I go to bed.

I got so used to driving in a straight line that I would slow way down whenever I came to a curve in the road. It felt scary like I was gonna tip over or something.

Brunhilda is averaging 19-20 mpg!!! It doesn't seem to matter how hard I push her. Amazing.
Brother Tom was right. He told me towing the bike wouldn't affect my mileage at all. (How does he know that stuff?)

Kansas has a lot of religious people. There are billboards with religious stuff all over the place.
I especially liked the billboard reading "Jesus Saves Sinners" set up right next to a huge adult store along the Interstate.

A bunch of the small towns had big signs as you enter the town, listing the local high school's accomplishments. And not just the sports, they had everything listed down to local spelling bees.

Anyhow, I'm done for. Did I say I'm in a motel? It has wirelees internet but it keeps fading out.
Think I'll go ahead and crash before it does again.

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4 states in a day.

I left Interstate 40 at Tucumcari and am now on Highway 54, staying the night in a motel in Dalhart, Texas.

It's hot here. Well, it was only 80 degrees but that's hot for somebody who lives on the coast where a really hot day is 70.

It looks like if I take Highway 385 north I'll go through that small strip of Oklahoma into Colorado, then east into Kansas. I can be in 4 states in one day.

The motel is pretty nice and has the usual TV. I tried watching it for a while but those commercials drive me nuts! I'm glad we don't have a TV hookup at home.

Almost time for the free breakfast. Cereal and coffee. Oh boy.

In Indian country.

As I progressed along the highway, I began seeing billboards for "Indian trading posts." Mocassins, blankets and ice cream seem to be the main selling points.

Reminiscent of the gas wars of my youth, the trading posts have blanket wars. They keep getting cheaper and cheaper as one goes east. I guess they hope to catch the hold-outs who didn't want a blanket at the first place but faced with the constant price-chopping, couldn't resist the bargain. They almost got me, but I really have no need for another blanket in the van.

Now that I think of it, I could use some mocassins for lazing around the camp site. Instead I brought my fur-lined Uggs. Perfect for 80 degree days in the desert. They go well with the 3 wool sweaters I have packed in my duffel. It just better get cold up north!

I stopped at one place for some groceries and was warmly greeted by the 2 ladies reading the paper behind the counter. Business was very slow as I picked out some canned peaches and Beanie-Weenies for my next campfire feast.

I also looked over the artifact section. There were some pretty nice locally made things and the usual wolf-howling-at-the-moon T-shirts. The howling wolf in the desert is the equivalent of the dolphin art that you see out on the coast. Hey, it sells!

As I paid for my things the lady asked me, "What tribe are you in?"
She said I looked very Indian. I was wearing a cap or she would have known I wasn't. Every Indian I saw, young or old, had a full head of hair.

Later, I had the urge for a real breakfast so I stopped in at a Dennys. It looked like all the staff and customers were Indian.
One thing I noticed was the respectful treatment of the elders (like myself) by the youngsters. Very interesting.

Oh yeah, I bought a flute when I got the groceries. The only trouble is when I try playing it, I start laughing. It must be a magic flute meant to keep me happy.

I also saw a guy at a truck stop wearing a beaded belt. Now I wish I would have picked one up. Very cool belt.

Seeing the sights on Route 66.

As you may already know, the original Highway 66 has been replaced by Interstate 40. There are still a few parts of the original road left for nostalgia freaks to drive on though.
The first sign I spotted said something like "Original Route 66" and pointed to an offramp, so with hopes of spotting Martin Milner in the 'Vette, I took the exit.

Whoa! They should have added a postscript to the sign, "Secure all false teeth and babies. Not responsible for loss of vision or bowel control."
Apparently these sections of the "Mother Road" have been left to fend for themselves ever since the Interstate went in. They are little more than black chunks of asphalt, much like those pictures you see of the Martian landscape.

I managed to get about 1/4 mile down the road before I had to turn back. I recommend a purpose built off-road bike and a good leather kidney belt for anyone wishing to try riding any of those sections.

The towns along the Interstate were originally on the Mother Road and they are cashing in on the fame, such as it is. I took each exit and checked them out.

Most of the loops through the towns are filled with new retro-cafes aimed at the hot-rodding crowd. You know, those aluminum and glass buildings that look faintly like an old drive-in. Most are probably designed by someone who has never seen a real drive-in.
There are so many of them, my guess is if you ate a burger in each one of those joints, you would consume a whole cow every 2 towns.

In some spots I saw the old icons. I saw the Wigwam Motel, which was pretty cool. They had old 50s cars parked in front of each unit. I couldn't tell if it was really open for business, as it looked pretty run-down and dusty.

I found out that towing a trailer puts me in the class of big RVs in that there was usually no easy place to park so I could get out and look. I had to be satisfied with a drive-by view.
There are so many RVs you would think they would make some provision for parking them and letting the tourist dollars flow.

I did manage to get into an A&W in Seligman, Arizona though. Had a burger, fries and a root beer, naturally. The root beer was excellent!

I also went through Winslow, Arizona to see the corner mentioned in the song "Take It Easy." Once again no place to park but it looked like an old run-down bar with a couple of seedy desert rat types out front. They were watching a big semi-truck that had jammed up traffic in all directions. The driver was trying to get through a gate into a construction area (or something) which was against the traffic flow and there was a Mexican laborer half-heartedly trying to direct traffic and explain to the driver where he was supposed to go. It was hot and apparently rush-hour in Winslow, so there was a lot of honking and arm-waving and nobody would give the big-rig driver a break. I could hear sirens approaching when I spotted an opening in the mess and jammed on through, hoping I could plead tourist ignorance if the cops got me.
Taking it easy, indeed!

One thing I noticed were busloads of European tourists in all the towns. All the restaurants and souvenir shops were doing great. There were also big groups of high school kids who were spending money like drunken sailors on huge bags of Fritos, gallon-sized soft drinks and the like. At least they were polite and didn't jostle me at the counter.

All in all, an interesting look at what happens to famous American icons. If it was mentioned in history books or was on TV, there must be some way to make a buck off it.

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Getting over it.

It seems I was a bit optimistic about the availability of wireless networks on the road. California had free fast wireless at the rest stops, of all places, but I was in travel mode and stopped just long enough to try it out. It works fine.

At the moment, I’m staying at a campground that promised free wireless, but the connection is so bad it keeps dropping off even though I’m sitting under the antenna!
The front office was having problems too, so I guess I’ll just hang loose till I find a good connection further on down the road.

So far my journey has been full of ups and downs, emotional and physical.

A quick stopover in Sacramento with sister Nancy and bro-in-law Tom allowed me to fill up on Japanese food, which I sorely miss in Bandon.
My clothes hanger broke while there and Tom sprang into action, making me some new metal hangers to replace the plastic. I was impressed with how easy and fast it was to fabricate something in a good workspace. Looking over his workshop gave some me some good ideas for my future space.

I felt kind of guilty about just breezing through town, but if I visited everyone I wanted to see, I’d be there for a week. I think I’ll go down there and do that; maybe in the fall.

Heading down Highway 99, I was quite shocked at the price of gas. Some spots were up to $4.00 a gallon! I know our European cousins laugh at that but it’s a big shock to us Yanks.
I started having doubts about how long I could stay out on the road with gas prices going up so fast.

I spent the first night camping for free in a rest stop at Mojave, California. While there I worked out a few changes in van-housekeeping. You know, this needs to be here and that needs to be there.
I suspect that these changes will be constant, knowing how persnickety I am about having everything in the perfect spot, so motion is effortless and never wasted. Hah! How did I become cursed with that trait? My poor wife would like to know.
The Kosmic Joke Center at work again, no doubt.

My back started really hurting during the dash out of California. By the second night, at a campground in Holcomb, Arizona I was shuffling around like a really, really old guy. I was at wit’s end; too far to go back and a long journey ahead. With the double-whammy of pain and gas prices, I was really beginning to doubt if I could accomplish this trip.
I called Susan and whined about it then took a long hot shower and went to bed at 7 pm. I dreamed incessantly all night and woke up 12 hours later in much better shape, mentally and physically.

I think I may have been working out some separation issues or something. I find I miss my wife and dog more than I thought I would. Plus it’s not easy to get on a schedule while on the road.
I also realized I was too focused and anxious about getting to my destination. I was doing the opposite of what I had intended to be doing.

I was missing the pie!

So anyhow, I realized I have to stop fighting myself and come to some sort of resolution between my character traits and my desires. So I made an agreement with myself to just get to Kansas and deliver the bike, saving the roaming for afterwards. I’ll have my own bike at that point and will be able to stop worrying about it.
To alleviate my suffering, I’ll just stay on the main highway, do less miles per day (as Susan suggested) and stop a lot to see the sights, such as they are.
I now have plenty of time and feel relaxed.

I already feel better about everything and my back does too. What a relief!

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Garbage Eve.

Today, Monday, is garbage eve. The garbage truck comes on Tuesday morning and takes all the jetsam away. I'm planning on leaving at the crack of noon along with the garbage. Seems somehow poetic or ironic or fitting...your choice.

I tested out the campworthy-ness of my van the other night by sleeping in the van while parked in the driveway. It was very comfy but colder than I expected. The old sleeping bag isn't hacking it. I looked at the label and found it's good down to 50 degrees, so I guess I'll be making a stop at the Roseburg Bi-Mart store to pick up something a little heftier.

(At this point non-locals are wondering "what the hell is a Bi-Mart?" Some sexual weirdo-ism? Nah, it's just my favorite store here in Oregon. Think of a Costco scaled down to quarter size but with the panache of a Target. It's an employee-owned store so everyone is nice. I like that. My money more or less stays in Oregon.)

Hey...don't forget it's tax day. Cough it up, bro!


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Flight delayed!

First off, I figured out how to add pictures. I added a couple to previous posts to test it out. If you click on the picture you can see it in original size, evidently.

So, here it is the 11th and I was hoping to be on the road today.

Hit a snag with the trailer this time. I had to do more McGyvering and make several trips to the lumber store AND the hardware store. Got the problem solved and just need to rig up some tie down points on the bed of the trailer.

One great thing I've learned from this adventure so far is...I can still do stuff.

I've been sitting around wishing I could build stuff for the yard and do things inside the house, but my back is pretty much constantly in pain. So I've been putting it all off and hiring out any jobs that need doin'.

What I've discovered is, I was still thinking like the young carpenter's helper that I was 30 years ago. Everything had to be done fast and there was no fooling around back then. I still had that mindset but I just can't do that anymore.

I've found I can still accomplish things if I just take it slow and easy. I use leverage and dollies to move stuff around. I take breaks every chance I get. I measure 3 times, take a nap and then cut once.
It's slow but I'm actually doing it myself. Feels pretty good!

I'm starting to think of projects around the Rancho that I've wanted to do but have been putting off. When I get back I think I'll start on them.

But first I have this trip to get moving on.

I talked to Richard in Kansas and told him I was delayed and it turns out he'll be at home between the 23rd and the 1st. That gives me more time to deliver the bike and lets off the pressure. Plus I'll be able to take my time on my way to Kansas...which IS the reason I'm on this trip.

You can't find good pie if you jam down the Interstate with your eye on the clock.

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Any day now.

Seems like this is all about fixing up vans and nothing about a trip...but as the guru says, every journey begins with the purchase of a new power tool.

Today I finished getting all the doo-dads installed in the van and touched up some spots where the paint came off and orange was peeking through. ACK!!

The finished product has paneling on the ceiling, throw rugs on the floor, a bed, mosquito net, storage and "al fresco" closet. Also got my CB radio in and working and fixed the rattley-bangy back door.
My lovely wife Susan made some curtains for me but the velcro wouldn't stick to the interior panels. She super-glued the strips in place and got her friend with an industrial sewing machine to sew the other half of the velcro on the curtains.

BTW, the lady with the machine, famous artist Dorothea Tortilla, was celebrating her birthday today and took time out to sew my curtains. She has certainly received a hefty deposit into her karmic bank account. Big shout out to D.T.!! Yo, Happy Birthday!

Susan also talked me into getting the van's air conditioner fixed. I was balking at the expense but she reminded me that there's REAL weather in the midwest and I'd be glad I did it.
So Brunhilda is off to the shop tomorrow while I take a trip to DMV to see about getting a license plate for my new bike.

I also need to do a little McGyvering on my bike trailer. I wanted to paint it camo to match the new bike but have run out of time. Maybe somewhere along the road it'll happen.

Next step is to put everything I'd like to take in a big pile and see how much of it fits. I'm pretty good at traveling light. I figure if I really need something, I can buy it on the road, preferably at a big truckstop. They have the coolest stuff in those stores and great greasy meals at the attached restaurants.

So, whatever day I get out of here, my first stop will be Sacramento where I plan to eat some real Japanese food! And pick up some sake for future campfires.

Then it's on to Route 66. I'll let these ladies tell it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imqg6sHS0Zg


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The hardware store.

Today I made 3 trips to the hardware store so I could drill a 3/4' hole in my van roof for my CB/ Ham radio antenna. Luckily, it's just a couple of blocks away and the clerk there is pretty cute. My tool collection is growing, one tool at a time.

Got the CB installed and mounted some foglights. Of course the foglights wouldn't work where I originally planned to put them, so it's back to the hardware store to buy some plugs for the holes I drilled. Hopefully that should only take a couple of trips.

They have a rack at the check-out with candy bars. The Oh Henrys are my favorite. They also have free popcorn. Not a bad place, all in all.

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Naming the ride.

Following the American military tradition of naming my vehicle, I'm thinking of calling my van "The Valkyrie."

I'll need some loudspeakers behind the grill to play "Ride of the Valkyries" as I pull into a campground. "I love the smell of SPAM in the morning. It smells like victory!"

I hope to find some custom van truck-ins during my trip. Most vans have a theme for shows. I'm working on mine. ;->

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Holy Moley!

It's the 2nd of April so I only have 7 days to finish up and get on the road.
I'ne chosen the 9th or 10th as my start date, seeing as how I have to be in Kansas between April 11th and April 17th.

All of a sudden I'm feeling pressed.

I finally got the van painted...a weird olive drab color with flat black grill, bumpers and mirrors. It looks like a WW2 Army vehicle. Everyone tells me it looks official, like it belongs to SOME agency...no telling which one, but "Let him through!"

I put the paint on with rollers and a brush, just like painting a house. Of course I did everything ass-backwards (next time I'll have it down.)
Unfortunately it rained for 3 days just as I finished and wouldn't dry as it sat in the carport. The rain finally stopped and I parked in the sun and baked the finish on, as it were. It looks a bit like velcro in some spots but it's not orange! Hooray. I'll carry a spray can of flat brown to cover any scratches or peel-offs. It will be interesting to see how the color evolves during the trip.
Best part...I invested less than $50 into the paintjob. Earl Schieb, I laugh in your face. Ha ha!

Next I got a bunch of plywood and boards to build a bed. When I got home I realized I was not Bob Vila and had absolutely no idea how to do it. Luckily a quick email to my bro Richard for help got me a suggestion for a design and I was off.

It took me 3 days to get the bed built, since my back had me moving slow. 1 day to buy and puzzle over how to proceed, 1 day to cut all the pieces at my friend Snazzy's house and 1 day to screw it all together.

I then decided not to waste more time trying to build a closet. A clothes bar across the back with a clamp to keep the clothes from sliding all over cost me $11 total and will do fine. It will also offer a place to hang one end of my mosquito net.

Now I'm finishing up the odds and ends. Putting in my CB/ ham radio antenna, installing curtains made by my long-suffering wife Susan and figuring out how much crap I can stuff in all the storage spaces.

It's hard to believe, but this van has way less living/storage room than my 71 or 72 VW camper. I guess it's all down to German efficiency as opposed to my hybrid-race shade-tree engineering.

Well, I gotta get to work. No time for dallying on the computer!


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