Life in "Flyover Country"

I had work in Springfield, Colorado today, As I headed out on the highway, I couldn't help but notice how light the traffic was on 287, which was supposed to see traffic increase as the alternate route on the Portss to Plains highway.

Springfield and Clayton are both in what the media derisively calls "flyover country". This area is routinely ignored by media as well as tourists. It is seen as flat and not interesting, so much so that an article I read recently on New Mexico made a comment mocking the idea of skiing in New Mexico, when in fact some enthusiasts rate our slopes higher than Colorado's.

All of that was on my mind when I headed into Springfield. I have a pretty hard and fast rule that when I work in a small town like that I try to eat in town, if that's possible. It's a very small gesture I can do for their local economies, but if everyone did it, it would have an impact.

I stopped at the Trails End, a small diner with a decent sized dining room in the back. It was good food. Not exceptional, but it got to me fairly quickly and hot, and the restaurant was very nicely kept. If you're looking for a recommendation or endorsement when going through, I'm glad to give it. They also have a nice barbeque place across the street, but it wasn't open today, which is why I tried the Trails End.

I went to an Antique store on the same block and had a conversation with the proprietors about the local economy (I also found some great old books, which is always a plus). Their response was that it was terrible, and that's a response that seems common all over. People just don't travel anymore, don't check out small towns like Springfield.

I then headed down to the local museum, which is a charming combination of community center, library and museum. It's an extremely quaint, one room museum (if you're going, the librarian lets you in), and a pretty neat idea for a town with clearly limited resources.

The job wound up being nixed (the parts had not been delivered, but I did get to spend a little time in a very nice community, and as I drove back through two communities on my route that had dwindled down to nothing, I wondered if twenty years from now the same would be true of Clayton, Boise City and Springfield.

It also reminded me of something very important: why I stay. Because while more money can be made elsewhere, I can't replace the feeling that I get when I walk into a small one room museum, or living in a corner of the world where every dining experience is the quaint little restaurant people crave in larger cities. And when I look up at night, somewhere among the massive stars I can see the lights of your plane as you "fly over", oblivious to the incredible people and places you're overlooking.

Pulling Back For a Bit

I think I'm about ready to go into "winter mode", whatever that is.

Townes' suspension is increasingly groaning in protest as I drive the miles to work, and my body is increasingly groaning in protest. It is stressful to sit between gigs, not knowing when the next work is going to come and hoping you can pay the bills.

And so it appears time for a slowdown. I'm trying to grow my clientele in a nearby town as there is no market where I live, and am going to continue that on a regular basis. Other than that, I'm going to severely limit my jobs for awhile. I'll bid them, but not on a route until spring, when hopefully we can either do some serious surgery on Townes or find a suitable replacement.

This van has given me a lot of miles; about 80,000 in the four years I've had it. The engine's still sound, the transmission's still good, he's just old and tired and in need of some TLC. And constantly worrying about the state of my ride isn't helping on the long road trips.

I'm at a loss for extra ways to drive in income; if anyone has any ideas, I'd appreciate them passing them my way. In the meantime, I am going to have to figure out a way to fund my trips out for some writing projects I will be researching this winter. I guess the slowdown's just causing me to focus on other things.

I'll keep you updated here. I still plan on lots of excitement; I just may have to space it out until the money situation improves.

To Go, or Not to Go

I was prepared for the slowness of the offseason, but it has been a little slower than I hoped. As I write this, I am on hold for a project, and the reason I am on hold underscores what I don't like about the direction IT is taking.

See, I was dispatched out last week for a back office PC install. I went to the site, discovered two parts missing that are kind of crucial for the installation. I was released from site, but as I discussed the situation, I explained that it would be Monday (today) or Tuesday before the job could be finished.

He was adamant about it needing to be done before Tuesday.

And so I headed home, with a game plan: if it looked like a no go for the parts on Monday, I would get the parts and return to the site and complete the install. I could worry about the reimbursement later.

I arose this morning planning to do that, but was shot down by the buyer. They didn't have a way of reimbursement. Now, as I write this, I at long last have an answer from the buyer sending me to the site tomorrow (Tuesday), which was not the customer's preference.

But in all of this, what gets lost is the customer. The person who should be at the very center is pushed off to the side. Nobody benefits.

And so I get to go onsite, and because I am the face of it all, I get to see the customer's frustration. Hey, I'm good with that, but I still think there's a better way to serve the customer.

My hope is to hold my vehicles together through winter, and that in the spring we can be better positioned to travel. I can't make money standing still.

More Down Than Uptime Right Now

So, I am taking things lightly in order to preserve our bankroll for an upcoming family event (the way things go, I have to spend it before I make it, sometimes long before). There have been some register installs, but I haven't had any luck landing them, even though I didn't counteroffer, figuring I'd just take a lower net pay.

So I had to do a POS changeover at a restaurant. The ticket demands business casual, so I went to the site wearing the usual khaki slacks. I put in the POS, ran the cables and tested everything, pretty routine...but then as I hopped in my car and drove away, I noticed the grease from the floor had left some handy dandy stains on the slacks. Ouch.

To top it off, the buyers on one of the overnight installs tried to contact me....but as it would require a four hour drive from where I was working to the site, it was pretty much out of the question before they asked. Which was unfortunate, because the pay was pretty good closer to the start time.

So I am trying to pull up a couple of close jobs for tomorrow. I have to be in Beaver, OK on Friday, and that will likely be my last ticket before we leave. As always, though, I am trying to find some tickets along the route, but not too many, as we have a lot of ground to cover in relatively short time. From here to Fort Leonard Wood, and back. I'm trying to treat the return trip as a little bit of R&R, but honestly, since going full time into independent contracting, R&R is hard to do.

I am hoping to stop by the Woody Guthrie Center on the trip home, to get a little research in. We're spending as much as a vacation, may as well treat it as one (albeit a short one!)

"Well, We Know Where We're Going, But We Don't Know Where We've Been"

Yesterday, I loaded up on a trip into Colorado and Kansas. I had the car instead of a van, a quick site in Colorado and three sites the following day.

Just a few minutes after getting on the road from Trinidad to La Junta, the Talking Heads' "Road to Nowhere" came on my phone. Pretty appropriate for that stretch of road.

As I passed the Highway 160 turnoff, I debated taking the alternate road in, but decided otherwise. Ten minutes later, as I was stalled behind the first of three one lane roads, with their accompanying pilot cars, I was starting to rethink my decision, but I allowed an extra hour, so it wasn't as critical as it could have been.

The site took 26 minutes, and I had the rest of the day to kill and just two hours' drive to today's site. I decided a detour was in order and drove up to a town that I had never seen before.

When I was 18, I hit the road and drove until my car ran out of gas north of Rolla, Kansas. I was given a ride to a town near the Colorado border (probably Syracuse; after all of these years I don't remember for certain), where they arranged a ride up to Limon, Colorado. All I remember about the guys were that they were from Cheyenne Wells, Colorado, and that they were Jehovah's Witnesses.

So I decided to swing through Cheyenne Wells. I didn't expect to find anything, but I did consider putting up a sign telling the story and inviting the family to contact us (it's a very small town, so if they're still in the area, they would probably get the message if I left it at the post office). I chickened out, though, figuring there was nothing to gain out of it. If they did remember me, I doubt they've spent that much time thinking about a hitchhiker they picked up 26 years ago. On the other hand, I've never forgot any of my hitchhikers over the years.

I took a road that, on further examination, only added even MORE unnecessary miles to the trip, and found myself grateful I was in the car. It was worth it, though, as I stopped at Fort Wallace, a small fort in western Kansas. I went to the nearby cemetery, and walked through it, enjoying the quiet solitude of the moment.The cemetery had a monument that was erected around the end of the Civil War. It is currently protected by a steel enclosure. I walked through the replica headstones (the original graves were moved years ago) of the older part of the cemetary that had once belonged to the fort, and saw the headstone for the murdered members of the German family, a family that had been attacked and several members murdered in the battles with the American Indians that were fighting over the land on these plains. I can't help but think I will be using the story later.

Monument Rocks is a series of outlying rock formations that stand out above the plains and were used as a marker for settlers headed west. I didn't get a close view of them, but saw several much smaller, but equally interesting formations by the roadside.

I drove down past Monument Rocks and saw them in the distance, but was getting aa bit road weary and ready to pull in, needing to be well rested for today's work. Even with as much road as I've covered, it is still compelling to know how much I have NOT covered.

Kansas Bound

In the morning, I'm off to my next assignment. Living next to a time zone, not only do I have to calculate drive times, I have to stop and think whether the time difference will come into play.

Tomorrow's a one stop -- La Junta, Colorado. A fairly straightforward job that I had been declined further down because dispatch deemed it too simple for the rates I was asking. Given some of the comments in the notes, I think it's safe to say they overestimated the ability of techs who take lowball bids. Oh, well, "you live some you learn some" can apply as much to them as to us.

I have to cross over into Kansas, and was debating a couple of other Colorado jobs before rolling that way, but they're too far north to make the detour. So it's a one stop day, leaving me with miles to cover but not a lot in the way of obligation before Thursday morning in Garden City. I get a little busier after that -- 2 jobs in Garden City, then on to Dodge. I am not sure what the time window looks like, but there's an unfilled ticket in Scott City I may be taking a second look at before heading on to Dodge. A hectic day, to be sure.

Fortunately, the drive works for me in this case, and driving east to west across the time zone fives me the hour back that I'll lose tomorrow night. That's always nice.

I'm not sure of prospects to sit down and play on either day, but I'm certainly willing if someone else is willing to listen. And I may play on Boot Hill for a couple of songs just to say I played on Boot Hill.

After all of that, I will be getting to roll back for a bit of R&R. The online charter school my oldest two attend is having a picnic in Santa Fe, and I may head down to the plaza following the picnic and see if I can make a few bucks in tips.

It's a bit frustrating being held to 2 to 3 day weeks, but that's going to have to be the routine for the short term. We're working on long term changes, but sometimes that seems quite far off.

Back in the Saddle Again

So, it's been a while since I've updated. With school starting, having to work my schedule around my kids, my wife's work schedule, and Friday night football (working the boards at the radio station).

I'm not getting rich riding this trail, but we're holding our own (my favorite line; the ironic final radio transmission from the Edmund Fitzgerald. The final part of that sentence anyway). And, I can say that in between the madness and the fretting from job to job, I'm having the most fun I've had as an adult.

After the job that never ended (a job that, had it been done right from the support end, should have been 2 visits and done, but stretched out over 3 1/2 working days, plus daily calls/updates over Labor Day weekend), I have work scheduled for tomorrow in Clovis and Portales. So I was very pleased to see a job come across my desk for Tucumcari, literally on the way, for this afternoon. It wound up being a very brief job, as the problems were related to power issues and resolved without replacement equipment, but that's the flip side of the "job that never ends" jobs. And since it was a piggyback job, I won't complain. Plus, it puts me two hours closer to Clovis, allowing me to not have to leave QUITE so early.

So, because the early rise can be difficult to facilitate from the back of the van, I decided to spring for a cheap hotel. Not $50 a night cheap, nope, that is high class for our intrepid High Tech Hobo. I went to the $29 a night joint, and I'm glad I did.

Shortly after I arrived, an older woman called out from her room, about 75 feet away, to inquire whether I had a lighter. I stated the negative, and she began ambling across the parking lot with her walker. I unladed my things, and after 5 minutes (yes, 5 literal minutes; I felt terrible), she again inquired about the lighter. Apparently she hadn't heard, and, had there been a gas station nearby, my guilt would likely have propelled me through its doors to accommodate this persistent individual. Fortunately, the motel's maintenance man (or something like that) came to her rescue, so no harm no foul (except the lingering guilt).

I settles into my room to find a bare selection of channels, which is fine because I'm really not that big of a TV buff anyway. I was delighted to find the wireless router positioned right outside my door, although if I thought the owners had any money, I'd probably try to pitch a router upgrade in exchange for a few nights' stays when I'm out this way.

After uploading my resume to a headhunter, and watching a couple of crime dramas, I decided to venture to the office for some ice. I debated putting on shoes, decided against, which wound up being a good thing as it prevented me from being overdressed.

I asked about ice, they didn't have an ice machine, but stored ice in the freezer, which they were kind enough to get me from buckets stowed to the side. I gathered that ice requests are not horribly common here. As the ice was being prepared, I chatted with the locals about the weather as they rolled their own cigarettes and sat around the table in the office. It was kind of a Norman Rockwell meets Jeff Foxworthy moment.

There was an older handyman early on who said he played the guitar, but he's apparently gone home. I was kind of hoping to stir up come picking.

As I headed back to my room, the young maintenance man and his apparent girlfriend were debating the severity and seriousness of a spider bite.

Good times. These are the stories you'd never get from a Hilton!

A Little Fun At a Jerk Buyer's Expense

Most buyers I deal with are spectacular. They're glad to get a qualified tech at a reasonable price, and I'm glad to get good work at a reasonable price. It usually works out where I don't get quite as much as I want; they don't pay as little as they want.

Every once in awhile, though, a jerk hops up on the scene. For obvious reasons, I need to keep the buyer anonymous, but I thought I'd post the response I WANTED to post. If I didn't need to maintain a decent relationship with them.

Here is the buyer's response to my offer:

The project is about as simple as it can get. Unbox new equipment and set it up on the desktop, plug in the Cat5 cable to the nic card and that is it. XYZ Company will do all of the work behind the scenes with regards to loading the OS and the dual monitor drivers. Other than that, if you think that $20 is below market value for A+ type work, then you must be making a killing in your area and I wonder why you would answer an ad like this. It's simple work. It is what it is. Call me if you are interested, (number omitted).

Here is the reply I wanted to make:

I agree, it's simple work, but as to why I would answer an ad, there is a simple reason. This is not Craigslist, this is not a random Internet ad, this is a platform where buyers in my profession connect with providers in my profession. And there is a good deal of negotiating that goes on.

I do have to take issue with your characterization of A+ techs, though. Even the most newly minted A+ tech still put in significant time and effort to get where they are, and do not deserve to be diminished by buyers like you, who bask in the glow of the monitor in your mother's basement while working tickets between quests to find the Sword of Azeroth.

$20 an hour is a fair price for a self employed individual to mow my lawn, or stop by for twice weekly housekeeping. It is not a fair price for PC deployments for large companies. There is a certain professionalism expected, and it's not received by paying dirt cheap wages. For a 1099 employee, $20 an hour usually nets about $12 an hour, and that is before expenses like gas and tools are figured in. You certainly could get cheaper, but the quality of tech that you're likely to receive for less than $20 an hour probably makes it necessary for you to keep a close eye on the White Out and the alcohol based hand sanitizer.

Also, if you consider better than $20 an hour a "killing", then you must be moonlighting at the comic book store, because even full time $20 an hour W2 employment is a decent salary of $40K, hardly a "killing" unless you live in Bangladesh or your mother's basement. I'm wondering which is true of you.

I will refrain from replying directly because, well, your reply is so rank that it's impossible to reply without telling you what a lowballing dirtball you are. And because you might tattle.

I had hoped by applying for your job to get work in the direction I needed to go, but I think there are probably enough cans on the side of the freeway to pay for most of the trip. If I come up short, I have a half eaten, week old cheese danish that I could probably sell to make up the balance. If you pay extra, I may even deliver. But warning: I'm not a WoW fan, so if you want to discuss that while I'm there, there's a whole other surcharge.

Thanks for your phone number; I've posted it to a variety of fetish boards across the Internet. Hope you don't mind.

The Home Internet's Back On!

I am pleased to say that this is the week we see ourselves finally getting back to "normal". After a VERY rough start to the summer, I was able to get the Internet back on at home. This may sound like a luxury, but it's essential to business. I even skipped taking the laptop down to the coffeeshop this morning because I was getting a little weary of the electronic ball and chain.

Fortunately, I get a bit of a slowdown, as we start school next week and I'll need to focus on teaching. I may also be working the boards at the local radio station for the high school sports; just minimum wage work, but we're at a point where every little bit truly counts. It sounds like a little thing, but my proudest accomplishment on this last roadtrip was not cashing in the coins OR the cans. They are our emergency money; when I cash them in, it feels like our safety net is gone.

And despite the brake work on the van, we did manage to emerge from this stretch with a small cash reserve. We have a few looming bills that will eat that up quickly, but that's tomorrow's problem, not today's, and I am learning to appreciate that fact.

I have the luxury of work in town tomorrow. Next week I won't be on the road much, as I need to try to confine the bulk of work to the days my wife is NOT working. And, for the first time in six months, we aren't looming very close to cutoff on most of our bills. I know it won't always stay this way, but for today, just today, I don't feel like a hamster stuck in a wheel.

And that's a pretty nice feeling.

The Slowdown

Well, school starts Monday, which to me is ridiculously early,  but no worries. We're going to basically follow the school calendar in our return to homeschooling, because it's just easier that way.

So that means that my work will be confined to later in the week, as I will be doing most of the instruction. I might be able to take the kids along on certain assignments, but that's not a workable usual practice, so I think I will try to book Thursday and Fridays with whatever's available, and head out and gig on the weekends. I may be able to schedule some day assignments earlier in the week, but that will be hit or miss.

I picked up a second job to follow up last night's assignment, which is good because supplies took a decent chunk out of the profit of that job, and today's job was basically bonus. It was an Internet connectivity issue, and given those are super easy, was a quick fix (although I did extra work...ALWAYS offer extra work on a quick fix, is my motto!).

So as I was heading out of Lubbock late last night, I drove by the airport, and because I was exhausted, briefly wondered why the airport was not named after Buddy Holly. Then I kicked myself for the stupidest question in the history of humanity, glad I hadn't lingered around long enough to ask that question of any locals. When I drove in, it was apparently shift change for the PD, because I briefly felt like I was in the middle of the OJ chase of the early 90's, as TEN police cars pulled on and gradually around me on their way to their assignments. And here I was sitting with my GPS on my lap, afraid to look at it and possibly net a souvenir ticket from the PD!

I pulled into the rest stop north of Lubbock. This rest stop has two bathroom buildings, so that when one is down for cleaning, the other is available. The lovely night janitor had both closed and locked, and was so kind to GLARE at me when I tried to come in. I later saw her silhouette in the rest stop's office, apparently sleeping. I was briefly tempted to dash across the Interstate for the southbound rest stop, but thought better of it.

To add to all my fun, Straight Talk apparently chose this month to NOT send reminder texts that my service was expiring, so I had to rush out and get a card so that I could schedule this morning's job. Fun times!

I did get a fair amount of songwriting done. At least the easy part of it!

Lubbock, Texas on the roadmap

So tonight I'm rolling out to Lubbock for an overnight install. I was hoping to piggyback a printer job with it, but it didn't come to pass. I'll probably finish up in the wee small hours of the morning, but planning on holding over to see if anything pops up near me.

Next week, school starts, and we're homeschooling again. So that means road trips will be limited; I'm probably going to pick up more day trips. That means less money, but I might be able to take the car to economize.

I am also trying to crowdsource Hobo's List, so far without success. Most folks I have discussed it with think it is a good project, but I cannot get funding lined up. What that tells me is I need to expand my reach, and the way I am working is a good way to do it.

I may have to pull out some research material to take with me on the road. I admit to being more than a little inspired by the work of Tim Z. Hernandez, and so I may have to start gathering stories. I've heard a lot of folks say that they thought everything had been written that was worthwhile, but as long as people keep living, as long as injustice and oppression exist, there will be stories to tell. And sadly, injustice and oppression will probably always exist.

So if I don't spend tomorrow working, I'll likely spend it writing. There are a few stories I may not be able to escape.

Busier on Down Days than Up

So I'm sitting here with no certainty for the upcoming week (prior to Friday). At this point, I am thinking I need to hit the road more for exposure than anything, as I really need to get the fundraiser rolling. It's not coming from the people I already know; that much is abundantly clear, and so somehow I will have to reach people who I can get to understand what I am doing.

It isn't easy; in fact, it's probably my biggest frustration. How I can spend so much time on the planet and have only a very small number of people (too small to constitute a genuine funding base) understand what I am doing is beyond me. It's very frustrating.

What I do know is this: if the coming year is anything like last year, we will be moving. We don't have a lot to sell, but maybe the sale of our house would net us enough to get a decent apartment in a city that isn't so isolated and is a bit more politically diverse.

The frustrating thing is, I do enjoy the community (another hard thing to get people around here to understand; criticism doesn't mean I dislike you; in fact, it usually means the opposite).

But I've garnered a lot of opposition because I refuse to take a $10 an hour job and basically throw my degree away. Of all of the mindsets around here, thst one is the single most annoying one. For years, I was told that I was short changing myself; that I needed to earn a degree. So I listened, and I did it. Now the very same folks are telling me to ignore my degree, take a nearly minimum wage job and "work your way up". Probably to include getting another degree at some point (in fact, I HAVE been advised by a few folks to "go back to school"; my answer is simply that if my Bachelors isn't doing much for me, I don't see a Masters doing anything more than adding debt.

It's not a matter of complaint; it's a matter of fact. Right now things look OK, but we haven't hit the slow season yet. If the coming year is like the last one, we will be gone by this time next year. There frankly won't be a choice!

Downtime, Brainstorming and Fundraising

Right now, there are limited prospects for the upcoming week. The beauty is, that can change literally at a moment's notice, but for the moment what that means is I am going to have to make creative use of my time.

One of the projects at the center of my attention is funding Hobo's List, I project I started 2-3 years ago as a clearinghouse of resources for the poor and needy. As the economy has worsened for many of America's workers, the need has increased, but the awareness has not. Food banks, shelters, and other deserving organizations have limited resources to advertise their services, and too many go without.

As I travel, I am exposed to the need. I am aware that it is substantial, and am also aware from some of my other interactions that most folks are oblivious to how great the need is in this country. They will turn away from the guy begging on the street corner because many believe they are all scam artists. And the scam artists exist, to be sure, but so do the people with very real, very pressing needs. And we need to make them aware that there are resources to assist with their needs.

And thus, the crowdsourcing campaign to assist with startup funds. I recently renewed the domain, but barely had the money for that, as the last three months have seen me replace three tires, get a substantial amount of brake work for Townes, throw out $500 worth of food because of refrigerator failure, and double pay an electric bill. And now we're in back to school season, with Christmas following not too far behind.

And so this weekend's focus, in addition to building a set list, hunting for work, and household projects, is on building an effective crowdsourcing campaign. It's harder than it sounds. Maybe if I was asking for money to make potato salad.

Stopping is a GOOD Thing!

So, the brakes are fixed on Townes. This means I can start scheduling out for next week. I am very seriously trying to nail down something near Santa Fe so that I can get "back in the saddle" and head out to busk. At this point, the money is secondary; the experience is primarily what I'm after. Since I didn't make anything the first go round, that's a good thing, but I'm going to have to start thinking money before too long, and summer's nearing the end.

The focus right now is on the Hobo's List fundraiser. I'm not a fundraiser by nature, but it is becoming increasingly apparent to me that's a skillset I'm going to have to learn, both as a busker, and as an activist. Since all my work is freelance, I'm getting better at it, but it's hard to take a person with social anxiety issues and a healthy distaste for bureaucracy and make them a fundraiser overnight.

So here's the deal: if you have any ideas good or bad about how I can actually make it work, I'm all ears. I am working on getting some graphics together so I can do merchandise, both for the music and for Hobo's List, but I lack the capital to launch into it full on. Although it's frustrating, it's probably better that way, as it's forcing me to learn the process the hard way.

I'm also learning to use my downtime more efficiently, which is pretty important in the big scheme of things. I still have a ways to go, but I'm getting better at it.

Ready to Roll Out

OK, on the job front, I have nothing in the immediate future. But finished the brake work on the van, so next week's a new game.

For those who know me, my pet project has been a project called Hobo's List. This is a project to catalog resources for the poor in various communities to assist in getting aid to the people who badly need it. While the immediate target of this was intended to be the homeless, I have begin thinking about how it could be expanded to meet the needs of refugees and migrants as well.

I am beginning a launch and awareness campaign and will be handing off the web development and marketing tasks to a trusted affiliate, who I believe can help me take the organization to the next level. This includes a GoFundMe campaign, as well as a long range five year plan. I would encourage you to donate to help make this happen, as it means a lot of good for a lot of people.

And so, my weekend consists of reviving set lists, working on long range plans, and looking for jobs in the coming week. Fortunately, I get to do it with a better set of brakes.

A Day in the Life

So I'm headed home, I guess. Townes is heading into the shop tomorrow, hopefully to resolve the brake issues once and for all.

But I figured in the meantime I'd give you a basic rundown.

This job was in Kansas, which means crossing a time zone. 9:30AM start, 3 hour drive (figure 4 for the time zone). So that meant getting up at 3 AM to get out at 4 AM to give myself an hour cushion (I ALWAYS allow a cushion, and always "plan" to arrive 30 minutes early, as sometimes I need that 30 minutes to find the site. Even when I don't, it's still nice to have a couple of minutes to collect myself).

Coming into town wound up being an adventure. The brakes, as I mentioned, are bad (read: nearly nonexistent), and it was pouring rain. I came upon the stoplight, which has a warning signal when it's about to turn to encourage highway traffic to slow down. When I passed it, no warning light. But it turned yellow with very little time for me to stop, and an almost certainty I would be running through the red light. And since there were cars on the cross street, this could be bad. Thinking quickly, I slowed as much as I could and pulled a hard right, making the turn with no trouble. Still, I was a bit shaken up by the near miss.

So I arrived at the site, a hotel that's about ready to open. My job (ostensibly) was to install the router. I walked in, was directed to the switch room, patch panels were in place, but...no switches. I called in and it looked like the internal IT was behind schedule. I helped the managers find the switches, but because I don't know the setup or internal network, there was nothing I could do except sign the router over to the manager and check out. Relatively easy assignment.

So I decided to try to pick one up in Dalhart that's been sitting there. I submitted an offer, the ticket was pulled. Not rejected, pulled (I get a notice if it is rejected or reassigned). This means the buyer didn't like my offer. Ah, well, you win some, you lose some.

So, headed back before noon with a good paycheck for the day. Which is pretty good; I'm going to need it for the brake work. Hoping that I'm back to normal by Monday.

....and the Hits Just Keep on Coming!

So, I got the brake line fixed, but the calipers need to be replaced, meaning a complete brake job. I was going to try to postpone it a bit, as we were hoping there was some brake, but a rather harrowing right turn to avoid running a red light out on the road changed that in a hurry. Given that the van has a high center of gravity, I count myself fortunate that I didn't roll it to avoid a possible collision.

So that means the surplus we hoped we have, we don't. Same old story, same old song and dance, really. And the more days I'm down, the less money I can make.

Going to limp back from the road today and hope I can get the brakes finished by the end of the week. All told, will be a total of $550 before we're done paying the piper on this one.

When I headed out this morning, I got everything together except the guitar. That doesn't matter for the IT side of things, but since it's my ancillary income stream, not a good game plan overall. Finding out the brakes still don't work means I'm headed back early anyway, but that wasn't a given when I left this morning.

On the plus side, my windshield, which has long served as a sort of transparent Elysian Field for the insect world has now been lightened of the corpses of several arthropods who had long since passed to their final reward, as a result of the rain in southwest Kansas. The rivers still aren't running up this way, but it's green enough that Dorothy might not have been so hasty to long for her egress.

At any rate, hoping the job this morning goes smoothly and swiftly. I'll feel much better when I pull safely in home.

Garden City....and Beyond?

So Townes got the necessary brake work done....but more is still needed. Unfortunately, going to need the brakes replaced, and that means money, which isn't exactly in the greatest abundance.

But, these things happen, and Townes has given me a lot of good miles. But I am going to have to step it up with as many additional revenue streams as possible. Going to have to start bringing in some money, any money with the guitar.

This week's deposits will put us a smidge above water for the first time in a couple of months. But there's always another expense looming, always another bill to be paid. It is unfortunate that the reality of first world existence means that every dollar you earn has another fellow's name on it. That's a reality I'd like to eventually change.

There have been a lot of folks begging me to take "good" jobs at $9 an hour, when the simple truth is, on an hourly rate, I make well over that. The trick is, I have to keep moving, have to keep going where the work is. And those slavers who offer $9 an hour can...well, I try to keep my blog PG rated, so I'll stop there!

My name's getting out a bit further, but there's still a lot of work to do. Now that I have Townes back, I may holdover in Kansas a bit and see what I can do. Next week, I'm kinda gunning to head back to Santa Fe to take advantage of the waning summer season. I have a couple of ideas to try out, and will keep plugging away till I make it work. Sure beats the ol' 9 to 5.

In the meantime, I am mulling taking another Kansas offer later in the week. It would certainly justify the stayover.

Forced Downtime

Well, I took Townes in to the shop today and headed off to day jobs in Amarillo. Aside from a previously scheduled job in Garden City on Wednesday, it looks like this will be the extent of my work, as I am waiting for tickets to process.

The brakes were a "better case" scenario: a hole in the brake line. It will still cost me, but less than a master cylinder or a larger repair. I'm going to have to wait until Monday, though, to launch out again, which is a bit of a pity, though, because it means watching a few tickets go by.

So the game plan is to work on set lists. I am still trying to get something going in that regard, and will keep trying. I'm trying to pick up some setlist ideas, and keep it fresh and lively. Also working on signage for the spots where I busk and trying to piece together some new routes. And not ignoring the ever present reality that it will only be a few months before I will need to start finding something more appropriate for winter weather.

I had a buyer mention I was well below some of the other bidders. The good thing about that is, I'm not undercutting them on my hourly, where I am beating them is on travel expenses. In this area, any competent tech is going to have to travel, and the expenses are pretty similar. Because I'm only bidding one way travel on most of these jobs, I can honestly underbid without compromising a fair hourly rate.

Today's jobs were a "gimme". I needed to fill some time and make a few bucks, with the uncertainty of the van, so I bid a bit lower than I normally would. Still making money, just not as much as I would have normally. But now I go home to rest work on my game plan.

Looks Like Some Unplanned Downtime is in Order

Well, I'm headed off the road for a couple days, but Townes has developed some brake problems, so depending on cost and complexity of repair, it could be a little longer.

I spent the night last night in Dumas at a pretty nice campground. The downside of roadside camping is there are usually not a lot of amenities, In fact, it's not uncommon to have to drive a short distance for toilets. This campground had some rather rustic toilets, but they had running water, so not as rustic as I've seen. And there was a fairly large recreation area, and the chance to stretch your legs is always welcome.

Today's jobs were fairly straightforward, so I finished them right away. With the brake problems needing to be addressed, though, I am glad I took them; there's a greater chance of having money in my pocket once the dust settles.

I have one job scheduled for Wednesday, but will have to hold most of the other jobs until I get Townes back.

A Walk Through Pampa

Note: this was written ahead of time by pen rather than typed, because I too quickly forget the magic of the dance of the pen across the page and how skillfully it turns my thoughts into words):

 I mentioned before travelling out to Pampa that, of all the places I've lived, Pampa never really felt like a hometown. And I felt that with a day to spare as I travelled through the area. But Dumas only gives one night at their free campsite, and Pampa one, and I travel at night, and there's more sentiment in Pampa, even if there is little.

So after searching for I don't know what, I grabbed lunch and headed for a shady spot in the gazebo across from the Schneider Hotel. I had slept in the free campground next to the railroad tracks, and trains make poor bedfellows, so a nap was in order.

I woke with some interesting lyrics in my head. Wish the muse had given me more, but it's what I got:

"...well, the nights are short and the days are hot, and there ain't much sleepin' in the parking lot when the sun comes up..."

...and that's it.

So I decided to stroll over to the Guthrie Center at the Harris Drugstore to see if anyone was in, but noone was. I walked around the back a bit and tossed some thoughts around like an old leather Spalding, sun faded and worn at the seams. About how I'd never lined up to their expectations, nor they to mine, about how they wanted me somehow to become musically what I probably don't want to be, and how I could have easily diffused a lot of the tension with the simple word "no", after realizing that designing the website was too tall an order with full time work, full time family, full time school, and a lengthy commute.

But the past is over, and sometimes stories are best untold until time removes the pain of the sting, and so I was careful not to let my thoughts wander too far in that direction.

My guitar and I headed east to the convenience store, a bathroom, and a cold iced tea. I was given an offer to play for my tea, but the boy I was asked to play for skedaddled across the store; he was having none of it.

Once upon a time, there was a Thursday night picking at the Schneider House; I think I'll hang around and see what gives.

...and then move on.

(Postscript: saw one of the old crew from the Guthrie Center board days. He was not unfriendly, but not welcoming either. So I decided to scratch the ideas to wait and see if pickers would show).

More on the Santa Fe Busk

OK, truth be told, this past week I have been feeling a little out of sorts, and, honestly, conflicted about going forward in the direction I am headed. It's not only hard; sometimes it's just plain brutal. There are the reward moments, yes, and they are many, but the reality of checking your bank balance to ensure you're going to have the cash to get home and carrying your aluminum can cache with you just in case you can't is definitely not for the faint of heart.

And then I received news of another's fortune that made me realize I'm probably NOT just a headstrong fool for staying the course. Oh, I'm a headstrong fool, to be sure...but for other reasons entirely.

But I wanted to kind of spill some takeaways from the Santa Fe busk. It was a bust from the business end of things, but I learned, and that was really what I was there to do. I've seen some amazing buskers, but I also understand we need to develop our own style, and the only way to do that is to, well, do that.

I didn't do poorly; nobody walked away from me. But I didn't capitalize on the moments I could/should have. A filmmaker capturing the scene would have been a good time to belt out an upbeat rendition of "This Land is Your Land". A toddler, whose attention was divided between my guitar playing and the pigeons on the square was an opportunity I could have used for a song like "Ship in the Sky", "Mail Myself to You" or countless well known singalong songs. And given the number of young kids on the square, I figure it might not be a bad idea to learn some current folk/punk tunes.

Also, this was a mostly inattentive audience, there more for the ambiance than anything I could play. Even a veteran juggler/balloon artist was having difficulty drawing a crowd, so it doesn't escape my mind the possibility that I arrived on a bad day.

I definitely need some signage, though. I have some ideas, and may even be able to credibly draw a logo. Otherwise, I may be begging/cajoling my more seasoned Photoshop artist friends to help me with some design elements that are out of my range.

Lots of people busk for a living. The majority fail. But I figure if I approach it with the right attitude, there's no reason that I have to be among them.

Summary of the First Two Months

So, I started the day in Hereford, continued on to Amarillo, and ultimately to Pampa. I'm sitting around finalizing my paperwork with nothing booked out the remainder of the week. I put in for work in Dumas Friday, but I'm not getting an answer and if the buyer stalls much longer, I may just call it and go home.

I like what I do, but I'm definitely going to have to get better at this. In addition, it hasn't escaped my attention that I have a few months yet until weather impedes my travel and will force me to find accommodations more robust than my van -- at least part of the time.

And when I'm struck with concern that this is very frustrating time to time, I have to remember that the conventional work paradigm was just as frustrating. I'm trying desperately to get momentum, but I don't know where the breaking point is. I have to learn a whole new career (busking), and I have to develop something consistently interesting in my writing that people are going to want to buy, or this gravy train isn't going to last.

I wish I could talk with folks who actually had a concern in helping me build my business and could give me more useful advice than "go work at the...(prison, dollar store, drudge job of the month). It's great general advice, but it's not getting me any nearer my goal. And it ignores the fact that I already logged a lot of years in the drudge jobs. I'll do what I have to do, but trying to find something more lasting and fulfilling is the goal.

I made money, and definitely not a shabby amount, but there was a lot of outlay for expenses, so we're not exactly swimming in cash. And I know the music/writing side is going to take a long time to build; I have an idea of what and how I need to develop to make my style at least slightly profitable.

I gained a wealth of insight and got some pretty solid ideas; the kinds of profit that can't show up on a balance sheet, but will make a difference in the long haul. I've gotten a bit bolder, a bit "harder", and a lot more tired. I've had some quality time with my guitar and been steered artistically in some directions I wouldn't expect. I'd tell you more, but, really now, wouldn't it be better to just surprise you?

The road's been kind so far, and I long for more of it. But I definitely have a lot of work to do in my downtime. Just trying to decide at the moment when that will be.

Things Went South Pretty Fast!

Well, things were going pretty good on this road trip, but as I've discovered, like a batter on a long hot streak, when things are going good, brace yourself, because they will get worse. The reverse is true as well, but I don't have as many long bad streaks, honestly.

I drove up from Roswell, a distance of about 90 miles, to discover near Clovis that I had lost a folder with several important work orders in it. I can PROBABLY get paid for most of the work (albeit I may have to accept a penalty). but there's one ticket out there that is almost surely a complete loss. The tracking and serial numbers were on the lost paperwork, so, barring the slim chance I can recover it (there is, fortunately, still a slim chance), I will not get paid a dime for that ticket.

The worst part came, though, when I was headed into Hereford. I went to the ATM to find my bank has locked me out of my account. They've done this before; apparently using the debit card anywhere other than in Clayton is suspicious activity, so I'll need to talk with them tomorrow and hope they can unlock the card without having to reissue it. If they have to reissue, the amount I have and the amount I need to get home are dangerously close to each other. Fortunately, I do have a few pounds of cans, for whatever they'll fetch.

But there's still an upside: I had put in offers for work in Clarendon and Childress, and was able to pull the offers, so while I won't make as much money as I'd have liked, I should be able to be home by the weekend rather than holdover and wait until Tuesday (and roll to Garden City on Wednesday). All assuming, of course, the worst case scenario, which I'd prefer assume just so I don't put myself in a worse bind.

I find myself counting my blessings, and there are, thankfully, many to count...but I will need to find a washroom and at least get my hair washed before morning. I do not look presentable for the job site. Again, first world problems, I know....but first world problems many of us take for granted.

Aliens Among Us

Yesterday was an interesting day. After I rolled out of Santa Fe, I caught the road down the Interstate to head to Roswell. At the very edge of the small community right off the Interstate, I saw another hitchhiker, in an area not particularly well suited to hitchhikers (although, what area is, really?). I pulled over and he was headed to Roswell. That was the second time that day we were headed to the same endpoint.

He was an interesting fellow. An aircraft mechanic, circumstances partly of his own making had put him on the road for awhile. He had left Seattle Saturday, and was headed for Roswell, hoping for work, although he didn't know quite what for (the alien culture kind of appealed to him.

In my travels, I'm finding a lot of people with stories worth the telling. Stories I certainly wouldn't have if I were staying at home. When we pulled into Roswell, I did my durndest to help find a mission, although none was readily available. I gave him the best tips I could from the road, and dropped him off at the best spot we could find, then headed out to make my own camp.

I got to thinking a bit about last week's meeting with Tim Z. Hernandez, and hoe nothing is to chance, really. When he found the names of the Deportees, he mentioned that his mother (or grandmother, I don't particularly remember that exact element of the story)had suggested it was his story to tell. Steinbeck and Woody both spent time with folks during the First Great Depression; it only makes sense that I would do the same during the second (which I still believe we're in, as I have seen ample evidence to support it).

My job in Roswell will be completed much faster than the drive over or out, and I'll be on my way into the TX Panhandle. I stuck my bid in for 3 jobs Thursday and Friday that should complete the week. The jobs, again, are reaffirming my methodology. If I were coming from home, there is no way I could bid them low enough for the customer's satisfaction, and they pay well enough if I don't need to be compensated for 400 miles round trip travel.

But we'll see if I get 'em. I'm hoping so; it could turn a marginally profitable week into a decent one.

Nothin' Like a Roller Coaster Ride

Life's a fickle mistress. If she ain't building you up, she's pulling you down. And so I awoke today with mystery aches and pains that I only seem to get on the road; aches that went away when I got to moving a bit.

I had discovered the night before, to my pleasant surprise, that job number 2 was literally next door to job number one. Job number one was a job that could have been done in about 45 minutes without the large amount of paperwork, but they were very thorough on making sure everything was done right. I guess someone missed a few steps in a prior job.

And so I rolled out of Las Vegas, and as I passed the last exit saw a hitchhiker on the onramp. His sign said "Santa Fe", and I was heading to Santa Fe, and so I figured it wouldn't hurt to have some company. Good company, as it turns out. He is a folk/punk musician (I didn't quite get his name), and although he wasn't thoroughly versed in Woody Guthrie, he was hardly illiterate in that area. Pretty good musician, actually, and a decent busker, so I extended an invite for him to make his way to WoodyFest next year and told him about the rideshare site.

My main purpose in going to Santa Fe (my only purpose, really, was the busker's permit (above). I am happy to see it gives me access to public areas outside the Plaza as well, but I did go to the Plaza to get the vibe and figure out what kind of setlist I want to prepare.Unfortunately, although the permit does allow a person to register a group, each member must register separately, so it could be fairly pricey for a band. I had hoped to register as a band and then bring along anyone who wanted to play along with on future gigs, but I guess they're onto that.

It was a slow day as far as people went on the Plaza, and I didn't get a lot of listeners. But I did get a cameraman for a travel show out east to shoot some footage, so my face may be popping up in parts out east. If it makes it into the final cut and someone sees me, I would be beyond tickled to see it. I thought about bringing out an original tune, but wasn't sure what I would do anyway.

And so it's on to Roswell. The second job in Hobbs didn't pan out, so I'll have some free time tomorrow, in Roswell, which might be a little frightening, depending on how you want to look at it. I start the day Wednesday in Hereford, and the free campsite formerly listed in Hereford has been taken off the map, so I'll probably wind up holding over in Clovis.

Fear and Self Loathing in Las Vegas

So I rolled into the rest stop yesterday afternoon. Rest stops are often a bit of a gambit, as they are often manned by maintenance crew, and, if you roll in overnight, they kind of expect you to sleep. They get sort of suspicious if you hang around for awhile with no reasonable explanation. And as far as I know, being a high tech hobo is NOT considered a reasonable explanation.

So I'm sitting around for a couple of hours, strumming my guitar and generally getting along peaceably. After a couple of hours, getting the stinkeye from the maintenance guy, so I decided to roll into Las Vegas and WalMart camp yet again. All the while I'm thinking hard about societal definitions of success, and how much "easier" it would be to knuckle under. A lot of browbeating and self loathing, which goes on a fair amount these days. I've never fit into a regular workweek, though, and I've spent a lot of years trying. But the alternative requires endless levels of enthusiasm and optimism that can be impossibly difficult to muster.

All the while, I'm getting FB updates from people who continue to villainize the recent Mexican immigrants in a way that is eerily reminiscent of Nazi Germany, and I'm wondering, maybe the time HAS come to move out of Tea Partystan, but to where? Feeling very much like a fellow without a home right now, and wondering if maybe that's the point. I know what I must do, I know where I must stand, but I also realize that stand leaves me very, very much alone in the place I call home. And it's hard to express just how depressing that can be.

So, as I bedded down for the night, I began mulling the title for the blog post this morning, and decided that paraphrasing Gonzo always works. The only problem is, I had the self loathing, gonna have to claim artistic license on the fear, right?

Ahhh, but karma as always comes through for me. I'm walking into the WalMart, and a motorcycle gang decides to whoop it up on the sidewalk in front of the WalMart. As if that wasn't enough, when I finally bedded down, a police officer pulled a fellow over not twenty feet from my van. I have to admit, I was a bit concerned that he was going to come poking around the van, as there was not the usual large assemblage of WalMart campers. He didn't, though, and I was able to get a peaceful night's sleep, then get up in the morning and have stuffys (sopapillas stuffed with eggs and meat, in this case chorizo, and smothered with green chile) at one of my favorite restaurants on the planet. It's the one indulgence I allowed myself on this road trip.

The Hobbs side trip tomorrow is a no go, so I may get a few hours to poke around Roswell. The first person to joke about me going home gets cyber dunked!!!!

A "Sunday Morning Coming Down" Kind of Morning

So, basically, I did not have a good start to the morning. For starters, last night I could not get comfortable on the foam pad I use in the back for bedding, so I hunkered down in one of the back seats of the van for half the night (I moved later).

Big mistake. Of course, I knew it would be, which is why I have the pad in the back in the first place, but I had to get some shuteye. I woke this morning with a pretty gnarly headache, on top of feeling fairly grimy after yesterday's work. After a good deal of contemplation and a small amount of java, I decided to trek up to the Ludlow Massacre site. Pretty sobering; the kind of history I wish we would spend more time teaching our kids, really. I was hoping to provide photos, but the Internet's not cooperating at the moment.

The Kristofferson moment, though, came as I was sitting in the park playing guitar. There's a splash pad in the park, and a family was splashing in it with their baby and their dog, while church bells chimed off in the distance. You really can't make this stuff up!

I noticed that the park's bathroom door had a lock on it, and decided it was as good a place as any to wash up. It was kind of refreshing to clean up without being hurried, and I've become more apathetic about cold water to wash and rinse my hair. I've never considered myself spoiled, but my general reactions to the road when I first started on it would indicate otherwise.

So I'm moving on to Las Vegas (New Mexico) in a few hours. I am pretty much sure where I'll put in for the night, and put out the second piece of art.

Overnight at the WalMart

There are moments when I think this is ridiculous. That I should scrap it all and just get a menial job, or sell the house for the best cash offer and move somewhere else. The road is tiring, and around here, it's dusty more often than not, and sleep quality is not exactly optimal.

Then there are times when the best available spot to overnight is the WalMart.

I don't particularly detest WalMart camping. Any port in a storm, basically. But it feels so sterile, so artificial. There's no communication between campers; everyone pretty much keeps to themselves, they arrive late and roll out early. And if you arrive before sundown in the summer, the hot asphalt will bake you like a rotisserie chicken. To say nothing of the times when you get up fuzzy headed in the  middle of the night and need to use the facilities, walk in, and are greeted by the friendliest WalMart employee ever, and all you can muster is a barely audible grunt as your bladder directs you on autopilot to the restroom.

First world problems, really. But we live in a first world nation, so it is what it is.

But then there are moments, glimpses, that I'm doing something right. I know I'll get better at the process over time; that fumbling over my belongings will be replaced by a slightly more efficient system that's constantly planned every time I meet yet another obstacle I hadn't anticipated. And then when I walk out and breathe in the fresh pine air and look up to the mountains hovering over the skyline, I can briefly forget the asphalt underpinnings of my campsite and remember that this is temporary, and that one day not long hence I'll be heading back to my own bunk, if only for a few days. I am still trying to imagine the life of those who have to do this for months, even years, with no respite (I had a comfy four days at home prior to this trip; and before that, five days in a tent that was a more luxurious retreat).

I have my first hobo sign ready to plant, and will do that as well as sit down and play guitar today. I'm trying to work up the boldness of a busker and just walk in and ask to play, but...still building to that point. I desperately want to head up to the Ludlow Massacre Memorial (14 miles away), but I'm in gas conservation mode, as I have a lot of miles to put in before I roll back home.

If payments come through properly, I very well may be heading to the Mobeetie music festival. I've never been and have long wanted to go, but seldom had the chance.

...and the Clock is Ticking!

So, I'm back over at McD's after a brief stroll downtown that was delightfully interrupted by a rainstorm. I was in one of those "leave me alone" moods, but walked by the museum. After two or three minutes, I wrestled with the internalized debate of "should I or shouldn't I?", deciding ultimately to tell my social anxiety to stuff it for the next half hour or so...only to have them close the doors just as I headed across the road! And, the worst part is, they aren't open tomorrow!

I have no compelling reason to head down the road; I processed my tickets here the first go around, working against the 30 minute loiter time limit and a hundred teens sharing the Internet and needing access to InstaGram! So, now I'm back with the same 30 minute loiter limit.

So, on the trip, I made the decision to start categorizing unlisted places where folks could park overnight (and maybe even sneak up a tent if they're discreet about it and don't set out the tiki torches). It's actually somewhat surprising how abundant they are.

So I'm figuring at this point to stay in Trinidad through tomorrow and see if they have any goings on on Sundays in which I might have interest. I'm unfortunately two weeks ahead of their big summer festival. I'll probably settle down in the park with my guitar tomorrow if nothing pans out; I'm certainly planning on it tonight, even though tonight's sojourn is unfortunately another WalMart campout, so fun is not high on the agenda...although, with thunderstorms coming through, I could revisit the idea of the Thor costume. But I really have no designs on discovering the quality of Colorado's mental health facilities.

...and I might toss in a kazoo solo or two in honor of Friday night's entertainment, DB Rouse.

It's Saturday, but it feels like a Monday

So I hit the road today after 10 days idle (and returning from vacation in that span). Much of my travel is contingent on having cash on hand, so I couldn't book early in the week.

I was diligent in making sure I had what I needed, except, except....30 miles from home I realized I had forgotten my laptop. I called my daughter to meet me at the state line with it, and started the road trip a half hour behind schedule.

The last time I travelled through Lamar and La Junta was in the other direction, and in the midst of a rather nasty dust storm. It was refreshing to see the green, to see water flowing through the creeks, and was not nearly as hot as it could have been for mid July.

I rolled out of La Junta to finish my paperwork in Trinidad. I arrived to find two busses full of kids in the parking lot, meaning I am competing with them for bandwidth. I'm not sure where I'm going to put in tonight, as tomorrow is (at this typing) an idle moment, but I should put out the first artwork. It may not be where I camp (especially if I choose a WalMart parking lot), but it will be in a public spot.

The Road Ahead

It's been about a week and a half since my last assignment, so I'm itchy to head out. I had to pass up some good ones because of the cash situation, but hitting the road starting tomorrow.

The assignments I have in Lamar and La Junta, CO had a window between the 17th and 19th; because my next assignments are on Monday the 21st, I'm rolling out the 19th, with a down day on the 20th. On Monday, I head to Las Vegas, where I picked up a second assignment to piggyback with the first. It's one that I would normally not be able to take, but I was able to get them to switch dates to accommodate my travel schedule, so there's that.

From Las Vegas, I head to Roswell on Tuesday, then Hereford, Amarillo and Pampa on Wednesday. That's as far out as I'm booked, and not really wanting to head into Oklahoma on Thursday or Friday, but certainly will for the right job offer.

This road trip will be the first one where I will leave items at campsites. I'm also planning a stop in Santa Fe for my busker's permit, and will see if I can pick up a spare dollar here or there with my guitar. I don't know what's available, but hoping to start learning these communities and developing contacts over time.

WoodyFest was a welcome retreat, and a reminder of what's really important. Over the years, it has come to mean a lot to us, and there are very few reasons we would even consider missing it. This one was especially cool, though, meeting people like Lance Canales, Carlos Rodriguez and Tim Hernandez, who are doing incredibly important work.

I should be back to more regular articles once I'm on the road, as my connection is a bit sporadic back home.

Rest: Equal Parts Frustrating and Fulfilling

My life is a comedy of errors. Before heading out on vacation, we had to make a payment to the electric company. No problem, right? Normally that would be true, but something about the phone payment made me think it had not gone through, so I did an online payment as well. So, two times payments. This, of course, cut significantly into our vacation fund, as did needing to take on two new tires on the van prior to vacation. Then, while out and about, I had a tread separation on  the tire on the car. The hits kept on coming.

All of this meant coming home with about $10 cash to our name until Thursday. That means the van remains parked until the payments process on Thursday, at which time I can head back out.

That was a hard thing to take on Tuesday, when I had to pass on a VERY lucrative Wednesday night job. And Thursday and Friday look dicey at this point, although that can change at a moment's notice.

But I've noticed that, even though I don't want the downtime, I usually need it more than I am willing to admit. Because I wasn't going to be able to do the drive straight through on Sunday night, we put in at Elk City and left early in the AM, getting home. I then proceeded to sleep pretty much the remainder of the day. Tuesday I was feeling miserable, and am still in the process of getting over that. So the downtime was pretty much needed, although it still falls in the "no fun" category.

All I have booked for sure at this point is a job in Los Alamos next week, and a job in Garden City, Kansas the following. But I knew when I started this it would be a lot of uncertainty, and slow going at times. I joke that I might as well be a professional musician, because I pretty much live the life.

In the Los Alamos stop, though, I am planning on getting my Santa Fe busker's permit to make myself "official". Don't know yet if I'll get time to actually busk. Stay tuned!

A Brief Rest

Last week was crazy. We went on our annual vacation/sabbatical to the Woody Guthrie Festival in Okemah, Oklahoma. Thanks to a user error, we wound up paying our electric bill twice, which, combined with a blown tire, left us cash short for the week, but I'm not going to complain too much about it. That is, after all, a very important part of what I am doing; discovering the painful day to day realities that many are forced to live with.

We're back home now, though, and waiting to get paid (an all too familiar occurrence) leaves me grounded for the next couple of days. Not sure what the end of the week will bring up, but I have some good prospects out towards Santa Fe, NM next week, and I know I'll be closing out the month in Garden City, KS.

I am still trying to figure out how to be more efficient on the road, as well as how to market myself beyond the tech gigs in the areas where I am working. I'd be more than eager to accept any help you can provide in that regard. I'm pretty much straight ahead folk, and I don't bring a band with me, so that means I work cheap! In fact, I'll work free for senior centers and nursing homes...any chance to get my name out there.

As for the IT work, I pretty much charge 50% of my regular rate for site work on the road. Just email me at handofjustice42@gmail.com, and I'd be happy to provide a quote or work while I'm in the area. I will be posting up my schedule both here and on the Facebook site, so you can feel free to use that to check my schedule. Once I have enough of an audience to justify a fully functioning website, I will do that as well.

Also a reminder, don't forget to check the campsites I patronize. There will be some really cool easter eggs popping up there soon. When/if you find them, comment and post them here, and I would be very appreciative!

Rain In the Summertime

So I headed back to Okemah last night, but missed the nursing home set. The navigation system wasn't particularly happy with my chosen route, and kept trying to turn me around, but my route was 50 miles shorter.

I don't mind them developing artificial intelligence; I am just seriously hoping they don't develop artificial attitude to go with it.

I played my set at Lou's, and headed back to the campground, played a few songs and headed back to the campground. The skies were pretty dark when I woke up, and some weather rolled in. Not too much wind, though, and it passed pretty quick.

I'm enjoying the break from the road.

WalMart Camping in Ponca

So after yesterday's drama and marathon drive, I finished at the site and headed up to Ponca City. All in all, I'm glad I made this drive at the end of the day, as it was a long one.

Unfortunately, I could not find a place to tent camp, so I defaulted to the WalMart parking lot and slept in my car. Thank goodness for sunroofs; it was a very humid night. Sleeping in the car wasn't entirely unpleasant; I'm just very self conscious and wasn't wanting gawkers.

I woke up this AM and made a first trip to McDonald's for the wifi and power. I was there about 10 minutes before the power went out. I tried the city wifi, as I still had about an hour's battery life left, but couldn't get an Internet connection, so I searched for a bathroom to change. I couldn't find a particularly good one, so I wound up having to walk past the clerk at a smaller convenience store with a bundle of clothes under my arm.

This is one thing I do miss about the van; the ability to change at will.

I have a few shower design ideas I want to put in place on the van, but it's ultimately going to take a little bit of trial and error, and it will certainly take finding a place of semi privacy.

It is amazing to me how difficult some of the tasks we take for granted can be, and equally amazing how much less I care when I walk into a store. I used to follow the tried and true rule of paying for something every time I use the restroom or the Internet; I'm gradually realizing I can't afford that every time, and just using what I can. So far, no more than a few dirty looks, but that may change in time.

One more job, though, and I'm headed back to Okemah. I'm more than ready!

"He Who Gives Up A Little Happiness for a Little Security"

So, last night, I had the luxury of pitching the tent, which was good, as I was in the car rather than the van. As I looked up through the mesh at the stars above, I pondered ol' Ben Franklin's words. While they usually get applied to government, it makes a pretty decent life philosophy as well.

You don't have to look hard to find stories of people who have given 20, 30, 40 years to a company only to walk in one day and have the boss tell them they're on the unemployment rolls. Or that their pension has been stolen due to mismanagement. Or health care force them out of a job. The sad thing is, a lot of these folks sacrificed the happiness of doing what they want for the illusion of security that a regular workforce job provides.

I kinda had to remind myself of that this afternoon, when an awful, repeated thumping came from the driver's rear corner of the car. We'd had some wobbling for a bit, but couldn't source it. As I got out of the car and checked, I initially saw nothing, but decided to drive on to the next town, about 6 miles away. A mile in, though, the road widened because of a cutoff point where they had started building a 4 lane highway. This gave me a 30 to 40 foot cushion from the road. I decided not to risk finishing the drive into town and change it there.

As soon as I put the donut spare on and finger tightened the bolts, though, the jack slipped. Fortunately, no harm no foul, but a tad bit scary. So I made the ride on the donut, aware that there was no way I was making the 220 mile drive to today's next assignment.

On the interminably long drive in (slowed enough by the donut, I had to follow a road maintenance crew at 10-20 MPH for over 10 miles. No bueno, and thank goodness the Clash CD was in!), I got a bright idea and rescheduled tomorrow's assignment, which was about 45 miles away, for today, and have several evening hours to make the run closer to tomorrow's assignment. The downside, of course, is no morning at the lake tomorrow, but I have the sneaking suspicion that somehow I'll handle it!

So, to sum up, things to be grateful for today:

1. Actual, not merely perceived, freedom
2. That the tire tread didn't separate while we were travelling out and my daughter was driving
3. The reschedule that saved me a few miles on gas, and made up for at least a portion of the tire, which eventually would have needed to be replaced anyway.

This also means I get back to Okemah earlier tomorrow! Definite win!

Morning By The Lake

I must admit, I've been pleasantly surprised by the majority of accommodations I have found. OK, some of the campsites have been little more than bare lots, hardly conducive to tent camping.

Because I have my car with me rather than the van, I decided I needed to try to find a place to pitch a tent, if possible. That ruled out WalMart (although that wasn't a horrible disappointment).

I had seen a listing for Elk City Lake, but it wasn't where I thought it was, so I had to scoot back over to a hotspot to get directions. It's a very nice campground, although the lake, like all the others around here, was a tad low. This one has a 3 night limit, so I'll probably use it again tonight due to its proximity to tomorrow morning's site.

If anyone's interested, I am thinking of leaving "easter eggs" at my campsites. Not going to say what, but I at least consider them moderately cool. And who knows, if one day I ever get rich and famous...

Well, the odds are long on that happening, but I need to leave these things in an area where they are easily discovered but hopefully won't be discarded. I don't want to geocache them; while that would be nice and all, it would not accomplish my goal.

The one thing I ask; if anyone collects the items, it would be nice if they would let me know; that's the only way long term that I will keep doing it.

If you know me in person, I just might TELL you what and where the easter eggs are, but if I don't, well you just may have to guess. I'm hoping to make this a fun (and maybe slightly educational) experience.

Crisis Averted, and Being "That" Guy!

With some chagrin, I must admit, I've become "that" guy.

You know the one: the guy who handles everything with a deft flick of the phone and either a web search, a phone call, or a continuing combination of the two. It can be annoying, for sure, but it is my lifeline.

So when my lifeline goes down, well....

The earlier events would have made for a very good slapstick comedy. See, I could get Internet at McDonald's, but not phone. I could not get phone in town; had to drive 2 1/2 to 5 miles south of town to get a phone signal, with no data. So sorting things out involved stopping at McD's, driving to where I got a signal, and back to McD's over and over again.

Aaaah, the joys of rural life.

I had been contemplating purchasing a "roaming" TracFone specifically for the dead spots; today sealed the deal. I could have handled the phone without the data.

So, in researching free campgrounds, I found one 15 miles from tomorrow's site, but the comments appear it is now a paid site (although an inexpensive one), so I am staying in Elk City. My intel says that it is good for three nights, so if the campground is up to snuff, may make it my base of operations through Wednesday. I'm offering the site asking for a revisit next Monday; since we'll have to hold out until Monday AM to take our 14 year old out to Falls Creek, this actually could work out nicely, as it's directly on the way home. We'll see, I suppose.

Anyway, I have a phone to set up and a tent to pitch.

Always a Monkey Wrench in the Works; or,.the Best Laid Plans of Mice and Men

Steinbeck allusion intentional.

This is the sucky part of the road. The part where you don't know how you're getting to the next road. The part where it starts getting real.

Against my better judgment, we went ahead and launched out to Okemah for WoodyFest, our annual trek. I was going to have the family wait until Monday, when checks came in, and, once they were in, go back and get them. A lot of driving, but a little bit more secure.

It worked well in theory. The theory that they would get paid on payday. Unfortunately, the end of the day has come and gone, and not only no paychecks, but no answer as to WHEN paychecks will be in. It may be tomorrow; it might not, and until we have an answer, we don't know.

So much for the "security" of working for someone else!

So where that leaves us is with me having about HALF the money I need to finish my assignments and return to my family. And, more importantly, without the money to pay for the campsite when they set up the trailer on Wednesday.  Add to that the fact that Straight Talk service is EXTREMELY sporadic in the state of Oklahoma, giving me very limited communication with my family, and you have the makings of a mess.

I can think of a thousand critiques folks could offer, and a few would be right, but honestly, even if we had started off with a bankroll of $1000, I have known folks who have had mechanical difficulties shut them down on the road just as quickly.

I have been racking my brain, trying to figure out why everything is so much harder than it has to be, and can only conclude that it is for a learning experience for me. There's no easy way to say this, this sucks. In the last six months, I have sold off a good deal of our belongings for the mere pittance I could receive for them, and am running short of items to sell. I'm making money on the road, but it takes awhile for it to come in, and a job at the dollar store would pay less than I'm making, so that's out. Not to mention, being tied to their schedule would force me to reject more assignments. But more importantly, I am gaining an understanding that forces me to a less judgmental, more compassionate approach to the people I meet. I am sure there are folks reading this with a million questions, a million judgments, and they have a right to those, but maybe that's the lesson: just because we have a right to them does not mean that we have to share them.

I don't know what will happen with the paychecks; perhaps they will be right there ready tomorrow morning, perhaps not. I do know it would be much easier if we had an answer in that regard. Because the delay is already putting a delay in getting paid on another job that will require a site revisit (due to out of scope work, but I will likely not get paid if I don't do it, and there are expenses associated with it).

I wish I knew a good spot to busk.

Gearing up for a Possibly Busy Day Tomorrow

So I rolled out on today's AM assignment, and replaced the switch as requested. They asked me to remove the power injector from the loop to the AP.

Uhh, Houston, we have a problem. The AP is not connected. So I checked out from the site.

I got about an hour down the road, and the buyer called me. It seems they MEANT to include a request for me to cable the AP in the ticket. Only problem, they didn't specify it, and I'm out here without cable or a stepladder. It's a drop ceiling, so that's all good, so I told them if they can get a ladder onsite, I'll buy a premade patch cable (reimbursable) to connect and return tomorrow, as I am working 30 miles away.

It makes the idea of backtracking (to the tune of about 120 miles) more bearable. This does justify a return trip fee.

Meanwhile, a ticket about an hour from where I'm working came in to replaced UPS batteries. Easy peasy. and a good add on, if not horribly lucrative as a stand alone (and this is, after all, the reason I am doing this; to scoop up these smaller jobs while I am on the road).

But I am not booking after 10AM. Wednesday. ALL WoodyFest after that!

It's 2AM, I Must Be...Uhhh, SOMETHING!

So we rolled out of the house on July 4 for the annual trek to Okemah. We had to wait until my wife and daughter finished their shifts at work, though, and agreed to give it a little time and rolled  out at 4PM (we wound up making it 3:30). Straight out, it's a 7 hour drive (6 if you push it, but because of the number of police on the roads for the holiday weekend, it would have been a horrible idea to push it).

I led in the van, my daughter followed in the Acura, which probably saved me a half dozen speeding tickets because of the aforementioned increased police presence. I had purposed, as it was a Friday night, to see if there was picking available at the Harris Drugstore in Pampa. There was, so I stopped and played three songs (I held it to three, reminding myself this was a BREAK!)

As we were heading out, my daughter saw a picture on the counter: me, June Thomas, and Sam Doores (would have been 2007). Since June has passed on and Sam's career has taken him to bigger and better things, it was fun to see a picture from the "wayback" machine (she snapped it from her iPhone; when we get reliable Internet, I will share it).

We made more stops than I had hoped to; I wanted to make sure my daughter was OK in the car, and when we cleared OKC, we knew we were an hour away. I had debated pulling over for the night, but none of us was particularly keen on sleeping in the vehicles.

We arrived in at 2AM to an empty campground. Nobody, we even beat in the traditional early arrivals. We tossed around whether to set up the tent or sleep in the vehicles; the tent won. We broke a connector, but were able to tape it up and hope to order another for the manufacturer. I wasn't going to wrestle to get mattresses out, so we took the bedding out and called it good.

We awoke to two distant neighbors, who had rolled in in the wee hours of the morning. It's gonna be a great year, as usual.

Back Online and the Vacation Gambit

So, I have been completely away from the Internet for 48 hours. Really a little less, but I was too exhausted to do anything but hit the sack and post a few smarmy Facebook replies last night.

I spent Monday and Tuesday helping out with cleanup at Inlow Baptist Youth camp in the middle of the Cibola National Forest on Monday and Tuesday. Monday involved helping to disassemble an old water tank; morning wasn't too bad, but by afternoon the heat was downright brutal. I was definitely glad to get out of the sun the time the day was out.

Tuesday was a bit cooler, although the afternoon still was pretty hot. There was a breeze there, though, that we'd been practically begging for on Monday. No Internet, no cell phone, I was about as cut off from civilization as I've been in a long, long time.

The first thing I saw when coming back was a message telling me about bills that had come in and were overdue. I explained as best I could that this is precisely WHY I'm living on the road; there simply isn't money back home in my field, and I've no desire to completely uproot, when we have a home and are content with it.

I'm working on booking Oklahoma next week during vacation, and, if all goes well, should have vacation booked and then some. The festival doesn't officially kick off until Wednesday night, so Monday and Tuesday bookings are OK, and even early Wednesday bookings, as long as it works me back towards Okemah. We'll see, but if all of my offers are accepted, we'll actually make money on this vacation trip. Not as much as a non vacation week, but as we've learned, ANYTHING extra right now helps...a lot.

Beyond that, who knows at this point. I'm booked in Garden City Kansas July 30, still trying to fill the two weeks between.

Home for the Weekend

Well, I returned home yesterday afternoon to start a fairly easygoing stretch. Two days home, then out on the road for some volunteer work, followed by at least one job, then heading out on vacation. I have two easy jobs scheduled on separate days during vacation, so there will still be some income coming in (I am still looking for more); it just won't be as much as when I'm going after it full time.

I went to sleep sometime between midnight and 1AM last night, and woke up at 9:30 (this aside from a short nap after returning home). Eight and a half hours' sleep; easily the most I've had at one stretch since heading out on the road. I imagine the sleeping will get easier once I've settled into a routine, but the uninterrupted sleep and hot showers are both welcome comforts of home.

We are still working towards the goal of finding an RV so that we can take the whole family along, but in the shorter term, I am going to begin decorating Townes for the road. I have some plans in store that I think folks will like! I thought about doing a decoupage over the entire van, but have concerns about long term durability. I think you'll like what I have in store.

In the meantime, I need to get tires before Okemah. And I basically have one day to do it (Next Thursday; I'm pulling off the road for the day to take care of that and some other errands). Our Fourth will be spent packing out and rolling to Okemah, one of our favorite places on the planet. I'll still post updates, but they'll probably be a bit more pedestrian!

Fear and Privilege

It's been a long road trip. One of the things I am enjoying about it is that it is helping me to gain a clarity of purpose moving forward.

One of the things I had to address when I started this was fear. Fear of washing my hair in a public restroom. Fear of sleeping ion a public place. Fear of criticism, fear of judgment, and probably a whole list of other fears that I hadn't thought of.

It's amazing how quickly some of those fade in light of need. As the cold water splashed soothingly on my sun baked head last night, I reflected on this, and how some of my actions going forward would be directed specifically at my fear.

The driving force, however, is privilege. There's a lot of PC talk about "white privilege", "male privilege", etc, and while I still don't like the way the term is appropriated, I do understand it. But they only scratch the surface. Basically, if you're born in America, you likely own some sort of privilege. The Bill of Rights, for instance. Guantanamo Bay showed us that what we've long believed to be "rights" are actually a set of privileges, revocable to those we deem "the enemy". And if you're reading this from any place other than a public library computer, I guarantee you enjoy a high level of privilege (even access to the public library computers, largely unfiltered, could be construed a privilege).

As I have reflected on this, I have decided that the face of every homeless man, woman and child stands as an indictment against me, both on my faith and my privilege. The face of every refugee in every war torn country stands as silent witness against my silence, my complacency in the face of injustice. The hungry, the imprisoned, the widowless and orphans all forge the chains I wear like a modern Jacob Marley. And it is my job to be about the business of rectifying that, not about the business of building my perfect comfort and security.

This afternoon, I am going to go home. I'm going to rest. I'm going to spend some time with my family. But in the fog and confusion of waking up by the roadside for several days in a row, I have discovered something: I'm in the wrong business.

The Road Trip Is Almost At an End

About two more working hours, plus some hard personal business. About 21 actual hours. By this time tomorrow, my head will probably be firmly planted on one end of the couch, and there will be reports of seismic activity in Northeast New Mexico due to my snoring.

This trip has had its ups and downs, but it has also been a near lethal dose in reality. I debate just how in depth to go, because there are lives involved here. Last night's encounter with the needy family at the rest stop left me with more questions than answers, and I hope and pray that wherever they are on the road today (likely somewhere in Central Arkansas if they didn't have any unplanned detours), that they are safe and well fed. And that the road they're heading down treats them kinder than the road they left behind.

This trip hasn't always been pleasant, but it has had a constant purpose. I am at a point where I can always fall back on the safe, well known path, but am finally finding the courage to reject that. And it is often not easy, and never convenient.

I'm sleep deprived and find myself making "stupid" typos. Constantly tired, never quite fully oriented. I am just getting my "road legs", though, and after a couple weeks' respite, will be back at it. Only as time goes by, I'm hoping to become more efficient.

I am getting ready to crawl off for a good whatever night's sleep I can muster. After a little downtime with the guitar.

The Hardest Part of Being on the Road

I had an excellent discussion last night with several very creative, engaged folks in the Amarillo area. I'll bring down a few snarky remarks, and, no doubt, crossed fingers when I reveal that these were Unitarians, but, frankly, I've never been judged by Unitarians for my Christian faith, although I've seen many Unitarians judged by Christians for theirs.

Within the course of our discussion, it was suggested that I could use my presence in these modern day Hoovervilles as a bit of a unifying, possibly galvanizing force. Not directly, buit in the standard course of discussion that often leads to these epiphanies.

So this leads me to the new task of needing to organize some literature to direct campers to various resources, and is a good springboard to the relaunch of Hobo's List. All of this, of course, I need to do on a shoestring, as funds for these endeavors are in remarkably short supply.

I will probably check out the Church Under the Bridge concept when I am in OKC. I've been well aware of the ministry since I first read Shane Claiborne's mention of it, but I have to wonder how it's implemented. If it's serious, soul searching faith, I'd be glad to help. If all it is is an attempt at an open air megachurch, well, I wish them well, but it's probably not for me.

But As I was pondering the concept, I went by a building with a large overhang and several garage doors to one side. In my mind's eye, I envisioned putting the clothing and food components of the ministry in the bays behind the garage doors...and then simply throwing them open for the service.

Now to the titular point: the hardest thing I'm finding about being on the road is the delicate way certain situations should be handled. I encountered a family last night travelling across the country to a new place out east, with no prospects, just a hope....cannot help but think of the Okies and Arkies who rolled west during the Dust Bowl. and their crew was just as disshevelled. I want to tell their story, but there's a serious fear I might compromise their safety and security in doing so...and so I sit wondering exactly what to do.

For my part, I can say with fair certainty that I helped them as I could, but will always question whether I could do more. And, just because of some questionable (although, I must add, NOT indicting) things that were said, I did check Amber Alerts to see if there was something I should be concerned about. But that's as far as I will take it; I want to be concerned about the children's safety, but there is no need to jump the gun and make premature conclusions.

The one WalMart parking lot is a tale of two security guards: one is pretty easygoing, the other guy seems a little more suspicious of campers, or at least, of me. I'm not sure if I should find different digs tonight, but certainly will if requested.

I Love a Rainy Night

I rolled out of Brownfield as soon as I could yesterday and shot up to Amarillo. Nothing scheduled, but I did want to be centrally located. I held on to see if any tickets would come through, but it wasn't happening.

I heard some devastating news about a friend, and headed on to a coffeeshop to sit down and absorb it. Then, back to the familiarity of the WalMart parking lot (I am saving the tourist info center for tomorrow night). The lot was unusually busy; probably 20 overnighters or so, and I talked with a singer/songwriter out of Nashville. I clued him in to what I could about the area (campgrounds, possible venues, etc), and suggested he take his show down to WoodyFest and play the open mics. Not sure if he's game, but it would be cool to see him there.

To say the least, the day was uneventful. With work 40 miles from home tomorrow, I have to admit, I was tempted, but there are reasons I'm sticking to my guns. About 4 AM the sky burst open, and sleep was pretty impossible beyond that point. What had been a gentle, soaking rain became a (much needed) deluge, and the parking lot was running with water.

Brother, Can You Spare a...SHOWER?

So, yesterday was longer than I'd hoped. With funds dwindling down and automatic deposits not coming in until Tuesday morning, I didn't have much extra mobility. This meant I really couldn't check into jobs in Lubbock or other area communities, in the interests of preserving extra petrol.

I made a pit stop in Brownfield on the way down and printed the work order signoff sheet. I then rolled out to Seagraves to scope out the job site and see if the campsite there was a possibility (it wasn't; I would have to roll on down the road).

Afterwards, I looked for a place to cleanup and quickly change. The best I could find was a park, far enough off the road that I'd be OK. But before I could do anything, a couple drove up and occupied the parking lot for awhile. Well, at least I was right on the privacy part; someone else saw it, too!

So I headed over to Denver City, but found the area surprisingly bereft of shade. I pretty much baked most of the day, although I did manage to get changed before heading to the job site.

It was pretty straightforward; we were done shortly before midnight, and I rolled up to Brownfield. I checked the ATM, the deposit had not come in. This wound up being a good thing, as a job came across at 3AM, and, had I had the gas, I would have rolled on it. As it was, it was probably better that I get some rest. So as I walked back to Townes from the Allsups store, I spied a bathroom, with running water (some of the park bathrooms are glorified porta potties). I cannot even begin to describe the luxury of being able to thoroughly wash one's hair when you're living on the road like this, and at 3AM, I was unlikely to be interrupted. So I was able to get truly freshened up before heading back to sleep.

That's the one thing I am finding. Sleep comes in short spurts, and an 8 hour stretch is a luxury. And that is within the confines of my safe coccoon; I cannot even imagine having to scout out a safe spot on the streets.

I had debated getting a hotel for one night, but as the goal is to make money, any money I spend on the road is money I can't bring home, so I try to be careful with it. That, and I attempt to follow the cardinal rule of not invoking privilege. This is because I am trying to gain a truly comprehensive grasp of some of the difficulties of homelessness, or borderline homelessness, and, while I'm not quite there (I have a home, although it is, at times, distant, and I have a safe sleeping spot!), I think it's fair to say I'm beginning to understand. And I also know many homeless are further handicapped by the burdens of mental illness and/or drug abuse/addiction, and I can't even begin to imagine that horror compounding a state of homelessness.

I'm currently at Lubbock McD's, being my location of choice because of the availability of wireless in all of their stores. Heading on to Amarillo to see if I can scare up some work today; if not, will be in Boise City tomorrow morning.

Littlefield, TX, I'm Gonna Miss Ya!

Unexpectedly great weekend in Littlefield, Texas. I was not looking forward to it, effectively a three day weekend, as the job on Monday doesn't begin until the night. I figured the Waylon Jennings stuff would only last so long (I was right on that score; like so many communities around here, the downtown, which is actually quite lovely, looked like a ghost town, and you could see the widespread poverty).

But I pulled in, and, as mentioned in my previous post, met the Hinkle Family, a group of missionaries who plays in nursing homes. They invited me to the small church where they were playing, and where there's good live music, I am there. So I went to the church, Littlefield Baptist Church, and enjoyed the music. The  church was having a picnic the following day in Lubbock, and invited me along. So I spent Saturday playing volleyball in my own train wreck of a fashion, and returned for church on Sunday.

This was a truly spectacular group of people, and an answer to prayer to keep me from spending the weekend moping about how far from home I was. This is an amazing smaller church in a town that needs the ministry they provide, and I'll definitely keep them in my thoughts and prayers. I'm rolling on, but hoping it isn't very long before I can bring the family back down here. It was a great weekend.

So, tomorrow I'm going to have to stop in Levelland for the public library on my way to Seagraves to print out forms. I'm a little more energized now than I was coming into this, and ready for the week.