Archive

Posts Tagged ‘car’

Breakdown

July 28th, 2009

It seems that car problems are ineluctable.  My car broke down this afternoon after the thermostat raged in the red zone and an orange light appeard onboard the dash, screaming for me to stop.  After popping the hood, seeing smoke rise like a bonfire, and pouring water down the coolant tube to no avail, I called a tow truck and brought it to a body shop.  The engine may have to be rebuilt.

I have opted for a rental car to finish the remainder of the trip and am down one full day.  Can I make it from Arizona to North Carolina in 55 hours?

Hello, El Camino!

June 2nd, 2009

roadtrip-090After a long and exhaustive search, I found another vehicle.  And yes, it’s another Honda Element.

The adventure rocks on, starting in Baltimore, MD.

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Goodbye, El Camino

May 23rd, 2009

Car crashOn Monday, I lost control of my vehicle and flipped it a few times.  Luckily, I walked away from the pernicious accident with only minor cuts and bruises and a few sore tendons.  I am still counting my blessings.

Because of Memorial Day Weekend, all one-way rental cars were unavailable.  I had to hitch a ride 150 miles from West Virginia to the next state of Pennsylvania just to rent a car.  But alas, two days later, I was able to obtain a rental car, gather all of what remained in the Element, and headed to Washington D.C.

The trip has been put on indefinite hold until I can obtain a new vehicle.

Homeless shelter

April 6th, 2009

A couple nights before, I nearly froze to death in Dodge Hill, the windiest city in America.  Last evening, I sojourned at a homeless shelter to escape the bitter cold, after a wind advisory was issued.  Though I am beholden to no one, I am thankful for the ecumenical efforts to provide overnight shelters to indigent transients.  Without such a place, I would be forced to suffer through another miserable night, an experience that I hope not to relive anytime soon.

I understand why homeless shelters are so popular.  They have decent food, entertainment, and toiletries.  In true American spirit, I had overabundance of pork chops, green beans, and an interesting white bean soup, providing me enough calories for the entire week.  It was a great reprieve from the canned food and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches that I consumed during the past fortnight.

I just dropped off a homeless man at a truck stop and am currently waiting for my car door to be repaired.  A gust of wind forced the door to open at an angle beyond the normal range of motion, causing a gap while closed, and, whilst driving at higher speeds, makes noise reminiscent of a whistle that is as irritating as nails on the chalkboard.  I am lucky that repairs in Kansas are less than half of what they are in California.  Minimum wage can afford one a much better standard of living here – even a wheat harvester can afford his own dwelling.

Life in Kansas is satisfactory.  The countryside is beckoning me to stay a couple more days.  I just might oblige.

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And so it begins

March 23rd, 2009

The time has come. A new chapter in my life has started. To mark the turn of the page, I went bald. Here are the before, during, and after pics. It’s true. Shaving the hair makes you feel naked. My head is more delicate than my inner thigh. Everytime the wind blows, I feel like someone is prodding me with a feather probe. But on the upside, no one will want to mess with me, which means I don’t need to buy a Rambo knife for protection. When I get to the Midwest, people will think I’m the first inducted neo-Nazi Asian skinhead.

My trip was delayed by several days due to last minute logistical measures and unforseen events. I finally have all the bare necessities that I need to start the trip, including some duct tape, in case my hood flies off.

This will be my living room, dining room, bedroom, and transport during the trip. It is too bad that the only ones I will be entertaining are the likes of Thoreau and Covey.

The official trip begins today, where I will ride into the sunset for Death Valley. Goodbye forever?

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