Stormy Night At the Spit

The first night in the new tent was a true adventure. Set up camp about 4:30 and got inside before the storm broke. Wind and rain howled most of the night and I only had to add stakes once. Stayed dry although it was pretty cool outside the sleeping bag. The Coleman heater warmed things up for getting in and out of the bag and getting dressed but I don’t run it when I am asleep per the instructions. The ride up made for a tough day. Up at 7 moving the last of my stuff to storage before loading the car and doing a final cleaning.

I held it together pretty well until was turning in the keys to the place. When they asked about Don and I gave some details I broke down and for the whole drive my emotions were raw and as I headed north the tears flow on occasion.

Stopped along the way to take a few pictures and Anoria kept running through my mind. Escaping to the realm of fantasy has healed me in the past. When I returned from caring for the old man I almost didn’t make it. Went a little crazy in the desert with heat when the transmission died in Texas. By the time I made it back to the north I had some form of respiratory infection that gave me a Pink Floyd fever. When the fever broke I wrote and wrote and that brought me back to sanity. I hope for that same type of healing this trip. Even though the move to the valley was expensive and ruptured a disc I am still glad we did it. The lost coast still is free of the taint of sadness that pervades so many other places.

The Next day has been dry and mild. I was out on the bike in the early sun and rode for an hour covering just less than 10 miles. My fitness is abysmal and the idea that I could ride back in to shape in a week was delusional to the max. I am riding another split in the afternoon and doing a lot of walking on the beach but a month is more realistic. The Samoa spit is a quiet little camp space to operate from. With the exception of the first nights windstorm it has been raining off and on but scattered showers are not that big a deal when the wind isn’t blowing fifty miles an hour.

The county park system has gone down hill over the last year I am sorry to have to report. The showers are out for the weekend. The people have forgotten how to flush a toilet it would seem. This is mostly the day users but not cool at all. Prices are moderate, $20 a night for a vehicle, $8 for bike in with a discount for veterans the disabled and seniors over 62.

Radmul version 5.3

The world is about to take one of those monumental shifts. Everything is about to move six inches to the left all at once. 124,000 people die in accidents every year in the US. Those people’s orbits shift faster but not generally any further.

In assessing this shift I am forced to confront past decisions and how they worked out long term. I am not going to bail, that is not my style. I do need to make a plan quickly and first up I need to start getting rid of stuff.

I have another attempt to make. I tried to do this with 5.0, My virtual midlife crisis and again with 5.2, the move to the valley. This 5.3 version may have some profit potential. What I will produce might have an actual market.

People that have jobs get limited vacation time. Cross country trips while novel are not realistic for most people. Spending 5 to 7 days riding around an area camping and cycling is. I will go to a tourist destination; the Napa Valley, the Carmel Monterrey Bay area or a national park. Spend time investigating and exploring then design trips for biking vacations.

I will create a website and solicit camping and biking ads as well as creating a weekly pod cast and travel articles that have sales potential.

I will take photos and review the eateries. I will find the local bike shops and other types of shopping. Search out and find the bike friendly places to stay and camp. In addition I will explore the ways to get to the destinations with bike and gear by car and by public transportation and by common carriers.

Oaksterdam

Went down to the Bay Area for the first time since the move. Had to renew my 215 recommendation and that required a trip. The practice had changed hands since my last visit so I had to renew in person as opposed to through the mail. the highway has changed a lot since my last trip, 2001 and I went across the new bridge spanning the straights, the $4.00 toll seemed a bit excessive.

The clinic was downtown and I found it very easily. The directions I got off the web got me close enough but next time I will take the Bart. I am not a fan of driving in the city unless I have no other choice. I was really disappointed in the scene. I will look for more next time down as I was not feeling well to begin the trip and the exam aggravated my back. There was nothing going on with the exception of a line at the Id store.