Today is day 14 of this trip, which I thought was a couple of days ago because the days are starting to run together.

That means days 12 and 13 were in the Badlands, not 10 and 11, as previously stated.

When we last talked, Julia and I were sitting in a restaurant in Rapid City, SD. Trust me when I say there is NOTHING in Rapid City but mile after mile of shopping centers.

The only reason we were there was to pick up a bumper for an 80-Series Landcruiser that I agreed to haul back for a good friend. And although I would never say this to her face, dragging that bumper around has been a complete, t-total pain in the ass…

Holy Moly!

Since last Wednesday, when we rolled into Ennis MT, we've hardly had any cell reception.

The truth is, we've barely had any since we left San Francisco.

That's been a real problem because…

Today started early, thanks to what I hope is the last truck repair on this trip. One of the O2 sensors went out on the way to Missoula yesterday, cutting our gas mileage by about 25%. Thankfully the parts house in town had one (and it's a 15-minute job) because the mileage on this truck was never good, and the camper certainly didn't improve it.

But, y'all, Missoula!…

Confession: I'm an over-packer.

Especially with clothes.

I don't think I've even once returned from a trip having worn all the clothes I brought.

Because I like being prepared.

But I don't like to unpack…

No.

No, it's not a rooftop tent.

Depending on where you're from, you call it either a platform camper or a truck camper.

Because even though there's a tent on the roof, it's absolutely, 100%, and without question, still not a rooftop tent.

That's my story…

Holy Moly!

What a whirlwind.

To get to the Hiouchi Cafe in Crescent City at 7:00 AM, we needed to leave Arcata at 5:30.

Math, however, has never been my strong suit, so we left an hour later than we should have and arrived just as they were getting swamped. But the wait was worth it; the Chorizo Omelet was off the chain…

Good morning, campers. The Oregon coast is calling, and if Julia and I are going to be on time, I've got to get the coffee made so I can coax her out of bed.

Although I was getting somewhat used to things going sideways, our luck seemed to have changed because yesterday was perfect.

We backtracked to just North of where we broke down because I wasn't leaving here without driving the Avenue of the Giants.

It did not disappoint…

Yesterday morning I woke to a fog horn from a distant boat, barely audible over the waves breaking along the cliffs beneath our room. The sun wasn't quite up, so I stoked the fire while waiting for the coffee to brew.

As the sun rose over the hills behind us, the day's first meeting went great (Zoom is the best). And then, about an hour later, shit went sideways, and it would be midnight before we crawled into bed, having only seen the redwoods from our view in the tow truck.

Let's get the minor problem out of the way first: I needed some medicine. Getting it turned out to be a fiasco, but there are worse things than spending two hours in Fort Bragg, CA waiting on a pharmacist who keeps telling me it'll be ready in about ten minutes…

See ya later, San Francisco! I'll return if ever I can afford to kick it on Billionaires' Row.

Our main task yesterday was retrieving our truck which was shipped out to a friend-of-a-friend in Napa a week earlier. It would have been nice to have had it in San Francisco, but when I inquired with Parc 55 about vehicle security in their parking garage, they said there was a 50/50 chance it would get broken into.

So, Uber it is…

I'm calling yesterday Day Zero because we arrived by airplane rather than the truck. And since the underlying purpose of this trip is to pick up a Super Pacific X1 camper, and because it will be epic, I named it accordingly.

Our hotel is on the edge of the Financial District, bordering The Tenderloin District. This being my first time here, I don't know much about the city, but I heard The Tenderloin was rough around the edges.

To say "rough around the edges" is an understatement would be an understatement itself.

The Tenderloin is a shithole…

Last night, my wife told me I was obnoxious.

I mean, she didn't use that word because she's far more tactful and diplomatic than I am.

Nevertheless, she said I was obnoxious. I don't always listen to her because she tends to worry over things that don't need to be worried over, but this time she said something that caught me off guard…

In a discussion not too long ago, someone said they had difficulty trusting me because I'm constantly changing my mind.

It's not often that I get offended, but this was one of the few times.

At least, at first.

My gut reaction was, "WTF do you mean I'm always changing my mind?"

"What am I, a flip-flopper over here? You saying I'm like John Kerry?"

I was defensive because, in the conversation's broader context, the statement was constructively critical, with a firm emphasis on critical.

As in, it was an insult…

Over the weekend, someone asked me about my workout program, saying they wanted to get in shape.

I often get this question, followed by "What's your secret, anyway?"

This question always amuses me because…

We know now that the five men aboard the Titan submersible perished shortly into their failed journey to witness the Titanic wreckage.

It was dangerous, to be sure.

Each man knew the danger.

Each signed a waiver, and each knew there was a chance they wouldn't return.

The keyboard warriors have been at it full-time over the last few days, passing judgment on these men and their choice to embark on such a journey.

But while their death was tragic, it was also inevitable.

All of us will die…

This was the question the lawyer asked at dinner after the Ziggy Marley show on Tuesday.

Besides him, there were five more of us.

The turkey farmer.

The lighting designer.

The general contractor.

The P.A.

And me…

The truck is about 99% ready to be loaded on a car hauler for the trip out west.

Just a couple more details - one being that my wife has to get her clothes packed and loaded (hint, hint, Julia!) - and we'll be ready to go.

The hauler was supposed to be here tomorrow or Thursday, but yesterday they called me up with some questions…

Yesterday I talked to a buddy of mine who hates his job.

HATES it.

He's off today for the Juneteenth holiday, but tomorrow, as he put it, he'll be back in the "hell hole."

He's a smart guy.

Capable.

Figures shit out and gets shit done.

Except for one.

He can't figure out how to get out of the job he hates that he's trapped himself in…

Ya'll!

At the risk of my good friend Esteban telling me to stop bragging, I have something to share.

(Big surprise, I know)

Remember when I did that pull-up challenge back in July of 2018?

Or, more correctly, when I failed the pull-cup challenge?

"Don't do that!"

"Don't do that, please!"

"Don't take this away; these kids are having fun!"

The coach for the opposing team pleaded with the umpire.

Last Saturday, with bases loaded up, a kid on the other team popped one over the fence in left field.

The whole place erupted.

The boys rushed out of the dugout...

I've got 15 days to get everything in order before we leave for the Super Epic-Super Pacific Road Trip.

There's a lot to do, including packing up the latest run of the 1st Gen Tundra/Sequoia Auxiliary Battery trays so that new orders will still ship while we are gone.

I realized last week that I'd missed an enormous marketing opportunity for this brand.

T-Shirts…