December 19 and 20—Yuma, The Physics of the Pop Top, and Home Depot

At the Go Westy van shop, in addition to having the lift and level, I also had them install a roof rack.  This is drilled directly into the pop top using tracks which serve to spread out the load along their length rather than bolting into only four spots.  That first night after the rack was installed, the pop top felt a lot heavier and was disinclined to stay “popped” initially.  With some persuasion, I managed to make it stay up for the night.

Let me explain a bit about Campervan dynamics: the hinge for the poptop is at the rear of the van, so that the greatest headroom when it is popped is close to the cab, which is where the stove is.  I always felt that the poptop was relatively light, and just sort of popped up with little effort.  Well, it turns out that I felt this because of the assistance of two devices, one on either side inside the van, which serve to push it up and keep it up.  These devices are a bit like shocks on the bottom of a car.  They are spring-loaded, or more precisely gas-loaded, so that they want to push apart.  When the top is lowered, the shocks are fully compressed.  When the top is up, they are at full extension.  Not only this but the power they generate is greatest when near full extension.  So when I am lowering the top down, the shocks offer the most resistance in the first few inches; as the top is close to being latched, the shocks offer little resistance and allow the top to close easily.

Well, the shocks on Bussy most likely date back to its birthday in 1997.  They were worn out.  With the difficulty of lifting the top with the bare roofrack, I did exercise what can only be described as a stroke of genius forethought.  I bought two new shocks, and the new way that these are made now includes a locking mechanism on one of them.  “Why not get two locking ones?”  The answer is that both are strong, even the non-locking one, and if I installed two locking ones, I run the risk of not being able to lower the top by myself.  I took the qualified and dependable advice of Go Westy and bought the set with one locking.  Nicholas looked at how they connected to the van and decided he could install them, “easily” was, I believe the adverb used. 

On December 19, after we left Go Westy, we went to San Diego and picked up the loaner surfboard from Geoff and then purchased a new one in Ocean Beach.  That night, we drove east toward the border of California, Arizona and very near the Mexican border, to Yuma.  Yuma has nothing to recommend it other than the fact that we did eventually leave!

We could not find a suitable campground, the choices were either driving 18 miles on a dirt road or camping in a state park comprised of dunes and, you guessed it, dune buggies.  Having no desire for either of these off-road adventures nor the persons who would come with such places, we decided our best bet was to find a nice neighborhood in Yuma and camp there.  “Nice” does not come easily in Yuma, but we did find a neighborhood that offered Christmas lights at many of the homes and we decided this would be our safest and best bet. 

Once satisfactorily parked, Nicholas got out to retrieve something from the back.  I unlocked the top and began to push up.  “I can’t budge this thing!  I need help!”  Even with two of us, the pop top with the rack and now loaded with two surfboards was simply not going up easily.  What to do?  With both of us pushing with all our might, we were able to raise the top.  Nicholas retrieved the new shocks and we began to try to install.

I’m going to spare you all the strenuous details of our philandering with these things.  Suffice to say that two hours later, we still had not succeeded in even replacing one of the shocks.  We could not compress the new shocks with our bare hands, we could not remove the old ones without unbolting the entire device from the top, the top was heavy, the space small, the night late, and our patience at an end. 

So we slept.  Poor Nicholas had to sleep in the reclined front passenger seat.  The highlight of the night was the banging, thumping, tinny, and generally awful music system installed in a car that came to rest, for several hours, right up the street.  It was like being at a mind-numbing disco in an awful part of a city in Europe.  

But morning eventually came.  I walked the dogs around the grass-less area.  Some cooped up pit bulls started fighting with each other because they were unable to get out and attack us (thankfully).  It was not the most progressive place in America, to say the least.

Not that we were leaving fine Yuma!  No, we went to the nearest Home Depot and Nicholas went in search of two-by-fours and other tools to work on the roof.  I remained in the van with the dogs and prepared oatmeal and brown sugar for the humans.  The dogs had already eaten. 

We used a phone charging cord to measure the length of the boards we needed to prop up the top.  Nicholas was able to find a board at the steep price of $0.51 and cut it to fit.  He also found, just lying on the street in Yuma near where we had slept, a few pieces of rusty baling wire, which completed our needs. 

After several tries, and with Abigail saying things like, “This is never going to work!”  and “what an terrible idea!” Nicholas was able to compress the shocks, Abigail wired them tight in this compressed state, and we cooperated in some fashion to remove the old shocks and install the new ones.  We did each one separately.  It was touch and go there for a while, what with the new shocks trying desperately to re-expand, and the bolts being difficult to install cleanly and directly.  But we managed one and then the other! 

I was not the only one skeptical of this plan, Nicholas was doubtful too but he doubted that the new shocks would be strong enough to hold up the roof with the rack and boards.  I felt pretty sure that if we somehow managed the incredible feat of installing the impossible shocks, they would hold the roof.  Well, the good news is the shocks are more than strong enough.  We could probably put a mobile home up on top and still raise the roof!

After we were done, we went to the nearest Starbucks and I had a much needed (and I dare say, deserved! Soy latte!!

Here are some pictures of this project:

December 19: San Diego, Dog Beach, Ocean Beach, and Robert August

After picking up the loaner board from Dan’s friend Geoff, who lives moments from some great surf in Del Mar, we wandered to my favorite spot from my time in SD, Ocean Beach. I took Joe, Carrie and Robert to Dog Beach so they could run around in the sand and surf with some California dogs (Carrie and Robert are both rescued from shelters in California, so maybe it felt familiar to them, who knows?)  After running around for a while, this is what they did:

Ocean Beach is not fancy at all, but offers everything you need or want at the beach in southern California. I have always preferred it to the glamour and boardwalks of Pacific Beach, and certainly over the pretentiousness of La Jolla. Ocean Beach is bare bones, but feels authentic and real. They do have a Starbucks now, which is probably something that should bother me, but the Seattle side of me is grateful for a little piece of home so I went in and had a grande coffee.

After some vegan tamales, and with the dogs were safely and coolly parked in the shade, Abigail was revved on caffeine and we made another push for the surfboard. We were about to head east to Tucson, so there would not be another surf town until Mazatlan so it was the best time to make the final push for a board.

The third shop had the Robert August “What I Ride,” the board that Mr. August calls his “If I could only have one board board.” It was beautiful with stripes down the length in red and yellow and white. Not only that, but the price was much cheaper than the little shop in Morro Bay. We talked them down $100 and then took the plunge! The board is epoxy, more durable that the fiberglass, and easy to handle in the surf.

Bussy’s license plates are the ski plates offered by Washington and say: “Washington: Big Mountains, Real Snow.” Bussy seems just as cool (possibly more so) in her beach outfit with two surfboards on top. Here are the pics you’ve all been waiting for:

First, it took us a while to figure out how to strap two boards on top.  By the time the boards are side by side, there isn't any room for a person to be up on top.  

We figured it out though!

December 18—Real Food Daily, Beverly Hills, and the LA Freeways

I acquired the Real Rood Daily (RFD) cookbook several years ago and have loved every dish that I have attempted out of it.  It is real food, hearty, filling, rich, flavorful and all vegan.  The restaurant behind the cookbook exists only in LA and has been something of a Mecca for me.  As we approached LA Friday evening, having a pleasant stop just north of the city where the dogs had dinner beneath the Pacific sunset, and having a night to spend before getting to San Diego, the time seemed right for the dinner of my dreams. 

Here are some pictures of the camp where the dogs dined:

I’ve never really been to LA, traveling to Long Beach for an erg test or through LAX does not count, and even though I have been to big cities before, I was like the country bumpkin come to the bright lights of the big city.  Comments blurted included such things as: “Oh, look!  Wilshire Boulevard!” 

And “Oh wow, look at that Ferrari!”  And of course, since it’s LA: “Oh look, another Ferrari!”

We drove down Rodeo Drive where I must admit Pretty Woman quotes filled my head.

  And now, dinner.  Friday night at RFD in West Hollywood…would we be able to park and leave the dogs?  We decided to go to the restaurant and see what we found.  Driving, driving driving, cars weaving in and out, speeding around us and other cars, it is like a video game.  Then, aha!  On the right, RFD! 

 We pulled over in the valet area (I guess in LA, even the vegan places have valet parking….)  I explained that I wanted to park nearby the restaurant but couldn’t do valet because of the dogs.  The nice man said, “If you pay $4.50, back up and park right here.”  What a thrill!  We could see the van from where we sat for dinner.  Here is a view of bussy from where I sat!

And now the food!  First course was fresh corn bread with cumin spread.  Next came the nachos: tortilla chips with guacamole, vegan sour cream (which is much better than regular sour cream ever was, in my opinion), spicy cashew jalapeno cheese, black beans, and tomatoes.  And these nachos were not just a few chips with some toppings; the full plate of chips was covered with the toppings in layers so that a bare chip was not to be found! 

Now to the main courses: We ordered the Fettuccini Alfredo which came with fresh broccoli, red peppers, pins nuts and spinach noodles with a lovely sauce.  It fulfilled our need for comfort food.  We also ordered the TV Dinner.  Once I got past the name, which took me a minute, I realized that this dish could be a gold mine: Tempeh Loaf (similar to meat loaf but very tender and a wonderful flavor with carrots and other veggies mixed in) with mashed potatoes, gravy and Caesar salad.  Sometimes, simple things like mashed potatoes and gravy, with a little pepper, are just amazing.  This dish was like that.  Nicholas and I continued to strategically plan the space in our stomachs.  After I was full, and returning in the munch on the nachos once again, Nick said, “Do you think they have dessert?”  I put my fork down at once!

The nice server boxed up all our leftovers neatly into separate boxes (I had told her about how excited I was to finally come to RFD and the enthusiasm was welcomed!) she brought us the dessert menu.  So many wonderful things to choose from, and only two people who were now very full.  We settled on a chocolate cake and chocolate pudding.  The pudding was the winner, so smooth and chocolaty.  I will certainly return to try out the Sticky Ginger Toffee Pudding Cake, which I will merely dream of until then.

Here's Nicholas with our multitude of leftovers:

 From RFD, we took a driving tour of Rodeo Drive, Sunset Blvd and the mansions of Beverly Hills.  We got out to walk (er…roll, since we were SO FULL!) in Greystone Park, which presented a fantastic view back towards the city.  Quiet and dark and peaceful, I can see why all those wealthy people want to live in 90210.

On departing LA, I once again took the driver’s seat and slalomed my way across way too many lanes of travel onto the correct freeway so that we arrived safely in San Pedro for the night.  We camped out front of Nicholas’s cousin Jeremy’s house and made our escape to San Diego the next morning.

Dec. 17—Morry Bay, CA, Sea Lions, Cinnamon Buns and the First Surf Shop

Go Westy loaned us a van to drive around town while the Bussy operation was in progress. We took a visit to Morro Bay, a small, friendly surfing and tourist town just north of Los Osos. Nicholas and I were both getting hungry so when we saw the sign for cinnamon buns, we tried to avert our eyes because we assumed they would be full of eggs and butter (we’re both vegan). We ended up parking right out front, and then spent 10 minutes trying to pop the top on the loaner (only to discover later that the top had long ago broken and was welded shut!). Nicholas wandered into the cinnamon bun shop before I could stop him and began chatting with the man there who was quite amused with our struggles trying to open the so-not-gonna-open roof. (“I’m not sure what that was about…but…”) He was very nice and gave us recommendations for food and surf shops, THEN he told us the buns were vegan so we enjoyed the cinnamon sugar goodness!


While munching on my bun, I caught the happy sound of a sea lion squawking. Here is what we found just across the street and down on the docks:

Inside the first surf shop, we spent a while chatting with a tan surfer guy about board shapes, materials, lengths, and brands. I fell for the Robert August “Wingnut II” but they only had a really long one. It was a great visit and we learned a lot.

Tucson, AZ for the day

We are in Tucson for the whole day today to pick up some supplies, especially things that will be difficult to find in Mexico, like good peanut butter. Also just doing a few last errands, calling our cell phone companies, making sure our documents for crossing the border are in order, and getting to a wireless cafe!

I have written several blog posts of our adventures of the last few days. Look for those with lots of pictures later on today!

Tucson, and the desert campground we found just north of the city, must have come close to freezing last night and I was glad to have my warm sleeping bag and one set of long underwear- two items that I had been lamenting just a day prior when it seemed we would have only hot hot hot for the rest of the trip. The packing seems to be just right so far. Bussy is full but we are functional inside and don't have to move things too often to find something else.

Robert and Carrie are wondering why it got so COLD overnight! But they are hunkered down in the blanket and hopeful, if a bit skeptical, of my promises if warm sun, sand, and surf!

The highlight of Tucson was seeing this:

A fellow VW with Washington plates!

California, Go Westy, and the first beach!

The highlights so far today are waking up after the sun and the joys of a nice hot shower!  We are at the Go Westy shop in Los Osos, CA, where the awesome van technicians nearly completed the work on Bussy last night.  In the end though, they needed to do a bit more work this morning on the alignment.  So they pulled Bussy out of the bay and parked her in the Go Westy lot for the night so that we could sleep in our own home.  The break room here is really nice, with a kitchen, coffee maker, microwave, bathroom, and shower!

The folks here at Go Westy are as wonderful as you might imagine: their days are full of happy van customers and they get to do great work on fun vehicles all day long!  Here are some pictures of Go Westy:

 

Yesterday saw our first beach!  We walked for a few miles just north of The Rock at Morro Bay.  The surf was pretty big but too messy for the surfers so we saw only one wetsuit-clad guy getting tossed around in the whitewash.  Joe had a blast running on the sand, and we were all glad after a coupld of long days in the van to get out, stretch our legs, and get some SUN!

Here are some highlights of the beach:

 

Update: 10am this morning: Bussy is all fixed!  Time to roll out!  We are headed to San Diego to visit Dan's friend Geoff and pick up our free, borrowed surfboard!  We are also looking to buy a used 9' longboard so that we have two.  More updates to follow soon!  Thanks for reading.

Day 1

This morning saw light rain in Seattle and our farewell to Suzanna and her new wonderful friend Amanda. Joe, Carrie, Robert and I paused at Wayward to get some hugs from Josh and then hit the I-5. Probably the most dangerous part of the trip occurred as I hungrily ate a yummy Hillside Quickies sandwich while driving south on the freeway in what was now pouring rain.

It took almost four hours to get to Ocean Park to pick up Nicholas. On the way Use Your Illusion II brought me to a good place for adventure and Joshua Tree uplifted me entirely. Once Nicholas was on board, I learned from my googlemapping travel partner that our destination at Go Westy was only about 14 hours away! I had misremembered the distance to San Francisco and thought we had 26 hours of driving to accomplish in 2 days!

Our first break came at a Fred Meyer south of Portland where I took the guys fr a very rainy walk in a very dreary parking lt. We drove a few more hours and are camping at a semi-nice rest area south of Eugene.

Joe is exhausted. Carrie is at a loss for more luxurious surroundings. Robert smells funny despite yesterday's bath with our house favorite oatmeal-tea tree shampoo!

Tomorrow we shall see the beach in Los Osos, CA!

A little poetry

Fewer than 3 weeks remain here in Seattle, 20 days until the adventure begins. Lacking my own words this evening, I will go with someone else's:

"What we call the beginning is often the end
And to make an end is to make a beginning.
The end is where we start from. And every phrase
And sentence that is right (where every word is at home,
Taking its place to support the others,
The word neither diffident nor ostentatious,
An easy commerce of the old and the new,
The common word exact without vulgarity,
The formal word precise but not pedantic,
The complete consort dancing together)
Every phrase and every sentence is an end and a beginning,
Every poem an epitaph. And any action
Is a step to the block, to the fire, down the sea's throat
Or to an illegible stone: and that is where we start."

from Little Gidding, T. S. Eliot

Adventure planning

When does the adventure begin? December 15, 2009. Hefty to do list in the meantime!

Dogs vaccinations, done.
Abigail Vaccinations, done.
Abigail meds for malaria and typhoid including antibiotics for any reason, done. Just needs to be filled.
Need health certificate for dogs, with USDA endorsement. Need heartworm, tick and flea, and parasite meds.
Van insurance, figured out. Need to do paperwork. Central America insurance might be better to do from Mexico when timeline more certain.
Dogs' permit into Mexico, still a puzzle.
Dogs' permit into Belize, in the process. Need to know date and location of entry into Belize, may just have to wait on that and obtain permit while in Mexico.
Guatemala, no issues there.
Work on van, scheduled. Still need to buy the parts, will do that tomorrow.

Questions remaining:
(1) Should I bring a new computer that actually works or bring old computer that barely runs, must use cord, but won't care if stolen??

Lots of things to acquire or study:
Driving atlas for Mexico and Central America
First Aid, thorough
Home remedies for dogs
AA International Booklet

Interim projects:
(1) Work on Spanish. Look for immersion program Mexico. Buy CD's for van.
(2) Begin Kung Fu.
(3) Find home for Suzanna, housesitter. Maybe one and the same??
(4) Have vegan dinner party with close friends.
(5) Begin amends.

Update, end of October.

I am seriously considering an earlier departure date. December 8 is the last day of my Spanish class and December 14 is an important date for which I intended to remain in Seattle. However, the Spanish class could be skipped without much loss; after all, I hope to bring some good Spanish CD's and take some immersion courses along the path of travels. And the other date could be celebrated anywhere in the world, it doesn't have to be Seattle. The way everyone is so connected via the internet and telephones, I would be able to reach people here while also making new friends on the road.

Today it was sunny in Seattle but, looking at the forecast, it will be the only day all week with sun and one of only two days without rain. I'm ready to buy my surfboard and begin the journey!

Got a tetanus booster today, as well as the ever-popular whooping cough vaccine. (ack!) Have a couple other health precautions lined up in the next few weeks.

The dogs are ready for sun and sand and waves.

If you have already decided to do something, and you are looking forward with incredible hopeful anticipation to it, why wait? Indeed. Why wait. New departure date: November 20 (I picked that at total random!)

It can't get here soon enough.

Central America planning!

We are really going to do this! I need a new name for the blog: Joe (still the greyhound), Carrie (still the fabulous Chihuahua-Dachshund), Robert (the blond, 4-legged, 12 pound, thinks-he's-a-porn-star dog), and Abigail (the lawyer whose career exists somewhere in someone's imagination) are off to Central America in Bussy!! And we even have company!! Nicolas, the equally odd adventurer will accompany us (assuming he comes back from Kenya!) as we explore the waves and ruins and foods of Mexico, Belize, and others en route to Panama.

Bussy Go 2009!

So many things to work out!
The van needs bigger wheels and more ground clearance
the window repair will happen soon
a better mattress
a roof rack for the surfboard
the surfboard!!
the dogs need their traveling papers
sunscreen!
a tattoo on my forearm to remind myself how I became this way and how to not go back

Hola world

It is now September 2009. Almost two and half years since this most wonderful trip through Austria, Slovenia, Germany, Italy and Switzerland. In that time I graduated from law school, studied for, took, and 3 months later passed, the bar exam in the State of Washington. Then embarked on a dutiful trip to my mom's farm in New Hampshire before returning to Seattle to begin what I thought would be my final career.

Imagine! That any decision I made would be final! No, less than 2 years after beginning my career as a prosecutor for King County, I have now left that position. Here I sit. And now what?

This quotation sums up my current state of mind, with the exception that my road, having already led me West, may now lead me South and out of this troubled country:

"It should not be denied...
that being footloose has always exhilarated us.

It is associated in our minds with escape

from history
and oppression
and law
and irksome obligations

With absolute freedom

And the road has always led West."

--Wallace Stegner

Where am I now? I am in my office in Seattle. I have launched my own law practice:
The Center for Progressive Legal Defense, PLLC
"Defending People, Animals, Rights and Ideas"

But it is too cold here. My feet are freezing. My life is not the life I want. Not quite. Not yet.

In the previous post, I said I would go to Russia. That hasn't happened yet. Now on the top of my list are Central and South America. I begin my first Spanish class on Tuesday. After the New Year, look for me and Joe and Carrie and Robert driving South in Bussy, the camper van. Really South. Past California, through Mexico, and beyond.

What am I looking for? What am I doing? I don't know these answers. One thing I do know is that I am done with any semblance of conformity.

Relieve me of the bondage of self.
Relieve me from anger
Fill me with love.

Written with love, September 27th, 2009. Abigail Cromwell

Here are some photos from the beach on the West side of the Olympic Peninsula in May 2009: