Camping Town!

El Caminos in the West

Well, I haven't found a car that suits my tastes. Some, like a 91 toyota Supra, have insurance that's a problem (I can afford it at an insanely good deal of $5100, it's just I don't want to pay car insurance for a sports car). Others just never come to fruition (can't seal the deal; too much money (like the civic. I was only able to get an $8800 loan with my creditors, since I have no credit), person doesn't follow up on deal). This is ok. I'm patient.

Cars are such a big waste of money anyway. In a way, I hate them. I suppose i'm kind of a public transportation kind of guy.

I went down to the bay area and spent only 9$ the entire 2-day trip! That's right, the aforementioned trip down to the bay area happened. On Friday, me and Erin went down to Novato, where his grandparents live. Trip from Eureka to Novata -> 4 hours (Erin sped)

Erin's grandpa, Karl, is quite an interesting fellow. Back when he was doing architecture, he built Nuclear Power Plants (30 out of the 41 US plants were overseen by him, including the first and last ones to be constructed). We talked at length about the structural requirements for the fuel rods and such, as well as other things, during the course of our time in the bay area.

I got to visit the Novato mall on the first day, including Macy*s, and found out about a little something called "Price integrity" (same price on a product regardless of geographic location), so I didn't feel it advantageous to buy here (or anywhere else in San Fran. I think I scared a gay guy off though). Then we went back to Erin's granparents' house. We slept in the million dollar home, and departed for the Academy of the Arts University(AAU) in San Francisco (Erin wants to be a director).

Now, originally we were supposed to meet up with Richard at the AAU, but me and Erin became rather disinterested in the area we were stuck in (a PACKED church) as well as we were discouraged by the lack of tours (just 2 tours still available, since all the tours were on a first-come-first-serve basis). So, we left for the embarcadero, though partially we were just going to wherever we wanted to while we had the town to ourselves. We stopped at some interesting tech places (the tallest, prettiest asian I have seen so far was at one of these places. However, she seemed more interested in selling games (trying to get us to buy a camera for the PS2 to do some DDR-related stuff), so I didn't bother shooting the breeze. She reminded me of my Aunt Jennie, which would've been kind of weird), as well as we stopped at a lot of contemporary stores that we have back home (Ross Dress for less was there. In my endless quest for pants to call my own, we stopped there for a look-see. I found a FCUK hippies shirt (worthy of taking back home), but, alas, no pants to meet my rigorous standards)

There were so many department stores that we visited... Virgin Megastore... Sushi Kinta... The Hyatt Hotel (the plants on the inverted terraced design was awesome)...
We asked lots of locals lots of questions, such as where a good lunch place was or where such and such was. We also goofed off heavily, since it was all inconsequential (I think I may have refound my humor that got lost). All in all, A perfect time to get lost in the "Urban Valleys".

After all of our ramblings, we departed on the ferry back to Novato, where Erin's grandfather took us back to his house. I slept, since the consequences of my lack of sleep over the past week could not be stopped, but awoke to a tea party and departure.

I had forgotten about the city. I badly want to go back now, having fallen madly in love with what I had forgotten. My dad had always tried to get me to come back, but I always resisted, thinking there wasn't that much opportunity out there. What a fool I have been! My dad would blow over, double back his efforts, give in, retry, and so forth.

But, now, I want to go to the city. Bad. I was so excited about the idea that time flew by at work (a rarity these days). I have talked to my dad, and he's for it. I will see this through.

About where I live now: There's two people who live in this town: Jack, and Shit. However, I'm sorry to say that Jack left a long time ago

First things first.
I need a car that can do the speed limit down there (sure, the escort can pull it off, but gets shitty mileage doing so), so I have to get a car here. Second, to ensure my motivation stays up, I need to go attend the motivation seminar in July. Third, I need to be sufficiently knowledgable in Japanese so I need to finish that up here (Japanese is in high demand down there). Fourth, I need sufficient time to cement everything down with my father (he needs to finish his position as a night supervisor (3rd in command at the hospital), as well as get the plan details down) so that'll take time.

So, we're looking at the end of the year as the projected departure time area. Quite realistic!

I hope to make a lot more friends down there (consolidating my friendships here by limited contact), increasing my large friend database

Heh, reminds me of a time me and Evan were talking. He called me a snob because I told him of how I ditched a couple of my friends (namely, my last group of friends that I got too entangled with) because they were meeting my contra-criteria (this isn't the first time. Brent, Lincoln, and Jeremiah are a few others. I feel as though I should write up something about all of them, which is why I list them now (so I'll come back here and remember, "Ah! I should tell the tale.")). At the same time, he expressed that he was envious that I could just up and leave a group of people simply because things weren't working out as great as hoped. I reasoned that I can do this because I have lots of friends over a large geographic area. If something doesn't work here, I can go somewhere else and pick up new friends. And I always have friends in the areas that I'll never live in again. Hence the Snob title (I don't think I'm a snob. I strive to be friendly, and am merely passive-aggressive. I don't like splitting up with people, and currently have no plans to stop befriending anyone. On a side note, I hate it when people worry about whether what they're doing is going to jeapordize their relationship with me. So just be yourself. If things aren't going to work out, you'll know it long before I take adverse action. Shit, this is sounding like a subordination paragraph. Bah.)

I digress.

I've had this idea about how we are all raised by parents up to a point, and then our parents turn us over to "corporate" parents. I.E. we work for a company. They make the rules, tell us how to dress, give us an allowance, and so forth. Thought it might be interesting to share.
What's more, the corporation is like a machine (reminds me of that pirate short from Monty Python, now that I think about it. P1r4t3s are c00l. (actually I used to spend a lot of time in the library reading about pirates back in the 6th grade. Just the intrigue.))
anyway, you can pilot this corporate machine that will take you where you want to go (if you're the chairperson), though you're regulated by your shareholders. But who cares about them??? It's a pissing contest, much like muscle cars. "MY company nets 3.2 billion from sales!" "Oh, yeah? Mine does that, PLUS 34 billion! I'm gonna eat you, yes I will!" "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" *corporate buyout*

I like to look at the straight facts with things. An impartial eye gives the most accurate snapshot at the moment, though it shouldn't be used all of the time.

Digression! Digression! Onward! (time for bed. Gonna be a great day tomorrow, I know it!)

One more digression. When we were shopping around in San Fran, my rigorous standards of what need to be spawned a brand name: Distressed by Darrel. Because I'm looking for cheap pants to beat up with my job (which I'm looking to switch for something that pays a WHOLE lot more, over at the hospital), nothing but Rock-bottom priced, excellent quality would pass. I found that I enjoy CRBs (Canyon River Blues, pronounced "Cribs") though Lee's are great, too (I hate the Lee mascot-doll-thing. Boy, I'd like to spend the fourth of July with it. Eh heh, heh... anyway!...)
I came up with some interesting movie ideas for Erin, such as (and I record this now): people walking around town, doing their daily things, in the nude, as if they are wearing clothes (we weren't originally meant for clothes, now were we?).
A traffic jam happens in, say, San Fran. Out of the back of the bus (in the lower section that small and isn't meant for people) pops out clowns with six-shooters. They start robbing cars. One person resists. The camera shows the flash of the revolver, followed by a side view of a smiling clown, with carnivorous teeth, followed by another bang/camera gun flash camera shot, followed by the same clown from a different angle, etc. until blood splatters on the clown. Disturbing? yes. Humorous? Maybe.
The poor hero policeman who takes a few down before being felled by the others... *sob*.
We also see the concept of an Urban valley, sorrounded by "Mountainous" buildings. We see the main hero (A hermit? A bounty hunter? Depends on your take of him) do this really cool stunt as we go inside the windowed "cave" of the mountain, taking down many of the clown people.
Should be brutal urban tribal warfare (mix the medieval/premedieval ages with modern age)
Don't forget the mad max parking lot movie! (ok. This one's silly. But I think it should be tried for kicks. The cart hawk being the big rig, with someone behind it and WinCo people fighting with WinCo products)

Digression. YEHAW! Ok. A quick sum-up and then i retire!

Meghanraye dislocated her shoulder snowboarding. She's pissed off because she can't work for a while, which is kind of weird since she hates work. However, I think she'll be back to work within the week.

Me and Evan bought shoes (my third and final pair. Approved by Paul). Ray's father (who kicked Ray out of his house) bought Ray a Mustang (my dad almost kicked me out and is almost buying me a car. Similarities in fatherhood??? Heh.). Paul is out crew rowing with his CAPSIZED boat (the psychotic coach tried out Coxswaining. Paul says the ocean is cold when it's in your boat like that). PM is incognito. Tim is doing well living here. My sister Sarah got a job in Utah. Glasses pending.
Seize the teeth!

There on the plains of victory I became weary. I stopped to rest, and there resting, I died.
D.