1: like a bb in a tin can

the departure date of july 29th has been set for several weeks now; vectors have been adjusted accordingly. i've had no inclination to sit on my carefully-packed bags and keep checking my watch, however. for my final weeks stateside i've been on a cross-country barbecue survey in a '68 mercedes, and made a pilgrimage to kentucky for a 50-year reunion at the school i attended my first five grades. last week i tied off loose ends in new orleans; this week it's the same in new york. thursday evening i fly to seattle- quick visit with mom, then fly saturday evening to lax for the escape to china.

my old friend vonee asked me some weeks ago if i would help her drive her beloved old mercedes from lancaster, pennsylvania to her former-and-future home town in west texas. her furnishings, a dependable vehicle and her husband, tim, will be organized into another convoy at the end of the month; this roadtrip was to scout the territory- and regional barbecue.



our depature from lancaster was on sunday, a day earlier than orignally planned; it was a premonition. it was largely pointless, however, as it was also the anniversary of the battle of gettysburg; we had to thread our way thru battlefield traffic most of that day, and had only reached charleston, west virginia by evening.

pretty monday morning, just past charleston: blowout.



the barbecue roadtrip was also a survey of triple-a roadside service; we called them every day but one.