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Itinerant Air-Cooled Greetings From San Francisco

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:12 pm
by Amskeptic
Oh my. Lots of driving.


Driving west on I-8, I went over what appeared to be a non-descript bridge, but the gulch was so deep, I had to pull over an look.

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Nice bridge! Both directions share these crazy cantilevered support columns.

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There is a center platform waiting for the day they have to add four more lanes down the very middle.

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I left Riverside CA at 5:00AM and plowed into dense traffic on the 91 Freeway and there wasn't even any dawn yet. I like early morning Los Angeles area commuters, they are intelligently aggressive. Stopped at Sluggo's to reclaim my camera battery and phone and hit the road northbound over the Grapevine.
(I have some little clips of driving, shall I post them?)

Spent a day just outside of Oakdale CA (California's Cowboy Capital)working with Campinpoptop, then drove a tough headwind over the Altamont Pass to Healdsburg CA to work with Ritter on his Westy. The approach to the San Rafael Bridge was pretty at night, lots of dramatic lighting with the intermittant marine layer and sparkling city lights of San Francisco off to my left. Beautful countryside in Marin and Sonoma Counties, reminded me of my first few years on the planet in Agoura, same rural golden grass with gnarled ebony oak and dark green foliage.

Off to Beaverton OR later tonight. . .
Colin

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:32 pm
by Ritter
I had a blast, Colin. Thank you so very much for the tutelage!

I could not sleep last night. While physically very tired, my brain was stimulated to new heights on new subjects by the hands-on learning, copious undercarriage grime and guidance.

I will think on that springless hydraulic lifter (fucking mechanics!) but believe I will replace it (and feel fairly confident that I can do so). As for the worn cam, I will let it ride for now and see where it takes me (or doesn't). I now have confidence in my braking system. I will tackle those squeaking clutch and brake pedals. And I will get to those fuel lines post haste!

Thanks again!

Justin

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 3:54 pm
by Amskeptic
Ritter wrote: I will think on that springless hydraulic lifter (fucking mechanics!) but believe I will replace it (and feel fairly confident that I can do so). As for the worn cam, I will let it ride for now and see where it takes me (or doesn't). I now have confidence in my braking system. I will tackle those squeaking clutch and brake pedals. And I will get to those fuel lines post haste!
I enjoyed our detour-plagued day. I, too, thought on that bus, and sense a good spirit patiently waiting to be brought back to health after that Mr. Mechanic Whatshisname just contemptuously performed minimal and disdainful work.

I hope to see your bus together and the road, let's do Deschutetrout 2008.
Colin

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 10:40 pm
by Birdibus
Hey! I know that bridge! Funny thing is, I was dating a guy who was an engineer of bridges. He drove a blue and white bus just like yours, and he stopped in the same place when we returned from Anza Borrego camping. We admired it for awhile and he told me about the bridge he had worked on in Hawaii.

So, no L.A. itinerant write ups? Or do you do LA by stealth? Yes, it was hot.

Have fun up north!

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 10:00 pm
by Amskeptic
Birdibus wrote:Hey! I know that bridge! Funny thing is, I was dating a guy who was an engineer of bridges. He drove a blue and white bus just like yours, and he stopped in the same place when we returned from Anza Borrego camping. We admired it for awhile and he told me about the bridge he had worked on in Hawaii.

So, no L.A. itinerant write ups? Or do you do LA by stealth? Yes, it was hot.

Have fun up north!
It has been too busy. Drove from Riverside to Manteca to Sonoma County to Alameda to Beaverton to Portland and these 12 hour driving days followed by serial 12 hour work days one atop the other is frazzling my writing brain. So how'd I miss you in "Inland SoCal" I had no idea where you were, coulda shoulda woulda had a mid-day chilled beverage with you. . .

Posted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 10:22 pm
by Birdibus
Hey, I didn't really expect you to stop by here. I was just tripping about the bridge and how my friend's bus was exactly like yours, parked in the same spot 30+ years earlier. Deja vu all over again. I was wondering about Sluggo's buses, but he's been kind of quiet, unless I missed his stories somewhere. Us LA area bus owners don't seem to be very socially cohesive. Oh well.

I know you are doing the road warrior thing, so I don't expect you to be writing a lot. Have a great trip up north. :king:

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 11:26 am
by Sluggo
Birdibus wrote:I was wondering about Sluggo's buses, but he's been kind of quiet, unless I missed his stories somewhere. Us LA area bus owners don't seem to be very socially cohesive. Oh well.
The day after Colin's visit (8/15) I found out that my kidney stone had not passed. It just got stuck and then decided to rip free. Ended up in the hospital and Torridol, Regalin, Vicadin and Morphine. A very fun combo of drugs. Pain is not a factor after this cocktail. Finally passed it on Tuesday. Making this a 3 week stone. That's why I haven't written anything. Good excuse?

I think the lack of cohesion is because everyone is so spread out. And in my neighborhood, none of the Bus owners care about their Bus. Or at least they don't care to talk about it. And there are tons of Bus's here.

BOT...
I love everything north of San Luis Obispo. SoCal is a cesspool in dire need of cleaning. As you drive north you'll notice that people let you change lanes, they get more polite, the environment is cleaner, less ass riders, etc..... The farther north you go the better it gets. As you can see I hate SoCal and want nothing more that to move up north. If I could just find a job up there that pays as well.

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:16 pm
by tristessa
Ritter and.or Colin .. gotta ask. Is the mechanic in question named Van?

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 12:40 pm
by covelo
Sluggo wrote:
Birdibus wrote:I was wondering about Sluggo's buses, but he's been kind of quiet, unless I missed his stories somewhere. Us LA area bus owners don't seem to be very socially cohesive. Oh well.
The day after Colin's visit (8/15) I found out that my kidney stone had not passed. It just got stuck and then decided to rip free. Ended up in the hospital and Torridol, Regalin, Vicadin and Morphine. A very fun combo of drugs. Pain is not a factor after this cocktail. Finally passed it on Tuesday. Making this a 3 week stone. That's why I haven't written anything. Good excuse?

I think the lack of cohesion is because everyone is so spread out. And in my neighborhood, none of the Bus owners care about their Bus. Or at least they don't care to talk about it. And there are tons of Bus's here.

BOT...
I love everything north of San Luis Obispo. SoCal is a cesspool in dire need of cleaning. As you drive north you'll notice that people let you change lanes, they get more polite, the environment is cleaner, less ass riders, etc..... The farther north you go the better it gets. As you can see I hate SoCal and want nothing more that to move up north. If I could just find a job up there that pays as well.
Sorry to hear about your kidney stone. I had one of those two years ago and I still remember the impact of that wonderful morphine. Worst pain ever.

As for the SoCal/NoCal thing, I go to LA and SD and the deserts all the time for work and I'm always wondering why everyone who lives down there seems so down on it. I find it a fun an exhilarating place with some really amazing nature (not to mention the weather). Having said that, I think it would be fun to have an all-California get together once, in a place like Montana de Oro or Morro Bay or San Simeon.

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 1:37 pm
by Ritter
tristessa wrote:Ritter and.or Colin .. gotta ask. Is the mechanic in question named Van?
I don't know who the former mechanic was but it seems they weren't particularly meticulous.... I'm slowly trying to become my own mechanic for the bus.

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 2:37 pm
by Birdibus
Hey Covelo, thanks for sticking up for soCal. We have a lot of amazing places to visit down here if you go at the right times of year. It's hard to see the beauty when one is stuck in the middle of the city, but it's out there. Overcrowding has made some of the old spots, like the beaches, less desirable, but there are still good places to visit if one drives the distance.

I LOVE Montana de Oro, but the campground is small. San Simeon is near the elephant seal beach, Cambria, and Moonstone Beach, all places I like.

So sorry Sluggo you were in pain for so long. I didn't realize you were still suffering. Ever try cornsilk tea? I find it to be a good preventative.

I truly understand your dislike of living in LA. The weather is fabulous much of the time, but that is not enough to compensate for some of the other difficulties of this area. I grew up here vowing to move away... but then I came back.:pale: I'm like a lot of settled-in southern californians in that I have lost many of my good friends to "The North". It feels kind of lonely sometimes. I, too, want to "go north", but I don't see a way that can happen anytime soon. So, I try to enjoy what I can about where I am. love the one you're with

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 3:01 pm
by Sluggo
Birdibus wrote:So sorry Sluggo you were in pain for so long. I didn't realize you were still suffering. Ever try cornsilk tea? I find it to be a good preventative.

I truly understand your dislike of living in LA. The weather is fabulous much of the time, but that is not enough to compensate for some of the other difficulties of this area. I grew up here vowing to move away... but then I came back.:pale: I'm like a lot of settled-in southern californians in that I have lost many of my good friends to "The North". It feels kind of lonely sometimes. I, too, want to "go north", but I don't see a way that can happen anytime soon. So, I try to enjoy what I can about where I am. love the one you're with
Thanks. I'm just relieved that it's over.

My dislike of L.A. and SoCal isn't so much the actual place. It's the people, attitude and selfishness. Probably more so in L.A. than most of SoCal. I too grew up here and swore I'd never come back. But most of my family is here. So I did. Every good friend I had in school got the hell out or became the kind of L.A. person I hate. I think it's funny. Most of the country dreams of getting out of their small town and moving to L.A. People who live here just want to get the hell out. Or they love it because it caters to their Me First, Gimme Gimme lifestyle. I dream of moving back to Portland or Seattle.

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 5:50 pm
by tristessa
Sluggo wrote:I dream of moving back to Portland or Seattle.
Stop dreaming and do it. :geek:

I haven't been to L.A./SoCal since 1997, and I don't miss it at all for exactly the reasons Sluggo mentions. But don't fool yourself, there's no shortage of fake people in any urban area. Seems to be the new Amurikan Way...

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 6:06 pm
by Bookwus
Hiya All,
tristessa wrote:
Sluggo wrote:I dream of moving back to Portland or Seattle.
But don't fool yourself, there's no shortage of fake people in any urban area.
It's not often that I feel compelled to reply to a particular statement or opinion, but this one moves me..................

Tristessa has hit the nail right on the head. A really profound statement Hal. I worked as a teacher for thirty years and, in that time, I saw a growing number of parents who demanded services that (really) did not exist. They didn't ask........they demanded. And remember, this is Oregon where nobody wants to pay for anything. No sales tax here......nosiree! So where is this all going to come from anyway?

To be honest, most of the folks I had to deal with were great people. But the "I want this, I want that crowd" is definitely growing. These people are centered on taking and not contributing. It would be easy to blame the influx from California, but, unfortunately, many of these "people" are home grown.

But I'd still like to think that Portland (and the PNW) is still a great place to live.

Posted: Thu Aug 23, 2007 10:33 pm
by tristessa
Bookwus wrote:It would be easy to blame the influx from California, but, unfortunately, many of these "people" are home grown.
But I'd still like to think that Portland (and the PNW) is still a great place to live.
Being from California myself, it's not the case. There was a huge influx of "those people" in Sonoma County during the ten years before we moved to Portland. I don't know where they came from, but sure wish they'd go back there and leave the rest of us alone. :-/

Portland is indeed a great place to live. In many ways it's like where I grew up was before "those people" invaded, but on a much larger scale .. which helped us decide to come here when we got priced out of our hometown.