Moons, Missions, Life, and Photos

A Long Recap

So much has happened since last we spoke that it seems hard to put it all into words. Really, there should have been two or three updates by now; however, it will simply have to get remembered as it is now remembered. Here are the bullet points that chronicle the events that come to mind, and that confirm the following: This life that I am living is one filled with endless opportunities, and given the talents and gifts I have received as a human being, it is all a question of choice, conviction, and confidence--anything is possible. Traveling to new places and biking through old ones, is a means of understanding myself through the reflections of the faces I meet. Finding a love and letting the love go is a meditation in patience and faith. This journey has evolved many times since June 18th, when I checked out with my final pay check--and so we ramble on.

Events, in a moderate chronological order, as dictated by my current memory (there are pictures to go along with all this, but alast, I am not at my computer):

• Birthday dinner with my father and aunt, lead to a great talking drive north.
• Berkeley, albeit a short trip, as always was a swimmingly exciting experience.
• A look at my Aunt's new art installment, a listen of her quintet's rehearsal, and some fine wine.
• Morning Coffee at Zazou's with Aunt Tee and Uncle Steve.
• Hit the YMCA for a few days of working out.
• Nestled up in the old homestead at 228 Ocean View.
• The new home of the Kline's is nothing short of AWESOME!
• Enjoyed several hearty meals with the Klines, which included home brew and home baked items.
• Maggie gave me a sowing tutorial and helped/did most of the work, of sowing my hammock canopy.
• Kicked old dribble's ass in disc golf, and caught up with the great Austin Johnson.
• Walked Devo's dog B to the park and played catch daily.
• Hung out the Wiles/Rudolph compound.
• Sampled some of the sweet garden crop, watched the mercy slaughter of a chicken, played with the Boston Bitch Boys, Moose and Gus (love em both), and setup my Bunring Man nest in the vacant lot.
• Ran into my ex-girlfriend's mother while getting tacos.
• Called my ex-girlfriend and played phone tag, but attempted to make an amends.
• Hung with Denis and Claire: shot the shit, and got some of his latest releases from Odonata Wines. The grenache and durif were superb!
• Berkeley again: met up with Shae at the Albatross and had some pints while we talked about our dabblings in the wild world of romance and music.
• Spent a whole day packing my truck and getting things in order for Burning Man.
• Met up with Molly Greene, and after several hours of dragging feet in Berkeley, we hit the road en route to Burning Man.
• We made relatively good time, and after hours chatting it up we were nearly there. We stopped for a bathroom break, and I left my wallet on top of my truck while I changed pants in the wee hours of morning. We took back to the two lane highway, and we quickly realized what had occurred. We scoured the highway with headlamps, and collected the scattered holdings of my pavement beaten wallet. I was lucky enough to find: my debit card, my credit card, my COSTCO card, the two halves of my AAA card, several business cards from friends, the tiniest picture of my friend Tess Wheelwright, and about $15 (out of $60). At the time I lost my driver's license, but then--low and behold, a week later, it was mailed to me by a good human being who found it while walking that lonely stretch of road.
• Burning Man: I lived in my hammock! It was an evolution of thoughts. I initially felt apprehensive and out of sorts, and not entirely apart of. As days wore on, and experiences continued to be had, the city took my over. Appearances changed, rhythms were found, and adventures manifested continuously. It was a world of vagabonds and marauders, and endless opportunity. My bike and I saw many stretches of land. Day times were split between lounging in the hammock with my fan blowing moderately cool air from my solar panel setup and insane activity (biking, exploring, ultimate frisbeeing, and wandering). I painted on walls and met new folks: a young chap named Neil (named after Neil Young) and I, painted on a pseudo brick wall out in the playa. I played epic Ultimate with Lilly from Orgeon, Shina from Austin, Yting from who knows where, Seth, and so forth. I met with some friends from Santa Cruz, and the encounters were good, perhaps not what we all expected them to be, but exactly what they should have been. My final day of Burning Man, was complete immersion. I spent the day wandering in the dust. We found refuge in an astroturf bunker, and three strangers joined us. We chatted, and I fought my urge to feel weird or frightened. We road out to the orange fence, which marks the end of that world, came back and began building blocks. At an art installment, I found heavy steel blocks stacked into pillars, on top of slabs of slate. To the left of the pillars was a large basket, and I realized, that the artist, had left the blocks in the basket, and the ebb and flow of people had moved these things into monuments--I took one completely down. I placed the blocks in categories according to size and shape. I left the slab blank, I began to build, but stopped and quickly erased my efforts. A drifter asked me if this was my art installment, and I said no, with a smile. Another dusty traveler and asked the same, and I replied the same, but then I added, "You should take those blocks there, and build a new tower." The man chuckled and then went to work. He worked furiously until all was done, not a block to spare--inception! He stood back from his tower, laughed, I congratulated him on his efforts, and he spun a twist and a giggle and sauntered out into a dust storm. After that, a man by the name of Wizzard appraoched Atom and I for some help. He wanted to stack two large 500lbs wood balls on top of each other. Wizzard was a veteran of the playa, and he was a large dusted man, with a mustache and a mini-skirt. He had built several installments, and in fact the night before, we had stumbled across his latest work. We built a small pedastool, and used 4x4's as ramps. After enlisting the help of some other drifters, and using some shims around the base, the Wizzard and ourselves had accomplished a strange feet--there sat two 500lbs ball on top of another. We shared some ice-water, and we all parted ways--and to me, that was the culmination of Burning Man. That day, and that moment is why I had come there. There was no fear in that moment. All that we worked with, was positive possibilities and imagination--what a lesson for living the everyday. I left before the big burn, and it felt so very good.
• Drove through Nevada on the backside of Yosemite, past Mono Lake--a great time of reflection and appreciation.
• LA got me back into it all, but Burning Man still mingled inside of me.
• Pablo and Ana--WHAT BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE! It was so good to see them. We spoke Spanish, ate cheeseburgers, saw many sites, and explored the greater LA area. We went hiking with Shaggy out in Red Rocks off of Topanga; we drove the 1 and ate at Apple Pan; We meandered through Venture Blvd with a Jamba Juice; We saw Machete at City Walk; We did Runyon Cyn; We had drinks and Sushi in Los Feliz with Marina and Company; We did Melrose and Hollywood Blvd; We rambled the Getty, and just loved life. It was nice to be able to show them around. They are currently heading up the 1 and are doing a great job of visiting California's finer spots.
• My previous post talked about the unexpected eruption of emotion that accompanied a reunion with the infamous bus lady. Upon some time apart, and a bike ride, I realized that the time was not now--to be in a situation where both individuals cannot be present and free, is just not the right situation. And hence, with a metaphor about chocolate chip cookies, we agreed to agree on another time and place--it felt good to be honest, and aware enough to not get so tied up in impossible situations. The parallel to a previous locked heart of love, seemed to serve as a reminder of what needed to be done.
• A chance encounter at a going away party, has lead to a meeting of minds. My old friend Tom, from the prep school circuit, is a digger of life. The other day we took to the hills above Encino and hiked and talked fer several hours. Consequently, this is my new favorite hiking spot, San Vicente Mountain Park, which is a great slice of US History and a little known gem of wilderness. My mom, the dogs, and I hiked it about a week ago, and it is just an absolute treat. As always, the outdoors and my mom serve to be a great freakin time!
• Hung with Gloria, and she made brisket!! OH MAN OH MAN! It was great, as it always is, to hang with a kindred soul.
• Played golf with the folks yesterday--they rode and I walked. It was a nice quick round, and we finished it up with BBQ. It is nice to spend time with these two funny people who have helped me so much on my journey, I love them both.

And now, here I am. About two weeks until I blast off to Austin. I am ready for the adventure of Texas. I have a trip to Spain and Mexico on the horizon...so it all goes.

Sweet Substitute: Los Angeles On My Mind

Saturday, August 21st, the life and times of Mr. Elliott Austin Kuhn: this world, and all of its inhabitants, are an amazing blend of of energy. I am continually amazed by the paradoxical nature of how infinitely big we all are, and how amazingly small we seem to be at the same time--we are like ants with incredible strength.


I feel as if Los Angeles has blosomed into an amazing chapter. I arrived here sketchy and unsure. My homestead was different, and I entered in at a nervous transitional time. Similarly, the gravity of leaving Mexico seemed to sink in once I arrived back home. A nervous beginning has continued to grow into a deeper and deeper adventure.

Bike riding the great Southern California Streets, commiserating with old friends, taking on new projects, connecting with family, savoring the outdoors--it has been a blast. I am on the cusp of heading north, and to that tune, I tip my hat with great excitement and anticipation. The north brings more family and friends, and the baby steps to Burning Man. My money is flowing incredibly quickly, to such an extent that I think I may get back to Austin with a cloud dust gasping from my wallet, however, I can't stop--WON'T STOP! MUST LIVE AND LIVE WELL!


Projects:

• After some expensive quotes and some desire to dive in, my faithful friend Curt and I took on the challenge of Changing all four ball joints and the shocks on my 4Runner. After some internet mishaps with ordering parts, Curt and I hunkered down. As per usual, the job was not as easy as it appeared to be. Curt and I are novice mechanics, and this lack of general mechanical knowledge creates a large learning curve. What took us 6 hours the first side, most of which was spent sitting, staring, and wondering, only took us 3 hours the second side, including installing the front shocks. In the end, after finishing the rear shocks at my dad's house, I have an improved 20 year old suspension, some good memories, new knowledge, and pride in a job well done.
  
• I have a bike cart with my dad's neighbor Bob, which I will be welding together under his tutelage.
  
• I have recently inherited a small portable solar setup from my buddy Atom. Need to put some final touches on for Burning Man. But the intent is to charge all my electrical devices and run small appliances off of this setup.
  
• I will be making a hammock tarp (hopefully, god willing, with the help of Mrs. Maggie Kline).
• Burning Man car modifications and protections will also be fleshed out soon.

• Hit up a little mountain biking and early afternoon Thai with Shaggy over on the other side of the hill. A friend told him about Sullivan Canyon and Westridge Back Canyon. This is a sweet gem up off of Mandeville Canyon, which starts at the intersection with Sunset Blvd and heads up the hill. The place was tucked at the end of a wealthy residential street. The trails were plenty and it was exciting to find a great location in the city, that also boasted practical and sensible dog policy--GO TEAM!

• Met up with the good old crew: Played some golf with Kevin Elms and his pops, along with my dad. Kevin is an old high school friend, who's father inadvertently has also done my father's taxes for the last 5 or so years. We discovered the connection, after Kev Kev was working for his dad, and came into work, only to find my name sitting on his desk as the first client of the morning. Anyway, we played out at Camarillo Springs, and it was a great day. Also, hung out with Kev's roommate, and also former fellow Robinhood's regular, Matt Schneider. As always, the man, the myth, the legend is just a delight. We came up with the notion of SchneidFaq.com...a modern man's take on the world--questions, quotes, and considerations for your everyday life. Keep an eye out for the birth of that dream. At Schneider's new pad I also had the opportunity to catch up with the best of the best, my best friend, Joseph Ryan Harper. We spent the better part of an hour sorting out life on the sidewalk outside Matt's place--with a truly great friend, no matter how long it has been, there is always the ability to get right to the good stuff in life, without the awkward ego shit. We dove in. The conversations were real and powerful, and a testament to a fellow journeyer. And last but not least, today, I spent a great evening of food, conversation and playing music with two Kindred souls: Mr. Atom Junod and Mr. Michael O'Palko. We jammed for about 2 hours and it was all the right rhythms, chords and melodies--I LOVE LIFE!
• Last night took me up to Angeles National Forest with my mom. Since I have been home, and perhaps even before that, my mother has made it explicit that her intention was to go camping for a night, while I was home. With some minor research, the purchase of a National Forest Adventure pass from Big 5 Sports, and various camping supplies, the decision was made to camp at Guffy Campground (8200ft (2500m)) in the Angeles National Forest, along the border of the San Bernadino National Forest, and directly in the path of the Pacific Crest Trail. We took a midday hike after setting up camp. We enjoyed an early evening dinner of filet mignon and potatoes, and a bottle of wine (man if I had been on a date, I would have gotten brownie points).

• We were piled in for bed by 8:30. The wind howled all night, and the heavy moon sailed through branches. Chops anti barking collar was not functional, and he spent most of the night barking the one group of campers who arrived late at night (morning would show a pile of beer cans littered their campsite). The night was my first run in my Warbonnet Blackbird. It was a process of finding the right and angle and the right hang. I have decided that I like a nice high hang; I like my thermarest fairly taught, for a nice cold barrier and stability; I like to lay on a side angle and make use of my footbox. We arose with the sun, had some instant coffee, and wound our way through the Angeles Crest Highway listening to Dave Matthews Band and talking life. We were home around midday, and it was 100% awesome from start to finish. What a beautiful way to spend a night, and it is so freaking close, who would believe it.

• Next we come to all things cosmic. Over the last few weeks my mind has been swirling. Some of you, may recall many years ago that I had a radio show, that I was in grad school, and that I lived in Santa Cruz, Ca. Well when those three things made up my life, I had an incident with a beautiful young lady on a bus. We had a chance encounter, where the bus driver hit the gas, she fell in my lap, we had a moment, mutually let it pass and regretted it, and so forth. Long story short, I found her again by placing a picture of myself at all the bus stops on the UCSC campus, she called me, and we have remained in contact since then. When we met, the timing was a bit off (it was her first year at UCSC, I was teaching, yada yada yada) and we agreed to let the romantic implications sit on the sidelines for the time being. Well, the Bus Lady is back here in LA; a native to Chatsworth, we have had the opportunity to reconnect in a non digital form (although a lot of narcissistic photos have been snapped while in each other's company). Regardless, an initial stiff conversation, very formal and surface level, gave way to a deluge of wild and exciting honesty. As if our minds have been and are, zip lining thoughts, we conversed on everything from similar life philosophies and music, to Earthships, the outdoors, and synchronous situations--the shere amount of similarities are too abundant to be written off as an anomaly of chance--or at least we have decided to elevate the status of these aptly dubbed, "cosmic connections" (a million hippies just got their dreadlocks, at the utterance of that phrase). Anywho, plans to hang out one evening have blossomed into several evenings of conversation, good food, urban exploring, and mounting attraction. The synchronicity is undeniable although the timing is still a little off. Regardless, it is truly amazing to meet someone, and have the type of connection and interest that you dream of, or at least are told to dream of. Perhaps we have both mutually hallucinated the perfection and intrigue we see in the other person; perhaps we are just projections of our sub conscious desires (HELLO INCEPTION!). However, I would like to believe that I have the freedom to trust the accuracy of my intuition. I do trust that this stunning, articulate, intelligent, goofy, visionary, and exciting lady, has been placed in my life for a reason, and hence, embracing the lunacy of the present moment, is an absolute must--in this land there are only yes's to be dealt with. There is simply nothing insidious about it.

Whoa LA, Whoa!

Well, well , well...what a few days and a camera will do for ya. I got photos for the update. I spent the better part of yesterday on the couch. However, the day before was a freaking day of action. Allow the photos to tell the story:

1. Took a hike at Runyon Canyon, and soaked in the LA backdrop:

2. Went on another hike with my mom and the dogs. We took off on a trail that lead from Mullholland Dr., through a series of ridge line foot trails, and down into a cold canopy covered stream, apply named, The Rainforest. Oh, and there was a brush fire taking place, andhelicopters were dropping water near by:

3. I found a little rope swing to play on:

4. Then the dogs rested in the shade:

5. After the hike we went for a burger and then a nap in the hammock. Then I met up with atom and we hit the bikes for a night time ride. We skeddadled across the Valley and stopped at Pierce College for a break. We sat on the outskirts of one of their agriculture fields, and chopped it up. We then met up with an old friend, Nicoli Moreno, and this took us north to Winnetka and Lassen. After an evening of jamming music, big dogs, and conversation, we saddled up and hit the 11mi ride home--it was a long way to go. The following our pictures from the evening at hand:

6. The final day, I road back along the LA River. I stopped and drank a Jamba Juice, and snagged this photo of the faithful road warrior:

Ahhhhh Los Angeles

Well, I am in California, and it feels good, weird, bad, happy, sad, and all that. There was a strange wave of emotions that errupted upon arrival. After three days and 1400mi in the car with my dad, getting home was the awakening that obligations were to be met. I almost felt like a delayed culture shock set in. The drive from Mexico to Austin was this seemless move, and I was still exploring and anonymous. Suddenly being thrust back into the familiar, made me realize that a trip had concluded, and I was flooded with emotions. None the less, I am getting back into the mix of things, and life is pushing along. I have plans to see friends from various phases of life, I am spending family time with the folks, which is cool, because I have not seen them in awhile. My dad has a new place, which is quite nice, and his life is evoloving out there. We did some fishing, and BBQing and some TV watching. I am sure my mom and I have some hiking in the works, and so on.

I am trying to just relax and enjoy the time that I have here, but there is still a bit of unrest--so many things to do, and people to see, and words and words and words. I have chunked out two months of time for this California hiatus, but I will just have to see how it all shakes out. Right now, I am feeling as if two months of floating might be two much, and perhaps a return date to Austin may need to occur in mid September--who knows, who knows.

This rant is more of just a personal poop of thoughts, and a commitment to maintain the blog. No pictures and links this time, just some sort of musing inspired ramble. All and all, life is a journey, and I am pushing myself to hold on to the present as best I can.

Setting out West

Well, my time in Texas has come to a close--for now. Today, I will head out across the no man's land of West Texas. My dad got in yesterday--we went to some BBQ, which was OK, and then caught Inception at The Alamo Drafthouse. A really interesting movie theater: all the commercials were made by them, and had some element of hilarity, e.g. "Make sure to put your cell phone away, or we will hunt you down and finish you," (this is coupled with a short clip of an usher stabbing a man who had his cellphone out during a movie. There were also commercials for local events at the various Drafthouses around town--outdoor movie night, old classics night, beer brewing discussion night, and so on. Also, in the theater, a waiter is assigned to your area, and you order food by writing down what you want on a sheet of paper, and putting it on the table in front of you--my dad had ice cream with caramel, and I had some peanut butter cups and a Brooklyn Brown Ale--it all totaled $15--somehow I feel like, if that was in LA, it would have been $20-30. Inception was good, but my third time--I think I fully understand it now, if you have questions, I am pretty sure I can answer them; it is still a fantastic film.

Today we are going to leave about midday--I still need to pack and organize. I should take the dogs for a walk sooner than later, I guess. Yesterday, while walking the greenbelt, Chops ran up to another dog. Then he spotted a cat lurking in the foliage to the right, and he bolted after it--the lady with the dog screams, "That's my cat!"--oh shit! As the lady rummages the bushes calling out, "here Corn Dog...heeeeere Corn Dog," a take the time to clarify, "You were walking your cat as well?" She told me that the cat likes to follow the dog and her on walks. I apologized immensely and put Chops on leash. I need to work with him on this, but his prey drive is extremely high. He catalogs in his mind, where he has seen small animals, and whenever we return to those places, he checks them excitedly. In any event, I am going to try some training with my mom's cat, when I get home.

Today we head out, and it is the next phase of my never ending summer: it started with Mexico post school, then the solo drive north for 1000mi, then Austin for two weeks, now a road trip west, then LA for a month, then north and Burning Man, then back to LA, then north again (with dogs and Espanoles) to SC and Berkeley, then back to LA, down to SD for Joe's SEALS graduation, and then back to Austin for ACL and the homestead...so it goes and here I come!

Austin--Vacation

Well, here I be: Austin, TX, hot and sweaty. Since I have gotten here, it has been a new world, filled with good people, good thoughts, and awakenings.

My first day here, I went out for a beer and a burger with my neighbor Josh, and it was grand. Much like Condesa, we are in the thick of things here, and walking to all the basic needs is a great luxury. I have eaten cheeseburgers on three separate occasions, and they all have been lovely in their own way:

• Cheeseburger with whiskey smoked cheddar (and $3 Texas brewed Hefeweizen) at Flying Saucers.
• Late night EZ's diner cheeseburger--quite tasty.
• And last but not least, I sampled a Mighty Fine burger, with cheese, bacon, and jalapenos, and I threw in a chocolate shake to really test it out. This isthe South's answer to In-N-Out, and let me tell you: the decorum, the menu, the burger, the shake, and the quality were pretty damn good...but it still doesn't beat that California treat, that is In-N-Out.

Other than eating burgers, I went and played some pick up ultimate frisbee on Friday night. A group of guys, various skill and athletic ability, play 5-7 on a side. The fields where they meet are two blocks from my house. I was a little nervous going, but I sucked it up and checked it out. The way they play, is white shirts vs. dark shirts, and you cover whomever you are standing across from. It isn't really about who wins the game, but rather just playing each point. It was a hell of a work out, and my freaking hair tie snapped on the first point. I ripped the pull chord off my bucket hat, and tied my hair with that. I didn't play my best, but it was a great first step. I am playing tomorrow at a different park with some of the same guys.

I also have spent time organizing my room, which I am really enjoying. Although my room gets little light, because I have one window, and it hides undera grove of trees, I love the layout. THIS HOUSE IS GREAT! Once I get a camera, I will snap some decent photos, but for the meantime, here are some camera picks of my room layout:

I also, put up a little fence with a gate so that I have created a space for the dogs to have during the day, when I am not there. My intention was to create a place for them to have for both making poops and chilling. This way, they are not dirtying the whole yard, and they learn where to do their business.

Last night, Marissa and I went and saw Inception (or El Origen, as my friend Noli informed it is called in Mexico). It was WILD! I am still thinking about it, and ready to go back to the theaters and see it again. The cast did an amazing job, and the pure future implications of this kind of reality are spine tingling--digital drugs, was the phrase that came to mind. The ability to download digital narcotics, and to altar the body, mind, and chemistry within, I believe is not so far off. and shortly after its development and commercialization, we shall see the development of addictions. We already have the technologically addicted, but the lead will be, when these digital worlds are implanted, uploaded, connected, interfaced, and spliced into the human body. I proclaim it now: this will be the epidemic of my children's generation.

On a happier note, I have started brainstorming my ideas for Burning Man. With the help of Marissa, and it is a short time frame, I hope to construct a tent canopy shelter for my 4Runner, which will double as a shell for protecting my truck from the elements, and the creation of a home base for myself, while in the wilds of the playa. The more I have meditated on what I will need at Burning Man, the more I think a personal sanctuary will be of the upmost importance.

Much love.

The End and The Return

Wow! That is how I will start it all off--Wow!!!

Now, sorry for the length of this update, but it has been many many weeks, and there is much that needs to be logged for the official record.

I have been out of work since the 18th. Since that time, much has transpired, and I have not updated for quite sometime. So here is the short and narrow or the many weeks, wrapping up my time in Mexico:

1) I packed up my car and my belongings on the 29th of June. It

was many many hours of moving, adjusting, planning, and pushing. I got it all in--I utilized my custom net on the inside of the truck to hold clothing, camping gear, and framed photos. I then stacked all the boxes on the passenger side of the truck, and filled the rest of the crap into the rocketbox on top. I made a sweet little nest for the dogs, and then I patted myself on the back for my efforts.

I had intentions of leaving that same day, but the more I thought about leaving, the more I didn't want to. SO, I put my truck in a pension, and I moved the dogs and some essentials into Mauricio's house--I dropped him off at the airport a week earlier, and he was happily in Chile. I holed up in his house and made good on my freetime: watched his pirated copies of UFC Top 100 Fights, drank coffee and walked in the park with the dogs, Had a great lasagna dinner with Marta and the Espanoles, went and saw a crazy play with Julia (It was inside an old city bus, and it was fucking wild!), I ate at all my favorite spots, saw some Lucha Libre, and I enjoyed The City without the strain of my job.

Also, I went with Ms. Tess Wheelwright to an amazing toy mueseum in Doctores. A Japanese/Mexican man owns the place, and it is wild. It felt like a weird mix of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Alice in Wonderland. We capped off the experience with mescal in a Centro Cantina. Then I had a despedida at Groove--an Argentinian/Italian place. A bunch of the gringos (Josh, Dave Miller, Dean, Tim, Ryan, Greg) showed up and Pablo, Ana, Julia, Nachete, and Marta made an appearance. It was an evening of good food, good drinks,

and good laughs. It was a nice way to begin the end of Mexico. I felt like it started the ball rolling in my mind, and I began to evolve the notion of leaving. I stayed in the city for much longer after this, but it was the beginning of a new beginning.

2) During my relaxation in the house of Mauricio, I received an email from one of my students, Chris Clifford. Mr. Clifford told me, that his family home in Avandaro (Part of the lakeside mountain community known as Valle de Bravo) was available for FREE rental. I thought about this opportunity, and inside I channeled my old traveling buddy Jamie Marcus, and said "More "yes's" than "no's". I asked Pablo, Ana, and Julia if they would like to join me for a day or two, and they said yes. So it was set into action.

I headed out last Sunday. I met the Cliffords at their hacienda and spent the evening with them. The father is a sociologist who works in media analysis and community studies. We had some great conversations over tea. Both Mr. and Mrs. Clifford are of English descent (their families immigrated to Mexico many generations back), so coffee is not the drink of choice. We had a good evening, and Chris showed me around to some of the highlights of the pueblo.

The next day, the Cliffords left early and I awoke to an empty house. I made some coffee (they had gone, so I thought it was ok), and I headed to the backyard with my Warbonnet Blackbird camping hammock. I hung out, for most of the day. I wrote in my journal, I read my book (started reading Kerouac's On the Road--it seems fitting for this summer and life change). In the evening, after some blunders with my directions and phone, the Espanoles made it.

We had a sweet dinner, played some board games, and had a

little fire. It was good times.

The next day we wandered into Valle de Bravo, and took a spin around the lake. It was beautiful, and the houses were incredible. We ended the day back in Avandaro, where Pablo and Ana gifted me my very own authentic Bota de Vino. I still need to break it in, but it shall be ready for my summer adventures. We then had Spanish chorizo and cheese, and played a game of Apples to Apples. The game ended with some sour feelings, and a little bit of a divide arose between Julia and I--it was a shame that it occurred at such a time, but things happen. We tried to talk it out, but feelings aren't always rational, and hence we had to agree to disagree.

The next day, the Espanoles left, and I stayed on by myeslf. I spent the next two days in the house alone--I played guitar and sang songs, I ate food, watched some UFC, made a fire, and took a hike to the lake. The hike to the lake was a trip in and of itself.

We walked from the wealthy paved roads of the upper class into the dusty dirt roads of the rural mountain poor. We wound down down and down. At the bottom, all the lake access was swallowed up by private property. I asked a kind gardner if I could walk down, and he said sure, that they were closed for today, but not to worry.

As soon as we got to the bottom, Chops threw up. He began to vomit profusely, and in one of the foamy mounds I saw rotten intestines of some animal--at some point on our hike, he had eaten a dead animal.

He looked at me, and in his eyes there was no clarity. He began to shake an wobble; he stumbled into the water and put his nose in, but was unable to drink. I began to panic--we were two hours down the mountain, and he was having a toxic reaction. I grabbed him by the collar and we began marching up. Whenever I let him go, he would stumble this way and that.

We began walking, and I decided that if a car passed, I would ask them for a ride. We continued to walk, and I wiped the foam from his mouth. As we marched, he began to right himself. I could tell he was becoming more alert, and he had stopped trembling. We found a hole with fresh rain water, and he drank long and deeply. He snorted and looked at me--he was back! My heart still thumped as we walked on, but we got back to the summit, and I purchased bottled water from a tienda--he drank the whole fucking thing.

We got back to the cabin, I went for some firewood, and we settled in for the night--the rain started and went through the night. I cooked a solid dinner (gave Chops some yogurt for his stomach--he loved it!), made a fire, and howled at my solitude. The power went out, and I huddled on the floor with the dogs--we warmed ourselves by the fire, and we enjoyed the melodies of the wild.

The drive out was beautiful, and I beat the traffic home. I spent my final night back in

DF. I had a burger from Orujo, my favorite Uruguyan BBQ joint, and I spent a little time chatting it up with Pablo and Ana--I LOVE THOSE TWO!

3) Early on the 10th I hit the road. I cleaned Mauricio's house, and left him a few parting gifts. After a quick breakfast with Pablo and Ana, I loaded up the car and hit it. My GPS helped me navigate swiftly to the Periferico and I started blazing my trail north. No sooner was I making good time did it all grind to a stop. The genius of urban planning in Mexico is astounding; projects are started that are immense in scope and size, and it seems like they do the entire first step and then take on little parts, i.e. bulldoze the dirt for an entire new freeway, and then build it in non-chronological parts. Needless to say, I encountered one of these great projects, and I spent the better part of an hour shifting in and out of 1st, all because they had closed one lane for a stretch of concrete repair about 5 meters long--one would think they could do this at night, but oh well.

I was back at cruising speed, and I made my way ever northward: Queretero, San Luis Potosi, Matehuala, and eventually Saltillo. I clicked in at about 500mi (800km) when it was all said and done. It is a shame that the north of Mexico is facing such peril with all the Narco Wars, because it truly is beautiful. I was taken a back by the lush green mountains and

valleys that lined the drive.

I pulled into Saltillo at sunset, found a rustic little motel for the night, pleaded my case for the dogs, and holed up for the night. There was AC and TV. I took the liberty of cutting my rally beard for my return to the States--I have been thinking about reflecting the change in my life with a change in my appearance--I got a lot of weird looks on the road after this.

4) Raging the road was without a hitch--until 50mi (80km) from the town of Nuevo Laredo. Due to the hurricane and rains, the final stretch to Laredo had been closed for 4 days. Trucks lined the freeway and drivers played card games in the dirt. I asked an old man, who seemed to know what to do, where I could cross, he told me that the road heading east was open, and that I could try and cross further down. So I hopped in the truck with a quarter tank and barrelled off--surely I would find gas en route, afterall, there are Pemex stations everywhere.

As I blazed down the potholed country road, I wondered how this would all pan out. After about a half hour I saw a gas station, but the pumps were closed, well ok then. I asked the lady inside if the border was open further down, and if there was gas, she said yes to both. I chugged a gatorade and barreled on.

Another half hour, and I am behind some semi trucks, when a pick up, going the opposite direction, flashes its lights--the driver tells me that it's all flooded this way too, and that it is closed--AHHH--so close yet so far away. Since I was an hour down the road, and my GPS said I was about 7mi (10km) from the town, I decided to continue on, rather than turning back. As I round the final corner, once again trucks are lining the road--SHIT! I pull up to a military officer decked out with fatigues and an AK-47. He waves me through the check point--what I did not know, was that myself and the other three cars he waved through, were the first to be let through in days. I speed into town, at last a gas station--no wait, it is closed--now the empty light flicks on--SHIT AGAIN! I start driving through this little puebla, and I conclude that I must stop and find gas from someone. I pull over after seeing many people milling about. I ask a fair skinned lady what I can do, she first responds in Spanish, and then in perfect US English--holy shit, a gringa! I tell her my predicament, and she tells me that her husband has gas at the house, and I can follow her there, and we can fill up. She informs me that there have been no gas deliveries for a week.

We get to her house, and her husband is waiting outside--he is a tall Mexican man with a tough and rugged look, but sweet. He brings out a 5 gallon jug, and we drop it into the tank. She asks me, where I am coming from, and I say, "Saltillo, by way of DF." She is sort of in disbelief. She goes on to tell me, that when she saw me, she was taken a back, because there are no tourists in the north these days. She said it has gotten really bad, and all the rumors and worries I had heard in DF were not unwarranted. Apparantely last week they hung a man down the road in the next town--she has lived there for 20 years, and she is moving back to the States, because the border has become too dangerous--WOW!

I offer to pay for the gas, they refuse, I tell them that they are my angels, and I leave them both with a handshake--it was a random act of kindness and luck.

I follow their directions and cross over a bridge on the outskirts of town--I slow down through the Mexican check point, but they check nothing--no one was outside. I cautiously continue on expecting a federali to come in hot pursuit, the street signs change to English, and I am driving over a lake, and then I am in line. I am car 15 and I am waiting. It took about 40 minutes to get up to the light, but when I looked back, there were at least 50 more cars behind me--like I said, I was one of the first cars to be let through. I pull up to the guard, and he asks me what I have to declare--I say nothing. He tells me I have a truck full of stuff, that I have to declare something. I say that I have dogs, with papers (I show them), I have some guitars, he looks at my coffee cup (which is an old spaghetti sauce jar), he snoops around, scans my passport, and waves me through--HOLY MOTHER OF LORD, I AM BACK!!!

I stopped at a green patch of grass just beyond the border patrol station and let the dogs out. I also let out a rebel yell--it felt so good to make it back.

The next hours were just filled with southern Texas nothingness. I past hundreds of creatively named ranches; the most notable was, "La Buena Vida".

5 hours later, about, I was pulling down my street, Avenue C. I pulled up, and Dave, the landlord, a young Mexican American buck about 35 or so, was putting the finishing touches on some work in the house. We chopped it up a little bit, and it felt right. I moved all my crap into my room, and then I met Josh. Josh lives in the little studio in back. He is a chill guy, and his mannerisms seem familiar, like an old friend. Him, Marissa, and I went out to dinner for some good local beer and burgers. We shared stories and philosophies. He is an engineering consultant, and is out of town one week a month. I think it will work out really nicely.

And well, that is it. I am here until the 27th, when my dad flies out, and we hit the road back to LA. I plan on being in LA up until Burning Man, and then heading north for some SC time.

I am forgetting things, but all and all, it has been the perfect ending to a perfect year abroad.