Power Failure

Today I woke up In Hollywood, and took a slow start to my day. I have plenty of time to make it up the coast to Seattle, so ...why not?

When I packed the bike at around 10AM, it was hot and sunny in Hollywood. I loaded up and rode down sunset blvd to Santa Monica pier. Byt the time I got to the pier it was windy, cold and grey. Where did the blue skies and sun go? Well, I just heard yesterday that LA NEVER gets rain. So lets just see how my luck goes. I wanted to stop at the pier but considering the drastic change in the weather decided to push on. The next hour or so it was just cold and miserable on the Pacific Coast Hwy. So, I took my time, rode slow, and more or less dilly dally'd my way up the coast.

I noticed that my GPS was not responding to its power supply anymore, and after pulling over and checking out the cable, it was dead.

I was beyond luck and in Oxnard California and at the very next exit on the 101, I spied a best buy. SWEET! So I stopped in, and got a new power supply for the GPS, which only set me back $30. Not bad, and GPS was back in buisness. Im sure I could have gotten about fine without it, but it's VERY nice to have when you are circumnavigating the globe.(even if she does like to get me lost from time to time)

By now the sun had come out and things were looking better, and more importantly warmer! So next stop. Santa Barbara. I couldnt wait. I was only here once before in the 90's with a girl I dated at the time. She actually lived in Oxnard and the trip through here brought me back a bit. But I did remember that Santa Barbara was beautiful!

And, so it was! I cruised up and down state street which is their main drag, although No parking of any sorts, so I couldnt find an easy spot to park the bike for awhile. Safely mind you with all my gear on it. So I took state street to where it dead ends at the beach, found a nice street parking spot and chilled out. I called my friend Rick for a bit and shot the s*** with him. I also spied a hotel right on the beach.... hmmmm I wonder how much THAT is? Couldnt hurt to ask, so I went over and asked about a single room. $185!

WOAH!

I actually thought about it, as I wanted to spend the night in Santa Barbara, walk up n down state street. Stop into Borders and buy a new book and go chill on the beach with new book till the sun set. Then of course take in some dinner and drinks somewhere right in town. Sounded like the perfect plan. Though.... $185 just didnt sit right. So I decided to push on.

I wound up in the next little town called Golena. Which is where I am now. Found a motel 6 for $60. Cheapest thing around, and of course NOT on the beach. Oh well. I also did locate a local borders book store thanks to my Iphone and bought "house of leaves" which I am very excited to start reading.

As I got comfy in my motel room and was just about to start on this travel blog. I noticed that my Macbooks power supply was dead. I knew it was dieing as the wire had been looking worse and worse over the past few months, but today...right here. it died. GEEZ. so Iphone found me another best buy and off I went to get a new power supply for the macbook. $80

WOW, those apple b******s. I love apple products but they just love to F you with their overpriced crap.

So...my macbook and GPS are both resting in a nice $110 beachfront hotel tonight, while Im sitting in the motel 6! (hopefully that made sense to you all)

Oh well. It was needed. So, not many miles today, Actually only 137. A record low for me anywhere on any leg of my journeys so far. I did a lot of thinking today while riding. I thought of Kiwi a lot, and how I loved those moments where her and I would spend nights playing some epic final fantasy game, and how those moments are like super happy memories locked in my brain. I'd really like to do more of these. I hope her and I can spend even more time together and maybe even work on a new epic game together soon.

I also thought of bad things. When you are with your certain someone for a certain amount of time, the two of you always have your little inside things. Jokes, nuances, even just dumb sounds. But they are things that only you and your girlfriend did together. I find myself still doing these things and instead of normally getting the proper response from the now Ex, all I get is a lonely eerie silence, followed by me saying "STUPID...DONT DO THAT!" They are bad habits now, but sadly still a part of me. I wish I could lose these things. I wish I would just not do them. It's sad cause they used to be such fun things, in a better time, in a happier me. Its like great material from a stand up comic that he is no longer aloud to use. I had some great things, FUN things, all gone. So, not cool.

I'd like to power down these parts of me.

It's like when a girl asks me to write a song about her. I HATE that. I truly do. Oh, I've written plenty of songs about girls. Now mind you, 95% of them, have all been after the breakup. Not happy love songs at all. I remember Ashely repeatedly asking when I was going to write a song about her. I laugh at that now. I've written 2 since she dumped me, all thanks to her. All my way of dealing with things. Trying to deal with things. It's never that easy. You just don't write something and give it away. it stays with you always. it comes back to you every time you sing it at every gig. Thats just the life of an artist I suppose. Writing, singing, painting your pain, all for others to critique or hopefully, just...love.

Please dont ever ask me to write a song about you...

Im doing better dear readers. promise. Though I do have to ride BACK through NEW MEX on my way back east... but ..that's weeks from now.

137 miles today

1,108 total miles

"I'll keep my helmet on just in case my head caves in. Cause if my thoughts collapse or my framework snaps. It'll make a mess like you wouldnt believe.

Tie my handlebars to the stars so I stay on track, and if my intentions stray I'll wrench them away. Then I'll take my leave and I won't even look back..."