Which is how we do things in Britain. No water for three days, having to either find toilets elsewhere every time you want to go or put the paper somewhere else, no means of washing anything including your teeth, and general discomfort on a western scale, and it’s a bit of a nuisance.

Nuclear war, and we tut tut and say, “Well, I hope they don’t stop the cricket.”

And I wonder why my English girlfriend can’t understand when I get worked up about stuff…

For Reasons Unknown
Read My Mind
Somebody Told Me

And what’s up with that Maid of Honor?  Is she a drag queen, or what!?

There’s been a nagging thought in the back of my mind for over a year, now, that I should be capturing my rich and fascinating Mexico experiences in some written format.  I’ve avoided blogging as I’d become bored with the idea…it almost seems passé.  And yet, it may be just the forum I need to express my thoughts.  And so, this is a trial run.  I’ve no promises or commitments to keep it fresh or regular, but let’s see how it works out.

Of course, not all my posts will pertain to Mexico, and today I’m posting a link to an article that addresses one my pet peeves:  self-righteous (or oblivious) drivers who poke along rudely (and illegally) in the left passing lane.  I find this article to be refreshing news.  Such drivers exist here in Mexico, naturally, but the article is about laws in the U.S.  Enjoy!

February 6, 2007

Today is my last day in Studio N. Everything has been moved out except the computer, and when I finish this entry, it will be shut down, disassembled, carefully stowed in the few remaining nooks and crannies of the van, and moved to it’s new/old desk in Laluna. This process of moving out of my studio has taken more than a month. I knew it would be slow and difficult, but I really had no idea how much I had accumulated or how difficult it would be to decide what to keep and what to give up. The process started slowly — with many items set aside early on as maybe-I-can-find-room-for-this hopefuls — and built to a crescendo the past few days where we’re selling things for ridiculously low prices ($10 for a router with $40 of brand-new bits thrown in? what’s that all about?) or giving them away with reckless abandon. Pretty much everything in that early maybe pile is gone…there just isn’t room in our lives for extra STUFF right now. Our rule for this move has been: If it won’t fit in either Laluna or Squeaker (the van), then we’ve got to get rid of it.

We thought the paring-down process was difficult in 2002 when we bought Laluna, a 34-foot 1984 vintage Airstream International trailer, and winnowed our possessions from a 3o00-square-foot house down to what would fit in a 10×25 storage unit. At that time we expected to be on the road only three or four months. Three years later we realized that storing all that STUFF was senseless, so we had a garage sale and made about 1/3rd of what it had cost to store it those three years.

That was a stark lesson.

Each year since, we’ve continued to thin our possessions, but this year is the hardest because we’re forcing ourselves to get rid of the STUFF that has made the cut five years running…these are things we didn’t really want to part with.

Still, it feels good, this defiant act of freedom. Cutting to the bone is painful, but already we can sense the growth that results from that pain. Funny, but as I navigate Austin’s streets with a stretch van packed very nearly to its payload capacity, I have this nagging feeling that we still have too much stuff! When I think of college days, when everything I needed to survive (quite happily) fit in my 1972 Ford Gran Torino 2-door, I know I’ve got too much stuff.

And so, maybe this process is not over, yet. Could it be that next year will demand an even lighter load? Time will tell.

We drove around to various RV parks in the eastern half of the city yesterday, searching for someplace close-in to use as a base while we search for an apartment to rent. Not that we mind the park where we’re staying — it’s very clean and well-kept, well-outfitted, and the staffers are pleasant. Unfortunately, it’s over 13 miles from city center (that’s a 45-minute bus ride) making it difficult to participate in things. Still, it’s not a bad home-base for a month or two…particular after what we saw of the other RV parks we toured. Some were downright scary. Now we know why this place we’re in requires that applicants be screened for criminal record before being eligible for long-term sites. We shortlisted two of the parks we visited — now we must decide if we want to hassle with hitching up and moving there.

I do have one question, after visiting most these Portland RV parks: Where the heck are all the Airstreams?!? And Avions? It’s weird — as if they’ve been banned within city limits or something.

Today was spent driving various neighborhoods that have apartments for rent. I found 25+ units on Craigslist but didn’t want to contact the lessors until I had an idea of the neighborhoods. I have to say, it looks promising. After living in a 250 square foot aluminum tube for five years, a studio or 1 BR apartment sounds positively Taj Mahalish! And the locations are very central and urban — way more so than anything with RV hook-ups.

Looks like we may be kissing Laluna goodbye one day soon.

The die is cast.

(More at my web gallery.)

A shot (with high-speed film, no doubt) of intense action at the World Sudoku Championship in Prague on Friday.