Thursday, December 31, 2009

Day 1

On my way out of Portland I stopped at Ken's Artisan Pizza because it allegedly has the best Pizza n Portland and I never had a chance to try it. If you are ever in Portland, GO THERE. I had a Calamari appetizer and Prosciutto pizza. I can't say it was the best I've ever had, but I don't remember having anything better.

About an hour out of Portland I realized that I had made the right decision. The Columbia River Gorge was barely passable. I went miles without getting out of second gear, tractor-trailors were jackknifed, and it was bumper to bumper for an hour. Any more snow and they would have closed it. Luckily I had brand new tires, which although not snow tires, kept me from fishtailing off the road. I was afraid that I was going to have to put on my chains. Like I even know how. LOL

OOPS: I forgot

I will try to give kudos to people and businesses that have been good to me. I probably will not mention those that I hated as I don't want to get sued. I wanted to mention that when I arrived in Portland my car would not pass inspection because of a check engine light. I took it to a Firestone Store and the service I received was nothing short of fantastic. If you are in Portland and need some service on your car I will tell you that I would have no qualms about using this facility again.

Firestone Store #12122
815 W Burnside St
Portland, OR 97209
(503) 228-9268

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

How it began

Dec 30, 2009

The die is cast. It's 8 PM and I'm packed up and ready to go. I'm looking at leaving Portland with mixed emotions. It is a great place and I'd recommend it to anyone who is left of center. But I feel so isolated being three hours behind all my friends. That's not enough of a reason to leave but the job market is worse than I thought and I can't afford a rent on unemployment. So I am headed to Florida for a couple of weeks with family, then back to the Northeast.

I planned on leaving in the morning but the weather forecast is pretty bad for the mountains and I need to beat it.

So begins the journey of the Homeless Road Warrior.

Monday, December 28, 2009

Introduction

I have decided to leave Portland. Even with unemployment I can't afford to pay rent. So I will begin a “car camping” trip while I search for a job. In other words, my car – my home. Someone suggested that I write a book about my trip. Maybe a BLOG will do.

I will start by modifying something I learned in the Marine Corps. There is a saw that states “Never pass up a chance to eat, drink, pee, or sleep.” I will add “or to fill up” with a caveat. Especially for those of us for whom not every tree is a toilet, clean and safe places to do our duty is of paramount importance. Therefore, if you are not on a major thruway, and the only places to go may be gas stations, you might not fill up totally so you can top off and use a rest room. Yes, I know that these restrooms often leave a lot to be desired, but you can go hours without seeing a Mickey D's or BK Lounge.