The last week in re-cap
Arrival into LA and the Car-
With little more then cokes, granola bars, stopping for gas -at one point I paid $3.34 a gallon-, and the radio blaring, I managed to look my 16 hour opponent in the face, and say, "I shall not tire, I shall continue without break, I shall arrive in LA safely". Unfortunately, I neglected the statement of "I shall not get myself lost". Imagine being on the road for 16 hours -the prior night only getting 3 hours of sleep- arriving to your destination, but too tired to figure out where it is you are supposed to go. Well, this happened to me. And, at the point I was most prepared to just lay and sleep, I had to muster my fourth wind and figure out where I was! The part that really started to bother me was the fact that I'd driven to this particular destination many times before. The only problem was, that I'd never driven with only 3 hours of sleep and being on the road -alone- for 16 hours. Ultimately, what should have been a final hour of driving turned into a arduous 2 hour adventure; through parts of Los Angeles I wouldn't otherwise visit.
The following day found me waking to the rising sun. I'd arranged for a a potential buyer to inspect the car, and I needed to tend to minor touchups- Washing the car, cleaning out the inside... All those minor things one should do to make a buyer excited about a purchase. After spending a little time on cleanup, I met the man. He was a well built individual, slightly rounded around his midsection and sporting a peppery colored facial cover. Ultimately, he was an unassuming surfer dude, who spends his days in an office. The car was intended as a get-away vehicle. A car where he could throw in a surf board, drive to the beach, ride some waves, then kick back and sip a beer while watching the sunset and listening to some tunes. After a 30 minute test drive, his wallet opened and the cash started to flow. Though I didn't sell the car for as much as I was advertising, I did make a slight profit and am pleased with the overall sale.
The visit:
For the 2nd time in almost as many weeks, I visited my Aunt (the one whom I hadn't seen or spoken to for 18 years). The visit was just as splendid as the previous. The only difference was that I went to her home in LA- The same home that I used to visit when I was 7 years of age. My sister also joined me during the gathering. We spent several hours talking, eating, and just enjoying catching up on 18 years of disconnect. The whole visit was quite enjoyable.
Preparation:
In about a week, I'll be heading back to Guatemala. I've been spending time preparing for the trip- Gathering donations for Guatemalan kids and squaring away minor stuff.
Arin Gilbert
With little more then cokes, granola bars, stopping for gas -at one point I paid $3.34 a gallon-, and the radio blaring, I managed to look my 16 hour opponent in the face, and say, "I shall not tire, I shall continue without break, I shall arrive in LA safely". Unfortunately, I neglected the statement of "I shall not get myself lost". Imagine being on the road for 16 hours -the prior night only getting 3 hours of sleep- arriving to your destination, but too tired to figure out where it is you are supposed to go. Well, this happened to me. And, at the point I was most prepared to just lay and sleep, I had to muster my fourth wind and figure out where I was! The part that really started to bother me was the fact that I'd driven to this particular destination many times before. The only problem was, that I'd never driven with only 3 hours of sleep and being on the road -alone- for 16 hours. Ultimately, what should have been a final hour of driving turned into a arduous 2 hour adventure; through parts of Los Angeles I wouldn't otherwise visit.
The following day found me waking to the rising sun. I'd arranged for a a potential buyer to inspect the car, and I needed to tend to minor touchups- Washing the car, cleaning out the inside... All those minor things one should do to make a buyer excited about a purchase. After spending a little time on cleanup, I met the man. He was a well built individual, slightly rounded around his midsection and sporting a peppery colored facial cover. Ultimately, he was an unassuming surfer dude, who spends his days in an office. The car was intended as a get-away vehicle. A car where he could throw in a surf board, drive to the beach, ride some waves, then kick back and sip a beer while watching the sunset and listening to some tunes. After a 30 minute test drive, his wallet opened and the cash started to flow. Though I didn't sell the car for as much as I was advertising, I did make a slight profit and am pleased with the overall sale.
The visit:
For the 2nd time in almost as many weeks, I visited my Aunt (the one whom I hadn't seen or spoken to for 18 years). The visit was just as splendid as the previous. The only difference was that I went to her home in LA- The same home that I used to visit when I was 7 years of age. My sister also joined me during the gathering. We spent several hours talking, eating, and just enjoying catching up on 18 years of disconnect. The whole visit was quite enjoyable.
Preparation:
In about a week, I'll be heading back to Guatemala. I've been spending time preparing for the trip- Gathering donations for Guatemalan kids and squaring away minor stuff.
Arin Gilbert
posted by Arin | 2:49 PM
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