typical, more OBSTACLES

I just dropped $1500 into my truck for my 30 Days and Nights of Tattoos trip.well, not just for this trip but because I haven't had the extra flow to put into my baby for a bit and it was time.

I bought her brand new, straight off the rotating display in  the front of the dealership with my first residual check from Image comics back in 1993. I can count on one hand how many real problems I've had with her and still have fingers left over . I don't drive her much these days,though, so thats part of the problem too.

I had her fully loaded with all my gear. i was ready. It was hard to leave my lady and my home but I was gone, on the road. After the tune up and change of suspension, wires and plugs the truck was running nice. responsive and was totally handling the first big hills out of the valley. it felt good.

about 50 miles into the trip I would occasionally hear a subtle sound like playing cards in bicycle spokes. But sometimes my cab fan made that sound. so I just kept driving listening to tunes. about 75 miles into the trip I decided to converse with the trees. might as well get the trip going, after all I had about 6 more hours left on the road. As soon as I finished my first tree I was driving up another hill and the sound came back, louder, and my power dropped. I chucked my tree stump and pulled over right as an exit was approaching. I made the exit and my car seized, everything locked up except for my wheels and breaks. so I was able to stop it no problem. I thought I was in the middle of bum fuck. but immediate I saw a cheveron on the other side of the freeway. I told my truck to start and make it to the gas station and I turned the key. it turned over and I gave a quick burst of gas which gave me enough momentum to make it across the over pass... right as I hit the drive way of the station it seized again, coasting to stop into a parking spot. perfect!

it was my lifters. metal on metal. after 15 years of having my truck I never had to service my lifters and here they were finally going to shit. what are the odds? on the one day I was making big moves to make my tattoo apprenticeship happen. after all my preparation and planning and work on my truck. Last year I tried to make the trip and then I found out our company was victims of bank fraud...and now this. much smaller in the grand scheme than any real problem.

but jeeeeez already.lol

I was so frustrated for about a minute. I was sane enough to document my frustration with a quick picture once I got out of the car. as you can see. but I immediately snapped out of it. I saw the obstacles, the shit in life that makes it harder to get where you  wanna go, but I saw the blessings too. yeah, shit happens, but I was driving out to the desert. I didn't break down in the desert. I didn't break down in bum fuck. I broke down at a gas station 80 miles from home and I had AAA road side assistance so the tow is  free.

So I took out one of my fold up camping lounge chairs, put in the bed of my truck, called AAA and decided to catch some sun while I waited(which was about 3 hours). but it was a beautiful day. I told myself I was gonna do the trip next week after my truck gets fixed. Because I will fix it and the universe will supply me with another pay check from a client who's been late. I know it. I 'm not even unpacking because I don't want to get use to the idea of being home. I have to go to my shop and learn. I've been wanting to make this move into tattoos for a bit now. shot lifters aint keeping me from getting where I need to get.

My journey has been very humbling. even in the littlest ways.

Hopefully my next blog on the subject will be from Red Sky Studio.