What to do with my life....what to do, what to do.
I am so tired of cab driving, and yet it's one of the best jobs I've ever had. It'd just be nice to have health insurance, or not have to clean snooty-girl vomit off car seats......

I can't believe my pup is 1 year old!
He knows off, sit, wait, down, paw, nose, leave it, give (sometimes), and wave.

Last night was amazingly slow for May. Or maybe it wasn't. Maybe we just got lucky with all that rain all the way through June last year. But I was almost to the end of the night with only $60 to show for 12 hours worth of work. I was booked in close to work and parked across the street just in case anyone going home early might need a ride home.

And then I get a call about 2 blocks away, pull up, use the callout button and wait a few minutes for the passenger to come down. She gets in, all bloodshot eyes, and is only going to the Yards (a 5 dollar ride if we hit every red light). We're just about to drive away when a Broadway cab comes flying at us from the other direction, screaming "Radio don't steal my fare!" as he pulls up.

(Following text is rated PG-13 for violence and language, so, um, sensitive relatives beware: it might get all cabbie-mouthed here).

I'm in the beautiful Sacramento HI Youth Hostel tonight. I'm on a three day training to become 'certified' as a volunteer hospitalera for the Spanish Federation of Friends of the Camino, who organize a number of donativo, volunteer-run albergues for pilgrims walking the Camino de Santiago.

It's been so nice hanging out with other ex-pilgrims and dreaming of Spain. I've come up with some better ideas for more concrete dreams of having my own albergue in Spain.

I've also come up with some great photos thanks to my roommate's kindness in loaning me her camera (it was even her idea!).
So follow the link to more photos....

Ok, so maybe it was a little bit of wishful thinking to call my blog ArchyAdventures, since I have yet to actually start doing, well, archaeology. You’re probably wondering where the hell the archy is. It is a little embarrassing, considering that-- alphabetically--it is the first North American blog on the list.
So…
What are my current adventures?
Driving cab, raising a puppy, working (STILL) to finish my undergrad degree in archaeology, and trying to balance my bank account enough to one day start saving some money to move to Spain with: My new crazy life plan is to live somewhere along the Camino de Santiago and take care of pilgrims...

Had a long ass night of hauling ad agency employees home from their annual party. Actually only took two home: every time I hit the cab line it seemed like I stopped the darn thing from moving. I mean, it was moving when I showed up. So I really spent the night cleaning up medical deliveries and various sundry while everyone else was queuing up for the drunken yuppies.
So anyway...had a long ass night, came home so tired I felt like puking (12 hour shifts, I tell you man)...I only managed to get about 4 hours of sleep before the thumping bass started. Then the creepy shirtless guy who wants to mow the lawn shows up, knocking. Twice.
When I moved into this new house, I was thinking: right off a main street, really easy access to the bus, quick drive to work. I wasn't thinking.

So, after running over my go-phone with my cab--and having a nice little tiff with the slightly mentally disabled sales lady at the T-Mobile store who wouldn't sell me a new pay as you go phone with new service at the new service rate because I had made the mistake of asking for a phone that my old sim card would work in (and thus it wouldn't be new service and policy dictated that non-new service required me to be the phone at the service plan replacement cost rate)--I went over to Sprint, plopped down a $100 deposit and got myself a cell-phone with a plan. And insurance! Yay free nights and weekends!
So here's some of my cell-phone photography:

So it was a long summer of tearing up carpet, power washing the interior and exterior, and various other grueling tasks, and I never did manage to find anyone to help me with Grizz's engine. And then one day there was a green sticker in her window and before I had time to block the tires, bleed the brakes, and move her down the street or around the corner, Grizz was towed. Well City of Portland, enjoy her. It's sad that the photos of her history weren't still in the overhead window. Whoever buys her at auction won't ever know of her wonderful history.
Any one want to buy a 1961-1974 Truck Engine Manual?