Still here. I'm thinking tomorrow, hit the Wishy Washy, pay some bills and pick up some Farmer Katy recommended Magnesium for my leg cramps, called Calm.

Load up and head out Thursday morning. The weather is warming up, rain today and tomorrow, then a few decent days as I head East. Three layovers: Chattanooga TN, Asheville, NC and Greenview, SC.

If my grand-daughter Shannon was still in Atlanta I'd swing on through, but she's moved back West.

Everybody needs a plan of some sort, and that's mine, unless I change it, but it's feeling pretty solid.

One time in Kent, WA I was homeless and living in a tent, in the middle of a wooded area that became a Target Store a year later. During the day I scrounged for coins in the Safeway parking lot.

The apartment complex I used to live in was across the street, and my good buddy Rodger would come over in the mornings. Big strapping black guy, always brought me a cup of coffee from his kitchen pot, then he would get me stoned from his homegrown bud. He rebuilt shipping pallets out of a downtown storage locker, for a living. With a wife and young boy.

Not everyone has the privelege to experience bottoming out. I sure did, then and there. Only a couple friends, Colleen and my boy Riley living nearby. One evening Riley brought out a small portable TV and we watched StarTrek inside the tent.

My mom was still alive down in California and asked my sister Lorelle to help me out, which she did to the tune of $250. Things started happening, I got my old car going, and I was determined to put my computer brilliance back to work.

Then I jumped off the carport in front of Rileys apartment, into the sand filled playground, wearing sandals. I crushed my left ankle and was rushed to the hospital where they put eight screws into it.

I had no money to handle the hospital bills, so they put me on welfare. Suddenly I'm getting a small income, I'm staying alive, found a little multi-story dive to live in.

Once I was able to walk without crutches, I landed a job at a downtown Kent hotel as a bellboy/dishwasher for minimum wage. I called the welfare department and said thank you very much, goodby!

I did that bellboy routine for several years. I was in Rileys life as much as I could, we didn't miss a beat.

Finally I landed an apartment right across from his high school. I shared his formative years there, with his mom down the road.

I eventually became a Para-Transit driver and one day Riley stared me in the eye and said: If you don't accept that offer to become Supervisor, I'll kick your ass. He was actually probably able to do it, so I said yes.

I went on to have a successful management career with ATC VanCom and Hopelink. I guess what I'm saying here, you can be at the very bottom of your life, and still rebound!

And having a wonderful son in my life, changed everything. Mine was the first place he and his buddies would hit after school. They figured out how to drink my vodka, and then water it down.

I was involved in his life completely, and then one day he drove the Uhaul with all of Stephs and my stuff to Idaho with us. He went on to a degree from WyoTeck, and his career.

Riley is now a husband, a proud father and an amazing auto body guy in a two man shop!

So, that's just a little stuff from my past, thanks for reading...