Our adventure begins

Since getting married, David moved in while we moved out, we quit our jobs, and we've spent the past few days balancing last minute visits with friends with cleaning, packing, Goodwill runs, and shipping for our move.

It is 9am Thursday at Cafe Massilia for a farewell breakfast at Cafe Massilia in Monrovia.  Shopkeepers are trickling into work and patrons of all generations are stopping by the old fashioned barber shop across the street for shaves and haircuts.

We are about to become officially homeless as of 1am.  Everything is packed up and we are writing letters of gratitude in Monrovia to Amy's landlord of six years.  They stopped in not long ago with homemade rice krispies and ice cold drinks.  We have spent more time with them over the last few weeks, which has made it more difficult to leave such good people behind.  Amy's landlady promised to take care of her college desk lamp, vintage electric fan, and fuzzy little succulent.

Our estimated arrival was 4am in Needles, CA, but a long day of cleaning was catching up to us.  We made it as far as Barstow before taking a nap in this Big Boy parking lot.

It has been a long time since we've seen dawn, but we are a happy pair of hobos.

A couple of signs from ampm, one selling unwashed, yet "ready to eat fruit", while the other simultaneously admonishes you to not smoke while providing the prices for you to buy more.

An extreme water display features strobe lights and a dirt bike with nestle logos taped to every spoke.  Water is taken very seriously here.

There was also live fish and a miniature monster truck rally scene.  We appreciated the architectural enthusiasm of the clerk who built it, and boy did we feel thirsty!