Challenge 12: DUDE TREK

For those of you who don't know, I am migrating to Los Angeles, and rather than ship everything and take a flight, I have decided to attempt  across the country.  Fairly standard, right?  Hordes of people have done this, (and I've actually done it before via the classic computer game Oregon Trail).  I don't want to do what everyone has done, so I've come up with a Dude Trek from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles that will  enjoyable, interesting, and memorable.  Here's what I've come up with:

The Route:

I will drive the 3,228 miles (57 hours) in 9 days.  I could have tried to beast out the trip in 4 or 5 days but I would have morphed into a raging road zombie and missed seeing the countryside.  I will be taking a northern route (a lot of I-80) until I get to Yellowstone National Park, then I will cut down through Idaho and Nevada, swing through Yosemite National Park, and wind up in sunny southern California.  Check out the specific route here: Dude Trek.

The Accomodations:
Hotels are for traveling salesman, pregnant women, and fools.  I refuse to pay $50 a night to stay in dirtbag hotels when I LOVE sleeping outdoors.  After doing a little research, I discovered that many National Parks charge entry fees, but it is legal to do "dispersed camping" in a National Forest or grassland.  So being the frugal and adventurous soul that I am, I purchased a Blue Ridge Camping Hammock and decided to hop from National Forest to National Forest.  This way I save on cash and get to check out more of the north western states. I gave the thing a trial run in my parent's barn...not too shabby.

The Experiment:
Driving alone can be cool...for a little while.  But then it's just not anymore.  So, I decided to make the trip interesting by conducting a bit of a social experiment.  It's called "#RoadTalk."  I am posting signs in my car windows with my phone number and a message that tells passersby to call me (maybe).  When/if they call, I will be interviewing and discussing random topics with them.  It is an opportunity to meet new people, pass the time, and maybe get a good story or two.  Oh, and I'll be video taping these carversations to put on Youtube for your viewing pleasure.  Check out the preview here.

You can keep up with my adventures by following @TheDudeLife on Twitter.

Dude Out,

-C.R.

Challenge 11: Tool Time

Some people obsess over cars, others shoes, still others electronics.  I'm not entirely sure when or how it started, but at some point, I fell in love with tools.  I have to consciously avoid "Tool World" at Lowes because I start getting jittery with excitement (something about bandsaws and Channellock pliers gets me all riled up).  I worked construction for 6 years in highschool but haven't had the opportunity to build anything significant since I started college.  I issued challenge 11 because I wanted to see if I still "had the skill."  Yeah. I do.

I've been living at my parents house this summer gearing up for a move to Los Angeles.  Actually, I've technically been living in the basement of my dad's vacant rental property that is adjacent to my parents house.  Instead of a summer job, I offered to remodel the upstairs of this house (3 Bedrooms and a Dining room).  The bedrooms were in pretty sorry shape - the carpeting was stained and smelly, wallpaper was hideously old, and the walls damaged by nail holes, punching fists, two-sided tape, and crayons (regrettably, I neglected to photo-document the "before" stage).  But take a dudes word for it - the place was a wreck.

Here was the process:
Yank out all the old carpeting and baseboard.
Spackle and patch holes in wall.
Paint (I even got to choose the colors).
Install laminate flooring.
Install new baseboard.

Here are pictures of 2 of the bedrooms and the dining room (basically everything you see I remodeled).

 

 The yellow room looked so cheerful I moved my bed in!

There is something incredibly satisfying about sweat-inducing labor that has a visible, tangible product. Plus, I was able to use some awesome tools (chop saw, jigsaw, table saw, sander, nail gun & air compressor, and my very own DeWalt 18V cordless drill).  I'm just upset I didn't get to use my router or rotary saw (I can practically hear your collective sigh of disappointment). 

Anyway, I think this may have been one of the most satisfying challenges I have completed thus far (and with over 200 logged hours, it will probably take the prize for most time consuming!).

Challenge 12: Plan Something Awesome (and do it).

Dude out,

-C.R.