Thanks, eh. :)

A selfie taken in a store window, dark and silhouetted. I'm standing in front of a pam tree, holding hiking poles. My hiking backpack is on my back, with a sleeping pad hanging off the back.

So long, cyberspace cowboys.

It is time. Giving up social media and news for the duration of my hike - logging off till August. (With the option to pop back in if I have exceptionally good news!)

Follow along with my podcast or on Instagram: @hellamellowfellow

And hey... Try not to start a nuclear war while I'm gone. 🤨

Not a haiku per se, merely swaying the jury ahead of time. 😇

But also, poetic terms don't matter when it's coffee. 🤤

Old man stands still
Twixt me and coffee.
How unwise.

A big burger with fries, ranch dressing, and a glaas of coke. Behind it, a large hiking backpack laden with water, a Garmin GPS unit, a sleeping pad, and more. It looms so large behind the meal... The harbinger of many grand adventures.

My last proper meal. Hodad's, San Diego. Tonight, the border.

A permanent inscription on the sidewalk - not chalk. It says, "THE JOY IS IN THE JOURNEY"

A permanent inscription on the sidewalk - not chalk. It originally said, "WALK SLOWLY" - but somebody crossed out the first word with a black thingy and replaced it. Now it says, "DIE SLOWLY!"

The duality of humanity, as witnessed on San Diego's sidewalk, side by side.
🙂🙃

For the record: the third-floor hostel laundry room is an imperfect choice on account of a bemused but firm employee shooing you out into the adjacent construction area, necessitating you to occupy a tactically significant corner. 🤣

Trying to find a quiet, private space for a video call in a hostel is like playing Hitman: Codename 47 all over again. Gotta make sure to stay out of everyone's arc of attention. 🤪

Also, hey, look what I found. 😉
bsky.app/profile/grig...

Just submitted my Hugo ballot 🥳 - and you should too! (I mean, submit your own ballots, you goofballs. Don't submit mine. :P )

🤡♾️

A floss for good luck.

Indeed. The lowest mouse has more rights.

Free breakfast at my hostel: 2 types of cereal; bagels with creamcheese; milk and OJ; tangerines.

Hostel brekky. :)

(Not shown: a big ol' thing of hot coffee.)

Proposal: either demand passports from migrating birds, or...

Hmmm. Kind of like the Watchmen show? That opening scene... 😮

I carefully shorted Nvidia yet again over the course of past week... Pulled the trigger today. The proceeds will cover at least one month of adventuring. 😎

Not if the carpets are red to begin with. 🧠

"All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down."
Friedrich Nietzsche

#writing

Yay! 🥳

Coronado beach, awaiting the grunion run. Government helicopters fly low. I check the pocket with two of my passports.

A seagull sitting on top of a trailer that says "LIFEGUARD."

This is preposterous! All lifeguards must wear distinctive uniforms.

Winner. 🏆

Liquor store cashier
Proclaims his economics.
He makes some good points.

Great thread on why it's impossible to survive writing sci-fi/fantasy stories. 🫠

ICE would lose by sunset. 🤣

Somebody should inform ICE that migrating birds have no passports.