Good morning Friends,

I finally scored my Oklahoma gig yesterday with great relief. Overall I came away happy with the gig and finally got to do something with my other skills. Carpentry is one of my favorite things to do and the weather was quite agreeable. Although the guys I was working for and with struggled a little more with the ninety degree temperature than I did. That, I explained was a pleasant day in Arizona, where I hail from. These good fellas wouldn't last a week in Tucson, where the Juanjohn has spent years working in hundred degrees plus days. 

I have to say the CL posting were few in Oklahoma and I was fortunate to connect with Mike. I suppose some regions of the country are more in tuned to the CL method than others, I finding out. I spent more time there than I wanted to, and the expense of sitting and waiting for something to materialize is getting a bit nerve racking. I almost bolted for Texas on the third day, but I hung on for one more day and it paid off! Also the weather at times was a concern but fortunately the worst of it missed me by a few miles. 

I also continue to make new friends wherever I go, including here in OKC. Along with Mike M who hired me, I had the pleasure of working with a local man, Alan S. who assisted me for the job. We had a lot in common and shared many stories, laughs and water bresks. Having good people to work with always makes the load lighter and the day go quickly. The lady of the house, Phyllis, who's daughter owns the property was very friendly, pleasant and interesting to get to know ! I also want to send a shout out to the friendly guy who was working inside, for loaning me his chalk line!

Im greatful to all for the experience and hope that the goodwill continues for me as I move forward. My laptop is still down and I have to figure out what I'm going to do about that. I plan to stay a few days here in Dallas with Vanessa, my daughter, while I work on that issue.

Thanks for your support and interest with my adventure! Have a good weekend.

Juanjohn 

Hello friends, 

I hope all are doing well. I write you still from Oklahoma city.  I have to keep this post short since I am using my phone to write this. The good news is I finally scored a gig here in the state of Oklahoma. The bad news is my laptop is down from a lightning strike last night at the campsite. I will be working here until Friday, and will tell you all about my latest gig. Then on to Texas. Hopefully I will have my computer issues solved, since it is my most valuable tool, besides my truck!

A correction from my last post, this weekend is Memorial day! My mind gets all screwed up at times.

Thanks for your patience. Take care and be safe.

Juanjohn

Good day to all,

I’m in Oklahoma City this Memorial Day. After spending the night in the Texas panhandle city of Amarillo, or Yellow in Spanish, the scenery has certinately changed from the deserts and mountains of the western part of this tour to the plains and rolling hills.

After crossing the New Mexico border into Texas, the drive and weather transformed somewhat. I grew up seeing mountain ranges in every direction I looked, but I never experienced flat lands in person. Nothing taller than the countless wind turbans that peppered the landscape, except maybe a grain silo or two. As far as I could see the land looked the same. If it wasn’t for the compass on my rearview mirror I wouldn’t have had a point of reference to guide myself at mid-day. That was the Texas panhandle portion of the drive. The sky was also dark and gloomy and the winds were gusting to the point of making the big rigs sway a bit. The radio alerted drivers with storm warnings and possible tornado watches, a far cry from what Im used to in Arizona! Okay, Phoenix gets a Haboob a couple times a year but I’m sure it’s nothing like a twister or cyclone! Besides those Sun Valley snobs deserve a little dirt in their face once in a while! Ha-ha! J.K.!

Now I’m in OKC waiting for the phone to ring or an email to come through for work tomorrow. Being a holiday I figured the picking would be slim for today. I did inquire for a couple of gigs but I received no answer. Even for a big city like this, the posting are few. Kinda nervous about tomorrow since now I’m also battling the weather conditions here in the state. The forecast for the rest of the week is stormy with a chance of severe conditions, including tornados! I was run out of Colorado for the same reason so I’m hanging on here at the KOA campgrounds hoping for the best. I suppose I could swing around these parts also on the back side of the tour as I come through Little Rock in a few months, but I prefer not to skip anymore stop if at all possible. The more I do that, the more I will likely be digging holes in the cold and snow later on down the line!

I do look forward to my next stop in Dallas where my one and only daughter Vanessa lives. I plan to stay with her a few days since I haven’t seen much of her the last ten years or so. As I look ahead to that stop, the postings are plentiful and vary in skills required.

I also wanted to mention a few of the apps I use quite often with my travels. Some, if not all of you are familiar with most of these and since this is an internet tour, I can’t imagine not having access to these great tools. They have made my trip so much easier, especially not being familiar with most of the miles I’ve travelled already and will continue to cover the next few months.

My most used app is of course the Google Map that guides me within ten feet of my destinations, whether it’s a city, motel, campground or restaurant. The voice activated system is idea if you own an older model vehicle like mine that didn’t come equipped with one. Yelp is good for finding any category of services nearby and also rates them on a scale. Trip Advisor, Trivago and others get me the best price available and the best and worst rated stays around. My Tunein app keeps the music and sport talk shows going when there is no stations around and I get tired of my own playlist and CDs! There are many others, but those are a few of my favorites.

Well my clothes is just about dry here at the camp laundry mat and I have to make dinner before the twister arrives! Have a good night friends!

Juanjohn

Hello friends,

I write from Amarillo, Texas, on a stop over to Oklahoma City. Im sorry for the delay with any updates but it had been quite a week in the now completed New Mexico part of the tour. After an unsuccessful stop in Colorado due to bad weather, I was hoping for a more positive experience in New Mexico. It was a week to remember.

I arrived late Monday in Santa Fe and checked in to a RV park. I looked through the CL posting and found nothing to respond to. I woke up Tuesday and checked again for any updates. A called a man who posted an ad for some help with a cabin in nearby Taos. The rate was $12 and hour, but when I asked him how many hours he needed me he said only three or four. Since the drive was 90 miles away, I decided it wasn’t worth the time or gas to take it on. Now with time being a factor I had to make a move. Albuquerque , 60 miles away was my next choice, although the posting there were also few. Being a bigger community, I figured my chances would be better the next day or so. Still I pondered hanging around Santa Fe a bit longer, since my cousin Louis arraigned for me to stay at the nearby Ft. Marcy hotel he manages. I didn’t want to miss an opportunity like that, since the RV park space was not a good experience for me. So I decided to make a bold move! A card I’ve been holding if I didn’t find work right away.

At eight o’clock I grabbed some coffee and drove to the Home Depot. I decided to ask or beg the local contractors like me if they needed any help for the day. It was a bit humbling but I know that many times these guys are shorthanded and need immediate help, sometimes due to employees calling in sick or excessive workloads. Most of the guys I asked were set for the day and one even tipped me a couple dollars as I helped him load his truck. I must have looked like a homeless person to him! One other guy with load full of rock told me “maybe tomorrow” as he entered the building. After thirty minutes or so and no takers I was losing hope, plus my coffee mug was empty. I stood by my truck waiting for more opportunities as trucks came and went.

Then the man with the load of rocks exited the store and approached me. He asked me what skills I possessed and if I had a ride. I told him I had an array of talents and he was surprised at my truck as I leaned against the hood. I think he was more shocked that a person like me would be in that position of asking for work on the street. I briefly explained to him my purpose and my tour! He asked what my pay rate was and if I could work more than a day. I asked for $10-12 an hour and promised a hard day’s work. And so I went!

I spent the next three and a half days working on a huge back yard project, landscaping and digging a long electrical trench! Louis V was a good and honest man to work for, very much like me in the sense that he can perform many different types of trades. He bought me a breakfast burrito every morning and trusted my judgement with many of the issues related to the project. He confessed he had trouble finding good help and wished I would consider staying a few days more to help him out. He was also grateful he took a chance with me, but not as grateful as I was! Im glad I was able to humbly approach him and others in such a fashion. It was not easy but I realize that it is a survival tour. And in the end Louis and I both benefited from the experience. On Friday he paid me the agreed wage and even tipped me fifty extra dollars for gas!

I went back to check out of the Marcy, which by the way is a great place to stay if you are ever in Santa Fe. The room was very clean, the staff was very friendly. The town is a beautiful, historic, Spanish colonial style community, one of my favorite places to visit.  My thanks to my Cuz for hooking it up!

Still I had to score that elusive gig for the tour, so on to Albuquerque I went. Read all about it in the fifty gigs page! I hope to have similar success in Oklahoma. Until then, have a wonderful and safe holiday weekend. Thank you for your support!

Juanjohn