Two weeks to go

I think I've entered what they call "crunch time." It's the part where there's too much to think about and it doesn't seem like I'll be able to finish everything before I leave. And then there are the little issues that start coming up:

• My SPOT GPS tracker has been having some issues and can't seem to send a signal. It was working fine a few days ago, and I have no clue what could have happened to it. So I guess I should send it in to be repaired, but with only two weeks to go I'm nervous it won't make it back in time. I keep thinking if I just keep playing around with it, it will start working again, but I guess that's not very realistic.

• The Un-Road Trip is taking me through Los Angeles about a week after I start, and it turns out that it's a tricky city to get around without a car. My schedule there was starting to come together, but today I got word that I may have to switch one of my transportation appointments. When you're in a car, moving an appointment around may not be such a big deal, but when you're walking, biking, and pogo-ing around a city it starts getting tricky.

• These Amtrak fares are starting to add up. The train legs are definitely going to be the most costly part of this trip. It's too bad they're the only people not supporting the project. Maybe I could reach out to Canadian Rail?

• I still have the same hole in my itinerary- finding a boat to take me down the Caloosahatchee River, from Lake Okeechobee to Alva. Anyone have any leads?

In more positive news, I'm meeting with one of my favorite journalists tomorrow- Peter Ames Carlin- who's writing a story about the Un-Road Trip for The Oregonian. He used to be the TV critic for the paper, though in these rough times for newspapers they're getting rid of some of the specialized assignments. Hanging out with Peter should make for a fun morning. And maybe he has friends on the Caloosahatchee River?