>From David Locklear Hit delete button real hard ( probably 2 or 3 times )
It looks like my tentative road-trip is a washout. I looked up synonyms for "dud," and came up with: kaput, unsound, defective, faulty, and bust. I am not sure what the correct speleo-term is for this, but the symptoms are identical and equivalent to E.D. But a capsule of sildenafil citrate will not fix it. So I am going to coin the phrase: "speleo-kaput." For when at the very last minute, you cancel your trip. This seems appropriate, since I have read cavers use the term "kaput," on various occasions. I managed to get my Sequoia loaded up. I had winter-clothing, a cot, a tent ( I think I had the right poles ), but no fly, a good sleeping bag and mattress, small ice chest, most of my new LED lanterns, and a tiny bit of imaginary cash ( meaning some bill payments were postponed ), and plenty of snacks and beverages, nice table and chair, and a extra-large duffel bag. Just saying, I wasn't totally unprepared, as I often have been in the past few years. I had what can only be described as spelunking gear, although it did include a large Swaygo pack, real caving boots, and a decent Walmart headlamp and 2 back-up headlamps, and extra batteries and Gatorade and energy bar, gloves, elbow pads and clothing suitable for a few hours in a dry cave. Where my caving helmet is - only Oztotl knows. It is surely boxed up in my rental storage unit - at least one or two layers beneath all the stuff I crammed in there after Hurricane Harvey. In theory, I could have stayed a seven-hour drive from Houston til Monday evening. My sixth sense ( which is normally quite accurate ), was subtly indicating to me that the stars had not aligned in my favor. So I sit here now, at 2 a.m., sulking with a non-alcholic Fentimans Ginger Beer and eating a bowl of ramon-noodle soup, mixed with a can of sardines, and various seeds, wondering what is Plan "B," for the remainder of what is essentially my 2019 Spring Break. There is a pretty good chance that I can visit my daughter briefly Saturday night and I have not really been able to spend any quality time with her since school started. And maybe some on Sunday too. She did indicate she is looking forward to that visit, as she just called me two hours ago. Ironically, I think I may have had a place to stay in Thackerville, Oklahoma on Saturday and Sunday night, and even a free dinner or breakfast, had I not tentatively planned to go camping. That was sort of a Plan "C," or Plan "D." For the record, I did try my best to get 2 old Houston cavers off the sofa today, and even tried to coerce my now estranged lady-friend to tag along. She dumped me on Valentine's Day. ( I really didn't think I was supposed to get her a present ), but I did spend the day with her and take her to dinner. Isn't that enough ? We sort of made up, at least enough to take her on a road-trip. So assuming I don't waste any money this weekend, and assuming work goes well the next two weeks, then I should be able to plan a road-trip to Kerrville in early April, if I can get off work that weekend. Maybe by then, I will have my Sequoia, more road-ready. D.L.
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