I own a truck.
*What kind? A Toyota.
A buddy of mine owned one, and it was great. Reliable and rugged. I bought one and drove it for 300,000 great miles. Then I sold it. Buying another Toyota was a no-brainer.
I drive a lot of freeway miles. I skydive and it seems like the drop zones are always at least an hour-and-a-half away. I drive to work. That used to be farther when I was living in Idaho. Now it’s just a few miles. When I drive, I do a lot of things in a row—you know, multi-purpose.
Well, I get in and turn on the radio. There’s not much music that I like on the stations here, so I usually listen to talk radio—Air America. The drive’s not far. If there’s something really good on—an interview or something else—I might sit in the truck listening a couple of minutes even after I get to work.
Air America works just fine for me. I like that it’s a free community resource. I don’t see myself signing up for satellite.
Skydiving trips, I usually play CD’s. Other trips, I listen to music that I make.
Yeah. I’m a blues musician. I do gigs and workshops up and down the west coast. The last couple of workshops I’ve done with James Harman.
Tell me more about being in the car and listening to the music that you make. Well, basically, I record something to CD and I play it back. I look for harmony spots. I practice lyrics. You know, it’s hardest to memorize lyrics to my own songs. If I’m doing a cover—no problem. So, with the lyrics, I sing as its happening. I practice the harmony line. I’ve got to know where it goes. Once I had a 300 mile drive to the gig. I learned a whole set on that drive—40 songs. It was through the desert and there were no distractions.
Sound quality is OK on the factory system. It doesn’t need to be outstanding. It’s not like it’s a gig.
Yeah. I’ve got a ton. LP’s too—you know, old rare stuff.
LP’s and CD’s separate. Alphabetical by artist. My own stuff separate.
I haven’t tried them. It sounds interesting. I’d like to get into it because I want to put music to the skydiving videos I’m starting to make. I’ve got a special camera, basically a wearable lens, that sits on your shoulder during a dive. I got one of the first ones around, I’m still trying to figure out how to make it work. I’m a little behind in technology.
It’s mostly the CD’s. Once in a long while, I might talk on the phone. But I don’t use the phone for no reason. And it’s a pain to drive and talk.
How you need to concentrate. If other cars are around, it’s like: slow down, there are cars around me here. I might use it on a drive on I-5. I can drive with one hand no problem.
(here I paused for a moment, looking over my list of questions, and he spontaneously volunteered . . . )
You know what other kind of driving I do? I like to go to difficult places—really difficult places. Like not long ago, I went to the most remote California coast range spot. I go out there with my topo maps and locate spots for cross-country hikes. It’s tough. Fire destroys things, everywhere is overgrown with poison oak. It all grows back completely wild. I get out an old map and try to see the previous road. It’s fun to figure out where the road goes and why.
I use GPS sometimes. I really like Geospot. A friend of mine got me into it.
Yeah, it guides you to all these places, and you find a buried box with item inside. You take an item and leave an item.
Geospot tells you how hard or easy it is to get to the place. I like the hard stuff. I like figuring it out. The friend who got me into it is a writer and he loves to figure out puzzles. It’s also good for learning GPS.
I’ve heard that some GPS systems can tell you exactly where you are. That’s cool. I don’t have that. But, on the other hand, that means someone else always knows where you are. That’s bad.
Not that I can think of.
Except when I drive to work, my dog is usually with me. He’s a 125 pound Akita. The back of the truck is all his. Gig and workshop drives are on my own. Sometimes my girlfriend comes with me when I skydive.
CD’s usually. She’ll ask me what kind of music I want to hear, then pick something out. I have around 50 CD’s in the truck.
Alphabetical. They get out of order during a trip if I’m by myself. I put them back at the end of trip.
I like gauges that are easy to read. Digital display can be good. I’d really like the CD player and radio easier to reach. I have to stretch my arm out and down. Don’t like that.
Great! Really great!
Pretty low. It needs to be reliable and do what I need it to do. But I’d spend money on my family, house, music, skydiving first. Plus put away for retirement.
They’re a necessity. You know, I used to live where lots of people had Hummers. Take up two parking spaces. Guzzle gas. So “in your face.” That’s not for me.
The PT Cruiser—it just doesn’t do it for me. I’m not sure what it’s supposed to be. You know, everybody comes out with the same new cars. Now, it’s “let’s make a car that looks like a box.” Like that Scion. Ugh!
A neighbor of mine is into British racing cars. They’re cool. You know, MG, Lotus.
If I lived in the city, I might—but I try to avoid living in cities.
Good mileage, comfortable, able to carry stuff around. I’d be interested in a hybrid car. But it would have to fit my dog.
The one thing I’d like to see: hydrogen fuel cells. I’d go out of my way to buy something with that.
Yeah—pay more, wait some.
Can’t think of anything.