But after some preliminary research into the cost of this plan, the desire for an alternate plan arose. If only one of us had a car he was willing to get rid of, that would make our lives so much easier (presumably), and would save us a lot of money (also presumably)!

But --wait-- one of us DID have a car he was willing to think about giving up: My old Nova. The beloved 1972 behemouth that I bought for $500 in 1999 and which got me through the end of college. The time had come to pass the Bossa Nova on to its next owner, and I thought that decision was already made. I had already promised to give it to Rikker, and he had had posession of it for the last few months. He planned to keep it until he could scare up the funds for a modern-era car this summer.

So suddenly the Nova made great sense again in my life and presented a social dilemma. I couldn't exactly ask for the Nova back when I'd already promised it to Rikker. That would be pretty low, even though I hadn't actually signed it over to him yet and he certainly would understand.

However, something worked out to the favor of us both: Another loaner car dropped in his lap, and what with it being a post-energy crisis craft, he was using that almost exclusively while the Nova sat lonely on the street somewhere in University Heights. Rikker no longer needed it, so the Nova, looking so eager to a quiet retirement, was called upon for one final task: delivering Jim, Simon and a trunkful of boat gear from one coast of the USA to the extreme opposite, a trip of 3000 or so miles. It would be the Nova's final hurrah, and a suitable vehicle for the task. Kind of fits the tone of our bigger goal... "around the Caribbean in a 24' boat??" has the same ring as "Drivng across the country in the Nova??" in that both questions could be followed up with "Are you crazy?

No. We're not crazy. Just adventurous. And I wanted to see what that car was capable of.

TRIP LOGBOOK (mileage in parenthesis)

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 31, 2004
(departure day)
1PM (0) Bring in Nova for tuneup
5PM (0) Check up on Nova. Not ready.
6PM (0) Return to mechanic. Carburetor out and disassembled.
7PM (0) Nova not ready. Fail to retrieve.

THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 2004
11AM (0) Retrieve Nova, no extra charge.
2PM (0) Depart San Diego
4PM (100) Lunch with H. Jim Cleaves, Sr. in Hemet, CA
5:45PM (100) Depart Hemet on Intersate 10, eastbound.
7PM (180) Run out of gas (1), refuel with reserve.
8PM (195) Notice right rear tire extremely bald. Replace with spare. Misleading tire gauge causes unusually high pressure.
8:01PM (195) Tire pressure reduced to proper levels, following purchase of new tire gauge (chrome-plated plastic).
8:30PM (225) Left rear tire rejects all its tread on freeway. Code 1126 ensues. 1990s CHP tire iron deemed more suitable than 1968 civilian model. Bald tire brought out of retirement. Decide to seek better tires when available.
8:50PM - 4:30AM (250-500) Winding mountain backroads, wind, torrential rain, concern over bald tires.
5:30AM (560) iPod and phone fail. Resort to conservative AM radio.
6AM (600) Arrive safely in New Mexico, lose consciousness uncomfortably in car.

FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2004
8AM (600) Awakened by concerned citizen noticing headlights on. Hit the road.
9AM (700) Cross Continental Divide: 4585 ft., extremely flat. Pretty clouds.
9:30AM (730) Remember state of balding tires.
10:30AM (800) Las Cruces, NM. Unsuccessfully shop for used tires. Fail to repair accesory electrical power. Prepare mentally for 2000 more miles of conservative AM radio.
1PM (850) El Paso. Replace and balance two aging tires at Hot Tire for $35.00. Hot damn!
3PM (936) Run out of gas (2), fill with reserve tank. Greeted by side of road by gang of curious canines.
(850-1000) Ponder with wonder the vastness of Texas.
(1000-1700) Ponder with dismay the vastness of Texas.
4PM (1050) Temporarily revive iPod and phone.
(1300-1500) Fog, deer, ghost stories. Austin somewhere in there.
9PM (1350) Run out of gas (3), use reserve tank.
11PM (1450) iPod and phone die for good. Revert to AM radio. Notice obvious exhaust leak, poor performance of vehicle. Gas mileage takes major downturn (10 MPG). Simon awakes from nap with strong feeling of third person in car.
5AM (1570) Park and crash out, somewhere west of Houston.

SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2004
8AM (1570) Wake up. Remember bad condition of vehicle.
8:10AM (1585) Outskirts of Houston. Attempt first diagnostic of engine. Discovery that exhaust manifold is already secure obliterates all theories.
8:30AM (1600) Houston. Successful contact with locals leads to unsuccessful rendezvous with local mechanic. Find disabled puppy where mechanic should be. Friendly local gives detailed instructions on how to bypass our "Cadillac converter", which we don't have to start out with (neither do we have a catalytic converter). Decision made to push on despite gas mileage; oil is plentiful in Texas.
8:31AM (1601) Radio fails entirely. Never recovers. No more music or conservative talk radio.
(1700) Escape Texas with relief.
(1750 - 1950) Drive across soggy bayou. Notice opportune locations for clandestine illegal agriculture or disposal of bodies. Mileage holding steady at 11 MPG. Average speed holding at 60 MPH. Spirits rise.
(1800) Somewhere in Louisiana. "Waffle House": restaurant name or colloquial expression? (i.e. "We really got waffelhoused that time!")
(2140) Just west of Pensacola. Run out of gas (4).
(2240) Jim awakes with distinct feeling of third person in car (male).
(2270) Mileage down to 8MPG. Maximum speed down to 50MPH. Spirits falling. Signs of civilization scant.
4:30AM (2382) Limp into Tallahassee. State buildings. Beavers.

SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 2004
8:30AM (2382) Tallahassee. Awake. Don't buy timing gun at Kragen. See 49-bolt water pump (not ours). Meet ex-owner of bar in Oceanside that later became a "fat women's club". What is a fat women's club?
10AM Shop around for mechanics. Christians don't work on Sundays.
11AM Buy timing gun at Pep Boys. Adjust timing in parking lot. Timing now flawless. Engine purrs like a beaver. Spirits high.
11:01AM Passer-by (Keith) offers to purchase Nova. Declined. Spirits high.
11:02AM Take Nova for test drive. Shabby results. Drives worse than before timing adjustment. Spawns wave of self-doubt and brings sudden end to unnaturally high spirits.
11:03AM Turn Nova over to corporate auto mechanics machine (Pep Boys service). Computer diagnostic and paperwork will supposedly tell us what is wrong with pre-energy crisis vintage automobile.
2PM Return to find friendly human working on Nova. Diagnosis: TOTALLY TRASHED. Rings, cylinders, valves all shot. Engine suitable as boat anchor (fact noted for possible future use). Roy suggests he take home Nova for his kids to fix up.
3PM Jim and Simon confer and ponder choices. Make decision. Have Roy reassemble remains of Nova.
3:30PM Drive (very slowly) to Tallahasse Airport. Rent soulless, comfortable, efficient, zippy economic red Dodge Neon.
5PM Caravan back to Pep Boys. Give Nova to Roy with caveat that it must retain its name "The Bossa Nova". Roy is grateful. The perfect next owner.
6PM Catch last glimpse of the Nova and hit the road.
50 miles east of Tallahassee: Head south on 75 for final push to Miami!
Sometime in the night: Stop in Port St. Lucie, Jim's hometown of 25 years ago. Small out-of-way village now filled with uncountable suburban homes.
4AM: Drive (partially) inadvertently through rough Miami neighborhood, Overton.
5AM: Arrive at Gabriel and Nicole's house in Miami Beach, 84 hours after departure. At last!