brief update

I am now in the second phase of the trip where I am either in a car or out and about exploring cities with very little downtime. After coming back from rafting in Oregon, I met up with friends in Salt Lake City, motored to Moab, Utah, lost a car on the way (not Bopper), went to Denver, had a lovely adventure, then ran out of gas in New Mexico, hung out and drank beers with rural New Mexico firefighters, and am now in El Paso, TX to visit my Mom and sister. I spent the last 4 hours in 100 degree heat replacing the radiator in my sister's Pontiac Grandam. We were going to go to Austin tomorrow but we are sweaty, dirty, and tired and will stay in El Paso tomorrow. We'll maybe visit Mexico, but I don't want to go because there are gang/drug cartel wars going on right now.
Many fun adventures and pictures on the way when I get back. Current total: 13 states, 5000 miles.