leaving San Francisco

So, we've left San Francisco and we're on our way through sunny Nevada. We split with north route yesterday and we won't see them again until DC in August. Kinda sad. We don't get to see the transamerica guys until DC either, and there are three Missouri State kids on that route that I actually knew before this adventure.

I'm starting to settle into a routine, which is good because the chaoticness of the first week was getting to me. I felt like I never knew what was coming next. I got into the mindset that I was just along for the ride. I suppose that I still am. I spent the entire first two weeks thinking about uncertainty reduction and expectancy violation theories.

The guys get super excited about the friendship visits. This is JOH's opportunity to connect with people from a group home or some other organization. I don't get all that excited because I've had two summer long friendship visits. I also haven't been too impressed with the staff at the group homes. I watched one of our guys give a guy a Red Bull. Ok - we should know better, but their staff should be paying better attention. These guys and girls are on a laundry list of medications that interact in funny ways. The most dangerous thing some of these people do is eat - it's the quickest way that something gets into their body. Push America emphasizes abilities, but we absolutely must assume that they don't have the ability to choose what they consume. :(

I presented my first Kid's on the Block. It went well, but I also see room for improvement. I also have the best cheesy magic trick/joke to use in between acts. I can't wait to use it for the next one.

Nevada has so far proven to be a pretty desolate place. Outside of Vegas, there's not much there. It's a great opportunity to play "throw things at other things." The game is pretty much how it sounds. I try to spend most of my time along the way writing postcards and ignoring my responsibilities that await me two days after I leave DC and Charlotte on August 20.

I expect that the routine that I've gotten into will allow me more opportunities to add to this. I will eventually create some photo albums.

By the way, before I left San Fran, I had the opportunity to stop by my mom's apartment in 1968, the summer of love, I'm told. It just happened to be three blocks away from where we were staying for orientation at the University of San Francisco. I didn't know that she lived in San Francisco - I thought this was when she was attending Drake University in Des Moines! Anyway, pretty neat. I wanted to knock on the actual studio apartment door that she lived in, but I could never get there during the day. Anyway, here's a photo!