Cat Post 1: Panhandling in California to get back to SES.

I’m trying to play catch-up this week after being out last week to San Jose SES. Monday webuildpages.com went down for almost 30 hours…I’m dreading all the lost emails that bounced back….but that’s another rant post not for now….I’ve also got a bunch of pictures from last week that I still have to publish (another post), and I’ve got shaky camera video of Matt and Graywolf from the "Are Paid Links Evil" panel at SES, I’m waiting on Matt to give me permission to publish…if he’ll let me I’ll ask Michael next. I’d like to just publish those 2 for people to see.  Matt’s is a 10 minute video, Graywolf’s (powerpoint link) is about 7 minutes long. I’d like to publish them both.

But I think I’ll take a breather and give a Cat post now…

Some of you may know that I’m a big National Park fan, and admitted tree hugger.  Most business travel trips, including SEO conferences, I try to get a day "getaway" to visit the nearest national park or place of cool views.  In just the past 6 months I’ve been to the Grand Canyon, Yosomite National park twice, Bryce Canyon national park, Zion national park, Lake Meade, Saguaro National Park, Sequoia National Park, and walked the golden gate Bridge. In October I’ve got a business trip to Ireland, and in March Stuntdubl and I are going to be speaking at a conference in South Africa. There’s also webmasterworld in vegas in a few months (I’ll prob see Death Valley on that trip).

So this trip I thought I’d go to Kings Canyon National Park in California. I decided that at 9:00 pm on monday night…and by 10:00pm I had a ford mustang convertible and was headed South East. Actually my first intent on Death Valley when I left….but I later realized that’d never happen (way too far)….so I headed more East after a while.

After a few hours I started to hallucinate so I thought I get a place to stay…..(skipping longer story here)….but ended up staying at a hotel that looked of a lower quality than a Motel 6…by far….so I thought it might be a good idea to put my wallet in the back of one of the drawers for safekeeping….keep in mind it was like 5:00am in my time and I was hallucinating too (from driving when tired, in case you were wondering)….

So the next morning I get up and drive another few hours to the enterance of Kings Canyon National Park….and I think "better get gas before you go in"…and I pull into a gas station…and realize…oh SHIT! I don’t have my wallet (left cell phone there too)…no cash, no cards…no money at all…and 1/8 tank of gas…and somewhere 2 hours behind me is a hotel I know not the name of, nor where it even was (GPS Detour somewhere between heading to Death Valley, to mind change to Kings Canyon)…not eneough gas to even head north/northwest with 1/8 tank…..

So there I was….panhandling in California again…."Please, I need to get back to some hotel somewhere to find my wallet". Second person gave me $15 and wouldn’t give me his address so I could pay him back. The world is good place, and I’m lucky. I turned around, and after about 3 hours I found the hotel, and the wallet and phone were still in the drawer (lucky again).

By the time I got the wallet back, I realized there’d be no Kings Canyon as the Google Dance was that night. But even though I didn’t get to see Kings Canyon I did get a great drive in the convertilbe through Sunny california. It was a great time (as it alway is) to reflect on Life.

Luckily I didn’t freak out when the wallet came missing, and had faith that somehow things would work out, and was able to enjoy the ride. It was also a good grounder for me to keep in mind where I’ve been and how I want to live where I am at now.

I also had the feeling that I owed at least $15 to someone who really needed it. I believe in paying it forward and Karma.