Because my story was true. I was certain of that. And it was extremely important, I felt, for the meaning of our journey to be made absolutely clear.

“They want me to go to Las Vegas at once, and make contact with a Portuguese photographer named Lacerda. He’ll have the details. All I have to do is check into my suite and he’ll seek me out.”

“You’re going to need plenty of legal advice before this thing is over,” he said. “And my first advice is that you should rent a very fast car with no top and get the hell out of L.A. for at least 48 hours.” He shook his head sadly. “This blows my weekend, because naturally I’ll have to go with you – and we’ll have to arm ourselves.”

“Why not?” I said. “If a thing like this is worth doing at all, it’s worth doing right.

***

“No es cierto que la gente deje de perseguir sus sueños porque envejece; envejece porque deja de perseguir sus sueños.” —Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Memories of My Melancholy Whores

***

Can Aliner build a custom‑spec camper for you?
Yes – Aliner will manufacture a camper to the exact specifications you request, but the process is handled through an authorized dealer rather than directly with the factory.

It sounds like good news but the details change that.

First, you have to go through a dealer to even start the process anyway.

Second, the kinds of ‘customizations’ listed are not what matter. For example, you can get the stock microwave removed (instead of never installed in the first place), but even that small change costs hundreds of dollars, rather than resulting in a savings. Meh.

So … the ideal becomes something from a dealer (better equipped in theory to accept a credit card), but just in the ballpark of what I would want (like a Ranger 12), maybe lightly used (for depreciation reasons), and possibly equipped to accomplish some custom work onsite, maybe even pre-sale (although I feel totally comfortable with something like pulling out a microwave).

A reasonable budget range would look something like
17K
to
25K, for something brand-new and quite close to perfect …
not counting what it costs to get my tow vehicle tow-capable (which is another reason to route through a dealer, because they could make that happen and roll it into the same bill).

With that all said, what matters is a pile of freed cash that large. Same as with the Silver domicile.

And what I am potentially willing to do, if anything, to get my dirty mitts on said pile(s).

Meanwhile …

Meditating upon that basic question, with special reference on precisely how I could manage to flip the equity in this existing house into both piles, while maintaining throughout the process a viable place to live in the meantime.

The laundry; the purposeful medicating of the cat.

Walking, every crisp autumnal day, whether I think I’m in the mood for it or not.

And, of course …

This.