Chapter 17
It’s the Journey, Not the Destination
It’s a 200-mile trek from San Luis Obispo to L.A. After a short re-charging stop in Santa Barbara, we arrived in L.A. at nightfall and decided on another Walmart overnight. (Steve was allowed to opt out of drawing straws to see who gets the reclining passenger seat.) That night, we talked about everybody we “had” to visit in the L.A. area, how long we might stay, who said they were going to come down and join us, did we really want to do this Rumpkins thing – and, if so, what’s the plan? What we didn’t calculate is how well known we were becoming.
Huck said we had to connect with the music world. Patty said we had to connect with Hollywood. Sally said we had to connect back with Jack in Palo Alto and Jesse in Portland. Skip said we ought to try a first session of the “Rump Legislature.” Rocky said, “Forget all that – let’s just have some fun.” On a practical level, we decided that, first thing in the morning, we needed to fan out looking for a place – or places – where we all could stay. Of the six “friends” on our original list of L.A. people to visit, none had yet offered to have an RV parked in their driveway for a week or more.
The next morning, more smoggy than foggy, hazy for sure, and already uncomfortably hot at 9 a.m., we did fan out to make contacts. A musician buddy of Huck’s said we could park the Land Yacht for as long as we wanted in his recording studio parking lot. He also told us about the music scene and which clubs had no cover charge. “Yay!” Rocky said. Patty met up with an old friend and invited her new videographer friend in Sacramento to come on down and stay in the Yacht with us. Ken (Max’s ex-brother-in-law) was already in town and staying at Rosie O’Donnell’s place. Max, Skip, Sally and Pirate Jack all ended up staying there. The Land Yacht served as headquarters and home for the four of us not invited for overnights.
The first night the four in the Yacht slept together, Patty, the one female, claimed the big fold-out bed, Steve and Rocky to get the overhead bunks, and Huck one of the two slender wall couches.
“No, no way. You don’t get the big bed – unless you share,” Huck insisted.
“Okay,” Patty surprised us with, “but a hug good night is all.”
Rocky spoke up, “Oh Boy! How ‘bout me, Patty. A good night hug too?”
“A threesome on the floor!” Huck exclaimed.
“You guys don’t get it,” Patty retorted, “We’re friends, not lovers.”
“Wait a minute,” Rocky said. “A great movie scene – folks will love! How ‘bout we get out the tequila, have a toast to lasting and enduring friendships, make a vow only friendly hugs – a rule there’ll be no live-stream sex. Then play strip poker to see where we end up sleeping and with whom!”
Patty, not one to blush, actually started to blush, and said, “Look guys, no way am I going to end up naked on camera, but Steve, your bod could actually turn a girl on. Rocky, use your card tricks to make sure Steve is the first one naked. Wow! The whole world seeing his gorgeous bod on full display.”
This turned-out to be another scene on the cutting room floor.