14 Comments
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Greg Florey's avatar

Having watched you and Jason for some time, (even though he sped away from the madness of the Golden State (of which I, too, am a former resident)), I always enjoy your YT posts, but it wasn't until the recent disaster that I really READ your Substack. Dude! You must write a book! You have a great skill at assembling words and keeping the reader engaged! In spite of the tragedy of the current situation that folks are dealing with, I look forward to reading your posts, and I've not been a "happy reader" for several years. I pray that you are soon successful with your Dojo Redux search. Stay safe and stay At Large!

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John Roberts's avatar

👆What he said! We need a book!

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Dan Hamilton's avatar

David........ put down the hammer,..and pick the pen. I know your going through a rather dystopian time in your life. Dave, I have mentioned this before to you months ago. You have a unique gift for connecting with people through your writing. For a successful busker musician, you also possess a quality in your writing .I'm sure you have thought about delving into a podcast

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Jeff Kossack's avatar

You never fail to move me, Dave… Even in lean times of desperation, you always seem to have your bearings, and that is beyond admirable… Much love to you, Alexia, Paula, John and Julie… Stay strong… ♥️♥️♥️

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John  R Hohman's avatar

So great to hear you have that mighty fine hammer, now get working on that book!

Having followed you for the last few years and have come to appreciate your witty hard scrabble prose and profound ability to put yourself in other's shoes without judgement. It would be incredibly entertaining for sure.

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Nora Koerber's avatar

I just wanted to say thanks for this writing. I could go on and on as to what I loved about it, but that's not necessary. 'Ya just blew me away. Always love your writing, and how you just write the way you feel, deliberately chopping sentences- just because it works. Oh, I said I wouldn't go on. Well, one more thing. Thanks for writing from your heart and your hip. All the Best, bro. Say hi to Alexia! Glad things're going well.

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Jason's avatar

All the best Dave. In time, this will seem like a horrible story that hardly seemed real and which you won't be able to properly convey to people who weren't there. Your confidence will come back, and I'm sure you'll settle and relax back into a normal life as you were before - will take time but the bumps will get smaller.

None of my beeswax but I'd have gone for the best RV - the other bits and pieces will surely come in time and you won't ever look around your nice home and regret that it's too nice!

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Dave Morrison's avatar

Found a really solid Fleetwood today, Jason. For a great price. Test driving it tomorrow morning, and if it drives okay, I'll buy it. The price is $13,000 cheaper than the Bigfoot from Canada, and only $3k more than the beater we looked at. And it comes with every accessory you can think of. Linens, cook-pots, dishes and silverware and everything. Original owners too old to keep using it.

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Nora Koerber's avatar

Right on!

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Peter Albini's avatar

The pictures gave me a chuckle. As stated before, we are 3 months ahead of California on the disaster relief road.

After the first wave of supplies, when organization is given time to be implemented, things will be less chaotic and needs will be met efficiently.

Stay strong and file away the story ideas that will make one incredible “fiction based on actual events” book.

Blessings for North Carolina.

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Greg's avatar

Thanks for the update. Glad to hear you are still well and it is still unfortunate that you are not comfortable in a home of your very own.

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Leah K Hart's avatar

This is so good, Dave. I love the line “we simply must stop playing political kickball with the lives of human beings from poorer places than our own.” This really, really resonates with me. So well said! Your resilience and humanity is inspiring. ❤️

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Dale LaDuke's avatar

Sometimes it takes fate, or Mother Nature…or even tragedy to shake us out of our middle class stupor, to actually look at each other.

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philip scott's avatar

Hola from Guatemala Dave.

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a small army of contractors moving in to do the clean up and rebuild will generally front a man like you with a truck and tools to run one of their crews... should be pretty good money.

or you could work from your motor home with no contractors licence for jobs under $500... maybe more. hire your own crew.

back in the late 70's...I hired an all mexican crew to build the heating and AC for the General Dynamis MX missle program and alot of other work.

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two of them were inspired enough to go back to school and become contractorsone one an engineer...... lots of wins all around

I paid them all double their usual wage... and the one who became foreman 3x

.

show up in clean levis, not new for sure but immaculately clean newish but not new mocassin toe 10 inch boots... redwing type.... light tan not polishedwith thick white foam soles..a real nice1.5 x*oversized $40 cowboy type shirt...,,,starched..... immaculate over the top grooming... overdone to a fault...

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And a list of references......you will be hired at 80-100k ++ or on a percentade.... for a lot more if you do it right.`

I know you are already up to speed on all that... but in case not...this might help.

Best wishes

Phil scott.......retired in Guatemala

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