The Veggie Mobile Project, or Zen and the art of Bio-Diesel Mercedes Maintenance

Hi Everyone -

I thought I would start a blog as a convenient way to track my travels over the next week (July11th - July 19th, 2008). Now, if you are looking at this Blog, it is probably because you know me and I told you to look at it, but in case this miraculously reaches someone that is outside of my immediate circle, I'll give a little overview of this trip and why I thought a blog would be worthwhile. It starts with Brian Kassel - Brian is a mechanical whiz friend of mine - always has been as good at fixing cars as he is at buying bad ones. Me, not being a whiz at cars, I can't even really tell you exactly what cars he has had over the past years. They can be summed up as a wide range of cars made between 1974 and 1982 that would drive most of us crazy if we tried to use them strictly for getting from one place to another. However, Brian doesn't see cars as a mode of transportation only. I think rather he sees them as an extension of the wheel, or the raft - getting it all strapped together is part of the fun.

So a few months ago Brian bought a car, I think from Ebay. If I remember correctly it is a 1976 Mercedes. Brian lives in New York state. Car is in California. Long trip. He tells me "Elliot, you should fly out to California with me and drive the car back cross country". "Are you sure it works?" I ask, knowing full well that this is a relative question. "Definitely, I am going to convert it to run on vegetable oil and bio-diesel when I get out there". Sweet.

We are both in our super early 30s, in fact, he is 30, I'm 31. Newly 31, but 31 nonetheless. I decided to join him, but I am not flying to California - I'm flying to Kansas City. Meeting him there are then driving back to New York City in time for a show on Saturday July 19th. Why do I think a blog is a good idea - not because I narcissistically think anyone cares about my continuing post-youth adventures, although some of you may (hi mom) - but because I think it is totally 2008 to be traveling cross country based on locally produced fuel, and I am excited to be a part of it. Like most of us, I am a total car layman who loves thinking about ways to become independent from oil, but I don't have the lifestyle, knowledge (or guts) to do it. SO, I'll be updating this blog from the road, using amazingly cool technology where I can email photos from my blackberry directly to this blog. Can't wait to get started. I fly out Friday night, July 11th, at 5:30 - I'll try to send my first post once I get to Kansas City.