I woke up excited this morning, curious to see how much of yesterday’s storm had washed the dirt off Ashley. The rain had done a decent job, but I still wanted to give her a little extra attention. While Rusti was still sleeping, I decided to film a demo of the cleaner I had brought along for the trip—Giotechniq’s Bug Remover that I picked up before leaving home. It worked beautifully, rinsing away the last of the stubborn bugs clinging to Ashley’s hood and windshield. There’s something oddly satisfying about caring for a car that feels like a companion on the road.

I woke up on Rusti’s couch this morning to a quiet house— Rusti was up early and headed out to walk Piper. I didn’t want to inconvenience her, so the first thing I did was look for a hotel for my next destination. But before leaving, I wanted to thank her properly, so I had wanted to treat her out to lunch.