A step closer to Baja

I've decided that one way or another I'm going to spend some time in Baja this winter. Maybe a week or two, maybe a month or two. I'll see what happens once I get there.

I have a pistol. Firearms are banned in Mexico. So, what to do with my gun before crossing the border?

My ex (with whom I'm still close friends) lives in Los Angeles. We met for lunch today at Canter's Deli and I handed her a rucksack containing the gun and ammo. She's a gun owner herself, so it's no big deal to have mine around.

With a wink, I said, "Don't go committing any crimes with my gun."

"Oooo, I hadn't thought of that," she winked back. "But now that you mention it..." That's one reason we like each other. We have the same weird sense of humor. We just shouldn't have married.

There's another thing I need to take care of before going to Mexico. I hadn't thought about it until I was in Slab City last week. I was parked about forty yards off the main drag when a Sheriff's Deputy pulled up behind the Rolling Steel Tent. I got out to ask him what was up. "Just checking to see if your license plates are current."

Ah, that hadn't been on my radar yet. They expire at the end of February, at which time I might have been out of the country. So I went online to renew the registration. Now it's a matter of South Dakota processing it and sending the stickers to my mail drop, then having it forwarded to wherever I'm going to be for the next few weeks.

Then there's auto insurance to renew and Mexican auto insurance to buy. And maybe some stuff to put in storage so there's less to rattle around on bad roads, and less to dig through during vehicle searches—either in Mexico or when crossing back into the US.

Until I have all the preparations taken care of, I guess I could work on expanding my Spanish vocabulary. Perdóname por ser un idiota.