WOW! Only 40 days till I begin my ride! As the day approaches I have so much going through my mind...how will the weather be? Will I have all the correct gear? Where will I sleep? and on and on!
I'm sure once I'm on the road things will work out fine and I'll have a lot of time to think about and reflect on so many other things including:

• My brother Bob, I love and miss you!
• My son Nick, Very proud of you! I Love you so much!
• Family, Friends, Thank you for all your support and encouragement! 
• My life before, during and after the ride
• and absolutely nothing all!!!

I'm so thankful to my employer for giving me time off to pursue this life long dream!
One of my big concerns was what to do with my dog Ace while I'm gone and a co-worker offered to take him in his home while I'm gone! Thank you so much Thomas!!!
The date is getting closer and I'm excited, anxious, nervous...just about every emotion imaginable! 

• I'll see parts of our great country I've never seen before
• Meet many people along the way
• Challenges, victories
• Learn more about myself than I ever have before

Thanks again to everyone for your support and encouragement!

Because I'm comfortable on my Diamond Back mountain bike I decided to modify it for ride across America rather than buying a new one. 
Products list:

• Surly Moloko handlebar, 31.8 black
• High Performance Power Grip Pedals with Strap
• Surly Troll 26" fork. 1 1/8" Threadless Black
• Gilles Berthoud fender set, 26 x 60, stainless
• Schwalbe Big Apple Plus 26 x 2.15 Wire Bead
• New brake and shifter cables

Total Cost of modifications - $529.38
Click on photos to enlarge

Special thanks to Jim, Stacy and Ryan at Bike Touring News for their tips and great work on the bike!

To update my site as well as other online activities (photo editing, email etc.) I looked at several options including tablets but really do better with an actual keyboard. It has to be lightweight and rugged enough to handle the rigors of the trip. What I ultimately decided on was the Asus Chromebook C202SA-YS02. Some of the features that appealed to me were:

• Lightweight - 2.2lbs
• ASUS claims 10 hour battery life but I'm getting closer to 12 hours.
• Spill Resistant Keyboard.
• Rubber Wrapped Edge to protect it from bumps and drops. According to ASUS testing it can survive a fall from 3.9 ft" (This will be helpful on those bumpy roads).
• 360 degree wi-fi antenna that I can attest to...works great!!!
• SD Card reader for importing/editing photos and videos
• 100gb Google Drive storage for one year bonus!

Because this computer operates on the Chrome OS, everything (most) has to be done online and if you use specific programs that need to be installed the chromebook may not work for some people. But, where just about everything I do is online and stored in the cloud it was a great choice for me.
There are 2 options available with 2gb or 4gb of ram. I opted for the 4gb version and have had no issues with multiple tabs opened, streaming video or editing photos.
It is currently available on Amazon for $199.00

I'll be starting in Santa Monica, Ca. taking Route 66 to Missouri then on to the Trans Am Route to Virginia! Special thanks to the folks in the Bicycle Touring & Bikepacking group on Facebook for all the tips and suggestions! Plan to get started the first week in June and take 3 months to complete