Welcome to Traipsathon.

“We Specialize in What We Do.”

Traipsathon Solutions Inc., a completely legitimate business, is the means by which intermittently-employed pseudojournalist Joe Rhodes wanders North America, occasionally looking for stories but mostly having no idea what he is doing. He plans to continue doing this until he is done.

On this website, you will find :

Dispatches from The Traipsemobile,  Traipsathon’s mobile command center, along with links to occasional actual stories written for actual publications. Mostly, though, it’s  incoherent rambling from life on the road.. If you want to start at the beginning, go here: The Starting Line.

Traipsetracks, songs of the day that reflect the Traipsemobile’s location, the state of the world, or that we just like the damn song .

This page will always have a map telling you where the Traipsathon is operating that day and what the weather is like. If you want to know where The Traipsemobile is in real time, more or less, go here.

There is also a listing of our latest Tweets including updates of where we happen to be at that moment, at least until the authorities arrive. This is your best bet for up-to-the-minute status reports on The Traipsathon’s location (including Foursquare check-ins) and our generally-muddled state of mind.

We welcome your comments, your suggestions and your funding ideas. Enjoy the ride.

  • http://www.Twitter.com/TheGirlPie @TheGirlPie

    I thought you were kidding when you started talking about all this! HA!

    What a great non-plan, Earl (you’ll always be Earl to me), and a wonderful home page (finally! Yay!)

    Where’s the camera mounted that will record the shenanigans for the upcoming comic/reality series you must be doing all this for? Are you checking in at FourSquare places, or is that too much responsibility?

    Looking forward to the dispatches, we just LOVE YOUR WRITING!

    ~GirlPie

  • http://www.twitter.com/TheGirlPie @TheGirlPie

    I thought you were kidding when you started talking about all this! HA!

    What a great non-plan, Earl (you’ll always be Earl to me), and a wonderful home page (finally! Yay!)

    Where’s the camera mounted that will record the shenanigans for the upcoming comic/reality series you must be doing all this for? Are you checking in at FourSquare places, or is that too much responsibility?

    Looking forward to the dispatches, we just LOVE YOUR WRITING!

    ~GirlPie

  • Tonya

    Earl?

  • Tonya

    Earl?

  • http://www.joebo.net earlkabong

    Yes, Earl Kabong. It’s my corporate pseudonym, the name by which people know me. In the same way that people know you as “Big Butt McGee.”

  • http://www.joebo.net earlkabong

    Yes, Earl Kabong. It’s my corporate pseudonym, the name by which people know me. In the same way that people know you as “Big Butt McGee.”

  • Greg Blair

    How is your command post running now? Did we fix your problem with the alternator,or is it still causing problems? Thanks for the m&ms. I did not know you are famous or infamous? Remember to stop by and see us at Rychliks . good luck on your trips.

    • http://www.joebo.net earlkabong

      Greg — sorry to tell you, the alternator fix didn’t last. Kicked into limp mode in Greenville, where I am for the night. I really thought you guys had licked the problem. I was feeling all cocky and then, the ABS light came on and the air conditioner went dead and, well, you know how it ends. So will try to get someone in Greenville to take a stab at it and, I hope, at least get me back to Dallas.

  • Greg Blair

    How is your command post running now? Did we fix your problem with the alternator,or is it still causing problems? Thanks for the m&ms. I did not know you are famous or infamous? Remember to stop by and see us at Rychliks . good luck on your trips.

    • http://www.joebo.net earlkabong

      Greg — sorry to tell you, the alternator fix didn’t last. Kicked into limp mode in Greenville, where I am for the night. I really thought you guys had licked the problem. I was feeling all cocky and then, the ABS light came on and the air conditioner went dead and, well, you know how it ends. So will try to get someone in Greenville to take a stab at it and, I hope, at least get me back to Dallas.

  • Anonymous

    Citizens of Illinois, please welcome the Traipster with open arms. He’s a good house guest too, he left us a growler of Sun King beer, and only one soiled towel in the bathroom.

  • Anonymous

    So that’s where they moved Shea Stadium to.I hope they didn’t get The Mets with it.

  • Anonymous

    Can misspolly join your fan club? I’m the same polly that found the L. Feat for Mr. Randall

  • Anonymous

    Molly Hatchet had the great Franzetta covers on their early vinyl albums. I still got a couple.

  • Anonymous

    How about a new Dispatch instead of these annoying tweets. Sober up and write something!

    • Anonymous

      I can drink and drive. But drinking, driving and writing is simply too much to ask.

  • Anonymous

    Are you hooking up with the movie people?

    • Anonymous

      As you know, movie people only hook up with each other and/or potential investors.

  • Anonymous

    Glad to hear you made it back to LA. I hope your vehicle has inflatable pontoons for all the rain you’re getting. When does that movie come out?
    I guess the West LA cops are on to you. You should park closer to the Federal Building

  • Anonymous

    Sorry to see you’re in Vegas. I was hoping to see the van going down the red carpet at the Oscars and causing some mayhem!

  • Anonymous

    Happy to donate to Traispsathon International! Love you, Joe.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Matt-Brown/1535884308 Matt Brown

    See you this weekend in the High Country Joe!

  • Anonymous

    Have fun in the northwest. Heading out east for my 40th HS reunion. My vehicle will not draw as much attention as the traipsmobile, but I’ll give it a go, if I don’t melt along the way. Hope to stop and see Patro in Cleveburgh

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Mark-Turner/1616925930 Mark Turner

    Joe, I want to know how da roads was on your trip south through Canada. I may be driving a vehicle back in early November. I know there is no correlation, but maybe you can give me a global warming hope.

    • Anonymous

      Mark — the trip south was considerably less dramatic than the trip north. The Highway is in fine shape, only a few under-construction rough spots. And since Minneapolis is about to be in the 80′s for the fourth consecutive day, i’d say the global warming is the traveler’s friend. Short-term thinking. It’s what I do.

  • Anonymous

    Did you run out and bang the big drum at the Boilermaker game?

  • Anonymous

    Did you run out and bang the big Purdue Drum?

  • Anonymous

    if you need some temporary work, I think they’re looking for tomato pickers or fish scalers when you go through alabama. Immigration laws drove out all the people willing to do backbreaking work for $7.00 an hour.

  • Anonymous

    Happy Holidays my traveling friend. Watch out for those Burmese pythons, forget the gators.

  • Richard Badalamente

    Keep riding/writing!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/P2E4JXIMKSQIJEVXRADMD2HSK4 steve

    If you get stuck in the Labrador mud with the Joemobile, just call me and I’ll get there to help you push the machine.

    Steve from Québec

    And thanks again for the wine

    • http://www.joebo.net earlkabong

      Steve — I appreciate the offer. Wasn’t that bad, really. A couple of rough spots because of construction where the dirt was pretty soft and one where it was just big boulders, like a Four-wheel drive obstacle course. But I made it to Goose Bay before the rains set in. Besides, I had Bernard Adamus and Lisa LeBlanc to keep me company. Will probably take the ferry to Cartwright and avoid the mud for the next leg. Then it’s on to Newfoundland. p.s. I bought some meat pies at the supermarket. Can’t identify the meat. But tasty enough. I wish you well, my friend. I hope to see you again.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/P2E4JXIMKSQIJEVXRADMD2HSK4 steve

    Hey Joe

    Come back to Quebec as soon as you can, ,saturday the 21 Roger Water is here to kick the wall down.

    Waiting for you . Steve et Karine 

    • earlkabong

       I am incredibly tempted. But need to see friends in New England before I go to New York. Newfoundland was a blast. But the music doesn’t stand up to Quebec’s. I listen to Adamus and Leblanc constantly now. I WILL be back. Just not in time to see Roger tear down his wall.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/P2E4JXIMKSQIJEVXRADMD2HSK4 steve

    Joe

    The wall falled down last night. Roger Water gave us a magistral performance. Over 70.000 persones was in front of the wall for a musical event that we’ll never forget. It was Magic.

    Hope the trip is good for you and now that you’re back in USA, It means that Texas heat is not too far away…

    Steve 

  • Steve Bellemare

    Hey Joe ! Coucou from Quebec city, you’re in the PREDATOR city. I guess music is good over there. I got back my job now and i’m doing the 7 to 5 working day… you know, I rather have a beer with Joe Rhodes on a terasse in front of St-Laurance River !!!! Karine and the girls says “hello”  . See you

    Steve

    • earlkabong

       Steve — the new dispatch has a picture of you and tales of your exploits. Expect to be mobbed.

  • honeyfitz

    It’s good, Joe.

  • http://twitter.com/OregonPI FLI PROCESS

    Cool rig in Lincoln City

    • http://www.joebo.net earlkabong

      Glad you liked it! I’m available for undercover duty.