If you have time HR, swing by the truck stops and holler on the CB for a driver going to Cali and offer to help drive for a ride out there. Dont know if your willing to do that...just throwing that idea at you.
Well, I didn't want to have to admit I'd be a bum. If it comes to that, I've already bought batteries for my hand held 40 channel and planned on hanging out at Petro at I40 and Exit 127 (Eastern Ave /Martin Luther King Blvd) that is straight up Eastern Ave. about 7 miles from my house. If that don't work, then I40 and Exit 140 (Morgan Rd) where there is a TA and I think it's a Pilot. I forget the other one now, but there are 2 big truck stops at I40 Exit 140.
Won't be the first time I've done it. My Step Sis from Reno, NV came to visit once. I rode with her to AZ and had planned on taking a bus the rest of the way. She dropped me off at the bus depot and went on her way to Reno. I waited an hour for the bus. When it got there, I was told it was full I'd have to wait til 2pm the next day to get the next bus. F That. I walked about 1/2 mile to truck stop row at Beale and I40 in Kingman. Got a ride with a truck driving team. I just wanted dropped off at the side of I10 at my dad's exit, then I'd call my dad to come the 5 miles and pick me up. I didn't let him know I hitched a ride cuz I didn't want him trippin'. One of the drivers lived within 6 miles of my dad's and my dad's house was on the way to drop him off, then the other driver was keeping the tractor after he dropped the trailer at their yard. My dad **** when a 53 trailer and tractor pulled up in front of his house in a residential area and I got out. I still made it to my dads, 2 hours before the bus would have had me at the local bus depot. I remember I was 21 then, cuz I had bought 3 bottles of Everclear for my buds in So Cali. I spent $20 on their lunch and gave them a bottle of that Everclear. Cheap ride !!! It was going to be like $69 bus fare and after the bus was going to be so late and next one was like 18 hours away, I would have had to rented a room too.
I went on a run with my bro once too. He re-powered a hot load going back East when we were on our way home. I had to get home. I ended up riding with another driver from West Memphis, the Lot Lizard capital to OKC Petro and had my wife pick me up.
So yeah, I may have to be a bum and do that. Just that I have a brand new car battery I have to take with since it'll save me $120 in getting the car running. We'll see what happens, but yeah I guess I'm a bum, I'll do it and already planned on it as last resort. Fuggin bus is $214 and that's the Non Refund low class internet purchase rate.