So Far, So Good

I've been back for a week and might soon adjust. As it is, there appear to be no outstanding warrants or anything so that is OK.

The important thing is to keep in motion and don't give up, if at all possible. That was one reason I liked being on the road. you have that extra incentive to pick up and keep moving. Campgrounds only allow you for so long. Recent weather made hanging around anywhere too long akin to locking one's self in an oven set to cook pizza. The car has windows which make it windy if you drive with them down, and a/c for purely high carbon footprint, good old fashioned cooling. Even so, you probably get better milage with windows up, running a/c, than you do windows all the way down traveling the same speed. Windows just down an inch or two and no a/c, I believe, has the advantage.

My age and mortality confronted me on this journey, and that sucks, but I suppose it is good to get it out of the way at some point in life. I'm barreling head long toward the invisible finish line and will reach it whether I want to or not. I'm closer to it than I was thirty years ago. OK, accept reality, and then give it the finger and forget it. Way too much of our culture wastes time on some sort of worship of false immortality--too much plastic surgery, too much adulation of entertainers as if they are timeless and bigger than life, too much classification, like "seniors", and whatever they call young punk kids, etc.

Every time I get injured or sore, which has happened to me since I was a very small child, or someone else I know gets injured or sore, they invariably say, "well, we aren't getting any younger", "Old age is catching up", "i'm getting old". What kind of dumb ass attitude is that? Of course you are getting older. By definition everything is as seen through our reference frame of this 4 dimensional dimension. Time is the fourth, after length, width, and height. Or depth if you prefer. You measure time, then you automatically have age. So why point out the obvious?

You are probably suffering from self neglect is my guess. Or you may just have bad genes or bad luck and the place where you exist is liable to fall apart because it is a lousy unit. Or all the above. It is what it is. Time goes on, so if you gonna blame every ache and pain and shortfall on age, why not just end it all now? Put yourself out of your misery. Things fall apart. You work with what is salvageable. I was in worse shape years ago. I was in better shape other years ago, so there it is. Gimme dollah, man, I old and a friggin senior citizen.

Last thing I want is for kids to think I am cool. Those who believe that keeps them young are just frightened and trying to cover it up. Unless, of course, the snotty little bastards will pay me money because of it. Then, go ahead, think I am cool as glacier ice.

One thing for sure, senior discounts at motels are largely mythological tales designed to get your cheap, greedy old self in the door. AAA gets you the same thing, if anything. The standard line is to say, "Oh, I already gave you the discounted rate. The normal price is a billion dollars".

In a way, I'm glad of that. Discounts based on date of birth, race, or other condition of birth have nothing to do with the cost of supplying the room. I could see discounts for those who bring their own sheets, towels, soap, shampoo, toilet paper, maybe even their own bed. And who don't use electricity and such. But what is the logic of old equals cheaper? I've heard the fixed income rationale.

Why not just put everyone on a sliding scale? To each according to need, from each according to ability. Sounds like a plan that is sure to work and everyone can be happy and nice. Oh, maybe it was tried before. What could go wrong? Maybe what goes wrong is that someone or some group has to decide what is your need and what is your ability. And your cooperation cannot be optional in such a scenario. That gets sticky because then the nice people (or person) in charge has to force you to see the light and comply. Could get ugly.

The whole pension, social security scheme of things is a trap, but many die before it bites them. That is how those things work.

Anyway, the senior thing is garbage. Like it is easier for an 18 year old to afford dinner than a 70 year old. Another crumb doled out to help get votes.

In the mean time I will trick and harass any place that uses that senior discount bait. The trick is to wait until they give the price, then ask nonchalantly, "so, what age is considered senior these days", as if you are only curious--not greedy, which you are. If you are lucky, the 20ish, clueless clerk will say, "Uh, I dunno, maybe like fifty." "Oh, wow! I can't believe it--I qualify!! Thanks, young whippersnapper!" And you get 10% off because killing your joy over winning this miniscule lottery is impossible for all but hard core sociopaths Acting! Remember your lines, cues, and marks. And P r o j e c t!. But let me warn you, this only works maybe one out of seven times, and it is very hard to play the Indians, and Asians. "Oh, we're too cheap already. No more discount is possible!" Or, having a bit of a different work ethic, they will say senior is 75 years old, "maybe".

I managed to set and spring the senior trap a couple of times, but it almost is not worth it. One thing for sure, do not let them know your age before finding out what senior is. If you do, they just add a few years and set that as the senior line of demarkation.

I'm hungry. I had one good meal since Seattle. I still have my strawberry jam, homemade, so I am not hurting for good food. Plus the seasoning, I forget the name, too lazy to look*, that Joel thinks is better than Howling Wolf. It is from NC, and it is different and close to as good on french fries. I have to compare the two. Needless to say, for a vegetarian, I have the best rubs for meat and fish of anyone I know. The NC stuff is salt free, so that may be a benefit. But the Wolf is mighty fine. Both are better than you find in most pantries, so I will not call a favorite.

That did it, I have to figure out what else is here to eat.

*OK. Looked at the container--Richard's Delicious Seasoning .. for pork, poultry,seafood, did it say bar b que? THAT, and/or beef. No msg, no salt. Joel made me an offer I couldn't refuse--he spent hard earned money and gave me a bottle of it. I find it is best on salty things. So, if your fish, pig, cow, crow, chicken or squirrel is on a high salt diet, Richard's is what you want. It is also good on tortillas with butter. I'm now too seasoning savvy. I'll have to replenish my almost depleted supply of howling wolf, and when Richard's runs out, I'll have to search the black market for more.

By the way, that's where I get my protein, in case you were curious. The Black Market. The Seattle jam maker finally pointed that out because I have never known how to answer when a carnivore bares it's fangs and snarls, "So, you a gotdammed vegerarium. Tell me this, sissy boy, where you get yer dem protein?" Of course, the answer was obvious the whole time. The Black Market has always been where I got it.
Thank you, S.

Maybe This was CA

I think this was CA near lake Mono, or Mono Lake--whichever way they call it. Some high sierra action there. If not then it is Oregon, but I think it is CA.

Even Now I Still Crave That Salt Water at OBX

Every once in awhile I think about how great it is to let the waves on the Outer Banks, NC, bounce you back to shore. If you aren't careful you can get rolled and rocked like crazy. With very little effort you can just let the wave carry you in, or you can just bob around. There is something just right about the temperature, texture, salt level, waves, the whole experience. I've been to some nice beaches, but I always feel like the NC coast is the best when it comes to jumping into the waves.

How great to go back in time and see how the pirates lived there.

Where Was I?

It feels a little odd not to be in motion, darting from place to place, covering lots of ground. I've been told I should write more in depth about the journey but I find I am almost a blank slate when I try to think about it.

I know I am not and that I am constantly thinking about it deep down. One thing is very clear to me, people view the world differently and find different things important and interesting. I'm more interested in the people aspect or just the lay of the land rather than the geological history or extinct animal fossils. I think it is cool to imagine those creatures roaming the earth, terrorizing one another and all that, but I find the human cultures that were wandering around terrorizing one another more interesting.

Of course, there are many who don't want to believe that Native Americans ever made mischief on others but those things happen. If not for severely twisted and aggressive mischief, the Aztecs would not have been so famous today and powerful or technologically advanced in their day. Most of their cleverness was brought in by conquered peoples.

Anyway, my particular level and state of survival demands different things than some. I often need reminding that I have anything worthwhile to offer anyone, or that I have a brain or any ability in any area whatsoever. It is a curse, but I am not unique in that way. I'd blame George Bush, but only someone like Chris Matthews would buy it. I could blame Obama but that would be equally off the mark. Darn. I guess I'll either blame you, or just let go of blame altogether.

It was good for me to cruise through the last college I attended in NC. That is where a pattern of behavior really took off which did not serve me well, but the place was as idyllic and perfect as I remember. I went there with good intentions when I was almost 23, I think. Those intentions lasted not even one full day. My intent was not to drink, drug and waste the opportunity. Oh well. Maybe it took that in order for me to have more empathy and compassion. Now, like then, I do not consider it compassion if I use your resources by force in order to exercise my benevolent desires toward those I feel need the boost. That is what separates me from much of our civilization philosophically.

Somehow the trip has made me less inclined to consider involvement in such public issues. I'll continue to vote against every tax or increase in anything governmental, and leave it at that. Or try to. Maybe I'm right, maybe not. Hard to figure. A lot of the bankrupt places in the country are the nicest places. Of course it could be like the people who drive cars they can't afford and live in houses beyond their means---as soon as there is a little ripple in the cash flow, they go under and either pull some fancy legal antics that allow them to live well in bankruptcy, or they end up with an old Dodge Dart and set up house in a tent under a bridge.

It is interesting that the most polite, respectful people, culturally, live in towns far from major urban areas. Like one friend pointed out--people crave the society of their fellow man, so they end up in cities then they don't even say hello as they pass one another on the sidewalk and they do all they can to avoid direct contact. And they kill each other. Strange species, humans. Only species on earth that will place land off limits in order to ensure that other species will thrive, and only species that includes a large number who hate their own kind to the point that they would kill them in the name of protecting some obscure creature. Or just the vague concept of "saving the planet".

I figure no good books have ever been written by the planet or bears or any of those other things so I can't discount humans that way. Besides, though I often feel we must have been dropped here from another planet, I do not think we have less right to be here than those other things with sharp teeth and claws.

It was a little bit of a shock to see Greensboro traffic had become more congested and the driving more peculiar. I also sensed more racial animosity which seemed kind of gangish in nature. Memphis, on the other hand, seems to have toned down. Regardless of anyone's rationalizations, I know how I treat people, and I do not respect or appreciate being given the cold rude attitude due to the perception that I am a white male. You only get that in certain places, usually when any legal minority is in the majority. Facts are facts.

Excuses can be given, but the truth is, until people stop, racial tension will continue. That is where merit and civility come in. Until the culture figures that out, you are going to have punks of all races playing their games when they think they have the upper hand. Idiots. And playing the game of calling anyone a racist if they call it honestly is actually the real racist response. That's why I give up on that. I blame government, religion, and people who love to exercise power over others. Doesn't mean all government or religion or people are to blame but the evil thrives where it thrives.

Seattle is still got a unique character that is politely irreverent and fun loving. Though I did not explore it a lot, I honestly do not think Austin is as cool as it thinks it is. Which is the thing. Places that work too hard at being cool become less hospitable and eclectic, fostering a sort of rigid conformity in their self proclaimed non-conformity. My quick impression of Austin was that they are headed that way, and Taos is there. Cool places which tend to become uncool just because they were cool and got a swelled head.

Hopefully these observations are controversial enough to elicit angry rebuttals.

In AZ Nearing Utah

Not too far from Four Corners, heading toward Utah.

None of these videos are long or very exciting. Just the way it worked out.

After weeks of it, I was in search of a day under 100 deg F with a "feels like" of 210.

A Favorite Spot In My Old Home Town

Old Guilford Mill, Greensboro, NC
I consider Greensboro my adult home town, and Miami my childhood home town. Both were radically different cultures to the point that I had to learn the language upon moving to NC in my very early twenties. They sure did have more than their fair share of good looking, rather friendly women. Holy smoke. I was doomed from the get go, I see that now. And they were wilder partiers than those Florida people would have believed at the time. I was doomed doomed doomed. It is a miracle I survived, and a damned shame I did not hold on to one of those dames for dear life, crank out kids and be useful and involved. Oh well.

More of Joel and John's spellbinding dialog. I'm beginning to see how I could anger a person who actually knows something or thinks. But, I'm sure I'm wrong about that. He was born in Walden Pond. Thoreau broke down and got the doctor out there. They weren't sure what it was at first. The doctor confirmed it was neither tumor nor goat nor Clint Eastwood, but similar in ways. And that was the beginning of Joel's tour of this planet. He was doomed to a tour clouded with philosophy and intellect. And a very rare talent for arm wrestling. He should have hustled more bets on that--he'd be rich today.

This is where the grits I gave to my dear cousin J came from. She fixed them for breakfast when I left. They were so good I forgot about everything else, like leaving the spare key instead of taking it with me. She is wealthy and has rooms full of gold, so I am auctioning the key on ebay. I'll also disclose the address to the winning bidder.

If that doesn't raise some cash then I will rely on the mesa boogie amp./ Blue angel with 4-10's. All in one cab. Nice cover, good tubes, spares, goo condition.
Then I will get the old bassman head and the mesa box from G1 if he doesn't change his mind. I doubt he will.

I have oat meal, pancake mix--two kinds--from the Old Mill. It is all better when it is made there. Old elves run the place. They have been doing it for hundreds of years. They are pretty much immortal although Spikie Guilford got ground into oblivion in 1821 when he fell under the grindstone when they were making wheat flour. Since then, it never happened again. They keep the story alive and even have an annual play reenacting the tragedy on the anniversary of his death.

They've made a lot of money on that place, enough to find ways to blend in with mainstream America. As a matter of fact, DNA testing recently proved that Danny DeVito is a descendant of Spikie Guilford. Many families tried to hide their elf heritage.

But, times are changing and soon you'll see parades and elf pride days, elf power political action groups, the whole bit. I wonder if I'll still like elves when that happens.

It isn't like I ever showed disrespect or laughed at them. If a thirsty elf can't reach a water fountain, I've always been the first to hold him up so he can drink. I always favored elf suffrage, and supported their right to drive--provided they could. Same as people. Elves are polite drivers, observe the common rules of the road and lots of times, they'll pick up hitchhikers, or stop and fix cars left on the side of the road, frequently painting them in happy designs as a finishing touch. .

Camped at MS Hill Country Harp fest

This was first camping event of the trip, in Mississippi at Foxfire Ranch outside of Oxford.
That tent ended up going by the wayside in OBX. The coastal skeeters were hip to the broken door zipper and the sun smelled seared flesh and cranked it up when it realized the rainfly had issues which limited ventilation, but without it you had no shade.n It worked OK in MS. I snagged the shadiest spot in the place.

Most of the video I took was just in case they found my car at the bottom of a cliff, or if aliens grabbed me or whatever, then people would know where I'd been to some degree and it might make for good conversation. I saw a couple of choices here; preserve as many moments as possible, which meant playing observer or kind of staging them, or live as many moments as possible by being a natural part of them. I chose the latter because that is what I needed to do. I still need to learn to do that more. It is called knowingly being alive and living. That is tough for me.
My default mode is one of wondering when I'll enter the stream of life rather than sitting isolated from it while the flow of it goes by. Hence the tour. hence less video.

But don't think that means I won't play for the camera enthusiastically, given the slightest encouragement. In my bubble of an imaginary world I'm an entertainer.

Boringest Video He's Ever Seen

But wait, HE's the videographer and has not yet seen it. Perhaps Greensboro's Clint Eastwood is gifted with precognition.

The intense world of conversation between Greensboro friend Joel and myself.

Who You Gonna Believe? me or your own eyes; tour ends

That is not me stealing a baby.

It is not me at all. What baby?

Oh, well it depends upon what baby means and what steal means and what being me means.

See, you give up. It was all a vicious conspiracy perpetrated by my enemies (hard as it is to believe I have any).

The Tour is now over. Let me qualify that---this particular road trip is now over. It was a ballistic tour, however the large picture balisticTour continues.

The car held up dandy.

A few things learned, if I can recall them:
DO NOT WALK BARE-FOOTED ON SAND DUNES ON THE OUTER BAQNKS OF NC IN THE SUMMER AT MIDDAY WITH NO CLOUDS IN THE SKY AND THE TEMP 100 OR SO F IN THE SHADE

PEOPLE ON THAT NORTH-SOUTH HIGHWAY BETWEEN PROVO AND SALT LAKE CITY ARE BEYOND INSANE. in some places you chalk up behavior to ignorance, others just a jerk culture, and others, like Miami, to a joyful sort of zany madness(albeit deadly and often accompanied by gunfire).
That part of Utah, and much in the areas above and below those cities, defies any explanation. It is like jihad and the whole lack of reason and rationale that go with it. Those people may all be potential or actual terrorists. I suggest the feds pull out of everywhere else and focus on that highway.

POINTS NORTH OF TAOS ARE COOLER THAN TAOS. ARROYO SECO IS ONE EXAMPLE. hope I got the name right. Oh well, call my complaint department.

PONCA CITY OKLAHOMA IS ONE VERY NICE TOWN

LOYALTON(?), CA IS STRANGE BUT COOL. GREAT PEOPLE. NOT SURE IT WASN'T ALL JUST MY IMAGINATION--the place may not actually exist. one guy pointed out that the staircase I was descending had 13 steps-just like the number of steps to the gallows.
Later he asked if I had any last words I like to say before leaving. He looked like he could have been a ghost; one who wasn't quite sure whether to be sinister or just happily mischievous.

LAKE TAHOE ON THE CALIFORNIA SIDE IS A GREAT AREA. SEVERAL LITTLE TOURIST TOWNS BUT THEY ARE COOL EVEN WHEN CROWDED

IT IS EASIER TO GET CRYSTALS, PAST LIFE READINGS, SPIRITUAL HEALING, MASSAGE AND MEDICINAL CANNABIS IN MT SHASTA THAN IT IS TO GET A REGULAR COCA COLA.

THERE ARE MANY "SAFETY ZONES" AND THEY ANNOUNCE IT TO YOU WHEN YOU ENTER THEM, AND THEY TELL YOU TO DRIVE CAREFULLY OR SAFELY. I HAD NO IDEA HOW DEVIL-MAY-CARE MY DRIVING WAS UNTIL I ENTERED A SAFETY ZONE AND DID AS THE SIGN SAID AND DROVE CAREFULLY. ONCE I BEGAN PAYING ATTENTION I REALIZED I COULD GO MUCH FASTER THAN I WAS WITHOUT GETTING A TICKET. MY CARELESS, UNSAFE WAYS--MAKING COFFEE, BRUSHING MY TEETH, STRETCHING MY LEGS OUT THE WINDOW WHILE TEXTING OR TRIMMING NOSE HAIR, ALL WHILE DRIVING ---WERE COSTING ME TIME.

MY OLD MEMPHIS BAND ROCKS WHEN THEY WANT TO. I THOROUGHLY ENOY JAMMING WITH THEM. BUT WHAT I REALLY LEARNED IS THAT I AM BETTER AND MORE CONFIDENT AS A RESULT OF PLAYING WITH MY HOME GROUP UP HERE ON BALLISTIC MOUNTAIN. EACH GROUP MAKES ME BETTER. I NO LONGER HAVE SOME RESENTMENTS WHICH ONCE I DID. THE SNAKEDOCS OF MEMPHIS REALLY CAUGHT ME BY SURPRISE IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.

I HAVE FRIENDS AND RELATIVES WHO ARE INEXPLICABLY LOYAL AND KIND TO ME BEYOND THE USUAL WHATEVER IT IS I EXPECT.
THAT MAKES ME A VERY LUCKY GUY.

THERE ARE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN AND DO CAMP NAKED.

That's about it for now. I'll add to what I learned as I remember. Oh yea---if you have a bum knee don't try to take a big step up with a canoe on your head. That, and I discovered I like southern Idaho better than northern, and better than most places.

In many ways I can see that my perspective on lots of things has changed over the last three years. And better than that, it has changed some over the past seven weeks.

BOTTOM LINE: Despite my regrets for not having a dozen children or for the many opportunities which fell in my lap only for me to either not see it or simply walk away or get drunk, etc. the truth is that then and now I am constantly getting second chances and good fortune in one way or another. I say second chances but that can include the fiftieth chance.

Anyway, I am very fortunate to be here writing this bit of vanity. I was able to just say screw it and go, and I may be able to cover rent next month. Not only that but most people I visited seemed glad I stopped by. I'm never sure about some people but they may not be sure about me. Take 'em at their word, at face value I guess. I'm positive I am that little baby's favorite whether she knows it or not. The subliminal message was planted. It's a skill I picked up along the way.

Spy Photo On Seattle Lake--Washington?

That's a native woman in the front of the canoe. Hard to tell what's what from the pic. She was cute but I had to take her by boat back to her people. She'd been bad and I respect their customs so I turned her over to the medicine man for proper punishment.

That is the very canoe that was on my head at the time of the surprising failure of a trusted limb.