Just another day in Brooklyn

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were fairly uneventful. That means life took place in the realm of words instead of actions. I spent my time around the house cooking, cleaning and doing a little Thai Yoga Therapy with the roommates. Rangie was having difficulty with his housing and moved in on Monday until things straighten out. Housing seems to be a common problem in NYC, after all they did make a hit play/movie about it. I am beginning to look at the whole world as a strange place that I am visiting. Maybe even as if every person is an alien or in some way fascinatingly different from me. All people are familiar at the same time. I recognize all of the same types of thoughts and feelings in others. It's the particulars, the personal organization of experience and the methods of dealing with life that interest me I guess. A few highlights include a short walk around Brooklyn and finding a bunch of kids playing in an uncapped fire hydrant. I went over to wet my feet and noticed that the piping was made in Thailand and the water games reminded me of song kran so I tried to get a picture. Watching movies with Ricardo. Going to the store with Rangie and hearing all about his life. Getting a shaved ice from a very nice Hispanic vendor. Helping Broke screen print T-shirts. Etc, etc, etc.

Wendsday night is really where the story picks up. Diana convinced me to join a dating website while I was in West Virginia. OKCupid, it is rather interesting. On Tuesday I thought to myself. "Self, why don't you see if this Cupid thing works?" Next thing I know I have a date at a new Brooklyn bar called Franklin Park. Rangie was late with dinner so I got there a little late. 45min late actually. My date had left and and had to come back to the bar. Conversation was pleasant. She talked about her falling off a 30 foot cliff in Bali a month ago among other stories and then we went for a walk. The Brooklyn museum was impressive even though the doors where locked it was something worth seeing. Her friends caught up with us there and we sat on the steps and shot the shat for a while. Then they all went home and I went back to the bar. The first woman I met there was one of the sexiest black women I have ever met. She had a very large man there with her that she said was not her boyfriend... but he might have disagreed. He only got so uncomfortable with me before he dragged her off. Next I talked with a pretty lame white girl. Then I met Ayana. I noticed her when I had my date, she was tall and slender with delicate features. Hair that says don't fuck with me and eyes that are not afraid of tragedy. "Ayana means beautiful flower, in Swahili" she said. A little small talk and she was off to see her friend, I was invited but didn't join her immediately. A white man who was obviously a regular took her place at the bar. I commented on his shirt. I didn't find him very interesting so I went to join my beautiful flower. "You remembered" she said but really how could I forget? Chi Chi, Ayana, and I talked for a long time about all manner of things before it was time for bed. I joked about her taking my heart and she offered her number in exchange. I asked her who else I could possibly talk to after such a great conversation? She pointed around and we made fun of the hipsters and various other rich white kids who had mysteriously appeared at the bar. Apparently a bus from Bushwick (the trendy neighborhood) drops them off. She finally decided that I should talk to 2 kinda rednecky kids. When she left I introduced myself. They were slightly interesting in the fact that they didn't fit in but they were conversationally challenged. When a group of girls started an arm wrestling match and the guys were making fun of the dikes I thought it would be a good time to try out my new line. "I came to offer moral support, but my morals are questionable" I told the loser. No response, not even a look my way. Hmmm... I went back to the guys who explained that they really were lesbos. A few minutes later there was only one girl at the table and she was looking at me. I went back to talk to her. She had a very shy but beautiful face. I offered her my hand with an introduction and noticed that her hand had only 3 fingers on it. The other hand looked almost like a foot. "That's interesting" I inquired in the most accepting voice I have. It was a birth defect that took surgery to get it to the functionality that she had, and they were very functional. She was a bike mechanic by trade and fancied herself an artist. When her friends came back they tried to ignore me but we talked long enough that they introduced themselves just before declaring that it was time to go. There was no one left in the bar that looked that interesting and/or available for conversation so I decided to head home. At my transfer I saw two gorgeous women. The way they moved betrayed them as dancers. I asked and they were. The train was taking a while so we got talking. Katrina was headed to Northampton in a week so when I told her I lived there she was extra happy to meet me. The train came and I got on behind the girls. The five men in the train stopped talking and stared at her as she walked in. I sat across from her and smiled inside. When she handed me her contact information the guys looked at me with envy and I half nodded at them in a gesture of high status. Katrina and I tried talking across the isles but the trains was to noisy so I moved next to her. At first the kid who was to my left didn't move to give me space but eventually he conceded. I got home feeling like a million bucks, chatted with Shaun and Rangie for a few before going to bed.

The boroughs

Saturday morning I gathered my belongings and hopped on the train towards The Bronx. I had the great idea that I could hitch I-95 north into Connecticut. Well so much for that. I stood by a gas station for a few hours without any sign of hospitality. I would say that there was an air of complete ambivalence to my presence. A more intelligent individual may have given up and taken public transportation... but not me. There is something in the uncertainty of hitch hiking that I have always enjoyed. What was coming was an certainly unexpected and made for an unforgettable day. I got a good feeling from a man who drove into the gas station. Without thinking I grabbed my bags and headed over to his car. "Where you headed?" I asked. "Into the city, why, where you going?" He said. Anthony was his name and he offered to take me one exit north of the city so I could more easily catch a ride. Some how he managed to get lost immediately. We drove around for a spell looking for the interstate and upon finding it we where quickly off again. I'm thinking he's an idiot so I start directing him. Under my direction we were soon on I-95 north. I payed close attention to the road signs to make sure we ended up where we were going but the road was oddly marked. For many miles there where I-95 signs that did not indicate direction then the next thing I know I see I-95 south to New Jersey. That means we drove through the city the wrong direction and were coming out the ass end. Boy was I pissed. I had put $5 into his tank and payed a toll to go the wrong direction. He sincerely apologized and offered to take me back to the city or drop me off. He was going to a BBQ and was already going to be late for taking so long. I decided just to go back to Brooklyn. Anthony asked if I would mind rolling by his buddies house so he could show him a real hitch hiker. He had been in the city for his whole life and had never seen one. When I say his whole life I am not joking, he had only left NYC once, about a month ago, to meet a woman he met over the Internet. We ended up driving around Queens for hours. After maybe 30 minutes he mentioned that everybody we passed would think that I was either an undercover cop or buying drugs. Then we stopped to meet another friend to buy some smoking tobacco. I told him stories about the rest of the states and Thailand and he told me about queens. I said my goodbyes around sunset at a subway stop in northern queens. Somehow I spent the next four hours on the subway totally lost. I would get directions and then promptly forget them again and again. Eventually I met a man who made it his personal mission in life to make sure I knew how to get home. He told me and told me again, quizzed me and then corrected me. He gave up on me remembering the whole thing and so told me "When you get off cross over and then remember west fourth" from there I would be close and could get more direction. He told me one more time when I got off and a girl that I had talked to earlier was also doing the same route so she told me to follow her. She was cute, I was lost. What could be better? When we got on the next train 5 totally thugy looking characters jumped up and and rearranged themselves so that I could put my bags down and sit down next to my new friend. I thanked them and asked where 4 west was. They got a kick out of that. They spoke in a slang that I could understand but can not remember or replicate. One said he was going to start calling the exit 4 west... I did not see the humor in it myself but could appreciate their friendliness. I made small talk to demonstrate my liking towards them and hopped of at my exit. I don't remember the rest of the trip home well. There was allot of going back and forth on the same train because I spaced out and miss my exit more then twice.

I woke up Sunday morning with a sense of vigor and renewed excitement. I ate some leftovers and did some dishes before going out. Jason recommended that I explore in and around Union Square park. Walking around the park was so intriguing. I wanted to sit and write about the passerbyers. I had met so many interesting people and heard their stories. I wondered who these people where and what there lives were like but at that moment I thought it would be really fun to make up stories about them. I thought about it for a while before going to the grass to do some stretching. I had been noticing my body tensing in allot of places that where not normal to me. I try to always pay attention to my body, breath and mind but when I stretch or sit still it is much easier to notice the little details. The body and the mind are connected of course so I was really interested in these new tensions. What did they mean? There in Union Square with a hundred people within eyesight I sat down and became still and noticed how afraid I was. Fear has never been one of the predominate emotions of my life. I was very surprised that it was such a powerful factor yet subtle and laying under the surface of my everyday mind. After stretching for a while some of the fear had gone. I thought it would be a good idea to meditate on the fear. Some of my other emotions, such as anger, I have spent allot of time studying. I can watch most levels of anger arise and fall within myself and others without disturbing my awareness, and for the most part I can control my anger. I act angry when it is useful and let it pass with out acting when it is not useful. I closed my eyes and became still, watched my fear, and then opened my eyes and got up. I was not ready for that. I took a walk south on Broadway and turned to find a very fancy looking yoga studio. Ishta Yoga had a very nice look to it and I talked with the guy at the counter for an hour or so about all manner of things yogic. You could have called it yoga small talk. He was well studied and had what seemed to be a well formed attitude towards tradition and practice. Next I took a walk to East West Books. There were a couple who were evidently just married out side taking a picture with the angel that was hired by the bookstore to hand out lemonade. It was more then a little strange. I went inside to the sound of Krishna Das and smiling faces. It felt so homey and good but at the same time it was almost to good. I walked in and immediately someone asked me if I was one of the yoga teachers. I talked to him for a minute or so but he was on the way to the bathroom. I asked for a cup of water at the cafe and was surprised with the closed off attitude of the man working there. My first response, which I didn't act on, was disgust. Then I realized that he is probably a local that is probably fairly cool and is either new to yoga or doesn't practice. On top of that he is probably not being paid to well considering the high prices and extravagant lifestyles of New York. Then, to make matters worse I am guessing that most of his customers are tourists and rich people. After I imagined all of the delusions he may have running around in his head I smiled at him and thanked him. I worked in customer service only a year ago so I can easily relate to those particular delusions. Then the man I had been talking to found me and offered me his business card. Everything was just a little to perfect for me at the time and I had to go. I practically ran out the door, still feeling joyful and light. I was starting to understand the subtlety and permanence of fear.
I went home to cook dinner for Broke and Domer. I was very happy to see Domer outside of the party and get to know him a little better. After dinner we watched The Life Aquatic. It was a great movie. Then I went to sleep which is what I am going to do right now.

NYC

One week ago today I arrived in NYC with Jordan. I got off at the Avenue of the Americas and 51st while Jordan goes to his convention. Walking north I ran into Central Park. If you have not been there you can not understand how it is. It is huge and it's in the middle of Manhattan, which is huge. Size takes on whole new proportions in NY. It's not a matter of width, not a matter of square footage. It's a matter of depth, but not your regular three dimensional kind. I will talk about it more as I explore NYC, for now let's just say it's a matter of complexity. I walked for hours and hours and still did not explore all of the park. I did have the pleasure to meet a few street performers though. The first was an older Russian gentleman named Boris. He was playing his saxophone by the pond on the south end. We talked for a while, about NY and Moscow mostly. He had a regular job, he was a regular dude, but on his day off he liked to play at the park to pick up a few extra dollars. He was really pretty good and set a nice atmosphere. The next performers were a two Japanese tap dancers. They were very good, I sat spellbound for long enough that I decided to throw them some cash. Then I sat around until they where done. The older of the 2 did all the talking. She was 28 and had been studying for 3 years. The younger of the two was apparently famous in Japan at only 18. English was rough and we ran out of things to talk about before to long. It was time for lunch. I saw a woman with a whole foods bag so I asked her where the store was. She recoiled as if I was threatening her with a baseball bat or something. "It's... over there... I think?" I almost asked if she had to think hard about that, maybe the blond die in her hair ruined her memory? Whatever. I wandered whole foods for a while and picked up some food at the hot bar. I forgot how expensive the stuff is when your not getting 20% off. I sat down to eat across from a book wormish looking girl and said "Hi" she responded with caution. After spilling some food on myself I asked for a napkin... Then I apologized for eating my dessert first when all she was eating was a salad. I finally broke down her barriers with a question about her book. We ended up talking for a while, just chit chat, it was quite pleasant. I wandered the Time Warner building for a while, it was impressive. On the to floor there was an art gallery, the art that was showing was less then spectacular but the space itself seemed to be quite special. Finding my way to Broadway brought me by a thick crowd barricaded away from a building with cops and a few other people out front. I thought it might have been a murder or something but it turned out to be some movie stars I had never heard of. Walking away I heard someone say "I can't believe I just saw and that's so cool." I don't get it. At this point I got lost. -cut to dinner- After walking around with Jordan for an hour or so we settled into a little coffee shop for a few. There was an acting/production crew having a meeting there and while Jordan used the Internet I eaves dropped. It was pretty cool, I just discovered my new hobby. Later I would find myself walking ahead of a group just within earshot for long stints. Maybe it's wrong, but it was interesting. Finally we found a good Vietnamese restaurant. A woman across the way had just gotten back from Thailand. She had only gone to the touristic spots in Bangkok and south. She had allot of gripes about Thailand. Reminded me of a man I met going to Doi Sutep. He said he had not been impressed with anything he had seen in Thailand. When I asked him he had not been any place that would take any personal effort. I didn't want to sunshine on his rainy parade so I just kept my mouth shut. And again on that fateful Thursday in the restaurant I didn't say anything. Mostly because it would be an admission that I was eaves dropping.
Jordan was leaving after dinner, I was staying. I know I play Mr. Tuff Guy. Mr. I'm not afraid of anything. Yeah, ummm... NYC at 10pm with 2 big bags and no place to stay. I was a little hesitant. I asked Jordan to drop me off in a "good spot" and when we found a skater park I hopped out. A quick goodbye later and I was alone, with over a million people around. I walked up to the skaters and asked where I could go to find some friends. I was directed to the lower east side, and if I wanted to wait for his friends Rocky would walk me there. Walking past Union Square Rocky decided that I could meet people there and if I didn't I could crash at his place. But he was busy for a few hours. Rocky was on his way, he was getting shit done. He wants to make a movie about 3 guys who drive to Miami to get a girl back. On the way they get totally distracted by this and that and have a wild and crazy time. I did my part and filled in some gaps of what you can do on the east coast headed towards Miami. Rocky of course had never been south of DC.
I met two nice guys in Union Square. Not much to note I guess. One of them worked for myspace and when Broke called they showed me how to use the subway.


Chapter 2: NO SLEEP TILL... BROOKLYN!

I managed to get to Brooklyn just in time to pass out on a couch. I woke up to a new and exciting life. Every good party house has a name. I was staying at Asterik. I didn't know this until the next (Friday) night. There was going to be a party and my job was to feed the roommates before it started. It was around 8pm when someone was at the door asking if I knew where Asterik was. "Nope". Luckily for them I asked Broke where it was and ran down to catch them before they took off. After the light and sound guys the artist came to hang their pieces. I clicked with them immediately. I offered them food and they gave me a painting. They actually gave me the one I would have chosen for myself. I didn't think food was enough so I also offered to help Tomas with his break dancing injury. I showed him some stretches and some TYT. He was very grateful. The party kicked off. Great music, great people. I was thinking I was only going to be there for the night so I was watching more then interacting. At the end of the night there was a little drama with Rangie. He had fooled around with the girl that Broke had just met and wanted Broke to back off. He was using pretty juvenile tactics to manipulate his friends and although it's really not my job, as a favor to Broke I decided to run interference.
Step one: understanding the situation.
Easy enough. Broke was the host of the party (status) with more refined social skills and a confidence level that rivals my own. Laura was young and attractive and looking for a good time. Obviously Rangie was jealous.
Step two: building rapport and or dive

rting attention
I calmly introduce myself as if I have no stake in the situation. Simultaneously diverting away from Broke and towards me. Rangie was focused and back on target. He informs me of the situation from his point of view. (which I already knew from eaves dropping) I told him what I thought about the situation. Didn't help a bit. I stuck around and guided him away from Broke until he was safely in his room. At this point I realized I couldn't ease Rangies mind and I went to lay down.
Step three: A threat.
Incidentally my couch was right outside of Broke's room. Laura came out to use the restroom. She lingered and asked if there was another bathroom. Nope, she had to go through. I figured that she's a big girl and can take care of herself. But when I heard a crash in the other room I had to get involved again. I don't know why she didn't just walk on by, but instead she was allowing Rangie to bully her around. I walked up and physically got in between them and she backed away but didn't leave the room. I backed off hoping the situation would resolve and noticed Broke coming. It was almost over and I didn't want everything to start again so I told him to wait. Then Rangie made a move toward her and I put on a mean face. "you don't need to get nervous" he said. I wasn't nervous "I'm not, I'm warning you." "Oh, OK" Then I directed Lauren out of the room s I could finally get some sleep. Unfortunately I had to extract myself from the situation skillfully which took a while.
By the end of it I had gotten to know Rangie and Shaun pretty well, I had helped Broke not have to deal with the sillyness and I had gained the respect of everyone left at the party, including Rangie. I couldn't have more pleased with myself. Since I am not going to finish the rest of the week now I will say that Rangie is a really nice guy. He was just drunk and feeling sorry for himself, nothing he did was intentionally violent or a display of ill intentions. And I would like to bring it to attention that almost everyone has been on his side of the story. For lack of alcohol or whatever some of us may not have been so open and clumsy with it. But we have all gotten jealous and we have all made asses of our selves. Right?

DC, Delaware, Philly, and NYC!

After a nice hike with Rob, Jack, Riley, Nevada, and Blue in Monongahela National Forest I took a ride to our great nations capital. The ride was nice, all of Jack's friends are really good people and we had alot to talk about. The Man is putting Rob up in a nice little hotel near Dupont Circle. In the morning I shit, showerd, and shaved, needing to look my best for my hitch hike to Newark Delaware. I headed downstairs and asked the way to I-95. The woman at the desk was compleatly befuddled. A man gave me a map and explained where I was, where I was going and how long it would take. I was walking? "No, look's like I can get a ride here at the circle." I said "Thank You". They were stuned. I walked out with 2 backpacks. One hanging off my front, one off my back. When I arrived at Dupont Circle I saw 2 cute girls who looked like my kind of people. I asked them how to get to I-95 and they explained how to use public transport to get there but since Maire lived right where I was going so she decided to take me there. The girls were a riot. Marie was a hopeless driver. She spent half of the time proud that she stumbled into the right place and the other half was divided between criticizing other drivers and wondering where she was. There was something endearing about the way she drove, maybe it was just her voice. She never shut up. When we arrived at a gas station an exit out of town we exchanged contact information and I gave Maire the kiss I lost in a bet.

I was only at the gas station about 5 minutes when I nice kid with the look of a traveler walked by and I asked him where he was going. "Your not crazy are you" he asked. "Probably, but not dangerous" I answered. He was going to Philidalphia and so he could take me all the way to Newark Delaware where I could meet up with Jordan. Willy was a traveling musician. His goal was to play in every continental state and had already played in most of them. He was from California and everywhere he went people told him how "ballsy" he was. He was impressed that I was hitchhiking and thought that that was much more ballsy. I explained to him how I would look for people with a certein look in their eyes and then I would ask them for a ride. My traveling is all about finding people with open minds and going from there. I think he appreiciated my outlook and was happy he gave me a ride. I offed to pay for all the tolls but he split them with me. I wish I could remember more details about him, like how long he had been out for and how old he was (26?) but it seems like a life time ago now. Time is funny.

Jordan and I know eachother from the Himalayan Institute. We both arrived in July together and lived in the Mens dorm for a month. At the time it stuck me how much like I used to be Jordan was then. An interesting thing to note now is that I was suppressing all of my Jordan like characteristics at the time. Now we are much more similar then we were then.
Jordan actualy arrived the day before I did. That is to say that he was moving in to this new house. Ironicly I helped him arrange his furniture and assemble his grill. It was as if my moving karma had followed me from moms to pick up where I left off. Mom didn't have bear and deer heads to hang on the wall so unpacking with her would not have been as much fun.
The next morning Jordan and I drove to Philly. Jordan is starting a bussness and was attending a venture capatilist workshop. I was along for the ride. The first stop was off Market Street. I walked around for hours and watched people before coming upon a guided tour. A local high school class was being dragged around and talked at about some stupid shit they don't care about, but for me it was a free tour about our fascinating history. I was a little disapointed in the state of our education when this class of seniors didn't know what a sentry post was. I didn't get to far along when Jordan called me for lunch. On the menu for the day was the famous Philly Cheese Steak! The guy in front of me ordered a "Philly Cheese Steak". The cook mustered up the haughtiest voice he could mannage and said "what kind?" The guy was stumped, he fumbled on through. Obviously a looser. I walk up and said "wiz with" and stood there trying to look cool although I was totally confused. That was it! I did it! So let me tell you of the glory that is a Philly Cheese Steak. First you need an over sized hot dog bun that is made of no less then 30% cardboard and is at least 3 days past it's expiration a can of cheese wiz and some "steak". I don't really know what the steak or the cheese wiz is made of but I am guessing it is not all cow or milk. Chopping up the steak on the grill into fine pieces with a blunt long bladed spatula made me think the steak might have been made of rubber. Not the fake plasitc rubber they use now a day, I think these guys were spending a pretty penny on the real stuff. Sliding the meat gracefully into the bun and slapping some wiz on top and wala! It was a culinary experience unlike any other.
For the rest of the day I walked around on and around South St. One of the most striking features was the abundance of sex shops. They weren't your ordinary sketchy sex shops though they where actually impressively classy. I got a personal tour of "advanced" S&M department of one of the shops. Some of it was a little to far out there for me, but I definitely want to learn more about kinky sex. For educational purposes only of course. Also of note was the magic garden, and more seriously the tomb of the unknown solider in washington square park. The American dream is so beautiful. I am struck by what we used to stand for and think it's a shame how far from our ideals we have strayed.
After another night in Delaware Jordan and I took a ride to NYC. Another venture capital seminar. This time Jordan was going to be presenting a sales pitch. It was only 2 minutes so he didn't really prepare for it. I tried to help him by typing what he was saying but I was feeling nauseous for some reason and couldn't look at the computer. I started driving so that he could use the computer in New Jersey. I talked to the man who filled our tank, he was very nice but totally buys all of the American propaganda about the middle east. I wonder how much education he has? Anyway, leaving Jersey coming into New York across the Lincoln tunnel was a very stressful event for me. Rather then trying to explain the mess you can look at this overhead of the situation. I had a semi on one side and a mean looking lady in a minivan on the other. Jordan is screaming "Don't hit the semi" when the lady in the mini van merged into me. My mirror folded in but there was no damage. I continued through NYC until we were a block away. At that point we did a Chinese fire drill and Jordan found a place to park.
It feels like a lifetime has passed since then, to much has happened here to hope to write down a fraction of it and to start would be overwhelming at this point. So, until next time. But don't worry it has been good!

Trouble

I got some confused replies to my last post.   The post was sort of an inside joke for my Mom, Jack and a few of their friends.    All of Jacks friends are awesome, interesting, vibrant people.    The whole moving experience was good but at the same time it was endlessly fraught with pending disaster.   The first major issue was that the house didn't close, an issue with repercussions that could adversliy effect 5 families.    If Mom is not going to have the money to buy her house those buyers wouldn't have to buy their home from other people who also want to buy a new home.   The 5th family is Jack's.   Jack is playing dutch boy and puting his finger in the dyke.   He stepped in, put down a payment and is getting a loan to buy the house himself.   This is slightly risky on his part and a large pain in the butt, but everyone gets what they need.   

I became aware of the second almost disaster when I was jared awake on I-70 just outside of Denver.   A trucker was swerving all over the road and when Jack tried to pass him he started to merge into our lane.   I woke up a blaring horn to see the guy go from inches away from hitting us to almost runing off the interstate on the other side of the road.   I am sure there was an accident behind us and amazed that Jack didn't hit the wall to our right when he dodged the truck.   We were alone on the road for the next hour or so.

The next almost disaster could not easily have been a disaster.   But to continue on a theme...   Merrin and I had the job of taking the truck back while Jack entertained his buddy who was visiting.   It was an easy task.   We were to drive strait up the interstate an hour and a half to Morgantown WV, drop off the truck and drive back.   Jack is a traditional paper kinda guy and tried to give Merrin a map to the drop off and Merrin insisted that she would use Betty her GPS unit and everything would be fine...   When we were leaving Merrin tried to give Betty to me.   No no no no...   Every time I touch that thing I have become frusterated.   She was leading I was following.   First step is my fault.   The truck shakes violently as I mentioned before and I wanted to speed up to 65, the speed that had the least shaking.   So I sped up and got in front of her expecting that she would pass.   She didn't.   I tried to call her but we were in a dead zone.   Eventually I did get a hold of her.   Problem was that it was right past our turn, it wasn't really a problem though, we just turned around and continued along.   But it was set the tone for the rest of the trip.   It wasn't much later when we turned off a highway on to a road that was headed straight up a mountain.   I called Merrin 5 times to ask where we where before this and by this point I just pulled over.   We had taken a wrong turn and betty was just trying to get us back on track.   To turn around I had to go another mile on this windy little road to a church parking lot and then wind back down the mountain.   Did I mention it was raining.   I noticed an interesting thing about my mind at this point.   I tend to get a little grumpy when things are inconvenient or slightly uncomfortable, but as soon as things get to the level of pain in the ass I become happy again.   At this point I could see the humor in the situation.   Next turn around was when we approached a tunnel marked "No Trucks".   Shit, now we have to go around this mountain!   And where in god's green earth are we?  Why are all the people dressed like freaks?   Apparently we were driving our big yellow truck through a civil war reenactment.   We had to ask a few people for directions and everyone was very nice.   Then there was a bridge that was to narrow for me and a car so I had to wait till it emptied to cross.   Then a switchback turn at a stoplight... I had to do a 3 point turn in the middle of the intersection.   After that it was Ok, just winding roads and steep hills...   All and all the trip took about twice as long as it should have.   Damn technology.   

It was actually a really good experience for Merrin and I though.   It gave us an opportunity to get aggravated but not take it out on each other.   That's a big step.   I am very good at keeping my shit to myself with friends but with family all of my old habits arise and I turn can into a jerk.

Elkins, WV

Being comprised of only three sq. miles and with a total population of just over 7,000 people Elkins WV is what you would rightly call a small town. The weather is pleasant, if not a little wet, and the land is fertile. With the exception of the highway running through town the streets are nearly always empty and the neighborhood park is nearly always full. Walking downtown you will find a few bars, and diners, barbers, arts and craft stores. The locals evidently have a passion for reading, especially the bible. There are two small book stores downtown, one of course is dedicated to Christian reading. The other, though somewhat lacking in footage is densely packed with the essentials of literature, classical and modern.

My visit to the library with my niece and nephew could tell many tales. I have got it into my mind to read "The Princess Bride". Almost 6 months ago I was at a Big E's open mic when I heard an excerpt read aloud. It was so artfully done that I vowed to read the entire book out loud my self. Walking into the Elkins Library I found a computer to look up "The Princess Bride". They only had the movie. Looking around I decided that I could look at each book individually without much time spent and was set upon that task. I didn't get past 001.47 when Riley found "Guinness Book Of World Records". After a few minutes I asked Nevada to ask the pretty girl trying to study if we were being to loud. We were not of course but it was an excuse to direct her attention towards me and make eye contact. After Nevada's friends came and distracted the kids I browsed the shelves. I am sure they had every bible ever printed and the Christian section made up about half of the wall. Before I had made it out I was close enough to start an off hand conversation with Lizzy. Christy came in to grab the kid's for soccer practice right when I was getting to The Big Question. "Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal lord and savior?" I asked. "With that we will be leaving" Kristy said. "umm... uhh..." stumbled Lizzy. She was living just out of town studying marmots and was in town using the internet. I don't know the first thing about marmots so I asked her where she was from. "I just drove through Indiana a few days ago" I said "the whole place kinda smells." "It's know for agriculture I guess". I guess. She invited me to hang out some time. Her and her friends entertain themselves with movie marathons, beer and bon fires.
When I got home Christy seemed so excited to tell Jack her end of the story. "I found Daniel and the kids in the library. Somehow he had found the only beautiful girl in Elkins. Guess what he said right when I arrived!" "You have to get these things right out into the open in a small town like this" I defended myself.
Lunch today brought Jack, Christy, and I to the Kistle Stop. A small coffee and sandwich shop. Mom's house not closing was the topic of conversation. We don't know exactly what this will mean but it may be a big hassle for many people. Three young kids walked in. Their attire lay on an interesting crossroads between California and WV. I couldn't help but to look at the short shorts and low top, the body underneath was well formed and trim. The look tried to speak to Miami or LA, but I think it said something about a trailer instead.   

I wonder if it makes me a jerk that I say things like that?   I wonder if people are just way to serious about everything.   I make fun of everything.  Of course when dealing with a retard I am not going to make fun of him to him (usually) but to my friends I will probably slap myself and make funny noises...   I guess I don't make fun of people, I make fun of stereotypes.   Like the snotty french, dumb americans, trailer trash, rich kids, hippies, new agers, buddhists, christians, scholars, and politicians.   I think stereotypes are important human constructs but if I don't constantly make fun of them I might take them seriously.   God forbid.

Really when it comes down to it I quite liked Elkins.   The atmosphere was comfortable and unassuming.   The contrast between what I have seen of West Virginia and the stereotype is striking.   In the little town of Thomas I saw two things that kinda blew me away.   The first was a billboard about world prayer that featured pictures of hindus, buddhist, jewish, christian, muslims all praying.   The second sign of radical progressiveness was the "karma soup" in the Purple Fiddle.   There is a sign that say's that if your hungry and have no money you should discreetly ask for the karma soup and you will be provided with a meal at no cost.   "That's the kind of world I want to live in" said Rob, Jacks good friend.

Rob is a west coaster who is living in DC trying to straighten out the politics of the BLM (Bureau of Land Management).   He is a large sort of lumbering looking guy.   Maybe he isn't lumbering, but when he is talking about the 10 years he lived in Japan and making fun of americans he does a great lumber.   Jack, Rob and I spend most of our conversations examining the american culture and comparing it to other places.   I have developed  a great appreciation for americanism since coming back from Thailand.   I swing between great hope for the future and complete despair.   One of the great questions of my future will be where I will raise my children.   I am so afraid of what could happen in the US if the government got a wild hair up there ass and I am so saddened by mainstream consumer culture.   Seeing the interdependence of the dense web of fear, ignorance, production, consumerism, comfort seeking, bureaucracy, corporate lobbying, ect.   How could thing's possibly improve without starting over?   Maybe I will go to asia and breed into their culture?   I think they have more winning strategies for a dense interconnected world.   At the same time I love the American cult of the personality, the optimism, the opportunism.

Now I am in Washington DC, apropriatly enough.   I like the city, but I will probably only be here for the night.

A long haul.

The Sandy Kid was standing in front of the Big Apple Saloon six shooter in hand. All of a sudden Bill and Judy turn the corner laughing hysterically giving the running joke enough of a diversion to allow Josh and Emily to leave the cat castle unnoticed! The Sandy Kid not being prone to unnecessary violence, or work, was running low on cash. He stopped in the H street house hoping to find a card game, but the house was empty. Feeling on edge again he walked to the the back to find Judy trying to haul away with some old bricks! This Judy charicter was becoming a regular around these parts and always seemed to up to some mischief! Mary Frances, the houses owner was apparently skipping town... What kind of trouble had she gotten into? There was a rumor around the dinner table that Silvia and Mary Frances were at the prison when an escape was attempted, and her two sons, regular hired hands, were in town to help her get out. What exactly was going on here? The whole thing seemed to be obscured by a constant stream of laughter. Obscured in deed as the jokes all seemed to have their roots in the distant past, before I had arrived on the scene. And who are Skeet and Liz? Just two more no account jokers, it seems. Tension was building, that's for sure. The hired hands were getting restless and seemed ready to drive off into the sunrise any morning now. First there had to be a climax... It was a deal gone bad, the buyers didn't bring there money to the table, said something about a prospector in California, they would make good on the deal come Tuesday they said. Luckily for them the One Eyed Jack was drinking with his buddies. Mom decided not to call him in. If the deal doesn't close on Tuesday there will be words, hopefully just words. It was Friday morning when Jack and The Kid rode out of town, a whole truck full of lute at their backs. It was going to be a rough ride, and long.
Each tank of gas brought the brothers 4 hours closer to their final destination. Out through the Nevada desert and into Utah. Long stretches of nothing but sand and road. They were tumble weeding along I-70 through the most beautiful roads in the country.
Driving late through Colorado and into Kansas. It was around 3am when they finally tuckered out. The Sandy Kid wanted to stop in Kanorodo but Captain Jack wouldn't settle for any less then a 2 star motel. They almost had out in a gun fight, Kid was worried that if they made them selves to visible the long arm might catch up with them. They finally decided on the Holiday Inn Express in Goodland. Being superstitious folk they decided that the express would help them get out in a hurry if trouble started, but what trouble could happen in a place like Goodland. After six hours of sleep they in an elevator headed south. The woman with the fishing pole was probably drinking the night before and a few quick jokes from Kid had everyone was laughing. A quick breakfast later they were back in the truck. Through Topeka and into Indianapolis, named after the native indian apples of course. Seeing a race car bumper sticker Jack and Kid laughed at the silliness of the sport. "Imagine sitting around in the hot sun watching people turn left all day." "Oh no, he has to stop to change a tire! That's really going to put him behind." The sweetness of their laughter turned sour when they tried to bunker down for the night. "It's the eve of the Indie 500." the man said. Though he was short, fat and walked with a limp he had kind eyes. "No rooms for 30 miles!" he exclaimed. After two hours of driving and 2 hotels later The Kid decided he would drive through the night. When the sun rose Jack took to driving. A few hours later; "This Godforsaken' Shakin! We have to pull over!" Jack exclaimed. The truck shakes violently if you try to drive 45-70 miles an hour you see... There was a governor that wouldn't allow for speeds above 70, but who knows, it might of stopped shaking if they went faster. E=MC2 and shaking dies down as a vehicle approaches the speed of light, right? Around mid day they entered into a peculiar land, a land that is round on the ends and hi in the middle.
Jack dropped off the Kid on the side of the road near where their axillary vehicle was parked. 3D Jack said. 3G The Kid heard... After a long wary trek through the airport parking The Kid called in Jack for his expert tracking skills... The Van was eventually found in 9G. That proves that you never can trust a van to stay where you leave it! The two split up for some time to obscure their tracks and reconvened for lunch at Cheddars. The Kid fought with all the restraint he could muster, but he made a few cheesy jokes before lunch was over. I could tell you what happened just before they got home to Elkins West Virginia but I would have to kill you.