It took me a little over 3 days to actually go from unpacked to everything in my truck, ready to roll. Photo equipment, a heavy box of vinyl ( maybe i will actually get some use out of my collection? That'd be great, Todd. thanks. - ed. ) a few turntables, a couple of congas a large bag of the clothes shoes and shit I wear and think I need to have with me and really, not much else. The weather in CT was cold but bright and sunny. A perfect day to hit the road for a 500 mile trek to Raliegh, NC. Or maybe it would be Charlotte. I have good friends that are family to me in both. And one was 100 miles further than the other... So as I am likely to do sometimes, instead of stress it and decide now, why not put it off and decide once I hit the road, and that is what I did. good thing too as it turns out. also, its a great thing I have good friends who still love me through my last minuteness and make me glorified wheat eggos in the morning :) .
It turns out... there actually WAS a blizzard there. And as I drove south I was getting deeper and deeper into the zone that was hit hard by the storm and boy, was it ever. I kid you not when I say that for about 15 miles or so near DC on my trip I was driving on I-95 S on a 2 inch thick layer of ice. With kind locals with cars they seem to think can drive 65 on ice weaving about. Lovely. Truth is, as some of you know, I like to use my maps on my phone to sneak a peek at the traffic from time to time and when I looked that eve as night fall was setting in, there was some serious red road area coming up ahead - miles and miles of a backup it seemed. Armed with my secret knowledge, I decided I would take a 'sideroad' and that would be a not great idea, but hey, it worked out okay, I kept moving ( at 15 miles per hour on ice and snow ) and lo and behold after 3 hours (shouldve taken me 50 minutes) I got off the icy roads.
By then I had already made up my mind that I was not going to be going to Charlotte to see my high school friend Henrik and his fiance and my friend Katie but rather go to my buddy Ian's in Raleigh, NC. for the night. I will admit it IS nice to have choice of sleeping arrangements in North Cackalack. And anywhere else, really...
As it got later, I needed to stop for gas. As I walked inside there was a room full of truckers watching the big game, and I just had to snap a shot. Always a potentially awkward proposiiton asking a room full of 30+ strangers, let alone road weary truckers, to take a photo. Somehow I manage to push through that, step forward with a bit of confidence, and take my shot. And off to Raleigh i go, continuing to flip around the radio and catching a bit of the game from time to time. Definately felt like a little 1965 driving in my car listening to the game type of situation. Auditory throwback if you will.
I rolled into the frozen sleeping NC town and was greeted by a sleepy old buddy in his peejays. IAN! A good friend who lived with me in Brookyln for a few years and started up the band Vaeda in the studio in my old apartment years ago. Vaeda is the band where I got started tour managing in 2005. We have had some GREAT times together on all corners of this great nation - truly an amazing friend. Definately helped me get caught on my current 'seeing the country' lifestyle.
We shot the shit about life and dogs and silly times and shared friends and I passed out in a comfy bed with two cats resting outside my door keeping me safe.
I woke up ready to keep on rolling. I wish it was a little warmer out. Something about this country is just so sleepy when it's colder out. People just stay indoors so much more. In a way I wish that I was making this drive when it was warmer, but something tells me that i will be driving back across at some point soon - looking into spending my summer on the east coast working playing living.
Got up, had some nice waffles, shared some laughs, had an enlightening convo about conspiracies and off I go. I actually am not so sure of where I might be sleeping this next night. I do know that I am headed towards Dallas, Texas. And that I have 1200 miles to go before I get there - so I will need to sleep somewhere in between tonight. 300 miles to Atlanta, perhaps to crash with some friends there?
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