The obligatory photo of myself.

50 days left

I just realised that I'm leaving the country in a little over a month, and I have no pants!
Perhaps I should repharase that, as I'm heading to England, where they'll think I have no underwear. All I know is, for some reason when I was packing to drive to NY I thought that I would never need pants again and threw them all away. I'm hoping it's because they were all too big, and not because my brain was rotting away...

I've been doing a lot of thinking the past few days. Yes, I know it looks like sleeping to all of you outside my head, but I assure you if I'm sleeping it's because I'm trying not to think. I talked to Leslie about this (Leslie, not Leslee) and it's just mindboggling to me how incredibly my friends are growing up. Yes, all both of them. They have retained all the essential them-ness and developed to be so interesting. Here I thought I've changed so much, and then I see them and I begin to worry that I haven't changed as much for the better as I had thought.
That's enough philosophizing for now; I've got to count sweaters. More later, oh unread silly blog of the ages.

Sunday

I drove down to Balmer, hon. I watched some very loud people scream for a while, then went outside to cool off. Then Kecak came on and my night became great. I love it when bands are better in person than they are in recordings, and Compliance and Liability is a damn good album. (www.geocities.com/wearekecak)


There are a few more photos than these. Email me if you want to see more.

A subtle hint from Mike that it's time to be on my way.

No, I wasn't on herion for this shot.

Which are better: the cool but blurry photos, or the stark scary red-eye ones?

What these guys don't know is that while they're petting Mike's very sweaty head they're being hog-tied by Seb, heheheh.

A pre-show basement. Sweat, anyone?

Beth has apparently hit the "smarm" button concealed in makfak's left shoulder. I'm not sure how cocky he'll look when he realises what a heavy sleeper he is...

Yes, it's blurry but it's a cool photo.

A gratuitus blurry photo.

Jeannie (Jeanie? I forgot how to spell it, sorry) and Beth looking way cool among the light refracting off their cigarette smoke.

Jeanie and Beth being cool without smoke-reflections.

Balmoran alley.

Can you spot my car in Balmer?

A thingie, Balmoran style.

This is the last picture I took of the trip. It got too dark after this. I think this is still in Ohio. After this I finished Ohio, went across PA and NJ, then hit L.I. I hit the first bad weather of the trip going over the Poconos. It was pitch black and I couldn't really tell where I was going. By the time I got to NJ I was hitting myself to stay awake, but hey, it worked. It was a six day trip, 847 miles (according to Mapquest) the last day, from Joliet, IL to East Northport, NY.

An ominous sign. I had great weather for the whole trip until now.

NYC is on the radar.

Maybe this is the Mississippi. I don't think so. Who cares? It's a river, ooh.

So much to DISCOVER! *squeal*

Heading back into familiar territory, the outskirts of Illinois.

Hmmm...this looks like Nebraska. Or is it Iowa? Ohio? Nope, it's Illinois.

Welcome to Ohio.

At some point I crossed into Indiana, but there was no sign up because of construction.

The last day.

Welcome to Iowa.

A big something.

Nowhere is kinda pretty.

Welcome to Illinois. Please give us your money and then leave.

Where does all this "land" stuff come from?I saw it all across the country: Nebraskaland, Chicagoland, etc. People are weird.

Possibly the Mississippi, but I've waited so long to post these I don't remember anymore.

I WAS nowhere.

This is supposedly the biggest rest stop on 80. It was pretty big, but the lines were very long everywhere inside.

I have no clue what this thing is, but not bad for a view from a gas station.

Traffic?! You mean there are other people in Nebraska?!

Nowhere.

Welcome to Nebraska.

Ah, the lovely soft beaches of long island.

The dolphins, empty of ferries for the moment.

Even the air here is dripping wet.

Yup, it was a crowded beach.

Some sort of island. Gradiner's? Plum? Me not know.

The ferries coming in and out.

A light house at Orient point, LI

An interesting take on a house in the suburbs with a white picket fence.

Branson holds the shirt he is purchasing, while saying "Wisconsin." This picture says "Wisconsin," in his voice, but I haven't figured out how to make it play anywhere else yet.

Went for Korean dumpings with Leslie and Branson (here they are reminiscing about either RI or Balmer);

Helped Leslie pick out flatware at Macy's on 34 ave (it has cool wooden escalators);

Went shopping with them in Soho, where we discussed the job interview Branson had come to NY to have, and how Land's End wants him to move to Wisconsin. Here is Leslie looking perturbed about something, possible Wisconsin.

That's enough about the trip for tonight. Meanwhile, I've been in NY for a month, and what have I done?

Took surprise photos of Branson (or Billy, whichever makes him make a more awful face);