A snippet of what I’m currently working on.
View photos without text in a slideshow. Looks good with a black background, but you’ll be missing out on commentary.
Sept. 24-26, 2010 Harrison and I were invited to an annual group camping trip at the Green River Reservoir in northern Vermont. We were invited by one of my favorite persons I know: Jeff Ledlrsdafnr. A list of firsts for me:
- being in Vermont
- camping in the truest sense of the word
- canoeing (i think)
- experiencing autumn outside of the city
- seeing a bear in the wild (just kidding)
We drove, picked up our canoe, tethered it to the roof, arrived at the reservoir very late and canoed four bodies and all our stuff to the island in the light of a full moon. We were later met by some of Jeff’s friends and we camped the shit out of that campground. Some of that, and the rest, is as follows:
driving through vermont, stopping at a rest stop
through the flap, saturday morning
looking up in the tent
potty
franklin!
beaver dam
beaver chew!
beaver!
beaver damage
beaver heaven
beaver hell (they hate pizza)
driving home
at an apple cider mill. available as a desktop wallpaper option for Windows 98.
there is a UFO in this image, first quadrant. See appendix A.
Appendix A
Before we started on our west coast tour, Lisa had a little birthday celebration at a karaoke bar, and Lisa was master of the mic (surprise, surprise).
Justin with his loyal fans Lisa and Danny.
I did sing karaoke for the first time. Lisa and I sang Step by Step by New Kids on the Block together, although there are no good pictures to prove it.
The next day, we hit the road for Seattle.
Approaching Seattle from the highway.
Seattle is a really pretty city. If it were a clear day, I would have been able to see mountains past the cluster of downtown and industrial buildings. But the clouds were thick and low, affording me only a glimpse of the mountain range called the Olympics. Also, the city is hilly. Even downtown’s streets and buildings were undulating.
After Seattle, we headed back to Portland for the night.
Talkdemonic’s show at the Doug Fir was pretty incredible. It was sold out and totally packed. Afterward we had a hairspray party in the greenroom with a can of aqua net that Lisa picked up earlier to de-static her dress. Everyone in the show and their friends were in on it, no bangs were spared.
Next we drove to Eugene, Oregon, and from there all the way to San Diego.
Oregon
Oregon
Oregon
Somewhere. Probably California.
California
We drove till late and stopped at the only place we could in the desert. All that was there was our hotel and an IHOP attached to a gas station. We had an evening hot tub sesh even though the air was cold. In the morning we woke up and ate at IHOP.
This was across from where we stayed. The dirt and dry bushes stretched for miles. I caught a tumble weed here and then threw it back.
California
When we were just about to San Diego, we stopped at a beach that was right off the highway.
Lisa and the van.
Kevisa
Kevin was tossing pretzels to the seagulls and this one is about to win the prize.
Once we got there, we had some time to walk around San Diego before we headed to the Casbah, one of my favorite venues. It’s located right next to the airport so if you’re outside you can see and hear gigantic airplanes boom overhead, almost grazing rooftops.
Talkie D at the Casbah
Talkie D at the Casbah
The next day, after having breakfast on the beach, we made our way to Los Angeles. I was lucky enough to meet up with Gail and Ross from Boston, who both now live in LA.
The view out the door of our house of stay.
Lisa and Willie at a bar after the show.
The following day, we headed to San Francisco where Talkdemonic played at the Rickshaw, another really likable venue.
On the road.
Happy cows. I need not include the antithesis of this scene, “cowshwitz,” the cow factory farms we also witnessed along the agricultural California highway.
A quickie jump-out-of-the-car then jump-back-on-the-road picture.
After SF, we drove all day up to Portland.
Mt. Shasta through Lisa’s blue blockers.
The end.
I spent a lovely last day in florence today, just me and the city, and the weather was the most beautiful I’ve seen here yet. And now I guess I’m going to go home, for the last time. My apartment really is my home. And tomorrow, it will be very hard and very sad to leave it for the last time, and to leave my keys behind, knowing I won’t be going back in.
I’ve been wondering when the saddnes was going to come, and now it’s coming.
I wonder what I’ll do tonight to pass the time. Then tomorrow morning, I leave at 10 to go to the airport, and then that is that.
This past weekend, I went to Calabria and Sicily! And I met Molinaro family! I sought them out and actually found them. It was a surreal experience.
Because of my unfortunate computer circumstances, it is hard to say when photos and a full story will be up…
I love the south.
