Going Home, but not the Astro

I'm in Ann Arbor Michigan home of the Michigan Wolverines and the Fab 5. The Fab 5 was their basketball team back in the 90's with Chris Webber and Juwan Howard, we loved that team!! Ann Arbor is very vibrant community, last night they closed down all of downtown and had a antique car show. Must have been 500 cars from a 1927 jalopy to a 2007 ford one of a kind super something or other.

I went to the Blind Pig a famous music venue. There were 3 Indie Rock bands playing and I coul only make through 1 and 1/4 as it is one of my least favorite genres. But the place was very cool with a hipster scene and a big wall display of the night that Nirvana played there.

Tomorrow I fly home to Portsmouth as my friend Amanda was killed in car accident on Thursday. It is so sad and unbelievable and it has been tough to be away from my friends and her fiancee Derek. Impermanence is a powerful concept and one we must all deal with but when it happens it still strikes hard. I'm sending metta (love and kindness) to Derek and all who loved Amanda. I'm leaving my van at my friend Ned's Moms home outside Detroit and will resume my trip next week, when I will head Northwest to Wisconsin.

My short time in the Provence of Ontario was fun and beautiful. I made it to Manitoulin Island on Wednesday evening. The wind was howling off Lake Huron, I made a big salad from some veggies I got at a local farmers market and some more fakey hot dogs. I went for a walk around the park and through the small downtown of Little Current. Then I found a nice spot to park at a Yacht club! I woke up to torrential downpours, so I just kicked it in the Astro and read for a couple of hours and listened to the rain drops bounce of the roof of my ride! Very melodic and relaxing. I had the opportunity to meet the Dogfather. Dave was an 18 year old local who recently bought a hot dog cart and sets up shop on main street. On this day he was supervising his employee who he made sure everyone of his regulars new was his employee, must have been his first one. The Dogfather was insightful and entertaining as we had a good conversation about the metric system, Canadian economics and the hot dog business. He plans to have 3 carts by the end of the summer. The dogfather invited me to join his weekly poker game, but after much thought I declined for obvious reasons.

I decided to leave the Island as I wanted to get over to Madison, WI before a buddy left on July 15. I picked up a couple who were hitchhiking to Yellowknife in the Provence of Alberta. He was 6'7" and she was 6'1". They were heading to Yellowknife (my favorite name of a town yet.) because Dan beat the crap out of his sisters boyfriend who just got out of jail. Dan was bad mouthing the guy to his mother and sister because he was afraid his sisters was getting her cocaine supply from him. Anna had done time in prison for an armed robbery her ex b/f committed. She put her foot down and said I can't deal with all this drama and she was leaving so being homelessly in love Dan followed. They were with me for about 2 1/2 hours.

I jumped over the border back into the USA at Sault Ste. Marie and headed down the coast of Michigan where I stopped in Petsoky for dinner and listened to my messages and heard the terrible news that now sends me home. I stopped in Flint the home of filmmaker Micheal Moore but I just didn't have it in me to explore. His movie Roger and Me depicts Flint as a beat down dump, it looks like they are trying to revitalize the downtown but have a long way to go. The city seemed like a ghost town and I just got back on the road.

Be Well.