I'm San Francisco. I feel fortunate that I have been able to spend quite a bit of time here and have always had great friends which allows you to easily squeeze into a local lifestyle. Their are so many interesting people to talk to and watch while they do their daily thing. I've been here since Thursday and I believe here is where I will dwell for a time.
It reminds of a passage on page 5 in On the Road, rather famous one...
" they danced down the road like dingledoddies and I shambled after as I've been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awwww!"
When I first read that I knew this is what I wanted and right now this city is providing what seems unlimited opportunities plus after 8,000 miles and 7 weeks I'm ready to chill for a bit.
Yesterday I was in the Anarchist Collective Bookstore on Haight. I got in to a great conversation with the volunteer behind the counter about the gentrification of America, the future of capitalism, the creation of crime so more police can be put on our streets, and the Democrats love of regulation which slowly turns into oppression. I brought Howard Rourke into the conversation, who is the lead character in Ayn Rands novel the Fountainhead, as what I believe humans should and could be doing with their lives. Well he and a young bystander both reacted negatively towards her. I said I don't care about her but have been digesting her philosophy of: Our own happiness is our moral obligation and that productive achievement as the central theme to our lives. They agreed that has merit and said she got everything she new from this woman and hands me Anarchism and Other Essays by Emma Goldman. I have to be honest I didn't know a whole lot about this philosophy except that they are in favor of the elimination of government. Which I can't say that I'm not in favor of.
A couple of quotes that have hit me so far early into this read.
"young people who do not think for themselves" who "want canned or prepared stuff" who "worship at the shrine of the strong armed man"
"Anarchism urges man to think, to investigate, to analyze every proposition....."
That's the kind of person I strive to be, not necessarily an anarchist (more research needed), but someone who thinks, spends time diving towards the epicenter of everything combined with a Buddhist philosophy of being happy in every moment. It could happen.
It's the 40th anniversary of the summer of love. I think it should be the summer of thinking.
I will continue to blog off the rest of my drive in the Astro, I was in Eugene after parting ways with Les Vickers, when my buddy John pulled into town from Mt. Shasta. John is a Friend that I've know for about 12-13 years.. We have the ability to pick up right where we left off whether it's been 3 days or 3 years.... We use the same infantile jokes and call eachother jackass. We hit a couple of night spots met a girl who is on a professional roller derby team and was a world class archer... John drives a 1985 Mercedes 300d, a fine automobile but when your in random pacific northwest cities you really want the comforts of the Astro. I was parked by a nice public park with a bubblier, John slept on top of the Astro... It was funny falling off to sleep as he was setting up his nest for the night. He got up as the morning commute of cars, families heading to the swing set and the plethora of bikers were hitting the streets.
We met Les Vickers outside the library around 8am and headed over to Burrito Boy to get a breakfast burrito. The 3 of us sat on the street eating burritos like 3 old college buddies, John drinking coffee, me a peppermint tea and Les a fresh 40 of Old English. We spent a couple of hours together just shooting the early morning breeze, Les was going to drink to he ran out of money then hit the mission and try to quit drinking, which John and I both agreed was in his best interest. We both gave Les a hug and exchanged emails. I emailed Les but have not heard back, my thoughts and love are with him and I hope to someday get a call that he ready to manage my new career as a Singer Songwriter.
John transferred his belongings into the Astro, left his rig where it was parked and we headed north to Portland.....
to be continued......
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
I'm now a Singer Songwriter!!! Want to hear a song...
Did you ever see that movie, when the guy in the 1995 white Astro Van wakes up on the beach in Northern California in the heart of the Redwood Forest? He does his morning business, meditates, eats a bagel with PB and Banana's an then strums the guitar he just bought the week before for hours? I think the part was played by Jack Nicelson or maybe it was Steve Buschemi? It was a huge hit in my mind and one I would like to see again.
Yes I figured out my next career move, I'm going to be a singer songwriter? I'm writing songs about Homeland Security, Comfortable Buzzes, being a slave and other mind numbing topics. I can almost play a G chord into a C chord, so things are looking up!
Since my last entry I visited Glacier National Park in Montana. A beautiful place, amazing, I did a few day hikes and spent a whole day just watching the clouds pass by the peaks of this national treasure. On the east side of the park you will find the town of Babb. Babb is on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation. On my way I drove right through it as there is 2 Restaurants, 1 convenience store, 1 hotel and Charlies Place. Old Time Dave Talmage and the Billy Pilgrims were playing at Charlie's Place on Tuesday night. From the outside it looks like a storage facility, So I figured it would be a mellow bluegrass show for some tourists and park goers. Well to my surprise 300 people showed up at this lawless crazy place. I engaged a Bureau of Indian Affairs Officer in conversation and learned that he had no right to bother me unless I was a "member" of the tribe. This is the kind of place if you offend the wrong person you could have a Jack Daniels bottle up side your head or if your nice to the right person you will find friends for life. I seemed to have been straddling that line but departed at 3 am physically unscathed.
I woke up in the morning had breakfast with the Pilgrims and waved goodbye as they headed to Whitefish. After some more Glacier time I headed back to Missoula for a night, in the morning I did a long mnt. bike ride, got the Astro's oil changed and decided to head towards Oregon! I drove through the Mountains of No. Idaho and across the high desert of eastern Oregon. I stopped in Bend the home of Mt. Bachelor and arrived in Eugene Oregon about 30 hours later. Oregon has the highest amount of homeless folk per capita in the country. Eugene is host to a good deal of them. It is a very progressive and diverse community, lots of Burrito options, and what seems to be a thriving music scene. I went to see Todd Snider perform at a local haunt. I had heard him on XM radio. He was amazing, an enthusiastic crowd of about 200 were their screaming out requests from his 15 year career. He put on an amazing show. Folk meets Country meets Storytelling meets barefooted hippie. He agreed to let me open some shows for him on his southern tour...... just kidding
I spent the next couple of days banging around Eugene, they have great parks and bike trail network around the Willamette River. I was sitting on a park bench practicing on my new guitar when up comes this man on his bike with a backpack. He asks if he can sit with me and I said of course since it gave me an excuse to stop making a gutiar sound like a dying lizard. He pulls out a 40 oz bottle of Old English and starts slugging, never offering me any. Over the next 3 hours Mr. Les Vickers continued his day long drunk as we talked about alcoholism ( I have no qualms about admitting my own challenges with the drug), the music of Bob Dylan, the different missions he has been in and his 51 years of abuse. He was really hung up on Jesus Christ, God. Me being a fledgling Buddhist didn't have much to offer on the subject of guilt an heaven and hell. He was obviously looking for help and I felt a sense of responsibility of not making matters worse. So I played him some of my songs which made him laugh. Les finished his bottle and now had to decide whether to try and find a blanket and go to sleep or more Malt Liqueur. We went for a bike ride together and he took a nasty spill down a hill. He got up and made it clear it was time for us to parts ways. I invited him to breakfast and to be my manger and he agreed to both.
I'm not trying to pull on of those keep you in suspense dealios but I need to go..... Next up My good friend John "Jackass" Prudhomme pulls into town, Breakfast with Les, and our tour of the Pacific Northwest...
Yes I figured out my next career move, I'm going to be a singer songwriter? I'm writing songs about Homeland Security, Comfortable Buzzes, being a slave and other mind numbing topics. I can almost play a G chord into a C chord, so things are looking up!
Since my last entry I visited Glacier National Park in Montana. A beautiful place, amazing, I did a few day hikes and spent a whole day just watching the clouds pass by the peaks of this national treasure. On the east side of the park you will find the town of Babb. Babb is on the Blackfoot Indian Reservation. On my way I drove right through it as there is 2 Restaurants, 1 convenience store, 1 hotel and Charlies Place. Old Time Dave Talmage and the Billy Pilgrims were playing at Charlie's Place on Tuesday night. From the outside it looks like a storage facility, So I figured it would be a mellow bluegrass show for some tourists and park goers. Well to my surprise 300 people showed up at this lawless crazy place. I engaged a Bureau of Indian Affairs Officer in conversation and learned that he had no right to bother me unless I was a "member" of the tribe. This is the kind of place if you offend the wrong person you could have a Jack Daniels bottle up side your head or if your nice to the right person you will find friends for life. I seemed to have been straddling that line but departed at 3 am physically unscathed.
I woke up in the morning had breakfast with the Pilgrims and waved goodbye as they headed to Whitefish. After some more Glacier time I headed back to Missoula for a night, in the morning I did a long mnt. bike ride, got the Astro's oil changed and decided to head towards Oregon! I drove through the Mountains of No. Idaho and across the high desert of eastern Oregon. I stopped in Bend the home of Mt. Bachelor and arrived in Eugene Oregon about 30 hours later. Oregon has the highest amount of homeless folk per capita in the country. Eugene is host to a good deal of them. It is a very progressive and diverse community, lots of Burrito options, and what seems to be a thriving music scene. I went to see Todd Snider perform at a local haunt. I had heard him on XM radio. He was amazing, an enthusiastic crowd of about 200 were their screaming out requests from his 15 year career. He put on an amazing show. Folk meets Country meets Storytelling meets barefooted hippie. He agreed to let me open some shows for him on his southern tour...... just kidding
I spent the next couple of days banging around Eugene, they have great parks and bike trail network around the Willamette River. I was sitting on a park bench practicing on my new guitar when up comes this man on his bike with a backpack. He asks if he can sit with me and I said of course since it gave me an excuse to stop making a gutiar sound like a dying lizard. He pulls out a 40 oz bottle of Old English and starts slugging, never offering me any. Over the next 3 hours Mr. Les Vickers continued his day long drunk as we talked about alcoholism ( I have no qualms about admitting my own challenges with the drug), the music of Bob Dylan, the different missions he has been in and his 51 years of abuse. He was really hung up on Jesus Christ, God. Me being a fledgling Buddhist didn't have much to offer on the subject of guilt an heaven and hell. He was obviously looking for help and I felt a sense of responsibility of not making matters worse. So I played him some of my songs which made him laugh. Les finished his bottle and now had to decide whether to try and find a blanket and go to sleep or more Malt Liqueur. We went for a bike ride together and he took a nasty spill down a hill. He got up and made it clear it was time for us to parts ways. I invited him to breakfast and to be my manger and he agreed to both.
I'm not trying to pull on of those keep you in suspense dealios but I need to go..... Next up My good friend John "Jackass" Prudhomme pulls into town, Breakfast with Les, and our tour of the Pacific Northwest...
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Evil Kneivel and Peace Cranes
Old Time Dave Talmage and I hopped aboard the Astro train and headed north to Missoula. Dave has the coolest wicker suitcase. We had a lot to catch up on. He's been traveling around in is VW Van, living in Lyons Colorado and playing music with some amazing musicians. The Asylum Street Spankers out of Austin Texas and now with a super group of western Bluegrass stars called the Billy Pilgrims. He is really making a name for himself and working hard.
We made a stop in Butte, Mt. the home of Mr. Evil Knievel, we had just missed the annual weekend festival in his honor. We heard he no longer does his thing but the festival attracts daredevils from all over the world showcasing their talents... you know lighting their cars on fire and jumping over shit. Though one local called him a dickhead, when pushed he just said "he is a dickhead but his son Robbie is making up for it", I said ok. I agreed to be OTDT's manager for the day, I tried to get him a gig at a local saloon but the booking agent was out fishing and they mostly booked speed metal acts and Dave didn't have his fiddle so we had lunch and moved on. We jumped on some back roads took a dip in a a mountain lake It was somewhat surreal, due to raging forest fires a layre of smoke hovered about with the smell of a smoldering camp fire ever present. The forest fires are interesting, lots of people are scared, but one guy I talked to said it's part of our economy, I considered taking up employment. You can make $5,000 a month and my treasury is at a all-time low....
We pulled into Missoula just in time for the bands sound check, I felt like a true hangar on, or groupie, whatever. After the sound check I pulled out my bikes and we headed downtown to a great burrito house, it was funny seeing Old Time cruising on my mnt. bike with his wranglers tucked into his cowboy boots. The show was awesome and I met some great local folks and had breakfast at the opening bands home, fresh huckleberry pancakes... oh yeah! I said goodbye to my new favorite bluegrass/honky tonk band with a promise to see them in a few days in Baab, Mt.
I went out to the Lolo forest and went for a mnt. bike ride. simply amazing some of the finest single track riding anywhere. That night I was fortunate to have two musical experiences at the same time. Over at the Badlander there was a free Jazz show with some local names, good mellow stuff in a real cool club around the corner and down underground a pool hall was hosting a metal show. The band that stuck out in my head was Black Cobra a two piece out of San Francisco. The drummer is out of this world and with out a bass player to worry about he just went off. They are playing in Boston Tuesday the 14th. So I jumped back and forth, with a dude from Idaho that installs home recording systems. I woke up with my ears ringing.
In the morning I went to the Rocky Mountain Buddhist Center, it is part of Freinds of the Western Buddhist Order , same as the Aryaloka Center in Newmarket where I have studied at since 05. It was so nice to know the format, there was only 1 other person, an Englishman, which I could understand since it was 7am on Monday morning. The center is small but hosts a great meditation room with a beautiful Buddha. We had a great sit and after he took me out for breakfast at the Hob Nob which was once owned by the center and ran as a ethical, non-profit business. I've read a little and studied Buddhist owned businesses and their challenges. I have been thinking about the relationship between Buddhism and capitalism since I started on this path. I'm just finishing the monster of a read Ayn Rands Atlas Shrugged at the same time I'm reading Thich Nhat Hahn's Old Path White Cloud which his story of the Buddha's life. Talk about two sides of the brain but interestingly enough they have more in common then you would think. I hope to someday soon expound on these theories and I already do to any one that will listen. My breakfast companion and I pelted echother with questions and stories. We had a great time, we didn't exchange info but I know that our paths will cross again.
I ventured over the the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center . I knew not of her when I arrived but learned about her work as the first women US Congresswomen and her life long work for peace and equality. I sat with two elderly women and two cross country cyclists from New York and learned how to make Peace Cranes in honor of the little girl named Sadako. And the 62nd anniversary of Hiroshima.
from the website: "The paper crane has become an international symbol of peace in recent years as a result of it's connection to the story of a young Japanese girl named Sadako Sasaki born in 1943. Sadako was two years old when the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. As she grew up, Sadako was a strong, courageous and athletic girl. In 1955, at age 11, while practicing for a big race, she became dizzy and fell to the ground. Sadako was diagnosed with Leukemia, "the atom bomb" disease. Sadako's best friend told her of an old Japanese legend which said that anyone who folds a thousand paper cranes would be granted a wish. Sadako hoped that the gods would grant her a wish to get well so that she could run again. She started to work on the paper cranes and completed over 1000 before dying on October 25, 1955 at the age of twelve. "
I said goodbye with 7 of my completed Peace Cranes and a pile of paper to make more, I've only made 3 since..... I bought two loafs of focaccia bread for $2 at a local bakery and headed north towards Glacier National Park.... I love Missoula......
We made a stop in Butte, Mt. the home of Mr. Evil Knievel, we had just missed the annual weekend festival in his honor. We heard he no longer does his thing but the festival attracts daredevils from all over the world showcasing their talents... you know lighting their cars on fire and jumping over shit. Though one local called him a dickhead, when pushed he just said "he is a dickhead but his son Robbie is making up for it", I said ok. I agreed to be OTDT's manager for the day, I tried to get him a gig at a local saloon but the booking agent was out fishing and they mostly booked speed metal acts and Dave didn't have his fiddle so we had lunch and moved on. We jumped on some back roads took a dip in a a mountain lake It was somewhat surreal, due to raging forest fires a layre of smoke hovered about with the smell of a smoldering camp fire ever present. The forest fires are interesting, lots of people are scared, but one guy I talked to said it's part of our economy, I considered taking up employment. You can make $5,000 a month and my treasury is at a all-time low....
We pulled into Missoula just in time for the bands sound check, I felt like a true hangar on, or groupie, whatever. After the sound check I pulled out my bikes and we headed downtown to a great burrito house, it was funny seeing Old Time cruising on my mnt. bike with his wranglers tucked into his cowboy boots. The show was awesome and I met some great local folks and had breakfast at the opening bands home, fresh huckleberry pancakes... oh yeah! I said goodbye to my new favorite bluegrass/honky tonk band with a promise to see them in a few days in Baab, Mt.
I went out to the Lolo forest and went for a mnt. bike ride. simply amazing some of the finest single track riding anywhere. That night I was fortunate to have two musical experiences at the same time. Over at the Badlander there was a free Jazz show with some local names, good mellow stuff in a real cool club around the corner and down underground a pool hall was hosting a metal show. The band that stuck out in my head was Black Cobra a two piece out of San Francisco. The drummer is out of this world and with out a bass player to worry about he just went off. They are playing in Boston Tuesday the 14th. So I jumped back and forth, with a dude from Idaho that installs home recording systems. I woke up with my ears ringing.
In the morning I went to the Rocky Mountain Buddhist Center, it is part of Freinds of the Western Buddhist Order , same as the Aryaloka Center in Newmarket where I have studied at since 05. It was so nice to know the format, there was only 1 other person, an Englishman, which I could understand since it was 7am on Monday morning. The center is small but hosts a great meditation room with a beautiful Buddha. We had a great sit and after he took me out for breakfast at the Hob Nob which was once owned by the center and ran as a ethical, non-profit business. I've read a little and studied Buddhist owned businesses and their challenges. I have been thinking about the relationship between Buddhism and capitalism since I started on this path. I'm just finishing the monster of a read Ayn Rands Atlas Shrugged at the same time I'm reading Thich Nhat Hahn's Old Path White Cloud which his story of the Buddha's life. Talk about two sides of the brain but interestingly enough they have more in common then you would think. I hope to someday soon expound on these theories and I already do to any one that will listen. My breakfast companion and I pelted echother with questions and stories. We had a great time, we didn't exchange info but I know that our paths will cross again.
I ventured over the the Jeannette Rankin Peace Center . I knew not of her when I arrived but learned about her work as the first women US Congresswomen and her life long work for peace and equality. I sat with two elderly women and two cross country cyclists from New York and learned how to make Peace Cranes in honor of the little girl named Sadako. And the 62nd anniversary of Hiroshima.
from the website: "The paper crane has become an international symbol of peace in recent years as a result of it's connection to the story of a young Japanese girl named Sadako Sasaki born in 1943. Sadako was two years old when the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. As she grew up, Sadako was a strong, courageous and athletic girl. In 1955, at age 11, while practicing for a big race, she became dizzy and fell to the ground. Sadako was diagnosed with Leukemia, "the atom bomb" disease. Sadako's best friend told her of an old Japanese legend which said that anyone who folds a thousand paper cranes would be granted a wish. Sadako hoped that the gods would grant her a wish to get well so that she could run again. She started to work on the paper cranes and completed over 1000 before dying on October 25, 1955 at the age of twelve. "
I said goodbye with 7 of my completed Peace Cranes and a pile of paper to make more, I've only made 3 since..... I bought two loafs of focaccia bread for $2 at a local bakery and headed north towards Glacier National Park.... I love Missoula......
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Boz Angelas and Old Time Dave Talmage!
Boz Angelas is what locals are calling Bozeman Montana. It's amazing how close the path of this small city parallels the town I have called home Portsmouth New Hampshire. Though Bozeman has the mountains and Portsmouth has the ocean. People who moved here 10 years ago complain about the growth, the influx of chain stores and upscale retail stores on main st. Longer term locals sport bumperstickers saying Montana Native. But there also many people and businesses that have benefited greatly and took advantage of the growth and enjoy the success.
It's the same story; a bunch of cool artists, musicians, couch surfers, ski bums move to a town they make it cool, the word gets out, a tourism industry sprouts up, people visit and say "this is my dream place" they move there, real estate market goes nuts, couch surfing artist types exit (I heard they are on the way to Buffalo), luxury condos and Lexus's are spotted on the main street, upscale dog accessory store opens next to the Starbucks across the street from the high end baby clothing store. People are happy and build big homes on top of mountains employing hundreds of local carpenters, plumbers, landscapers. The artists that did stick around sell some artwork and the town becomes well caffeinated. The city lands on the must visit list of every hipster and baby boomer. Life flows forward.
A couple of funny lines from a couple of local what to do papers.
From things you need to know about Montana: If you dog weighs less then a rabbit don't blame us if we shoot it, we can not be held responsible. Get a real dog and everything will be cool.
From the Best of Bozeman addition "best things about Bozeman": You can spot the idiots easily, their the ones "living the dream"
I really like this town, it has a great food co-op, beautiful athletic people to gawk at, it's naturally beautiful and rugged and a recreation center where you can take a shower for $1. Yesterday I got the skinny on the spot to mountain bike. South of Hyelite Reservoir called the Emerald Lake/Heather Lake trail. Here's the description from Dirt World: Beautiful ride up to pristine lakes. Easy at first, but gets technical with lots of roots, rocks, and switchbacks. 4.5 miles one way to Emerald lake, then an additional 1.5 miles to Heather lake. Uphill all the way, but it's a great ride down. Watch for hikers and horses.
It gained 3,000 ft. up to 9,220 ft. and the most amazing lakes surrounded by cliffs and very few people. I took a swim in Heather Lake, sat quietly focusing on gratitude and the 4 horse fly's using me as a landing pad. Then the down, I haven't been doing a ton of Mnt. Biking as I been digging hitting the roads so my chops were a little rusty but on the first steep descent my adrenaline flowed and soon I was off the brakes and down in about 20 minutes.... ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
I'm in the Wild Joe's coffee shop , people outside are anxiously waiting for a parade and I'm going to meet Old Time Dave Talmage in a bit. Yes last night I ran into my old roommate, front man from the Mill City Ramblers, comedian, poet and all around old timey good guy. He is playing fiddle with the Billy Pilgrims based out of Colorado, they were at the Zebra Lounge. A small enthusiastic crowd made the show. It was great to catch up with the man and we decided to drive together up to Missoula today, the next stop on their tour and the next stop for me and the Astro. A couple hours in the Astro with OTDT will surely give me more blogging fodder. Check out his Myspace page and his video for Money Talks it's awesome.
Give this a try when your freaking... I use it constantly!!
on the in breath: Relax your body
on the out breath: Smile
on the in breath: Dwell in this moment
on the out breath: This wonderful moment
From the book Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hahn
It's the same story; a bunch of cool artists, musicians, couch surfers, ski bums move to a town they make it cool, the word gets out, a tourism industry sprouts up, people visit and say "this is my dream place" they move there, real estate market goes nuts, couch surfing artist types exit (I heard they are on the way to Buffalo), luxury condos and Lexus's are spotted on the main street, upscale dog accessory store opens next to the Starbucks across the street from the high end baby clothing store. People are happy and build big homes on top of mountains employing hundreds of local carpenters, plumbers, landscapers. The artists that did stick around sell some artwork and the town becomes well caffeinated. The city lands on the must visit list of every hipster and baby boomer. Life flows forward.
A couple of funny lines from a couple of local what to do papers.
From things you need to know about Montana: If you dog weighs less then a rabbit don't blame us if we shoot it, we can not be held responsible. Get a real dog and everything will be cool.
From the Best of Bozeman addition "best things about Bozeman": You can spot the idiots easily, their the ones "living the dream"
I really like this town, it has a great food co-op, beautiful athletic people to gawk at, it's naturally beautiful and rugged and a recreation center where you can take a shower for $1. Yesterday I got the skinny on the spot to mountain bike. South of Hyelite Reservoir called the Emerald Lake/Heather Lake trail. Here's the description from Dirt World: Beautiful ride up to pristine lakes. Easy at first, but gets technical with lots of roots, rocks, and switchbacks. 4.5 miles one way to Emerald lake, then an additional 1.5 miles to Heather lake. Uphill all the way, but it's a great ride down. Watch for hikers and horses.
It gained 3,000 ft. up to 9,220 ft. and the most amazing lakes surrounded by cliffs and very few people. I took a swim in Heather Lake, sat quietly focusing on gratitude and the 4 horse fly's using me as a landing pad. Then the down, I haven't been doing a ton of Mnt. Biking as I been digging hitting the roads so my chops were a little rusty but on the first steep descent my adrenaline flowed and soon I was off the brakes and down in about 20 minutes.... ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
I'm in the Wild Joe's coffee shop , people outside are anxiously waiting for a parade and I'm going to meet Old Time Dave Talmage in a bit. Yes last night I ran into my old roommate, front man from the Mill City Ramblers, comedian, poet and all around old timey good guy. He is playing fiddle with the Billy Pilgrims based out of Colorado, they were at the Zebra Lounge. A small enthusiastic crowd made the show. It was great to catch up with the man and we decided to drive together up to Missoula today, the next stop on their tour and the next stop for me and the Astro. A couple hours in the Astro with OTDT will surely give me more blogging fodder. Check out his Myspace page and his video for Money Talks it's awesome.
Give this a try when your freaking... I use it constantly!!
on the in breath: Relax your body
on the out breath: Smile
on the in breath: Dwell in this moment
on the out breath: This wonderful moment
From the book Being Peace by Thich Nhat Hahn
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Is this really Fargo?
Here I sit on Main St. in Bozeman Montana! I finally made it to Montana I’ve been looking forward to this for 36 years! I’m sure I’ll have lots to say about this state soon. But first…..
My Midwest tour from Madison WI to Montana:
I headed due west through some pristine farm land and rolling hills that reminded me of Vermont! I hit Route 35 north which shadows the mighty Mississippi River up to Minneapolis/St. Paul. The sun was shining and every couple of miles you would get a vista of the big river! The stretch of road was scattered with little towns and many Harley Davidson! I went as slow as possible and pulled over whenever a fellow driver came upon me.
Minneapolis: One of the Twin Cities, a manageable and clean city with loads of punks, hippies, squares, yuppies and other genres of humans. I hung with some good folk at a little bar and we scowled the local arts paper for the best option for music. We decided on the Kitty Kat Club and a blues folk rocker from Duluth named Charlie Parr. An except from his web site:
*A confused and shy individual, Charlie Parr plays original and traditional folk and Piedmont-style blues, accompanying himself on National resonator guitars, 12-string guitar and sometimes a banjo. Charlie Parr has failed at most things in his life. Music seems to have rendered him unemployable and is the only thing he’s ever done with any confidence. A lot of folks have been saying nice things about Charlie, despite the lingering odors and indecipherable comments he makes.
The man was wearing a flannel shirt a pair of boots from the 50’s and could have easily been mistaken for Paul Bunyan’s meek little brother. But he put on a great show with both middle aged yuppies and college aged hippies giving him loud applause and wanting more. It was a great club in the heart of Dinky town, on the campus of the University of Minnesota. Sorry about your loss Minnesota, welcome to Bean Town Mr. Garnett!!!!
From there I headed north to check out some of those 10,000 lakes you hear so much about. And they don’t disappoint. I tuned down a random dirt road at about 11pm at night, I drove for about 10 miles and found a little place to park/sleep next to a lake, right across the road was an entrance to a bike path, the Mi Gi Zi trail. After breaking my fast I hoped upon my bike and road bike paths for about 3 hours around lakes and through woods, basically amazing.
Then I cruised over to Grand Forks, North Dakota to check out the old stomping grounds of my good friend Chad “I know longer am that cool since I don’t drive Big Red anymore” Tomforde, it was friggan hot and honestly a snoozer. Then south to Fargo, the movie is one of my top 7 movies of all time. I expected a little sleepy mid western town, but to my surprise it is a city the size of Portland Maine with a growing central business district, a decent music scene. I was craving pasta and I found a little place serving all you can eat pasta night. For 7 bucks I got all you can pasta and bread and the unlimited soup and salad bar, I closed my eyes and for minute I was transported to Bob’s Chicken on Islington St. in Portsmouth New Hampshire. I miss Bob’s so much it’s hard to explain but you should check it out!
I woke up in Fargo I did a little phone in to Tim Stone’s radio show on WSCA and we talked about traveling, ethanol and my encounters with prostitutes. I decided to b line it to Montana, I did stop in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park on the western edge of North Dakota which was beautiful and reminded me a bit of the canyons of Utah. A lasting image from the road in North Dakota was the massive fields of sunflowers and the share lack of human activity except for the occasional farmer on his tractor!! I’m ready to hit the infamous mountain bike trails of Montana, then I’m going to hit the Bozeman Co-op later..... every town should have a food co-op and more bikes then cars.
My Midwest tour from Madison WI to Montana:
I headed due west through some pristine farm land and rolling hills that reminded me of Vermont! I hit Route 35 north which shadows the mighty Mississippi River up to Minneapolis/St. Paul. The sun was shining and every couple of miles you would get a vista of the big river! The stretch of road was scattered with little towns and many Harley Davidson! I went as slow as possible and pulled over whenever a fellow driver came upon me.
Minneapolis: One of the Twin Cities, a manageable and clean city with loads of punks, hippies, squares, yuppies and other genres of humans. I hung with some good folk at a little bar and we scowled the local arts paper for the best option for music. We decided on the Kitty Kat Club and a blues folk rocker from Duluth named Charlie Parr. An except from his web site:
*A confused and shy individual, Charlie Parr plays original and traditional folk and Piedmont-style blues, accompanying himself on National resonator guitars, 12-string guitar and sometimes a banjo. Charlie Parr has failed at most things in his life. Music seems to have rendered him unemployable and is the only thing he’s ever done with any confidence. A lot of folks have been saying nice things about Charlie, despite the lingering odors and indecipherable comments he makes.
The man was wearing a flannel shirt a pair of boots from the 50’s and could have easily been mistaken for Paul Bunyan’s meek little brother. But he put on a great show with both middle aged yuppies and college aged hippies giving him loud applause and wanting more. It was a great club in the heart of Dinky town, on the campus of the University of Minnesota. Sorry about your loss Minnesota, welcome to Bean Town Mr. Garnett!!!!
From there I headed north to check out some of those 10,000 lakes you hear so much about. And they don’t disappoint. I tuned down a random dirt road at about 11pm at night, I drove for about 10 miles and found a little place to park/sleep next to a lake, right across the road was an entrance to a bike path, the Mi Gi Zi trail. After breaking my fast I hoped upon my bike and road bike paths for about 3 hours around lakes and through woods, basically amazing.
Then I cruised over to Grand Forks, North Dakota to check out the old stomping grounds of my good friend Chad “I know longer am that cool since I don’t drive Big Red anymore” Tomforde, it was friggan hot and honestly a snoozer. Then south to Fargo, the movie is one of my top 7 movies of all time. I expected a little sleepy mid western town, but to my surprise it is a city the size of Portland Maine with a growing central business district, a decent music scene. I was craving pasta and I found a little place serving all you can eat pasta night. For 7 bucks I got all you can pasta and bread and the unlimited soup and salad bar, I closed my eyes and for minute I was transported to Bob’s Chicken on Islington St. in Portsmouth New Hampshire. I miss Bob’s so much it’s hard to explain but you should check it out!
I woke up in Fargo I did a little phone in to Tim Stone’s radio show on WSCA and we talked about traveling, ethanol and my encounters with prostitutes. I decided to b line it to Montana, I did stop in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park on the western edge of North Dakota which was beautiful and reminded me a bit of the canyons of Utah. A lasting image from the road in North Dakota was the massive fields of sunflowers and the share lack of human activity except for the occasional farmer on his tractor!! I’m ready to hit the infamous mountain bike trails of Montana, then I’m going to hit the Bozeman Co-op later..... every town should have a food co-op and more bikes then cars.
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