We need to hook a U-turn so I can tell you about Albuquerque. Merely typing the letters, A-L-B-U-Q-U-E-R-Q-U-E evokes powerful emotions. That’s because I had to type that word 9,000 times in journalism school. And even though I’m holed up in yes, another Motel 6, this time in San Luis Obisbo, with a stunning view an aluminum warehouse and mid-coast California mountains, (more like humps on the horizon compared to the Sandias) from my balcony window, there’s important … [Read more...]
L.A. Inspirational
Hey everybody, just wanted to post a quick update today, geographically, I'm out in front of the many stories I still have in my pocket about Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, but.... I HAVE NOW OFFICIALLY DRIVEN ACROSS THE UNITED STATES WITH LIBBY AND WE'VE LIVED TO TELL ABOUT IT !!!! I'm now at my son and daughter-in-law's (Nathan and Melissa) humble abode in beautiful, downtown Los Angeles and I'll have a ton more stuff to write about, including a PHONE number and … [Read more...]
My Cousin Benny
I had disregarded them for the longest time, my Texas cousins. Not out of disrespect, nor affection, it was that blood thing. When I learned at the age of 18 that Jim Whatley was not my biological father, something clicked off in my head -- like de-certifying an election. The whole thing felt like fraud. I guess it was, really. And it's not that I held anything against my country cousins, with whom I'd grown up, over holidays and summers in Graford, Texas where my … [Read more...]
Chapters, No Verse, but…a little melody?
Today class, we're going to engage in a little chapter review. August 5th marked one month on the road so far and the half-way point on this journey, much in the same way the Midpoint Cafe in Adrian, New Mexico, the restaurant where I very indulgently ordered a piece of coconut cream pie yesterday, is the exact geographic middle of Route 66. Ever tardy, I realize that I have been remiss in providing details on the road map ahead and the checkered, pothole-laden … [Read more...]
Nothing is Random, or, Seeing God in Maggie Edens
Thank you all who snatched me back from the slippery soap scum of fear and loathing in the shower. Normally I just have that reaction because I can't see my toes without bending. Kidding. (not so much...) Tonight, I'm in Graford, Texas, about 60 miles west/northwest of Ft. Worth, staying at my cousin's house, whom I have not seen in about 46 years. He and his wife's log cabin, which they've have built and customized in an unbelievably amazing fashion, complete with a … [Read more...]
Shower Moment
You didn't really know this, but I promised to be completely honest with you on this trip. It can't just be la-la-la-la Chicken Soup for the Highway, Tales of Inspiration and Joy From the Construction Zone Across America. Shit's rough sometimes. Now, I hesitate to bring this up, because, let's face it, I did this on my own volition. It makes it that much harder to face feeling like a fool. This was a conscious decision, a "moral imperative" said I, so pointedly in my … [Read more...]
Fuel for the Journey! Thank you IAMS !!!!!!
Today is day 21 on my coast-to-coast road trip with my dog. So far, I've stopped in: Springfield, (IL) Chicago, Holy Toledo!; Youngstown, OH; Philadelphia; NYC; Washington, DC; Waynesboro and Culpeper, VA; and tonight, I'm in Winston-Salem, a lovely little city in the Piedmont area of North Carolina, which places it conveniently about an hour and a half to the mountains, four hours to the blessed Carolina coast. Yes, this is a real photo below. I genuinely love it … [Read more...]
Millionaire Football Players and Eight Year Old Boots
With the breathless anticipation of the impasse between the millionaire football players and billionaire owners nearing an end, I'd like to share a little story about my experience with the former -- and how, my darling daughter Lauren, in DC now on an internship, is a chip off the scrappy block. I was a video producer for a creative agency until three weeks ago and I had the great fortune (I mean this sincerely) of working on one of the most high-profile accounts in … [Read more...]
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