aric with an a

I love a good adventure.

granted, 2008 was more of one,

but 2009 had a lot happening as well.

it started on a bus in Austin on Jan. 01 - I think someone broke the iPod player.

and then we slowly made our way down to The Keys - Tim a bit more slowly than the rest of us.

I took a month off and did Berlin with Alonso and Switzerland for Carnival.

then over to Austin for SXSW.

and back on the bus.

met Otis Redding’s son and daughter in Georgia.

then back to Oklahoma to watch my brother marry the girl he loved and still loves.

back on the bus and down through the southwest.

finally arriving in one of the best places in the U.S. - Bend, OR. [no photos or stories as I'm supposed to be keeping that town a secret]

got flown to Hawaii by the state’s tourism agency

and then back to Bend.

I loved it, sure, but there was no work to be had,

so I made the easy decision to move to Norway to work on a farm. [no photos and stories because I didn't actually make it there]

stopped in NYC and met a girl.

who then traveled with me in the U.K.

we tried to sail to France, but I got us lost.

and then moved back with her to Los Angeles.

back to Hawaii for another gig.

then back to L.A.

that ended up not working out, so I headed back home,

then to the East Coast.

then the U.K.

then Berlin.

and now find myself drinking black tea with no milk in an Istanbul hotel room.

…so, yeah. thanks, 2009 - 2010, I do have a few thoughts though.

so, I was going through an old diary to grab some details for the book [coming along quite nicely, thank you - first draft will be done by next week, I hope] and I ran across a bunch of postcards I had gotten from the past year. they’re all from the ‘bus boy’ trip, but a few of ‘em are funky enough.

if you want one, send me an address.

I know we’ve probably never met, but it could be fun nonetheless.

fun, right?

yes. fun.

we’d be having a good time.

it started on the 10th of january.

it ended yesterday.

and what a trip it’s been.

there was more german spoken in the tiny diner we had pancakes at then english. in the perfect dive of a bar, it was swedish. but this wasn’t a town that we had ever heard of. as it turns out, it was the last to be bypassed by route 66. with the fancy highway parallel, there’s no more trade, save that for it’s ‘cars’-like story [which many locals claim was the inspiration for the pixar flick]. but if it’s true americana you’re looking for, this is it. two streets, each running separate ways, an abandoned train on the outside and sinage that somehow held out through the uncomfortable years and is now miles ahead of those who consider ‘retro’ to be cool. 

stop by for a day/night, soak it up - and apologize to the 3 in the main bar for me. there is nothing wrong with seger, I was just kidding.

1. the drive to sonoma was as nice as the town.

2. unimpressive from this side, mind-blowing from the other. tick.

3. tim and I had one big night in Vegas, which, if done right, is all you need.

4. mt. shasta - who knew? amazing place.

Go.

who was it, hmmmm?

which one of you?

I know that one of you has to have been to flagstaff, arizona.

you had walked the old fashioned streets.

drank at one of the local breweries.

eaten some of the best diner breakfast around.

hiked the butterscotch-tree lined mountain in the background.

dug the vibe.

spent too much money at the second-hand book store.

spent too much time at the one with the records.

listened to the train wail from miles away before coming to stop right across from the main streets.

yet didn’t tell me. 

probably didn’t tell anyone.

shame on you.

and shame on me.

as I’m this far into writing this.

and am now thinking about doing the same.

50,000+ years ago (debatable), a meteor hit this area right out of flagstaff, arizona.

it was 150 feet long. 300,000 tons.

hit so hard that:

- coal were immediately turned to diamonds

- life for at least 3-4 miles were killed, if not by the explosion, then the shockwaves

- you’d have to bomb Hiroshima 149 more times to get the same degree of power.

it’s well worth a visit.

$15 well spent (debateable).

for those who need a quick date reminder, the atomic bomb was dropped in ‘45. 

tested, of course, at white sands, new mexico.

5 years prior, a tiny little bar that specialized in illegal betting - thus, the name ‘the owl’ - opened just down the street.

now, should you ever find yourself in/around highway 54 - make your way to san antonio, new mexico.

the only thing stronger than the famous green chile burgers, the travel-sized liquor bottles and the cherry pie is the history that comes with them all.

stop by - you’ll be glad you did.

we sure were.

say what you will about conspiracy theorists - there’s something about roswell, new mexico. now, in all honesty, it’s a boring town. it’s locals are some of the weirdest you’ll meet. it’s a long way off of the main route most would take. did I mention it’s boring? 

that being said - a visit to the u.f.o museum and research center sandwiched in the middle of 5 kitchy souvenir shops made it all worth it.

I’ll spare you the fact, but there are many. too many. and I’ll spare you the stuff we got to see, read and touch - only the ones who make the drive should experience it.

but to think that in the entire universe that we’re the lucky ones is more arrogance than even I can conjure up.

‘u.f.o.’s are real‘ said the front of the t-shirt. 

and on the back:

‘it’s the air force that’s fake’.