The Road Home - KY to LA

Our speed racer road trip came to an end after Day Two of the long haul through Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississipi back to Louisiana. If the first leg of the journey was a snooze fest, the second was the Bo Derek of Americana road trip boners.




We headed southwest along fields of horse farms in the morning and made first detour to the Four Roses Bourbon Distillery in Lawrenceburg. MM and I hadn't planned on stopping so early in the day, but you can't find two Catholics driving through the Kentucky Bourbon Trail before noon and expect otherwise! The choice between a tour of Four Roses and Wild Turkey was instantly settled as soon as I saw the latter's logo on the parkway. Flashback to late SF nights, Shrimp clutching her little prawny hands around the wattle of an empty plastic Wild Turkey jug, and I thought, we best make new memories with the more delicate brand! Four Roses was a fine place to visit, though I had hoped for a more "organic" experience. I was looking for a mom and pop operation. We were greeted with hand-etched tumblers and logo emblazoned polar fleeces. I guess mid-tier boozers with little brand cache have to make money however they can. We explored the campus for a while, opting out of the official tour ($$). A note for future visitors: the doors to the actually factory are unlocked so you don't need a guide to see the fun machines (always a highlight for RF).





Our next destination wove us through the scenic Bluegrass Parkway to Munfordville, home of Kentucky's Stonehenge. Before visiting the replica megalith, we paused for Poor-Key's BBQ rib special at Memory Lane Restaurant. The cafe enshrines several recently fallen soldiers from the area. We stuffed our faces to the recordings of a local fiddler then drove down the street to the town attraction. Marked by a handful of small roadside placards, the Stonehenge site appears to be a private endeavor in the adjacent lot of some one's backyard. We offered Lula to pachamama and then she promptly ran through the gates of the neighbor's yard. After some coaxing we were able to get her back to the car. Our threesome hightailed it out of Munfordville.










I-65 South lead us to Cross Plains, Tennessee, where we spent some time hunting down our next checkpoint. Lead astray, we took Barren Plains Road in the opposite direction but soon found ourselves in front of Thomas Drugs, an old-timey pharmacy and soda fountain (eeek, I wanted to know if it used to be segregated but I wasn't sure if that is something about which one might inquire politely?). My vintage heart was thoroughly charmed by the menu: phosphate sodas, egg creams, and the "hobo float" (a glass of water with a bobbing toothpick). The kids behind the counter were super cute. We even chuckled at the pimple faced teen's attempt at making fun of us. They were helpful in pointing us toward our raison d'etre in Cross Plains, although it seems that locals couldn't understand why we had traveled so far to see a decaying, pink fiberglass elephant. Back on track we reached the destination. OH BOY was Her Majesty worth it! The pachydermus roseus sits in the parking lot of the Red River Antiques Mall, holding a rusty martini glass in her trunk. Faithful pilgrims, MM and I payed homage to the beast with photographs and hugs. We then crossed the road for an unexpected bonus. Sad Sam's Fireworks Outlet features a multistory saluting (?) American Indian rendered in the classic muffler man style. Perhaps we should have taken the Indian as a harbinger of what was in store - a real taste of America! Amid a generous stock of fireworks were many shelves of Tennessee and regionally-theme souvenirs, mostly of the Confederate flag variety. I resisted the temptation to make several "can you believe this shit?!?!" purchases and left with only one crate of sparklers for New Years.

Overwhelmed anticipation to return to our New Orleans families, we forewent addition detours in Alabama. We gunned it down I-65 then across the I-10, an old friend, until we made it to the Crescent City just past midnight.

Lexington, KY: Halfway There

"click to enlarge!"

MM collected me and Lula this slushy mid-morning. We made a quick stop to collect some cargo from friends at the UES outpost of Fair Folks + a Goat to transport to its NOLA sister (nothing nefarious really - just a few prints and a funky chair). After limited luggage shimming, we headed west. Most of the daylight drive was pretty zzzz - I'm not not charmed by the bucolic landscape of the Pennsylvania Dutch - seen it! Into the evening, however, we hit novel states: first West Virginia! next Kentucky! My co-pilot and I stopped once for "pan Asian" dinner in WVU's hilly Morgantown. We then slogged across the rest of the winding Appalachians to the motel in Lexington.

Tomorrow, southward ho!

Venice, LA: Extreme Points

Mikecohen, Lu, and I took an adventure trip to the gulf last Tuesday to collect dirt and water samples for his next installation. We followed LA-23 south until its abrupt finish at THE SOUTHERNMOST POINT IN LOUISIANA in Port Eads - a very satisfying milestone!! The end of the earth felt rightfully ominous. We encountered no humans or other animals. The only allusion to life, between the sun-bleached litter and rusted shrimp boats, was the distant industrial noise of jobs/corporate plunder through the wind. Spooky!

We ate po' boys dressed "all the way" at the only restaurant in Venice and stopped in Port Sulphur for samples on the drive home. Here homeboy waded ankle deep in the Mississippi during a thunderstorm to dig up the good stuff. More soggy dirt sampling throughout the city followed, though less noteworthy on account of the monotony of the task.

New Orleans, LA: Long Lost Rubez

Remember me??? Waah waaah slacking at rf.com on account of taking 8 classes, trying to hold down a part time job, applying to nursing schools, and working at being super popular. I have some vidz to post from the past two months since I've moved for posterity's sake: pickles! gators! red wood trees!

In the meantime, today was a great birthday considering I spent 80% of it in school/studying/stressing about my chemistry exam tomorrow. 25 was the best year ever (thus far - esp in comparison to the great Cuernavaca helote incident of '09)! For the record: I LOVE LIFE!

And you are the best.

Tomorrow: first effort at Louisiana glam camping for a party of 12. Good thing Diné has picked up the organizing slack where I have left off. Sigggh.

New Orleans, LA: Trying to Forget the Alamo

Austin, TX: Marfa, Glamor Town in the Middle of Nowhere

Details with Marfa recommendations to follow....

Marfa, TX: (vid finally 'rendered')

Marfa, TX: BLOOPERS

Our big vid is still loading but here are some bloopers!

Marfa, TX: Hi from West Texas

1,493 miles down!

We spent the day slaying through the remains of Arizona, the southwest corner of New Mexico, and a nice portion of west Texas. We made a few detours (sad attempts) to see some roadside attractions along the way. Our first planned sight was 'The Thing' in Benson, AZ but I was busy writing postcards and Shrimp was lost in the music when we passed the exit. Next we pulled off in Wilcox, AZ to take photos of the A&W Root Beer statues at Carter's Drive In. We had less luck with the next few attractions. The Tee Pee Cafe in Bowie, AZ was boarded up. The Shakespeare Ghost Town in Lordsburg, NM was closed for the day. We visited the Continental Divide marker in Separ, NM but it wasn't anything more exciting than a tchotchke store. Our final detour took us through the unsightly city of Las Cruces, NM for a peek at another of Peter Toth's Trail of Whispering Giants sculpture (I saw his other carving in Desert Hot Springs, CA).

After Las Cruces we buckled in for the long stretch of highway that runs along the Mexican boarder. We were stopped by boarder controls but they didn't catch us riding dirty (phewph). By the time we pulled onto Route 90 it was too dark to pose for obligatory photos in front of Prada Marfa in Valentine, TX. We didn't arrive at our final destination for the day, El Cosmico in Marfa, until close to 11pm on account of the time change (we're staying in a yurt - DROOL).

Benson, AZ: MAGIC DESERT PEOPLE

1,006 miles down!

Joshua Tree was really special! We woke up early today for our private sound bath at the Integretron in Landers. Sandra and I went here during our desert adventure last spring; the vist was a first for Shrimp. The kind, old hippy leading our session first shared the history of the dome then colored the story with his own relationship to the sacred site. He first came to Landers with a group of new agers from the Bay Area in 1974 to meditate for peace with the Soviet Union and hasn't left since. Last year he was promoted as the third person (and first man!) to play the quarts crystal bowls during the sound bath. Our guide shared his experiences with alien visitors and explained that the region is particularly clear of cubic meters of cosmic bullshit. WE WERE ALL OVER IT.

Shrimp and I rested on yoga mats under hippy blankets with our heads pointed toward the center of the dome for the thirty minute session. As the guide played the bowls, the most soulful sounds notes filled the room and our bodies. I imagined each of my friends in San Francisco and sent them love. I did the same for my friends and family in New York and around the world. I opened my heart to the life that awaits me in New Orleans. There were many moments of joy. Some note-friend combinations were particularly wrought with emotion (Laura!). Once the bath finished we stayed in the dome for a while to come down from the high. We were giddy as we said goodbye to our host and drove back to Joshua Tree.

We picked up Lu from the motel and visited Desert Christ Park in Yucca Valley. We stopped at the Institute of Metaphysics where I bought a few crystals from their giant selection (had I been any less zen I would have had a panic attack). We ate a delicious hippy lunch of veggie wraps and date shakes at Ricochet back in Joshua Tree. As Shrimp and I were awaiting our order, we met a true desert creature named Sharon, who was playing an over sized flute in anticipation of her meal. Sharon swung her pendulum wildly in the air as she guided me in a chant. Her intention was to help me let my "organisms" know that it is OK to leave San Francisco and that I can always go back. The scene was slightly unsettling to my inner Manhattanite but the sound bath had opened my heart so I welcomed her healing energy. Sharon left us with a copy of her music - it's the soundtrack to today's vid (oy!).

By the time we left Joshua Tree in the late afternoon we were floating. I was grateful for the experience, especially since half of the day's itinerary took us out of the cradling arms of the desert into the boundless sprawl surrounding Phoenix and Tuscon. Shrimp and I checked into Motel 6 in Benson, AZ by 10pm. We laughed our asses off trying to find something to eat at the truck stop across from our motel. We spent 30 minutes there and only left with a bag of peanuts and a bottle opener (I packed the Malbec from SF). This state is the pits.

Tomorrow: AZ, NM, TX. Stay tuned!

Joshua Tree, CA: CRYSTAL CACTUS ADVENTURE DAY 1

506.5 miles down!

Shrimp and I just checked into our humble accommodations at the Safari Motor Inn in Joshua Tree. I spent the first half of the morning sobbing on public transit/in the post office/at a cafe/on the stoop, then spent the other half with Kram and Shrimp trying to shove all of my stuff into the car. Our efforts were fairly successful. Only the jackalope, cow skull, and the goat coat stayed behind (Red Emma gone vegan?).

Shrimp and I finally made it out of the city by 1pm. We stopped in Bakersfield for a five course Basque feast at the popular Wool Growers Restaurant. Despite my recent, rapid reacclimation to the omnivorous world, the feast was too much. Only Shrimp tasted the tongue dish (scroll to 1:18 on the vid).

One day down, four to go. So tired! Must go to bed! Lu and my best friend are already snoring beside me.

PS: I'm avoiding this song at all costs too.

Dock Love

The low tide party was magical! Our reconnaissance mission to scope out the site paid off! The tie charts we consulted didn't lie!

The party planners and homies rolled up on bikes at around 8:30pm last Firday. We shimmied down the mouth of the broken dock's underbelly and set up shop on some rocks. Tea lights set in plastic milk jugs (thanks, Haus!) illuminated the space. The cavern was almost pitch black. A bunch of different friend groups arrived within the hour. Almost everyone I've ever known and loved in San Francisco came for the send off! The party eventually spilled out of the cave onto the top of the dock and everyone drank 40s (or at least I did?) in the unseasonably warm summer air. At the end of the party, when the tide started coming in, Megan Keely treated the remaining guests to three beautiful songs on her mini-guitar? banjo? The first song was the most special to me: a cover of Neil Young's "Pocahontas." Megan and I had a chance conversation about the song at an Ocean Beach bonfire back when I first moved to San Francisco. I have been asking her to play it for me since. SHE FINALLY DID AND IT WAS RAD (it's the soundtrack to the vid). Megan followed Pocahontas with Dolly's "Jolene" and an original song. The candlelit performance really made my night. It was such a lovefest. Thanks, friends!

After we packed up and hit the road the night continued. Some among us may or may not have set off firecrackers on 16th and South Van Ness.

NOT My Going Away Party

Gimme Fan Fiction

Fangirl back in action!

I took this dreamy DM shot w/my cellphone!

Last Thursday I took myself on a hot date to see Built to Spill at Slim's. I was front and center, all up in Doug Martsch's shoes. I prefer to go to hardcore fangirl shows alone (Neko Case, El-P, etc) so I can get in the band's grill and have a spiritual experience with the other fan freaks. The show met my expectations. The band's sound was consistent and they were generous with their set length. Sometimes B2S makes me want to kill myself because I associate it with the angsty Brian London years. I'm really getting over it though (I think?) and can finally enjoy the music without getting totally emo! YES! I met a bunch of superfan girls and boys up front. One blogged this review and took this vid (he was taking manic notes the whole time). Another B2S fangirl told she me bribed the bouncer with $60 to go back stage at Pavement's Stockton show and hooked up with someone in the band! I can't remember which dude - obvz not SM - but still! Drool! The venn overlap of Pavement and B2S superfans at Slim's that night was pretty large. I caught Katie and some homies at the Phonebooth after the show for an all night party. Can't contain zee fangirl H!


Next show!

Daniela and I spent Sunday night enchanted in a love trance at the Fox Theater in Oakland for the New Pornographers show (hometown favs The Dodos opened!). New Porno reminds me of doing laundry my freshman year of college (not in a bad way). We were really there to celebrate and worship the ONE AND ONLY NEKO CASE. Daniela's homeboy Tom/Jordan's fratbro/manager of the venue graciously hooked us up with VIP bracelets. Nice! We soon learned that we were too hardcore for those seats. We pushed ahead through the makeout tweens and middle-aged bald dudes to get front stage right where Neko was singing with her sweet tambo (see vid below). The Fox, in its fanciness, keeps the audience behind a three foot barrier so it was impossible to paw at the ankles of our leader. Still, the performance was wholly satisfying. The band played a fine show. Neko's mellifluous voice rocked our souls to the core. She is amazing! After the encore, Daniela and I unfurled our fangirl poster ("THESE TORNADOES LOVE YOU") but we don't think she saw it. Bummer! I will admit that I was nervous about getting in trouble with Neko since she had recently scolded a fan at a Boston show and also was a little testy during our show because all of the fans were yelling out her name so much (fyi: Daniela made the opening hoot and was by far the most emphatic). Tom did take our poster backstage afterwards so there is hope that she saw it. NEKO! IF YOU ARE READING THIS! WE LOVE YOU! U DA BEST! THANKS FOR BEING THERE FOR ME! THANK YOU FOR BEING THE BEST TAMBO ROLE MODEL EVER!

Next show!

Fangirl honorable mention: I saw Vermont band Happy Birthday on Tuesday at the Rickshaw. Don't even know them but got all three members of the band to autograph (with custom drawings) both the cover and the sleeve of their vinyl!

Mexico City, Mexico: Round UP

I'm back from another great stay in Mexico City. Our November trip was 100% manic but this round was very relaxing. Diné and I had seen the sights already so there was no checklist pressure, plus the rain and our cozy accommodations at Stella's dad's house for the second half of the week provided less incentive to run around.

As mentioned earlier, Diné, Emily, Wade, and I spent the first part of our visit zipping around with Suyapa, ACORN International's Mexico City organizer. We met with the Research Director of Universidad Obrera de Mexico to talk about remittances and cross-boarder labor (Wade's blog gives a MUCH better explanation). We went to the megaslum of Nezahualcoyotl, just outside of the Federal District, to check out idea's for prospective campaigns (again I defer to Wade). I shamefully drank a lot of Coke. We also went to a fancy fresa dinner party with some kind friends of Emily!

Diné and I soon caught up with Stella and her cousin and relocated from the centro to Papa Giblas' vine-covered apartment in the Benito Juarez neighborhood, not too far from our old Roma spot. I would like to reiterate that I am excellent at navigating the DF subway system and also have a knack for ubication so we were able to schlep around the city with few opportunities for getting lost. Emily and Diné got haircuts from our dear (blowin' up) homies at Goodbye Folk in Roma. Stella, Dine, and I finally made it to a Lucha Libre match at Arena Mexico. Stella and I bought some magic charms at Mercardo Sonora but avoided buying the decapitated goat talisman. Our old friend Ercilia from the Buenos Aires days came from her current post at an ONG in San Miguel de Allende to hang for a few days. We watched the World Cup finals at La B in Coyocan. Ercilia and I spent about 72 hours parading around a picture of Diego "mi rey" Maradona. We revisited some Zona Rosa haunts but the vacation was fairly tame on the whole, save one wild antro night with my homegirl Alejandra (remind me to bush up on my gay club anthems beforehand next time).

I of course took a ton of vid footage to make something pretty. In the mean time here are a few memories:

Nancy's birthday party

Ercilia gives a lesson on how to make agua de jamaica

Delicious quesadillas!

Mexico City, Mexico: Llueve

It's raining perros y gatos aqui en DF. Stella, Dine, and I are keeping busy out of our home base, the house of Stella's dad.

Mexico City, Mexico: Sleepless in DF

exhibit @ Centro Cultural de España taken in Oct. 2009

The East Coaster, Southerners, and Hondureña, with whom I am sharing an apartment, are all sound asleep after our longass day shleping around DF and beyond. But I am on pinche California time! I can't sleep! Cure for insomnia?? Manic, semifruitless ebay searches: "black lace bell bottoms," "vivienne tam buddha dress," "dvf cannabis print," "live through this decal."

Que se yo -

No Mames, Güey

Tonight I'm taking the redeye to Mexico City (no stops in TJ this time!) for a week in my favorite town. I'll be meeting Wade in the morning followed by Dine and Emily on Monday night. Stella is joining us later in the week. We'll be checking out ACORN International's Mexico City chapter and learning about the community organizing on the ground. There will be some fun time to see our friends too.

I've also faced the facts that I'm never going to finish the post I was working on about my trip to DF in November. For this reason I'm just going to publish it so at least it's out there in the ether. Reportback from HALF of my first trip ------> HERE

xx!

San Rafael, CA: Fairbros Take Marin

Andy, Pete, Steve, and I spent Saturday at the Marin County Fair.

Tamale Ringwald Does SF Pride 2010

We had the good fortune of meeting a dude named Tree after a string of missed connections on Saturday night. We followed this head-to-toe whiteglitterfur unicorn to a big Pride rave in the dance space above 24th and Mission. We ran into many friends: Daniela's grocer, present + former Henrique lovers, besparkled Alan who was by far the best dressed, and our very own long, lost, crazyeyed Arabella (!!!!!). She's been living, working, and converting to Judaism in Berkeley with her girlfriend for the past year. Wild.

Dancing continued for hours. A drag queen later anointed Yoram with a tranny name (see vid below)! Others were just plain sassy. We boogied until we got shin splints and could no longer take the cancer flavor of Danish's disgusting watermelon gum. When it was time to leave, Laura and I learned the hard way that the giant orgy in the side room had spilled out and was taking place on top of our stash of stuff. I shimmied my jacket out from under a dude's ass and Laura eventually wiggled her bag free from another lucky guy's head. Glitter! BJs! Electronic music! The whole scene was pretty dead-on for Pride in San Francisco.

Next Laura, Henrique, Danish, and I tried to go to Delano's to get supplies to make delicious fruity juice. It's not open at 6am apparently! Instead we went back to Treat to make "BROmosas" and listen to the best/funniest Burner mix by DJ Shakti Bliss (omfg) with Charlie.

We caught a few ZzZzZzZzzzz then woke up in time to meet back up with the posse at the Knockout for the MEX-ARG game, though too tired to vuvu. My homie from pre-Pavement drinks was tending bar and boiling weenies (his secret to delicious dawgs: hot Anchor Steam). I confess to the narco-consumption of the following items during the game: one extra spicy bloody mary, one egg and cheese sandwich, one pint of root beer, one super veggie taco, and one and a half REAL MEAT "tube steaks." After the game it was all trazodone and slumbers for the remains of my Sunday.

Happy Holiday! Vamos Messi!


PS: BROMOSA RECIPE
- 1 40 oz. bottle of Miller High Life (luckily I already had one of these chillin for me in the Treat refrigerator - $2.25 out the door! Best deal in town!)
- 1 carton of Ruby Red grapefruit juice (must be RUBY)
Pour 1 part brew with 1 part juice into a glass Ball jar. Mix with a chopstick. Toast the night as the sun rises to DJ Shakti Bliss's mellifluous "Unicorns on a Soggy Night."