Aug 312007
 

I’m now traveling around the US in something of a limbo. I’ve been through through seven states and the District of Columbia in the last four weeks and am ready to slow down a bit.

I’ve managed to find three excellent people to rent my house, an old friend, an opera singer, and a Pilates instructor, who helpfully relieved me of my foam roller, big bouncy exercise ball, and spare yoga mats and whatnot. Nice.

Arizona: Fort Huachua:

Five days in a cramped trailer in the desert with my… family? Burning man this was not. My fourteen year old nephew is my height and outweighs me by about 20 pounds.

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Nick, Loretta, Destinee, and Danny trying to get back into the US of A.

We went over the border into Mexico to a little border town that was, well, pretty much a border town.Lots of shopping for stuff that seems cool but isn’t once you get it home.

New Orleans, LA:

After that I spent 10 days back home in New Orleans, half of which was with the Puffin. Highlights included getting my camera back which Canon finally got fixed. Thanks.

Highlights: eating, eating, eating. running into Ed McIntyre at Liuzza’s by the Track, Herbsaint, running into Pam Jenkins at Fair Grinds coffee shop, cold-brewed iced coffee from PJ’s, renting bikes (minus the sweaty parts), Brigtsen’s, though ignoring the gumbo (terrible!), Purple Haze on tap and Amber served up any way, and the sometime feel of recovery.

Lowlights include the property market, the totally messed up recovery process, the continuing institutional corruption, violence, fear, uncertainty, doubt.

Slate has an interesting series– which is pretty old yet I think pretty well-done, here.

Alabama:

There’s something to be said about a Southern family. My grandma is all south Louisiana, and made me Paneed meat, and the rest of the family made time out of their very busy schedules to come up and visit with the prodigal grandchild– one of two (out of 20) grandchildren who isn’t married with children). I of course brought my camera and took exactly zero pictures, as usual.

DC (and VA and MD):

Next stop: the overnight train to DC, where I visited with my friend Audrey Elizabeth who was evacuated from New Orleans. Spent a lot of time with my dad’s friends here at the Maryland Renaissance Faire who were all very kind and helpful and excited to see me. Here I was severely admonished for not updating my blog enough which I resolve to do (though I wonder if there’s anything interesting… I’m still not sure about the whole blog thing, but I hope that someone may find it useful…)

Philadelphia, PA:

Amy Laura Cahn, who I haven’t seen in almost ten years, lives here and is at UPenn in law school. Her girlfriend Natalie is amazing– a great cook and a maker of fine furniture, not to mention someone fun to babble with about random stuff late into the night.

And we went to Franklin’s Fountain, which I highly recommend to anyone visiting Philly. Old-style ice cream and fountain stuff, with great ice creams and riquismo NY-style egg creams and tempting (but I could only have so much) Phosphate sodas. Definitely an experience.

New York, NY:

Is where I’m at now, and it’s great. Hot, breezy, and I’ve had some fun times. More on this once I’m gone…

And I leave for the UK on Monday. Tuesday I’ll be there! I should probably call someone and have a plan for when I land…

 Posted by at 15:01

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