the trip is over. let the journey begin!

i've spent the last week sleeping on my friends Jake and Sandy's floor. They've been quite wonderful and supportive, helping me look for a place, showing me around town, reminding me that I'm not alone out here.

Today, Monday, is Sandy's birthday. Last Saturday night we celebrated her birth by shouting obscenities at pirates. South of LA is Medieval Times dinner theater. Directly next door to the Medieval Times is a Pirate Adventure dinner theater. While attending the latter we were treated to an evening of eating in the dark, cheering for the oldest, most ripped, acrobatic pirate in the show, and all around goofy fun.

Here's Sandy and The Red Pirate:
Sandy is kinda into pirates...

Meanwhile, I'm looking for a place to live. Constantly glued to craigslist and westsiderentals.com, I am forever searching for a 2 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 gated parking spot, dishwasher and on-site laundry, dog accepting, well-located Santa Monica apartment under $2000. If you know of one available please let me know so I can camp out front all night and plant my flag in the morning.

(I know I promised never to beg for comments again, but it really is the only way I know who's reading. thanks)

fuel summary

1/6/07 Marlton, NJ: $2.239/gal, 10.389 gal, total: $23.26

1/7/07 Chester, VA: $2.159/gal, 12.276 gal, total: $26.50

1/9/07 Leland, NC: $2.229/gal, 11.2.216 gal, total: $25.00

1/9/07 Midway, GA: $2.189/gal, 11.990 gal, total: $26.25

1/10/07 Melbourne, FL: $2.309/gal, 11.476 gal, total: $26.50

1/15/07 Palm City, FL: $2.399/gal, 12.296 gal, total: $29.50

1/16/07 Wesley Chapel, FL: $2.399/gal, 8.857 gal, total:$21.25

1/16/07 Grand Bay, AL: $2.089/gal, 9.333 gal, total: $19.50

1/18/07 Gonzales, LA: Prepaid $20. don't know gas price. stupid receipt.

1/18/07 Brookshire, TX: $1.899/gal, 11.585 gal, total: $22.00

1/19/07 Kerrville, TX: $2.169/gal, 9.451 gal, total: $20.50

1/19/07 Ft. Stock, TX: Prepaid $20. don't know gas price. stupid receipt.

1/19/07 Fabens, TX: $2.079/gal, 11.424 gal, total: $23.75

1/19/07 Benson, AZ: $2.339/gal, 5.237 gal, total: $12.25

1/19/07 Benson, AZ: $2.339/gal, 5.237 gal, total: $12.25

1/20/07 Salome, AZ: Prepaid $25. don't know gas price. stupid receipt.

Total spent on gas: $277.50
Total gallons purchased: approximately 162.676 gallons
Average price per gallon: $2.034

Iraq memorial

this memorial is located on the beach in Santa Monica, CA. the creators update the memorial each week, adding the number of US casualties in Iraq to the dead already memorialized by miniature headstones embedded in the sand. the headstones are replicas of the style found in a military cemetery and even reflect the religion of the deceased. A cross is erected for Christians, a star of David for Jews and a crescent for Muslims. it's a lousy pic but thought you should see it anyway.

surprise in AZ! then on to LA!

after weathering the storms in TX I found myself in Phoenix, AZ after a 14 hour drive from San Antonio. Well rested and ready to get back on the road, I decided to make a pit stop in Phoenix proper before landing in LA.

As the internet confirmed, Lauren Sherwood, a good friend from Curtain Call days growing up, currently works at a children's theater in Phoenix called the Valley Youth Theater where she officially serves as Audience Services Manager. Unofficially, I'd stake money on the fact she probably runs the place... Lauren wouldn't have it any other way.
As proof, I found her working at the theater's offices on a Saturday morning. Just as she was leaving the office and coding out the building, I stepped up and surprised as she opened the door. Her reaction was priceless and well worth the uncertainty I suffered while trying to find the office in the first place.
Anyhow, we had a wonderful lunch together and got a chance to catch each other up on the various happenings in each other's lives. Good times...

Having made my final stop across the country, I drove the final 6.5 hours to Los Angeles. Here are a few pics of AZ and then CA.

AZ

a real AZ cacti!

i actually got out of my car and walked up to an overpass to take this pic... you know you're impressed...

SoCal rollers roll on 24s... in buicks...

A view of the valley from Mulholland Dr.

get through TX

as I'm sure you heard, last week the mid-west got some real shitty weather. well, i had the pleasure of driving through some of it right in the heart of Texas. Lovely as that state can be I chose to push through as fast as possible...

New Orleans vs. Katrina: Round #365/24/7

I spent a full 24 hours in New Orleans, LA in order to give myself an opportunity to fully grasp what happened to NOLA, as the locals call it, and what challenges they still face with regard to rebuilding their city.

Visit the web album i've compiled below...

New Orleans post-Katrina

Travels With Hobbes

I think Hobbes deserves his own post. I have to give him credit. He's a wonderful travel companion. All he does is sleep!

A lot has happened in Hobbes' life in the past several months and I'm sure the upheaval hasn't been easy on him. Not to mention the fact that his testicles were removed somewhere in the midst of it all. (On a side note, Gillian wrote a wonderful little ditty dedicated to Hobbes' missing testes. You should ask her to perform it for you sometime. If I can, I'll have her record a track and we'll post it right here in the future.)

Hobbes has been confused and befuddled at all of the shuffling we've done lately but through it all he's been a real trooper. I'd travel with him anytime.


Hobbes with his favorite person in the world, Gillian. This was taken not too long before the condo was sold.
Taking in the scents...
If Hobbes had invented ballet this would have been position #1.

Funny signs...

Truckstop Ministries offers mobile salvation.

Joke unnecessary...
Available at a Flying J truck stop near you! (Southern locations only...)

One might think this is self-explanatory...

I'm not entirely sure if this is a township or simply where the line begins...

I hear they're opening a store in the new Stamford Town Center. Wahoo!

Good to know... (but I didn't tell Hobbes...)

I swear I stood here for 5 minutes trying to get Hobbes to lift his leg. He was a very uncooperative subject. Perhaps it was because he was just as baffled as I was...

Tampa, FL

I didn't take any pictures while spending time with my aunt and uncle. I also failed to take pictures while spending time with my cousin Adam who recently returned from Afghanistan where he served as a communications and satellite specialist in the Army. However, I assure you a good time was had by all.

After leaving Boca Raton I drove across the state to Tampa where I spent an evening with Ali Russell, a close friend of mine from elementary and middle school. Although I saw Ali only a few months ago (she flew up to CT for Mom's funeral), I haven't seen the rest of her family in a number a years. Her parents had us over for a lovely dinner and excellent conversation. I have missed their warmth and friendship a lot over the years.

These are Ali's parents Don & BJ Russell. I'm the one on the right.
This is their house. The picture is taken from the boatdock facing their courtyard. Their home is beautiful.
This is the view of Tampa from their boat dock.

Oh yeah, and this is Ali. She rocks.

car mod-ing in FL

where am I? just let me check my GPS... yep you read those letters correctly, i bought a GPS navigation system for my car. however, I didn't just buy a stand alone unit, i had to go and buy an in-dash system with a flat touch screen display. This purchase wasn't only so that I would know where I am at any given moment it was also to improve the quality of my sound system. before i left Stamford, my best friend Darcy and I installed the Harmon Kardon Drive + Play iPod system in my car. It's the coolest thing ever and pictures will follow. However, when Darcy and I installed it, there was an awful hum in the speakers, suggesting that we (read: Darcy) did not ground the system correctly. This being an incredibly annoying noise while driving from Connecticut to Florida, I decided that there was no way I would be able to make the trip from one coast to the other while listening to my car hum along to my iPod. Damnit, I'm the only one allowed to hum along to my iPod.

Radio before GPS installation:
After installation:

The Harmon Kardon system (not installed as pictured but you get the idea):The system was a dream driving across the country. It's been a huge help in finding my way around LA and my music sounds amazing. I'm in love...

playing catch-up... starting with SC

the next few posts will focus on the past few weeks because I was unable to post enough while on the road. I've got a bunch of photos that need to go up, so hang with me...

Driving from Wilmington, NC to Palm Coast, FL I made sure to drive through Charleston, SC cause I heard it was worth while from Elizabeth Meny, a friend of mine who grew up in Charleston. I have to say that despite being in South Carolina, Charleston is quite charming. Below photos from said city...

This is a bridge at the entrance to the city of Charleston.

This is the boardwalk along the water. it's a really beautiful area to walk and view the architecture.
The houses above and below are actually right next door to each other.
below is a building involved someway with the library. but i don't think it's THE library.

above is a building involved someway with the library. but i don't think it's THE library.

Unitarian church graveyard... cool place...
Jewish studies building of the College of Charleston. If I'm not mistaken, Elizabeth helped raise the money for this building...
This bridge is the one I crossed on my way out of Charleston.

I'm here.

i made it. not much else to say at the moment. more later.

a long damn drive

i'm freezing my ass off. no, literally, my ass is really cold. the wireless internet connection only works in the lobby and outside on the patio. the lobby is occupied by a creepy and talkative desk clerk and the only place to sit outside is on the concrete stairs. my ass is really cold...

so today was a long day. i slept in San Antonio, TX last night instead of Houston. I just didn't feel like stopping so I just kept driving. Today, I left San Antonio and was planning to spend the night in El Paso, TX, but again didn't feel like stopping and just kept driving til I hit Phoenix, AZ. All in all, it's been a long day. The highlights of driving through TX include a desert covered in ice and rest stop trash receptacles that read, "Don't Mess With Texas". pictures were taken but i'm too tired and too cold to upload them now. i swear that when i settle somewhere for more than 7 hours I'll post all the pics taken between NC and LA.

As for tomorrow's plans, I think I'll move to Los Angeles...

internet withdrawl

i was driving down the highway when I began to shake. my eyes were just about to roll back into my head when I saw a billboard for a Fairfield Inn that clearly stated "FREE WiFi" and I promptly swerved across 3 lanes of traffic in order to sit in their parking lot and blog.
Here I am, after 2 days of absolutely no access to email and an inability to blog , drooling at the beauty that is 21st century connectivity and the horrible realization that it might just be worse that drugs.
Having gotten my google fix, a brief update of my whereabouts follows.

I am on the road between New Orleans, LA and San Antonio, TX. I have removed Houston from my sleeping itinerary in order to remove an extra day in Texas from my schedule. I sincerely feel that 2 days is more than enough.
Many photos have been taken between Stamford and my current coordinates but no time has been available for me to post them. I swear I will do so at the earliest convenience.

Wish the Jew luck as he ventures into lands unknown to him...

goodbye boca

Tonight is my last night in Boca Raton, FL with my aunt and uncle. While I've been here I've bought jeans, fallen asleep reading a book poolside, listened to the Boca Raton Symphonia (apparently they aren't large enough to be a full-blown symphony), went to a casino and didn't gamble a cent, had my car fixed (minor electrical issue in the dash), and spent time with my cousin Adam who recently returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan.

If I can I will expand on some of these activities in my next post but right now I have to go to bed. I leave for Tampa early in the morning. Goodnight and good luck.

blue moon & bosoms

What's better than drinking your favorite beer? Drinking your favorite beer while patronizing an establishment known for objectifying women. (Notice how I didn't say that I was objectifying women, but only patronizing an establishment meant for this purpose. Having covered my own ass with regard to this picture I have run out of things to say about it.) Moving on.

As some people may know, my birthday took place a few days ago and among the best presents I received was actually being robbed. Having brought my car into the dealership for service before my big trip, I was forced to leave my beautiful vehicle (i.e. "home") overnight on the dealer's lot while it waited for a new part to arrive and be installed. After two days I was told that the part was on back order and it would not arrive in time for my trip. As I picked up my car and drove off the lot I realized that my brand-new top-of-the-line radar detector was missing from my windshield. I promptly turned around and went back to the dealership to find out where it was. It turned out that it had been stolen. Happy birthday, indeed.
I then proceeded to rip the dealership a new asshole and was issued a check for the cost of a new one plus overnight shipping charges so that it could meet me in Wilmington, NC. It has arrived and I hope to avoid further encounters with state troopers. Although I have to say that Trooper Johnson was relatively jovial while scheduling my court appearance in Clinton, NC. I was only doing 83 in a 70, but apparently anything over 10mph above the limit requires a court date. Sad to say I have no intention of returning to the east coast, I'll have to figure out some other way to pay the piper. At least I wasn't doing 106 in a 65. Sorry, Vermont...

Let it go...

I didn't think it would be so early in my trip that the first sighting of a confederate flag would take place. In fact, I didn't even make it past my first destination before proof that the "battle is still being fought" slapped me across the face.

Richmond, VA: 1
Reason & Sanity: 0

A Journey Begins...

This post will be short and fairly boring. You've been warned...

I officially left Stamford, CT today to begin my trek down the east coast and then across the country to settle on the west coast in order to start life anew and search for a job in the film industry.

I picked up Hobbes this morning at the vet where he was being boarded and hit the road, stopping for a late lunch in Marlton, NJ with cousins from my mother's side of the family. I then proceeded to drive down to Glen Allen, VA, just outside of Richmond to visit and spend the night with a former neighbor from the old Dundee neighborhood. Tomorrow I'll spend the morning here and then head south to Wilmington, NC to see other former neighbors from Dundee.

Stay posted for more updates with perhaps a video clip here or there. I haven't quite decided yet if i'm interesting enough to put on video...

Thanks to everyone who joined in the festivities this week, whether it was just coming out for a drink on my birthday (Thursday the 4th) or surprising me at my going away party on Friday. Much love and thanks to Gillian and Darcy who planned the party and managed to convincingly deceive me up until the very last possible moment. It was a wonderful note to go out on...

Return soon for more info on the exciting tale of the homeless filmmaker and his dog as they make their way across the continent...