Happy Monday: By The Numbers

Ok, so it's been a long time since I said I'd be posting a few things to "sum up" the trip. 

I've been busy and in denial just a little bit... 

I'm going to get on with them, as much for me and getting them on the record, as it is for you to have things to look at.  And here's the first of them...

As I originally started this specific post, it was just a laundry list of things with numbers associated with it.  Some of them were amusing (if I do say so myself), but overall the presentation was boring.

With that in mind, while I was wandering around San Francisco taking pictures -- doing something a bit more fun popped into my head.

And, it changed the whole thing dramatically.  Some of the original facts were thrown out, and a few that I never would've thought of if I wasn't forced to are now included.  

So yeah, it's dumb fun vs. a beach shot to make you all jealous that typically followed the "Happy Monday", but I hope you all enjoy it. (my unemployment is not nearly as interesting as my retirement was - but it does give me some free time to make infographics)

(While much of the artwork is original, some artwork has been borrowed from unknown sources who are more talented at this than me.  I've altered most of it, but am no less grateful for their efforts.  I wish I could hug you all.  Please forgive my burglary, I'm very jealous of your talents.)

What I Was Listening To - Just Cuz It's Round Volume Two...

Ameoba Music is one of the greatest new and used record shops in the country and has locations in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco (picture above with shirtless bum), as well as Hollywood and Berkeley. 

Alright, it seems like some people liked the last time I posted one of these.  So a few months on, after the trip is all said and done, here goes another.

Vampire Weekend - Diane Young
I'm not sure if this is my favorite song on the album, but it is a good tune that is enhanced by the video. If any one can tell me why Chris Tomson is the only one without a shirt on (I think it is too meta for me), I'll buy them sandwiches.

MS MR - Ash Tree Lane
A band introduced to me by Freya and Nina while driving in Melbourne, I really like the weirdness.  Oh, and the wordless chorus in this song is just killer...

Wild Belle - Keep You
The video for this is absolutely priceless.  (It's weird getting into music via

The National - Demons
The album sounds like the National.  And I guess that's good enough for me.  And when I heard the line "Wanna see the sun come up above New York" somewhere in the middle of nowhere - it made me miss my City.  Happy I've been able to see a few of those since my return.

Capital Cities - Safe and Sound:
A theme song to the beginning of the Argentina adventure with Jon and Jill.  It's playing everywhere here, so I'm sure you are all almost sick of it.  I'm not over it, yet.

John Grant - GMF:
Warning - Contains Explicit Lyrics.  This is a pretty mellow-ish track, but it has a big bold claim (delivered via expletive) that is pretty darn funny and great.  This came from my friend Billy and I love it.

Bradley Nowell And Friends - KRS-One (Acoustic):
No video, but the song that gave the blog it's name.   Love it.

Andrew Bird - Tenuousness
Sometimes you just need to take it down a few notches on the road.  A. Bird is generally a good choice for doing this.  Plus I love when he sings the word "elasticity" (and this must now be song #4 of his where it plays prominently)

Brothers Comatose - The Scout:
Due the delay in publishing this, I recently saw these guys live and this has to be one of their better songs.  And, oddly fitting to my life outlook for the last year.   They also have a killer cover of the Stones' "Dead Flowers".  Nothing like a bluegrass cover of a good 'ol rock song.

Paul Simon - Papa Hobo
I started listening to this because of a joke with a friend.  So Damn Good.

David Byrne & Brian Eno - Home
Not sure what the deal is with this video, but the song is all you need to listen to.  Unless you want to see pictures of random houses that is...  Admittedly, some of them are kinda cool looking.

Chance the Rapper - Favorite Song
Another "delay" find, but one that was on heavy rotation on the cross country road trip.  You need to like hip-hop/rap otherwise this song isn't going to excited.  But I love his word play and he sounds like he's having a ton of fun.

Nyle - Let the Beat Build 
This is an old one, but maybe a song a lot of folks haven't heard.  Apparently the story behind it is that it was the guy's senior thesis at NYU.  The video makes the song, but it is always in the rotation.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes - Better Days
Love the song, and the new album from the band of weirdos.  But they really out did themselves with this video that is constructed entirely from clips of Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo.  This listening list isn't really about the videos, but in the post-MTV era, there is still some a fair amount of inventiveness and creativity in the art form.

Snoop Lion - Fruit Juice
I'd heard about the name change and the upcoming Reggae album, but hadn't heard any of it until my friend Jeff came to Colombia.  And, while there might be some more interesting songs on the album, this one has to be the most ridiculous.  I'm not sure it is possible to not smile/laugh/etc when listening to this.

Steve Martin - Love Has Come For You
Paul Simon's wife has an amazing voice and Steve Martin can really pick!

Of course, there was more music.  Many of those songs I never will know the words to or artists that I'll never hear again.

For the first time though, I wasn't "up" on new music.   As you can tell above, I wasn't totally disconnected, but without a morning commute and 2-ish guaranteed hours of music listening a day, it's hard to keep refreshing music (or need to).

While that was weird and liberating, I am looking forward to getting back on the horse!

Hope you enjoy.

Note - I've also posted this as a Spotify Playlist for those who are using that service (Apologies - not all the songs are available via that service).  You can find it here: Just Cuz It's Round Volume 2

Regarding My Beard Three: My Real-Life Face

As tears fell this weekend, I said goodbye to the hairy friend I was keeping on my face.

The person I see in the mirror still looks strange to me.  I imagine it is more than just because I hadn't seen that person since last March, but I won't dissect it too much.

The chorus of "Shavers" was growing and so was the reality of needing a... what do you people call those things?... riiiight, a JOB.   And so it was time. 

I let my friend live a little in his last few days before we parted ways for good: 

Of course, I'm already starting to think it had something to do with the awful showing in Cincy by the Pats this weekend.  But, for the time being, employability is more important than the Pats W-L (we're still 4-1, after all). 

Now, it's time to go find a job with this new face.  Wish me luck!

With this reality upon me, and this time I mean it, I'm going to work on a few key posts of summary for this thing over the next couple of weeks.  You know, before it get carried away by the next great thing. 

I had intended on that already happening at this point, but I've been having so much fun with a lot of you.   So, really it's your faults.  

Not that I want you to leave me alone.  I like you all, even if my beard is very mad at some of you. 

Road Trip!

After seeing 24 countries in the last 11 months, one thing I have learned in those travels is that you learn as much about where you are from as where you are visiting.  And it was great to come back and experience my own country with those new eyes.

And, while the road trip got cut a little short, it was 12 great days of randomness, friends, gradual re-entry, coffee, roadkill, and the license plate game (49 out of 50 - still need Delaware!). 

This country is MASSIVE, awesome and I can't wait to see more of it.

But that will have to wait.  Real life beckons.  Before we get there, I'll share the last adventure of this chapter:

Day 1:

The Davies' Dog also likes to eat Cats...  And you saw pics of Punxsy 4 times already!

States:  RI, CT, NY, NJ, PA, OH

Miles:  643

Cups of Coffee: 3

Points of Interest:

• Punxsatawney, PA
• Western Reserve Academy – Hudson, Ohio - Home of the Davies', their dog Foster and their fine Bar

I had to include this after I showed Jeff making drinks... Thanks for the Manhattans Davies!

Best Town Name: Panic, PA (right next door to Paradise, Desire, and Harmony)

Things I Forgot I Missed:

NY Sports Talk Radio
Air Conditioning - About the time I got to PA, I figured it was getting a little warm and it was time for some AC.  Well, it turns out that the AC in the car wasn't working properly, so I did the rest of the drive with the windows down and the system up.  After a year on the road, without many conveniences, this seemed to be exactly the way it was supposed to go down.  If there is another Cross Country drive in my future though, I assure you all that it won't be done without checking the AC first. 

Musical Accompaniment:

Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

Kings of Leon – Aha Shake Heartbreak

Bob Seger – Greatest Hits

Outkast – Speakerboxx/The Love Below
Elton John - Caribou

Day 2: Tour of Cleveland

Highlights -

• The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – I easily could’ve spent twice as long in the museum, and I was there for 3 hours.
• The Cleveland Museum of Art – A beautiful museum, and fantastic collection.
• Sokolowski’s University Inn – Damn Good Perogies!

Day 3:

Touchdown Jesus!

States:  OH, IN, IL

Roadkill: 5

Miles:  369

Cops: 15

Best Town Name: Elkhart

Points of Interest:

            RV Hall of Fame

            Touchdown Jesus at the University of Notre Dame

Things I Forgot I Missed:

Barbecue sauce
24oz Servings of Coffee
HD Baseball on 60"+ Screens
Eli Manning’s sourpuss face

Musical Accompaniment:

The Band – The Last Waltz
The Samples - Transmissions from the Sea of Tranquility

Sigur Ros - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust [With a buzz in our ears we play endlessly]

Smashing Pumpkins – Melancholy and the Infinite Sadness

Steve Martin and Edie Brickell – Love Has Come for You

Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

Day 4:

States:  IA, IL, NE

Roadkill: 5

Miles:  693

Cups of Coffee: 4

Points of Interest: 

The Mississippi!  - So small and unsensational at the Dubuque crossing that I didn't even realize it was the Mississippi until I was leaving town. 

Holy cow they're not kidding about the amount of corn in Iowa

The Bridges of Madison Country - I had no idea these were in Iowa, if I had more time I totally would've stopped for them. 

The Home of US Grant - Yeah, that's right, I stopped for the brief tour.

And, of course, the Field of Dreams:

As if the film crews pull up stakes yesterday!

The Bleachers the Karin fell off of and starting choking before Moonlight Graham saved her life...

Shoeless Joe's Home

Musical Accompaniment:

tUnE-yArDs – who kill

Warren Zevon – I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead

LOTS OF NPR - The highlights:

• 99% Invisible
• Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me
• This American Life
• Radiolab

Things I Forgot I Missed:

Cholula Sauce

Along with the above Podcasts - Terry Gross’ Fresh Air

Day 5:

You remember Elizabeth, right?  She's so big now!

States:  NE, CO

Miles:  411

Cups of Coffee: 2

Things I Forgot I Missed:

Baseball

Peanuts and Hot Dogs at Baseball Games

Musical Accompaniment:

A.C. Newman – Get Guilty

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City

Florence & the Machine - Ceremonials

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes - Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes

Denver Sports Talk Radio

Day 6:

States:  CO

Miles:  228

Cups of Coffee: 1

Had planned on Camping around Vail Pass.  I was hungover and it was raining.  So, obviously, I drove a bit longer and then pulled into a big, comfortable bed for the evening.

Day 7:

The Delicate Arch

States:  CO, UT

Miles: 186

Most interesting Town Name: Rifle, CO

Points of Interest:   Arches National Park!

Camping on the Banks of the Colorado!

Starry Night over Moab, UT

Day 8:

The Great Salt Lake!

States:  UT, NV

Miles: 654

Cups of Coffee: 4

Most interesting Town Name: American Fork

Points of Interest: 

The Bonneville Salt Flats! - Estimates put the Salt Flats at 1/3 of their original size due to the mining of salt in the area.  There is even a Morton Salt Plant that can be seen from the road.

Musical Accompaniment:

Band of Hourse – Everything All Behind – specifically for the part driving past “The Great Salt Lake”

Beach Boys – Pet Sounds

The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

The Beatles - Revolver

Day 9:

The ROCK!

States: NV, CA

Miles: 386

Points of Interest: 

I got to drive over the Bay Bridge on the day the new eastern span opened!

Things I Forgot I Missed:

• In-N-Out Burger – Technically, I didn't forget about this one, since I dream of  A Double Double, Animal Style, with Extra Crispy Fries and a Black and White Shake frequently.  In fact, I’m pretty sure 50% of the reason I wanted to drive to California was to have one of these.  For those keeping score at home, it was awesome.
• The expansion of Lashfully - San Francisco and taking a picture of it. Seriously, Matana, it is awesome!

Musical Accompaniment:

Billy Bragg – Mr. Love & Justice

Billy Bragg & Wilco – Mermaid Avenue

Day 10:  Day in San Francisco

Dinner with good buddy, and college roommate, Reid. 

Things I missed:

Blue Bottle Coffee – Seriously folks, one of the best in my book.

San Francisco - Seriously, had been way too long since I'd been there

Day 11:

States: CA

Miles: 400

Musical Accompaniment:

Volcano Choir - Repave

James Blake - Overgrown

Explosions in the Sky & David Wingo – Prince Avalanche Soundtrack

Capital Cities - In A Tidal Wave of Mystery

Day 12: Return Flight to the East Coast

States: CA, NY

(Not that I care, but the) Famous People Seen:

• Anna Gasteyer
• Bobcat Goldthwait
• Maggie Grace

And scene, act, play!  4000 plus miles of driving is a helluva last adventure for this particular journey.  Next time, I'll take more time for sure, but was a great time none the less. 

And now it's time for whatever comes next.  Over the next few days and/or weeks, I'll be doing some summary posts of favorite photos, parting thoughts, thank yous, and maybe a few other random bits.  

But for now, thanks for coming here and sharing this "thing" with me.  It's been a blast.