So much has happened in such a short amount of time I don’t frankly even think they’re real. In my mind I’m still in my boxers somewhere in California about to answer an excited call from an old friend. In my mind the television is on and I don’t want to pick up the phone because I know its Jamal and I don’t feel like talking about the 20 bucks I owe him. In my mind I let it ring.
We’ve been running around New Orleans for a little while now and if I wasn’t too full to move I’d still be running around right now. Who knew crawdads were so filling? And what the heck is a crawdad anyway? The father of a craw?
New Orleans is amazing. Easily the most European-American city I’ve seen, the streets remind me of when I was in Paris and I got lost because someone took my map. And my camera. Baroque railings line the two-story buildings as sherbert-colored flowers peek out between the neon. Streets wind and twist in the manner of the horse and not the horsepower as it’s refreshingly clear they were made for the carriage and not the car. To feel so out of America while feeling so in it is an odd sensation - a mixture of Yankee pride, European indulgence and plain old Earthly awe.
Man we’re In New Orleans during Jazz Fest. It’s like braving a bull in Pamplona, like downing a draft at Ocktoberfest, like spending your savings in Vegas – just something everyone should do once, and I got Vegas checked off already.
The music is so good here. All the music. Walking towards Bourbon street Jamal and I rounded a corner to see a 15 piece brass band playing in perfect unison as children and adults danced in the streets. Eyes closed as if to savor every bite, their limbs wobbled and waved as raspy jubilation spilled all over. You don’t see people in the States just let go very often and It’s cool finding a place where they do. In fact those that don’t let go look out of place. Say what you will about the excess of New Orleans our country needs more places like this. Our country needs more feeling.
Because sometimes we’re just too busy. Sometimes details become mountains and our existence takes so much effort we feel-less to produce-more. Heck, if Jamal hadn’t won this contest I’d be clenching my fists in that restaurant right now, numb to my passions and trying to cope with the afternoon buffet. So when you read this journal please understand that it’s written by someone whose pretty freakin’ grateful. I fully understand that this trip was given to me and aside from getting Benji Anderson not to kick Jamal’s butt in junior-high I have no idea why he asked me to come. (But I’m sure glad I picked up the phone when I did, Jamal said if I didn’t answer he’d promised to bring his older brother Larry – and Larry has a flatulence problem. )
So here I am, pleasantly digesting cajun food in my hotel room, about to see a Voodoo priest about upping our eco-score a little. (Let’s just say Jamal wasn’t as into the efficiency part of this adventure as he could have been and we might need some help from the beyond. Hey, it couldn’t hurt. Would you believe I found him on the nav?)
But voodoo or no I am refusing to accept the possibility that this trip is about to end. It’s too late now. I am an eco-warrior. My friend and I drive from city-to-city spreading the word and that’s the way it’s gonna be, if you try to stop me I’ll speed away in my car and won’t need to stop very often.
And I really don’t wanna leave this car. I really like it. It's called the Insight for a reason, it knows everything I want and it has it ready the second I say - like Kit from Night Rider if it was a hybrid. This car feels like the future. And the future is smooth.
So back home we will go – I know the trip is over soon and I’ll go back to my old job and my old car which doesn’t sound like a pretty 3rd-grade teacher when it doesn't give me directions. But, until that happens, I have one more night in New Orleans, one more shot at blowing all that money I didn't spend on gas.
And finally, the solar-panels shaped like a flower has stayed with me and I wonder about it still. If that array was painted and decorated they'd essentially be flowers, pulling energy from the sun making everything beautiful. And that equation works for me. This car is one step towards that and after going on this trip I'll never take a gallon for granted. There's a lot of factors at play in keeping this planet balanced and it's no coincidence that when something's doing good, it's got a lot of green.
From the heart of cajun country I thank you for coming on this journey. Jamal and Leebo, out.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
AUSTINTATIOUS
And as I drive away, I leave my heart in Texas.
Or rather, as Jamal drives me away I leave my heart in Texas.
Quick Tip – If you’re best friend’s a know-it-all and you’re foot is tired, a quick wikpedia and trivia-challenge will get you everywhere.
But that having been said, I will be returning to Austin.
Even as we pulled in we could sense that this city had a proud and vibrant spirit. An emo-CEO’s neon-dream, the skyline reflects a hip and thriving city as even during these hard times cranes and pulleys work away. The air is crisp, and dry – walking around with Jamal I mused that it felt like I was being “massaged” by it. He looked at me funny, and I took a picture.
But yeah, this is one rad, rad, radical city. Before this trip I always noticed that people would swoon over Austin whenever they talked about their favorite places in America. Having never been to Texas prior to this trip I always pictured a small college-y town with nice locals and good music. I couldn’t have been more wronger.
Austin is like the best parts of New York, Chicago and LA were like “I’m goin to Texas!” Man everyone is cool here. Babies are cool. And not cool in a "I'm cool" kinda way, cool in a stay-up-all-night-drinkin-and-hunt-you-breakfast-cool. Slide-guitar-and-javascript-cool.
So feeling kinda cool I challenged Jamal’s "supposed" iron stomach to a steak-off at the Hoffbrau House – a meat-and-potatoes joint with a huge steer’s head schilloueted over the entrance. Jamal likes to talk a good game about how much he can eat so I found this place on the nav that advertises that if you can eat their whole 72 OZ lunch, everyone eats for free. What’s more efficient than that?
Well let’s just say that Jamal’s stomach is also a hybrid cause he consumed as little as humanly possible. I don’t wanna say I’m disappointed in my old friend but it’s a good thing I didn’t bet any money cause I would have lost it after 12 OZ of good red meat and a russet. If there’s one thing Jamal isn’t, it’s a power-eater. We split the bill and got the remaining chuck to-go as he limped into the Honda.
Despite feeling like a steer had kicked me in the chops I couldn’t love Austin any more. Walking into the first bar Jamal and I randomly picked I randomly ran into my boy Dario who I used to hang out with in Kentucky. He’s Serbian and he manages focus-groups for big corporations which isn’t really funny until you hear him describe it in his accent. Apparently he came to Austin a year ago for some conference and liked it so much he just stayed. People who can work from a laptop are very, very lucky.
So after a drink, Dario Jamal and I went out for a walk around Austin and had a good old time. Music came from every corner and even places with no customers had someone on a guitar strumming and singing. The mix of people was so diverse I couldn’t really put my finger on what I saw most of but everyone was really good looking in a jeans-add-for-a-pair-you-might-actually-buy kinda way. And me in my Crocs…
After getting a two pound-hot-dog that could rival the 72 OZ of steak that Jamal tried to eat for lunch, we walked to the Congress Bridge and witnessed 1.5 million bats leave to feed at once. Every night at sunset, 1.5 million bats stream out from under the bridge and go somewhere to feed. Exactly where they go remains a mystery which seems odd given that 1.5 million is a lot of bats – a number I did not doubt when the horizon grew black with a shifting storm, of bat. I heard that people in the water under the bats have a great view of the action, and the guano. Let’s just say I’m glad we stayed on the bridge.
And so on we drive – New Orleans isn’t that far ahead. I’ve heard that I10 going into Lousiana is pretty and if the amazing weather we’ve had is any indication we get to see it at it’s best. While my heart may be in Texas I predict it’s stowed away in the back. Under the tinted glass in the Insight hatchback, I’ll bet it found a comfy place to ride.
Big easy here we come.
Or rather, as Jamal drives me away I leave my heart in Texas.
Quick Tip – If you’re best friend’s a know-it-all and you’re foot is tired, a quick wikpedia and trivia-challenge will get you everywhere.
But that having been said, I will be returning to Austin.
Even as we pulled in we could sense that this city had a proud and vibrant spirit. An emo-CEO’s neon-dream, the skyline reflects a hip and thriving city as even during these hard times cranes and pulleys work away. The air is crisp, and dry – walking around with Jamal I mused that it felt like I was being “massaged” by it. He looked at me funny, and I took a picture.
But yeah, this is one rad, rad, radical city. Before this trip I always noticed that people would swoon over Austin whenever they talked about their favorite places in America. Having never been to Texas prior to this trip I always pictured a small college-y town with nice locals and good music. I couldn’t have been more wronger.
Austin is like the best parts of New York, Chicago and LA were like “I’m goin to Texas!” Man everyone is cool here. Babies are cool. And not cool in a "I'm cool" kinda way, cool in a stay-up-all-night-drinkin-and-hunt-you-breakfast-cool. Slide-guitar-and-javascript-cool.
So feeling kinda cool I challenged Jamal’s "supposed" iron stomach to a steak-off at the Hoffbrau House – a meat-and-potatoes joint with a huge steer’s head schilloueted over the entrance. Jamal likes to talk a good game about how much he can eat so I found this place on the nav that advertises that if you can eat their whole 72 OZ lunch, everyone eats for free. What’s more efficient than that?
Well let’s just say that Jamal’s stomach is also a hybrid cause he consumed as little as humanly possible. I don’t wanna say I’m disappointed in my old friend but it’s a good thing I didn’t bet any money cause I would have lost it after 12 OZ of good red meat and a russet. If there’s one thing Jamal isn’t, it’s a power-eater. We split the bill and got the remaining chuck to-go as he limped into the Honda.
Despite feeling like a steer had kicked me in the chops I couldn’t love Austin any more. Walking into the first bar Jamal and I randomly picked I randomly ran into my boy Dario who I used to hang out with in Kentucky. He’s Serbian and he manages focus-groups for big corporations which isn’t really funny until you hear him describe it in his accent. Apparently he came to Austin a year ago for some conference and liked it so much he just stayed. People who can work from a laptop are very, very lucky.
So after a drink, Dario Jamal and I went out for a walk around Austin and had a good old time. Music came from every corner and even places with no customers had someone on a guitar strumming and singing. The mix of people was so diverse I couldn’t really put my finger on what I saw most of but everyone was really good looking in a jeans-add-for-a-pair-you-might-actually-buy kinda way. And me in my Crocs…
After getting a two pound-hot-dog that could rival the 72 OZ of steak that Jamal tried to eat for lunch, we walked to the Congress Bridge and witnessed 1.5 million bats leave to feed at once. Every night at sunset, 1.5 million bats stream out from under the bridge and go somewhere to feed. Exactly where they go remains a mystery which seems odd given that 1.5 million is a lot of bats – a number I did not doubt when the horizon grew black with a shifting storm, of bat. I heard that people in the water under the bats have a great view of the action, and the guano. Let’s just say I’m glad we stayed on the bridge.
And so on we drive – New Orleans isn’t that far ahead. I’ve heard that I10 going into Lousiana is pretty and if the amazing weather we’ve had is any indication we get to see it at it’s best. While my heart may be in Texas I predict it’s stowed away in the back. Under the tinted glass in the Insight hatchback, I’ll bet it found a comfy place to ride.
Big easy here we come.
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