Wow, I haven't been keeping up.
I have arrived in Rhode Island, Finally. The last week has been really amazing. I arrived in Tampa on Friday night May 9th, and spent the evening with my Aunt and Uncle at their local pub. It was really nice to chill out with them, gab the night away and meet all of their friends. So much fun! oh and I met a cousin I had never met before. funny how family just pops out of the woodwork. Saturday I hung out with my cousin Sonny who stayed with us off and on through his teen years. His unruly teen butt was sent to us while his dad was in Viet Nam to get straightened out by my dad. My dad did, Sonny is such a great guy I love him to bits. I think he had more influence on me than I realized. Anyway he worked quite a bit with my dad and had lots of fun stories for me. He feared my dad, and has tremendous love and respected for him in spite of it. My dad worked him like a grown man, which I imagine would be a really difficult thing for a teenager, but to hear him talk about it he truly valued the entire experience. He talked a bunch about the love between my mom and dad, about how they were two peas in a pod, identical in temperament and mood; and how they would have done anything for the other. After running around Ybor city (neighborhood of Tampa) we went back to his house and he played some of the best music for me. He's been a super successful dj all over the country for the last 30 years. The most amazing record collection, looks like over 5000. anyway we danced and danced and danced. fun.

Sunday, Mother's Day my aunt, uncle and I went down to Englewood to go to Church, after which we put my Grandma's ashes in the ground next to my Grandpa. It was a really nice ceremony and I think relieving for my aunts. Mom was still in North Carolina with my sister helping her with my recovering niece. Her operation to remove the orange sized syst, ovary and fallopian tube was a success. Mom came back to Englewood late Sunday night. For the rest of the week mom and I just hung out pouring over pictures while she told me stories about dad. It was really nice to hang out with her for a few days. i miss my momma.
more later

New Orleans to Norther Florida. Everyone thinks Texas is big...Florida...oh my. If I hadn't broken it up in three days I do believe I would have been tortured.

Leaving NO, I wandered around the road less traveled. I highly suggest Rt. 90. It is probably one of the prettiest roads with tons of interesting little towns to pass through. Eye Candy. I ran through Mississippi and it through me off, 3 little towns called Long Beach, Santa Monica and it's escaping me right now but another Southern California beach town, all of which were just east of Pass Christian. It was so beautiful. Ancient. Quaint and lovely gulf beaches. Some of the homes where at least 300 years old. I was really shocked. I daydreamed about renting one of the houses for a month in and just hanging out on this quiet low place.

Quickly through Mississippi and Alabama still on 90 til Mobile and jumped on the 10 for a second until I got into Florida and dropped down again at Pensicola to the 98. More gone towns and bayous and miles and miles of bridges. I tried to find a place to stay in Panama City, but as it turns out there was no place that wanted to take a dog over 10 lbs. Speaking of dogs over 10 lbs, this particular stretch of the trip had Buck in pure misery. The fleas from New Orleans waged war on his poor body. He couldn't relax, they just kept chawing at him and he at them. I felt so awful. I couldn't do anything till I got to a room and could give him a bath but trying to find a place was proving to be really difficult. I had stopped at some wall mart somewhere (All those towns look exactly except for the 3 trees they have going down the median) and got flea shampoo brushes and more pig ears. After stopping in about 20 different hotels/motels I decided to pass through Panama City, the only problem was that the next town was about 75 miles away throughout nothing but secret military marshland. And I just wanted to get poor buck into his hated bath and give him some relief.

Mexico City. First place I saw right on the beach quiet and nice. I got buck in the tub, poor baby and was horrified at how many little brown flecks of fat bellied fleas littered the tub. There were some really nice people staying next door who had plenty of great stories and a fantastic beer for me. But the little brioche that I had that morning was wearing thin and it was either going to be a liquid dinner or I had to go find something. I found this incredibly well lit seafood shack and had beautiful crab and shrimpies. and watched the hunting channel and got some great stories from this fella from Arkansas who's boxer was "the best darn bitch for huntin hawgs ever". He told me about crazy hunting trips gone wrong, ending with wild boars and gashes in dogs to mean people feeding their dog gun powder so they just hated everything but the owner while we watched just turned 21 year olds have "who can eat the hottest sauce" contest. A few made frequent trips to the lav after.
Buck finally got some rest. Then next morning we woke up and Buck made friends with some visitors who own a bar "Gert's Place" in BF Illinois. I got directions and may stop in there on my way back west.

Oh and while all this was going on. After some misdiagnosis, it was discovered that my niece, Mackenzie had a tumor the size of an orange on her ovary. WTF. It has since been removed.

Houston to New Orleans was a beautiful road much to my surprise...actually I have been tested on my northern prejudices. (further down the road...I have fallen in love with Mississippi). I landed in New Orleans around 5 in the afternoon, drove around and found my friend's house, tried with no luck in getting a hold of him, then searched and found a safe parking spot in the french quarter in search for a hotel and or bar that was dog friendly. Buck didn't much care for bourbon St. or any of the streets for that matter, even on a Wednesday afternoon bourbon St was loud and crazy.

So we walked all around seeing signs for hotels and motels but could not find a single, solitary check in office or a bar for that matter. I finally stumbled across on place, it was an actual free standing house with side and front yards. I walked in to find out if they were dog friendly not to mention getting a breath of fresh, recycled cold air. After a quick call to the boss, all was okayed and just as I was about to find out the price, my friend Tom called. I b-lined it to him and had a damn good cold beer while looking at all of his amazing artwork. After settling in we jumped on the bicycles (the only way to get around NO) and headed to this amazing dive bar. oh the neon and the tabs paid by art on the walls. Then to a great restaurant. I think the most wonderful thing about my NO experience was feeling like a little kid again in the summer time riding bicycles down the street with the smell of summer heavy in the air and the wind through my hair. That night I realized Tom's temporary stray cat had deposited about 100 fleas on to Buck. Well these are not your standard fleas, these are New Orleans fleas who I think take notes on survival from the roach.

Next morning we pulled out to take leave for Florida. Prior to leaving I knew I had to go to the cemeteries and take photos or else I would be in serious trouble with a certain Mr.Cockcroft. After locking up the car, taking buck along with and taking a roll of film. I was chatting with a fella who had an very important story, he walked with me back to my truck and as he was talking I wasn't in the slightest bit paying attention to him as I was distracted because I couldn't find my keys. I told him that I was no longer listening and that I was sorry. Oh shit I said as I looked in the window and saw the keys right there on the passenger seat. Well he was nice enough even though I ignored him to run round the corner and get a coat hanger. He had ABSOLUTELY no trouble unlocking my door. That didn't make me feel so great...
We hightailed it out of there and poor miserable Buck did battle with the fleas the whole way to Mexico City.
I will pick up more tomorrow. It's late and tomorrow is mother's day.

Managed, barely to make it to Liberty, TX to my roommate Christine's folks house. The ride here was slow with torrential rains and nasty gusts of wind. Big Landcruiser bread box getting thrown around hydro plaining. needless to say I drove snail like whilst I knocked a few years of my life off from my heart jumping, trying to get out into the passenger seat for about 50 miles. looks like partially sunny skies to New Orleans! yee haw

Oh, I would have pulled over if there was ANY-where to pull over that wouldn't have killed me and the other person who couldn't find a place to pull over because they couldn't see me on 'the shoulder'. If it could be called a shoulder :)

I am at Renee and Shane's in Austin. I have put on almost 2000 miles on the truck. I have seen so many amazing things. I think my favorite to date was this gone stretch of highway if, you can call it that, between Santa Fe and Tucamacari. Highway 104. A two lane stretch of 100 miles of nothing but beautiful rolling hills down out of the mountain. It was right at the same time my camera ran out batteries and I forgot completely about one of the 5 manual ones I had with me...
I spent two days at my aunt Martha's. She gave me a fanastic group of pictures of my dad. All when he was very young. He was so soooo handsome. He was skinny too. lanky. My aunt didn't have much in the way of stories. "He would just work on his cah, in that garage" somehow she has managed to maintain her Boston accent after 30 years in Oklahoma. Like everyone else she said he was real quiet and would keep to himself mostly. I tried to recall for her when he got kicked out of highschool, or quit, or left...she didn't remember. I need to get ahold of Ronnie Snell. She says he's got all of the memories.
Off to Houston this evening. I am taking longer than I imagined but having a great time anyway. More later.

Last night we had a sort of "seeing jodi off" dinner. It was really nice to see everyone. I was totally frantic, running around thinking about all the things I have yet to do, trying desperately to get angus into the house as he completely ignored me. I'm gonna miss that little social retard.
Today I am headed for Flaggstaff, AZ. If I get there I get there.
This is what I have seen every morning for the last two years with the exception of a handful of days where it rained. It's so pretty and blue. I haven't figured the digi camera out well enough to get it to show as it really is but...it's close enough.