Traveling Resource! Night Owl entertainment.

CHECK IT!

SQUAT THE PLANET one of the best sights i've found on everything! train jumping, traveling resources and more. www.squattheplanet.com

and i laughed so hard when a buddy of mine called me and told me to look this up. you've got to check this out!

here's some nightly entertainment...

Musician Jokes!

---Daddy! I want to be a musician when I grow up!"

"Now son, make up your mind, you can't have it both ways....."

----
What do you call a musician without a girlfriend?.... Homeless
-----What's the difference between a musician and a pizza? A pizza can feed a family of four.
-----

what do you do when a musician knocks on your door?

tip him for the pizza

----- Great job. (I'm a very happily married musician - 36 years! It can be done. Develop a world class grovel. It'll go a long way)

some funny stuff!
Thanks Tony! lol

the wind at my back

I was talking to a friend the other night. We went to a show downtown at the Jinx here in savannah then wandered a while.

I've been thinking lately, what it is that drives me to wander like i do. The fact is.... there's just nothing like the open road. The rush of the wind, the people, the excitement and feeling of freedom. Nothing compares to it for me. But i've found, i like having a place that i fit into also. I've found that here in savannah for the first time. I'm so excited about hitting the road as it draws closer. It's looking like we'll leave in two weeks or so. But i'm also saddened and have this hesitation inside. I like it here. If i feel lonely, all i have to do is take a walk and i'm bound to see smiling faces of people i know. High fives from passing friends walking by and good conversation at the coffee shop. I fit here. It's nice to walk around town and go into any bar in town and they know you. know when you've had a bad day, know when you need a hug, or want a rematch in pool to redeem their pride. lol I would go so far to say that i'm starting to love it here. But im not content enough to stay. I'll be back i think. I will miss this place. But I need to go. I need to follow that breeze that keeps me alive.

The open road.

The wind.

No Body Loves You

Eric Clapton said it best when describing the irony of self pity. "Nobody loves you when your down and out". A song originally written by Jimmy Cox flooded the mainstream in the early seventies; and is still among one of the most well known covers to this day. I feel that Eric was making love to John Lennon's "Nobody loves you" when he wrote this song. Echoing the same feelings and almost the same words.

"Nobody loves you when your old and grey
nobody needs you when you're upside down
\ everybody's hollerin' bout their own birthday
everybody loves you when your six feet in the grownd" -John

Ever wonder what people would say at your funeral? what would i say at mine? did i do everything i wanted to with my life? see all i could see? what would my regrets be?

I've been thinking about these things a lot. Probably more than i should cause i'm still up and it's freakin' three AM.


That's my new theme song for the past week. I've lost a lot of friends and gained many over the past year. It's crazy; I think all of us have this place in our lives.

If you want to see who your friends are, leave them. And if they still remember your face in a year, you've got something. But more times than not, it's the people you just met, that offer you their coat, and take you in their arms; they are your friends. Most people, outta sight, outta mind. I'm that way all too often also. I have found myself guilty. But i long to perfect who i am.

Traveling, if nothing else, has restored my faith in humanity. The kindness and generosity found by a total stranger is something i marvel at. The hard ones, the tough ones to love are the ones we know and have history with. We've had time to get to know them and be hurt by them. Holding that resentment, i look forward to the day when i can still hand an old friend my coat, as if he were a perfect stranger.

I feel like i've traveled so much, i have no place that is home. Nothing is what i need in that moment. So i keep going. Running down this open road looking. I feel that if i stay in one spot to long, i get stagnate. lol i told someone today, if i were to stay in an empty town for too long, i would be the worst alcoholic ever! I have to keep myself alive. I hope i find it traveling this trip.

"Each city is like the next if you have no ties keeping you there. The wind will continue to blow me away. Farther from finding a place to rest."

in a flash

Some pictures are always with us. Whether we look at them everyday, or turn them over on the night stand; they are still sitting there. . Even as the dust collects and years pass, We will never remove them from their place of honor. As years pass, we may only still move them to that shoe box. You know the one. We all have that box. Our boyfriends don't know where it is, our families never ask. But that memory is apart of who we are.

My box is now at my grandpa's house in Georgia, where it is easily forgotten, but on those nights i have to much time to think about my life, i know i still have those things and they will be safe there. I feel that way about this past year. There are a lot of things that happened i'm glad i don't have pictures of. And i won't be ready to tell the truth about for a long time. And really, no one wants to hear that part of the story. We all already know the moral....

"Don't do drugs!". lol

I'm looking back into the pictures i have all over my bus, who i am, and where i'm going now. I don't know where i'm giong other than west and the open road. I think i know a lot more about myself than last year, and i finally put the pictures in the box. I'm going to leaven them behind here in Georgia. Some things need to be left behind.

That's what I'm hoping this next year will be. I can't believe it's been almost eight months that i've been grounded here in Georgia. But I'm so excited about getting back on the road!

Herman is better than ever, and i'm going with some dear friends. I'll tell you more about that when it gets closer. For now, i'm learning how to just be.

I got my first tattoo before i hit the road almost two years ago. I just got my second. I'm going to get a few more before i leave. But the second is about letting things go and being free. I'm sure you'll see it come up in pictures over our trip.

Poor little Herman!

Sense the beginning, we knew the whole deal was kinda shady. We adopted Herman from the wreckage yard with hopes of giving him a better life and family. Well, we ran into some minored problems and hand some issues with the title, transfer of ownership and such.

Now that I'm back in Savannah trying to put him back together and he is close to complete recovery, one sad day, a man walks into my store... a look of suspicion on his face. The word had got around that a young VW owner worked at this little gas station in a dark part of downtown Savannah (that owner would be me).

His name was Tom.. He's always had busses like Herman until his little one went missing one day... about three years or so ago. It crushed him. He hasn't owned another bus sense.

the mystery of Herman's real parents is one that will probably continue for a long time, if not forever... but this young man is dedicated to finding his little baby. Whether his baby and my little buddy are the same in fact 1970 VW Westy, is truly unknown.

Whatever it takes, he's my little life line i feel like. He's a big part of my life, and I've lost everything else dear to me except for my little buddy and Sal (Gibson j-200). We're going to stick together. No matter what that means.

I look outside sometimes and it seems like little Herman is sad... staring off, almost crying sometimes. I can tell he misses his old friends and wonders about his family. This is a hurt both he and I, shear. It seems weird, but it comforts me to know he understands how i feel, and I understand him. It's funny how sadness can bring two friends together.

I hope to one day again soon be bound by adventure and the wide eyes that we would both shear at what the world had in store for us; but for now, we just sit in the grass together, remember, and maybe let a tear or two fall only where the two of us can see it.

I'm going back to Greenville SC this weekend to relive some old memories and hopefully find closure and healing. I don't know what i'll get into, but Herman will be staying behind. I regret that he can't go. It will be my first trip without him. But he understands.

Life gives us opportunities, and obstacles to hopefully build us up and lead us to the end stronger than we were when we got here.

I love it's crazy twists and turns... even when it's miserable, and i'm freaking out becasue its hard to see what's going on, with each blind curve, I'm just learning more to becontent and just ride. Foccus on what is important, what i can change, and let the rest fall into place.

All We Need is Love.

couch surfing? Absolutely!

http://www.couchsurfing.org/

For all you travlers, this is lagit! check it out! You have to sign up and become a member to really check it out, but I sugest giving it a look. I thought it was pretty awesome and have talked to some firends that have done this and raved about it. I'm gonna give it a shot in the next few months. Let me know what you think and if you have done this, please leave your fb and let us know what you thought about the experience.

May we live life and travel well.
Much love people.

The Professional Drifter

A FREE SPIRIT.

Some of us have it, some of us don't. Some are this way for different reasons; as I presently learned is my own case. "The need for chaotic circumstances" (a book I will shear).

There is a small community of us...

this is a place for that community, or for those of you who admire, aspire, or inquire about the drifter lifestyle.

Some of us ended up here by choice, some of us that's not the case, I used to judge the lifestyle, but however you ended up on the road, there are resources you should know about, and people we met while exploring the road that helped me and John along the way, and people I've met now alone.

I want you guys to tell your stories. Funny, embarrassing, inspiring, or just plane weird.
When posting, know that these stories will possibly be used in the publishing of the book (one day) "a traveler's story".

Post away!

Love Is all You Need

So, again, I'm doing some major recapping. I'll try and stay in place of the time line though.

We spent Christmas in Siler City NC at a dear friend of mines house. He had gone on tour and asked if me and John wanted to house sit for a few months. We saw this as a great opportunity to get some things done, stay in one spot a while and work on the buss. So there we were. Our time there was irreplaceable. It was there John proposed, we laughed, met Mina and her family, went contra dancing for the first time (after which John insisted we have that at our wedding) learned about 'WOOFER' (we decided to do that and go to Hawaii for our honeymoon) and really started to love life. Me and John became really close over the coarse of those four months. We laughed a lot, cried through some things, and I really learned who he was and how much he loved me.

I will never forget that city. I miss it so much. It was where love bloomed for me.

Tony Had family coming down for the holidays, so we needed to spread out for a few weeks. I got a job at Waffle House, and we spent Christmas in one of the older unused cabins on Tony's property, equipped with a wood burning stove to keep us warm. That was fun. Then we rented a hotel for two weeks, where we spent New years.

I will never forget that year. Me and John sat on the bed watching the festivities downtown. Tony gave us a bottle of champagne, and when the clock struck midnight, John popped the top! It went everywhere! We laughed, and I had the best time right there in that little hotel room on the edge of town. John would walk me to work and sit at the Waffle House for hours while talking to regulars and smiling at me.

I got to see snow for the first time for real! Lots of it, and shear that with John. We'd sit on the porch before work, drink coffee and talk, looking at the beautiful bright snow covered garden. He would cook almost every night. He didn't like me to help him. lol I can't cook. He'd simply give me a glass of wine and suggest I keep him company. You couldn't ask for anything more romantic than some of those mornings and nights there at the cabin. I hated my job, but loved this time, and looking back wouldn't change it for the world.

After the holidays and several months of staying in Siler City, our plan was to finally get to TN. We got our tax money back, and were ready to settle down into a place to stay.

Staying in one spot for so many months in Siler City had spoiled us, and we wanted to make life happen for ourselves.

The everyday stresses of the road had stared to wear on John, the job market was difficult in Siler City, and things were getting pretty stressful. We stared to argue and things started to change. We were musicians, and wanted to do that for our living, but had a hard time pursuing the needed open opportunities for lack of resources (Money, Gas Money, and descent transportation). Like I started out saying,

things don't always turn out like you planed.

We didn't make enough money with having to stay at a hotel and take care of some other issues that came up, to buy the parts we needed to fix the bus; so we were running on empty.
I was complaining that things weren't working and John felt the pressure as a man to provide.

So we stared the apartment search online for places in TN and were weeks away from leaving, when we got a call from Glen and Amy in Greeneville SC.

Amy had gotten a great job and new loft apartment in Anderson, so while no one was staying at their Greenville home, they offered to let us come down and stay there. We had talked to Glen about getting some help with a press kit and getting some more recording done so that we would have a demo and website when we went to Nashville; making it ten-thousand times easier to book shows and promote ourselves.

We missed SC, John's family, Easter was coming up, and thought it would be good to stop by before heading to what we would call home for a while, plus the investment now with the help offered, would benefit us when we did get to settle down in TN.

The time line looked right, and we could still get into an apartment by May 1st in TN.

So off we went.

This is the only decision I really regret. I knew in my gut enough was enough and we needed to get settled. But it seemed like a good idea and seeing all our friends down there sounded like fun. We had the time, and when I found out there were some shows Glen had already booked down there if we would just give him the okay, that would pay for the gas money needed and give us an extra boost toward TN leaving us the same or better off in a month. I thought it would be great.

It was, and I believe could have been; but you never can tell or predict what's going to happen.

Greenville was great, but me and John were really fighting a lot. About nothing. Little things and everything. To the point it made it hard to work together. So much hurt started bottling up those last few weeks before we left, then when we got to Greenville, it was all we could do to smile in public. You can't work that way. You can't get things done that way. You can't enjoy life, and make things work out of nothing that way.

We were handed the world there, talked to Glen, he offered to take us on as our booking manager (something I knew he would be great at, and we needed the help desperately), the only kicker was I'd have to let go of Nashville for a while. After much thought, for where we were, what was going on and our options, we were successful in Greenville. It was happening now here. John left it up to me because from the beginning, all I wanted was to get back to Tennessee. I used to live there, loved it there, had memories there, played music there, but it was not there anymore. I was wanting to go back to find and finish a dream I felt I had woken up from to soon. When the fact of the matter was, I was here. Now.

So I agreed. I was happy with my decision, but told John, the only thing was, I had no safety net in Greenville. This was his home town where I was being constantly introduced to all his old friends. Our relationship was very rocky at this point and I needed stability and to know that we would be okay. That is something now one I guess can guarantee. But I had to choose, and I chose to give it all I had. It took all the egs I had in one basket if I wanted to give this a fair shot, so I tossed them in with a hope it would work.

We landed several more shows while in town, set up a recording schedule, put a down payment on an apartment, and allowed our craft to grow. We quickly gained recognition with Glens help and all the support of friends he had introduced us to.

It was like a freight train!

With so much support behind us we started playing every week and had just landed a twice a week gig as the house band for the Oyster Bar on the west end of town making $600.00+ a week, not including side gigs and privet parties. The world was working in our favor, but me and John continued to argue and it was making it hard to enjoy all our success.

Our close friends were being patient with us, seeing where we were going through, tolerating the attitudes they felt when we were in a room together, doing their best to encourage us. On the buisness end of things, our almost manager put a hold on things until John and I could get through some things and get stable. I can't blame him for not wanting to invest into something that may fall apart.

I was feeling the same way. Scared that it could all end just as suddenly as it started.

We were at the top of our game. Just getting finally! To where we had said we wanted to go. Making a living doing what we loved, weeks away from moving into a killer loft downtown, when we had the fight.

It wasn't huge. Nothing we hadn't been through before, it was just the last time.
John left for a few days and went to stay with friends.
I stayed in the empty Greenville house waiting to hear from him.
We went back and fourth a few times, I cried, he talked about how he felt. But it was over. For now at least. I didn't want to give up, but I couldn't stop it. He was done.
Neither of us wanted to loose the success we had managed or the small victories or ground we had gained. But without unity and the two of us working together, it was impossible.

There was so much hurt, I couldn't do it. We tried to continue to work together and played a few more shows, continuing to find new opportunities, but with him going home somewhere else, and me alone now every night, it was hard and eating me up.

Just like any breakup, it can feel like the end of your world. And I felt it was the end of mine. I knew who I was, what I wanted to do, but was hurt as anyone would be.

I was in love.

In love with a man, a dream, an open importunity that we had just barely tasted.

I learned a lot. I had a good time. But I believed what made everything work like it did was the hope we had and the love we had for each other to keep going that made us what we were. That made our music what it was.

Music is passion. Love is passion and commitment.

Love is all you need.

That was all we had.
But when you let the weight of the world choke that out,

you're left with just a hippy bus, and a guitar, and an empty talent.

I am back in Savannah where it all started. No worse for wear, just left with a screaming reaffirmation of what I already knew.

You can gain the whole world, but without love...

... it is all meaningless.

I got the bus, the guitars, the empty dreams I did when I left Savannah. Now I'm back fixing the bus, working at the same job I was before. Living okay. Paying my bills with plenty to spare. Hanging out with the two old friends I used to, wondering why.

I will always come back to love. What loves me back.

I'm investing myself into my love. My passion. The thing that loves me back and makes me feel whole. The thing that gives me enjoyment and happiness. The only love that is still there and will always be there. Wishing it could have worked out differently. But glad for the time I had.

I still haven't let go of my dreams. I'm making the most of the time I have now, saving money, fixing what used to be our bus. It's not so much fun when it's just mine. Waiting for time to heal the hurt, until I can pick up my guitar again and sing. . .

. . . with passion.

Music is passion.

Love is Passion with commitment.

Love is all you need.

Pictures from our stay in NC

A few stories, friends, and Going to NY!

It feels like forever sense I’ve updated this blog and so much has happened. There are so many crazy stories that I want to shear with you.

Like the time we left Anderson SC before we headed up here to Tony’s in Siler City NC, and decided to go camping. It was so much fun, but I had watched ‘Jason” for the first time ever and was so freaked out. On our way up into the mountains our breaks went out on the buss. That was crazy. Thank God John is so resourceful (or insane, I don’t know witch) that he fixed our emergency break and we were able to get to our next destination on that. Now looking back, it was a fun adventure, but definitely not very safe. But what do you do? We were all the way out in the woods with nothing, no phone, and no one to call even if we could find someone. So you fix it, deal with it, and do what you have to do. I enjoyed that trip very much. I almost caught a fish! It was funny though, never really having been in that situation before, after watching that horror movie about camping in the woods that week, there we were; really stuck in the woods! I’m normally not the jumpy type, but I was freaked the heck out!

We have met so many wonderful people on the road, and now that we’ve lighted for a few months in one place, I’m longing to get to Tennessee where we can stay for a while. I’ll miss the freedom I’m sure, but I’m excited to see where the next bend will take us. John wants a dog, and I’m excited to be getting a house soon.
We have been doing a little recording here in Siler City and I’m also eager to shear that with you guys.
Among the great people here is a Bahai family we’ve met. Mina and her family have become dear friends of ours and I am so thankful we met them.
I will probably never forget the adventure we had in Pittsboro NC when just me and Mina were out for a drive and decided to check out the local grave yard that night. It was horrifying! I could swear we saw a grimlon jump out from behind the tomb stone! She grabbed my arm and screeched, “look at that!”. I quickly assured her it was a rabbit and hurried out of there. Corse when we recapped our story to John I told him it was the ugliest little critter I had ever seen; to witch Mina replied, “You lied to me!” Of coarse I did! It was so funny, but she now refuses to go back. I’m in no hurry either; though I may try again someday before we leave.

Our next little adventure is whit Mina this coming weekend. We will be going to New York City. I’m excited, and of course, John hopes to be able to play some poker games if we end up having the money.

We have just started to settle in a bit and I have enjoyed the quiet of being still for a few months. The acreage here is beautiful and our walks down by the river on the property seemed to have calmed our nerves in a lot of ways. I will miss this place, this town.
We went Contra dancing this past weekend. It was Johns first time and he really enjoyed it! I’m so glad he did. He’ll be going back with me! So life is just a little calmer now. I’m enjoying it because it is all about to change again next month. I’ll be glad to be back in Tennessee though.

So, this life is a continuous cercal. It’s amazing to me how it starts and even more interestingly, how it all ends.

This life is filled with patters. Patterns that have been set into motion and will always be in motion; whether we choose to acknowledge them or not.
Think about your first moments in this life….

It all began with an unexpected slap to your ass; and life has been beating us up ever sense.

But most commonly, we confuse where to place the blame.
Our problem isn’t life itself. It is a beautiful thing. Even if you disagree with this positive concept, no one cares. You didn’t have a choice. You were born.
But life’s unexpected turns, highs, and even lows, are not our problem.

I once heard a wise man make reference to the birds when addressing this concept. It’s a common thought, but one few of us truly embrace.

“Look at the birds, how they don’t fret about what they will wear, what they will eat, where they will go or live. And how beautifully they live!”

They trust the existence to take care of them; the laws that are already in motion.

To acquire the art, or better said, the discipline to live in the moment without regret or hesitation can be a powerful thing; possibly the secret to true happiness.

But it goes against our nature. That negative nature that was here from the beginning. The nature of self. Us. Taking care of number one. Worrying about where we will end up. Preparing for our future.

Can one really do that? Another man said, “We make plans like fools, when God decides where we will go”.

Whether I believe in God, or Christ, or Buddha, isn’t the point. There is an undeniable force that is already in motion when we showed up. That is not going to change.

Worry is a powerful thing. It is so harmful. It takes our focus off of the here and now; what we are exploring; to a place somewhere in our future that may or may not exist.

So let us continue to try and comprehend the incomparable. Control the uncontrollable. Dictate the indictable. Fighting until we are out of breath.

Or?

Be.


You will be anyway.

Siler City bound.

So yeah. We're here house sitting in Siler City NC for a while. I miss you guys very much. Hope to be able to call some of you soon. John got out and booked us some shows for the next few days, so things are getting busier. We've met some people and thanks to Mena at the local coffee shop, we're getting plugged in to the downtown sean.

miss you all and hope everyone had a good holiday season.

Greenville Snapshots/ The party

Again, I always feel like by the time I'm able to get on here to type, so much has happenned there's no way I can cover everything. But I'll start this blog entry with saying how much fun we've been having.

~THE AM~

I enjoyed my little treak to the bath room this morning and went to get some breakfast. This is starting to become my favorite time of the day. You guys that know me, are not surprized I'm sure. The perfect start to any day is a book, coffee, and cigarrette. This can sometimes be a task to accomplish while on the road as we are, but the Hamton Inn's chain has been good to me to provide this lugsury. Robust coffee please. John was sleeping in this morning, but I assume he'll meet me up here at the library soon. I had a good breakfast too! Eggs, sausage, inglish muffin and coffee. Mmmm. I'm one happy girl right now. Though it was a bit cold for me today and missty outside, so that made my two mile walking around this morning a little less desirable; but over all, this morning has been a good one. We spent last night with two good friends, Mike and Lexi, (who live accross the street from Geln and Amy who's house we are again staying at) laughing and telling stories of our past week's adventure.

Now with a full belly (something very apriciated at this point in our adventure) I sit down to recap the past few weeks.

Well..... first off, allow me to welcome you to downtown Greenville where we have been spending the most of our time. It is a beautiful city. You can see where we do a lot of our cooking and movie watching in this photo. This big ampa-theater here has been wonderful to us. complete with electric outlate for us to plug in our coffee maker and cook food, charge our DVD player and just curl up and hang out. Not to mention, the acoustics are amazing so we've practiced our instruments here a good bit too. Convienantly located next to the Hamton Inn. Greenville has been good to us.

Okay, well I think I left off with our trip to Ashville. We came back to Greenville to play that privet party I was telling you guys about for Glen and Amy. It was an amazing party. I hope to be getting pictures up here pretty soon just to give you an idea of the grandure, but there is no way that they will even come close to capturing the moment. It was by far the best party I've every been to in my life! And was honored to be a part of it. We showed up a day early to help set up for the following night.
There were 50 freakin' teki-torches! It was beautiful. But gosh, that was a lot of torches! I filled up every one of them with oil and watched John and Glen drive them all into the ground. The 'Stage' for the band was a whole nother ordeal. A large green covered tent, with lights around the top. I think that John and Glen debated for about 45 minutes on how to drape the tapastrys in the top of the tent and around the back. We spend eaqual time on the christmas lights for a large tree in the yard. Three fire pits, a whiskey bar, and here you go guys; a projector with the football game playing all night! Live music, great food, and lots of laughter. It was me and John's first real performance together, and for sure, the best time I've ever had performing. It was magical. I know that sounds cheezy, but it's true! A lot of you guys didn't even know he played hu? People wrote thankyou notes on the sidewalk with chalk and danced. John was something too! At one point during the performance, he took the mic of it's resting place, walked out into the croud a little bit and stood around the fire as he sang a Ray (forgive me for murdering his last name) La-mon-togga song called "Joliean". It was amazing! We also performed a song that Glen had written. He is quite the writer. When we finally crashed, we woke up to everyone the next morning still laughing and drinkinig the left over whiskey at 8AM that morning! We had a leasurly day and didn't even clean a thing untill the following day. We just ate left over chilli, drank beer, snacked, laied in the pit of dispair (a quilted couch covered in blankets that you never want to get out of once in) and watched movies. It was wonderful!

People showed up the next day to help clean up. It was truely a wonderful time.

I feel so lucky to have met these people. Glen, Amy and their next-door neighbors Mike and Lexi, have been so wonderful to us.

Their english friend Mark and wife Linda, had John and myself over a few weeks ago for lobster! Gosh that was good! I'd never had it before. That was so much fun. The girls took me upstairs at some point and deceded to straiten and cut my hair! lol (That's what happens to girls on tequila). It was so much fun and Linda gave ma strait iron!I love those guys! And we have yet to play garrage band!

To the 'cool people, Erric, and Luke, his brother Mark, and Luke's wife Anna. We've enjoyed spending time here with all of you guys so much! Thank you for making Greenville an awesome experience. WE LOVE YOU GUYS! I don't know where this little bus will lead us, but we'll for sure have to re-visit greenville. You guys have made this one of my favorite places ever!

Oh how life is fun!

Yeah, so there are LOTS of details that I'd like to cover... but just dont' have the time to right now.
I just want to give a shout out to the guys I really miss in savannah.



Garrett -I'll call you soon!

Jo- girl or boy?

Grandpa-

---Damn the torpidoes, full speed ahead! Coffee and ciggarrettes are God's gift to the stressed.

Irene Wood

Renee Wood

Maybe Randy..lol

Peggi- We still need to write that book! And I need some councilling!

PENNI!!!!!!!!!!!!

FORD!!!!!!!

Racheal Rosenthal /florida i guess hu?

Dawn and James, really.

Terry (yes the beautiful blond from Gateway)

My family there,

Millisa, Sam, Katie, and the other wonderful ones there. You mean the world to me.\

Shawna! What the hell girl?! lol I know. Glad you found the blog. I freakin' miss you!

Millisa on 48th st. That sounds like a song title. Hm...

and to everyone that I forgot, I really just am that bad. I love and miss you gusy and think about you all offtin. Thanks for all your help and support and I PROMISE! Yes (Dawn lol) I'm getting a phone soon! Really.

Much love,
~Mallory

Disclaimer for "Yo Mama"

First things first: if your child has big dreams to grow up and travel around in a VW bus don`t freak out. There are definitely worse ways one could travel. Here are a few reasons why all you mothers can sleep at night knowing your son or daughter is out on the road somewhere.

1. Not every VW bus road tripper rides around smoking massive amounts of "Mary Jane", "Ganja", "Purple Nurple Mind Eraser", "Wacky Tobacky", etc. (mainly due to the fact that after eating ramen noodles for a week; not having beer or cigarettes ; and most importantly not having clean socks and underwear. Getting stoned would seem to be the last thing on the mind of your youngins. If your child has there priorities straight, these fore mentioned commodities should be first on there wish list when they acquire some money. Then again there are places in all most every town that you can get a hot shower, free meal, and clean socks; so if you can take care of beer and cigarettes this may actually be a concern!!!
   
2. VW`s are like riding in a boat; waving is just one of the many interactions your darling young ones will have with the rest of human kind. (It is true, even when your living on the verge of poverty with no "real life goals" one would be surprised at how many good Friends cross your path) Yes It Is True, People Love Hippy`s to???!!!
   
3. VW`s can double as both recreational vehicle and shelter. Meaning mama`s little girl will never be sleeping out on the street; she will just be sleeping in a bus on the street. They are also very surprisingly comfy ( compared to a curb as a pillow and a gravel mattress.

DON`T WORRY MAMA`S MORE TO COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good People

So... wow. there is a lot of recapping to do. I'm not going to be able to get to all of it, but I'll do the best I can to catch you guys up on the high-spots.





With the CV joint situation that I mentioned in a previous blog, again, we were broke.


So, we had gone to a couple open mic nights.... 'Smiley`s being our favorite venue. So on a very uneventful night (I think it was the next day after our parking garage exp) We were parking behind Smileys and John decided to go in and ask about some work or booking a show there.


It was freezing cold, and I had already turned in for the night under the covers in the bus, so he originally went in by himself; but after a while, nature got the best of me, so I reluctantly found a sweatshirt and headed inside where I found John leaned up against the bar listening to some of the same guys play that we had seen the week before at 'Open Mic'.





The owner was to our right, but it didn't look like a good time to interupt him and ask about work. He was off the clock. So we listened to the music for a while and headed outside to smoke.





Debating our options and laughing about our situation, John handed me a cigarette. I asked a gentleman that I had seen just light up, if I could use his light. Meet Glen.


An extremely friendly outgoing man in his thirties (I'm guessing). He joked about my not being so well prepared with such a needed item, and lit my cigarette. The bonding of a good friendship began. He introduced himself and asked us where we were from. We swapped stories. When he found out we were musicians, he told us he was there that night looking for talent to play his private party in about two weeks. "I think we can work that out".





People are kind. There are good people, lots of good people in this world. As cynical as I try to be, Glen and Amy are proof that there are genuine people. As we spent the next few days with them, talking, laughing, getting hot showers, and really having the best time (in my opinion) so far on our trip. We also met a few of their friends, who were just as giving as they were; and embraced us. Sharing everything they had with us. I can't speak for John, but I will say for myself, I learned a lot, and it was so good for me to spend time with them as a couple. They have truly been a blessing to us both.





I'll get back to the following week and Glen and Amy's party in a bit, but I'd like to cover a little of what happened meanwhile the next week in Asheville for the remainder of this blog.





We were able to go up to Asheville the next week and spend a week there. Playing on the street, meeting more people and having a great time. I went to my first homeless shelter while in Asheville. The food was horrid, but the people were friendly and kind. We met lots of other street musicians, from the sweet, yet annoying, to Red. A man that helped show-us-the-ropes if you will.








The Harvest Festival:


We met Red, our second day in Asheville setting up to try and, again, play on the street. We hadn't done too bad the day before, making 15.00 we were able to, purchase cigarettes and coffee, as well as a little dinner. He told us where all the best spots were in town to play, and armed with his knowledge and a song we had learned off of a CD Glen and Amy gave us, we doubled our income.





The next day, we woke up late and were going to try our hand again, on the street corner, when we heard some music already playing in one of the squares.


A stage, and free food! We had hit the jack-pot!


We found out it was something called The Harvest Festival. A group of people who travel around playing gospel music and feeding the homeless; sponsored by local churches of that individual community.


I sat there in awe pretty much, as i watched all kinds of people come out of the wood work to eat and sit in the sun while listening to uplifting music. I saw a mother with two children eating and laughing there on the sidewalk. Who knows what their story was. Like everyone else there, they had their own. One veteran lifted his hands from the brace of his wheal chair where he had rolled to the front of the stage, to thank the band and worship God. I was touched to say the least and don't think i did a good job of hiding it. But it was an experience for some reason, was monumental to me, and not soon forgotten.


That whole week in Asheville was a real eye opener for me. Blessed with the opportunity to meet so many people from different walks of life. I got to see a lot of things that really made me question myself on my values, and the judgment I've passed on others. I felt guilty in a lot of ways. There is always a reason people end up where they are. Ours was, we were traveling, made some stupid decisions maybe, and needed hot showers and some food. But as I got to talk to others, things had happened to them too that wasn't there fault. Sometimes it was, but it always is at some point.

Excepting responsibility for one's actions doesn't negate the facts of the current situation we're left with.


It is the ultimate expression of love, to reach down a hand; and not ask for an explanation.

One other really awesome part of that week was the Linard Cohen concert! Some guy just came up and asked us if we were going. "I wish!". "Well, you are now", He simply replied. "Have fun kids." And handed us two tickets. I had a blast, but wasn't all that familiar with exactly who Linard Cohen was at that point. This was a huge deal to John as he kept saying, "I can't believe this is happening!"

Good people.

Welcome to Greenville

Well, a lot has happened since the last time I've been able to be on a computer. It's been about a week I guess, and I need to recap.

We were off to a good start out of my Grandpa's driveway in Savannah Ga, to Anderson. We made pretty good time if you were to subtract the hour and a half we spent broke down at some random gas station.

Found out the problem was just a wire had come off the coil, and wouldn't start back up (NOTE:coming soon- machanic page where we will discuss such issues with other fellow VW owners).



Now with 30.00 more dollars in our pockets and full tank of gass, we finally reached Anderson SC where we had worked out to stay with John's sister. We had a good night, and I enjoyed watching John laugh as he ran into old friends at the local bar.

After a few good days and meeting most of John's family, John wanted to go visit his grandparents in Greenville on the way up to Asheville. We had a good visit but as we went to pull off, Herman decided he didn't want to leave so soon and chose to drop his CV joint right there in front of John's Grandparent's driveway. So, what do you do? With limited tools, we called for some advice, spent the afternoon in the coffee shop downtown, slept in the buss that night, and fixed it the next morning.



We got the CV joint fixed, and ready to go,but when you include all the driving around we'd done the past few days, not to mention beers and food; you guessed it. We didn't have enough gas or money to make it to Asheville.



Greenville's not such a bad town I guess.



We found a parking garage with an outlet that seemed to be perfect for camping out over the weekend. So there we sat. We were fortunate to walk around downtown with our guitars, hit some open mic nights, and book some shows for a couple weeks out, but we were still dirt broke. Thankfully, we had made a little money on the street and bought plenty of ramon noodles and ciggarettes. Life is still good. With gig's in sight, we'd just wait it out in the parking garrage over the weekend and play it cool around town driving as little as possible.



We learned pretty quick that hot coffee and breakfast was easy. It's called Hotel complementery breakfast.Yeah buddy! We were able to stock up on all the oatmeal, muffins, and cerial one could ever want.



The POLICE!

lol at the Greenville parking garage was our first little run in. I know you guys were waiting on a story like this... probably some of you wondering how long it would take. Well yeah. Late on sunday (in this free-nights-and-weekend parking garrage) we were dead asleep when we heard this really loud pounding on the outside of the buss. "Boom! BOOM!" "Greenville Police! Open up!" came the booming voice outside the van. We just froze and lay motionless as the bright light shown through our curtain covered buss. I felt the need to whisper, "It's the police!". I don't know why. It was an automatic reaction okay! John just gave me this, 'no-shit' look.

We heard the voice again talking outstide to someone else about some guys description that did not resemble John's.



"They are legal to be here. They have the sticker", we heard him say. "If they stay over the allotted time, then I can have it towed, but that's all I can do. If you see him again, just call 911 and ask for Greenville Police. For now, they are legal to be here, but just can't be plugged into the outlet."

We went back to sleep only to wake up and find they had unplugged us from the wall.

We drove out to our alternate parking spot accross town at three monday morning.



The discription of the man they were looking for matched that of another homeless man we'd seen, and later found out shared the same parking garrage.

How it started.

All packed. FINALLY!

It's crazy how things can change in a moment, or a matter of hours. That's how this whole thing got started. Me and my supportive boyfriend John were moving to Nashville TN, where we had a place to stay and some work lined up. So we purchassed our first money pit for the trip up from GA to TN. Herman (a 1970 VW buss). We bit off a little more than we could chew. This could have very easily been our first mistake. With dead lines on moving out of our appartment and quitting both our jobs with limmited funds, Herman was a Dream-Ride. Not the most practical under the situation; But with the help of many friends and hard work, we FINALLY got ol' Herman going. It has always been a dream of mine to own a VW Buss. Hippy busses i call them.

A little 6 year old girl said it well when seeing us and Herman on our first test drive to Wal-Mart (the day before our trip out); "Wow! That's pretty cool buss mamma!" I looked at her and smiled. "I've always wanted one." She squeeked in her Disney voice, "Dreams really do come true!".

That's exactly how i felt. I had everything I'd ever really dreamed about. 'Sally' My beautiful J200 guitar, Herman, and as the song says, "If I could make one wish two, i might ask for someone else to shear these dreams with..." And John. A handsome and very patient man to shear all of this with. So together we were off.

Well, like I said before; things can change in a matter of moments. While John was asleep for the 8hr drive that night to Nashville, I got a disturbing call. It was a dear friend of mine. She was in the hospital and might be getting admitted. Now was not the best time to be saying with them in TN. The news was unfortunate to say the least. Not only was I concerned about my friend, I now had no place to go; and almost worse than that, I had to tell John that we now were out of luck with no place to stay.

He took it well. lol

But we had to come up with a change of plans. The buss was loaded down with freakin' WAY to much stuff to camp out of, so I had to get rid of a lot of stuff. My Grandpa was genorouse and allowed me to keep some things there in GA in his storage. So we cleaned out the buss and headed out for Anderson, SC. John has some family there and a place we could stay for a few days to collect our thoughts and regroupe.

Okay.... Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead! lol with now, plan #B.

To Anderson.

WELCOME

Welcome to the VW ROAD TRIP! My Name is Mallory Jen and I'll be posting blogs on here as offten as possible to keep you updated on our day-to-day cross country adventure. We're doing it old-school. My boyfriend John, Myself, and Herman "(PICTURE COMING SOON)" Our 1970 VW Buss.

DISCLAMBER: I know my spelling sucks... and most of these computers don't have spell check. I am a dislexic dreamer and musician. No spelling corrections please. Just enjoy what you read and laugh, while bing thankful for your own education. Thanks.

As you travle the road with us, I will be keeping you updated on the fun, and the mundane parts about our trip. Learning along the way, please feel free to contact us with any ideas, thoughts, comments, you have. I will be letting you know what states we are headed to next and hope to meet lots of you. I will also be posting our show dates that we will be playing at in each state, so please come out and join us! Lest's travle together.