| I wasn't done writing my book at the end of 2005. I scheduled three interviews for April 2006 with Steve Albini, Jim James and Jason Molina. Since they weren't at all likely to drive out to New Jerseyto meet me, I packed up the Volvo and headed to Chicago and Louisville. I didn't end up meeting with Mr. James, but the trip was still a chill time. I celebrated my birthday at some point during this trip. Right in the middle, actually. |
 |
| This is at a highway rest stop somewhere in Pennsylvania. |
 |
| And this is Ohio. It looks exactly the same as it did when I was last here. Boring. |
 |
| I found this blissful picture while driving to a liquor store in Toledo, Ohio. See, alcohol can lead to beautiful things! |
 |
| This is while driving back to my hotel from the liquor store. I proceeded to get ridiculously drunk that night. It was not a pretty sight. Phone calls were placed that I wish I could forget. I definitely wasn't anywhere close to my bed when I passed out. My head was pounding the next morning as I departed for Chicago. |
 |
| I was really hoping that the bus in front of me had a huge portrait of Jesus on the back, but it turned out to be some stupid lady advertising something. It was around this time that I realized I might need glasses. |
 |
| This is from a really small town in Indiana with a strange name that I can't remember at the moment and can't be bothered to look up in my notes. I stopped here to buy a new guitar amplifier. The guy I purchased it from was very nice, and let it go for a few hundred dollars less than he should have. |
 |
| They call these things cemetaries, at least in Indiana. |
 |
| My first glimpse of the Chicago skyline the next morning. |
 |
| That's Lake Michigan. |
 |
| And Navy Pier. |
 |
| This is Fireside Lounge, where I met Jason Molia for a few drinks. We talked for a few hours over bottles of Duvel and Sam Smith's Oatmeal Stout. He even offered to pay for my beers, the nice man! |
 |
| After our meeting, Jason told me to drive through this cemetary. I got lost inside it. It could have been the alcohol, but it could also have been that it was a really pretty plot of land and I simply stopped paying attention to where I was driving. Luckily I didn't knock over any headstones. |
 |
| That blond girl paintng a sign in the basement of some building on the Northwestern campus was really cute, so I tried to take a picture of her. Unfortunately, she turned around just before I could turn off the flash and kill the sound of the lens opening and shutting. |
 |
| This is Northwestern. My sister went to school here. I always wanted to growing up, but I am not nearly as smart as her so I had to settle for a stupid college. |
 |
| More Northwestern. |
 |
| A cat that can read!? |
 |
| Here I am leaving Chicago a few days later. I understand there is a huge time lapse between my second day in Chicago and my last day in Chicago, but nothing really exciting happened. I just explored a lot and kept leaving the camera at home. |
 |
| More skyline. |
 |
Buildings.
|
 |
Ah, yes. This is from my trip back through Indiana. Ordinarily this drive is the epitome of boredom. Not today, my friend.
|
 |
| I got stuck behind an overturned truck for several hours. I really, really had to relieve myself. I thought about pissing in a water bottle but I was parked next to an SUV and didn't want anyone to see me. I stayed in my car and held it in. When the traffic finally began to move, I stopped at the first gas station I found. It was close to 7:00pm at the time, and as I stood at the urinal I looked up and read this message. Thank God they cleared that accident. Things could have gotten pretty uncomfortable in that Shell Station bathroom... |
 |
My first glimpse of downtown Louisville. |
 |
More downtown Louisville. I spent the night with my dear friend Brooke (I have so many dear friends). We went out for a nice dinner and then got drunk on her kitchen floor, smoked cigarettes and burnt CDs all night. I awoke in the wee morning hours and forced myself to choke back some vomit. After all, I pride myself on being a good house guest whenever I am traveling. |
 |
Before leaving for New Jersey I spent a few hours walking Bardstown Road. |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
And with that, I left Louisville. |
 |
And wound up in Cincinnati. First I stopped at The Party Source, where the cashier lady said, "I think you done bought every beer in the store!" Then I went to a Reds game, and they won. Finally I returned to my free hotel room on the Ohio/Kentucky border and got really, really drunk. Are you sensing a running theme here? |
 |
The Daniel Beard Bridge. |
 |
The Party Source. |
 |
Oh, right. Then I went home. People told me they missed me. I celebrated my birthday again with friends and family. Some other things happened. I anxiously awaited my next trip, and vowed to go wherever fate took me.
|
|