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7.23.2005

Dixieland

Hola Amigos y Amigas! Como estas?

I'm in Miami (actually Sunny Isles Beach or something like that).
Staying here one night before I leave on a two week trip tomorrow
called Dixieland. The rough outline is as follows:

St. Augustine
Atlanta (2)
Nashville
Memphis
New Orleans (2)
Panama Beach City (2, don't ask)
Orlando (3)
Key Largo (possibility of grabbing a night from Orlando)
end in Miami.

I'll finish the trip on the 6th of August and then I have to do the 19
hour sprint back up to New Jersey on the 7th and 8th. Then, as of
right now, I'm set to start a 3 week trip called the Northern Trail
(sort of a northern mirror of the Southern Sun I just finished). So,
I'm supposed to start that on the 10th which would put me back in San
Francisco around the 27th and 28th. I will definitely let everyone in
the Bay Area know exactly when I'm going to be there once I know for
sure that I am coming back.

I'll probably have only one or two trips after that Northern finished
up so my summer is basically over. I wish I hadn't had that month off
in the middle.

My last trip was the worst one I've done so far. You can imagine that
my laptop getting pinched didn't help things any, but the reality is
that I had a bad attitude for much of the trip. It was hot and my
passengers were annoying. This job offers no insight as to why people
refuse to use their brains while they are on holiday. The quote of
the summer is far is from this one English girl and it goes something
like this. . . . . . "Aaron, if I eat now will I be hungry later?"

I told her she'd only be hungry later if I didn't knock her out first.
Just kidding, but you now have an idea of what every day is like on
these trips. Every where you go people feel the need to ask after the
most simple and universal things. . . . "Aaron, is there a bathroom
in this bar/restaurant/gas station/rest stop/campground/etc. . ?"

No, they want you to pee exactly where you are.

Here's to intelligence and to all of us studying up before we travel
to another country. And here I thought that Americans were the dumb
ones when we went on vacation.

7.11.2005

Texas

Well, now that I've wallowed in self pity for a few days I guess I can
find it in me to use a computer again. I'm in Austin, TX right now
and I have a precious few 'free' hours. My group is out and about
wandering the city streets, just the way I like it, but unfortunately
I have to leave in a minute to prepare for an interview I'm going to
give to a potential new Trek leader here in town. Great way to spend
my day off. The company does kick me a couple bucks for the process
though.

This tour certainly started out as a bomb. Didn't really like the
group, out of the rhythm because I had so much time off, laptop stolen
and it's been hotter than a snake's ass in a wagon rut almost
everywhere we've been. However, the group has come together fairly
well and as long as they're happy then my job/life gets easier.

We were in Del Rio, TX the other night and crossed the border into
Mexico. I've got three under-agers from Australia in the group and it
was a good way to allow them to drink legally (though they have been
doing pretty well for themselves despite the legality of it so far).
Mexico is crazy. Picked up a one liter bottle of Kahlua for ten
bucks! Good times.

Right now we're staying in a pretty nice RV park outside of Austin.
Air conditioned cabins, pool, hot tub, individual bathrooms in the
bath house and of course, who could forget the free pancake breakfast.
We're staying in Austin again tonight and we'll be centerstage
(though in the audience) at a place called the Saxon Pub for a Bob
Schneider show. For those of you who know his music you can commence
being bitter and jealous right. . . . now!

Tomorrow we make a five-hundred mile haul to New Orleans for a couple
nights, weather permitting. Then to Tuscaloos, AL. . . . . . okay.
Then Ocoee, TN for a little class four river rafting. Then
Whyteville, VA. . . . . okay. Finally a couple of nights in DC before
I drop these poor travelling souls off in NY. I'll be heading to NJ
myself for a few days in the East Coast office before I possibly start
another trip in the south called a Dixieland. Never know, though.
Could change.

I guess that wraps it up for me. All you really need to know is that
it's hot. Everywhere I'm going to be is damn hot. I hope this finds
you all happy and healthy. . . or at least alive and kicking.

7.06.2005

. . . And That's How That Goes

My laptop was stolen in Las Vegas a few days ago.

Predictably, it was my fault.
I left it in the hotel lobby about ten feet from the front desk.

My apologies to anyone who helped me work on that machine.

So it goes.