5/18 -- 11:06 PM (Eastern Time)

OK. I have concluded that ALL big cities suck and are not worth visitng. I drove through Boston today, and it was exactly what i expected New York to be, so i high-tailed it out of there as quickly as possible (which, ironically, was not very quickly at all). Now, i'm on the road to Lubec, Maine (which, by my supposition, is the eastern-most city in the U.S.), which has been an adventure so far. The road i was taking was closed, so i followed this elderly couple until they stopped at a restaurant where i asked them for directions, and they presumably ate dinner. I've been having a lovely time tearing through the country road in the dark since then, but i made a wrong turn, so i pulled into a Wal*Mart parking lot to try and figure out where i was. I succeeded, but with the fog rolling in, i decided it would probably be a good time to stop.
SONG OF THE DAY: "Drive" From "Make Yourself" by Incubus (Which, ironically, i just listened to while writing this rather than actually driving)
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*Presidents Of The United States of America
*Keane - Hopes and Fears
*Elliott Smith - Either/Or
*Less Than Jake - Losers, Kings, and Things We Don't Understand
*The Beatles (The White Album)
*Phantom Planet - The Guest
*Elliott Smith - XO
*Weird Al Yankovic!
*Flogging Molly - Drunken Lullabies
*Yellowcard - Ocean Avenue
*Weird Al - Poodle Hat

6/7 -- 1:52 AM (Pacific Time)

Home Sweet Home. It feels good to be back. I tried to visit Justin on the way in, but failed miserably. I got there around 11 AM, and he was still asleep, so i went to the bowling alley and tried to call him from the pay phone, but my card wouldn't work, so i went across the street to Blockbuster and tried their phone, but that didn't work either, so i went inside, bought some DVD's, and then went back to Justin's, but he was still asleep, so i walked to In-N-Out, had lunch (first time i had IN-N-Out in a month...it was glorious), and walked back, but he was STILL asleep, so i went back to my car and took a nap, and then i went back up, but he was STILL asleep; by this time, it was almost 2, so i said, "Screw it," and i left. I visited Zack, Matt, and Kev at their new place, which was pretty sweet. We played Ping Pong and watched PTI. I arrived home around 9:30ish and proceeded to give my mom a walkthrough of the entire trip.
ALBUM OF THE DAY: "Within a Mile of Home" by Flogging Molly (OK, i wasn't THAT close, but i was within an hour of home by the time it ended)
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
*Green Day - Kerplunk
*Panic! At The Disco - A Fever You Can't Sweat Out

5/22 -- 11:57 PM (Eastern Time)

Well, it sounds like i failed to avoid the south completely: I drove through Kentucky today. I can't explain how disappointing it is to see a hot girl (like the ones working at Dairy Queen), and then hear that twang spew out from their mouths. It's like...being shot in the chest (because i know exactly what that's like). I had dinner at White Castle tonight, and i'm glad i did because now i know it sucks. O man, i can still taste it (i think it may be coming back up). Kentucky is weird: they have 4-digit highways, the have state highways with the same numbers as nearby interstates, and they have highways with NO numbers (like the Blue Grass Parkway i just got off). Oh well, at least their gas is cheap. I got to Elizabethtown today, so i'll probably spend the whole day here tomorrow and then continue west.
ALBUM OF THE DAY: "Elizabethtown Soundtrack Volume I" (Which ended just as i was pulling into town here)
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*My Favorite Band - Monkey Business
*Mad Caddies - Duck and Cover
*Motion City Soundtrack - I Am The Movie
*Aquabats - Charge!!
*Arlo Guthrie - Alice's Restaurant
*20th Century Masters: Buddy Holly
*The Very Best of Cat Stevens
*MxPx - Life In General
*Pavement - Brighten The Corners
*Fastball - Make Your Mama Proud
*Radiohead - OK Computer
*New Amsterdams - Para Toda Vida
*20th Century Masters: The Who

5/29 -- 11:17 PM (Mountain Time)

Well, here we are at Great Sand Dunes, and the first day has already been an adventure. Somehow, Shelly got us in [for free] by claiming we were all under 16 even though she was driving the car. Then, on the road down to the dunes, we got stuck in the sand, and THEN we hit some guy's jeep and cracked his fender. We played in the dunes for about an hour or so, but we had to get back to make fire and stuff. We played Uno for a while, and then had dinner after Beverly came. The people next to us got pissed and moved because we were "too loud," so that was pretty sweet. Then, we had three different Park Rangers come talk to us, but they were pretty cool, so it wasn't bad. Of course, we roasted marshmallows in the campfire, and then Sarah got really curious and started roasting gummi's. That actually turned out to be really good. It's getting cold out here with the fire out, so the girls better hurry up and "get dressed" so i can go in the tent.
SONG OF THE DAY: "American Pie" by Don McLean

6/6 -- 1:43 AM (Mountain Time)

Well, I just got raped in the butthole: I just paid three effing sixty nine for gas; it's good to be back in California. Not only that, but i was literally sweating while driving through the desert AT NIGHT! I left New Mexico today and visited Beverly and Shelly at their respective workplaces on the way out. I was hoping to get to Kingman by 1 AM so i could get my first In-N-Out burger in a month. I made it with about 2 hours to spare, but the damned place was closed. [as it turned out, that location had not opened its doors yet] This gave me about 3 hours to get to Barstow, and if i didn't hit road construction, and didn't have to stop for gas, i would've made it. It didn't look like i was going to make it, so i stopped at the last rest area on my route home.
SONG OF THE DAY: "Such Great Heights" From "Give Up" by The Postal Service
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*System of a Down - Toxicity
*Mighty Mighty Bosstones - A Jackknife To A Swan
*The Clash - London Calling
*The Beatles - Revolver
*The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
*The White Stripes - Elephant
*Ataris - Blue Skies, Broken Hearts...Next 12 Exits
*Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism
*Green Day - Dookie
*Ataris - Anywhere But Here
*Coldplay - Brothers & Sisters
*Slick Shoes - Wake Up Screaming
*Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
*Coldplay - X&Y
*The Boy Least Likely To - Best Party Ever
*The Fury of the Aquabats
*Desaparecidos - Read Music, Speak Spanish

5/7 -- 11:54 PM (Pacific Time)

Today will most likely prove to have been my longest driving day of the entire trip. I basically drove for 13 hours straight. I stopped twice for gas (44 MPG today!), once to see what the white stuff off the side of the road was (it was salt), and once when the cop pulled me over (no ticket, so i still have a perfect driving record). I crossed the continental divide...twice; i think i'm going around in circles, but they must be pretty big circles because i'm in Nebraska now and only about 350 miles from Omaha!
ALBUM OF THE DAY: "From A Basement On The Hill" by Elliott Smith featuring "Coast To Coast" AND "Let's Get Lost."
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*Ozma - Spending Time On The Borderline
*Radiohead - Pablo Honey
*Chris Nesbitt - Silent Stones
*Reeve Oliver
*Iron & Wine - The Creek Drank The Cradle
*Semisonic - Feeling Strangely Fine
*Heritage New Songs Vol. 1
*Saves The Day - In Reverie
*Dashboard Confessional - A Mark, A Mission, A Scar
*Ben Folds Five - Whatever & Ever Amen
*Five Iron Frenzy - Proof That The Youth Are Revolting
*MxPx - Ever Passing Moment
*Jimmy Eat World - Futures
*Goo Goo Dolls - Gutterflower

6/3 -- 1:30 AM (Mountain Time)

I'm still chillin' in New Mexico, and today was pretty fun (despite the fact that Shelly was gone at work ALL day). Dale and i "went to town" today, and on our way to the pharmacy, i saw Sarah outside with a bunch of girls washing cars (in the rain). I waved to her, and then she yelled at us to come get our car washed, so we went back over there after the pharmacy, and i got to meet some more of Shelly's hot friends. One girl, "Roadie," was actually from Pleasanton, so that was pretty cool. We talked to them for a little while while they washed our car, and then we headed on our way. Dale showed me the bank with swastikas on the building, and we visited Beverly at work. After dinner, Beverly and i watched My Father The Hero (The second Gerard Depardieu movie i've watched here [actually, as Cindy pointed out to me, i'm retarded, and that was the only one because he was NOT in Brotherhood of the Wolf]), and then Shelly finally got home. We talked for a little bit, but she had to goto bed so she could get up early for work tomorrow.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: "Be who you are, and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind"
--Dr. Seuss
SSONG OF THE DAY: "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by the Nylons (They somehow managed to turn a stupid song into a good song)

5/24 -- 1:53 AM (Eastern Time)

Elizabethtown was pretty sweet. I went to the welcome center and bought a postcard for 25¢, and then when i told the lady i liked the movie, she gave me like 4 more postcards and a poster from the movie for free. Pretty sweet deal. I tried to find a library to get on a computer to update my fantasy baseball team, but the directions the AAA lady gave me didn't do me any good. So, i took the map she gave me and went to the building it said was a library. But, it was not a library; it was a city hall. So i asked the hot girl washing the windows there if she knew where the library was, but she didn't, so she asked her ugly friend. The ugly friend was very helful, and her directions got me to the library...finally. After that, i took a long walk around the lake there. That was really cool, and after getting a meatball sub at subway, i mosied on my merry way. As i was driving tonight, the raddest thing happened: I hit a firefly. It was like someone broke a glowstick on my windshield. It was especially cool for me because i had never even seen a firefly before, so it was somewhat of a mythical creature to me, and then SPLAT! Right there in front of me. Now i'm at a rest area in Illinois headed toward St. Louis. Time for sleep.
ALBUM OF THE DAY: "Elizabethtown Soundtrack Volume II" (Which i started as i stumbled out of the city today)
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*NoFX - White Trash, Two Heebs, and a Bean
*The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth
*Fall Out Boy - From Under The Cork Tree
*Tears For Fears - Everybody Loves a Happy Ending
*Iron & Wine - The Sea & The Rhythm
*Nirvana - Unplugged in New York

5/13 -- 11:53 PM (Central Time)

Well, I'm still at Crown College, but Jace is gone. I just beat Maria Sharapova in Top Spin 2 for XBOX 360, and then Jace headed out toward Tessa's house with Shaphan (on the way home). I've decided i'm gonna sleep in my car tonight here and then check out Mall of America tomorrow (since it's so close, i figure i better have a look). Hopefully, i won't be spending much money there because i've gotta save for all the toll roads in Chicago and beyond. Man, i am NOT looking forward to that. I'm hoping i can find a way to avoid them, but it's not lookin' too promising. Today was mostly spent moving stuff. Jace had to check out of the dorms today (which is a lot more elaborate when you're an RA, apparently), so he had to pack/move all his stuff and clean up all day. The light is pretty intense here, so i may have to move my car before hitting the sack...err...towel?
NO MUSIC TODAY

5/26 -- 12:31 AM (Mountain Time)

I have arrived at the Marks' residence! It was hot driving here, but not as hot as yesterday. Today has been full of reliving old memories. I talked to Shelly for a few hours about old times and not so old times. She struggled to make me remember when her cute friend and i fell in the blow hole together (don't ask me how i forgot about THAT), and i struggled to make her remember the last time i was here and we went to The Great Sand Dunes. It' also weird because i totally remember some parts of the house (which takes me back), but other parts are completely new to me (they've expanded quite a bit since last time i was here). My jaw hurts from talking so much. I haven't talked this much in the last two weeks combined. Had a great shower today, and i'm looking forward to many more.
SONG OF THE DAY: "Slob" from "Maladroit" by Weezer ("Get yourself a wife, get yourself a job, you're living a dream, don't you be a slob." I AM living a dream. Tha pretty much tells me what i have to do when i get home)
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*Radiohead - The Bends
*Dave Brubeck - Time Out
*Home Grown - Act Your Age
*Fall Out Boy - Take This To Your Grave
*Experience Hendrix

6/2 -- 12:38 AM (Mountain Time)

I'm back at the Marx residence, and the shower felt goooooood. I think today represented one day too many at the sand dunes, and the lack of Sarah and Beverly didn't help. I spent most of the day trying to avoid the sun, and it looks like i failed since my knees and feet are toasted. There were actually quite a few kids down there today, so watching them was fairly entertaining. We played frisbee for a little while, and that was pretty fun. Of course, it wasn't like playing with my mom and dad, but it was still cool. Shelly got burned today too, so we're like the Big Red twins...wait, that was Doublemint...nevermind. On the way "home," we went through some hail, so that was pretty sweet (since i wasn't driving). I wanted to get out and run around, but we couldn't stop. [haha, i sound like a dog] Also, when we stopped at 7eleven, their cherry slurpee wasn't out of order this time, but it wasn't cherry either. Oh well, it was something orange, so it was still good. I think my eyeballs are sunburned...i better shut them.

5/24 -- 11:34 PM (Central Time)

Today was by far the worst day of the trip. Driving through Missouri and Kansas was my first real bout with heat, and i think i lost. I had been doing a really good job keeping my water reasonably cool ever since Omaha...not today. Warm water just makes me thirstier, so that didn't help me too much. In fact, it was so ho that the iPod Zack lent me overheated (at least, that's what i'm assuming happened) and stopped playing music. The reset function that Zack showed me didn't work, so i had to wait until its battery died before i could use it again, so not only was i driving through the vast baking wasteland of Kansas, but i was doing it without any music. That was pretty much hell. After i stopped at DQ for some relief from the heat, the iPod finally started working again, and here's what it played:
*No Use For A Name - More Betterness!
*The Dresden Dolls
*Nick Drake - Pink Moon
*No Use For A Name - Leché Con Carné!
*Pavement - Terror Twilight
*Iron and Wine - Our Endless Numbered Days
*Beatles - Let it Be
*Less Than Jake - Borders and Boundaries
*Weezer - Make Believe
*Death Cab For Cutie - Plans
*The Doors

5/8 -- 12:54 (Central Time)

I'm staying at a motel 6 in Omaha tonight, and there seems to be a fight going on next door, so that's been quality entertainment for me (along with a re-run of the Finland episode of Conan). Lots of arguing over there, but now there's a baby crying,, so that's significantly less funny. Good thing i've got an iPod with a sleep function (as well as an alarm to make sure i get to check out in time). It actually started raining here shortly after i got to the motel (which worked out well since i HATE driving in the rain -- Praise God). Also, Omaha's a bit larger than i thought. Oh well. We'll see what happens tomorrow.
ALBUM OF THE DAY: "Omaha Sessions" by 311...(surprise, surprise)
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*System of a Down - Hypnotize
*Weird Al - Polka Party
*Millencolin - Life on a Plate
*Beatles -- Rubber Soul
*Les Miserables

6/5 -- 1:46 AM (Mountain Time)

My last full day at the Marx residence was spent playing Uno and watching videos (not necessarily in that order). A couple of interesting things happened during the video watching, though: first, i saw a video from the day i started working at Blockbuster (The video had othing to do with me or Blockbuster, but the fact that it was from that date was a bit eerie); then, i rediscovered a Casablanca reference that has been bugging me ever since i first saw Casablanca (it was from the movie Out Cold). I had one of my random freak outs over the latter that made no sense to anyone but me. Dale seems to want me to stay even longer, and he even asked Shelly which of her hot friends she could invite over to bribe me to stay, but i think it's all a ploy to get me to paint his house, so i better jet. The cat has already claimed my bed for the night, so i guess i'm gonna have to share. I hope no bad comes of this.
ALBUM OF THE DAY: "I Am Sam Soundtrack" (Dale has been playing bits and pieces of this the entire time i've been here)

5/20 -- 12:28 AM (Eastern Time)

I made it to Lubec today, which is officially the easternmost town in the U.S. That being the case, i figure from here on out, i'm on my way home. So, i reached the half-way point 2 weeks in. Sounds about right. Lubec was cold...and windy, and while i was walking around, it started to rain. Then, it started to rain harder. So, i ran back to my car, but i was pretty much drenched by the time i got there. Rain is great...as long as you have some place to get warm and naked afterwards, and if you have someone to join you, then all the better. I had none of these things, so that kinda sucked. Furthermore, coming back to my car gave me little more than the option to start driving, and we all know how much i love driving in the rain. At least it wasn't dark...yet. It cleared up by the time it got dark, but it started up again wwhen i was on a detour, so i was on an even smaller, windier side-road...in the dark...in the rain. THAT was fun! Oh well, i got back on the interstate, and it was smooth sailin' from there.
LYRIC OF THE DAY: Something about A "Phony Race Car Driver" from the song "Move The Car" from the album "Hoss" by Lagwagon (This was playing while i was on the road t Cape Cod which eerily reminded me of a racing video game for some reason. In Fact, i'm surprised i didn't flip my car over several times as that's what i usually tend to do while playing racing video games)
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*Weezer (The Blue Album)
*Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers
*Weezer (The Green Album)
*Josie and the Pussycats Soundtrack
*Weird Al - Alapalooza
*Fastball - All The Pain That Money Can Buy
*New Amsterdams - Worse For The Wear
*Foo Fighters - There Is Nothing Left To Lose
*Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison
*Yellowcard - Lights and Sounds
*The Starting Line - Say It Like You Mean It
*Incubus - Morning View
*Offspring - Ixnay On The Hombre

5/31 -- 10:52 PM (Mountain Time)

Today was somewhat miserable: Sarah left with Beverly, I got fried in the sun, and we had more wind problems with the campfire. It definitely wasn't all bad, though. We did have a campfire dinner that couldn't be beat, and Dale told me some great stories (He's got boat loads of stories). Out on the Dunes, nobody made it higher than about 8 feet today, so we all made sand castles and stuff by the creek. The sky is really clear tonight (although we felt a little drizzle earlier), so i can see lots of stars, but i swear i just saw some lightning too. Not sure how that works. I don't hear any thunder, so it must be pretty far away. Ok, the smoke from the fire is blowing in my face, so i'm done here.

5/11 -- 2:16 AM (Central Time)

I'm sitting in Jace's living room at Crown College in Minnesota (where i'll be spending the next 3 days or so). It was pretty easy to find the place; i just took the directions to Lim's house and turned off where the road sign pointed to the school. [Jace was a little harder to find, but that's another story--actually, i guess it's not another story, but i didn't write about it, so i'm not gonna include it here] I found Jace, and we played volleyball with some of his friends; one of which was pretty hot, and i'm still trying to decide if she looked familiar or not. In fact, i just stopped writing for a minute to think about it some more. Man, that's gonna bug me for a while. We ate at the dining hall, and that was pretty sweet; best part was i didn't have to pay for anything, so that worked out well. Jace showed me around some more and introduced me to some more of his hot friends. That was fun, and i look forward to more of the same tomorrow.
RANDOM ALBUM SEGUE OF THE DAY: "Nevermind" by Nirvana played into "Colour And The Shape" by Foo Fighters (I used to have a burned CD with just those two albums on it)
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*Catch-22 - Keasby Nights

5/27 -- 12:40 AM (Mountain Time)

I just got back from a wild party with Shelly (well, the wildest I'VE ever been to anyway). I was amazed at how many people were smoking there (of course, there was plenty of underage drinking going on as well). I did enjoy a guy named Bubba--ha ha, that sounds horribly wrong, but he was funny. I always feel rather awkward when i'm put in that situation; I wish there was a way i could prevent it all, but i know i can't, so i just have to kinda roll with it (without partaking, of course). The best way i can think of to influence them is to try to blend in as much as possible while being completely sober to make them realize they don't need that stuff, but then they would just be too drunk to notice/remember that i was sober anyway, so i ted to just tay out of the way and observe. This usually proves to be somewhat interesting, but it can get boring too. Oh well, Shelly had fun, so that's a plus. It looks like i'm sleeping with the cat tonight, and i've heard some bad stories about this cat, so hopefully i don't wake up with claws in my face.
SONG OF THE DAY: "The Way It Didn't Go" by Terence Martin

5/16 -- 9:25 PM (Central Time)

Well, today was another long driving day, and a scary one at that. I almost died. I was looking over at a potential stopping place (Rain + Dark + Driving = Me Crying), and i started to drift into oncoming traffic. This put me in a very awkward position (after i regained control from swerving away from a truck): it seemed obvious that it was time for me to find a place to stop, but it was trying to find a place to stop that almost got me killed, so i just kept driving for an hour or so. While in shock from my ordeal, i must've missed a turn somewhere because i appear to be on the wrong road now. At least i'm still going east, but i'd like to get back on the interstate as soon as possible. I'll check out the map tomorrow morning.
SONG OF THE DAY: "Five State Drive" from "Hello Rockview" by Less Than Jake (OK, i only drove through 4 states today...close enough)
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*NoFX - So Long And Thanks For All The Shoes
*The Living End - Roll On
*Beatles For Sale
*Ataris - So Long Astoria
*Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
*Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
*The World Of Wayne Fontana And The Mindbenders
*Hoobustank - They Sure Don't Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To
*Fiddler On The Roof Soundtrack
*Elliott Smith
*Mad Caddies - Just One More
*Saves The Day - Sound The Alarm
*Peculiar People - Not Ashamed

5/13 -- 1:23 AM (Central Time)

It rained all day today, and all the girls went home, so it was pretty boring today [talk about redundant...good job, brian.]. But, hey, at least it ain't snowin'! (poke, poke, poke). I've been trying to figure out where i'm gonna go when i leave tomorrow. Mall of America is a possibility, but i should probably ask someone how to get there. Next stop on the agenda would be Chicago, but now i'm debating whether i wanna go there. However, if i decide i don't want to go there, then i pretty much have to admit i don't wanna go to Boston either for the very same reasons, and at that point, i'm kinda defeating the purpose of the whole trip. Man, that's frustrating. Ugh, i knew i shoulda brough more than one pen.
NO MUSIC TODAY

5/28 -- 5:33 AM (Mountain Time)

Today, we went to Folsom Falls, and i got to jump off the rock. That was really fun, but the water was butt-clenchingly cold, so i only did it once. We talked to some crazy drunk people there for a while (actually, they did most of the talking), and then we left. I watched some of Dale's home movies (and some of Shelly's friend's home movies...THAT was interesting) and then we watched Romy and Michele's High School Reunion after dinner. After that, Shelly and i stayed up until [time stamp] talking about relationships and snowboarding and fun stuff like that. Now, the suns about to come up. Time for bed.

5/16 -- 12:52 AM (Central Time)

Well, Chicago pretty much sucked. I'm at a motel in Indiana now (i needed a shower baaaaaaad...), and i'm actually close enough to Chicago that i could go back and try to hit the cubs game tomorrow, but i don't think i wanna drive through that ashholetray again. I drove by Wrigley Field, and i think that'll have to suffice. I also drove by Lake Michigan today (at least, i think that's which one it was), and it was the closest thing i've seen to an ocean in over a week. It was actually kinda weird, and it reminded me of Danielle when she said she couldn't go a day without seeing the ocean. I ate an entire "Large" pizza by myself today, and i thought i was gonna barf. I probably won't eat anything for a week after that. I tried to call Zack a couple times tonight, but he didn't answer his phone (bastard...); He must be studying for finals or some crap. I gotta find a computer to update my Fantasy Baseball team...
WEIRD TV MOMENT: I turned on That 70's Show to find Eric going on a road trip after his "Year off was officially over." Seemed appropriate...
ALBUMS PLAYED:
*My Fair Lady Soundtrack
*Motion City Soundtrack - Commit This To Memory
*James Taylor's Greatest Hits
*The Essential Bob Dylan
*Moulin Rouge Soundtrack

6/4 -- 1:24 AM (Mountain Time)

Tonight, Shelly and I went to see X-Men III with Brittany and Bubba in Trinidad. The tickets were SIX BUCKS! I was stoked about that, especially since the last movie i saw was 8 bucks for a MATINEE. The movie was pretty good, but i still can't believe they made THREE X-Men movies with NO Gambit. This is truly a crime against Humanity. After the movie, we stopped at DQ (beacause BK was closed), And i got a cherry dipped cone; i've concluded that chocolate is way better. We went to Bubba's house, which was reminiscent of the Oregon Vortex, and we watched Hide and Seek (two Famke Jansen movies in one night). We had to leave as soon as the party started to liven up, but i had very little problem with that. Somebody must've left a door open or something today because i'm surrounded by bugs. Kinda crappy, but i'll survive...i hope.
SONG OF THE DAY: "Zak and Sara" by Ben Folds

5/21 -- 5:52 AM (Eastern Time)

Today was a LONG day. I've been up since about 9:30, so that's over 20 hours i've been awake. I took a long walk around the tip of Cape Cod today. It was super windy, but it was still really cool. That's what this trip is all about. I stayed there to watch the sunset (apparently, i was on the WEST coast of Cape Cod which REALLY confused me while i was walking), but that didn't pan out too well. It was too cloudy, and then it started to rain for the 9th day out of 10 [actually, i think it was 10 in a row, but i'm not sure] (i'm starting to feel like Rob McKenna). I started heading toward Red Bank, NJ which forced me to drive through NYC, but, of course, it only took me about 2 blocks [in New York] to get hopelessly lost, so i turned around, went back to Connecticut, and tried to come up with another route. I succeeded, but i got pulled over for driving with no headlights on on the way. The cop gave me an authentic Connecticut "warning ticket" to put in my scrapbook for the trip. That was nice of him. After all that, i made it to the Jersey shore JUST in time to watch the sunrise. Now i need a nap.
ALBUM OF THE DAY: "Going Somewhere" by Colin Hay (Perfect Road Trip Album: "My My My What a Beatiful World...I like drivin' in my car)
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*Ozma - Rock and Roll Part III
*Less Than Jake - Losing Streak
*Ben Folds Five - Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner
*Elizabethtown Soundtrack (My Super Extended Version)
*Beatles - Revolver
*Aquabats - Yo, Check Out This Ride
*Punchline - Action
*Beatles - Help!
*Brandston - Send Us A Signal
*Less Than Jake - Anthem
*Ataris - End Is Forever
*Green Day - American Idiot
*Coldplay - Rush of Blood to the Head
*System Of A Down - Mezmerize

5/29 -- 12:17 AM (Mountain Time)

Dale put me to work today: moving boxes back and forth, bagging firewood, washing windows...i felt like Ralph Macchio except i wasn't learning karate. Bum deal, i guess, but oh well. We're headed to Great Sand Dunes tomorrow, and it looks like at least one of Shelly's hot friends is coming, so that should be fun. We had breakfast for dinner, and then Shelly and i watched Brotherhood of the Wolf, but we both fell asleep.
SONG OF THE DAY: "Radar Love" by Golden Earring

5/15 -- 12:21 AM (Central Time)

I got to Mall of America today at around 10, and there was just a SEA of pink. Apparently, for Mother's Day, they were having some sort of breast cancer "Race For The Cure" event there. Since i got there an hour or so before any of the stores opened, i swear i was the only person NOT wearing a "Race For The Cure" shirt (I was also probably the only male there). Basically, I just wandered around there all day and bought some DVD's. The place was HUGE (duh), and it was pretty crazy: they had like an amusement park in the center and an aquarium underground. I guess the closest thing i could compare it to would be the fair. My favorite part was the lego store where kids could build cars and race them down a soap-box-derby-esque track. I had a good time watching that from the floor above. Once i was done, i mapped myself out a route to Wrigley that avoided all the toll roads (i hope). I just passed through Milwaukee, and it was pretty scary; the place was like a ghost town. Now, i'm at a rest area about an hour away from Chicago, but it's raining pretty well, so my baseball game idea may be thwarted pretty quickly. My anorexia is starting to get to me. All of a sudden, i got really weak and hungry, but all my food tasted like poop, and my tongue felt numb. Maybe i can find some pizza tomorrow to help cure that problem.
ALBUM OF THE DAY: "Silent Stones" by Chris Nesbitt (It was Sunday afterall)
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*Waking Ashland - Composure
*Aquabats - Myths, Legends, and Other Amazing Adventures, Vol. 2
*Shins - Oh, Inverted World
*Aqualung - Still Life
*Reel Big Fish - Cheer Up
*Weird Al - Dare To Be Stupid

5/22 -- 2:33 AM (Eastern Time)

Today, i needed a shower REALLY bad, so i drove all across New Jersey and back trying to find a Motel 6. I failed, so i stopped at the first motel i saw. When i asked the lady in the front office how much a room was, an interesting thing happened: she said, "79 Dollars plus tax," and suddenly, i felt clean and refreshed. I no longer needed a shower, so i went back to Red Bank and found Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash. After buying a Buddy Christ bobble head, I asked the guy how to get to Quick Stop. He handed me a flyer with directions on it like every third customer asks the same question. So i went to Quick Stop and bought a couple things, and then i sat outside in my car eating my bread and mapping out where to go next. At the same time, watching all the people come in and out of Quick Stop was oddly entertaining. As it turned out, i just went the wrong way looking for a Motel 6 earlier because about ten miles down the road the other way, i found one. I didn't stay there because it was too expensive, but i did acquire a guidebook that led me to where i am now: a Motel 6 in Carlisle, PA that's 20 bucks cheaper.
ALBUM OF THE DAY: Garden State Soundtrack (Duh) - (My Slightly Extended Version)
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*Weezer - Pinkerton
*Millencolin - Home From Home
*Dashboard Confessional - Swiss Army Romance
*MxPx - Let It Happen
*Chris Nesbitt - Silent Stones
*MxPx - Slowly Going The Way Of the Buffalo

5/12 -- 2:20 AM (Central Time)

Today was my second day at Crown College (That's still funny to me because it reminds me of Clown College). I really like it here, and the people are fun to hang out with. I'm fairly certain that this will be the highlight of my trip. In fact, i've actually had thoughts cross my mind of skipping the rest of the trip and heading back to California with Jace, but i highly doubt that will happen. I got to find out who Jace likes today. That was pretty interesting because as i explained to Betsy yesterday, in the five years i've known Jace, i've never really known him to be interested in any girls in particular (he just has a great deal of interest in girls in general). I mean, there was Kelly Darling and the donut shop girl, but he never even hung out with either of them outside of work, so i'd have to lump them in with the "general" category rather than "particular." We went to a place called Perkins (which i guess is their Denny's around here), and i had the best chocolate shake i've had in a very long time. Then, we came back and i got to watch Jace fight a guy named Jake. They were having boxing matches in the dorms which didn't make much sense to me because they have these rules and guidelines which kinda defeats the purpose of fighting, but Jace is willing to try anything once, so he went in there and got beat. Good times.
NO MUSIC TODAY

5/6 -- 1:42 AM

OW! I just walked out to my car to get a shirt for tomorrow, and on my way back to the hotel, i started to feel a sharp pain in my hip. I don't know what it is, but i hope it doesn't last. I made it here fine, but this hotel is GIGANTIC. I really miss the Chico Holiday Inn...and the hotel we used to stay at for BAC. Those were good times. I'm a little disappointed with the turnout so far, and i've caught wind of news that some of the main people i wanted to see won't be coming. Between that and the whole hotel situation, the first leg of this trip has been kindof a bust. Oh well, we'll see what happens tomorrow...
INTERESTING LYRICS: From "Harsh Light of Day" by Fastball: Something about "On the highway...I need an angel to watch over me."
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*Paul Simon - Graceland
*The Living End
*Mad Caddies - Quality Softcore
*Peculiar People - Orange
*Franz Ferdinand

5/5 -- 3:45 AM

Well, i said i didn't wanna do this, and here i am doing it...i mean, a journal? it just seems so cliché. Writing in the dark certainly makes it more fun. Also, i've chosen a random page in the middle of my notebook to make things more interesting if i decide to continue with this. Anyway, I'm sitting in the Frazier Mtn Rest Area getting ready for my first attempt at sleeping in my car. That could throw a huge log jam in my trip if it proves unsuccessful. It's kinda loud, but i guess living next to the freeway my whole life has prepared me for that.
Interesting things today: The first album that came up on my [Zack's] iPod (Photo Album by Death Cab For Cutie) contained some lyrics to the effect of "The hardest part is yet to come: when you drive across the country on your own." Pretty crazy huh? That's what she said.
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED TODAY:
*Rx Bandits - Those Damn Bandits
*Cursive - The Ugly Organ
Of course, today was a short day, so the only other interesting thing that happened was that i beat Justin in bowling for the first and second times i ever remember. Of course, he'll argue that neither game counted, but it was still pretty cool. OK, my hand hurts. Good night.

5/10 -- 1:37 AM (Central Time)

Well, I didn't find any MFB fans in Omaha, but i did find a guy named Henry making a movie. I guess it was some sort of documentary because he was carrying a bag full of all the garbage he had produced in the last 2 months. It was some sort of environmental thing, but it was a pretty cool idea. We talked about my bracelet, my shirt, my shoes, my trip, and his movie. This marks the first time i've told anyone about my trip since i've been on it. I'm at a rest area in Minnesota, Probably just a couple hours away from Jace (YAY! ...or should i say YEEHAW!). Hopefully, i'll be able to find him. Also, i think my sunburn is progressing into leprosy. That's cool...peeling skin off my face is really fun. Of course, walking around in the sun all day probably didn't help.
ALBUM OF THE DAY: "The Music Man" Soundtrack (Why don't you give Iowa a try)
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
*MxPx - Before, Everything, and After
*Coldplay - Parachutes
*System of a Down - Toxicity

PS - IOWA SUCKS!!!

5/17 -- 9:54 PM (Eastern Time)

So i made it back to Orange County today...just kidding. Apparently, there's an Orange County in New York too. While driving through, some New Yorker tried to yell something at me out his window on the freeway. Of course, this did not work. I hope it wasn't anything too important; i doubt it. He was probably just telling me to "Forget about it." Done. I took a scenic drive through Delaware State Forest today, which is actually in Pennsylvania. Yeah, i didn't get it either. I stopped pretty early tonight because i was going to be coming off the interstate soon, and i didn't want any repeats of last night. Of course, it wasn't RAINING tonight, but i'm in no rush, so i figured i'd play it safe anyway. Besides, those roads are more fun during the day. I'm at a Rest Area in Connecticut, and i should make it to Boston tomorrow (with 4 days until the Yankees come to town, and 3 more until the D-Rays get there)
SONG OF THE DAY: "Amish Paradise" from "Bad Hair Day" by Weird Al (While driving through Pennsylvania, i thought that was appropriate)
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*Beatles - Please Please Me
*Fenix Tx
*Jimmy Eat World - Bleed American
*NoFX - Pump Up The Valuum
*Strung Out - Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues
*The Advantage - Elf-Titled
*Elliott Smith - Roman Candle
*Chris Cornell - Euphoria Morning
*RENT Soundtrack

5/7 -- 1:04 AM

OK, i officially hate the bay area. It's always cold and windy as hell, and, SOMEHOW, you get sunburnt at the same time! anyway, on to more pleasant things: I'm about halfway through Nevada (By my very rough estimate), and i'm already stoked that i decided to make this trip. I'm just amazed by God's creation and His creation's creation. I went through Donner Pass, and seeing the snow at night with nothing but moonlight is just a surreally cool experience. I really wanted to get out and run around, but i also really wanted to keep driving, so i decided against the former. BAC(K) to the yo-yo contest (heh, heh, get it?): My favorites in each division were Augie and Tubasa; Tubasa won, and Augie got second, so that worked out pretty well. The highlight for me was actually very similar to my hihlight from Chico (the fact tat Augie knew me from like 5 years ago): Hironori actually remembered me from SIX years ago! Not only that, but he remembered me for my yo-yoing! When a professional yo-yoer remembers you for your yo-yoing, that's pretty cool. It reminds me of when Chuck Short once said something along the lines of "To entertain a bunch of yo-yoers with a bunch of yo-yo tricks is quite a feat."
INTERESTING SONG--From "Pezcore" by Less Than Jake: Boomtown; About an hour after that song was played, i passed through Boomtown. Probably a sign that i should've stopped there and gambled, but i didn't. Oh Well, There will be plenty of time for that on the way back.
OTHER ALBUMS PLAYED:
*Millencolin - Same Old Tunes
*Ben Folds Live!
*Beatles - Abbey Road
*NoFX - Punk in Drublic
*Nada Surf - Let Go
*Slick Shoes - Rusty
*Five Iron Frenzy - All The Hype That Money Can Buy
*System of a Down

5/30 -- 10:45 PM (Mountain Time)

Today was our first full day at Great Sand Dunes. If you thought walking through soft sand was hard, imagine doing it straight up, into the wind, and into the sun. This didn't stop Dale and me from trekking to the very top. When we got there, we saw the wind blowing the sand around in a way that prompted Dale to exclaim, "That is Awesome!" (and Dale has sen a lot of stuff, so that's saying a lot) However, it was not quite so awesome when we were suddenly in the middle of it: getting sand-blasted in every orifice head to toe. Thank God we were carrying Fribees that we could use to shield our faces. After we finally got back down to the bottom, we headed further down the road into the Aspens and stopped by a creek for a while. After dinner, we roasted some-more marshmallows (get it? smores?), and i made the marshmallow to end all marshmallows: it was perfect, but then the wind shifted, and an ember from the fire burned a hole in my trunks. I'm still pretty pissed about that since the only other pair i have doesn't fit me. While i was pooping (which has left me feeling terribly refreshed), i read a lovely poem on the wall of the stall: "HERE I SIT, BROKIN HARTED. TRIED TO SHIT, BUT ONLY FARTED."