Life and Health

If you know me (or your name is Unk) you'll know that my body is all sorts of stoopid sometimes. Yesterday was one of those times. Having two seizures in one day brings along a boatload of emotions and feelings, most prominently that of having been leveled by a speeding semi-truck. Nothing like waking up with a bruises all over your body, a large bump on your head, a bleeding tongue from involuntarily biting it and no memory of the event whatsover to start your day off right.

Things I struggle with include the fine line between living and health. What is the point of having your health if you can't live to enjoy life? On the flipside, living to the maximum enjoyment of life has at this point been deemed thoroughly unsafe to my continued well being (the doctors have prescribed "no stressful activities"/the polar opposite of the adventures I like to have).

Balance. But where? I really rather have determined these boundries months ago, but I suppose now is the time to cement them. To life, to life, l'chaim.






P.s. Shout out to Will Stowe for saving me a few times over. You're the man.

Free Time

Computer acquired! (Shout out to Elise!) Prepare yourselves for one giant MONSTER POST about the last leg of my trip (and an update to the first one) In the meantime, please check out the list of SWEET winter storm names that have been chosen as options for this year.

Yes, that's right, we're naming our winter storms now. BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES, SNOWSTORM ZEUS IS APPROACHING! The weather people are going to have a field day with this.



They danced down the streets like dingledodies, and I shambled after as I've been doing all my life after people who interest me, because the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones that never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!"

                                                          -J. Kerouac, On the Road

Success!

ALIVE! And in DC. Also, not having a computer makes this whole updating thing difficult. In brief: 1800 miles (detour to Myrtle Beach, SC mmm, warm), 9 states, ~30 drivers, and about 5 new adopted moms.

I know I say this all of the time, but as soon as I find a (free, yay having limited funds!) place to connect to the internet/use a computer, I will translate all of the late night scribbles on the back of random pieces of paper into a review of this crazy adventure!

Adventuring: A review

Ooof, leaving again tomorrow and still no updates, sorry folks! Below is the abridged version of my adventures thus far, full length novel coming out sometime.. this decade. Due to my tremendous abilities to immediately forget anyone's name after meeting them, the players will be as follows.


The Drivers
- The Room-mate
- The Old Fishers
- Telephone McGee
- Gas Station Saviour
- Officer Republican
- Doc. Appointment 1
- Groceries and Cigs
- Mr. Ex-wives
- Monsanto and Isaac
- The Guard
- THE Driver
- Obese, Dew and Sugar
- Luke the Student
- The Dysons
- Mr. Pharmawesome
- Senor Healthcare
- Tom

The Stops
- Madison, WI
- Beloit, WI
- El Paso, IL
- Gridley, IL
- Chenoa, IL
- Fairbury, IL (sleep!)
- Gilman, IL
- Watseka, IL
- Kentland, IL (kind of)
- Remington, IN
- Monticello, IN
- Logansport, IN
- Peru, IN (sleep!)
- (Scary-ass Walmart)
- Ft. Wayne/ Highway 24
- Ft. Wayne/ Highway 33
- 80/90 @ Exit 91
- Tom's in Cleveland

The Road
- I39 to 24 to 80/90 to Cleveland
- 601 miles, 17 rides, 4 states, 3 days

The Adventure/

1) Madison -> Beloit, WI
  - I cheated. The first ride out of Madison, and I took an early morning exit with Paul (?), one of Kelly's roommates down to Beloit where I started the first leg of my adventure in earnest.

2) Beloit -> Beloit to El Paso

The original! Thank you Best Western.

- THE AWKWARD PHASE. Aka, where I realize I have no cardboard and sulk around like a creep until I (definitely not) discretely acquire a sign-sized cardboard from the Best Western dumpster down the street. After walking back and forth (ala 3 or 4 miles) I decide it is probably time to stick out the 'ol thumb. After 30 minute and a vague recollection of my Washington Island mentor (thank you Daniel!) talking about writing town names, I had my 'Rockford' sign rocking out and ready to go. Sure enough, <20 minutes later my first ride arrived. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Two older retirees, returning from a Fishing trip up north and en route to Missouri to visit a friend not only picked me up, but provided coffee, conversation and a great first experience.


3) El Paso -> Gridley, IL

Illinois - enough said.
(That day consisted of trying to get as FAR away
 from this town as I could)

....aaaand not going to make it out of Cleveland today if I keep writing so suffice to say.. (don't worry dad, I've written all of the adventures down on a super-sturdy piece of extra high-grade printer paper to cherish forever and ever) Anyway, suffice to say that Illinois can suck it. ESPECIALLY the po-dunk town of Gridley. Gary, Indiana > Gridley, Illinois, if that tells you anything. Ok ok, Illinois sucked, Indiana and Ohio were awesome. People have met and surpassed my expectations for kindness and goodness of character, and it continues to blow me away. Each and every ride is a new life story, piece of history from the area, and adventure in and of itself.  More fun details regarding my adventures with Obese, Sugar and Dew, but that's deserving of its own post. Until D.C. do we meet!

M@

3 days

601 miles. 18 rides. a train ditch and a picnic table. A couple of close calls. One wild adventure. Ooofda. updates tomorrow, really REALLY this time!

Cleveland Is the Reason

HIKEhitching would more accurately describe it.
Oh lordy, my feet.

 Safe and sound in Cleveland, Ohio! A shower (or 5) and some laundry are in order, and then updates will be had!


Edit: That's a lie, I'll update ya'll later tonight. Daytime is for exploring Cleveland! Light Rail here I come!

HSO to Tom Mitchell for letting me stay at his place while I'm here! Thanks Tom, youdabest!

I'M ON THE ROAD

Or at least right next to it, if this post gets published. Photos are being taken, but lack of a computer/internet means you'll all be getting a super sweet shortened/condensed slideshow at the end.

Predictions for my last 24 hours? 300 miles of road, lots of sun, several truckers, a cornfield or 5, and at least 2 religious conversions. Let's see how I do.



P.s. Happy October! What are YOU going to do with this month? (no, really, leave a comment! I want to hear goals!)