It's cold outside

I am sick of being in the orchard store and having people come in and tell me it is cold. There is no heat in the damn store, I know that it isn't walmart and that we don't have an industrial heater so you can wear a sleeveless nascar shirt in December in New England.

So the adventure van made the trek to New Haven with Subverso in tow. There were six people, a drumset, all their amps, guitars, and the van ran like a beast. I am very proud of it. We were discussing how I have to give it a better name than adventure van.

The next trip I am taking with it is Subverso's east coast tour from January 7 to the 20th. If you are able to make it to one of their shows it will make us all happy. I am a roadie for them, and driver. Check them out at www.thesubverso.com. They have some nice Aaron Carter videos up.

I am still working on Sick Puppies, a friend at work bought be a book about Animal Cruelty and I want to start reading it.

Also I am looking to start interviews for this thing, any Musician, artist, film maker or scholar who wants some promotion email me and we will set something up.

Money official saved for trip: $76.73

Four months until trip to California.

Progress

This is what my new van kind of looks like.

So because of my buick being totaled I have been able to purchase a 1996 Dodge Van. It is the adventure van and it has been helped along with all the money I got from my accident. I was thinking about sending the polish guy that hit me Christmas card, but I don't want to piss him off. The van is from Rhode Island and it is amazing. When there is less than eight inches of snow on the ground I intend to start cleaning it and getting it ready for the trip down to Florida. Yes the maiden voyage of the adventure van will be the east coast tour of Subverso.

If you haven't heard of them, go to their website. They are dandy.

I want to do some interviews with some bands so if you are an up and coming band, email me at Jamesneurath@gmail.com and I will come to you with a camera and if I like the interview I will post it on my blog. I intend to do that all during the Subverso tour with all the bands that I meet along the way.

So far there is officially seventy dollars saved for this trip in my savings account. However Dennis and Eric are saving as well. We also have five months until we adventure. I am very excited. Please email me with any ideas of where we should go.


There is so much snow around here it makes me chuckle often.

A good substitute

So I am sitting here while my lovely aunt is sick with cancer while the hospice nurses make a fuss about her safety. What the hell? This cancer business is bullshit. I never want to be helpless in a bed like that. I would rather go the eskimo way and be floated out to sea.

I have also made a decision. Now that I am older and I don't need to run down the stairs on Christmas morning with booties on (I still might) I am going to volunteer at a soup kitchen or some related charity. That Ghandi man always said "be the change you want to see in the world." So instead of expecting X box games or getting a new electronic device I will go help someone I don't know just because they need some help.

Read a book!

At the orchard today a man dropped off a note of thanks and in it he wrote " thanks for the apples, (it was a donation) they made are boys very happy." That is unacceptable.

Cookies

Holy shit,

a month of eating right makes me vulnerable to cookies, in a bad way. I was eating some peanut butter cookies with Hershey drops on them. I feel like some big booted fool stomped on my jejunum.

So upcoming information. Ah the tour,

Subverso, a band from my home town of Berlin, is going on a two week tour down the east coast. I am going to be their roadie and driver. I need to procure the adventure van, which will come soon, and this little tour will be the maiden voyage in preparation of the cross country trek in May.

Buy something made in America.

Today

It finally is snowing in good old New England. A wet rainy slush that made the orchard business slow and boring. It felt like I was in prison, awaiting my release day. Hmm, I don't know if I should say something like this, I've never been to prison. I bet that working in an apple orchard is probably a cake walk compared to prison.

So after work I went to Dennis' tonight and when I walked in there were two shirtless dudes. Now I am an extremely liberal person, but I just felt very uneasy and didn't want to be there anymore. Maybe I feel like that because I wouldn't do something like that. If I just met someone new I don't think I would bare all.

Every day here I want to hit the road more and more. My aunt is very sick and it is getting difficult for my family. It seems like there is a curse on my family with he month of December. So many of my family have gotten sick and passed in December. I love Christmas, but my father is convinced that someday we will be setting up the tree and he will just drop. He dreads December.

The check for the Buick accident will be coming sometime next week, then I can get the van.




Watch a muppet movie.
It will make you laugh.

J.

Come together

Things are starting to come together. Dennis is going to get some more money from the government! I don't know I guess they just give that stuff out when you lose your job. It makes me want to lose mine.

I should get the money from the Buick totallation soon. That will be nice because I have been looking at some sweet ass vans. I am very excited.

Also excited about this movie called Fantastic Mr. Fox. I say it the other night and it was stupendous. Directed by Wes Anderson and starring George Clooney's voice it makes you grin with chagrin and often makes you feel delightfully awkward at many times during. I think there are a great many stares and when there is a stare in a movie it makes you think, and with all the things like Susan Boyle and bullshit like that in our country, things that make you think are a rare commodity.

The best part about the movie was Bill Murray was a badger lawyer who lit people on fire with flaming pinecones.

Been thinking about doing some interviews with anyone who thinks they should be interviewed about something. Get a hold of me - Jamesneurath@gmail.com


Read some books

money saved for trip so far - $60.59

Gas Station Hack

I've never noticed how bright lights are in a parking lot at one in the morning. It makes it hard to see my globe colored Hackey Sack as Chris, Dennis, and I kick it around. It is november in Connecticut and although it is still pretty bearable it is crisp outside. It's more comfortable to keep your hands in your pocket.

We go to that particular gas station in Meriden because it's right down the street from Dennis's apartment and the people that work there are friendly. Also, it's kind of near the center of Meriden so there always seems to be something going on. Last night an old friend of Dennis that I met at a party once just happened to be walking around with another gruff looking pal. They both have large doc martins on and carry beer in backpacks with some weed tucked in their cigarette packs for good luck. They smile through their beards and I am happy to hack with them near some gas pumps on a crisp November night in New England.

Read some poetry.

Official money saved for trip: $52.92

Not at fault

So the other night I was sitting at a red light while en route to stop at my favorite bar with Tom for a cold one, when all of a sudden WHAP! I was smacked by another car and pushed out into the middle of the Berlin Turnpike. For those of you who don't know what the turnpike is, let me inform you. It is a four lane highway that runs through three towns in Central CT. Needless to say I didn't make it to the bar, instead I went to the emergency room and my Buick is totaled. Updates will be coming soon to what car I will be getting next, but I think that this is an omen. With this accident will rise an adventure van, IT WILL RISE!

J.R.

My great Aunt.

When I was younger, at holidays an aunt would come over and she was always very kind to me. Her name was Irene. I am going to her wake now. More and more people in my life keep dying.

It would be nice to go to a marriage.

J.R.

Now that the movie is done.

This movie that I have been working on was crazy. It involved many man and woman hours and I have been very exhausted helping with it. Now that it is over I will try to start this blog off right. I am reading a book called Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaason. I will tell you all about it when I have finished it. I also picked up some CD's from the library and plan to review those as well.

Things are starting off very slowly for American Bard, but that means that things have started. I am still looking for a van. If you have any connections for a good van, throw me an email. I also need a guitar. I keep looking for one, but I just can't find the one that fits. I know it will jump out and slap me when I do.

Go make a new friend.

Read some more books to.

So Yup.

So lots of things have been going on. Many things. I have started working on a movie set. More about that on Thursday when I sit down and update this thing to a much greater extent. Also I have shaved my head. Now my head is cold.

Money saved for trip so far: 42.78

Also we have:

Two jars of change.

Looking for:
A guitar for myself. When I see it I'll know.

Read something.

Ken Arkind

A great poet that should be checked out by one and all is Ken Arkind. A slam poet from Denver, he is the two thousand six national poetry slam winner and a social activist. A red bearded, younger looking, loud person that grabs your attention with his popping words and keeps you interested with his flow. I watched an interview with him by a poet named Eric Zork. Who is another interesting poet from White Plains New York. After watching some of Ken's pieces online I am a little inspired to write some slam poetry myself. I've never tried it. Ken travels a lot with his poetry and if you ever have a chance to see him you should check him out.

Read some poetry and never stop.

Ah!

Well, things have been pretty hectic for me lately. Still with this cough, it get's so annoying to try and sing and then start coughing and lose the feeling.

Some amazing things have been going on in my life. At the orchard, I'll be working till next summer so I have a steady paycheck until then. That should help me be able to afford the adventure van. I can't wait to paint a delectable peace sign on it. Now at work whenever I am outside doing something I notice so many vans parked and then these people get into them and I just want to rush over and ask them if I can get in and then ask if we could drive to Montana.

So on Saturday night I did something I thought I would never do. I thought I would perform an anthropological study and attend an Insane Clown Posse concert. Yeah that's right. Those guys from Detroit that wear make up like clowns. Those guys that were blamed for the riots at the last Woodstock concert.

I thought the show was amazing. It was at the Webster theater in Hartford, CT. I went into it with an open mind because besides Eric and Dennis I have never known anyone that liked ICP. The people that did in my school's that I attended were always the ones that others mocked for wearing a lot of black. When I got to the show I saw a lot of people with their faces painted like clowns. Eric explained that it was because the whole thing is supposed to be like a carnival. The show was just like that. There were "sideshows" right up on stage that danced to the whole show. They were an "ape boy" and a guy with more than one face called "many faces."

The show started with us drinking Pabst in the over twenty one area. I saw an old bartender that I used to talk too and everyone seemed in a very friendly mood. It was like standing around at a big family reunion. Everyone is saying hi to people that haven't seen in a very long time. Eric explained that this is what makes "Juggaloes" who they are. They have an extreme sense of togetherness. Often they chant FA MA LY! in almost any situation. After drinking a little I went to the bathroom at the place was a madhouse. They were chanting and dancing in there. All the boys were drunk as hell and others smoked as they stood at the urinal. Some of them smoked pot while sitting on the toilet. It was horrendously exhilarating. I waited in line and as I did a bouncer came in and saw a kid smoking. The bouncer proceeded to flick the kids butt out and was polite and let him finish urinating. Then he physically dragged him out of the place and threw him out onto the street. Bummer for that kid. He missed a hell of a show.

The Posse came out and sprayed us for two hours with Faygo soda. It is a brand from the midwest that whenever the clowns have a show they spray into the crowd for effect and to have an awesome time. I was soaking wet with dollar diet root beer and loved it. When the show was over we left and I have to say it's one of the best shows I have ever been too.

Eric mentioned something called the Gathering where all the juggaloes get together and have a huge festival with all the bands of psychopathic records. I know that I will attend that someday. I need too.

Till next time.

Read a book.

The Boys will play

We have decided that we need to get some experience playing in front of an audience so the boys and I are going to the Pine Loft on the Berlin Turn Pike. It's a log cabin that smells very pine like. Not a surprise I know.

The people playing will be Myself playing a little guitar, Dennis St. Pierre and Eric Krampitz as well. Although Dennis might be in jail tomorrow because of some loitering fine he didn't pay so we might be short. Chris Lumbra will be there playing my djembe.

The guy that runs the open mike is the father of my friend Brian's drummer in Brian's band. The father is very much into Jimmy Buffet and vagina jokes. He always makes the night interesting.

We have decided to play two songs that we have practiced the most on. One is called "The Third Person Perspective." Dennis say's it's a working title, but as all my experiences so far in music, it will probably just stay that. The other song is called "finger picking madness." I don't know if it really is that mad. I would say it's kind of light and reserved. It should be a fun night all around. I am going to have a blue moon there. Not many things are better than the smell of a log cabin and wheat beer taste in your mouth.

Money saved so far for trip: $24.18 and some change I started keeping in an large empty Gatorade container.

Starting to hate sickness

With all the cases of Swine Flu going around it is actually a little scary being sick. I don't want to go to the doctor and find out I have something like that. I just hope I feel better soon.

This weekend work was crazy. It's starting to get very cold and tons of people wanted apples from the orchard. I sat in the pick your own booth and was amazed on how busy it became.

After work on Sunday some friends and I went camping on Ragged mountain. It's a range near my house that I've been hiking up since my childhood. It was very cold and I got even sicker because of it. I did however, love sleeping next to a cliff overlooking three towns and watching the sun rise over a large lake. The mist on the top of the lake looked like people dancing the way that it moved around.

So, the bands still playing. I get encouraged, then discouraged. I don't know if I can pull singing off. I still need to try. The boys want to buy a bus. I want the traveling van to be a daily driver though so there will be no large tour bus. I just want to find a bus I can paint a large mural on. Something that will turn heads when we cruise through a small town.

So the idea for all this hopefully with end with a book being written. If anyone donates to this trip they will receive a free book and if they donate enough some kind of money back to what they contributed.

mucho musica

We have been practicing a lot of music lately. We sit in candle light in Dennis' living room because he is too broke to afford electricity. I love spending time in that ramshackle hell hole. The cops are always chasing someone and the drunks upstairs are always laughing their heads off. I would love to live there with Dennis, but I wouldn't have a room. The apartment is basically two living rooms and a kitchen. I can't wait to say goodbye to it and hit the road. I have had some sort of flu lately and writing has been the last thing on my mind. First thing? Apples. That's all I do all day. I just bring apples down from a cooler into a store. I can't wait to leave the Orchard again.

Amount Saved for trip: $21.41
Donations appreciated.

Twine-a-thon

So there are two new members of my little adventure. Both my friends Dennis St. Pierre, an ex-crane operator and a young man named Eric Krampitz, a meat clerk at BJ’s will be joining me on my trip. They are both great guys and I have known Dennis almost my entire life.

We recently started practicing music as we hang out together on many a boring weeknight. I have often wished that I put my free time to better use and I feel that I am now that I am trying to learn the guitar. All of us decided that we are going to play as a band along the way as a means to generate funds. Also as a means to keep sane. Or go insane. Who knows?

So I have also started researching the places that I want to go on this little adventure. I was looking on Roadsideamerica.com, which is a site dedicated to eccentric and off beat tourist attractions located in the United States. I came across the old cliché of the world’s largest ball of twine. It seems to me that whenever there is any kind of story about traveling there is always the small stop off at the worlds largest ball of twine. It is located in Cawker City, Kansas. I for one want to see it. I think it is interesting that it was started in the fifties and when the single man producing it couldn’t do it anymore he turned it over to the town. They pulled together and created the annual, “Twine-a-thon.” Every year anyone in town, including tourists can wrap twine around the behemoth. I for one am making this one of the destinations of this trip.

Thanks for reading.
James

The First Step

I have created this blog to document my next adventure that I want to have. I also want to share it with other people and have a few of those people join me. There are some colleges of mine in league with me, but you never know how plans work out. My name is James and I am a writer from a small town in Connecticut. Recently I went on a trip to San Francisco and it turned out to be one of the most influential experiences of my life. The people that I met and the different situations I found myself in has given me the itch to get back to traveling and really discover this massive country that we find ourselves living in. What makes Americans love this place with so much passion and what makes so many citizens of the United States of America believe with such certainty that we are the greatest country in the world.

The reason that I started this blog to share with everyone the plans that which I have and the things I am going to attempt to achieve in the upcoming year. Now that I am back from my adventure in the west I want to take a better trip next year and this time I want to plan it and be much more independent than my last one. When I went west I took a greyhound bus. This was one of the scariest decisions that I have ever made, but it was the most interesting thing I have ever done. By far. The people that I met, some which I hope to meet again and share with you my readers, were the people that make up the majority portion of this country. They were made up of lower class people who have to take buses because other modes of transportation are just too expensive. These are the kind of people that made me see how expansive this country is and meeting them is just a small introduction to the upcoming trip I want to have.

The goals of my next adventure are too acquire a van of some sort that can easily transport a handful of adventurers to anywhere they desire to go. The way I want to do this that will make it so it will all be possible is to use an alternative fuel. That fuel is bio diesel, waste vegetable oil that will make it very cheap to travel. Also it is a cleaner option for the environment. I am a firm believer that our country needs to stop with the stranglehold that petroleum based fuels has on us, and use cleaner alternative fuels until we can achieve total transportation for free. I am not saying that I am an expert in this field, far from it. Basically, I just want to travel for free and do it in a way that won’t add to global climate change.

This blog will contain the trials and tribulations of obtaining some sort of vehicle for this journey and then getting enough funding to hit the open highway. I am looking for some support, all those who would like to help/come with me feel free to contact me on this blog. Also anyone who has any suggestions of a place to discover America further please contact me as well.