Tinhuviel Artanis

16 June, 2013 12:15 PM Mountain Time

It’s currently 98 degrees in Clint, Texas. The heat is oppressive to say the least. It’s definitely a different kind of heat than what you have in South Carolina. In SC, you’re boiling in your own juices. In West Texas, you’re baking alive, like a desert potato. I don’t know if there is such a thing as a desert potato, but there is now. I’m a desert potato.

Ironically, potatoes are really the only thing that I’m able to partially keep on my stomach, so I’m holding true to my Celtic roots, it would seem. The Pilot station from a ways back had potato wedges and raspberry tea. Both have been severely tasty. Of course, it’s not like an ice cold Slurpee in my hot hands, but beggars can’t be choosers, and I’m most definitely a beggar on this journey. Honestly, I’m only one step up from jumping a train with my fellow hobos. My only fears are trains (of course) and that I’d probably end up sharing a car with the shoo-fly-shoo hobo from Pee Wee’s Big Adventure.

I already owe the Mother Unit so much money, it’s just not even funny. It was never funny, but now it’s just grim. I’ve already figured that I won’t be able to get a TV until August, if then. Right now, my phone charger is my primary concern. It seems to have stopped working completely, which means my connection to the Internet will be limited to the evenings at hotels until we make it to San Diego. I’m not sure if I can just get a charger or if I’ll have to get a new phone, but it will have to be addressed first thing come July.

I just had my first bowl of menudo. Silly me, I thought it was just a boy band. But apparently it’s also a pork stomach and hominy soup. Pretty tasty, sans the actual pork stomach. And what self-respecting boy band calls themselves Pork Stomach? Really, Menudo, WTF?

And we just passed a lawn and garden place that has for sale life-size cowboy statues and six-foot roosters. Dammit, I would really love to have a gigantic rooster in my room in San Diego. Why? Why not, dammit?

2:00 PM

We’re heading down I-10, west toward Tucson, Arizona. I have nothing against Texas, except for the Bush family, but it’ll be nice to finally see a different state. Texas is just… too big. I can see where they have the mindset of a totally separate country, but I honestly haven’t seen enough people to be able to comprise a sovereign nation. Then again, Vatican City is a nation unto itself, so I guess Texas could be as well, even though it only has like 17 natives. Where the fuck are all the people, Texan friends? Do you hide in desert cubby holes? In oil wells? Where are you, already?!

“People Get Ready” by Jeff Beck and Rod Stewart just came on iTunes. Oh, how I dearly love this song. It was always such an inspiration to me, and became aligned with my Tarmi, though I have no idea why, or how that even happened. The video was also deeply beautiful. Even though it featured trains way more than I am comfortable with, it is still a glorious video. Why can’t music videos like this be made today? What’s wrong with videos that tell or story or have a cinematic flare to them? I don’t see why such videos are so reviled by so many. It makes no sense.

During the time I was writing this, we somehow wondered into Mexico. We’re now at a checkpoint. How the hell did this happen? I’ll have to ask the Mother Unit later. I’m just assuming that I-10 meanders into Mexico, and then meanders back into America. I’ve never been to Mexico. I feel no differently than I did twenty minutes ago. Now…if I could just figure out how to meander into Canada, and not meander back. Dream come true, right there, man!

2:30 PM

We’re nearing Silver City, New Mexico. Sadly, I won’t get to visit Roswell, but I’ll be a lot closer to the Alien Mecca than I ever have been, so may I’ll have a chance in the future to visit. I’d love to visit there and go loiter outside Area 51 in Nevada. It’d be nice to become part of a UFO investigation group that takes trips to the points of interest, and gives the members a chance to film some actual UFOs that may be floating about up there at any given time.

The Mother Unit and Jeanne have just introduced me to the Terran glory that are dust devils. I got some photos, all to the fantastic soundtrack of The Prodigy’s Fat of the Land. Dust devils and The Prodigy go very well together!

4:00 PM

We’re in the middle of the desert and being rained on for the first time since we set out on this journey from the East. I find this highly ironic and poetic.

5:45 PM

We’re in Willcox, Arizona, at another Motel 6. Have some pictures!

( ”purdy” )

14 June, 2013 7:15 PM

We’re now in Terrell, Texas, at another Motel 6.

The Mother Unit and Jeanne just got in from lounging at the pool. You can’t leave pets unattended in the room, so I opted to stay behind. Besides, I have this squick factor that I can’t seem to overcome in regard to public swimming facilities. Plus, I can’t swim, so really why bother, right?

It didn’t turn out to be as unpleasant a day as I expected. One of the things that made it better, much better, was the Mother Unit turning on the radio. I’m hoping that’ll be the case for the remainder of the trip. If not, I do have Pandora on the phone and iTunes on the computer, so I may just shut out the world like that. Ear buds are your friends.

Ugh… I just found out that Jeanne is a biiiiiiig Firefly fan. Well, why wouldn’t she be? There’s only 15 of us on Earth who aren’t. ::rolls eyes::

Sorry, that just happened to be brought up because the Mother Unit turned the channel to Castle.

Anyway, back to the travel journal. It was all pretty much uneventful today. The beasties were very peaceful and the heat wasn’t too very oppressive. I’m actually pretty grateful that we stopped early. I could use the rest and the chance to let my Inner Borg out, here on Teh Intarwebz.

Here are some more photographs. The first two were taken in Shreveport, Louisiana. The rest are from Texas.

12 June 2013 3:30

The Mother Unit, Jeanne, and I hit the road just before 3 PM. I’m sitting in the back of the truck with Toby resting on my blown-out knee, and Smidgen chillaxin’ beside me in her travel case. The door is open so she can come and go as she pleases; she’s just more comfortable with the case right now.

I ended up packing more than I expected I would. Most of what I have are DVDs and electronics. Of course, the computer is taking up residence on my other knee. So far, I’ve been able to tap into two sources of free wi-fi. I’ll be posting what I’ve written when I come into another wi-fi spot.

That said, some of what I’m writing won’t be in synch with the time I post.

Right now, we’re in Anderson County in SC. Jeanne and the Mother Unit wanted to stop at Arby’s and grab a bite. I’m not eating. I’ve been nauseated and haven’t been able to eat anything but about a half cup of chicken & rice, courtesy of Janice. I’m nursing a frozen peach drink along with some water, so it’s all good.

I know I meant to write more about how the roles in the Vampire Relics changed over time, but I just haven’t had the time and capacity of thought to engage in such shenanigans. Maybe tonight, once we’re settled in a hotel room, I can finish that up in short order.

10:30 PM

So here we are in Bessemer, Alabama. Toby is trying to illicit pity and a bite of the Mother Unit’s sandwich, and Smidgen is chilling out in the bathroom. We’re waiting for her to finally venture out of her case, but she seems relatively unconcerned about that at the mo. She’ll change her arrangements when she’s ready.

As for me, I’m freakin’ POOPED. I’m hoping all the packing and travelling will help me get at least a little bit of sleep. We’ll see.

I’ve got some pictures to upload, but my connection here at the hotel isn’t the best in the world, so maybe I’ll get to share them tomorrow.