Go West, Young Man

So someone recently asked, "Hey Alex, whatcha been doing? No blog?" well actually, someone- I've been driving across the country because I moved to California. So I need to write a blog to catch everyone up.

yes, that pic is a cat on a leash- one of the last pics from ATL- how fitting

My friends threw a party for Katie and I (yes, she came with me across the country- I couldn't believe it either) but we never really got sentimental- its not like I won't ever see my friends again- so what's the big deal- right? Then we packed up a small uhaul truck and towed Katie's car behind and drove to LA - which is in California all you asses with cats tied to the porch. A few things needed for a cross country drive- in my opinion.

Speed and speed taking implements.

ok, I'm just kidding- I'm too old for that shit and I don't know where to buy it anyway. I found a GPS useful, because it is a GPS- HEY OH!, they do all kinds of road trip shit. I like to eat the local flava on the road not just Subway. Plus having the internet on my iPhone to cross check some hotel rooms or settle arguements about random trivia (like what kind of cheese is supposed to go on a French Onion Soup?) was invaluable. download a book on tape and a bunch of non music stuff to listen to- like the free iTunes University lectures or NPR's This American Life. those are great because your music will get old and radio just sucks. That means you need an iSomething to play that crap on. Gum, sunflower seeds, snacks, cigarettes, trash mags, digital camera. those are good stuffs

I had in LA what I had in Atlanta- no job, no apartment- In the weeks leading up to the move I was never nervous or had butterflies or any of that. It never really effected me. But when I pulled out the uhual onto the highway to leave and there were no more boxes to pack or hugs to give; I was stricken with fear. I was terrified. I tried making lame jokes like saying goodbye to places and things that didn't mean anything to me but it didn't help. "Goodbye H.E. Holmes exit" like that would make me feel better- that's just stupid. I asked Katie if she felt ok now that we were on the road and she lied and said she did. After we got closer to Alabama- I was fine and back to my normal state of-
"what's worst that could happen" On the first day we made it to SHREVEPORT, Louisiana and stayed with Chris and Julie they are in Shreveport working on movies. Tekken and Jack Black does some midevil funny (or not) are the flicks they are on.

When you come up on that town going West you see a squat little shithole being towered over by cowboy themed casinos. Kinda sad. Chris and Julie welcomed us into their BIZARRO building that they only inhabit. It is a 4 story building that they have sweet apartments in and the rest of it is eerie and empty. really empty. its the kind of place that if you were unexpextedly taken to after a night of drinking you would think it was just the coolest thing ever. Dead sober after a good bit of driving- it was surreal.

We were hungry so we went to a dive bar and had sandwhiches. I ordered a Gator Philly- which really had alligator meat on it. When in Rome...eat shitty food, right? Katie thought it was just some clever name so she ordered it too- she was none too happy when it arrived. After that, Katie was ready for bed but I had a crisp $100 bill in my pocket just begging for some action so Julie, Chris and I were off to EL DORADO
here it is: inside and out


Yes, I took pictures in a Casino. I did it sneaky because I guessed it wasn't kosher. I was thinking that a Casino in Shreveport at 3am on a sunday would be full of - to quote HS Thompson -burnt out caractures of used car salesmen from Dallas, all humping the American Dream. but I only saw one of those. It was a mix of military rednecks, rednecks, locals, one big Keno table of asains, general low rollers, slot hogs and what my father lovingly refers to as "Dirtbags."

When I was 19 or 20 I went to Canada and visited a casino- no alcohol as an incentive to gamble in Canada...boring. The night before I got there I had a dream that I won a ton of money playing roulette- all on 15 Black. The next day in the casino I bet $15 on the number from my dream, it didn't win so I threw all the money on red- the next number was 15 Black- true story. I was a magiacian then and I was hanging out with a clown- that's true too but if I started the story out with it you'd think i was about to go, "so the bartender says......" anyway-I wanted to try it again. 15 Black hit every table within 10 minutes- every table but mine. So i went with Chris to play a couple hands of blackjack and he helped me lose the rest of my $100. after I lost a few hands he used his Chris Campbell drunk logic and said I should bet all my money on the next hand. What was I thinking? My $100 was gone 20 minutes after I walked in. Julie did quite well though and went to play craps. I know nothing about this game so when she gave me a $5 chip i turned it into more money pretty quick. Them's the ropes. I could never understand how people go on vacation to gamble. that is just plain ol stupido

on the way out of the casino- CHECK THIS OUT- the ORR CADDY

the next morning we ate an AWESOME breakfast place called the cotton pan, cotton bowl....aww shit. here's a picture:

I had a helluva southern breakfast. I tasted the sweet tea and I guessed that would be it for sweet tea until I went back to Georgia. We said bye bye and hit the road. We were soon in Texas.......holy shit Texas is big. I once heard an idiot arguement that there was no way people could harm the Earth- like global warming and all that- because the Earth is sooooo big and all the people in the world could fit in Texas. Well no shit, all the INSERT ANYTHING could fit in Texas- it is big as big gets. - who buys that kind of talk, anyway? People can't hurt the Earth?


Well next blog- TEXAS, Oil Explosions, and I wrestle a 40 lb hamburger steak into my belly!