On the road

I am back in Chicago now, but for a good two and a half weeks, I was on the road.

From Chicago I made my way down to Atlanta with Monster Plantation, an independent improv team that I play with and a group of fantastic guys. The team's namesake is an anachronistic little tunnel-of-love style boat ride at Six Flags Over Georgia, so we made the trek down there to ride the ride, eat fried food, and bond a little. We did a couple of shows at a pretty sweet space just off the Georgia Tech campus now occupied by a sort of improv/theatre/music venue/standup club collective. It used to be a church, and the sheer amount of square footage made me a little weak in the knees. Ah, possibilities.

From there, I went over to Shelby/Kings Mountain, NC where Hogwash, a children's improv group that I play with, performed for every single third grader in Cleveland County. It was a blast. We also went to the Cleveland County Fair. Holy lord. Pig Races. Deep-fried snickers/twinkies/oreos. Boiled Peanuts. Corn Dogs. It was pretty intense. We also enjoyed the last gasps of summer with a trip to a little private lake where we sipped our clandestine beers from nondescript plastic cups (LOVE those Southern blue laws), puffed cheap cigars and waded in the water.

From THERE, it was up to Boone, NC, home of my Alma Mater, Appalachian State University. In the above picture, we're knocking out some 'Redneck Horseshoes' (ask me about it some other time) and having a blast. I saw some old friends and enjoyed every minute of it. My favorite chicken wings. Table shuffleboard. Country Ham.

Then it was down to my hometown. I played with a baby and spent some time with my family. It was fantastic.

I hit the road, made my way back to Chicago, and slept a few hours in my bed before flying to NYC for a product launch we were covering for work. Free ticket. Three hours worth of work on the top of the Rockefeller Center. Lox bagels. Melon wrapped in prosciutto. Three days worth of time with my brother.

I lost my camera on the trip, so this picture from a friends camera will have to do for now. It was an amazing trip, but I am still trying to get used to being stationary. Or is it 'stationery'. Whichever one means that I am not letterhead.