see kyle draw

July 14, 2007

[summer roadshow: the large beyond reason recap] ^{12:23 PM}

So I've tried to sit down and sort through all the road trip stuff, and I realized that after telling the tale so many times, I have a pretty good short-ish version of things down, and that will probably suffice.

Here, is our trip:

LA to New Mexico to Houston
The first two days on the road were predictably the worst: the deserts of California, Arizona and New Mexico. They might have been a wonder had we not driven them last Thanksgiving. Two days of vast nothingness. Murphy threw up 4 times on the first day, and we learned quickly that it was nerves not motion sickness, and that he needed to be given his pill a half-hour before we got on the road.

The stay at my parents' house in Houston lasted 5 days and was the epitome of relaxing. It rained almost everyday, and when you live in LA, big Texas Thunderstorms are just what the doctor ordered. For the first time in two years (!) Boy and my Sister crossed paths, since she and her soon-to-be fiancé Alex were returning from a post-graduation Caribbean trip (congratulations all around: goodbye college, hello impending nuptials!).

Houston to Nashville
If you looked on a map at any point of our trip and saw a giant green weather system, that is where we were. We drove through pounding rains 90% of the trip. Our stop in Hope, Arkansas (birthplace of President Clinton it turns out) lasts long enough for Murphy to pee before we had to crawl into the back of the Audi and eat our Wendy's.

When you go on a road trip, be aware you cannot eat healthy. Even if you try to order a side salad in mid-america, be warned that it will be icky white lettuce, yellow tomatoes, and brown cabbage. Just give in, gain the 8 pounds like we did, and hit the gym when you get home.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Nashville. We stayed with our friends Jill & Greg (NYC music transplants) who lived in the gayborhood. We were two blocks away from a gay karaoke bar, and beforehand we hit up the honkytonks on Broadway. Nothing says mid-west more than smoking in bars and alcoholic to-go cups.

For no reason whatsoever, Murph was terrified of J&G's cats, so he spent the whole two days there on my lap or in my arms, until we went to the dog park where he ran like a cheetah on crack.

Nashville to Slippery Rock, PA
The drive through Ohio was almost as maddening as the drive through New Mexico. NM has "Safety Corridors" which are patrolled like the DMZ, and Ohio just has stupid drivers. Again it rained.

Slippery Rock is where Boy grew up, and also where both his parents taught at the local university. It's very much a small town, complete with charm. We spent days trekking through the woods, kayaking up the creek behind his Dad's house, and taking Murph to the state park where he went bananas hopping on rocks and logs.

After 5 days at his Dad's, we stopped by his former private school where we dined with the headmaster who had been Boy's physics teacher back in the day. Private schools are about as foreign to me as telenovellas, so it was interesting to see where all the emotional scarring took place. The headmaster was really nice, and he had a "dog" that I'm convinced was a grizzly bear/pony hybrid.

New Oxford, PA
Outside Gettysburg we stopped to visit Boy's college friend Molly and her fiancé Ben. They rent a 3 bedroom farmhouse and 10 acres of land for $500/mo. It was insane and lovely. Our New Oxford story can't really be condensed down, so you can look it up in the archives. Suffice to say it involves foul-mouthed hillbilly children and military testing grounds.

Philly
I received an email after my first Philly post telling me I got the wrong idea about the city, its rude citizens and pointless traffic. I stand by my position based on my experience, but I'm sure I would have discovered some charm had I been able to navigate the place with any amount of time or ease.

New Market, NH
Once we were in New England, the drives became much shorter. If we ignore the obviously slow-going Manhattan traffic (as it should be), we never spent more than 5 hours a day in the car, a far cry from our previous 8-12 hour days.

Our friends Pierre and Andrea live in NH with their two awesome kids Luc and Adele, who are entering the "no matter what you do you're awkward" phase of growing up. I'm not sure who I have more pity for, the kids or the parents, but it was enjoyable to visit.

Boy picked up Lucia in Boston, she came back and stayed with us a day in New Hampshire, and then we made our way south to...

Ben & Julie's Wedding: Cape Cod
It just so happened our dear friends here in LA were having their wedding while we were going to be on the east coast, so we were able to RSVP and actually go. The wedding was on the beach, and I've blacked out most of the horrors of getting there.

There's very good reason that Massachusetts drivers are called "Mass Holes." The speed limit on the freeway is 55, so everyone is pushing 90, and the speed limit on the cape is 45 and everyone is moving at 20. And cutting you off repeatedly in the process.

Thankfully, the wedding was a good time and well worth the trip out. Even if our hotel was like a hostel in Bulgaria.

Northampton and Boston
The day after the wedding, we drove to Northampton, MA to drop off Lucia at her friend Alex's. She just had twins, who were admittedly adorable and were nice enough to take turns crying. Twins taking turns crying = crying non-stop.

Thanks to poor planning we took an extra day to hit up Boston and visit with our friends Smart Lisa and Smart Craig. They have PhD's and other impressive things, hence their nickname. At this point in the trip I'm just getting over being sick (cross-country allergies) and Boy is just beginning to suffer, so we order in Indian and spend the night playing with the dog and watching DVDs. No complaints here.

Boston to DC
After 3 weeks on the road, the "vacation" aspect of the trip is beginning to move to the wayside as we both start taking on work from afar. I'm working on an Animal Planet series and Boy is predictably working on commercials. Using a verizon day pass and built in wifi, Boy's working on the road while I'm sitting on the Jersey turnpike waiting for traffic to clear up thanks to two (!) exploded (!!) tractor-trailers (!!!). I don't mind traffic jams if there's a reason (like Manhattan and melted 18-wheelers), but I can't stand it when it's without purpose (Philly at 1 in the afternoon on a Tuesday).

In DC we stay in John and Jamie's basement, which is more like staying in your own house, so it's nice. We spend evenings with Chris, Brian, Brian, Glenn and John BBQing and eating out, and I spend my days retracing my old steps in the city. The one day we do both go out at the same time it begins pouring, but not before we grab lunch in Dupont and tour the Captiol with our friend who works in Congress -- and actually introduced us to each other during a visit in LA 2 years ago (thanks Kenneth!)

DC to Virginia Beach
Boy was working so much we took an extra day in DC, then headed down to his aunt's house for Virginia Beach. There's something about staying with family on this trip that made for really relaxing visits.

Aunt Annette cooked like a banshee, making us gourmet meals that no doubt helped in the weight gain, but made us feel soooo good. Murphy also got to experience his first toddler, Boy's cousin's son Zane.



	« reviews: harry potter V, knocked up \| Main \| summer roadshow: the large beyond reason recap, part 2 » July 14, 2007 [summer roadshow: the large beyond reason recap] ^{12:23 PM} So I've tried to sit down and sort through all the road trip stuff, and I realized that after telling the tale so many times, I have a pretty good short-ish version of things down, and that will probably suffice. Here, is our trip: LA to New Mexico to Houston The first two days on the road were predictably the worst: the deserts of California, Arizona and New Mexico. They might have been a wonder had we not driven them last Thanksgiving. Two days of vast nothingness. Murphy threw up 4 times on the first day, and we learned quickly that it was nerves not motion sickness, and that he needed to be given his pill a half-hour before we got on the road. The stay at my parents' house in Houston lasted 5 days and was the epitome of relaxing. It rained almost everyday, and when you live in LA, big Texas Thunderstorms are just what the doctor ordered. For the first time in two years (!) Boy and my Sister crossed paths, since she and her soon-to-be fiancé Alex were returning from a post-graduation Caribbean trip (congratulations all around: goodbye college, hello impending nuptials!). Houston to Nashville If you looked on a map at any point of our trip and saw a giant green weather system, that is where we were. We drove through pounding rains 90% of the trip. Our stop in Hope, Arkansas (birthplace of President Clinton it turns out) lasts long enough for Murphy to pee before we had to crawl into the back of the Audi and eat our Wendy's. When you go on a road trip, be aware you cannot eat healthy. Even if you try to order a side salad in mid-america, be warned that it will be icky white lettuce, yellow tomatoes, and brown cabbage. Just give in, gain the 8 pounds like we did, and hit the gym when you get home. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Nashville. We stayed with our friends Jill & Greg (NYC music transplants) who lived in the gayborhood. We were two blocks away from a gay karaoke bar, and beforehand we hit up the honkytonks on Broadway. Nothing says mid-west more than smoking in bars and alcoholic to-go cups. For no reason whatsoever, Murph was terrified of J&G's cats, so he spent the whole two days there on my lap or in my arms, until we went to the dog park where he ran like a cheetah on crack. Nashville to Slippery Rock, PA The drive through Ohio was almost as maddening as the drive through New Mexico. NM has "Safety Corridors" which are patrolled like the DMZ, and Ohio just has stupid drivers. Again it rained. Slippery Rock is where Boy grew up, and also where both his parents taught at the local university. It's very much a small town, complete with charm. We spent days trekking through the woods, kayaking up the creek behind his Dad's house, and taking Murph to the state park where he went bananas hopping on rocks and logs. After 5 days at his Dad's, we stopped by his former private school where we dined with the headmaster who had been Boy's physics teacher back in the day. Private schools are about as foreign to me as telenovellas, so it was interesting to see where all the emotional scarring took place. The headmaster was really nice, and he had a "dog" that I'm convinced was a grizzly bear/pony hybrid. New Oxford, PA Outside Gettysburg we stopped to visit Boy's college friend Molly and her fiancé Ben. They rent a 3 bedroom farmhouse and 10 acres of land for $500/mo. It was insane and lovely. Our New Oxford story can't really be condensed down, so you can look it up in the archives. Suffice to say it involves foul-mouthed hillbilly children and military testing grounds. Philly I received an email after my first Philly post telling me I got the wrong idea about the city, its rude citizens and pointless traffic. I stand by my position based on my experience, but I'm sure I would have discovered some charm had I been able to navigate the place with any amount of time or ease. New Market, NH Once we were in New England, the drives became much shorter. If we ignore the obviously slow-going Manhattan traffic (as it should be), we never spent more than 5 hours a day in the car, a far cry from our previous 8-12 hour days. Our friends Pierre and Andrea live in NH with their two awesome kids Luc and Adele, who are entering the "no matter what you do you're awkward" phase of growing up. I'm not sure who I have more pity for, the kids or the parents, but it was enjoyable to visit. Boy picked up Lucia in Boston, she came back and stayed with us a day in New Hampshire, and then we made our way south to... Ben & Julie's Wedding: Cape Cod It just so happened our dear friends here in LA were having their wedding while we were going to be on the east coast, so we were able to RSVP and actually go. The wedding was on the beach, and I've blacked out most of the horrors of getting there. There's very good reason that Massachusetts drivers are called "Mass Holes." The speed limit on the freeway is 55, so everyone is pushing 90, and the speed limit on the cape is 45 and everyone is moving at 20. And cutting you off repeatedly in the process. Thankfully, the wedding was a good time and well worth the trip out. Even if our hotel was like a hostel in Bulgaria. Northampton and Boston The day after the wedding, we drove to Northampton, MA to drop off Lucia at her friend Alex's. She just had twins, who were admittedly adorable and were nice enough to take turns crying. Twins taking turns crying = crying non-stop. Thanks to poor planning we took an extra day to hit up Boston and visit with our friends Smart Lisa and Smart Craig. They have PhD's and other impressive things, hence their nickname. At this point in the trip I'm just getting over being sick (cross-country allergies) and Boy is just beginning to suffer, so we order in Indian and spend the night playing with the dog and watching DVDs. No complaints here. Boston to DC After 3 weeks on the road, the "vacation" aspect of the trip is beginning to move to the wayside as we both start taking on work from afar. I'm working on an Animal Planet series and Boy is predictably working on commercials. Using a verizon day pass and built in wifi, Boy's working on the road while I'm sitting on the Jersey turnpike waiting for traffic to clear up thanks to two (!) exploded (!!) tractor-trailers (!!!). I don't mind traffic jams if there's a reason (like Manhattan and melted 18-wheelers), but I can't stand it when it's without purpose (Philly at 1 in the afternoon on a Tuesday). In DC we stay in John and Jamie's basement, which is more like staying in your own house, so it's nice. We spend evenings with Chris, Brian, Brian, Glenn and John BBQing and eating out, and I spend my days retracing my old steps in the city. The one day we do both go out at the same time it begins pouring, but not before we grab lunch in Dupont and tour the Captiol with our friend who works in Congress -- and actually introduced us to each other during a visit in LA 2 years ago (thanks Kenneth!) DC to Virginia Beach Boy was working so much we took an extra day in DC, then headed down to his aunt's house for Virginia Beach. There's something about staying with family on this trip that made for really relaxing visits. Aunt Annette cooked like a banshee, making us gourmet meals that no doubt helped in the weight gain, but made us feel soooo good. Murphy also got to experience his first toddler, Boy's cousin's son Zane.

July 14, 2007

[summer roadshow: the large beyond reason recap] 12:23 PM

[summer roadshow: the large beyond reason recap] ^{12:23 PM}