8.11.2013

epic drive day 5 : my dad agreed to meet me in vegas instead of arizona so i could fly out easily. we both live at the ends of the earth and flying can be both problematic and expensive. this made my last day a drive from barstow to vegas, rather than chino valley, which of course brought this quote to mind : "We were somewhere around Barstow on the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold. I remember saying something like "I feel a bit lightheaded; maybe you should drive..." And suddenly there was a terrible roar all around us and the sky was full of what looked like huge bats, all swooping and screeching and diving around the car, which was going about a hundred miles an hour with the top down to Las Vegas. And a voice was screaming: "Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?" that's the very same question both of us couldn't stop asking ourselves, and each other, for the duration of our one night stay in vegas.

8.10.2013

epic drive day 4 : i've experienced a broad spectrum of reactions and interactions on this trip that would never take place in an ordinary car with an ordinary camera. two today stood out:
1. i was spotted wandering around this oil field with my little blue cooler when an alarmed, armed worker came flying across the dirt track in his pickup, screeched to a halt in a cloud of dust, and exclaimed, "you lost?!" to which i replied, "no, but you have some beautiful oil wells here." i pulled out the polaroid, held it up sheepishly, and inquired, "is this alright?" as a huge grin crossed his face, he waved, slowly rolled forward, looked back one last time, and drove on, leaving me be.
2. after getting back on the desolate highway, i was starstruck for the first time ever when a group of hells angels, suited up in fully patched colors, surrounded the car on all sides and collectively gave me a round of nods. they knew what kind of engine was under this gas guzzler's hood. i nodded back, lips stern, one hand on the steering wheel, keeping my cool. then, in a symphony of revving engines, they sped off into the distance. and i squealed like a giddy schoolgirl.

8.9.2013

epic drive day 3 : i got this email : "This experience has proven finally that the anticipation of an event is by far the most important part of an experience. The unexpected can be a blast, good or bad, but the withholding of immediate satisfaction adds emotional content that can't be duplicated any other way. This has everything: getting a dream car, worry for your safety, doing my own adventure, controversy,   . . . great on so many levels. As my grandma used to say, 'what a skit'. Love you - Dad"
i sure do love you too.

8.8.2013

epic drive day 2 : this drive called on me to leave behind the digital era for a spell. goodbye sony nex-3. hello polaroid 640. how i missed you. the new film for the original camera just happens to be heat sensitive; i just happen to be driving through the middle of the desert, in the middle of the summer, in a baaaaad ride (as an old-fashioned hustler in oakland called it today), albeit with no a/c. my new camera case just became a little blue cooler. awesome.