[i]
Waking up bright and early at 9:40 a.m. Onward to Blacksburg in the wagon – I'm at the wheel, Ana by my side in the passenger seat, Will and James in the backseat.
Coffee with Coconut Creamer. Grapefruit and Clementines. Chocolate Honey Peanut Butter Almond Granola Bars.
While James snoozes I engage with Will in a discussion on various topics such as the future of civilization, the digital age's effect on spiritually and the changing of values and culture, numerology, etc.
Snacking on Baked Salt n Vinegar Chips and more of those Granola Bars.
On I-64, loop around Richmond, to I-81, and deep in the southwestern mountains of VA – the snow covers the surface of the hilly farmhouse landscapes. This is sort of my first road trip with Ana. She's got her paid week's vacation and I'm certain she's enjoying the liberating feeling of getting out of town, as am I. I have fond memories from days of yore in Blacksburg, from all the Tokyo tours – playing basement and house shows with our fellow musicians in The House Floor. It seems like such a long time ago...and it was.
We link up with Becca once we arrive in downtown. She's watching over two little Chihuahuas. This grabs Ana's attention right off the bat.
We check out some of the thrift stores from the last time we were here. Gathering all the interesting items, some functional and some not so functional. At one of the thrift shops while each of us are checking out another man in his 40's is also waiting and seems to get impatient while the lady bags some items. He storms off and mutters to himself, but just enough for us to hear, "This is ridiculous...these faggot ass bitches..." It was kind of hard to catch but Will and I definitely heard it. What he said was completely uncalled for but I didn't take too much offense. It just didn't make any sense. He was only two people behind in line. Will describes the reason for his behavior, "He probably led a mentally frustrating life of ignorance."
We pick up Tim from the cathouse – he's the manager of a coffee shop in Christiansburg and a friend of Becca's. I like to call it the cathouse because of the three cats that roam about, not to mention the porch cats that live out in the street. We all caravan to Café Mekong, a Viet-Thai restaurant – Tim, Becca, Kai, James, Will, Ana, and I.
Sharing Shrimp Pad Thai, Chinese Broccoli, and Green Tea with Ana.
We got invited to TOTS (which stands for top of the stairs), a comedy club down the street. Some black comedian made known on BET somehow is performing a standup act. Sipping on a Shock Top. Ana enjoys her fruity Bahama Mama mixed drink.
Then to the London Underground for foosball and more drinks. I spot Pete, the drummer of The House Floor, there. We probably haven't seen each other in many years since he moved to Brooklyn with the band. Now he's back here, the band broken up and with scattered lives across the country.
Settling into the humble old house where Tim resides. Ana and I cuddle under the thick comforters we brought and sift through all the photos that were taken today, determining which ones to delete and touching up a few. The cats provide plenty of entertainment and don't hesitate to lie down at the foot of the pullout bed.
[i] Images by me, Becca, or Ana.
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