And there’s more, much more to come:
Editors note: I feel less stifled now, so I will certainly dedicate more of my life to my writing. The last 18 mos I had nor realized that a high maintenance relationship whether it be 3 hours on the phone a night or just being there in a way that not other relationship has required, for the lack of a better phrase “silenced my voice”. Well I got my voice back, or rather found my voice again, and a lot has been going on, so now it’s time to play catch up while I’m still on vacation
Wednesday July 23:
Gonna go backwards here:
So I just made 3 quarts of awesome gumbo. For once opposed to shrimp, I used blackened chicken, Cajun of course that I grilled over the weekend.
Now, I’m preparing to make some Alaskan Cod filets. Why? Why not? I’ll just put it in the fridge to share w/ a guest. I also may as well grill the salmon patties that unfroze during my weekend trip. It’s no fun to cook for yourself, but even less inspiring when you travel out of state and turn out only cooking for one person. And I thank my friend Mich, THE IRISH PIPER for giving me that excuse. Luckily for him everything was mixed and or marinated beforehand.
I went to the Century Lankmark theatre alone today via bike and viewed “Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson”
Synopsis:
From Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) and producer Graydon Carter (Surfwise, The Kid Stays in the Picture) comes a probing look into the uncanny life of national treasure and gonzo journalism inventor Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. A fast moving, wildly entertaining documentary with an iconic soundtrack, the film addresses the major touchstones in Thompson’s life—his intense and ill fated relationship with the Hell’s Angels, his near-successful bid for the office of sheriff in Aspen in 1970, the notorious story behind the landmark Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, his deep involvement in Senator George McGovern’s 1972 presidential campaign, and much more. Narrated by Johnny Depp.
Now I found it overall a good documentary, yet there isn’t anything I learned from it, and in fact I own all of his work and have a lot of documentaries on the man, one of my greatest inspirations, not to mention “Where The Buffalo Roam” and 2 versions of “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”. I felt if they would have dedicated 15 more minutes to the film and talked about his first novel, which was not published for decades after it was written titled “The Rum Diaries” as well as all of his books of correspondences, which even back in the day before computers or words processors he had carbon copied every correspondence he ever made and saved ever letter he received it would have been a more complete film.
They also in their ultimate wisdom, failed to even mention his final original body of work, “Kingdom of Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child In the Final Days of the American Century” or his swan song of an interview w/ the late great Tim Russert on MSNBC just months prior to his exit of this mortal coil.
It was nice to see his second wife and widow Anita reflected in this documentary who was largely ignored in previous bodies of work dedicated to our hero of Gonzo Journalism. And overall it was a good film I just feel as though they left out a lot of the beginning and the later years of his life and glamorized more of the drug crazed caricature he created and the politics of the early 70’s. Not to say the latter isn’t important for people to know, it’s just that there could have been 15 more minutes that could have filled in the holes. Overall, I am NOT disappointed.
I woke up this morning at 530 in order to move the rental car that I had to return later this morning. It felt like another workday actually, moved the car, made coffee, a breakfast burrito and watched the news. Then I returned the car which ironically is the same make and model of Shelly’s only in candy apple red. Then I cleaned and reorganized and packed away my entire massive accumulation of camping gear. Which took HOURS.
Then out of hundreds of emails I found that my good friend Lula moved back to Chicago from San Diego and already has 2 jobs. Not great jobs but if you want one you can get one and she got 2. We have plans to hang out tomorrow and see Batman: “The Dark Knight” later in the afternoon. It’ll be nice not to see another movie alone, at least this one, and besides, I haven’t seen this gal in a year and we have lots to catch up on.
I had then enough time to check email and return a reply which I got from director Nick Michalak, of RavensFilm Productions who directed the film”The Fixer” which stars a good friend of mine Jonathan Goodman. They are in need of a music supervisor for the films score/soundtrack, and it seems I’m one of the 3 finalists. I wouldn’t normally be interested in such a role if Jonathan was not involved. If it happens to be in the cards, then maybe there is something else I can add to my new corporations offerings. So there is some excitement.
Then I took my bike to see the film.
Overall the camping trip was a bust. I carried my gear out to the car in the pouring rain last Saturday at 7 AM. Luckily I had rented the car the day before. Down 3 flights of back stairs of my building and loaded this car, packed it, like a can of sardines. The entire time it’s just dumping buckets on me. I had on a new raincoat that I bought from Eddie Bauer, so it’s a good quality coat, and I’m glad I did, however as wet as I was on the outside, I was just as wet under, from the sweating. oAnd I listen to AM on the radio and they actually said in these exact words: ” if you have any plans to do anything outdoors today, change your plans.” But I had checked the internet for the weather where I was heading and it looked better than what I was leaving and at this point it didn’t matter, I was heading to Wisconsin, RAIN OR SHINE!I drove through about 90 minutes of rain listening to the AM station and searching for a decent FM broadcast. The rain tapered off about the tie I got to the 49 mile mark which was the Marengo exit off of I-90 West. As I got closer and closer to my destination I saw what had once been fields were now at least for the time being, huge lake like bodies of water. Everything was flooded. I didn’t feel optimistic.
It was about 12 noon that I had arrived at the campground and I could see all of the people preparing to got on the bus to go tubing. Damn I wish I would have gotten here yesterday as I was supposed to. But as my plans had been laid out depending on other people it just wasn’t in the cards. So here I am alone for the next four days and I had reserved my favorite campsite, site C and took the car down the dirt road to the site which had just recently been underwater, again. I had 2 tents to set up , one the new one for me and the other for gear when the rain came, if it would, and it did.
The mosquitoes were a nuisance, so I sprayed myself down, yes, I was prepared for that part and as I unpacked all of the gear and prepared to set up my newest tent I would soon discovered but not be surprised that my ex who last set the thing up, who was the first person to ever set it up had either lost or misplaced the instructions. It was hot and I’m under the noon sun and sweating and swearing and I could figure this thing out for the life of me. At one point I actually felt as though I was going to pass out. I got dizzy, and things started to go dark. It was my stress level, and all the stress that had built up over the last 2 weeks coming to a head. Was this the stroke warning signs they have been warning me of? So I sat down, pulled a cold Propel from the cooler and calmed down.
This was supposed to be my getaway. The vacation I had planned went bely up with the end of my relationship and I thought this would be the best thing for me. It would prove to be wrong, very wrong.
So I set up the smaller tent and studied the photo of the large tent and got it figured out and then I put everything inside. I took a few pictures and walked around to figure out where I could snag a picnic table since it was obvious the one from my site washed away. I found one, just nobody to help me carry if from point A to site C. So I decided to go up top, get some firewood and I set everything up but for the table. I took drive into Albany to the local store and bought some more ice, a couple of coolers for the beer and another bundle of wood.
A couple of hours later Mich showed up, we said hello, he handed me a bottle of tequila we had a toast w/ a couple of beers and I asked him to help me get a table. Now that was done. We sat a few hours talking and drinking beer and he met a few of the “locals”, and before long he was off. Time flies ya’ know what they say. The remainder of the evening I was left to my thoughts and music though a few visitors would pop over, there was nothing else exciting going on, and it began to rain, so I put everything away, went into the tent w/ my radio and called it a night.
As usual I woke early the next morning and started breakfast and food for the canoe trip as well as gather everything together. Then I got the call, Mich couldn’t go caning. It’s a long story I’d rather not get into but I think it may have gone back to his daughters Graduation party and an incident w/ Grandpa. So I called Andy a few times and went up to where the campers were and had some coffee w/ Mrs. Pearson. I attempted to secure a canoe from Josh, but he was being an asshole again saying he wasn’t taking anyone to Attica which is the 15 mile point I have canoed from over the last 9 years. But Mrs. Pearson suggested I ask randy, and I did, and yes he would take Andy and I out and drop us off. I offered the going rate of $25 and for his inconvenience, tipped him and additional $15 upon arrival.
It started out well enough but for the first time I wasn’t in the back steering, Andy wanted to. I had canoed with him several times over the years and trusted my old friend and figured why not. This would later change the mood and the entire point of my vacation, or at least my extended weekend getaway. In fact it proved to be a tragic mistake.
I knew there was going to be problems as soon as he started getting high, and I could see how much he was doing behind me. Most people including he, know how I feel about that. So we’re canoeing along and I share my alcohol and the guy behind me is getting more and more impaired. “Pot smoking dope fiend behind me is literally interrupting my flow of happiness.”
So we get about 1/2 way into the trip and stop to eat. He obviously had the munchies. Go figure. And I’m wishing I really wish Mich was out here w/ me. For the first time in the 20 some times I’ve taken this trip, I wasn’t having a good day, and it was absolutely beautiful out. Once we get to the lake in Albany where the dam is and they drop off the tubes, my canoeing partner is in dire need of cigarettes. So instead of waiting as I had asked he do till we portage the canoe over the damn he insists on getting out at the shore thus leaving me in the front of a canoe alone, which means, when you’re in front you do circles. I was fucking beyond pissed. There’s was nobody behind me to steer. So for about 20 minutes I’m doing circles and finally get to a point where I can get out and try to get into the rear of the canoe. Well yes, I managed to get out of the canoe, but not back in because I was stuck in the mud. I see Andy down the way wonder what I’m doing. SOB! I had to get out of the damn mud so I pull as hard as I can on my leg and get it out thus losing 1/2 of a new pair of sports sandals which were quite expensive forever in the mud. I dug around to no avail and decided to cut my losses and just get to the portage point.
I was so damn mad at Andy by the time we got over the dam I just wanted to get the trip over with. At one point we spilled and this seriously pissed me off. Although I had my camera in it’s case and in a ziplock bag inside of a zipped closed cooler, it was ruined. I had just bought the camera in May. So at this point I’m seriously in a horrible mood. Not much would cheer me up a this point. He had chugged my beer, over 1/2 of my tequila mix and even most of a bottle I had along for the trip. Not to mentioned that which had spilled when the canoe overturned.
So we’re getting along the river now which is full of people partying in tubes floating down river. 2 girls named Chelsea and Sarah grabbed ahold of our canoe and wanted to talk. They seemed pretty nice and though I must have surely looked pretty pissed, they stayed with us till we got to the sandbar. And once at the sandbar there was this guy who I’ll call the “leader” playing his satellite radio loudly, blasting of course very very heavy metal. And all of the girls but for Chelsea and Sarah are topless. here I am on a sandbar full of 1/2 naked ladies and I cannot even take pictures. So I tell Andy it’s time to go, we’re out of beer etc and all my new items I brought along are ruined. So he asks for 5 more minutes and he’s getting high w/ the “leader”. And I say at least 5 more times in the next 25 minutes lets get and get the same reply. I was getting disgusted so I just left him there. Left him knowing he knew a lot of people there and he could get back on his own.
It wasn’t long I was back at the campground and I take the ores and life preservers back up to Randy’s and Andy’s friends and his aunt all asked where he was. And I said I got tired of him getting stoned and went back to my site. And back at my site I stayed and sobered up, and when I did I drove to get some more wood and beer, and it was 9:15 PM, and WI state law requires all carry out sales end at 9 PM. Just fucking great. So I gave Mich a call and left a message and went to bed.
Again, I woke up much too early and if I hadn’t pre paid for 3 nights would have left that Monday. So I started a fire, went to the store and picked up some beer and picked at a little food and was left for a whole day with only my thoughts. And my thoughts were not happy thoughts. And I spent hours dwelling on the last 18 months, as opposed to enjoying that which was before me. Besides, it was Monday after all and anyone still at the campground came by on their golf carts to say their farewells.
By the time Mich arrived he looks at me and his first statement is “Would you like a real beer? ” and hands me one of his. I could tell he knew I wasn’t in the best mood and I’m sure I looked tired. Not only did I have a rough night of sleep, but it had rained again, and I was very sore from the previous day on the river. But I was happy he showed up, it made my day. And the whole time was wishing we were in New Glarus and not this desolate place.
Will be continued……………