Traveling

Things are pretty uprooted in my life. After almost three years, Pot'n'Rox is dead. Good times and bad times, but memory only retains the good. I lived there longer than anywhere else except my parents'. I packed my stuff into Greg's attic and hit the road, maybe for six months.

BIKE the film asked me to go to a festival in Hereford, England, where they're showing the movie. I can't make it because of Toasted Dude but a whirlaway film tour to Europe would have been fun.

Right now I'm in Ohio for my sister's big American wedding (not everybody could make it to Dublin last new year's). I think she's just having a party, no ceremony. But tons of my kin are here. Good to see distant family and be called "Jon-Richard".

Next, to Nashville, a week with the chapter there. The best chapter of the Rat Patrol except Chicago! Then it's out west to Toasted Dude for six months.

Then, big news! RPOZ has written me into a grant to bring me to Australia for Corinbank, their own little music and arts festival. I'm going to run a bike club boot camp. I'll spend three months down unda starting in December, sadly missing the Chicago winter. During that time someone else is flying me to New Zealand to start a Rat Patrol in Auckland. It will be March before I'm back in Chicago for good. Wow, traveling till St. Ratrick's day. I'll be back in town for Ratification in early October, though.

It's been a time for reflection for me, as a recent trip to Arkansas has me quitting the drink and making some changes. Nothing like lonely nights on the road to make you think about things.