We are starting to nail down a schedule for this event.
Of course, this snapshot of the third version of the itinerary is written in ink -not blood. So who knows what the final version will end up looking like. For now, the kickoff is tentatively slated for June 15th -after work. (Work may start early, so that we can bail before five.). The idea is to get four or five hours under our belt by 10:00 PM and to give us a leg up on the 16th -the first full day of Fast Present. Right now, in this iffy third version of the trip, we are heading towards the Unionized North in the beginning, and ending up in the Deep South towards the end. Earlier versions had us heading for the South at the start, as we sought out the history of St Augustine, followed by the white sands of the Gulf. But now, for some inexplicable reason, we have reversed the flow. The gravitational pull of wanderlust has changed axial rotation. At any rate, we foresee some very light days (L.D.) and some incredibly long days, which are denoted by an asterisk.* Putting an asterisk in parentheses has the visual characteristics of an anus, so we'll go with a solitary asterisk instead of the old asterisk-in-parentheses-hemorrhoid-thing. (Maybe we'll change symbols in the fourth version.) Back to our sponsor: We are assuming an early start each day and four to five hours under our tires by lunch. Post lunch can log another five or six hours. Of course, the whole thing is fluid. If we want to stop, say, at the country's largest Bison in Jamestown, ND, to snap some photos, or relax in the shade, or talk about the folly of mankind, or just to make inappropriate jokes about the anatomy of the country's largest buffalo, we will. If the old man, or the young man for that matter, wants to sleep-in, we will. Although, that condition will probably be more reserved/applicable to the old guy; the young buck can sleep in the car. Either way, stay tuned... Version Four is just an early morning musing away.
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I had a talk with Bartowsky yesterday about this trip. (Pictured here on one of the motorcycles we will NOT be using on this trip.) I call him "Bartowsky," or "Buddy," or "Buddy Bartowsky," or "Don" depending upon the day or the mood. His name is Don, by the way. (I'm Dan.)
We are both psyched up and anxious and looking forward to this trip and can't wait, but... We talked about what this trip really means. It is not necessarily about hitting up the three coasts of the U.S. in one glorious expenditure of fuel, miles, days, cash and tires. It is actually about indulging in that rarest of commodities -time. I can think of no greater gift that I am capable of giving to my son as he transitions through his stages of life. Time is a myth. A construct that engages in rock and roll disappearing acts. Smoke and sound and fury... and occasionally applause. Use it because you will certainly lose it. He feels the same way. Bartowsky wants the time together first and foremost. Then the trip married to destinations and adventure in equal measure. Something to talk about. Something to share. A film recorded in the archives of his life. The other thing, actually one of the more important things, is this undertone of homage to a nomadic legacy passed down from my beautiful father (and best friend) to his grandson. Bartowsky and I both feel it, sense it... and only occasionally talk about it. Alzheimer's, that bastard of diseases, has taken a hefty toll on my father, and I will never completely understand the "why" behind the disease, even though I can still find the blessings in it. But before the disease, my father, like all the men in his family -right down to the eight year old in our house -was a restless and untamed man who lived life in huge helpings of adventure and exploration. His zeal, masked by guarded optimism and button-down professionalism, has always been palpable -hidden away within an enormous heart that reveled in all of God's creation. This trip is also about him. This trip is his legacy as much as it is our future memories. The past made present -warped by time. And thus the name of our blog: Fast Present. Stay tuned. This is the beginning.
We talked about an epic coast to coast to coast road trip for some time now. That is, me (the "dad") and my son. I have been all over the country, as well as part of a few others, and I thought it would be good for us. He's 18, wrapping up his Frosh year in film at UNC-Wilmington. Up until now, our trip has only been talk. In January, my life changed dramatically with a single event. Not to go into too much detail, but the old cliche of life being way too short came home to rest. So, we decided to do something about it. Yesterday we picked up the slightly used (22,000 miles) car above. This is the first step. Next will be the cash for the actual trip, and then a couple of weeks off in June. If we can pull all these components together, we will have this in the bag. But there are many miles to go... Stay tuned. |
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