Relocation in Pictures

September arrival in Ann Arbor

My wanderings take me both North and South these are visual evidence of my recent meanderings.

October - Fall makes an appearance

Early November - still quite fall-like

November 11th - Oops!

December - back to global warming

January 15, 2020 - departure day

January 17th

Travelin' Man

Are you a Bob Seger or a Ricky Nelson fan? They both have lyrics about a travelin' man. Not coincidentally, they both focus on women they had known and left. I have traveled a lot, lived many places, some more than once. But my wandering had a lot more to do with periodically changing my life than it did with running to or from various women. Some might disagree.

Here is a laundry list of where I have done my laundry over the decades.

1948 Detroit, MI.
1949-65 Dexter, MI.
1965-69 Kalamazoo, MI.
1970-71 Somerville, MA.
1971-72 Ann Arbor, MI.
1973-75 Hell, MI.
1975-78 Hermosa Beach, CA.
1979-80 Palos Verdes, CA.
1981-82 Redondo Beach, CA.
1983-1990 Hermosa Beach, CA.
1991-1999 San Francisco, CA.
2000-2005 Ann Arbor, MI.
2005-2009 Las Vegas, NV.
2010-2015 Berkeley, CA
2016-2020 The Villages, FL. & Ann Arbor, MI. (semi-snowbirding)

Starting in the late 90s, there were several periods of undomiciled living where I gave up my condo, house or apartment and traveled to and from friends and family. Since 2015, undomiciled has been my permanent condition. Everything I own fits into my car with room to spare. After all what does a writer need except a laptop and some place to be or to be leaving.

I have even written a book about my meandering ways - Undomiciled: How to be the Perfect Long-Term Houseguest. Seeking a publisher.

Traveling With Meteors to Minnesota

"This year, instead of seeing about 80 Perseids per hour, 

the rate could top 150 and even approach 200 meteors per hour," 

NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke.

Last Friday we went out into the local park and watched the sky streaked with Perseids. During the week as I traveled to Shakopee, Minnesota I saw more meteors nearly ever night. Even had one motel room with a near perfect view to the NorthEast.

Now I am in Minnesota for a short stopover (and a little poker) before I finish my wander to my fall destination in Michigan.

Road Trip: I-75

Interstate 75 runs 1786 miles from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan nearly to Miami. Fortunately I am only driving 1100 of those miles over the next several days as I shift my location from the fully autumnal environs of Michigan to the sunny, warm welcoming embrace of The Villages in central Florida.

On the wet and soggy road today -- Ann Arbor thru Ohio to Lexington, Kentucky a mere 330 miles

Road Trip -- Kalamazoo

This weekend saw the unfolding of one of the ceremonially significant events anchoring this lengthy road trip.

Forty-Fifth College Reunion

Class of '69

pictures to follow . . .

For those not familiar with my Alma Mater - kzoo.edu

Road Trip Total: 3750 miles

The "Other" Midwest

"Midwest" is an extremely imprecise term when applied to the geographic United States. I think it is clear from the map above that I have recently driven though the midwest but should by now have emerged into some other geographic designation. Somehow the mideast never caught on, so some residents of Michigan, Indiana, Illinois and thereabouts believe themselves to be living in the midwest. Clearly the much farther west Iowa and Missouri dwellers should be using some variation of central. The midwest can only reasonably begin around western Kansas and Nebraska, yet those in Colorado, Wyoming and Utah want nothing to do with the label.

Now, you might ask what any of this has to do with the price of Darjeeling in Beijing. The simply answer is . . . nothing. But I have been on the road for four days and two thousand miles and several poker rooms, so basically my brain is gently resting in standby mode. I just wanted to take note that I have made it to the midwest, but then some hard scrabble rattling in my cerebrum launched me off onto that whole geography thing.

Suffice it to say, I am at the end of the road trip east and will be drifting about the Indiana-Michigan-Ohio region for several weeks. Deeper, if not more rational posts to follow. I will offer up an early nostalgia warning, my 40th college reunion looms next weekend.

The Shasta dwelling Midnight tapping me for pets whilst scowling at the intrusive camera.

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photo credits: epodunk.com and cblevins

Travelin' October

"Just before the death of flowers,

And before they are buried in snow,

There comes a festival season

When nature is all aglow."

I haven't seen a really good fall color display in four or five years. So I am looking forward to October. I will be heading out this weekend for parts north and east and midwest. My travels should take be through parts of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.

I don't have how, when or why of the return trip yet. I don't actually know if there is going to be a return trip and if there is.... a return to where?

But for now I am anticipating the travel and the changes of scenery. While I will keep working on the Matusow screenplay, I am also going to be outlining more chapters of my travel monolog centered on the quest to rediscovery magic. I have light-heartedly referred to this work as a cross between Robert Pirsig and Douglas Adams. I do owe the mobile nature of my project to Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and while my style may not be as flippant as the Hitchhiker's Guide; I do take a more conversational tone in this work. Although the topics of the dialog do vary a bit wildly from place to place.

I supposed I could do an synopsis or perhaps an excerpt from Magical Meandering (working title) here. I shall ponder that potentiality. In the meantime, the road beckons. All my bags aren't packed but that doesn't mean I am not ready to go.

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photo credit: gardeningresource.net