The joke has become that wherever the arrow is pointing on the weather map, on the Weather Channel, to show where the inclimate weather is, it's really pointing at me. In the past 3 months on the road I have not had more than half a dozen good weather days. I know, nothing to complain about compared to relentless winter in New England, but, I am now in Mount Pleasant, SC, outside of Charleston where the past couple of days have been 21 degrees lower than normal and the whole stretch for February not 21 degrees lower, but, consistently lower. Places that I have left become more and more weather difficult...Asheville, Chapel Hill, Lancaster. I really want to walk around Charleston but it has just been too wet and chilly. Just can't find the warmth I've been looking for. It is all my fault, so, before you offer your hospitality to me, better think twice...
Am staying in Mount Pleasant in Kathleen and Paul's driveway in the van. Warm enough for that. Days are spent finding purpose with Paul and dog parking it with Ozzy. Kathleen and Paul have a couple of dogs and all get along perfectly. Ozzy goes to the vet today for heartworm prevention. I don't think about that much in the north country, but, Kathleen says it's really important down here in the south. I was wondering what unexpected expense would eat into my tax return, which I already received.
Kathleen has been following my blog and suggested I write about food. So, I try the best I can while on the road to eat as healthily as possible. Not easy, but, can be done. What is even more difficult is finding affordable food. But, here's my routine. Breakfast these days I try to get from Harris Teeter...I have a VIC (Very Important Customer) Card which gets me discounts and Thursdays I get 5% off as a senior citizen discount. So breakfast this morning was eggs, bacon and taters for $2.11. Great for price and good wholesome choices for food...hot and fresh. Lunch, I often get a salad at Trader Joe's. A great selection of salads and cost under $5.00. Whole Foods also offers a really great buffet at $8.99lb. I can usually get a meal for from $5.00-$7.00. Harris Teeter is the least expensive, but, is not as healthy as the other two. Whole Foods buffet offers lots of variety and healthy choices. When driving I like to have a snacky kind of thing I can munch on and these days it's been Kashi Island Vanilla whole grain/multi-grain cereal and Trader Joe's Tropical Tendency dried fruit mix, mango, pineapple, coconut, orange. I also try to have a jar of either grapefruit or peaches in juice. I wash it all down with Poland Springs lime sparkling water. I drink gallons of it. The long and short is that I try to eat healthy and cheap which means very little dining out. When I get to New Orleans that will change a bit as I will not be able to resist the spices and seafoods of the place.
Last night I went out with Paul and Kathleen to the Performing Arts Center in N. Charleston. We saw a really good opening band, The Spirit Family Reunion...acoustic, guitar, banjo, bass, snare kit, dobro and washboard. Very lively and musicians were having a great time. They opened for the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Susan Tedeschi, Derek Trucks and nine other really fine musicians. High energy, big sound, great vocals and lead breaks. All played with each other really well and all were great players.
How can I forget to mention that I got all of my hair cut off...at Causey's Barber Shop in Mount Pleasant. Pictures of Facebook.
Not a great day for walking Charleston, so before Ozzy's vet appointment will be a laid back day...take him dog parking and try and find purpose with Paul.
Thursday, February 26, 2015
Sunday, February 22, 2015
My last post I ranted about the United States Postal Service. Well, I gave them another chance the next day. Thought to myself that maybe I was a bit short tempered and maybe I let them get to me and there was a reasonable solution rather than giving up my postal box. So, I called the next day and was put on hold immediately for twenty-five more minutes! Done with them! But, lest we lose the irony of this particular situation...I do have to renew my passport. You know what that means...
Back on the road. Left Chapel Hill yesterday, Saturday. Over to Wilmington, NC and down to Charleston, SC from where I am writing this entry. In Mount Pleasant with my friends Kathleen and Paul. Had a really great stay in Chapel Hill with Sam and Nadine. We played a fun gig Friday night and I am very grateful for their hospitality. I stayed in their music room for the week as it was very cold in Chapel Hill. A very laid back week...me at my office, The Open Eye Cafe and Bakery and Ozzy at his office, The Homestead Park Dog Park. Today we went to the dog park in Isle Palms.
Tomorrow...get all of my hair cut off...
Beautiful temperature today in the mid 60's. Walked on the sand at the ocean.
Think I'll keep it short. Be well. Keep warm and dry, especially to my New England friends who continue to experience an unrelenting winter.
Back on the road. Left Chapel Hill yesterday, Saturday. Over to Wilmington, NC and down to Charleston, SC from where I am writing this entry. In Mount Pleasant with my friends Kathleen and Paul. Had a really great stay in Chapel Hill with Sam and Nadine. We played a fun gig Friday night and I am very grateful for their hospitality. I stayed in their music room for the week as it was very cold in Chapel Hill. A very laid back week...me at my office, The Open Eye Cafe and Bakery and Ozzy at his office, The Homestead Park Dog Park. Today we went to the dog park in Isle Palms.
Tomorrow...get all of my hair cut off...
Beautiful temperature today in the mid 60's. Walked on the sand at the ocean.
Think I'll keep it short. Be well. Keep warm and dry, especially to my New England friends who continue to experience an unrelenting winter.
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
After many years of renting a post office box in Plymouth, NH, I will be giving it up at the end of February. It will not be a great hardship as most of my business and personal communications take place electronically. But, I tried to renew my box rental today and after my experience with the United States Postal Service (USPS) today, I will never go back to supporting it ever again!!! It is not hard to see why the USPS is suffering as it is...
First, I would like to say that the workers at the Plymouth PO have been helpful and conscientious over the years that I have rented there. I hold no grudge, animosity or negative feelings toward them at all.
I tried to renew my rental on-line today and it was the most awful experience I have had in a long time. Just figuring out what to do on the website was confusing enough.) I even did my taxes today on-line and that experience was positive in every way. Went smoothly and my return is filed with a considerable amount of money coming my way. About $75 more through the software than when I had calculated it myself. So, the IRS better than the USPS? Who would have thought...
So, I went on-line to renew my PO Box and filled out all information correctly. I know I did. So after I paid $39 for six months on my credit card, a note on the website comes up that I have to show up with two forms of ID to complete the process. What?! So I call Plymouth and instead of the website renewing my PO Box that I have had for many years, it rented a different numbered box. So, Natalie at the Plymouth location gives me a telephone 800 number to call to straighten it out. I was on hold for 50 minutes before I got to speak to a human being. Told him, Tyrese, I remember the name because it's a character on Walking Dead, the situation. He says I need to go to the post office in Plymouth. I tell him I'm on the road, did the form on-line because I can't go to the Plymouth location. He says that he'll get back to me and without time for objection, after a maybe two minute conversation, puts me on hold where I listened to the same announcements as I had for the past 50 minutes before I spoke with him. The announcements which detail how wonderful the USPS is. Another 30 minutes on hold until I hung up,(total now of 80 minutes on hold), called the Plymouth PO and told them that if they could not fix my problem, I was stopping payment and ending my rental of the box. Told Natalie that I had nothing against the Plymouth workers but would not support the USPS any longer if not resolved. So, needless to say, I got no satisfaction through a very frustrating process and will no longer be using my PO Box after the end of February.
As I say, most of my communications are electronic and I don't need them...
I would like for the Postmaster General, whoever he or she is these days, to try and renew a post office box rental on-line and after figuring out how to do it, and then getting it messed up, through no fault of his/her own to try and fix the problem by calling USPS costumer service.
I can be reached j_moskow@plymouth.edu, mejyou@yahoo.com, on Facebook, or through this blog.
There, off my chest and deeper into the new millenium...
First, I would like to say that the workers at the Plymouth PO have been helpful and conscientious over the years that I have rented there. I hold no grudge, animosity or negative feelings toward them at all.
I tried to renew my rental on-line today and it was the most awful experience I have had in a long time. Just figuring out what to do on the website was confusing enough.) I even did my taxes today on-line and that experience was positive in every way. Went smoothly and my return is filed with a considerable amount of money coming my way. About $75 more through the software than when I had calculated it myself. So, the IRS better than the USPS? Who would have thought...
So, I went on-line to renew my PO Box and filled out all information correctly. I know I did. So after I paid $39 for six months on my credit card, a note on the website comes up that I have to show up with two forms of ID to complete the process. What?! So I call Plymouth and instead of the website renewing my PO Box that I have had for many years, it rented a different numbered box. So, Natalie at the Plymouth location gives me a telephone 800 number to call to straighten it out. I was on hold for 50 minutes before I got to speak to a human being. Told him, Tyrese, I remember the name because it's a character on Walking Dead, the situation. He says I need to go to the post office in Plymouth. I tell him I'm on the road, did the form on-line because I can't go to the Plymouth location. He says that he'll get back to me and without time for objection, after a maybe two minute conversation, puts me on hold where I listened to the same announcements as I had for the past 50 minutes before I spoke with him. The announcements which detail how wonderful the USPS is. Another 30 minutes on hold until I hung up,(total now of 80 minutes on hold), called the Plymouth PO and told them that if they could not fix my problem, I was stopping payment and ending my rental of the box. Told Natalie that I had nothing against the Plymouth workers but would not support the USPS any longer if not resolved. So, needless to say, I got no satisfaction through a very frustrating process and will no longer be using my PO Box after the end of February.
As I say, most of my communications are electronic and I don't need them...
I would like for the Postmaster General, whoever he or she is these days, to try and renew a post office box rental on-line and after figuring out how to do it, and then getting it messed up, through no fault of his/her own to try and fix the problem by calling USPS costumer service.
I can be reached j_moskow@plymouth.edu, mejyou@yahoo.com, on Facebook, or through this blog.
There, off my chest and deeper into the new millenium...
Sunday, February 15, 2015
And, poof!!, just like that, back in Carboro/Chapel Hill, NC...[Cue the wavy screen, dream/flashback music as we return to Asheville, one week ago today.]
There I am busking on Pack Square, Asheville, NC...beautiful Sunday. Sunny but brisk. (Turns out it was the nicest day I was in Asheville. It's been chilly, and although I would have liked to busk more, it was just too cold.) Played for a couple of hours in an okay location. Not the best as it was taken by a trumpet player who probably made more than I did. I made $20.00 and moved on to lunch, which I had at Dobras Tea. Have now spent time at Dobras Tea in Burlington, VT, Amherst, MA and now Asheville, NC. Also, went to the French Broad River Park where there is a dog park. Sunday, being the first real nice day in a while, every dog in the city was at the park. Must have been 50 dogs in just the enclosed area. It became too aggressive in there for me and Ozzy and didn't stay long. A lot of owners not really in control of their dogs. (Turned out though that most of the time there were only a few dogs there at a time and the French Broad River Park became a place we would go often to play in the dog park and for me to just chill and take a nap.)
Slept at the River location that night and the next day visited my new friend, Bethany at Rhetorical Factory who hired me to play a party she was having at the store on Friday. $50 for an hour of music. I was concerned about playing my guitar on the street as lots could happen to it, so I went in search of an inexpensive guitar for busking. Found and bought a NEW Epiphone DR 100 for $99.00!! Looked it up on the internet and it received great reviews. I kept looking for problems but really couldn't find any. So, I bought it and it plays pretty well. (Played my first gig with it at The Rhetorical Factory party Friday night and it played just fine.)
But, I digress...so Tuesday I got in touch with an old friend of my brother who lives near Asheville. Pete invited me to an Old Timey music round in Brevard, NC where I went and met him and listened to some pretty good players...banjos, fiddles, guitars, mandolins, bass...it was a lot of fun and then I went to Pete's house where Ozzy and I spent the night inside. Pete and I had a really great time talking and playing music together. He and my brother go back 50 years together and they used to play music which I was familiar with and we played a lot of those songs together. I showered.
A bunch of low-key days Wednesday through Friday. (Public restrooms downtown for bathing and shaving.) Ozzy and I played at the park. I walked through the River Arts District of Asheville where there are many studios and galleries open to the public. Lots of really terrific work in all types of media.
Friday the gig at The Rhetorical Factory went well if not well attended. Great feedback from those who were there about my playing. Pleased.
So, I kept watching the weather and it looks like ugly rain/sleet/ice forecasted for Asheville area next couple of days. I was going to stay longer, but, returned to Carboro today. I would like to give a shout out to Phil in Asheville who helped facilitate my lodging for my stay in Asheville. Parked the van behind his studio in Woodfin, NC. Last night I stayed in Bob Seven's Emerge-See-Art Ambulance which is also parked on the river behind Phil's Studio. (The ambulance is amazing and you ought to check out pictures of it that I have posted on Facebook.) There was heat in there and it was very gracious of Bob to let me and Ozzy stay there. We have not met but Phil paved the way.
I would like to spend more time in Asheville when the weather is warmer. More I want to do there...another fish taco at the Lucky Otter comes to mind.
[Back to the present.]
So back in Chapel Hill and naturally not here more than five minutes and the first place we stop? Ozzy's dog park of course, where we saw a friend he had made when we were here the week before...
Sam, Nadine and I have a gig on Friday at Johnny's Gone Fishin' in Carboro. After that, I am headed to Charleston, SC and hopefully the warm weather I have been looking for but have not yet found.
There I am busking on Pack Square, Asheville, NC...beautiful Sunday. Sunny but brisk. (Turns out it was the nicest day I was in Asheville. It's been chilly, and although I would have liked to busk more, it was just too cold.) Played for a couple of hours in an okay location. Not the best as it was taken by a trumpet player who probably made more than I did. I made $20.00 and moved on to lunch, which I had at Dobras Tea. Have now spent time at Dobras Tea in Burlington, VT, Amherst, MA and now Asheville, NC. Also, went to the French Broad River Park where there is a dog park. Sunday, being the first real nice day in a while, every dog in the city was at the park. Must have been 50 dogs in just the enclosed area. It became too aggressive in there for me and Ozzy and didn't stay long. A lot of owners not really in control of their dogs. (Turned out though that most of the time there were only a few dogs there at a time and the French Broad River Park became a place we would go often to play in the dog park and for me to just chill and take a nap.)
Slept at the River location that night and the next day visited my new friend, Bethany at Rhetorical Factory who hired me to play a party she was having at the store on Friday. $50 for an hour of music. I was concerned about playing my guitar on the street as lots could happen to it, so I went in search of an inexpensive guitar for busking. Found and bought a NEW Epiphone DR 100 for $99.00!! Looked it up on the internet and it received great reviews. I kept looking for problems but really couldn't find any. So, I bought it and it plays pretty well. (Played my first gig with it at The Rhetorical Factory party Friday night and it played just fine.)
But, I digress...so Tuesday I got in touch with an old friend of my brother who lives near Asheville. Pete invited me to an Old Timey music round in Brevard, NC where I went and met him and listened to some pretty good players...banjos, fiddles, guitars, mandolins, bass...it was a lot of fun and then I went to Pete's house where Ozzy and I spent the night inside. Pete and I had a really great time talking and playing music together. He and my brother go back 50 years together and they used to play music which I was familiar with and we played a lot of those songs together. I showered.
A bunch of low-key days Wednesday through Friday. (Public restrooms downtown for bathing and shaving.) Ozzy and I played at the park. I walked through the River Arts District of Asheville where there are many studios and galleries open to the public. Lots of really terrific work in all types of media.
Friday the gig at The Rhetorical Factory went well if not well attended. Great feedback from those who were there about my playing. Pleased.
So, I kept watching the weather and it looks like ugly rain/sleet/ice forecasted for Asheville area next couple of days. I was going to stay longer, but, returned to Carboro today. I would like to give a shout out to Phil in Asheville who helped facilitate my lodging for my stay in Asheville. Parked the van behind his studio in Woodfin, NC. Last night I stayed in Bob Seven's Emerge-See-Art Ambulance which is also parked on the river behind Phil's Studio. (The ambulance is amazing and you ought to check out pictures of it that I have posted on Facebook.) There was heat in there and it was very gracious of Bob to let me and Ozzy stay there. We have not met but Phil paved the way.
I would like to spend more time in Asheville when the weather is warmer. More I want to do there...another fish taco at the Lucky Otter comes to mind.
[Back to the present.]
So back in Chapel Hill and naturally not here more than five minutes and the first place we stop? Ozzy's dog park of course, where we saw a friend he had made when we were here the week before...
Sam, Nadine and I have a gig on Friday at Johnny's Gone Fishin' in Carboro. After that, I am headed to Charleston, SC and hopefully the warm weather I have been looking for but have not yet found.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
So, this is cool! I'm sitting in my van, Pack Square, Asheville, North Carolina, "shitty" computer (as Craig, who gave it to me for free described it, which has worked just fine for the past 4 months), plugged into my power converter, using the City of Asheville Guest wifi, preparing in an hour or so to get onto the street to busk...this is cool!
A friend in New Hampshire, Sophie told me to look up her sister when I got here. Went to her really nice shop, The Rhetorical Factory, a recycled clothing store, similar to Off The Hanger in Plymouth, in West Asheville, where I met her sister, Bethany and a friend, Phil. Phil is allowing me to park nights behind his studio on Riverside Drive in Woodfin, NC, just about 5 miles from downtown Asheville. Spent a restful night there last night and will be there for the week I stay here in Asheville. Both Bethany and Phil are artists and the little time I have spent with them so far has been very nice.
The trip from Chapel Hill to Asheville was pretty uneventful, and I might even say pretty boring...not much really between the two places. So far, I like Asheville alot.
I plan to be here for about a week and a half, busking and exploring. After, I will return to Chapel Hill as I booked a gig at a place called Johnny's Gone Fishin' with Sam and Nadine. Not sure of the date yet, will be either February 20 or 21. Not sure after Chapel Hill. I am kind of being drawn to Plymouth to take care of some business that needs attending to. So, after Chapel Hill it will be either north to Plymouth or south to Charleston, SC to spend some time with Kathleen and Paul.
Ozzy is great...healthy and happy. He likes the new bed I made him and all I do at night is say, "Go to bed," he goes, I get comfortable in mine and we are two peas in a pod.
Temperature is moderate, if not warm. Today should be really nice in the mid 60's. Looks like almost anything is better than what I left in NH. I keep watching the weather and winter seems cold and relentless up there. Glad to be out of it...
I posted a mid-week note here at the blog. So, if you haven't read it, please do.
A friend in New Hampshire, Sophie told me to look up her sister when I got here. Went to her really nice shop, The Rhetorical Factory, a recycled clothing store, similar to Off The Hanger in Plymouth, in West Asheville, where I met her sister, Bethany and a friend, Phil. Phil is allowing me to park nights behind his studio on Riverside Drive in Woodfin, NC, just about 5 miles from downtown Asheville. Spent a restful night there last night and will be there for the week I stay here in Asheville. Both Bethany and Phil are artists and the little time I have spent with them so far has been very nice.
The trip from Chapel Hill to Asheville was pretty uneventful, and I might even say pretty boring...not much really between the two places. So far, I like Asheville alot.
I plan to be here for about a week and a half, busking and exploring. After, I will return to Chapel Hill as I booked a gig at a place called Johnny's Gone Fishin' with Sam and Nadine. Not sure of the date yet, will be either February 20 or 21. Not sure after Chapel Hill. I am kind of being drawn to Plymouth to take care of some business that needs attending to. So, after Chapel Hill it will be either north to Plymouth or south to Charleston, SC to spend some time with Kathleen and Paul.
Ozzy is great...healthy and happy. He likes the new bed I made him and all I do at night is say, "Go to bed," he goes, I get comfortable in mine and we are two peas in a pod.
Temperature is moderate, if not warm. Today should be really nice in the mid 60's. Looks like almost anything is better than what I left in NH. I keep watching the weather and winter seems cold and relentless up there. Glad to be out of it...
I posted a mid-week note here at the blog. So, if you haven't read it, please do.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Ozzy and I have now been in the south for a few days. We have been sleeping in the van in Sam and Nadine's driveway in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It's been really nice to catch up with the two of them. As they are busy during the days I have been just exploring the Chapel Hill/Durham area.
Our first stop here was a dog park for Ozzy where we have returned on several occasions.
I had a southern breakfast yesterday at Elmo's Diner in Carboro, NC. Biscuit and sausage gravy, eggs, home fries and turkey sausage. Once of that is enough but as Sheriff Andy Taylor would say, it was m-M M-M g-o-o-OD. It will be all salad, all the time for a while...
Sam and Nadine and I played at a place in Chapel Hill called the Cave. A funky little place which had a "songwriter's song circle." Close enough. We had a lot of fun.
Today I went into Durham and drove through the campus of Duke which is really beautiful. Then I went to the Nasher Museum where there is a Miro exhibit which was really good. There were a bunch of 6-9 year old boys and girls there and as I have said before, any day spent with second graders is a good day.
Now at Pep Boys getting a transmission flush...just maintennace. Pleased that it will cost about forty dollars less than quoted in Pennsylvania. Yesterday I worked a bit on organizing and upgrading some systems inside the van...Ozzy's food and water station and the curtain system I use at night when I go to bed.
So, all is well. I think I will be here for another couple of days and then head to Asheville. It has been chilly there but looks to warm up a bit for the weekend. Got out of New England just in time as I check the weather frequently and it has been bitter/frigid cold with no real end in sight.
Asheville in my sights....
Our first stop here was a dog park for Ozzy where we have returned on several occasions.
I had a southern breakfast yesterday at Elmo's Diner in Carboro, NC. Biscuit and sausage gravy, eggs, home fries and turkey sausage. Once of that is enough but as Sheriff Andy Taylor would say, it was m-M M-M g-o-o-OD. It will be all salad, all the time for a while...
Sam and Nadine and I played at a place in Chapel Hill called the Cave. A funky little place which had a "songwriter's song circle." Close enough. We had a lot of fun.
Today I went into Durham and drove through the campus of Duke which is really beautiful. Then I went to the Nasher Museum where there is a Miro exhibit which was really good. There were a bunch of 6-9 year old boys and girls there and as I have said before, any day spent with second graders is a good day.
Now at Pep Boys getting a transmission flush...just maintennace. Pleased that it will cost about forty dollars less than quoted in Pennsylvania. Yesterday I worked a bit on organizing and upgrading some systems inside the van...Ozzy's food and water station and the curtain system I use at night when I go to bed.
So, all is well. I think I will be here for another couple of days and then head to Asheville. It has been chilly there but looks to warm up a bit for the weekend. Got out of New England just in time as I check the weather frequently and it has been bitter/frigid cold with no real end in sight.
Asheville in my sights....
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