The Twilight Report

sgmrt: kentucky

Sun, 24 Oct 2010 23:23:00 GMT

Apparently at my new job there was a rumor going around that I was there for a wedding (although not for my wedding at least). Not so! I was just there to hang out with Lena, who was there for a conference. It was a nice break from the long days of driving!

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sgmrt: tennessee

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 13:13:00 GMT

My second presidential stop on my road trip is The Hermitage, the home of President Andrew Jackson, or as his friends called him “The General”. That the tyrant had any friends at all is remarkable, and that a man who fought so hard to disregard the constitution it may seem surprising that he is celebrated prominently on the $20 bill. The man made his reputation in defeating the Brits at the Battle of New Orleans, in the War of 1812, a month after the war between Britain and the United States was officially over. The engagement was a tiny footnote compared to contemporary battles such as at Waterloo, and the whole North American campaign was for the Brits a peripheral and secondary dispute, while they were more worried about Napoleon.

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sgmrt: arkansas

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 03:26:00 GMT

My first stop in Arkansas is at a Wendy's for lunch. The establishment is filled with army guys in camouflage. I will find out when I am leaving that they drove here in their Humvees. I am startled that people are speaking with a more obviously southern accent, though I should not be. My first real stop is the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock.

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sgmrt: oklahoma

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 02:21:00 GMT

My hotel room is on the 8th floor and the hotel is right in the middle of downtown Oklahoma City. I am a short walk from an entertainment district called Bricktown, which offers a canal and little bit of a nightlife. I try a Mexican restaurant. This is actually a minor victory for me. Social Phobia often prevents me from eating in sit down restaurants when I am by myself. The food is tasty but mild. The staff sing “Happy Birthday” mariachi style Four (4) times while I am there, apparently demonstrating the Birthday Paradox. I am half tempted to lie and tell them it is my birthday for some added excitement/adventure. Guacamole came as a “salad” and for dessert I declined a sopaipilla, which come with the meal in New Mexico. Bricktown and Oklahoma City in general are surprisingly awesome.

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sgmrt: kansas

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 03:47:00 GMT

I drove through Kansas from north to south. In Phillipsburg I had to wait at the rail crossing as they connected several train cars to the end of a train. It moved left, connected, moved right, they switched the semaphore, it moved left again. I was worried I’d be there forever, but I wasn’t. I stayed the night in Russell, which is apparently the home town of both Senators Bob Dole and Arlen Specter. I wonder if the sign that boasts that proudly was erected before or after Specter turncoated to the Democrats. I have nothing against Russell, I had a pretty good Sonic burger and shake there, but doesn’t it tell you something that they wanted to go to Washington?

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sgmrt: nebraska

Wed, 13 Oct 2010 02:56:00 GMT

Western Nebraska, unsurprisingly, looks a lot like eastern Wyoming. The rolling yellow carpet continues well on into the state. There are lots of cows and horses and I even saw some sheep. Most of the cars on I-80 came from out of state. I have actually been here once before when I drove to Salt Lake from New York. Unfortunately I was in a rush so the only thing that I did was sleep in a hotel in Omaha. This time I decided to re-route my whole trip through Nebraska instead of Colorado (which I have already been too many times) in order to see something reasonably extreme.

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sgmrt: wyoming

Tue, 12 Oct 2010 01:14:00 GMT

When I first crossed the border into Wyoming it looked as though the rock had been chiseled by the rugged individuality that makes the cowboy state so famous, followed by a few gentle dabs of muted paint to give the desert a bit of color. Further into the state it turned into a flat yellow carpet or rolling hills. Although Wyoming is known as the cowboy state, with its high velocity winds and eco-friendly green energy wind farms it really ought to be called the windy state. On my journey east I noticed not only several wind farms, but the large bits and pieces needed to build more wind turbines on wide load trucks headed west. I vaguely remember reading something about the explosion of Wyoming wind farms in the Economist.

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sgmrt: utah

Sun, 10 Oct 2010 15:41:00 GMT

It’s Christmas Eve and I am eating funeral potatoes. Only in Utah would I be eating a dish named for the grieving of a corps. Plus potatoes. Given that they are served at other occasions, it seems just a tad grim for me. My step father is from the Salt Lake City area so we have a house here and my car has been patiently waiting for me while I was in Australia for four years. Hence my road trip is going to start here in the Mormon Vatican.

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sgmrt: pennsylvania and nevada

Sat, 09 Oct 2010 12:24:00 GMT

My friend springem used to live in Pennsylvania where he would eat fire along with the usual outdoor cooked meat goodness at his annual work/family barbecue each summer. One Halloween I imported him to my home in Beacon for an enchilada party to compete with the other Halloween party. (Well and also just because he’s my friend and a fun guy to have at a party).

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sgmrt: new jersey

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 23:17:00 GMT

I'm moving! Starting a new job! Not too far. About four hours away. This is not news to some. First I am going to get my car which is on the other side of the country. Thus begins my Second Great and Massive Road Trip (SGMRT) across the states (the first was just before I moved to Sydney in 2006). Over the course in the next two weeks I am going to travel through eleven states and hopefully visit some off beat and interesting places. I hope you will join me in my little adventure. I'm going to begin in the beginning where I am at right now, central New Jersey.

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