26 August 03 Transcription
I've got some experience with "stuck in Pennsylvania," -- I'm not going to lie to you. A year, shit, at least two years ago now I was trapped in good ol' PA -- Harrisburg actually -- while en route to New Orleans for a little spring break action with my friend Lex. Two years ago this St. Patty's Day, if you believe that, which clocks us in at about two and a half years ago. Fuck. It's been so long, and so much has happened since that Subaru broke down. Now I'm rebounding off of a New York funeral and am trapped in Philly, after the Tappan Zee ate my friends' vehicle several times. No, I'm not bitter, but it just figures. Class starts tomorrow, and I'm delayed-cancelled-put on what was delayed- and find myself running to a gate that will never open. CANCELLED yet again. So I know about stuck in PA. Wish I didn't. Standing at that gate, things seemed the last straw to this kid who's normally such a jovial traveller. In my cracked out ubertired state, my eyes felt on the brink of tears, even though all the details for the evening were taken care of in a no-brainer manner for me. I had a roof and some food - that was all I really needed. What I wanted was another bird to get me to Nashvegas just a bit later than expected, a meeting with a good friend, and my own bed. I wanted a hug. But none of that was going to happen. I was going to a hotel room alone. There would be no Lex with an ice bucket on her head, no Hagel falling asleep to
Earth Girls Are Easy with his glasses on, just me and an empty room and a bunch of phone calls to make. "No, no, I'm not in Nashville. I'm in Phil-a-del-phia," I enunciated pointedly. "Fuckin Philadelphia." Christ. So I got some food after letting those on a need-to-know basis what was up, and thought about who I'd like to have sitting opposite me at the table. Nick Prior was high on that list - we'd talk about whatever and it'd be great. I'd forgotten how much I like Nick Prior, and this weekend managed to remind me. But instead of such company, it was me and a plate of chicken parm, then back to my room with batteries that would not power my ghetto cheapo walkman purchased just for the trip and to be returned soonly. I vaguely watched bits of a bad movie, then passed out. I even managed to miss Andy's call -- leaving me to wake up at 5.20 am looking at a blinking phone, and hearing his voice first thing. At this point, I just want to get back to Nashville.
