Howdy Y'all, ahem... Hello, we mean.

It has been a little more than a week and fourteen rides since our last update. We continue to be constantly amazed at how much happens in a day, not to mention the perpetual oddness of it all. Questions we ask ourselves when we wake up in the morning are radically different than they have been since our pre-travel existence. For instance, "Who's yard are we in? Where can I brush my teeth?", etc...

Travelling in the south has proven to be more of a challenge; although we love the smiles and waves we get down here, the rides have been shorter and slightly harder to get. People in Kentucky apparently don't believe in long distance travel; at least not the ones who pick up hitch-hikers. Tennessee was just a blur out the window as we caught a ride all the way to Atlanta from Kentucky. Somewhere in that blur Pedro saw Crazy Ed's Fireworks Warehouse whiz by; a haunting visage from the depths of his child psyche.

Here's the skeleton of our journey south. It will be fleshed out with stories and anecdotes as we find time.

11) <11/2/96> Yellow Springs to country road

Bow hunter in a yellow pickup.

12) Country road to Xenia, OH

Woman in a blue Celica.

13) Xenia to I71

Let's see, he had been drinking, had just picked up some beer, and popped one open while driving; probably our scariest ride, but not all that bad. Short ride, thankfully.

14) I71 to Kentucky Visitor's Area

Two twenty-something born-again christians. Listened to the "Why I Know God Exists" tape while talking about marijauna, aliens, and helicopter auto-rotation among other things. Offered to save our souls. We declined. Said they'd pray for us.

14.1) Kentucky Visitor's Area to Flying J/Thads Restaurant

Walked five miles in 27 degree weather along the interstate at night. Inhaled two large $1 plates of french fries and warmed our bones.

14.2) Aimed for campground... missed. Slept in someone's yard.

14.3) <11/3/96> Peggy's yard to Flying J

15) Flying J to Georgetown

Young musician in a minivan. Grooved to Serenade by Steve Miller.

16) Georgetown to Lexington

Terry the metallurgist. Smart-ass, but rather friendly.

17) Lexington to next exit

Met a fellow hitch-hiker named Chris. The three of us were picked up by a trucker in a Saturn. Crazy driver.

18) Entrance ramp to Richmond

Young guy in a small black Mustang gave all three of us and our packs a ride. Listened to the Cranberries.

19) Richmond to London

St. Mary... Well, just Mary really, but a saint for picking us all up after dark when no one else would. Long story involving numb knees (ya gotta love a phrase with two silent consonants kissing), ambulances, McDonalds, the ApeYard, and family drama with Chris.

20) <11/4/96> London to next exit

Hungover girl in a red Mustang (popular in the south). Couldn't believe she was giving three hitch-hikers a ride...

21) Entrance ramp to Corbin

Split up with Chris thinking we would travel faster apart. Loaned him our cherished Knoxville sign until he caught a ride and threw it out the window as he passed us by. Our ride was a quiet one in a blue chevy pickup. Goldfish meditated in the bed of the truck.

22) Corbin to Atlanta, GA

Longest wait ever, longest ride ever. Made many superstitious moves to get a ride; in the end only patience got us the hell outta Kentucky. Dan (we think that was his name) gave us a ride straight to Atlanta, GA, and never set foot in Tennessee. Dan probably saved us many an hour hitch-hiking and probably some cold nights as well. Jim Morrison's American Prayer provided ambiance.

22.1) Inner Atlanta to Atlanta Dream Hostel

Special thanks to the olympic people for the newly renovated Marta (bus/train) transit system.

22.2) <11/7/96> ADH to Hwy 78

Love that metropolitan (cosmopolitan? neopolitan? olympian?) transit system.

23) Hwy 78 to Loganville

M.C. Hammer passed in a Range Rover but just gestured at us with his hand dripping of golden rings. Mouthing something we can only guess at ("Can't touch this?") Lotsa smiles at our gargantuan "Athens" sign with fancy art deco. Turned down three rides that were only going half-way or less. Got a ride from Mary in another red Mustang (told you they were popular).

24) Loganville to Athens

Picked up by a group of kids in two vehicles. Goldfish rode with Mimi and Carl, Pedro rode with Jeremy. Went to Carl's house. Hopped in Mimi's '69 VW Bus, went to her friends house, went to see Squat and String Cheese Incident at the Georgia Theatre in downtown Athens, and drove back to Mimi's house where we camped in her yard.

Dizzy, but still moving... -Pedro and Goldfish, at wits end.

[Continued...]

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