Rkaydia: The USA Tour

Wednesday, September 11, 2002

Every big trip needs a religious epiphany, and I've now had mine. The sad, stark yellow blocks of the WAFFLE HOUSE sign began to call out to me on today's trek. It all started yesterday, before I went into Nashville for the day, and turned, almost as if by chance, into the lot of Waffle House before getting on the highway.

These places are all small, but this one had at least six servers and cooks behind the counter. One of the men rang out a rather long welcome speech from behind the counter, and it took me a while to realize he was addressing me. One of the women was singing snippets of country songs, loudly, in addition to tossing off slang-filled orders, also at high volume. I think she was hoping to be discovered, or at least appreciated. I had a waffle, which came with a little plastic tub of margarine laid upside down right in the center: the finishing touch. I set it aside, and with a little syrup (ok, a LOT of syrup) I enjoyed the waffle immensely.
After I left Tennessee, it seemed I might never see another Waffle House again, but pretty soon the signs started appearing in Virginia, and at every sighting, I'd shout out the name. Waffle House!
I did a crazy thing today -- drove all the way from Nashville to Arlington, VA. Just felt like getting there. Last night in Nashville was a bummer -- too touristy, and the Wildhorse Saloon was overrun with -- ugh -- the Brentwood Ballrooom Dance Club. I walked around town a bit, and there's a strip on Broadway which is much like New Orleans, with one club after another, close together and requiring no cover. But no dancing. There was a little snippet of a girl singing New York, New York at a Karoake bar and she was probably the best singer I heard that night, and a damn good crowd-pleaser to boot. Lots of fresh behavior from men, the most I've gotten on the trip, but I didn't really mind it. I'm sure the more aggressive attentions of men out here will get wearisome soon, but after 12 years of dealing with the barely lukewarm interest shown by most California men, I'm actually enjoying the change here, for a while anyway. (I'm sure I'll be pining for the good old days soon enough!).
On the border of Tennessee and Virginia, an abandoned building. This is not a fake front, the building IS a giant guitar. The insides completely ruined and abandoned: lovely. What I like about the South -- so many beautifully ruined things. I hope the renovators never get to these places.

I guess the log is officially finished now, though I might take the train up to CT this weekend, depending on whether my furniture seems reasonably intact (I haven't been to the apartment yet). But hey ladies and gentlemen, you've been a great crowd, and you're all now officially off the hook. It's been swell.
Happy Trails.

8:59 PM

Tuesday, September 10, 2002

Still in Nashville, hoping to dance a little tonight.
Some photos from downtown Nashville today:

And here's the photographer, looking very un-Country:

2:41 PM

Monday, September 09, 2002

Made it to Nashville. A hard day's drive. It was great seeing the skyline as I approached. Ah, a land where people devote their entire lives to music, just the kind of place I like.
Not much to report, as the day was pretty much just driving. More soon I hope.

8:18 PM

Sunday, September 08, 2002

Tonight I'm in Columbia, Missouri. Was intending to make it to St. Louis, but pooped out.
Got to the Bushwacker late last night due to forgetting I'd moved into the next time zone. This was a much gentler spot than Cowboy South, with people really doing two-step, though for the most part without much aplomb. There was one excellent all-around dancer there who snagged me for several dances, including a nice, slow West Coast Swing. There are a lot of variations on the two-step, including one that's really like a shag, which was hard to get the hang of, since you basically spend most of the dance on one foot. Sorry, all you non-dancers out there -- all these details are a giant snooze, I know.
Missouri is quite beautiful; it really feels like I've arrived in the south. Lots of brick. Passed a Stuckey's, bringing to mind the childhood marathon drives to North Carolina where there'd be a Stuckey's sign every mile for 100 miles.
Here's another drive-in, outside of Higginsville I think; just liked the signage. And of course the very existence of drive-ins fascinates me -- like seeing a brontosaurus roaming the earth.

5:28 PM

Where's the older stuff? Here.