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Denny's #1574 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 12 March 2006 1:00pm EST 4020 City Ave. (215) 473-9260

• Attendees: P7A77, bexy, HanzerBiscuit, Rebecca
• Wait-person(s): Tanya
• What we ate: P7A77 - Feta & Spinach Omelette, Home Fries, Toast, Coffee, Water; bexy: Mushroom & Feta Omelette, Home Fries, Toast, Coffee, Water; Hanzer: Hotcakes & Bacon, OJ, Coffee; Rebecca: 2 Eggs Over Easy, Sausage, Fries, Ketchup (none of this at Denny's)
• It's been established that in many ways I'm an unwashed barefoot stinky hippie. Granted, my near obsession with a multi-billion dollar franchise corporation may not speak directly to this, and I've been known to wash behind my ears from time to time, but let's place those tidbits neatly aside for the moment. I particularly dig the music and at times take extended holidays primarily for such. It's not that I use up a good chunk of my available time, money, and resources going around seeing the same four guys play from the same catalog of songs night after night; it's that I travel and see new places while listening to music I enjoy, but rather than wearing out the same pile of albums, I get custom remixes every time, straight from the source. Plus, I dance much as what one might imagine would a hobbled kangaroo, if that wretched beast also had no sense of rhythm and an assortment of facial tics. But I enjoy myself, and they generally let me do what I want at these shows, so everybody wins. And by everybody, I mean me.
• One current fascination is the San Francisco group Tea Leaf Green. I missed a three show California run and there were no public plans for regional performances again for quite a while, and sitting there nice and pretty on the East Coast was a whole assload of shows. The thing about the eastern US is the major metropolitan areas are so darned close to each other. I picked a cluster of cities I wanted to visit and booked it. The plan went from spark of idea to signed sealed and delivered in about an hour. The band is currently at a point between near complete obscurity and limitless fame, so I figured this would be the last opportunity to see them in clubs as small as they were playing. Four shows, three cities, four days. And while for most people you seen one noodly jamband you seen 'em all, this one sometimes plays with a smoking giraffe. Okay, it was only that one time. But still.
• I flew into JFK and was promptly almost arrested for taking photographs of a public building. Mmm, Bush's America. Smell the Freedom! So instead I captured the decay of one of modern architecture's finest achievements. This fit in well with my state of the mind at the time, a topic not for now.
• While in New York I visited legendary museums, danced in trendy clubs, and attended world-class theater. Ha. What I really did was march in a parade, kiss a flying cow, pose for ice skaters, visit briefly with Brian (who was working on some deadline that wasn't really a deadline but was still driving him nuts and I'm so glad I'm out of the rat race), took a carriage ride with Jim through Central Park (no make-outs this time, although we did discuss at length the pending demise of civilization), and even managed to work in an inebriated dawn-time run to Battery Park. An evil monkey took control of the television, but we try not to think about it.
• After two nights at the Knitting Factory in NYC and partying with the fabulous East Coast TLG fans, it was time to cruise over to Philadelphia with bexy, who was kind enough to not only drive but let me crash at her house, which just happened to be a few blocks from the venue (North by Northwest), all the while making no comment at all about my slicing a gash through infinitives, not to mention my penchant for run-on sentences.
• The plan was a post-show brunch at Denny's, but they were proving rather busy. Tanya had no clue about anything, and when asked about free stuff she informed me there was another Denny's down by the airport. Yes, I know, I was there the last time I was in the area following music, this does not help me now.
  
• Rather than wait in the lobby for fifteen minutes, for some reason it was determined wiser to drive for forty minutes to the Olympic Diner, which brags the best breakfast in town, this town being the next one over. We took the available seats at the counter and were promptly ignored for another half an hour. Upon attempting to get someone's attention just to, y'know, let 'em know we were there and had cash money in hand ready to thrust in their fat little faces in exchange for edibles, one waitress cranked, to nobody in particular, "goddamn kids always in a hurry."
• WAY: No
• Free Stuff: Nothing

Denny's #1283 Clifton Heights, Pennsylvania 12 March 2006 2:30pm EST 5321 Baltimore Pike (610) 259-1283

• Attendees: P7A77
• Wait-person(s): Kathy
• What we ate: Nothing
• Straight from the Olympic Diner was a stop off at the regional Denny's. No eating at this one, which may explain why they were actively against the concept of basic friendliness, let alone helpfulness. I asked Kathy the store number and was sternly told, "I know it, but I'm not allowed to give it out." Ooh, ooh, Kathy has a secret! Well, nanny nanny boo boo to you, too. I'm taking my ball and going to Baltimore.
• I love taking on trips, and I love even more not planning for them. I tend to compile a basic skeleton and fill in the gaps as I go along. There are always trains and buses, and I'm rarely in a hurry. Regardless, I may have overlooked a few things this time around, first in thinking that Dulles Airport was an easy commute from Baltimore at 2am on a Monday morning for a 6am flight. As the waves of denial dissipated, I came to accept that I was going to have to find another time or departure point or both. This was agreeable to me, as I didn't have to work for a few days and I was having a hell of a good time. First thing to do was find a hotel for the night. Hells yes I love the Interwow, as I used one of those last-minute hotel sites to find incredibly cheap huge rooms in lodges that had been either turning people away for lack of space, or charging crazy-talk prices. Special happy bonus was walking distance to the venue (The 8x10). But not too close, and not completely easy to remember when is walking in the opposite direction with a fried brain. We ended up a mile or so out of our way, a fact of which I became aware when I finally remembered we weren't staying anywhere near this steep hill that we kept on climbing. Happy benefit was walking by a spiffy looking church all eerily lit in the cold black emptiness of pre-dawn. Also, the circus!
• Since leaving from DC was no longer an option, I first returned to Philaldelphia with bexy, who dropped me off downtown and went on her merry way. The afternoon saw a leisurely stroll, taking in all the history. As proof, I offer you still yet another photo of the Liberty Bell. I then spent a while wandering around and taking photos for tourists so that they could be in the shots with their kids. With their cameras, that is, not mine. This all was secondary to my true purpose downtown, which was hopping on a bus to Atlantic City. Once I picked up a map and saw how close everything was, I realized that I coudln't be spitting distance from America's Playground and NOT pay it a visit. And in case I got hungry as I waited, there was a nice little donut shop behind the bus terminal that like oh my god totally has food.
• Again I wasn't thinking too far ahead. My new flight was late Tuesday afternoon out of New York. I arrived in Atlantic City Monday night. I thought I could play some poker that night and then have a nice session all the next day. But, er, yeah, buses and trains take a while to get from place to place, and my personal matter transport device was in the shop, so really the entire side-trip was for a few hours of play, and I lost hard Monday night, mostly due to poor planning and discipline. I got into a no limit hold'em game on Tuesday morning, spent about an hour getting the table read and dominated; just when I had the power and control to do what I needed, I had to leave to catch my bus. Oh well, at least I got to play at the Taj Majal and experience a bit of the closed-for-wintertime boardwalk.
• Back in NYC, I went topside from the Port Authority long enough to do what I neglected to my first pass through, which was the quintessential New York experience of eating a hot dog next to taxis and porn. Then a train ride and one direct flight later, I was home in San Francisco.
• WAY: Unknown
• Free Stuff: No

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