weather - 17c still a darn sight better than SE England right now 🖕
Everybody now, 'Roll out the barrel... Roll out the Barrel... What? No-one knows that one?
Bus stations are pretty grim places you know. I’ve spend a great deal of time in them now, and they remind me of The Wire, especially the big city ones. They all appear to be in a grubby part of town and act as a lodestone for those less fortunate members of US society. Plus, without going into the whole ethnicity thing, I stick out a bit. I normally have about $40 in my back pocket just as walking around money, and if you exclude the hookers and drug dealers, I’m almost certainly the most affluent dude within a 500m radius of the station by about €39.75. So you get hassled a lot, and the conversation is always the same; ‘how are you today sir?... great! Can you spare some change? I’m homeless and want to get me a burger, I haven’t eaten in two days.’ That is normally followed by a disappointed rage with arms being flung skywards, lots of foot stomping and a lot of ‘Damn’-ing. I can’t write 'damn' in Southern American, but vocally, the ‘a’ lasts for about 5 minutes and starts an octave higher than it finishes.
I had to wash my smalls at the Atlanta hotel as I couldn’t find any suitable labour to attend to the task on my behalf. I’m not sure I’ll take it up professionally to be honest. Everything ended up a bit over-soaped, and the dried articles seemed a bit.... greasy I guess you’d say. Hopefully the extra soaping will just mean extra wear, not an uncomfortable rash.
So I've found myself in Montgomery Alabama, home of the American Civil Rights Movement. Montgomery holds much promise, but I got here rather late as the Thanksgiving traffic was appalling. The town (city) looks rather well to do but on this particular evening there was, as it transpired, fuck all to do. So I ducked in to one of the few bars not locked and barred, and settled in for a quiet evening of reading on my own. Thanksgiving is a time for family and not many families make it to the pub on Thanksgiving Eve it seems. Ffs. Cheers 🙄
When you get right down to it, I don't talk Gangsta, I don't bling a great deal, I don't have many gold teeth have a baseball hat, or wear my Levis around my ankles. That does set me apart from the crowd somewhat.
Everybody now, 'Roll out the barrel... Roll out the Barrel... What? No-one knows that one?
It sounds as if you are meeting a lot of very interesting characters on you travels and obviously living the high life. Hope you don't end up with a rash!! Stay safe. Really enjoying reading your blog by the way. Jan and Ken x
ReplyDeleteSounds as though you're back to being Billy No Mates again? Reading your book in the pub at the bottom of Colin Road brings back memories but dont worry there's plenty going on at the Mexican border when you get there.
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