Adventure #64: Carrollton, GA

I had designs to meet up with the guys in Baby Baby while I was in Carrollton to do an interview for Afropunk, but when I got up I still hadn't heard from them. I puttered around Johnson City for a bit killing time (these are the rare moments when I do wish I could check e-mail on my phone from the road...). Made an angsty mix, because putting literal distance between yourself and stuff you don't want to deal with and shouting along to Frightened Rabbit in the car is how real grown-ups deal with problems. Finally gave up and hit the road (singing along to Frightened Rabbit, natch), now with a bit of extra time for an adventure. Driving through South Carolina I passed a sign for the Paris Mountain State Park. There was a sign that said hiking. Hiking you say? Sold. I pulled off the highway down a winding local road. Parked the car and set off. This is Pen Pen and the real reason I'm on the road so much.

It was warm like the beginning of New England spring. Evidence of the recent mild winter was everywhere. Dead leaves on the dirty ground. Patches of snow waiting to melt. I always enjoy the weird etiquette hikers follow when they pass each other on the trail. Everyone looks stupid when they're hiking so you don't make eye contact until the absolute last second when one of you has to decide to move over to accommodate another person on the trail. “Afternoon.” Eye contact. “Afternoon.” Look back the trail. Moving on. “Howdy,” “Howsitgoin,” and “Hey” are all acceptable alternatives in the event that it's not the afternoon. This is Pen Pen not seeing his shadow, which I think means winter's over?

I played Alley Cat back in December on my last tour and made a bunch of friends in town. The bar has a real community feel. It's a regular hangout with it's own rituals and traditions. (Crazy hats. Clown noses. Scrabble.) The show was kinda similar to Saturday, where the crowd filtered in and out. Sometimes they were listening. Sometimes they weren't. Sometimes they sang along. Sometimes they didn't. But whatever, I don't think even I could watch me for 3 hours straight, and I'm pretty self-involved. After the show a bunch of us stayed up until 6 AM playing Cards Against Humanity, which is basically Apples to Apples for terrible people. It was awesome. This is Pen Pen with the best bathroom graffiti ever blushing and saying “aw shucks.”

This is a song I wrote one time. You should download it and share it with your friends.