Hitching Up The Wagon

"Out on the road, out on the road.
You're Willy Lowman, and you're Tom Jode.
Vladimir and Estragon, Kerouac, Ghengis Khan.
Out on the road, out on the road.
'Keep on going' is your creed and code.
It's a different way of life, it's a whole other mode.
Living out on the road."
- Loudon Wainwright

Welcome to Dust Bowl 2009, the account of one family's attempt to find sustained employment and keep the family intact.

Yesterday we packed up our life in CT. While shutting the door to the apartment we hated we intoned "I break with thee, I break with thee, I break with thee." Hoping to contain the bad juju. Then loaded up the car with kid, dog and pc components and headed out. The ultimate destination is the Bay Area, but we are headed to South Carolina to see a friend, then on to Texas and Arizona to see family first.

In keeping with the Clampett-like quality of this trek, two days ago one of my eyeteeth turned black. Just like that. I called my dentist today while driving through Maryland and she said it is probable that the tooth is dying, but I prefer to think it is some exquisite hillbilly verisimilitude at work.

Olivia and Sadie have been real troupers. Sadie is an old hand at car rides, having commuted with me for 3 years. Olivia, however, just started walking last week and is generally a wiggle-butt, so being constrained is harder on her. She does charm the folks at each of our stops though. At a Dunkin' Donuts in New Jersey (because really, where else are you going to stop in Jersey?) a woman made a big fuss over Olivia, taken by her smiling and waving like some parade float queen. "Wow, she's cute and charming and smart -- she's got the whole package. You got a real pisser there." We try to look modest.

In concession to my much-anticipated route through Tennessee being cut from our itinerary due to bad weather, (I had wanted to see the Grand Old Opry) we are going to compare and contrast BBQ through the south. Cornbread is good for the soul and we can use a break from the last 6 fast food meals.

We hope to get a little past Roanoke tonight and then on to Greenwood, South Carolina tomorrow. We are going to catch up with an old friend of Aaron's who he hasn't seen in about 8 years. Then Texas here we come!