Sweet Home....

One summer while working at Trail's End Summer Camp we had to take our group of 35 kids (aged 9 and 10) on an overnight weekend camping trip along the Delaware River. The trip was to include a long kayak/canoe trip down the river, and then two nights of camping/hiking.

Over the three days/two nights, various kids had every imaginable encounter with body fluids (including one kid urinating in my tent at 3 am because it was too cold to go outside); one kid got deliriously scared by a stray dog; our leader almost had a nervous breakdown; and it rained the entire time. Rained and rained and rained. We sat in mud -- freezing, disgusting, gross mud.

The counselors discussed the possible solutions to the mass of problems and realized that we were completely stuck -- none of us had ever been in a more ridiculously uncomfortable situation where we were more helpless. Despite the weather conditions, health, cleanliness, and sanity of our group, we had to stay.

We agreed that all that we needed at that moment was a shower. One respite from the environment (however brief) would have made the world seem a bit brighter.

Miracously, we found our saving grace in one of the (putrid) restroom facilities near our campsite. The shower was coin-operated, so the counselors pooled together our coins (we weren't supposed to bring along money on the trip), providing each guy with about 5 minutes of time in the tiny shower. For an uplifting 5 minutes all was okay with the world again, before stepping outside to mud, rain, mud, madness, and vomit.

While driving today from Florence, Alabama, to Huntsville, Alabama I realized that those two days at camp was the only time in my life when I wanted a shower more than I did this afternoon.

I don't know if it's physically possible, but I believe that standing within 10 feet of my pants for more than 30 seconds was equivalent to smoking an entire cigarette. I would have advised pregnant women to stay away from me. My jeans seemed to contain the entire smoke output of every 21-35 year old in Mississippi and Alabama.

Combine that with a lack of showering in the last few days (2-4, probably), a few hours of sleep, and a gigantic amount of driving, and I began to reminisce about the last time I wanted a shower so desperately.

Marvelous people we've met in the last few days:

Doc Dailey - Singer who opened for us in Sheffield. Probably has the best Huge Beard/Bald Head combo that exists in the universe. Also as nice as humanly possible. Dylan and I slept on his bed at his house while he slept on the floor. Because he absolutely insisted. Five days ago he returned to his home in Florence, AL, after hiking in Peru for a month. Loves to lift weights in his weightroom while drunk.

Jack - owner of The Old Town Tavern. All-around swell guy. Lives above the bar. On New Year's Day, he "brought down his couch from upstairs, bought a big ol' bag of Taco Bell and watched movies in the bar all day." Had our CD in the jukebox. Cooked a delicious blue cheese and bacon hamburger. Also had Thelonius Monk, Jimmy Cliff, Lou Reed, Tom Waits, and The Strokes in the jukebox. Every day of the year at The Old Town Tavern, the most you would pay for a bottle of Yuengling beer (normal or Black & Tan) is $2.50.

Christin - citizen of Jackson, MS who asked if I had eaten Chicken On A Stick From The Chevron Station as soon as I told her we had been in Oxford the night before.

Drunk Dude At Old Town Tavern - man who kept shouting "RIIIICHAAAARD" at the end of every song.

Dylan's friend Norman - rocket scientist in Gurley, AL. Has two dogs (Mac and Cheese) and a beautiful guest room.

Ms. Orr - draft clerk at the Mississippi State Capitol. Dylan and I met her while walking around the capitol building in Jackson. She taught us some great facts about the building (for instance, the eagle on the top faces south, so as to have its back towards the North). Also called her daughter in Birmingham to insist that she see us perform there next week.