10-17

I knew the week was going to be tough but I didn't think that tough. I was up doing a show in Santa Barbara, a week after coming back from Italy. Sales slow, my never effervescent personality even more disagreeable and discordant than usual due to a persistent bad cough and bronchial condition.

I was human kryptonite in the booth and I think the underlying message to the public was DO NOT ENGAGE. They did not. Got into a pissy perimeter squabble with a full of himself neighbor who insists on blocking the entrance to my space with his stuff and then took petulant umbrage when I nicely asked him to vacate my space.

Purportedly the normal advertising for the show was bumped by the local stations so that they could run higher paying political ads. Great. Another reason to hate politicians as if we aren't all sick to death of them already. The whole country mucking through the fetid sewer together at this point.

Anyway lots of regulars never showed and I just might have broke even, well not if you figure cost of goods, which most of us don't have the luxury of thinking about, cashflow being king or at least crown prince at this point in the game.

I stayed in my normal shithole, Motel 6 Carpenteria South, the only motel any normal human can afford in the Santa Barbara area. Transparent towels, bunk-bed thick mattress, no clock, sharp instruments, room decoration or kleenex, made the old Spokane Jail cell seem homey by comparison.

You're not going to get a full blow by blow. I pissed off a good friend by opening up a little too much regarding a personal matter and felt terrible.  Got off on the wrong foot with my wife several times on the phone. I ate, I coughed and hacked, threw up on occasion, often wondered if I could hold up through the next four weeks, which will largely be more of the same. Palm Springs this week.

Hopefully the cough will stop one day soon or I go and see a doctor. Alyssa's mom told me that she was paralyzed and had a stroke last year when she ignored a persistent cough and ended up with a serious auto immune disease. Hope I get hit by a bus first.

I drove to Ojai one day and up the 33, the signs pointing to Maricopa in the distant future. Made it up past the steep Wheeler Gorge to the top of the ridge and the turn off for the Sespe Rendesvous. Beautiful views and a nice drive. Would like to explore the area further one day.

I also drove down to Rincon yesterday morning, one of the best surf spots in California. The waves from this point go on forever, giving surfers really long rides to the shore.

I watched the surfers for a while. Nice to be in the salt air. Unfortunately there is a bush on the trail down to the beach that is now flowering and it has the most noxious smell imaginable.

I have a very sensitive schnozz and stomach at present and I took one whiff and then lost my cookies in the parking lot.

Got home near midnight last night, completely fried. Trip wasn't a total washout, bought a few nice things that might prove worthwhile including one of my favorite colored wood block prints, Zabriskie Point by Anders Aldrin.

Not a lot else I can think of. Lady packing out next to me had a pro Trump sticker on her truck window.

I politely asked her if the general reaction to the sticker had been positive or negative and she said it had only been up for a week but she was happy that the truck hadn't been keyed yet.

Whole country is bummed out, no matter what side you happen to be on.

And no matter how high you happen to riding, the shit sandwich is always just an arms length away.