Week Eleven - Yo Adrian

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Boston, Via Salem (Massachusetts), Via Lowell (Massachusetts), Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, New York

Day 70 - Monday
25.05.2009

So it’s Boston to Philadelphia with two pit stops along the way. First was the Salem where the Salem witch trials had taken place all those years ago. We went straight to the Salem Witch Museum and got there just as a tour was about to start. So how nice of them was it to let us in without paying (so we didn’t miss any of it) with the understanding we came back at the end and pay - hmmm, I believe this has happened to us before.
Anyway the tour was cool with waxwork models, scary lighting and a very serious sounding narrator telling the story of Salem. Again though, we weren’t allowed to take photos - what do we think we are going to do? Steal ideas and make our own museum. We of course ignored this and took some anyway and as the tour ended and no-one looked at us with “come here” eyes we left without paying - boo yar!

The next stop was all Gem’s thing but I tagged along and let her indulge. We drove to Lowell, Massachusetts so Gem could visit the memorial and gravestone of her favourite author, Jack Kerouac.
It felt a little weird driving around a cemetery looking for a stranger’s grave but it’s what she wanted to do so we did it. Gem tells me it’s a popular spot for his fans as there were cigarette nubs all around his grave. Gem didn’t waste any time in lighting up a fag, apparently this wasn’t disrespectful as Kerouac was a big smoker himself so it was some sort of sign of respect.

Anyway other than the interstate to Philly being littered with toll roads charging us an arm and a leg, the drive was very uneventful. As the day almost ended we got to another of Gem’s friends house (who was kindly letting us stay), Aurora. Gem had met her on a forum website almost ten years ago, kept in touch but hadn’t ever actually met.
We all chatted and met Aurora’s five month old kitty, Miko but as it was quite late it was off to bed for all.
Unfortunately however we were sleeping on a settee bed in the living and the unfortunate part about this was that the window wouldn’t shut. By the morning we were fucking freezing with only a sheet covering us - horrible thoughts of the Grand Canyon flashed back to us before we were saved and given Aurora’s duvet to warm us up.


Day 71 - Tuesday
26.05.2009

That morning I had a whole host of things I wanted to ask the information centre and after a short trolley ride that’s what we did. The weather was really shitty which was a bit of a downer only made worse by how tired I was for sleeping in an ice box. However we plodded on and headed in the direction of the Liberty Bell. Touristy but free and typically Philadelphian, I insisted upon it.
For those of you that don’t know (Mum, Julie) the Liberty Bell in a nutshell was made to represent the day of America’s independence and the liberties that us (the British) had taken from them. America’s history is so small compared to ours - Gem reckoned we used to live in a house (on Abbey St) older than this bell. I doubt this but I wouldn’t be surprised if it were true.

Next stop was a place called the Magical Gardens, this started off with a guy who had decided to create his art on the side of abandoned shop fronts. As this art grew and grew the abandoned shop owner had also decided to sell up. The artist had grown such popularity in the community with what he was doing that everyone started handing in donations to help him buy the buildings so he could carry on legally without the prospect of his art being torn down. Now the art stretches three or more of the buildings that includes the inside and outside and basically everything that you see - walls, ceilings, floors, doors, stairs and furniture is covered in mosaics and random bits of paraphernalia that he has incorporated into his art. It’s very trippy and definitely a feast for the eyes.

The Magic Gardens were on south St which is a pretty cool area so we decided to have a mooch around while we tried to find thrift stores. This was so I could find a black beanie hat to make my outfit complete for a little something I’ll be doing tomorrow - can’t wait.

Later as we had had enough we decided to get out of the rain, head back to Aurora’s and watch Terminator that I had downloaded in preparation for us going to see the new film (which Gem of course is very excited about.)


Day 72 - Wednesday
27.05.2009

Today has been much awaited - ever since New Orleans (in the first two weeks) when Gaz had told us about it. It involves something very iconic in the city made even more iconic (I think) by a very famous film and it also involves me dressing up slightly. I’m so excited about it!
Today I get to run up the Rocky steps. Of course these were made famous in the first Rocky film by Mr Balboa himself or Sylvester Stallone depending on your choice of living in the fantasy or the reality. For this I am choosing fantasy. We got up at 7.30am to avoid the crowds and drove over to the Philadelphia Museum of Art listening to Eye of the Tiger. I was dressed in my Rocky t shirt (even though you couldn’t see it but it had to be done) grey hoodie, black gloves and newly-acquired black beanie hat and I was raring to go. I had given Gem strict instructions and even prepared her with the iconic pictures from the movie that we would be recreating. As soon as I got there I bombed off with a very tired Gem in tow trailing me up the stairs as I ran up and did my celebratory punch in the air. I then stood in the spot he stood (as well as millions of other idiots doing the exact same thing as me) which were indicated by two bronze footprints on the top step - amazing. I fucking loved it and Gem did a banging job of capturing it all.

This was all topped off with a pose alongside the statue of Rocky Balboa that was placed at the top of the steps in the film to commemorate him. In now sits at the bottom of the steps with the appropriate backdrop of the art museum - it was all perfect.

After that early morning jaunt however, Gem was, how can I put it? On the verge of becoming comatose so we headed back to the flat to let her get back to sleep - thanks for coming dude!
From then until later in the afternoon we had a lazy day, comfortable in the knowledge that we had been up already and had achieved something. Later though, after eating the ‘best Philly cheese-steak in the city’ at Jim’s we went and met Aurora and friends at happy hour at the Raven Club. This happy “hour” became several more and as the drinks flowed it was definitely a happy time for all. Aurora’s friends; Erin, Asher, Carrie (Erin’s bird), Megumi (I struggled with her name all night) and Elliott (a transgender although no-one told us) were all cool as fuck and wasted no time in treating us as their own and we had a banging time. I even got a DJ lesson off Erin and Elliott the club’s DJs which was well cool.
I have had a wicked time in Philly and got a real good feeling about the place. I would definitely live here.


Day 73 - Thursday
28.05.2009

We said our goodbyes to Aurora, her kitty and Philly to go hit up another one of Gem’s friends, Elisa in Pittsburgh. It was only a 6 hour drive which meant that even though we left at 1pm (as usual) we only got there at 7pm which was a reasonable time compared to our track record.
We said our hellos to Elisa and her bird, Tonilyn and had a good chat before we went to stock up on at food at the store. Later as I chilled out, I let Gem and Elisa catch up and talk about all those stories I’ve heard a million times, mainly about Gem’s bird.


Day 74 - Friday
29.05.2009

It was time, a very sad time, but time all the same to drop off Bluey 2 - waaaaah. We had to drop her off by 11am so it was an early start for us as the airport was an hour away. After our goodbyes to such a brilliant car, Elisa drove us to get coffee and as it was only over the road to have a quick look in a Goodwill store - not that our bags needed anymore clothes, especially scrub tops that Gem and I couldn’t resist buying.

Later we were meeting Tonilyn, Elisa’s Mum Sophie and sister, Megan for sushi. Elisa’s family are really cool and we had a banging time. Sophie kept writing down all of our English slang terms so she could refer to them later. It was very funny.
After that they took us to one of Pittsburgh’s gay bars where we played darts and carried on the merriment. It was fun for all the family.


Day 75 - Saturday
30.05.2009

The weather was actually nice so we thought we’d take advantage and go and chill out on the park. Gem, Tonilyn, Elisa and I played a little with a ball, sunbathed and messed around on an old spitfire plane that for some reason sits as a monument in the park.
After that exhausting morning we all napped and unfortunately Gem started to feel ill with a cold and temperature. Because of this she wanted to stay behind and wouldn’t let us stay with her so Elisa, Tonilyn and I trotted off to go bowling. We had fun but I was awful - it’s because I wasn’t drinking. Drunken bowling always goes better for me.

Anyway that night, Tonilyn was singing at her church choir at midnight mass for the ending celebrations for an all-day Relay for Life event held at the school where she works. This is basically like our Race for Life but they instead sponsored to walk around their athletic track all day. The sponsored walking had finished by the time we got there, but Elisa and I went along to hear Tonilyn sing. I don’t think I knew what I was getting myself into as before we heard her sing we sat through an hour and twenty minutes of the priests’ service. I respected what was going on so of course sat and listened to what he had to say. He spoke a lot about changes. Changes that we are forced to take when dealing with cancer or in this economical climate, etc and how we learn to accept these changes. Of course it only made me think of my own life and wonder if the church would be so accepting of the “change” to someone’s life when they make the decision to be open and honest about who they are and come out. Anyway we enjoyed hearing Tonilyn sing so it was worth it for that.
On the way home Elisa and I found ourselves discussing life choices and religion, etc. It was cool to have a good old rant.


Day 76 - Sunday
31.05.2009

We packed up our stuff as it was time to leave Pittsburgh and finally head for New York City. After a spot of breakfast, finally finding the bus station and saying our goodbyes we prepared ourselves for the 9-hour journey. In fact apart from some twatty guys constantly talking about basketball at the loudest volume, only because they loved the sound of their own voices, the trip wasn’t bad. I read, wrote and watched a couple of films on Bluey while Gem slept most of it. We also had a bit of a giggle at our bus driver who seemed a funny guy at first coming out with all of these jokes and anecdotes about life but we then realised (as others arrived on the bus) he had the script down to a tee and he repeated it word-for-word.
Anyway when we finally got to NYC it was 11.30pm and a quick taxi ride later we were at the HI-NY - apparently the biggest HI in the states. Hmmm it may be the biggest but its definitely not the best - they were rude, poorly mannered, they tried to tell me that because they “couldn’t” put a password on their internet everyone from the nearby area stole the signal so that everybody paying for it couldn’t use it. Plus it was really dirty. We just had bad vibes from it but fuck it, it was late and we’d sort it out in the morning.

Only two weeks till home! 😞 ….Hmmm maybe not as I I'm posting this 2 weeks late!

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