Going South

Sunday, Dec 16

I left Brooklyn last Sunday, despite weather warnings of freezing rain. Every trip down is an ordeal. Packing up Meta's crate, bed, toys, food/treats, my bags, food and water for the road. This time I had to pack anticipating months away, preparing for my first sublet-er, and with only a few days to prepare, as I worked until the very last moment. All in all, my good-byes went surprisingly well and I was fortunate enough to find a lovely woman to sublet, alleviating most of my worries in Brooklyn. Quit my job & am heading to Beijing for a couple months! But first Georgia...

As soon as, I hit the turnpike the weather lightened up and I drove into a beautiful sunset.

On all my drives South, I try to see my friend John Morris and his partner, Christina, & dog, Diego in Baltimore. I have stayed with them in 3 different places through the years of passing through. They always do something special when I come for a visit and make me feel at home. They are the only artist couple I know that lives, works, and travels well together. Last time, end of summer 07, I brought Henry and Meta, and John grilled for us! This time it was almost Christmas, so I got to see John haul in the tree, Christina decorate it and watch at John whipped up the most delicious pork chops and mashed potatoes. The evening ended with some Bailey's Irish Creme and a warm fire, watching Christina open some very intriguing gifts from her boss.

So, now it is one week from Christmas eve, Monday. I have a long drive ahead of me to Athens, GA. If I'm lucky, I was told that it is a 12 hr drive and maybe more with doggie in tow.

Even with taking the scenic route and all the breaks for bad fast food or "doing business" or stretching or napping, we made it. Left Baltimore at 10 am and made to Dana's around 10 pm. Exactly 12 hours. The same time difference between Henry and I before we fell back an hour earlier this Fall. Driving with Meta keeps me calm and makes distance driving, even with holiday traffic, bearable.


Arriving at Dana's

When I arrived, Dana had not gotten home from work at the studio, but Craig was there to let me in. Craig and Dana have been together for years. We are all connected somehow through Athens. Athens is a college town, but it has a certain draw that attracts people to stay or come back. I'm a fan of the food and not the football, but I do like UGA (the V, I believe) the mascot American Bulldog who comes in from Savannah for game days and gets to walk on a red carpet. That's about all I know about the UGA Dawgs tradition. Anyway, arriving in Athens is always a bit strange. So much history. I don't really love it there, but living can be easy.

Craig and I catch up. I peak into the spare room and notice that not only has the house been arranged, but the spare room is full with someone else's things. Craig tells me Dana just got a new roommate. I shut the door so Meta doesn't get into this stranger's things and keep catching up with Craig. He has just finished his first feature length film, that received many accolades publicly and privately. He just screened it again in one of the Carolina's, maybe at his old Alma mater, for a special audience of extended family. I knew this had been a big deal and he seemed to be pleased with the experience. Dana gets home, now three cars sit on the front lawn. She is exhausted and glad to be home. We open a bottle of wine and she asks if I'm hungry. She pulls out a frozen bag and tells me the story of how she got this special gourmet soup shipped in from New England. I love the story and the soup. We sit and chat with music from the laptop playing in the background. After I finish my soup and we finish off a small tub of Haagen-dazs ice cream, I retire to the living room where I make my bed on the couch. I notice a small cloth, possibly an old t-shirt twirled and stuffed into a hole in the window I will be facing as I fall asleep. Dana tells me a bird has been banging into the window for days and maybe the hole had been made by this bird. A totally amazing story that seems unlikely, but what else could it had been. The hole is almost a perfect circle, being gagged to keep out the cold air from outside. Craig shows me the pile of broken glass pieces he has collected on the table. I find a piece of glass in the cushion of the couch I am about to lay down on and add it to Craig's pile. We are all puzzled by what could have made this almost 3 inch diameter perfect circle in Dana's window.