I don’t expect this to match up to Samuel Pepys but I hope this account of my wanderings for the next two months will help anyone interested enough to turn to this page get some idea of what I am up to before totally losing interest in the remaining part of the sentence and going elsewhere. I hope also that it does not alienate you (even more) having read or that any part of it might offend. Then again, I suppose it would not make a huge difference if it did.
So – tonight (or this morning as it is now), when I have finished ripping the remainder of the pile of CDs I had queued up to add onto my mp3 player I will collapse into a dreamless sleep. I will not bore you and lists of what I have taken with me but just to say that its a nice mixture of my old favourites and quite a few pre recorded programmes culled from the mighty WFMU, some KPFA and ResonanceFM.
https://www.wfmu.orgIn the hallway sits a huge German army kit bag with a lot of my motorcycle gear and sleeping bag etc inside, a pair of ‘Held’ ™ soft throw-over panniers sit alongside, containing some clothes and other bits of gadgetry. These throw-overs were first taken to East Berlin to see what had happened after the wall came down in the early part of 1990. They went down to Portugal from Le Havre in pretty much one day – 1000 miles in one day, on my old FJ1200, a personal record – I never wish to repeat.
When I get to LA, I am meant to meet up with a Mr Bad Bubba who has a 1993 FJ1200 waiting for me to see on my arrival. I am planning to obtain a second hand motorcycle which is
- good value
- in good running order
- Not so ridiculous that strangers will laugh at me on (ie mopeds or Viragos)
So I will be happy with a 1980 Silver wing or a XT550 or an FJ etc – we will see. I will be pouring over Craigslist to see what else turns up.
The route? don’t be silly, I have to get the bike first but – if its an off road bike I will go south… to Mexico and beyond. If its a big comfy Wing I might point it to Alaska and see how far I get! I have the waterproofs and the insect repellent but I also have the anti malarial pills as well.
The only deadline is that I have to be at WFMU in New Jersey by 16th August as I am due to deliver a live show on their Listener Hour slot. I have already loaded my memory stick with the basic framework of the programme and will replace and restructure it as my journey unfolds (unravels).
I will be meeting Matthew at Los Angeles airport. Matthew is a dear old friend from Holland Park School who witnessed many strange events as I did. His only request was to bring Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts for his girlfriend and Heinz Baked Beans for himself. He helpfully offered to pay for them and of course I will insist on payment in full upon my arrival. The Californians obviously lack baked beans (which surprises me) and Bassetts Liquorice Allsorts, the poor devils. I think there could be a business opportunity there….
I am waiting for the penultimate cd to finish ripping then I am off to bed for my morning taxi to Heathrow.
Wish me luck.