Typical Day on the Road

August 2003

<- July 03 - August 03 - September 03 ->

August 1

Zephyr is still at Scout Camp on the MD/PA border (his bunk is in Pa. and the latrine is in Md.) and mom and dad are looking forward to going to visit him tomorrow. At the same time, they are thoroughly enjoying uninterrupted conversations.

August 2

Visiting Zephyr at Scout Camp. Mom and Dad were surprised to learn that he had almost advanced 2 ranks in just one week. We watched the boys all compete in water events in the pool. Met Zephyr's new scouting friends and enjoyed visiting with their parents. Zephyr made us proud serving on the color guard for the flag ceremony. At dinner, Zephyr decided to come "home" one night early, which was fine by us. We stayed for the campfire awards ceremony.

August 3

The Gozas are happy to be back together at camp in Amish country. Zephyr is managing to catch up on a week's worth of time with his Game Boy and computer games.

August 4

It takes half a day to strike camp after living in one spot for a week - maybe that's why we don't stay in one place more often. Performed in Fort Washington, PA tonight. A group of Cub Scouts came to be our volunteers in the performance---they came because they had read about us online. Somebody really does read this stuff!

August 5

Drove most of last night to get to Massachusetts. Performed tonight at the Ames library in N. Easton. A magnificent old building; they just don't make 'em like this anymore. (The bathroom made us think of Hogwarts!) But the drawback is that the performance spaces are often cramped in these classic buildings.

August 6

Performed at the library in Harvard. Not the site of the university but named after it. Then there was an evening performance in Andover. The room was also an exhibit hall for artwork and relics dealing with the abolitionist movement that took root here. The local newspaper did a very nice story about us in advance.

August 7

(Still in Mass.) Performed in Wareham and Kingston. The latter was a repeat client from last year. This time, we did our poetry show, and of course we were concerned about getting an audience. But they came, and they gave us one of the strongest ovations we've had in some time.

August 8

Performed in Worcester, which Kimberly finally learned to pronounce by the time we left. (Rhymes with "rooster".) Got lost on the way to the library, so we were running behind schedule, but still managed to get started on time. Stayed a couple of hours after the show so Zephyr could attend a screening of the 1931 "Dracula" with Bela Lugosi. The weather on the East Coast has been bizarre this year---not as hot as last year, but much, much muggier. And rainier. On the same day. Alternating several times a day between sunny/muggy and rainy. Every day. For several weeks. Everywhere we go.

August 9

Dennis and Zephyr set foot in New Hampshire for the first time. Had to go there to find a campground that was anywhere near our Monday morning show. Because of some kind of bicyclists' event, the Massachusetts campgrounds were all full. And they're outrageously priced anyway. Amazed to see that instead of rest stops, the New Hampshire freeway had a liquor/lottery stop.

August 10

A day at camp, mostly catching up on work. Only 3 miles from the ocean, but didn't go.

August 11

Performed in Methuen and Westborough, MA. Had to get an early start driving from N.H. for a 10:00 a.m. show, and of course Zephyr was delighted about the early call. (At least it wasn't as early as what he had every day in Scout Camp.)

August 12

Making up for a month of infrequent Internet access. Moved into Kinko's in Braintree, Ma. for the day. (Braintree, where good ideas grow.) Performing in Quincy, MA tonight. (They call it QUINZY here.) After our 7:00 p.m. show, we took the "scenic route" through Ally McBeal's stomping grounds (Boston) before getting the van headed in the right direction about 9:00 p.m. Had 115 miles to cover to get to our show scheduled for tomorrow morning.

August 13

Did our poetry show and a poetry writing/performing workshop in Westhampton, MA. The town is celebrating it's 225th anniversary. Kimberly got one of their T-shirts. She is notorious for collecting T-shirts from the places we perform. Most are gleaned from libraries. On the way back to the Boston area we made a pit stop to check out some dinosaur tracks by the side of the road. Kimberly and Zephyr got haircuts today - which isn't too newsworthy except that Zephyr's barber went ballistic and scalped him.

August 14

Performed in two Univeristy towns near Boston - Cambridge (the site of Harvard) and Wellesley. Then hightailed it to Connecticut for a morning show.

August 15

Performed in North Stonington, CT. for the library's Summer Reading finale. We were going to stay nearby for the weekend but were confronted with packed campgrounds so decided to head back to the Boston area - to be near our next show. We decided to return to Salem, MA (we stayed there last year when we performed there). As we were settling into our teeny-tiny camping spot (think "parking lot") our new neighbors returned. We were exchanging pleasantries when lo and behold we discovered that they were none other than the barenakedfamily - another family who tours the U.S. fulltime. We had learned about them from their Web site and had exchanged a few emails in the past. The chances that we would end up at the same campground right next to each other without planning to do so are mind-boggling!

August 16

Stayed at camp "parking lot" and visited with our new neighbors (no, they aren't really bare naked--they say they just call themselves that cuz' they got rid of everything and hit the road. They also are fans of the rock group Barenakedladies, who not only are fully clothed, but are, we gather, all male). Zephyr and their son Austin had a sleep-over in Zephyr's tent.

August 17

Drove into town to do laundry and do shopping at a Trader Joe's. Back at the campground, Dennis and Zephyr took a swim in the ocean, even though it was excruciatingly cold. Kimberly was chicken. Saw a group of youngsters rehearsing "Romeo and Juliet", which is to be performed by the beach next weekend---after we're gone, alas.

August 18

Played tourist in Salem. Visited the Maritime History Museum---a grand old cargo vessel is being restored in the harbor. On to the New England Pirate Museum, where we learned about such unsavory characters as Ned Low, who cut off victims' ears and made the victims eat them---before they were killed. Speaking of which, we got hungry, so went to the Front Street Coffee House, which has the best coffee and tea we've found in town so far. Attended a "spell-casting" by local wiccans at Witch Village. Fascinating, but really more a performance than a ritual.

August 19

Kinko's and a show in Wilmington, MA. The Kinko's was in the town of Saugus, which was all a-buzz because the local Little League team was in the semi-finals of the Little League World Series (played in Williamsport, Pa., birthplace of the Little League and home of our current dentist.) Nearby was a Wild Oats market, the first one we'd seen outside the Western states, and one of our favorite grocery chains.

August 20

A not-going-anywhere, staying-in-camp day. Enjoyed our ocean-front property in Salem, MA. Watched bits of rehearsal for "Romeo and Juliet".

August 21

Performed in Medford, MA., home of Amelia Earhart. The room in which we performed had an exhibit of photos, newspaper stories and other items relating to her life.

August 22

Performed in Wrentham, MA. Both a reporter and a photographer were there-- from two different newspapers. Dennis finally bought some strings for the ancient guitar he picked up for 30 bucks in Hannibal.

August 23

Drove toward Delaware, through Mass., Rhode Island, Ct., New York and New Jersey.

August 24

Spent most of the day at the Kinko's in Newark, DE, and most of the evening at the Borders Bookstore nearby.

August 25

Performed for summer school kids in Newark, DE, then met up with some people we met through our FOTR (Families on the Road) group. They treated us to dinner and we spent the night at their place. We enjoyed talking about computers and travels.

August 26

Left Jim and Elaine's for our show in Seaford. We were just about to start the show when Jim surprised us. They made the two hour drive through a storm to Seaford because they were worried the tail lights on our trailer weren't working properly. (Jim and Dennis had tinkered with them at their place and had managed to just get the running lights working.) So during the show Jim and Elaine tried to get the blinkers and brake lights working. (They didn't - but to think someone would go out of their way to do that puts a smile on your face!) Had a small turnout at the show - due to the threatening storm. But after the show there was an ice-cream social and we had a good time chatting with everyone. (during many socials - we work) Three boys around Zephyr's age stayed after to hang out with him, beg us to come back and help us load up.

August 27

Did laundry today. Whoppee! Also made a detour to Aberdeen, Md. (a suburb of Baltimore) to take care of some business at the bank---it's hard to find branches of our bank on the East Coast. Near the bank, we noticed the Cal Ripken Museum, so we couldn't resist buying birthday gifts for Kimberly's brother, an avid Cal Ripken fan. (In case you're not baseball-literate Ripken is a native of the Baltimore area who played many years for the Orioles, during which time he shattered Lou Gehrig's record for most consecutive games played.) Then we couldn't resist spending the rest of the day at Borders.

Lately one of our favorite phrases to say in unison is "Oh I remember this place!" We often find ourselves at places we haven't been to in a year, or even several years. When we return our brains kick into gear and put all the pieces in place and the memories come back. Then we begin sentences with "This is the place where . . . ".

August 28

Drove through 7 states today - Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Try to do that on the West Coast or in the Mid-West!

August 29

Gearing up to go back in time. We'll be meeting up with our friends in New Hampshire and time-warping to the Middle Ages tonight and don't plan on returning to modern times until Monday.

August 30

Survived the time warp and we are now dressed in "garb" (medieval clothes - long dresses, chemises, and tunics). We are at a rustic campground in New Hampshire attending an event with the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism), who do this sort of thing all the time. Today we practiced the arts of harp playing (Dennis), belly dancing (Kimberly), archery (everyone), and quests through the forest (Zephyr). In the evening we were entertained by songs and stories at the "bardic circle".

August 31

Attended royal court today after archery practice; awards were presented and honors conferred for the weekend's activities. Dennis learned to sing lullabies in Gaelic, and Zephyr played the triangle in the royal procession. The weather is cooling down, but the mosquitoes here are still horrendous.

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