Summer Bum Tour of the Country Pt. 1: Preliminary Planning

So I decided recently that I want to see more of America than just the Shenandoah Valley. Unless unforeseen difficulties arise, I will be on the road from 7/12- The planned route, as of writing this, is as follows:

• DC to Denver - $115
• Denver to Vancouver, WA - $170
• Vancouver to LA - $85
• LA to Austin - $125
• Austin to New Orleans - $75
• New Orleans to Atlanta - $25
• Atlanta to Richmond - $50

Travel expenses, including funds for taxi/Uber, amount to approximately $750. Adding in another $150 in cash and at least $500 in the bank, the whole trip should cost less than $1400. 

As for the aims of mounting such an excursion, I plan to write detailed notes about my travels during the long bus hours between stops. Who I met, where I ate/drank, what was I wearing- all the little details will be included. Maybe I could even work my notes into a full-sized novel when it's all over. Who knows?

Dial Tone

Music plays as I
hold
momentarily while waiting for a representative

It loops over and over
plucking out a never-ending refrain
as a robot whore tells me
"Momentarily..."

Ten minutes pass.
The drink in my hand drains
refills
"Momentarily..."

I get fed up with the computerized monstrosity.
"I get it, no one's available,"
I growl into the mic.

No response,
except,
"Momentarily..."

"Fuck this," I think aloud,
but before I can
hang up
I realize it's imperative I speak to them.

So I hang here in muzak-limbo,
momentarily...

To A Friend On Their Twenty-First

On this, the day of your birth,

there’s ample reason for cheer and mirth.

Twenty-one years passed, badaboom,

since you were expelled from a womb.

And now with us all gathered here,

here’s to you! Let’s drink some beer!