Visit Vancouver.

I haven’t done this in awhile.

So stop reading now.

You were warned.

The forthcoming words will be rambling, and incoherent.

You’re welcome.

Traveled up and down the west coast, as far as the Washington border. It was an experience to say the least.

I got discouraged. I got encouraged. Then I fell back into the loop of predicated reality. I am two days back from “Tour” and I can say with certainty that the unsigned touring band life is a rough one. Thankfully I did not fall ill, or suffer any bodily harm, but I did notice that I do start to smell after being stuck in a van for long drives. So for those who were around me, I apologize. I will try make it better.

Sure I could complain, about the overall “success” of the tour, but I took no part in the planning nor the operation of musical endeavor. I just do what I am told, then get mad at the rules I have to follow.

There was a shining moment for me in the tour. That moment was when I wondered away from the company I kept and wandered the streets of Vancouver, Washington. From that experience I realized two things. The first being how dependent my body is on exercise for balancing of neurotransmitters, hello physical activity induced dopamine! Second, I got to feel the welcoming manners of the pacific northwest.

It was just after breakfast, two days before the show in Portland. It was the first morning sleeping in the basement of a stranger’s home named Dan. On occasion the rhythm section of Graves and the Bad Weather have slept in, however that was not the case this morning. The drummer and I, laughed and awkwardly spent idle time awaiting the other band members to arise from their slumber. The sun was almost dead center by the time we as a band moved in unison.

Breakfast was the main concern. I got on yelp and immediately found a restaurant that was none existent but well reviewed. It was now called doomsday brewing and coincidentally I would end back there at the other end of the day.

Thankfully, my search landed us near a restaurant that the guitar player and his wife had eaten at before. It was a quaint diner, with big glass windows, and a snooty waiter. The rhythm section ordered salads, cause the long drive of gas station food and drive through restaurants had wrecked our guts. While we were waiting for our food to arrive as a group we discussed what we wanted to do that day.

I suggested a hike. It’s free, it is challenging and refreshing.

“I don’t want to go on a hike with you, cause I am so out of shape.” responded someone sitting across from me.

It was at this moment, that our food arrived. Nothing kills conversation faster than food. We ate and paid our bills.

None of us were in agreement about how we wanted to spend that day. This is when I noticed that there was a park ten city blocks southward from my location. This is where I split ways from the band. I walked. They hopped in the van and drove away destination unknown to me.

I walked passed a Carnegie Library. Which is pretty cool to think about. A steel baron capitalist makes so much money, he doesn’t know how to spend it, so he spends his fortune building information centers across the continental united states. Talk about goals! #amirite

Other than the biblioteca, the walk was rather nondescript. When I got to the park, there were the usual homeless day time nappers. A playground filled with children running and playing under the august sun. Luckily I noticed that there was a small section of monkey bars I could use to do a pull up work out.

Did I mention it was hot? And I was wearing street clothes?

I wanted to take my shirt off and jam out my exercise, but felt awkward doing so in front of children and their parents. It was at this moment my gaze looked beyond the limits of the park and I noticed an Anytime Fitness.

It was air conditioned and there I would have to keep my shirt on regardless. Paid the day fee and I was home free. They had a concept 2 rower, kettlebells and a pull up bar. I spent my time there trying to get my money’s worth.

After being stuck in a van for a while, and the long walk I did have a lot of energy to burn off and I did.

It could have been one hour or two, I am not certain but it felt like my time at the gym was coming to a close.

I had nowhere to be, nor anywhere to go. I just knew I couldn’t stay there long. I walked back north those ten blocks back to where the band had split up. It was on the return trip I ran into two young women who by chance took me to the place my yelp search had lead me.

The rest is locked in my memory, until I forget it.

Thank you for reading.