On The Move

Though having wireless on the bus is a groovy thing indeed, it can be maddening when the bits trickle through the pipe slower than than treacle through a drinking straw. Of course, I suppose one should be happy with a rate of 1 byte/second whilst motoring through the Catskills between Syracuse and Philly...

Our hotel in Syracuse sat right on the edge of campus, steps away from one of those obligatory strips found in college towns nationwide. South University in Ann Arbor, Marshall Street in Syracuse, same thing. You know the type: several varieties of cheap food, from the Jimmy John's to the Greek diner to the sushi-to-go joint, drug stores, a couple bars, a Starbucks, and one of those shops stuffed full of sports regalia and t-shirts flashing phrases like "If I'm not WASTED, the day is!" Almost went for that one, but then through my $15 might be better spent betting on horses. Nostalgic, yes, and nostalgic enough.

Sharing the hotel with us this time around was the entire cast and crew of Riverdance. Although the scenery in the hotel bar was pretty fucking spectacular, they were, with notable exceptions, a rather chilly and impenetrable bunch. Aside from the band and a couple of the dancers who were awesome and conversational, they seemed to have very little interest in outsiders whatsoever, choosing instead to cluster with their own kind in armored corpuscles. Some were downright rude last night, dishing out unmerited sass to female members of our cohort, pushing me and a couple others off the lobby piano in favor of tinkling at the hands of their own. Granted, gallons of alcohol had been consumed by the wee hours, but since when was booze an excuse for being an asshole?

From my fledgling road experience, the attitude of exclusivity and insulation is one that I just don't comprehend. Stuck with each other day after day, I and the rest of our group make friends everywhere, always happy to welcome others into the fray when we're out on the town. In a roundabout follow-up to the posting of several days ago, a variety of fresh faces and perspectives are of utmost necessity in maintaining sanity, as fleeting as it may be. Why one would want to limit their social circle to the same click every day, I do not understand.

As I packed and ventured out for bagels and coffee this morning, I couldn't get "Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)" by the Four Tops out of my head. Why? Not sure. Certainly not because of any direct feelings regarding the tour. I'm guessing it's more due to residual frustration and annoyance from the night previous. Or maybe just because the song rocks.