July 2004

We have 22 hours to get to a radio station in Charlotte, NC. We’re a little behind schedule, but we’re not sleep deprived. Tomorrow could be a different story.

We’ve crossed over into Humid America, where your clothes never quite dry out and you wonder how people lived without AC.What river was that? We’re in green, green Oklahoma, contented cows in green fields, silos, woods, not forests. Crossed a big river on a big bridge, could have been the South Canadian River, driver Paul M says we’re low on gas, should make it to Ft. Smith, Arkansas, 38 miles away. It was the Arkansas River. Big river.

We have seen many combo names on our trip, a la Texarkanada: Arkhola Cement Co on a big truck, towns of Texoma, and, uh, the others. We’re really hungry, but holding out for a Waffle House. Smothered potatoes, raisin toast, simple, honest architecture, a tall sign reaching out like a beacon in a green Oklahoma sea. I have a serious aversion to grits, always have, but I’m going to try Rob’s heavy dousing with Tabasco.

Eastern Oklahoma I-40 is devoid of food stops. We are so hungry that we’re going to write about food:—–

Our first run-in with the law is behind us. We were pulled over doing 81 in a 70 zone. Pretty lame ticket. PL was at the wheel. The cop was pretty cool though. He wasn’t condescending or power tripping. He called PL “sir”, PL called him “sir,” the ticket was written, PL was told to telephone Judge Hinton in the morning. Here’s his phone and address if you’d like to contact him for any reason:
Hon. W. B. Hinson
Pct. 1 (806) 248- 7444
P.O. Box 43
Groom, TX
79039

Then off we went. It was very civilized. Thank God, no shakedown. The sun is about to set here in Texas just east of Amarillo. The night speed limit is 65. PL winds it down to 74. We all agree that less than 10 mph above the limit is cool. Hope we’re right.

“Spare”
“STRIKE!”
“Nasty split.”
“Oh, shit.”
PM is bowling on his cell phone now. PL wonders if they have x-rated cell phones. PM thinks probably in Japan. I think he’s right.

Paul Marshall is trying out the rings on his new phone. He’s really running them through the paces, letting the whole melody play out, waiting until the groove kicks in. They’re almost all disco tunes these days. I hope he picks a good disco ring. That’d be great. Not the circusy shit. Those freak me out. The next ring is called “Creole.” It sounds like the digital representation of a swamp. Then “Exhilaration” ,”Holiday” , and “In the Groove.” He starts calling the names out fast and I can’t keep up. Time to take another sip off the whiskey jar.

HAWKS ROAD DIARY 7:03 PDT or is it 8:03 in Arizona? July 20, year of ’04
Needles to Kingman
107F, headed NE
A discussion of what to title the Hawks diary:
Arizona border crossing. It seemed different, Arizona. A last palm tree,
And off to the right, deep blue Colorado, a water skier marring or enhancing the blue surface depending on your point of view, and in the distance, red tinged pinnacle mountains, jumbled and spiky. “Further east.
Rest Area 12
Kingman 41
Flagstaff a bit further
Rob offers string cheese to the two Pauls, asks, is this string cheese?
Rob prods Paul M. for road game ideas. So far our only game is bluegrass marathon—who can listen to bluegrass the longest. Paul L. and Rob both boat that they can listen the longest. Paul L. mentions the Quiet Game, played by him and his 8 siblings on family trips? Who can not talk the longest? Rob suggests combining the Quiet Game and the Bluegrass Marathon. One would certainly raise the stakes of the other.
Rob says he wants to put the GMC Yukon into Low4 and see what she does out on a rocky desert road. The Yukon is a sturdy beast, and we have loaded the entire contents of our little four piece unit (Rob, Paul, Paul, Shawn, nice symmetry) into the Yukon, with an aerodynamically sophisticated luggage rack atop. It’s feeling good.
PL

There’s no turning back now. Bags are packed, guitars are racked, truck is filled with gas. Tomorrow we depart for America at noon. Wish us luck, wish us speed, wish us no run-ins with the law.

A hearty farewell and a see you on the road to: Katie, Victoria, Sherri,Colleen, Mom and Mitch, Vic Koler, Paul Dugre, Pete Rosenzweig, Chris Landen, Dave Trumfio, Mark Follman, Gabriel Shephard, Andy Takajian, Carter Stowell and Chani, Lecie Williams, Cody Bryant, Marcus Watkins and Double Naught Spy Car, Richie Lawrence, M. B. Gordy, Rick Shea, Patti Booker, Bubba Hernandez, Bliss, Robert Dean, Ronnie Mack, The Bellyachers, The Believers,
Nearly Beloved, the Lacques clan, Scott, Stefanie, P.J., Dave Alvin, Mike Stinson and Band, Randy Weeks, Gabe and Naano, JLB and Walkie Talkie, Kara and Daniel and all at Amoeba, Kip Boardman and friends, Ben Vaughn, Idaho Falls, Sid Hillman, Gwendolyn, Corrie Gregory and MOM, King Kukulele, Mitch Marine, Sin City, Mars Arizona, Riz, Bill Tapia, Rebekah Florence, Lisa Finnie, Art Fein, Groovy Rednecks, SuperBroke, Dave Royer, The L.A. Weekly, Jonny Whiteside, Gwynne Garfinkle, Dan Janisch, Ed Barguiarena, Michael Simmons, Greg Burk, Ukefink, Sea Level Records, Slobberbone, Lisa Marr, Kaz Murphy, Emory Gordy Jr., Carl Radle, Woody Guthrie, Julian Henslee, Larry Brown, Henry Schipper, Tom Nixon, Barry Smolin, Hollow Log, Alyssa Archambault, Alan Archambault, Ray Doyle, Azalia Snail, Fred and Demolisten, Toe Tappin’Music, Kingsize Maybe, Ben Quinones, Jeff
Miller, The Derailers, Music Without Borders, Zachariah and ESPN, Stew and Heidi, David Gans, Johnny Fargo and Taix, Ali, Alan, and the Cole’s regulars, Ladytown, F.A.R., Dave Rubin, Dave Zirbel, Otono and Los Pochos,Amy Farris, Kathy Orlando, Joe Paquin, Udana Power, Joel Rane, Matt and High or Hellwater, Lisa Richardson, Mike Rings, Stuart Rapaport, Diana Rogers, Jeanna Steele, Handsome Family, Keith Miles, John Palmer, Jeff Winter, Ronnie Mack, Koko and High Tech Auto, Sara Baumann and the Ivy Room, Sweetwater, House Of Blues, Carlos Guitarlos, Scot Ray, Molly Malone’s, Tracy and the Hindenburg Ground Crew, Charlotte and the Tip Jar, Dave Stewart and Zoey’s, Liz Garo, Knitting Factory NYC/LA, Galapagos, Spaceland, Charlie and Beantown, Bob Stane and Coffee Gallery, SXSW, NXNW, NRDC, UCLA, ACLU, Christina Ortega and her band, David and Patrick at Ethic, Ghost Town, Brian Sebastian, Seemore and His Country Paw, Speedboat, Captain Pete, Seppi
the Bird, Ippes, the Crows, Karen and Gregg and Humboldt Green, Rick Cunha, Mother Truckers, Dan Tures, Julie D’Angelo, Claire Chandler, Lucinda Williams, Weba Garretson, Steve Gregoropolis and W.A.C.O., Noam Chomsky, Diane Griggs, Scott and the Fold, Karla and King King, Border Radio, Lowen & Navarro, Chuck Taggart, Mona and Randall, Greg Goad, Peter Kessler, Juliana Parr, Bryson Jones and Sweethearts of the Rodeo, Charles and Angie, The Wedding’s Off, Tony Gilkyson, Some Party, Morley Bartnoff, Kristen Mooney, Richard Cromelin, Paul Kulak, Todd Meehan and Tower, Maxine Waters, Sara Osmer, Eric Gotthelf, The People Of Wonder Valley, Jeff Levy, Jack Blum and the USC Writing Program, Rosie Flores, Ron Goudie, Richard Gehr, the number 43, Claire Holley, Listing Ship, Spain, France, Interstate 5, Highway 162,
Folk Music Center, Village Voice, Michael Berrick and Country Standard Time, LeFrost, Richard Fereirra, Gary Calamar and Open Road, Leigh Ann Hahn,Actuality Productions, certain episodes of Modern Marvels, Campus Circle, early models of the Ford Taurus station wagon, Answer Coalition, Country Bear, Dave Raven, Darrell Larson, Boulevard Music, Greg Daponte, the editorial board of the Logger Post-Intelligencer, Joe Teresa (aka Mr. T), The Gutter Café, Tom Tomorrow, KPFK, KPFA, Amy Goodman, Val Kilmer for his dead on performance as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone’s The Doors, Cindy Chyr, the Stanley
Brothers, The Louvin Brothers, Jean Bertrand Aristide, Lisa Haley, and David Jackson. See you out there.