6400 Miles (chapters 1-4) Into the Heart of America

The Champagne Bottle and the Red Couch

After a long night of concert producing, vomit and blood cleansing fun; I was headed back into town along 287 north praying to whoever created this world that there would be a party waiting for me upon my return to town. I couldn't help but be overcome with this strong feeling of joy; after a bunch of months in a hot sign shop, the day that I had been waiting for was only hours away. As I pulled into town I made my way over to my friend Myron's where there was a whole array of people including both of my co-pilots for the road trip-Mark and Pat. Earlier I promised to visit other pals before I left so I took off-after some casual shit shootin'-to hang for a bit, and after I hung long enough I would swing by some booze shop hoping to acquire beer or a bottle of something sure to make jelly out of my body. It was late, I was underage, and it appeared that my dreams of getting drunk on my last night in Jersey would fall flat on their optimistic face.

On my way back to Myron's I stopped in the Pathmark parking lot to grab a shirt from my trunk, and as I was doing so I noticed a man loading a case of champagne into his truck. Desperate and under the idea that I wouldn't be finding any alcohol anytime soon, I approached the man who seemed to be under the influence of meth, crack or some other narcotic known to twist a man's face. "Hey man," I said.

Startled he turned on me with the mien of a man ready to strike, "Who are you? What do you want?"

"Uh...I was just wondering if I would be able to buy a bottle off you."

"Quick, give me ten bucks." I quickly pulled a crumpled up bill from my pocket and handed it to the highly paranoid man. The reason for the fast exchange was due to the fact that he was more than likely robbing the liqueur store adjacent to Pathmark, and I sure as hell did not want to be there when the law ran down on him. Granted it would make an interesting story, but I just do not feel ready to write about being arrested with a drug addict robbing cheap champagne from a two-bit booze shop-I got plenty of years for that.