I'M SO SORRY MOBILE......

....but Austin has taken the #1 position. I have only been here for a week, but the idea of living that this city has is great. The people are so cool and laid back; everyone has a hello to throw our way and good vibes to put out. This city is full of bikers, dogs, pretty ladies, and cool dudes. The bar and restaurant scene down here is huge. People believe in the whole "Mom and Pop" idea: totally against corporate America for the most part.

On Monday we ran around to get some stuff done. I had to go to Ozone Bike Dept. to pick up the external hard drive that Bob and Lori had picked up for me. I also needed to get the plates that connected my new Keen Commuter sandals to my SPD pedals. We stopped by Home Slice to get some pizza. I am a pizza junkie, and I miss the convenience of getting a slice at George's before hitting the streets of NYC. We sat down at a table and ordered a large pie. They claim to be a NY-style pizzeria, and they came close. But the pizza needed to be just a bit bigger to get that one-of-a-kind slice size. Granted, you could fold it in half like a taco, but it just wasn't the same. Afterward we went out to the mall to go to the Apple store to have some questions answered about my aging PowerBook G4. On our arrival I learned that I needed to make an appointment to see a Genius. So we headed back to the house to chill out.

Brian and Chris had emailed me on Friday before I arrived and let us know we were welcome to stay with them. They have a spare bedroom and bathroom for us. When we arrived on Sunday, Brian told me of his friend Bill who was moving out of Austin to go to the New York / Connecticut area in a month's time. Now, Bill had had his replacement move into his place a month early while he rode out the last month at his place. Well, it seems the replacement had some issues with Bill, and even tried to fight him a couple of times. Bill isn't that kind of guy. He is really laid back and chill. Anyway, he didn't want to spend his last month in this great city in an environment like that, so he asked Brian and Chris if he could stay with them. They, being nice people, said sure, but told him he would have to take the couch until we left. He was fine with that, and happy just to get out of the situation he was in. So on Monday, Bill was coming in with some of his things. I felt bad because we had the room and Bill had given them money for his share of a month's rent, and here we were staying for free. I had planned on staying for only a week, but the more I thought of everything that I needed to get ready for the desert, I realized that I would probably be here for a couple of weeks. I felt bad. I decided that if another offer came around to stay somewhere, then I would take it to be fair to Bill, Brian, and Chris.

So on Monday night, the four of us hit the town. We went downtown to The Jackalope for all-night Happy Hour. Then we went over to Lovejoy's in hopes of getting in on free pool table night, but the chalkboard was filled with names of hustlers and sharks, so we just drank. We had a blast, and met loads of people.

There are a couple of them I want to share with ya:

First we met this couple on the streets going from one bar to the next, selling drawings. Their character is Stitchlip. Its a cat drawn in a very interesting cartoon style. They have T-shirts, hats, stickers, posters, and even dog shirts! Check out their work and story at http://www.zazzle.com/stitchlip

Another dude I sat and talked with was Shannon with 3rd Millennium Chess. It's pretty cool—he has taken a chessboard and made it into a cylinder so you have to play from both sides. It is going to change the game of chess for the better. I wish I knew how to play, because it would have been interesting to sit with him and get down. You can check it out and order yours today at www.3mchess.com

On Tuesday we all woke up a little slow. We got some breakfast burritos and sat around relaxing. Coop gets rested a lot faster than I do. When we stop I don't want to do much of anything that is going to involve my legs. I don't even like walking around. But he was a little keyed up, so I took him over to the field and had him chase some tennis balls. Within ten minutes his tongue was hanging to the ground in a heavy pant. How is this dog going to make it in the desert? How does any dog or animal make it in the desert? It gets hot down here—last summer they had over a hundred days that were over a 100ºF! By my calculations it will take us about two more months to get to southern California. That's two months of no air conditioning. Granted there is shade, but sometimes Coop can't cool down all the way unless we are inside with some AC or if it's night out. I really need to figure this all out. So Tuesday was pretty unproductive other than uploading all the pics that I had from Mobile to Austin.

On Wednesday it was calling for rain which was good for us. The clouds gave us a shade from the sun. I needed to go and check out some stuff around town and just see what this city is made of. We made our way down Congress St. heading towards downtown area over the lake. We hit the ped bridge and spotted a group of cyclist on the bridge. I stopped to see what was going down and talk to these guys about what I was doing. I met Brian from Spokiz Eye Wear. These things are great. 'The 1Uhnighed is the first ever, truly hinge-less sunglass in the WORLD! That is right you are seeing the sunglass REVOLUTION in action. This model is the first ever introduced by TEAM Spokiz and is great for us big headed people. You know us with wide heads that get the pressure headaches and annoying rubbing behind the ears from NORMAL sunglass. Thanks to SpokiZ you are now free to move without worry or headaches or slipping sunglasses ever again!!!' These things are so light and have no pressure points you forget your wearing them. They are great with everything. No more slipping off and dropping to the ground or water. Check out the website and order yours today. Tell them that Sean and Cooper sent ya!!

http://www.teamspokiz.com

After that we rolled over the bridge and cruised around downtown, man there are some gnarly hills here. I stopped by REI and exchanged my tent and pants. I wanted to upgrade on the tent and pick up some more stuff but was unable to do so because I'm broke!! I went outside and met Dave and Yoni, Dave owns a pedicab company here in Austin and Yoni works with him. We chatted about people to get into contact with and Yoni is interested in doing a article and photo shoot on us. After that I went over to Mellow Johnny's. This is Lance Armstrongs bike shop. It has a nice Cafe, workout room, fitting room, showers, lots of gear and bikes. Its a great shop if you have a shitload of money, but for me it wasn't my kinda shop. As I pedaled away from the high end shop I turned the corner and smelled some good food. It was a taco shop and I had a couple bucks so I decided to get a taco. As I pulled up Brian Spokiz came out and said he wanted to buy me lunch. I went in and ordered and sat down with most of the guys I had met earlier on the bridge. I sat across from Brooks Goldsmith he is a web designer here in Austin. www.brooksgoldsmith.com He also has a rental property that he rents out for the non stop festivals that take place in this super active town. He asked me where I was staying and I told him of the situation I was in. He asked if I wanted to stay at the house. It is a fully furnished 3 br house with a fenced in backyard and a garage. I said that I couldn't afford it and he told me we could stay free of charge. "Holy crap that is great" I had been worried about the living situation at Brian and Chris's house with Bill sleeping on the couch and paying his share of rent. I called Brian and ran it by him, I was worried I would offend them. He understood and was cool with it. After lunch Brooks and I cruised by the house to check it out and to get the keys. What a nice place. I left the trike there and Chris came and picked me and Coop up on her way home from work. When we got home I packed up our stuff and I washed the sheets that Cooper had slobbered all over. That night Brian, Chris and I went to the Alamo Ritz movie theater to see Master Pancake Theater showing Bloodsport. Its the same principal as Mystery Science Theater. But they show movies that you know, its live, and there is lots of swearing. My kinda place. I shot beer out my nose a couple times and my face hurt from laughing so much. Afterwards we went to Jackalopes to met up with some friends of theirs.

The next day Brian and I loaded up all of our gear and headed over to the new crib. I got settled in and and unpacked. That night there was a huge group social ride around Austin. I decided to take the pup and trike to it and show these people how we do things. We met up with the 200+ riders around sunset and got to it. I wasn't prepared for the hills. I didn't eat enough that day so my legs got gassed right away we fell behind and I was having a hell of a time keeping Coop calm. Coop and I spend 99% of our time on the road by ourselves. So when we ride with other cyclist he freaks out. He wants to be the pack leader so when he is on the ground he is pulling so hard to get going that he wears himself out right away, but will keep going. He would run himself into the ground if I let him. I put him up in the back and all he does is shift from side to side in the back whimpering and whining to get out and back on the road. Image riding a bike with a 70 child behind you and they are throwing their body weight from side to side. Every movement he makes I feel. We pulled up the the half way spot and rested for less than 5 min before they got back on the road. I decided that that was enough. I was exhausted and Cooper was freaking out. I went home and passed out.

The next day Brooks hooked me up with one of his bikes and we went for a ride. We ran into Randell and he had heard about us being in town. He also commented on the fact that we didn't finish the ride the night before. I guess people where taking shit on me about not understanding my gears. Screw you. I understand my gears and think that the fact that I have pedaled 3,5oo miles is enough to say I have some experience. Anyone that thinks what I am doing is easy or thinks that I am doing something wrong, please come and show me how to do it, and then you will see what I do everyday. ASSHOLES!! OK sorry just needed to get that out there. We cruised around for the day checking out this and that. That night Brian and I went over to the SOAP house. SOAP stands for South Austin People. They make homemade organic soaps and lotions. They have the same philosophy as Dr. Bronners. Keep it natural, keep it organic and keep it clean. They hooked me up with some samples, and a plate of BBQ brisket. After that I headed over to G&S lounge to meet up with Brian and Chris for some beers. I had also gotten into contact with an old high school friend that has lived in Austin for 8 yrs now. Rachel and I swam, went to school, and church together. I hadn't really talked to her since graduation and was excited on seeing her again. She was already there when we arrived and I gave her a big hug and we all went outside to drink and talk. Rachel and I fell right back into. We used to hang out all the time back in the day and we were really close the last couple of years of HS. I missed her bluntness and no nonsense ways. We hung out there for a couple and then we all headed over to Bender. We continued our conversations about Cedar Falls. It was cool hanging out with people from my hometown. This is the first time I have stayed somewhere that has transplants from CF. It was good for Chris too, she doesn't have a lot of girlfriends down here in Austin so Rachel and her hit it off. After we shut down the bar, Rachel came back to the house to meet Cooper and to talk a little more. I crashed out happy to have the hometown hommies in my corner.

Saturday was a big day. I loaded up Coop and Brooks and I headed downtown to check out this and that. We started off over on South Congress at the Austin Glass Art shop. The weekend had brought in the Hot Rods and Rat Rods. They where parked and cruising up and down Congress. Brian had set up his T-shirts and Spokiz glasses at the little bizarre that was happening next to the glass shop. We hung out there for a min and then got moving across the lake. We went to the farmers market downtown and hung out with the SOAP guys and gals. Right next to that there was a huge Crawfish boil going on but it was $15 to get in and Coop wasn't allowed. Brooks broke out on his own and Coop and I headed up to 45th st to check out the 1st annual Dog Day Afternoon going on in Triangle park. This city is dog friendly big time, and they love active dogs. So Coop was a crowd pleaser there. After watching the wiener dog races we headed back home to eat and rest up. Later that night I took the trike out without Coop I was planning on riding around taking pics of all the hot rods. I met up with Brian over by the Glass shop and we made our way out. People had been tailgating all along the Congress strip watching and driving these classic muscle cars. So when we worked our way into traffic it was pretty hairy, cars where burning out and revving their engines. We decided to get out of that exhaust filled madhouse and head east. Brian took me on some brutal hills. We split up on the way home and I decided to kill myself by finding the hilliest way home and pushed my self to haul up these hills. Main Street has sent me a new Mega Range gear that is going to help me but I haven't gotten a chance to put it on yet. I just turned up the radio and turned off my mind and just kept moving my feet by the time I rolled into the garage I had done 36 miles that day and was soaked with sweat. I took and shower and passed out.

On Sunday I had scored a job taking Fan Photos at the Harlem Globetrotters game. I haven't seen the Globetrotters in like 20 yrs and they are better than ever. They put on one hell of a show. I shot over 1000 pics and got to watch a lot of the game.

I have decided to stay in Austin. I was planning on pushing on next wk and getting to Seattle for the winter. I was going to go there and work for my old boss that has the pet cremation biz in NYC and Seattle. Hibernate, get fat, and save some money. But this town has way more to offer and I would rather deal with the TX heat than a Seattle winter. So when I got home on Sun I looked online for a place to stay and a job to get. Rachel came over to take me out to dinner and while we were hanging out she offered me a room at her place. She has lived by herself for 5 yrs or so and said she wouldn't mind having a roommate for 5 months or so. This will save me a load of money and it will be nice staying with someone I know. We just have to make sure her cat Roma and Cooper are going to get along. So for the next wk or so I will be staying at Brooks place and taking Cooper over there to get to know them. I hope this all works out and I'm sure if I stay positive it will be positive.

I'm not done with this adventure. I am just taking a much needed break to rest and reorganize, this city has a lot of people that support us and want to be apart of this idea of mine so by the time I roll out in the fall we will be bigger and stronger. So stay in touch I will be still posting our goings on.

Till next time

Love and licks from Austin

Sean and Cooper

Whats Going on

So this is the story of what happened the past couple of days.

So Friday it snowed. I drove north with Lindsey and her daughter Ella to a random house to play in the yard. Ella had never seen snow and the last time it snowed in the Mobile area was way back in '96. After a day in the snow, I made up some Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Tomato Soup, and Hot Coco. Man that took me back to the days in Iowa when my mom would go thru two loaves of bread to make sandwiches for our family. Ella refused to try the soup, she had never had it before and was determined not to like it. Even after I had explained to her that it was basically a slice of pizza but in sandwich and soup form and if she dipped her her sandwich in the soup it would be great. Nope.

Saturday was beautiful. It got up to the low 60s. Its crazy to think that just the day before it had snowed, what's even crazier, is that EVERY state EXCEPT Hawaii got snow fall that day. Don't believe me? Google it!. We went and got breakfast at Denny's. I usually don't eat at places like this but they had a free Grand Slam Breakfast on your birthday. After that slamming breakfast we headed over to the flea Market. Will actually Bucky and I headed over to the Flea Market, while Lindsey and Ella took Cooper to the park. I didn't worry to much about them, Coop is a good boy and Lindsey seems to have gotten to know him and they are comfortable with one another. Coop on the other hand was pretty riled up and was a little over whelming for Lindsey. He was pulling at the leash and Ella kept asking her if she could hold the leash!! They ended up going to another park and Cooper was trying to break into the tennis courts to try to stuff as many balls into his mouth as possible. I have seen Coop put 3 tennis balls in his mouth at once! They ended up calling it a day and headed back to her apt. Buck and I on the other hand where having a great time at the Flea Market. Bucky likes vinyl records. So there is a couple booths that have them. He gets the classic records of jazz, funk, and just good instrumentals. He also gets them for the comic aspect of the covers. He has a wall in his living room that is all funny covers. After finding a solid 20 we walked around on the look for some baby dolls. Buck is a very creative person and something he is working on is a army of Frangelica liquor bottles topped with baby doll heads and painted to be all sorts of people. Samurais, Voodoo dolls, and just plain crazy and weird. After the walk thru we headed back to the crib. I needed a nap and Bucky had to work that night. When I woke up I made some dinner and headed over to Lindsay's house. She was going to be my driver for the evening. When I arrived her neighbour and friend Shannon gave me a gift. She is a very crafty person. She makes a lot a jewelry and dream catchers. She is a hippy!! Anyway she had made me a mini dream catcher for the tent. I can't wait to put it in there and its small enough I won't have to take it out every time. She is also working on a hemp necklace for Cooper. She is excited to know that something she made with her hands is going to be traveling around with us. Shannon watched Ella and we headed down to the MUSIC BOX. It was a great night of music. The DJ was playing some fun beats that everyone was getting down on and then about 11 the SUPER NICE BROS. took the stage. Once again they played a great show. Its just some beats, some great lyrics and an awesome vibe. After jamming out we headed over to PADDY O'TOOLES to see Bucky and have a couple more. It was a nice day and night and I am glad I remember it all.

Sunday brought on Joe Cain Day. Joe Cain revitalized Mardi Gras after the Civil War. And his day is the the only parade open to the public. This is the longest parade of Mardi Gras and the drunkest. People get on the streets at about 8 am and get to getting down. Its a giant tail gate party. Every where we rode we would see people grilling, drinking and just having a good 'ol time. House parties everywhere, tail gate parties growing and growing as the day went on. During the day when not riding around we set up next to the OK BICYCLE SHOP, there was a couple of parties going on outside and bikes all around. People would stop and talk to us and just share the good mood that was flowing all over the place. When the sun started to drop I took Coop back to the shotgun house, feed him and left him at home. Dogs aren't allowed downtown in the thick of it all and aren't allowed along the parade route. So most of the day was avoiding the big crowds, which is fine my me. But when the sun went down I wanted to get down in the pit of it all. So with the pup left behind and a couple of coolers packed full of beers that I planed to sell, I made my way downtown. As I approached Bienville Square the streets became more and more filled with people. I made my way into the middle of the madness and took in the sights. People everywhere, on the sidewalks, in the streets, up on the balconies, spilling out of the bars and asleep in the shadows! Beads and Beer getting tossed about. Music bumping from the huge speakers. Peoples staggering around, smiling and singing. After I got parked, people started showing up on the bikes. Bucky, Lindsay, Brad, Stein, and I had a line of them in the street. I, with a lot of help from Lindsay, sold a good amount of beers. We made double of the initial investment so that was nice. During the evening people would break off and go on a ride thru the crowd to get a better look. I went on one of these rides and had stopped to take a couple pics, I then tried to catch up to homeboy and while standing up on the pedals and pushing down hard the chain came off right at the top of the rotation, so my left foot was smashed into the pavement and the pedal rolled over my foot bending my toes backward. I have never experienced a pain like that before and was sure that I had broken my toes. I made my way back to the gang and sold beer for a hour or so and then headed home. I iced and elevated my foot that night.

When I woke up on Monday I looked down to see a swollen, bruised and unrecognizable foot. I made some calls and determined that going to a hospital was my best bet. I figured that I was going to have to fork over some money at some point so I might as well be billed from a hospital, rather than a county health clinic. I am waiting it out to see what is to happen after 2012. After getting a couple of x-rays and lots of squeezing on my foot the Dr. determined that I wasn't broken. I was very sprained and was given a Rx and told to stay off it for a couple days. I headed home to rest and hoped for a day filled with Fat Tuesday festivities.

Tuesday morning when I woke up I did an evaluation on my left foot and decided it wasn't a good idea to put any pressure on my toes. I have waited over 3 wks for this day, Fat Tuesday is the day to party for Mardi Gras and I was stuck on the couch with my foot in the air. As I laid there I thought over the time spent here in Mobile. Every weekend there was something going on and during the week I was busy doing things with people that I have met. I have had a great time in this city of Mobile.

But it is time to move. By the time I leave Mobile on Saturday I will have been here for 4 weeks. It was a much needed break, other than my throbbing foot, I feel great. I'm rested, fatten up and ready to roll. I have gotten some calls and emails from people telling me not to stop and to get moving. Hey, it's my adventure so I'll go as fast or slow as I feel. Don't worry folks I have not lost sight of the goal and one of the goals is to try to find the next city or place to move to. I love it down here in Mobile and have got a good feel of what this city has to offer. I want to thank everyone down here in Mobile again. And a big thanks to everyone who has begun to follow me and who have followed me before I left. I'm excited to see the road unroll in front of me again and to sleep in my tent with my pup.

Till next time
Love and Licks
Sean and Coop

Joe Cain Day.

Joe Cain Day. This is a Mobile exclusive. Joe Cain is a historical figure in this city and every year they have a huge celebration to honor him. Its the peoples parade, so anyone can sign up for it, it is the largest and longest parade.

This is what Joe Cains gravestone reads:

Here lies old Joe Cain

The heart and soul of Mardi Gras in Mobile

Joseph Stillwell Cain

Slacabamorinico - Old Slac

1832 - 1904

In 1866, Joe Cain dressed as a mythical Chickasaw Chief, and might have seemed comic - but certain perceptive ones realized he represented the epitome of victory - for the Chickasaws were never defeated in all their history. So Joe Cain, with his masquerade, lifted this region from despair and revived the ancient French observance of Boeuf Gras - now known in Mobile as Mardi Gras - thus inaugurating the dispute as to who had Mardi Gras first - Mobile or New Orleans?

Mobile had it first, but New Orleans was the first to call its carnival Mardi Gras...

The Boeuf Gras society was already 150 years old in 1861, when it disbanded because of the war...

According to tradition - Joe Cain was the first folly to chase the devil round a stump...

Joe Cain founded the Tea Drinkers in 1846...

Here lies, also, Joe Cain's beloved Wife

Elizabeth Rabby Cain

1835 - 1907



So on this historic day Bucky, Lindsey and I hit the streets to see what it was all about. Coop wasn't allowed to come downtown in the square because for some silly reason they don't allow dogs downtown during Mardi Gras celebrations. He was pretty upset. I loaded up some coolers in attempt to sell some beer to get some money together. I made some dough and planned on heading back down there on Tuesday to really make some cash.

Its was like a big tail gate party. Grills, Music, Dancing, Drinking. Man I love this city.


I was able to bring Coop out during the day but had to stay away from the Parades. He just wanted to be by the food!



People everywhere having a good 'ol time. These folks had set up a pretty stocked bar on the tailgate of the Jeep. I had one of their Bloody Marys, really spicy.

The crowds were out in full force Sunday night after the Joe Cain Day Parade. This is the biggest night for drinking in Mobile. Fat Tuesday is more of a family day in Mobile, and Joe Cain Parade is just found in Mobile.

When the crowds are out that means the cops are out. They made their presence known on foot and on horse. The cops down here work some serious overtime during these Mardi Gras celebrations. Not only do they work their normal shift but then have to work a MG shift which is about 6 to 8 hours. By the end of the two and half weeks that is Mardi Gras these guys and gals of law enforcement are pretty short fused. Dealing with drunk folks every night would get on any persons nerves.

Everyone was on the beg for some beads!

People drunk all around with out a care in the world.


Love all around!

So later that night I jumped on one of the beach cruisers to take a spin in the tightly packed crowds. I stopped to take a picture of this guy below. After snapping a couple I tried to catch up to the group. I was pedaling pretty hard and all the sudden the chain came off....

...as my left foot was coming to the top of the rotation and when the chain let loose my foot slammed into the pavement and the pedal pushed my foot between the pedal and the pavement bending my toes backward. What pain. I have never broken anything before in my life and so when the pain set in on my foot I was pretty sure that I had broken a toe or two. After that I headed home to rest, and ice it.

The next day I woke up to a very swollen, discolored, and very sore foot. I debated on the course of action to be taken; health clinic, hospital, or just man thru it. I have always been a big fan of manning thru it, but this time around I wasn't man enough! So I headed to the hospital to ensure a better care, hopefully! After some x-rays and lots of squeezing on my tender toes They decided that I was not broken, just really sprained. I am told that I need to stay off it for a couple days and then after that I can determine when I will be able to go. I need to get a move on so I hope to hit the road by Friday or Saturday. Due to the fact I couldn't walk or ride a bike I wasn't able to go down to the Fat Tuesday Celebration. It was a beautiful day and would of been a good day but I couldn't of made it 30 min down there. I have been so careful not to hurt myself or put myself in harms way and I jack my foot up riding a bike! Go figure.

Till Next Time

Love and Licks

Sean and Coop.

Snow day and Birthday

So Friday was the first time in history that every state, except Hawaii, had some sort of snow fall/precipitation. I got a call that morning from Lindsey to see if we wanted to take a drive north to see some snow on the ground. I drove Lindsey and her daughter Ella about an hour north.

We ended up driving by a house that had a huge yard with great snow coverage. I pulled up and went to the door to see if it would be OK to play in the yard. I explained to the nice lady that the 5 yr old girl had never seen snow before. She said 'no problem, have fun!'


We each made a snowman. This was mine. Coop jumped up and sniffed the face!



Snowman tracks!

Cooper tracks!!

I really didn't want to see snow on this trip, but it was fun to go out and play! I'm glad it didn't stick and the next following days it was in the 60s!

Coop had a blast running around. We all had a snow ball fight and when we would throw one at Coop he would bite at it and it would disintegrate in his mouth!



The next day was Coop and my birthday. We went out to the flea market after I cashed in on my free birthday Grand Slam at Denny's! The flea market was great people watching.

Later that night we headed over to the Alabama Music Box to see the Super Nice Bros. The crowd there was great. Mardi Gras was in full swing. The parades have been going everyday for days now and the Music Box was staying open 100 hours starting on Friday!! You could go there and sleep for a couple hours on the floor and then get right back to drinking! If I would of been here 10 years ago I wouldn't of survived!!

The Super Nice Bros. put on an amazing show. The crowd was jumping all around. Some people were dressed up and had paint on the face. Pretty much everyone there had beads on.

I have seen them twice now, and Appleseed hasn't had a shirt on for either. And Ponytail slowly undresses as the show goes on, by the end of it all he is left wearing is boxers and a wife beater!

After the show we headed over to Paddy O'Tooles to see Bucky and have a few more. It was a good night and I didn't get crazy. I have learned that the day after a birthday is sometimes the worst day of the year!!!

Thanks everyone for the great Birthday. Thanks everyone for the Birthday wishes and gifts for Cooper and I. Happy to see 31!!

Love and licks

Sean and Cooper

Sick in Mobile

So that Monday morning after the Superbowl I woke to a soreness in my throat and congestion in my face. It seems that walk in the cold and all the socializing was catching up to me. I couldn't swallow very well at all and was having problems breathing. I hate being sick and I feel if the weather was on the norm down here I would be fine. Cold weather is very defeating to me and it surprises me that I still haven't lived somewhere warm year around. The aches in my body where all over, mostly in the joints. I really could use a rubdown but am unable to afford such a luxury or find someone willing to do pro-bono work on my back and legs. 'Shelly O where are you?' Anyway sick. It was breath visible cold that morning in the shotgun house. I stayed in the sleeping bag next to the pup till the sun came out and we moved to the front porch, to take in some of the free vitamin D it was giving off. Coop is becoming very restless with me lately. I feel bad. When we are on the road we do a comparable amount of work. I work all the time and he works half the time but he is smaller than I so its comparable, and he is in better shape than most dogs, and humans for that matter. But when we come to a stop for a bit, he gets left behind a lot. I don't want to but unfortunately dogs can't go everywhere, but Mobile is the most dog friendly place we have been to so far. But he isn't even allowed downtown during the Parades, and we have been warned twice now. So being sick and laying around was not in his schedule. He wanted to chase tennis balls and play around. I wasn't much fun and only threw the balls for about 10 min. My plans were to rest up that day so I could leave out with the gang on Tues morning. Not having any money I really wasn't able to get stuff to make me feel better. Luckily I had a couple cans of chic noodle soup and drank plenty of water. The day and evening where filled with sleeping and watching TV. During the overnight I broke a bad fever. I got the worst sweats ever. I was soaked so much I had to get up change and towel off before putting new clothes on. Luckily this time around no vomiting or any other gross stuff that requires a toilet, even though I had one to use this time. But when Tues rolled around I sent Bucky a text letting him know I wouldn't be able to attend. It sucked but I didn't want to get them sick or ruin their good times. So another day of laying around with the pup. Cooper is a great snugly dog. He loves to squeeze himself between me and the back of the couch and buries his nose under me. Sometimes I wonder how he can breathe. I don't know if it is possible but I think he has caught my cold. I love this dog so much and can't wait to get moving again for his sake. He loves the time on the couch and meeting people but he is truly happy when we are on the move living day to day in nature without a care in the world. To be honest so am I. I have come to love this city and will think of it often with fond memories but there is still so much more out there to see. I feel with that little bit of unsatisfing work slinging wieners, that is was not at all what I wanted to experience. It brought back feelings of loneliness and hopelessness that I first felt when I moved to NYC and was working as a daytime server at Dallas BBQ. That placed sucked and I hated it so much that it almost sent me packing back to Iowa. But I pushed on and moved on just as I will here. I don't think the hot dog thing is going to work out. But as long as I keep my mind open and keep it positive something will come my way. Its a lot easier being broke on the move than it is when your in one place. When your on the move you have more opportunities to encounter someone or something that is going to help. But in one place you feel that you are taking advantage and become reliant on these kind people. I appreciate everything that everyone has done for us. From the beginning with Ed Murphy and the poker table guys, to all the random people that have stopped to talk, to the families I have know and not known that are happy to have us for the holidays or any time, to all the great people I have met down here in Mobile. You guys are making it hard to leave but making it easy to come back. But most of all my own friends and family that have donated money to us when it is needed. Thanks Mom and Dad, Cindy(MA), Nick (over and over), Sunnie (the best ex wife a guy could ask for), Sarah, Nate and the list goes on. I love you all and hope I am making you proud.



Till next time

Love and Licks

Sean and Coop

Being a bum is fun....

....but being broke sucks. I had this whole idea of selling hot dogs for the OK Bicycle Shop, to make some extra cash. Saturday I went to the Shop at noon to get things ready. I went and got the cart out of storage and took it back to the Shop to clean it up and get it stocked. We made a shopping list of things needed to get it up and running to sling wieners. I got out on the streets around 5. I hit the parade route and walked it 1 1/2 times. Now this cart is about a couple hundred pounds loaded and doesn't have the best wheels for easy rolling so I was having to put a lot of work into moving this thing around. I was selling Loaded Dogs for $4 and Soda and Water for a buck. As I walked the route I heard all sorts of things yelled out. "you got hot coco?" I didn't, but would have millions right now if I had. "You got a beer?" Again I didn't, but would have trillions if I had! And my favorite "You expect me to pay $4 just to have to shit in 30 minutes in that nasty porta john?!" My response to her was 'don't get the chili!' Sold! Once the parade passed by the Bike Shop I went inside and got a bite to eat. The tacos there are amazing; the Crispy Fish and Pork are my favorites. I talked to more people about what it is I'm doing. The longer I stay here the harder it is to talk about it. I feel I am losing touch with the adventure and am ready to get going but need to wait it out as planned. I have packages coming for Coop and I for our Birthday on Sat Feb 13. I really can't image spending my 31st anywhere but Mobile now. After warming up, I made my way downtown to sit up in front of the bars. I had been down there earlier around 9 but there was no one out yet because everyone was still at the parade. But now after 11 there were lines for a couple of bars and just overflow on the sidewalks and street. I stopped a couple times on my way to the main intersection on Dauphin St. to sell a couple dogs here and there and chat with people who recognized me from seeing me at the parade or riding around with Coop. As I made my way past a large group, that's when I saw it. There was a double wide version of what I had set up on sidewalk just about where I had planned to stake my claim. This guy and his gal were the dog slinging duo. He stepped down onto the street and asked what the story was. I can't remember his name, and I'm not going to make it up because it was very fitting for this guys character. Anyway this guy starts asking questions 'who you with, how much you selling, why you down here?' But the most important thing was "there is room for only one vendor down here, so just stick to walking the parade." With that said I called back to Headquarters and asked where else downtown would be a good spot to set up. Their response was' back here and put up for the night.' So back I went, unpacked, flipped, wrapped, labeled and put away. I sold 28 hot dogs that day. I didn't even eat one because I didn't want it to cut into my %. At the end of it all, 13 hours after I had gotten down there, I made $30. Money is money and I'm grateful for the opportunity to do something to earn it. But that was hard swallow.


The weather down here has been cold. I was looking at pictures from last year. Most everyone is wearing short sleeves at night and a lot of people wearing shorts. The weather here has been in the mid 40s during the day and getting down to low 30 during the night. Most of the houses and apt buildings don't have the proper insulation and are just old. Right now at 1 pm I'm wearing two layers on the legs and 4 layers on the body with a scarf and stocking cap. I would have gloves on but not good for the typing. When I wake in the morning on the couch I can see my breath.



Sunday brought the Super Bowl. Two weeks ago I had said I was staying here to see the Saints win. And I called it. WHO DAT NATION was loud and proud!! What a game, hardly any penalties and only a couple crucial turnovers. I was invited by Bucky to a house party at Cissie and Kathleens. They had and TV in both main rooms, one in the kitchen where a buffet was set up with all sorts of great tasting food and one outside with the fire pit. I moved from TV to TV taking to everyone and getting there vibe on this historic game. The tension was high and folks were nervous about the Saints winning it all. But I assured them all that they were going to win. Its already been planned and taken care of. Some of them looked at me sideways with questionable eyes and some did believe. But in the end we all believed and there was hugs, kisses, and dancing around getting crumped!! After the party winded down we talked with the hostess about their plans on Tuesday. See win or lose the city of New Orleans was throwing the Saints a parade. A float from every committee was being donated for this parade, something like this has never been done before. They are shutting down the city that day. If you didn't have anything to do with the madness you didn't have to work so pretty much emergency and service industry people had to work everyone else was off. Anyway these gals have been season ticket holders for years now and Bucky has gone to many games with them. So they got a room with a balcony for the parade. Once they won they asked Bucky and I if we would like to go. Bucky and I had made plans to go to a ball that night in Mobile for the Le Shes. I have never been to a ball and Bucky found a place to get a tux for less than $50, which I don't have, but once this proposition came to our ears we called off the ball and decided on the All Saints Parade instead. No one has ever experianced a parade like this in New Orleans so why not be a part of history.And Bucky is pretty sure I will be back again and can attend a ball at that time. Afterward we made our way over to Paddy O'Tooles to check on the Faithful there. We were greeted with shouts of joys, high fives, and hugs all around. We hung out there for a bit Bucky had to jump behind the bar to help out Buddy as he was the only one working this crazed crowd. After a bit and a couple of beers Bucky told me he was taking off due to a early tennis lesson he had the next day. I told him I could find a ride and not to worry. I had been playing pool and darts with Molly and Stephen. I was sure that I could get a ride from them. But it turned out to be Stephens Birthday at the stroke of Midnight so they started to get trashed. I ended up driving them back to her place and we started to play video games. I was cool with the situation, I was on the love seat, Stephen on the couch and Molly sitting on the floor in front of the couch. When all the sudden Stephen jumps up and asked to speak to Molly in the back. I take over on the controls and a few minutes later Molly comes out. I had asked her earlier in the night what their situation was. She informed me that they had dated at one time and it didn't work out but they stayed close friends. I can relate to this considering I am friends with about 85% of all my ex girlfriends. When you spend time with a person for a bit that person becomes your friend, companion, go to guy, and partner in crime. They know things about you your best same sex friends don't even know. So how can you just throw that history and friendship away if you break up. I understand if they hurt you or you hurt them, but for the most part you end up hurting someone because you don't know when its time to quit the relationship. I know I'm not a good boyfriend, but I'm a great friend. Most of my ex girlfriends have said 'your a better boyfriend when your not my boyfriend.' I know when the other isn't happy and that's what I want most, I want them to be happy and most of the time its not with me. So when Molly comes back out I say 'you guys are still together huh.' I wasn't planning on anything happening. I have enjoyed this time of solitude. Its something very new to me and something I need to experience. But at the same time I don't want to be put into awkward situation and that is what this just turned into. She informed me that they are still "kinda" together. My only response 'love is a crazy thing.' She said I could stay there for the night on the couch and they could give me a ride in the morning (even more awkward!!) I said thanks but no thanks and bundled up for the walk home. It was just under 5 miles and the temp that night was in the low 30s. As I walked home during the wee hours of the morning, it made me think back to the days of the late night walks in NYC. There was something always going on in the streets. But here in Mobile it was quite. People asked me the next day weren't you worried. I think about it, and right now nothing really worries me or scares me. I have this kinda unstoppable, invincible, arrogance about me now. I'm very self assured in who I am and what I can handle and I can handle anything right now. It all belongs to me and no one can take that away.

Till next time
Love and licks
Sean and Coop