May, 3rd 2007

This is ji chiming in for this post...rebecca is sitting across from me folding sheaves of paper for her handmade journals. For those of you who don't know, we've created a special edition to the journals this go-round - including a CD of us playing meditative music and beautiful watercolor paintings from our friend and local Portland painter Scott Johnson. If I may be so bold...they are quite spectacular...

This morning we awoke and fought off the hellacious winds of Jerome Idaho, outside of Twin Falls. For someone as "hair conscious" as me it is certainly like hell on earth. Too bad the people are so nice.

I'll give it to you straight. After the exciting early morning buzz wore off I slept for 2 hours while Rebecca drove and listened to the Glorious music of Andrew Bird and the falling rain of Northern Utah. Come to think of it, today was a day of crazy weather.

Once I took over driving duties at exactly the half-point of our journey to Moab, Rebecca fell asleep to my favorite "this is ji's quiet time while driving" selection: The Pogues' - Rum Sodomy & the Lash. She woke up literally 15 minutes after she fell asleep to Shane Macgowan bawling on and white out conditions. And of course she had to wake up right as I was passing a Semi going 20 mph who's spray made the world unseeable...I wish I had a picture of her face. Wonder and Fright is a stunning combination.

Speaking of getting stunned...I got pulled over by the Police somewhere south of the town of Price. I think the officer was going to give me a ticket for speeding, but after seeing that I truly was as handsome as People magazine said I was...he let me off with a warning. The pic is of my new "I just got caught doing something naughty" face i'm working on for their April spread. Note: in case you were wondering, I did work on my hair after the winds of Jerome. And yes, I will Autograph any copies of People magazine that you send me.

After safely making our way out of the snow laden mountains we drifted down into the canyon country of cental Utah, and finally to sere and sunny Moab.

The show tonight was curious for me. The staff of Mondo Cafe was very nice and genuinely interested in this journey we are taking. The owners Bob and Sarah seemed kind. They are transplants from Seattle who opened up the cafe a few years back.

The man that caught my attention the most was a regular named Willie. He reminded both Rebecca and I of the folks that my father and I used to play music for down at Sunnyside coffeehouse in Portland. He grabbed an old catalog of Rebecca's songs from inside our email list binder and thoughtfully went through the titles, calling out requests for his favorites. In this picture he is on the far left with his paintings to his right. Willie: collector of dead-pan jokes and giver of garlic and carob bars.

Tomorrow is a reunion - Us & Santa Fe.