Over the past two months or so have been busy. Busy in the work sense of things. Busy like working a week straight with double digit hours a normal occurrence and obscene things like 22 hour work days actually come to pass. After a crunch like that, I think I could use a vacation.

So I’m taking one.

Well, it’s not like this is an off the cuff thing. This trip has been well over six months in the making, thought it’s actual shape and the players involve have changed enough times to where I now need a program to figure out exactly how I got here — or somethign like that. I will be joined on this expedition of the south eastern United States by my good friend Don, who has been busting his hump with an equally impressive workload the past two months and deserves this just as much.

We leave on the 11th and return on the 29th. Inside of those 18 days stops are planned for Nashville, New Orleans, Tallahassee, Wilmington NC, with plenty of time left to fit in more stops as we see fit. Oh, and we’re also making a stay over at this little music festival thing called Bonnaroo, which last year only drew over 70,000 people.

Bonnaroo is one of the major reasons for this road trip, but I’d be lying if I said it was the only reason. I’m also keeping a promise I made some time ago to my my friend Jon that I’d visit him at his school as he continues on the road to his masters, a little place called Florida State.

But the greatest part about this vacation is that really it’s only half planned. We know more or less where we want to be and what we’re going to do for the first week or so. We’re purposely leaving things open-ended so we can venture off the interstate to catch a taste of southern fried Americana.

And Hush Puppies. I got to get me some more Hush Puppies.

While I’m out and about though, you still might want to check in here every few days or so. I’m going to make some pre-recorded posts cluing you in to where we should be on our trip, or maybe just some useless fodder. But hey, you’ll never have read it before, right? And who knows, maybe I’ll make a live posting every now and again. I mean we aren’t heading off into the middle of nowhere — I think the south has that internet thing. ^_^

Eighteen days. Wow, I just have to say it again to make sure I’m not imaging things. Eighteen days. It’s the longest stretch of vacation time I’ve had in years (not counting unemployment — that’s a whole ‘nother bag of cookies). I’m beside myself with as much excitement as I am with grief trying to get everything here on the home front in shape for my departure.

Pictures, video clips, writings, musings, ponderings and a whole shit-load of other stuff to come.