a happy new yeeeeharrrr!

Here’s to one wonderful year after another!

We just returned from what I’m calling The Blitz Recap Tour, from Los Angeles to Bangkok to Angkor Wat. It was more like a recap of two different tours, the Champ tour and a bicycle tour around S.E.Asia that we did at the last turn of the years, but it made me realise that with all this Onward Ho! we’ve barely had a chance to pause and consider the outrageous feats that we pulled off this last year.

Like…scoring second-hand bikes in Bangkok and getting them tweaked to be roadworthy enough by all sorts of eccentric “mechanics” down alleyways on streets that I’m not sure I’d know how to find again, then bungee cording on our waterproof stuff sack thingies and a miniature guitar and heading north one busy friday night, not even stopping to verify the baby elephant on the sidewalk, going going going until we realise we just totally traversed Laos and are now crrrrruuuuuuising down a mountain just across the VietNam border when we take our eyes off the road to look at each other as if to say “WHOAH,” only just catching in our peripheral visions the massive black snake that we almost collided with had it not basically levitated itself into the bushes just in the nick of time. By the time we got to Siem Reap (yes home of what was once THE seat of the siam kingdom, with outrageous palace temples to prove it aka Angkor Wat) in Cambodia, I was on the look out for the next lucky recipient of my fluorescent pink-handled bike. I knew Ong was exactly who I was looking for as soon as we met him and when he basically completely ignored us other than a polite smile. No games, no motives, just a young boy orphaned by Pol Pot and in need of a steed. “This bike flew to Thailand from Tunisia, and then I rode it to Cambodia the long way around, via Laos and VietNam, especially to bring it to you, here’s the lock and the secret code.” I didn’t see Ong or the bike this time around, a year later, so I’m hoping it’s taking him places too.

As for Champ, we received word from Scott in Eugene while we were in L.A. Check it out, in hybernation. I like to imagine a family of bears asleep in there.

So while we were in L.A. a few weeks ago, and staying at my brother’s apartment, the gas station across the road was selling gas for $1.85/gallon. The VERY same gas station where we had filled our tank for $4.85/gallon just months before, on the morning where we hightailed it to make a show in Salt Lake City. And so it hit us, we could go THRICE the distance now on the same amount of cash we spent to get around the country just once this summer. THRICE! we could have gone to mexico, zig zagged through the interior, at least made it to the far northern corners like we wanted to.

But retrospect is sweeter than regret. Being back in L.A., and channelling what it felt like to be there last time with the additional layer of knowing now what the GREAT unknown we faced then was, is, whatever, the pavement itself took on a sparkly magical presence, and it felt really quite amazing to be a part of this life. With love and gratitude.

Now speaking of paths crossing, New Zealand latitudes here we come! And speaking of music, Jake is heading to Rooftop Sound this week to record three new songs. Still can’t unveil the secret animation projects, be patient and we’ll all be rewarded.