Hi. I'm going up to upstate New York, and to New England for 5 days to play some shows. Along for the trip is my good friend Tony. Rock. Here is a picture of me with my weird colored teeth-piece:
---Atom.

Wednesday January 24th
Ithaca, NY
Tony and I drove up, listened to Pink Floyd, Cave In, Neu! and the Mountain Goats. In typical style of me, we arrived at the show on Cornell's campus many hours early. Compulsivity is fun. Everyone was really friendly and the show was fine, despite some minor sound problems... and the Cornell Republicans and Mreferljfer (I forgot their first part of their name) Destroyer were fun. I tried out my new pair of fancy earplugs that are supposed to allow the wearer to yell and still hear stuff around them (unlike regular earplugs if you've ever tried), to save my hearing. The jury is still out on that one. After the show we headed back to some old friends' house, where Tony and I have the attic to ourselves with air hockey, pool, and Nintendo 64. Yow! Hot tea and taped Temptation Island for me!

Thursday January 25th
Syracuse, NY
Tony and I arose, and our kind hosts had gotten us bagels. We ate them and drove up to Syracuse, while listening to Radiohead, Halobenders, and Pinback, and arrived at around 1:30 to meet my friend Shawn from Ottawa, Ontario. Shawn was running late, so we're sitting in a coffee shop near Syracuse University.
(many hours pass)
Shawn arrived and we went looking for food where we found a cafe that had the "Earth Crisis Vegan Meal of the Day" (see photo). Afterwards, we found a big thriftstore where no one bought anything. The show was particularly fun... fun enthusiastic people and two mohawks.
PHOTOS (from l to r):Tony and I sitting in the coffee shop; The Earth Crisis Vegan Meal of the Day sign and Atom; A photograph by Shawn Scallen.

Friday January 26th
Boston, MA
The three of us woke up at Jeff and Sara's place in Syracuse at 7am. Shawn departed for Ottawa, and Tony and I drove for 5 hours to Boston where we visited our friends who run a record distribution called Surefire. We hung around there for the afternoon and went record shopping... The show was at a room at the Massachusetts College of Art... and lots more people showed up than could fit into the room, so unfortunately some people were turned away. The show was super fun, and lots of old friends I hadn't seen for a while showed up, so it was "dec" (the shortened version of "decent", pronounced with the long e sound). After the show, we went back to our friend Chuckamunga's house. Fun had. Sleep. Tired.

Saturday January 27th
Palmer, MA
We went out for breakfast, and hung around with Tony's brother and then headed to Palmer. Palmer is an amazing place. There are a few people in Palmer whose grandmother owns a pharmacy that hasn't been in use for a number of years. As long as the space remains unrented, the grandchildren and a bunch of their friends are free to do shows at what has come to be known as 'The Old Store'. The punk community of Palmer is simply amazing. The people who set up the shows there are a phenomenal group of enthusiastic, sweet, smart, and incredibly positive bunch of people. It's really too late for my mind to be able to type anything that will do the Old Store or the people who help run it justice. The show was great, and lots of fun, and it's always wonderful to come back to the Old Store. Palmer is beautiful.

Sunday January 28th
Middletown, CT
We ate the traditional breakfast, as we always do at the Palmer restaurant and took off for Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT. Tony and I saw the movie Snatch. I liked it... Tony didn't. Indian food for dinner, and off to the show. The show was at the punk-ish house on campus. 'Twas a nice show. My friend Phillip showed up with a photo album of his recent trip to China. In the "Forbidden City" in Beijing, there is, no shit, a basketball court, which is roped off with velvet ropes. Ahh, the forbidden basketball court. The show was fun, and speedy and Tony and I headed back to Philadelphia at around 12:30 am. We listened to Shellac and lots more on the ride home, and I was in my own bed by 5 am. Fun trip. Sleep.