November 6th, 2009.

We got past New York City. I can’t believe it. We can complain about having to leave the house by 10am – and because we’re musicians and stay up till 3am, we DO complain– but we have slipped past New York City like ninjas.

Brian The Science Guy demonstrating the contractive properties of materials under the influence of really freakin’ cold substances like liquid nitrogen at my open mic at Java Mammas. I might believe no other open mic has ever had liquid nitrogen on its stage.

Normally we do not escape detection. We take an out-of-the-way in an effort to do so. We go about an hour out of our way to reduce tolls from about $28 to merely $5. We avoid all the 95 traffic, but generally New York City still catches on to us before we cross its latitude and glowers at our little Saturn, turning its entire Metropolitan bulk towards us and shooting BEAMS OF TRAFFIC at us. Like the monsters in Mucinex commercials, New York City causes congestion. It’s in its nature. Its evil, evil nature.

Normally New York City reaches out to us and sucks at our acceleration, dragging us into an accretion disk that causes our progress to slow to a crawl far into Connecticut as if to ensure that we take our time enjoying the view. And yes, Connecticut is pretty… but it’s not THAT pretty.

Friday night Heather and I performed at the Vanilla Bean Cafe in Pomfret, CT. Interestingly, it’s the joint where Vanilla Coke was reintroduced to North America. I’m not sure if that’s a good or a bad thing – but the REST of their food was really, really good. And there was music too. And it was us. And Bonnie Lee Panda. She was the powerful-voiced host of the evening, pictured above.

The amazing signature tiramisu at the Victoria Station Cafe in Putnam, CT. I thought it was going to be too much for me to handle, especially once I realized I could eat the little chocolate cup. Half way through, already filled to the bring with chocolatey, coffee goodness, I realized I could probably eat myself to death with the stuff and die happy.

But today, thanks to my GENIUS PLANNING we’ve sidestepped New York City’s far-reaching effect and have barely ever had to slow below 50mph, and even those rare occasions have been more due to Drastic Lane Error rather than Vicious New England Traffic Congestion.

It’s something about crossing the Mason Dixon Line. They don’t believe in merge lanes up here. Yields, horsepower and sheer aggression step in to fill the gap left by shortened acceleration lanes and us poor, relaxed (snert) Marylanders are left scrabbling and dodging.

Good vibes at the Vanilla Bean.
Huh, someone just recommended Fred Kelly’s Freedom picks… I’ll have to look into them.
Despite the fact that the staff at Victoria Station Cafe in Putnam, CT is invariably attractive, friendly and personable, the majority are also notoriously camera shy. Above you can see some eyes, some fingers, and the one who was too slow to duck because we’d exhausted her with a great night of music and a pretty frakkin large crowd of hungry peoples.