Have Art. Will Travel.

Well, we just didn't know what to do. So...we thought we can't busk in Chicago it's too cold. How about we try to busk somewhere where the weather is more conducive. We are in Memphis...and still moving. Get me, in t-shirt outside.

We packed up the car with quite a bit of paintings, some blankets in case we have to sleep in the car...two small coolers and some clothes. Nore high heels. You don't really know a car until you get it out on the highway. I was really looking forward to getting into 5th gear. I did not sleep much the night before we left so I was pretty tired...and we basically landed up making lots of stops so I could walk around or get a coffee and fresh air. We weren't in a hurry so that was good. Oh yeah. I also got fresh air when at some point between Chicago and Memphis a godawful racket occurred. Like the engine fell out. Only I could tell it was external. Like a plastic bag was trapped on a wheel. So we pull off the Interstate and I drive into a very rural farmhouse driveway. Two dogs started going nuts, so Stagg stayed in the car while I walked around and looked for some kind of freaky thing making noise. I looked under the hood too. I have worked in 3 service stations in my life. Working as a gas jockey was my first "real" job. In Sundre Alberta (I don't count working for caterers and a restaurant as "real job" heh heh). So I'm not afraid to get up in the grill of a car. I can't fix cars but I can look around to see if somethings loose. You have to know hearing that insane loud noise was almost heartbreaking. We had only just got two or threee hours into our adventure! Well, there it was. The heavy plastic substance underneath the chassis and sort of attached to it....was bent (from the crazy wind) and hitting and vibrating on pavement and car. Okay. So I pushed it back into place. And we got back on the Interstate. The problem was as soon as I got over 55 it would start making really loud noise. Now it was bent and dragging on the pavement. I could smell it burning. So we found a service station and I asked if they had a "hearty pair of scissors" I could borrow. This was in Missourri. The gas station owner looked dubuious and asked what for. He said No. You'll need a hacksaw. So he lent me a hacksaw and Stagg found some cardboard in the garbage and I sawed off the suspiciaous annoying section that kept dragging. Oh I forgot. About an hour earlier when we stopped for lunch we noticed the left turn signal had fallen out. No gone. For real. I believe it must have been somehow attached to this renegade heavy plastic. So...we'll be hitting some auto shops in Louisianna in the next couple days.

I don't know if I can explain the characters and peopel we met today down on Beale Street trying to set up our paintings to busk. At one point we had a lawyer give Stagg his card and help us. He was responsible for getting Beale Street back in business when in the 70's the city almost took a bulldozer to the whole street. Only in America could we get a lawyer ready to help us busking art. It was just a crazy day. A lot of red tape and very interesting people. I felt like we were in the movie Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil. We got in a few hours of busking tonight. We are staying in a hostel and its wonderful. We hit the road again tomorrow morning. If youknow anyone in Lousisianna and New Orleans looking for paintings at sale for a good price...let them know we are on our way. I will blog my location when I can. Night night for now...I'm typing this from the common room of our hostel Cheers!