Lube Stop, Chester Virginia. Dad's buying me an oil change. Standing at the window he says "Nice collection of autumn leaves you have under your hood." In reference to mine, moms, Shelby's, and his car. "At least we've got everybody in the same century now." 3 people plugging away at the car from the nice gridded window I can see.
Dad woke me up this morning to some excitement. "You've gotta see this picture, Jack Kerouac picture. It's the most beautiful one I've ever seen!" It was a foreign published version of the book "Vanity of Deluoz"A picture of Jack Kerouac in football gear & helmet with angel wings, stars on his helmet & legs. Images in his body of people and road. It really was, the most beautiful.
-- Some mall in Colonial Heights. We wanted to see if that "My Week With Marilyn" movie was playing, but it isn't. So now we walk around the mall. And broken record or not I barely need explain how much of a floatation device I feel like. However, as I wait for dad in this lobby underneath vaulted ceilings with sky lights and gymnasium light fixtures, I am confronted by a store front called "Fun Depot". Must be, last of the arcades, it is an arcade! How wonderful, a play-for-tickets arcade. Streetfighter games, skeeball, claw machines, and Hungry Hungry Hippos. I walk up, and waiting for me with a polite "Hello" is one single ticket. Thanks Hungry Hungry Hipppos. There's a prize counter even. A little snack bar. One of the dad-heavy guys is wearing an "In & Out Burger California" t-shirt.
-- Holiday Inn, Colonial Heights, downstairs restaurant. Charlie, dad's kitchen mate also works here. Classy place. Golden apolstered seats, deco looking light fixtures, television screens above each booth not so great. Man this war on oil shit on the news. When are they gonna say enough already! Ride your bicycle! Power with steam, hemp oil, leg oil. God damn I mean we have smart engineers in this country. If these companies weren't such greedy ignorant pricks, this would all be old news. Imagine how many lives would be saved, for the love of god. I say, just give it to them, back out. The world survived without oil before. It can do it again. And probably do amazing things. Sure, so much would change. But it's necessary. Live without certain things, change, adapt. It would be fine. Fossil fuels are not the only answer.
Benny with basket of fish & chips, he calls his "Shake".
The lighting in here is great. A golden glow. Dad just filled my tank up for me. He also just bought Peter, Jeana, and the kids a laptop, such a sweetheart. I hope he can do all of these things. What a good guy. We didn't find "That Thing You Do" at Best Buy, but that's alright, we're gonna go home and watch "Diner".
Listening to the old Dante tape in car. Dad makes fun, says I'm no child of rock and roll or something. Jackie Dante, I think of you.
11pm - Dad and I watched "Diner"! Now he's browsing Facebook and I'm half listening to this "Lowell Blues" dvd he just put on. I don't know about this stuff. Having in interest in Jack Kerouac, though more of an interest in my dad, I've never been able to understand why videos like this get on my nerves. I guess I figure because it seems like most of these people reading his poetry/books out loud aren't being themselves, or they don't sound like it anyway. Johnny Depp's speaking now, for some reason I can handle it. You know I suppose it's because he sounds like himself. I guess he is a good actor, whereas these other people aren't always actors, but friends, or perhaps other writers that just enjoy Kerouac, but it just sounds like so many of these people are trying to sound like an idea. Some idea of "Beat-Speak" or something, and it really gets to me. Almost makes my skin crawl. I'm sorry, I know you were married to Neal Cassady, but Carolyn, I don't enjoy hearing you read. I'm not sure why you would try and play into an act. Trying to sound a certain way, but you do. You probably don't even realize it. Maybe you do. But it doesn't make a difference. It's the way people read Kerouac out loud who have listened to Kerouac himself read aloud too many times. They sound like they're forgetting to listen, to comprehend, but are acting strictly on memory. Sort of the same people who argue that movies made from books are hurting/intrusive on the imagination, that all they see now are these actors, one persons imagining of the story! I understand that yes, but I think the same argument can be put forward for live readings of an artists work. Yes Kerouac, wrote the books himself, he had every right to represent them, it's his own vision and his works were autobiographical. Aw shucks he can't help it, he's been so caricature-zed by time. They (people), I think often look right past the reality of "On The Road". They look past the real great simplicity of it and deity-ize Jack Kerouac. So it becomes this big act.It becomes this big celebration like Halloween or something. And everyone starts trying to talk like him. I'm guilty of a lot of idealism but I think that shit is just annoying. Be yourself people, it's what he would have wanted. Might as well have vinyl face masks of his running around robbing banks. Be your own rememberer. Or stay stuck on someone else's every word... Do what you want to do I guess.
Dad is absorbed in Facebook. He reads to me his status updates. Describing Disneyland last Saturday. How 80% of families were Hispanic, that being that our ancestors basically stole the land from those hispanic people that they are slowly ultimately taking back the land. "Karma, paybacks a bitch huh?" Silly. I enjoy some of dad's rants. They can seem a little unfair at times, especially when he talks about work, but I like to think that he doesn't apply those frustrations to all people in all walks of life. I really don't think he does. He's just too smart for that.
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