"All roads lead to the..."

So the past couple of days I've actually gotten around to emailing people in regards to places to live and places to work.  I feel like I've accomplished quite a bit (read: not that much at all..) while still having plenty of time to survey the scenes in front of me.  After I applied to where J.Mac works, The Hula Grill, I sat down and had a beer (or was it two?  I don't recall.  Probably safer to say two..) and sat across from this guy who has been out here for 20 years or so and was originally from...Lewiston.  The t-shirts are right: All Roads [do somehow seem to] Lead to the Blue Goose."

He played ball up at UMaine back in the late 70's then got in a bad car accident that put him in a wheelchair, bummed around New England here and there for awhile then more or less decided warm weather is the place to be.  So it sounds like he goes to the Hula Grill pretty much every day to suck down blush wine and Coors Light.  I can't say I respect the Coors Light but he was a hell of a nice guy.  I think he said "Man, you just made the best fucking decision of your life," six times.  His name escapes me right now but I'm sure I'll see more of that character soon enough.  It's always nice to run into people who are down with the Goose.  It just makes me feel at home even when I'm far, far away.  That place is legendary; if you've been then be proud.  If  you've been there and you're not proud then you probably have a big dump in your pants.

Our conversation also turned humorous when a server overheard our back-and-forth Goose talk and thought we were talking about a bar called the Mongoose a little bit south of where we were at.  We were not, but as we talked she informed me that this Mongoose place is one of the known-but-less-frequented dive bars in the area.  IT SOUNDS DELIGHTFUL.  It must be something about bars with "Goose" in their names that breed a stellar atmosphere.  I still haven't checked it out as I'm trying to force myself to get a job before I go out a lot, but trust that the Mongoose will be on my hit list in the very, very near future.

--

In other news I shaved the face.  And a clean-shaven face sucks.  Now I remember why I stopped shaving.  I'm just all rough and scratchy right now.  And I ditched a killer mustache in the process.  Sometime over the last three years or so between shaves I developed a somewhat decent stand-alone mustache and just never knew it...until the day I shaved.  Typical.  More or less, it took a 6000 mile trip and the object of finding fairly menial work for me to razor it all off.  At least if it doesn't pay off then I can just grow it back.  HELLS YES.


I've already gone two days without shaving (Well, more like one and a half but I'm not going to shave today so I put it in the books).  I had gotten some sun with the scraggle on so yesterday I worked hard to get rid of my white chin and I think things have balanced out pretty nicely already, though I still don't really recognize the jackass in the mirror.  II'm used to a scraggly jackass looking me eye-to-eye.

My base tan is coming along, too.  I've actually been smart and not only have I generally worn sunscreen but I've been trying to limit my mid-day exposure when the sun is fire.  I'm not in any huge rush to get my Northern Italian, olive color back but I know I'm well on my way.  And that fires me up.  No sense rushing things out here...

--

I think I've watched the sun set every day I've been here, so this is generally what I'm looking at.  Well, looking at without looking directly into that flaming ball of fire, of course.  Sunglasses are optional..

This looks like a good way for me to finish up my day right now, too.  Yep, I think I'll do that...Cheers.