You Say You Want a Resolution.....(2013) - by Colin Gawel

This story was originally published at Colingawel.com while the Earth was still cooling. Not long after, Pencilstorm was created so my smart friends could post their stories, too and make it more of a team effort. To be honest, I couldn’t remember if I had actually written a story about New Year’s resolutions or just thought I had. After 10 minutes of googling.. I found it. From January 3, 2013 …- Colin G. (2019)

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Thanks to everybody who read "Hitless Wonder" or listened to "Brick and Mortar" in 2012. For reviews, the NPR story and basically a review of all the cool things that happened in the past year click here . It's cold out and "Superior" is edging towards 10,000 views. Watch it here   

You Say You Want a Resolution, Well You Know, We All Want to Change the World.

People often ask me, "Colin, how do you manage to juggle so many things and do them all so well? What is the secret to your success?"

Actually, that isn't exactly true. It's phrased more like, "Colin...Jesus, you look exhausted, are you OK?" 

Still, with a new year ringing in my ears along with the tinnitus, I would like to share my thoughts on successful habits and the value of New Year's Resolutions. 

"From Small Things, Big Things One Day Will Come", isn't just an under rated Bruce Springsteen B-side, it is also a phrase that is coincidentally the backbone of my personal survival strategy. I'm not one for resolutions in the traditional sense. I don't enter a new year and proclaim, "This is the year I finally finish my screenplay, slash my online porn consumption and run the Boston marathon!". No sir, not me. While big goals are dandy and may work for some, I've come to understand that for myself, If I achieve small goals on a semi- daily basis, eventually some form of productivity emerges from the rubble of the Holiday season. In the New Year I re-dedicate and tweek my system to focus on goals to help me create things I enjoy. Off the top of my head and in no particular order this year I would like: To write good songs, Compile all my solo recordings and release as a full length, start a band called "Why Isn't Cheap Trick in The Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame" that plays Cheap Trick covers and calls attention to this gross injustice, record new Watershed music and play a show in Minneapolis, make a Willie Phoenix Wiki discography page and write a really long, stupid essay about KISS. If I hope to accomplish just one of these worthy goals, I need two things: Energy and Time Management.

 Goal#1: Energy is everything. And I'm not talking about some sort of vague hippy energy or positive vibes or anything groovy like that. Or green energy or coal energy or energy drinks. No sir, I'm referring to actual "I'm not tired, I have some physical energy" energy.

See, "The Man" demands most my time working to break even at the coffee shop. As "President" of Colin's Coffee, my number one responsibility (outside of keeping the women's restroom clean) is to work as many hours for free as possible so everybody else gets paid. Once the bank, landlord, suppliers, utilities and employees are satisfied, I can continue working for free for another month. After the shop, my most important duty begins when I pick up Owen from school and give him some quality time doing whatever fun stuff he enjoys. You only get to be a parent once and I try to bring my 'A' game when the little guy and myself are together. Certainly, I'm not bringing the 'A' game to his college fund so some weekly trips to the zoo, one on one basketball, COSI and Dirty Frank's are the least I can do.

Creative time comes last. It may just be 45 minutes to work on a new song or essay about resolutions, but this is when I need some energy to do something worthwhile. If i want to write songs or stories or anything, it is my responsibility to make it happen. Sure, I had more time in my youth, but I do better work now ( I think) because I don't take free time for granted. For me, it is the 45 free minutes each day where the battle for an interesting life is fought. 

ENERGY = Sleep + healthy food + Working out.

SLEEP:  Be in bed reading a book by 9pm four nights a week so when I wake to go to the coffee shop at 5:30 am, i am semi rested for the upcoming day.

Healthy Food: when at the shop, no salt, sugar, bread or fat before noon. water, coffee, oatmeal, beans, veggies, etc. 

Working Out: I have to pick up Owen at 2:50pm so from 1pm until then I hit the gym even just to break a sweat. something is better than nothing. It's not like I'm going to be an Olympic poll vaulter or anything.

Or put another way: Starting at 9pm and stretching over a 24 hour period to the following night when I go back to bed at 9pm. I figure I have slept, eaten right and exercised for 20 of the 24 hours. That is a pretty good percentage in the big scheme of things. By 5 pm my will power is shot and I usually take one small sip of red wine and a tiny hit of crack. Actually, I drink a beer or five, cook dinner and write things like this.

Life is Long.  Time Is Short.

 Like most, I'm a flawed person who enjoys giving into temptation as much as the next. The idea that I am going to do a month long body cleanse or give up something "forever" is laughable. At this point, I know myself pretty well and safe to say forcing any such scheme would surely antagonize the devil in me to likely produce the exact opposite result I was striving for. Besides, did you know that some egghead genius types claim, "willpower is a limited resource you have to conserve?". Well they do. Read it here

I try to break each day into 24 hours and then win 20 of those hours.  

Goal #2-USE TIME SEMI WISELY: Maybe it was my Mom dying when I was relatively young or my life long infatuation with disasters, but I really don't take living for granted. I could die tomorrow and so could you. Tornado season is right around the corner. Shit happens. Would I like to spend my final hour listening to local sports talk radio? maybe. But I could probably do better. I've been trying to incorporate audio books to my workouts and drive time in the car. When there is free time at the coffee shop I try to hop on the computer and work on an essay or read a good book. Go hiking or take a walk when possible. I make an effort to stay offline and off the grid whenever possible. No matter how much fun, this is the #1 killer when it comes to spending time wisely. Airplane mode baby. To provide content, I can't spend all day scrolling through it. Exposure to art is good. Exposure to twitter ??

Resolution # 9......#9.......#9........#9..........#9.........#9.........#9..........#9........#9........#9.........#9.........#9

That doesn't mean anything but just going with the Beatles theme....

Reading back over this essay I am struck by two things: One: this is pretty boring and two: I think I make it sound like i actually execute this plan regularly. I don't. This is the goal, not the reality. Just last night I stayed up until 10:15 watching episode four of Homeland. Sunday I was drinking beer at band practice at 1pm.  Still, having a plan is better than no plan at all.  

To Recap  -   1) Bed by 9pm- 2) no sugar, salt, bread or fat before noon- 3) break a sweat -4) stay offline 5) play audio books when driving. 

Alas, that is the glory of the New Year Resolution. It provides all us weak-willed sinners a second chance to become our ideal selves. Isn't that what life is all about anyway? No matter what you have done in the past, it is always possible to have an outstanding day. And if you can have one, you can have two and from there you don't feel as guilty about the inevitable bender just over the horizon. Wishing us all good luck in 2013! - Colin

Colin Gawel is probably the last person on Earth who should be talking about resolutions. He has failed so spectacularly that a best-selling book "Hitless Wonders" was written about him and his band Watershed due to their historic lack of success. Yet, they happily press on. He is a father, husband, songwriter and coffee shop owner. He is currently trying to book his side band "Why Isn't Cheap Trick In The Rock n Roll Hall Of Fame?" at the Beachland Ballroom Thursday, April 18th, though the band, as of now, only exists in his head. Check out his music and more at www.colingawel.com 

The Magic of Christmas - by Wal Ozello

It’s Christmas Eve here at the Pencilstorm offices and as the rest of the staff cleans up after our annual holiday party, I’m sitting down for one last assignment. As a side note, this year’s gift exchange went well for some and not so well for others. While Ricki C. got Springsteen on Broadway (on Vinyl), Scott got an authentic Ace Frehley Guitar Pick and Colin got The Complete Epic Albums Collection by Cheap Trick, my secret Santa was Jeff Hassler, who for some reason thinks I share his adoration for Styx, so he got me one ticket to their show on June 29 at Rose Music Center in Huber Heights. Why one ticket? He’s got the other one. I’ll probably come down with the flu that week and try to trick Ricki that the opening band is Mott The Hoople.

Any who, it’s my job to write the holiday blogs around here and I have to admit that it’s getting harder and harder to write about the magic of Christmas. I mean, have you looked out your window and seen the world we live in? Seriously, how many death and destruction government shutdown RGB is going to die doomsday scenario posts did you see on your Facebook feed before scrolling down to this one? My guess is there was at least 14 different stories. Is Armageddon around the corner? Vegas odds are 4/1 that we’ll see the end of the world in our lifetime. I’d take that bet but how would I cash in?

Here’s the great thing: with Christmas there is hope. In our darkest day of the year, someone lights a candle to shine for the world to see and scream at the top of their lungs, “Just like Andy Dufresne in Shawshank Redemption we can crawl through this sewer of shit and find freedom on the other side.” (Note: I am contractually obligated with Castle Rock Entertainment to mention Shawshank Redemption at least once a year.)

Hope. There is hope, folks, that this world can be a better place. But we can’t just sit in our houses scrolling through Facebook to find it. We have to create it. Let me share a story about my friend, Steve.

Steve’s no Superman but last Friday he was in line at the AMC Lennox to catch the 5:30pm showing of the movie Aquaman when he heard a car horn outside at the intersection in the parking lot. He could see from a distance that a Buick LeSabre was stopped in the middle of the intersection. Steve’s a mechanic and knows that these cars are frequently owned by older people. As he watched the car he saw it creeping forward to the movie theatre sidewalk. This AMC is one of those movie theatre entrances with big glass windows and doors that start at the end of the intersection - directly where the car was slowly heading.

Thinking the car may have an elderly driver that needed some help, Steve headed out to offer assistance. He approached the car, looked in the window and discovered a woman in her 30’s inhaling smoke from what looked like heroin on foil. She seemed higher than a kite. Your reaction here may be what mine probably would be: yell at the druggie woman for putting all these people’s lives in potential danger. Thankfully, that wasn’t Steve’s. He didn’t wanted to freak out the woman and have her accidentally hit the gas and drive through the AMC entrance.

Instead he had the foresight to gently tap on the window and get her to roll it down. Then he calmly reached in the car, put it in park and then took her keys. He called 911 and stayed on the line with the police and EMS to help monitor until the police and paramedics could arrive.

I don’t know if Steve ever got into see Aquaman but he was definitely a hero that night. Probably saved a woman from OD’ing, or worse yet, driving her car into a movie complex to hurt a dozen or so other people. All because he simply went out to see if he could help.

That’s what Christmas is all about: helping others because in the end, we’re all in this together.

The magic of Christmas isn’t in a box wrapped under your tree. It’s in you and me. Be a goddamn Albus Dumbledore Gandalf Merlin 25th Level Wizard this coming year and spread that magic everywhere. That’s what Steve did. Maybe one day we’ll wake up and end up on the beach of Zihuatanejo and forget all this shit ever happened. Until then, be magical.

From all of us here at Pencilstorm, to you and your families: Have a Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

Wal Ozello is a science fiction techno-thriller novelist and the author of Assignment 1989 ,  Revolution 1990, and Sacrifice 2086. He's the lead singer of the former Columbus rock band Armada. His film work includes directing Dad Can’t Help You Now by Colin Gawel.

Why I Hate Thanksgiving 2018 - by Wal Ozello

Anyone that knows me knows that I loathe Thanksgiving. Hate it. Absolutely hate it.

It’s mainly because I’m forced to eat that damn turkey. Who the heck willingly eats turkey any another day of the year? It’s a nasty bird, folks. There are so many other succulent options.

The other part I hate is the forced get-togethers. Just because it’s the fourth Thursday of November, I must, have to, and am required to go see people. Understand that I don’t hate people, nor do I hate my family. I hate the idea I’m FORCED to see them due to a certain day in the calendar. Add in all the stress with coordinating schedules, time, food, seats, groceries, political opinions… and that damn turkey: well, I’m exhausted before the week even starts.

This year is a little different for me. About a week ago, I got the sad news that my cousin passed away and last Saturday I made the trek up to Cleveland to see my family and pay my respects. She was a wonderful woman, kind person, and great mom. And despite the unfortunate circumstances, it was a blessing to see my extended family together to celebrate her life. As I parted ways with my cousins, many of us talked about planning a day to see each other during the summer. Life is too short and we need to cherish the moments with our loved ones as much as we can. I had lost one my dear friends at the coffee shop earlier in the year and realized you never know when you may not see someone again.

Which got me thinking about this Thanksgiving and what the holiday is really about… and I had my Grinch of Thanksgiving moment where my heart grows three sizes.

Thanksgiving isn’t about turkey.

It’s not about cleaning the house, getting out the fine china, the number of chairs at the table, the food being served, the car ride, the Macy’s Day parade, who’s coming, who’s not, having the perfect meal, which football game to watch or tolerating someone’s political views.

It’s about being grateful for each other.

I think that’s what I hate most about Thanksgiving. The celebration of thanking each other for being in our lives is bundled up and reserved for one day only.

I think we should do that every day.

So, please, forget about the stress of the day and planning for perfection. Just enjoy the moments you have… and keep on enjoying them as long as you can.

From all of us at the Pencilstorm offices, to everyone out there in rock n roll land. We wish you and yours a happy Thanksgiving. We’re grateful to have you as readers.

Wal Ozello is a science fiction techno-thriller novelist and the author of Assignment 1989 ,  Revolution 1990, and Sacrifice 2086. He's the lead singer of the former Columbus rock band Armada. On Thanksgiving morning, you’ll find him at Colin’s Coffee at the counter. During the day he’ll be cooking Beef Tenderloin, Garlicy Artichoke Hearts, Butter Sauteed Mushrooms and Marshmallow Crusted Mashed Sweet Potatoes. No Turkey.

Colin Gawel's 2018 Election Day Manifesto (How I am Voting and Why)

2018 Midterm Election Manifesto - Colin G.

As loyal readers know, Pencilstorm doesn’t waste much of your precious time with politics. We prefer to concern ourselves with serious topics such as rock n roll.  However, as editor, I have published how I will be voting prior to every election day and will do so again in 2018. For entertainment purposes only. Let me be clear, I’m not telling you how to vote, nor do I care how you are going to vote. I’m just sharing my thoughts on the matter. It’s called “democracy.” If hearing an opinion possibly different than your own is going to ruin your day, please just stop reading….now.    Seriously, I’m not asking you to read this.

3 -2 -1 ...

Ok, let’s begin with the easiest vote…

Ohio Governor’s Race

Why would anybody not directly related to Mike DeWine vote for him? On second thought, maybe that was the plan. The guy has such a massive family tree that the bean counters figured only a couple extra votes from non related folks could take him over the top to become Ohio’s next governor.

Seriously, the guy has been in elected office for 42 freakin’ years. This is the very definition of a career politician. I have not met ONE SINGLE PERSON at Colin’s Coffee who is excited to vote for Mike DeWine. Sure, my Republican friends will still pull the lever but it’s a weak, weak, choice. Why the Ohio GOP didn’t put up and comer John Husted on the top of the ticket is beyond me, but under no circumstances would I ever consider punching the ticket for a worn out, flip - floppy candidate such as Mikey.

On the other hand, Richard Cordray is way less than a million years old, doesn’t turn to dust in daylight and fought for the little guy while heading the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau from 2012-2017. Unless you work for Chase or Time Warner, being against the Consumer Protection agency is like saying we should get rid of the fire department because you have never called it. In just five years, Richard helped recover 12 billion dollars for 29 million customers like you and me who look at a statement and say, “What is that charge for $8.23 anyway?”. I’ll tell you what it is, it’s fraud, and there is nothing you can do about by yourself. But the CFPB can and will tell major companies to cut out the BS and return the stolen cash. Anytime you see a politician fighting against the Consumer Protection Bureau, you know exactly who he is fighting for and it isn’t you and me.

My vote goes to Richard Cordray. No brainer.

That Metroparks thing

I will be voting Yes. I love our Metro Parks. And there is a new one planned just across from the coffee shop on the other side of Griggs reservoir. Take my money please.

Stivers v Neal

I do not approve of most of President Trump’s policies and I really dislike his shameful character traits in general. So I probably cannot vote for Steve Stivers because of his voting record supporting said President. I will, however, give his staff credit for honesty. I called in 2017 to register my disappointment with Trump trying to repeal Obamacare and send our country back into the dark ages for no reason except spite. (And tax cuts for Trump’s super rich friends of course.) I explained my position as a small business owner to the person on the phone and asked “What in this health care repeal l bill should I feel good about?” The staffer at Stiver’s office paused and said, “I have to be honest Colin, there isn’t much in this health care bill a regular person should feel good about.”

Thank God John McCain gave it the thumbs down.

I’m going to vote Neal as a Trump protest vote but Steve Stivers is an OK guy and he is a lock to win anyway. At least he isn’t a total psycho like Jim Jordan. That jackass would vote to replace all Metro Parks with Walmarts and gigantic Bible statues if he could.

Full disclosure, Allison Russo is a regular at Colin’s Coffee and her volunteers often have organizational meetings at the shop. Still, she is exactly the type of experienced, pragmatic candidate I would want representing me in the Ohio House. I feel really great about voting for Allison Russo.

Issue One is tough. I completely agree with the premise. Treatment and not incarceration is the best way to deal with non-violent criminal offenders. Duh. Putting addicts in jail is the modern version of “debtors prison.” Facepalm. My smart liberal friends tell me the language and process of this bill is cloudy and this presents a problem. But... it is so rare that the backward state of Ohio takes even a small step in a sensible direction that I have a hard time voting no. Beggars can’t be choosers, so I’m voting yes on the idea alone, but I may be wrong.

Are there any other races or bills? Probably yes, but geez folks, it’s just a midterm. I can’t study everything. Not with three fantasy teams to run and a gig coming up at Ace of Cups on Wednesday Nov 21st. (Details here!)

Thanks for reading Pencilstorm. Now, get out there and vote! (If you haven’t been purged from the rolls yet, anyway.)  

Colin Gawel owns the possibly soon to be bulldozed Colin’s Coffee and plays music both solo and in the band Watershed. He lives in Upper Arlington, OH with his fabulous wife and fifteen year old son. He likes the Browns and Cheap Trick WAY too much.

Hidden Bonus Track!

Oh shoot, totally spaced on the Senate race. Sherrod Brown, yes, obviously. I’m going to vote for him over that other guy who hates the working class, ol’ what’s his name that replaced career politician wanna be Josh Mandel on the ticket. Why even bother running these losers? Do they get donations? Sherrod Brown all the way.

Let’s end with my real Manifesto..

EQUAL UA - by Scott Goldberg

I attended an event held by EQUAL UA.  You may have seen their yard signs around town—EQUAL Together We Are Better. EQUAL UA is an organization with the goal of fostering a welcoming and tolerant community.  A place where differences can be celebrated and appreciate rather than ignored or assimilated.  

Two brave young (especially when compared to me) black men raising their families in UA spoke about their experiences in our community.  They both spoke of racist encounters right here in UA. They then went on to discuss an incident involving a young black boy who was stopped by the police for suspicious activity in UA back in July.  The suspicious activity—delivering newspapers. I was embarrassed as they described these incidents that not only had they occurred in the community I call home, but that I wasn’t even aware that any of it had occurred.  

The young men described why they chose to live in UA.  Their answers weren’t very different than my own—Great schools, beautiful parks and homes, and safe neighborhoods in which to raise their families.   

I have always been fascinated by intersection of sports, race and politics.  I know for many sports is a place to escape and just appreciate athleticism or root zealously for their team.  Perhaps for them “Shut Up and Dribble” resonates. For me, the athletes I admire the most—those closest to being heroes have walked that tightrope.

For me, no one has stood taller than Arthur Ashe.  I grew up playing tennis and truth be told Ashe’s prime was already behind him by the time I began paying attention to tennis players like McEnroe, Borg, Connors and Lendl.  But Ashe was still sort of around most notably as Davis Cup captain for the USA team. And also as an activist; an early voice denouncing apartheid in South Africa.

Beyond that Arthur Ashe was super cool. Sort of Obama before Obama.  As Davis Cup captain, his attempts to reign in the volatile behavior of McEnroe (always) and Connors (on the few occasions he was willing to play for his country) were a struggle.  But with Ashe it was clear winning wasn’t everything; how you played the game, how you represented your country were equally if not more important than the outcome. That is why what happened in the Women’s US Open final, played on Arthur Ashe Stadium Court was all the more remarkable.

Serena Williams was attempting to win another grand slam title, her first since taking time off to become a mother.  Her opponent, Naomi Osaka, was seeking her first grand slam title at the age of twenty. I had seen enough of Osaka’s play earlier in the tournament to know this had the chance to be a really competitive match.

The young Osaka was the better tennis player that day, but unfortunately the match won’t be remembered for the outstanding tennis.  It will be remembered instead by the controversy between Serena and the umpire of the match. By the time the match ended, Serena had been imposed with three conduct penalties the last of which included a one game penalty that all but sealed the match for Osaka.  

But on this day, Serena was no champion (or was she a champion of some bigger cause?).  Her behavior closer resembled McEnroe than it did Ashe. And that seemed part of Serena’s frustration—that she was being treated differently because she is a woman.  What went unsaid was that perhaps she was being treated differently because she is a black woman.

Although the initial conduct penalty was for coaching which in her mind branded her a cheater.  The penalty stemmed from her coach’s actions, who admitted the infraction and so if anyone was cheating it was him, but that may be splitting hairs.

Her frustration mounted as the match continued.  Osaka had an answer for every shot Serena threw at her.  Eventually causing Serena to smash her racquet after losing her service game for which she earned her second conduct penalty.  As the next game began, Osaka began the game already leading 15-0. Serena was surprised to be assessed a penalty point as perhaps she believed the umpire had rescinded the initial conduct penalty for coaching, but he had not.  Serena’s frustration grew as her composure deteriorated.

The third conduct penalty was assessed after Serena called the umpire a thief.  Serena believed the umpire had stolen a point from her when assessing the second conduct penalty (mostly because she didn’t think she deserved the first conduct penalty).  Serena was shocked that her “tame” outburst caused a third conduct penalty and with it an automatic one game penalty. So instead of being down a set and 4-3 in the second set she was now down 5-3 and Osaka needed just one more game to win the match.

Remarkably, Serena regained her composure to hold her serve to make it 5-4.  More remarkably, the young Osaka calmly held her serve one last time and she was US Open Champion.  The two champions met at the net as the crowd booed—this was no way to celebrate your first Grand Slam title.  A feat all the more impressive because of who she beat.

In her mind, Serena wasn’t just standing up for herself, but all women, and as a new mother for her daughter.  It was if she wanted to create a record that her daughter could look back to and see her mother didn’t just accept injustice, but stood up and fought it.  And I think that is worth admiring—we should all be doing more of that in our lives when we see it.

Not too long ago I was in the check out line at the grocery.  The man in front was holding a plastic bag with groceries in it and was just buying one item which he indicated he had forgotten to buy when he checked out previously.  The cashier asked to see his receipt for the items he already bought indicating it was the store policy to do so. The man walked out without buying that additional item.  He was a black man.

I wish I had walked out with him.  Or at least asked the cashier if she would have done the same to me.  Even if she had said yes, at least I would have made her think about it.  Instead, I rationalized that I had spent the last hour picking out all these groceries and I didn’t want to start over somewhere else.  I checked out, paid my bill and walked out without saying a word. I failed my community that day.

Standing up (or kneeling) for injustice can be inconvenient and uncomfortable.  I guess that is why I admire it so much when I see others taking on these burdens.  The moderator of the EQUAL UA event reminded the mostly white audience that we too have obstacles in our lives we have to overcome, but those obstacles don’t exist because we are white.  People of color face obstacles in ways its hard for me to conceptualize, but on those rare occasions when I am confronted with it, I need to do better, I need to take a stand or say something.  I hope next time I won’t just Shut Up and Dribble.

Serena’s behavior over-shadowed what should have been a celebration of women’s tennis and the rise of a new, deserving champion. Serena’s behavior also has led many to consider or reconsider the double standards that exist for woman and people of color as athletes and more broadly in our society.  Perhaps there is a lesson for our local community as we reconcile the history of UA with the goals of groups like EQUAL UA to make UA a more tolerant and welcoming place.  A worthy endeavor indeed.

Pearl Jam Road Trip Part 11: The End - by Kevin Montavon

(Click here for previous Pearl Jam Road Trip)

The crowing Rooster woke me in North Central Nebraska. The Rooster said it was time to head home.

After 16 days on the road, our adventures were winding down. We had a leisurely day planned for our last full day away from home, planning to see a few historical sites and take our time heading East. The primary destination for this day was Homestead National Monument of America. 

Homestead National Monument is located near the town of Beatrice (pronunced Be-AT-ris), Nebraska, about an hour south of Lincoln. It memorializes the Homestead Act, enacted by the United States Government to encourage settlement in the West. Free land was given away with the stipulation that the land would be "homesteaded"...worked, developed, and farmed. The site exists as a memorial and a tribute to those hardscrabble adventurers and dreamers who paved the way to the West for the rest of us.

We began the day in Lincoln with lunch and beers at Nebraska's oldest brew pub. The University District was relatively quiet and relaxed for a Saturday. We were one week early for the college football season,  but as residents of a Big Ten college town ourselves, we knew the place would be hopping in a week's time. After our repast we drove South to Homestead and spent the afternoon walking through the meadows and pathways, and checking out the preserved dwellings there. We then drove on to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where we met an old friend of mine for dinner and more beers (you might have noticed through the course of this series that we enjoy a good brewski). Our intention then was to drive through the night, arriving home in Ohio in the early morning. 

But we woke up at a rest area on I-80 in eastern Iowa at around the time we had planned to be home. I had dozed off immediately after hitting the road, and Heather had grown drowzy as well so she had pulled in for a few Z's and slept through the night. We were under no pressure to be home at that time, but now we had a much lengthier stretch still to travel. 

Making the most of our now 8-hour delay, we pulled off the highway again in West Branch, Iowa to visit the Herbert Hoover National Historic Site, which preserves the birthplace, childhood neighborhood, and resting place of The 31st President of The United States, as well as being the location of his Presidential Library and Museum. We were about an hour early for the opening of the visitor center, so we strolled around the quiet streets and drove to the Presidential gravesite. We got back to the center just as they were unlocking the doors and stamped our last cancellations for the trip.

8 hours later we were back home in Ohio. 7,219 miles, $565.55 in gasoline costs, 12 National Park sites visited, 9 hours of Rock And Roll and 97 songs later, we were finally home and sleeping in our own bed. Another adventure in the books, and a liftetime of memories made. And of course, I am already making plans for The Great American Roadtrip 2019.

Always remember one thing. The journey IS the destination.

Kevin Montavon has visited National Parks in the 48 lower states and attended over 1,500 concerts before beginning this road trip. He also sings in the band Plow Horse.