On the Road Again! Left the Prytania Hotel this a.m. About 8:45, with kisses and hugs from Big Daddy and the First Lady, and simply followed my gps northward--mostly because it wanted to take me back via a different route than I took coming in, so I didn't much care where it led me. (I decided to take the northern route (as stated yesterday) to pick up Gillian Welch's performance in Wichita on Wednesday.) How to get to Wichita, however, is a subject worthy of some debate. There are no clear and direct routes, and the alternatives each have pro's and con's. One other reason for taking the northern route is the chance that I will be able to connect with some old high school friends who reside in Topeka and Olathe, KS—both cities within the ambit of the “greater Kansas City Area” (at least according to Kansas Citians). (Although I claim Hawaii as my home of origin, I did officially graduate from High School in Shawnee Mission Kansas, and I still have some friends there, including the other two thirds of my high school folk trio). Problem is, since I didn't plan anything, they don't know about this wonderful opportunity... Sooooooo.........IF I can connect with them, it will be great.

It turns out my gps wanted to take me to Kansas City via St. Louis! I demurred at the point in the road called Memphis, and turned left towards Little Rock, which is (roughly) where I am right now. What happens tomorrow depends on whether I can reach any of my KC contacts. Right now I'm planning in the dark. Keep the suspense going, as they say in the blogging world—where will he be tomorrow; whom will he be with? I don't know any more than do you.

I passed through Memphis, and right by the exit sign to Graceland, with considerable angst...As the song says, “...for reasons I don't understand, some part of me wants to go to Graceland...” I also want to spend some music time in Memphis. And some river time. A lot of time, in fact. But I've decided this will have to be a different trip. I can't cram everything into this one, and musically speaking I'm running on overload already this trip with so much great music to absorb.

[Note to self, and an alert to others: if in a motel six, make sure you and your neighbor agree on what channel to set the TV on, that way you can pretend you want to listen to the same one, and you might not be able to hear the neighbors commentary on whateveritisyou'rewatching.]

In any event, depending on whether I can connect tonight or tomorrow with old friends, I will go tomorrow to either Kansas City, Topeka, Olathe or Wichita Kansas. At least I've got the state nailed down! I will let you know pretty much concurrent with my own knowledge.  All I know for sure is that I get to see Gillian Wednesday. Here's a preview: this is a great clip of Gillian with David Rawlings AND John Hartford playing a simple fiddle in the background. This must have been shortly before Hartford's death from the big C. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLcNmeXMk5U&feature=related