PITCH America West Coast Tour

check out the snazzy new page for the snazzy new tour: pitchamerica.info
we are touring up and down the west coast in people's houses - possibly yours! check out the website, get in touch, and discover what the hokie pokie's all about.

Fuckin Oatmeal

it looked like it was spring around here, then all of a sudden it flashed back to winter. maybe there's something in the weather patterns. the bate and switch almost. as though we get comfortable in the spring time and then suddenly the winter affects us as being a thousand times more severe, despite it being only a slight drop. ya know, the more i travel, the more i realize all the clues to life are sitting around the corners, on the street, in the trees. it's only a matter of taking the time to slow down and notice. talk about breakfast. oatmeal at the old post! you have got to be fucking kidding me! unbe'fuckin'leavable! I LOVE BREAKFAST!

Snap Your Fingers Missoula

On Saturday night outside the door I found a suspicious package. My first instinct was to dispose of it as far away as I could in a metal container. My second instinct was "if you see something, say something" fucking MTA. I didn't listen to common sense, and I didn't listen government scare tactics. I opened it. Inside were a series of cards. "To Compliment the unique location and heighten your experience, PITCH kindly requests that you: SNAP YOUR FINGERS! rather than clap your hands" along with a photo of a boy running, his hat blown from his head. I checked around to see if there was more, if this was part of something more significant. Not a thing. After shaking off the feeling that I was about to uncover something from CSI: MONTANA I snapped this photograph. I was supposed to make a stop in Kellogg, Idaho tomorrow night. But I'm gonna investigate a little in Missoula, stick around and see if anything else pops up. If you see something let me know.

Those Darn Clerics

Last night after the meeting, I went to this place I'm told is the quintessential Missoula experience. It's called the Union Club. This band called Tom Catmull and the Clerics were playing. Wow, that drummer was sweet. He was rockin his shit. Couple beers later I was feelin like a... I think they say "Missoulian." Goodness, I'm already startin to talk a little bit like one. There was this one song about a dude who hit and killed a couple girls with his truck on their way to a party. Apparently some lawyers are pissed because the jurors in the case have heard the song and they say it's destroying their objectivity in the case. Damn straight it is! And it ought to be. Reminds me why I have to keep working. Have to keep rocking. Shit doesn't change on its own damn will.

Good Morning Butte

I spent last night in Butte. Woke up this morning to the most amazing snow. It's beautiful with the blue sky mixed with the snow now. I'd always wanted to see the Berkeley copper pit out here. It's simultaneously horrendous and amazing. Thinking of the history in it. The work. The tragedy. It's good to be on the road after a little reprieve in Cody the last couple days. I think I got sick from the party in Silt. Now the Montana kick. It's an enormous state, but luckily there's only about two towns I need to hit on this stretch. This afternoon I'm driving to Missoula. I've always wanted to see Missoula. I hear Hemingway kicked it there for a while. I've already gotten tips on the road of which bars to frequent, and which ones to steer clear. Also, everyone keeps blabbering on about this Rattlesnake wilderness area. If it's not too snowy I guess I'll check that out. Shit. Life gets dull when you're not blowing shit up. It's like the other 97% is spent picking out what to eat for breakfast and then not finishing it when it comes. I hope Butte has better breakfasts than Cody. I guess I'll find out when this waiter finally stops by the table. Today, just eggs.

Rawhide Coffee!

I'm home in Cody, Wyoming for a night before heading off into Montana. Enjoyed Colorado, but honestly, glad to have moved on. That state is a bit intense, even for me. It feels wonderful enjoying a fresh latte at Rawhide Coffee. If you've never been it's an absolute must. It's over on Sheridan Ave, and boy do they love their moose heads. As nice as it is to be home for a visit, it doesn't feel like home anymore. It hasn't for a while. It's almost like it betrayed me. If a place can do that. I don't know that I've ever entirely trusted a person, but I almost unknowingly invested a blind trust in Cody, and it turned its back on me. I don't know where I'll go. I suppose I'll figure that out once I'm off the road. For now, it's just a stop. Another leg of the journey that just so happened to have the best damn coffee joint I ever dreamed of. As the road trip nears a conclusion I can't help but imagine what tomorrow might be like, and the next day. It's inspiring and horrifying in alternating visions - the idea of walking into the unknown. Yeah, each stop is new, but so long as I'm on this journey, it seems okay. Maybe I'll just stay on the road. If you never stop, you never have to wonder what's next. Just keep trucking.

Bombs and Booze

Boy were we having a party last night! The hosts had some beer for our meeting in their old detached garage, and folks had a good time. I would usually say be careful when you mix your beer and liquor, and never mix your beer with explosives. But having had a little hint of it, so long as you don't light the explosives, and drink responsibly, I don't see why the combination can't be brilliant bloody idea. We sure were rockin and rollin all night long. I wind up getting dragged to a bunch of church services on the road (a.k.a. this morning!), and let me tell you, the churches in Colorado take the cake. Especially this morning in Silt. The spirit most definitely moves them. I think the church is onto something. That spirit can get you stoked on just about anything I bet. I think I'll play around with some sermons and see if they don't make badass intros for a meeting or two next week. I recorded the sermon at services this morning on my handy recorder, so maybe I can rework it over the next few days. I think I'm gonna take it easy. The whole trip has exhausted me. I don't think I felt it until yesterday. All the wear and tear just sort of snuck up... and boom! I think another beer or two tonight might be what the doctor ordered. Thank you Silt!