Lot Lizards, Birds, and Old Loves

Hi folks,

Several of you have suggested that my posts are too long for our internet age (for ‘others,’ not them), so I’m going to put my Postcards at the top. Everyone seems to like them and this way you don’t have to read the drivel that follows if your not so inclined. I’m trying to avoid losing more of you to the Unsubscribe button…

This Postcard would normally be too similar to the last one to post but the final image (the winged bird) is so extraordinary (in the coincidence of it) that I find the ‘card worthwhile. See what you think…

Truck Stop, Kingman, Arizona (I think it’s still Arizona), November 8…

Goddamn massive truck stop. A hundred at least pack the lot. Early morning and the beasts are growling and stalking off. Poor Gus has a fear of loud machinery noises and is holed up under the desk by my bunk.

Truly, these Interstate truck stops represent an interesting and maybe important subculture. Virtually everything you own, and everything that whatever dark forces that are out there own, has been moved by one of these internal combustion monsters. The drivers know stuff about How the World Works, whether they know they know it or not; I’ve interviewed two truckers so far and both had spooky stories to tell about ‘government stuff’ they’d hauled…

I’m not far from Las Vegas and will tentatively head in that direction. Reason is that I’m getting fond of the ‘Postcard’ gimmick. Wait. Not a gimmick. Only a gimmick if I don’t do new sorts of imagery with it. A breakthrough was deciding to use music; changes everything. Now they will have more comprehensible meaning. (The emails I got re the ‘Once in a Lifetime’ Postcard are partially responsible for this decision. So thanks! Glad you liked it.)

A technical detail for those interested: I bought a bunch of neutral density (ND) filters, the boomer being of 10 stops. Meaning it cuts the light entering the lens by a factor of 10: I can set my shutter speed at slooooooooow. For example, the Canon is on the roof right now recording the big boys’ bolt from the lot, right? With the ND filter I was able to set the shutter speed (with the polarizing filter stacked onto the ND filter) at 2 seconds, in the bright of day. Gives that wild ass blur you might have noticed in the last one, the Talking Heads one. I went up to the roof and grabbed the chip from the Canon: Below is the third image on it, from just before dawn.

Dunno if you’re interested in this sort of stuff, but I’m semi-excited about the idea of developing the Postcards into a unique, not to say new, sort of storytelling format, not to say art form.

Point being that I’m pumped on the challenge of shooting a Postcard at Las Vegas and avoiding cliché in doing so (time lapses of Vegas are a dime a doz). Which is why I’m headed for Vegas and not San Onofre for some log-waves.The coast can wait another few days, I figure.

Another place I’m going to stop at is Blythe, just west of the California/Arizona border. Border. One of you wrote berating me for using border instead of line re the division between one state and another. I have news, fella: Border is actually correct. Ever notice that in formally announcing the name of countries (at the U.N., say) they preface with ‘The Republic of…’? But they don’t do that with the U.S. of A. Why? Because the states are actually the republics; the U.S. of A is an organization of republics. ‘Border’ is correct. So there, wise-ass.

Anyway, Blythe… A subscriber named Jessica wrote me a charming and informative little essay on the truck stop subculture at Blythe. I don’t think she’d mind if I quote her:

“Lot Lizards” are prostitutes that focus their particular commercial aim at truck drivers… Lot Lizards, hotels and restaurants are all holistically intertwined supporting both truck drivers and the local prostitute culture… I assume you’ve learned of this phenomenon at some point [no, I haven’t!] and seen the stickers on passing rigs that illustrate a lizard within a circle with a line cut through it, which indicates that the driver is not interested in a knock and solicitation on their rig. There are also subtle ways in which a driver might indicate an interest for such solicitation, though I never really learned what that was. What I did very clearly observe was how some of the Lot Lizards in town conducted business differently than prostitutes in the more urban environments I’ve lived. Often these ladies would be taken to breakfast at the Denny’s following a night with a driver…

(At Breakfast)… I’d occasionally observe the somewhat awkward, yet meaningful, interaction between these gals and their johns. It impressed me how much the johns took on gentlemanly roles knowing they were only in for the night, or perhaps, this was a regular stop for them (those were easy to pick out because the body language and conversation was easier flowing, but still oddly disconnected, not like regular couples). They would dine together and that would be it – or not in the case of the regulars.

This is exactly the sort of place I was hoping to stumble across! ‘Always Open’ indeed. Thanks, Jessica. (And what a perfect name for the town: Blythe.)

Before I forget: Sorry for the whoa-is-me bit in the post last time (although no one called it that).

Imagine a whiney voice: Oh poor Allan doesn’t have enough subscribers? Boo hoo. What I realized based on all the smart emails I got over the last view days is that I should feel lucky that you, you personally, are out there listening and paying attention while doing so. Even if you personally didn’t write, if you’re reading this right now you’re part of some sort of extended family, I figure. Given I have no close-blood family left – one first cousin is it (with whom I don’t keep in close enough touch)– and given I’ve abandoned my physical ‘home’ for so many years…

Several of your emails gave me some perspective on the ‘Unsubscribes,’ indirectly clueing me to my lack of self-reflection… (Awkward goddamn sentence, huh?)

I also have to thank those of you who contributed financially to this latest effort of mine (and commented favorably on the Postcards). In fact, I’m encouraged enough that I’m going to look for a small motorcycle, smaller than 125cc, an Enduro, on/off road type, to hang on the back of the rig; this will give me a real radius to work with, photographically/filmicly, wherever I am.

I had to spend $1,700 to enter 50 some odd film festivals. I mentioned this last time: I’ve spread the festivals out in time and space (starting in January and going right through next fall), from Vancouver, BC (and even one in the Yukon!) to south Florida. So I’ll be doing a shitload of driving… (I’m assuming the Fundy film will be accepted by more than a few…)

One of the purposes of attending all these festivals will be to promote Water Time. After spending over six years making it, I’m not giving up on getting it seen. (If you agree, I’m all ears on how expand the audience.)

I got enough $100 donations this past few days that I’m out of audio books, so for now a hundred or more will get you CYGAWA plus a Cosmic Banditos physical book plus six Water Times (Christmas gifts!), all signed and personalized with your first name or the name you ask for. Plus you’ll be an Associate Producer on Always Open (described further below).

If you’ve already coughed up the $100, you’re on the list retroactively. Here’s my other idea on how to partially finance Always Open, given the miles ahead and the price of gas, which I’m averaging out to $3.25 a gallon (it was twice that in Canada). A fill up can run me $200.

Help me out with a gallon of gas per month and here’s what you get: Your initials inscribed on the rig, circling the gas cap. See the sidebar photo: the initials are the last 10 contributors of $100 or more (I’ll inscribe the rest of you soon). Future $100 folks will likewise have their mark on the rig. About once a month I’ll post a photo of the updated ‘Initials Area.’

You get Associate Producer screen credit on Always Open (this worked well for Water Time). So if you want to do this, go over to the sidebar and click the Donate button. $3.25 per month isn’t much but if enough of you do this, it will make a huge difference to the production. If you don’t have Paypal, you can still use the button, via your cc card. Paypal will take its cut (from my end) and be responsible for keeping your info secure. (If you buy stuff online you should have Paypal, as it is a layer of protection between your bank info and cyber-crooks.)

Keep in mind that the most encouraging help I get is when someone contributes $15 or more to get two Water Time DVDs.  

Okay. Enough about money. I don’t like bringing it up but I have to if I’m going to continue with and finish this film/blog project…

In fact, enough, period, for now. I’ll get back to you soon. I should have something to say about Las Vegas…

Allan

One other thing, just in: Much as I dislike what Facebook actually is, i.e., an advertising and surveillance bonanza for the State/Big Biz (remember that according to Zuckerberg, we’re all ‘dumb fucks’), it finally came through, provided something worthwhile. Some of you might remember Candace from In Search of Captain Zero; my ‘first love’ or whatever and who lived with me on the North Shore in 1969 until the night the sea came ashore and wiped out our house and much of the coast (still the biggest swell to ever hit the Islands).Candace. Due to the total destruction that night and due to my being the way I am, I never possessed a real photo of her. Well, Facebook came through.

The ‘post apocalypse North Shore’ comment is pure Candace in wry double meaning (the physical destruction and our relationship).