Drumble in the Bronx (not in NY content ahead)

Spent the night here in Richmond with Pablo, Josh and Lindsay. Last night we had some fancy beers at the bar that Pablo works at, then went to a Bday party at the "Slanty Shanty" - a hideously slanted row house in the Oregon Hill section of Richmond. Hung out with a bunch of people that I didn't know and had a lot of fun. There were some R.O.T.A. and Cutthroats there too who were very nice. Turns out ROTA and YABAI have similar colors (black and green v. black and LIME green).

I saw a craigslist post for someone going to amebix in philly looking for a ride - I emailed them to see if I could get in on that too. Turns out it was julie (of julie and kyle) from St. Pete - both of whom live in RVA now. FLAVA! Still trying to find a ride - feeling like a baby not wanting to hitch in the cold and rain, but who cares?

Discovered that i'm now missing my Yabai vest - fuck, had my new ID in there too.

Walked "home" and crashed out pretty quick.

Today I awoke to a text from julie about the chinatown bus system, but it's not going to work out - it seemed really early to text someone or be up, for that matter though, as the whole house was so dark, but I looked at my watch and it was already 12:30 - OOPS! Pablo was still spending collapsed midday, so I let him sleep, cleaned up my sleeping spot on the floor and wrote him a note that I'd gone out hunting for ducketts and bean (wow that sounds really funny).

RVA is really really cool looking, and superbly easy to walk around in. Lots of "art/alt school" kids, who don't acknowledge you when you say hello. My kind of place?

I wound up just where I wanted to be, at Harrison St. Coffee House, slurping bean and eating a sandwich - my first "real" food since I left, and my first anything food (save a beanadilla pablo made me) since the day before yesterday/midday. SIFG.

After that, I got a call from Pablo saying he was walking up to Slanty to get his car that we left there last night (drunk-stumbling home/drumbling home). I met up with him and we headed off to meet up with Jeremy and two new characters, Mo (an XVX super-active radical lady punx) and Charlie (probably not XVX or 'x' - still punx) who were working on the coolest punk house that I've been to yet - "Battery Tracks" - a squatted row-mansion of sorts. The house was built in the early 20's they think, and I'd probably agree. It's got the coolest looking, ornately-moulded stairway up to the second floor and a fold-down stairway from the attic (kind of like the dome, but way bigger, fully finished) - the walls are newly re-drywalled and the whole downstairs has been painted wacky colors. - there's also a basement, but that'll be closed off for the time being (if they ever do open it, it'll be a 4-story squat). They, so far have done some electrical work and painted the place - their working on getting the electric fixtures up to code so they can get the electricity turned on. I've got pics, you'll see it - it's amazing.

Next door to battery tracks is the 'Mashup House' where Mo lives. She treated everyone to tea and toast and we hung out with her dogs, Grits and Flapjacks (breakfast dogs, I guess - i told her about bagel too).

Afterwards, we stopped by Josh and Lindsays again to grab some shite before Pablo had to goat to work - then I headed up to Crossroads coffee and food place to hang out with julio (while he worked, lolzzzz) - Might go see government warning tonight.

ryan!

p.s. might head up to dc tomorrow via greyhound ($23) then philly from there on the chinatown ($15) - that is - if new friend Eroll doesn't get us a ride up to philly.