Where the streets have no name

The reality is starting to sink in.

By this time next week, I'll be in the Oklahoma/Texas area - zooming along in my Chevy Aveo, jamming to something-or-other.

I've still got quite a bit to do. I have to pack, and get my to-bring list ready, and do some supplies shopping - not to mention get my info in gear, state-by-state directions assembled, and have some preacher read me my Last Rights (just in case). A book of stamps for postcards might be handy, too.

Unfortunately no one (a) applied or (b) qualified to be my Second Mate, which is a bummer. When people looked surprised that I'm going alone, I tell them that I did open it up to others (maybe a little late, but still).

And hey, what's the worst that could happen, right?

I'm taking my G3 iBook to keep up to date with e-mail and probably even this here blog. I'll be posting pictures and updates as much as I can. And I'll try to keep up with e-mail, but I'm not going to waste time with it.

Oh, and I've got a special "Route 66 Special Edition" e-mail address, that I'm sending all my info to - and to kind of act as a storage bin. Let me know if you want it.

Finally, I've come up with a song list of sorts. We'll call it the "Get Your Kicks Mix." Here's a sample:
- "(Get Your Kicks) On Route 66" by Chuck Berry
- "On the Road Again" by Willie Nelson
- "I've been Everywhere" by Johnny Cash
- "Running Down a Dream" by Tom Petty
- "End of the Line" by the Traveling Wilburys
- "Long Time" by Boston
- "Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2
- "Escape is at Hand for the Travelin' Man" by the Tragically Hip
- "Long Road" by Sam Roberts
- "Like A Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan
- "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by the Rolling Stones
- "Destination Unknown" cover by Smashing Pumpkins

...and a few more I can't remember.

Can you recommend any more good road trip tunes?


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In other news...the gorgeous new Intel iBooks...er...MacBooks were released today.

Part of me wishes I had waited to get my iBook. These new MacBooks (as opposed to the "Power" versions - the MacBook Pro) are screaming little machines - Intel Core Duo, more Ghz, more memory, more features. Plus they come in the slick new Black edition (though I still adore the classic clamshell colored look).

And at about $1,000, they'll beat the pants off any Dell or HP laptop. Plus they're pretty.

Maybe I'm glad I didn't wait. The new MacBooks have a 13" "wide-screen," while my G4 came with a 15" screen - a necessity for all the graphic design stuff I do. Plus I don't like to feel cramped.

But boy - if you were waiting for a reason to buy a new Apple laptop, this is it. Not everyone needs a PowerBook-style laptop. But everyone could use this little beauty.

I still adore my iBook, though. I'm thinking about a RAM upgrade because of all my Adobe software, and the harddrive is getting a little cramped, but it does just what I need it to do.

The only thing still waiting for an Intel update is the Power Mac. How they can ever beat the speed and power of the monolithic G5 (a bargain at $2,000-4,000, and still the fastest desktop PC on Earth) I can't even guess.

*Sigh*

It's a good feeling, to be rooting for this team.