@stepee do you want to travel around the US now?

[Fizzzzle]

I've always thought that would be something to do once I didn't have to work anymore. Like I want to visit a dive bar in Des Moines or something. Or sea Mount Rushmore so I could find somewhere to piss where I'm not allowed to (because fuck Mt. Rushmore).

 

Any plans to take a grand tour of America?

[stepee]

Certain parts I have no interest in but there are some places I’d like to visit. I don’t plan to do like a full country tour or anything like that but I’ll be visiting a bunch of the east coast later this year. I do want to take a lot of train rides so I’ll travel through a lot of areas.

[Fizzzzle]

49 minutes ago, stepee said:

Certain parts I have no interest in but there are some places I’d like to visit. I don’t plan to do like a full country tour or anything like that but I’ll be visiting a bunch of the east coast later this year. I do want to take a lot of train rides so I’ll travel through a lot of areas.

Riding across the country in the California Zephyr might be fun. Get off for a day or two in random places. I'm assuming it runs every day.

[stepee]

24 minutes ago, Fizzzzle said:

Riding across the country in the California Zephyr might be fun. Get off for a day or two in random places. I'm assuming it runs every day.

 

Yeah I’ll definitely be doing things along those lines. I’ve done from here to Chicago a few times but never stopping in between. I’d also like to do it with a sleeping car cuz yolo

[Fizzzzle]

1 minute ago, stepee said:

 

Yeah I’ll definitely be doing things along those lines. I’ve done from here to Chicago a few times but never stopping in between. I’d also like to do it with a sleeping car cuz yolo

My aunt is retired and made the trip from LA to Portland on the train a couple years ago. It sounds like a lot of fun if time isn't an issue. I think it took her a little over 2 days.

[stepee]

6 minutes ago, Fizzzzle said:

My aunt is retired and made the trip from LA to Portland on the train a couple years ago. It sounds like a lot of fun if time isn't an issue. I think it took her a little over 2 days.

 

Yeah it’s about 3 days from here to IL and it’s a lot of fun even that long. The big key these days is don’t have a nicotine addiction unless patches/gum work for you or you are going to have a bad time. The smoking stops are few and far between and they don’t fuck around with trying to smoke in the bathroom. It’s hard to appreciate a slow lurching trek through the country when all you care about is your next fix. Luckily I quit during my accident so that part will be so much better now.

 

Besides thar it’s a beautiful way to spend time and at its best it slips into a point where since you are just kind of stuck on this train, night or day don’t doesn’t matter and you can sort of slip in and out of consciousness and view the country at odd hours.

[Fizzzzle]

 

 

@stepee

[TUFKAK]

I refuse to even step foot in a red state now. I’m heading to Crete next month with my gf and our first flight choice had a layover in salt lake 

 

noped tf out that. United got another few k so Utah didn’t get a buck from me.

 

there’s half of this nation I’d gladly never spend a dime in.

[Fizzzzle]

I have a complicated relationship with red states, especially after spending so much time in New Orleans. It's important to remember the most states turn red as fuck as soon as you leave the cities (doubly so out west), but after working in a gay bar in New Orleans for a while, I learned it's important to keep that shit alive. There's a section of the French Quarter called the "fruit loop" which is basically a string of gay bars, and they are places where queer people of all kinds can go be themselves.

 

(It should be noted that there are no more lesbian bars in New Orleans... At least none that I knew of. They're all gone)

 

I just think, like... We shouldn't abandon these places. New Orleans would probably be the last bastion of gay culture to fall, but it might eventually. 

[Keyser_Soze]

1 hour ago, TUFKAK said:

I refuse to even step foot in a red state now. I’m heading to Crete next month with my gf and our first flight choice had a layover in salt lake 

 

noped tf out that. United got another few k so Utah didn’t get a buck from me.

 

there’s half of this nation I’d gladly never spend a dime in.

 

@GeneticBlueprint will protect you

[Biggie]

5 hours ago, stepee said:

Certain parts I have no interest in but there are some places I’d like to visit. I don’t plan to do like a full country tour or anything like that but I’ll be visiting a bunch of the east coast later this year. I do want to take a lot of train rides so I’ll travel through a lot of areas.

East coast? Southern east coast? Call me bro. I’ll show you around the dirty south. 
 

[GeneticBlueprint]

5 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

@GeneticBlueprint will protect you

 

6 hours ago, Fizzzzle said:

I have a complicated relationship with red states, especially after spending so much time in New Orleans. It's important to remember the most states turn red as fuck as soon as you leave the cities (doubly so out west), but after working in a gay bar in New Orleans for a while, I learned it's important to keep that shit alive. There's a section of the French Quarter called the "fruit loop" which is basically a string of gay bars, and they are places where queer people of all kinds can go be themselves.

 

(It should be noted that there are no more lesbian bars in New Orleans... At least none that I knew of. They're all gone)

 

I just think, like... We shouldn't abandon these places. New Orleans would probably be the last bastion of gay culture to fall, but it might eventually. 

SLC is similar in being a blue island in a red sea. 

[stepee]

4 hours ago, Biggie said:

East coast? Southern east coast? Call me bro. I’ll show you around the dirty south. 
 

 

Right now the plan is to visit West Virginia, Washington, and maybe RI/New England and NY.

[Biggie]

1 hour ago, stepee said:

 

Right now the plan is to visit West Virginia, Washington, and maybe RI/New England and NY.

West Virginia?

[stepee]

17 minutes ago, Biggie said:

West Virginia?

 

To visit my Mom, otherwise it wouldn’t be high on the list lol

[GeneticBlueprint]

7 minutes ago, stepee said:

 

To visit my Mom, otherwise it wouldn’t be high on the list lol

 

That John Denver is full of shit, man.

[TUFKAK]

9 hours ago, Fizzzzle said:

I have a complicated relationship with red states, especially after spending so much time in New Orleans. It's important to remember the most states turn red as fuck as soon as you leave the cities (doubly so out west), but after working in a gay bar in New Orleans for a while, I learned it's important to keep that shit alive. There's a section of the French Quarter called the "fruit loop" which is basically a string of gay bars, and they are places where queer people of all kinds can go be themselves.

 

(It should be noted that there are no more lesbian bars in New Orleans... At least none that I knew of. They're all gone)

 

I just think, like... We shouldn't abandon these places. New Orleans would probably be the last bastion of gay culture to fall, but it might eventually. 

While I get this sentiment, I’ll keep my godless heathen money in the blue states. They don’t want me there, I don’t want to be there it’s best for everyone if I abandon them.

 

Still a great memory of wearing a Biden T-shirt, with a mask, during the 20 election in rural Utah though, ain’t nobody saying shit to me especially when I’m juiced out my mind like I was then, gyms had been back for a few months so I was hard into 800mgs a week of tren and I looked it. Got a lot of looks though. This was back before my genetic donors turned traitor in 21 so we still spoke which is why I was there.

[Keyser_Soze]

1 hour ago, stepee said:

To visit my Mom, otherwise it wouldn’t be high on the list lol

 

And to visit @Bacon of course

[Fizzzzle]

I've been to West Virginia (or maybe Kentucky, I don't know, they kind of blend together). It's fucking beautiful. And that comes from someone who grew up in the Pacific Northwest.

 

Honestly I think there is beauty to be found in every part of the country except the Great Plains. I love the swamps of the south. I love the rolling hills of Appalachia. I love the great lakes. I love autumn in New England (and only autumn). I love the deserts and canyons of the southwest. I love ALL of the northwest (we get a cheat code in that you're a day trip drive to every biome)

 

Even in the Midwest I like the summers. I spent a lot of summers in Ohio as a kid.

 

The United States is a massive country that covers basically every climate that exists. If I had my druthers, I would see all of it.

[Bacon]

Yeah, the places where people don't live look pretty scenic if you like your mountains and hills covered in trees.

[AlwaysDyingX]

On 7/12/2023 at 12:08 PM, stepee said:

 

Right now the plan is to visit West Virginia, Washington, and maybe RI/New England and NY.

 

 

Skipping right over Philadelphia. Smart. 

[best3444]

2 hours ago, BasemntDweller2 said:

 

 

Skipping right over Philadelphia. Smart. 

 

Philly has it's spots like any area really. Overall is really blows and driving in the city is an utter nightmare. 

 

I live in Central Pennsylvania right near the capitol. It's beautiful here.

[stepee]

I will say my first trip post accident was overall very successful. I did far more walking than I anticipated and was able to explore a lot without stopping too frequently. It was incredibly painful at times, mind, but I was able to push through it and I’m really excited now to start vacationing more asap.

 

The first key thing is to figure out what is best to do for the toes that no longer move and point downwards. I hadn’t thought of that for long distance and that was actually the biggest challenge more so than the leg or anything. The wound is kind of whatever because it always hurts if I’m sitting here or if I’m out exploring, doesn’t matter much.

 

What happens is that over time the toes kind of grind on the ground and against each other to the point the skin starts tearing and grinding bloody skin against itself.  It was like walking on fucking knives at one point. I then got some pad thighs but they didn’t really help. Finally I was able to lifehack it a little by rolling up an ankle dock to a cylinder shape and placing that under the toes, elevating them so they do not hit the ground.

 

This was actually very successful and I was able to finish the trip in much better shape. But that causes it’s own pain from stepping on this sock cylinder thing all day and I’m pretty sure they can find something designed for this purpose much more comfortable. 
 

Some sort of shoe that supports the ankle and holds the foot up without being so damn TIGHT crushing my very sensitive foot and some extra padding will help too. I think I should be able to get this all sorted relatively quickly and head back out though!

 

Ive definitely realized I can exercise again as well and will continue to do so now that I’m home.

 

As for the topic, I’ll also mention I really enjoy old western towns and that Arizona/Nevada desert. My grandparents took us all the time and explored the sleepier small towns and ghost towns and old tourist towns etc and I grew quite an affinity for it. So that is something I’d like to do more of as well. I did get a chance to visit Virginia City while I was at Reno and caught a gunfight show which brought back memories. I was happy to see that area actually doing so well still post covid. Seems like a place ripe to be wiped away but it seemed very healthy which is great.

 

But ya now I’m thinking before fall I will probably fit in another trip maybe do a resort in Cancun or do London since it won’t be too hot during the summer.

[Brian]

Hammertoes | ZenToes

ZENTOES.COM

---

Hammertoe and mallet toe are painful conditions that cause moderate to severe toe pain in many people. ZenToes offers affordable, easy to use Hammer Toe and Mallet Toe pain...

Get a product like this in the short term but I would talk to someone about proper orthotics. McGyvering solutions end up usually causing more issues long term. It’s best to talk to a professional about proper care and treatment. My mom tried home remedies for her broken bones and caused more damage that was preventable. 

[stepee]

Just now, Brian said:

Hammertoes | ZenToes

ZENTOES.COM

---

Hammertoe and mallet toe are painful conditions that cause moderate to severe toe pain in many people. ZenToes offers affordable, easy to use Hammer Toe and Mallet Toe pain...

Get a product like this in the short term but I would talk to someone about proper orthotics. McGyvering solutions end up usually causing more issues long term. It’s best to talk to a professional about proper care and treatment. My mom tried home remedies for her broken bones and caused more damage that was preventable. 

 

Oh yeah that looks like it could be good short term fix to help it heal back up Ill over night one, thanks! Yeah I stopped the other solution already it was just to get through the trip because I didn’t have time to do anything else and wasn’t anticipating it. I’m sure there is a good solution I can get going relatively quickly.

[Bacon]

Look into hiring a woman who will suck on your toes. I've heard that saliva has healing properties. Surely it will make your toes erect instead of drooping downwards.

 

[stepee]

8 minutes ago, Bacon said:

Look into hiring a woman who will suck on your toes. I've heard that saliva has healing properties. Surely it will make your toes erect instead of drooping downwards.

 

 

oh man that sounds horrible 

[Bacon]

horrible horrible or horrible winky face

 

[stepee]

def horrible horrible lol

[Bacon]

Just now, stepee said:

def horrible horrible lol

 

[Brian]

can’t see why this doesn’t appeal to @stepee

[stepee]

Felt a desperate need for some Tyranny so I’ll be heading to Calgary on Monday and then will check out some of the mountain towns around the area. 

[Fizzzzle]

I'm traveling by train today and tomorrow like a boss @stepee

 

It's all to go to an incubus concert I got invited to. Pardon me while I party like it's 2003.

[stepee]

10 minutes ago, Fizzzzle said:

I'm traveling by train today and tomorrow like a boss @stepee

 

It's all to go to an incubus concert I got invited to. Pardon me while I party like it's 2003.

 

From where to where?

[Fizzzzle]

2 hours ago, stepee said:

 

From where to where?

Just from Portland to Eugene and then back. It's like 2 hours