Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Day Two

Apologies if I was unclear last night. As you might imagine, my thoughts were rushed/clouded.

Laura did not have a couch nor a living room. Her apartment went directly up into a kitchen and then there were rooms scattered throughout. Unless I wanted to sleep in the hallway, the bedroom was the only option.

I didn't get a chance to ask her if that is standard practice. I woke up early to meet somebody, and she was not getting up. I will say this: when I woke up she did have a shirt on, but I would bet my life she did not when I came in last night.

I hardly slept a wink. Laura snored a lot (don't worry, I have audio), and her room was like a sauna. Worse, every time I shifted on the bed, the fan unplugged itself. I'd say I got one or two hours at a time, at most.

Anyway, the reason I haven't posted all day is because I was out with this woman Judy Becker. I met Judy at 9:30 this morning and got done with her at 8:30 tonight. This woman has been to over 100 countries, traveled the world three times and had more stories than we had time. She's 69 and I honestly think she is the inventor of couch surfing.

By 8 p.m. I was at her house looking at the "museum" she had there--artifacts from practically every country in the world. Don't get me wrong: this woman was interesting, but I was drained by the time I left. We looked at every bit of historical Philly (of which she knows as much as any tour guide), and then had dinner at some Indian restaurant, where she regaled me with tales of her trips, which included near murders, adoption, and the first time she was high.

Finally I arrived at the home of my couch surfing host, Ed, at 9:30. He was a sight for sore eyes after I took a wrong turn and had a lovely gentleman ask me if I wanted any of the following: weed, cocaine or Oxycontin (or, at least, that was all that was audible).

Ed seems like a great guy though. Very normal and laid back. The couch I am sleeping on is also in his room, but his room is big enough so we aren't spooning...yet.

I'll try and post before I go to bed with more stories.

- Evan

P.S. I will try to get some pictures up tonight, to better illustrate my point.

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