I woke up a couple times, and finally decided to get out of my fan at 2:03 pm. The restroom was closed for cleaning, so I had to use a portapotty outside. Good times. I found Cousin Larry's Cafe at 2:57 pm. I drove aimlessly around Danbury, CT for a while. I ended up driving through some beautiful residential areas, and I found Candlewood Lake. I had never heard of it before, but it was one of the best parts of the trip. I had 4 hours before I had to be at Cousin Larry's for sign-up, so I just sat on the dock and listened to the water, and looked at the birds and the hills in the distance. Then I saw the no trespassing sign at Candlewood Inn, so I left. I did find Lattin's Cove, though, and while the view wasn't as good, it was still very pleasant and calming. The rest of the trip had been go, Go, GO! Gotta see this, gotta do that, driving in Boston, going to Montreal, driving, driving, driving. That day, I really needed something free and relaxing. Sitting by a lake was perfect.
I had some time to kill, so I pulled into the "World's Largest Dairy Store," Stew Leonard's. They actually had a great selection of interesting foods, but being down to $10 for 4 days worth of food, I bought a six pack of apple sauce, and a six pack of raisins, and a 1.5 liter bottle of water, for a total of $5.37, which I had hoped would be enough food for 2 days, and knew that it may need to last 3 depending on how far the nearest Speedway was (I had $25 gas card for them). I thought it was somewhere in PA; I just wasn't sure where.
The open mic that night reminded me of why I make music, and why I take big risks to try to make music my career. I was heckled by someone and she got kicked out. There was a lot of talent, energy, and great times! Joe played some incredible drums, and Pruven and Kevin kicked some tight rhymes. Lys took a few pics for me, and was really nice. One guy gave me $20 for a CD, and absolutely made my night. I sold another CD for $8 (because it's all she had), so I made $28.
Kevin, someone, Joe (bassist extraordinaire), Pruven
71 miles driven that day
Onto Day 12