RobertSpuhler.com

Toronto, June 17th

In Which I May Or May Not Have Been Cockblocked By AT&T

Queen St West in Toronto is an odd mix of bars, chain stores and indie boutiques, mixed with the core businesses (drug stores, corner markets) that make a neighborhood livable. It's the street for tourists who don't like feeling like tourists. For tourists who want the mirage of residency.

Toronto, June 16th

In Which I Unintentionally Cut Myself Off From Society

6:55am to 1:30ish - LAX < ORD

O'Hare is one of my favorite airports, but that might only be because I've spent so, so much time there. While in college and flying United between DC and Denver, Chicago was a near-automatic layover.

I sleep on the plane, we get in, and I find the nearest bar to watch Uruguay pimp slap South Africa. It costs $35 for two beers and an order of chicken wings.

Toronto (Prologue)

In Which I Mention Toronto A Grand Total Of One Time

"There's a tendency when traveling to put oneself in a perpetual state of dread. It's in people's faces at even the smallest inconvenience. The long line outside the Chili's To Go moving too slowly? Long sigh. Shoulders slump. Even the hair-trigger turn toward the airport speaker when an announcement is made - "I bet they're delaying my flight. Or the airline's gone under and I'm stranded here" - signifies the thought that all of the worst things in life will happen to you and you alone.

I've certainly been that person in the past. And, in my defense, with good reason: An airline once went out of business while I was in flight. Flying in and out of Colorado in the winter means never, ever departing on time. My luggage has seen vistas I could never dream of seeing.

It's hard, though, to justify the ill will I've seen from fellow travelers in the last two days. Whether it be at the passport office (which does take a very, very long time to navigate) to security lines, I've now had five different travelers unload to/at me their woes of trying to get from A to B.

Here's the thing no one wants to say, though: If you show up at the airport 45 minutes before your flight, it's your fault. If you don't keep your passport up to date, it's your fault. If the mean ol' security guard won't let you cut in front of all the people standing in line because you have to pick up your passport NOW NOW NOW, it's your fault. Show up earlier."

- Me, Chicago O'Hare, 6/16/2010

Since 2001, I have traveled to a grand total of two cities that I'd never visited before, for a total of three days (two in San Diego, one in Reno). Las Vegas, Denver, Glenwood Springs and Washington DC have been my exclusive travel destinations.

I needed a vacation. I had frequent flyer miles. And Broken Social Scene was playing a show in Toronto.

So, I went.

These entries are going to be brain dumps, mostly. Narrative has never been my strong suit, anyway. They'll be just pictures and recollections, mostly - like a vacation slide show where you can read ahead and not wait through my stammering, or me trying to remember the name of the girl at the bar.

More tomorrow.

Car Trouble (It Must Be Summer)

It's easy to forget that the desert gets cold at night. Especially when the wind is blowing as hard as it was Tuesday evening (30 to 40 miles per hour, said the weather guy on television).

So I found myself in a cold swirl of sand at midnight this past Tuesday-into-Wednesday, stranded by the side of the road about a half-mile away from the California-Nevada state line. When I started my car, it sounded like the engine rods were banging on the hood. It wouldn't move. And the battery had gone with the engine, meaning that my headlights, and, importantly, my hazards would not work.

Let's back up.

Nov. 16-25

I'm kind of an idiot.

When DC United was flying high in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, and with the MLS championship in Washington DC this year, I decided it would be a good excuse to fly back for the MLS Cup match on November 18th, the weekend before Thanksgiving.

Thus far, not too stupid.

Upon Return

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you to Dave, Chris and Danielle for letting me crash on your couch for a week.

Thank you to everyone who made time for lunch, dinner or bowling.

Thank you to Juniper Lane for showing me the 9:30 Club dressing rooms - after all the concerts I've covered there, that was the first time I had ever been up there.

And most of all, thank you to Jonathan and Radhika for letting me share your special day.

Photos after the jump and at my Flickr page.

Notes From the Road

SILVER SPRING, Md. - A few notes from the last two days:

• I am done, completely done, with United Airlines.

Airline Love

Nothing beats a 28-hour trip.

I went back to Denver yesterday for my father's birthday (dinner at a seafood restaurant, then tickets to see a fantastic 3-1 win for America's Team, the Colorado Avalanche over the Detroit Red Wings). Left LAX at 10:55. Back in LA at 3:30. Stupid snow in Denver caused a nearly-90 minute delay.

However, I would now like to announce that Frontier Airlines is the official airline of RobertSpuhler.com.

1) Short check-in lines
2) Easy e-ticket kiosks
3) Cute animals on plane (for the record, I flew with Sarge to Denver and Carl back)
4) Cheap
5) If your flight is delayed, you get free in-flight DirectTV
6) Flies everywhere I've flown in the last three years (really just LA, Denver and DC)
7) Best commercials in the business

It's kinda rare for me to say anything nice about an airline (I was once on a carrier that went out of business while I was in the air), but I'm a Frontier backer.

(NOTE: This was originally going to be my San Francisco weekend. It's been postponed.)
(MORE NOTE: This means I'm going to try to get to the Emily Haines show Tuesday at the El Rey.)

Need SF Advice

So, if I were going to San Francisco for a couple of days in January...

1. Where in town should I stay?
2. How rough is the drive (keeping in mind that I'm the guy that drives 13 1/2 hours to western Colorado for holidays)?
3. What is the Great American Music Hall like?
4. Where should I go and what should I do?

Sleep Comes Like a Drug...

Up since 3 a.m. Jittery. Right leg shaking. 2nd Slurpee.

I spent a lot of time on a plane, walked out of an ACT lesson (kid kinda had it coming - didn't do homework, didn't bring a calculator and didn't seem to want to do any work), bought flowers, delivered flowers, drove to the Valley, did a commercial spot in a workshop with a cute, married Canadian woman.

So, I'm going to bed. But before that happens...