7. Oh for a rainy day
I am in Columbus Ohio. It is hot. Unusually hot, and I am grumpy.
I shouldn’t be too grumpy, because bizarrely I’m a day ahead of schedule. I wasn’t mean to be here until today and instead I’m leaving Columbus shortly instead for the deepest darkest depths of West Virginia and the ’stop’ along the way. And this is a good thing - I was always really worried that I would have do loads of ‘make up’ driving to catch up with myself, but so far I am averaging around 4 hours of driving a day, and it’s working out really well.
I am grumpy though due to my headache. It’s the unseasonably hot weather for Ohio, and the irony now is that a few days back when I was fed up with it raining? Well … I could really do with a cool rainy day right now.
But at least we have a video … yay! From the depths of the abandoned mining town of Centralia PA, to the rolling countryside of northern Virginia, and into Detroit Michigan yesterday where we checked out the world’s largest tyre. Go Play!
A quick shout out too must to to Cassie and Chelsea at Adriatico’s Pizza place near the college in downtown Columbus - great pizza place, and I promised I’d give them a mention.
After living in London for the first 33 years of my life and working for the 
So for ten weeks in June, July and August 2009, I drove 20,000 miles around the the lower 48 contiguous states of the USA visiting towns and places that shared the same name as places on The London
June 25th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
The word is ‘SaTurday’, not ‘SaDurday’…
June 25th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Dont expect any cool weather the rest of your trip!!!!
June 25th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Can’t wait for your post on Ohio- it was fun meeting you last night!
June 25th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
How on earth did you do that effect at the start? The camera appears appears to be taped to the bonnet (hood for all you Americans) and is looking back at you. Good camera work. Very impressive!
June 25th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Y’all say “Satt’dy” anyway…
June 25th, 2009 at 10:45 pm
Geoff’s cousin: I think after 3 years Geoff is allowed to have a little bit of a USA ‘twang’.It is very easy when you are there to speak like them, I did and I was only there a week. I am surprised he doesn’t speak more American. Love the hat by the way!
June 25th, 2009 at 11:58 pm
i think the “World’s Largest Tyre” symbolizes all that is sublimely silly about the USA. i mean, it’s not a REAL tyre, izzit? it’s a leftover promo piece from the 1960s. but it’s still the biggest, so it’s preserved and even facelifted periodically. for no real utility at all.
June 26th, 2009 at 3:15 am
@paul I do indeed have a ’suction’ gadget that allows you to stick things to surfaces. So i got my mini-camera, stuck it to the bonnet/hood of the car for two minutes, and drove along - all for a 2 second shit! i AM that committed, oh yes!
have you looked up “worlds largest” stuff for your leg of the tour, JJ?
June 26th, 2009 at 9:19 am
I’m now too scared to watch the video. I’m not sure I want to see you doing a “2 second shit”.
June 26th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
2 seconds of video!! oh… never mind. what’s a little scary is that i did shoot some footage of a toilet yesterday, for real. video of that up by Sunday/Monday. you’ll see!
July 26th, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Hey buddy! I’m the server who forgot the mushrooms on your pizza at Adriaticos:) Hope your trip is going well and fuck those bastards who stole your belongings. Karma will bite them in the ass. It was a pleasure meeting you and your friend. Be safe and good luck.