August 2

I woke up too early around 7:00 as my radio interview is not until 8:35. Hopefully I'll be able to get back to sleep for an hour.

Nah, I wasn't able to sleep at all. So I just cleaned up and Michelle made me some breakfast and then I waited for my interview. After a little glitch getting the station to call Michelle's land line to save my mobile minutes, the interview got on its way. The usual questions.

Michelle walked me to my car as she rode off to work, and I headed downtown to brave the traffic and visit the new store on Market, across from Center Square. It wasn't too bad. I parked right across from the store, probably illegally, kept an eye on the car while waiting for the manager, and successfully gave her my spiel.

Then I took a break from my Starbucks tour for a much-needed massage that made all the scrimping and penny-pinching that I'd been doing for two weeks worth it. After two weeks of either non-stop motion or working on my web site, it felt great to just lie still for an hour. That is to say, as still as one can be when in a more-or-less constant state of caffeinated vibrations. I think I even might have dozed for a moment or two, and I felt thoroughly refreshed afterwards, and ready to face the frustration that was to come.

First it was the getting out of Center City and out to I-76, then it was turning around on Lincoln Drive after having passed up the turn towards Manayunk. I drove for miles before I could turn around. The Manayunk store was pretty enough, but I should have then followed the directions to the cheap gas to the letter. Instead, the route I took got me completely lost, and I probably wasted more gas than the money I saved. But it gets worse. I tried to find a route to avoid a toll across the bridge into NJ and ended up wandering around surface streets and getting stuck in traffic and taking a few wrong turns. Finally I said to heck with it and just took the more direct route and promptly discovered that there is no toll in my direction, heading out of the the primary city, Philadelphia. All that time wasted for nothing.

But I wasn't in a great hurry, though the delay would end up costing me. I made it to several stores in southern NJ just fine, but when I got to Shrewsbury and received directions for Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash, Kevin Smith's comic book shop, I figured it would be open 'til at least 7:00 PM, so I headed south on Route 35 to reshoot the Oakhurst store, unnecessarily so, as I discovered when I stopped at Kinko's to review the stores I wanted to reshoot in Jersey. I already had a daylight pic of Oakhurst, but I also had the old night pic up there, which had confused me. So I wasted that time in traffic for nothing, and when I arrived at the Stash, it had closed 15 minutes earlier. As it would turn out, I wouldn't make it all the way back there from Yorktown Heights.

But I did get to see the Quick Stop from "Clerks", after getting lost from some directions I was given--at the comic store--and asking a lady at a grocery store who, by coincidence, had a daughter who had worked at the Quick Stop and knew exactly where it was. I had to wait a bit to get my photo, but I used the time to buy a Snapple from the clerk so I could use the microwave to heat up the rice and tuna and Vienna sausages my aunt had packed for me a couple of days earlier. Hey, free food is free food!

From there, I barely made it to the Middletown store with available light for my photo, but I ran out of time to reshoot any more stores. Then, when I got on I-287 heading towards Edison, the weather became awful. When I got off on Route 27 to try and find the Edison store, I had enough on my hands just try to see the road, and I couldn't spot the store. So finally I just pulled into any old parking lot, not worrying too much about visibility because, with the storm, it was pretty much zero. It felt kind of soothing, sleeping there under a tree with the rain splattering on the rear window on my car.


August 3

When the sun woke me around 6:00 AM I still wanted more sleep, but I decided 9 or so hours was enough to catch up, so I rolled out to find the Edison store. Lots of cops in the area for it's being so early, but at least one was of use and directed me to the New Brunswick store that I needed to reshoot. Then I got totally lost finding the Somerset store that I needed to reshoot, and what should have taken 30 minutes tops tops took almost two hours. Finally I found the Edison store, where the barista told me an interesting story about how back in '99 some college guys were going around to all the Starbucks in Jersey and asking to have a cup signed by someone in the store, or something like that. I'd like to find out more about these guys, who are probably married with kids and jobs by now.

At Menlo Park Mall, I had a different type of experience with the security guard. The Starbucks kiosk hadn't opened yet, but when I asked what time the barista asked what I needed so I showed her my article, and she thought it was pretty cool. I went across the balcony to try and get a good shot with the clock tower, and the security guard spotted me, but didn't appear to move. So what I did was to just go up and say hello to him and go talk to the partners, who decided wanted a photo with me. I now suspect the security guard must have thought I worked for them. Anyway, I asked him to take the photo of us. Then after getting my coffee I still needed a better shot, and two other guards showed up to talk to, or perhaps relieve, the first guy. No, it was too early to be relieved already. Anyway, while they were talking I got my photo and got out of there quickly, not wanting to tempt fate with these guys.

At Woodbridge Mall the manager was pretty cool, offered me a pastry, and even called the next store, also in Woodbridge, and asked them to "take care of me". I suppose that in New Jersey, what with the Sopranos and all, I might have had reason to worry about what that meant exactly. But it was cool, and one of the partners at that store even recognized me from a photo of me in my Halloween costume posted at a nearby training center.

On the drive north towards Paramus, by coincidence, I heard on "Studio 360" a bit about disposable coffee lids and a veiled reference to how long it takes to get a drink at Starbucks.

At the Paramus store I was given a keychain, and one of the partners wanted to give me a shirt specific to that store, but didn't have any there. I said I might be able to come back when she got off at 3:00, or perhaps Monday morning.

At Kinko's I actually got money back, by getting a refund from my two Kinko's cards and just using my debit card from then on.

At Old Tappan I had to ask several people before I got directions on where the cheapest gas was. I definitely wanted to gas up before crossing over into NY, where it would be more expensive. I had previously believed that the gas was more expensive in Jersey because of the full-service requirement, but this turned out to be untrue. I found the gas stations with no problems and saved quite a bit.

After visiting the Closter store I killed time at a small record store and thought about buying Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising", but decided to hold off so I could use my Best Buy card and save the cash.

On the way back to Paramus, I passed up a Colombian restaurant, and was going to get take-out, but decided I didn't have time. I also spotted a random Starbucks that I had forgotten about, and managed to get another photo, though I'm not sure if it's better. When I got back to the Paramus store Jen had a shirt for me, having called a friend who had it and was coming into the store, so I didn't have to follow her home (and thus could not ask to use her shower or computer), but I saved time.

Decided that I was doing pretty good on my food budget and actually went back to the Colombian restaurant and sat down and put away that hefty meal, slowly but surely, making every calorie count. Interestingly, the parking meters outside give you 15 minutes for a nickel, which put me in the position of actually asking the owner of the deli to break a dime for me so I could save 5 cents. Outside the deli a police officer had left his car running, and I couldn't help but have the desire to steal that sucker just to see what would happen.

On the way up towards the Tappan-Zee bridge I stopped at the Rockefeller Lookout and cursed the polluted sky.

Traffic across the Tappan-Zee was heavy, but thankfully light down towards the Bronx, where there was a new store, the original Bronx store having closed. At this store the barista had actually heard of my project on Conan.

Headed down to Manhattan and visited a couple of stores on 56th and 57th around 7th Ave. Parking was via this MUNI meter that only took quarters. Not wanting to waste a quarter, I only used one and hauled ass to the store on the other block, easier said than done on the crowded sidewalks of New York, and (on the way back), holding a cup of coffee. To make it even more inconvenient, the time on the receipt read 7:40, but when I left the first Starbucks the time on my phone said 7:33, so I had no idea how much time I had left. But I wasn't ticketed, so it's all good.

I left my batteries charging at Kinko's and then visited a few more stores, but did not photograph them, since I'd be in the area the next two days and could shoot them with some light. But I increased my maximum number of stores to fifteen (for this trip).

I took the Brooklyn Bridge and drove out to far eastern Long Island, the Hampton Bays. Actually, I stopped about 25 miles shy, in Deer Park to sleep.


August 4

The address for the Hampton Bays store did not specific E. or W., so I got a bit lost and had to call for directions, but once I reached the store the staff was pretty friendly, getting me stared with coffee and a pastry. But my day was soon to turn momentarily sour, as on my way back on the Sunrise Highway (S.R. 27) I got a flat tire. I guess I should consider myself lucky that the flat occurred at around 70-80 MPH, and not the 100+ MPH that I had been doing when pacing a car that subsequently got off the freeway, so I slowed down. Threw on the spare and drove, slowly, to the Massapequa store, where I asked around about a tire place. Being Sunday, the discount place was closed, so I had to settle for Pep Boys, which cost me a whopping $70. NUTS!!! During the way I made plans to meet a freelance journalist, and I listened to an "On the Media" piece about how the Thing is Jewish.

The rest of the day went fairly smoothly as I wrapped up Long Island. At the Roosevelt Field Kiosk I waited for about 30 minutes to take a photo with the parters before I finally gave up as the line showed no sign of abating. At Roslyn Heights the manager really got a kick out of my project and called ahead to my next store, and perhaps the media, because the manager at that store told me the news had called and wanted my #. But they never called me. I spent a while chatting with a guy sitting outside the store about my project. He had recently been to Freeport, ME, and seen the store from the outside and said it looked cool, so I'm anxious to get up there.

Manhassett was my final store in Long Island, and around the corner there was a movie house playing an indie flick, "Read My Lips", that got a good review on NPR. I wanted to see it, but it was a matter of timing. I went to the Whitestone store smoothly, but on the way back I hit traffic and would not make the movie, so I turned around and went to the Queens Place location. But I confused Queens Center for Queens Place, and parked at Queens Center, so I had to run over to other mall, and then back to my car, and by the time I returned to try and buy "The Rising" at Best Buy it had closed early for being Sunday.

Oh, and postponed meeting with that reported until the next day.

I finally got ahold of my cousin Javier in Yorktown Heights and started in that direction, stopping in Manhattan to photograph a couple of the stores I had visited the previous evening and pick up my batteries from Kinko's.

It took an almost an hour to reach Yorktown Heights from midtown. Chatted with my cousin and family, he made me a much-needed sandwich, and I crashed hard.


August 5

After finishing what remained of Long Island and Queens, I tried calling my cousin Javier in Yorktown Heights again Sunday evening, he finally answered! They had gone up to Boston to pick up his son from a summer college program, and had just returned. We discussed my coming up to visit and stay the night, but that I would try and visit with my other cousin Xavier in Brooklyn first. Xavier was not answering, so I made my way back to Manhattan via the Manhattan Bridge and then went back over to the Kinko's on 72nd and Broadway to pick up my batteries. Then I photographed a couple of the stores I had visited the previous night, having to leave one on Columbus because the road was closed off for what appeared to be an emergency, and I didn't want to waste 30 minutes just to take that photo, in low light anyway. So I called Javier again and got directions and got on the Hudson River Parkway and made the nearly one-hour trip up to Yorktown Heights.

So now I'm able to leave the car up the Yorktown Heights and take the train into the city, thus avoiding the parking hassles.

Managed to get a bit of sleep on the 40-minute train trip to Grand Central Station, where there was a new Starbucks for me to visit.

I had expected it to be tougher to get free coffee in Manhattan, but of the 18 stores that I visited, only 2 denied me, and one might have been because of the reporter.

I didn't buy a metro pass, but just walked everywhere, so by the end of the day I was exhausted.

I spent quite a bit of time in Rockefeller Plaza trying to take those photos without being seen by the security that was literally everywhere.

At 1185 6th Avenue, there was no entrance from the outside, and I got the feeling that I wasn't going to be allowed in, because of all the security after Sep. 11th, since the building house Fleet Financial, but the security guard in back was new, first day, and he pointed me to the Starbucks. The manager, however, was reluctant to talk to me, saying it needed to go through Seattle, and that she should have been contacted, but she took a look at the article and gave me the free coffee anyway. But I didn't even try to take a photo. I just shot from the outside of the building, but I did notice that the Starbucks logo was visible from the outside, if I were to, say, set up a photo with a telephoto lens at night and with a high-powered light to shine into the building, probably freaking out the security.

At 1345 6th, another building housing a finance firm, I was totally denied. Couldn't get in. Called the manager and she said it would have to go through the district manager. Called the office and left a voice-mail with some representative, but as of this writing have not heard back.

At Kinko's across the street where I checked e-mail just so I could use the bathroom I received e-mail from a Washington Post reporter, and when I called her back she interview me for a piece on Starbucks's expansion.

I walked quite a ways to shoot the 2 Columbus store around 60th, and then all the way back to World Wide Plaza, where this manager had actually seen my site and was very friendly. The other manager, of World Wide Plaza II around the corner, was one of the ones who denied me free coffee.

I got the call from Diana and met her a the store in the Macy's in Herald Square. But I made the mistake of calling her from right in front of the counter and telling her the store was up on the third floor. So the manager heard and asked who I was, and I explained my project and how a reporter was wanting to follow me around and observe. This must have put him on guard, because he immediately said (having seen my camera), no photos or video, and later when she arrived had me pay for the coffee.

Diana followed me to a couple of nearby stores, but she sat away from me as I gave my spiel to the managers this time, thus avoiding the Schrodinger's cat effect and allowing me to get my coffee. At 30th and 9th we waited a long time for a car to move so I could get my photo, and she could get a photo of me in front of the store. Then we parted ways, with my walkman in her bag, so I had to run to catch up with her and expend precious calories. But thankfully she had felt obliged to buy me a hot dog.

Now I had to hurry, because I planed to walk all the way down to Broadway and Thames, passing the Broadway and Grand and Chinatown stores on the way, and taking way too much interest in this squirrel in Union Square Park. Bought a postcard and wandered around looking for a post office to sent the card to Kim in Florida.

A little time here and there adds up, because by the time I started back from Broadway and Thames, I figured I had over 2 miles to walk/run, and less than an hour before the Park Avenue Plaza store closed. But then I rememebered I needed to take the train back with either Javier or his wife Sandra. Javier wasn't answering--Sandra said she was taking the 6:15 train, which quite simply didn't leave me time to get up to Grand Central unless I was going to go into a dead sprint, whiich would have been hard in this city even without the stuff I was carrying and my lack of energy. So I took the subway, which got me up to 49th and 7th in a matter of 10 minutes. Visited 52nd and 7th, and that's all I had time for before I rushed to the train station to meet Sandra.

Got back to Yorktown Heights and immediately started working on my web site. Had dinner without Javier who was late, but waited for him to arrive so I could say my goodbyes in case I didn't wake up early enough in the morning. Then I passed out.


August 6

Got up early around 5:00 to say goodbye to Javier, and send off a couple of e-mails. Tried to sleep some more but really couldn't, so I got up when I heard Sandra puttering around and said goodbye to her, then perhaps a little more sleep until 7:00, and now I've been working on my web site for over 6 hours, and I'm soooo ready to get out of here. Don't think I'll have time to go to the City now and visit those two remaining stores. But I did get a hold of an Internet friend from nearby, and so I'll go visit her and visit the remaining stores in Westchester instead.

Oh, I gave another radio interview with another Memphis station earlier.

And I responded to quite a few job postings this time around, but we'll see what kind of responses I get back.

Well, things sure got exciting! After taking a convoluted route to Kristen's, due to a road closure plus my getting lost, I finally stumbled across her street just as I was calling her again for better directions. This was our first time meeting in person after having e-mailed for over a year, but the meeting was cut short. Because just as I arrived, the New York Post called, wanting me to come down to the City the take a photograph. What could I do?

So I headed down to the City around 3:00 PM and traffic was pretty smooth until I crossed over from the Bronx River Parkway to I-87, and there it was nearly stopped, I'm guessing from traffic exiting out to the GW Bridge. So it wasn't until nearly 5:00 that I managed to work my way through rush hour Manhattan traffic and into the parking garage near the Post's building on 6th Ave. During that time I answered some questions for Diana for the article the NY Post was running, which was the freelance article she had submitted. Not supposed to use hand-held phones while driving, but I figured if I was stopped in traffic on the freeway, it's not like a cop was going to see me anyway.

Tight security at the building, which was also home to FOX and various affiliates. Even had to show a photo ID to get in, even while escorted by an employee. The photographer came down and met me in a great hurry to get photos by deadline. He was also desperate for a secondary shot of me at a Starbucks somewhere, which I just did not have. I mentioned the photo of me with Howard Behar and a VP of Starbucks, and he said that would be great, but I expressed my doubts that I would be a good idea to print that without their knowledge, possibly alienating top dogs in Seattle, and thankfully he abandonded that track. We went to a Starbucks nearby where the manager had seen my web site and been pretty cool. The manager was not there, but the baristas on duty cautiously agreed to let me be photographed there, in various poses, including one using tons of cups from the bar, which we then had to put back. Then we took some shots outside at a different store, so that the background sign wouldn't be traceable to that other store, not wanting to get the partners in trouble. He had me do a lot of jumping up and yelling "yeah!", which burnt up a lot of energy I didn't have, not having eaten since some toast and eggs at Javier's.

We went to my car to retrieve my CDs with photos, to see if there was anything they could use, and I discovered I had locked my primary key in the car (using my backup), so the attendant was not able to move the car. He looked miffed.

When we got up to the Post offices, they ended up not needing any other photos, and in fact when the edition ran the next day I discovered they ended up not using any of the photos Dave had taken, but rather the one I myself had taken and posted on my site.

The photo editor suggested that I start photographing myself at stores, because that's what media outlets will want when they run a story. He said that I might be able to sell these photos, as it would save the paper from having to send a photographer out, especially when it comes to photos of me in a foreign country. Dave the photographer also suggested that I carry around any memorabilia, like plane tickets, from my trips with me. Something to think about.

They got what they needed, and I got my $30 for parking, of which I only needed $19, so I came away with a healthy $11 profit for my trouble (minus the gas I expended coming down to the City).

I visited one more store, thus leaving only Park Avenue Plaza and the forbidden 1345 6th Avenue unvisited, and I headed up towards Westchester County, in heavy traffic course. Didn't want to gas up in Manhattan because of the high price, but had to put a gallon in anyway to tide me over 'til I got to a no-name that was about 20 cents cheaper. I visited the Larchmont store, and then rushed to the Mamaroneck store, which was closed. But I showed the article, and they became excited and let me in and hooked me up, and talked with me for about 20 minutes, until I just had to leave to visit Rye before it closed.

And then I had a problem, because I started feeling really ill. I went back to Larchmont to get a photo hoping the cars parked in front had left. One truck had not, but I wasn't caring very much, because I felt really bad, and my headache was getting worse. As I drove to Rye, only 10 minutes away up US-1, the vibrations of the car were making me nauseated, and I had to pull over twice and dry heave, as I didn't have any food to throw up anyway. Sweats. Finally I decided I wasn't going to make it to Rye, nor want to do my spiel feeling like that, so I pulled into a parking lot and laid down, feeling better just from closing my eyes. Shaking. Two hours later I woke up and felt much better. Went to take some night shots of Rye and then to Kinko's in White Plains to check mail and leave batteries. Then back to Mamaroneck and found a parking lot to sleep.


August 7

Excited about the NY Post article, I was up before 6:00 AM to find a Post, and to shoot some pics. I was excited to find myself in the article, even though it was so short, though disappointed that they had not printed the URL to my web site, which could have driven traffic to my site and translated into donations.

I visited the Rye store, where one of the partners thought the story was so cool he went across the street to buy a paper that I could sign. So Cory Boccone, I owe you a big shout out for the coffee and the enthusiasm. Hung out for a while chatting and waiting for the sun to give me some good light on this pretty store.

Picked up batteries at Kinko's, but not mass of e-mails requesting interviews yet. Then to Poughkeepsie. Then I fumbled a bit, first deciding to go out to Vestal, NY, near Binghamton, and back, and in fact crossing the Mid-Hudson Bridge. But I stopped to take some photos, and in that time looked at my route again and decided it would be shorter to visit Vestal on the way down from Burlington before Rochester. So I went back towards Westchester and to the Carmel store, where at first the partners didn't realize the photo in the paper was me. That would happen a few more times in the next few days. I got much better responses, BTW, with the current Post than with the photo copies of my article.

I called Kristen again since I was in the area, but she had to go register car so we couldn't meet.

I drove into Connecticut, dreading it almost because of my past experiences trying to get short coffees, but everyone was cool at the 9 stores I visited, wanting to take photos and have me sign the article.

I started the process of photographing myself. Not at every store, just cool ones or ones where I saw the potential for a good shot. I decided that I would present a different pose at each store, and proceeded to start to have fun with that.

In Bristol, a partner who had been e-mailing me for a while ended up being on vacation when I arrived at his store.

I asked around about gas prices and was told that they would be cheaper in Massachusetts, so I held off until I crossed that border, and the advice turned out to be true.

I finally picked up "The Rising" at Best Buy in West Hartford, and after a few days of listening I'm impressed. By coincidence the new Starbucks there was in the same shopping center, but I didn't realize it until I had pulled out. My map had it plotted in the wrong place. I got a special store t-shirt there, which is always cool, and some info that the Mystic store had just opened.

Unfortunately, the Kelly Willis CD was pushed back to the 20th, which is disppointing.

After leaving the Buckland Hills Mall location, I spilled the misto after having had only about 2 oz, so now I need to go back in the future, but I decided then to just drive on down to North Haven, where I had to do a cursory washing of the carpet so that it wouldn't stink like the last time I spilled milled in the car.

Oh, back in Bristol, I got a funny feeling and pulled into an oil-change place. They checked it for free and discovered it to be pretty low, and topped it off for free, perhaps sensing my dire financial straits when I expressed that 1.00 for the soda machine was too expensive.

Finally had to break down and buy some food, Burger King.

At Mystic I had to wait a while for the rush to die down so I could get my coffee and paper back, by which time the sun had set, so rather than pushing on to East Greenwish in Rhode Island, I just stopped at the first rest area.

I left the rest area when the restrooms were indeed closed after 2:00 AM, as the sign had said, and drove the 20 or so miles to E. Greenwich and took some shots of the store. It was chilly. Finally! I had been looking forward for weeks to get away from the heat.

I ended up getting more sleep parked next to A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!


August 8

At the E. Greenwich store, I was pleased to learn that one of the baristas had actually seen the NY Post article at another store and recognized me as I was photographing myself. Got hooked up with a bagel, too. Later on, some yogurt and a scone, so this was a good food day.

Checked mail at Kinko's in Providence, and spotted Thayer St. so decided to re-photograph that location since it was early and no crof the I drove past Thayer to ask a policeman which way the store s. He pointed down the block, and then h d something surprising. He stopped the traffic on Thayer so I could back up and not have to go around the block. Very cool. I doubt I would find too many officers in Houston or Dallas that would do the same. I mentioned this to a passing local, and he said that he thought Rhode Islander's were not as nice, preferring those in the south, like Alabama and Georgia, and even saying the Bostonians were nicer.

At Seekonk the staff took photos with a Polaroid Joy camera, the first time I had seen one of those.

At Taunton a partner had actually seen my site, having found it by searching Google for Starbucks. He wanted to hook me up with coffee, but the shift supervisor nixed that idea, saying she didn't have the authority. But outside I met Kerri Powers, a local singer/songwriter who thought my project was pretty cool.

After the Canton store, I chose the longer route out to I-95, but had to double back because of stopped traffic, and then on the other route followed a sign to I-95 that was hand-painted. I should have listened to my gut, because I ended up going miles the wrong way before I turned around.

I went and reshot the Marshfield store, hitting traffic, and wondering if there was any place I could go in the Boston area without hitting traffic. But fortunately, when I got towards downtown Boston, I actually found a parking spot near the 1 Financial Center store and was able to visit it without having to wait until early morning. Yeah, I got stuck in some traffic in downtown while looking for the local free weekly, but it was worth it because I found "Read My Lips" to be playing at Coolidge Corner.

After visiting the Westin Copely store and leaving my batteries at Kinko's, I found Tremont St. and headed down, not to the Starbucks which I had already visited, but to find the Cuban restaurant I had stumbled across the previous time. Some local sitting on steps pointed me to it, and I ordered take-out, which I took to the Allstone Star Market store and ate while chatting with manager. Then a store down Commonwealth, and then I went to the theater at Coolidge Corners to discover the movie not playing 'til 5:00, so I doubled back to find the Brighton/Soldier's field store and got really lost. By the time I left it, didn't have time for any more stores nearby and had to go back and see the movie.

I had hope to also see "Full Frontal", the new Stephen Soderbergh movie, but I was feeling tired, so I just headed down to Route 9 and visited four stores down towards Framingham. At the Wayland store, the manager had heard of me and was pretty excited, despite being busy.

I drove quite a while down Route 9 to find a place where I could buy a Snapple and heat up my left-over takeout from the Miami Cafe, and then back to the Framingham Barnes & Noble store, where I bought Tom Clancy's new "Red Rabbit" novel and started reading it over food. The partner I showed the article took thought it was pretty cool, and told the others, and when I went up there, feelign really tired and lookign tired, got to talking with one of them who asked a lot of questions, and in the end offered to let me crash on his couch. They wouldn't close 'til 11:30 or so, so I slept out in the parkign lot until Chris knocked on my window and I followed him home. They had DSL, so I checked my e-mail and then crashed.