[dc]A[/dc]s I touched on at the end of last week’s SPACE recap, any time a group of folks go on a road trip and share a hotel room, stories are bound to happen.
My weekend at SPACE (the Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo) was no exception, as I spent plenty of quality time with fellow comickers Ryan Claytor, Jay Jacot, Jason Struz, and Matt Dye.
The Ride Down
Ryan picked me up at 4:30 AM on Saturday. Yes, AM. I think I went to bed around midnight, but woke up on my own at 2:30. The excitement (sure) kept me from sleeping too much.
An unexpected perk of getting on the road so early: I saw a coyote along the highway. At least, I think it was a coyote. It could have been a sleep-deprivation hallucination.
The next few hours were a blur as I drifted in and out of consciousness, all while annoying the rest of the car with my snoring (sorry). I woke up in time to witness the ceremonial passing of the Flag City U.S.A. water tanks, near…somewhere. They are massive structures, covered with American flags and bald eagles.
We took a break from the long haul at truck stop, complete with showers. Not that we used the showers, or the cologne machine in the bathroom, but they were available—as the overhead speakers reminded us.
An added bit of charm: the truck stop used a sound effect I used on my Magic of Eyri Podcast (the chime which indicated a scene change).
The Big Buck Hunter
The truck stop offered a couple of video games, but most importantly it featured the hunting game Big Buck Hunter. Jay and Ryan went head-to-head, felling moose and what-not.
“Let’s hunt some meese!” Image via Amazon.
Then, came the bonus round: duck hunting. Jay fired with the patience of an expert. Ryan, however, laughed maniacally and shot like a man possessed. Or rather, as I pointed out later, like the Joker with a shotgun. “We should probably leave,” I said. “The Subway sandwich artists look a bit concerned.”
Our thirst for Big Buck Hunter was not sated though. Later in the evening, after a much-earned post-SPACE dinner, Ryan and Jay wanted a rematch.
We figured any bar near the hotel had a 50/50 chance to offer Buck Hunter or Golden Tee.
“There’s a couple bars,” I said, pointing out the passenger side window. “Podunk’s and Fitzwilly’s. With names like that, one of them has to have Big Buck Hunter.”
“We’re going,” said Ryan, maneuvering his stick-shift wagon across the lanes in Burt Reynolds fashion.
Ryan, Jay, Matt,¹ and myself stood outside the bars: Podunk’s on the right, Fitzwilly’s on the left. Which one to choose?
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