BABY WON'T YOU CARRY ME

I've been a New Yorker my whole life. Even when I lived elsewhere, most people could tell that I was New Yorker by my accent, and being a New Yorker and not a Manhattanite, I see the beauty in New York State as a whole. Lucky my Deadheadism, has me traveling from place to place to see the next show.
Currently, a New Yorker's life could not be any worse. Sandy has robbed and pillaged our homes and lifestyle. The line from The Talking Heads song "Life During Wartimes" is echoing in my head, "Sound of gunfire off in the distance, I'm getting used to it now." Well that gunfire is the constant hum of the generator off in the distance. But I'm not used to it, and I hope that I don't grow accustom to that generator hum.
In the aftermath of Sandy, I had seen the damage first hand and had a choice to make. Knowing very well that when Con Ed says seven to ten days, they mean ten of eleven days. There was colder weather moving in and I saw that the best option for my infant son and pregnant wife was to get them out of harms way. So I packed them up and drove them to be with her family in Buffalo. Lucky my sister in-law was willing to cut off some of the drive by meeting me in Elmira, so I could get back to the house and work.

I don't mind driving. I could drive for days. Now with iPods, iPhones, and Satellite radio, driving is easy. I remember shuffling through a case of 240 tapes, looking for a tape and realizing that the tape I was looking for was in the trunk, in another case. I put on a show, listen to NPR or Stern, or call a friend and hours melt away on the vacant asphalt.
I was lucky. The power came back, even though my parents, brother and sister all still don't have lights. So this weekend I drove up to Buffalo. I saw a college hockey game. I went to a romantic dinner at the Roycroft, where our wedding reception was held. And took my one and half year old son ice skating for the very first time. Then drove back, with extra containers of gasoline.

I listened to 6/12/76 (because my Dave's Pick 4 got to my house an hour after I left) and 1/20/79 on the way up there. On the way back, I was thinking of New York State. Over a year earlier, I was in Cooperstown when Irene hit. My wife and son went back to Buffalo, while I drove through the demolished Catskills region. I saw at town that was completely washed out. Shop owners all wore wadders and carried out soaked garbage bag after garbage bag. I saw a house that was folded on top of its self. I drove till I got to a bridge on route 28. The bridge was shut down till an engineer could come a clear it. I waited an hour before I tried about ten other routes all of which were blocked. Eventually I drove back to the Cooperstown area before, coming down i88 to Binghamton so I could get 17. Binghamton, a small town in the middle of New York, who's claim to fame is the University and the AHL Binghamton Senators. That and two legendary Grateful Dead shows that I spun on our recent trip home, 5/2/70 (Dicks Picks 8) and the fall tour closer of 11/6/77.

Please download the show HERE and HERE, on it's 35 year anniversary. Hopefully it finds you in better condition than us New Yorkers. Two things to pay attention to when listening to this show; Jerry forgets the second verse of "Scarlet," and this is the last time that "NFA" breaks "St Stephen" at the verse. Also, please remember to vote.

I: Half Step, Jack Straw, Jed, Mexicali, Uncle, Friend, Minglewood, Dupree's, Passenger, Dire Wolf, Music 

II: Samson, Sunrise, Scarlet, Fire, Good Lovin', St Stephen, Drums, NFA, Wharf Rat, St Stephen, Truckin' E: JBG

Every year we choose a charity to donate to on Boxing day, December 26, as a family. Last year, I lost my Grandma to breast cancer so we gave to the Susan B Komen fund. This year we will be giving to the Red Cross for all the work they do for people in need, as we are seeing in New York right now.