A week into my trip back to the homeland (known to others as “Oklahoma” or “that hellish place from whence you came”), and I’m having a blast. Friday was spent at the Woody Guthrie Free Folk Festival in Okemah, Oklahoma. Talk about a lot of fun: free concerts by names big and small, bluegrass and folk and Americana surrounding you, and kind, friendly folks all around…but the real draw is the pickin’ circles they hold at the campgrounds every night: a dozen or more people gathered together with guitars, mandolins, banjos, upright bass, fiddles, and whatever else they can scrounge together just playing a song that someone in the circle calls out. It’s a freakin’ blast, man.

I’ve spent most of my time so far with each parent. This coming week is a visit to all the grandparents, getting fed more and better food than you can possibly imagine, and maybe a little golf. On top of all that, I found a copy of Bob Dylan’s Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid soundtrack for $5 last night. Good times.