Rochester
August 15
(I think)
On the road again rolling through the back
country roads from Darien toward Rochester. We pass small towns with beautiful victorian and stone architecture.
The Bus passes dairy farms and corn fields causing one of the Pranksters to comment that this Trip should be renamed
from the GrandFurthur Tour to In Search of the Perpetual Corn FieldTour. We passed amazing fruit farms with canopies
of fruit trees spreading off into the rolling hills. The corn looked more developed up here in New York than it
did in Ohio. They obviously had more rain this summer. The Bus made a pit stop at a small rural crossroad gas station
where the Pranksters refueled on sandwhiches and refreshments. 
Across the street on a porch was a dayglo artifact that
caught the eyes of several Pranskters. 
There were two bright orange objects hanging from the ceiling of the porch that
gently turned which affected our perception of the shape. Kesey dispatched Roy to investigate and report back.
The objects were approximately eighteen inches high fabricated out of plastic half-inch pipe. As the breeze swept
through the porch, the objects turned producing a new view which caused the change in shape we all saw. Back on
the Bus, Roy pulled out several packages of flourescent pipe cleaners and several Pranksters spent the next hour
trying to duplicate the objects on the porch.
Our route is to go Further driving the picturesque county
roads rather than the interstate in the Charles Kuralt tradition... or did he get the idea from the original Bus
Trip? The Americana back roads offer waaaay more culture and interest. The pace is slower and more conducive to
the cruising speed of the Bus which is around 45mph. Besides, it is just more FUN to drive through the small towns,
there is so much stuff to Trip out on!!! 
As we cruise on by, Babbs and Kesey fiddle around on the Prankster
travel computer adding their two-digital cents.
It is Friday evening as we approach one of the Syracuse strip malls home to many of the
corporations listed on the New York Stock Exchange due to the proximity of the Rochester Institute of Technology,
home of the Fighting Brains. Their football team wears pocket pencil protectors instead of shoulder pads. The cheerleaders
are all into logorithms! Here you will find Xerox, IBM, General Motors, Kodak, Compaq taking advantage of the rich
research facilities and minds at RIT.
The Bus pulled into the parking lot as a slight rain fell onto the waiting admirers and
fans of Kesey. We are at the local Borders Books for another signing and we are all glad about that because they
have really good coffee at Borders. Kesey and Babbs were the first off the Bus as the other Pranksters exited from
the back deck. There are always several seekers who too wild with enthusiasm who need to be attended to with that
Prankster wisdom and technical knockdown. Syracuse was no exception. This one guy was way too far into our face
so we sent him on errand to neverland he'll most likely never forget!
Kesey was scheduled to go inside for the signing but he opted to set up in front
under the store canopy. Several tables were prepared with Books and Prankster stuff. You gotta buy those buttons
and get some Swan! While Kesey and Kompany amused and amazed the crowd, Are We Really? the CyberPrankster went
into the Borders Cafe accompanied by Kentucky Maria and Mother Merry Furthur to digitally prepare the customs information.
Before
leaving Darien Lake, the Pranksters emptied the entire contents of the Bus and the Ryder support truck to inventory
every last box of stuff and items we were carrying to be efficient as possible for the impending customs adventure.
Typing into Microsoft Word using tables, we listed serial numbers, FCC Id numbers,
microphones, amplifiers, theatrical equipment... what's this, a box of what? "You can't tell them we have
that Really?!!! The inventory took all day and as the last item was entered into the Apple Powerbook, Really? went
back into the office to hack into the fax machine and modems at Borders to print and fax the data to the customs
broker in Toronto. This was serious business folks, we were not interested in being confiscated! We completed our
task synchronistically as Kesey and Babbs completed their book signings. The Bus headed back to the motel and an
evening at Hooters for drink and food.
Your cyberhost, Are We Really? meditating about the First Church of the Last Laugh, the world's first snack food religion with fifty percent less dogma and its patron saint, Saint Stupid.
The Bus ahhoooogggged as it rolled away from Borders back to the hotel for the evening. Fortunately,
there was a Hooters restaurant across the street we could walk to for nourishment and refreshments. 
After an hour or so, Mother Merry Furthur
decided to collect some gas money by clearing the beer bottles and clam dishes off of the bar. She gave Zane a
roll of quarters for the juke box and climbed up and started dancing! In no time at all, the entire bar was huddled
around Mother Merry Furthur as she danced for everyone in the joint. After the third song, the pile of dollar bills
at her feet had Swan's mouth watering more than all of those tasty clams! At least now we have enough money for
gas to get into Canada!!! Once again... Mother Merry Furthur saves the day!!!
