the space between

the space between
records and their receptacles
the travelers often depart

the bin sees all
bold and proud
omnipresent
always watching

but off in the distance
on the horizon
orphaned vinyl long to make their way back home

'pots & pans'
herb & mantovani
piled high
waiting for the phone to ring

back at the batcave
safe and secure
sandwiched between laminated particle board
all sides close in, squeezing
engelbert reigns supreme
at goodwill addison

Eyes on Iowa

Had to take a brutal 8 hour drive to the Kansas City area.  I already have Kansas and Missouri checked off the list but determined (even though it may have been slightly longer) I could take I-80 straight west to Des Moines, where it becomes I-35 and took me right to my destination.  So I essentially took a single road all the way there!

First up was the 'award winning' Encore Thrift Store in Urbandale Iowa.  I did call in advance to assure they had vinyl as my day in the van was already going to be long enough and I didn't want to spend too long messing around.  Well when I saw their credentials on the door I knew I had come to the right place!

The bad news was there was absolutely nothing of interest here.  The good news is that the record bin was in a corner and set up wonderfully like a shrine to bad records!

After that I had a quick bite at the Bennigan's just down the road then took Meredith Drive west back towards 80.  But not before stopping at the extremely well placed Goodwill, also in Urbandale.

Nothing to report here either besides the fact that they did not have their standard white 'Goodwill Record Bin', just a bunch of junky crates stored on the bottom shelf with some other junky goods.  And not suprisingly, junky records abound!

So Iowa makes state #20 to check off the list!  I essentially have every state considered to be part of the 'midwest' done.  I have a strip back to New Hampshire scheduled for early December and I'll be so close to the border I have already done my research so I can make time to head into Maine and take care of #21.

Buffalo City Mission Thrift Store [Depew NY]

If there was ever a better example of 'no rest for the wicked', it was that I got called to go to Buffalo while I was on vacation in Orlando.  I rushed back having booked my trip before I even got home and made my way back out east for 'fall guy' type of political situation which was high pressure and....fun (in retrospect).

I embarked on a long walk for food and booze (what else is new) and of course a thrift store when one is on the way.  New York is still not on board with Uber (learned this in Albany long ago) and expected it this time.  Tried the 'Curb' app and got the same old cabbie BA.  So I hoofed a few miles to get things done.

I purposefully denied myself the right to call and find out if this place had vinyl, because if they hadn't, I'd just about be out of options.  Luckily, they have a bevy of the stuff.  And I just kept finding more.  I think that when I go into a place like this, I am relieved just to find any records at all.  So as soon as I spot them from a distance, I zero in and get to work.  There was another rack not 5' away and I did not initially notice it.  And then yet another...and another!

The only vinyl of even minimum interest, none of which I purchased:
Something New Just For You and an Eddie Wojcik/Joe Jarosz collab (not in db), both on Chicago Polkas, always nice to see these far outside of Chicago or the midwest

Never heard of Morris Treat but this promotional-liquor country album was too hard to ignore

A slightly rare Engelbert album you don't see everyday

A weird disco platter that I retain some light non-buyer's remorse over for having left behind.

Love to see an old Jimmy Sturr record in his home state.

And old Bert Buhrman....I grabbed this a long time ago, if this had been the stereo version it would have joined me on the flight back to Chicago.

I already had New York checked off the list so no new additions here, still holding at 19 states down....