I got there ridiculously early. I was really hungry so I ate 2 dinners. They have great 'bison burgers' (probably beefalo) and yummy tuna steak too. It's my new favorite diner in New York!

Maybe the most annoying thing about the camera is how you have to be god damned STILL to get a good shot in the dark. Looks like I would make a terrible sniper. I had a little better luck sitting the camera on a bar of some scaffolding that was caddy corner to it, but the N and sometimes the I in DINER kept getting blocked by a post from over that side.

I realized I had forgotten to bring some things so I went out looking and acquired them nearby. After I returned, I hung out and enjoyed the night air for a piece. Then I noticed a large bus coming down 9th Ave. *Somehow* I had the feeling that this was _the bus_. No. It couldn't be. *TOOT TOOT* two big toots sounding like an ocean liner blew forth! Wow! It HAS to be. No..it COULDN'T be.. The bus pulled over around onto 33rd St and tried to park in a no parking zone across from the diner. Well for fucks sakes, it IS the bus! I crossed the street to see if I could deposit my copious bags and then a cop came and scared the bus away.

Sure enough, the bus returned after about 7 minutes. This time I moseyed on up to the door and as it opened I asked the driver if this was the bus to the Tom Waits festival. He returned a confused look. 'Is this the charter bus that goes to Pleasant Valley NY, kind of near Poughkeepsie?' I asked. 'Ted Fergusen?' He inquired of me. After 0.75 seconds I made the connection. 'YES! This _IS_ the bus.' I smiled. He asked me to watch the bus and tell the cops he was coming right back out if they came to give his bus a ticket while he walked into the diner to inquire as to whether it would be cool to leave it there for an hour.

Turned out it WAS cool, and more and more 25 hour party people showed up. Some were coming for their first time, others were old vets. Some I remembered from 7 years ago, the last time I went to a TW festival. Soon enough, it was time to get on the bus!

***contents***Get on the bus***