Avocado and Eggs (Part 2)

Another successful writing retreat is in the bag. As I mentioned in part one of Avocado and Eggs, we wound back up in a Panera for our writing retreat but we changed locations. But there were more avocados to come. This time around we set up shop in Edison, New Jersey. There was a method to the madness in choosing this location. Allow me to explain.

I can see a pattern arising here when we plan these writing retreats. We choose the location based upon the way we'd like to reward ourselves for hunkering down and writing together for the morning. The first time we were going to reward ourselves by going out for a few beers at a local brewery down the Jersey Shore area (but as you'll read in the first of this series, that plan didn't pan out.) This time around we figured we would reward ourselves with a trip to Vintage Vinyl. Vintage Vinyl is practically a legendary record store known for stocking classic and collectible vinyl records along with a menagerie of rare, indie, import and bootleg music on all types of mediums. If you're into music, particularly punk and metal, it is nearly impossible to browse the store and not walk out with some sort of gem.

Two hoodlums outside Vintage Vinyl

Chuck Buda had ulterior motives though. So, after shacking up in Panera for four hours writing our hearts out we headed down the street to Vintage Vinyl for our reward. Back when Chuck and I first hitched up to do with published writer thing, he got it in his head that he wanted to do a book signing at Vintage Vinyl. I understood where he was coming from, we write horror and horror and metal are connected at the hip. To be honest, it would be cool to do a book signing there but the place just isn't geared toward books. At least, that's how I saw it but Chuck had this dream for over a year now and he was determined to march into Vintage Vinyl today and demand they carry our books and set up a book signing in the process. Who was I to piss on his dream?

So Chuck and Tim Meyer and I entered Vintage Vinyl like three tiny phallises and perused the store. It had been many years since I last set foot inside the place. I was curious to see how they were still conducting business in the age of digital music. The truth is, inside Vintage Vinyl you'd never know digital music was a thing. There are rows and rows of CD's (new and used) the walls are adorned in a dazzling display of records that would bring any serious collector to their knees in homage to the spectacular offerings. And, to be honest, there was a book shelf. Fuck me running. The books though were all biographical type things from musicians like Chuck Berry, Tom Petty and Scott Ian among them. No fiction in sight. Still, I'm not going to shit on Chuck's dream. Hey, ya never know.

Inside the hallowed isles of Vintage Vinyl

So we all made some selections. I, by the way, picked up a CD from a band called Tokyo Motor Fist. The name of the band is what caught my eye. I picked up the CD and flipped it over to check out the back and saw a photo of the band. That's when I was sold. The band is made up of very Jersey-centric rock stars reassembled into a supergroup of sorts. On guitar is Steve Brown from Trixter and Ted Poley from Danger Danger is on Vocals along with Greg Smith who played with Ted Nugent and Chuck Burgi who is currently Billy Joel's drummer. All Jersey guys. Way cool. As for the CD, well it sounds like what you think it would sound like a Trixter/Danger Danger mashup. Cool if you're into that sort of sound. A great find if you ask me.

New Jersey Supergroup Tokyo Motor Fist

We paid for our purchases and Chuck caught the ear of one of the bad ass looking dudes manning the front counter. He started his pitch as I was paying for my purchase so I didn't hear how it started out but by the time I had wondered over I was able to hear the answer. Turns out they would be open to putting books on the shelves on a consignment basis. The rub, they'd only do my books, The Shocker Trilogy, because they had something to do with metal and/or music. As any consignment goes, it would be my responsibility to check in periodically if anything sold and to claim my part of the money or to see if the books had moved at all. He kept pointing out I could come in and pull them from consignment any time I'd like which I took at his subtle hint that he didn't think the books would move.

I pretty much agree with the guy. But he was also quick to point out some people like to put their stuff up for consignment and just let it ride out whatever time on the shelves as nothing more than exposure of having it out there. So, the option is there. I'll have to debate myself on the pros and cons. At least its not a once in a lifetime opportunity and I can head over there if I decide to go in on the opportunity. We shall see.

After Vintage Vinyl we still thought it would be a good idea to reward ourselves with lunch and perhaps a beer. So we drove a bit further up Route 1 and went to Jose Tejas, a Mexican cantina that is always crowded and with good reason, the food there is always on point. We waited and snickered at Chuck being impatient five minutes into our promised twenty minute wait for a table. We were seated in a very reasonable amount of time considering the enormous crowd waiting for a table. We had some Mexican yum-yums and perhaps a cerveza or two.

Swordfish Tacos, Grilled Avocado and Grazing Portion

All in all, another successful writing retreat. I am really enjoying doing these sporadically. There is no doubt it helps my output a great deal. When we are all sitting around and the other guys are tapping away when we might normally take an innocent five minute break, it makes us keep writing that story. I wrote nearly 2500 words in four hours. That's the kind of numbers I was getting when I was briefly unemployed.

So until the next retreat and reward, hope I've entertained and/or inspired you to get social with your friends and let yourselves be creative in the company of one another no matter what it is you are creating.

And let me know if you think I should get some copies of the Shocker Trilogy into consignment at Vintage Vinyl in the comments below. I'd love to know what you would do in my position!