Tom Ray

I briefly thought about winter today.

I kind of want to do that to more people now.

I thought I would question the performance the next day but I was still pretty jazzed about it.

Actually learned a lot from just giving it a try. And our intern is ok by the way.

Up to this point I’ve only talked to people that are in or around where I am in Madison.  Matty Sheets is a musician from Greensboro, North Carolina. In 2016 he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and playing music started to become much tougher than they used to be. He wanted to keep doing things to artistically express himself so he decided to take up drawing. Listen to the episode: Available on:  Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify Visit Matty's website at https://mattysheets.com/

The other option is I could do nothing but what does that get me in life?

It was the spare key.

We just wanted to make sure that he is still feeling okay.

So if you see a flyer it's on Sunday the 28th not the 27th. Either way, I'm excited about it! Here is the facebook event for it  https://www.facebook.com/events/922993528048331/

Even though our shop is nowhere near ready, we got an idea that we wanted to try. We would do a pop-up right outside of the train car this Sunday from 1 to 4 pm . People could come to check out the place and see some of the neat stuff we have for sale! https://www.facebook.com/events/922993528048331/

So as far as things we've been waiting for to get done out here on the train? I just came in today and it looks like the architect, who the landlord has putting in a bathroom for us has started doing it. The floor is cut out, I guess they put pipes underneath? So we may very well have a bathroom here soon! And we are going to start putting in the flooring soon. But we already went over budget with the contractor we had hired and we're like “hell with it let's try and do it ourselves.” So we're gonna start laying the floor. We're gonna buy some floorboards, I have a friend consulting me he does stuff like this hopefully that'll make it easier. But yeah, this should be fun right? 😬

These were two things I posted for sale just for the fun of it.

We almost didn't go to the place where I ran into him.

I mentioned in a previous episode of the show I had participated in an annual zine fest in Madison called Print & Resist . One of the people showcasing his work at the event was John Porcellino, creator of the popular mini-comic zine King Kat. I went up to his table to introduce myself and I blurted out that I had this podcast and I would love to talk with him. We exchanged information and he was nice enough to talk with me a few weeks later on facebook messenger. Listen to the Episode: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify John's Website  http://www.spitandahalf.com/ John's Author Page on Amazon -  https://amzn.to/2L5fkdU Also, Here is the picture we talk about on the show from the zine fest that John posted on Instagram where my son Dexter walked in front of him while he was taking it.

After that, he started flipping people off.

Normally maybe one or two people respond to what I post. For this, I had like 15 active messages going on my phone at the same time for about five minutes.

We'll see how this goes!

Doctor was even like "Take a lozange." But it was like fire when I woke up.

I love it, my virtual store has actual looky-loos!

In this video, I'm out at the train car and wanted to talk about a new idea I had about using the space while it's still under construction. One of the things I've been doing is selling stuff online and while doing that I've kind of been selling things like a promotion I guess I could say. When I sell an item locally on the Facebook marketplace I'm having the person meet me out here at the train car to pick it up. Even though the place is still a shambles, it's still pretty neat to look at! Like today I'm meeting someone who bought these six stone something-or-other mugs. So they're gonna come out here at the train today. Even though as of right now there is still no power and no air. The people that buy things from me will come out here and I'm gonna go "hey, you want to look at the train car?" Truthfully, two of them recently were artists so maybe I'll have them on the show? Who knows? But that's part of my marketing pla...

I just really like how things have been after starting this whole website and podcast experiment.

I went to a local coffee shop to meet the people I talk with today,  Olivia and Elizabeth from the start-up  UnderBelly . So from time to time, I like to do a nearby location search on Instagram just to see if there is any interesting artwork that's being posted in the Madison area to try and find some new things to check out. I can’t remember exactly but I think that’s how I discovered underbelly. They have been working with local businesses to give a different view of the city. The hidden gems, the alternative, the niche and the interesting. UnderBelly is excited to show a local perspective with a twist. They do all this by putting out a weekly zine and just created their own mobile app. Listen to the episode: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify Show links Visit the UnderBelly website and check out the app  https://www.exploreunderbelly.io The music for this podcast is by Lorenzo's Music -  Spotify,   Apple Music

Had a nice breakfast before heading back to Madison today.

And just like when we were in Nashville, people still say to us "where are you from?" How can people tell? We're not even that far from our actual home.

As we walked away, the more I thought about it I couldn't figure out why he was asking that.

We just happened to get the chance to look at two places from the 1800's today.

So I get to find out how well PayPal handles when someone mistakenly sends money to the wrong account tomorrow.

I'm giving away my babies!

I'm still going to wait and give it the "day after test" as I call it to see if I actually like it, then I'll share what it is. But so far I'm pretty psyched about it

Lacey Smith is someone that I heard about after I met Lauden from American Trash back in August. I had connected with her on Instagram and asked if we could meet at the train car I recently rented out. Lacey has played a synthesizer in bands, traveled, was a cook, was a farmer, collectively ran a grocery co-op and was the zine coordinator at a bookstore. Her artwork is inspired by nature, the mysterious, the strange, animals, handmade, new places, old things, music, people & posters. And she runs a record label the specializes in special releases of albums by The Residents . Listen to the episode: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify Show links Visit Lacey's website -  https://www.laceysmithdesign.com Secret Records -  https://secretrecords.bandcamp.com The music for this podcast is by Lorenzo's Music - Spotify, Apple Music

Just to be clear it was not subtle.

It's the closest thing to explaining the call she got the other day . And kind of crazy if it's true. And as the day went on we really did run into a lot more people that were pretty high.

There were some little air pockets on them but I'm pretty sure I would have messed them up if I did it.

After starting season 5 of the podcast , the one question that everybody seems to be asking me is: What's the deal with the train car? The funny thing about documenting my life in a cartoon every single day is I was actually able to go back and pinpoint where the whole thing started and the things that lead up to it. I'll explain how I plan to use this train car to help turn my podcast into an actual creative art business. In spring 2018 on season 2 of the podcast , I had been talking to artists that owned their own businesses around Madison on the show. After meeting them and seeing how they were doing these inspirational things and helping other people, it made me think if there was something more I could do with my life? First, it was just the usual passing dream. I started to look at some of the buildings or spaces that I passed by thinking to myself, I could use that as a studio or something. Then right before season 3 of the podcast started, I began boun...

It all worked out, but that was strange right?

I still can't figure out what that could have been all about?