The Voyeur Pages

Feel his every joy and pain, and share it with the rest of us. Silly comments and bad jokes are par for the course with this crowd, so have fun.
Really, John, we do miss you.

Friday, May 16

zimmette
Just when I needed a vacation the most, the Henk-Man comes through! What a way to go, too! A virtual vacation, complete with the obligatory "asphalt virus". Really bummed that I didn't get to join you and the Sanders & Co. group for lunch at Union Jack's, though. Post-production deadlines are a real pain in the--. It was good to chat with the Henk-Man via phone, however. Hey, maybe you can make a living doing THIS--wind in the hair, "fly in the face" (or "bugs on the faceshield") traveling for all of us keyboard-bound slugs. Loved re-traveling many of the highways and by-ways with ya, John (especially Nawlins, Smokey Mountains, U.S. Hwy. 50, etc.). Can't wait to hear what it's like in places I have yet to be--Dakotas, Yellowstone. May the wind be at your back and the sun shine warmly upon your face!

Sunday, May 11

rick posson
I had no idea John was doing this trip until I spoke with him today.

I had called to wish his mother a Happy Mother's Day, and John answered the phone. What a surprize!

I told John that I thought his trip was a wonderful idea and more Americans should find the time to do what he is doing.

I got the web site address and have been reading up on his ventures. What a GREAT idea.

The site looks great and I'm impressed with John and his wonderful trip.

I forgot to pass it on, but he should be reading a great book called "Blue Highways".

To John and his friends who are supporting him on this adventure, good luck and nice job!

Saturday, May 10

kevin zym
Sounds like an amazing journey! Very cool idea - the web page! Nicely done! Looking forward to checking back. Bummed I missed you as you passed through Indy. Safe journey!

Cheers,
Zim

Friday May 9

gary pass
Just found out about this site today and spent all morning catching up on John's adventure. Can't wait for the next thrilling instalment.

Looking out at the rain here in Newbury I'm wishing I was doing something similar myself. The most awesome thing is the distance covered. You could do the UK in a Weekend but you probably wouldn't get enough time to sample the excellent coffee

Finding it impossible to concentrate on work now. Can't get the lyrics to 'born to be wild' out of my head.

So keep your' motor running, Head out on the highway....your' international audience is watching you.

Gary Pass

Wednesday, May 7

jan bradley
re: The waitress: Actually she kept saying "You-ins all". None the less almost hard to understand at times...JB

Tuesday, May 6

matt
I don't know the rules.. if you can send John a note or not, but.. This is MATT saying hello! Wendy and Julie are off for their Chicago Art Show tomorrow. We all had great and greasy fun in New Orleans. Glad you made it despite the bad weather and all that. Sounds like you're riding into good weather, having a great adventure! I finally got the Web Address and can look in on you from time out of time into time. I still plan on you interviewing at "Schwagfest" so let me know if you can't make the June 7th show in SF.

Keep on rollin'

Yours truly...Mattgone (user676130@aol.com)

gary borrmann
John, I envy every part of your trip but the stomach flu part, been there done that, Phoenix it was, had the airplane and thus was confined to a motel six room for two days. Wish I had my GPZ still, could of rode with ya. Trish probably wouldn't of let me? Sounds like a great adventure. Web Page is totally cool!! Keep the rubber side down, Knees a draggin on those fine curvy roads. -Gary

trish borrmann
This stomach flu subject just will not die. Well, I can think of a worse place to get it - midnight, hotel room in Vegas, the night before NAB opens. Oh joy! At least I wasn't burning vacation time while praying to the porcelain god.

Your daily check on the Weather Channel reminds me of every airplane adventure we've taken. You start looking for the motels that carry that station.

All the food, fun, and friends sound great. Your page is a big hit in Accom-land. From my desk today I could hear Connee and John H. laughing as they were reading it in the lab. We all miss you and are enjoying tagging along. -Trish

john hutson and connee Z
Connee and I have been noticing something about John's trip reports, so we wrote this:

There seems to be a running theme as we all read about the wonderful travels of John "Dances with Trees" Henkel

We can't help but to break into (a spam-like) song........

Trees, trees, trees, trees
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Look over there! It's covered with trees!
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Trees, trees, trees, trees
The clouds are so nice, above all the trees!
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Trees, trees, trees, trees
I come and go, whenever I please!
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Trees, trees, trees, trees
What did I eat?  I'm starting to queeze!
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Trees, trees, trees, trees
What did I eat?  Hide behind trees!
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Trees, trees, trees, trees
What did I eat?  It must be the cheese!
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Be one with nature, the birds and the bees!
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Visit the family, all parts of the tree!
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Trees, trees, trees, trees
I'm going to camp! In all the trees!
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Trees, trees, trees, trees
It's mighty cold!  I hope I don't freeze!
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Trees, trees, trees, trees
See their leaves, waving in the breeze
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Trees, trees, trees, trees
I love them so, but they make me sneeze
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Trees, trees, trees, trees
When I get home I will not be at ease
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Trees, trees, trees, trees
For I will miss all those beautiful
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Trees, trees, trees, trees
Lovely trees!  Wonderful Trees!

Hopefully he won't break into "I'm a lumberjack and I'm OK..."

Friday, May 2

sally carter
My life was feeling somewhat empty until today, when I remembered that John had told me there would be a magical place to check on his traveling progress. All I can say is WOW! This is fun stuff! I read all the journal entries and feel like I'm in the loop now. Good stuff, Patrick! Anyway...I have to admit to some disappointment in you, John, because I was expecting stories about "a girl in every port", but I guess mom and dad are monitoring too, huh? I expect DETAILS about how the Pete Townsend groupies followed you to the "Let's Make A Deal Motel" just down the street from the local Shell station! Welp, good luck, enjoy, and, of course...Party on John Richard Henkel!

-Sally Carter

heidi holman
Yee haw, little Johnny-Internet-Hipster! You know, this site is so excellent that you may need to keep it alive beyond your projected 6 week trip. We DO want you to come home, but couldn't you keep updating the adventures after you're back? You know, go to GG Park, lean against your favorite tree, and e-mail in another slippery escapade from, say, Fairbanks, Alaska, complete with your current health and digestive status. We promise to stay entertained. Hope your butt's ok. And your stomach. lv, hhh

greg Daddy smith
So, I'm sitting in one of those important meetings this morning. The kind with the big VP guys and all that and I get a page. (My voicemail says to page me if it's an emergency.) The page says call Connee... Yeow! I'm thinking that this is an emergency and we'll all have to run to Georgia and retrieve the traveling John.

Nope. Everything is OK. I missed lunch. Well, life goes on here.

Well the weather for Georgia looks pretty good. Highs in the low 80s. so I imagine John will be wearing those snappy leathers for the driving.

How about those pictures from the bike. Gary, that digital camera's lookin pretty good. Why didn't you just send it with the Henkster?

When is John going to start writing about what's really happening on this trip? According to my count, there are a few days left un-accounted for here. Where are the confessions about Texas Tilly?

Inquiring minds are willing to pay.

doug johnson
Hey John, how's the 'bug rain'? Have you noticed areas of the country in which the amount of 'hood splatter' is heavy, rather than light? I see you're on your way to Atlanta. Can you count how many streets you pass through that are named "peachtree"?

Take it easy.

doug johnson
Howdy,

Been reading along, about the trials and trivals of John on his motorcycle with a sour stomach. If you manage to stay out of the hospital, then you're doing well. The only time I've been admitted to a hospital was back in 85, with a nasty bout of food poisoning.

Hope your tummy bug goes away so you have more to write about besides all the good food you're missing.

From the looks of the weather map, it looks like you're in for the stormy weather down in the southeast. Keep on trucking.

velvy appleton
This is far and away the best site on the whole friggin' web. Keep up the good work.

Am I the only one who thinks it odd that John totally thrives on 4 days of franks, white-trash gas-stove cooking, truck stops, etc and then gets completely sick after eating at his sister's? Hmm. Or maybe it was alien stomach rays still floating around in Roswell. ("The Hoenkle Autopsy"?)

As John's friend, I hope his adventures go on full blast, and that he comes home soon, safe and sound. As John's apartment sitter, I hope that he takes time to really experience things slowly and deeply, avoiding the rushing-around we all get forced into in our busy lives. Slow down John! Take time to smell the flowers! Don't rush back on my account! Your apartment is safe and sound. Stop worrying! Butt sore? do a few fewer miles per day.

Keep us posted.

Dan & Beth Henkel
This is -- in a big way -- COOL! John called me today to alert me to the web page, and to catch me up on the great adventure. I'm his (only slightly) older brother, Dan (okay, that's ten years, metric).

As I think of John bouncing across state lines on two wheels, I'm reminded of our adventures in years past -- thirty-some years, I suppose -- when John rode through the winding streets of Williams Creek astride the sturdy newsboy baskets on my bike. (Williams Creek is the toney neighborhood bordering our old house here in Indy.)

John was a great adventurer, even then. The rides were shorter, but environmentally friendly and a memorable bonding experience.

What a thrill to follow his exploits on-line! Thanks for your role in keeping our wonderful, widespread family up to date. I'll check in daily. [ You folks just keep the stories coming - I am having a great time playing with all this! ]

gary lieberman
Lieberman here. I just stopped in to see what condition his condition was in. Maybe we should all chip in and by the boy one of those digital cameras so we can enjoy the moments of pain right there with him. John, my scanner and I look forward to seeing you when you get to Atlanta next week. Keep an eye out for the billboards that we have around here. The ones that say, "If you lived here, You'd be dead by now." Actually, I hope you make it out of Nawlin's alive. Oooh Whee, I GAR-raun-tee.

I told Jack Houman about your trip. I think that he may grab his Norton and chase you for a few miles.

Later,

Gary Lieberman

connee
Day 6 and John is still a hot topic here at work. There are many fans reading about his about his daily progress. This is the best site on the net. Did I say I really like the zooming motorcycle graphic?

We were all sad to hear the boy was sick on Day 5. What a terrible thing. Question: Is it evil to find some sick humor in imagining our leather clad boy rolling around on the ground for 12 hours at a Shell Station. If I was brave enough to take a trip like this, I would have made up a more dramatic excuse for the 12 missing hours to keep the exciting-road-tour-myth going. Alien abduction would be a reasonable excuse.

It is reassuring to hear that somewhere in America there are caring people who will help ill and unknown persons they find loitering around gas stations. Would you? Must be that Honest Henkel face.

We are all wishing Little Johnny Henkel good health and better luck as he makes his way to New Orleans.

greg Daddy smith
John, Hope you get this. [Editor's note: John won't see this more than a few times during his trip, and he will not check email. That's why we call this a voyeurs' page. Sorry, daddy.]

Sorry to hear about the illness. Possible causes; something in the bonfire hotdog, stomach flu beams from alien space ships hovering over Roswell (most likely), Shell gasoline's new stomach flu fuel additive.

Well, at least it happened early in the trip. Now you can go the rest of the way without problems... we hope. What are the odds?

On the way thru Texas, please report the number of times you see a billboard that says "If you lived here, you'd be home now".

Remember, we are all living vicariously through your journey so stay well.

Daddy

jan bradley
OK, I'll be the first to add to the Traveling John page. I just wish I was on the road with him. I have always wanted to take a motorcycle trip around the United States with lots of time off work to kill. When I talk to John next week I'll remind him to write about riding and how nice the roads are things that happen along the way. Though he seems to enjoy babbling about nothing! I want to hear about motorcycling stuff. How the new luggage is working out. You know... For anyone who cares I was the one responsible for introducing John the world of motorcycling. Let's see...I can't remember if his first bike was mine or his, you see I owned it for a while, I just can't remember if I sold it to him or vice versa....oh well. Anyway, it was a Yamaha RD350. Then he got a Suzuki 650 Tempter. Then he got a Suzuki GS700E (I think that was what it was). Then he got the one he has now the BMW K75s. I hope we can ride with him for awhile when he comes through Indy. Maybe in another installment I will tell you all about him learning to ride!! Or better yet tell you about John having to ride very fast down the mountain because he had to..well you know...nature was knocking...at the back door if you will..... Or maybe the time he fell over hiding from Brad behind a dumpster (on the same trip!). Brad, maybe you can add to the story! Latersville, Jan Bradley

well, Brad, how about it?

john hutson
I think that we need salute John for being such a brave pioneering individual and venturing out into the wilds of America with only a hand grinder and camping espresso machine. His half refined urbanite, half untamed road warrior personality provides us with dramatic first-hand insight into life on the frontier. The only question is, can his butt survive Texas?

connee zugelder
Patty,
The site is excellent. Really, I am impressed. If only the Accom site was half as entertaining! I love the zooming motorcycle... [Editor's note: she really did write this, and I did not pay her.]

However, I feel that a required level of detail is missing:

• how many stops does John make per day for gas, etc
• doesn't he ever shower?
• does he have tunes, or just hum all day?
• why wouldn't Pete Townsend ride a BMW?
• what kind of ice cream was secretly being devoured?
• which Metallica songs?
• what kind of beer made the belly?
• how sore is his butt?

Sounds like the boy is having the time of his life. Yes, I am jealous, but as my buddy jh (the other jh, the original jh) points out, "yes, we may be working but how are we spending our time??? reading JohnHenkel's adventures."

Tell little johnny henkel we have some fabulous photos of him in his blue lei, he will remember.

Great job Patrick! When are we going to see you? We should all get together for beers before John gets back so he will know he actually missed something...we can always exaggerate and say it was the best night out ever!

patrick schmitz
Predictably, I did not get in this weekend (aspirations to having a life). Gary Lieberman sent me the nice pic of John for this page, which encouraged me that someone was paying attention, and spurred me on. This is definitely more work than I anticipated. My boss is beginning to wonder about my dedication to our current deadlines... Finally, the first few pages go up.

patrick schmitz
John is underway, and I am swamped with work. I figure I'll just work all weekend to get the site going. Late this evening, I get a message from John asking how everything is going. Am I paranoid, or has he checked the page and seen a big blank...? I did find some great map sites, like Mapquest, CityNet map pages, and the Tiger map browser provided by us taxpayers.

greg Daddy smith
This is the coolest!

Looking forward to seeing the updates on John's trip.

Hope things are good with you I just checked in today to see the placeholder. See you on the net.

Wednesday, April 16

patrick schmitz
John and I meet at the Soma cafe to go over this big idea. Nothing like advance planning. Lots of good ideas, and I am beginning to sense that this is way more work than I really have time for. As John talks about his first few days, I am getting more jealous.