Wendy....I'm Home

Do you remember that scene in The Force Awakens when Han and Chewy find the Millennium Falcon and Han says, "Chewy, we're home"? I am kind of feeling that right now. It has been years since I have done very much in way of being creative or really seeking adventure. Perhaps it was the pandemic or maybe just the dramatic life change in such a short period of time but either way, it feels good to be back in that mode again. It only took 3 1/2 years but I am older, fatter yet much wiser so maybe this retro 2005-ish site will inspire me to get out and pay attention to all the little things because all of that really does matter.

So, why bring back blog/vlogging when there are shorter platforms like X, Threads, and TikTok which can convey the same message? Well, they really can't. In fact, they seem to be such an impersonal and forgettable storytelling platform it just feeds the attention deficit we have grown to accept even further. I promise I am not a curmudgeon but sometimes it is nice to slow down and really be there with someone, even if they are a total stranger.

So now that we got the "hey how ya' doin's" and "why ya' doin's" out of the way, I need to show you what I found last year but didn't really share it. In fact, I only talked about it with my pal John and his girl Laura because he has an amazing podcast, Under the Floorboards, (link below) and thought he would get a kick out of it. In fact, we made a day out of it and I brought them to see the famous Priddy's General Store or better known as the general store in the movie Cabin Fever where a karate kid bit that dude while screaming "PANCAKES!". You know the one.

I live in the downtown area of Winston-Salem, NC but the cool part about that is I am still only a ten minute drive to the rural wooded area where weird shit happens. I am sure that was the impression Eli Roth had too when location scouting the 2001 gore/horror, Cabin Fever. If a weird government chemical spill in a river happened, I'm sure it would happen in a place like this.

I found Priddy's via the Adam the Woo Daily Vlog youtube channel a couple years ago and visited it before but it was unfortunately closes. Lucky for us, the second time was the charm and we were able to get the full experience. And holy cats, what a tour!

Not many people know about the horror history of Priddy's General Store but everyone know about it in...general. It has been a staple in the hills of Danbury for generations and if you need groceries, chainsaws, a cowboy hat or tractor wheels, this used to be the only place unless the family wanted to take the trek to the big city. It's pretty great these spots are still around preserving a time when people ordered horseshoes.

This trip we walked through trying to match parts of movie scenes with current views and surprisingly enough, just about everything was the same. The only real change is the swinging bench is no longer there but the hooks that it hung on were. In fact, the lady running the shop is the same one when it was being filmed and she gave us an amazing interview and tour. My friend, John, was in heaven and as a fellow horror buff, that couldn't have made me happier. I love watching people in their element having a great time. It's my lifeblood.

In the back of the store was the shrine to the movie, Cabin Fever and it reminded me a lot of the Mothman museum's display from their movie. Just random items, a clap board, photos, and props to include the famous rifle used in the film which was very very fake. Not sure how they had us convinced. Regardless, the amazing host allowed us to pose with a few props and John got his recording for the podcast. All-in-all, a win for everyone.

To add to the experience even more, John had a custom bologna sandwich from the deli section and I bought homemade chowchow, hot sauce and Cheerwine in the bottle because you can't have hospitality like that and not buy something. Even though you really have to watch the expiration dates.

So, that was one of the few times in the past year I went out of the way to see something weird. I am changing that, now I am settled in a new industry of my career and traveling most of the month. I plan on seeking these little spots out as the months progress and you can come with me right here on CoD. There will be more videos, of course, but the production value has to catchup to the times because going back to the ones I have done before, holy shit. I almost want to delete them but that would go against why I am doing this in the first place. You have to authentic.

Thanks for coming with us to Priddy's General Store aka Cabin Fever house of pancakes. Be sure to checkout John's podcast, Under the Floorboards and join him on Patreon. It's a good time and the episode he interviewed my future wife, Felissa Rose from Sleep Away Camp and many more amazing films.

It's good too be home, Chewy.