Six days without a post? How did you possibly survive? Trust that I was slightly busy with some important stuff.

Now I’m back to confirm that my brother has been a dork for a really long time, and I was an entertaining 12-year-old.

Both pieces of information come to us thanks to an audio file created during a trip to Staunton, Va., in what I believe was the summer of 1996. We were heading there to play in a baseball tournament, which seemed to be a frequent destination for us during that period of my life. I think we made four trips to the tiny town in three years.

It’s about a three-hour drive, and despite its relatively nice scenery along I-81, it can get a bit boring. Joining me in the car for this journey were my brother Ben, teammate Corey, Corey’s mom and my mom behind the wheel.

I brought a little tape recorder, which the boys used to document the trip. The tape has everything, including music from the band Seven Mary Three, a little ditty from the Game Gear game Winter Olympics, a fake commercial for “Nationwide Bearhouse,” discussion of an imaginary ape and some high quality storytelling.

You’ll hear Corey first, I chime in for a second before he continues with his log of things that are happening, and then I get the fun going again with something about pressing a button.

Enjoy.