4.27.2008

Your Name Is Big Brother

More trials and tribulations of pet ownership. Off and on over the last year, we occasionally have to take our red dog to the vet to have some lumps inspected. She has been cancer-free for about two years or so, but she's a lumpy girl, and I don't have the qualifications to determine fatty cysts vs. mast cell tumors. Shortly after we got home from tour, I noticed a new lump on her side. Over the past two weeks, we've been to the vet's office three times; once to inspect the lump, once for testing and finally, for surgery. Hours after I jogged along side Zoe as she sprinted gleefully into the vets office, we get a call saying surgery must be postponed, because of some swelling and bruising they discovered after they shaved the area in preparation. Monday morning she must go back for more tests and then Wednesday we'll go to the specialty vet to consult with her on the next step.

It's a lot of running around during work hours, and even more so because of how far we live from...well, everything. Luckily, B's work is very easy going, as they have to be, considering how frequently they hire and lay off people. I mean, there's gotta be some perk for working in an environment void of stability. Last week 21 people were laid off. Same time of year I was laid off from the same company four years ago. (There have been plenty more hirings and firings in between as well.) The Fridays that were cut from B's schedule have now been returned. Seems they're short on help.

My work is trickier. They like to think they're understanding, but in reality, it's much more complex. Or perhaps a better term would be "passive aggressive." Even though I spent three-quarters of last week with NOTHING to do, it was necessary to stop me on my way out to pick up my dog so that I could send an email to both my boss (who knew I was leaving and why) and HR to let them know I was leaving work two hours early. Even though those people sit ten feet apart and could practically whisper to each other, and even though work was extremely slow, we mustn't miss an opportunity to document how we did you this favor in case we need to hold it against you later.

4.15.2008

Where My Thoughts Escape

Home, sweet home! Sleeping in my bed and using my own shower never felt so good. It was a fantastic ten-day break from reality, long enough to surrender myself completely to life on the road, but not so long that I forgot how wonderful it feels to be back in familiar surroundings. Our last show was a doozie. We played with 3 awesome acts to the largest crowd we'd had all week, won over some people and even sold several copies of our new record. Giddy from the successful night, we stayed up with our new friends and hosts till about 4:30 am, when it finally dawned on me that we had to leave by 8am in order to make the 14 hour drive home by a reasonable hour. I quickly corralled us into bed, set my cell phone alarm for 7:45am and slept in the clothes I played in.

Our hosts were three gay men. I heard someone joke that staying with a gay couple is definitely the way to go on tour, because they're house will be clean and they'll have cable. Joking aside, after having spent the majority of last nine days sleeping on the floors of friends and strangers, I have to say these men were by far some of the better hosts. In addition to offering us 2 extra beds to stay in and cooking up a couple pizzas for all of us after the show, they insisted on programming their coffee maker for our early departure, offered us clean towels and washcloths (you have no idea how much this is appreciated) and even put together a care package of fruit, scones and bagels for us to take. We barely know these people, and this is the kindness they offered us. Ironically, this is exactly the sort of kindness a certain prophet, whose name millions of followers use for the denunciation of homosexuality, would have done for strangers himself. Good thing we're excluding the gays from equal rights; I'd really hate for that kind of icky good will to seep its way in and poison our ever-altruistic society. But I digress.

Our 14-hour drive turned into a 16-hour drive with all the stops for food, gas and bathrooms, and we arrived back in the Bluegrass around midnight. After unloading and dropping off the mates, B & I walked through the door of our little house around 1 am. I dropped to the floor and all the pets surrounded us in greeting. Gina went straight for her favorite toy, a once-squeaky barbell, and began pushing it against me repeatedly, while Zoe jumped on me and began half licking, half nibbling my face. Once we got in bed, Lewis, one of our three cats, decided he needed to re-establish his position as "Top Cat" by chasing this brothers away and returning to nestle between us with a smug look on his face. Oh, it's good to be loved. And so good to be home.

4.08.2008

Living Just Enough For The City

Day five: a night off.

Crashing at the Ho Jo's tonight. A pricier choice than some, but considering the size of these boys, they're more liable to spoon themselves to sleep in a double, and this place offers two queens. The Lancaster Brewery is just next door, beckoning us from the moment we arrived. After showers, a nap and a little email, we dined on decent Italian food at La Piazza. The servings were so huge, 3 out of 4 of us had leftovers to go. There's a fridge and a microwave in the hotel room, but the restaurant offered foil pans and styrafoam, neither of which are microwaveable, so I had to, um, borrow a couple appetizer plates from them. But I fully intend to bring them back, I swear, I just don't want to burn down our room at the Ho Jo's while we're visiting the state capital of Pennsylvania. (Seems like Philly may have gotten the short end of the stick here, as it is Harrisburg, not the former capital of the new nation, that is the state's capital. WTF?)

Last night we played Pittsburgh with another band from our town and a local, both good, though unfortunately, we were practically our only audience. Still, we had a great time and a lot to drink, and managed to deliver an enthusiastic performance, albeit a sloppy one at times. Afterwards, we crashed with a friend of a friend whom we'd never met but was generous enough to offer two rooms with a bed and a futon. We've had to rely on the hospitality of others often this trip, and it's doing quite a bit to improve faith in my fellow man and woman. We've seen many good friends the past few days, made some new ones, and even got to see a some of my family.

Tonight is busy at the Ho Jo's, and the highway sounds outside the glass door to our balcony. The fellas have gone to the brewery, while I have elected not to spend yet another night hanging out in a bar. The restaurant was BYOB, and since I chose to stay in, I've co-opted the two beers we didn't drink with dinner. I sorted and repacked my suitcase while I watched the History channel in my jammies. I'm not that prissy, but I'm also not ashamed to tell you how good it feels to sleep in a clean, quiet place and have a bit of time to yourself. In another city...in another state..away from the dull reality of the day-to-day. We have five days left of the trip and already I'm feeling nostalgic to tour again. The thought of going back to work is so far from my mind. I could get used to this life on the road. As much as I love being home and having my own space, there's something very primal about the urge to keep moving. And that boy I love is here. What's better than that?

Tomorrow it's off to the Jersey beach for a show and then to NYC for a couple days. Looking forward to hanging in the city and seeing old friends.

4.04.2008

Then As It Was, Then Again It Will Be

"...An' though the course may change sometimes/Rivers always reach the sea"
Ten Years Gone, Led Zeppelin


It must be the time of year, but lately my head is flooded with memories of days passed. The newness of spring inspires me to take inventory and make changes. I've been thinking a lot about the things I complain about, wondering what's at the root of my dissatisfaction. It's a restlessness probably typical of the change in seasons, but no less valid. I'm experiencing nostalgia for old friends, places I used to live – but at the same time, having no desire to go back. The future holds too much allure for me, and the present demands my attention. I've been thinking a lot about the people I'm surrounded by and how naturally their energy affects my state of mind. I wonder what message my own energy sends. Yesterday a guy in a giant Hummer (boy, isn't that redundant) jumped lanes and nearly side-swiped my little VW. Without thinking twice, I simultaneously laid into the horn and gave the Italian salute, while offering him a few choice expletives. Not that it wasn't a dickhead move, and clearly it takes a certain type of personality to drive such a monstrosity with flagrant disregard for it's environmental and economic consequences, but I'm thinking this is not what Krishna had in mind when he was guiding Arjuna into battle.

And then, if I broaden the scope, I think about how across the ocean, on an entirely separate continent, there are millions of people coping with rampant infections of the AIDS virus and mass genocide, while I'm driving around in my $20k import on the way home from my job to a house with a yard and clean water, angrily flipping the bird to my fellow man. It's ridiculous. And it's a conundrum, really, because we can't change our American reality. Well, we can, but not all at once, and only with some cooperation. My dad is famous in our family for his deadpan response to hearing the craziest of situations and responding with a shake of his head and the reminder, "Everybody's got problems."

I can't fix everything I'd like to, but I can control the role I play and the energy I give off and the people who surround me. So that's what I'm thinking about.

In a few hours I'll be staring at miles of highway, searching the grey concrete for incite. I'll let you know if I come up with any.