no metal toilets

And we're back!

Regrettably I was unable to give you the kind of play by play I would enjoy from a tour. I left my laptop at home in favor of a lighter load, and couldn't find the physical/mental space or the thumb flexibility to post from my iPhone.

Here's how it went:

I met some great people.

I played those people my music.

I froze my extremities off.

I finished and enjoyed the book "The Likeness" by Tana French. "Take what you want and pay for it, says God." -Spanish proverb (via Ms. French)

I drove a heaping quantity of hours. For some reason the extra painful early morning shift when everyone else in the van is passed out was my favorite. I communed with nature, music, concrete, and steel. The miles melted quickly away and my mind unwound its nots and knots.

I had my first extended bonding session with my recently acquired alto saxophone.

I had my first extended tour-bonding session with my friend Ryan Cabrera. That's my dawg.

I had my first encounters with Gregg the tour-booker, and Jesse Ruben. We're now bonded for life, not unlike what I guess it must be like to have a cellmate, only without the metal toilets. Here's to not finding out how apropos that comparison is.

Highlights:

-losing my hearing after playing for various screaming sorority girls.

-eating guacamole with truffles in Philly.

-playing my music, and Ryan's music for friendly sold-out crowds.

-seeing old friends in NYC.

Lowlights:

-running out of CDs to sell to the aforementioned friendlies.

-having the box of discs that were sent to replenish my supply lost at the Pittsburgh post office.

-accidentally heaving Ryan's beautiful guitar to the floor at the Bitter End in NYC.

And now that I'm home, what do I do? I pick up the pieces. I decompress. I catch up internet duties. I write songs. I sleep in my own bed. I download this month's supply of new music from emusic.com. Thus far I've picked some winners: The Dodos, Bon Iver, Andrew Bird, Larry Goldings album "Long Story Short", and Sia doing "Paranoid Android". I read "What is the What" by Dave Eggers, which gave me this gem:

"The pain is not great, but the symbolism is disagreeable."

Till next time,