As I embarked on my journey of finding employment I had to ask myself many questions. I challenged myself by answering big picture questions to narrow down my interests so that I could start looking for employment in specific areas. I went through a bulk of these questions in my previous entry. The one question that remains unanswered and nags at me in my waking day is 'what is your passion in life?' I am envious of those people that can answer this question, sometimes with a single word. I have spent most of my life tracking down 'passion' without success.
I can't help but notice the aggressive nature that surrounds finding a new job. I am job hunting and tracking down my passion, I am testing my strength and patience and pushing forward through rejection. So many aggressive adjectives to describe this experience of getting back into the work force. And I can feel the weight of these words, they aren't just a cute narrative of my day. It is an experience that I am trudging through each day.
This aggressive state that I now live in has pushed me to seek serenity in any form possible. When at home I take long baths and gravitate towards funny movies. I eat candy without regret and treat each day like I am on vacation, not worrying about my future. At work, where I sit behind a computer and watch the clock, I have begun occupying my time with reading refurnishing blogs. I have absorbed myself in my Pinterest site (www.pinterest.com) looking for creative DIY (do it yourself) projects. I started collecting furniture magazines and put sticky notes on creative arrangements in the home.
With my current job I have plenty of time to myself so I have been lazily daydreaming. I could be organizing my finances for this upcoming tax season or filling out that insurance form to protect Evan's instruments. But instead, I catch myself planning out entire projects from finish to end. Projects that involve using my hands. I always return to this imagine of the sun shining through a window in the early morning as I am busily staining fresh wood or drilling holes for hardware. All the time, I have a half smile on my face and half set eyelids. I am happy.
For all the 'tracking' I have done in search of my passion I am uncertain if this could be my calling? I have been actively pursuing the chase and now in the middle of a quite day I am daydreaming of refurbishing furniture or building new pieces from raw materials and finding peace. Is this a sign or am I feeling deprived on my own space since I live in my fiance's parent's cabin currently? I guess to find out I am going to set about doing a refurbishing project and see how I feel afterwards.
Will post more as I embark on this new project!
Monday, December 19, 2011
Friday, December 16, 2011
A tribute to Jamie
It was my mother-in-law's 60th birthday yesterday and for the celebration I wrote a story for her about my favorite Jamie moment. I thought I would share it here since it is pretty cute:
My favorite Jamie moments are centered around her theatrics. At the top of the list was the night Dwight and Jamie teamed up to play Evan and I in Cranium. We were half way through the game and the Jamie/Dwight team was trailing behind. They needed a big win to get them back in the game. Jamie was up. She rolled the dice and advanced to a green space indicating she would need to act or hum the clue on the card for Dwight to guess. The card was pulled and there was a moment of silence as Jamie concentrated on the task at hand. A moment later Jamie read out loud the rules on the card indicating she would need to act out an action clue. The timer was flipped and the show began!
Dwight, Evan and I watched in anticipation. Jamie began by slapping her hands on her belly. Unable to make any sounds or speak she continued to slap her stomach. Without a response from her partner, she tried a different approach and rubbed her hands over her head and down to her feet This prompted Dwight who said "rubbing?" and then "ummm . . . what?" Jamie continued the show by patting her shoulders and then her legs. She started the familiar routine of sweeping her hands from her head down to her toes with growing frustration. Dwight was silent except for an occasional "what?". The grains of sand had slipped through the narrow squeeze of the hour glass indicating the passing of time. The answer would have to be discovered soon, time was running out.
To Jamie's relief Dwight guessed, "body!" Jamie's eyes widened as she nodded her head in excitement. But it wasn't over, the answer was an action clue and body is a noun. Jamie had looked down at the floor and hesitated for a moment before flinging her entire body down onto the hardwood floors in the living room. She had performed a belly flop which made the pieces of the board game jump into the air and had us all agasp. Evan and I peered over the rim of the coffee table to discoverJamie swimming on the floor with determination. It wasn't long before she popped back up onto her feet and began waving her hands in the air. Dwight was still in a state of shock from the daredevilish dive Jamie performed when Jamie had turned to Dwight and put her hands up into the air indicating a silent, "well?"
Dwight said, "what?" Jamie had thrown her hands back down to her side and again was airborn. The thud shook us as we all stared in puzzled amazement. Jamie ran through the routine and when she again was standing on her feet turned to Dwight indicating he needed to guess something, anything! But the only words that left Dwight were "what?" between wheezing sputters of laughter. Jamie had turned red in the face from her laberous routine which did not produce a single guess from her partner.
Up and down, up and down Jamie soared threw the air as the three of us were struggling for breath, our diaphrams quaked with laughter. None of us had taken notice that all the sand was resting in the lower half of the hour glass. Jamie had labored in vain but her courageaous efforts we applauded. After we had regained control of our breathing and wiped the tears of joy from our eyes we asked almost in unison, "What was the answer?". Jamie tight lipped said, "body boarding" before sitting next to Dwight who she gave a playful slap. Dwight again broke out into laugher and exclaimed one last "WHAT!?!" which caused Jamie to dart a glare in her partners direction.
Needless to say, Evan and I won the game of Cranium and pleeded with Dwight and Jamie to play another round. Jamie agreed on the conditions that we switched partners.
Happy Birthday Jamie!
My favorite Jamie moments are centered around her theatrics. At the top of the list was the night Dwight and Jamie teamed up to play Evan and I in Cranium. We were half way through the game and the Jamie/Dwight team was trailing behind. They needed a big win to get them back in the game. Jamie was up. She rolled the dice and advanced to a green space indicating she would need to act or hum the clue on the card for Dwight to guess. The card was pulled and there was a moment of silence as Jamie concentrated on the task at hand. A moment later Jamie read out loud the rules on the card indicating she would need to act out an action clue. The timer was flipped and the show began!
Dwight, Evan and I watched in anticipation. Jamie began by slapping her hands on her belly. Unable to make any sounds or speak she continued to slap her stomach. Without a response from her partner, she tried a different approach and rubbed her hands over her head and down to her feet This prompted Dwight who said "rubbing?" and then "ummm . . . what?" Jamie continued the show by patting her shoulders and then her legs. She started the familiar routine of sweeping her hands from her head down to her toes with growing frustration. Dwight was silent except for an occasional "what?". The grains of sand had slipped through the narrow squeeze of the hour glass indicating the passing of time. The answer would have to be discovered soon, time was running out.
To Jamie's relief Dwight guessed, "body!" Jamie's eyes widened as she nodded her head in excitement. But it wasn't over, the answer was an action clue and body is a noun. Jamie had looked down at the floor and hesitated for a moment before flinging her entire body down onto the hardwood floors in the living room. She had performed a belly flop which made the pieces of the board game jump into the air and had us all agasp. Evan and I peered over the rim of the coffee table to discoverJamie swimming on the floor with determination. It wasn't long before she popped back up onto her feet and began waving her hands in the air. Dwight was still in a state of shock from the daredevilish dive Jamie performed when Jamie had turned to Dwight and put her hands up into the air indicating a silent, "well?"
Dwight said, "what?" Jamie had thrown her hands back down to her side and again was airborn. The thud shook us as we all stared in puzzled amazement. Jamie ran through the routine and when she again was standing on her feet turned to Dwight indicating he needed to guess something, anything! But the only words that left Dwight were "what?" between wheezing sputters of laughter. Jamie had turned red in the face from her laberous routine which did not produce a single guess from her partner.
Up and down, up and down Jamie soared threw the air as the three of us were struggling for breath, our diaphrams quaked with laughter. None of us had taken notice that all the sand was resting in the lower half of the hour glass. Jamie had labored in vain but her courageaous efforts we applauded. After we had regained control of our breathing and wiped the tears of joy from our eyes we asked almost in unison, "What was the answer?". Jamie tight lipped said, "body boarding" before sitting next to Dwight who she gave a playful slap. Dwight again broke out into laugher and exclaimed one last "WHAT!?!" which caused Jamie to dart a glare in her partners direction.
Needless to say, Evan and I won the game of Cranium and pleeded with Dwight and Jamie to play another round. Jamie agreed on the conditions that we switched partners.
Happy Birthday Jamie!
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Opening up to the way the world works
It's time for an update! Much has happened over the last few weeks. I started my job working in the Office of the Bursar at Indiana University and just this week I had an interview in New York for a position in the Registrar's Office at the State University of New York (the Purchase campus). As I wait to hear back with fingers crossed, I reflect on the process of job searching.
Job searching or hunting which denotes a struggle for survival, is not for the faint of heart. First, the application process. The process of putting together a resume that is appealing to the eyes in it's format as well as appealing to the brain for its content. It is a gamble deciding what words from the English language you should use. Now a days, most job applications have to be submitted through the Internet. No one wants a paper copy or an email with a resume attached. I have discovered they do this for very specific reasons.
When you submit a resume and cover letter into the company of interest's data system the system performs a simple word association scan. If your resume and cover letter contain a number of keywords that have been entered into the system as desirable then your application is elevated to an observation level and into human hands. So if you aren't careful in choosing your words, your application may be sent right into the cyber recycling bin without a second thought. I think of my resume screaming out as it is being sucked into a giant black hole, never to be found again!
So if you manage to survive the computer scan and make it onto the hands of a living being it doesn't mean you have finally arrived. Humans are critical and can dismiss your application for far less sophisticated reasons. For example, a manager in his/her late 50's may be threatened by a young wo/man with more education and experience and therefore may dismiss the application for his/her own security. Or even more cynical, a wo/man might simply not like the applicants name because of a past event!
I know it may seem silly or improbable to think people are so shallow but unfortunately, we are! So even if you choose all the right words your application can come to a screeching halt due to uncontrollable circumstances. However, if you have a name that doesn't trigger a PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) event in your future supervisor and are lucky enough to have a well adjusted person review your application you may just find yourself in line for an interview.
The interview, for me, is the least of my worries. I feel that I am an easy person to get along with and in a short amount of time can let my personality shine through. Maybe it's all those social events in NYC that have brought me into my own as a network-er or maybe it is my confidence that I am a good person and any organization/business would be lucky to have an employee like me . . . cocky? No, confident! My ability to control my nerves and focus on making a good first impression on new people makes me a good interviewer.
Okay, so I passed the computer scan, the human once-over and the live interview. Now comes the hardest part, the waiting. I know I am one of the contenders but the unknown of who I am competing against starts to build anxiety. The candidates could be past employees or employees from another department. Maybe a son or daughter of an employee or a friend of the supervisor. Who knows if the other candidates have more experience or gave a better interview. All one can do at this point is wait, wait for the phone to ring.
The job hunting process is filled with controllable and uncontrollable variables. In this economy where unemployment is near 8%, a number which has gone down due to the number of Americans who have decided to remove their resumes from the job hunt entirely, it is a statistically certain that getting a job will take time and patience and maybe a miracle! Rejection will most likely be the outcome and defeat will devour you if you don't continue the hunt.
I just wish there was a way to get noticed among the sea of electronic applications. Survival instinct, I did something risky today and I tried to call one of the offices I applied for directly. I thought maybe if I spoke to someone in the department that it might tie a red balloon to my hand and make me stand out from the crowd. My optimism and courage helped me push through as the receptionist laughed at me on the phone. "Please transfer me to Human Resources", I said firmly. I would not be rebuffed! But once transferred the department of Human Resources only gave me a serious of prerecorded messages with no offer to speak to a living being.
I though I might take a trip and start walking into the offices I have applied to but envision a bold move like that removing my name from the not only the list of resumes in consideration but black list me from the entire establishment. How does one get a head in this market? How does one stand out? I think it must just be the wait and see approach for now and hope that statistically, the more applications I submit the higher my chances of being plucked from the masses and offered a job.
Job searching or hunting which denotes a struggle for survival, is not for the faint of heart. First, the application process. The process of putting together a resume that is appealing to the eyes in it's format as well as appealing to the brain for its content. It is a gamble deciding what words from the English language you should use. Now a days, most job applications have to be submitted through the Internet. No one wants a paper copy or an email with a resume attached. I have discovered they do this for very specific reasons.
When you submit a resume and cover letter into the company of interest's data system the system performs a simple word association scan. If your resume and cover letter contain a number of keywords that have been entered into the system as desirable then your application is elevated to an observation level and into human hands. So if you aren't careful in choosing your words, your application may be sent right into the cyber recycling bin without a second thought. I think of my resume screaming out as it is being sucked into a giant black hole, never to be found again!
So if you manage to survive the computer scan and make it onto the hands of a living being it doesn't mean you have finally arrived. Humans are critical and can dismiss your application for far less sophisticated reasons. For example, a manager in his/her late 50's may be threatened by a young wo/man with more education and experience and therefore may dismiss the application for his/her own security. Or even more cynical, a wo/man might simply not like the applicants name because of a past event!
I know it may seem silly or improbable to think people are so shallow but unfortunately, we are! So even if you choose all the right words your application can come to a screeching halt due to uncontrollable circumstances. However, if you have a name that doesn't trigger a PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) event in your future supervisor and are lucky enough to have a well adjusted person review your application you may just find yourself in line for an interview.
The interview, for me, is the least of my worries. I feel that I am an easy person to get along with and in a short amount of time can let my personality shine through. Maybe it's all those social events in NYC that have brought me into my own as a network-er or maybe it is my confidence that I am a good person and any organization/business would be lucky to have an employee like me . . . cocky? No, confident! My ability to control my nerves and focus on making a good first impression on new people makes me a good interviewer.
Okay, so I passed the computer scan, the human once-over and the live interview. Now comes the hardest part, the waiting. I know I am one of the contenders but the unknown of who I am competing against starts to build anxiety. The candidates could be past employees or employees from another department. Maybe a son or daughter of an employee or a friend of the supervisor. Who knows if the other candidates have more experience or gave a better interview. All one can do at this point is wait, wait for the phone to ring.
The job hunting process is filled with controllable and uncontrollable variables. In this economy where unemployment is near 8%, a number which has gone down due to the number of Americans who have decided to remove their resumes from the job hunt entirely, it is a statistically certain that getting a job will take time and patience and maybe a miracle! Rejection will most likely be the outcome and defeat will devour you if you don't continue the hunt.
I just wish there was a way to get noticed among the sea of electronic applications. Survival instinct, I did something risky today and I tried to call one of the offices I applied for directly. I thought maybe if I spoke to someone in the department that it might tie a red balloon to my hand and make me stand out from the crowd. My optimism and courage helped me push through as the receptionist laughed at me on the phone. "Please transfer me to Human Resources", I said firmly. I would not be rebuffed! But once transferred the department of Human Resources only gave me a serious of prerecorded messages with no offer to speak to a living being.
I though I might take a trip and start walking into the offices I have applied to but envision a bold move like that removing my name from the not only the list of resumes in consideration but black list me from the entire establishment. How does one get a head in this market? How does one stand out? I think it must just be the wait and see approach for now and hope that statistically, the more applications I submit the higher my chances of being plucked from the masses and offered a job.
Monday, December 5, 2011
The spa in my mind
I know it has been awhile since I have written. I had my interview at Indiana University and a week later was offered the job! I now work Monday through Friday from 8AM to 4:30PM at the Office of the Bursar as their Receptionist. Unfortunately, it is only a temporary job ending in January but for now I am happy that I am out of the house and active!
My commute from Bowling Green to Bloomington is a 50 mile trip, one way. It takes me approximately an hour to drive this distance and I make the trip twice a day, to work and back home. The commute has given me lots of time to listen to stories and news updates on NPR which makes me feel connected to the world outside of myself. Surprisingly though, what has proven to be even more useful is the time I sit in silence during my drive and just think.
Everyone I know is constantly rushing from place to place. We live in a society where the ability to successfully multi-task is coveted and taking your work home is how you get ahead. With our brains being taxed to switch concentrations every minute to keep up with the pace around us, we rarely take the time to simply think about our lives; Am I happy? What do I want in life? Where am I heading? What happened last weekend? Who do I want to receive the Republican candidacy? Should we get another dog?
Exploring theses questions and allowing my mind to wonder through the 'junk pile' in my brain is refreshing. Almost like purging your email box or cleaning out the clutter in your closet. Taking the time to 'think' instead of reacting to the million situations that pop up in a day can really change your perspective on life. I know it sounds silly but it's true! After a long drive home I feel refreshed and calm.
So instead of being upset about the amount of time I spend commuting, I have decided to turn it into a spa hour for my mind. I purge and allow room for new thoughts and ideas to enter without the old taking up space and find that I have more patience to listen to others without the distraction of my thoughts getting in the way.
As for job prospects after my temporary position ends, I have one pending. I interviewed for a position in the Office of the Registrar at SUNY (State University of New York) and will find out this week if I move onto the next round of interviews. As part of my commuting purging I have decided that if I do not have a job lined up by the end of January I will go to New York for the month of February to job hunt, hopefully staying with friends while I fill out applications and go on interviews. I will keep you posted as the months progress!
My commute from Bowling Green to Bloomington is a 50 mile trip, one way. It takes me approximately an hour to drive this distance and I make the trip twice a day, to work and back home. The commute has given me lots of time to listen to stories and news updates on NPR which makes me feel connected to the world outside of myself. Surprisingly though, what has proven to be even more useful is the time I sit in silence during my drive and just think.
Everyone I know is constantly rushing from place to place. We live in a society where the ability to successfully multi-task is coveted and taking your work home is how you get ahead. With our brains being taxed to switch concentrations every minute to keep up with the pace around us, we rarely take the time to simply think about our lives; Am I happy? What do I want in life? Where am I heading? What happened last weekend? Who do I want to receive the Republican candidacy? Should we get another dog?
Exploring theses questions and allowing my mind to wonder through the 'junk pile' in my brain is refreshing. Almost like purging your email box or cleaning out the clutter in your closet. Taking the time to 'think' instead of reacting to the million situations that pop up in a day can really change your perspective on life. I know it sounds silly but it's true! After a long drive home I feel refreshed and calm.
So instead of being upset about the amount of time I spend commuting, I have decided to turn it into a spa hour for my mind. I purge and allow room for new thoughts and ideas to enter without the old taking up space and find that I have more patience to listen to others without the distraction of my thoughts getting in the way.
As for job prospects after my temporary position ends, I have one pending. I interviewed for a position in the Office of the Registrar at SUNY (State University of New York) and will find out this week if I move onto the next round of interviews. As part of my commuting purging I have decided that if I do not have a job lined up by the end of January I will go to New York for the month of February to job hunt, hopefully staying with friends while I fill out applications and go on interviews. I will keep you posted as the months progress!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
I got an interview!
Alright, well I just sat here for about an hour and wrote an entire blog entry and when I went to publish it, it erased everything instead. I am so pissed and frustrated, I don't have the strength to rewrite it all tonight. Since I was only able to recover the first paragraph, here it is:
I got my first response to a job application! I will be interviewing for a receptionist position at Indiana University in The Office of the Bursar which is responsible for collecting university fees and departmental charges from students. It is a temporary position ending in January which I am actually very excited about. We know that Evan and I will be in the area until Evan finishes recording his next album which I anticipate will be some time in March or April of 2012. A temporary job means that I don't have to worry about committing to Indiana for the next few years and have the freedom of moving when Evan is finished.
I got my first response to a job application! I will be interviewing for a receptionist position at Indiana University in The Office of the Bursar which is responsible for collecting university fees and departmental charges from students. It is a temporary position ending in January which I am actually very excited about. We know that Evan and I will be in the area until Evan finishes recording his next album which I anticipate will be some time in March or April of 2012. A temporary job means that I don't have to worry about committing to Indiana for the next few years and have the freedom of moving when Evan is finished.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Grass Hopper
If the excitement that comes with starting on a "plan" is the up, than the down is when you lose confidence and feel the desperation of needing a new plan. A week ago I decided that I wanted to move back to New York City and find a job working for a university or college. This would allow me to be a part of an establishment that values education while continuing my own education in a city filled with my friends.
That was my plan and I started to put it into motion by applying for jobs posted by Columbia University, New York University, State University of New York - Purchase College and I even extended my job search to Asheville University in North Carolina and Indiana University in Bloomington. In total I have applied for almost 20 jobs and the silence is deafening. I have not received so much of an email in return to my job enquiries.
The most frustrating part is that I have only applied for jobs that have a minimum requirement of a high school diploma or a Bachelor's degree and at least one years office experience. You would think my 5+ years working in offices including working at the College of Wooster would allot me at least an interview. So I have started the ball of doubt rolling and as it is picking up speed my anxiety has grown. To combat my fear of losing my plan I am updating my resume again and giving myself another 2 weeks before absolute desperation is allowed to settle in.
It's amazing that when you are employed you dream only of unemployment and then when you are jobless you feel the anxiety of needing to define yourself through a 40+ hr. a week responsibility. It is the best representation of "the grass is greener" that I have ever experienced. Too bad jumping back and forth between the two mounds of grass wasn't easier. How amazing would it be if you could be employed for one month and then free the next month with the security of knowing that you will be back at work the following month?
Well I will dream of becoming a grass hopper and finding that perfect six months a year career to keep me sane while in this lull. I give it until January before I start looking for a temporary job in the local area. I don't want to be a waitress or work in retail again but I do like having a little bit of money to go to the movies, maybe eat out at a nice restaurant or visit my friends in NYC.
Ugh, job hunting is a lot like the sport it refers to. Traveling out into the wilderness of the job market, looking for a big fat juicy paycheck that will ensure your survival. Armed with only a resume, I bet a shot gun would make finding a job easier!
That was my plan and I started to put it into motion by applying for jobs posted by Columbia University, New York University, State University of New York - Purchase College and I even extended my job search to Asheville University in North Carolina and Indiana University in Bloomington. In total I have applied for almost 20 jobs and the silence is deafening. I have not received so much of an email in return to my job enquiries.
The most frustrating part is that I have only applied for jobs that have a minimum requirement of a high school diploma or a Bachelor's degree and at least one years office experience. You would think my 5+ years working in offices including working at the College of Wooster would allot me at least an interview. So I have started the ball of doubt rolling and as it is picking up speed my anxiety has grown. To combat my fear of losing my plan I am updating my resume again and giving myself another 2 weeks before absolute desperation is allowed to settle in.
It's amazing that when you are employed you dream only of unemployment and then when you are jobless you feel the anxiety of needing to define yourself through a 40+ hr. a week responsibility. It is the best representation of "the grass is greener" that I have ever experienced. Too bad jumping back and forth between the two mounds of grass wasn't easier. How amazing would it be if you could be employed for one month and then free the next month with the security of knowing that you will be back at work the following month?
Well I will dream of becoming a grass hopper and finding that perfect six months a year career to keep me sane while in this lull. I give it until January before I start looking for a temporary job in the local area. I don't want to be a waitress or work in retail again but I do like having a little bit of money to go to the movies, maybe eat out at a nice restaurant or visit my friends in NYC.
Ugh, job hunting is a lot like the sport it refers to. Traveling out into the wilderness of the job market, looking for a big fat juicy paycheck that will ensure your survival. Armed with only a resume, I bet a shot gun would make finding a job easier!
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Return of the Blogger
I know, I know "Where the hell have you been?!?!" After the end of August I fell off the face of the earth. Having our trailer broken into while living on the road was difficult for me to cope with. I tried not to be jaded from the experience but for all my trying I remained scared and timid for the rest of our travels. The tour ended September 24th in San Antonio, TX as planned (well as rescheduled) and we spent a week with our friends Shainah and Orie in Austin in celebration. From there we traveled back to Kansas City to pick up our trailer before finally heading home to Indiana to see our puppy dog, Abbey Road.
The month of October was 'soul searching' month. Jobless, homeless and with no discernible direction I began asking myself for the first time in months, "What do I want?" As part of our summer traveling, Evan and I were suppose to find a city that we both loved and would want to live our next 4 years in, at least. The only players that rose above the rest were Boulder, CO and Asheville, NC. Then after a trip back to New York to clean out our storage unit which had flooded during hurricane Irene (if I have learned anything from the last 2 months it is do not get attached to material possessions), I added New York, NY back to the list.
From spending only a week in New York, I was reminded of all the tasty delights the Big Apple provides. First, all our friends are there which are all amazing people in their twenties and early thirties following dreams and spinning inspiring tales that I am not ready to give up following. Second, the food and culture in that 4 x 7 mile island is like no other I have seen. The delicious meals we had were almost too much to bare (I am salivating just thinking of them again). Third, the city is like a living creature which makes you feel a part of something bigger than yourself. You can walk the streets any time of the day and night and see life thriving. The backwoods of Indiana has life too, it just takes a lot of patient and persistent to watch it change or grow and now that it is winter everything is dying and all the animals and insects have deserted us. For someone with seasonal depression, the winter in NYC does not have that sense of the world dying because the streets are never bare and there are no insects to say farewell too!
For the other two cities on my list, I do love Boulder but for now it is too far away to fathom. North Carolina I could get on board with. Asheville is only 8 hours from my parents in Ohio and 8 hours from Evan's parents in Indiana. Plus, most of Evan's relatives and his brother live in NC so we would have family close which is something I value. I love that the city is at the foot of the Appalachian mountains, it makes such a beautiful scene and the downtown area is filled with interesting shops and delicious restaurants. Not to mention, Asheville has a great live music scene which is perfect for Evan as he continues to build his career. Sounds perfect right? Well then help me get a job there!
Now that we have whittled away where we want to live, I need to find a job to support us. Not that Evan is not a provider, he is and of lately he has been providing for the both of us. But I need a job to help build my career, to keep me busy and to be a source of reliable income to keep us sheltered and fed. That was another nagging question, "What kind of job do I want?" I was tormented the entire month rolling this question around in my head. I finally came up an answer on our trip home from NYC. I want to work on a college/university campus again. I love the atmosphere and I would love to continue my education through tuition remission. So I have been applying for jobs in both the NYC area and the Asheville area. If anyone reading this has an 'in' with any campuses don't be shy, contact me!
Alright, so I am getting out of bed in the morning and having my coffee to sit down at my computer and focus on job hunting in two distinct geographic areas. I am back on track and putting my plan to action! And with that, my emotions are in check and I am able to come back into the world with a smile on my face. I have the strength to meet the worlds challenges with optimism and am once again sleeping easy like a fool with full acknowledgement that the 'plan' could change any day. But for now, the plan is keeping me sane.
So I am officially back online! I am going to keep you all updated on my life as I try to definitely live it. If you want to write me my email address is emilyanngriffin@gmail.com
Thanks for all your love!!
The month of October was 'soul searching' month. Jobless, homeless and with no discernible direction I began asking myself for the first time in months, "What do I want?" As part of our summer traveling, Evan and I were suppose to find a city that we both loved and would want to live our next 4 years in, at least. The only players that rose above the rest were Boulder, CO and Asheville, NC. Then after a trip back to New York to clean out our storage unit which had flooded during hurricane Irene (if I have learned anything from the last 2 months it is do not get attached to material possessions), I added New York, NY back to the list.
From spending only a week in New York, I was reminded of all the tasty delights the Big Apple provides. First, all our friends are there which are all amazing people in their twenties and early thirties following dreams and spinning inspiring tales that I am not ready to give up following. Second, the food and culture in that 4 x 7 mile island is like no other I have seen. The delicious meals we had were almost too much to bare (I am salivating just thinking of them again). Third, the city is like a living creature which makes you feel a part of something bigger than yourself. You can walk the streets any time of the day and night and see life thriving. The backwoods of Indiana has life too, it just takes a lot of patient and persistent to watch it change or grow and now that it is winter everything is dying and all the animals and insects have deserted us. For someone with seasonal depression, the winter in NYC does not have that sense of the world dying because the streets are never bare and there are no insects to say farewell too!
For the other two cities on my list, I do love Boulder but for now it is too far away to fathom. North Carolina I could get on board with. Asheville is only 8 hours from my parents in Ohio and 8 hours from Evan's parents in Indiana. Plus, most of Evan's relatives and his brother live in NC so we would have family close which is something I value. I love that the city is at the foot of the Appalachian mountains, it makes such a beautiful scene and the downtown area is filled with interesting shops and delicious restaurants. Not to mention, Asheville has a great live music scene which is perfect for Evan as he continues to build his career. Sounds perfect right? Well then help me get a job there!
Now that we have whittled away where we want to live, I need to find a job to support us. Not that Evan is not a provider, he is and of lately he has been providing for the both of us. But I need a job to help build my career, to keep me busy and to be a source of reliable income to keep us sheltered and fed. That was another nagging question, "What kind of job do I want?" I was tormented the entire month rolling this question around in my head. I finally came up an answer on our trip home from NYC. I want to work on a college/university campus again. I love the atmosphere and I would love to continue my education through tuition remission. So I have been applying for jobs in both the NYC area and the Asheville area. If anyone reading this has an 'in' with any campuses don't be shy, contact me!
Alright, so I am getting out of bed in the morning and having my coffee to sit down at my computer and focus on job hunting in two distinct geographic areas. I am back on track and putting my plan to action! And with that, my emotions are in check and I am able to come back into the world with a smile on my face. I have the strength to meet the worlds challenges with optimism and am once again sleeping easy like a fool with full acknowledgement that the 'plan' could change any day. But for now, the plan is keeping me sane.
So I am officially back online! I am going to keep you all updated on my life as I try to definitely live it. If you want to write me my email address is emilyanngriffin@gmail.com
Thanks for all your love!!
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Boulder Life
From Kansas City we headed to Englewood, CO to play the Comfort Dental Amphitheater in the Denver area. I was excited to see Colorado since so many people have told me that Evan and I are the type of people that would love living in the Boulder/Denver area. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I wanted to know if it would be love at first site.
The day was a bit difficult emotionally because of the night before in Kansas City and this being the first show without any of Evan’s instruments. We must have told our story of being robbed over a dozen times but each person that heard it gave us words of encouragement. By the end of the evening Evan and I were so full of love it seemed like the violations against us were a distance memory.
Without any of his own instruments, Evan played Vivian Campbell’s gold top Gibson and a Dobro guitar that Jeff (one of the guitar techs for Heart) picked up on loan for Evan the day before. Evan cut his set short and played only three songs that night in light of the emotional dealings in Missouri. He started his set with “Woodpecker” on the Gibson, then invited Vivian out to play their Robert Johnson cover on the Dobro and finished the set with “The Giving Tree” on the Gibson.
Before playing his last song, Evan told the Denver audience about the thievery in Kansas City and dedicated his set to the crew of Heart and Def Leppard along with the band members. He gave a special thanks to Jeff, Dave (Wolfie), and Jason for all their help in recovering equipment for him so the show could go on. The audience shared in Evan’s grief as he belted out his pain in “The Giving Tree”. Music was the perfect therapy for working out those lingering emotions from the day.
That night we stayed at a friend’s house and awoke the next morning determined to have some fun. We drove an hour to Boulder, CO and walked the quaint streets; we window-shopped, listened to live music and drank non-Starbucks coffee. It was fairly quiet except for the sound of children playing in the water which was shooting up out of the pavement. After we felt satisfied with our stroll we decided to get back in the car and drive up into the mountains less than 5 minutes away.
The day was a bit difficult emotionally because of the night before in Kansas City and this being the first show without any of Evan’s instruments. We must have told our story of being robbed over a dozen times but each person that heard it gave us words of encouragement. By the end of the evening Evan and I were so full of love it seemed like the violations against us were a distance memory.
Without any of his own instruments, Evan played Vivian Campbell’s gold top Gibson and a Dobro guitar that Jeff (one of the guitar techs for Heart) picked up on loan for Evan the day before. Evan cut his set short and played only three songs that night in light of the emotional dealings in Missouri. He started his set with “Woodpecker” on the Gibson, then invited Vivian out to play their Robert Johnson cover on the Dobro and finished the set with “The Giving Tree” on the Gibson.
Before playing his last song, Evan told the Denver audience about the thievery in Kansas City and dedicated his set to the crew of Heart and Def Leppard along with the band members. He gave a special thanks to Jeff, Dave (Wolfie), and Jason for all their help in recovering equipment for him so the show could go on. The audience shared in Evan’s grief as he belted out his pain in “The Giving Tree”. Music was the perfect therapy for working out those lingering emotions from the day.
That night we stayed at a friend’s house and awoke the next morning determined to have some fun. We drove an hour to Boulder, CO and walked the quaint streets; we window-shopped, listened to live music and drank non-Starbucks coffee. It was fairly quiet except for the sound of children playing in the water which was shooting up out of the pavement. After we felt satisfied with our stroll we decided to get back in the car and drive up into the mountains less than 5 minutes away.
The drive up was beautiful! The mountains were covered with greenery and a clear water stream flowed down the opaque boulders which ran parallel to the winding road. There was a bike path on the other side of the stream with happy joggers and exhausted bikers climbing the hills with us. We had found a place to park the car and dip our toes in the water. It was amazing that this rugged, natural beauty was this close to the artsy downtown of Boulder. I feel in love, a place I definitely would like to visit again at the very least.
I wanted to stay another night but we had to leave and drive on to Salt Lake City for a show on Wednesday, August 31st at the USANA Amphitheater. Boulder life might just be the next step, we will see!
Life before Kansas
After the Blossom show we needed to travel over 11 hours to reach St. Paul, MN for the Minnesota State Fair on Friday, August 26th. Evan and I decided since we had a day off before the show that we would find a campground and put up our tent for the night. We chose to stay at Devil’s Lake right outside of Baraboo, WI. It is a large state park that sees tourist from all over for its expansive beauty. Thankfully we stayed on a Thursday night because their over 200 camp sites were already booked for the Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Evan decided that since we had some time before nightfall that he wanted to cook a gourmet meal over the campfire. It's one of the things we miss about being stationary, cooking! We headed to the nearest grocery store and picked up all our ingredients. The finished product was a prosciutto wrapped pork chop stuffed with cilantro, Uncle Ben’s brown rice, black bean and corn, with a handmade grilled pineapple, avocado, cilantro, purple onion and lime chutney. Everything had that great smoky flavor from being cooked over an open fire.
The cooking experience at the campground made me realize I could live like a gypsy with grace and poise. No need to be ashamed of living on the road out of the back of our car. In fact, I dare say that some might be jealous of our lifestyle. Well there are ups and downs living this way but that night was definitely a high for us.
The next morning we showered and packed up which took awhile. We arrived at the Minnesota State Fair around 4 PM and met the owners from the Porch Board Base Company. They had driven several hours to bring Evan a new porch board base (which was stolen a few days later in Kansas City, unfortunately) since Evan’s was covered in duck tape. His old one still worked, it was just beaten up from the tour and they wanted to bring Evan a pretty new one.
That night we headed south to Kansas City. I had wanted to drive through the night because our friend Chuck had flown in on Thursday to his sister’s apartment to see us and I didn’t want the long drive from St. Paul to Kansas City to take up most of the daylight hours. I didn’t get as far as I wanted to, I needed to pull over and sleep around 3 AM but the next morning we arrived before noon in Kansas City.
The account of the Kansas City visit was an earlier entry so for the account of ‘what happened next’ see the entry “Living Victim”.
Evan decided that since we had some time before nightfall that he wanted to cook a gourmet meal over the campfire. It's one of the things we miss about being stationary, cooking! We headed to the nearest grocery store and picked up all our ingredients. The finished product was a prosciutto wrapped pork chop stuffed with cilantro, Uncle Ben’s brown rice, black bean and corn, with a handmade grilled pineapple, avocado, cilantro, purple onion and lime chutney. Everything had that great smoky flavor from being cooked over an open fire.
The cooking experience at the campground made me realize I could live like a gypsy with grace and poise. No need to be ashamed of living on the road out of the back of our car. In fact, I dare say that some might be jealous of our lifestyle. Well there are ups and downs living this way but that night was definitely a high for us.
The next morning we showered and packed up which took awhile. We arrived at the Minnesota State Fair around 4 PM and met the owners from the Porch Board Base Company. They had driven several hours to bring Evan a new porch board base (which was stolen a few days later in Kansas City, unfortunately) since Evan’s was covered in duck tape. His old one still worked, it was just beaten up from the tour and they wanted to bring Evan a pretty new one.
That night we headed south to Kansas City. I had wanted to drive through the night because our friend Chuck had flown in on Thursday to his sister’s apartment to see us and I didn’t want the long drive from St. Paul to Kansas City to take up most of the daylight hours. I didn’t get as far as I wanted to, I needed to pull over and sleep around 3 AM but the next morning we arrived before noon in Kansas City.
The account of the Kansas City visit was an earlier entry so for the account of ‘what happened next’ see the entry “Living Victim”.
Living Blossom
So I know I jumped ahead to the Kansas City show but I would like to go back and talk about the Blossom show in the Cleveland, OH area because I spent some time in my hometown of Wooster and have fond memories of my visit.
We had played Buffalo, NY on that Sunday, August 21st and stayed in a hotel in the area that night. The next morning we woke up and leisurely ate breakfast before we drove to my mother’s house in Wooster. We arrived in time for dinner Monday night and went to bed after a few rounds of video games with my sister.
The next morning we needed to be in Cleveland by 8 AM because I had gotten a television spot for Evan on WKYC-TV, NBC’s channel 3 News for Ohio. I had been working on press for Evan pretty heavily when we were stationary in Nashville and as a result had a lot of interviews lined up for Evan in the month of August.
We were greeted by the producer of the show and escorted upstairs to set up. I had never been in a television studio before but I assume the setup was normal. There were 4 different areas built up around the perimeter of the room; a lounge area, a kitchen area, a stage area, and what looked like a small audience section with about 10 chairs. In the middle of the room were the 3 cameras and a handful of people helping with the production of the show.
Evan set up his amplifier and porch board base before running through a few songs. I watched from the production booth down the hall and shook with anticipation. The hosts, Mike and Andrea introduced Evan before going to a commercial break. The camera panned to Evan as he played his song “40 Nights” and cut to commercial after he sang the lines, “No I won’t pray, to a killing God”.
The anticipation was killing me, I was so nervous for the next segment where he would play an entire song and then be asked to join the hosts on the couch for an interview. Evan played his song “Latitude” and answered the questions in a relaxed manner. A rush came over me as the segment ended, his first television appearance had gone wonderfully!
We drove back to Wooster a little before noon and met my mother and my sister for lunch at Broken Rocks in the downtown. We then walked the streets and stopped in many of the unique shops before settling in the Hungarian coffee and pastry shop. Evan and I parted ways with my family and spent a few hours on the College of Wooster campus, our alma mater and where we first met.
I remember breathing the air and feeling revived, drinking the water from the tap and tasting home. I don’t think I could settle down in Wooster but from this tour around the United States I have developed a respect for my hometown. It is beautiful and clean, the downtown is thriving and the campus is tranquil with its mango tree grove, limestone archways and modern art sculptures between the academic buildings. It felt safe and familiar which is what home should be.
Wednesday, August 24th was the show at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls just outside of Cleveland. The outdoor amphitheater is a large wooden structure built for orchestra acoustics and is surrounded by a large national park. My father, sister and her boyfriend Tony all came to the show to support Evan. I also greeted a photographer and radio host from Maximum Threshold who did a piece on Evan before the show. And to our surprise a friend of ours from college, Justin attended the show. We were very busy!
That night we started our drive to the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, MN. It was a long drive and driving back to Wooster for the night would have added an extra 2 hours to the trip so we decided to get a hotel in Toledo. Even though the couple of days in Ohio were busy I felt revived by the familiarity of it all.
We had played Buffalo, NY on that Sunday, August 21st and stayed in a hotel in the area that night. The next morning we woke up and leisurely ate breakfast before we drove to my mother’s house in Wooster. We arrived in time for dinner Monday night and went to bed after a few rounds of video games with my sister.
The next morning we needed to be in Cleveland by 8 AM because I had gotten a television spot for Evan on WKYC-TV, NBC’s channel 3 News for Ohio. I had been working on press for Evan pretty heavily when we were stationary in Nashville and as a result had a lot of interviews lined up for Evan in the month of August.
We were greeted by the producer of the show and escorted upstairs to set up. I had never been in a television studio before but I assume the setup was normal. There were 4 different areas built up around the perimeter of the room; a lounge area, a kitchen area, a stage area, and what looked like a small audience section with about 10 chairs. In the middle of the room were the 3 cameras and a handful of people helping with the production of the show.
Evan set up his amplifier and porch board base before running through a few songs. I watched from the production booth down the hall and shook with anticipation. The hosts, Mike and Andrea introduced Evan before going to a commercial break. The camera panned to Evan as he played his song “40 Nights” and cut to commercial after he sang the lines, “No I won’t pray, to a killing God”.
The anticipation was killing me, I was so nervous for the next segment where he would play an entire song and then be asked to join the hosts on the couch for an interview. Evan played his song “Latitude” and answered the questions in a relaxed manner. A rush came over me as the segment ended, his first television appearance had gone wonderfully!
We drove back to Wooster a little before noon and met my mother and my sister for lunch at Broken Rocks in the downtown. We then walked the streets and stopped in many of the unique shops before settling in the Hungarian coffee and pastry shop. Evan and I parted ways with my family and spent a few hours on the College of Wooster campus, our alma mater and where we first met.
I remember breathing the air and feeling revived, drinking the water from the tap and tasting home. I don’t think I could settle down in Wooster but from this tour around the United States I have developed a respect for my hometown. It is beautiful and clean, the downtown is thriving and the campus is tranquil with its mango tree grove, limestone archways and modern art sculptures between the academic buildings. It felt safe and familiar which is what home should be.
Wednesday, August 24th was the show at the Blossom Music Center in Cuyahoga Falls just outside of Cleveland. The outdoor amphitheater is a large wooden structure built for orchestra acoustics and is surrounded by a large national park. My father, sister and her boyfriend Tony all came to the show to support Evan. I also greeted a photographer and radio host from Maximum Threshold who did a piece on Evan before the show. And to our surprise a friend of ours from college, Justin attended the show. We were very busy!
That night we started our drive to the Minnesota State Fair in St. Paul, MN. It was a long drive and driving back to Wooster for the night would have added an extra 2 hours to the trip so we decided to get a hotel in Toledo. Even though the couple of days in Ohio were busy I felt revived by the familiarity of it all.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Living Victims
I know I need to write about the show at Blossom in Cleveland and the Minnesota State Fair but I am going to jump ahead and talk about the tragedy at Kansas City. Evan and I drove into Missouri Saturday, August 27th around 10AM and reached Catherine’s doorsteps at noon. Our friend Chuck flew in from Boston to his sisters place on Emmanuel Clever Boulevard Thursday night and waited our arrival.
We were greeted by Chuck, his sister Catherine and her husband Eric along with 20 sausage links, a dozen strips of bacon, a dozen pancakes, a dozen scrambled eggs, a giant bowl of mixed berries sprinkled with sugar and a pitcher of coffee. Lula, their lab mix finished off the remains of the feast and laid down to take a nap. It felt like a homecoming.
After a shower we all jumped in the car and took a tour of the city. We ended up at 18th & Vine, an American jazz museum. There was live jazz playing in honor of Charlie Parker’s legacy. We took a quick look around and decided to move on to Arthur Bryant’s to have some authentic Kansas City BBQ. I don’t think any of us were even hungry but we ordered liberally and stuffed our already full stomachs.
We headed to the Sprint Music Center, a glass sphere right in the middle of the city. The indoor arena was packed by the time Evan had hit the stage. He started his performance with "Indiana", then played "Woodpecker", invited Vivian out on stage to play their Bill Withers tune and ended the set with "40 Nights", a song he hadn’t played yet on this tour. Evan’s emotional performance was well received as the arena shook with clapping.
After Def Leppard finished their set we headed across the street to a bar called the Flying Saucer. We had a few drinks and caught up with our friends. When the bar closed at 2 AM we headed back to Catherine’s for bed. We parked the Ford with our trailer on the corner of Warwick and 46th Street just across from Catherine’s apartment complex. It was a nice neighborhood, a beautiful park with children’s equipment on one side and tall Victorian buildings all around.
I am plagued with irony looking back now to the conversation Catherine and I had as we left the car under a street lamp. She wondered if I would be comfortable leaving the car parked on the street, I had laughed and commented on the apparent wealth of the area. We left the trailer alone at 2:30 AM and I slept well without a worry.
The next morning we woke up around 11 AM and decided to head out to the Blue Bird for breakfast. A friend from Evan’s childhood, Nick lived in the area and had joined us the night before for Evan’s show and again met us for breakfast. After we finished eating Nick invited us to walk down into his neighborhood to show us the house he was renovating in exchange for rent. When finished, the house is to be a community center for local artists to gather.
We walked up the hill passing a Buddhist monastery and stopped in an abandoned field to look down onto the hustle and bustle of the city below. I remember taking a deep breathe and feeling at home. The sweat from the walk was refreshing, the good friends warming. I wanted to stay in Kansas City but it was time to move on to the next city. We needed to be in Denver, CO the following night.
We said our good byes and walked back to the trailer to discover the lock had been cut from the door. It felt like a dream as I opened the back to find all of Evan’s instruments, amplifier, porch board base, guitar stand, pedal board, harmonicas, straps, picks . . . everything was gone. I closed the doors again in disbelief and opened it again, an action we had performed a million times this summer. Like magic I thought our possessions might reappear and that we might laugh at the good trick.
The reality started to sink in that everything was gone. Evan and I fell to our knees and grabbed our heads. The tears ran as we screamed out to no one. We continuously asked questions without an answer to satisfy the pain we were experiencing. How did this happen? Who would do this? Did anyone see what happened? When did this happen? What do we do? What do we do? WHAT DO WE DO?!?!?!
It took several minutes, which felt like a lifetime for us to take action. I sent Evan to ask the people sitting in the park if they had seen anything. I called the police and then the production team then in Colorado. I received instructions to drive on to Colorado, that the guitar techs Jeff and Wolfie were going to get some equipment so that the show could go on. Then I called the insurance company and filed a claim for the lost property.
We were greeted by Chuck, his sister Catherine and her husband Eric along with 20 sausage links, a dozen strips of bacon, a dozen pancakes, a dozen scrambled eggs, a giant bowl of mixed berries sprinkled with sugar and a pitcher of coffee. Lula, their lab mix finished off the remains of the feast and laid down to take a nap. It felt like a homecoming.
After a shower we all jumped in the car and took a tour of the city. We ended up at 18th & Vine, an American jazz museum. There was live jazz playing in honor of Charlie Parker’s legacy. We took a quick look around and decided to move on to Arthur Bryant’s to have some authentic Kansas City BBQ. I don’t think any of us were even hungry but we ordered liberally and stuffed our already full stomachs.
We headed to the Sprint Music Center, a glass sphere right in the middle of the city. The indoor arena was packed by the time Evan had hit the stage. He started his performance with "Indiana", then played "Woodpecker", invited Vivian out on stage to play their Bill Withers tune and ended the set with "40 Nights", a song he hadn’t played yet on this tour. Evan’s emotional performance was well received as the arena shook with clapping.
After Def Leppard finished their set we headed across the street to a bar called the Flying Saucer. We had a few drinks and caught up with our friends. When the bar closed at 2 AM we headed back to Catherine’s for bed. We parked the Ford with our trailer on the corner of Warwick and 46th Street just across from Catherine’s apartment complex. It was a nice neighborhood, a beautiful park with children’s equipment on one side and tall Victorian buildings all around.
I am plagued with irony looking back now to the conversation Catherine and I had as we left the car under a street lamp. She wondered if I would be comfortable leaving the car parked on the street, I had laughed and commented on the apparent wealth of the area. We left the trailer alone at 2:30 AM and I slept well without a worry.
The next morning we woke up around 11 AM and decided to head out to the Blue Bird for breakfast. A friend from Evan’s childhood, Nick lived in the area and had joined us the night before for Evan’s show and again met us for breakfast. After we finished eating Nick invited us to walk down into his neighborhood to show us the house he was renovating in exchange for rent. When finished, the house is to be a community center for local artists to gather.
We walked up the hill passing a Buddhist monastery and stopped in an abandoned field to look down onto the hustle and bustle of the city below. I remember taking a deep breathe and feeling at home. The sweat from the walk was refreshing, the good friends warming. I wanted to stay in Kansas City but it was time to move on to the next city. We needed to be in Denver, CO the following night.
We said our good byes and walked back to the trailer to discover the lock had been cut from the door. It felt like a dream as I opened the back to find all of Evan’s instruments, amplifier, porch board base, guitar stand, pedal board, harmonicas, straps, picks . . . everything was gone. I closed the doors again in disbelief and opened it again, an action we had performed a million times this summer. Like magic I thought our possessions might reappear and that we might laugh at the good trick.
The reality started to sink in that everything was gone. Evan and I fell to our knees and grabbed our heads. The tears ran as we screamed out to no one. We continuously asked questions without an answer to satisfy the pain we were experiencing. How did this happen? Who would do this? Did anyone see what happened? When did this happen? What do we do? What do we do? WHAT DO WE DO?!?!?!
It took several minutes, which felt like a lifetime for us to take action. I sent Evan to ask the people sitting in the park if they had seen anything. I called the police and then the production team then in Colorado. I received instructions to drive on to Colorado, that the guitar techs Jeff and Wolfie were going to get some equipment so that the show could go on. Then I called the insurance company and filed a claim for the lost property.
As our emotions settled we held each other in comfort. We were thankful that no one was hurt and agreed that things can be replaced but a feeling of violation remained. Evan and I don't have an apartment or a house so our home is/was the trailer attached to the back of our car. To know that someone entered our home and violated it still stung. The action was more upsetting in reflection than the absence of our material possessions. I cried that day for both our pain and the thieves pain, only people who have experience abuse, neglect, hunger and fear could have carried out these actions.
We arrived in Colorado the next day to find the crew and bands of Heart and Def Leppard extremely empathetic to our situation. Wolfie and Jeff, guitar techs had run out the day before and rented equipment for Evan and everyone was offering help in any way they could. Our spirits were lifted by the love that surrounded us. I am very thankful to be a part of this touring family :)
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| Evan plays Darien Lake, NY outside of Buffalo. The storm just subsided in time for his 7:25 PM entrance. |
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| The crowd was a bit soaked but they clapped and cheered on Evan! |
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| A rainbow settled in after the storm. |
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| In Wooster the day after the Buffalo show at the Hungarian Pastry shop. Just eating some kiflis and having some coffee! Yum, I love Hungarians :) |
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| Our old alma mater, the College of Wooster. This is the new athletic center which should be finished in January. We stopped by to watch some football practice on the new turf field. |
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| Tony won a free t-shirt at the show in Cleveland. It says, "Someone thinks I'm a VIP". Well that someone wasn't the security guards lol! |
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| My sister, Natalie and her boyfriend Tony backstage. Tony was so excited to have Evan sign one of his CDs! |
Thursday, August 25, 2011
When in Buffalo . . .
After the Kentucky State Fair on Friday night we got back into the car and drove an hour north before getting a hotel for the night. The state fairs with their semi-permanent stages combined with thunderstorm season were the cause of 5 deaths in Indiana on August 13th. Then less than a week later, another festival stage fell in Belgium killing 5 people and injuring over 140 others. I have become a part of the backstage family on this tour and as I think of the lives lost in lighting and production of these two tragedies, I am reminded of the many faces I have grown to know in the Heart/Def crew. I would be deeply saddened if we lost a member of our team and am reminded that the show does not and should not always go on.
We looked to the skies on Sunday, August 21st when we arrived in Buffalo. A storm was blowing in with 40 mph winds. The stage Evan was performing on was 30 miles outside of Buffalo in Darien Lake, NY. The stage was made up of moveable rafters and a large white tent covered the seated portion of the amphitheater. Not a permanent stage, I looked up to the peak of the tent and saw the shadow of a snake like creature wriggling in the wind. I wondered if it was an essential cable that had broken but didn't stay around to test the threshold of the stage materials. Evan and I sat in the car and sipped hot tea while the storm broke overhead.
The rain came down with fiery and washed clean all the bugs from our windshield. Thirty minutes passed and took with it the heavy clouds. The sky turned a bright pink as a double rainbow arched over the stage. It was safe to come out of the car! Evan performed to a soaked crowd which was much smaller than anticipated. We scouted out the merchandise booth but no one had moved from their seats in light of the weather so without a crowd for Evan to sign CDs, we hit the road.
Earlier that day we had done a little buffalo wing taste test. We first visited "Anchor Bar" the founders of the buffalo chicken wing. The restaurant was situated in a strange part of town. Abandoned buildings and windowless churches surrounded the area but the parking lot at Anchor's was so full they needed parking attendants to redirect drivers. As we entered the restaurant an Indian family was taking a group picture in front of the building and we caught a whiff of a conversation behind us from a family that traveled many miles and were complaining of cramped leg muscles.
Evan and I choose a spot at the bar for lunch. The room decor was cluttered with old license plates, sports memorabilia, and actual motorcycles which balanced on beams along the perimeter of the room. Our waiter/bartender, John was a Buffalo native and proud of it. Loud spoken and witty, he made no excuse for his love of the New York Yankees as he wore a team shirt and cap. We ordered up a few beers and 10 hot wings. It would be our first meal of the day!
Anchor Bar's wings were fried with no breading and exhibited a dry quality to the meat which some people prefer. The sauce was not very hot in spice but definitely had flavors of habanero and cayenne. The sauce was a bit watery and sparse but flavorful. Evan and I both commented on the tastes rolling around in our mouth and decided that this was a great representation of the first buffalo wing ever created and were satisfied.
From Anchor Bar we ventured onto Duff's, the other well known wing spot in Buffalo. Out of the 3 Duff locations in Buffalo, we choose the one next to our hotel so the surrounding area was much more commercial. On the inside, Duff's had a cleaner presentation in their decor than Anchor with minimal wall clutter leaving the light stained wood exposed. Again, we sat at the bar and ordered a beer and 10 medium/hot wings as all the waiters shirts, the menu and signs on the wall warned us that Duff's hot wings were very VERY hot.
Duff's wings were fried with no breading but the outside skin was crispy while the meat inside was tender and juicy. The sauce drenched the wing making it slippery to hold and filling your mouth with the taste of franks red hot and butter. Not so spicy after all. It was a thicker sauce as well, something that is more common in the recreation of the buffalo wing outside of Buffalo. The Duff's wing is the incarnation of the modern wing and more my style. Both wings were great but different.
With our only sustenance for the day being chicken wings and beer, we decided to eat some raw vegetables for dinner. That night I had a stomach ache with no surprise but slept sound feeling like I accomplished a great feat gaining an experience in exchange for a bit of pain.
We looked to the skies on Sunday, August 21st when we arrived in Buffalo. A storm was blowing in with 40 mph winds. The stage Evan was performing on was 30 miles outside of Buffalo in Darien Lake, NY. The stage was made up of moveable rafters and a large white tent covered the seated portion of the amphitheater. Not a permanent stage, I looked up to the peak of the tent and saw the shadow of a snake like creature wriggling in the wind. I wondered if it was an essential cable that had broken but didn't stay around to test the threshold of the stage materials. Evan and I sat in the car and sipped hot tea while the storm broke overhead.
The rain came down with fiery and washed clean all the bugs from our windshield. Thirty minutes passed and took with it the heavy clouds. The sky turned a bright pink as a double rainbow arched over the stage. It was safe to come out of the car! Evan performed to a soaked crowd which was much smaller than anticipated. We scouted out the merchandise booth but no one had moved from their seats in light of the weather so without a crowd for Evan to sign CDs, we hit the road.
Earlier that day we had done a little buffalo wing taste test. We first visited "Anchor Bar" the founders of the buffalo chicken wing. The restaurant was situated in a strange part of town. Abandoned buildings and windowless churches surrounded the area but the parking lot at Anchor's was so full they needed parking attendants to redirect drivers. As we entered the restaurant an Indian family was taking a group picture in front of the building and we caught a whiff of a conversation behind us from a family that traveled many miles and were complaining of cramped leg muscles.
Evan and I choose a spot at the bar for lunch. The room decor was cluttered with old license plates, sports memorabilia, and actual motorcycles which balanced on beams along the perimeter of the room. Our waiter/bartender, John was a Buffalo native and proud of it. Loud spoken and witty, he made no excuse for his love of the New York Yankees as he wore a team shirt and cap. We ordered up a few beers and 10 hot wings. It would be our first meal of the day!
Anchor Bar's wings were fried with no breading and exhibited a dry quality to the meat which some people prefer. The sauce was not very hot in spice but definitely had flavors of habanero and cayenne. The sauce was a bit watery and sparse but flavorful. Evan and I both commented on the tastes rolling around in our mouth and decided that this was a great representation of the first buffalo wing ever created and were satisfied.
From Anchor Bar we ventured onto Duff's, the other well known wing spot in Buffalo. Out of the 3 Duff locations in Buffalo, we choose the one next to our hotel so the surrounding area was much more commercial. On the inside, Duff's had a cleaner presentation in their decor than Anchor with minimal wall clutter leaving the light stained wood exposed. Again, we sat at the bar and ordered a beer and 10 medium/hot wings as all the waiters shirts, the menu and signs on the wall warned us that Duff's hot wings were very VERY hot.
Duff's wings were fried with no breading but the outside skin was crispy while the meat inside was tender and juicy. The sauce drenched the wing making it slippery to hold and filling your mouth with the taste of franks red hot and butter. Not so spicy after all. It was a thicker sauce as well, something that is more common in the recreation of the buffalo wing outside of Buffalo. The Duff's wing is the incarnation of the modern wing and more my style. Both wings were great but different.
With our only sustenance for the day being chicken wings and beer, we decided to eat some raw vegetables for dinner. That night I had a stomach ache with no surprise but slept sound feeling like I accomplished a great feat gaining an experience in exchange for a bit of pain.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Living all caught up
So let's see, that catches us up to about Sunday night, August 14th. We are almost there!
We had to get from Iowa on Monday morning to Michigan by Wednesday. We did a large portion of the driving on Monday and stopped in Indiana for the night to be with our puppy dog. Leaving early Tuesday morning, we arrived in Ohio to my grandmother's place in time for her famous spaghetti. This isn't a canned sauce, prep time equals 24 hours! Trust me, it's worth the effort.
My mom and sister met us over at my grandma's and surprised me with a belated birthday party since I was far from home for my birthday on July 29th. Evan was a good sport when the home videos came out! We bribed him with cake before we popped in footage of my 3rd and 5th birthday parties. My grandparents bought a camcorder when I was 2 years old and have videos from that year up to my graduation from college. It was nice to be back home even if it was just for one night.
The next morning we hit the road for Detroit, MI where we picked up a friend from our college days, Andy. From there, we traveled another 30 minutes northwest to Clarkstown, MI to the DTE Energy Music Theater. Evan was feeling good when we arrived, ready to get out on the stage. He started at 7:25 PM giving himself an extra 5 minutes to extend his set. That night he played "Indiana", followed by "Woodpecker", brought out Vivian for "Use Me" by Bill Withers and finished up the set with "The Giving Tree". The emotion in Evan's performance told me he was satisfied with a job well done even before we met up again backstage.
We had Thursday off so we spent an extra day in Detroit with Andy. We started off our free day with a trip to a local BBQ joint, "Slows". The pulled pork was tender, the chicken wings were smokey, the baked beans were spicy and mac and cheese was thick! From there we went to Hittsville to visit the Mowtown Museum. We walked the halls of the house where Mowtown records started, changing the music world forever! As we stood in studio A, we reflected on the voices that echoed in those walls before our time. The tour guide had us join together to sing "My Girl" by the Temptations while reenacting the famous Temptation walk. Instant time warp!
After such a moment we needed to go to a local brewery called "Dragon Mead". That makes sense, right? Evan is proud of his viking heritage and takes any opportunity to live the lifestyle by drinking mead and eating large hunks of meat (see Iowa State Fair). Dragon Mead sounded irresistible. We sat for a couple of hours at the bar and waited for the rain and rush hour traffic to diffuse before heading back to Andy's apartment.
Now here we are! Friday night in Louisville, playing the Kentucky State Fair. The venue was an indoor arena which meant the spot light treatment. I wrote about this before, the attitude changes when the house lights dim and that one single spot light hits the stage. It is empowering and the artists grow under that light. Evan repeated the set from Detroit with one minor change, he covered "Come in my Kitchen" with Vivian instead of the Bill Withers tune. He was beaming with pride and received a thundering applause.
We are about to take off with the hope of getting halfway to PA tonight. The show tomorrow is outside of Pittsburgh and any mileage we can shave off tonight makes for an easier drive on Saturday. Vroooommmmm!!!
We had to get from Iowa on Monday morning to Michigan by Wednesday. We did a large portion of the driving on Monday and stopped in Indiana for the night to be with our puppy dog. Leaving early Tuesday morning, we arrived in Ohio to my grandmother's place in time for her famous spaghetti. This isn't a canned sauce, prep time equals 24 hours! Trust me, it's worth the effort.
My mom and sister met us over at my grandma's and surprised me with a belated birthday party since I was far from home for my birthday on July 29th. Evan was a good sport when the home videos came out! We bribed him with cake before we popped in footage of my 3rd and 5th birthday parties. My grandparents bought a camcorder when I was 2 years old and have videos from that year up to my graduation from college. It was nice to be back home even if it was just for one night.
The next morning we hit the road for Detroit, MI where we picked up a friend from our college days, Andy. From there, we traveled another 30 minutes northwest to Clarkstown, MI to the DTE Energy Music Theater. Evan was feeling good when we arrived, ready to get out on the stage. He started at 7:25 PM giving himself an extra 5 minutes to extend his set. That night he played "Indiana", followed by "Woodpecker", brought out Vivian for "Use Me" by Bill Withers and finished up the set with "The Giving Tree". The emotion in Evan's performance told me he was satisfied with a job well done even before we met up again backstage.
We had Thursday off so we spent an extra day in Detroit with Andy. We started off our free day with a trip to a local BBQ joint, "Slows". The pulled pork was tender, the chicken wings were smokey, the baked beans were spicy and mac and cheese was thick! From there we went to Hittsville to visit the Mowtown Museum. We walked the halls of the house where Mowtown records started, changing the music world forever! As we stood in studio A, we reflected on the voices that echoed in those walls before our time. The tour guide had us join together to sing "My Girl" by the Temptations while reenacting the famous Temptation walk. Instant time warp!
After such a moment we needed to go to a local brewery called "Dragon Mead". That makes sense, right? Evan is proud of his viking heritage and takes any opportunity to live the lifestyle by drinking mead and eating large hunks of meat (see Iowa State Fair). Dragon Mead sounded irresistible. We sat for a couple of hours at the bar and waited for the rain and rush hour traffic to diffuse before heading back to Andy's apartment.
Now here we are! Friday night in Louisville, playing the Kentucky State Fair. The venue was an indoor arena which meant the spot light treatment. I wrote about this before, the attitude changes when the house lights dim and that one single spot light hits the stage. It is empowering and the artists grow under that light. Evan repeated the set from Detroit with one minor change, he covered "Come in my Kitchen" with Vivian instead of the Bill Withers tune. He was beaming with pride and received a thundering applause.
We are about to take off with the hope of getting halfway to PA tonight. The show tomorrow is outside of Pittsburgh and any mileage we can shave off tonight makes for an easier drive on Saturday. Vroooommmmm!!!
Living in the Mounds
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| Evan performing at the Iowa State Fair. We had great seats! |
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| "I got something in my boot!" Evan takes a seat on the curb to empty out his shoe. |
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| They had deep fried butter at the fair! Yikes, sounds dangerous. |
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| Do you see the Viking resemblance? |
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| Amber and Evan enjoy an enormous turkey leg. |
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| Ann Wilson asked the crowd if they tried the deep fried butter but a silently guilty crowd left Ann to believe the delicacy was merely a myth! So we ate this deep fried butter for you Ann!! It does exist, the heartburn we experienced was very real indeed. |
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| As we made our way back to the car, Def Leppard finished out their set which was followed by a firework show. We were so close to them, the ash covered our windshield. |
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| Sunday we went into downtown Des Moines and had lunch at another respected brewery, Court Avenue Brewing Co. Now this is what I call a flight! |
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| West End Architectural Salvage & Coffee Shop in Des Moines is awesome! They have the most interesting treasures and good chai lattes. |
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| Industrial design chandeliers on the second floor. |
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| Art in the park, this horse is made out of tree branches. |
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| Des Moines is french for 'of mounds'. A perfect description of the land which isn't elevated at any one point enough to be considered a hill but is not flat like Ohio or Indiana. |
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| This piece reminded me of The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King. Nerd alert! |
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| Charles is taking a dip to cool off. The water was very clean and refreshing. Des Moines is really very beautiful. |
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| I know this picture is blurry but I had to share it. We played Buck Hunter at the El Bait Shop which had the most extensive beer collection we have seen yet on tour! |
Back to Life!
I know it has been over two weeks since I have submitted an entry on the blog but that doesn't mean I haven't been writing. Life happened and it kept me away from sharing my thoughts but now I am back! So let's see, what have you missed?
August 3rd, we were in Holmdel, NJ and Evan played the PNC Bank Arts Center. It was a good show, I spent the evening with Evan's booking agency and management teams. We shared a few drinks and started right into the stories. I told the one about Dubai, if you don't know it you should. I felt good, full of love and laughter. That constitutes a good show from my perspective. Evan felt good as well with his performance and how could he have not surrounded by such a supportive crowd?
August 3rd, we were in Holmdel, NJ and Evan played the PNC Bank Arts Center. It was a good show, I spent the evening with Evan's booking agency and management teams. We shared a few drinks and started right into the stories. I told the one about Dubai, if you don't know it you should. I felt good, full of love and laughter. That constitutes a good show from my perspective. Evan felt good as well with his performance and how could he have not surrounded by such a supportive crowd?
After NJ, we went straight to Nashville, TN. We didn't have another show until St. Louis on August 10th and Evan likes to keep busy so he took the opportunity to co-write with another singer/songwriter. It wasn't a great trip, it left a sour taste in our mouth. In fact, I know for at least me it tainted Nashville all together, I don't think we will be back there again for some time.
After saying fair well to Nashville we found a brew pub near the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in St. Louis. Occasionally, when we arrive early to town we waste some time in a respected brewery. Evan is very fond of beer and being that we are both home brewers we like to try different beers to get ideas for future endeavors of our own. We ended up at the Schlafly brewery where we were introduced to a delicious raspberry coffee stout and a spicy cinnamon pumpkin ale.
I honestly don't remember how the show went over in St. Louis but I remember the long drive back to Evan's parents cabin because we were tired. But we made it through the back roads safely and spent the next day in the familiar southern Indiana sun. Friday, August 12th was Evan's homecoming show in Noblesville, IN at the 3rd Verizon Wireless venue of the tour.
I think Evan was a little disappointed with his performance. He had a few technical difficulties and an out of tune string. In actuality, the hiccups that night were minor and probably went unnoticed by the crowd but were magnified in Evan's mind since it was his homecoming. I understood his frustration and shared with him some wisdom that my mother imparted on me when I was growing up, "Expectations lead to disappointment". It is a mantra that fits into the practice of mindfulness.
The tour went to the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, IA the next night. The long drive ahead kept us from staying the night in Indiana. I grabbed the wheel around 10 PM and dialed my sisters number. We talked until 4 AM and I was reminded of how much I missed my family. I love my sister very much, she is a person that can always make me laugh even in the graves times. Her honesty can set me back on my feet when I feel like I am dragging. She is my rock :)
I could have driven all night, I was filled with energy but I knew it would be a difficult day if I didn't get some rest. I pulled off at the nearest exit when I finally made it to Iowa's state boarder and to my surprise ended up at the world's largest truck stop! It was lit up like an amusement park and the semi tractors stretched for a mile. I climbed in the back of the car and pulled a pillow over my face to block out all the twinkling lights. I returned to that feeling of being a part of the whole and slept soundly.
The next morning we finished out the drive to Des Moines and met up with some friends of ours, Amber and Charles. They had flown in from NYC to see the show and enjoy the fair. Charles grew up in Iowa so we met over at his step father's farm for lunch. They had picked a feast for us from their garden. We sat out on the porch with a Keystone in hand, the smell of grilling wafting around us and watched the puffy clouds float over the rolling mounds of corn and soy beans. I exhale even now in remembrance of the calm that settled in.
The four of us left the comfort of the open space for the crowded state fair. I have lots of fun pictures to share of our time in Iowa!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Living Invigorated
It was a rough drive to Bristow, VA the following day after the late night we had. Evan and I took turns driving and sleeping in the back of our Ford Escape. We arrived at the Jiffy Lube Live amphitheater at our usual time around 4 PM wearing the same clothes we had on the night before. The hot stagnate air amplified our dehydrated state.
If Jones Beach was the worst venue we have played on the tour, than Bristow was the best show. Because Pennsylvania has strict alcohol laws, the venue did not permit tailgating. The parking lot was swarming with local police who were helping patrons find their way to the main gates. Alcohol was served inside the venue so there were thousands of people in their seats with a beer in hand by the time Evan hit the stage. It was the largest and warmest crowd Evan has played to yet.
I didn't mention in my last entry that during the Jones Beach show the representatives working the venue (standing 'guard' at the VIP gate) were nasty old men. They weren't offensive in appearance it was their attitudes that were less than gracious, much less. In fact, I got into a little tiff with one of the men who refused to allow us to walk through the right side of the venue to get backstage. He insisted we walk the entire length of the breezeway and then back through. When I asked for an explanation as to why my ALL ACCESS pass did not permit me to walk through the right side of the venue he gave none. He only repeated himself, each time with more annoyance and anger. I finally gave up reasoning with him and walked the length of the venue as directed.
In contrast, Bristow had some of the nicest people I have ever met working the venue. The local production, especially, had the sweetest disposition out of all the people I have worked with. One of my main responsibilities is to collect Evan's paycheck from each venue so during the course of the night I have to locate the local production office and politely ask to be paid. I am very professional in my manner but internally talking about money makes me uncomfortable so I make these interactions short.
However, Peter the local production manager for the Bristow venue was the nicest guy. He asked me three times to thank Evan for opening for Heart and gushed about how great he sounded. Conversation was light and we giggled over the oversized decor in his office; foot long calculator, foot long t.v. remote, 3' pen, 3' eraser, soup bowl sized thumb tacks on the wall. He was a man that clearly loved laughter. Just as the giggles tampered off, the paperwork I needed to sign came sliding through a mail slot in the wall behind his head which caused another surge of laughter. It was a change of atmosphere that was refreshing, Peter truly revived my spirit from the night in Long Island.
After Evan finished his set we went into the crowd to catch up with his friend Rick and his wife Kristen. We stayed with them that night along with their two bulldogs, Bacon and Lloyd. A good nights rest followed by a day off was the perfect medicine to get us over the disappointment filled hangovers we were sporting earlier that day.
If Jones Beach was the worst venue we have played on the tour, than Bristow was the best show. Because Pennsylvania has strict alcohol laws, the venue did not permit tailgating. The parking lot was swarming with local police who were helping patrons find their way to the main gates. Alcohol was served inside the venue so there were thousands of people in their seats with a beer in hand by the time Evan hit the stage. It was the largest and warmest crowd Evan has played to yet.
I didn't mention in my last entry that during the Jones Beach show the representatives working the venue (standing 'guard' at the VIP gate) were nasty old men. They weren't offensive in appearance it was their attitudes that were less than gracious, much less. In fact, I got into a little tiff with one of the men who refused to allow us to walk through the right side of the venue to get backstage. He insisted we walk the entire length of the breezeway and then back through. When I asked for an explanation as to why my ALL ACCESS pass did not permit me to walk through the right side of the venue he gave none. He only repeated himself, each time with more annoyance and anger. I finally gave up reasoning with him and walked the length of the venue as directed.
In contrast, Bristow had some of the nicest people I have ever met working the venue. The local production, especially, had the sweetest disposition out of all the people I have worked with. One of my main responsibilities is to collect Evan's paycheck from each venue so during the course of the night I have to locate the local production office and politely ask to be paid. I am very professional in my manner but internally talking about money makes me uncomfortable so I make these interactions short.
However, Peter the local production manager for the Bristow venue was the nicest guy. He asked me three times to thank Evan for opening for Heart and gushed about how great he sounded. Conversation was light and we giggled over the oversized decor in his office; foot long calculator, foot long t.v. remote, 3' pen, 3' eraser, soup bowl sized thumb tacks on the wall. He was a man that clearly loved laughter. Just as the giggles tampered off, the paperwork I needed to sign came sliding through a mail slot in the wall behind his head which caused another surge of laughter. It was a change of atmosphere that was refreshing, Peter truly revived my spirit from the night in Long Island.
After Evan finished his set we went into the crowd to catch up with his friend Rick and his wife Kristen. We stayed with them that night along with their two bulldogs, Bacon and Lloyd. A good nights rest followed by a day off was the perfect medicine to get us over the disappointment filled hangovers we were sporting earlier that day.
Living with the weather
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| We drove through a horrendous storm in Pennsylvania. We made plans to have dinner for my birthday in Harrisburgh, PA before traveling on the next day to Long Island for the Jones Beach show. |
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| Same storm, hail was coming down and visibility was very poor but we survived! |
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| Sunset in PA. |
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| Jones Beach venue; 11,800 capacity. It is built on the water and when night fell there were tons of crabs and fish jumping on the surface of the water just left of the stage! |
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| Jones Beach pier, midday. It was hot but the wind coming off the water was nice. |
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| Us :) |
Living without Expectations (starting now)
I feel a bit groggy and I have started to get wrinkles in the corners of my eyes. Maybe turning 26 on Friday prompted the aging over night or maybe it was the 4 AM bedtime after the Jones Beach show. I'm not a person that worries about wrinkles. I look forward to the days when I will look older than 16, maybe people will start treating me like an adult then.
Last night was the Jones Beach show at the Nikon Amphitheater on Long Island. Honestly, I was pretty disappointed. Evan and I both talked for days about that show. We mainly worried over the number of people that would be interested in compensated tickets. There were all of the industry people; Evan's band members, producer, booking agent, management, etc. And then there were our friends that we wanted to see again. We tried to be responsible and choose 10 people to comp that made the most sense for Evan professionally.
The clock was ticking as we slowly made our way through Brooklyn traffic. I was panicked that we would be late to the show and anxious that the airbags would deploy at any moment as we fought back against the New York Drivers. As the day passed, so did the people we invited to the show. Everyone was bailing on us! In trepidation, we sent out text messages inviting anyone that could make it to the show free tickets.
It should be noted that the NY Driver, if you have never encountered one, maintains an offense game when operating a vehicle. I can't be sure about their exact psyche so I will guess. The New Yorker desperately clutches to the illusion that by arriving 3 seconds ahead of all other vehicles to wait at a red light that they have an advantage. What ever it is they crave, (wealth, intelligence, popularity, beauty) speed apparently is the key to unlocking this desire. Therefore, the faster one is the sooner one will arrive at said objective. This not only works when a New Yorker is in a vehicle, this same principle can be applied to getting on the subway, hailing a cab, bicycling and even walking. The whole population of 8 million New Yorkers are constantly pushing to get onto an arriving train, standing farther into the road than the person next to them to hail a cab, or screaming out for people to 'get their heads out of their asses' while running down pedestrians on a bicycle. The concept of 'dog-eat-dog world' has never been truer than in New York.
We arrived to the Nikon Jones Beach theatre with enough time for Evan to sound check. Our guest list consisted of our friends Brett, Dave and Foster. Quite the understatement from the tormented weeks over the guest list. We also discovered that since the theater is in a State Park, it is a dry venue. Therefore, most of the audience stayed in the parking lot to drink in their cars instead of sitting in their seats promptly at 7:30 PM. The 11,000 seats occupied less than 1,000 butts when Evan hit the stage.
It was a disappointment, the entire feel of the venue was not what I had expected. The lack of alcohol meant patrons weren't motivated to leave their cars and when they found their seats, there wasn't the temptation of buying a beer to get them back up again. Evan stood out by the merchandise table to sign CDs after his show but there were only a handful of people in the entire breezeway. I guess the takeaway from this experience is when you have expectations it is easy to be disappointed.
We left around 9:30 PM and headed north to stay with our friend Brett. We filled our disappointment with good beer and whiskey and defiantly stayed up late listening to records. Ultimately, it was nice to be back in our old stomping grounds of Westchester.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Living Outside the Law
The drive wasn't too bad, pretty straight forward up 65 North and across 80. The amphitheater was right off the exit so minimal fussing. I did, however, get pulled over by an Indiana police officer when we were leaving. That was the first time since I was 16 that I got pulled over. At first I thought there was no way that those red and blue lights were aimed at me. So I drove on for almost another 1/2 mile before pulling over into the shoulder.
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| I did NOT take this picture |
I was going 65 mph in West Lafayette through a speed trap maze. The area quickly changed from 65 mph to 55 mph and then down to 45 mph and again to 30 mph, back up to 45 mph, down to 30 mph again, wait . . wait . . now it's 55 mph. I was constantly pumping the pedals to readjust. The officer was hiding under a bridge at the top of a hill so when I came up over the crest he caught me cooling down from my 65 mph and turned on his lights before my car cleared the front of his vehicle.
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| This one reminds me of Chuck |
We arrived to the venue and ate some dinner before Evan performed. I watched from side stage as he opened with "Indiana". Vivian came out and they played their Robert Johnson cover before Evan closed out the show with "Woodpecker". Evan went out to sign CDs and I went to the car to get onto the computer. It was a typical day at work with no surprises! We left at our usually time and drove back to Indiana to get some sleep.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Highlights from the Break
I thought I would share a few of my favorite moments during our break from July 5th to July 27th:
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| I booked the reception hall for our wedding at McCormick's Creek - Indiana State Park. I actually got a lot of work done for the wedding during the break so I am happy about that. Evan and I will be married on May 27th, 2012! |
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| This is the cabin in Indiana that we stayed at for most of the break. I love how secluded it is. We did a lot of fishing, swimming and drinking beer! |
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| We took a trip to Nashville, TN to listen to some music and eat some great BBQ. Evan also took some time to write a new song with a couple of songwriters. |
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| While in Nashville, we visited the replica of the Parthenon. It is the only TO SCALE replica. |
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| This is the inside of the Parthenon and there stands the Goddess Athena. She is a replica of the statue that use to stand outside of the original Parthenon. |
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| We went to Birdy's in Indianapolis to see Rachel Platten & Caleb Hawley play - friends of ours from New York City. It was a great show! |
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| No this lion is not dead! He is sleeping in the hot sun of Indiana. Evan and I visited the Exotic Feline Rescue center. It's only 10 miles from the cabin. Geez, I hope those fences will hold! |
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| This lioness was chunky! Literally inches from her massive claws. The shelter is for abused and neglected exotic felines. They provide permanent homes for all 210 of their kitties. |
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| This is my baby lion, Abbey Road. She loves to chew on sticks. The best part of the break was being able to spend so much time with our puppy. |
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| Evan got to go fishing a lot during the break which was a highlight for him. I got to eat all the yummy fish he caught when we had a fish fry. That was the highlight for me! |
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