Living without our King

Tuesday, June 28th our bearded dragon named King Midas died. He was a good lizard that suffered from a twisted spine and Tuesday morning he died of natural causes. Evan and I decided to drive out to Jones Beach on Long Island to bury him in the dunes since he was so fond of sun and sand.

Brian (our friend) made the long drive out with us. We found a break in the fence and dug a small hole. I had wrapped Midas in a soft black cloth and laid him down in his final resting place. Evan read Ecclesiastes, chapter 3 versus 1-15. When he finished reading, together we covered his grave with fistfuls of sand.

Midas' First
Christmas

Last picture before
his spine started to turn

Few weeks old
King Midas

¹ There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

² a time to be born and a time to die, 

   a time to plant and a time to uproot, 

 ³ a time to kill and a time to heal, 

   a time to tear down and a time to build, 

 ⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh, 

   a time to mourn and a time to dance, 

 ⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, 

   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing, 

 ⁶ a time to search and a time to give up, 

   a time to keep and a time to throw away, 

 ⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend, 

   a time to be silent and a time to speak, 

 ⁸ a time to love and a time to hate, 

   a time for war and a time for peace.

 ⁹ What do workers gain from their toil? 

¹⁰ I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 

¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet^[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 

¹² I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 

¹³That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 

¹⁴ I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

¹⁵ Whatever is has already been, and what will be has been before; and God will call the past to account.

Living in Astoria

Sunday, June 26th we spent most of the day driving to Camden, NJ. We arrived to discover there was a Puerto Rican parade taking place in the streets surrounding the Susquehanna Bank Center Amphitheater. Women hung out of car windows, horns beeped, flags waived and music from every radio clashed into an undistinguishable mess. Even within the walls of the venue we could hear the ruckus just outside.

Our friends Brian and Lauren attended the show that night and we made plans to spend our few days off that followed with them. Evan again performed with Vivian Campbell (the guitarist from Def Leppard) and covered Bill Wither's "Use me up" sandwiched between "Woodpecker" and "Latitude". After Evan finished, it was nice to drink with friends and enjoy the performances of Heart and Def Leppard before heading out. Those kind of nights help to remind me that it's not just work but that these events are meant to be fun.

We drove to Astoria, Queens that night to settle in Brian and Lauren's place. We didn't have another show until Wednesday, 3 hours west in Scranton, PA so we decided to stay with them until Wednesday morning. They had the most comfortable pull out couch which sounds like two things that don't ever go together like tuna fish and mint chocolate chip ice cream but in this case 'sleeper couch' and 'comfort' were married.

Broadway Street in Astoria, Queens

The next morning we lounged in bed for hours until we decided to have a late lunch at Sanford's Restaurant on Broadway and 30th Street. Great food and a club like atmosphere, I ordered up a beer. This sparked a desire in our entire party to start drinking as soon as we got back to the apartment. At 7 PM we reached our peak and drunkenly ordered up Dominos pizza and wings.

Bohemian Beer Garden
Astoria, Queens

We could have made it a night at that point but instead decided to revive the slum of full bellies and beer soaked brains by going to the Beer Garden across the street. There were many NY musicians meeting over there for the night and Evan wanted to catch up with some of his friends. I didn't last long, at midnight I headed back to the apartment and went to bed. Unfortunately, for the guys they stayed out until 4 AM and they paid for it the next day!

Living like a Rockstar

I like driving when there isn't too much of it and not when I am tired. Straightaway roads in the silence can be therapeutic. It's amazing how hours can pass before realizing I haven't said a word and yet I have not observed the silence. Memories from my childhood will resurface sparked by a familiar looking house along the road which then feeds into puddling jumping through time to other long forgotten moments of my past. Then I might get distracted by a red light and watch a woman carrying a child across the street which makes me think about my future and where I might be. And at other times, a catchy billboard will let my creativity loose and I create a new story, a fiction of the lives outside my own.

After an hour or two of running through these thoughts I feel like I have done some work even though I haven't moved. I feel satisfied as if I stretched the muscles of my mind and feel lighter and energized. My face is relaxed and my temperament transformed. The best part about the 'driving meditation' is that time passes without notice and makes the long road seem a few miles shorter.

The silent drive to Virginia Beach, VA on Saturday ended in chaos as we entered the densely populated city. The clear blue sky on a weekend amplified the number of people that came out to enjoy the sand, sun and waves and the relatively short stretch of beach (compared to other beaches we have visited) magnified the masses. Pulling an SUV with a trailer attached to it in the wide open is stressful enough but putting us in a thick fog of half naked people running back and forth across the road is stress level red!

The affects of my earlier meditation wore off quickly. We arrived at the hotel around 3:30 PM to check into the room that we would be sharing with Evan's parents that night. I tried to find parking in the 4 story garage but halfway up the complex worried that we might not fit the maximum height requirement. We received confirmation of this when we heard a loud scream belt out from the top of the aluminum trailer meeting the concrete overhang. My stress went through the roof with it!

I needed to get out of there so with much dismay Evan and I had decided to head over to the venue to try to relax and then to get a hotel on the road later that night. When we arrived to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater we had some dinner and then went out to the stage for Evan's sound check. Since the stage crew had set up early that day Evan was able to jam around at his leisure. He was rehearsing a new set when Vivian Campbell, the guitarist for Def Leppard, came out to listen.

Vivian Campbell from Def Leppard
playing with Evan on 6/25/11

We had heard the week prior at the Alabama show that Vivian was interested in playing with Evan during one of his sets but we hadn't been able to get the two together to rehearse. I watched from side stage as the awkward introduction was made and the two fumbled on stage like teenagers each trying to ask the other out on a first date. Finally it came out, Evan asked if Vivian would be interested in playing on his set. Now that ice had been broken, they got to work selecting a song to perform that night.

Vivian has a passion for blues music as does Evan so they chose to cover Bill Wither's, "Use me up". Evan opened his set with "Latitude" which is a slide guitar piece before welcoming Vivian to the stage. The two of them jammed out while Evan sang the lyrics. It was a great collaboration that riled the crowd to their feet. Evan closed the show with "Woodpecker" and invited people to visit him at the nearest merchandise booth where he would be signing CDs. Another terrifically successful night!

After the show, Evan and I stayed in the scariest hotel. It was just outside of venue about 30 miles down the road at an America's Best Value Inn. The decor reminded me of scenes from the movie, "The Shining" with Jack Nicholson. Our room wasn't in the main motel but in a building at the back of the property. The outdated carpet leading us upstairs was covered in living creatures, a plethora of insect life. When we reached the door of our room, the number 405 had been scrapped off and were rewritten in childlike handwriting with trails of dripping paint. The gurgling noises coming from the bathroom kept me up most of the night along with the fear of something hiding under the bed!

Living in the Watson Family

Last night Evan played the Time Warner Cable Vision Amphitheater in Raleigh, NC and had the greatest success thus far! I am measuring success on multiple levels; (1) the number of CDs Evan sold, and he sold out of his newly released "South" album (2) the number of people who wanted to shake his hand, take a picture with him, or get his autograph, and the crowds didn't stop from 7:50 PM to 9:30 PM when we finally just left (3) and finally celebrity endorsements, Ann Wilson told the crowd of nearly 18,000 people that they needed to keep Evan on their radar because he was going to be a big star.

Evan had a lot of family at the show on Friday night as many of them live in the Raleigh area; Uncle Danny and Aunt Janice, Aunt Carolyn, Evan's parents Jamie and Dwight, cousins Mindy, Rich, Will and Ashley and Evan's brother Matt. Evan switched up the playlist for both of the North Carolina shows to include a shout out to his grandfather Ellis Watson with a Little Feat's song "Willing". Ellis was a truck driver before he passed and Evan and I feel like truck drivers living out here on the road so it is an appropriate cover. The Watson family are mainly from North Carolina and Evan made sure to mention this family tie. The crowd applauded in honor of their home state.

After Evan had enough of being pulled in every direction by the crowd, we all went to Boylan Bridge Brewpub which over looks downtown Raleigh. We enjoyed Boylan summer brew and ate duck reuben, nachos with beer cheese, soft pretzels, pickle chips and thick slices of smoked bacon. We ate hearty and laughed through the many Watson family stories. It was a nice reward to follow the success of the show.

We headed back to the hotel room that we were sharing with Evan's brother, mother and father and quickly fell asleep. We woke up this morning determined to swim in the Atlantic ocean at Virginia Beach, VA. Evan has another show tonight at the Virginia Beach Amphitheater and then we are off to NJ the following morning. Hoping for success again tonight!

Living and Relaxing

I'm sorry I haven't written in 4 days, Evan and I had two days off so we have been relaxing but I will catch you up to speed.

Dinner by candlelight 

June 18th: Unfortunately, Evan didn't play the Atlanta show on Saturday night due to weather. A strong wind came through during a thunderstorm and threw a tree down onto the power lines outside of the amphitheater causing a blackout. Evan and I waited around until 9:30 PM when the power came back on and we were told that Evan's act had to be cut to save time. Even Heart and Def Leppard had to shorten their acts for the night but the show went on.

We spent some time catching up with a friend and then decided to drive through the night to Alabama. I drove most of the way after drinking a 5 hour energy shot and sustained my attention through house music. Luckily for me, Evan was asleep most of the drive because I was wiggling in my seat trying my best to dance behind the wheel to keep my energy levels up. At 5 AM I decided I needed to get some sleep even though I wasn't tired yet. I found a truck stop and climbed in the back of the car for a few hours sleep before we woke up and drove to Orange Beach, AL.

The Amphitheater at the Wharf

June 19th: We arrived at the Amphitheater at the Wharf late morning so we had some time to spend relaxing on the beach. Since the amphitheater isn't built on a true wharf we had to travel 3 miles south to the gulf coast. Evan and I spent about an hour sunbathing and playing in the surf but were ready to leave after Evan pulled a jellyfish tentacle off of his face and chest. So we packed up and found a hotel in Pensacola, FL which was only 20 miles from Orange Beach to shower before heading back to the venue.

Evan's new guitar - on loan

That night Evan had decided to play his Gibson Explorer for the first time. Evan secured a Gibson sponsorship before we left for the tour and was able to visit their showroom to pick out a guitar on loan. He chose the Explorer which is an interesting looking guitar. The design resembles the wacky flying v and features a split headstock. It is definitely an appropriate instrument for a rock tour.

Evan changed up the set by playing "The Giving Tree" as his last song instead of "Indiana". This song requires a lot of audience participation towards the end of it as Evan puts down his guitar and sings acapella keeping the rhythm to the song through clapping. It went over verily well, I would estimate that at least half of the 7,000 seated patrons were clapping along and all applauded in approval when Evan finished his set.

June 20th: Evan didn't have another show until Wednesday, June 22nd so we decided to camp for the night in Alabama. We chose the Chewacla State Park near the border of Georgia. We set up our tent and cooked over our little propane grill. We would have liked to have a fire but the state of Alabama was under a burn notice. They were experiencing a draught and wild fires were breaking out in the area.

Primitive camping site

It was nice to relax in the shade of the woods and drink a cold beer listening to the sound of crickets, frogs and cicadas. We didn't realize how many mosquitos dined on our blood that night until we woke up. In fact, there might have been a fat mosquito in our tent that ate himself to death because Evan and I were covered when we woke up the next morning. That was the only disappointment of the evening.


June 21st: We spend most of the day driving to Charlotte, NC and arrived around 6 PM that night. We met Evan's Aunt Nancy and Uncle Gary along with their daughter Lindsay at the Landmark diner (on Guy Fieri's list of great Diners, Drive-ins and Dives) for dinner. That night we went back to Lindsay's to catch up on the happenings in the family; where the cousins were, how they were doing, who is having babies, who we might see at the shows in NC. It is nice to be with family :)

Living and Dying

Grandma Ruth Fillmore

Yesterday I received the sad news that my dad's mother passed away. Her name was Ruth and she lived in Oak Harbor, OH. She had been a smoker most of her life and was suffering from fluid in her lungs the last few months. The situation worsened and she left this world at 5:45 PM on June 17th. Unfortunately, I didn't spend much time with Ruth growing up as my parents were divorced by the time I was 12 and I spent the majority of my childhood with my mother's family. I was grieved for my dad's loss.

The news of my grandmother couldn't keep us from the day of work ahead of us. Evan played his second show on the tour last night in Tampa, FL at the 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheater. Evan and I both commented on the peculiar name as most of venues on the tour were named after multi-million dollar companies which were recognizable; Verizon, TD Bank, Comcast, etc. We got the full story behind the 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheater when we stopped at the Cigar City Brewery on our way to the venue.

Apparently, the amphitheater used to be named the Ford Amphitheater until a medial/lawyer referral hot line started a catchy radio campaign preying on listener's fear of not knowing where to turn for a good lawyer and/or doctor in a bind. The new hot line, 1-800-ASK-GARY was so successful that they were able to invest in various community centers like the amphitheater and eligibly have their eye on the community baseball diamond. The guys at the brewery were hopeful that "Gary" would not be successful in their next venture as the name is off putting. Good luck Tampa!

1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheater,
formally known as the Ford Amphitheater

Even with a strange name, the structure of the Tampa amphitheater was impressive. The high rise ceiling over the seating area was designed for its acoustics but resembled an ocean wave frozen in time. The lawn at the back of the seating area was only 1/3 of the viewer space so the screams and clapping was multiplied inside the dome. Additionally, there was a large wall that was built separate from the theatre that sat at the end of the lawn to help keep the sound reverberating back to the stage instead of lost in the open space.

As Evan finished his set (same songs and order as the other night) the crowd of thousands sounded like millions partially due to the acoustics and partially because neither Evan nor I have every heard that many people applaud in favor of Evan's talent. It was an amazing feeling. I was able to image for the first time what our future in the music business could look like. It was overwhelmingly powerful.

Def Leppard on stage

At Evan's first show in West Palm Beach I had met most of Heart's band; Ben Smith on drums, Craig Bartock on guitar, Debbie Shair on keys and synthesizer, and Kristian Attard on bass. I still haven't met Ann or Nancy Wilson although I have been around them I haven't been formally introduced. At last nights show I met and carried on conversations with most of Def Leppard's band; Joe Elliot on lead vocals, Phil Collen on guitar, and Rick Allen on drums (the sweetest guy). I watched Def Leppard sound check and as they came off the stage they greeted Evan and expressed interest in watching his set that night. Unfortunately, non of them made it out to see him but they all apologized and promised that after the first week was over things would be less hectic and they would come and watch Evan play.

We headed out that night for Atlanta and at the half way mark stayed at "America's Best Value" hotel to rest before finishing out the driving the next morning. We slept hard and welcomed a shower. These hot days in Florida take a lot of energy out of you. I am hoping these will be the most humid dates on the tour and that from here on out the heat, while it may be scorching, will be dry!

Living thru the first show

Evan played his first show of the tour on Wednesday, June 15th in West Palm Beach at the Cruzan Amphitheatre. We arrived early to talk with the production manager and to off load Evan's gear. Being the first show, we wanted to give ourselves plenty of time to wonder the arena and talk with people. My head was swirling with questions as I took in my new environment. I wanted to learn as quickly as possible to build a routine for show nights.

When we arrived at 2 PM I was surprised to see so many people hard at work. I thought we might be arriving to an empty arena since the gates wouldn't be opening until 6:30 PM for the show. Apparently, Heart and Def Leppard had been at the Cruzan Amphitheatre for 4 days rehearsing while their production crew had put together and tested the stage setup. Sort of like boot camp to prepare for the summer long tour.

Evan and I were watching 'how the sausage is made', the backstage preparation that goes into a rock tour of this magnitude. There were men running light patterns, lowering screens, testing drum kits, painting pieces of plywood, using a circular saw to cut 2' x 4's, and everywhere people shouting into handheld radios. There were around 8 semi-trucks backed up to a loading dock and dozens of road cases were precisely places on the concrete slab outside of the backstage doors. Each were spray painted in neon colors with labels like "Nancy Wilson", "Heart", "Def Leppard", "Hardware", "Cables", etc.

Evan sound checking

We wondered the grounds, checking out the view of the stage from the lawn to the front row seats. Anyone that was willing to talk with us, we engaged in conversation. The most interesting stories came from the stage hands. A small number of them were traveling the summer with the tour but most of the men were locally hired. The locals spun long stories for us about the events that had taken place over the last 4 days and then stretched back into their memories to share stories with us of other musical acts they had worked for. We heard about a runner (this is a person that runs errands to help the success of the show, sometimes to the grocery store or maybe the liquor store but a runner can also be a person that drives the musicians around town if needed) that misunderstood their assignment and bought 50 gallons of milk instead of the requested 5 for the Rolling Stones. There were many little treats like this one that they wanted to share with anyone that would listen.

Evan went on stage at 7:30 PM on the dot and was expected to be off the stage by 7:45 PM. He started his set with "Latitude" playing slide guitar on his resonator and stomping on his porch board bass. Towards the end of the song Evan had stomped his motorcycle boots with a little too much enthusiasm and the XLR input cable shot out the back of the bass sending an ear piercing boom through the speakers. Evan was able to make a joke about the event and the crowd laughed in acceptance of his apology. That was the only hiccup in Evan's performance. He continued his show with "Woodpecker", another Evan Watson original and then played a cover, "Shape I'm In" by The Band. The crowd sang along and danced. He finished out his set with "Indiana" and the thousands of listens applauded in approval. I caught a glimpse of Ann Wilson standing backstage listening to Evan's performance while I waited for the stage crew to clear off Evan's instruments. No booing was audible so it is safe to say that Evan's first show was a success.

Evan on stage for his first performance
of the tour. I was standing on the left of
the stage next to the sound board.

Evan had come off stage in a high and for the rest of the evening stage hands, production managers, members of Heart's band, audience members and visiting friends congratulated Evan on his success. We bounced back and forth from watching the performances of Heart and then Def Leppard to relaxing backstage to catch a few more stories from stage hands.

Additionally, it was a successful night for me as the road manager. I had gotten our all access passes for the summer, got a few names on the comp list, introduced myself to all the backstage players and at the end of the night I was able to get Evan's paycheck! Introductions are always a bit uncomfortable but I had established beginning relationships with the production manager, stage manager and merchandise manager. Moving forward I knew it would be easier to make requests for payment and the such.

We headed out a bit early to beat the traffic and drove the hour back to Mr. Bobby's apartment in Plantation, FL. Evan and I were exhausted from the day and needed our rest. We had one day between shows so we made plans to lay on the beach. The following morning we soaked up some sun and relaxed after our hard nights work which is the reason I didn't get to my computer until today :)  

Living with King Midas

Something I forgot to mention, King Midas is along for the ride with us this summer. Evan and I are what I call 'animal people'. This name calling might be deceiving so I will explain, it means Evan and I have love for animals so we share our home with several of them. When we had an apartment we had a turtle named Lee Lee, a banana king snake named B.B. King (Riley for short), Abbey our German Shepard/Chihauhau mix and King Midas our bearded dragon.

When we started planning for our summer on the road we needed to call on friends and family to help us take care of our animals. Abbey went to Indiana to be with Evan's parents, Lee Lee found a new home down the street and Riley is staying with our friends Merrilee and Dennis. 

Evan and I had discussed the possibility of putting Midas down before we left since he has a severely twisted spine. This makes him practically immobile. When it came down to packing day, we weren't strong enough to say goodbye to our friend King Midas. So we created a little tank for him in the car and we have been feeding him scraps of food from our roadside stops. He loves sitting on the dashboard to sun bath.

I captured this picture of him the other day, doesn't it look like he is smiling?

Living Red Hot

We are in Florida and only a few hours away from our evening destination near Miami. Tomorrow is Evan's first performance in West Palm Beach to kick off the tour. I asked him if he was excited or nervous and he said both. I will make sure he is distracted him from both of these emotions by going out on the town to enjoy a nice dinner a few drinks with a good friend of ours from college who lives in the area, Mr. Bobby.

Our Ford Escape bed - a layer of yoga mats,
followed by a layer of egg crate, then a layer
of fleece blanket, topped off with a comforter.

It feels like we have been on the road for a week already. Sunday we had a late start to our trip to Florida and at around midnight we were outside of Washington, D.C. and looking for a place to camp. We wanted to try out our bed in the back of the Ford. Our first choice was the welcome center in Maryland but it was completely filled up. Truckers had crowded the area and were spilling onto the exit ramp. We got back onto 95 south discouragingly and hoped there was another rest stop close by. Unfortunately, there was nothing which explained why all the truckers in the state of Maryland were stationed at the welcome center for the night.

We had driven on for another hour and my eyes just couldn't stay open any longer. I needed to find a place for us to rest at least for a few hours. An image popped into my head delivering me an answer to our dilemma. In the summers of my hometown there used to be a couple RV's that would rotate at the end of our Walmart parking lot. Could we sleep in a Walmart parking lot? We did a little research and discovered that Walmart encourages people to sleep in their parking lots but have a maximum of 3 days stay allowed!

So we found the nearest Walmart which happened to be in Arlington, VA and settled up for the night. We quickly discovered that it wasn't an operating Walmart, it was in the process of being built. Bright lights shown on the exterior, men in hard hats ran back and forth from trucks, and bus loads of workers came and went all night. In addition, we discovered the space in the Ford is a bit crowded for two people. We tested our boundaries and tried to find a comfortable position which was laborious. It was not a restful sleep.

I woke up at 5 AM from a half asleep haze and decided there was no use trying to get anymore rest there. I drove for about an hour and found a rest stop and pulled over. I crawled into the back of our car and finally fell into a deep sleep. An hour passed before Evan woke up. He got behind the wheel and I laid in bed for another hour before deciding to get up for the day.

We decided to stop in Savannah, GA for the night and to get a hotel. We needed a good nights rest before we continued on. Also, I had used some shelving from our apartment in Tarrytown to organize the trailer and the entire wall of shelves and everything that was on it fell to the ground during travel. The event split open most of the tupperware and scattering all it's insides all over the trailer. It was a huge mess that needed to be straightened out as it was exceedingly difficult to get items out of the heap when they were needed.

We arrived to our Quality Inn hotel around 6 PM and decided to organize the trailer in the morning, we needed warm food and cold beer. There was a Scottish Pub, Molly MacPherson, within walking distance from our room so we headed out for a relaxing night. Unfortunately, we both had a little too much to drink and with stress levels high we got into our first 'debate' of the trip.

I call it a debate because Evan and I rarely fight, we argue our point of views on various forms of minutiae. It all started when Evan wrote a lengthly email for work at the dinner table which annoyed me, family time and relaxation should not include work of any form. I tried to distract him by discussing the nature of emails and how without the human voice to give words a tone, messages can get misinterpreted. It became an elevated discussion in our buzzed state of mind and ended when I went to bed red hot filled with frustration and disappointment in missing out on what was suppose to be a nice night.

To be honest I didn't think we would get into one of our debates this early on the trip but traveling from New York to the tip of Florida is the longest trip we will have to make this summer. On the positive side, as long as we survive the next few hours we can rest assure that we can take on any of the other drives between shows as they will all be shorter. Also, once Evan plays his first show and the mystery of new beginnings fades there will be less to stress over. The not knowing, I am sure is weighting heavy on both of us. Fingers crossed we will have a better night tonight!

Living in the Moment

Well we officially are on the road as of this moment! We left our apartment in Tarrytown 30 minutes ago and braved the New York City traffic with our trailer to go over the George Washington Bridge to reach 95 South. We will stay on this road until we reach Florida.

I guess I should assess my emotions at this time since it is the first day of many that I will be living on the road. To recap my day, I woke up at 8 AM and got to work packing up our kitchen. It was the last thing to pack because we were still eating at the house our last week. After I taped up the last box, Evan drove them over to our storage unit and I began packing our 5' x 8' trailer.

Packing the trailer took longer than I anticipated! Our house was almost completely empty as I had been packing all week and the day before we had an all day garage sale and literally sold everything that was left on the main floor in the house. June 1st is a common move in date for renters so most of our buyers were in need of everything for their new apartments. The bedroom and bathroom were almost fully stocked with items that we use every day which I needed to organize and put into the trailer for life on the road.

When I looked at the clock and it read 3 PM, I couldn't believe it. How could it have taken me nearly all day to move two little rooms of the house into the trailer? It seemed like around every corner there was another 30 minute project for me to work on. It was the DVDs in their jackets needing to be transported into a binder to save space; the bathroom medicine cabinet to be emptied into a tupperware; the basement had a few corners with old shoes, jackets and picture frames needing to be either placed into trash bags or put into a box for donation.

I like this picture of our backyard in
Tarrytown. It feels like home. 

Finally, we needed to scrub the entire apartment before leaving. I knew this was going to be a laborious task because Evan and I have lived in 3 different apartments in the last 4 years. Each time we moved, no matter how big or small the place, it took a long time to deep clean for the approval of the landlord. Our motivation is always to get back our security deposit so Evan and I cleaned the oven, the refrigerator racks, we washed all the baseboards, cleaned under radiator pipes, wiped clean the cob webs above the windows (sorry spiders!), scrubbed the shower drain until my back gave out. This cleaning is something that I would have loved to do while I was a tenant but the motivation of money isn't there.

At 7 PM we were finally ready to do our final walk thru with our landlord before taking off. Exhausted and covered in 2 year old dust bunnies mixed with fresh plaster from repairing nail holes in the wall Evan and I climbed into the car. We started the tour by pulling out of our parking spot on the corner of Linden Place and Ann Street for the last time. We hit a traffic jam before reaching the George Washington Bridge which sucked the last our energy from us.

Emotionally, I am not sad, excited, regretful, anxious or euphoric. I just feel tired and hungry which is so anticlimactic I want to feel depressed but I don't have enough energy to feel anything. Maybe being numb is the ideal state of being as we embark on this life changing journey. I think it better that I am unable to feel the weight of the change that is coming, it allows me to be free from my mind and just live in the present, moment to moment.

Final Assessment: I am embarking on this adventure with a weightlessness, my only concerns being the need for sleep and food which I can have at any time but will stubbornly hold out for. Living in the moment, I am not anticipating the moments to come.

5 DAYS LEFT!

It has been a busy couple of days! I picked up the trailer on Sunday, June 5th in Ohio from my dad, Christopher Griffin, who fixed it up for me. He detailed the interior by installing a clothing rack in the front and anchors along the walls to stabilize Evan's equipment and he cleaned and waxed the exterior. I was all ready to hit the pavement, I just wanted to take a quick test drive with the trailer attached to our Ford Escape to build up a bit of confidence.

Our new trailer - 5' x 8' 

When I dropped off our puppy Abbey Road with the Watson's in Indiana, I also got the Ford fitted with a trailer hitch and wiring harness to run the lights in the trailer. Unfortunately we didn't test the wiring before I headed out for Ohio that Thursday and now just before my dad and I left for the test drive we discovered the trailer wasn't receiving any power from the Ford. My dad had tested the trailer's lights using his truck, so we knew it was a problem with the installation on the Ford, not the trailer's wiring itself. This meant I had no turn signals or break lights in the trailer which put me in the position of potentially getting pulled over or worst, getting in an accident.

My dad did his best to remedy the problem but Sunday in the midwest is observed as God's day, nothing is open and no one is working. This meant there were no mechanics to help me out with a power converter but we did stop by a friend of my dad's who took a look at the car and confirmed that the missing part would need to be installed before the lights would work in the trailer. 

Next best thing to working lights? Battery operated hazard lights used on my dad's tractors. So we taped them up to the hinges of the trailer and I was on my way. I mentally prepared myself for when I would get pulled over by a state trooper and played out several scenarios. I tried to focus on the ones that ended with me receiving a warning and not a ticket. Fortunately, I made it home without being pulled over but I did have an incident along the way.

Since this trip from Ohio to New York was my first time driving the car with a trailer attached and I was at a disadvantage since I didn't have working lights, I stopped every 2 hours and called my dad to check in while I walked the trailer to make sure all screws were tight and most importantly, the batteries hadn't run out on the tapped down hazard lights. At around 5 o'clock I stopped for my check in and filled up with gas. I got back on 80 going eastbound and prepared my back muscles for another 4 hours on the road. 

I sighed at the price of gas and decided to put my receipt from Valero in my wallet. Almost like a mantra I have been repeating to myself, keep all receipts! I looked in the passenger seat and then glanced in the back into the mess of clothes, food wrappers and loose cds but my wallet wasn't there. I pulled over at the next exit and started to comb through the car. It had to be there, where would my wallet have gone? After 10 minutes I realized it was gone, I had searched everything and it wasn't there. 

I jumped back on 80, now going westbound back towards the gas station. I had to have left it there, somewhere. I started to rack my brain, where could I have set it down? My mind was clouded, like I had lost part of my memory. I was so focused on the trailer I couldn't remember where my hands left my wallet. Next I did a mental inventory, what was in my wallet? Four credit cards, which would all have to be cancelled. My drivers license, shit! I didn't have time to go to the DMV and get a new license before we left for the summer. We would be at a huge disadvantage if only one of us could drive. I had to find that wallet.

My eyes started to quiver, I was going to cry. But I held back and decided not to get upset, I would wait to see if my wallet was simply lying on the ground next to the pump I was using. Or maybe the gas attendant found it and put it under the counter and was waiting for me to return. As I played out these happy endings, my phone rang. It was a woman from AAA, she was asking me if I was in Pennsylvania near a Valero. My wallet was found by a man on the side of the road and she wanted to know if she could give him my cell phone so I could organize a pick up.

I couldn't believe it, I left my wallet on the roof of my car and when I took the exit for 80 it slide off the car and landed on the pavement. Rod, a man near 50 with long, white wavy hair was loading a car on the back of his tow truck on the entrance ramp for 80 eastbound and had watched my wallet slide off the roof of my car and bust open. My AAA card was the first thing he noticed and gave them a call. 

I met up with Rod and his red face was lit up with a gaped tooth smile. He was just as happy to help out his fellow (wo)man as I was happy for his help. I shook his hand and told him that he restored my faith in humanity and that I wished him the best of luck in his travels. I got back in the car, only losing about 10 minutes of travel time and thought about how lucky I had been to lose my wallet there and how Rod wouldn't have been there if that woman's car and horse trailer hadn't broken down right at that highway entrance. I lost my wallet but karmically it had all turned out alright. Same with the drive home without trailer lights, it was a stressful but ultimately the ride had gone as smoothly as it could have gone under those circumstances. 

I thought about the mini trip to Indiana, than Ohio and back to New York as a good practice run before heading out this summer (actually heading out this Sunday, June 12th!). I learned a valuable lesson, that I need to slow down and be more present in my environment to avoid misplacements and it's always better to be safe than sorry. Something you hear from your parents but doesn't sink in until you grow older and realize that double checking is always worth the investment of your time because down the road (literally) problems will intensify. 

10 DAYS LEFT

We have 10 days left until we pack up the car and pull out of Tarrytown, NY and begin living on the road. Evan's first show is in West Palm Beach, Florida on June 15th but we need a few days to get ourselves down there.

In preparation for our summer with Def Leppard, I drove to Indiana today to drop off our puppy dog, Abbey Road to live the 4 hottest months of the year with Dwight and Jamie Watson (Evan's parents). Evan couldn't make the trip with me because he has to attend a music conference in San Diego this week.

Evan and I decided that leaving the dog with his parents was the healthiest decision for Abbey. Traveling in a car multiple hours a day and sleeping on the folded down seats of our Ford in the hottest months of the years (with out AC) could be considered torture for a dog and quite frankly sounds like be a form of human torture that Evan and I are willing signing up for.

I know it is best for Abbey to stay in Indiana where she will have a yard to play in every day, daily walks and weekends at the 20 acre property. But I couldn't help myself from crying as I pulled out of the Watson's driveway and continued to cry whenever a ballad came on the radio.

I am sure crying is a pretty normal reaction to leaving behind your family dog for several months since Abbey is like a member of my family but my upbringing made me believe I would react differently. Growing up my mother believed in 'disposal pets' which isn't as barbaric as it sounds. We didn't grind up our kittens after a year, it was much more organic than that. For example, my mother was selling our family couch so she put out an ad in our local newspaper. A few days later, a lovely couple answered the ad and came to look at the couch. Our cat at the time, Sadie was taking a mid afternoon nap among the couch pillows. The couple commented on how nicely Sadie's charcoal colored fur and little pink nose matched the navy blue and rouge accented fabric that surrounded her. So, my mother says "Yes, she does match the couch. Do you want to take the cat along with the couch?" And that was the last we saw of Sadie.

I don't ever remember crying over the disappearances of cats, dogs, birds, hermit crabs, lizards, newts and frogs throughout the years since we only had each animal for a little over a year. As if each one of our Fluffy's, Mr. Whiskers, Peppy's, Peach's, etc. had expiration dates stamped under there fir, feathers and scales they left our household never reaching a 2 year anniversary. This made me believe that it wouldn't be difficult to leave Abbey for a few months. I can rationalize with my emotions; this it is best for Abbey's health, I will see her again in 4 months and given my upbringing I should be tough as nails. Nope, crying like a baby over the absence of my 1 year old baby girl, German Sheppard/Chihuahua mix!

I am included a picture so you can see this strange mixed breed, but beware she will capture your heart even through still photography!

As a part of the trip to Indiana today I had our Ford outfitted with a hitch for the 5' x 8' trailer that I will be picking up in Ohio this weekend. I am hoping to get "Evan Watson" painted on the side or printed on an extra large magnet so that everyone knows were coming! I will fill you in on that adventure as I have never driven a car with a trailer before so there will be a story of tragedy or hilarity so stay tuned for that.

The last bit of preparation needed before hitting the road is dividing up our positions into categories; items to sell, items to pack into our storage unit and items to bring on the road with us. This will not be an easy task but I will have June 6th through the 11th to get this done and without a job and the help of Evan it shouldn't be difficult to meet our deadline. Does anyone need any furniture? We have liquidation prices on all items!!

Tour Dates

Before I entering another post, I should give you the complete tour schedule of Evan Watson opening for Def Leppard with special guest Heart. It seems a little daunting when you see it on paper but as we are getting closer to June 15th I am more excited than scared. Obviously, I am naive . . .

Jun 15 - West Palm Beach, FL (Cruzan Amphitheatre)
Jun 17 - Tampa, FL (1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre)
Jun 18 - Atlanta, GA (Aarons Amphitheatre at Lakewood)
Jun 19 - Orange Beach, AL (Amphitheater @ the Wharf)
Jun 22 - Charlotte, NC (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre)
Jun 24 - Raleigh, NC (Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion)
Jun 25 - Virginia Beach, VA (Farm Bureau Live)
Jun 26 - Camden, NJ (Susquehanna Bank Center)
Jun 29 - Scranton, PA (Toyota Pavilion)
Jun 30 - Boston, MA (Comcast Center)
Jul 2 - Uncasville, CT (Mohegan Sun Arena)
Jul 3 - Hershey, PA (Hersheypark Stadium)
Jul 5 - Milwaukee, WI (Summerfest)
Jul 7 - Cincinnati, OH (Riverbend Music Center)
Jul 9 -  Bristow, VA (Jiffy Lube Live)
Jul 10 - Saratoga Springs, NY (Saratoga Performing Arts Center)
Jul 12 - Wantagh, NY (Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre)
Jul 13 - Holmdel, NJ (PNC Bank Arts Center)
Jul 15 - Chicago, IL (First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre)
Jul 19 - Tulsa, OK (BOK Center)
Jul 20 - Dallas, TX (Gexa Energy Pavilion)
Jul 22 - Houston, TX (Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion)
Jul 23 - New Orleans, LA (New Orleans Arena)
Jul 24 - San Antonio, TX (AT&T Center)
Aug 10 - St. Louis, MO (Verizon Wireless Amphitheater)
Aug 12 - Indianapolis, IN (Verizon Wireless Music Center)
Aug 13 - Des Moines, IA (Iowa State Fair)
Aug 16 - Toronto, CANADA (Molson Canadian Amphitheatre)
Aug 17 - Detroit, MI (DTE Energy Music Theatre)
Aug 19 - Louisville, KY (Kentucky State Fair - Main Stage)
Aug 20 - Pittsburgh, PA (First Niagara Pavilion)
Aug 21 - Buffalo, NY (Darien Lake Performing Arts Center)
Aug 24 - Cleveland, OH (Blossom Music Center)
Aug 26 - St. Paul, MN (Minnesota State Fair)
Aug 27 - Kansas City, MO (Sprint Center)
Aug 29 - Denver, CO (Comfort Dental Amphitheatre)
Aug 31 - Salt Lake City, UT (USANA Amphitheatre)
Sep 2 - Albuquerque, NM (The Pavilion)
Sep 3 - Phoenix, AZ (Cricket Wireless Pavilion)
Sep 4 - Las Vegas, NV (MGM Grand Garden Arena)
Sep 7 - Los Angeles, CA (Gibson Amphitheatre)
Sep 9 - San Francisco, CA (Shoreline Amphitheatre)
Sep 10 - Irvine, CA (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre)
Sep 11 - Sacramento, CA (Sleep Train Amphitheatre)
Sep 14 - Portland, OR (Sleep Country Amphitheater)
Sep 15 - Seattle, WA (White River Amphitheatre)