Waking up around 11:40 a.m.
Oatmeal. Tea.
Staying at the computer handling Music Makers communications and working through all kinds of business.
Eggs. Spinach. English Muffins. Coffee.
Teaching lessons at Music Makers.
Helping Modern Day Warrior with band practice – they’re killing it on this new song.
Lentil Soup with Salad and Garlic Bread.
Watching Road House (2024).
Doing chores – catching up on things at the computer.
Waking up at 11:30 or so a.m.
Breakfast Bar. Blueberries. Tea.
Catching up on business. Running errands – bank – grabbing some headphones from Enterprise after leaving them in the rental.
Eggs. Spinach. English Muffins. Coffee.
Watching Road House (2024).
Teaching lessons at Music Makers.
Helping Modern Day Warrior with their band practice – they’ve really discovered a sweet original song – guiding them a little.
Back home. Haddock Fish with Kale, Carrots, Quinoa, Black Beans, and Garlic Bread.
Watching the movie then catching up on accounting.
Chores and playing with Elvis.
Waking up around 11:30 a.m.
Oatmeal. Tea.
Working on communication and scheduling at the computer all afternoon. Meanwhile, the situation with the bus did not improve. It’s gonna have to get towed from Wytheville to West Virginia to get repaired for the week. This Monday has become an urgent mess to start the week – so much to handle before the weekend.
At Music Makers dropping off the phone and such – Richie is starting his first day at the front desk so I catch him up to speed. It’ll be a handful for him today but he’s perfect for this job.
We’re able to catch the highly anticipated partial solar eclipse today. Virginia Beach wasn’t in the path of totality but still cool to see.
Eggs. Kale. English Muffin. Tempeh Bacon. Coffee.
Teaching lessons at Music Makers.
Driving over to Nigel’s to meet with him and Ron. Meanwhile, Ed is here getting these merch printers set up. I scarf down a Mr. Shawarma’s for dinner while we recap the weekend.
Back home. Playing with Elvis and catching up on business at the computer.
Waking up reluctantly at 11 a.m.
Cereal. Tea.
At Music Makers all afternoon and evening for MMLIVE band rehearsals – Rebecca and Jake help coach the kids and adults. It’s honestly not that stressful – just takes up the whole day and I’m still exhausted from the weekend.
Snacking on food here and there.
Teacher band rehearsal goes well too.
Finally back home. I sit in the green chair – Elvis immediately lies down on my lap while I’m on the phone with Nigel recapping things from the shows – meanwhile, the bus is still in the process of getting repaired in Wytheville while the driver stays in a hotel there till it’s done.
Catching up on things. Chores.
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Waking up feeling very well rested at the Holiday Inn Express in Hickory.
Banana. Breakfast Bar. Tea.
Driving over to the venue in Newton, the NPAC. This is Rebecca’s old stomping grounds, where she grew up most of her life. It’s a beautiful day out. Loading in and getting the stage ready but without any time constraints unlike yesterday.
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Snacking on a sandwich with chips and coffee.
Exploring the old venue and taking our time.
Sound check – a couple issues with the sub woofers but all goes well.
Dinner: Chicken with Rice, Veggies, Garlic Rolls, and Banana Pudding.
Showtime! The place is small but sold out – a fiery energy in here.
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Packing up and loading out.
I take the wheel of the rental truck and trailer to get us to Greensboro – with Rebecca, Ed, and Casey. We have to drop off the trailer to the venue so it’s there for us on Friday then hightail it back home – a 5 hour drive in total. I try to sleep in the back after Casey takes the wheel. I have a headache – been a long weekend.
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The sun is about to come up. Rebecca and I still have to coordinate getting the rentals dropped off to Enterprise. At some point we’re finally in our respective apartments.
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Waking up off and on in the back of the tour bus.
Breakfast Bar. Tea.
At some point the bus starts really dragging along the interstate fighting against the North Carolina mountains, like extremely bad – stuck in 1st gear – very unusual. We discover there’s a major oil leak and it’s overheating. We’re literally limping along on the shoulder lane getting honked at by all the semi’s. It’s becoming an unsavory situation for sure.
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We manage to get the building on wheels to a Wal-Mart parking lot and develop a last minute plan that involves leaving the driver at a hotel, getting two rentals, and leaving the bus behind. The whole thing is stressful but we do everything in stride and keep positive attitudes.
Now here I am driving the rental truck pulling the weight of the trailer just barely with Ed, Rebecca, and Casey. I’m so incredibly tired and worn out.
We arrive super late at the venue in Greeneville, Tennessee. All hands on deck! We’re probably the latest we’ve ever been to a gig. This is probably the quickest sound check and set up ever.
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At some point we enjoy a really delicious dinner for hospitality.
Then show!
Packing up and getting everything loaded up. We separate in our rentals.
Ed and I share a shift at the wheel (with Casey and Rebecca) to get us to Hickory, North Carolina – about a 2 and a half hour drive. All of us feeling exhausted and loopy from the day’s events.
At the Holiday Inn Express settling in. Rebecca and I share a king size bed tonight but there’s an obvious pillow placed between us lol. I tell her, “You know that’s not necessary. I’m gonna respect your boundaries. You act like we’ve never slept in the same bed together,” I joke.
I’m still getting used to this new “friend zone” dynamic but I’ll be alright. We talk about stuff before drifting off to sleep.
Waking up around 11:30 a.m.
Oatmeal. Tea.
Elvis seems to be his usual self with an appetite and playful. Glad to see after what happened last night.
Driving the bus to pick up Nancy from Hertz down the street – then we drop her off at Nigel’s. Then, picking up the trailer from Superior – they added a new light and gave it an inspection. Then, having to drive back to Nigel’s to get the locks that got left in the van. Then, at the warehouse cleaning up things and loading up the trailer.
Finally back home. Grateful to eat lunch...
Eggs. Asparagus. Carrots. Kale. Bagel. Coffee. Chips.
Packing up things – doing chores – spending time with Elvis.
At the studio cleaning up the 104 space and catching up on the day’s business.
Tempeh Bacon, Quinoa, Salad, and Garlic Bread.
Packing up. Then, linking up with Rebecca on the bus.
Meeting everyone at the warehouse. Introducing our new driver, Trey, to the group. I literally just met him a few days ago – last minute recruit. He’s very chill and seems capable.
Hitting the road – camaraderie on the bus before we all hit the sack.
Waking up around 11:30 a.m.
Oatmeal. Tea.
Catching up on scheduling and business at the computer.
Running some errands.
Eggs. Tempeh Bacon. Spinach. Chips. Coffee.
Teaching lessons at Music Makers.
Grabbing some Mr. Shawarma’s. Then, meeting with Ron and Nigel at Nigel’s to discuss trip planning and ELO money stuff. We’re finally getting to a place where we can distribute back pay checks.
Back home. Catching up on everything.
I noticed Elvis is acting unusual tonight. At first I could not find him at all. After rousing the roommates I locate him behind the futon couch, a crevice I never thought to check. He’s being very reclusive and will not eat. I guess he’s sick from the anti-inflammatory meds the vet gave him. I watch him really try to eat but he just can’t. I lie down on the couch for a while and watch him drink lots of water and such. Eventually he does eat.
Waking up early at 8:05 a.m. Gotta get Elvis to the vet for his follow up exam.
There, the lady at the front desk barely remembered scheduling the exam and come to find out she forgot to put it in their system. Luckily we get it sorted and they take him in.
I head back to sleep at the house. Then, back to the vet to talk to Dr. Jenny. She always takes the time to explain everything. Essentially, Elvis’s stones that were showing last October shrunk and disappeared but there’s still one big one (that also has shrunk in size). I get some anti-inflammatory meds for him and we’re good to go.
Running all kinds of errands.
Eggs. Spinach. Bagel. Coffee. Chips.
Teaching lessons at Music Makers.
Grabbing groceries.
Chili with Tuna, Quinoa, Asparagus, Carrots, and Garlic Bread.
Later on, I visit with Rebecca to catch up but mainly we spend time creating this Happy Birthday sign for Allyson. Meanwhile, her cats play around the living room.
Back home. Catching up on chores and business. Enjoying some Lemon Bars that Addy made.
Waking up around 11:30 a.m.
Oatmeal. Tea.
Catching up on emails and stuff at the computer.
Eggs. Spinach. Bagel. Chips. Coffee.
Teaching lessons at Music Makers.
Helping this band set up for their rental. Then, stopping by Pinboys where Allyson and The Lazy Dangers are celebrating her birthday. I haven’t been here in a long time – they revamped the place. I discover a little mini smoking room bar where they do improve comedy – kind of interesting.
Pasta, Broccoli, Carrots, and Garlic Bread.
Watching Curb.
Catching up on business.
At the studio cleaning up and organizing.
I decide to sleep on the couch downstairs – Elvis chooses to lie right next to me the whole night.
Waking up much later than I wanted. Was planning on possibly going to an Easter service but I decide not to.
Cereal. Tea.
Chores and cleaning.
Over at the studio I work on moving some things around the lobby and vacuuming. Being a busy bee!
Eggs. Spinach. English Muffins. Coffee. Tempeh Bacon.
Back at the studio tweaking some more!
Back home. Adding some heavy duty hooks on the bus.
Black Beans, Tuna, Rice, Broccoli, Carrots, and Garlic Bread.
Later on, I visit with Rebecca and her cats. Just catching up on stuff and sharing videos.
Home. Cleaning up things. Doing some writing.
Waking up around 11 a.m.
Oatmeal. Tea.
At Music Makers watching the front desk while Jake teaches lessons. Meanwhile, Rebecca finishes up dance classes next door. Her and I sit at the computer finishing up some system things before we make the big change April 1st.
Grabbing some brunch/lunch together at Simple Eats off Shore Drive. She loves everything about this place. The sweet tea passes her approval lol. Enjoying French Toast, hers with a Raspberry Cream Cheese filling. Honestly, this is nice being able to do something with each other outside of tour and work. I love how there’s no time constraints and everything feels free. She’s wearing like the ultra purple color combos today, which only enhance her charm.
Afterwards, going to Advanced Auto to have them change out her car battery.
Later on, I run some errands. I sit in the Target parking lot for a few minutes feeling tired for some reason. As she points out to me in a text, “the positive social stimulation surprised our systems.”
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Grabbing some essentials and groceries.
Cleaning these steel hair pin legs for my piano shell.
Making Pasta, Salad, and Garlic Bread for dinner.
Watching Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024).
Doing some work at the computer – updating the website.
Waking up shortly after 11 a.m.
Oatmeal. Tea.
Chores. Stuff around the house.
At the studio installing a new keypad lock.
Ron takes me to retrieve bus from Spring Menders. We talk about band money stuff along the way – there’s always tons of chaotic things to sort out.
Eggs. Spinach. Bagel. Chips. Avocado. Coffee.
At the studio we have a business meeting with Shaunna, Allyson, Rebecca, Addy, and newly recruited Richie to discuss the new policies at the front desk and concerns regarding this. After most people leave Rebecca and I always stick around finishing up things.
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We both end up needing to grab groceries at Kroger.
Black Beans, Tuna, Kale, Carrots, Tomatoes, and Garlic Bread.
Watching Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024).
Doing work at the computer. Catching up on things.
Always Green Tea.
Waking up – the rain consistently patters against the windowsill. It’s hard to wake up today for some reason.
Cereal. Tea.
Dealing with numbers and money stuff all afternoon – working at the computer.
Eggs. Kale. English Muffins. Coffee.
Teaching lessons at Music Makers.
Meeting with Richie, a potential front desk person. He’s also a voice student of Rebecca’s. Allyson is going to be quitting soon so we have to find another person to help the front desk. Richie is kind of perfect for the job to be honest. I give him the rundown then talking with Rebecca for a while about business.
Back home. Pasta with Salad and Garlic Bread.
Watching Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024).
Doing chores.
Catching up on business.
Waking up earlier than usual 10:20 a.m.
Oatmeal. Tea.
Catching up on business.
At the warehouse organizing some cases and flipping my piano shell case around.
Errands.
Eggs. Tempeh Bacon. Kale. Bagel. Coffee. Chips.
Teaching lessons at Music Makers.
Grabbing some Mr. Shawarma’s for dinner.
Meeting with Nigel and Ron at Nigel’s house – going over the numbers from last weekend. Planning band stuff.
Ladada band practice at Ringo’s. The boys and I just jamming and hanging out.
Finally back home – racking my brain over numbers from the ELO tour.
Waking up around 11:15 a.m.
Oatmeal. Tea.
Catching up on business and chores.
Running errands. Doing some stuff at the studio.
Eggs. Spinach. English Muffins. Coffee.
Teaching lessons at Music Makers. Staying late to catch up on scheduling.
Beef, Quinoa, Kale, Carrots, and Garlic Bread.
Watching Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024).
Chores. Working on stuff at the computer. Planning.
Ice Cream. Green Tea.
Waking up at 11 or so a.m.
Cereal. Tea.
Catching up on business. I had Jamil take a peek at Rebecca’s car. Turns out it just needed a proper jump – I drive it over to her place. She’s grateful it wasn’t something much bigger.
Running errands. Getting groceries and such.
Eggs. Spinach. Bagel. Coffee. Chips.
Teaching lessons at Music Makers.
Addy and Rebecca happen to all be here at the end of the shift. We talk a bit about the new changes starting in April. After Addy leaves, Rebecca and I catch up on band money things. Now maybe I’m grasping at straws here but when I go to give her a hug goodbye she hangs on longer than I. Those little moments make me feel good.
I drive the bus over to this drive shaft place off Military Highway. Ron gives me a lift back home. We chat about band money stuff and such.
Pasta with Salad and Garlic Bread.
Watching Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2024).
Catching up on stuff and chores.
Green Tea. Orange.
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5:30 a.m. After awakening at a gas stop in Gainesville, I help Carlos and Dan get the bus strategically moved out of the gas station. Then, I get settled in. Suddenly, we discover Carlos somehow got us stuck in a sandy area at a car wash. He was trying to find a way to back out and unfortunately our back wheels are digging deeper and deeper into the sand like it’s quicksand.
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I get out and try to help use figure a way out. Carlos is beating himself up over it. He finds some planks and buckets of rocks but to no avail. Nigel calls a tow but of course we’re waiting for at least an hour. Plus, we have to unload the trailer so we can shift it by hand. It’s funny cause on the way to Florida we had to get some drive shaft repair done in Gainesville. The redneck tow guy shows up and uses a wench then we’re out of here!
Back to sleep in the back of the bus – I’m utterly exhausted.
Waking up at a Love’s stop – snacking on a Breakfast Bar and Tea.
Catching up on computer stuff while the bus bounces around incessantly. We’re basically driving all day long after all the setbacks.
At some point we put on the new series Mr. And Mrs. Smith with Donald Glover. Rebecca and I were mostly interested in checking this out. It’s a little more understated than we thought it would be – Rebecca hates the female character and doesn’t like the pacing. Not everyone’s cup of tea. Not a big deal cause we had lots of time to kill.
At some point we make it to Emporia for the last gas stop. All of us order from Five Guys burgers and shakes.
Even after arriving in Virginia Beach it takes forever to actually get home – we have to drop people off at Nigel’s then drop trailer off at warehouse. Finally Rebecca and I get the bus to Chanticleer. To her dismay her car won’t start though to get all her stuff back to her house. So I help get her things over there. It’s just one thing after the other. Jeez.
Settling in at home. Elvis is grateful to see me.
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Got some really good sleep on the bus – sort of awakening at 9 a.m. as everyone piles inside from the hotel. We head towards Fort Lauderdale!
Sleeping some more then catching up on things with the computer as Carlos and Dan drive.
Arriving at The Parker Playhouse – this place is very regal and fancy. They have an outstanding stage crew with a head honcho, Brian, who keeps a tight ship.
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Setting up the stage and doing all the running around. They have some interesting décor and statues here.
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Experiencing a few disagreements here and there with Nigel – he just seems stressed or like he’s taking on too much – even as I have been taking on more.
Later on after sound check, Rebecca and I walk across the street to grab dinner. It’s a beautiful day out, bright and shiny in a way that only Florida can be. We try out this burrito place – they have like onion everything so I just order something to go and we continue walking further to an Italian joint for her to order something. We end up having to wait a while at the bar but keep the conversation going about the band and whatever else.
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Eventually, joining Ed, Casey, Sophie, Dan, and some friends over at some outside tables at the burrito place. Little birds flutter nearby as Rebecca tosses bread crumbs to their grateful bird selves. It’s nice having so much time to kill before show time. Gives us a little break from confines of the venue.
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As we’re walking back waiting at a crosswalk I sneak a hug and tell her this is nice. I don’t think I’ll ever stop crushing on her. We come across a really cool tree in front of the venue that reminds me of The Giving Tree. She poses for a picture.
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Dressing up in our suits and black concert attire – on stage the crowd really has some enthusiasm – we put on a very good show.
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Doing a meet n greet with the fans. Then, packing up and loading out!
Time for the overnight drive back home. We all convene in the middle of the bus laughing and cracking jokes – sharing Ok Go music videos.
After a Love’s stop I catch up on computer stuff as everyone passes out.
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Right at 9 a.m. we hear banging and construction coming from the floor above us. There’s no way I’m sleeping through this. I complain to the front desk downstairs but to no avail. The lady acts like I’m inconveniencing her by even complaining. I just pack up and resort to sleeping on the bus.
The bus starts moving at 11 a.m. Grabbing some Tea, Banana, and a Breakfast Bar at a Wawa.
Here at the Capitol Theatre in Clearwater. We’ve been here probably five times before. It’s a little claustrophobic but we love playing here – energy from the crowd is always amazing and show usually sells out.
Setting up the stage and moving around like crazy.
Rebecca and I take a walk up the street to grab coffee and an egg sandwich. Grateful to have a little bit of free time to even do this.
My stepdad Jimmy and his friend are here too. I visit with them at a restaurant across the street.
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Back at the venue. Sound check. Walking up and down the stairs – doing various things.
Chowing down on pasta and crème brulee before we go on.
We sell out like usual with many enthusiastic faces in the audience.
Packing up and loading out.
Dan drives the tour bus back to Lakeland. Because of the terrible conditions of our rooms Rebecca and I decide to sleep on the bus – it’s nice enough when the bus isn’t moving. We watch through some of the footage from the show – critiquing and happy about some of the changes in the mix.
