From the Road Again

Quick as it began, the Willie and the Wheel tour is over. We're back in Texas with all the shows done and the last couple of weeks seem a bit like a dream. So before the experience becomes an amorphous memory, I thought I'd give you a little day in the life of a family on tour with a baby and a legend.

4:30am - Rise to the sound of the iphone alarm. Think for a second that you could probably sneak in 30 minutes more of sleep.

4:31am - Remember you have a baby to feed before you get on the road. Get up and get the little bean on the boob.

Don't forget the baby!

4:35am - Watch your husband pull himself out of bed and stumble to the shower. Watch your baby eat. Watch the morning news or an infomercial for making money off by buying up houses whose owners have lost their houses due to inability to pay taxes (I saw this one three times on the road)

5:15am - Change the baby and get her ready to go while your husband and your father load your stuff into the car. You stuff, in this instance, is half of what you own as a couple. When you have a baby, you let go of the idea of traveling light. Thank goodness luggage carts!

5:30am - Meet your folks at the car. The men load into the front where they'll drive. The baby in the middle where her car seat is and the women load in the back where the bed is. Make a note to yourself about how you've all fallen into traditional roles. Thank the lord that your role involves a bed and sleeping.

Let's go y'all!(This picture was actually taken backstage at a gig...but it gives the idea

5:35am - Make sure your baby is asleep in the car seat.

Asleep Again

5:40am - Fall asleep yourself.

9:30am - Wake up because you either feel the baby bus slowing down or because you hear your baby waking up and fussing. It's breakfast time! Put in your order for Cracker Barrel breakfast. Take your sweet baby into the back of the baby bus and feed her while your husband and folks eat a nice down home breakfast. Tell yourself that one day you'll have the balls to breastfeed in the Cracker Barrel, but that day is not today.

10:30am - Put your baby back in her seat. Eat your breakfast of eggs bacon and pancakes (I could not get enough pancakes on the tour!) while the baby bus rolls.

10:45am - Sleep, blog, or surf the interweb on your iphone until you get to where your going.

1:30pm - Get to the hotel and check in.

1:40pm - Start feeding the little light of your life. Order room service for you and your spouse (Club Sandwich anyone?).

2:15pm - Take the baby off the boob and play for a little bit. She started smiling on this trip, so playtime was much fun!

Everybody Loves a smiling baby!

3:00pm - Drop the baby and all of her stuff (diaper bag, extra clothes bag, milk and bottle, baby carrier and stroller) off at the folks room. Kiss your baby goodbye. Feel your heart break in a way you didn't know was possible pre-baby as you walk out the door. Who knew you could ever be ambivalent about going to a gig.

3:30pm - Get to the gig.

4:00pm - Sound check. Run through a couple of songs.

Check, check, 1,2,3
photo by Kevin Smith

4:40pm - End sound check. Bum around until...

John Doyle, Floyd Domino and Ruby Jane Smith Bum around backstage
photo by Kevin Smith

5:00pm - Dinner! Enjoy the beauty that is catering on the road. Good food. Fresh fruit. And usually little granola bar things that you can stuff in your pockets and take to the baby bus for later.



6:00pm - Find a quiet, secluded dressing room where you can pump. Hope no one walks in accidentally because that would be both embarrassing and uncomfortable.

7:30pm - Play the Gig!

7:30-10:00pm - Rock, swing, sing, watch Willie, dance, listen to the people around you play amazing solos, check out the crowd, play some of the greatest songs ever written.

The gig
Photo by Jobelle Smith

10:10pm - Hustle to get your stuff together because by now you are desperate to see your baby.

10:45 pm - Get back to the hotel and pick up your baby. Thank your mom and dad for being super cool and watching her all day.

11:30pm -Get to sleep, baby, daddy and mommy.

Start everything over again tommorrow.

Needless to say, Dave and I are pooped. We're actually in Richardson, Texas tonight performing A Ride with Bob to a sold out house. It's cool to be back doing the play. But we're still exhausted. Next week we're basically off so the recuperation will take place then.

One thing before I go. I know this blog has been lacking in pictures. One reason is because Dave and I just didn't have the where-with-all to take many snaps during the tour. I think we took a total of three between us. Another reason is because the consolidation and uploading of pictures takes a little time; time that we haven't really been able to find. My next blog to-do is add pictures to previous entries and have a picture-full entry from the tour. Right now, the internet here in the hotel is being totally dumb, and not letting me use the add picture function...so stay tuned for pics soon!