Family

This weekend we Lisel got to meet her great Aunt Diane, her Great Uncle Rhea, and her Great Grandfather Atley (whom we shall call Great Grandaddy).



This was a rare weekend without gigs, and we all had plenty of time to get to know each other.



It's a powerful feeling, having four generations in the same room. Watching my grandfather and daughter dig on each other was, well, see for yourself.



I'm feeling pretty lucky these days.

Home Again, Home Again

So, it's been a couple or three days since I posted anything because...we're home!!!!

I love my job, and I love the road. One of the great perks is that two and a half weeks away makes me truly appreciate everything about Austin, everything about my house, everything about my friends...I guess you could say that right now I'm in a state of super appreciation. I told Dave yesterday that I had low level happiness....kind of like low level anxiety, but you know, better.

Then one thing I've never been able to do upon arriving home after a tour is, well, anything. I kept telling myself that I would blog a bit. That even a two word blog entry would suffice. Just log in and write "We're home" for goodness sake. But it didn't happen. I couldn't bring myself to type even two words. Because when I get off the road, I inevitably go off the grid for a few glorious days. The phone and emails rarely gets answered. The house rarely gets left. I luxuriate in the luxury of having no where to go, nothing much to do.

So we've been here, watching documentaries and Dollhouse (I'm a huge Joss Whedon fan), taking walks, going swimming and there has been lots of free form playing with the bean...It's all blue sky sunny and warm here in Austin, which is a plus considering I don't think we saw the sun once on that Midwest run.

I want to scream it from the rooftops. I love, love, love this Town!

After a couple vacation-esque days, I'm slowly beginning to get back to the business of being a productive human being. It feels good.

Not everyone needs this kind of readjustment period after a tour. Take my boss, Ray Benson. I haven't talked to him since we got home, but I can guarantee he was in the office first thing Tuesday morning, probably taking a conference call or some kind of meeting...the man never stops. He's like 25 years older than me with twice the stamina. And he works. All the time. I've truly never seen anything like it.

He's currently the Cover Boy (The male version of a Cover Girl) for the Spring Issue of Texas Music Magazine. Our good friend Rob Patterson wrote a really great article about him. Definitely worth the read.


I have to say, it's awesome to work for a man who loves to work so much that he never stops working. Me, I need my rest.

The Long and Exhausting Broad

Yesterday at lunch my family came up with a new word; Broad (pronounced Brode) meaning an emotional breakdown caused by being on the road. Why did we feel the need to make up our own word? Well, they say neccesity is the baby mama of invention...

And we were all having our own little broads.

When my mom and I have broads we both get super sensitive to sarcasm and/or any kind of implication that we might not be doing things right. At the same time we both become more free with our "jokes" and "helpful suggestions" to those around us.

This makes for conversations that go from cordial to combative in under 60 seconds.

When Dave's having a broad, he's in a constant state of frustration. I find it best to keep my head down and ask for as little as possible from him, lest I get the dreaded sigh and eye roll combination or even worse, the defensive snap.

You can tell my father is having a broad because he gets really quiet.

It's not suprising that at this point in time we all have a serious case of broad burn. After all, we've been out for ten days, riding around the midwest in a vehicle that more closely resembles a boat than a bus. The guys have done a ton of driving. The ladies have done a ton of caring for an infant. Dave and I have played 8 shows already. My folks are 60 and 61...come to think of it, we're all doing exceptionally well considering the circumstances.

The only person who doesn't seem completely broady is Lisel. For this, I thank all four of our lucky stars. Because I have a feeling that Lisel's broad would be accompanied by heartbreakingly inconsolable crying/screaming. And that would surely push us all into territory beyond the broad...we haven't come up with a word for that kind of road weariness.

Yet.




-- Post From My iPhone

The road has worn us out

Hence, naptime.




-- Post From My iPhone

Destruction of Property-ish

We're in Franklin, KY and it's a dark and stormy night. As we were pulling out of the parking lot of the Goodnight Auditorium, Dave just ran over this sign and knocked it down. But then he put it back up.



We are so vaguely rock and roll.

'Twasn't so bad...

I had a tough time sleeping without her and everything in Wasau lacked sparkle. But I didn't become all breakdowny, I-miss-my baby, boo-hoo-hoo. And by all accounts she had a fabulous time with Nana and Grandpa. So let's say it went well. Certainly better than expected.

When we got to the hotel in Indianapolis, Dave and my folks went to dinner and I stayed in with la bambina. I tell you, That girl is matzoh ball soup for my soul.




-- Post From My iPhone