Tuesday, December 7, 2010

This Short But Long Trip

So we're on the road for six short days. In less than a week from now, I'll be home. Easy peasy, right?

Eh, not so much.

Because in six days we will drive from Austin to Santa Cruz, CA. And in order to cover that much ground in six days you have to do a lot of driving. Every day.

We're talking daily 6 to 9 hour drives, which really means Daily 8 to 11 hour drives, since we add two hours to every driving estimate.

What can I say? We stop a lot more than the big bus!

Anywho, those kind of drives mean early rising every day, and maybe even overnight drives. They mean that sleep becomes everyone's highest priority. No longer a privilege of the slacker musician, naps become everyone's duty. And exhaustion? It's just kind of inevitable.

So we whittle down the road to the smallest possible set of experiences. Eat. Sleep. Gig. Sleep(maybe). Drive. Repeat.

Which is really not so different from say, the road in easier times. And yet, it's had Dave and I psyched out for the last week. The closer we got to leave time, the more snippy and uptight we both got. We were just both so worried about how this trip would play out. We were both afraid of the exhaustion.

I think that time on the band bus made us soft...I mean, really, we've been doing this for two years now! You'd think we've never been road weary and worn before! Come on, that's become like put default state of being out here! We have done this and we can do this (That by the way is the sound of me psyching me up, not out.)

Hm. Now I actually feel better.

The other thing missing out here, the other thing that worries me, is the lack of time and space to just play. Gone are the days of the outdoor park adventures Lisel and I had during the summer. I mean the schedule plus this blasted winter thing has really thrown a wrench in my touring with my child plan. Play is a serious part of keeping everyone sane out here.

That's where you come in. Do you have any ideas for us about, indoor, small footprint things to do with wee ones? I could definitely use the advice.

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2 comments:

Cate said...

Check out the items on this list for things to do while in Taos~
http://www.taosskivalley.com/pages/enjoy/Kids-Family/

Brian C. Johnson said...

I would suggest concentrating on dexterity development. Toys, blocks, putting things inside of other things, anything that'll help the wee one work on their mastery of THINGS. Maybe a toy piano, who knows?

And, as much as it may suck, bundle up and let 'em run outside. Burning off energy really helps.

Luck!

--B.