It’s just always cold here. I realize that’s not always the case, just that since autumn struck here, I’ve had circumstances to return to California, Pennsylvania more frequently in the past 6-7 months than I have in the past two and a half years.
Still, waking up at Jozart is beautiful as ever. Plants greet me and little else – no Dave Pahanish this fine morning – sunshine and no grey is a rarity. I’m coughing up the remnants of last night’s bar, but other than that the world seems relatively calm.
It’s the first time in forever that the drive is without drama. There are no foreboding skies, there was no steady headwind pushing me away. I guess in somebody’s mind I’m finally getting things right. We got into town at around 8pm and hung out at the studio here till it was time to head over to the Lagerheads open mic.
I do like the feeling of popularity we get here. A friend told me that while we’re in town there’s a feeling of innocence, which I don’t think I’m even spelling correctly, but it’s a pretty flattering statement. There’s an idealism to it that tastes good to me.
I like the fact that there’s a gathering of friends, and maybe I’m too familiar with them or something, but I feel very much the same way that I do when we first get back into town and I hit the Perk… there’s mild flirting, there’s hugs and there’s comfort.
The whole pattern of not getting any sleep though, that’s still present. Waking up as the Dollar Store opens downstairs, waking up to their scuffling and their murmering, and most of all, waking up to their oldies station coming through the floor. I’ve shuffled out to the couches by the windows and found myself a table and a sunbeam. Here I’ve settled until I wake Heather. I’m keeping my hands warm with the Alienware and working out the kinks in my neck over the back of an old chair.
We’re playing three open mics and two gigs in the 64 or so hours that we’ll be here. Breakneck and blurred, but I sort of like it that way. As long as people are still eager to have us, I’ll be eager to come back. I worry that eventually we’ll reach saturation and my friends here will be like “oh, you’re back? Again?” Yeah, about 51 hours left. Gotta leave before they get bored of us here. Leave them still wishing we wouldn’t and leave them while they still like us.
But they haven’t kicked us out yet, and Jay and Bish say they’ll build me a shower if I move in… I’ve told them I’ll move in if they build me a shower. I don’t think either side is joking.
