 With a very cute fan in Ohio |
...four days late to turn in my Journal.
It is a bright Wednesday morning... between weeks two and three in Moneysota.
'Fireststarter' is playing through my home theater system (the song by Prodigy - not the Drew Barrymore piece).
In two-and-a-half hours Jef and I have to trek out to meet Riki at the site - 'Palooza rehearsal time. Been busy the past two weeks. Rehearsals have suffered a little... but we know the show... but we have been pulling together promotions and preparations for not only the immediately upcoming Minneapolis Palooza show, but also the show in Charlotte, contracting for next year, concessions, four or five different bank accounts, and all of the secondary and tertiary businesses and side projects... I am trying to line up a swanky photographer in KC to shoot us... as well as building another website for a friend...
Golly.
Somewhere in there I have to also try and squeeze in a life... and there has been some interesting changes lately to THAT... more later.
When last we left our intrepid adventurer, I had just left Ohio... let me recap - that show while small, is exciting and huge fun... the fans love us... the management is adorable... no complaints there.
I received this email from a fan:
Keep in mind that I'm a redhead.
I have no idea what it was that I did, but it was literally a stupid blonde moment, regardless. (grr) Hubby made a comment about it being a blonde-move, and of course I retaliated by reminding him that I didn't meet that criteria.
His response (presented slowly and with a damn good Scaramouche impersonation) "A redhead is only a blonde that got sunburned!!"
Anyway... perhaps it was a 'had to be there' moment, but both of us got a kick out of it, and he owes me a big payment (ahem) if you guys ever manage to work that into your normal "zap the blonde girl" (or in this case, redhead) pre-show routine.
Enjoy, and we'll see you guys in November at NC, and 'Palooza (assuming the tickets ever go up for sale! 🙂
I actually used this joke a time or two... so thanks!
Oh yeah... the trip from Geneva, Ohio to Minneapolis had an unexpected vacation...
I don't believe in luck, or destiny... With April I have to wonder... because for a while she went through this period where I actually believed she was cursed... the only girl I ever met who could find the wrong side of a crime in ultra-polite Toronto, for example... and I am now wondering if I have garnered some Evil Truck Karma. [Er... should that be 'Car-ma'? -AB]
I had been noticing a squeaking in my front end (Actually in the truck's front end... mine jingles, but doesn't squeak) for a while... but thought it was perhaps just five year old springs... On the trip to Minnesota - driving through Chicago went uneventfully... but slowly, and covered by road noise, a horrible grinding developed. I didn't notice it until I stopped to sleep in a Wal-Mart parking lot in Gurnee IL.
After a night of fitful sleep and a Denny's breakfast, I started back on my way... only 400 miles to go, but something was clearly wrong with the truck. I have mentioned, I think in earlier Journals that I have had a falling out with my brother years ago, but due to family matters that take precedence; we are now talking again. The greatest advantage of this is that Richard has years of experience both as a mechanic, and as a Big Rig driver... so I called him with what was (obviously) a bad wheel bearing, like I did with my transmission problem in January. (I almost wrote 'tranny' there... but with my history, thought you kids might think I met transvestite/transsexual!)
Like the problem in January, he said that I might make it... just be careful. Unlike the event in January, this time he was wrong.
The grinding slowly worsened as I passed through Milwaukee, and more so as I approached Madison... and the started to intermittently go silent.
The grinding stopped? Does this mean that problem has mysteriously corrected itself?
When the ABS warning light illuminated, and the HUGE truck (pulling my even more huge house) started to pull one direction while driving, and the other while braking... I knew the answer was a resounding NO
I was on the edge of one of those vast expanses of America where there just ain't shit... but I vaguely remember that at the very next exit there was one of those huge semi-industrial areas where auto dealers and mechanics should abound. Boy did I luck out. Not only was there Auto dealer, but I saw the huge Blue Oval of Henry Ford's corporation.
I nursed the grinding, limping, behemoth next to the driveway for the shop and went in to plead for help.
Here's an interesting note: whenever I travel cross-country with truck, and trailer, and cat in tow. I always pull my hair back into a pony tail... I try to minimize my 'outlandishness' as much as possible. I have actually been ostracized, and criticized, and even brutalized at points in my past. It is almost like that line in the cheesy song 'Turn the page'
When I broke down in West Virginia last year, I was reamed by the dealer... he knew he had me by the short and nasties... this time was just different. Kevin Sold was the service guy I talked to, I explained that I was coming from Cleveland, had to be in Minneapolis in two days to perform, and had my house, and cat on the truck as well.
Off topic for a moment, I think I am rather complex. I am a dyed-in-the-wool-liberal, with a fierce sense of patriotism... one of our fans (who in his own juxtaposition of liberal/right wing roles is also gay) has tapped into that and sent me this sermon (really) just after Memorial day:
He stands barefoot in the snow, starved from lack of food, wounded from months of battle and emotionally scarred for the eternity away from his family surrounded by nothing but death and carnage of war. He stands though, with fire in his eyes and victory on his breath. He looks at us now in anger and disgust and tells us this:
"I gave you a birthright of freedom born in the Constitution and now your children graduate too illiterate to read it. I fought in the snow barefoot to give you the freedom to vote and you stay at home because it rains. I left my family destitute to give you the freedom of speech, and you remain silent on critical issues, because it might be bad for business. I orphaned my children to give you a government to serve you and it has stolen democracy from the people."
It's the soldier, not the poet, who gives you the freedom of speech.
It's the soldier, not the campus organizer, who allows you to demonstrate.
It's the soldier, who salutes the flag, serves the flag, whose coffin is draped with the flag that allows the protester to burn the flag!
Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. I ask this in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
Take a moment this Memorial Day to share the pride that we, the families of the Fallen Heroes, feel.
Back to our Hero... or should I say hero (small 'h')
Make a long story short: I parked in the back parking lot of the dealership. Next to a light pole (which provided plugs for electric). I walked down the block for lunch at a sports bar, a mile down the road to the local multiplex (Dukes of Hazard, stupid but fun. Jessica Simpson can't act her way out of a paper bag... but she sure is purty!) I made one mistake. I forgot to fill my fresh water tank before leaving Ohio... so even with electric and all, I had no water to take a shower - sigh. Unlike normal contractors, Capitol ford and Kia brought it in under time and under budget. They told me it would be ready by 2 pm, I was on the road by 11 am... and the guy gave me all of the breaks and discounts in his power; saving me around 260 dollars.
A half day's drive had me finally in Minnesota.
I believe I have spent six or seven thousand dollars on truck and trailer repairs this year... and I had one more to do. I bought an anode rod for my water heater. This is an element that filters out water impurities in your hot water tank, by accumulating them to itself. In the process of replacing it (which I did just fine) I forgot to purge the tank of all of the air. When I turned-on the hot water the next morning for a much anticipated shower... I only got cold. I am sometimes handier than I let on... I knew how to fix this so after a trek to get my hair done (I wanted to fix the roots for both the opening weekend and for my special visitor - more later) I made a stop at an RV place, new heater element, some wrench turning... some careful and meticulous air-purging and: VOILA, I MADE HOT WATER!
 'Palooza 'hood - Pheonix + two Tortugas |
 Jef and Ronn's yard |
 Our lake's beach |
Opening weekend was GREAT! The fans here are amazing, devoted, generous and trained. Our R show the first day hauled in more money that a whole day in Atlanta or Ohio... and the other four shows were great too. It is fun to be here. Easy, and rewarding in so many other ways than just moolah. I am just now (after the second weekend) adjusting to being a rock-star again. We were at a wing-joint the other day when not only a cute fan family, but or own waitress had to stop by the table for autographs and praise...
What a cool life.
The weather here has been lovely, the shows are wonderful... we're getting great response from the new pirate show. Life is good on the professional front.
Here's another weird note... I covered in July's journal my rather eclectic musical tastes: right now I am listening to Tatu... this is a flash-in-the-pan-gimmicky-pop-band... and I REALLY love them. Their songs just shake the shit out of me.
Finally; (this will be a slightly shorter than average journal... but hell I output three or four times what Jef or Riki the writer do so pftttft!)
I have a girlfriend.
Wait let me do that right...
Um.... Holy fuck-donuts! I have a girlfriend!
Now, she also reads this journal... which gives her a distinct advantage in learning my recent history.
I have already explained to her that I have to share her with you guys, as she must share me...
I've included a few photos... and those of you who are perceptive will note the epicanthic folds
Holy Holy fish-banana-cakes I have an Asian Girlfriend!
Now before you ask (and I know that folks are gonna... and I already mentioned to her that folks will...) she's neither bi-sexual nor has fake boobs.
 Heather Modelling |
![My girlfriend's sense of humor ['Asian Girl']](http://oldstatic.tortugatwins.com/members/inside/ronn/photos05/AGpanties.jpg) My girlfriend's sense of humor ['Asian Girl'] |
 Another of Heather's headshots |
This was in the dark ages before email and cell phones... we lost touch with each other, but I did always carry a tiny flame for Heather. As I did each time I spoke with someone from the Kansas City Renaissance festival, I asked about Heather... This year in June at Midlands when I ran into friends from that fair. as I always did, I asked one of the Jolly Rogers singing group to pass-on the message that I was looking for her. This time I must have picked the right Roger... a few weeks later I got some email...
A funny note; right about the time Heather and my email relationship started cranking up, Riki and Jef started to (once again) bust my chops, because as much as I talk about them, I never date Asian girls.
Hahaha
 The REAL Heather - the Heather I am dating |
I knew for weeks she was going to come for opening weekend of Minnesota, and that she would also be my date for Palooza... that's how serious I was already... biggest night of my year, and I wanted HER as my date... but also how precious to have her surprise the fellas on opening weekend "See! Asian! Now shut up!"
I have such complex emotions about this woman already... I liked her, and found her pretty as a girl, but I adore and LOVE her as a woman. Everything from her laugh to her strength, to her maturity, to her fascination with comic books and Hello Kitty stuff.
She's thirty one (yay!) does some modeling, pretty, sexy, smart, strong enough to NOT put up with my shit... Nerdy, (we watch Battlestar Galactica together) romantic, naughty (in the best possible ways). She's tattooed, charming, versatile... and loves me.
I don't want to go too much into Heather right now... I have to save some stuff for future journals, and believe it or not, for as pragmatic as I am I still have a few weird superstitions; but I'll tell you these things:
The first night as she lay down on the pillow beside me, I looked at her face, into her eyes, and I was swept away. I knew inside that I could wake up next to this woman every day forever.
After the first weekend, we were supposed to see each other again on Labour Day weekend... but she couldn't wait (neither could I) so she came out for the second weekend, and I am now visiting KC after the third.
And; when she came out that second weekend, I promised myself I wouldn't tell her I loved her, or ask her to be my girlfriend. I take these words VERY seriously... and I broke both of those promises to myself.
This is moving fast, so fast, and so crazy... but this woman feels like home. And I can really see a future there - so keep your fingers crossed.
'Nuff moooshy for now...
