Replies to your replies

Dear Reader,

To all of y'all who have taken the time to write us back and comment, I want to thank you.

This is a quick attempt to relate to you in this time and space and also just to let a few thoughts flow out. I need to do that from time to time, and my emailing has been curtailed due to traveling, so on with the flow/show:

Here's something that means a lot to me. It is very hard to find the time or place to get online more than once or twice a week, and after going through email, I love to pop on to the Blog to see who's written and what. I have done that numerous times when I perhaps should have been writing myself, but the drive to write is sometimes a fleeting inclination. Point is, when I see your replies, it's a good connection for me and sometimes gives me that little boost I need.

When I wrote my intention to reply to your replies (over a week ago, remember?), I believe I was inspired by a few recent comments at the time. However, dear reader, the hour is late and yet again time constrains me and prohibits my ability to review and respond the way I'd like to.

I will make one timely reply which seems to tie in with my time challenges, and that was one Tallestdave wrote recently. In which the question came up regarding getting UP for the gigs after all the traveling (written as a comment to brotherphil's milesandmiles):

My answer is, yes sir it is hard in some ways. Tonight when we played Salt Lake (and good to see you there, TD, and so sorry we didn't get to Once More! All those guitar strings popping sure had an impact on the flow of the set), for example: we were all pretty tired, especially because of the last few days of hard traveling. But we had a show to do and that is why we are here. I can only answer for myself and here's what almost always happens for me.

I get up there and just let the music take over. I look around at people and try to lock on smiling faces. I'll come back to those same faces during a show and I feel like it's a personal interaction. I feel good energy from dancers or the smilers and I need that energy to keep going. The adrenaline does its part too but it's more the cyclical energy that I depend on. Energy comes from each of us and it's almost like a ball of the stuff surrounding us on stage, but I personally feel like it will burn out if we don't get refueled by the crowd. Ooh this is getting all weird and abstract but so is any kind of creating, yes?...

What is the hardest thing is really all those hours traveling. I had thought before we left that I would get SO MUCH done in the RV on those long days of driving. Now, the other day, I did do some mending and sewing. But for the most part, the ride is too bouncy to get a lot done. Very hard to type in that case and I have to type most things I write or else I can't keep up with my thoughts. Hard to read with a bounce, too. It's hard to do many things that I thought I might do on the road, so the days feel a lot longer than I had hoped. But so far I haven't dreaded a show, even if I wasn't physically feeling quite up to it due to sleep deprivation or other physical challenges.

Good thing I'm not dreading shows, cause there are several more months of them to come! Dear reader, keep on reading and writing. It helps me out. I want this to work out and I know for a fact that I need your support and help. So thank you because you are ALL ANGELS!