Dear Friends,
As we lean into our short, power-packed trip to Southern California, it is noticeable to me that my dear wife will not be with us. It’s been a while since I played a show in California that she was not at and having her by my side is always a lot of fun out there. It might go all the way back to a San Jose show NSK did in 2007 or so since she has not been there to join in the fun.
I’ll probably be a bit of a space cadet at work today. The kids will love that since it usually means a lot of free time for them. I have a few things to get accomplished, though, so I can’t lose my mind until the afternoon. Maybe I won’t lose it at all.
We are ready, though. We have new Hillbilly t-shirts, and the set is sounding raw and powerful. We are going to do another 30 minutes of straight rockin’, end-to-end. It feels so good to play that way. No stopping and gabbing. No bullshit.
I’m super excited to see the shirts. Trent picked them up yesterday and I’ve only seen a picture. The graphics were Liam’s idea and then Jeff took it and ran with it. Our ace in the t-shirt hole. I think Jeff has designed almost all the Hillbilly shirts over the years.
In the early days, Jeff and Michael were key to how we looked. Jeff did our CD art and shirts, and Michael would put together our lights and such. So strange to think how much I didn’t know about the music world in those days, but my ignorance allowed me to just push forward and collaborate and make weirdness happen.
*****
Did anyone see the moonrise last night? So good. Sofa king good, really. It was huge and came up over Piestewa Peak. I was on my way to Fat Figs practice, and I noticed it as I turned on to Bethany. I took a bunch of pictures using the reflection in my side mirror. The dude behind me probably thought I was taking pictures of him.
It was stellar, either way. I was also talking to Rhondi on the phone at the time and she was telling me about what the kids were going to do that night in Rangeley. Hayden and his friend are visiting for the weekend. I couldn’t even really tell her about the moon.
*****
We found out there are only about 90 tickets left before our final Fat Figs show sells out. I hope that it does. That would be a cool way to go out. I don’t know if I have ever played a sold-out show before. Close, maybe.
*****
The limp was noticeable.
Twisted knee just didn’t work no more.
I laughed at the image in the mirror
Because it was me.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda.
Those are not words to live by.
They are words to die from.
Words to let go of.
Words to avoid in tight spaces.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda.
I don’t like them at all.
I will. I can. I do.
These are words to grow
And love and spoil and nurture.
These are words to live by.
Go, do, be create.
If she gave me something, it was those words.
She wouldn’t believe it
But she taught me to forgive.
And now she can get
The fuck out of this poem.
Twisted knees are nothing
If not a bummer.
In the mirror.
Laugh at me.
*****
See you tomorrow.
Mirror moon.
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