(last picture I took before I lost my camera/phone)
I seem to lose something in every city. On this past tour I lost my sidekick (also known as my camera and the only way I can send pictures to post on my blog since I broke my camera). That, along with this tour being filled with absurdly long drives and no wireless connections, is the reason for the long pause in my contact with the modern world.
I have left my favorite jeans in hotel rooms, my ipod and headphones, toothbrushes in every country and at least one sweatshirt a tour, oh, and I once left a pair of dirty underwear on the bathroom floor at Ben Gibbard 's apartment. That in itself is another whole story since the underwear were crammed into my ziplock bag of toiletries. Jason and I had to call from the road to say, please mail those toiletries back and please, DO NOT LOOK IN THE (transparent) BAG. (Ben mailed them to me later and when we finally got home to receive the package the whole thing was such a moldy mess, we threw it away)
Anyway, I have just realized that my loss of important (or emabarassing) items has become a tour habit of mine. But another thing I've realized is that I'm anal about my kids' things. I frequently reorganize their suitcases (or drawers if we're actually home). I get annoyed if pacifiers or sunhats are not where I want to them to be and their rooms are always cleaner than mine.
I don't understand why I lose everything but I have specific places for all of their things.
I also never know where we are. I am perpetually lost. But, sometimes I think that is a conscious decision. Because, if I knew where we were at all times, I would know how much longer the tour or the van ride would be and I guess I just don't want to know that. It's like when people ask you if you'd want to know how much longer you had left in your life. I don't think I'd want to know. Just enjoy the ride, right? Who cares if you are in Columbus or Buffalo. So, there it is, I like being lost. (I don't like losing things though)
Highlights of one week of tour:
Pemberton VIP area backstage. The food was insane and the accomodations and surroundings were breath-taking. I don't have any pictures though (remember, I left my sidekick, aka camera there)
Watching Radiohead while June fell asleep in the sling and Mags leaned her head on my lap while the backdrop of NYC shined in the background.
Hanging at my sister's house with my nephew and their family
and seeing Mags go under water all the way for the first time in her pool.
Hearing the news of my other sister's engagement to a great guy and then actually seeing our nanny get engaged by surprise in Chicago.
Seeing Magnolia dance on the side of the stage at Lalapalooza with her kidsapalooza-half yellow, half purple hair.
(She's doing a new dance our tour manager started called "The Prenzel" in reference to the way Mags says pretzel)
Hugging my kids after our festival sets (early enough for them to come)
Kidsapalooza (screenprinting, punk hair for kids, Jeff Tweedy sitting on the edge of the stage to sing and termporary tats!)
Watching Judgement Day's set every night.
Singing Yo Gabba songs in the car with Magnolia and wishing she got the message in the one that goes, "Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, either way, it's ok, we're just having fun." She's so competitive about everything.
Hearing June say "ma-ma" for the first time. (even if it is only when she wants something and she's crying when she says my name)
Seeing June's first tooth pop through. (today)
Seeing June start crawling (on tour)
Hearing my nephew (who joined us for the drive to Chicago) yell "My bummy hurts!!" over and over on the drive and then hearing my sister say, 'Would you like my to put a pillow under your butt, honey?" every time he yelled it. It was kind of funny-after the fact. And it was great to have them along.
Talking to Mags about how all the rock and rollers like to wear black. Then running into Janet Weiss, who was wearing black, backstage and Mags pointing and asking me, "Is she a rock and roller?" in front of Janet. Janet and I both said, "Definitly. She's a rock and roller."
Spotting Perez Hilton (maybe, we think)
Lewis (Judgment Day/cellist) dancing in a leopard silk one-piece outfit.
The NOT highlight list:
Three 7 hour drives in a row with kids.
Tantrums (adults included)
Carsickness
McDonalds
Chicago heat (Mags cooled us off with her squirt gun)
2 people asking when my baby is due or if I'm expecting again (come on, give me a break here)
Waiting (as pictured above)
Not sleeping enough