January 21, 2012 Saturday

2:30 am - Just watched "Roman Holiday" with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. So lovely. Gosh can one describe Audrey Hepburn as anything but lovely? The picture of sweetness. Total charisma. The film is ultimately bitter sweet. How a princess really can't have the freedom to live life, her life the way she wishes to. What tragic circumstances. Yes, a lifetime of security. But what is life without freedom to live it?

Maddy and I visited Amber Brockovich at her home tonight. Took her some chocolate croissants and sugar cookies we baked ourselves. She had surgery on her bladder yesterday. Taking samples to test. Poor Amber, she's all hurt up inside there. I hope they figure out how to help her. It always feels good to talk with Amber. Amber is smart and lovely and loving. She has her head on straighter than most people I know. I like having somebody so real in my life. She's one of the few people I have around that doesn't make me feel like a total looney.

So much snow fell tonight. I hope we'll get to Chicago alright. Wow, I didn't talk to dad today. First since I came home. I hope he's doing alright. I really miss him. I hope he's taking care of himself. Chicago will be fun I hope. Playing a place called "The Batter House", some kind of warehouse spot. Hey, Maddy is coming with us! Crazy talk! I hope that all goes smoothly. Alan and Hank were good with the idea, suppose that's the hardest part. I hope I can keep myself relaxed and all. Sometimes she just gives me bits of anxiety on longer car trips, no thanks to our checkered traveling past. But this could be great, as long as she's alright just going along for the ride. We have to rent a car this time. Gavin's van is in a repair shop. We don't make any real survivor dollars for the band, but we use the band money to pay for expenses on our trips, it's nice to take that step away, to be able to be treated a couple days by the expenses your artistic endeavors have earned you. Whether it's a smoked trout sandwich in Philadelphia for me or an 8 ball in Minneapolis for them. What can you say?

3:54 pm - En route to Chicago. Maddy in middle looking like disco queen in satin track jacket she got from Vancouver Duncan. Just stopped at Plaza, everyone got a bagel but Alan. Hank gets sour dough and hummus. Maddy gets asiago cheese bagel with garden veggie hummus. Sam gets BLT bagel with avocado. Me, I get everything bagel with cream cheese plain. Alan throws a banana peel out the window, but not before passing out and back into Sam's smoking window a couple times, nanner' juice smeared on the window. Thank goodness we bought the extra coverage for the rental car, GMC, Yukon SUV. O'Doyle Rules! Right before Sandusky we see factory emissions in the distance. All steam. This is where clouds are made.

Maddy thinks with how arm she is with the Hank Slanket and window down up front for Hank's smoke it feels like it could be a nice spring day, don't forget our little pocket of sun of course. Started reading Patti Smith's book "Just Kids". I get through a good bit here in the car before I start getting ill in head and stomach. It's nice having Maddy here. My kindred spirit. Somebody to talk to without saying anything at all. When so many words fall on the deaf hears of my bandmates. Whether or not they ring of some importance to our band. It's a strange dynamic, feeling ignored by people with whom your supposed to share a common vision. Maddy next to me, open notebook, drawing her vision of the windshield with all things inside of it. My sugary watery iced-coffee in between my legs. The notebook has a serious dent in the bottom corner now after it fell off the counter at the Hertz Rent-A-Car desk. Sam is asleep. Hank is driving. Alan is reading a David Copperfield hard-cover using a Kandinsky postcard for a bookmark.

D Street for nachos and beer. Some main drag. Windows are very dark, you can't really see in from the sidewalk. So much of entering a new city in a car is driving around like an asshole, unless you're by yourself. Skeleton art on the walls seems like a semi-hispanic decor and inspired menu.

The cassette paper insert for Simply Red's "Picture Book" is my bookmark.

Hey ... it's Alan