May 16, 2004

11:08 a.m.

I'm So Hopeful

It was one of those gigs where most everyone showed up about ten minutes before start time, so we were all bummed that there would be no audience. Then, presto! butts were in seats, and it turned out to be one of the nicest concerts we've played recently. The church was a very cool building -- we were in a room with an actual stage, so it wasn't the sanctuary -- but it seemed that there were no square rooms in the joint. Everywhere there were cool acute or obtuse angles, and unexpected little stairways into yet more rooms. They brought in dinner from a restaurant, some gorgeous chicken and vegetable thing with linguine and a kind of alfredo sauce, and they were all just about stumbling over themselves with excitement that we were there. The sound was sweet (three monitors, yesssss), and people came who'd seen us at First Night and a couple of other places nearby. That's a good sign.

The best thing of all was that my very dear friend Paul O., from years past, showed up with five of his friends including his wife whom I hadn't met yet, as they just got married a year or two ago. They'd come up from New York City and were staying with friends, as they've gotten rid of their car and can no longer get around outside the city on their own, and they came out to surprise me. It warmed my heart like nothing has in ages.

One reason Paul O. is so special to me is that he was around during the era of SadAbusiveSickGuy, and I almost lost this friend through S.A.S.G.'s machinations. Paul O. really saw the worst of me during a time when I was operating under someone else's will, and it meant a lot to me that, later, he was willing to continue our friendship.

He also introduced me to an amazing activity in which he's very active, called the Adventure Game. There's this ardent core of people who, twice a year I believe, put on a fantasy role-playing game at some remote location like a boy scout camp or some such place, and it goes on all weekend. Paul O. got me to go to one of these, and I played an elf who got murdered almost immediately (along with Paul), and spent the rest of the game as a spirit, on this whole other adventure with other killed folks who were looking for the key that would unlock the door between life and death and allow us to re-enter the world. I believe we succeeded, though there was some conflict with a burly Scottish type in a kilt who stole the treasure box we'd found and kind of ruined it for our side. Anyway I felt quite the novice at that game, as I imagined elves to be rather cute and Tolkeinesque, and I was in for a grave surprise. Later, though, at the round-the-fireplace gathering after it was all over, I played some songs and became suddenly famous in the Adventure Game circle. One of the guys who came to the gig last night said I was still remembered, and welcome to come back to a game any time. I think next time I'd go as something much simpler and less controversial. Paul O's wife (dammit, I forgot her name in about two minutes after being introduced... I have got to come up with some kind of mnemonic device for people I just meet) went as a lady-in-waiting with a girlfriend of hers, and she said they died of boredom during the game. Just... waiting...

So now I'm wishing I could do an adventure game again. Trouble is, it's always on a long weekend, and I hardly have any available any more. I guess I could look ahead and request time off from my band -- Carol's the booking boss, and if I have about a year's lead time, it IS possible to snag some personal days!

I'm really happy that we're working so much, though.

So I have today off, and since I stayed up until 2:00 watching Moonstruck, and what a GREAT movie it is, I slept in a bit and am planning nothing more taxing than some laundry and dinner at Rose's later. Then we'll drop my car off for its service tomorrow (oh, TERRIBLE rattling from the exhaust pipe now; it's just enough to loosen one's teeth) and oh, dear, too bad -- I won't be able to go anywhere tomorrow until they send the Honda shuttle to get me. It looks like a little rain today but the forecast said not until tonight; so maybe a bike ride is in order before the laundry escapade. Life is good.

Oh -- each of the kids (me, Rose, and my estranged brother) got one last disbursement from my father's estate, so now I'm nearly $3,000 richer. That also feels good.

OH ALSO -- How could I not have written this yet? On the way back from Lenox last week, I realized I was going right by where this new apartment is, and although I couldn't remember the street name, I knew it had something to do with trees, and so after some circuitous wandering off the highway I was heading back not having located it -- and there was the street! I found the street! I also couldn't remember the house number, but the street is only two blocks long, so I cruised it slowly a couple of times, my exhaust pipe rattling like something ready to fall apart, peering at everyone's house. I'm sure I looked very suspicious. But at one end of this street is a busy thoroughfare, and by the time one gets to the other end it's perfectly quiet, and T's into another private way which borders the forest. There was a walking trail entrace RIGHT THERE at the end of the street. It was heavenly. I thought I could live there. It's like two minutes from the highway so my travels would be a breeze. Once home I mapped it from here and it's half an hour -- and I don't even have to go up on the highway. It's much shorter to take the road I'm living on North, and the uncanny thing is, this new street is RIGHT OFF THE SAME ROAD I LIVE ON NOW, only in another state.

Since it's near downtown Springfield, there are tons of restaurants and museums nearby too. Culture! Theatre! and Woods! Nothing could be finer. I'm so hopeful.