Biscuits in North Carolina

Biscuits and apple butter are the only things I will remember with fondness when I think of the South. Maybe it's the time of the tour, the long days and drives, and the contention within the company that has not made the South enjoyable...I don't know. All I know is that I'm ready to move on. I tried boiled peanuts and, okay, the South. I'm ready to go back to the West. I've become a robot. I get on the bus, put on my headphones, and stare out the window. The scenery changes before my eyes, blurs of palm trees, then cyprus, pine, aspen, then miles of nothing but sky. I drift somewhere between consiousness and sleep attempting to take in whatever I can that will keep me aware. A splash of color maybe from a sign or a house, an occaisional bird, a mountain. Tonight it was a sunset. I imagined my soul flying away from my body right to the sun where it was encircled and I felt safe and warm. Those are the moments I cherish. I want to become that sun. Here's one of my favorite quotes and it's for everyone who might need it right now, including me. Hopefully I remember it all correctly. To laugh often and much; To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others; To leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded. ---Ralph Waldo Emerson

Lost in a place called America

I'm finally at a computer again where I can find solace and a sense of normalcy. So, my birthday came and went and I think I'm still going through the birthday blues. Tallahassee was a bust. My friends did all they could and they were amazing, but when a town has nothing to offer then what are you gonna do. I think we are all feeling the pressure of the long drives, one night stays, and tour coming to an end. I've become more reclusive throughout this process. I just sleep in my little snuggle posish with my fluffy pillow and down comforter. Then I read a bit or listen to my iPod. I'm reading a great little book right now...very nostalgic. It's so easy to feel so lonely when you are surrounded by so many people. I'm finding out who my friends are as well. I think I'm done picking up the phone for a while. I need to evaluate who really cares and who I can count on to be there. I guess in the long run it really doesn't matter. I'll be on to the next adventure and this will all seem like a dream. Adria and I have been spending quite a bit of time together. We're both reclusive and found we have more in common than we thought. Kindred spirits. We are both fed up with the drama and are content to discuss anything but work and the tour. So refreshing. We are in South Carolina tonight and I counted this as my pseud birthday because we were actually able to get to a nice restaurant and I was in very good company. I did have a bit of a breakdown earlier. I guess I'm not immune to feeling the pressure. Somedays I get a swift kick to the head and I realize I'm not Wonder Woman...I'm just aspiring. I really need some physical contact. Someone to rub my head and tell me everything is going to be okay. That's always worked in the past. Someday soon.

One more day

I have but a few remaining hours of being 27. Now it's the downward spiral to 30. I'm not really worried though. I actually can't wait for my 30's. I have a feeling they will be some of the best years of my life. I already feel as though I'm in a new transition period and it's a bit exciting. We're in cajun country tonight, Baton Rouge. There is a dueling piano bar across from the hotel and I think that's where we're going tonight. That will be just fine to say goodbye to 27. Yesterday we played in Crockett Texas. It was the smallest venue to date. It was a choose your own adventure show. We were only able to get a fourth of the set in the building so it was pretty much just us on stage improving the whole time. It was kind of fun to change things up a bit, a little variety to freshen us all up for the last few weeks of tour. Apparently this is the biggest thing that's ever happened in Crockett. The venue had been sold out for weeks. After the show they had a huge reception for us with an enormous buffet. They even had little napkins printed up. And, we had a police escort to the party by the Sheriff. We all felt like celebrities. Pretty fun! Wow, I can't believe it's almost over. I'm slightly scared. After tour it's back to NY and the endless cattle calls. I'm going to stay upbeat and confident. Maybe I'll find some summer stock theater somewhere. Alright, I have to wrap it up. There's a line of people waiting for the internet. I'm off to search for gators.

2/16 Tejas

We've been all over Texas now. Pretty fun actually. San Antonio was beautiful and I had an incredible time. Adria and I had a little one on one time. We walked all along the River Walk, ate some great Texas BBQ, and then finished up the night at Howl at the Moon (a dueling piano bar). Great fun! Harlingen, I spent the afternoon at the pool. Yep, life is tough. In Corpus Christi I spent all day at the beach, ate shrimp at Joe's Crab Shack, soaked up the sun. Ahhhh...I can't help but relax in this climate. One more week and Florida, here I come! Yessss! LUCKY!

The fun never end in El Paso

So, after I blogged last night I had more adventures. I was just chillin' (not to be confused with chilling) with Jamie in the lobby and our company manager staggered in the door of the hotel. He could barely stand and was struggling to talk. He was obviously very drunk, but what I noticed right away was a huge welt on the side of his head. Apparently he had just been beaten up as he was leaving a gay bar down the street. I turned into Nurse Barton at that moment and had him sit down while I got help from the front desk. One of the guys was an EMT and helped with an ice pack while Jamie and I took him up to his room. EMT guy, Will, checked him out and said he may have a concussion. He instructed us not to let him sleep, shower, or drink any more except water. So I spent the night caring for the person who is supposed to be in charge of taking care of us. I couldn't really tell if he was out of it because of the alcohol or being bludgeoned. Does anyone see a problem here? At around 2:00 I finally called Thom and had him come down because Will was telling us we should take him to the hospital. I shouldn't have to make a decision like that. It was so frustrating, but I was so worried. There were a lot more details I won't get into. Anyway, he's fine today other than a spitting headache and a bump. But the more I think about last night the more frustrated I get. What if something had happened to one of us and Joe was too drunk to take care of it? I HATE ALCOHOL I'm through with El Paso.

Juarez...I don't think so

El Paso, that's my home for the next two days. Ah, the life of a drifter. Nothing like it. I'm in the hotel lobby, happy to have an internet connection, feeling much better today now that I have purged the inner demons and there is a fabulous live band playing in the hotel bar. We are right on the border of Mexico by Juarez, however I dare not venture. I would probably be kidnapped and forced to become a sex slave for some drug lord...hmmm(inner thoughts)...he would buy me shoes, fancy clothes, lavish me with bath products...wait (back to earth)...what?...no...I mean...nooo, none of that. Seriously, in the last couple of months seven people have gone missing in Juarez when they were just planning to visit for the day and shop, so I'm keeping my distance. I'll venture into El Paso tomorrow. I really want to find some cool hand made jewelry. Meanwhile I'm just kickin' it and really wanting to share this experience. I'm feeling very stong and confident today. So I say to you this, "Have you rocked the free world or kicked a little ass today?" Let's just say I wasn't about to let some transient in El Paso threaten me. I went ballistic on him. Then I ran inside and freaked out for a second. On that note, I'm going to relax in my room, maybe catch a flick and sip on some tasty hot cocoa. Love to all, Rochelle

Life

Today... - sleep - bus ride - cry - read - cry - iPod - watch Big Fish - cry - email - cry - blog Now that I have an ocean I'll build a sailboat and let the wind carry me away. I'm free now.

Close Encounters

I'm in Gillette, WY, not far from Devil's Tower..."do do do do do" (singing, you get the idea) Nobody's been abducted so far. Maybe aliens don't like snow. It snowed four inches during our show tonight. We're leaving quite early in the morning tomorrow to try and get to ND before the Superbowl...hmmm...we probably won't make it. And seeing as though we have a large amount of Eagles fans on the bus the last stretch of the ride may not be pretty. Stacy I'm sure'll just "will" the bus there. E - A - G - L - E - S EAGLES! OK, short and sweet, now I'm off to watch Paris Hilton on Saturday Night Live. ~R

(this post def her husbands fault)

My Heart Hurts But what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.

2/2 Butte...full of buttheads

Here I am in Butte, MT. Not really much to see or talk about here. We went to a Karaoke bar last night and I sort of started a fight between our company manager and some local. I didn't mean to, the kid just kept trying to talk to me and wouldn't go away. So, I went over to Joe and had him try and save me. Apparently this started a little rivalry and the kid started talking shit to Joe. This went on all night and when Deborah was up on stage singing, all hell broke loose. The bar tender had to kick the kid and a couple of other guys out but they waited outside for us to leave. Deborah and I had an entourage of guys walk us back to our room and the dumbass locals followed us (lucky me, their room was right next door). We locked the door and then the kids started knocking and calling, so Joe, Chris and Byron all came back and hell broke loose in the hallway. This went on for an hour or so, back and forth until they all finally left. We'll see what happens tonight. They're still here in the hotel.