Day 8 (8/9) Sunday
The original plan was to get on the road right after Gina’s signing, but Gina decided to stay another day. So we took our time getting our stuff together to leave. Everything was wet. Hanifah, Olive, Bombshell and I had to lay our clothes out in the sun to dry before we could pack them. That took time. We also had to take the tent down and figure out how to put that big ass tent back into that little carrier. It seemed impossible, but we figured something out. I had to take the rest of my merch to Goldenrod and I bought a pendulum before Maritri left earlier that day. I also bought some earrings from Kelly. As you can see everything was just taking longer that we anticipated. So our 1pm departure turned into a 4pm departure. That wouldn’t have been so bad if we had 4 drivers, but leaving Mich we only had three because Ri decided to leave with Gina the next day. So more space in the van, but that meant longer driving shifts.

It’s always hard to leave Michigan, but this time around I think I was too tired to cry. I think I was ready for a dry bed and a flushing toilet. We finally got all our things together, got in the shuttle van to the gate, packed our van, took one last port-a-jane pee and headed for the real world full of cell phone signals and men. Yes in that order. I think I got my messages before I saw my first man. When leaving Michigan there is always the lament of going back to a world of men, but this time for me it was about going back to the world in general. I had to jump right in and it has been challenging.


[Farewell Michigan. I'll see you next year.]

The van ride home was good, but long. Hanifah took the first shift. We watched Sia’s DVD on Olive’s laptop while Bombshell slept because she knew she had the next shift. Hanifah got us to Ohio and then Bombshell took over. She got us through Ohio and into PA when I took over. I had the real overnight shift and it was brutal. PA at night and tired is no joke. Finally I had to pull off the road somewhere in PA and against my better judgment drank a 5-hour energy drink. Now I don’t do caffeine at all so this stuff was potent. It got me through the drive, but by the time we dropped of Bombshell in the Bronx I was hyper and jittery and exhausted all at once. That stuff says there is no crash, but that is a LIE!

Day 9 (8/10) Monday
After dropping off Bombshell I drove us back to Brooklyn. I dropped off Olive & Hanifah and headed home. Unfortunately I still had a whole bunch of stuff in the van. I had carried all of Ganessa’s guitars and Maritri’s not to mention my own. I was beat down and it as all I could do to get that stuff upstairs and park the car. The Universe saw fit to give me a space on the proper side of the street with no drama. I don’t think I could have circled around looking. I would have cried for sure. Then I went upstairs and thought I would hit the hay and take a shower later. Well that was a short lived idea because I was offending myself! So I jumped into the shower and into bed. When I woke up it was so hot that I smelled like I had never got into the shower! I think it was that 5-hour drink coming out of my pores. That was crazy. So I got in the shower again and then got up to face the world a bit. I had to get Maritri’s guitar to her so I did that, picked up my cat from my girl Iowan who was the cat sitter for the week and a few other things, but I had to get some rest because I had to drive my grandfather’s van back to him in MA the next day.