Good morning and happy 2008. Eight is a good number. So is 7. Very good.

The snow has melted and it's time for coffee but first here are some tips from the book. It's like having your own personalized Sunday Book Section of the paper.


QUICK TIPS FROM THE MUSICIAN'S GUIDE TO THE ROAD

• Your house keys: Once you leave home, put your keys in a zipper pocket that you rarely open. It will be very important to you weeks from now, standing on your doorstep at 6 AM that you know where your house keys are.

• Stage wear: Take off your watch and your laminate and your sticky pass before walking onstage. These bind you to earthly things like time and space.

• Performance: Play what matters to you and like it may be the last notes you'll ever play.

• Lifestyle: It's a myth that if you clean up your life you'll have nothing left to write or play.

• Sound check: "5K (kilohertz) is the pain band, the pain frequency. 5K feedback will make you want to punch someone hard and repeatedly." –Martin Stebbing, Sound engineer interview regarding the 'K' language.

• Getting shocked by your microphone: We call it "getting shocked," but it's electrocution by another kinder name.

• Settling: The top two rules of getting paid: "First, have somebody sober settle. Second, never leave without getting paid." – Advice from a Chris Von Thies, talent buyer, Direct Events, Austin, Texas

• The long drives: If a drive day is scheduled you might include an adventure to break the long drive up a bit. Since you've got plenty of time, you can stop and do something rather than lie comatose in the front lounge or your bunk.

• It's the little things: You will come to appreciate good shower pressure. Standing under an inadequate stream of lukewarm water will be more disappointing than you ever thought possible.

• Music Biz: One night you'll turn on the TV in some average hotel you're staying in and the Grammys will be on. You wonder how that can be the music business and this traveling around in the van, putting on a rock show in a new city every night can be the music business, too.

• Hotel dwelling: Before leaving your hotel room memorize or write down your room number. When you return hours later you will appear slightly insane as you stare at the twelve buttons in the elevator unable to push your floor number.

• Getting along: The band has discovered and informed me that if I apply for a job at the gentlemen's club next to the hotel they'll all get in for free. – Tour journal entry

• Being on time: "Bus call is 8:00 AM tomorrow. If you plan to be late, bus call is 7:00 AM. If you plan to be only a little late, 7:30." – Ben Richardson, tour manager

• Routing: "You know what I say: the longest distance between two points is a short cut." – Heinz Geissler, quote of the day