We’re back at Shane’s for the weekend – we arrived in Philadelphia last night and went out to get about $125 worth of sushi – blowing our budget (but at least it was between five people!) but it was soo nice. I think the only thing I didn’t appreciate about the place was the absolute obscene cold of the bathroom. Oh yes, hard to aim with when shrivelege is not just a privilege, but a God damned fact of Life. Anywho – the morning has been filled with firedrills. It’s moments like these that separate the folk stars from the ROCK stars. I had ear-plugs with me. After the second or third one, I just slept on through.
The offensive nature of the fire alarm was only slightly offput by the fact that Ray showed up on our… well, Shane’s doorstep. (Shane just got home!!! yay!) He crashed on the couch, we got the floor, Life was good.
Ray brought two care-packages and a birthday present for Heather – I was amazed. The gestures of sweetness that exist in the world are possibly all overshadowed by Ray in one evening.
One of the care packages was actually from our friend Janna – including tea and soup and a mummy Pez dispenser that glows in the dark, as well as hot chocolate and stuff and other stuff…. it’s nicely decorated on the outside with the beauty of Crayola – allowing us a look at beautiful blue Maryland skies and blooming wild-flowers.
Ah, the lying glories of home – she’s just trying to tempt us back into the state so that she can get us to submit to her wanton and dark desires. We know our Janna all too well!
Ray brought us toilet paper and cookies, and a tonne of Cherry Coke for Heather – but on top of the box full of road supplies, he also handed Heather a CD booklet – it took him two shifts plus at his job at Kinkos, but he had made copies of about 40 CDs and given them to Heather to help her on her way in rebuilding her collection after the break-in in New York. The gramatically incorrect nature of my last sentance doesn’t come close to getting across how Heather glowed while she was showing this to me.
And finally, we have a copy of the Buffy Musical.
Ray has always been a God-send, and he’s just cementing himself as a neccessary part of our Lives. If we could get Brennan up here in the same weekend, we’d have all of the creatures that make ilyAIMY GO. Between Ray and Shane and Brennan we could run a successful tour, a record label, and possibly a small studio.
I was trying to decide which of their super-powers would be most useful if we had to pick one: we could have…
SHANE!!!
This mild-mannered college student has neatly cropped hair and flying, flashing, computer controlling fingers. His powers lie in his supernatural talent for knowing what to do when dropped in any situation – as a college student, he can make a home in any environment, can instantly learn the layout of any public transit system, as well as the arcane processes in making them go. He’s also well connected in the foetid underground of Indie music. Sidekick: Reptar “oh, he’s such a peaceful lizard of death”.
BRENNAN!!!
Wired and wirey, Brennan knows the tech side of music quite well. Give him a cord and he’ll untangle it, identify it, and plug it into what it bloody well ought to be plugged into. He changes strings and tunes guitars and knows chords that I don’t know yet. Also includes an encyclopedia of covers and their lyrics, and drives like a fucking maniac in the city – an ideal skill for anyone who attempts to navigate New York City in a motor vehicle. He has unnaturally superb reflexes and can fit his car through miniscule spaces, and has the nerve to compete with Big Apple Cabbies.
aaand…. RAY!!!
Well, what else to say about Ray? He’s very, very nice – (I’m sure that’s masking barely contained rage and insanity – but that makes him an even BETTER superhe- I mean… roadie) – is a seasoned traveller, and no matter what, takes the world in stride. I’m amazed by his consistant calm. He’s also willing to break people’s arms for us, which may be very useful if we ever plan to get into the REAL music industry. Also, a pretty damned good parallel parker, but I’m not sure who would win in the city driving department. I think Brennan would run over Ray’s Rio without pausing for breath… hrmm….
Really, a triumvirate is always a responsible configuration for a superhero force. I think the three should join forces and come up with a good name. Or maybe THEY are the ilyARMY. Gosh, I wish we were at that level where we could fund them on the road with us. Another Saturn, perhaps – jet black with red flames up the si- wait, I want the one with the flames, to match my boots…
and then we’d either have some weird command trailer (with satellite internet hookup and a potato gun turret). We’ll have to drop a V8 in the Saturn to keep our acceleration up with the ilyARMY command trailer (it’ll unfold into something insane a la MASK)… ew… gotta get Reptar off of Heather’s face…
— Later that same day–
We’re travelling out of Philly back to Media, PA. We have a Ray and a Shane in tow, perhaps we’ll set tasks for them and test them here and there.
As I almost turn us a wrong direction, I get worried again, and frustrated with myself. Maps aren’t hard, laptop maps should be even easier, and yet I’ve made a consistant habit of making wrong turns at least once on every trip. Wests and Easts and rights and lefts, I’m worried that I keep making really stupid mistakes.
I can’t imagine how anyone does this solo. I can’t imagine trying to navigate and drive all at the same time, without a whole lot more preparation anywho. Thank God Heather’s relatively patient.
I broke two strings while playing Hands the other night with Hugh McGowan on djembe. Yup. I’m a badass.