Day Two

I am kind of happy to realize that I will only really be blogging when I’m bored. I’ve had so much fun over the last 24 hours that I haven’t even thought about breaking out the computer. This is a good thing.

We left Gambier and drove the two and a half hours to Athens, OH after the show, arriving at the house of an old friend of mine at around 3:15AM. We received what only can be described as rockstar treatment. Plenty of room for everyone to stretch out, booze, food, cleanliness! My uncannily good luck in rock lodging pays off once again. I’ve stayed in mansions and in yachts, but nothing compares to the comforts afforded by good friends.

We spent day two tooling around Athens, perusing the wares at the Blue Eagle guitar shop and grabbing food at the local diner. I learned that I am philosophically opposed to putting my own thousand island dressing on a reuben. I also learned that the bars in Athens, home of the University of Ohio, open at 6AM on homecoming Saturday. This seemed to please people.

After lunch the rest of the band went back to the bivouac, and I met the aforementioned friend for some drinks. It was at Jackie O’s in Athens, OH that I received my first great humbling of the tour. There I was, whining about my problems to a group of people that have spent significant time in places like Burma and Kashmir, advocating for democracy and human rights. These new friends have participated in great struggles and have seen up close the suffering of those who would gladly trade their problems for mine. I hold these people in the very highest regard, and continue to feel humbled to have been in their presence.

Perspective gained, the tour continues.