September 29th, 2005 09:17 hours CST
Currently listening to: "Organ Song" by Sleeping Kings of Iona
Feeling: exhausted, even after 9 hours of sleep

Chicago, you give me hope. That show at Double Door on Tuesday was fucking awesome. Seriously. I was hoping for a big crowd and god damnit, we had one. It was great to simply hang out with Only Lovers Left Alive and Arks again. We all need to go out for drinks soon. This was Hartfield's best show of the tour as well. They sounded awesome and they played well. This felt like vindication for all the hard work I've done putting this tour together. We got to go out with a bang. Thank you, Chicago.

However, and I find this to be rather comical, each band only got like $50 for that show. We, uh, kind of over did it with the free tickets. Oooops. At least Double Door knows that we have a good attendance. ^_^

Yuka, Taka, Yukari had entertained thoughts of opening a bottle of sake when we got home, but fatigue quickly wiped that idea away. We left for the airport at 8:30. This seemed like the shortest time I've ever spent with Yuka. Even shorter than her visit for Valentine's day. So much was going on, we only had one night to ourselves. I took her to Tsuki for our 1 year anniversary dinner on Monday night.

I stopped at Wendy's for a burger. Cheeseburger at 10:30 AM? Fuck it. My eating habits were already totally messed up from the tour anyway. I took a 2 hour nap and eventually got in the car for some video game shopping. Picked up Burnout: Revenge at EB, but they had no copies of We Love Katamari. Circuit City.... nothing. Best Buy... nothing. Target.....nothing. Had to go to Toys R Us (also known as the saddest toy store in the world) and they actually had a copy, somewhere in the back rooms. I only got through a few levels and decided to throw a pizza in the oven and watch Samurai Champloo. Then it all finally came out and I sat on the couch and cried for a while.

I feel like a very important chapter of my life has closed and now I can move on to other important things. Things like Yuka, getting my savings account back, selling my Volvo and song writing. This weekend I sleep. I have no plans and I'm canceling band practice for Sunday.

September 27th, 2005 11:15 hours CST
Currently listening to: "Nineball" by Hartfield
Feeling: exhausted

This is going to be extremely brief. Let's start with the bad things.....

- developed unhealthy addiction to Sobe's "No Fear" energy drink.
- throat is majorly swollen (probably from the unhealthy addiction to Sobe's "No Fear" energy drink.)
- I've lost feeling in about 40% of the big toe on my right foot. Seriously. It's like I had a micro stroke or something. (may or may not be caused from the unhealthy addiction to Sobe's "No Fear" energy drink.)
- the water (which was only cold) shut off two mornings in a row at the practice space where we were staying in Brooklyn.
- played 3 hours later than we were supposed to at the popnoise festival. 10 people were in the audience.
- I arrived in New York with 4 wheel covers. I left with 2. Fucking potholes.

Good/great/awesome things....

- Hartfield was very well received by every audience. (I am Jack's unbridled jealousy.)
- none of our gear got stolen
- nobody got sick
- both vehicles made it without any problems (although mine smells super bad because Yukari spilled most of the water out of the cooler into one of the back seats. It happens.)
- bought an overdrive pedal from Oliver Ackerman and watched him customize it before my very eyes. Airiel will have lots of "Death By Audio" pedals before you know it.
- got to finally meet some people that I've only known online for years.
- got tons of great music from people offering to trade CD's and make us mix cd's for the road.
- met some incredible people, especially Kyle, Rex Nexus and EJ from Highspire. He and Erin were wonderful hosts.
- swam in the Chesapeake bay.
- playing with A Place to Bury Strangers. Good lord. It was as loud as I thought it would be. Oliver Ackerman is ACE.
- having 2 vehicles probably saved my sanity, however, when you're separated in the mountains of West Virginia for 3 hours with no cell phone signal and you have a car full of Japanese with you, your only choice is to pull over and take 10 minute naps to avoid flying off the road.
- Mau Mau Tsunami was the most therapeutic punk rock band I've ever experienced.
- Yuka and I had our 1 year anniversary while in Norfolk. We unloaded the Hartfield kids on some friends of mine last night so we could go out to dinner and have the apartment to ourselves for a few hours.
- Chris De Brezzio, our new guitar player, did EXTREMELY well and I can't wait to start writing songs with him. He's only 23 and his first show with us was in Pittsburgh.
- Despite the trouble we had with Alcian Blue and setting up the DC show, they were GREAT and it was the 2nd best show of the tour. If they get a live drummer, they will be super awesome.

September 13th, 2005 09:40 hours CST
Currently listening to: "Awake" by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Feeling: excited

It's nice having doctors in the family. I got a prescription for muscle relaxers on Friday. They made me pretty damn stoned, so now I only take them at night. But the pain in my neck and shoulder is almost gone. Didn't do much over the weekend besides cleaning. I met up with my friend Karen and we went to a sushi place on Clark. It wasn't my favorite by any means, but it was certainly inexpensive. There's something about eating sushi that's at room temperature that always kinda grosses me out.

I'm compiling tons of contacts and maps for the tour. Everything is set. I pick up Taka and Yukari from the airport tomorrow around noon. Yuka fly's into New York on the 19th and will probably meet up with us that night when we get into Brooklyn. I'm not sure which show I'm looking forward to more. Probably the New York show at Sin-e. I'll get to finally meet a few people that I've only known online and..... it's NEW YORK. heheheh \m/

If anybody needs to reach me after Saturday, try my phone. mobil@sonicbaby.com. I'll be able to check my sonicbaby and airiel email from time to time.

September 7th, 2005 09:02 hours CST
Currently listening to: Xirius Polar Station
Feeling: dead tired

Stress sucks. I've been grinding my teeth like crazy. Well, not really grinding my teeth, but clenching my jaw. This mostly happens when I'm sleeping. The right side of my jaw hurts like hell every morning, especially when I take my first few bites of food. I had this crazy anxiety dream about the tour last night. I was basically awake at 4:30 and could not go back to sleep. So, now I'm a complete zombie and I'm at work. Time to suck down a diet coke and a power bar.

In other news, I will be very glad to sell my Volvo after this tour. I just spent $600 on a new fuel gauge yesterday. This part is about the size of your hand. $600. I hate money. At least this thing gets great gas mileage, especially on the highway. I got regular gas for $2.99 out in the burbs last night. Best price I've seen since Louisiana got reclaimed by the fucking sea.

September 2nd, 2005 09:32 hours CST
Currently listening to: nothing
Feeling: pissed

Delayed reaction? It's easy to judge a leader that attacks a smaller country and then wins. I, however, judge a leader on how he deals with a crisis.