April 26 Day 6
Slept in this morning but still only managed about an 8-hour night. My eyes are sticky and my fingers are starting to complain, but it has been so worth it. Woke up to Christy and Jerry's quiet house, was greeted by Toby (a sweet Shiba) and a little bit of sunshine. Good to see the sun since it has been cloudy or raining most of the time so far. I've hardly noticed, though. I had Christy drop me off at the little strip mall just down the road as she had an oboe lesson and Ani had a doctor's appointment and I've been sitting on my hind end for the last 6 days. I didn't pay quite enough attention as to how to get back to the house and had a few tense moments as I evaluated whether I was going to turn left or go straight. I knew my cowboy boots were only going to get me so far. Lucky for me, I made the right choice and ended back at the house, legs trailing behind me... I got to visit with Ani for a bit - she's grown a lot, has a smile the size of Minnesota, and a giggle that makes angels sing. Then it was off to Acadia Cafe for show number 4. Sarah Woolever and Nick Deacon (collectively known as Carport) joined me. Instead of having them open for me or me for them, we decided to share the stage and do song volleys. It worked out quite well. The room was packed with folks for the first 2 hours and started to trickle down for the remaining time. Cassidy, our sound guy graciously passed the hat and did a wonderful with the mix. I've been so spoiled on this trip not having to tote any gear or fiddle with the sound mix. Having "people" for that kind of thing is great! Can't wait for Carport's EP to come out in June - you guys rock! I'm looking forward to a day off tomorrow to relax, maybe do a little shopping, have lunch with Christy and who knows what all else...
April 25 - Day 5
I was up til 2:30 in the morning catching up and reminiscing with Kay. I swear this rock and roll lifestyle will be the death of me. But it has been such as gift to be together, get to know her kids and to be reminded of the reasons we were friends in the first place. Today was mostly uneventful besides the reconnecting rituals of coffee and shopping at Target - very special to me but probably boring to the average reader. The show at Ginkgo was a lot of fun. Two friends I hadn't seen since graduation day dropped in so it was a little like a high school reunion. My brother's in-laws even came by for the show, along with Lynn, Dan and Jerry. Of course, Kay was there, too. Such fun. It was a good thing because we had the place to ourselves and didn't even have to pay a facility charge! Another late night...
April 24 - Day 4
Last night, I headed to Don and Lori's after the show. Talked in the hot tub til 1:30 then had a great night's sleep. Headed to the Kountry Kitchen to meet my ride up to the cities and have breakfast with the best landlords a college student could ever have (Harland and Pauline - you guys haven't changed a bit and it was such a priviledge to have rented an apartment from two people who treated me like their own kid and made college a little easier).
Lynn and Dan were kind and patient enough to humor me by driving by WSU to see if the bookstore was open (sadly, it wasn't, but from the looks of things - nothing has changed there), back to the Acoustic for a coffee to go and then up Hwy 61 (which wasn't the initial intended route) to enjoy the view between the bluffs up through Lake City, Redwing and Hastings.
Parked at Ginkgo Coffeehouse for a bit, met the night's headliner, Peter Mulvey (so, if you haven't already heard of him, you MUST check him out - flying fingers, interesting tuning configurations, marvelous gentle sense of humor and out-of-this-world songwriting - come-on world, you need to find this guy!). I pounded out a 20-minute set to a stellar crowd who made me feel like a superstar even though they were a "captive audience." Kay and Greg and the kids showed up to enjoy the show and transport me to my next bed. Stayed up til 2:30 getting back in touch - Kay's my best friend for junion high and high school. If the trip ended here, it would have been beyond my expectations. But, lucky for me, there's more!!
April 23 Day 3
All I can say is WOW! What a great day all around. Did some sightseeing of the old haunts in Winona with my FABULOUS chauffer, tour guide and Winona Road Manger, Cheryl. We visited the Levee (where, unfortunately, the old Wilkie paddle boad has been removed), went up to Garvin Heights, etc. I had to get 3 acryllic fingernails "installed" since all three of my picking fingers were destroyed trying to open the little air stopper on my travelling blow-up neck pillow while I was on the train. Went back to Cheryl's to play with the dogs and get the fingers and pipes warmed up. Then off to the Acoustic to play. What an amazing audience - shout out to my good friends who came to the show: Liz and RJ, Don and Lori (my newest friend), Cheryl and Dave, Lynn and Dan, and to all the terrifice new friends who stayed around and made me feel so at home and so glad I came. The Acoustic Cafe rocks and if you ever have the chance to spend some time in that area, it's a "must do" - great sandwiches, coffee, etc. Worth the trip.
Thursday, April 22 - Day 2
I'm amazed at Amtrak's ability to be either early or on time. Arrival in Chicago was scheduled for 8:45, but we got off the train at 8:20. Of course, this leaves me with more time in the terminal first class lounge and this station does not have shops or cafes. Evidently there are places just outside the terminal, but I'm debating whether to venture out or not. The lounge here is extremely warm (as was the lounge in DC) so I may have to go out of self-defense. But currently the line to check baggage is tooo long for me to stand there. I plopped my bags and my guitar under a table for now.
The Capital Limited route from DC to Chicago was quite enjoyable. The "roomette" was a wee bit small, but functional. I had a roomy seat in "the closet" to myself and Sockrates shared the facing seat with my guitar and suitcase. Dinner was complimentary since I booked a sleeper car. In what I imagine was customary in days gone by, those who travel alone sit and eat with others who are travelling alone. I shared my dinner with David (writer and philospher travelling the US to find himself and maybe write a book in the process) and Bob, the doctor just returning from a conference. If you guys read this, it was a pleasure!
Back in "the closet," I made the decision to sleep on the pull-down bunk (maybe not my best). It was a bit firm and I couldn't find enough lift under my shoulders. After drinking 1/2 a bottle of wine (and so you know, they come in 1/2 bottles so I didn't leave a drop behind), I found myself urgently needing to "go," which involved unhooking the straps that are meant to keep you from rolling off in the middle of the night when the train lurches (they hook into the ceiling and were challenging to disengage in the dark), stepping down two small "steps" all in the vertical space of about 2 feet. That task being accomplished I climbed up and rolled back into bed only to be awakened by stabbing pains in my back or in my hips, or in my shoulders at irregular intervals. It's difficult to roll yourself over whilst confined on a plank about 2 feet wide. Thankfully, I'm short, so the length of the plank wasn't an issue.
So, at about 6:00 am I got up (or down, as the case may be) and found my way to the shower, which was less than 1/2 the size of my "closet," but I managed to wash my hair (which was the most important part of the shower) and soap up/rinse off without bruising my elbows too badly. Then up to breakfast of french toast with two lovely ladies, back to my "closet" to reassemble the puzzle that is my luggage and wait for arrival in Chicago.
I realize that some of that sounds a little disparaging. But, in reality it smacked of romance and the old days. I loved every minute. I'm disappointed that the WiFi is not working here in the lounge, so this won't get posted immediately. Coincidentally, Blackberry internet service is down as well. I feel a conspiracy brewing... I wonder what it was like in the olden days to have no clue about the frustrations of modern communication technology. People must have lived longer and died of real diseases rather than stress-related causes.
So, on the agenda today: waiting for the train to leave around 1:30 (another 4 hours). Can't wait to see the scenery change from flat farmland to rolling hills to beautiful bluffs! Really looking forward to seeing Cheryl at the depot and spending the evening catching up with her, meeting the kids, seeing Olivia again and getting a good night sleep on a soft mattress. Maybe a beer or two...
I did finally get into Winona just a few minutes later than expected, but was happy to see Cheryl waiting for me and to have my feet on the solid ground. What a pleasure it was to come to her lovely home and be greeted by Indigo, Charlie, Dave, Crusher, and Luna (Olivia was there too, but played the coy teenager - which, having one of my own, made me feel right at home!). Two beers and one dog-walk later, I'm happily in my bed. That's it for now.
Wednesday, April 21 - Day 1
Got up at 2:00 a.m., at the J. Douglas Gaylon Station in Greensboro by 3:00 a.m., thanks to my trusty husband (not sure if he just loves me that much or he was thrilled to get rid of me...). The train left right on time (still, I don't think God was up yet). I had the whole seat to myself until a very nice lady sat down with me. She promptly fell asleep and drifted over in my direction until she was wedged up against me. It was ok, though, because she was warm. I managed to catch about an hour and a half of sleep before my body became so cramped I had to move. I didn't want to disturb her, but some things just can't be avoided. We landed at Union Station and I parked myself at the first class lounge, except for a short trip into the station for souveniers and a sandwich. Union Station is lovely - it has been well-restored. Not a bad place to spend a few hours.