2016-12-09
There is an odd balance, quiet peacefullness, intense rushing around, plenty to do, but me lacking specific tasks, waiting around, reading, thinking, furtively doing this, some ironing, sorting, organizing.
Then waiting. Quiet. No music, can’t disrupt anything. Our mother, recovering from a high fever last night, three days of feeling ill and sick, fighting something. Recovering just in time for the concerts. A process well practiced and unfortunately repeated too frequently. Not that our mother is a frail individual, quite the opposite, always and forever taking on more than she should, always getting, doing one more thing. Always. She went to take a nap, got up three times, one more thing to tell someone, another phone call to make, something else not to forget.
Promoting and performing and doing all the press and tickets and everything for something like the Yuletide shows is an overwhelming task. Each year doesn’t really get easier. There is always something new. Or if not new a rare repetition, snow for instance. When it snows people cancel plans down here in the Sound. We had snow overnight. It has been melting steadily through the day and we’ll certainly find just wet roads when we travel in a few hours, but we don’t have a choice. We have to go. One of the musicians is under the weather and her father typically drives here and he’s also sick and they got much more snow than we did. Yet a plow finally came down the street just now as I’m writing this. No I have not been outside yet today. Woke up, only ever so slightly hung over, felt quite normal and good after a cup of coffee. Sleep came easily, but the morning darkness was total the first time I woke up, attempting to sleep beyond 7:30am here was impossible.
Coffee, breakfast, our mother frantically sending emails, answering questions, getting ticket lists, perched infront of her old WinXP box, an ancient machine that we all remind her should be replaced for many reasons.
But there’s little to no money to be made in these Yuletide concerts. Covering the vast expenses is usually possible, but ticket sales seem to decline year after year, but the audience becomes more appreciative at the same rate, those who come are special, they are here for one reason.
But this is the 38th year of these concerts. I’ve only missed one or two years. Being here is special, but often these last years it is a chance for the RI brother’s to hang out. We fly out and spend a few days here together, Philip rushing around trying to get his monumental task list completed, us doing errands, programs, hardware store, food shopping, everything that’s neglected or just impossible to do without our help.
I know soon it will go from a quiet spell to an intense whirlwind. Unmatched focus and out pouring of energy. Can’t really describe to those who haven’t experienced it. My tasks are small sometimes, but critical. A very small player but one who’s absence is noted even if presence is not always recognized.
The sheer lack of internet besides my old slow phone, extra crippled by the 3G signal, is somewhat isolating. Not maybe in a bad way I suppose. There is the one ancient computer but no wireless router, I suppose something that could be easily fixed perhaps, but maybe it isn’t such a bad thing. There will be internet soon maybe. Somewhere. Perhaps I will get to upload some words, check a few forums catch up on FB. Twitter may just be a shot in the dark now and then, pushing some comment/photo/instagram out, but I can’t keep up with everyone. Not here not like this.
On the airplane I started reading a book, finished it just now. Well written, good hook, decently complex plot, well developed characters, odd relatability. But it is finished. The second book I brought may need to wait to get started, at least maybe until Sunday or the flight home perhaps.
Last year the tablet still worked I think. I read books on it. Never got around to replacing it, one of those other lesser items I never quite got around to doing. Always something else to do, always something more to work on. I do miss having the books self lighting, the games to play or ‘net to surf. But analog is good, physical progress as marked by the barf bag book mark, is different than the % on the bottom.
Soon we have to leave and head to the first venue in the series. I’ve spent most of the time laughing and smiling and having fun, joking and playing music. Much like I spend the weekends or days at the bike races. Smiling like I was in most of the photos of me at NBX (off the bike at least). Behavior kind of at odds when I’m at home, different, not realized until now.
But we’re leaving shortly, time for musing and writing and exploring these ideas, has come to an end.
Time to push play on the crazy speed, the high energy drive.
heddwch
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