THE TRUTH ABOUT CATS AND DOGS

I didn't write a blog last night because when I got in, Kenny's awesome parents asked us if we wanted to go to Carrabba's for dinner. See? The universe listens!

So after a wonderful meal, a couple glasses of wine, and catching up with Kenny and his Funky Bunch (doggie friends: Vinnie, Buddy, Sanchez, kitty friends: Harry Potter, and One-Eyed Willie), I went to sleep and it was awesome.

This morning however, has been, well, interesting, to say the very least.

Before I leave Kenny's house, I always do a head count, to make sure the entire Funky Bunch is present and accounted for. Well today, after unloading my car, I couldn't find Willie (he of the One Eye). I searched under, over, behind, everything in every room, he was nowhere. I shook the cat food and yelled "Willie! Who wants food?" The other four of the Bunch came running. No sign of the One-Eyed Wonder. My mind started working overtime, and I thought for sure he must have snuck out while I was unloading my car, even though I was super careful! Allow me to make this short: I called Kenny, told him one of his kids was MIA, I got in my car and drove all over Nashville shaking a huge tupperware container filled with Tender Vittles out my window and yelling "Willie! Who wants food kitty kitty!" while crying my fool head off.

Visions of my two-month sabbatical stated to form. Me driving around for two months looking for Kenny's cat who ran away on my watch. I could NOT believe this was happening.

After about an hour Kenny called. I could barely speak through my misery. I love this little kitty, and what if I couldn't find him? Kenny and I have been through soooo much together over the past 23 (?!?!?!?!?!) years, and we know each other very well. I know, not much is more important to him than animals, which is why he devotes his life to them (read: Saint). So when he called and asked if he should come home from work and help me look, I knew it would not be fun. Lovely as ever, he joked with me because he could tell I was beating myself up pretty badly, but I could hear it in his voice. Not. Good.

A couple minutes later his Scion whizzed past me on one of my passes through his neighborhood, and I followed him back to his house. He was already out of his car and in his house when I pulled in. I was dreading this more than anything. I still couldn't believe I had lost his cat, on my FIRST morning in town!

Then the door opened and he walked out holding Willie. "He was sitting on my window sill in my room. We'll laugh about this later."

The relief? I can't describe it.

I cried some more and Kenny hugged me while saying "I'm gonna have to kill you for this." I was fine with that, as long as Willie was safe. So I asked that frisky feline why he hid from me. He just looked at me and winked.

Well, he always winks. He only has one eye.

DAY TWO:

I'm sitting in a motel room that smells like band-aids.

What I won't do for my art.

It's 9:30-ish PM, I'm in Van Buren, Arkansas, at a Motel 6, and its a dry county. Wha...??

Fuckin' Tom Bodett and his light. It drew me like a moth to fire! A billboard that screamed $37.99 for a room, and I'm on a budget. It was perfect. Oh, the lure of advertising. When will I ever learn?

Today it rained most of my way, but I have many provisions on my dandy little iPod (thank you KS!). So I listened to Ani DiFranco for most of today, worked on some vocal exercises, and listened to a portion of Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman. I have to say, I am having a blast on this trip, just vegging out and being still. Well, you know what I mean.

The leaves are still changing so I saw a lot of beauty, which is always good.

Ate a delicious jalapeno cheese burger from Sonic, and that was the best tasting thing I've had for the past two days. Oh yes, because right next to my band aid smelling Motel 6, is a steakhouse. So, tonight I thought I had finally hit the jackpot. A steakhouse in Arkansas, has got to be delicious, right? Oh, what a shame to be so wrong. You should check my facebook for the photos.

Tomorrow night, I have to talk Kenny into going to Carrabbas for dinner. I have never had a bad meal there, and I think I've been more than patient.

Oh! Here's a funny story. I had just checked into the Motel and was grabbing my stuff from my car. This lady approached me and asked, "Excuse me, but can I ask you, how does that thing handle?" That "thing" being my precious Scion xb. I replied, "It's my favorite car of all the cars I've ever had. Isn't he cute?" She looked at me like she had already smelled my room and replied, "No."

Who knew Arkansasians were such little assholes? Oh! I know! She just needs a drink!

DAY ONE: Today's the Day!

I awake bright and early at 7 am. Later than I intended, so I don't actually get on the road until 9 am. But, no worries. I have plenty of time, and plus I drive really fast. Reeeaally fast. SO, I'm on the 15 North, talking to Kenny on my cell phone and all of a sudden, "roo roo roo," Mr. Police Man is pulling me over. I think it's for the cell phone thing. No, he tells me I was speeding. Moi? So I decide to play really sweet and when he hands me the ticket he says, "You were going 98, but I only wrote you up for 90 because 98 would have been reckless endangerment. At 90, you can still do traffic school." What a sweetie! Right? I say, "I can't believe my car can actually GO 98, especially loaded down with all my stuff in the back!" He then informs me that I was coming down a hill, and I was following an SUV that was actually going a little faster than me. Yesssss... Faster than me. So, of course I can't resist: "Oh, so I was the lucky one to get pulled over?" Sheepishly he replies, "Well I can't pull over more than one car at a time, it wouldn't be safe." "So, you nabbed me, the SLOWER of your two SPEEDING choices?" And here I thought he was so sweet! I mean, you think you know someone! Sheesh!

Needless to say, I keep it to a sedate 80 the rest of the day.

When I get to Arizona, I'm greeted by snow in Williams, a blizzard in Flagstaff (10,000 elev.), then another blizzard in Gallup NM. I get some great photos and video! Safely, I assure you.

I'm really responsible and only talk on my phone a couple times, to Aunt Carol and Monte, the whole rest of the day. I listen to music lectures, and an audiobook, oh and some Go-Go's, Beauty and the Beat, around 3 to wake myself up. I do trade a couple quick texts with Sir Greg of LaVoi and Kenny, but only when traffic was nil. I swear!

The sun is setting by 5:30 (or 6:30, I can't remember which time zone I was actually in!), and my phone rings. BLOCKED. That usually means Mat and Elena, so I answer. Some guy named Larry that I guess I talked to a couple years ago about painting my house, wondering if I had reconsidered and was ready to get 'er done? It's almost dark, I'm driving in a blizzard (snow swirling around my car constitutes a blizzard. I'm from Michigan. I should know), I'm heading toward a much-needed sabbatical, and I'm yanked back into the reality of my life. My house needs painting, it really does. But I tell Larry to call me back next year. I should be well rested by then!

I finally pull off in Albuquerque at the Best Western because the billboard says restaurant, and I'm a little hungry. I've eaten very little on the ride and could use a good nosh. The restaurant is about to close, so I quickly scan the menu and see they offer paella! No freakin' way! I'm so excited! I get the dish to my room, turn on the Sci-Fi Channel and take a bite. Its the most disgusting, vile, nasty food I've ever tried to eat. No joke. It's not even palatable enough to call fuel!

BUT! I've got lots of photos and videos to go through, and I want to be on the road by sun-up tomorrow, so, things to look forward to.

But I will be getting breakfast somewhere else!

Countdown: Two days til take off!

I feel like the preparation for this trip has taken longer than the trip itself will. Oh. That's because I've been preparing for a year. That's right!

Yesterday and today were whirlwinds with band rehearsal both days. My awesome band, Nobody's Station, is in the middle of recording our first non-demo album, and I up and leave for two months? Sweet. So, we're embracing the technological age. We will be recording and emailing and editing and emailing again back and forth. Just like Ben and Matt wrote Good Will Hunting with Rob Reiner. It's going to be great! So for the past couple weekends we've been recording scratch tracks to work from. They keep teasing me about falling in love with "Virtual Stacey." I fail to see the humor...

I've also been trying to pack my iPod with all the music on my vast CD collection. It's been taking a couple years and today I put in a good couple hours. I will need some great aural stimulation for the 28 hour drive, so Greg gave me a set of CDs which I am importing into iTunes at present, called "How To Listen To and Understand Great Music." It's a set of 48 CDs. I wonder which one our music will be on? So exciting!

I've packed my clothing into 3 cases and am shooting for chiseling it down to two, or maybe one? Doubtful because I need to take cold weather gear too, so I can only try my best. I gotta bring my MBTs!

I raped my own kitchen cupboards today because for the next two months I will be on a budget. Ramen anyone?

And now? Off to sit on my couch for an hour and watch the second episode of Season three of Battlestar Galactica! Then sleep.

For now.

Hey will you please do me a favor? I'm not sure how this works. If you've signed up to follow this blog, does that mean you get email alerts to let you know a new entry has been posted? Will you let me know if that's how it's working? Thanks so much. Until next time!

Stacey

In Preparation for the Big Trip

Hello! I'm assuming this blog will be read by my close friends and family only, so when I say you all know I'm heading to Nashville soon, you all really do know that!

I've been asked to keep people posted on my trip and I figured this was the best way to do it. So, I'll send out emails or facebook messages to you guys with this link and you can check in whenever you want to see what kind of Nashville antics I'll be up to at the time.

I'm going to be driving from California to Nashville and I could make it in two days if I drove like a Meatloaf album (yeah, a Bat of out Hell), however, I am planning on taking three days, making it a leisurely trip.

Right now I'm getting things finalized with Dave who will be house-sitting, packing all my essentials like my guitars and bass and keyboard, Moroccanoil hair care products, and my teapot, and googling open mic schedules in Nashville. I think I've found them for just about every night of the week. I am getting so excited!

Thanks for checking in and I will try to update this blog as often as exciting things happen. Or, perhaps, I will merely write about mundane things as well. One thing for sure, I can hear the crickets at night in Nashville, and to me that is huge! So I'll be sure to write about that. Probably more than once. Anyone remember my honeybee obsession during my TNT's The Closer On Set blog?

Thanks and talk to you soon!

Stacey