Wednesday, April 21, 2010

I’VE STOPPED MAKING WISHES THAT DON’T COME TRUE.

Tuesday April 20th, 2010: En Route from Adjovscina to Venice.

We’re on our way to Venice right now. Taking a panoramic look I’m surrounded by mountains and vineyards, para-gliders and a cloud-less sky. I don’t know why this is, but my memory regales itself with stories from my past littered with times of crying so hard blood-vessels in my face broke. Or even the time I was sitting in the waiting room for my first psychologist’s appointment admitting to myself that I’d finally “lost it”.

If I could go back and tell that miserable person I once was that everything was going to be okay, I would. I needed it, and no one said it. But I guess that’s the payoff on “barely hanging on by a thread” – I don’t blame myself for anything that’s brought me down anymore. I’m also not expecting amazing things to happen to me. I don’t expect anyone else to roll like this, but I think I’ve found my niche in terms of handling my own life. I still worry, I still get upset from time to time. But times like this, I think it’s good for the benefit of my own sanity that I can remind myself that at the best of times, I can finally give myself at least a little bit of credit, gently pat myself on the back and “you’re actually… sort of… doing okay right now…”

Right now, I’m currently seated at the front of our mini-bus and I have something I really need to get off my chest. I am, really – truly, in the funniest band on the planet. I’m typing this and half-eavesdropping on various conversations that could be part of a “It’s Always Sunny”-esque sitcom. Yesturday we had a day off and parked the bus at the base of this mountain in Slovenia. So, y’know – to take a break from playing shows, and getting rowdy, we drank whiskey. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Trevor Reilly:


I’m not exactly sure if this is funny to anyone but me – maybe people that know us, but this shit is fucking funny. If you don’t think this is funny, then you haven’t been hanging out with me or Trev enough.

Here’s what we’re living in right now – and let me tell you – it’s a lot better than a $500 a month apartment in Korean-town in Toronto.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

day one: berlin

DEAR MURPHY, SUCK ONE: En Route to Berlin…

Nothing ever goes smoothly. I’ve learned that, with regards to “Murphy’s Law” – that “Murphy” is an asshole. After shelling out over $1000 in surplus baggage, the guys and myself are at least wiping the sweat off of our heads and settling in on the plane. We have a SWEET 7 hour layover at Heathrow coming up before our flight to berlin. NONE of us have any UK money, or any Euros for the upcoming day off before we start the first show at 007 in Berlin.



That being said – I have settled in nicely with a tiny bottle of red wine, and I’m finding a subtle resolve in the fact that we at least got on the plane, I got time at duty free to get smokes, we’ll be overseas soon – 6 weeks… we get the (mini) bus this time – shit could be a hell of a lot worse.

I’ll be blatant in saying I do have my reservations about this tour. For those that do know me well – I have spent my time in Europe outside of being on tour, and we are heading through some dark emotional territory… I’m thoroughly fearing going back to Austria this time. I won’t go into details but I put too much faith time and money into going out there, and finally I’m past that part of my life. The only people I want making ME feel garbage is Mike, Trev, Nuno, or Nick. (They don’t. Don’t worry. It was 99.9% sarcastic… ). It’s gonna be hard to re-visit that place. This is a new experience for me, going to a place that is soaked with now-sad/bitter memories that ISN’T Toronto! … FUN!



It’s all good though. Don’t worry about me, if I was as spineless and weak-willed as people have been trying to convince me for the last 28 years, I’d have thought up a really funny way to die and gotten myself in the Guinness Book of World Records.

One thing that has dawned on me, as I look through my own vasoline-coated crystal ball – Is that I’m not as excited as I used to be about coming to Europe. And even despite the obvious explanations previously mentioned. It’s weird to think that I’m not stoked on going to the other side of the world. That once-fun part has just become a part of the usual, the mundane, the every-day. I still like to think of myself as a 28-year-old boy, but I think this is the first thing I’ve noticed that sways me to think that I’m finally getting old. Is this work? Is this what happened to touring? … PLEASE, PLEASE don’t read into that too much, (I don’t think anyone reads this blog anyway)… I’m not *Levesque-ing this whole situation, it’s just sad that you can get “used” to exotic locations, far and wide. You turn into a visiting local.



BUT – who knows? I can’t fully say something like that with absolute conviction, because of what I’ve talked about, because of going through Europe with nothing… to actually worry about… with the people who’ve stuck by my side through all my stupid shit so far… why the fuck not barrel straight into this with the mindset of that 18 year old kid that I was the first time I left Ontario.

Well, I guess I’m at the point of my trip where I should try and get some sleep… I think. I do have 7 hours of nothing to do in London… can’t wait, I’ll have to find another home-schooled Mormen from Salt Lake City to try and get along with like at the end of the Rise Against tour… bwa. … ha … ha.

PS – Blog #2 will probably happen while I’m at Heathrow, and it will be a hell of a lot more tired, and crankier than this.