10/02/07 Phoenix, AZ

Sorry, I haven't had Internet connectivity in the past four days. I'll get caught up now. We drove through the night; I've had 4 hours of sleep. Let’s do this.

So today we did some waking up early and breakfasting at a diner. It was pretty good. Scott picked us up at 10:30 and we started the trek towards Phoenix. Finally leaving California. Finally leaving this time zone. I was starting to get used to all of it. Not LA mind you, I'd lose my mind living there. The 7-hour drive to Phoenix went by strangely fast, that seems to happen when we don't really listen to anything and I just zone out really hard. I also read for a long time. This book, The Unbearable Lightness of Being, I'm really enjoying it but it also makes me really sad. Phillip Kaufman made it into a film in 1988. The cast seems pretty stellar; I'd like to see that once I finish the book.

We played the Modified tonight, a very cool art space with a stage and modest PA. I don't know why but tonight was the most energy I've felt while playing on this tour. Maybe it was because it was loud, or cramped, or the deluge of shit crashing down around me and needing an avenue of outlet. Whatever the source, it was good. I always have fun playing, but this was more elation, I found myself smiling and chuckling at my own nuances and those of my band mates’ performances. Who knows what that means.

Tonight we're staying with a tender christian named Sam. He really warmed my heart with his hospitality, offerings of good beer and wine. He shares his house with a roommate named Seth and a 61-year-old transient named Herbert that freely comes and goes, I gather mainly to use the shower and restroom. At first of course I reacted with a cursory "whoa, a homeless guy lives here? Is that safe?" when he told us. Then I felt like a fucking asshole. It's easy to use words like "transient" and "homeless" because it neatly removes some of their humanity thus exonerating one from compassion. Perhaps this if for a different post altogether. Or perhaps just not at all. Anyway, I found a lot of comfort in his small house; I slept soundly and woke up of my own accord.