Friday, June 10

1:35 am
Suite

Getting used to Vampire Time again.

This creaky old body's starting to adjust, staying up all night and sleeping half the day.  One last round before I get to lead normal hours again.

Helps that we're ahead of back home.  Dinnertime there is midnight here.  On off-nights gives me something to do to keep me busy besides go to the bar.  I can call home and pester my family.

Talked to all of my boys again tonight.  Jakey and Romey were happy to hear from me.  Jesse not so much.  He talked to me a little, but he clearly isn't happy with his Old Man.

I told him I couldn't go to bat for him with his Momma again, about this date he wants to have with Bridget on Saturday night.  I tried to explain to him that it's not that I don't want him to take her out.  Just not in Jersey.

First of all, he'd have to get over there.  He can't legally drive himself, and I'm damned sure Dorothea ain't gonna chauffeur him.  And there's no way in hell he could even come close to making curfew.  He'd have to stay out at the Jersey house.  It would be one thing if D had plans to be out there this weekend, working at the Kitchen or something.  But she doesn't.  She has stuff to do in the City.

So it would be a huge production and a major imposition on her to accommodate LoverBoy's little rendezvous with his crush.  That's too much to ask, especially when Jesse's still grounded for his little DC hotel beer bash.  I told Jess if Bridget wants to meet him in the City next weekend or something I can probably support that, but this is over the limit.

Plus I'm afraid to ask Dorothea to even consider it.  She already thinks I'm a pushover.

Of course I didn't tell Jess that.

So now he's pissed at me.  He didn't mouth off or freak out or anything like that, he just mumbled his way through the rest of our conversation and hung up as soon as he could.  That kinda hurt my feelings, but I'll get over it.  So will he.

Look at me, being all Parent-y, ha ha.  Sometimes it ain't all it's cracked up to be.  Think I'd rather have the sex talk again.

After I talked to the boys and said Hi to D I did something I haven't done much because I'm a techno-idiot.  I called Cate, then got on Skype so I could have a little date with my lovely Wife.

She was home, which kinda surprised me.  Usually when I'm on the road she works late and goes to the gym.  But not tonight.  She said she was really tired, had a shitty day and just wanted to come home and veg out in the peace and quiet.  She was on the terrace when I called.

We talked for almost 2 hours, which was nice.  She carried me around the apartment with her while we were talking,  ha ha.  Fixed herself some dinner, which I could see when she pointed her webcam in the right direction.  It was kinda cool, almost like I was there with her.  We're gonna have to make this Skype-Date thing a regular event, I think.

I told her about last night's show and about the hotel and the food in Zagreb.  She kinda snorted and giggled at me going on and on about Croatia; after awhile I realized why.  She's been there, back when she was in the military.  Her experience wasn't quite so posh as mine, ha ha.

But she was glad to hear about the guys and the crew, especially about Richie.  She said I seem happier this time than I usually do when I'm on the road. I agreed when she said it's because Richie's back, and because I know this is the last trip for awhile.  It's been a long damned tour, and the end is in sight.

Then I'm home with my Babies.  And hopefully my Baby-to-Be.  She smiled and patted her tummy when I said that, said she hopes so too.

So Cate told me a little about what's going on with her job, and about the beast of a week she has ahead of her.  She's in court first thing Monday and apparently as soon as she's done with that she's gotta fly off on some quick trip for a case.  I didn't ask where and she didn't offer; I know the drill.  But she doesn't sound enthused about it, for damned sure.

She did promise me that she wouldn't have any trips that would interfere with her flying over to meet me in London, though she can't control what goes on with court.    She better not have to cancel on me.  I'm gonna NEED to see her by then.  To hell with the wheels of justice turning tirelessly, and all that bullshit.

I could tell my Baby's worn out.  She asked me to sing for her, something she rarely does when I'm on the road.  She prefers me to serenade her in person.  Maybe it was because we could see each other on Skype, even if it is a little weird.

Of course I was more than happy to oblige.  We both popped open a bottle of wine and shared a toast across the miles and time zones.  I told her the jukebox was free tonight, whatever she wanted I'd play.  She had a couple requests for her favorites, most of them not mine.  Some Sinatra, some Southside, some Sam Cooke, some Righteous Brothers.  She almost killed me with Unchained Melody, ha ha.  Can't quite reach some of those notes anymore.

And I played a few of mine for her too, ones she loves.  Right Side, Joey, Hello... and of course Superman.  When I play that song for her, her smile just fills my heart.  Takes me back to that chair beside that big bed in that seaside Georgia villa, when I watched her sleep and the words and music came to me.  My beautiful Muse.

So finally, after a second glass of wine and one last song she told me to go to bed.  Said she was gonna go take a long, hot bubble bath.  Despite my whining and pleading she refused to take her netbook in the bathroom and keep me on Skype while she did that, ha ha.

Still can't talk Cate into naked Skyping, dammit.  She'll talk dirty to me all damned night long, but can I even get a flash of nipples?  Nooooo......

Anyway, I reluctantly kissed her goodnight and let her go off to her bath.  Then I texted her that I love her just to remind her again.

And now I think I'm gonna go take a bubble bath myself.  No sense letting that big-ass tub in there go to waste.  And then I'll sleep like a baby.

4:30 pm
Venue

Soundcheck Dresden.

Big-ass stadium.  Gonna be packed to the gills.

Band's all here, just jammin' out for a bit before we get down to work.  Richie's in a Beatles mood today.  Wandering around practicing his Liverpool accent, which actually sucks.

Good to have the Big Goof back.

And not a pair of Groucho Glasses in sight.


6:50 pm
Dressing Room

Ahhh... Routine.  Back in place.  Everything in order.

And Dawn did give me TWO fortune cookies tonight, to make up for neglecting me in Zagreb, ha ha.  Said she got 'em from a new place in the City, not the usual place in Chinatown where we get our custom orders.  The cookies were great, but the fortunes weren't quite what I expected, although they did make me laugh.

First one:  "Confuscious say Man who put hand in pocket feel Cocky."  Ha ha -- an oldie but a goodie.

Second one:  "Eat Me."

What kinda cookie place IS this?  Ha ha.

Alright, on with the pre-show routine....