Tour Diary part 6.5 & 7

I'm in North Carolina.

I think.

I'm pretty sure I'm in Raleigh.

I'm almost completely out of money.
I mean, really, completely.

I'm waiting on a big, big check
to come from a school in Illinois,
and then I'll be cool.

In the meantime,
I'm eating vegetarian food,
with my last dollars,
and I got my oil changed,
with my last debit card funds.

I think there's some change
in one of my guitar cases,
I always hear it rattling.

I'll put that in the gas tank.

Sorry I've been a bit quiet,
I was in New York for too long.

That city makes me a little
depressed and excited at
the same time.

It's hard to describe,
but it's almost like
going to bed with a girl
who is way too hot for you.

It's awesome,
and you can't
believe you're in
the presence of such awesomeness,
but at the same time,
it's gonna be hard to
forget that she's much hotter than you.

that didn't make much sense.

Neither did my experiences
in New York.

I did some serious soul searching,
and in twenty minutes in a bed
in Astoria, Queens, I figured out
my whole life.

At least my love life.

I got my car broken into in Philadelphia.
After a show that I didn't get paid for.

They broke in to the trunk,
or I left it unlocked, I can't tell.

They went through everything.
I had my guitars, my amp,
my CDs, mics, cables, shirts,
stands, everything...

and one little black box
with $230 cash in it.

I know, that was very stupid
to leave a little black box with cash in it.

But it was locked inside another
black box. And it was money
set aside to kick up to the
man back at the record label.

It's not really a record label,
but it kind of is, and it makes
me feel cooler to say that, okay?

So.

All the robbers took was the little black box.

And maybe my black hat,
which sucks, because I loved
that hat and now I can't find it.

So, I lost $230,
and then I spent
all my money going
on dates with my girlfriend
from high school in New York City.

We slept on a roof under
a blanket under the stars
with the skyline of Manhattan
behind us.

I'm serious.

It was pretty intense.

I don't know if you've
ever revisited a love
from a long time ago,
when the rest of you
personal life is a mess,
but it's both the most
wonderful and heart wrenching
thing imaginable.

My life was so easy and simple
back then.

I was eighteen, and in love,
and having the best sex of my
life.

How was I supposed to know?

Anyway.

I'm trying to keep my head
on straight, and its good to
get out of that fucking city.

That place can really eat you alive.

Tonight I have my first
ever gig in the South.

The people here are friendly,
and the talk slow, and when the
speed limit says 70,
they drive 68.

wish me luck.

-p

PS
If you would like to buy a gallon
of gas for me, I've added
a little thing below.
I'm going by North Carolina prices,
$2.79 a gallon.
You can buy a few or just one,
it'll be fun....