Well it's been a while...sorry about that! I left my laptop in Boston while we went up to Vermont for the week. Despite horror stories of road conditions and outrageous estimates of how long it would take us to get up there, we managed to not get too far out of the way and have a manageable drive up north to Rutland.
That being said, the remnants of the not-too-distant Hurricane Irene were very apparent as we made our way up off of the interstate through the back roads. The town of Springfield had its iconic river rushing right up next to a warehouse, and the bridge that used to cross it was destroyed. Newly created floodplains and trees downed by the fury of the hurricane made for quite the landscape. The area of Rutland we played in seemed okay, but from what we were told, it was lucky. Other areas were completely cut off, and the effects of the storm on the state fair's attendance at the fair were blatantly obvious. Still, Saturday night we played a good set to a sparse, but enthusiastic, crowd. A lot of the people came up to us after and bought CDs and filled us in on the weather situation. One guy said we sounded a lot like Poco, which made my week, and prompted everyone else in the band to ask, "Who's Poco?"
The rest of the week we played at CJ's Sud's South. These people really know how to party, and gave us a great week up there. Thanks to everyone who came out, talked to us, and made us feel right at home. I ran into an old friend of mine from cruise ships up there; her mom was an act at the fair, just like us. Small world. We're looking forward to getting back up there and doing it all again, Rutland-style.
There are some fantastic restaurants in Rutland as well. In addition to a great farmer's market (ironically in the Wal-Mart parking lot), there are some great delis...most notably Clem's, which has the most ridiculously enormous wraps you'll ever get, and the Yellow Deli, which has great sandwiches and probably the best veggie burger you'll ever eat (and if you plan on spending any time in Vermont, you're gonna need to get used to Veggie burgers). There's also Gill's deli, which has been there for like a thousand years, and a bunch of great pizza places.
We're in New York a few times this week. On that note, with today being the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, I feel like it's appropriate to take a little time to reflect on 10 years ago, and how we've all changed since the attacks.
10 years ago, today, I was in my first period class as a freshman at North Springs High School. It was English, with Ms. Cloud. Lily Arfa, Laura Gilmore, and Evan Neal are the 3 names I can think of off the top of my head that were in that class with me. Someone knocked on the door, and whispered something into Ms. Cloud's ear, and my teacher, somewhat shocked, said, "Guys, the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have both been bombed by terrorists." I think the second tower had either just fallen or was right about to fall. Looking back now, she was probably my age at the time...I can't imagine processing that, and telling 20 14 year olds what had just happened. The rest of the day was kind of a blur...only my French teacher made us do work, and my crew team practice was cancelled for the afternoon.
Living through it in Atlanta was kind of weird. You may have known somebody who knew somebody who knew somebody who was in one of the towers, Pentagon, or planes, but watching it unfold over the next few days, weeks, and years was almost like watching a drama on TV. Not that I didn't feel affected, but I hadn't even been to Manhattan before. Yet that event set the tone on politics and national attitude that still stands in effect today. The skies were quiet over the next few days, and 25 miles down the road from my house, officials at Hartsfield airport (in 2001, it wasn't Hartsfield-Jackson yet) scrambled to find a place to put everyone stranded in what was at the time the world's busiest airport. I remember my orthodontist was stuck in California, so I couldn't get my braces removed. Which for a freshman in high school is a big deal.
For me, personally, coming of age creatively during that time saw its effects from the attacks in many ways. My hero, Bruce Springsteen, released his first studio album in my lifetime, and I listened to the whole thing front to back. The Rising tour was the first time I went to a Springsteen concert hanging on every single word. My political opinions, which will stay far away from this blog, were shaped and affected, encouraged and frustrated with reactions to the world which was changing from the effects of the attacks. Like everyone at that age, I thought I knew everything. In a world where everything related to national news could easily be related to 9/11, I was growing up.
Since then I've graduated high school and college, moved away from home, moved away from where I moved to, had my first job, had what I thought were several dream jobs, been in and out of relationships, and have traveled all over the world. I've seen the Pyramids, Jerusalem, Alaska, Hawaii, been to 48 out of our 50 states, and had extreme highs and extreme lows. I have walked the very deserts that became emblazoned into our minds once the attacks took the public perception of the Middle East to an entirely different level. If you had told me 10 years ago that in 10 years, I'd be a professional musician, I would have looked you in the eye and said, "you're damn right I will be."
That seems like enough for now. Remember 9/11 in your own way...and of course I speak for the band when I say our thoughts and prayers go out especially to those who were affected, and whose memorials may be a little harder to go through than others.
On a lighter note, football has started. Go Falcons.
