Write It Down, Without a Sound

July 11th

Dear Journal,
I’ve been keeping my distance over the last day until I calmed down. I doubt the guys figured out what my mood was about, but they gave me space which I really appreciate. It helped me feel a lot better too. Sometimes there is only so much I can take from people being rude to me before I hit my limit. I guess I hit that the other night.

Anyway, I did my thing and calmed down. At least I had work to keep me busy. It was busy yesterday; the band had a lot of interviews, mainly ones based on the bus.

Garrett has been putting together a tour video, I think the main idea was to have a two part video but since the storm the other day everything was busy after that, so he’s been a bit late on it. In a way it was a good thing because he got more video for it. He asked me to help him and Pat with it today. Mostly figuring out what parts to put in it, should we do a photo slide with it and who had what videos to use. We didn’t finish it but I think Garrett is working on it now in the front lounge. It’s going to be awesome when it’s done.

Kennedy swindled me into a movie night, well afternoon, with him after we all packed up the gear and was waiting for bus call. It was too hot outside to do much other than visit other people’s busses, so he basically kidnapped me and let me take over the back lounge TV and watch whatever I wanted. I wasn’t really in the mood for watching a movie, but I didn’t have much else to do either. I know it was Kennedy’s idea to cheer me up and well, it worked. We ended up watching Underworld when I couldn’t decide on anything else. Apparently we’re watching a Disney movie of my choice tomorrow. Then our next movie session after that will be his choice of Pixar movie. I rather like that idea. We need to stock up on some movie treats though; Jared ate the last of the potato chips at lunch so we didn’t have anything.

I’ll buy something when we make our next stop. I hope we stop soon; I need to get a new hairbrush. Mine snapped today while getting a huge tangle out. Should probably just braid my hair into tiny plates that can last the rest of the tour then I don’t have to worry about looking after it. I’m a bit lazy with things like that sometimes.

July 12th

Dear Journal,
At last the volleyball tournament has come to a close. It’s been put off for a long time, but finally today the remaining bands managed to play and the winner was announced. The Maine sadly got knocked out first match by Cobra Starship. I wasn’t doing any scoring so I’m not exactly sure how much they lost by, it couldn’t have been too much; they were even for the most part. It was a good game though. They all were.

The grand winner was blessthefall. They bet Group Tech (a group of techs from all different bands) 21 – 30. For first prize the original idea was to present then with a gift of some kind but there had been too many ideas to pick from. So everyone who played put five dollars in a bucket and that ended up being the prize. Beau said something about getting a trophy and making this an annual thing. I like to think people would continue this; it’s been really entertaining and fun. Even for me despite the fact I only played for about ten minutes total. I got really great pictures though of all the matches. Pat thinks I should post them on the net for people to see.

Work was normal today other than that. I did the usual stuff and watched the guys backstage. I did manage to go off and watch a couple of other bands like I try to do most days if I have the time. I watched All Time Low’s set and half of Cobra Starship. I was going to check out BMTH and whoever else was playing on the third stage, but it was getting tiring being out in the hot sun.

Kennedy and I got to watch our Disney movie not long after I got back with Jarred from checking out the bands. The back lounge was empty so we took over it again like yesterday. I had a packet of Sour Worms for us to share I got from a service station break this morning. Surprisingly there wasn’t many Disney movies on the bus, Kennedy told me Pat had a few on his laptop but he was out somewhere with John. I ended up choosing Lion King. I loved that movie as a kid. Still do.

Half way thought the movie I noticed Kennedy shifting close towards me but I didn’t pay any attention. But then he did something that I really didn’t expect for him to ever do. He did the ‘yawn and rest my arm on the girls shoulder’ routine. I almost burst out laughing at the poor guy; it took everything I had not to. Really, Kennedy? Fake yawning?

I wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to do the crappy fake yawn just to wrap his arm around my shoulders because I would have let him anyway, but as funny as it was I went bright red. I found it sweet. Cliché, but sweet.

I not sure what he was really trying to accomplish with that move, he never said anything about it so neither did I. We watched the rest of the movie sitting like that. It was comfortable.

Afterwards when I went out to the kitchen area, John was watching me in a thoughtful expression. I don’t know what to think about that. Or what Kennedy did to be honest, if it really meant something.

July 13th

Dear Journal,
I am so sunburnt on my shoulders, it’s ridiculous. Painful as heck too. I’ve been lucky so far during this trip in not getting sunburnt very often. I guess my luck ran out, despite putting on heaps of sunscreen yesterday. My bra straps feel like tiny knifes slicing my skin and I can’t wear a bikini top because the back of my neck is burnt too. Safe to say I’ve spent most of my day, unless I was needed for something, in my bunk. Guard Bunny kept me company for a while.

I think I had a light case of dehydration when I woke up too, I wasn’t feeling all that crash hot for a while.

Me and Pat had a paper plane post service going tonight. We were sitting in our bunks throwing paper planes with messages to each other, mostly movie or lyric quotes. Kennedy and Garrett kept trying to sneak up and catch them. Good thing they’re musicians and not sport players, they didn’t catch a thing. It was quite funny.

We eventually had to stop as Jared was tired and wanted to go to bed. By then it was about eleven pm and I starting to tried myself. I doubt I’ll be getting much sleep tonight with the sunburn. Garrett had some aloe vera that I could use; it helped a little, a lot better than what it was before anyway. John kept commenting though the day about how awesome of a tan I will have, I don’t tan though. I go from lobster red back to ghost pale. I often get called ‘florescent light globe’ when I wear shorts. It should be embarrassing but I find it more amusing than anything.

I’m sort of rambling now. To be honest I have no idea what to write here today. So much happens every day that doesn’t end up in here, small things, big things, stuff I did or saw. It’s just so much to write and to put into words. Compared to what is really happening and what I’ve written here, what’s here makes me days sound boring, slow and uneventful, when it’s the exact opposite. Ok, well there are a lot of boring times when you end up stuck on a bus for hours on end, but they’re not- I don’t even know how to word that.

Sometimes I wonder why and how I kept up with this. Kept up with pulling this little book out almost every night or afternoon and scribble down something. The main plan was for this to help me remember things. I hope this helps in the future for that otherwise this may have been a waste of time.

July 14th

Dear Journal,
I have to keep this quick because I’m tired and about to share a tiny hotel room with three guys (wow, that sounds bad written like that). Not sure what to write really, so I’ll just make this a quick summary of sorts, just so I’ve written something for the day. I haven’t missed a day for a while so I figured I wouldn’t miss today either if I could help it.

So, I got up early because the guys had an interview via phone and there was no way of sleeping through that. I lightly cleaned the bus when my help wasn’t required with the merch tent and swept out roughly a bucket load of dirt. Seriously how can you not notice that until you start sweeping, where does it hide? At sound check and set; I played photographer and tech assistant and stuck what was left of the black tape on John’s back and ass, he didn’t notice for five hours.

I got dragged to a ‘small’ get together. If that was small I hate to see what large was. It was sort of like the usual tour parties but a lot tamer and a lot more fun, for me at least. A lot better since the last one, that was for sure. Kennedy took my hand and led me to this person, that person and every other person that he knew and didn’t think I knew yet. I met a couple before briefly. I can’t remember any of the names, so I kind of hope I don’t run into them without Kennedy around because I wouldn’t have a clue who they would be. John’s been giving us shit about the two minute hand holding moment, like he hasn’t grabbed my hand to walk me though a crowd before.

I got to talk to Jack and Zack from ATL for bit, before we had to leave for the hotel. To have a real shower is so awesome. The bed, my bed at least, is lumpy and horrible. I actually rather my bunk over it, but it’s got a lot more room to move around. So it isn’t that bad. I guess.

Someone is knocking on the bathroom door so I better get a move on and I’m about to fall asleep standing here. Good night. I’m in such a serious zombie mode right now Garrett would be impressed.