Re-assimilating

It's been really hard to settle back into a routine since I've been home. I was all excited to be in one place, waking up in the same bed, that I just sort of assumed I'd be able to get back on a schedule. But I've been working a lot, and not sleeping much.

I did feel a little better today, because Samantha forced me to drink a nasty warm maple syrup tea with lots of spicy cayenne pepper and lemon. Disgusting, but just as she said, it picked me right up and took away my congestion. Good thing, too, cause we had a lot to get done today.

We spent the day shooting some host segments for the TV show. We'll be going live with our very first episode at South By Southwest next month, so we've got a limited time to create and edit the pre-taped segments.

I have a nice yard in the back of my house that doubles as a park, an alley, a zen garden, an orchard and a patio. It will be heavily featured.

Tonight, I spent several hours editing interview footage we shot last August of Inara George (The Bird and the Bee) and Mike Andrews (Donnie Darko), at the Bessie Smith tribute. Good stuff, and you'll see it soon.

But right now, I'm exhausted. I need to rest up for my bright and early appointment with the doctor.

12:09 pm

Waking up. I couldn't sleep again, partially cause I was thinking about all the stuff on the bus I have to pack, and partially because I couldn't breathe. I took a decongestant and some Melatonin (medicate!) and eventually fell into sleep some time after 7am.

Now I'm just barely awake, and somehow my muscle aches are even worse.

Oh well. Lots going on today. The world won't stop for my flu! Now I just have to convince my body to roll out of bed.

In the King's Thrall

Tonight's show in Jacksonville was a hard one. We were all very tired and I was having trouble just standing up. I've gotten extremely sick (but of course!) and I'm currently in the throes of King Fluvius!

Many of you have been asking if I'll continue blogging after the tour ends. Most definitely! I'll still be here, doing my thing. I hope you'll stay with me.

It's 4:30AM, and we've just arrived in Miami. The sun is rising, so that means it's time to get some shut eye.

But first, here's a quick pic of that sweet plaque (click on pic to enlarge):

Completely Disoriented

I can't sleep. It's 4am. I'm really tired. Yet I lay here awake. This could be because I have absolutely no concept of when and where I am.

Today was an odd one. We woke up in Houston, made the drive to San Antonio, played the show, and then made another drive to Dallas. Three cities in one day. That's a first for us on this tour, and probably a first for me in life. It's getting pretty hard to keep track of.

My Late Night Adventure

It's been pretty cool at night lately, so Samantha convinced me to start opening the windows to save money on A/C. The light breeze is nice, but the downside is I can hear cars pass the house when I'm trying to sleep, but I can usually block that out after awhile.

Tonight, I laid down in bed around 1:30am for some nice shut-eye.

That's when I heard it.

A sporadic rustling sound just outside my bedroom window. I listened from bed for a bit. Footsteps. Sounded human. Sounded like shoes. Sounded like someone trying to move quietly. I got out of bed and went to the open window. It was very clearly someone moving. But it would stop for a minute at a time, and then move again. It was coming from further back in the house, so I first made sure all the doors were locked, then went to the back porch. Very clear. But it wasn't in our alley. It was just on the other side of the ivy wall separating my house from the neighbor's. This would have been comforting, but all of their lights were out, and I know they go to bed fairly early. So someone was in their yard, moving slowly and sporadically.

I listened for almost an hour and it didn't stop. It sounded as if they were walking around the perimeter of the house. After the recent vandalism, I wasn't about to take any chances.

I dialed 911. They said they'd send an officer.

Around 2:30am - a wailing sound. Very disturbing. Like a large bird in pain.

Around 3:30 - the officer showed up. He searched the yard next door. One by one, motion lights came on. I thought, "those should have come on before if it was a human." He walked around for a few minutes and then walked up to my porch. He said he'd found nothing and not to worry.

As he was leaving I heard the loudest sound yet. It sounded like someone running.

I said, "Did you hear that? Just now?"

He said, "Yeah that was me next door."

I said, "I mean just now."

He said, "Oh. No. I'm sure it's just some small animals." He walked to the car and drove off.

Am I completely off my nut? Have I totally lost the gizzard? Am I insane?

So I'm sitting here now at 4am, writing this blog entry on my laptop, listening to the same extremely disturbing sounds, feeling slightly more secure but still a little worried. Probably it's not some psychotic knife-wielding lunatic, or even a pack of coyotes. But what is it?

I suppose it's back to bed. But I'm closing my window. I'd rather not know.

The Many Faces of Baby

Ninja Baby waits for the right moment to swing into action.

Regular Baby just swings.

Sleepy Baby also conveniently holds Mommy's purse.

Consoling the Inconsolable

One of the hardest things for me about having a baby is that every now and then, Noah's just done. Finished. Through with it all. His cry could stop traffic. Air traffic.

And in those moments, we have a few tools at our disposal:


Tummy Time! He seems to enjoy this a lot. He just looks around and tries to eat his hands.

The Mommy Shush. For some reason, he's not a big fan of the Daddy Shush.

He is a fan, however, of the Daddy Circus. Mommy does it too. It involves dancing like a crazy person till you're tired and your back hurts. Occasionally, it also involves bouncing on a big red ball.

I'm not kidding.

Thank God for the Baby Bjorn. Sometimes it's the only thing that will quiet him. And he almost always falls right to sleep in it. However, the aforementioned back hurtage can be an issue here as well.

When we get really desperate, music always works.

He's lying on Brahms.

Another small miracle is the Womb Bear. It makes womb sounds, and has a handy volume control. Babies love it...though it freaks most adults out.

This is the goal. Some nights it takes a lot more work than others.

The Sleep Gallery