Thursday March 21 2024

Awakening officially on the tour bus around 9 a.m. at a Love’s Truck Stop.

 

Gorging down a Bojangle’s egg biscuit and Tea.

 

After getting into Gainesville, Florida awaiting Antwan’s plane arrival, we decide to remedy the rumbling noise the bus is having. Dropping by a shop that can do a quick turnaround job repairing a u-bolt on the drive shaft. Meanwhile, a few of us take a 20 minute walk up the street through car dealership land. Eating some grub and coffee at a local diner called The Clock, a homey place with all kinds of clocks on the wall believe it or not.

 

 

At some point, we pay the mechanic and now we’re off to the Reilly Arts Center in Ocala!

 

Even though we arrive a little late we still manage to get everything set up and stay on schedule.

 

Lunch and dinner hospitality is on point.

 

Just outside I take a little break and go on a stroll around the park – kids playing pickup basketball and running around the playground – Mallard ducks and cranes living their best life in the lake – I try to take a moment and think on things. I’ve been sad lately and feeling deprived of things in my life. Firstly, I’m lovesick if I’m gonna be honest. I miss the dynamic Rebecca and I used to have, the romantic one. I don’t know where we’re at but I do know she’s still got her wall up. But I can tell she still cares about me and is interested in maintaining some kind of close friendship.

 

 

Time to get on stage and play the show – it’s basically a full house – second time performing here. A few flubs here and there but we elicit a great response!

 

 

Packing up and loading out – for some reason we’re not getting immediate help from the venue guys. That kind of slows us down but we manage.

 

Carlos drives us to the hotel in Lakeland (Baymont by Wyndham). This place turns out to be completely under renovation. Walking through the halls carpentry stuff is everywhere. Not what I expected when I booked the rooms here.

 

Rebecca and I get settled in – I’m feeling weird and emotional about her lately cause she has absolutely put up a big romantic wall. I start a dialogue with her about it as we sit on separate beds. There’s a lot of resentment that built up at the end of last year that really put a damper on things, mostly caused by me and my whole getting-over-past-relationship things. We shed a few tears talking about it. Our friendship is well established and already has a good foundation, something I don’t think will ever dissipate. But I’m terribly lovesick over her to be honest. I just have a lot of feelings about it.

“But my heart is so pure right now!”

“I wish I could have another chance.”

“I just can’t right now,” she says.

We leave off on a good note though and with some understanding I suppose.