Week #9 Homecoming:Share the love

I had 3 shows in Minnesota last weekend.  Three, four hour shows.  Three, four hour shows in 80 to 90 degree weather with high humidity.  There was sweating.

There was also exhaustion that I hadn’t noticed before but became real for me over the last few days.  I’m like a puppy that plays and plays, not realizing when it’s exhausted.  After a 6 hour drive to MN followed by a 4 hour show (which included a one hour set-up and tear-down) I did finally realize my exhaustion but not before Sunday morning when I still had one more show to play that afternoon.

Booking these shows back in December 2017 didn’t seem like such a big deal at the time. Oh, what a difference a day makes. (and a hysterectomy… and 3 chemo treatments…)

So, I’d like to take a moment to thank everyone who came out to the shows last weekend.  To my audience - your energy helped keep me energized.  To the musicians who showed up to lend a hand (and a voice) I cannot begin to tell you what a relief it was to know that I didn’t have to carry the whole show the whole time; Adam, Ann and Elizabeth – THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!! THANK YOU!!!

These last couple weeks have been a little rough.  The muscle ache has become more prevalent and seems, to one degree or another, to be a constant companion.  I’ve also started to notice a numbness in my feet.  My hands have faired better but there’s still some achy-ness that I’m doing my best to assuage with finger exercises.  The Wife and I did some googling and discovered a technique that involves using ice packs on the hands feet that suggests it could be beneficial during treatment.  The cold constricts the veins in my hands and feet to keep the chemo out of those areas which, in turn, decreases the chance of neuropathy.

You can understand why I’d like to avoid this particular side-effect, yeh?

As exhausted as I was last weekend it was also a big boost to my emotional health.  Playing shows in MN for the people that shaped my career and spending time with people who shaped who I am.  There is so much I am grateful for and you people are a big part of that.