"Lock the shutters,
and pull down the shades.
Hide the cat food,
and warn the maids(!).
The tyres are pumped,
the tank is full.
We're cranking the motor,...
and turning the wool!"

It's been...a while.
A 'while' can bring about many changes.
The only thing of certainty, amongst the living, is change.
It's the 'litmus-test', of Life.

We split our Show, in two.
For the time being, I can only lift 20 lbs.. : (
.....a case of beer. : )

The 'Lady of Love' does what she does best,..
https://ibb.co/GPQsN34

I'm stuck with myself.....
https://ibb.co/vYwCZhB

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . .

We've been out the past 12 days.
What a start(!).
10 o'clock, Sunday evening,...empty streets...
shakey nerves,.
..a full moon. : )

Rolling out of towne, our neighbor, Petra, waved "Goodbye".
https://ibb.co/Kw73GYM

....2 minutes later, she sms'd:
"Something sounds like it's rubbing. Check tyres."

[Petra's the kind who, before buying a car; kicks the tyres,..
then proclaims: "Good car."]

...but the sms was enough to spook Monika.

"I think I hear something, as well!"

Our 63 year old truck is louder then an elephant fart in a library(!).

"I think I SMELL(!) something!"

I stopped,...10 miles out.

"The space-shuttle is functional 'Schatzi'."

Hopped back in,...heading west,..into the sleeping sun,..
...Hamburg in the cross-threads.

To calm the nerves, I cracked a bag of *Viniger and Pepper* potatoe chips,.. : )
and a popped a bottle of cherry cola. : ))
....formulating the worst case of heart-burn(!..!) man-kind has EVER known!

I stopped,...30 miles from home,
and...COMMANDED(!) Monika,
to go back to the waggon,..and grab me some Parmazano cheese.
She showed mercy,...for my stupidity.

While sitting in the front, of the truck...
I,..(!) smelt the smell,...?
of something,...
burning!

I walked to the back of the waggon,..
and saw the double rear tyres,.....melting. : (
....thanks Petra.
https://ibb.co/TLzTvhD
[that's a foto of an old truck, with two flat tyres,...full moon in the middle!]

https://ibb.co/718knCL
https://ibb.co/p3Bzr64

First night...out.
https://ibb.co/YjTr3RN
Popcorn, by candle-light.

. . . . . . . * . . . . . . . ! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ö . . . . . . . . . . .

First day out...
https://ibb.co/L0zDp4j

....'ebay tyres'.... https://ibb.co/yyp3CSG

Trying to 'look'...happy.... https://ibb.co/KKdp3R5

. . . . . . . * . . . . . . . . . ß . . . . . . . . . . .

Tenth day out..
I was feeling kind of....perky(!), after nabbing the front page,
of the *Bergedorfer Nachrichten*. : )
https://ibb.co/z5G4RDC

I sat down to slurp a red wine, with Monika.
She slipped *Der Lauenburgische Landeszeitung* under my nose.
They gave her...A WHOLE PAGE !...!
https://ibb.co/m8Kht47
https://ibb.co/wr5DzG8
...i sank in my stool,..chumped on some soggy pretzels,
..and gargled my wine.

....a whole page!

She's rolling.

I'm tollin'...

But IT'S GREAT BEING 'out' AGAIN!

"Lock the shutters,
and pull down the shades!"

Wishing the world,..but mostly my friends(!),
warm thoughts at night,..
and smiling 'strangers', in the day.
(Happy) Gallagher : )

....a whole page......!

Awesome stuff. Enjoy the work.

James

Keep it coming!

So good to hear your out doing what you do best. Keep going and stay awesome!

Thanks for reading(!),
and saying: "Hi."
I really appreciate it.

'Mediocre Gatsby' (!), what a COOL name!
Thanks for the encouragment.
['So we beat on, boats against the current,...' : )
..always loved that line.]

Magic Mark. Thanks buddy,...we're planning on it.
But 'plans',....ALWAYS seem to show me:
I've not much...in control. : (
Forwards. : )

Gerneral Custard(!..!), it's great to know YOU'RE still up and about(!),
...selling bananas!
Thanks for 'back pat'!

The adrenilin,..and excitment, of the first few weeks...settled.
(the tyres are still UP!)

In the past, working with 'a partner', in a Show,
... one of us was always...'on'.
...charging the other.
Playing 'solo',...when I get...'lo',
I've to motivate myself.
...drag. ...drag. ...drag.

The physical wear is here, but I know a...'daily do it', solves this.
With a 'clear head', stamina builds.

The 'clear head',...the concentration(!); IS,
in the moment', the slippery board.

40 minutes of....*bzzzzzzzz*, pushes my limits.
The intensity, of making it all seem,....'easy',.....*zzzz*.
The intensity,..of not making mistakes..... : (
Getting it up,...for three Shows...
MAINTAINING 'it', thru ONE Show(!..!)..
slip,...slip,..slip.

When I'm 'lo',..I force myself to go 'slo'.
Slightly smaller Shows.
Slightly smaller Pitches.
Slightly slower tempo.
This 'slightly' makes things a bit,...'lightly', for me.

I've also begun thinking out new material.
Longevity is definativly based on 'fresh blood'.

An ear to the Audience(!)...ALWAYS helps!
Yesterday, I heard the funniest...
A guy came up, after a song:
"When I heard you STARTING that song, it sounded SÖ good!,..
I wasn't going to give you a cent!
I thought it was play-back.
Then I heard you FINISH the song,..it was so bad!
...I can't give you a cent."

hmmmm....?
: )

Wishing folks well,
..and a penny for their wishes.
gallagher

I have a bag of pennies here for you if you and Monika want to come and collect them. Glad to hear you are back on the road even if it means a new way of doing things.