Sault Ste Marie pt. I

People in Sault Ste Marie are awesome.

I eat mandarin oranges from a container with my fingers.

A scientist tells me that he holds musicians in the highest esteem.

A stranger asks me how Thor is working out.

I watch a guy who bought our CD get beat up by a group of thugs outside our tour bus.

I am treated to the great company of the bar staff at Coch's.

I am tired, drunk and on my way to bed.

Is this the road?

Maybe Marathon will provide some answers.

g.

Sault Ste Marie pt. I

Piktias. Embark

The tour has begun.

r.

Piktias. Embark

Coch's

Rob and I are holed up in our room above the venue we are playing tonight. It is nice to be out of Thor. He is quite possibly one of the bumpiest rides ever. Trying to open a piece of fruit leather is a major task. Paul was slammed into the bottom of my bunk when we hit a particularly large bump. I was about to suggest that he apply with resume as a theme ride for Canada's Wonderland, but then I realized that I was making a suggestion to a bus... sleep deprivation will do that to one.

Emeri and Paul have run out to get supplies for some minor repairs/alterations. My bunk is directly below the air conditioner. It was leaking on the way here, but a quick pit stop and a bit of elbow grease from Paul had it fixed in no time. Water is relentless, but unfortunately for water, so is Paul.

g.

Coch's

Wawa ?

Today we learned that we will be leaving 2 days earlier than we thought. The race is on. 6 days and insanity. Things seem to be giving way to the inertia of productivity though.. and I am not questioning it. There is too much other stuff to do, to be wasting time on thinking about 'why' things are getting done. They just are. Close your eyes and grip the handle bars... see you in Wawa.

r.

P.S. All Hail the God of Thunder. We have wicked silk-screened 'iron on' patches. They are so boss I want them all for myself. Yes I am an ego-maniac. Yes I have an affinity with Owls.

P.P.S. Schmitty is the man

P.P.P.S. Greg's pedal board is 12,000kg and not rated for use on 400 series highways.

Wawa ?

Tour Rehearsals

Tour rehearsals well under way. New songs are making headway. Haven't been this productive in a while. 8 days and counting.

Off to purgatory.

g.

Tour Rehearsals

Not a clean glass in the house

Boathouse Saturday night was awesome. What a great note to leave the hometown on. Shared the stage with our good friends in The Free Press. We're on the same page as those guys. It's good to connect with people like that.

Afterwards we headed back to Paul's house and had some beers and laughs too. Great night.

Check out our new buttons! Emeri is a design master guru.

g.

Not a clean glass in the house

Bat-THUMB!

Things are coming along nicely in bus-land. Tonight Thor will take his maiden voyage. SURE!... The Boathouse 'is' just around the corner, but you have to start small and think big. Perhaps not think at all. Who knows? Not I.

Come and see The Free Press...... you will not regret it. Buy their CD. Buy them beer. Make them feel at home.

r.

P.S. Paul is: Spruce Wayne

Bat-THUMB!

Gettin' Schmitt-faced

As Greg explained. We have been hanging with our good friend 'Schmitty', from the transcendental hours of 8 and 9am. He is a master... Thor is transforming. I can hear the primal roar of his inner bus being unleashed..... until his battery is dead and we can't get him to start again... and we end up having to get the neighbor to help us push him back in the driveway after a failed jump start, leaving hand prints all over the back.

yes. we are cool

r.
Notice the florescent orange goodness that is Cheese Whiz. Nothing gets done without it.

Schmitty routes and bevels. Paul steadies board. Thor waits patiently.

Propane powered truck. Hells yeah. Yes it is from GTA. And, no you can't touch it.

The foundation for what will become the gear box. Guitars and amps and other shiznit.
Schmitty takes in the specs. Notice as Paul looks on with shear amazement.

The Office. T-shirt design studio / Email launchpad.

Hand prints and embarrassment.
More Handprints.
Stupid F-ing Battery.

Gettin' Schmitt-faced

Bus Building

Sleep is an asset. We've all been getting up at 9am, helping Schmitty with the bus, going home for an afternoon nap, then heading to purgatory for midnight rehearsals. Long days and nights yield results. Schmitty says cut wood, we say how long.

The Master at Work

Thor's Control Panel

Rob's got some cool pictures of construction. He'll post them shortly.

g.

Bus Building