| Caroline and I got sandwiches at Molinari at about 2 PM
|
| The tables were so full, both there and The Trieste
|
| So we took the cab back to my place to eat there
|
| I hadn’t yet packed for my tour
|
| And showed her various suit jacket and pants combinations I was considering
|
| bringing
|
| I wanted to bring my old eel-skinned shoes
|
| But wanted to make sure they looked okay with whatever suit I brought
|
| The shoes could be ten years old and theyŕe very worn
|
| Contrasting too much with my newr clothes
|
| But she said they lookd fine with everything I was trying on
|
| And that I wasn’t going anywhere that I needed to appear too flashy
|
| I’m leaving tomorrow for Vancouver to play various Canadian and US shows until
|
| the end of September
|
| Mostly secondary markets
|
| I’ve never been too concerned about my appearance in the past
|
| But at 52, I don’t want to look too dopey
|
| Jeans were cool up until I was about 49
|
| But when I turned 50, it was time to show up on stage looking like a grownup
|
| From my place, we walked to Aquatic Park Pier through the Marina and back
|
| We got groceries and then she went home and I came back here
|
| Where I’m waiting for her to come over for dinner
|
| It’s been so warm that I’ve got candles burning to kill off the mosquitoes and
|
| flies that have been swarming around
|
| I’m 50% packed
|
| My flight isn’t until 5 PM tomorrow
|
| So the rest of the packing can wait
|
| I’m bringing Black Spring by Henry Miller
|
| I’m maybe 100 pages into it so far and it’s like reading a long dream
|
| Caroline’s on her way over and I’m gonna scrub the bathtub before she gets here
|
| I’m at the Sandman Hotel in Vancouver
|
| Before I left for tour yesterday, I ran errands with Caroline
|
| Then we came back to my apartment
|
| She sat on my couch and I laid my head down on her lap
|
| I was holding her so tight, saying, over and over, «I don’t want to go»
|
| My nerves were maxing out
|
| My overall feeling was 'cause of the length of the tour
|
| 3 weeks
|
| A walk in the park for a young man, but I’m in a different place now
|
| I spent last night moving mattresses around on the floor to get away from a
|
| high-pitched tone that’s coming from somewhere in this hotel room
|
| I slept poorly, and I have a big bag under my right eye
|
| I woke up to this Email from Justin that’s a reply to one I sent him
|
| I’ll read his Email now, and then read my response back to him
|
| Mark
|
| Very sorry for such a slow reply. |
| I was actually in the US for three shows in
|
| New York, then a fest in Providence of all places. |
| I was only back home a day,
|
| then Berlin, then straight into a 50th birthday party, which I didn’t really
|
| want, but thought I better tick the box. |
| I’m still jetlagged and so, so tired,
|
| and I’m only catching up with Emails from the last week now. |
| Anyway,
|
| great to hear from you, and nice that you basically took the summer off for
|
| resting and just enjoying. |
| I’ve not felt so tired in my life as I have this
|
| last year. |
| I’ve done a lot of shows, but being 50 is a new level of tiredness,
|
| I’ve found, which has been confirmed by others around me who are 50+.
|
| Maybe you’ve found the same thing, but man, it’s heavy. |
| I’m gonna check out
|
| Petra Harden since I’ve heard good things. |
| I’d love to hear your collab with
|
| her. |
| No worries with accounting, whenever you can. |
| Yeah, the Grant Hart tribute,
|
| happy to hear Patti Smith is contributing. |
| Looking forward to finishing this
|
| new Jesu album which has taken over a year so far. |
| It’s taken that long, though,
|
| due to working on it intermittently during so many other things and shows.
|
| I’ll have other music to send you; |
| maybe a good bit in 2020. I’ll have music
|
| that’s appropriate again, eventually, I hope. |
| It would be a great and nice
|
| surprise for people, for us to have a collab record out there again.
|
| Anyways, back to catching up on Emails, and catching up on sleep
|
| My best to you and the family, thank you
|
| Justin
|
| Justin
|
| I’m just beginning a tour in Vancouver that’s gonna be three weeks long.
|
| It’s funny, what you said about being 50, because somebody asked me recently,
|
| 'When does the real fatigue, the real aches and pains set in?' |
| Without
|
| hesitation, I said, «50.» |
| I was in Australia and New Zealand this past May and
|
| June and I thought, 'Who knows?' |
| Nevermind post-tour depression anymore,
|
| now there’s, 'That-might-be-my-last-tour-ever depression'. |
| I get mysterious
|
| aches and pains out of nowhere. |
| Overall, everything has become harder to do,
|
| and more tiring. |
| I did a lot of thinking over the summer, and I’m thinking
|
| about semi-retiring from the live part of this business. |
| Not 100% sure on that,
|
| but touring’s becoming harder work, and I fetl confident that this way of life
|
| could be the end of me if I did too much of it. |
| That’s great that you’re out
|
| there playing. |
| Treat yourself to some well-deserved rest and I’ll do the same
|
| at the end of this month
|
| Happy 50th
|
| Mark |