DAY ONE: DEPART FOR BRUSSELS AIRPORT
Honestly after the past few days I got to thinking that a part of me, when I set up these "space tours", I just want my Pop to be proud of what I am doing. So Pop, thanks for all the support and rootin for me.
What can I say, got zero sleep. Me and Deb worked hard to get me packed, needed a new bag, the one I had wasn't cuttin it. After that was done I started to burn the DVDs for the show.
While they were burning, we worked on securing the tour budget. After all was done it was time for bed-3AM!
Slept for 3 hours, we got up, Deb got dressed and got munchkin up. After her teeth got brushed, I thought it would be smart to do a quick view of the burned discs and she could see em.
All waas correct and the files were in the proper order but for some reason the file I imported for one film on the disc was speeded up from 4 min to 30 sec! Mac weirdness and right down to the last moment. We have to leave to catch the flight.
Deb leaves to fuel up and drop off Sofie at daycare to save time while I manually re-import from the source mini-dv. After importing and moving the clip-boom-speeded up, whole file is there, just sped up. I view the tape-it is in real time, proper speed. Perplexed, I give up and opt to change the line up of the films and reburn-this process ate up so much time that we had to abandon this while buring because I now have one hour to catch my flight, but still have a 30 min. commute to the airport.
Zooom! Deb drives expertly, navagating through traffic opstacles with efficiency and lightning reflexes. She gets me to the airport with 30 min to spare. I kiss her and off I go into the terminal struggling to juggle my gear-huge koto in 4 ft box and heavy backpack and wheeled luggage.
I am greeted to the largest line to check in and get the boarding pass-I realize I will never make this flight. I get throught the line 2 min after they close the gate-no matter the homeland security checkpoint would have made catching the flight impossible.
No matter, we bump to another flight on standby recheck the luggage and prey for an assigned seat at the gate. My eyes burn, the coffee high has pumped lactic acid into my joints, chest aches from trying to support the backpack and not breathing much and the anxiety of this trip I am about to embark on is getting alittle touch to balance-add sleep deprivation and some tough news from the privious day, I am wondering how I am gonna get my sh*t together.
It works out-I get a seat assignment and board after 1 hour in homeland security.
I get on the plane and after we take off I am treated to the rock bottom of coping facilties-I am so strung out, my brain and body are duking it out-both really want to shut down but neither knows what to do so a crippling infusion of anxiety and dizziness begins.
After 6 of 7 unpleasant waves of this sensation, I look out to the clouds and a distant horizon, smile to myself and cool out jack!
I couldn't even eat with that nightmare going, so after the doom subsided it was A-OK.
I even slept alittle through the subtle turbulant trek to Newark.