Sweden 2010, Day 20

Ah….. it felt good to wake up in a warm room alone. But I’ll admit, I sort of missed the chorus of snores which have started my last many mornings on tour.

I padded downstairs. Deanne and Bertil have already left for work, but they started the coffee for me, and I helped myself to some of Bertil’s home-made bread and cheese for breakfast. My clothes were still not dry from yesterday, so as the dryer twirled and hummed, I sat down to blog and pet their cats, and started thinking about home.

I decided to make a random list of the things I miss about home, so I will feel better about leaving Hammerdal.

Rubios. A Cabo Plate drenched in about a gallon of their salsa picante. The food over here is generally bland compared to what I am used to.

Starbucks Coffee. Hell I don’t even like Starbuck’s, but going for weeks without the comforting and familiar presence of a Starbuck’s on every corner has upset my equilibrium a bit.

7-11. My usual stop before work every morning for coffee, lotto, and conversation with the owners.

Work. Crazy, huh? I miss June and Bill and Dan and Janie, and Pepper has left for college now. I really enjoy the work I do for them and am eager to dive back in.

West of 5. My cover band. It’s fun playing music with them, and we have a gig coming up the Sunday after I return. I have to hurry up and get my head adjusted back into that game. They are also wonderful friends and I can’t wait to get caught up with them!

My FRIENDS!! Oh my god I really miss my best friends Jackson and Yuki, Jeff and Cindy, Jesus, Roby and the folks at church, my darling Greg, and all the other awesome people in my life back home.

My cats. My little furry bundles of love. I hope you had a good time hanging with the Jacksons and their menagerie, but not so much that you don’t want to come back home with me!

Warmth. It is so cold here already, at least to me. But I know after 3 days at home, I’ll be bitching about the heat and wishing I was freezing my ass off back here.

My car. I have not driven a car for weeks. I miss being behind the wheel, driving to a gig or to work on Del Dios highway, windows rolled down, stereo cranked.


Hm. I just realized that in my rush to leave for Sweden, I neglected to stock my freezer with food for my return. Damn. Gonna have to grocery shop as soon as I pick up my car from the Jackson’s. Crap.

My flight lands Tuesday night around 6pm, and I have to be at work first thing Wednesday morning. Then I have to pick up my cats. Then I have to rush to a gig Wednesday evening at North Bar.

Can’t real life just wait one more day to start asserting its dominance? Please?

Timo came by to pick me up and take me to Strömsund to visit one last time with his grandparents. I also got to meet his aunt’s awesome husband, whose house I stayed in for a couple of days when I first arrived in central Sweden. I am really going to miss them.

We came back to Timo’s mom’s house, and Johan and Mikaela came by to hang out. I had some trouble checking in to my SAS flight home for tomorrow and had to run back and forth to the computer from the dinner table. They made moose stew. Bertil killed it himself. Pretty cool.

We left for the airport around 5:15. On the drive there, it seemed to me that the sky here in the North is a lot closer to the ground than at home. Does that make sense to you? It just seems to hug the earth more tightly, like the ground has reached up and drawn it in, clinging to the warmth. The clouds were many-layered… thin icy veils at high altitude that sparkled with opalescence when the sun shone though… large long clouds like vanilla custard resided mid-sky, and puffy grayish marshmallow clouds hung like bulky chandeliers, tinkling big drops of rain every few minutes as though to remind both earth and sky who has the REAL power here. A bit of rainbow dropped to the earth and stood there for awhile before fading from the brightness of the sun. I do not want to leave here. The sky alone is reason to stay, not to mention the family I have acquired here. I am cursed with wanderlust, but this is one of only a few places that have captured my heart and wanted to keep it.

Timo, Johan, and Mikaela came into the airport with me, and we said our goodbyes… until next time. I cried like a baby. I am going to miss them so much…. So much….

I landed in Stockholm and my friend Klas picked me up. He had booked a hotel for me in Barkarby, near his home, about 20 minutes from the airport. He showed me his apartment which he is remodeling… the tiles look amazing! I am sad that I did not get to meet his wife though… she was very tired and still traveling home from work. We went to Max because I was suddenly hungry, and I ate and we talked for about an hour. He took me back to my hotel, and played me a couple of tunes from his band. They’re pretty good, and should have a singer soon. Another good friend I have made!

So here I sit, my last night in Sweden, until the next tour. It looks as though this might happen as soon as April or May next year. We are working with a very competent booking agent now, so gigs should be much better, like most of our gigs this year were. Plus, Mr. Black might be ready around that time to release our CD and video. Maybe 2011 will finally be the year I make something of myself in music… after so many years, it’s about time.

I am going to bed with a heavy heart, but will wake up eager to resume my life in San Diego. I will see all of you at home very soon; and I’ll be back here before you know.

Love to all!