Dave Rat - Roadies in the Midst

Ooooooh! Life moves in waves, building building and splash as all the built up energy comes to head and releases at once. All good, just mind spiraling swirls of all the adventures simultaneously demanding attention. For one thing, I am moving, bye bye place I live, how about grabbing all my stuff and placing it in an elsewhere and then placing myself there as well? Preparation, packing and all the assorted related complexities that in themselves are each fairly easy but too easy to become washed away in.

Combine that with a wonderful transitional and very important business deal that I can not yet disclose publicly but will soon. Three possible outcomes, none bad but making the right decision, timing and negotiations are all an artful balancing act that require focus and care in order to avoid stepping on a big pile of regret in the form of wishing I had followed a different path. Not to mention re-acclimation from tour's twisted sleep schedule, un-piling the tower of built up procrastination's waiting for me and trying to remember to eat food before I get too dizzy to think straight because for some strange reason, without the scurry of a rock show no signs directing me to catering, time slips by at perplexing rates. Toothpaste, nearly out of toothpaste and a haircut, aaargh I forgot to wash my car, less than a week before I head to Australia.

It will all be ok because I made a list. Or better said 'lists." Lots of lists, so many lists that I need a list of lists. As it all snow flurries around in my mind, still there is an underlying knowledge that nothing I face at the moment is heart breaking or life threatening so even bad poor decisions will not linger in memory long. So to relax my mind I will fast forward to some enjoyable memories in my past of where I will soon be

Back in 1998 I made my third trip to Australia as a favor for a good friend as a sound engineer and my first and last time ever as a drum tech, for a band named Brad (another favorite band of mine) who were opening for this other really cool artist that I had met before but did not know very well named Ben Harper. Talk about amazing magic, pure perfect and goose bumps incredible. Almost instantly I became a huge fan and the unexpected relationship formed on that far away trip still lasts to this day.

Of course it was all work and no play, but sometimes you just have to roll with the punches and keep your chin up.

As luck would have it, the following year in 1999, Australia once again appeared in the book of life I am handed that predicts my future which some people call an itinerary but this time it was the Peppers. A week long break after Japan was enough time for a bit of a holiday, so of course what else is there to do but head to the reef, the Great Barrier Reef that is. Some adventures are more memorable than others and this one did not suck.

In 2002 Chad and I returned to the GBR to dive again. Some fish are a bit more touchable

than others and then we decided to bump it up a notch and our decision to dive in tank full of sharks was awesome!

So I know not what my future holds but if the past is any indicator, there is a good chance that next week I will be headed somewhere at least a thread above boring. Now I sure hope my cell phone works there, oh, and I must remember to rent one if it doesn't, aargh, I need to do laundry and pack, even though I have yet to finish unpacking, and bring a swimsuit, and where did I put those Australia to US power adaptors?

The taking deep breaths while above water,

Dave Rat