National Peach Cobbler Day

Julie Slick, a/k/a Peach Cobbler Woman, on stage in St. Petersburg

The late Kengineer would've called our night in St. Petersburg "the great big rock show". I used to love when he'd say that and I get misty eyed when I think about him coming up to me after all was said and done. Touring without Ken is very strange; I can only imagine how Adrian feels. Luckily, John has done such a fantastic job so the incredible heartache of losing Ken is a bit easier to swallow.

Anyway, we left the old-timey Holiday Inn in the morning to travel to our last show of the summer tour that seemingly lasted forever. Our "Genie" was correct this time and took us with the right directions (albeit the drive was mostly rural which always scares the crap out of us). As we were driving a huge black storm formed above us and a serious torrential downpour started. I honestly thought we were caught in a hurricane or some sort of natural disaster. It was surreal, and I felt like the landscapes around us were merely gigantic Dali paintings. I don't think I've ever seen a rainstorm look quite like that. And then, all of a sudden, it was over. I soon realized that Florida is JUST like that, and heavy rain is just a part of the way it is down there.

After that scary incident we continued to drive along these non-highway roads when Julie unexpectedly shouts, "Oh my god! Fresh Georgia Peaches!" The loud gutteral groan that went on in my head (if amplified) would have shook the universe. I knew what was coming, and I don't think anybody else did. Julie had been craving peaches ever since we were in Atlanta and would NOT SHUT UP about them. My mom didn't know this, so she went along with the plan. Don't get me wrong, I love Julie a lot. When she gets wrapped up in this food obsession, it could drive a sane man beserk. I guess by now I'm used to it!

From that point forward, that portion of the day is pretty much blocked off in my head except for the whole supermarket encounter. Julie decided to take these roadside peaches that she purchased and turn it into a full-blown Peach Cobbler. We needed to find a supermarket in Lake Worth and "Genie" was not helping us at all. Our last resort was finding a Publix supermarket and of course we all got nervous when "Genie" took us to a Public Storage! Funny enough, the Publix was right behind it. All I remember is holding my head in the car and just laughing with Adrian about the whole situation. Julie eventually made the best Peach Cobbler we ever ate and I was incredibly grateful.

Actually, if you want the whole sordid story of just what we went through as concerns National Peach Cobbler Day, let me refer you to my mom's blog. She pretty much wrote about every gory detail, including the part about me hyperventilating in the backseat of Ade's (rented) jeep.

Our venue that night was fantastic: The Bamboo Room in Lake Worth, Florida. We had our last lunch together at a sports bar and then stayed at the hotel for awhile. Our hotel was crazy...they were more like apartments than hotel rooms. The backstage area was in a bizarre place, but I enjoy variety. The crowd was great and we started our show by walking through the crowd! Just try and imagine that. Thanks to everyone who helped to make that show a success.

The show that night was fun but bittersweet. I wasn't really ready to come home anytime soon. It's amazing on the road, how 10 days can sometimes feel like 10 years. Sometimes it's the complete opposite. Frank Zappa once said, "Touring can drive you crazy." I don't think this is necessarily true. You have to be a little insane already to tour.