It was another interesting weekend for us.  I feel like the story would be best served within the confines of a time line.

Friday October 23, 2009

5:00 PM CT – Leave downtown Chicago for Normal, IL.

5:15 PM – Justin, aided by his Google machine, realizes that the suggested route to the highway has brutal traffic.  Being dexterous in mind and road savvy, he devises an ‘alternate’ route, sure to save us many minutes.

5:45 PM – We make it to the highway via Justin’s Alternate Route.  I didn’t save us many minutes, but in his defense it probably added many minutes to the trip.  So in the end, there was a difference of many minutes, just not in a way that was favorable to us.

8:00 PM – We start loading our equipment into Pub II, and right next to where we’re setting up is a group of gentlemen (I use the term in the most liberal of senses) playing Big Buck Hunter.  The stage (again, liberally) at Pub II is interesting in that it requires the Big Buck Hunter game to be physically move before we can start setting up.  As our equipment was already in the building, we awaited the end of their game.  Meanwhile, they are screaming, banging the ‘gun’ against the machine, behaving generally how I assume many very drunk men playing Big Buck Hunter behave.  Utter disregard for the lives of virtual deer and the welfare of actual humans in the bar.  I never had a problem with Big Buck Hunter until I had to wait, sober, for a drunk game of it to be finished.  I don’t suggest it.

Saturday October 24, 2009

1:00 AM CT – After playing all the hits and a few non-hits, we pack up and hit the road.  We decided to leave Normal and head for Joliet, since we had to be set up at 9 AM for a gig in South Bend the next morning and wanted to make some headway.

3:15 AM – Time starts getting a little hazy here.  I know we arrived in Joliet around 3 and got to bed a little while after.  To avoid another Snorgy (scroll to the bottom part of the link for definition), Michael and Seville were banished to a separate room.  Justin and I deduced that we should set the alarm for 6:15 AM to give ourselves enough time to be ready by 9 in South Bend.

6:15 AM – Not happy.

7:45 AM – Everybody wants breakfast, but it had to be fast so we stopped at McDonald’s.  We figured if we’re going to eat fast food, we may as well win a million dollars while we’re at it.  As we’re getting pulling out of the parking lot, the clock says it’s a little after 8 AM, and we have  another 20 minutes to South Bend.  We’re running late, since we can’t be set up in less than 45 minutes.  Now I’m really not happy.  This is a big event for Notre Dame, and I did not want to mess anything up.  Add in the facts that I’m cranky from 3 hours of sleep and the weather is horrible.   Things are not looking good.

8:15 AM – We remember that Indiana is in the Eastern time zone.

9:45 AM ET – Arrive onto Notre Dame’s campus in South Bend.

10:30 AM – Thankfully, everybody at Notre Dame was extremely kind and helpful and we got set up and sound checked quickly.  We are very appreciative of everyone who was there to help!

11:30 – It is ice cold.  And really wet.  Having a heck of a time playing these songs.  Thankfully, we had some troopers who stuck out the horrible weather with us.  We love you guys.  Or we luh you guys, as they’d say in Waterloo.

1:00 PM – Finish our set on the Irish Green, a gameday activity at Notre Dame.  It was in all likelyhood the best stage and sound we’ve ever had, and despite the tundra like conditions and the 2 – 3 hours of sleep we had under our belts, it was a really really good time.

Tim Stop Trio at Irish Green, trying to keep circulation.