Kusai at 33,000 feet

October 20, 2007, 6:00 pm, Tokyo time

I’m on a Quantas flight to Narita (Tokyo) watching the movie “Next” with Nicolas Cage. Finally, was able to sleep about 7 hours because of an Ambian prescription my doctor gave me for the plane flights. Never thought I would use them, but sleep can be very restless while on tour. It really seems to help. I’m trying to figure out how much sleep I had before the flight, and need to write it down because it’s crazy trying to calculate it in my head. Because of all the travel and time changes and full days working without regular sleep times or meal times, it is difficult figuring out when you last slept.

Woke up at 6:30 in Melbourne two days ago. Played Melbourne, hotel by 2:30 am, woke up at 6:00 a.m., 3 ½ hours sleep in 18, flew to Sydney, played Sydney, no sleep until the plane flight at 10:00 a.m. That means a total of 3 ½ hours of sleep in 45 ½ hours. So this flight was much needed.

BTW, after the show last night I was unable to have time for a shower, so poor Mori, the Japanese guy in the seat next to me must be thinking I’m “kusai” (stinky). (Or is it “chisai,” Kim Hall?) I may have been able to convince the band to give me 5 minutes to shower at the venue before the truck and van drove us back to the airport, but Steve said he didn’t have time to take a shower, so I said, “The hell with it, I’m gonna live the road life not take one either.” At that time, I never considered Mori’s welfare. Was too tired to think that far ahead. At least I had a change of socks and t-shirt in my work bag. That’s close enough to a shower, right?? Oh, and thank God for gum, because brushing your teeth becomes a luxury. You never have your luggage around when working, and although I carry a spare brush in my work pack, I need to find a small tube of paste. No shower, no brushing, hair is a mess. Boy I must be a sight for all those on the plane.