Preparing For The Days Ahead...

Getting Ready...
I woke up about an hour ago, and started thinking about how to prepare for this busy weekend that I have lined up. Friday and Saturday will be busy days, but Sunday will be a day to sleep in and relax. Here's how I figure it:

Thursday night -
Get as much sleep as I can!

Friday night -
Go to jam night and play from 9:30pm until 1:30am (or earlier.)

Saturday morning -
Go home and go to bed (sleep from 2am-5am.)
Wake up, make lunch, and get ready to drive to convention meeting place.
Travel from meeting place to convention center.
Stay there from 8am until 5pm.
Come home by 6 or 7pm.
Change clothes and go to soundcheck around 8:30pm
Get ready to play by 9pm.
Play the gig from 10pm-2am.
Tear down at 2am (usually takes 30-35 minutes.)
Head for home and maybe grab something to eat on the way back.

Sunday -
SLEEP until 1pm!


Phew!
I feel tired already! I also need a backup plan in case I'm not able to carpool to the convention. My vehicle has extremely high mileage on it, so I can't trust it to go into the city - this means that I'd take a bus to the airport and from there, take a shuttle to the convention center. The only trick with that is, I think that the shuttle is only for the hotel patrons. I am not 100% sure. If I get into a predicament, I'll certainly ask if this is true. I'm sure that everything is going to turn out great, and I'm stressing for nothing. I need to keep the "let go" mentality in mind. If all else fails, I'll just walk that one mile to the convention center. I'd better bring my tennis shoes!

Anxious?
I haven't been in the city alone in quite a while. I used to do it all the time when I was working there. Of course, that was a little different, as I knew exactly where I was going. Even the first time was not that difficult either. I won't deny that I do feel a bit of anxiety - my mind is starting to ask those useless questions - "what if...." I have to block those out and not indulge in those hard-wired thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Those do not serve my well, especially since the "fight or flight," adrenalin response system is malfunctioning, giving off false signals to thwart me from "possible dangers."

Taking Risks...
Of course, we take a risk every time we go out somewhere - hell, we take a risk just getting out of bed sometimes! We just can't be afraid to do things because our minds are asking non-productive questions, or lack of faith in ourselves. I remember talking about the bus idea, and my mind instantly started to go into panic mode. "How am I gonna do....?" And then I thought, "millons of people take a bus successfully every day. If they can do it, so can I." This put me at ease and helped me to realize that it wasn't a big deal after all. I am an adult, not a helpless child. I can do this. I CAN DO THIS!!!!

Look Forward...
With that in mind, I'll be able to truly enjoy the convention, pick up some literature, meet other folks, and authors as well. I'm really looking forward to attending, and sharing my thoughts and experiences (as well as literature) with my group. To connect with other people is an ultimate goal for me. The more functions I go to, the better off I'll be. Wish me luck!


Now to take on today...