New guitar and 2 months to go!

What a busy few days. It’s been a week since I updated! So, remembering certain days in exact detail will be harder. After the halloween party, the rest of the cruise was just laid back and boring. Not much going on the last few days.
SAN DIEGO DAY, which was Tuesday, I was VERY excited about getting my guitar. I didn’t know when it would be delivered the day but I was going to get it no matter what.
I went into town to Starbucks, called Nick, and downloaded some updates for my software I’d been meaning to update. Got the very first Eggnog of the season from Starbucks they said. So, that was a neat fun fact. After being there for an hour and a half of updating and catching up with friends, I went to the music store to get more strap locks, and strings. The guy said he had a bunch of ES-335s coming in and If I wanted to check them out to come by later in the day. But I explained I have no more cash for huge purchases like that. I’ve bought all the guitars I could want for the next couple years.
As I was walking back I decided to get some lunch from the Japanese place with Sushi. On my way over, I saw a Fed Ex Ground truck (which my guitar should be on.) As I walked up to it, I saw Aaron, the trumpet player (whose also in my SCC class.) I told him the situation. He didn’t think I should ask the driver because it might seem too pushy. But alas, I did anyways. The driver said he didn’t deliver in that particular area of the ship, but he tried calling the driver who did, who didn’t pick up unfortunately.
He told me to keep an eye out for a smaller Fed Ex truck in the area. So, I went and ate my quick lunch. On my way out I called Felicia and talked with her for a few minutes as I made my way down towards the ship. When she hung up, I bumped into Chris, the new Bass player, I talked with him for a bit. Chris is a real funny guy. At various times at dinner when I’ve sat with him, I laugh to tears almost every time.
I dropped my computer and strings off at the ship, and went back outside in search of my guitar! I kept checking the FED EX website to see if it had been delivered, which it had not been. So, I flagged down a taxi, and had him drop me off at the place where they accept our deliveries. I went inside and asked if they had it, and they searched for a few moments and let me know they did not. I asked the taxi driver for his number so I could call him back when it had gotten there. So he drove off, and I went outside and called my dad and filled him in on everything. I hadn’t talked with him in a couple weeks, but there wasn’t that much to fill him in on. Just the guitars, and work.
Then, mid-conversation, the Fedex ground truck came driving down the street. I quickly got excited. Then he kept going. I was a little bummed, but then he turned around and came back to the building and sure enough had my gibson ES-335 guitar.
So, I called up the taxi guy, whom came and picked me up, and dropped me off at the ship. Midway there though, Don, the salesman from Sweetwater that sold me the guitar, called and told me it had been delivered and asked if I had received it. I informed him I did, and he asked how I liked it. I let him know I hadn’t seen it yet, but he asked me to drop him an email and let him know what I thought of it. He said it was a wonderful guitar.
I ran to my room and tore that box open and saw it. It had one of the case covers that keeps dust off of the guitar. I removed that, and I looked at the new guitar. Absolutely gorgeous. Great playability.
I went up stairs, and talked to my dad a little longer, then I had boat-drill. So I went and did that. Then we had a meeting (the entertainment staff). Stu told us about a new head of Entertainment department of the cooperation, and said we really had to give 100% at each show. Then he asked for the musicians and I to stay behind.
He told us that we really need to start doing the 5 hours fully. We had a little pow wow of questions and comments. A lot of people seemed upset they have to do 5 hours, but honestly, I’ve been doing 5 hours most nights as it is already, as I was told by Chuck and Gerhard when I first came on the ship. So nothing’s really changing for me.
I ran to my room and got my guitar and went to work at 5:30 pm. I did ask Stu and Peter if I could not play that early during the day because it truly is a waste of my time. Nobody can gamble that early and most people don’t unless it’s a sea day. Night time is where I belong in there.
On breaks I would take my guitar to the break room in the Casino and just play along. I actually came up with a cool riff on it. So I recorded it on my Iphone to keep.
Maria, one of the Casino dealers had nobody at her table when I started so I played all her favorite songs, which made her very grateful. She would wink at me and smile and do little silent claps. She asked me for some lyrics to the songs she likes, which I still need to do.
I finished up at 10:30, and I went back to my room and took it easy.

First seaday, Wednesday, November 4th, my voice was rough from just lack of sleep I suppose. I went to SCC class. That was long... I started working on a song, and managed to write it and it’s called “Polar Opposite”. I tracked the song and got it about 80% finished, and the program froze and crashed... and I hadn’t saved anything.... So... very PISSED OFF, I laid down about 60% of it again, and took a break from it. I practiced some spanish. Eric came over and I gave him some suggestions on some recording equipment he should get while he’s out on the cruise ship.
He showed me some original songs that will be coming out on his new album. They were actually very impressive. I gave him my little critiques on the production stuff, but otherwise, very strong songs.
I had work at 5-6, 7-8, 9:30 to 12:30. So I did my sets. Around 10:30, I was starting to shake a little. Not too sure from what that was from. My voice hadn’t been able to do much of what I wanted. At 12, Stu and this other gentleman came up, and Stu asked for Foo Fighters. So I played “Times like these”, but he wanted “Everlong.” I had just played that song a couple songs before he walked in. But since it was kind of dead, I did, and he was overjoyed. He hung out until I was done. Then Eric came down and talked with me, and these two girls I had seen came over. They were from Chicago, but they asked if we wanted to go to disco. We did. One of the girls had a boyfriend back home. Her brother came along too. The other one was flirting heavy with Eric. The girl Eric has kind of had a thing for was in the Disco too, so he had me distract the girl while he snuck over and talked to the girl.
After about an hour of waiting, I decided to go to bed, since I had class at 9 am. Clocks were going forward too.. Soo.. I ran to my room and passed out.
At 8:45 I was sooo tired, but I got up and went to class. As 9 o clock came around, I noticed no one was there... Then a girl came in... And we waited until 9:05 then she said “Oh yeah! We don’t have class today!” I was a little aggravated because I don’t remember him telling us that. But I went to bed for another 3 hours and got awesome sleep. Some strange dreams, but otherwise good. I got up and worked on my recording and cartoon stuff. I had work at 8. It just wasn’t very busy. I played and played. At 12, Stu walked by with a couple people, and he saw me. I was just starting “Leaving on a Jetplane” and he did the cut it look. Which was fine.. It was dead. So I played “Everlong” again, and he was just really happy about it.
Then they made their way. NOONE was watching except dealers. So I just played songs they wanted to hear. Then I finished, and Peter came by. I guess they’re being more strict to see if we’re playing as much as we say we are. Luckily I do! I went to my room, and worked on more drawings and went to bed.
The next day, I went to class, and had two hours of that. Sasima asked me to massage her hand, so I did, and she did mine for like 5 seconds.. But my hands really need it!
After class, I went to my room, and just drew more characters, watched the Office and just took it easy on my voice. Started work on the rock version of “Scissors and Razors”. Experimented with that for a bit with the Robot Guitar. Went to dinner, and was there for about an hour and a half. Sat with three generations of eaters. First, myself, then Aaron, then Aaron and Glenn, Then Glenn and Chris.
I went back to my room and worked more and more on the cartoon and watched more of the Office.
At about 12 AM, Eric called and he told me about his date with the girl he liked. Afterwards, I went to bed because I wanted to be ready for class at 9 am.

At 8 AM, I got a phone call from the teacher of the SCC class. Class was cancelled! So, I slept until 12:30. Then worked on another scene for the cartoon and watched even MORE of the Office. I play tonight at 8! Soooo.. and also a day less than two months and I'm home!