Life in the "Hurricane" Shelter, Hurricane Duane & Johnny & The Hurricanes.
Our office. My refuge. The "Hurricane" Shelter. There are 3 locations. One I try to get to whenever possible in the Dertoit area, #2 I cant seem to get out of outside Detroit, and the 3rd Shelter Office is out-of-state and I cant seem to ever get into it no matter how hard I try and get there. Almost everyday, Im in some storm-by design, circumstance or necessity. What goes on in one, doesn’t happen in the other. And what happens in the other has no bearing on whats goin' on in the other two. There-in lies my problem. Not enough of the one "me" to go around and cover the other 2…plus my family, my job, my Emergency Response teaming, and still trying to get sleep everyday. (I was just about convinced there is no such thing as sleep.) And this is why I cant return half the calls, voicemails, messages, emails and regular postal mails I get non-stop. People think its intentional, and maybe it is, but only by nature of the volume of things I have going.
The Shelter 'staff' and gaggle of friends is what helps me-help myself to keep me going in a somewhat straight line. We have 2 computers-in one office, 1 in the other out-of-state, and 2 more in the 3rd. I have my job, I have the business of my group Johnny & The Hurricanes, I have a book coming out from England, another book nearing the ½ way point, I write "Drivin' Sidways in Detroit!", and we have an dbl album Anthology coming out from Belgium in the Netherlands.I rehearse and perform professionally as well, and I have my own music, my family, and the City Emergency Response Team. Hence the need for the "Hurricane Shelter" and everybody in it. We have lawyers and trademark attorneys and entertainment agents and managers in New York, Los Angeles, London, the Netherlands, Ohio, and even some dealings in Mexico. Im out of my own house so much, when I do get there, even "LUCKY the WONDER DOG" bites me on the leg. And sometimes, he pees on it too! He really doesn’t like me gone so much. But I am, and that just how it is.
In the near future if all goes as planned, we'll be leaving Detroit and Michigan for good, leaving my job and Emergency Response Team behind. It will all be about my books, my group and sipping Mai Tais on a beach somewhere watching the rest of the world trying to figure the meaning of life. Ive been working towards that for so long and in so many directions that sometimes I need a compass to put my pants on. So, I just cant make everyone out there in the real world happy.
Someone came to visit the other day and I understand they left in a huff because I was in the BATHROOM. They said apparently "I can see the situation has changed!" and then left. Oh GOSH! I was in THE REST-ROOM for God's sake. I just cant please all for sure. And, Im sorry about that. But, I don’t have the time they do, the cell phone minutes they do, the computer time they utilize, the availability to get together when they do(for sure no ones busier than me every night and day and weekend and holiday), so I just try to accommodate. In order of preference and necessity its my job 1st, the groups business 2nd, my family 3rd, the E.R. Team 4th, myself 5th, Performing Professionally 6th, and anything and everyone else has to just get in line.
The Shelter changes my profiles, decides which blog article goes up and when, puts appointments and to-do lists together, and keeps me sane. I have 3 basic partners and they just laugh at me. Oh, Sure. When Im gone, they'll be counting the money and ordering more rounds of Mai Tai's! Right about now, Im lookin' for a pillow with my name on it…keep the faith, keep it real, and just KEEP MOVIN'!
*(Special and Eternal Thanks to the Shelter "Crew" and everyone in it who makes it possible for me to maintain things) HDT
