I was booked at a daycare center in Westbrook, CT, about 180 miles from home on Friday morning at 10 am. I planned to couple this with a pickin’ party at my friend Ron’s house that night. I left at 5 am in order to miss I-95 traffic and it was smooth sailing up to the shoreline.
I got a call from the center two days before saying that they couldn’t swing the two sets and would I be able to cut my price in half. I said I couldn’t drive 8 hours to play for half but settled for 60%. I talked myself into being comfortable with that. As it turned out, the single show was enough, the teachers and the owner were quite pleased and are willing to have me back during the school year as well as for next summer. So I guess that’s all for the best.
It was a facility with some toddlers as well as some kids in the K – 3rd grade level. They had the toddlers in a play area fenced in from the other kids due to some regulation but it was strange to play for two sets of kids, one group separated by a fence. Shades of the current brewhaha.
The teachers particularly had a great time. There’s lots of spaces for some extemporaneous humor and they caught all the bait. These show are really for the kids and the adults and that’s what makes them successful.
I was done at 11 and took my time headed back to Northford to Ron’s place. I checked in with my neighbor Mike and gave him a CD.
The pickin’ party was just among a few friends and I was disappointed that more of my old friends didn’t make the time to stop over. Perhaps this ship has sailed, now eight years after my departure.
I split for PA at 5:30 am. I like getting up and out and driving at dawn. I made it back by 8 am thanks to little traffic. A nice hop, skip and a jump to CT.