Part Two

This was taken on the way home the first time.

That road hadn't seen a bus before...

The first of the bus years was a busy one. We did 36 shows that year. Show tour ’96 as we lovingly referred to it. We almost had t-shirts made with all the dates and places on them. From Albuquerque, New Mexico to Cary, North Carolina, from Fargo, North Dakota to Baton Rouge, Louisiana and every where in-between.

Dad had the driver seat during the weekdays and sometimes even during the night. Mom and we kids would fold brochures, bag anemometers, and do school as time allowed.

The summer was warm. Dad coined the phrase “Dutch Oven”. We would cruse down the interstate with the front door open and the windows propped out. It really wasn’t bad at all when we were moving. Nights could be nearly unbearable though. Mom and Dad slept on the mattress and us kids had sleeping bags that we laid out over the floors. All the windows were still open, but the were a good two feet above us so next to no air drifted down. Aaron’s spot was right across from the table up front. He could protect us from all the burglars. Then Mom and Dad’s mattress with my sleeping bag sandwiched between them and the wall. Then Net’s was just a little bit further toward the back. She must have gotten that spot because Aaron and I knew the dangers of being in the path to the bathroom.

(this picture was just taken on our first trip out. A few things were added as time went on.)

In the evening, “Don’t look!” was your que to change into your pj’s. Net and I always forgot to say, “Ok!” afterward. Aaron was left bumping around the front of the bus until he was positive we had plenty of time to change and then he would demanded to know if we were finished yet. Poor guy.

The bathroom most unique. It was a tiny little ‘room’ petitioned off with plywood and a door. The holding tank was set under a hot pink counter top with a whole cut in the top. Perched happily on top, was a white padded toilet seat. Someone with foresight had cut out the bottom of a small trash can and inserted it into the cut-out counter top to reduce problems when the bus was moving. (Sorry about that all. Most likely that is far too much information. I was writting down memeories last year and just copy and pasted...have to be true to the bus you know.)

Seems just like yesterday.

We all loved it, and if were all in one piece yet, we would have to take all of the 'additions' for a road trip....or two. :)