"Are you getting excited for your tour?"

That is what everyone keeps asking me. My answer is usually "no, I'm terrified." Then I shift the conversation to something else.

This is my last night at home before we fly to Florida. The Erasure tour starts on Friday in Miami, but first I will stop in St. Petersburg with my family to see David's mom and step-dad, and have Fourth of July together. I am trying to pack sensibly for 2 months on the road but it's not easy. I'm sure I will forget something critical that isn't available to purchase in any other states (even by mail), but so be it. I have one suitcase that is all "gig clothes." I really wanted to find a few one-piece outfits that I could just rotate over the course of each week. Kind of like a Big Bird suit, but sexier. Something that is sturdy and I won't have to iron or worry about. But that hasn't happened. Instead, I have a mish-mash of things that I am hoping will somehow get me through all THIRTY-EIGHT shows we are doing. Fortunately my friend Valerie bought me an incredible vintage rhinestone necklace that I can wear to dress up the probably wrinkled, "dressy" black jeans I will inevitably be wearing by week 2.

I have been focusing on clothing and makeup, but only because I'm nervous and it's something to focus on. The truth is, the most important thing is that I sing well. Period. So I would do a lot better to just go practice vocal warm-ups all day rather than worry about where my pink pumps are (but really, I can't find them and I'm kind of freaking out).

I have never played venues of this size. The largest crowd I have played for is about 200 people. These venues will have 2 or 3 thousand. My hope is that after a few shows (3? 5?), I get comfortable enough to actually enjoy myself. That is my goal. And to stay healthy. I will be eating a lot of raw garlic in the van to fight bad bacteria and also assure that I get an entire row to myself.

Whoever is reading this, I miss you and thanks for reading.