FUTURE 86 Southern East Coast Tour Journal Day 3, December 4th, 2005 -Armand Our decision to sleep in this morning was facilitated beyond expectations by the lack of windows and sunlight to signify daytime, and we awoke around 1pm, having no idea what time it actually was. We planned on having a somewhat lazy day, and took advantage of the early afternoon to hang with the various "studio hounds". I peeped out the recording facilities they offered, checked out some vintage Strats, and inquired about a certain guitarist whose pictures (definitely taken sometime in the 80's) graced the walls of the studio. I forgot his name right now, but he was one of the studio owners whom we got to meet, and most of the pictures were from his days as the guitarist for the band on the 80's TV show "Fame". We spent most of the day exploring the downtown Norfolk Waterfront district and tossed around the idea of going to the Naval Museum or the Battleship Wisconsin but both were about to close, so we hit one of the malls for lunch. This wasn't any ordinary mall though. It was an extra special mall because it contained a Franklin Covey stationary store, which is one of the last in existence on the East Coast. Franklin Covey has been supplying Courtney with organizational stationary and planning accessories since the sixth grade. Larry and I were astonished by the hardcore cult-like following Franklin Covey has garnered amongst its enthusiasts, similar perhaps to Apple Computer geeks. Courtney's excitement about visiting one of the last existing stores, was mirrored by the children's excitement in the mall to take a photo with Santa, or my excitement when I toured the chocolate factory at Hershey Park. Courtney's anticipation had also begun to consume Larry and I as well. As we approached the entrance, all three of our hearts dropped deep into our stomachs as we saw the metal grate lowered in front of the store, and the lights out. It was Closed on Sundays! The only store in the entire mall to close on Sundays, and as the sign in front explained, "We do not open on Sundays in order to give our employees some time to themselves to sharpen their saw blades", or something to that tune. Apparently "sharpening your saw blades on Sundays" is one of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People which are the principles upon which F.C. was founded. An onslaught of "sharpening saw blades" jokes ensued between Larry & I, as we observed the registers ringing in all the other stores in the mall. Alas, they were all stores which weren't disappearing, staffed with employees with dull saw blades. Needless to say our "sharpening saw blades" jokes started to get on Courtney's nerves, as they would continue well into Miami. Chris had hooked us up with another show tonight at a place called Hartz Cafe, so the fun wasn't over yet. He squeezed us in an early slot, because we had to bounce as early as possible to embark on an all-night 14 hour drive straight down to Miami. Hartz was a neighborhood bar kinda place, usually has a DJ, and had just begun to book live bands. Being our 3rd show on the 3rd night of our tour, all of us were becoming more and more comfortable performing as a three piece, and for a 3rd night in a row, Virginia graced us with her fervent love for Future 86 style rock n' roll. Being a Sunday night, the bar wasn't at capacity, but it sure as hell felt and sounded like it was judging by the applause and the obligatory "One more song!" chant when we walked off the stage. We got to hang a little with Chris's two teenage sons who came to the show (one looks just like him, and the other nothing like him). They were both musicians too, so we talked shop as they helped us load up the van in the drizzling rain (thanks again!). It was another successful Virginia show, and Courtney was selling shirts and cds up until the moment I turned the ignition of the Van . Big Up, Virginia!, we'll be back soon! As we pulled out of the parking lot just before 11pm, a part of me was sad to leave. In our three days in Virginia we had met some great people who lent a hand in giving us a place to sleep, eat, party, and most importantly places to play music. It's a sad feeling to have to leave so abruptly just as friendships and relationships are being created, but I guess that's the way life on the road goes. Next up is our over overnight drive to and first night in Miami, so if you've still got those Coronas ready, click here!