Columbus

Something is wrong with Gwyn's car. The drive becomes much longer and we arrive at the Knights Inn around 1am. I am amazed at the amount of mousse Gwyn's hair can absorb as I watch her use half a can. I start to doze off and start giggling over visions of skeet shooting Precious Moments figurines. We turn off the lights. We fall asleep for real and wake up around 545am. Aaaarrrgh morning is here. Gwyn's car is failing to make it up an incline so I bail from the passenger seat to lighten the load. It made it without pushing but just barely. It is a good thing we are in the amphitheatre parking lot because her car isn't going any farther.

For this gig we have the assistance of Zimra. She is good to work with and does most of the sun/moon consort henna. I am relieved to do other patterns. The sky opens up and the booth becomes very crowded. I finish the customer at hand and we try blow drying the henna to crustiness only to discover that every time the funnel cake deep fryer cycles the safety fuse trips and we have to wait a few minutes, pop the fuse and hope that damn fryer will quit cycling right when we need the blow dryers. Gwyn gets a chance to meet a few bands and one of the tour employees gets us a dinner tickets as thanks to Catherine for free henna. I find myself eating dinner about 7 feet from where Marilyn Manson is surveying the catering. He is very tall. I now know why he wears so much makeup and consider it a good thing.

Bunny leaves catering before I do and says she is going to sack out for a few. I leave five minutes later to notice that she is leaned up against the catering building legs crossed and asleep. I checked for steady breathing and good colour and decided that she was only taking that nap she had mentioned. I have never seen someone fall asleep sitting upright, cross-legged in a festival concert venue. This is a talent I think might come in handy if I can figure it out.

No room left in the amphitheatre but we are able to watch parts of the show from the monitors in the merchant area. Marilyn Manson has a very theatrical and entertaining stage show.

We have dicey power so we stay to the very end. Rich kindly shows up to tow Gwyn's car and Zimra ferries Bunny and me back to Stow and spends the night. We count money in the morning. I miss breaking even by about $40. It's hot once again and I'm homesick, but I'm not sorry I did it. It was the cheapest and best art/business class I have ever taken.

~ Shanon W. Lavender