Tour Highlights

Friday, March 18
Tour begins. En route to Saratoga Springs from Williamstown, Dave's car goes astray in the Vermont wilderness. Signs for Rt. 67 indicate a narrow dirt road disappearing into the darkness through a gap in a chain link fence. As we pass graffiti advertising "Ladies' Night", we cross a railroad and find ourselves literally on the wrong side of the tracks, in a dark, muddy lot filled with abandoned cars. Fearing for our lives, we conclude that we have not in fact found Rt. 67 and make a speedy exit.

Saturday, March 19
After a harrowing dash across the streets of downtown Saratoga Springs in full Renaissance garb, we sing our first full concert at the Arts Center. Following the concert, I attend Mass at a nearby church. Upon entering, I am disturbed by the apparent lack of a tabernacle, perhaps out of a misplaced devotion to the Fifth Joyful Mystery. In the course of the Mass it appears that the the rubrics have gone the way of the tabernacle, not to mention the kneelers. Unfortunate.

Sunday, March 20
Gig at a Unitarian Universalist church in Saratoga Springs. Theme: "Keeping Alive the Hope for Peace." Gentle readers will fast-forward to the afternoon as we drive to Matt's house in Syracuse, where his younger brother introduces us to baby pictures, a ping-pong table, and a long-suffering cat.

Monday, March 21
Embarking on a three-mile trek to morning Mass, I lose half an hour by failing to distinguish "Onondaga Road" from "Onondaga Boulevard." I later learn that an "Onondaga Street" intersects both. Following a visit to Matt's high school, we depart for Dave's house on Long Island, but not before an ill-fated gender distribution resulting in one car of all women and another of all men. The former incurs a speeding ticket and later becomes lost, arriving several hours later. The latter is blamed and is further accused by the former of being a hotbed of rampant misogyny. The third car, of mixed gender, completes the journey without incident.

Tuesday, March 22
Arriving in New York City via Long Island Rail, carnivores wander about midtown while vegetarians head for Greenwich Village. After meeting for dinner in Little Italy, we attend "Forbidden Broadway" and return to Dave's House.

Wednesday, March 23
After a gig at Flushing House in Queens, we drive to Rhode Island. Crisis ensues when car carrying food becomes stuck in traffic and falls 45 minutes behind. Crash upon arrival at my house.

Thursday, March 24
Awoken in the early A.M. by my wild younger siblings, 'Bethans get up and sing morning gig at Abbey auditorium. Afternoon drive to Daniel's house in Andover and evening concert at Maundy Thursday service at Congregational Church in Somerville.

Friday, March 25
Trip to Boston, where I attend Good Friday service at MIT Chapel. Evening gig at Daniel's temple, where we commit the faux pas of offering CDs for sale on Shabbat. Rabbi grants permission "as long as he doesn't see it." (I am reminded of the Lutheran Church we sang at two years ago, where the Gospel reading was Christ driving out the money-changers from the temple. We sold CDs there too.) Returning to Daniel's house, we engage in late-night Scrabble. A sampling of rejected words: mogulist (one who specializes in mogulry), urpox (the source of pox), dejuicer (if a juicer takes the juice out...). Guested, though hotly contested, grabs a triple word score and a 50-point bonus and ultimately puts the outcome of the game beyond dispute.

Saturday, March 26
Tour officially ends and 'Bethans depart their separate ways.

Sunday, March 27 (Rich Rodriguez reporting)
After a fitful week of feverish and hysterical wanderings all over the northeast, compounded by savage cases of gluttonous and split personalitous disorders, tour finally succumbs to the dreaded Urpox and expires upon the parting of Rich and Ariel at 5:40am at Albany Airport gate A6. Requiescat in pace.