Today I performed with Sara Tindley at the Byron Bay Writers Festival in the North Coast ABC Marquee.  The gig was great, here's how the morning went:

6:15am - desperate to get to the festival on time, but can't seem to stop putting on more and more lipstick.  I'm late, I arrive but forgot to pack my guitar, the marquee isn't a marquee but a 1000 seater concert hall, Sara has the flu and just breathed into my face, I have to run all the way home to get my gear, but I get lost along the way, can't find my keys, can't find the car, can't find the venue, find the venue but can't seem to move my legs up the massive rocky slope that has now become the entrance to the festival, only way to reach the stage is by dragging myself up a dangling piece of rope, can't climb, can't pull, have no free hands cause I'm hanging on to all my gear ...

6:30am - I wake up shaken but not stirred ... Jump into the shower to prep for an 8am sound check.

8:00am - I arrive with no money to pay for parking, talk my way in, just in time for sound check, Sara does have the flu but I turn away when she tries to breath in my direction, the local weather is read, "fine, fine, everything is fine," Sara and I launch into a lovely rendition of "Ramblin' Ways" and the crowd's lovin' it ... flu and all!

11:00am - the gig ends and we are free to roam around the festival and explore...

A fascinating surround of minds: mid-streaming, post menopausal panelists, former femme fatals, memoir writing rock stars and a cheery collection of scrabble playing festivites. I couldn't help but notice the elephant in the marquee... where are everyone's kids? We brought Lucy with us, kids under 5 are free! Are we the only parents here who subscribe to the, "include her in our life," and, "where we go she goes," style of parenting? So what if she disassembles my wallet, drops coins down my bra and starts gleefully handing out my credit cards to the punters passing bye.  Oh hang on, there's Mandy Nolan on stage breast feeding her baby and chairing the panel, "what is it with men and relationships?"  

There was a quasi-poignant reference to parenthood from Cold Chisel icon, Don Walker.  He shared that becoming a parent helped him to finally grow up.  I guess he was a late bloomer or something.  I wonder if his children are wandering around the festival distributing his credit cards to the crowds...