TATTOOED, TESTED, AND TOURING - IF WE DIDN'T HAVE BAD LUCK
- PRSL
- Mar 20
- 5 min read
This Week Was Supposed to Be Upbeat… Than Life Laughed in My Face. Which is RUDE but whatever. We got this. We always find a way "to got this".
I was riding high from a few days off, feeling like we were slightly ahead as we headed into our busy season. Olivia, our amazing DKMS rep, had been working closely with me to get our bone marrow registry matches organized. We even got news of some new matches, which is always the best kind of motivation.
Every NEW match is a NEW chance at life for someone battling cancer. As a survivor myself, I do NOT take it lightly when we find out that our work helped make that match happen. It’s why we do this every single day. It’s why we push through the burnout, the exhaustion, and the endless chaos. Because this isn’t just talk—it’s real, tangible hope.
We’re truly out here making a difference, even on the hardest days, even when things feel impossible. And let’s be super REAL... the world desperately needs that right now.
But life, as it so often does, had other plans. Lmao, FML indeed.
This is exactly why the title of this post is "If We Didn't Have Bad Luck..."
It all started at the first mechanic shop, where they told us the van was simply missing coolant with no clear reason—maybe a small leak, who knows? They refilled it, charged us a casual $450, and sent Rob on his way. Of course, the problems didn’t stop there. Not even close. Rob barely made it down the road before landing at the second shop—Firestone. Their diagnosis? A blown head gasket. If you’ve ever dealt with vehicle repairs, you know that’s code for “tons of money we don’t have.” (Flashbacks to our RV nightmares from 2021–2022.)
Touring the country means we don’t always know the mechanics, and sometimes we're stuck in towns with zero options. Firestone flat-out told us that no one in town could even look at or fix a gasket issue for WEEKS.
So Rob hobbled along to a Ford dealership for yet another opinion. Their diagnosis? Not the gasket after all—just a faulty EGR sensor. At this point, who even knows anymore.
In the MIDST of Rob’s Van Saga… there I was, standing in the airport, ready to hop a flight to Phoenix to join Counterpunch for a few days before ThriftCon. That’s when my flight was straight-up canceled and rescheduled five hours later, with exactly zero options available to get me there sooner. Because, of course.
Meanwhile, in a completely separate nightmare, David was trapped in an elevator for 90 minutes, making him insanely late for the first night of Bumpin Uglies—you know, the very tour we desperately needed to nail after last week's mishaps.
We took a moment to breathe and reset. And you know what? We realized that we can keep moving forward. At every point where life has thrown absolute chaos at us, we’ve managed to push through—thanks entirely to your support. So seriously, from the very bottom of my heart: Thank you.
Because of you, we got back on track. I worked the first ThriftCon of 2025 in Los Angeles, while Rob held it down at Lucky Punks in Silverado, California. Between these two events alone, we were able to add 71 new individuals to the bone marrow registry, distribute over 800 doses of Narcan, and provide 500 test strips. By the end of ThriftCon, my community box was completely WIPED OUT. (I also scored an INCREDIBLE Goosebumps corset, which honestly might’ve made the entire stress-filled weekend worth it.)
Financially, these events were lifesavers—we raised around $4,000, which covered Rob’s rental car (about $350), my one-day rental ($90), the hotel that comfortably housed Rob, myself, and Larry ($650), my flights (around $300 total, because of course they had to change everything), and I sent David 300 since the Bumpin Uglies tour is not generating enough money for gas money and the occasional hotel - he legit it otouring in a mini cooper.
The dream is simple: full operational stability by June when we hit our heavy hitters—Bonnaroo, Warped Tour, Punk in the Park Portland, and Camp Punksylvania.
But until then? We need all the help we can get. I appreciate every single bit of support right now. Thanks for sticking with me through this ongoing saga.
So, plans have officially shifted (again). The tiny bit of downtime I had planned for March is now completely gone, as I'll be taking on the entire Wheatus tour instead of just jumping in from Phoenix. Honestly, there was no other practical way to get Rob out for the first few Wheatus dates and AC Beerfest without spending a ridiculous amount on rentals or flights.
Follow along on IG to see how I’m holding up—spoiler alert: I'm probably not. But I'm gonna do my best to sprinkle in some fun along the way since my ‘time off’ just got deleted. Here we go again!
As it stands:
The van is stuck in Phoenix, hopefully getting repaired so Rob can pick it up again at Punk in the Park-Chandler. Stay tuned for ANY updates.
I'm shifting gears to cover all Wheatus dates, while Rob will handle the first couple before taking a train to Atlantic City Beerfest, then flying home to reset before Punk in the Park-Chandler.
Fingers crossed Rob has the repaired van for The Bouncing Souls tour and other upcoming events like Punk in the Park San Francisco, Portland, and Point Fest.
David is, despite the elevator fiasco, continuing on to woo Bumpin Uglies before joining This Is Not Croydon, Sing Us Home, and ending the spring with The Toasters.
After Wheatus, I'm joining Save Ferris with Keep Flying, heading onward to California Roots, then Never Early Fest.
Have I mentioned yet how unbelievably THANKFUL I am for every single one of you who supports and believes in the mission and vision of Punk Rock Saves Lives? Because I am. We truly, deeply LOVE you. None of this—absolutely NONE of it—would be possible without your help, your support, and your belief in what we’re doing. And that's the real truth.
But right now, we need to have a backup/backup plan in case the van takes longer or we simply don't have the funds to cover repairs. On top of everything, each travel issue is making it harder to find a better transportation option for David. He has put TONS of miles on his Mini Cooper because of PRSL...I would love to figure something out for The Toasters Tour.
If ever there was a moment to ask for help, it's now.
If you can help, here's how:
Donate Directly: Your support literally keeps us rolling—van repairs, gas, community boxes, maintenance, salaries, insurance, website costs, Gmail fees—the list never ends.
Amazon Wishlist: Yeah, we know—Amazon isn't ideal. But right now, it’s the fastest and easiest way to help stock our community boxes with essential supplies.
Follow Along: Stay updated by following our socials and see exactly what chaos we’re getting ourselves into next. (Trust me, there’s always something.)
Volunteer: Want to help in person? Join ourvolunteer crew and make a direct impact at events near you. Every set of hands counts, and we’d love to have you.
Tina, Rob, and furry family members. Keep up the amazing work! Our recovery support community would not exist without all of your efforts! You are loved and so valued!