I will start by saying that this entry will not be nearly as visually stimulating as the last one. I did have a lot of catching up to do, so I had a backlog of snapshots, but this past run was only a one-off, so the bulk of the trip was me sleeping. OK, that’s not true, but we were in Iowa, which, when we were driving through, was 32 degrees. We hit a snowstorm. Hello, spring called. He wants his season back. Is it me, or have we had a crazy run of weather lately? And speaking of, my heart goes out to the families of the 40+ victims of the recent storms. How about few nice, sunny days?
And as I jump over to the weather, it looks like my next week has 5 days of rain. You know what that means? My ‘Farmer John’ routine (as my gf calls it) is down to nil, since today was my day of ‘chores’. I was home mid-afternoon and looked at the sunny sky and didn’t want it to go to waste, so I shed my shirt (scaring the neighbors), and got to it. As you may know, I have jumped head-first into the vegetable garden this year. I think it’s going to be fun to keep up with it. I say that like I have ANY idea what I am getting into. Everyone needs a hobby, right?
So back to Iowa. We played a corporate event at a casino in Altoona. This was my first stop in Altoona, and well, I didn’t see much. I saw the casino. Does that count? I did make the trek to Des Moines to get some down time at the hotel. Nice, nice, nice hotel downtown, which is always the case when we don’t stay. They did have the absolute smallest indoor pool I have ever seen, and since it was so high, I am guessing they have their version of cliff diving there, too.
That first step is a lulu! Within 3 minutes of check-in, we found out there was a YMCA about 2 blocks away. Well, it was workout time. Tommy (our tour manager), Andy (keys), myself, and Phil made the short trip with a little friendly basketball on our mind. After we arrived, Phil did his own workout, and the three of us were left to battle the native Iowites for the crown of Saturday afternoon full court kings. We got our asses handed to us. There’s just no good way to explain it. I was drenched when I left, but come showtime, I was really felling good. Working out before a show helps out so very much. I need to do more of it.
I had a first on this run. I know, as long as this train has rolled, it’s amazing that there are still firsts, but there are. At this full production show, I ran the ramps for the first time. This may not sound like a big deal ( and it really isn’t) but my inner 8 year-old child still wants to climb things and go places I am not supposed to. Although for this, I did ask. It’s all fun and games until you get fired. But Phil doesn’t care, and is sweet as hell, and so we had a whole running thing planned out that didn’t work. We just need to work on the cues a little. We’ll get it.
So really it was a great little trip, and with 11 hours there and back, a relatively easy one. I mean, figure you sleep 8 hours or so each way, so that knocks out most of the trip. The rest of this trip was filled with Slingblade and the tail end of Jaws. I know – exciting rock stars we are. We’re pacing ourselves for summer. And if you want to see a picture of the new band, well, here it is. I say new – Andy, far left has been with Phil for 2 years. Brock and myself are brand new. And obviously settling in very well. Enjoy your week!
See you on the road!
Steve
