Two Weeks till Lift Off

I had to move out of the place I have been staying for a few years, not happy about it but it came at a good time.
In two weeks I will start my summer travels and there is something very freeing about having everything I own locked in a 5' by 7' storage space and everything else packed in my Blazer.

Though I do have a few festivals and gigs lined up I am otherwise free to be anywhere I want to be. My travels end in Dec. when I work the Louisiana Ren. Fest.

I will be starting a mailing list for those who care as far as where I will be performing and I hope to add some pictures and blogs along the way.

In two weeks I will be on the road, I can't wait!!!

Life is good!!

Perfect Timing

Amazingly hot today. Wow, I mean really hot.

Big clouds started rolling in, black and noisy.

Anger lightning.

Grabbed a couple things at the store and drove home.

Walked in the door just as it started to rain.

My feet are up, computer in my lap and I am watching it storm in a cool, air conditioned room.

AAahhhh.

Nothing to Say

There has been bad Mojo in the air for days...I rear ended a car on the highway today. I don't even know what happened...it was just a bump but I was good and shaken up.

Half the Quarter is depressed and this oil spill is not doing us or anyone any good. We can smell it from time to time. This month is sick slow and there is limited work. Happens every year and you have to plan but...just feels different this year.

The Gym is my friend. Two and a half hours today. I am beat but feel good. Sometimes when you get that uneasy thing growing in you a great work out knocks it out.

So I am trying to get at least a bit on this blog everyday for the next...well...whenever. I feel like I have lost some drive and focus. I want to get out of the rut I am in so I have made moves such as changing my schedule, going through everything I have and getting rid of what I don't use or need. Transition isn't easy. I am hoping I don't regret cleaning too much...

Well, that was a babble blog. Not much of a point being made. Not much to report.

Some call it work

I will be heading out in two weeks to various parts of where ever and I can't wait. Get to hook up with some good folks and see more of the US. I love my job.

My tour job is about to end for the summer (by my own doing) and I am blessed to work for two companies that will give me work when I get back. One company will give me my exact shifts back. I guess I do a pretty good job.

I have had a few interesting tours as of late.

The one that has opened some doors for me was one that Nickolas Cage was on. The owner of the company got a call requesting me to do the tour. It seems that someone had been in St. Louis #1 checking out various tour guides and were very impressed with me. I have had two offers at other companies just because of this tour. And yes, he seems to be a good guy.

A French Quarter History tour I was doing was interrupted by some people yelling “someone, stop him”. When I looked up I saw a guy running down the street with a purse. I ran out in the street to cut him off, he ran up on the sidewalk behind a car and I trapped him as he was trying to run between a building and a car. I got him off balance, grabbed the purse and he went off running. I really wish I had gone for him and not the purse but purse was returned and the owner was happy. I will say, tips were really good on that tour.

The one that will stick with me for a while was one I did a couple days ago. A group of four were on the tour and near the end one of the guys ask if I thought it would be OK to take some of his nieces ashes and leave them in an area we had just past. I told him I felt there would be no problem and I am sure God didn't mind.

While he and his wife left the group to do this their friends told me his niece had always wanted to travel so when they went to new places they left a bit of her there. She had been 17, accepted to Stanford and Harvard and one day her parents found her dead. Suicide. No one knew why but they thought it was the stress put on her about the schools.

If you would have been next to me when I wrote the above you would know I just took a couple minutes to think about what I just wrote. Writing about her makes if feel so much more real.

My work is not serious, my life is not serious and over all it is a great trip, there are just a few solemn moments and those need to be acknowledged.

I wish I had asked them her name.

The Good, the Bad and the Hungry

Yesterday started very sad and ended reminding me that real friends are always there for you.

Crappy morning personally (the two left feet I call a personal life). Might blog about this situation at sometime because it bothers me but not today.

Anyway, gave a really bad tour because my mind was elsewhere.

The streets were bone dry so not much in the way of shows plus I think I was Capt. Grim at that point so I closed down and went to the gym...you are never sad to go to the gym. Run a couple miles and work out for about 2 hours and your mood changes....plus...a trustworthy friend there reminded me about a big shindig going on last night.

Flanagan's pub was doing a fundraiser and had a crawfish boil and pig roast.

The French Quarter is like a very small town so when something like this goes on everyone shows up. Lots of friends, pretty girls and food (and cheap drink for those who drink). Tons of folks showed up, even a couple of Saints players and some other well known folks that live in Quarter.

The Moral of the story is...there is no problem that doesn't get very small after a good workout, a pile of food and friends that care about you.

Life has it's sad moments but over all it is a pretty good dance.