The Tale of Caribou, Absinthe, and Regina- With an R...

May 4, 2011

I woke up to the alarm clock blaring at 9am. I jumped into the shower, put on some clothes, and then got my bag repacked. After I got a few things done on my computer, I gathered my luggage and went down to my car. I threw my bags in the backseat and was on my way to the economy parking lot at the Kansas City airport.

Within a few minutes, I was parked and waiting for the bus to pick me up. It took a few minutes, but it got there! Apparently it was a very busy time to fly out of the B terminal! The whole bus was full! When we made it to the Delta desk, I checked in and headed on through the security. The guy at the Delta desk actually was really nice, and gave me some free drink coupons for the flight- and future flights. Score! The band will be very happy about that- well, if I decide to share.

I took a seat at the gate and got comfortable as I waited for the flight to board. It was a 12:05pm flight, and we were on the plane and ready to go right on cue! Once we were in the air and on the way to Minneapolis, I just spent the flight reading and writing like usual. It was a quick ride; I think I was there in about an hour and a half. Right when I got off the plane, I went to look for my next gate. Turns out it was only a few away. Right as I made it to the new gate, I saw a familiar gang of guys heading my way- Dad, Tim and Gabe. We joined forces and stopped at the café next to the gate for a bit. Once we were seated, Larry managed to find us. (Of course he knew we would be where the food was. We are kind of predictable.)

Gabe filling out the
customs sheet.

We waited for the flight to begin to board, which was pretty quick because the layover was not too long. We were all seated in the same little area, so we kind of took over a section of the plane. I don’t think I ever even got anything out to do while we were in the air since we were all chatting.

We got on the ground in Winnipeg, Canada around 4pm. After we deplaned, we gathered together and got ready to go through customs. We were prepared for the worst- there have been some issues getting through customs in the past. But we headed down the escalator and into the customs office. And there was no line! We were very excited! Not only that, but we had no trouble getting through the guards and talking to the immigration officers. Right on the other side of the officers was the baggage carousels, and our bags were already waiting for us. It was the easiest time we have ever had going into another country!

Dad filling out the customs
sheet. Looks like everyone
is back in school again!

After we grabbed our bags, we walked out and saw a man carrying a sign that had “Medley” scribbled out on it. We had two drivers waiting for us, and they led us outside to the vans. Right as the sliding doors opened, the very cold wind rushed over us. Gabe noticed the cold more than all of us, because he was wearing a short sleeve shirt, and flip-flops! Dad, Gabe and I ran to the first van and jumped in. Larry and Tim were moving a little slower and they got into the other van soon after.

Bob, myself and Gabe out on the street
in Winnipeg.

The drive was a bit longer than expected because of traffic. But we were at the hotel by just after 5pm. My phone was acting crazy. My text message sound kept going off, but no new messages were coming up. So I knew that my phone might be an issue for the rest of the stay in Canada. We got checked in at the Fairmont hotel in downtown Winnipeg. It was a great hotel!

Gabe and I riding our caribou.

We all met downstairs at 5:30pm for dinner at the fine dinning restaurant inside the hotel. Bob and Jeff managed to get in just in time to join us as well. The host got us a nice table in the middle of the room. It was an awesome dinner! So yummy! Perfect first dinner of the tour.

On the streets of Winnipeg.

After dinner, dad went up to his room to catch “American Idol”, and Tim and Jeff retired early as well. But Bob, Larry, Gabe and I decided to head outdoors to a bar next door to the hotel called Baileys. It was a very cool vibe- very Irish! There was also a pool table, which led to a few games being played. But after a little while we started walking back to the hotel. The sky was beautiful, and so we all screwed around and took a bunch of silly pictures. Gabe and I even mounted up on a caribou statue right next to the hotel. It was a good time!

Once we made it back to the hotel, we hit up the hotel lounge for a nightcap. It was a great night! Once I made it back to my room, I was up for a while getting a few things done, but soon the bed was calling out my name.

May 5, 2011

I had got up and out of my extremely lush and comfy bed to take a shower around 10am. I got dressed and ready to go so I could head out to the underground shopping area someone had told me about the night before. I was out roaming around by noon. It was a crazy underground maze, but a lot of fun to go check out! I even ran into Larry, Bob and Gabe- but they were just on their way back to the hotel so they could leave for sound check early.

I didn’t find too many shops, but I found one store of interest- which led to me buying some treats for the band and I. (Some things to put on the bus, since this was a bus tour.) But I was back to my room early, and still had some time to spare.

We actually got to have a real accordion that
night!

Dad and I met downstairs at 3pm. We walked out to the valet area, and asked the limo driver standing there if he was picking up Bill Medley. He said no. We waited there for about five minutes. I called Tim to make sure everything was happening as scheduled, but no answer. Then finally the same limo driver we had talked to a bit earlier came up to us and said, “Wait, where are you going?” We said we were on our way to the McPhillips Street Casino. Then he said, “Oh, wait, actually I am your driver.” So after that mix up, we got into the limo and were on our way to the venue.

It was about a fifteen minute drive, and once we got there we went straight onto the stage for sound check. That went rather smooth. By 4:30pm we were in the cars and on our way back to the hotel. Larry, Jeff, Gabe and I went to the lounge to get some food. It was very tasty! I made it to my room in just enough time to get changed and head downstairs to meet everyone.

We got back to the venue and I hung out in the green room for a bit with the guys. But 8pm rolled around quickly, and soon the intro video was on. Everyone was on stage after a couple minutes, and I was left backstage all alone. But before too long I was joining them up there too. The show was great. Went pretty smooth! Then dad and I ventured into the casino to sign.

Theater in Winnipeg.

Once we made it backstage after signing, dad made himself his famous bologna sandwich- or actually two of them. Then we all jumped on the bus and headed back to the hotel. I ran up to my room and got packed up and into my pajamas, then I headed back down to the bus. We had a 5am call to get on the bus and leave, so some of us decided to just go down and sleep on the bus; and I was definitely in that group. Pajama party on the streets of downtown Winnipeg… That’s just how we roll.

I got back to the bus to find Gabe and Jeff already there. We were using the bus as our own personal bar. Earlier in the day, I had bought some Absinthe. (I had always wanted to try it- even though it is not made with as much wormwood as it used to be, or at least not in the States or Canada. But I figured it would be interesting to try, and I knew Gabe would join me!) Gabe poured out three drinks of the green fairy inspiring 110 proof liquor; one for me, one for him, and one for Jeff. (It even came with the special spoon for the sugar cubes!) It actually tasted quite good! Just like black licorice. Once our first glasses were finished off, Gabe poured him and I each another- Jeff decided to stick to the Crown Royal he had been drinking, a favorite of his. Larry and dad arrived on the bus at some point that night. We all stayed up pretty late talking and telling stories. But eventually we decided to go get comfortable in our bunks. (Well, some of us in our bunks- dad had his own room in the back of the bus.)

There were actually twelve bunks on that bus, so we all had a bunk to sleep in and a storage bunk. Being the kids, Gabe and I had the top bunks (the third ones up) in the front. It takes skill to get up there. (It is especially exciting to climb all the way up there after a few drinks!) Dad walked by and started joking that, “Oh, this couldn’t be the start of anything good, sleeping across from each other up there, someone’s just going to say ‘I’m jumping over!’ in the middle of the night.” We all started laughing, because just the idea of jumping from one top bunk to the other is comical. You would definitely not make it!

Once we all got settled in our little quarters, Gabe and I were freezing, so he grabbed an extra blanket from an empty bunk and gave that one to me. Then he had to get one for himself. However, the only extra bunks were the bottom bunks. But he decided that he could reach. So he left his bunk headfirst. Needless to say, he didn’t reach, and ended up on the ground. But luckily he’s pretty durable and he soon climbed back up to his bunk with his now prized second blanket. We were all passed out pretty quickly after that.

May 6, 2011

I woke up as the bus started at 5am. I got up to run to the bathroom to find Bob and Tim had just gotten on the bus. After a scary/funny incident, (which I’m going to keep to myself- I’ve got to keep some things to myself!) we were on our way, and I jumped back up into my bunk.

Bob and Gabe at the gas station in the middle of nowhere!

I woke back up at about 10am as we pulled into a gas station. I decided to get out and look around. It was an interesting situation there. I can’t even try to explain. Just weird! Then we got back on the bus and we were on our way again. After another hour or so, we arrived in Regina. (Which we found the pronunciation of Regina interesting.) We got to the Delta Hotel around 11:30am, and luckily all our hotel rooms were ready for us!

After I got showered up, I had time to get some work done and then head across the street to the showroom at Casino Regina at 3pm for sound check. That went quickly. We had to check in to get some security badges so that we could get around the casino. Then after that I went back to the room to get a few more things done.

View from my hotel room. Beautiful. 24th floor.

At 7:30pm I knocked on my dad’s door, and we headed back down to the showroom. I made myself a half sandwich and got ready to do some singing. We all headed to the stage area- which was upstairs from the dressing rooms. So as the show started, I just stayed up there by the side of the stage. It was a great show! Wonderful audience, and very cool looking room. One of the funny things that happened that night was dad introducing me, and saying, “It is obviously great having my daughter on the road with me; especially since everything I take on stage is a write off.” The audience started laughing hysterically, and I just said, “Thanks daddy.” Signing went great that night. Then we all ended up back down in the green room snacking on the deli trays.

Everyone hanging out after the show.

Everyone started to disburse; Tim, Jeff, Gabe and I went back to the bus for a bit- which was right out back of the casino. We had a taste, and listened to part of a recording of the show from that night- Jeff had made a recording out at the soundboard. Larry made it to the bus right as we were preparing to leave. We had to walk outside to get back to the hotel, (there are indoor walkways that go across the street and back to the hotel, but it was too late at night to access them) and it was rather cold outside. Go figure, Canada was cold... So we walked at a rather quick clip, and ended up running across the street as cars were coming at us. (We are an accident waiting to happen people!)

But once I made it back up to my room, I got reorganized and then settled into my cozy bed. It wasn’t too long before I was off to a beautiful dreamland.

May 7, 2011

My alarm woke me at 8:30am. I threw some sweats on, closed up my suitcases, and ventured downstairs to the bus. We had a 9am call, and we were all on board and ready to leave as scheduled. Dad quickly went back to his room and fell back asleep, while the rest of us kept ourselves entertained in the living room area. It was about a two and a half hour bus ride. But it went by pretty quickly. When we first got on the bus, after about two minutes of driving, the TV satellite apparently kicked in and just the sound came through the speakers. All of a sudden we all heard, “Warning: May cause pregnancy if not taken with apple juice.” At which point we all started busting up. Oh, and for a classic Larry comment… Larry sneezed, and then quickly said, “I just can’t get over that Ebola virus.”

Our beautiful hotel.

We pulled into Saskatoon at 12pm. It was a beautiful city! We were staying at another Delta hotel that was right in downtown. And it was a gorgeous old hotel; it looked like a castle! So wonderful! Again, we lucked out and all our rooms were ready to be checked into. I went up to my room and jumped directly into the shower and began to get ready. (Everyone, except my dad and I, left at 12:30pm on the bus to head to the venue, about thirty minutes away.) Once I got dressed, I decided to go for a walk. Awesome town! I even found a cool mall at the end of the street, just a few blocks from the hotel. It was great to go get some fresh air too!

Then I got back to the hotel with just enough time to gather my things together and meet my dad in the lobby at 4pm. The entertainment director met us there and drove us to the Dakota Dunes Casino. When we got there, we walked straight to the stage to sound check. It was a kind of cool setup. It even had an awesome set of wooden stairs that went up to the front of the stage.

Can you spot the incorrect name?

Sound check took a while that night; since we were all staying at the gig until after the show- since the hotel was so far away, Dad decided to rehearse a few things. We were done around 6pm. Bob, Gabe and I made some sandwiches backstage- making the most of the deli trays. Then dad wanted to see if we could get the TV working. The satellite was not working, so Gabe checked the DVD player to see if there happened to be anything in there. Indeed there was, and it couldn’t have been more perfect if we had planned it. It was a season of Seinfeld- my dad’s very favorite! So we watched a couple episodes of that to pass time.

But then we went back into the backstage area to finish getting ready for the 8pm show. We had a guitar backstage as well, so we were all playing around and singing a few songs until the show started. The music rarely stops around this group.

Theater in Saskatoon.

It was an interesting show! Dad was in rare form! He was making jokes left and right, and just being really silly! (Most likely because he didn’t get his usual nap before the show…) But the band and I love shows like that! Makes it a lot of fun for us. Dad tried to say the city name- Saskatoon, and he just could not say it right! Plus we talked about the awesome hotdog stand inside the double decker British bus next to the hotel, and so many other randomly funny stuff. Gabe had lost composure, he was laughing so hard at one point that my Dad looked at him and said, “What are you doing over there, you are such a trouble maker! Don’t make me call your parents!” It was such an entertaining show!

Dad and I went out to sign afterwards, and that went great! Then we all got reorganized and back on the bus. We took the bus back to the hotel around 10:30pm, and made it back there by 11pm. We all ran up to the rooms and dropped off our stuff. Then Jeff, Bob, Larry, Gabe and I met down in the lobby. Once we gathered, we walked across the street to a bar Jeff had been told about. We walked in and it was a really loud DJ playing techno, so we decided we should go back to the hotel bar- where we could actually talk and hear each other. As we were walking back to the hotel though, of course Gabe had to comment on the fact that, “Hanging with these old guys, we’ve got to go to the quite bar… If it wasn’t for you old people, Mac and I would be tearing up that other joint!” (There are a lot of young vs. old age jokes that go around in our group!)

On the bus back to the hotel.

The hotel bar was quite entertaining though since there was a wedding just finishing up at the hotel, and people were walking around drunk as skunks. Plus, River Dance was doing a show in town that night and they were staying at our hotel as well. So it was quite a hotspot! We talked the server into giving us some trail mix stuff, and after he brought it over, he left for a couple minutes and then came back to check on us, he looked at the table and said, “Oh my God!” with a face of shock and awe. All the trail mix had disappeared. Obviously he underestimated our snacking capabilities!

I was having a good ole’ night. Definitely a bit toasted by the time I got back up to my room! But it was a fun time! I crawled into bed and crashed… Just awaiting my alarm in the morning.

May 8, 2011

Happy Mother’s Day! My alarm rang at me at 8:30am again. I threw things in my bag and got downstairs right on time at 9am. I walked outside and saw some other tour buses, but not ours. I was a little confused and concerned… But I finally noticed our bus down the street a bit. I walked that way and crawled on the bus to join everyone. Once I got on, I was informed that the other six matching tour buses belonged to Elton John’s people. He was working in town that night. However, Elton was not there yet. But it was quite an impressive caravan he has though!

Leaving Saskatoon for Swift Current.

We were on our way shortly. Dad of course went back to sleep right when we got moving. It was about a three hour and fifteen minute drive. We stopped once at a gas station, and then we were back on our way again shorty. Bob and Gabe were pretending that they were each other. (In other words- Bob was pretending to be Gabe, and Gabe was pretending to be Bob.) It was quite entertaining! Pretty smooth ride- except for when we passed by the big semi trucks and we got shook up a bit. That was a little scary the first few times it happened! We arrived in Swift Current at 12:15pm, and Tim walked inside our Holiday Inn hotel to get us all checked in.

Theater in Swift Current.

Yet again we lucked out and all of our rooms were ready! I went up to my room and I got showered and dressed for the day. I had some extra time before sound check, so I got some work done, and then met my dad at 3:30pm to walk across the parking lot to the showroom inside the Living Sky Casino. But I have to say it was pretty cold and windy outside!

Sound check went rather quickly. We had a few bugs to work out, but it wasn’t too bad. Afterwards, Bob, Gabe and I hit the deli trays backstage. It was perfect! Just the energy booster I needed! Then we walked back to the hotel around 5:30pm. I had a little time to rest; then change and get a little work finished up. But before I knew it, it was time to meet my dad in the lobby at 7:30pm. We had a van to take us to the gig. (Yes, it was within walking distance, but in stage clothes and everything, the car was safer!)

Playing some music backstage.

When I got there, I took a seat in the green room/guys dressing room for a bit and snacked on the deli trays some more. Soon I realized that I better get my clothes steamed out before the show. (I didn’t want to look like a wrinkled mess on stage!) The show started a little bit late, but we had a great show. Wonderful crowd! Afterwards, we signed, which went really quickly; the line just kept moving! So we actually ended up done a bit earlier than usual.

After Dad’s sandwich time, him and I walked back to the hotel. I dropped off my backpack and waited for the guys to arrive on the bus, then I made my way outside to join them. We had a little toast to the last night of the tour. It was a lot of fun! But I eventually did make it back up to my room and crashed pretty quickly.

May 9, 2011

7am, and I was up and about! I jumped in the shower and got dressed and ready to leave the hotel. We had another 9am call. So I finished packing and headed down to the bus right on time. It was about a two hour drive back to Regina. Dad went back to sleep like usual, and the boys and I stayed up in the living room hanging out. The drive was very pretty, lots of farms and land.

Gabe and Bob on the bus on the way back to
Regina to fly out!

We arrived at the Regina Airport at around 11am. We went to check in and were informed of some bad news. Delayed! Bob and Dad were on a different plane straight to Las Vegas, and theirs was still on time. But the rest of us were all on a flight to Minneapolis that was supposed to leave at 1:05pm, but had now been delayed until 2:30pm. Which also meant that all of us were going to miss our different connections. I was flying to Kansas City, and so they had to rebook me on the next flight going to Kansas City, which left me with a four hour layover in Minneapolis, and didn’t get into KC until 11:03pm. (Originally I was supposed to get in at 6:40pm.)

Tim and Gabe went up to the desk next, and they were both flying back to Orange County, and the lady at the desk informed them that they were going to miss their connection, and there wasn’t another flight into Orange County that night. So the desk agent started getting to work on their situation. Larry was going back to Nashville, but they got him a later flight. Jeff was going back to Milwaukee, and they got him rebooked as well. After a lot of trouble, they finally switched Gabe and Tim to United Airlines- that way they could go from Regina to Denver, and then Denver to Orange County. So we were all in okay shape. I had the worst situation out of everyone.

We all gathered in the restaurant upstairs. I had a few calls to make, inform some people about the changes, and also just return some messages. We all were sitting around munching on some food and snacks; and all of us seemed delusional! We were finding all sorts of things funny. Most of the conversation was probably about the name of the city we were in- Regina (with an R). There were a lot of dirty jokes going around!

At the Regina Airport I found this flying pig plane with flames out
of it's butt. I had to have a picture with it!

Eventually we all ventured through security and into the gate area. It was a small airport so there wasn’t much, but it was really nice. We all had a bit of a wait for our planes to start boarding. But they did begin to call boarding for our flights. Oddly enough, our flights were all scheduled to leave about thirty minutes apart from each other- one at 2:05pm, one at 2:30pm, and one at 3pm; yet we all ended up boarding our planes at the same time! Strange.

My flight went pretty smoothly; just did a little reading, writing, and resting. It was about a two hour flight to Minneapolis, and once we landed it was time to go through customs. So Larry, Jeff and I joined forces and managed to get through without too much trouble. I was only reprimanded by security once. We had to get our bags and recheck them though, and then go through security again. I was also reprimanded by the TSA agent; apparently it just was not my best hour!

Once we made it through security we all looked at the monitors to make sure all our flights were still going as scheduled. That is where we parted ways. After our goodbyes, and some congratulations to Jeff- who was getting married in about two weeks, I was on my own. I wandered the airport for a while.

Eventually I found a row of shops and a nice chophouse style restaurant- which seemed to have my name all over it! I had an amazing meal there! Killer cobb salad, some amazing seared tuna, and a stylish blue martini. (I figured I deserved the martini at that point!) The place was called Ike’s, and I will definitely be stopping there again on my next trip through Minneapolis!

After that, I hit up a couple shops as I slowly made my way to the gate. I was still at the gate about two hours early. So I parked myself at one of the handy charging stations, and ended up on the phone with my cousin most of the time- lots to catch up about, and fun Canada stories to tell!

The plane started boarding right on time, and once I made it on the plane I noticed I was sitting next to the same girl I was sitting next to on the flight from Regina to Minneapolis- how crazy is that? Small world! But this time our row had three seats, and the seat between us was actually empty. Added bonus!

The big airplane doors actually closed a few minutes early- which is always welcomed! (Well, as long as I’m already on the plane!) And we made it into the air not long after. Very nice flight back to Kansas City; it is listed as about an hour and a half, but really only about an hour in the air.

We landed right on time, actually a few minutes early, at 10:55pm. I was supposed to call a friend that was planning on driving back that night. I figured it was safer to at least follow him driving; especially considering how tired I was! It had been a long, crazy day! However, he wasn’t going to be ready for another hour he said, so I got my bags, and made it to my car. Then I went to get gas and water at the first place I could find. It had been about an hour since I had talked to him, so I tried him back and he said he was just about to leave, so to start driving South, and he would meet me on that side of town. So that is what I did. I got to an iHop and decided to wait there. But then he said he couldn’t leave that night, and asked if I could get a motel room, and we could leave early in the morning. (Some understandable and unexpected things had come up.) I begrudgingly agreed. (Begrudgingly because I am usually much better driving late night than early morning! After all, I am a night owl!) I toyed with the idea of continuing on anyway, but decided against it. I found a Holiday Inn around 2am and got checked into a room. Sadly, my eyes didn’t get to close until 3am.

May 10, 2011

My alarm went off at 4am, after only one hour of sleep. But I had to get up and get showered and ready for the day. I had a project to work on when I got home that I needed to look good for. So I was ready to leave by 5:30am. My friend had mentioned we’d leave at 6am. But he didn’t make it to my side of town until 7:30am. So I had a long two hour wait. (And time just seems to really crawl by when you are really tired and on no sleep!)

But then he texted me that he was driving by, so I got on the interstate and caught up to him. After a quick pit stop for some gas for him, we were on the road. We got all the way to about Boliver, (which is about an hour from my house), and he decided we should stop and eat- and I needed a bathroom break anyway, so it worked out! We stopped at a really great downhome kind of place. The perfect road trip kind of place to stop! After that I was on my way back home! I decided to drive a bit quicker than him for the rest of the drive, since he was hauling a trailer. I made it to Branson and had to go run some errands. But I still made it back into my house by 12:30pm. And that was only the start of my crazy couple days at home! Certainly there will be more to explain about that later. At any rate, it was a crazy Canadian Tour, but it was definitely a lot of fun! 

The Tale of Lamar, Texas BBQ, and Bearded Cow Nipples...

April 26, 2011

I had every intention of not leaving town that day. But the night before, I changed my mind. The weather in Branson had been insane for a few days- the rain was intense, and starting to cause a lot of flooding. So I packed up my bags early, and dropped my dog Danny off at a friend’s house. By 2:30pm, I was on the road.

Granite City

I began my drive North to Kansas City. The weather had subsided for a little bit, but it was supposed to get bad again by 3pm, so I got out just in time! I figured that was my perfect window to leave town. I made pretty good time, I was actually in Kansas City in about two and a half hours, but it might have been closer to three hours until I got to the other side of Kansas City that I was going to.

Me and my cinnamon candy apples!

I walked around Zona Rosa shopping center for a while, passing some time. Then I stopped at Granite City for some dinner around 7:30pm. I got a great salad there, and then I was on my way to find a hotel. I checked into a Clarion Hotel by the airport. They actually ended up giving me a great deal on a hotel room and a rate for leaving my car there while I was gone. I was excited about that!

 

I went up to my room, and then shortly had to go downstairs to the business center to try and get some papers filled out and faxed to Tim for an upcoming gig. Their business center was definitely lacking, but I eventually got it done! Once I was back up in my room, I relaxed and did a little reading and writing. I also have to admit that I bought two cinnamon candy apples at the shopping center. I love candy apples! So I was having a bit of a candy apple binge! But soon I was getting ready for bed and fast asleep.

April 27, 2011

I woke up around 10am, not in any real hurry. I got showered, dressed and repacked. I took some stuff out to my car, and moved it to a different parking spot, then went back to my room to pick up my suitcases and get to the lobby by 12:30pm to get on the shuttle to the airport. We left right away for the C terminal, and I was there within a few minutes. I couldn’t understand what the driver was saying as he tried to share a story with me, but he was very nice and friendly!

Checking in was simple. I got my ticket without a problem. Plus, my bags were both under fifty pounds, which is always a nice bonus! I stopped at the little shop before security, and that was interesting... The guy running the shop kept having me try on sunglasses for him and he kept asking me strange personal questions. I bought a book and was on my way as quickly as possible.

Once through security, I just took a seat at the gate and waited for my flight to Houston, Texas to board. It didn’t take too long until we were starting to move onto the plane. We took off right on time at 1:50pm, and it was a pretty easy flight. I got some reading and writing in; then once we started on our decent, the guy sitting next to me started talking to me, and we ended up talking until we were all walking off the plane. He was great. I love it when I get to meet cool people on the plane!

I walked straight down to baggage claim. Soon my bags were coming around the carousel. However, my big suitcase was covered in a plastic bag- which is not how I left it. I realized this was obviously not a good sign. When I got to the bag, the whole thing was open, and appeared broken. I got it together the best I could and walked out to the car.

My Uncle Vern picked me up right at 4pm, and we drove from the airport to The Woodlands. It didn’t take too long- I was expecting it to take longer because of traffic, but we lucked out! I was at his house by 4:20pm, and waiting for my cousin. My uncle and I addressed the suitcase situation, and indeed it appeared to be quite broken. (Only possibly salvageable with a whole lot of duct tape.) Oh well! The price of travel!

Parker and I.

Heather arrived soon, and we were off! We went to her apartment to drop my stuff off, then to iHop- which is typical for my first night in Texas, it is kind of tradition that we go there for dinner. Afterward we went to my other cousin’s house and I got to meet his daughter for the first time (and his daughter is already 18 months! So I’m glad I finally made it down there and got to meet her!). After hanging out there for a bit, it was off to a fun filled visit to Walmart, a run in with a strange man parked next to us, then back to the apartment to hang out for the rest of the night.

We got to hang out with Heather’s boyfriend Deven for a while too since he also lives at the apartment. But Heather demoted him to the couch while I’m in town, so her and I can have the bedroom as a girl zone! It was a great first night in Texas!

April 28, 2011

At the baseball game. From left: Me, Heather,
Jessica and Jenn.

Heather, myself and the wonderful
cotton candy!

Free day in Texas! In short form, Heather and I laid out by the pool, got a very yummy sushi lunch, and did a little shopping. After that, we were on our way to meet up with two friends and drive to downtown Houston for the Astros game. The Astros were playing the Cardinals- and since I am living in Branson now, I figured I needed to root for the Cardinals! I was not too popular there with that opinion! But we all had a great time, some great ballpark food, and the Cardinals did win!

April 29, 2011

Heather and I woke up and were in no rush, so we decided to watch the royal wedding, (which she had recorded earlier that morning!). A beautiful wedding, and great historical moment to watch! Then we started to get ready and by 1pm we left the apartment.

Decided to screw around
and do the hurricane booth
at the mall.

We didn’t go far though, just down the street to the little Greek restaurant. We got a quick lunch, and then we were on our way towards Port Arthur, Texas. The drive wasn’t too long- just under two hours. We got there around 4pm and checked into the hotel. And that proved to be more difficult than expected. The lady at the front desk was very confused. But they gave us a room anyway, I figured Tim would figure the rest out when he got there!

So Heather and I had some time to waste before everyone else made it into town. We toyed with ideas of what to do, and the best option ended up being just going to the mall. We walked around and made a couple purchases. Then stopped for a Starbucks on the way back to the hotel to boost our energy level. We got changed, recouped, and ready for dinner.

Yeah, that's just me sitting by the fake fire
before dinner.

At 7:45pm, we met all the boys, (Dad, Tim, Larry, Bob and Gabe) in the lobby. I was excited about dinner. A car picked us up and took us to a private dinner club in Port Arthur. When we got there, we met Dr. Sam Monroe (who runs Lamar State College, and the event we were doing the next day) and his wife and a couple friends. We had an amazing dinner there! Absolutely wonderful!

By 10pm we were finished up and back at the hotel. We all stopped in the bar for a taste and a little conversation. The stories were funnier than usual. It was a great night, and we were all sitting around a fake fire- which highly entertained us. (The fire was literally made with neon lights in the fireplace.) Gabe was my drink master for the night- taking the wine menu from me, and saying he’d order for me. I’m new to the wine situation, and Gabe obviously knows more about what I’d like than I do. He did a good job!

Myself and Heather on the way back from dinner.

But by 11:30pm, they kicked us out of the bar because it was closing time. So we all went to get ready for bed. Heather and I stayed up for a bit longer, but soon we had fallen asleep as well.

April 30, 2011

Heather and I woke up and had every intention of getting ready and going to the pool, but alas, it was overcast. So we lounged around for a bit, then got dressed and ready for the day. We ran down to the Starbucks, and also searched for a bookstore, but never found it. However, we did go for a ride around Port Arthur to check it all out. But soon we were back at the hotel and getting ready to leave for sound check.

3pm, we met my dad in the lobby and got in the van. Before we went to sound check, we stopped at the Gulf Coast Museum. (We had been informed that there was a wonderful music section there.) It was rather impressive, and great to walk around and soak up some of the history of the area.

Dad and I.

Then we went on our way to the auditorium that we were working in. Dad, Heather and I walked up the small hill next door to see the water. Gorgeous view. But a lot of wind! We got back to sound check by around 4pm. They were running behind today- they had some trouble with some of the equipment. But we were pretty much ready to get started by then.

Heather and I.

As I was walking back to the green room I heard someone yell out, “Mackie!” So I turned around and it was one of favorite people, Tommy Vee! His brother and him had booked us for that gig. (I used to work with Tommy and all the Vee’s in Branson- yes, they are Bobby Vee's kids; and The Vee brothers became my brothers. They totally took me in and watched over me when my family wasn’t in town. Such a wonderful performing family! Such a wonderful family period!) And it is so great to see people while you are out on the road! I hadn’t seen him in over a year.

Sound check went pretty smooth- considering all the trouble they were having before we started! Soon we were done and waiting for the good ole’ Texas BBQ that they had promised us! We were all taken up to a room in the same building, and there it was. It was a beautiful sight! (Well, all of us went except my dad, he had to go back to the hotel.) The BBQ was unbelievable! Probably some of the best BBQ I’ve ever had! We were all in heaven!

But by 6pm we were back in the van and on our way back to the hotel. When we got there, we had just enough time to rest for a moment and then get moving again! Had to gather together all my stuff for the show, and meet everyone downstairs in the lobby at 7:30pm.

We drove down to the auditorium, and when we got there we all settled in the green room. Lots of joking around, as usual. I got to catch up a bit with Tommy Vee, and I also got to catch up with Johnny Preston’s wife and some of his family. I loved Johnny Preston. (He passed away a couple months ago. He was an incredible talent, and I loved working with him. He was a sweetheart.) His wife kept reminding me of the Birthday party I helped her throw for him when he was in Branson. It was so great to see her again!

The venue.

Some of my friends and family from The Woodlands came down and I said hello to them as well as I was getting ready. Then everyone was started to get prepared and ready for the show. The introduction video started and soon after that the band was in place on stage and I was making sure my dad made it to the right set of stairs to get up on the stage. (The show was also a benefit for the Gulf Coast Museum. It is an event that happens every year called the Gulf Coast Gala. It is a wonderful event!)

Right after dad walked on, I noticed that the wrong video was playing, so I ran to the other side of the stage. Tommy was in charge of the video, and it had gone a bit haywire. I said, “Hey, the wrong video is playing.” He calmly replied, “Yeah, I know, huh!” in a confused tone as he held the DVD clicker. We were trying to at least get it ready to do the “Unchained Melody” video, since that was the next video that was going to need to play, but it just wouldn’t do it! I was laughing, the technology just would not behave! It took a bit to get it fixed. But soon we were working again!

Bob, Gabe and I backstage.

I ran backstage to get changed and ready. I have to admit the humidity was wreaking havoc on my hair! But I did the best I could. Soon it was time for me to get on stage. The show went great! It was a benefit for The Gulf Coast Fund at Lamar State College. There were a few small problems… There was a note in front of dad reminding him that he was at Lamar State College, and to thank them for having him. But when he read the note, what he picked up wasn’t exactly right. He said, “I’d like to thank President Lamar for having us here.” (And there is no president Lamar.) The band and I started to crack up! We had a few funny things actually happen. Like when dad walked off stage like he always does right before I do a couple songs, and Gabe had just started this very sweet (and quiet) piano intro to “Help Me Make It Through The Night”, and all of a sudden we heard a big crash sound. Dad had walked off stage and set his microphone on a table, and it rolled right off the table and fell on the ground. But we made it through the show without any huge problems!

After the show, dad and I walked out to sign CDs. Heather was actually our merchandise girl for the night. Dad and I had a great time talking to everyone. We were out there for a while, then made it back to the green room to chill with the band for a little bit before we went back to the hotel. Some funny stories were shared, and then we were ready to load up into the van.

Gabe with his added fuzz to the
mustache area. Not quite sure why,
but I've learned not to ask such
questions...

The van ride to the hotel was entertaining. There were a lot of rows of seats in the van, and my dad was in the front. It seemed that no one could understand what people were staying. When dad wanted to tell me something he had to say something, then someone in one of the middle rows would have to relay it back to me, since I was in the very back. It was hilarious! Lots of yelling and confused conversations! Gabe was in a fun form. Talking about how he won’t drink milk because it comes from “bearded cow nipples”. Yes, these are the kinds of strange discussions we have. 

But we made it back to the hotel- safe and sound by 11:30pm.

May 1, 2011

Horseshoes! Look at me go!

We figured we were in no rush to leave, so Heather and I slept in and finally got back in the car and on the way back to The Woodlands around 12pm- after a quick stop at McAllister’s. Two hours in the car passed by quickly. Soon we were back in Heather’s neck of the woods, and got ready to head over to a friend’s house for a BBQ. Yummy! One of the guys talked me into playing some horseshoes… That was not my game! Going to need a little practice before I attempt that again! But it was a fun night!

My cousin Chris and his baby girl
Parker.

May 2, 2011

A full day of shopping in The Woodlands. Heather and I even got to go wedding dress shopping! No, neither of us are getting married yet, but I needed a dress for a video shoot. So we had a great time practicing for when it is the real deal for one of us! Also, that evening my Uncle Vern made me my favorite dinner. His potato pancakes! They were incredible as always! A perfect last night in Texas!

May 3, 2011

Well, alarms were ringing at 6:30am. I jumped out of bed and into the shower. Then I got my bags repacked. Which was a bit of a situation since my big suitcase had broke on the way to Texas, but I got some Gorilla tape and got that bad boy ready to go! (You have got to love Gorilla tape!) By 7:40am, Heather and I were out the door and on our way to the airport. I arrived at the perfect time, which was lucky since we did hit a little bit of traffic! But we said our goodbyes, and she headed off to work, and I headed on my way back to Missouri.

I got checked in at the Continental desk. Of course my bag was over weight! And I had to have an extra carry on bag. So I looked like I was running away from home! Way too much luggage for one person to have to handle! But I got it done! Made it through security in no time though, and went down to my gate. It was a weird situation, there was a separate little holding area just for my gate, because apparently my gate had a lot of sub-gates. It was strange, but it got it done!

My plane started to board right on time, and we were in the air by 9:30am. The flight was very quick and smooth. I just did a little reading and writing, and then all of a sudden I was on the ground in Kansas City. I got my bags at the carousel, and called the hotel to come pick me up and take me back to get my car. It took a while for the shuttle to get there. But after about thirty minutes, I was back in my own car, and starting to drive around Kansas City.

I had a big day or errands to run! I was all over Kansas City! I got so much done though, even I was impressed with myself! I even got done early enough to go and enjoy a movie. A perfect and peaceful night! I got checked into another airport hotel- the Four Points by Sheraton, and finally passed out- which was much deserved after the last crazy week in Texas! Plus, the next morning I started on a Canadian tour… More on that insanity soon!

The Tale of Old Friends, Doing A Medley, and The Burn...

Myself on the left and Shelley on the right.
Out on the Santa Monica Pier.

Well, last time I left off I was in Newport Beach… I got to spend a week there. I had am amazing time! I got the chance to catch up with so many people that I hadn’t seen in a very long time. It felt so great to reconnect with people! I spent one day up in Santa Monica with my friend Shelley, who was one of my best friends in elementary school, but I hadn’t seen her since her sister’s wedding almost two years ago. I also got to see another friend from elementary school that week, and that guy I hadn’t seen since 6^th grade! So surreal to now be sitting there next to him at happy hour!

I also got a chance to go down to Temecula and visit the rest of my family! All my nieces are growing up so quickly. I just cannot believe it! But I am so glad that I got the chance to go visit everyone down there and see what everyone is up to! Pizza at my brother’s house closed out that awesome day! Plus, later in the week I got to catch up with Dusty Hatfield- who is practically family, and hear about all his amazing travels! I always love being able to see him and hear about what he has been up to.

The cutest church in CDM.

There was a singer/songwriter night at The Marine Room in Laguna Beach that I got to go to as well. I met Tim, Larry, and Gabe and his parents there. (It was Gabe and his family’s home turf since they are all from Laguna.) It was a lot of fun hanging with everyone and listening to some great music. The people running the show were the parents of a friend of mine, and they are insanely talented! One funny moment that I should share from that night though... There was a singer/songwriter guy onstage and he was running out of time, so he said something about "I don't think I'm supposed to do a medley, but maybe I'll do one anyway." I leaned over to Gabe and said, "As the only Medley here, I can guarantee that he will not be doing a Medley." Followed by a rimshot off the table by Gabe. Thank you Gabe- my personal drummer!

I even got to go to church in Corona del Mar with my dad while I was in town. It was the church I remember going to a few times with my grandma when I was a kid. My grandma passed away a few years ago now, but going there very much reminded me of her! So it was very special!

Hail at my parent's house in
Newport Beach!

Oh, and it even hailed in Newport Beach, California one night! It was insane! I thought I had gotten away from that kind of weather, but I guess God had other plans! All and all it was a pretty great time on the So-Cal coast!

April 15, 2011

I was up and moving around 9am, getting everything packed and ready to go. Dad and I said our good-byes to mom, and then we were in the car by 10:30am to start out on the drive to Las Vegas. The drive was moving along pretty smoothly until we got to Ontario where everything started to slow down. (Not a good sign for things to already be slowing down that early in the drive!)

I sent Gabe a text message to see if he was driving, we thought he might have left a little earlier than us and so he would maybe know if the traffic breaks in a bit. But he quickly responded that he was flying and would get in around 4:15pm. We quickly responded that we currently hate him…

The traffic did open up a bit, but it kept being very congested and slow moving in a lot of areas. However, I was preferring to call it cozy… Cozy just sounded like a brighter and happier way to look at the traffic situation. How’s the traffic? Well, it’s nice and snuggly! Doesn’t that sound better to you?

We decided to stop off at In-N-Out in Barstow- of course! And it was packed! Dad and I hadn’t seen it like that in a long time! We couldn’t believe how many cars and busses were there! But we managed to get our food and a table anyway. Soon we were back on the slow moving road though. But we were much more content now that our stomachs were filled with animal style burgers and double doubles!

Not only were we going to Las Vegas, but we were going to North Las Vegas. So once we reached Vegas, we still had to go to the other side of town. We actually passed Las Vegas Airport right as Gabe’s flight was supposed to land. (Apparently this time he had the right idea of flying!) We made it to The Cannery Hotel at about 5pm. Tim and his wife Mary Shannon had just pulled up a couple minutes before us. Their drive was just as long as ours. It ended up taking six and a half hours! That’s just about double the amount of time it usually takes!

The outside of the showroom.

We all got checked in and headed to our rooms. I would describe the smell of my room as “funky fresh”. You know when they use some cleaning product that just smells too strong, like they are trying to cover something up? Yep, that was the problem! But it was a very nice hotel, and very comfortable room. At 6:30pm, Dad, Tim, Mary Shannon, Gabe and I went down to the steakhouse for dinner. It was really good! And of course the conversation was too! Larry arrived just in time for dessert.

I was back up in my room by 9:30pm and decided to turn on a movie and relax for a bit. After that- and then a little reading, it was time to crash though.

April 16, 2011

I got up by 10am, and by 11am I had made my way down to the gym. I was down there for about forty-five minutes, and I was feeling the burn! Been a minute since I had gotten my butt in a gym. It felt good though!

After that, I got changed into my bathing suit and went down to the pool. I pulled up a lounge chair and began to get some sun- dunking in and out of the pool every so often, because the sun was quite strong! Dad came down for a bit, and some of his friends from junior high school were hanging out there too. So there ended up being a group of us. It was so nice and relaxing! I was absolutely loving it! It had been way too long since I have just laid out by a pool.

However, there was a price to pay… I got back to my room after being by the pool for two hours, and I jumped into the shower and began to get ready; but I was already noticing that I was starting to turn a bit pink. As I was doing my makeup, I noticed that my skin was getting even more pink- and starting to be more red looking by the minute!

The theater, they were setting up
the chairs while we did sound
check. Sold out show!

I went down to sound check at 3:30pm, and that went smoothly. I was on my way to the buffet by 5pm with Gabe, Bob, Larry, and our soundman Bill. After a nice little dinner together, I went back up to my room and did some reading for a while, and even snuck in a little writing too! Then I started to get ready for the show. By 7:45pm I was on my way to my dad’s room to meet up with him. We had a security escort to get downstairs. One of the security guards was talking on his walkie talkie, and kept referring to my dad as “the package”. I couldn’t help but giggle a little bit! Apparently getting us to the theater was very serious business.

We actually walked down to the steakhouse first to say hello to some friends of ours who were in there eating. Then after a few minutes, we were on our way through the employee hallways to backstage. Once we got there and “the package was secured and delivered”, I began talking with some of the guys as my dad took a couple pictures.

Our pre-show fists, all in! My arm is obviously the one with the feminine satin long sleeves!

Soon, it was 8:30pm and time for the show to begin! Dad and the boys took the stage as I finished doing my hair and getting my in-ears in place. I was also wearing a bit of a different outfit... Normally I wear a skirt, but because I was so sunburnt, (and by then, the sunburn was really starting to show!) I ended up wearing my comfy pair of whitewash jeans! The idea of wearing stockings with a sunburn is truly painful, as I’m sure all you ladies know!

Before I knew it, it was my turn to get on stage. The show went great! It was a lot of fun! There were a lot of friends in the audience, which always makes it exciting! We also had a couple great photographers taking pictures. I saw a few of the pictures and they looked awesome, I can’t wait to see the rest of them! (I’d post some with this blog, but I don’t have the photos in my hands yet, sorry!) After the show we went out front to sign. The line was rather long, but we had a great time talking to everyone. One couple said they came all the way from China just to see the show because their favorite song has always been “Unchained Melody”. So that was pretty amazing!

Stage entrance.

By the time we were done, we wandered backstage to hang with everyone. I sat with the band by the stage for a while as dad was catching up with some old friends of his. But after a few laughs, I knew I better get up to my room. I said my good-byes to everyone and got upstairs by 11:30pm. I organized my suitcases a little, and then I tried to get to sleep as quickly as possible. But I have to admit, it was pretty much the perfect day! Sometimes it is amazing that I can have such an awesome “work day”! I mean seriously- gym, pool, sound check, food, reading and a show… Life is good sometimes!

April 17, 2011

Alarms started blaring at 4:15am! I was not happy to be getting up, but I did it anyway. I got all my stuff shoved into my luggage, and I walked downstairs to the valet area to find a man holding a sign with my name on it at 5am. He seemed rather cheery for 5am… But I was glad that he was so awake since he was the one driving!

We drove down the 15 towards the airport. It was obviously still dark outside, and I have to say I have never seen a moon look so huge! I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was! I thought about trying to take a picture of it, but I knew a picture wouldn’t really show the incredible size. But it was stunning.

Backstage at the gig.

We pulled up to the airport and I got checked in at the Frontier desk. Not long after, I was on my way through security and then sitting at my gate patiently waiting. My flight didn’t leave until 7am. So I just sat there in a daze until they started boarding. I literally didn’t get a book or anything out; I just sat there, and did a little people watching. It is a great airport to people watch at… Especially at that hour! People are either in pajamas or what they wore clubbing the night before! Or some strange combination of both- like the girl in the full on sequin mini-dress and slippers perfectly represented.

Soon I was on my plane and in my window seat. A young man sat next to me, he informed me that he hadn’t gone to sleep yet, he had stayed up for the flight. (And those who know me, know that is something I’ve done on more than one occasion too!) Another young girl sat down on the other side of him, she was on the less is more sleep schedule as well. After we all shared about our weekends in Vegas, all three of us were fast asleep! I was crashed out most of the flight.

After an hour and a half, we landed in Denver. I made my way straight over to my next gate. It was in a very small “jumper plane” section. I don’t think I had been to that part of the Denver airport before. I sat there awaiting my flight. A young kid sat down on the same row of seats as me, and sure enough he had a tiny guitar with him, and he got it out to play. He wasn’t horrible, but being half asleep and all, I didn’t particularly like him sitting right next to me and trying to pick out chords.

Las Vegas Airport

But it wasn’t too long before they started boarding my plane to Branson. I took my seat, and was happily surprised to find out that no one was sitting in the seat next to me, so I had the row to myself! I was soon laying down and dead sleep. I remember some turbulence, but only as a dream. I was out! The flight attendant woke me up just before we landed. Everything seemed a bit hazed to me. You know how that happens when you come out of a deep sleep! But the view over the Ozarks was gorgeous! But soon we were on the ground in Branson, Missouri. However, I slept through the complimentary cookie on that flight… A major bummer indeed.

I got off the plane and went through the small airport to the ground transportation desk. To get a cab there, you actually have to fill out a form- which seemed unusual, but I did what I needed to! I grabbed my bags and then they got me in one of the waiting taxis.

Just a short drive and then I was back to my house! I felt exhausted! Also, you know how it feels when you are constantly on the go and then you stop and have nothing? It is a weird kind of sad/depressed feeling… Maybe I’m the only one who gets it. But I know I really enjoy my time off- after a day of adjusting to the radical change anyway! I eventually went to get some food, and then just turned on a movie for the rest of my night. I actually ended up in bed and asleep by 10pm! And the only reason I was up that late was because I was scared to go to sleep too much earlier than that and completely mess up my sleep schedule.

But I have to say it was a pretty incredible couple weeks away from Branson! However, I know I am going to need to recoup this week and get ready for my next adventure!