Upstate New York

Greetings from somewhere in between Edinboro PA and Keuka Park NY. In the last few days, we drove from Nashville to Syracuse (18 hrs in van), then played 2 shows in one day with a 4 hr drive between them. All with a new dude! Our friend Miguel took a few weeks off while his wife had a new baby, so we picked up another guy. It's weird not being around Miguel after all these compressed hours, but luckily the new guy - Matt Hauer - is both a cool guy and a great guitar player. So on with the show.

We weren't going to have such a marathon drive to Syracuse, but we couldn't leave Nashville because of the floods, and had to postpone a show and hang out for a couple of days (which in truth was a very nice respite). Well actually...we could leave Nashville, but our new guitar player couldn't leave his neighborhood to get to us. That sucks. All of us were very fortunate. On our block, it was just a rather rainy day. A few blocks over, very different story. I'm sure you've all seen the pictures.

The biggest test this leg is postponing out West Wing obsession. We're in the middle of season 6, heading into the home stretch, and now Leo, Josh Lyman, poor old Toby Ziegler, Donna, and of course Mr. President Bartlett, they're all going to have to wait for a month or so to be part of our lives again. Hard! But they're always close in our hearts.

Somehow, we lucked into 4 days off between shows in upstate NY, so we're going to head down to the city for a few days. Wasn't I just writing recently about my need to get back there and connect with my 20's roots? McAleer's and my old day alcoholics? What a treat. I've connected with a few old friends to hang out with while I'm there as well.

We did watch a Triumph The Insult Comic Dog DVD yesterday. I can't find the clip of Triumph at the Bon Jovi concert online, I wish I could, it is hysterical. "So, Jon Bon Jovi, I hear you are starring in a new vampire movie. Finally a role that requires you to suck!" I did find a reel of the outtakes:



That's all for now.