Happy Valentine’s Day-an Homage

Today is Valentine’s Day-obviously. And, I wanted to give an homage, not just to my husband-but to all of the men that have stayed committed husbands to their wives and fathers to their children.

To all the men that are stand-ins for photo shoots, on a hot day-thank you.

Thank you to all the men that rise early to provide for their families-and do so happily.

For the men that stay longer than they want at a beach, a mall, or a girl movie because their wife isn’t quite ready to go-thank you.

Thank you men that have chosen a lifestyle of protecting and serving others.

Thank you men, that retrieve snacks and treats for your wives because she is already seated and “snuggled in”.

To the men that honor their mothers-thank you. We know you will in turn honor your wives.

Men-you have an important role in this society. Thank you to the men that stay strong, stay focused and stay committed. Your legacy is better than money, status or fame. Instead, you will boast of a solid family, a happy marriage and a good reputation.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you!

The Ghost of Biceps

On this day, I thought it fitting to be a little spookier than usual. A little woo-hoo and what not.
One must ask oneself, is what I’m seeing about to see an apparition or perhaps a ghost? Is this the dreaded and feared “Farty Spirit of Biceps”?

Or could this be a simple slideshow built for my pure amusement?

You’ll never know, (insert evil laugh).

Touring Changes!

In case you haven’t heard…you haven’t heard from me. In awhile. Like 8 months.
I was an idiot and I’ll tell you why. I went El Cheapo and built my site in Iweb in the spring of 2010. Ah…those were the good months.

Around January 2011, all heck broke loose. My website-my carefully planned website-became unusable, unretrievable and unpostable. I am not sure if all of those are legitimate adjectives, but I plead the stressed-out case before you.

I continued on with life, saving up my money to hire a professional to build the template. And while I waited, life did not stop. Tours were to be tended to, family was to be visited-the life as I knew it, kept moving forward.

There are road side attractions that must be discussed. Like this giant blue whale on Route 66.

There were near-misses here in Tulsa as tornadoes touched down in Joplin, nearly destroying the city.

There were camels to be seen, new foods to eat, cities to explore…

…and of course my weird husband doing weird things in his hotel room. Like standing in front of a cow picture, bedecked in a zebra print bathrobe, holding a bottle of wine, posing and taking a picture of himself with his phone. Yep. Weird.

I’ll share with you my new adventures, like: places to eat, weird things that have been witnessed, beauty captured by my camera and stories that need to be told.
The world is a large place and I plan to tour it all. Welcome back.

Johnny (Cash) Knows What I Mean

This year has been a whirlwind of tours. We’ve crossed deserts, seen snowy mountains and experienced gorgeous sunrises. We’ve also seen some freaks, but met some nice peeps and overall-had a lovely 2010. Here are snippets of my top ten places we’ve visited from this last year.
I’ve been everywhere, man.

Number 1:
I love to play practical jokes on unsuspecting musicians. It helps them not take themselves too seriously. Plus, it makes me laugh.
Sort of a win-win.

Number 2:
Marfa, Tx is smack dab in the middle of nowhere. It’s filled with a unique art community that made us all feel right at home.

(photo courtesy of Malcolm Schuyl at http://www.wildvisions.co.uk)
Number 3:
I had a bit of a run-in with a snow goose while driving David Copperfield through the frozen tundra of Canada.

Number 4:
Visiting Sturgis, SD was quite the eye opener-complete with halter tops, leather chaps and helmets adorned with horns. Weird.

Number 5:
There are many things to love about Austin, Tx-and the  St. Cecilia Hotel tops the list.

Number 6:
Slapped in the face with a little dose of Mexican reality snapped me out of a pity party.

Number 7:
Biceps is a passionate man-especially when it comes to stage performance. So passionate, in fact, that he got scolded during a show for doing very naughty things.

Number 8:
My mother-in-law has a knack for searching out some of the coolest stores. She introduced us to a store called ‘Victory’, and it changed our lives.

Number 9:
I like to focus on the beauty found in each town we visit. But, there is a seedy underbelly that from time to time humors me.

Number 10:
There is much more Woodstock, NY than hippies. Much more.
I have enjoyed sharing our year of touring with all of you, my dear readers. I hope that you have seen some places you are inspired to visit, and perhaps some that you will avoid…
Happy 2011 to all of you!