Gulfstream Country Club

...
Nice view from the stage. It's a movie, Mom!

Hanging out in Gulfstream

...finally living in the style to which we've never become accustomed.

Courtesy West Palm thrift store...

Tired of sipping from paper cups, I invested $.49 in an appropriate mug.

Tennis by the Banyan trees...

O' Fortuna!

This is an arty, interpretive shot of me lamenting the winter back home, decrying the travails of my loved ones in DC -which were tortuous and extreme- and simultaneously celebrating the fauna outside my room. Hope all goes well in the maelstrom of slush and inconvenience that is now northern Virginia, and maybe even South Carolina. You can see the guilt and anguish on my face as I agonize over your frosty fates while I get ready to play tennis. In shorts. Alas!

Jo got me this thing and I freakin' love it!

I love it so much I hauled it to Florida. Scalp sootheration is
healthier than drinking heavily and more socially acceptable than
flinging watery feces at passing cars. And yet has that same relaxing
quality.

Of course, if you turn your head...

I prefer to think of the hotel room as half full...

Coconut Point, Bonita Springs, FL

Ok, definitely an improvement over Montana and New Hampshire, weather-wise.

Farewell to mah junks for two weeks!

This is Bari

Bari broke 2 bones in her wrist on the slippery sidewalks of Portsmouth, NH. And still did 2 shows. We spent most of the afternoon in the emergency room. Nice folks in Portsmouth. Horrible SIDEWALKS...but nice people.

Portsmouth Music Hall proscenium

...with blurry cherubic details. They found this stuff under paint when they cleaned it. Sweet.

Today is all about getting from Helena,MT to Portsmouth, NH

Supposedly in some sort of snowstorm. We'll see! Love y'all!

Helena, Montana - the Big Sky state...

It's out there, the Big Sky...I'm just staying at Holiday Inn, the Little Sky hotel chain, so I can't see it.

Sold out to Denver

Tight connection to Helena, MT. This could be fun! Love you all very much.

What is with the Giant Peaches?

The story of today

One day off, heading to Montana and New Hampshire tomorrow, will return Sunday. Then, Monday morning, off for two weeks to West Palm. Trying to launder up three weeks of stuff. Apparently, my empty January disappeared. Guess I shouldn't complain about that!

Lightning delay out of Orlando

Scary thing about Florida # 437

They house the felons just downstream of the nuclear power plant. Possible disastrous side effects could include giant mutant zombie inmates. Not a pleasant notion.

Step #1 in losing money at the dog races...

...pretend you understand what any of the obscure and dog-racing specific terms and abbreviations mean.

Insert your money into the maw of the automated, ultra-confusing, user-unfriendly, highly complicated, overly-option-oriented, rapacious pari-mutuel betting machine. Wish it a fond farewell. You shall not be seeing it again.

Wander out to the track to watch the dogs race around the track at top speed. Excepting, of course, for your dog. Your dog will invariably amble around near the rear of the pack, seemingly searching for a lonely and unattended spot somewhere where it can poop out the two dollars you just wasted on it in peace and quiet, away from the fierce hubbub and clamor of the finish line.

For those who believe the level of discourse is higher on MSNBC than FOX.

Neither are more than accident scenes competing to be ogled.

Plenty to do around Melbourne, FL

It's been a busy couple of days. This is a list of our activities the past couple of days (not including flying here, traveling from orlando, setting up, doing sound checks, and three performances):

• Driving range (broke a golf club)
• Crappy go karts
• Mini-golf
• Faster go karts, also crappy
• 4 Thrift stores (bought golf club for $1 to replace broken one)
• Duckpin bowling
• American Police Hall of Fame (see me next to the 'Bladerunner' cop car! (above) Also, Jon and I briefly thrown in jail. (below))

• Shooting range (surrounded by police, paramilitary, and crazy tattoed redneck Floridian teaparty-ers, banging away with Glocks and stuff - can things get more fun?) 

Am off to do more stuff!

Foamhenge!

This has been a long time coming. Months back, I visited Jame after a show I had down in southern Virginia. On the way back, I stopped at --almost too astounding to be believed-- the actually OPEN-to-visitors-for-a-change Foamhenge roadside attraction on the road into Natural Bridge, VA.  These are the pictures from that trip. Jame, sorry for the delay.

Foamhenge, naturally, is an homage to Stonehenge, the ancient observatory/sacrificial altar/alien landing zone/whatever the druids vaguely tended in what passed for England back around the third millennium, BC.  According to the experts at Foamhenge (and why not believe them? They built a Stonehenge - out of Foam!) there are two main competing theories as to the construction of the original monolithic structures.

Theory 1 involves groups of prehistoric thugs lugging large stones around and standing them up using braces such as this:

The competing theory:

...involves Merlin the Magician mystically levitating tons of rock over the Irish Sea.

 
Tough choice. Will have to mull this one over for a while. At any rate, the finished Foamhenge is impressive in its casual, half-abandoned gigantitude. I'm sure the original --made of stone-- is even more impressive for the same sorts of reasons.

If this all works correctly, there should be a short video that appears right after this. I have my doubts, however.

Foamhenge: I heartily recommend stopping by if you get the chance.  Only a few miles off 81, and --face it-- when are you going to get to the real Stonehenge? This is almost as good. And way wackier.

I'm not sure I'm as important as I think I am

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!

Off to the airport, talk to you guys later!

Bought meself a chair

Cheap, 'cause of Craig's List and some pretty severe cat scratches on the corners and maybe 'cause of bright redness. Stylish 'cause it's a groovy contempo hidden recliner. A bargain, cause...well, I'll let you decide.  She wanted $100 and I fussed over the scratches and offered $50 and she sighed and took it.  Now I know why she sighed. No cat scratches are that bad.  I guess that's why it's so comfy.  Did I fall asleep in it yet? First night. Mmmm...leather.

Green room, Alden Theater, McLean

TW is also a coot, but he has still has the moves. Thought I was taking a video, but I wasn't. And then he got shy. Like I'm supposed to believe he's shy.

I realize that Christmas is just past...

...but still, I like to imagine Dad gettin' a couple of wines in him and doing this.  And if he does, I want pictures.

Thank you, Mom, for these Pants of Utter Delight!

...they just arrived.

It is at the Rochester airport on this New Year's Day that one realizes....

...that while it is great to be an American, and great to be patriotic, and great to be a horse...it is more: it is great to be a Patriotic American Horse.

Happy 2011!

Smoke and confetti and bubbles erupt forth in happy profusion onstage at midnight at Nazareth College! Love you, Mom and Dad, Happy New Year!