Meet & Greet...Always Unique

We have autograph sessions after almost every show.  Every one runs a little different, yet each one is the same.  I have to give instructions to everyone before they approach the table:

"Please make sure your camera is on and ready to go.  When it's your turn, give your camera to Jenn and head directly behind the table because we will be taking the photograph first. 

Once the photo is done, you can place anything you want signed on the table. They will sign anything you put in front of them, it doesn't matter what it is. Just one item per person and if it's a CD, make sure it's already unwrapped so you don't hold up the line."

I say that about 50 times a night. 

Questions I have received:

-can they sign two items?  

ONE ITEM PER PERSON

-can he sign my CD?

YES.  ANYTHING. 

-can he sign my ticket?

YES.  ANYTHING. 

-can he sign my shirt?  

YES.  ANYTHING. 

-can they sign the shirt I'm wearing?   

IF YOUR FEMALE AND WEARING IT, THEY CAN SIGN ONLY THE BACK. 

Why only the back?

BECAUSE YOU HAVE LADY PARTS IN THE FRONT. 

-can I get a photo too?  

YES. PHOTOGRAPHS THEN AUTOGRAPHS. 

-can I get an autograph too?

YES. PHOTOGRAPHS THEN AUTOGRAPHS. 

-can I get a photo with my friend too?  YES, WE DONT CARE WHO IS IN THE PHOTO WITH YOU. 

-can I give him popcorn?  

YES. 

-can I tell him my story?   

NO. WE DONT HAVE ENOUGH TIME (an extra 45 minutes just for you). 

-I don't want to wait in line, can I just go up front?  

NO. 

-I have kids that need to go to bed. Can I go to the front of the line?  

NO. 

-where is Francesca?  

SHE'S PREGNANT. 

Will she be signing?  

SHE'S PREGNANT.  

So...will she be signing...?  

NO. 

Why?  

SHE'S PREGNANT. 

A Cheesesteak Through The Heart

Being near Philedelphia yesterday, I was given the very important dire imminent task of finding 'the best place for cheesesteaks that is open after 8pm'. 

I did what I thought would deliver the best results with an even bias towards all restaurants: Google.  

I googled 'best cheesesteak in Philly'. I used the top 7 page results and started a tally.  I wrote down every restaurant listed in all 7 top lists and kept a count of all listed. Most of them had at least two mentions from sites including food.com, Yelp, visitPhilly.com and tripAdvisor. 

The results lead us to three options.  

Of the three options, there were two that were closed...which meant we were destined to have Dalessandro's. 

D's was mentioned in 5 out of 7 of the sites. D's is also one of Jimmy Fallon's favorite places (to mention on TV). 

Honestly, I felt it was very lite on the cheese, especially for a cheesesteak. But the rest of it was great!   The steak was very tender and juicy. It was well cut and topped with some great sautéed onions. The bread was also very fluffy and easy to chew. I'd give it an 8 out of 10. 

Lunch with a Legend

Coming up next week, I will have another stretch without Jenn as the tour manager.  This time though, we have a legend joining our team temporarily - David Trask.  

Trask has worked with several country artists including Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson (aka The Highwaymen). 

We immediately hit it off and got along.  That's great since we will be working closely side by side for four straight days. 

Trask has also been the road manager for CCM star Steven Curtis Chspman. Jenn and I went through the entire lunch before it was brought to our attention that SCC was having a luncheon a few tables away from us also.  We were introduced quickly before we had to leave for bus call. 

Two legends in one hour!  😄

Down Time After Time

I only had two things on my to-do list today when I woke up. Buy some more gaff tape and buy more lanyards.  That was it. I ended up doing a lot more...

Started out by going to a random store that I was informed was some of the best Banh Mi in the country. It's at s local mom and pop Vietnamese Store in Nashville. 

There was nothing special about this store at all, other than the Banh Mi and the ordering process. 

You have to order from the one and only check out clerk. He's about 60 and a stereotypical Vietnamese guy- short, skinny, sweet. 

Once ordered, he makes a phone call. He then let's you know that your food will be ready soon.  Five minutes later, a young Vietnamese kid brings up a nondescript bag with your order. 

I then ventured to The Grand Ole Opry for no reason other than I was only fifteen minutes away. 

I ate my Banh Mi in the front patio are of the GOO. 

 I took a short tour of the GOO. Walked around backstage 

and watched them setting up for the nights show.  It looked like every day of my life for the last month, lol. 

After the Grand Ole Opry, I went next door to the Opryland Hotel. I was excited to see the lobby after seeing the photos online. I was a little disappointed, 

especially after seeing all the Vegas Hotel lobbies.  Luckily it was free. 😀

I then went and bought my gaff tape and lanyards.  

 

Featured Creatures

We have had quite a run with Mother Nature over this tour.  I haven't shared all the stories, but here's a quick overview and one more story to add (that happened tonight)

Earlier on tour:

We had an ant infestation. 

We had a rat sighting at a restaurant the band was eating at. 

We found a fly in our salsa. 

We had a (poorly trained) service dog freak out during the concert and then it jumped up on the table at out Meet-n-Greet. 

I had my phone returned to me in a fish. 

We came upon a rattlesnake. 

Tonight, we had bats in interrupt the show. They continued to, not just fly overhead, but they dive-bombed the stage several times. 

Yings and Yangs

It's been a little weird lately.  A lot of situations that have two ends of the spectrum or two flip sides going on.

On the dietary scales of my life...ugh.

I have recently been able to narrow down a HUGE part of where my vertigo comes from: Caffeine.
On the plus side: I can start eating sodium again.  This includes meat.  I love bacon.  LOVE bacon!
On the negative side: I still can't eat dairy.  Now I can't have soda's either.  I don't drink coffee anyways but I love me a Mountain Dew or generic store brand Mountain Lightening.  Minimal sodas from here on out...ugh.


Along with that, I was eating a lot less when I was working from home doing the extras casting thing in September.  I lost 10 lbs by not eating much because I wasn't doing much other than sitting at a computer and eating and sometimes showering.   Now I have been doing approximately 50 squats every morning putting tape signs on the floor.  I run around most days from about 5-7pm.  Literally running around.  Making sure this is over here, that is over there, someone has this and someone has that.  With the running, comes more consuming, comes more weight gain...ugh.


Lunch was great today.  The food was delicious.  Some of the best grilled ham and cheese sandwiches.  Too bad two of our tour members found metal pieces in their food...ugh.


I fully stocked the waters on the bus early this morning.  Not even an hour later after I stocked the buses with the waters, I received a complaint that the water on our bus tasted funny and was told to swap out the waters on the bus, so I did.  Ten minutes later, "Are you really swapping out all the waters on the bus???  You didn't have to do that."
...ugh.

End of Week Six - State Count

WEEK 1
Tennessee, Illinois, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Minnesota, North Dakota, Indiana

WEEK 2
Georgia, South Carolina

WEEK 3
Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California

WEEK 4

Oregon, Idaho, Nevada

WEEK 5

Colorado, Kansas, Missouri

WEEK 6

Michigan, Ohio

21 states visited so far during our tour!!!