Whenever I get back to Chicago everything seems to speed up for me. There are so many people I want to see that it takes up all of my time, and I really don't have the energy to write. It's been a while since I wrote so I'm going to recap the last few weeks below.
And just to provide a quick right-here-right-now-update, I'm sitting in the most amazing breakfast spot here in Lawrence, Kansas, called Global Cafe. I got to town last night and am staying with my friend Cee's family. Such amazingly nice people. Going on a bike ride today through town here and then spending the afternoon and evening in Kansas City with some friends who are going to show me KC BBQ and music. Cannot wait!!
Update:
Chicago
I was a whirlwind of seeing friends and playing music the first week I was back in Chicago. Intimate dinners and long (great) conversations with my friends was definitely necessary. My buddy from Switzerland, Gaston, was even in town so we got to hang out and watch the Swiss play in the World Cup. I ate deep dish pizza, hot dogs, and all other things "Chicago". I went and saw my cat, Bocce, and asked around to my friends to see if anyone could take him for the next few months. Not successful. It's not easy for someone to commit to taking a cat for such a long time. Def a cause of stress for me, but I knew something would work out. Also, spent most of my days out looking for cars for my road trip. I knew I wanted a minivan, but I just wasn't sure exactly which one would be best. I zeroed in on a good one in a lot near the city, and told the salesman that I would be back from Vegas to check it out again and possibly buy at that time. My band played one of our best gigs ever at Lilly's Tavern - such a cool divey bar. As we were about to start playing I noticed a guy walk into the bar with a huge case on his back. I knew it was an instrument but had no clue what type of instrument. As the guy was talking to Lilly, the owner, I asked his girlfriend what the instrument was, and she responded that it was a tuba. Tuba? Wow. Random. I told her to let her boyfriend know that once we start playing he is welcome to join in and jam on the first song. So as I sit behind the drums and start wailing away on my harmonica at the same time, I see the tuba player open his case and come up on stage. We played as if we had practiced for months!! He was a great musician and me and my bassist loved every second. What a perfect way to start my musical time back in Chicago. So phenomenal. The rest of the show lived up to our expectations, and it was so nice of my friends to come out and support. Means the world to me. Unfortunately after the show I was going back to my friend Jay's apt to drop my instruments off and he had locked me out. Ugh. So I had to chase him down all night and then finally got him just before my flight to Vegas in the morning. Not fun. Oh well though - still worked out in the end.
Las Vegas
Got on an earlier flight than I planned to Vegas, so I was able to spend even more time with my family. My Aunt Jane picked me up at the airport and then we grabbed tickets to the medieval themed Tournament of Kings at Excalibur Casino. So funny. Then we head to the Red Rocks Casino, which is about 30 minutes outside of Las Vegas, to see the rest of the family. Two of my three sisters (Taty and Rickey) were there, as well as my mom. Such a special time for me to be back with my family after traveling for 6 months. So great to see everyone in such a beautiful setting (the pool!). We hung out and laughed and just talked about my travels and their lives and what was new and exciting. I think everyone is somewhat surprised that I made it back to the US in one piece :) I got to spend time with my godson Jack, who I love dearly. The most important thing though, was being able to see my Grandma Ruth on her 100th birthday. Wow. Unbelievable to think about living so long. Ruth has alzheimer's at this point, which makes me terribly sad, but she is still doing well otherwise. Hope you enjoyed the pics from my previous post. I decided that I had such good luck in Vegas the last time I was there (a few months prior), that I would bet again on the World Cup games. I put two bets down and ended up winning over half the cost of the car I eventually bought. NOT BAD!! My luck this year has been unreal, and so I headed back to Chicago with more money than I went there with.
Chicago
When I got back to Chicago I was in a big rush to get my car figured out, as well as a new home for Bocce. My friend Lani really came through here! She used to work with a dealer outside of the city, so she sent me there to check out a 2003 Ford Winstar minivan and I ended up getting a fantastic deal!! With the car all settled I was ready to figure out Bocce. And AGAIN, Lani came through, She has a dog named Magill who has had some very tough medical issues, so she was already thinking about getting him a little buddy, so this worked out fantastically. From what I hear, they have already become buddies. So cool. I also want to thank my friend Lisa for helping me so much during my car shopping process. Lisa is a very great woman and a close friend. Lastly I want to thank my friend Sara for helping me out when I got back to Chicago the first week. Such a gracious host and kind person. And of course, where would I be without my friend Jay, who I stayed with the second week in Chicago. What a character. Thanks again, man.
Okoboji, Iowa
I set out in my completely full minivan around 1:30pm on July 3rd, en route to my friend Owen's lake house in the town of Okoboji, Iowa. In the van I had my drums, PA, golf clubs, bike, and a tent which my buddy Jay gave me. Love it! I was about 10 minutes from meeting up with Owen, his wife Becca, and some of their friends when I was pulled over by an Iowa State Trooper. Oh man. Really? As the policeman pulls behind my now parked car, he shines his light in my car and then as he walks up to my car he keeps shining his own flashlight in my face. What the hell, man? He asks me how fast I was going, and I was flustered so I said I was probably going 65 or 70. Not smart. It's a 40 or 45 speed limit. Damn. He asks for my license and registration, and then asks me what I'm doing up here all the way from Chicago. I tell him I'm here to see some friends, and then he pauses for a minute and then in a very serious voice, he says "So, what's the REAL reason you're here?". What? At this point I was kinda pissed that this guy was throwing assumptions at me, so I tried to look at him and he kept his flashlight in my face but I look around it and saw the face of one of Owen's oldest buddies, Chase. HAHAHAHA. That bastard. I was freaking out. We had an amazing laugh and then I made my way to meet up with the others at a restaurant in town. So many laughs. We head out for a bit but then call it a night relatively early. A perfect boat ride home to Owen and Becca's condo capped off a perfect night. Wake up on the 4th of July to omelets and a nice breakfast on the porch overlooking the lake. Boat rides, house parties, more boat rides, and then a fireworks show which was hampered by a complete downpour and lightning storm. Not ideal, but very cool to see the lightning and the fireworks going at the same time. On July 5th we got out in the boat and then watched our friend Damon Dotson play out on the lake on top of a huge barge. One of the coolest things I've seen in a long time. Everyone pulls there boats up and we hang out and watch this amazing musician jam out. I have more pics on my camera but again it's acting up and so I'm not able to download it to my computer right now. More to come! That night was pretty tame, other than some dancing with Becca at a local bar and then taking a party bus home instead of the boat. Sunday was absolutely beautiful. Me and Becca saw Owen off on a flight to Geneva, Switzerland, where he had a meeting the next day. Owen's a partner at McKinsey consulting, which is very strenuous but also very cool. He's all over the world all the time. On Sunday night me and Becca saw Damon play again, this time at a little winery just outside of town. So intimate. So incredibly cool. There's a good pic of it on my previous post. After that we had a fun night of laughing over pizzas and a Rolling Stones cover band back in Okoboji. Monday I painted a piece for Owen and Becca, which I'm very proud of. Tuesday I got back on the road, heading towards Des Moines Iowa, where Damon was working on his next album at a cool studio. I hung there for a bit and then made my way to here, Lawrence Kansas. This town is amazing.
OH - about 45 minutes into my trip down to Des Moines I got a speeding ticket. Huh? Who speeds on a 4 month road trip? Yes, I learned my lesson and will not be doing ANY speeding from here moving forward. I promise.
No comments:
Post a Comment