A YEAR AGO - SUMMER TOUR

The show dates.
 

Facebook reminded me that it was one year ago of a very special family event. My son Brett and his wife Gretyl, began an international tour of with band Handsome and Gretyl. I went on board as the Tour Manager and my wife Janice joined us as the nanny, looking after Brett's kid's while he performed evening shows.

The tour began in Seattle and crossed many states into Canada, returning in Seattle.

We shared the expense of a 31-foot RV that acted as our home for the month, as well as transporting stage gear. We slept on board, cooked and ate, had meetings and enjoyed family time.

I've toured with local bands on weekend dates but not for weeks and weeks and certainly not covering the miles of this H&G Summer Tour.

From Seattle, to L.A., to Nashville and Toronto - and many more cities. A few promoters ended up becoming Facebook friends, following me long after the tour ended.

I learned new things about artist management on this tour - learning is great! Especially when it's music-based.

It's been fun to look back over these photos and I've posted a few of the show highlights and the extra stops along the way.

A day off at a beach near Dallas.

Visiting Southfork Ranch - home of J.R. Ewing.

A sketchy venue but a fun show.

Visiting the life-size ark in Kentucky.

The James Dean crash site memorial in California.

The intersection where James Dean crashed and died.

The Mint - downtown L.A.

Somewhere. Brett driving, me navigating.

The Mint - great venue, great lights, great sound, great show.

Early morning sunrise over Tennessee.

Nashville.

"Just can't keep my eyes open!"

A tour highlight - playing Rock The Lake in Orillia.

Meeting up with my radio friend Tim Cardascia in Sacramento.

Private party in Sacramento.

Seattle - the beginning.

 

Shawnee Ok. Private Party.

Stopping to play in the waterpark.

Toronto.

Placing a bid for an item in Alice Cooper's Phoenix restaurant.

Alice Cooper's Cooper'stown.



Oro Station - private party.

I'M 60 - AND HERE'S WHAT I KNOW

I can’t believe I turned 60 this week. Sixty! It’s old enough to be a grandparent! Old enough for body parts to mess up. And, old enough to look back on 60 years of life's experiences and share some thoughts for those who care.

In no particular order, here are 36 things I've learned. Nearly, one a year!

1. Stretch your body every day. Stay flexible.
2. Don’t go into debt. It’s nearly impossible to get out.
   
3. You get what you pay for. Stop looking for cheap deals.
4. Do what you say you’ll do otherwise you’ll be thought of as unreliable.
5. "Once you give up your dreams, you die." (Jennifer Beals in "Flashdance")
6. Don’t be late. It’s disrespectful to those waiting for you.
7. Don’t ever tell anybody everything. Some secrets are not meant to be shared.
8. If you look after your things they’ll last longer. Mom was right.
9. Keep your stories short. People are only listening until there’s a squirrel. And there’s always a squirrel.
10. Never say "never". The last time I said "never" I ended up in Nicaragua.
11. Great ideas can have bad timing. Sometimes you need to wait.
12. If you’re wondering if God is involved, look for the fruit.
13. Best friends are only around until the wind changes direction or your money runs out, whichever comes first.
14. Some people are eternally unreliable. Keep your distance.
15. "Everything ends badly, otherwise it wouldn’t end." (Tom Cruise in "Cocktail")
16. Have a hero to follow.
17. Someone is watching you. How you act. What you say. Be a hero to someone else.
18. Don’t get sucked in to nonsense. Especially church nonsense.
19. You can’t fix everything that goes wrong. Let it go.
    
20. You can’t figure everything out. Let God do his job.
21. People change and the memories remain. Cherish the memories.
22. Get a dog.
23. You can think about doing good deeds but unless you do them, you’ve done nothing.
24. The journey is what brings us happiness, not the destination.
25. Hang around with people who are kind. Ditch the people who aren’t good for you.
26. Car rides are better when someone else is driving.
27. If you’re sick, get meds, get therapy and pray. It’s a good combination.
28. The speed limit may be low but ramp speeds never lie.
29. There’s someone worse off than you. Buy them dinner. Buy them a bed.
30. There’s someone better off than you. When they offer to help, don’t be too proud to accept.
31. Surrendering your time and inconveniencing yourself for someone else feels really good.
32. Save your money for at least one really good bucket list event.
    
33. People think you know what you’re talking about when you’re older, even if you don’t.
34. "There’s never nothing going on." (From "Peaceful Warrior")
35. Spend more time being grateful for what you have and less time asking for more stuff.
36. Coke is delicious. Coke brings a smile. It is never insincere, it is never late. It calms me when I’m frustrated and gratifies me when I’m happy. Coke is always a sight for sore eyes. It is always bubbly. Always quenches. It far outweighs the cavities. Coke is always there for me. Coke is it.