I decided to open each show of this tour with a tribute to Michael Jackson.  I opened each show with an acapella version of one of his songs.  It was really fun to open the sets with something light-hearted.

My drive to Helena was relatively peaceful until I was frozen with the sight of . . . snow. Um, really?  On Sept. 30th?  You have got to be kidding.  This is the part where I risked my life to take pictures on my i-phone while driving 70 miles per hour.  I will skip the part where I was tempted to try to send an e-mail of the picture.  The only other major event of the day was where I was forced to use the "claw" of my GPS unit as a spoon, as I had no utensils to consume my fried rice.  Though brilliant, this plan was very risky to my car's cleanliness (or lack-thereof), and of course, to my life.  But - it was a success!  The Claw has since been cleaned and placed back on my dash, for those that are curious.

The show that night was fabulous - and I was happy that some familiar faces ventured out on a Wednesday.  I enjoyed playing - and it felt nice to be playing solo again after many full band shows in the past few weeks.  Post-show, I enjoyed my time getting a tour of the "secret offices" and then hot tubbing with my dear friends Sue & Adel.  They are amazing.

The next morning, Sue and I caught breakfast before heading out to the Base to do a meet and greet with some of her co-workers.  It was really interesting to see the facilities - and imagine what my life had been like had I enlisted in the military.  FYI - it was never an option for me.  In fact, it is more likely that I would have ended up in Circus Camp as a contortionist.

I headed into Missoula early enough to grab a nap and enjoy the first part of the movie "Lean on Me".  I can't believe I had never seen it before.  I hung out with my new mates Tina and Angie before the show - and then headed off to the venue.  This night brought a little smaller crowd than last time through - but they were an incredibly attentive and loving audience.  I had a great time here as usual - and then enjoyed a sampling of wines from Doug the Great!  He even sent me home with a few bottles to try. Yay!!!  Thanks to Tina for helping with the set-up and merch that eve.  Oh - and post show, we sat in a row on the couch watching the rest of "Lean on Me" while gorging ourselves on homemade popcorn and wonderful coconut-hemp ice cream.

Next stop, Spokane, where I hustled into town to pick up Gaelen from the airport.  She flew in to join me for the show here and she is certainly a crowd favorite.  I can't even speak to the great time I had playing The Empyrean.  The room was packed to standing room only - and in fact, many people did stand for the entire show (your poor knees!). I played the new songs and added a few "extra's" to Habit for an extra-long version.   I had wonderful helpers Jenn & Holly (previously of Missoula), who helped me run the merch table.  I finished the evening with a small and fabulous meal at The Wild Sage - which never fails to amaze me with their gluten-free fare.  Big thanks also to Brian and Ellen, who are always a great support - and also my ol' pals from childhood who showed some love: Danica, Jody, Courtney, Liz, and Ron. :)

Now - this is where the forgetful part kicks in.  The next day, Gaelen and I have a good start to our day before driving to Boise.  We get about 2 hours into the drive, when my friend and host "bob" calls to let me know I have forgotten my laptop at her house. Fortunately, I knew I would be home all week, so we opted to send it via fed-ex instead of turning around.  Phew!  Next, however, is the clincher of my spastic-osity. Another two hours down the road, I get a call on my cell phone, stating that my purse had been picked up at a rest area.  My purse contained nearly $1000 cash - and much, much, more important articles than that - credit cards, ID, and receipts for my tour etc. Luckily, this amazing couple was driving toward Boise as well, and we were only an hour apart.  We decided to drive back to a small Oregon town to wait at a Truck Stop. This kind couple arrived awhile later, to hug me and hand me my purse.  I tried to give them $50 as a dinner treat, but they refused.  I gave them a CD instead - and they were happy.  I was ELATED.

Back on the road, we finally hit Boise around 10pm - and were exhausted.  I tried to read the same page for about 30 minutes before giving up and closing my eyes.  We had a show the next day - which is a fabulous house concert put on by Sharon.  As usual, the crowd was incredibly cool, attentive, and fun.  It was a laid back Sunday crowd - and this time, no one stole our Venison burgers - so we ate a feast post show before driving 4 hours to Pendleton, OR.  One sweet night in a hotel and then a 5 hour drive home rounded out the tour.

I must say, this was one hell of a good time.  I enjoyed the crowds, the drives, the music, the food, and of course, my friends and fans.  Thanks to all who came out to support the shows.  You constantly remind me that I am on the right path. . .