5/22/00 - On the road--OFFICIALLY!

NOW we are really on the road. We had our first 800 mile drive, including the "Zombie Walk" through a "Flying J" Truck Stop at 2:30 in the morning and a "Cracker Barrel" breakfast. It is all in place now.

Honestly, it had not seemed like really being on the road until now. Lots of short drives, flights, semi-regular sleeping hours or arriving before sunrise and segueing from bus to bed in the hotel.

We have been traveling since we packed up and left Dallas after last night's show. I awoke at 4:30 AM just as we were refueling. Billy, our driver was nowhere to be found and as I looked out the bus window I saw Babaloo washing his bus windshield with a long-handled squeegie. Noticing the numerous bug splats on our windshield, I got out and grabbed another squeegie from the bucket and started scrubbing. Almost immediately a trucker came up and asked if I was the driver he had been chatting with on the radio and I told him I was just helping with the window washing. Billy had mentioned to him that if he came to the Atlanta show he would be put on our guest list and I assured him it was true. I finished up and got back on board to the sound of a lady trucker talking about how she thought "that blonde-haired driver's helper was really cute..." and proceeded to describe what she would be willing to do if she were given the opportunity. What an interesting morning so far! She was really a hoot.

Glen was next to join our "pre-breakfast club" and he soon had the map out, giving me an education on some of the smaller Alabama towns we were passing.

Just about the time Jeanne emerged from the back, Babaloo radioed that we were nearing a "Cracker Barrel" exit and did we have any takers. "YES" was quickly transmitted back and soon we were sitting around a big family table surrounded by biscuits, pancakes, eggs and other breakfast foods as well as some very nice fans who noticed our slightly disheveled entranced. "They will be on The Today Show this Friday," Jeanne informed the nice lady who had made her way to see if we were who she thought we were. "We will probably look about like this on television," I told her. Since we will be coming from the show in Virginia Beach the night before, and have a 5:15 AM call at NBC, I think that is quite likely.

Now, we are probably 2 1/2 hours from Atlanta where we will spend the day off doing laundry and other day off things before heading over to our manager's house for a STYX and crew, REO and crew party he is having tonight. Our first big blowout for the entire gang.

It has been an unbelievable tour so far and there are still lots of great shows to look forward to. I am not going to keep telling you how cool it is, because I think I have already done that more than enough to make the point. Okay, one more time--it is as good as we thought it was going to be--no, even better.

By the way, Oklahoma City, Houston and Dallas were insane. Hospitality and palpable enthusiasm to the Nth degree. Unforgettable!