9/13/00 - Helplessly Hopped...

Hello from Canada,

We made it across the border without having to be rousted from our beauty sleep this morning around 8:30 AM after another overnight drive. You should have seen how pretty we were exiting the buses this morning. Thank you, kind and understanding folks at the border. I think you must be getting used to seeing us now. You might as well, because we'll be seeing more and more of you!

We arrived here in London, Ontario, just in time to miss breakfast. Amazing how often that happens. So now I am wondering if I want the "Mushroom Filled Tri-Coloured Agnolotti" or the "Cedar Plank Cooked Salmon Trout" for my first meal of the day. Actually the Cliff Bar in my computer bag looks more attractive right now, so pardon me while I munch...

Last night in York, PA, it was another night with REO and for us another new place. As I looked at the 9,000+ smiling faces in the audience, I once again thought to myself, "What the heck took us so long to get here?" They never sat down during the entire show. I wish we could have played longer, because it would have been fun to soak in their enthusiasm for another hour. But it was also good to see and hear REO. They had been off for a 6 day break and they were red hot. Our "Arch Allies" came out before "Edge Of The Century" to bring me a birthday cake, taking me totally by surprise. If you were there you would have enjoyed all the sheepish grins on the stage. I, for once, was speechless. Thanks everyone. And thank all of you for the thoughtful gifts I have received, not the least of which was a "Billy Bass" the singing mounted bass. It has already provided its share of laughs on the Baby Bus. I hope the person who created that is filthy rich now. What a freaky concept. In case you haven't seen it, it wags its tail and on cue turns its head to face you, singing the chorus "Take me to the river, drop me in the water," its little fish mouth moving in synch to the words. Sick minds at work.

Yesterday was one of those days for travel. Billy and I arrived the hotel after our 1,070 mile drive, looking for sympathy only to find that JY and Gary's flight from Chicago that was scheduled to leave at 6:30 PM the evening before, left at 3:30 AM the next morning. They had arrived York at 6:30 AM, and as of this morning their luggage has not been located. Billy and I had it EASY!

Lawrence had just come from a marathon 16 hour edit session running right to the drop dead deadline for the Music Choice TV concert. It has now been turned in and is being readied for airing later this month. So Lawrence was as toasty as anyone. But you know, when we stepped foot on the stage last night, it didn't matter. We were so fired up to see all these new faces that we played as if we had just come off a vacation in the Bahamas. THIS is what you do to us. And you wonder why we want to keep adding dates to this tour? We are addicted.

I hear the fall tour dates are coming together more each day, to the point of where we are starting to look at next year's plan. Our manager and agency are as bad as we are. But honestly, there is so much territory to cover, just in the US, before we feel we can say we have let ourselves be known. Then there is Canada and Europe, so I guess we will continue to suit up and look for those fans in the seats so we can get yet another dose.

We are hopelessly hooked.