Kettering, Ohio

A mighty long day. Got home from the Ryman last night just past midnight, took the dog for a walk and realised I was very hungry. My son Nick and I ended up at a Waffle House around 1 in the morning. You see some strange folks in a Waffle House at that time and I'm sure they were thinking the same about us. I of course ordered a waffle, but the night cook was hopeless. The first waffle he brought looked like a larval waffle...wobbly, white and underdone. I sent it back asking for something a little more well done...more brown. I watched as he dumped another blob of batter onto the iron and closed it. Then I watched him plug a few quarters into the jukebox, go to the bathroom, tend to a few other orders and so on. When the second waffle came off the iron it was burnt. Now begins waffle #3. He's so upset about the first two that he's checking it every minute, opening and closing the jaws of the iron and asking me to give him the OK if it's done properly. A long ordeal. Finally got to bed, absolutely knackered around 2:30 this morning.

About 7:30 this morning, the yard guys turned up and began blowing off the patio just outside our bedroom. So my day began. Coffee, e-mail, repacking the suitcases etc. The car came to pick me up and it was off to the airport and on my way to Kettering, Ohio for our gig at the Fraze Pavilion. We played here in 2005, a pleasant town and nice outdoor amphitheatre that seats 4,100. It was still broad daylight when we took the stage at 8:30 but the sun quickly set making for a warm night. I think we were all tired from the last few days, that combined with it being a small outdoor venue actually made for a wonderfully relaxed show that was so well played and received.

A runner to Toronto where we arrived at 1:00, spend the night and play tomorrow. A long day indeed....

So long,

Richard