The Bumblemobile

This is the rental card I ended up picking up!
The Bumblemobile?
The Yellow Hornet?

I didn't even think rental cars came in Blinding Yellow. The good thing about it is I am guaranteed to not lose it in any parking lot.

I also think I've never rented a car that was a two door. I don't think I've been in a two door car since my 20's.

It didn't even dawn on me until I tried to put my baggage in the pack seat that something was wrong.

When I picked the car up (in the underground parking lot, i.e. no sun, at the Milwaukee airport) it was a balmy 6 degrees so there was no way I was walking back the 20 feet to the counter to ask for another car. Of course after a few days of driving in the U.P. snow the car isn't exactly yellow at the moment. It's a cross between roadside dirt black and the Dirt We Put Down Instead of Salt brown that is used in the U.P.

On the road to Wisconsin

On the road to Wisconsin or Why I’m an Idiot

I’m currently sitting in the Terminal of Cleveland Hopkins Airport. One of those big city airports that even though they are aware most travelers have to sit for an hour or two waiting on their flight and that a lot of those people carry laptops don’t want to provide free internet service. Therefore I’m typing this on Word to be uploaded later.

Several months’ back I booked this week to do shows in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and Houghton, Michigan. If you don’t know where Houghton, Michigan is get a map and look at Canada. It’ about as far north as you can go in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan without quite being in Canada.

I booked this so I could work with my good friend Darryl Rhoades, of course right after we confirmed it I thought, “What the hell were we thinking, the U.P. in January??!!”

Well fortunately this January the weather in Ohio has been in the 50’s. Well, until yesterday. When I woke up this morning the temperature was a balmy 17 degrees with a wind chill of 6.

Here is the start of this trip so far. I bought coffee and cookie this morning on my way in and a pack of gum to have after the coffee. Well, of course I left my gum and cookie in my car in the parking lot.

Check in was nice and easy. I always worry about being late for a flight. One person in front of me checking their bags in and NO ONE in front of me for the security check point…SWEET! So as I’m doing the required strip down to board a plane from Cleveland to Milwaukee…a common terrorist route. (God, I hope no one is watching me over my shoulder typing this or my next entry will be typed from prison for typing the dreaded T word). So I’m going through the security checkpoint…shoeless…and have my wallet in my hand. The security guard says, “Sir, you have to put your wallet in your pocket or I’ll have to search you.” Your guess is as good as mine, I guess Homeland Security is worried about people assaulting the security guards with cheap imitation leather.

Well, so then I’m sitting at my gate and it’s pretty quiet so I’m half asleep when another person in the area is found out to be….A LOUD TALKER. You know, the guy that gets on his cell phone and assumes the person on the other end must not have their hearing aids in.

Since I’m awake I am now sitting here drinking some horrible coffee and a eating a stale doughnut….because that’s the way I roll.

Hopefully I’ll have new entries for you as this journey into the Great White North continues.

Some things get better over time.

It seems that this has over the last several years become a tradition for me as I work on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, I take time to listen to the "I have a Dream Speech."

Each year when I listen to it I still get goosebumps. I admire anyone that has so much conviction in their beliefs that they will follow through for the benefit of others knowing that it could cost them their life.

While I like most people get off for Memorial Day and Labor Day, the Martin Luther King holiday still seems to be one that only Federal employees get off for some reason.

Please take some time from your schedule to listen to this speech.