Go Pelicans!

4/21, 11am: Greetings from Canada! We’re here in Rama, Ontario, at Casino Rama, just an hour or so from Toronto. The casino & hotel is on a lake and has a mountain lodge/Indian motif that is in keeping with the picturesque setting in which it is situated. I’ve got a beautiful room here replete with fireplace, sitting area, large glass-enclosed shower, and a nice big bed. Of course, no casino experience would be complete without the requisite buffet and they’ve got it! It may please those close to me that, while I continue to make several trips (no true buffet-lover can do any less!), I’m coming back with smaller portions. I read an article a few days ago about why French women are so skinny. The reason?...they eat what they want but in smaller portions than us Americans. Makes sense.

Monday, back in Myrtle Beach - where we spent the better portion of last week - Jeff and I took in a minor league baseball game. It was the Myrtle Beach Pelicans versus the Winstom-Salem Warthogs. The Pelicans are a Class A affiliate of the Braves and The Warthogs are a Class A affiliate of the White Sox. For $8.50 each, we had two box seats just a couple rows back from the 1st base dugout. It was fantastic! When you’re that close, you really get a sense of how fast the action is when there’s a ball in play. First of all, the pitches look like they’re being shot out of a cannon. The balls coming off the bats seem even faster! Jeff & I were in foul-tip territory, so we definitely had to pay attention. A few went in our general direction - one lady got cllipped and required minor medical attention - but all we got our hands on were the many hot dogs and peanuts we consumed. Final score?...Warthogs 4, Pelicans 1. So, as we exited the stadium along with our fellow forlorn Pelican fans, we hit the pro shop for souveniers and tucked away a memorable & enjoyable evening in Myrtle Beach.

Musically speaking, I would say that things have settled into a nice groove. The band is in fine form and spirits are high among all concerned. My bass is showing some small signs of the wear & tear of so much travelling and, while it still plays & sounds great, I’m wondering - after almost 15 years - if another one is in order to share the load. It would be tragic if something happened and I had nothing to fall back on. Sometimes, though it’s rare, the airline will not let me take it as a carry-on. I’ve seen the way some of these baggage-handlers toss it around andit makes me cringe every time. Thank goodness I spent the extra money and got a good case!

That’s all for now. We’ve got two more here in Canada, then a show in Connecticut, and home! It’s been a most enjoyable trip and I’m looking forward to Vegas and Atlantic City in May.

Stay tuned music fans!
--Adam