Back in the Saddle Again

Thank you Gene for singing this iconic lyric with your smooth vocals and twangy guitar. Or is it twangy vocals with a smooth guitar? Back in the saddle again --- Yahoo! (Additional lyrics by Byron)

Wowing the crowd with his blues voice.

After the wrist injury, and working through my own emotions of not being able to swing a club, I'm headed back out. But before I go I want to take a moment, in words, to express how interesting this time was for me. I went from bummed out that I didn't get to play, to wondering if I would ever return. I thought about what tournament opportunities I was missing out on, and yet how wonderful it was to be home day after day.

Travels. I've been traveling since my musician days when we drove coast to coast and back again in a tweaked out school bus. Tweaked --- well, at least the windows opened and we had reclining Greyhound seats from the 50's. But who really cared, we were traveling musicians. From there I traveled in a van as the piano player for a soloist, and then on to plane rides around the world. It was a wonderful experience.

Traveling is a part of tour life. This is one area I am blessed to have had years and years of experience. Many of the players find this to be one of the toughest transitions of tour life. It's not home! It's a new bed every week. Finding new restaurants that you can eat somewhat healthy is a challenge. Keeping our costs to a minimum is key as we try to make our way on to the bigger tours. The glitter of travel goes away pretty quickly. You find that you know certain airports really well and even the flight crews on certain airlines. You get comfortable in driving a different car every week and how to choose the right hotel so you get the best price, good service but most of all - good mattresses.

Travel is an art form. We dream of corporate jets that pick you up at your local airport and drop you off without layovers, security lines, and long tarmac delays. We dream of healthy meals cooked by local chefs and hotels that don't have fake eggs for breakfast (but I do like the waffles). It's a life that one doesn't choose for the glitter --- it's a life you choose because you love the game and have a passion and dream to see it fulfilled.

Well, it's time to start booking lodging, cars and airfare. It's time to start registering for fall tournaments that I go out with the design to win. I am so looking forward to September.  I'm back in the saddle again and I hope to see you all out there in my travels. In the mean time;

Swing hard and look up!
Byron