A German in Fredericksburg

Wow, 7 am start☺ I’m still sleeping - the bed was wonderful

I follow Danny in the twilight out of Ransom Canyon onto the Highway to Fredericksburg. I pass through a couple of really cool towns that look like you could film a western movie if you replace the cars with horses.

I find a little motel just outside the town and go straight for a nap. Well not after working a little...

Later that evening I go to dinner and have a huge steak (that’s what you eat here in TX!) and a couple of German Wheat beers which make me wanna go straight to bed - I concur.

Texas welcoming committee

I get up early again, and before I leave Roswell I drive by their UFO museum and get a coffee next door.

After that it’s flatland again - miles and miles of colorless endless horizon. All over sudden I hit farmland and the weather clears up.

Then I cross into Texas and have my own Welcoming Committee

I get pulled over, supposedly for driving too fast passed a parked emergency vehicle- no way, I was going 15 miles under the speed limit (just a precaution).
Well, I got a written warning (I’m from WA and don’t know the TX rules yet:)
After that nice greeting I move on and finally get into Lubbock. It’s a maze and a construction zone.

By the time I find La Diosa Cellars I’m ready to pee in my pence and have to run....
Nice view in the bathroom:)

The venue is beautiful and the owner is also an interior designer.

I have several hours until showdown so I sit down and work and enjoy the atmosphere

It’s a great night and I make a lot of friends and sell CDs in bulk:)
I didn’t expect that from Texas but wow!!!!
Here are my two new friends Danny & Monika. They invited me into their home for the night.

They life in Ransom Canyon which looks like somewhere in CA. What an oasis!
beautiful! We get there late after midnight. Monika cooks up some quick Italian food and we sit around the table and chat for a couple of hours before my eyes start closing.

Roswell Landing

I wake up at 4 in the morning due to truckers having their motors running forever before they finally leave. Well, that was it for the night - I turn from one side to the other and eventually I get up and work on the computer. It’s going to be a beautiful day but cold! The sun is only out for visuals.

I have to go to Kinkos and do some print outs as well as dropping some mail off to the post office. After that I have a coffee. I drive into the wrong direction when I leave Albuquerque and have to turn around. I still feel sick and my throat and head hurt. Well, today is an off day and I’ll try to make it to Roswell, NM and see if I can make contact. New Mexico is under a thin layer of snow and ice.

Around 4 pm I stop in a little village for food. Oh my - it’s depressing and the main street is basically deserted and it looks like a ghost town.

I find a little diner and feel already like an alien. From there it is just straight, well it’s always straight I guess. The sun goes down in the West and the sky looks like a colorful flag.

Once I arrive in Roswell i find a little cheap Motel and get settled in.

Later I’m hungry again and visit the local hot spot for a brew and green chilli.

Then it’s time for bed...

Albuquerque and the real turkey

Leaving Sedona is harder as i thought. The next tiem I need to stay several days and explore the area. It is just stunningly beautiful.

The drive is very enjoyable.

After a couple of hours I reach New Mexico. The temperature has dropped and I see snow all over.

Around 3:30 pm I arrive in Albuquerque. The drive was faster than i expected and there is no one at the venue yet. The neighborhood is quite funky and I wonder about tonight. I decide to get a cheap motel next door and do some work on the computer.

An hour before the show I go over to Sol Arts and meet with Kristen who manages the Gallery/Performance space. It’s a small Theater with a great sound and I look forward to the show because I can play all acoustic. Well, turkey Albuquerque... Nobody shows up! I mean no one! Luckily I have a great conversation and refuse to let this get to me. I play a song for Kristen before I pack up again.


After I dropped my stuff in my room I go and have some food and a brew:)

Tomorrow is a driving day and I try to get to Roswell. Maybe I see some space ships:)

Sedona the Old West and Modern Times

In the morning Larry shows me his new banjo that he built. It sounds great!

After that we have a wonderful breakfast. Nia and Larry have been wonderful hosts and I’m looking forward to returning.

Instead of trees everybody has cactus trees in from of their house.

The drive up to Sedona is wonderful. My back is still in pain, so I’m more inclined to make breaks and get some rest. I decide to visit Montezuma Castle, a National Monument. It was built around A.D. 1150 by the the Southern Sinagua lived principally by farming, they supplemented their staple crops by hunting and gathering.

After an hour of culture I continue my drive through scenic Arizona.

A couple of hours later I arrive in Sedona at Future Studios.

They have a wonderful performance space an a studio. Tonight's show will be a world wide webcast and a live DVD recording and I think some of my friend in Germany will be watching...
For now we have to set the lights

It turns out to be one of my best shows ever and I get standing ovations. After the I chat with my Mycenay. I set up the show with her and am glad that it worked very well for the first time around - so I’ll be back!

Around 1 am I finally get to bed smiling:)

On the way to Phoenix

When I wake up I have a headache from the smoky bar. Without a breakfast I get going.

It’s only about two hours until I get to the city.

I find a little coffeehouse close to where I play tonight. They have WiFi and so I work about 7 hours straight on emails and networking.

Fiddler’s Dream is a nice little venue and it feels more like a house concert.

I have a wonderful show and the volunteers that work that evening are lovely:)

I can stay at Nia’s and Larry’s tonight but have to find their place first. It’s about 25 miles out of town and quite and adventure to find at night. Finally I get there and Nia and me sit in the kitchen and chat into the early morning until I finally give up and go to bed

Off to Arizona

I get up around 9 am and start working on some email. James has a meeting and after that we have breakfast at our favorite place. I’m not sure if I’m going to drive all the way to Phoenix or not - well, rather not. After breakfast we go back to the house and I start packing my stuff. Before I leave I have to take a photo of James’ old traveling bus.

Here are the brothers again - miss ya already!

Off I go - I had a wonderful time with james and melinda. The traffic around Pasadena is insane and for about three hours it’s just stop and go.

After that it’s a little better. When I get to I 10 the the traffic starts flowing again. It’s a long haul! I stop at Blythe, not far from the Arizona border to look for a Motel. No rooms available in the whole city. There is a huge Fair about 20 miles into Arizona and people supposedly come from all over the US. Darn, I’m tired! Well, I guess i keep driving. About 50 miles into Arizona I try again and this time I’m lucky - well it’s kind of like a trailer park and $60 for the night was not exactly what I had in mind but I need to rest and my behind hurts too.

I’ll have a Budweiser and a sandwich and start working on the computer - Hey, didn’t I say I need to go to bed? Well, just a little bit...

I’m hungry, I haven’t eaten at all. There is a dive close to where I stay. They have Karaoke and the most cowboy hats I’ve ever seen. Country land! Wow, I hope I get out of here in one piece. A couple of folks strike up a conversation and I stay way too long. Darn, I should have brought the camera☺

Straight into Hollywood

After I get up and have a strong coffee I’ll try to do some work on the internet but somehow we can’t connect my laptop. Well, there is always a Starbucks somewhere so I get going and find my way through North Hills.

I spend about 6 hours straight doing email and booking. After that I dash back to take a shower and get ready for my show at Genghis Cohen.

Before I leave Derdad, Ida and me fool around with the camera

It’s in Hollywood and despite my directions I get lost. Luckily there is wireless everywhere and I just stop somewhere and google my way!
Genghis Cohen is a Chinese Restaurant with a very cool 60 seat venue that is adjacent from the dining space. I’m excited to see my friends Roman and Samantha with whom I share this show.


Jon T Howard, a friend and fellow musician comes by totally unexpected, so does James!

I decide to sty this last night in L.A. with James and after we get back to Moorpark we have a bottle of “Screw Kapa Napa” which changes my perspective...

Am I ready for my sleeping bag or what!