Baton Rouge

Baton Rouge was interesting and nice for few different reasons. First off, we performed at the Centroplex, which is right by the Mississippi River…and while that’s nice on its own, that was where we docked while on board one of the Queens (Mississippi, Delta and American) and stopping in Baton Rouge…also on Sunday, the American Queen was docked there for a while before they headed back downriver to New Orleans…so the area was a place that I was quite familiar with. The best reason that Baton Rouge was so enjoyable was that I got to spend time with my cousin Joel (OK…maybe not cousins in the legal or strictest of senses…but our families have been so close for so long that we are like cousins) and his family. I got the chance to come over to their house on Wednesday and spend time with them and talk for awhile over margaritas and kabobs…they were kind enough to also allow me to do my laundry…actually they wouldn’t even let me touch it, which got a little embarrassing while the um…unmentionables were being folded. They also stopped out the next night at the venue after the show just to hang out together for a while and we went to a cool place called Playland to eat…like a pizza and sandwich place…lot’s of sports stuff…mostly LSU. On Saturday, I got to see what kind of connections that I had (using the comp tickets that I had) and got them front row center seats for the Saturday evening performance…I was even able to squeeze in a meet and greet with Elmo for the girls (I’ll post the picture soon…when I have the proper spelling of the girls names…just want to make sure I get it right) and they were very pleased with the show. After the show we went out to a fabulous restaurant called TJ Ribs. It was great getting to spend time with them as I had only really seen them on holidays when they would visit in Cleveland. I can’t begin to thank you for the true southern hospitality.

It also allowed me to receive something that my Uncle Elmer wanted to pass down to me for good luck (it was easier for him to send it down to his son than to try and catch me at a hotel address)…and it’s on my keychain, I treasure it dearly…as I do the conversations that I have previously had with him both at home and on the road and the ones that I will have with him in the future.