Wide Open Spaces
Two weeks ago now I started on my journey to my old home in Fort Collins Colorado. I will say that my recent time spent in Colorado was interesting to say the least, and when I look back I see it all in three distinct parts.
Part one was the traveling and time spent with my wife, family, and Sherri Reichow. Dana and I began our drive out to Colorado at about two O’clock Kentucky time on Tuesday June 27. Dana drove until we could travel no more, but along the way we enjoyed a delicious steak dinner and listened to many brilliant country songs about real struggles and triumphs in life. One of my fondest memories of that day was taking a picture on the Indiana state border, fun stuff!
We spent the night in Columbia Missouri that night and headed out the next morning through Kansas. For some reason, I had to pee like a racehorse all the way through Kansas, which made the time traveling through there even slower than it had to be, which is a bad thing, let me tell you! Kansas is long and boring enough as it is! By seven at night we finally made it to Denver and to our dear friend Sherri Reichow’s house, where we found rest, great company and food.
The next morning Sherri showed me a video about sound preservation. In Canada, they care more about preserving the historic sounds of their cities, and are more mindful of the sounds of engine combustion. It was neat and inspiring. We had a relaxing day as we waited for Bree’s evening flight from Louisville. In that time I got a chance to go for a little swim where Sherri coached me to keep me from running into walls. I got my ass kicked, not used to elevation, also getting a little fat these days, just a side note.
That night Bree’s plane arrived after some delay. I was sleeping on the couch when it was time to go. We picked Bree up at the airport and headed to our hotel in Loveland.
The next day we met up with our dear friend Mineidy and her sister Bree for a wonderful breakfast at this place in Loveland called the Urban Egg, I recommend it!
That night I played with Sean Waters at Ptarmigan Country Club. I hadn’t seen Sean in eleven months, and we played like no time had passed, it was a crazy fun experience.
The next day was Saturday and I ran all around! First Dana took me to meet up with my old friend Krista in old town where we perused the farmer’s market and had a lovely non-alcoholic beverage. At that point I met up with Matt Morton, a man I have known since I was four years old, to head up to my boyhood home of Stove Prairie and to Jason Tempero’s cabin. Jason and I hung out every year of my life growing up. We were neighbors and shared in so many things in our childhood years. That afternoon we shared in some brilliant music, seared tuna and veggies, absolutely delicious.
After that it was time for Matt to cart me back down the canyon so I could be on time for my six O-clock show at Maya Cove. Maya Cove is a neighborhood bar/restaurant that has a lax atmosphere, killer BBQ and many Seers fans. It was a real treat to play nostalgic requests for people I knew so well at The Cove that night.
We spent that night at the hotel and woke up the next day to a very sad morning, the morning I parted ways with my Sweet Dane. We met up with our dear friend Candie for a nice breakfast and then I said good bye to Dane as she prepared to go to Canada with Bree. Then began part 2 of the trip, the Candie and Sean time.
After we had breakfast it was time for Candie and I to get ready for a lunch date she had with a friend. We weren’t hungry but we went anyway. Her friend was an interesting gal, more reserved and talked about work a lot. She reminded me of my friend Jen Skuggen in some ways.
After that we headed back to her house and tried for some yard work, but it was just too hot. We retreated to the cool basement to watch a funny movie all about a guy who gets sent to prison and trains with a wicked master beforehand to soften the blow of prison life.
After that we headed to Sean’s. At Ptarmigan Sean and I had talked about getting together for a recording session! We hadn’t done this since 2019, and it was exciting to get back into the studio. We made some demos that night and spent time that felt like old times. We even almost got into a couple of the old disagreements we used to get into, but stayed out of the weeds for the most part.
Candie picked me up from there with her daughter Samantha and we all headed back to her house for food and to retire for the night. The next morning we did accomplish some yard work before it got too hot and had lunch with two other friends of Candie’s. Then we headed to Sean’s where we finished our demos and headed to Denver to play at a private party for Dave Zippi, always a blast!
When we arrived at the party Dave was playing one of my favorite albums, 2112 by Rush! He is always listening to the greatest stuff! We played and feasted throughout the night and basically partied ourselves, it was a good time!
I arrived back to the sleeping house of Candie close to 1 AM. The next morning Tom came to pick me up, and then began the third part of the trip, the time with Tom, Bob and Miramont fitness club.
Tom has become my best friend in the last six years of playing music together. The remaining days of my trip were designated to work on music with Tom. We have a nine song album we will begin recording with Darren Radach at Stout Studios at the beginning of August. Tom and I had lunch and dove right into practicing. We both had high hopes for the practice, and it met our expectations. Tom latched onto transitions between verses, choruses and bridges painlessly, as he always does. It is such a pleasure working with him.
After practice we had supper and I talked to my Sweet Dane up in Canada. We had a nice talk about future plans and then it was time to retire for the evening.
The next day Tom and I had coffee and I headed to my old club, Miramont, for a swim. I was pleasantly surprised, didn’t get my ass kicked quite so hard. After that Tom picked me up and we headed back to his house for lunch and practice.
The next day I swam again, and felt much much better. However, I didn’t do it without having a walk with a new good friend of mine, Bob. Bob taught me the route to Miramont and I still walk with him and his dog Jagger when I visit Colorado. After that I got a ride from Jacque, my old swimming buddy, when my dial-a-ride failed. It was good to see her and talk to her for a few minutes on the ride over. Tom and I hit it hard that afternoon, time was running out and we are perfectionists.
The next day was Friday, my last day in Colorado. I made it to the pool for a third swim at Miramont, and was almost impressed with myself, almost. My dial-a-ride succeeded in picking me up that day and Tom and I practiced for the rest of the afternoon and into the night. We made recordings for reference and played until we were comfortable with every transition, it was a lot of work.
The next day Tom and I headed to Denver for my flight to Louisville, where I had my sweet wife, a gig, and a whole new life to live in Kentucky waiting for me!