SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28TH – MONDAY, DECEMBER 29TH, 2025 – GARY SINISE FOUNDATION TOUR FROM NASHVILLE TO SOUTHWEST ASIA WITH “KELANDY”:
Embarking on the last tour of 2025 for the Gary Sinise Foundation. So blessed to have his support and so are all the men and women we are able to entertain.
We left for a 2 week tour of military bases in Southwest Asia today. We have again been told not to disclose our exact location until after we depart that country. So these will be “generic” road reports until that time. We visit 3 countries and won’t return to the USA until January 10th.
Kelandy and his group had to depart Honolulu a little before midnight on Saturday, December 27th and arrive LAX on Sunday, December 28th. Then they flew to Philadelphia to meet James and me. There were some “minor” flight delays but nothing terrible like all the flight cancellations in New York. We dodged that bullet by only a few miles!
James and I had a 6 hour layover in Philadelphia so we went into what was supposed to be the “elite” Flagship American Airlines Lounge. I promise you, it was not as nice as just a regular Delta Lounge. Minimal food and seating and what they had of both were undesirable. We found a really small table with 4 chairs and “outlets” to plug in our devices. We were at least able to sit and talk and work for most of that 6 hours. About a half hour before we were planning to depart the lounge to meet Kelandy’s group, one of the staff members came by and we thought he was asking if he could have one of our chairs. There was a couple standing beside him. We took out backpacks off the chairs and told him he was welcome to take them. Then he informed us that the couple actually wanted to sit at our table with us. That was definitely not desirable as we would have been elbow to elbow and privilege to every word said between the 4 of us. I was frustrated enough by that time with the entire “Flagship” situation that I told him we would just leave and they could have the entire table. As we were walking out, he came over and said “Thank you”. I informed him that what he did was not polite and he should never have asked us…and we left. There were definitely other empty seats in the Lounge where the couple could have sat.
I went to the currency exchange to change money for “tips” since we are staying at a hotel then met James at the gate to sit and wait for Kelandy’s group to land. They landed on time and we walked down to one of the restaurants to meet them. They all seem like really nice guys. James and I left them to eat their dinner and went back to the gate.
Boarding was a real cluster! They were supposed to board first class but everyone just jumped in line. Then one of the staff members began moving people from the back of the line to another line which caused even further confusion. When I went through the “digital face ID”, the machine said I had to see an agent. The agent scanned my boarding pass and sent me through only to be stopped by another staff member and sent to a “table” where there was a clipboard and a list. The agent there was checking the names of “certain” passengers and James and I both made it onto that list along with dozens of others. Just as they finished checking us, the first staff member yelled at everyone to get against the wall! He continued yelling until everyone was lined up against the wall. Then the table was moved aside and a young Arabic couple was escorted through by security with their carry on bags on a “cart”. Once they entered the aircraft, we were allowed to get on the plane.
At least the seats are nice! Much nicer than my last International flight in October with my family where Virgin Airlines configured the seats so that they were sideways – angled out into the aisle!
There was some type of “mechanical” delay and then we lost our slot for takeoff. We finally departed around 45 minutes late. There was several times when the turbulence was horrific. I watched one bad movie, ate a few bites of a terrible meal and then slept for a lot of the 14 hour flight since I had gotten up at 4:00 am this morning after getting in bed at 1:00 am.
I had to hire ground transportation from the Radisson as the base said they could not provide it for us. Evidently they don’t have the type of vehicles we need and for passengers, luggage and equipment. We stayed on base last time and while the lodging was new, they would have put us on 3rd floor and there are no elevators. The bedrooms were “Quads” with 4 separate bedrooms in one “unit” and 2 people sharing a bathroom. WiFi was constantly “broken”. So staying at the Radisson was a good move.
We landed about 30 minutes late and the pilot made an announcement that there were 5 people who had a very tight connection. He asked that everyone except those 5 people remain seated and allow them to get off first. Of course the majority of the people did not follow instructions. And, we found out that their flight had already departed by the time we landed anyway.
We had to clear Immigration and the first staff member sent us to the automated kiosks – which I knew were not going to work for us and they didn’t. We got in a long line to have someone stamp our passport. When it was finally my turn, the lady said I needed a VISA. We had checked with my travel agent, with American Airlines, and triple checked online that no VISA was required for U.S. Citizens. Supposedly this went into effect a “few months ago” but I’m not sure that is even true. The cost was $21 per person and I explained that I needed to pay for all 7 people. Everyone lined up and the agent started yelling at them to get back in line. She would not process our Visas. I had to ask to see a supervisor. They took us to one staff member and he processed everyone.
All our luggage/equipment arrived and when we left the baggage claim area, both James and I were pulled aside into another room. All they did was scan our luggage claim check and let us go!
Our transportation that I hired through the Radisson was waiting for us and it was about a 30 minute drive to the hotel. It’s a really nice hotel and the front desk clerk was very helpful. He was going to put me, James and Kelandy in the building next door that was also part of the Radisson. But, I asked him to find rooms for everyone in the same building.
One I got to my room and started unpacking, I realized that the entire zipper pull had been ripped off my “supply” suitcase. I got the suitcase opened but would not be able to zip it back up and we have lots of flights to go. I started unpacking everything in it so I could take it to the base tomorrow to see if someone could help. That’s when I found the zipper pull shoved inside the suitcase. After working with it for about 30 minutes, I got it back on the zipper good enough for me to tape it and fly to the next country.
We depart tomorrow morning to the base to do Unit visits all day and then attend a VIP dinner hosted by a General who has been a dear friend of mine for decades. Wish I could mention names and locations!
Jude
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30TH – UNDISCLOSED LOCATION IN SOUTHWEST ASIA:
Despite my good intentions, I did not get into bed until 2 am this morning and had to get up at 6 am. I had hoped to either jog or go to the gym but “life’ happened and I didn’t make it. Will DEFINITELY be able to work out tomorrow because we don’t depart to the base until 2:30 pm. I say “definitely”…..LOL
I realized the little safe in my rom doesn’t work so I called maintenance to fix it before I had to leave today. Also, I have this really cool little portable waterpik. It has a small plastic container on the back that has to be filled with water before each use. I had it setting on my sink and accidentally knocked it over. It fell behind the sink and I thought I could just reach back and retrieve it. Nope. There is a big hole behind the sink that goes down inside the cabinet. The cabinet panel is solid so no way to retrieve it. The guy who came to fix knew how to pull off part of the panel and grab it. The hard part was making him understand what happened. Let’s just say photos and Google Translate played a big part.
The breakfast buffet was awesome but I’ve never seen so many people. We are in a very popular destination for New Year’s Eve “tourists” and I think most of them are staying at this hotel! Took longer to find somewhere to sit than it did to eat.
A longtime friend of mine who plays in the Air Force Band reached out to me and said he is at the base where we are now. I met him when the Air Force Band opened the Country Gold Festival in Japan each year and we’ve stayed in touch throughout the years. Last time I was at this base, the same thing happened only it was a different musician. Really happy to get to see him today or tomorrow!
We were supposed to depart the hotel at 11:00 am but the driver was 10 minutes late. Then he had no clue at all where he was supposed to take us. I had to pull up the directions on Maps and guide him. Even then, he tried to go through the guard gate instead of dropping us at the parking lot. I had to contact the Radisson because they booked the transportation for us.
Our first stop was at the K-9 Kennels. I love visiting with the dogs! They let several of our guys suit up and be taken down by the dog. Pu’Unui’s “run” was hilarious. He is not a “skinny” guy but he ran so fast and erratic that the dog totally missed him when he was being chased. The dog circled back and got him but still….that was a “first”! Met some really nice guys and they certainly enjoyed our visit. My friend (the General) came by to say hello and meet everyone. He’s just the best!
DFAC for a quick lunch was next on the agenda. Definitely the best food at any DFAC I’ve ever visited. We visited with EOD (Explosive Ordinance Device) and that’s always a fun visit as well. They showed us all their munitions and let the guys play with the robot. Also had a huge MRAP tricked out with the latest in technology including a high powered laser. Another great visit.
Last Unit Visit was with Security Forces who handle the drones. Those were amazing! They let the guys fly those for a while and explained their “jobs” to us. Another fascinating experience for my guys and for the people we visited.
We had 45 minutes to shop at the base exchange where I grabbed some t-shirts for the family. Then it was time to go to the DV quarters for a hosted dinner by the General and his wife. It was in a private enclosed area inside the DV room area and the food was terrific. Best of all, I had two hours to catch up with his wife. The General thanked everyone and told them just how much their visit meant to the men ad women serving so far from home. This is the 5th time I’ve been able to bring entertainment to areas where he is stationed since I met him many, many years ago – Kunsan, South Korea twice, then Honolulu, Virginia (Langley) and now here.
This time our driver was on time and it took about half the time to drive back to the hotel as it did to get to the base this morning. I took some photos of the outside of the hotel because it’s beautiful at night and the pool area is amazing. The sunset tonight was also spectacular. It was a huge full moon and when it starting setting, it just seemed to drop like a rock!
Today was such a great day. Being able to spend an hour with each group and talk to them individually not only about their work here but also about their families and lives back home which has to be so hard on them especially over the holidays.
Going to try to get more than 4 hours of sleep tonight! Going to be another long, heart-warming day tomorrow with sound check, performance, M&G, and count down to 2026! Such an honor to be able to ring in the New Year with the brave (mostly very young) men and women defending our freedom. Say a prayer for them tonight.
Jude
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31ST – HAPPY NEW YEAR’S EVE!
Today I got in the workout at the gym! It wasn’t crowded but tomorrow I think I’ll check out the gym in the other tower. There wasn’t a lot of “variety” in the machines available in this one.
We left for the base at 2:30 pm and our transportation was on time (even early) this time. So strange that it takes us 30 minutes to drive to the base and only 15 minutes to drive from the base back to the hotel.
The Production Company was ready for our group to sound check and while everything went okay, it still took us the entire 3 hours allocated.
The Gary Sinise Foundation is providing a “Serving Heroes” complimentary meal to the attendees at the show. The meal was catered by a really great restaurant off base and they were supposed to come on base and serve the meal and bring everything to keep it warm. Only the FSS Staff found out after I paid the restaurant that they would not be allowed access to the base. The base bans people from certain countries and evidently the restaurant employees fell into that category. FSS was able to find enough volunteers to drive back and forth to the restaurant to pick up the food and borrowed “warmers” from the DFAC to keep everything warm. The same people volunteered to serve the food. The menu was great and had a lot of variety and everyone talked about how good the food was.
I was over at the location where the food was being set up and they brought out trays of what looked like little chocolate/raspberry tarts. We all decided that it would be a good thing to “taste” one of them just to make sure they were acceptable. LOL. It was only about one inch in diameter so most of the staff put the whole thing in their mouth. I am cautious about eating something I’m not sure what it is so I only bit off half of mine. Everyone immediately started looking for a trash can or napkin to spit it out. It was definitely not chocolate, raspberry or sweet. We finally figured out it was one of the appetizers but we never figured out which one! I walked back to the Green Room with what was left of mine and showed it to the guys to warn them not to try it. Kelandy insisted on eating what was left of mine even though I warned him not too. I snapped a photo of his face after he ate it. Priceless!
Just prior to the kickoff of the show, we had a Meet and Greet with leadership – all such nice folks! The General kicked off the show by welcoming everyone and reinforcing that fact that Gary and the Foundation were providing complimentary dinner and encouraging anyone who had not gotten a plate, to do so in the next few minutes. We played a video about Mac’s music (Gary’s son) and everyone stood for the Star Spangled Banner played by Mac on harmonic. He got huge applause after the song ended. Then we played a personalize video from Gary welcoming and thanking everyone. The band kicked off right on time and did a great show.
I sat with the General and his wife. She had been so sweet to bring me a nice warm coat to wear. It had turned REALLY cold which was of course unusual for this part of the world. They were talking about how good the food was and I asked if they tried the little “chocolate tarts”. They had the same reaction we did when biting into it. I’m not sure that it actually tasted that bad. It was just the fact that your mouth and mind was ready for the taste of chocolate and strawberry and instead are surprised by something very “mealy” and bland tasting. Just no way to describe the taste of it.
Kelandy kept trying to get people to come to the dance floor but no one would budge. Typical for the polite military. They loosened up later on because tonight was a “special” treat for them. They were allowed to purchase 4 alcoholic drinks instead of the normal two. We were all given “cards” that allowed us to do the same. The General went to the bar to get a couple of drinks and they wouldn’t serve him because he didn’t have a drink card. Once he showed the bartender his ID card with his Two Star Rank, they served him immediately. LOL.
Kelandy performed “Sweet Caroline” near the end of the show and that finally got the dance floor filled and people singing along. He singled out the General’s XO and made him dance to one of the songs.
Kelandy finished at around 10 pm and took photos with everyone in line. There was a cover band that was supposed to start. performing at 11 pm but instead kicked off at 10:30 pm. I walked over to the “British Bar” where my friend had the Air Force Band performing a Karaoke night. The AF Band is amazing but they were having to play cover songs so the people could sing. I only stayed a few minutes but it was very “entertaining”!
The cover band performed until 12:30 am taking a break for the countdown and ball drop. They had brought in a crane and had an illuminated ball to “drop”. Only the wind had been so strong earlier when they were “testing” it that they could only raise it a few feet off the ground. Turned out to be more of a “drip” than a drop. LOL
We departed the base to the hotel at 1:00 am. It was such a great night – over 500 people attending our concert and being “fed” as well….all compliments of Gary. Was so nice to see everyone smiling, laughing and having such a great time in the “desert” on New Year’s Eve!
Looking forward to getting 5 hours of sleep tonight instead of 4! WooHoo!
Jude
THURSDAY, JANUARY 1ST – 2026 – LAST DAY IN THIS LOCATION:
I should learn not to brag about how much sleep I’m going to get. I went to bed at 4 am and set the alarm for 9 am. At 8:15 am, I was shocked out of a dead sleep by the loudspeaker system. The message was, “Kindly exit the hotel immediately due to an incident occurring”. Even in my dazed state I thought it was very strange that the message was only announced in English (especially since we are in the “minority” here!). It took me at least 5 minutes to put on clothes instead of pajamas and grab my “valuables”. As I headed down the hallway, a staff member got off the elevator and told everyone to go back to their rooms because it was a false alarm. Again, a very strange situation. Why would the loudspeaker system not just announce that fact instead of having one staff member per floor try to reach everyone? At 8:30 am, the announcement was made – first in Arabic and then in English – that it was a false alarm. Very unusual way to handle an “emergency”! James had made it all the way to the lobby and heard the staff saying a couple of “kids” had pulled the smoke alarm!
Obviously, sleep was over for me. I had time to go to the gym and work out before showering and meeting James in the lobby. We went “Souk Shopping” with the General and his wife. First we stopped for lunch at the Souk and when he said we were going to an “Iraqi” restaurant, my mind immediately went back to the horrible DFAC food I ate on a monthly basis when we were on tour supporting the men and women serving in the Iraq Conflict. I kept quiet and fortunately, the meal was delicious. We had an Appetizer Variety tray filled with different kinds of Hummus and Salad. The Pita Bread was amazing…and HUGE! James ordered chicken kebabs and we shared them because it was a lot of food.
We walked around for a couple of hours looking at everything from jewelry to dates. I bought some dates packed in Honey that I had only been able to find downtown in Kuwait. I could have stayed a lot longer but knew I couldn’t buy a lot of things because of having to fly tomorrow.
We ended our “Souk” adventure by stopping to see the Falcons. We all took turns “holding” one of them. The employees were so nice and one of them is coming to visit the United States next year.
Said a sad “good-bye” to the General and his wife. It was so awesome being able to spend time not only with him but with his sweet, beautiful wife. And I fell in love with his XO!
I packed and worked for a while and then walked around the area adjacent to our hotel. Found a lot of restaurants and shops and bought a Macha at Starbucks. I was still too full from lunch to eat again.
I’m going to wait and post this Road Report after we depart tomorrow so I can indicate where we’ve been!
NOW I CAN TELL YOU — WE WERE AT AL UDEID AIR BASE IN DOHA, QATAR. “THE GENERAL” IS MAJOR GENERAL DAVID “BAJA” SHOEMAKER AND HIS WIFE IS SARAH. Amazing people! We are departing now to our next country where we will perform 3 shows.
Jude
RIDAY, JANUARY 2ND, 2026 – FLIGHT FROM DOHA, QATAR TO NEXT DESTINATION:
Lobby call was moved to 11:30 am this morning and I asked everyone to be there no later than 11:15 am so I could check us out and get a receipt for the payment. At 11:35 we were still missing guys! We had to send someone to call their rooms because they were not answering their cells. I let them know that if they can’t make an 11:30 am lobby call, they are on the wrong tour!
We were able to check everyone in through the “snotty” Qatar First Class Lounge. Enough of us had Priority Status that we didn’t have to pay excess charges. I stopped at the Currency Exchange on the way to the gate and the girl working there was unbelievably SLOW. It took her 25 minutes just to change money for one man! It was finally my turn and she asked me for my passport. Then about 5 minutes later, she informed me that they were “out” of the currency I needed and I should go to a Currency Exchange in a different location. I told her I was out of time. She handed me a “copy” of my passport back and I walked off before I realized she still had my passport! I went back to retrieve it and she had left it in the scanner.
The flight was only one hour and very little turbulence. Once we landed, a lady in a burka immediately stood while we were still taxiing. She walked up and down the aisle of the aircraft talking on her phone. We taxied for at least 10 minutes and I expected the flight attendants to ask her to sit down. They never did. Evidently this is a common occurrence for the “privileged” in this Region.
We had secured our Visas through the Radisson Hotel but once we went through the Immigration line, all of Kelandy’s group were sent back upstairs to be “fingerprinted”. James remembered having the same thing happened to us when we came here in February with Chingy and Ashley. They would not let me go back inside with them but they got their fingerprints quickly and joined us at baggage claim where we were STILL waiting for even one bag to arrive. Someone noticed that a lot of bags were sitting on the floor on the far side of the belt. Or course ours were there and probably had been for a long time.
The drive to the hotel was about 30 minutes and they had our room keys waiting for us. I had tried to call the hotel while we were driving there from the airport but my phone would not work. I quickly remembered that this happened the last time I was here in February. I am on T-mobile and I can’t make or receive calls, text messages, etc. I stayed on the phone with T-mobile for hours last visit and they never got it fixed. I called them again once I got on WiFi at the hotel but got the same “runaround”! Five of my guys are on AT&T or Verizon and they have no problem. Me and one other guy are the only ones on T-Mobile. Time for me to switch after more than two decades of loyalty to T-Mobile.
My friends from one of the Army camps joined me for dinner at the hotel restaurant. The buffet is unbelievable and we all ate too much. They offered to take me to a friend’s shop and let me get a portable WiFi so I would have service once I left the hotel. It was about a 30 minute drive and the guys at the shop were so nice. They “loaned” me a SIM card and I purchased the WiFi “Block”. All I have to do is purchase a SIM card in an airport and it will work in any country! I’m going to cancel my international plan with T-mobile if I don’t switch servers entirely.
Was back at the hotel by around 10 pm and worked until 2 am. First show in this country tomorrow. Hint…our Tennessee National Guard are deployed here.
Jude
SATURDAY, JANUARY 3RD, 2026 – FIRST SHOW IN THIS LOCATION:
Lobby call was at 11:45 am for the 2 hour drive from the hotel to the base where we were performing tonight. Usually there is a spot on the highway where there are lots of camels either crossing or standing beside the road. No such luck today!
Our first stop was a Unit Visit with Task Force Reaper. They had a static display set up in a semi-circle with soldiers standing in front of their vehicles plus a mortar and “sniper” display in the middle. It was so awesome to be able to go from vehicle to vehicle and talk to the groups individually. I knew this base is where our Tennessee National Guard is located so was excited to meet some of them. It’s also the reason I requested another “Serving Heroes” meal for this base. Half of the soldiers were from Texas and the other half (minus a few from other States) were from Tennessee – Clarksville, Lebanon, Nashville, Spring Hill, Murfreesboro are just a few of the locations. I met one soldier who is friends with BeBe Evans my dear friend who worked with Charlie Daniels! We only had one hour to spend with them and wish we could have spent a LOT longer. They explained their “duties” while they are here and gave an in-depth explanation of the vehicles and weapons.
Leadership came by just prior to finishing our tour and gave everyone a certificate. We took a group shot and did a “shout out video” to Lt. Dan!
We had a little less than 3 hours for sound check but I knew Donald and the guys would be ready and able to handle any issues. While they were sound checking, I went to the base exchange to try to buy a stocking cap (it’s THAT cold!) but did not have any luck. Ran into my friend Tameca there. She’s now over all MWR but frustrated because almost all the programs were shuttered because of DOGE with employees fired and buildings standing empty.
As I mentioned, there is another complimentary meal tonight but this time from two different restaurants. One is right beside the stage but the other is – I thought – located somewhere else on base. The one by the stage is 6Pazzi and they already had their warming dishes set up at 3:30 pm ready for the service to start at 6:30 pm. I kept asking “when” the other restaurant was going to be there and kept getting told in about 5-10 minutes. When they weren’t there at 6:00 pm, I started to panic. Someone finally began making calls and learned that they had been at the gate for supposedly hours and unable to come on base. By the time someone got everything straightened out, the soldiers had already eaten at 6Pazzi and the show had started.
I did notice that once they were ready to serve, quite a short line formed to eat the meal. I won’t have final figures on how many were served until tomorrow from either establishment.
The show was Fantastic! Kelandy and his musicians are excellent “entertainers” and were able to get the crowd involved. At various times, they had different people dancing and some even singing on stage. It was wonderful to see everyone having so much “fun”. We ask for the attendees to scan a QR code and send us their comments – good or bad. We got quite a few from the show tonight.
Kelandy took photos with everyone in line after the performance. Then we packed up for the 2 hour bus ride back to the hotel. It was a fantastic day from start to finish – especially being able to put so many smiles on the faces of our “Tennessee” guys!
SUNDAY, JANUARY 4TH – SECOND SHOW IN THIS REGION:
Lobby call was at 1:00 pm today which allowed me to stay up and work until 3 am and still get in a “jog” before departing for the day. I had planned to run outside but the wind was blowing really hard and it was COLD! I used the elliptical in the gym instead. Had a quick breakfast with Kelandy and Tom, then showered and packed up for the day.
It was only about a 45 minute drive from the hotel to the base and our first stop was a visit to the EOD. We had visited EOD in Doha but this was a totally different demonstration. They guys were allowed to go inside their vehicle and get a briefing. We spent an hour there and then went to the stage for sound check. It was freezing in the Green Room and the heater was blowing cold air. Only took a few minutes to get someone to come by and fix the problem.
I went to the Exchange and paid for the complimentary meals from last night. Then James and I ran over to the Exchange in Zone 1 to try and find some items while the guys were doing their sound check. We found the most amazing T-shirts and hoodies. I can’t tell what they are because my daughter is reading this report and I purchased them for her, the twins and Chris.
Sound check was almost over when we returned and as soon as it ended, we were all presented with Certificates of Appreciation by leadership and my friend Don. Afterwards, we all walked to the DFAC for dinner. I had “Ramen” and a salad and it was pretty good for DFAC food. But, the best part was I got to spend time with my friends Don and Debbie again.
The crowd was small when we returned to the venue and we knew that the really cold weather was going to impact attendance. But once the Kelandy hit the stage with the first song, people poured in from all sides! Turned out to be a big crowd and a very enthusiastic one. I have been surprised at each show by how many “Hawaiians” there are serving over here. Kelandy and his guys are loving that. They get to speak in a language that I can’t understand! They had people on stage singing and dancing again. Kelandy took photos with everyone afterwards but the line was shorter than last night because it was much colder than last night! I love that everyone was wearing the “Leis” that I purchased and brought with us for the concerts. Nice photos of guys in uniform with Hawaiian leis on. LOL.
We packed up and were back at the hotel at around 10:30 pm. Lobby call tomorrow for our last show in this location is at 12 noon. We have performed at Army bases these last two nights and will be performing at an Air Force Base tomorrow night.
Jude
MONDAY, JANUARY 5TH – PERFORMANCE AT ALI AL SALEM AIR BASE, KUWAIT:
I can say where we were last night because by the time I get this posted, we will already have left the Region. Our first show in Kuwait was at Camp Buehring where our Tennessee National Guard are located. The second show was at Camp Arifjan and tonight they perform at Ali Al Salem Air Base.
Because tonight’s show is on an Air Force Base instead of an Army Base, our “escorts” have changed. This is the first time I’ve met any of the staff because they only serve 6 month deployments. My main contact has bee Tanya and she’s been great.
We departed the hotel at noon for the 45 minute drive. I had been contacted earlier this morning asking about moving the event inside to the theatre instead of holding it outdoors. The temperature was expected to drop significantly and they were afraid it would hurt the attendance. I was fine with that after FREEZING at last night’s show!
I was shocked to see that after two decades, they had “remodeled” the Green Room. They event had really cool guitars hanging on the walls. We dropped out bags and headed to the Fire Department. We had to stop by the famous “Rock” enroute and take the obligatory photo. They have also added a lot of “scenery” to that area! That was a great visit that kicked off with a tour of the facilities and ended outside to check out the trucks. About halfway through the tour, I was called aside and informed that we could not take photos. No one told us this prior to our arrival and we have always taken photos at the fire department. I was also told that we would all have to go by PA’s offices and let them check our phones and delete cameras because we were not supposed to take photos at “The Rock”. Crazy since we’ve taken photos there for two decades as well. Different folks calling the shots so we had to comply.
The guys were allowed to try on the fireman’s suit as well as spray water with the hose. One of Kelandy’s guys did not see him and sprayed him with the hose. Not good since it is so cold. LOL
The guys went to the stage and James and I walked over to the base exchange I got a t-shirt for a friend. We stopped and grabbed a smoothie on the way back. Sound check finished right on time and we headed to the DFAC for dinner. I used to love coming back through Kuwait if we were going to be there on a Sunday since that’s the say they served Chicken and Waffles. It was a welcome sight after 10 days of Iraq meals! No chicken and waffles today but the food was good.
Next was visit with leadership in the Green Room. What really great guys and girls! They stayed for the show and I think they danced every song. The crowd was smaller tonight because it is a Monday night and really COLD. But it was still a decent crowd and what they lacked in numbers, they made up for in enthusiasm. Putting smiles on their faces was our number 1 priority and we aced it.
Kelandy took photos with everyone and we headed back to the hotel. Don and Debbie came by to pick up the SIM card that I had borrowed for my travel WIFI and we had a diet soda and talked for a bit. I ended up not getting in bed until 3 am with a 5 am wake up call because I had to pack!
Jude
TUESDAY, JANUARY 6TH – DEPARTING KUWAIT TO THE NEXT LOCATION:
Wow…2 hours of sleep is NOT enough. Everyone was in the lobby on time and we arrived at the airport in time to shop for about 30 minutes. James and I went to Starbucks and I had my Macha Latte! Checking in was not fun. They made me put my soft duffle bag in a box and wanted me to go all the way back out front to get the box. Darius offered to go get it for me while I got everyone checked in. They completely shrink wrapped it. I was hoping I didn’t pack my knife in that bag because I wouldn’t have any way to open it if I did.
Going through Immigration and Customs was not the usual goat roping for some reason. We actually breezed right through and had about 30 minutes to go into the Lounge. Our flight boarded on time and the airplane must have been 100 years old. We are flying Gulf Air which was not my choice but it was the least expensive with the “times” matching what we needed. My seat electrical outlet, seat recline and footrest did not work. And I had been so looking forward to that one hour of flight! Was really happy when we landed. No problems going through Immigration or Customs this time.
Khalid and A’Jani (new person) were waiting for us. It was a quick drive to the hotel and our rooms were ready for us. Beautiful hotel and really nice room. I unpacked everything but instead of grabbing a nap, I decided to go to the gym. I have a little waist belt that I put things in like my room key, etc. I decided to put two credit cards in it so if I passed by something I wanted to purchase, I wouldn’t have to charge to my room. When I put the in the pouch, I thought it might not be a good idea because I could pull them out with the room key.
They have a gym that is exclusively for women and I liked it much better than the co-ed gym. Got in a good workout. As I was leaving the gym, I called Zoe to talk to her for a few minutes. About 10 minutes after I got back in my room, I realized both my credit cards were missing from the pouch! I backtracked and called the hotel and no one had found them. I had to call AMEX and VISA to cancel them. And both of them are my “business” cards. Not good. I still can’t believe no one turned them in and there has not been any charges made to them. I was depressed the rest of the evening.
Need to get some sleep now as it’s almost 2 am.
Jude
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 7TH – FIRST SHOW IN THIS LOCATION:
Woke up and found my credit cards in the “show bag” I had been packing last night Guess they fell out of my little fanny pack into the bag. Sure wish AMEX and VISA had told me that I could have “paused” the cards instead of cancelling them. Oh well, at least we fly home on Saturday!!!
Lobby call was bumped to a little earlier today so we could visit a famous “site” enroute to the base. The base we are visiting and performing for today is “tiny” and the men and women serving there will be happy for the morale boost.
This base requires quite a few “security checkpoints” for entrance. We had to leave our driver’s licenses with the first Guard and receive a pass in exchange. Then we went through another point where we had to leave our passports in exchange for another pass.
The event tonight is indoor because the outdoor stage is being “renovated”. The renovation has been planned for at least 3 years. I know because we always perform at this base when in the Region and every year they think we’re going to have a new outdoor venue for the performance. Maybe next time….
Our meeting with leadership never happened because we got “pre-empted” by a base-wide meeting. Sound check took 3 hours instead of two because we are using equipment provided by the base as well as their personnel. At the very end of sound check, Kelandy’s sound engineer accidentally hit the wrong button before “saving” all the files and everything they had worked so hard to “set” during sound check was deleted. It was heartbreaking. He worked through dinner and got everything back on track and the show sounded great. It’s always a struggle at this base to get the attendees to come in front of the stage but Kelandy is a “pro” at this and soon had everyone up and dancing. We got lots of nice comments from the base regarding Kelandy’s show.
We retrieved our drivers licenses and passports on the way off the base and were back at the hotel by around 11:00 pm.
Can’t believe tomorrow night is the last show!
Jude
THURSDAY, JANUARY 8TH – LAST SHOW IN THIS COUNTRY:
This tour has just flown by! Hard to believe tonight is our last show.
We departed the hotel at 1:00 pm to drive to the base. We were on an access roster so it was easy to enter. We dropped bags in the Green Room and then the guys started getting everything set up on the stage. I went into the food court to buy a smoothie since I had skipped breakfast. Met up with Geoff – my longtime friend – and got caught up on him and his family. He’s such a great guy!
At around 2:40 pm, Kelandy and I were escorted to the Triad for a meeting with leadership. However, “something” was going on (again!) and only one of the three leaders was able to join us. He asked us questions about where we were from, etc. but did not give us a briefing on what the base does…which was disappointing. However, whatever is going on, is definitely taking priority over all else.
We were back at the stage by 3:30 pm and sound check finished up at 5 pm. I spent most of that time sorting out the bag of leis for everyone. There will be lots of young children running around and dancing tonight.
We were able to grab some food quickly in the food court and be back at the stage for a 6:30 pm performance. It was a wild and crazy show…again! Kelandy is great at getting the audience involved…even the little kids! He had people coming to the front of the stage and dancing the entire last half of the show. I got dozens of great comments through the QR code. For some reason, the other agencies send so much entertainment to them that is not “music”. They want MUSIC!
We were back at the hotel by 9:30 pm and I was able to work and get a few things packed and still get in bed by 1:00 am. Tomorrow – Friday – is a “forced day off”. All the flights depart to the USA at around midnight or later. We couldn’t finish the show and get to the airport in time to depart last night. We will depart to the airport at 10:30 pm Friday night the flight will depart at 1:55 am Saturday morning and we’ll all arrive back in our respective cities on Saturday afternoon/evening. We all fly from Bahrain to London and then split up. James and I fly to Dallas (right OVER Nashville!) and then to Nashville. It was just too expensive to take the direct flight from London to Nashville.
Jude
