TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024 THROUGH THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH, 2024 – YES WE LOST TWO DAYS FLYING TO GUAM!!!
A rare treat today for my flight to be departing Nashville late afternoon instead of very early morning. Sort of threw me off on my “packing” to actually have some time at home until leaving for the airport at 2:45 pm. The amazing group “Chapel Hart” will be performing in Guam, mainland Japan and Okinawa – honoring our men and women serving in the military. On Veteran’s Day we’ll be at one of my favorite stops in Japan – Misawa Air Base. This is their first tour for the military and they are so excited. It won’t be their last! Thanks to Frank Tagatac at Armed Forces Entertainment for giving them this wonderful opportunity.
I travel with 3 of the guys out of Nashville to Atlanta and the girls and one other musician travel from New Orleans. The New Orleans flight was delayed but we have very long layovers in Atlanta and Seoul so no stress about missing our connection. Guam is one of the most difficult places I visit to get too. And probably the most expensive. I’m taking the Improv Comedy Group and Matt Scannell (from Vertical Horizon) there between Christmas and New Year’s compliments of The Gary Sinise Foundation.
My group arrived early at the airport and our flight departed on time. I did not realize that the Delta gate agent in Nashville made Zakk check his guitar even though it was in a soft case and would have easily fit in the overhead. Had I known, I would have shown her the copy of a letter I bring with me where the FAA mandates that musicians be allowed to carry on their instruments if it will fit in the overhead or a closet. Then, when we landed in Atlanta, the flight attendant told him he had to pick it up at baggage claim. Unbelievable. I was waiting for everyone after they got off the plane and he told me all this. They would not let him go back down the jetway to retrieve his guitar. We had to stand there and wait for everyone to get off the flight and then one of the staff members retrieved it for him. I told him to file a claim with Delta. The most he can hope for is they will give him some complimentary miles but at least it will be brought to their attention.
The girls were sitting at the gate when we arrived. I gave everyone their itinerary and discussed some tour details. Then I headed for the lounge to work for a couple of hours before our flight to Seoul. It is a 16 hour flight from Atlanta to Seoul! It’s been a long time since I took a flight that long. I actually prefer that to an 8 hour or less international flight. On a longer flight, I can eat, work, watch a movie and sleep. On the shorter flights, I have to choose.
The Lounge actually closed at 10:30 pm so I went to the gate a few minutes before I planned. Our flight to Seoul departed on early and for once, we have WiFi. I had sworn I would not look at the election results as they came in. Anytime I “pull” for someone or something (especially a football team), if I watch the process, they lose. If I ignore anything is happening and just look at the final result, they win. But the stress was killing me, so I checked several websites in the hours right after we departed.
Yes, I am a Trump supporter and yes I am relieved and happy that he will be back in office. It’s hard to read all the negative comments about him that I see non-stop on social media. And God Forbid that I should post anything in support of him. Well, those days are over. Because this is America, we all have the right to our own beliefs. I won’t criticize anyone who believes differently than me. I will listen to “why” you have your opposite opinion if you have “personal experience” and have “walked the walk, not just talking the talk”. I expect the same in return. I went to the Border and saw firsthand the critical situation that has occurred there since the current administration took over. I toured Iraq 39 times and Afghanistan 15 times and met the locals and still stay in touch with “friends” I made there. I worry about those left behind, especially the women who have now lost all their freedoms. I feel the same heartbreak they feel because ultimately, the administration changed and we let them down. My heart breaks every time I think about the young men and women we lost needlessly in the botched Afghanistan withdrawal.
I sat at home for 2 ½ years with absolutely ZERO income and watched everything I had worked for my entire life slowly disappearing while we were gaslighted by the COVID epidemic. It is heartbreaking to think about the loved ones we lost as they lay alone in a hospital because we were banned from visiting them. It’s impossible not to wonder if they would still be with us had we kept them at home instead of hospitalizing them. And, while I along with so many others were locked down, every single person working for the Government – City, County, State, and Federal – were sitting at home all those years drawing their full salaries. Many of them are still “teleworking” after all this time. Think of the thousands and thousand of dollars they saved during the lockdown – no gas to purchase, no childcare to pay for, etc. I guess they can afford the high cost of gas, groceries, and other necessities because they have a nest egg built up. I own my company and I can assure you I was not able to give myself a raise to cover the high cost of inflation.
We need a strong leader – one that China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, the Cartels, and on and on – FEAR. We do not have that with the current administration. We need someone who tells us they care about the American people and mean it and follow through to show it. Obviously, I am now in the majority since the election results prove how many Americans feel the same way. As everyone knows, I travel to foreign countries pretty much every month. The people I meet there always talk politics and constantly asked what has happened to America. Thank you, God, for giving America a chance to prove we can return to being the Greatest Nation on Earth. Needed to get that off my chest. Feel free to block my Road Reports or on social media if my beliefs offend you.
I was able to eat dinner, watch a movie, and receive text messages from friends who were celebrating President Trump’s success. I was able to sleep for 5 hours – stress free! I got up when we still had 5 more hours to fly and started working. Of course, the minute I was ready to work, the WiFi went out! It has been out for almost 2 hours now and no idea when we will have service again. We are about to fly over Japan airspace, so I’m hoping it pops back on then. I set my Gmail so that I could access it offline but for some reason, I don’t see where I need to “click” to get to it!
We are staying at a beautiful Hyatt Hotel on the beach in Guam. We get the Government rate on rooms, so much less expensive to stay there. That is unless you want to stay there between Christmas and New Year’s. Then, even though this is a U.S. territory, the hotels and airlines more than triple their prices during that time period. A room at the Hyatt costs us $159 per night during this visit. Between Christmas and New Year’s for the very same room, they wanted $499 per night! Obviously, we wont be staying there.
We landed a little early into Seoul but had to stand in a VERY long line to go through a security check before going to our gate – even though we were on a connecting flight. We had about two hours before our flight to Guam. I found a lounge that was open and worked the entire time.
The flight from Seoul to Guam is on Korean Air – which is always “interesting”. I never eat the food because it is always terrible. I was trying to watch “Reagan” on my iPhone because I had downloaded it before we departed. But, I had a real problem trying to connect my new Air pods to the phone. By the time I figured it out, I was falling asleep so I gave up.
We landed on time and it was raining. But it usually rains for a few minutes every afternoon. We still had to go through Immigration but that was quick. Then it took forever for the bags to come out. We got in line for customs but I realized we needed to fill out a Custom’s Declaration Form before we could go out. Carly, Mike and several other staff members were waiting for us with a passenger van and cargo van. It only took about 10 minutes to get to the hotel. Mike pointed out several “points of interest” along the way.
I took the time yesterday to check everyone in on my Hyatt App so that the rooms would be ready when we arrived. Didn’t happen. Not only were some of the rooms not available, but I had to fill out another credit card authorization form which made absolutely no sense at all. I had already filled out one months ago. Plus I gave the desk clerk my credit card to run the payment! I insisted that they give me whatever rooms were available regardless of where they were located because the group had been traveling for 30+ hours.
The rooms are nice and spacious and the view is breathtaking. I worked for a while waiting for Frank to arrive. He didn’t get to his hotel next door until 8 pm and he was “wiped out” from traveling so I walked to the ABC store and purchased water and a famous Ramen Restaurant and got a bowl of Ramen to go. It is by far the largest bowl of Ramen I’ve ever seen. I wasn’t able to eat even a fourth of it. I stuck the leftover in the refrigerator knowing I’ll never eat it because there’s no microwaves in the rooms. But, I always do that because then there’s no “smell” in the room.
I am going to bed very early for me so I can get up early and work out before leaving for Andersen Air Base for our first show.
Jude
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8TH – FIRST CHAPEL HART PERFORMANCE – ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE – GUAM;
I actually got some sleep last night. Six hours which is a record for me. Felt great this morning. I did keep waking up because the air conditioner kept shutting off. I finally figured out that it is “motion” controlled. So when I’m “still” and lying down, it thinks no one is in the room. I tried leaving the TV on with no sound but that didn’t work. The TV turns off automatically, too!
Since we were not departing to the base until 3 pm, I had time to go to the gym and work out. It is a two story gym but doesn’t have a “lot” of equipment. But there was enough for me to get a good “arm workout”. Tomorrow I’m going to jog!
I met Frank (our AFE Manager) and Rachel (my POC at Guam Naval Base for the Gary Sinise Foundation New Year’s Eve Tour) in the lobby. First time I’ve met Rachel and she’s great. It will be an awesome performance for them on December 30th.
It took about 30 minutes to drive to the base and everything was set up and ready for us. Carly and Jenn are my POC’s here and I’ve worked with them many times. Got the bad news that Jenn is leaving because her husband who is in the Air Force has been assigned to Langley. Good news is I’ll see them the Friday before Super Bowl when I take the Gary Sinise Foundation NFL Tour there.
Patrick (my contact at the Marine Base for the GSF NYE Tour) and one of his staff members came by to meet me and talk about our show there on December 29th. He also offered to give the group a 6 hour tour of the island before our performance. And, he secured a van to take some of the Chapel Hart group on a shorter 3 hour tour tomorrow before we leave for the airport. I’m not going with them on that one since I’ll get the tour in another month and I have so much WORK to do tomorrow morning.
Sound check ran right on time thanks to Jeff and his production company. And, the show was outstanding! Everyone was out of their seats dancing and singing along the entire show. It was awesome to see them having so much fun. This might be a beautiful resort island but the men and women deployed here still feel the loneliness of being so far away from their loved ones. There were lots of young children there with their parents and they were up front dancing as well. Chapel Hart brought them a little piece of home and showed them some love. Everyone in the Chapel Hart group is so easy to work with. Frank was very happy with their performance and the Base personnel absolutely loved the show and the group. I don’t know how it’s possible but we all think there were more people in the Meet and Greet line than there were at the concert. LOL.
We had a nice hot meal waiting for us in the Green Room after the show. The girls told Frank they sure would like to perform in Hawaii. He’s the man to make that happen. LOL.
We were back at the hotel by around 9 pm. I’m sure they all passed out because jet lag is going to be bad for a few more days.
Our flight departs from Guam to Haneda (Tokyo) tomorrow at 7 pm and arrives at 10 pm. We are staying at a hotel where I’ve stayed before located in Terminal 3 at the airport. Convenient to just be able to check in without having to take a shuttle anywhere.
Going to bed now since it is 2 am! Great first show of the tour….
Jude
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 11TH – VETERAN’S DAY – MISAWA AIR BASE, JAPAN:
Did not have time to go across the street to the gym to work out this morning. Going to be a busy couple of days. Lobby call was 11:00 am for departure to the Lakeview Grille which is located at the base Country Club. It is a really nice restaurant right on the lake. Jared explained that they shoot off their 4th of July fireworks over the lake.
Everyone enjoyed lunch there as the food is really good. Next stop was a visit to the K-9 Unit. What a treat that was for our folks! They have never done anything like that. Sometimes they allow us to wear the sleeve but this time, we were not offered that and I don’t think any of this group would have wanted to do it anyway! The dog’s name that they use for the demonstration was Chaos and she was a beauty.
We dropped the girls off at lodging and Frank, Fab and I went to the venue with the musicians and crew to get set up for sound check. Jared’s production company here – Techno, Inc. – is excellent. Everything was running smoothly so we went to the base exchange for a few minutes. The little screw had fallen out of my sunglasses and I was hoping to get a repair kit and fix them. Unfortunately I could not find a repair kit so I purchased an inexpensive pair of sunglasses to get me through the tour.
We picked the girls up at 3:30 pm and sound check ran smoothly. The sound is great in the club. Everyone went back to lodging to dress for the show at 4:30 pm and then we all went back to the club at 6:30 pm for the show. We had impromptu visits with Leadership just prior to the performance. The FSS Wing Commander is from Mississippi like the girls so they “bonded” for a while. The Colonel was here when I was hear with Chingy and I remembered him.
The show started at 7:00 pm and it was another great experience for everyone in attendance. It was even more special because today is Veteran’s Day and we had a few Vets in the audience. Those attending danced and sang along with every song. There was a group of Japanese line dancers attending as well and lots and lots of kids.
The girls sang for 90 minutes instead of 75 minutes which was a nice treat for those attending. There was a M&G for 75 people after their performance and that moved quickly. The Japanese line dancers were in that group for photos and I talked to them for a few minutes about Country Gold. Fab thanked the girls for an excellent show and for being so sweet to everyone they met.
We had pre-ordered dinner at sound check and it was waiting for us after the M&G. We quickly packed up and headed back to lodging as we have an 8 am lobby call tomorrow. The food was really good, too.
Going to get in bed by midnight as I’ll have to get up at 5:30 am for that 8 am lobby call. UGG!!
Jude
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12TH – PERFORMANCE AT YOKOTA AIR BASE:
Got up at 5:30 am and met everyone in the lobby at 8:00 am. It was a short 10 minute drive to the Airport. We made one quick stop at a plane stationed at the very front of the base so the girls could take a photo with it. The airport is TINY…only one gate. And, we had to put our checked bags through a scanner before we could check in.
Once again, we did not have to pay for excess baggage which is highly unusual. They did have the padded boxes at the Misawa Airport which are used for the guitars since they absolutely will not allow musical instruments to be carried on. Not even something as small as a fiddle!
Our flight was late leaving and we arrived late. After picking up our luggage, we took the bus to Terminal 3 so Fab could retrieve her lost luggage. Since it is an hour and a half drive, everyone grabbed food to go for the bus ride. We are going to be late getting to sound check but I’m sure they will make it up.
Seems strange not to have Spike taking care of us this time but he has some health issues and isn’t on base. VG is great, though, and it was really nice to see him again. He’s taking care of us.
When we arrived at lodging, I thought we were already checked in and someone would have our room keys waiting for us. Didn’t happen. We had to wait to get checked in and secure our keys. We were rushing to get to sound check and when I got to the third floor, my room key didn’t work! I sent the musicians a text and told them I would be there in about 2 minutes because I had to go to the front desk and get anther key. I actually found a really nice worker and he was able to let me in. I rushed downstairs to meet the guys only to realize they left me! I found VG and got him to take me over to the venue where I proceeded to fire them….Just kidding.
Sound check went quickly and we had about 1 ½ hours to go back to lodging before coming back for the show.
I realized my room is freezing. I called the front desk and basically they said the air and heat do not work again until November 15th. Until then, they have some extra blankets. I asked for a space heater but was told that Housekeeping has those and they are closed. The front desk said they would bring one tomorrow which won’t do me any good since we depart tomorrow morning! Going to be a very unpleasant night.
There were lots of families at the show tonight with young children. As they did at all previous shows, everyone danced and sang along the entire show. We had one person attending whose birthday it was so the girls sang “Happy Birthday” to him. The Meet and Greet line was very long and took as long as their performance. Those girls can TALK!!!
Trea had injured her ankle before we left and tonight she was visibly “limping”. Once they finished the very long Meet and Greet, everyone but Trea went back to lodging. We sent Trea to the military emergency doctor to figure out what’s going on with her. Fab and VG volunteered to go along with her. X-rays indicate a ruptured Achilles! I have the oven cranked up to 500 degrees and the hot water running full steam ahead just to try to get warm.
Going to get in bed and hope that the sun comes up early tomorrow and warms the room early. We have a 10 am lobby call to drive 1 ½ hours to Yokosuka tomorrow.
Jude
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