TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY — AUGUST 1ST, 2ND AND 3RD, 2023 – FLIGHT TO GUAM WITH CHINGY AND DJ ACTRIGHT:

Another trip that starts with 1 ½ hours sleep before flying for 24 hours.  UGH.  Chingy and DJ Actright are touring Guam, South Korea, Okinawa and Japan for the next 20 days.  Same countries I visited last month with Autumn Kings but some different bases this time.

DJ flew from West Virginia to Denver yesterday because we could not find a flight that would get him there early enough today to connect with our flight to Guam.  My Nashville flight departed to Denver on time but DJ’s flight out of Missouri was delayed.  Fortunately, we booked long layovers and we all met in Denver with plenty of time to make the connection.  I tried to sleep on my flight but was not successful.

Met up with Chingy and DJ in the gate area in Denver and the fight boarded on time.  Honestly the smallest First Class section ever.  I think I complained about it last trip.  For the money charged, it is truly disappointing.  Of course, I would never make it in the back of the plane.  It just bites to pay the high cost and then not even have a seat where you can move your arms without bumping into the sides.  I can literally reach out and touch the man across the aisle from me, too.

We landed on time and it was a breeze going to our gate for the flight to Guam.  No Immigration or Baggage Pickup since we were on a connecting flight.  We had a few hours before our next fight and just hung out at the gate area.

Flight to Guam boarded on time and I immediately remembered how brutal this flight was last month. It’s a 3 hour and 50 minute flight and there’s no WiFi.  Flight attendant said they don’t have a “satellite” in this region.  Hmmm…Delta does!  Also the food was inedible.  And, the same thing happened in July with the Customs cards.  We were told that the aircraft was not given any cards in “English” and we could either download the form or fill it out when we arrived.  I sent Chingy and Todd a text message to fill their outs online but Todd never received his until after we had arrived and were traveling to the hotel.  Keep in mind that Guam is a U.S. Territory….but they never have any Customs Cards in English?  Messed up!

We landed and Todd had to fill out his card.  Then when he finally made it up to the Agent (long line!), the Agent told him he didn’t’ need it, tore it up and threw it away!  Of course, he did need it when we got to baggage claim so he had to fill out another card.

Jenn (who is awesome) was waiting for us with a large van.  Unfortunately, the space behind the seats was small and everything would not fit.  She had to lift a couple of the heavy bags over the seats in the back.  I need to send out a reminder to all the bases before we leave here and remind them AGAIN, that we have a LOT of large suitcases.

Once we got to the Westin, checking in was nightmare.  They did not give us the type of rooms we reserved.  Mine is a handicapped room and I’m sitting on 3 pillows just trying to get to a height where I can work on my laptop!  The location is definitely better but the Hilton is a nicer hotel.  Guess it’s too much to ask for both – great location and great hotel!

It’s after 3 am so I’m shutting down and going to grab a little sleep.  Lobby call is at noon and it’s a very FULL day!

Jude

 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 4TH – FIRST PERFORMANCE AT ANDERSEN AIR BASE, GUAM:

Chingy had to change rooms (again) last night because his air conditioner quit working!

Lobby call was 12 noon today and we started off with some really cool Unit visits at Andersen Air Base.  We weren’t able to schedule Unit visits last month with Autumn Kings because everyone was still working overtime to clean up from the typhoon.  There are still rolling blackouts every day and lots of restaurants still aren’t back to “full menus”, but it’s better than it was in July.

First stop was to see the HSC25 Helicopters.  I honestly thought I had seen/ridden in every type of military vehicle there is but this was a new experience for me.  We were all so impressed with their air rescue program.  The guys also got to “hold the big guns” and take photos but they were so heavy, we had to take really “quick” photos!  Very educational visit for us and such nice guys as well!

Next stop was the EOD Unit.  DJ suited up in the bomb suit.  It is extremely heavy and cumbersome and they made him lie on his back on the ground.  He was pretty much like a turtle on his back as far as being able to get up.  But, they showed him how to roll over on his side and manage to stand.  We were all very impressed with him!  Next, Chingy had a turn at learning how to “blow something up”.

We made a quick stop at the Base Exchange so Chingy could purchase another small bag to check on the flights.  United charged him $200 because his bag weighed 53 pounds – 3 pounds overweight.  They only charge DJ $100 for one extra bag.  Much less expensive to have two bags that weigh 50 pounds or less than one bag that is even slightly overweight.  So ridiculous.

My son Chris is escorting James Carothers and his band to Sao Paulo, Brazil this weekend.  I am really excited to be taking entertainment back into Brazil as I did in the late 80’s early 90’s.  Hopefully they will love the music and this will become an annual event for us.  They flew Nashville to Atlanta and then Atlanta to Sao Paulo on Delta.  They left the gate and then stopped the plane because they said they had to return to the gate because there was a “mix-up with a couple of bags” that needed to be loaded onto the plane.  Now, come on, when have you ever checked your App and told the flight attendant that your bags weren’t on the plane and the pilots agreed to go back to the gate?  I can answer that….NEVER.  All they will do is lie to you and say they will put them on the next flight out.  Of course, there was no gate available for the plane to return to.  So, 3 ½ hours later, they finally took off but if it had been any later, the pilots and crew would have run out of time to fly that day.  Crazy!!  At least they have now landed in Sao Paulo and hopefully things will go smoothly now.

Back to my Road Report instead of stealing Chris’s…..We went to the venue which is a nice club.  We were a couple of hours early for sound check but traffic is so horrible here especially on Fridays that we couldn’t go back to the hotel and come back again.  Good thing we arrived early.  Jeff with the production company was set up and ready for us.  However, DJ’s laptop would not “talk” to the console he had requested.  Evidently he had not updated his drivers and the computer wouldn’t recognize the console.  He tried everything and we were quickly running out of time to do a sound check.  Jeff sent someone to his warehouse and got a different brand of console.  While he was gone, we tried to load the show files (video and audio) from DJ’s computer to Jeff’s so these could be played for the show.  No matter how hard we tried, the files could not be copied from DJ’s computer to the jump drive even though there was plenty of space on the jump drive.  DJ was able get his computer to “talk” to the new console and about 30 minutes after the doors were “supposed” to open, they figured out why the show files wouldn’t copy to the jump drive.  Chingy did a really quick sound check but it sounded really good.

The club quickly packed to capacity and then went over capacity.  The staff was worried that they were going to have to start asking people to leave.  And then the Fire Department showed up.  They were really nice and said that they just wanted to watch a little of the show.  Someone on the staff panicked and said they were moving our dressing room/Green room to another location and put people in that area.  Of course, that wasn’t possible because Chingy was on stage and I did not want them packing up his things without him knowing.  Plus, the crowd would have been behind Jeff’s console and there was a risk of them accidentally bumping into something and disrupting the show.  Fortunately, the guys from the Fire Department left and did not say anything about making people leave.

About halfway through the show, Chingy invited 4 girls in the audience to come onstage for a “dance off”.  Let’s just say I will not be posting those videos!  It was interesting to say the least.

The line for photos was very long but with Jenn and Carly’s help, we ran through over 150 people in less than 30 minutes.  We had pre-ordered dinner but it took longer for them to cook than we expected so we had to wait quite a while for it to arrive to take back to the hotel with us.

There were 237 people packed into the club and the staff said it’s the biggest attendance they have had for a singer!  Great way to kick off the tour.  I do have some “surprise” video footage that I’ll post on Monday after we leave the island.  LOL

Jude

 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 5TH – SECOND PERFORMANCE AT GUAM NAVAL BASE:

The hotel has a really great gym and I was definitely looking forward to getting in a long workout since we didn’t need to depart to the base until 4:15 pm.  That “dream” ended with the text messages, What’sApp messages, Facebook Messengers and emails that came in overnight. This time difference is really difficult.  I only took one little break to work out in my room with bands and then to walk down the street to the ABC Store.  The hotel is in such a great area but I didn’t get to enjoy any of it.  There’s event a big mall only a block away.   I stopped in Starbucks for a Green Tea Macha Oatmilk Latte for my breakfast/lunch.

It was a shorter drive to the base today and when we went to Andersen.  The club where the show is being held is a lot bigger than the one last night. Once again they wanted to set up tables and chairs in the front but I discouraged that idea.  Fortunately, one of the MWR ladies from this base was at the show last night and confirmed my opinion.

DJ did not have any issues with the consoles today because he used the same ones from last night. But his computer still will not talk to the console that we asked to be provided at all the bases.  Frank is contacting each base to determine if they can provide the alternative which does work.  Sound check went quickly and I had our dinner delivered to the Green Room before the show instead of after.  Chingy and DJ ate theirs but I had to get a “to go” box because I had too much to do to stop and eat.

The show started on time and it was an even bigger crowd than last night but like I said, the room was larger and could accommodate more people.  The count was 303 people but several more came in after the staff quick counting.  It was another great show but there was an issue with the 4 girls that he brought up to dance.  They definitely could not dance as good as the girls last night but that was not the issue.  I had asked the staff to make sure they left the stage once Chingy thanked them.  Chingy started singing “Right Thurr” and the girls were dancing and the staff thought they needed to remove the girls from the stage.  They actually should have left them there a few more minutes because it meant the show was shorter than planned.  Chingy did sing his entire show though and then took photos with everyone in the line – which seemed like it was everyone at the show!  But, he’s a pro and we managed to finish in less than an hour.

It was another great evening for the men and women serving in Guam.  Tomorrow we fly to Tokyo and then to Korea.  It is a LONG travel day beginning with lobby call at 10:15 am and not arriving at lodging in Korea until after midnight!  First show on Monday will be at Camp Casey.

Jude

 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 6TH – TRAVEL FROM GUAM TO KOREA – ALL DAY!!

Got up early to make sure I had enough time to check out and get receipts.  Knowing the issues with the front desk, I assumed this might be a lengthy process.  I called down and told them what I wanted and fortunately when I got to the check out desk, I got the person I spoke with. Was able to check everyone out quickly and get a printout and a copy emailed to me.  And, the amount charged was correct!

We arrived at the airport at 10:30 am and got the sweetest lady at the check in counter.  She even worked it so that there was no excess baggage charges.  I went into the United Lounge for about 20 minutes and got a little bit of work done.  Flight boarded and departed on time and once again – United sucks.  The video monitors did not work for the first part of the flight but the movies they offered have been on there since the end of June.  There are only about 6 movies and none worth watching.  I like to watch the in-flight map but of course, since there’s no WiFi, that doesn’t work.  I knew to skip the meal completely on this flight because it would have been inedible anyway.  So…I slept.  After only sleeping 3 hours last night, I guess that’s what I needed to do.

We landed on time and I was able to take one guest into the lounge for free and I paid for a day pass for the other.  It’s a 4 hour layover so I wanted them to have somewhere to relax.  We boarded on time and the flight was shorter than “advertised” which was awesome.  Landed on time, too, but we made the mistake of stopping at the restroom.  Another flight landed while we were in there and we stood in line at Immigration for over an hour!  Our bags were just sitting by the belt by themselves by the time we made it to baggage claim.  Mr. Chong (who I haven’t seen since before COVID) met us with a large bus which was a real treat.  Chingy immediately went to the back and laid down.

It was about an hour and a half drive to Camp Casey and we are staying at the same lodging.  I remember this base well because I came here so many times.  Tomorrow is one of the few remaining days that I can get in a workout and I’m determined to make that happen!  Going to hold this report until tomorrow since it’s pretty boring.

Jude

MONDAY, AUGUST 7TH – THIRD SHOW AT CAMP CASEY, SOUTH KOREA:

So our first obligation today isn’t until 2 pm.  However, Mr. Chong wanted to get Todd on the phone with Mr. Kim at the Production Company at 9 am because Mr. Kim was going to try to rent the system Todd needs for the show.  I got up and dressed to go to the gym and stopped in the lobby on the way out to talk to Mr. Chong and Todd.  They were on the phone with Mr. Kim discussing the equipment.  Mr. Kim was telling Todd that no one had the brand he needed and he could not find another option that would work with his computer.  I went to the gym and told them to call me if they needed me.  I remember the gym from previous visits because we held our shows there.  I didn’t even get to lift the first weight before all hell broke loose with the production crisis.  I went back to the lodging and had Mr. Chong take us to Casey IT.  A really nice man named Bill helped us all he could.  We learned that hardly anyone uses an Apple computer in Korea.  Everyone is Windows users!  Mr. Chong was going to take Todd and his computer to meet Mr. Kim in downtown Seoul to see what would work.  But when I found out it was an hour and a half drive one way, I axed that idea!!! Instead I suggested we go to the Base Exchange and purchase a new computer that we were SURE would work with the original equipment requested.  We found what we thought would work and purchased it with the understanding that we could return it later that day if it didn’t work and get a full refund.

I left Todd with Bill with instructions to text me updates.  By then it was much too late to get in a workout and a shower before time for soundcheck.  At 2 pm, I picked up Chingy for our Unit Visit with Field Artillery.  This was supposed to be an hour visit outdoors looking at their equipment and maybe shooting some things.  But, since Chingy has a show tonight, I was worried about him getting heat stroke!   We moved the meeting indoors and chatted with everyone and then Chingy took a personal photo with each person.  I ordered a meal for him and had him taken back to lodging until time for soundcheck.

I went to the venue and once again was surprised to learn that the entire room was set up with tables and chairs.  I had to ask them to remove all but the ones in the very back of the room.  The great news was that Todd confirmed that everything was good with the new computer and the program was working.  I brought Chingy down for sound check at 4 pm and it only took him 15 minutes to complete it.  Took him back to lodging until show time.    About 10 minutes before the show started at 6:30 pm, a huge group walked in and many of them were still in uniform.  I found out later that their Commander told them if they attended the show they didn’t have to do PT tomorrow.  What a great idea!  LOL.

Another killer show!  This time they brought up two male and two female dancers and that was “interesting”!  We had 180 people attend the show and close to that many in the after-show photo line!  I had Chingy taken back to lodging as soon as he finished the M&G and Todd and I followed shortly thereafter. Was hoping to get into bed early tonight but that isn’t going to happen.

I am going to treat getting in a workout as a 12 Step Program.  Saturday in Guam, I completed Step 1.  Today, I completed Step 2.  Sadly, we aren’t going to have enough “time off” for me to get all the way to Step 12 so chances are I won’t get in a workout.  I’d definitely settle for a long jog but with the heat index at 110 degrees and 100% humidity, that’s not going to happen.  My phone has been blowing up all day with heat index warnings.

We depart at 9 am tomorrow for the 4 hour drive to Kunsan.  Hopefully, it will be a little less than that but it is a long way from Casey!

Jude

 

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8TH – TRAVEL FROM CAMP CASEY TO KUNSAN AB:

Lobby call was at 9 am and we had a 4 hour drive to Kunsan.  Actually, the time passed quickly and I got a little work done enroute.  We made one quick stop at a rest area and then arrived at Kunsan.  As usual, they had the top wing leadership waiting for us at lodging (except Wolf is at Osan). Bianca has been our contact again at Kunsan and she is so awesome.  Only, her time is up here and she’s leaving for Osan and then home tomorrow.  Will be very sad to see her go.  Rica and Doug are definitely still there and they are awesome, too.  I finally met Aaron – who up until this point has been away every time I visited.  Like I said, Kunsan and the Wolf Pack are simply amazing!

We dropped our bags and went to the food court to grab a quick lunch.  Then we went to visit Special Forces and see the “drones”.  Honestly, we had to cut the visit short because it’s just too hot to be outside! They SF guys didn’t want to be standing out in the sun any more than we did!  Next visit was inside a hanger to see the F-16.  “Wizard” from our visit last month with Autumn Kings had a conflict and couldn’t be there.  But, he sent a great replacement.

We had a couple of hours to recover from the heat before we left for dinner with Wolf Pack Leadership and Staff.  Again, what a great group of people and how special that they take time out of their busy schedule to show us such a warm welcome!  We went to the same restaurant we visited with Autumn Kings and again, it was excellent food.  I should have taken photos of the table!  We were back at the hotel a little after 8 pm and I spent until 3 am dealing with problems that had to be solved.  Going to be a short night as I have to get up at 6:30 am.  No update on the typhoon other than it is supposedly heading straight for us and will hit late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning….

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9TH – PERFORMANCE AT KUNSAN AIR BASE, KOREA:

Wow…it was hard to get up today.  We met in the lobby at 8:45 am and drove over to AFN.  Chingy was able to download a couple of his new songs so they could play them while he was in the studio. I had told DJ that he didn’t need to be there but Chingy wanted him, so we sent someone back to pick him up.

After the AFN visit, we went to see the K-9 working dogs. Only the electricity went out just as we pulled up.  The handlers must have a way to cool down the dog after a demonstration so we had to cancel the visit. We went to the Fire Department instead for a tour.  Always fun to visit those guys!

Lunch at the food court was next on the agenda. I got a salad and took it back to my room to try and get a little work done…. “Little” being the key word. UGH.  I am so far behind…..

At 4 pm, Todd and I went over to the venue to check on the progress with the production load in.  There were again several issues that had to be corrected and we had to delay bringing Chingy over for sound check.  But we still got it done well before doors opened.

There were approximately 330 people in attendance and another great show.  And, there were no chairs set up in front of the stage when I arrived.  LOL!!!!

Another very long autograph line, but we worked as a team and managed to finish it in less than an hour…with everyone getting a photo with Chingy.  We still know very little about the typhoon.  We are “scheduled” to depart to Osan at 9 am tomorrow but also have our rooms reserved to stay here.  Won’t be able to make a decision until we wake up and see how fast it is traveling and which path it is continuing on.  There’s no “panic” on base like there would be in the USA.  HA!

Jude

THURSDAY, AUGUST 10TH – TRAVEL FROM KUNSAN, AB TO OSAN, AB:

It was raining very hard and lots of wind this morning but we were told it was safe to drive to Osan.  Evidently, the typhoon had turned and would not be making a direct hit near us.  We loaded onto the bus and Aaron – our POC at Kunsan – was sweet enough to ride over with us.  It’s a 2 ½ hour trip and then he had to turn around and go back to Kunsan!  We only made one stop at a rest area.  I took one look at the rain blowing almost horizontally and decided there was no reason for me to get off the bus!

We arrived Osan a few minutes early and Doris (our POC here) already had our keys ready for us.  This is the first time I have stayed in a DV suite at this lodging and it sure is nice.  Has a washer and dryer in the suite, too.  I am so excited because we are staying here for 4 nights!  Camp Humphreys didn’t have lodging for us, so we get to stay here since it is only a 30 minute drive between the bases.  I can actually unpack everything in my suitcase and leave it out for 4 nights….what a luxury!!

We dropped our bags and headed to the DFAC (first time I’ve eaten there, too!) to have lunch with several Airmen.  Food at the DFAC is pretty much the same around the world…terrible.  Wasn’t much better today. The rain was torrential when we arrived and still that way when we departed.

We went back to lodging as that was the only obligations we had today.  Didn’t want to commit to much since we weren’t sure the typhoon was going to cooperate with our plans.  Doris and her sweet husband William picked me up at around 3:30 pm and drove me to the shopping street in Osan.  William helped me pick up my two 35 pound boxes of challenge coins I had ordered when I was here in July.  They look terrific, too!  Then they drove me to the base post office and helped me fill out all the paperwork to ship them home.

I went back to lodging and began trying to catch up on the hundreds of emails that required a response.  I had to pass on having dinner with Bianca and Doris and William because I just had too much work that was backlogged and needed a timely response.   It is almost 2:30 am now and I’m closing down for the day.  Still not caught up but feel a little less pressured now that I’ve gotten a few things marked off the “to do” list.

Jude

 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 11TH – PERFORMANCE AT OSAN AB:

Lobby call was 10:00 am for the drive from Osan AB to Camp Humphreys and the AFN radio interview.  We had the same DJ that we had with Autumn Kings last month and she was awesome.  Chingy is really good with interviews and it was a fun hour.

We stopped by the food court to grab lunch “to go” and eat on the ride back to Osan.  But first we stopped by the Flightline Club where the show will take place tomorrow night.  Doug – the club manager – did his usual awesome job of setting up exactly like we wanted.

We had about 15 minutes after arriving back at lodging before departing to our Unit visit with 36 FS.  Had another great tour of the F-16 only this time we were not allowed to take any photos.  Different base – different rules – every time.

As soon as we arrived back at lodging, DJ and I went to the E’Club which is where the show takes place tonight.  It’s the same production company, and things were finally the same as they were the night before.  I felt confident in leaving him to set up and I went back to lodging to try and catch up on more emails.

We brought Chingy over at 5 pm for a quick sound check and things went well.  He decided just to stay there until show time at 7 pm.  Doris – our POC here at Osan – is so awesome.  I met her and worked with her at Misawa AB with Kellie Pickler last November.  She does such an amazing job of coordinating these events.

Doors opened at 6 pm and by 7 pm showtime the room was packed.  Leadership came backstage and thanked Chingy at 6:30 pm.  Chingy had a really great show tonight.  Brought the 4 dancers on stage and they were really good. He’s been bringing up 2 guys and 2 girls and he and DJ each have a “team” that dances against each other.  Chingy’s team was definitely the winner tonight.

Doris had limited the M&G to 200 people and all 200 showed up.  She had it organized so perfectly that it only took 30 minutes to take individual photos with all 200 people plus group photos of staff, security, and transportation after the show.  Lodging is across the street from the E’club but because it’s still raining from the typhoon, we have to be driven back and forth.

We were back at lodging before 9 pm. This was out biggest attendance of the tour – 433 without staff and 460 with staff.  Way to go Osan!!

Tomorrow is the show at Camp Humphreys.  I’m hoping to get in a workout tomorrow morning!

Jude

 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 12TH – PERFORMANCE AT CAMP HUMPHREYS:

I did not go to bed until after 5 am this morning!  Slept until 9:30 am and then got up with big dreams of once again visiting the gym.   This time I actually got dressed and walked there.  Only, I got lost at least twice and had to ask for directions.  But, once there, I got in a good solid hour workout and felt so much better!  I stopped at the Exchange to grab a couple of things on my walk back and that’s when I got a text with the first issue of the day.  Thankfully, it was something that I was able to handle with a purchase at the Exchange.

 

Next stop for me was Checkertails – the 24 our restaurant on base.  And, they serve breakfast all day.  I ordered a veggie omelet to go and walked back to lodging.  This is a “walking” base so everything is relatively close.

 

DJ was going to Humphreys at 3:30 pm so he could be set up and ready for Chingy when Chingy arrived.  And, he made it happen.  We walked in at around 5:30 and Chingy was able to go on stage and sound check immediately.  Doug – the club manager – does an excellent job.  They had Chingy’s meal prepared for him once he finished sound check.

 

The show started on time and it was amazing!!  Chingy got his 4 dancers on stage again and this time a couple of them were really talented.  There were 647 people in attendance and that didn’t include the staff.  We had to limit the line because otherwise it would have taken us all night!    It did take a little longer than 30 minutes tonight and then we had the 45 minute drive back to Humphreys.

 

Glad we finally have a day off.  My plan is to get up and jog 3 miles, shower and meet Doris at 1:30 pm on the main shopping street for lunch and power shopping!  I have a “short” list of items that Zoe and a few others have requested.

Jude

 

SUNDAY, AUGUST 13TH – DAY OFF AT OSAN, AB:

Didn’t make it out to jog (AGAIN!) because once again “work” interfered.  Hoping to be able to jog once I get to Okinawa!  Worked all morning until it was time to meet Doris and Bill to go “shopping”.  Chingy and Todd went with us but they didn’t last an hour.  LOL.  It was unbearably HOT though.

I found the first few items on my list immediately but we had to go into several bag shops to look for one of the purses that Zoe wanted.  It’s a good thing I can’t add any more weight to my checked bags because I could have really one crazy (as I did in year’s past) in the bag shops.  I did find one of the bags Zoe liked and then found one not on her list that I think she will really like.

We stopped for lunch at a Thai restaurant and I have to say it was some of the best Thai food I have ever had.  I was back at lodging by 4:30 pm but then had to walk over to the exchange to pick up one more item that we didn’t find on the shopping street.

I was able to get a lot of work done before grabbing 4 hours of sleep between 10 pm and 2 am when I had to get up and be in the lobby for a 4 am departure to the airport.  Sad to be leaving Korea as I’ve made so many friends here over the years and it’s always good to see and work with them again.

 

MONDAY, AUGUST 14TH – KOREA TO OKINAWA:

Well, 4 am came much too soon!  We met in the lobby and had two vans for the drive to the airport.  I was able to check all of us in through the priority lane on Korean airlines since we were traveling together.  Only had to pay excess on two pieces so not too bad.  There were seats left in first class that were open for purchase but it was almost $400 and the flight is only two hours and forty minutes.  None of us did that!

After we cleared security, I went in search of a money exchange while the guys went to the gate. When we boarded the flight, we were really glad we didn’t pay to upgrade.  The plane was extremely old and first class was definitely nothing special.  Looked like something out of the 50’s!

They brought around a meal but didn’t have anything “vegetarian” available for Chingy.  They offered him what they had and I told him not to eat it.  Food on Korean airlines is historically terrible!  We were all seated close to each other but our rows were full.  We were able to move to am empty row with Chingy on the window, me on the aisle and Todd on the Aisle in front of us.  The leg room was nonexistent though.

The flight attendants came around and asked if we had our QR codes and I confirmed that we did.  She was holding Immigration forms and said we didn’t need to fill those out if we had QR codes.  Of course, no one working at the Immigration counters had a clue what the QR codes were for.  They made us get out of line and fill out the paper (which has the same information as the QR code).  Last month, we entered Japan through Tokyo and didn’t have any problems.  Guess Okinawa isn’t quite up to speed yet.

All our checked bags made it and this time Korean Airlines didn’t destroy my zipper pulls…..but probably only because I taped all of them down.  Mika was waiting for us when we exited baggage claim and she had brought the big bus which was a treat.  She had our welcome packets all ready for us with our room keys.  She even managed to get us all in the Main Lodge – where my cell phone and Wi-Fi works!

The videographers for the remainder of the tour had arrived yesterday and we met them for the first time when we went to the restaurant next door for lunch.  Really nice guys and going to be a pleasure to work with.  Everyone at the restaurant recognized Chingy which is a good sign that we’ll have a big crowd. The videographers went out to film some of the “local” sites.

I had about 4 hours “free” to get caught up on my work but instead, I got on the phone with Gmail support and tried for 2 ½ hours to retrieve my “Sent” Mail that disappeared on August 4th – as soon as I arrive in Guam, the first stop on the tour.  So crazy.  They never figured out what was going on and I have no idea how I’m going to retrieve all those “lost emails”!

Everyone met in the Lobby and Mika and Dureil joined us for dinner.  I had planned to go to Hamazushi (my favorite) for “conveyor belt” sushi but she said there was a similar “competing” restaurant across the street from Hamazushi that she thought was better.  It was a unique experience for the all the guys who had never eaten at a restaurant like that before.  Plus the sushi was excellent.  I sat with the videographers and we had 40 plates between us.  Mika, Dureil, Chingy and Todd had around 30 plates.   The total bill for all 7 people cost less than $70.00 U.S.!!!

After we got back to the hotel, I got on the phone with Lindsey and something we changed in a setting somewhere started bringing my “sent” emails back.  That or the Gmail support team finally figured it out and fixed it.  They said they were going to continue working on it. Now if they can just figure out how I can retrieve all the missing emails.

Tomorrow’s show is at Camp Shields – a Navy Base on Okinawa and I can’t remember ever having a performance there.

 Jude

TUESDAY, AUGUST 15TH – PERFORMANCE AT CAMP SHIELDS, OKINAWA:

After not getting in bed until 4:30 am, I just could not get up early to jog.  Will make SURE I get the jog in tomorrow morning when we don’t depart to the venue until 4:45 pm…..that is if the rain stops!

We all went to the AFN radio interview at 1:20 pm.  MCCS provided a van and driver for us.  Adam had a bag of camera equipment so we opened the back to try and put it behind the seats.  Chingy and Todd were already sitting in the back seats.  When we opened the back, Adam said, “Oh, watch out.  There’s a lizard in here”.  I guess the lizard heard us and he reversed direction and headed towards the front of the van.  I said, “Watch out.  He’s coming towards your feet”.   Chingy and Todd both jumped up in the seats on their knees.  I was laughing my butt off.  I had told them stories about the size of lizards and banana rats in Cuba and Honduras and I guess they thought it was the same here in Okinawa.  Poor little lizard was only about 3 inches long.  He did a quick turn around and jumped out the back of the van.  LOL.

AFE interview went great.  Hopefully we’ll have big crowds at Camp Shields Navy Base tonight and tomorrow night at Camp Hansen Marine Base.  We returned to the base and Todd, Adam and Jason departed to Camp Shields for load in and to get some b-roll.  I had about an hour and a half before needing to go to Camp Shields with Chingy.  I was going to try to grab some to-go lunch since I hadn’t eaten all day.  Unfortunately, the restaurant next to lodging closes between 2-5 pm each day according to the front desk.  I had the front desk call a taxi for me and I went to the food court and got a smoothie.

It was about a 45 minute drive from lodging to Camp Shields and as I mentioned, it is a “small” base!  The people we are working with there – Chad and Charlyne – have been super sweet and helpful.  Upon arriving, there were several challenges that had to be addressed before doors opening.  This was their first “bis” show with a “celebrity” entertainer since COVID.  They handled everything professionally and quickly and we were able to open the doors on time.

The room quickly filled to capacity – 349 people!  Another great show and this time we’ll have the photos and video (compliments of AFE) to prove it.  Meet and Greet was again unusually long but we managed to get through it fairly quickly.

Poor Jason has to stay up all night editing the footage so he can get it to AFE for posting tomorrow.  I had to wash some clothes and this time I don’t have a washer and dryer in my room.  It’s quite a hike down the long hallway so again I was up until 2:30 am washing, drying, and working!

The best news is…I was DETERMINED to figure out what was going on with my “sent” emails.  And I did.  Won’t go into details about how I “accidentally” figured out the problem. (Trust me, I am totally inept with any technology!).  The good news is, I fixed the issue AND I now have all my Sent emails back.  Bad news is, I had to move each email (over 500) one-by-one into my “Sent” folder.  So, once again up until 3:30 am working.  Doesn’t matter.  I am going jogging tomorrow unless it is raining!

Jude

 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16TH – PERFORMANCE AT CAMP HANSEN:

Finally got in my jog and it was awesome.  Weather was a little cooler because of the rain.  I worked until Todd had to go to the venue at 3 pm.  Got him off and then went over to the base exchange to “power shop”.  Found pretty much everything I was looking for.  Grabbed a smoothie and rushed back to lodging to pack up my things for the show.

The show is at Camp Hansen tonight. I remembered the “green room” as soon as we walked in. I had Chase Rice here years ago and we used the same room.  The venue is the Palms Ballroom and it’s huge.  Todd was set up and ready for us when we arrived and sound check went really quickly.  The film crew did a couple of interviews with Chingy prior to the show.

There were 170 people attending tonight which was really good for a Wednesday night and everyone has to work tomorrow.  They did bus some people in from other bases to attend as well.  Chingy did another great show with the highlight being when he pulls the 4 dancers onto the stage.  M&G line was really long – seemed like more than 170 people in the line!  Mika and Dureil and their staff do an excellent job of keeping the line moving quickly.

It was after 10 pm when we got back to lodging and we have a 7:10 am Lobby Call.  It’s going to be a brutal 4 days coming up.  We fly and perform tomorrow.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 17TH, – PERFORMANCE AT CAMP ZAMA:

5:30 am came way too quickly.  Lobby call was 7:20 am and Chingy and Todd were already on the bus when I got there at 7:10 am.  We drove to the building beside ours to pick up the videographers.  They didn’t come out at 7:20 so I gave them until 7:25.  Nothing.  I had sent them messages and no response.  I called their rooms and no response.  Charlyne went up to their rooms and banged on the doors and no one answered.  I was at the point where I was going to leave them and let them figure out a ride to the airport when they came nonchalantly walking up from the restaurant by lodging where they had been eating breakfast!

Once we arrived at the airport, it took a long time to check in.  They charged for excess per bag and won’t let us combine the weigh of each bag when figuring excess.  We finally got it down to where we only had to pay for excess on one bag.  But it took forever to pay then.  We went through security and only had a few minutes to wait before boarding.  It was a 2 ½ hour flight and the plane was packed full.  We landed on time but then there was nowhere for us to park and we had to wait about 20 minutes.

Randy was there to meet us and had the big bus with him.  I had been told that the videographers each had two large suitcases plus two large cases of equipment and their carry on bags.  Actually, one of them only had a carry-on bag and no checked piece and one only had a suitcase.  Randy brought the big bus based on what we told them we had for luggage and equipment.  But, we still pretty much filled the bus bays with our bags and it was a much more comfortable ride than packing into a van.  It was supposed to take us an hour but took two hours because we got stuck in traffic because it was the last day of a “holiday” period for the Japanese.

Everyone was starving when we finally arrived at the base so we stopped by the food court to grab lunch – at 3 pm!  Todd dropped his bags at lodging and immediately went to the venue to set up. I followed not long afterwards.  I remember the venue from when I was here with Kellie Pickler.  Todd had everything set up and Chingy came over at 5:15 pm for sound check.  Only took him about 10 minutes and he was happy.  We were surprised to learn that our sound engineer tonight was the sound engineer for Chingy in 2008 when he toured Japan commercially!

The Garrison Commander – Colonel Hunter – and the Command Sargeant Major Rio came by to thank Chingy.   Really nice men!  Show started on time and there were 220 people attending tonight.  Again, a good crowd for a Thursday night when people have to work tomorrow.  I am SURE all 220 were in the M&G line tonight.  LOL.  But, Randy and his staff helped me move it along quickly.   I know I am the most “hated” person in the building every night after the M&G ends.  We make announcements that there are no selfies, no video, no autographs and only one photo per person or one per group.  No one listens so I get to be the “bad guy” and enforce the rules.   There was one young lady in line who said she had been listening to Chingy’s music since she was 3 years old!

Randy had our pre-ordered dinner waiting for us after the show and we took it back to lodging to eat.

Lobby call is 10 am tomorrow which means I can sleep until 7:30!  Or course I won’t get in bed until 3 again.

Jude

 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 18TH – PERFORMANCE AT YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE:

I was trying to get some work done before the 10 lobby call when I heard voices that I recognized coming from the lobby.  Gregg and Jackie were already here to pick us up and it was only 9 am.  I was ready but really needed the additional time to work.  Some of the guys wanted to walk to the base exchange so we delayed leaving until 10 am as planned.

It was only a little over an hour drive and they had our rooms ready for us.  Jackie and Gregg always take great care of the entertainers coming to their base!   We had about 30 minutes before we needed to depart for lunch.  I didn’t think anyone else in the group wanted to go to Hamazushi but I was definitely going.  Turns out everyone wanted to go again.  LOL.  This time we went to Hamazushi and I still like it better than the one we went to in Okinawa because they have a much larger selection.

Lindsey just said my challenge coins have already arrived.  WOW!  I paid for the cheapest shipping and was told it would take a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks.

After lunch I went to the venue with Gregg and Jackie.  Glad I did because there were lots of changes that were required…the biggest being how to get him on stage without going through the audience.  We finally “rigged” up a way that wasn’t “ideal” but it worked.  I spent over an hour there going over details for tonight.  It’s hard to explain “why” certain things are needed until the see the show.  The stage was only about 12 inches tall and they didn’t think a barricade or stanchions were going to be needed.  I assured them that they were.  As soon as they saw the crowd and the “drinks” being consumed, they knew I was right.  There were females in the backstage area trying to find Chingy way before the show started.

Chingy had a great show once again.  One of the female dancers jumped off the stage into a split!  Sure wish I had that on video! Makes me hurt just thinking about it.

Autograph line was LONG….200 people total.  But we finished pretty quickly.  Not sure how many people were there tonight but when I checked early on there were already over 250 people.  It was incredibly HOT in the venue, too.

It’s after 1:30 am and I have to get up at 5:30 to go to the airport. Closing down for tonight.

Jude

 

SATURDAY, AUGUST 19TH – MISAWA AIR BASE, JAPAN

After 2 ½ hours sleep, I was in the lobby ready for the flight to Misawa. It was about an hour drive to the Haneda airport. We checked exactly the same number and weight of bags with JAL as we did yesterday when we had to pay for one.  This time there was no charge.  Crazy.

We departed and landed on time and Jared and his staff were waiting for us. First mistake was, we decided to eat before stopping at lodging.  We ate at “Flyers” and it was really good. We were able to customize burrito bowls!  The staff was so nice and friendly, too. They had prepared a Chai Tea Latte and named it the “Double dirty Chingy ccho” !  It was vegan and gluten free.

Next stop was lodging and I was surprised to see it was not where I have always stayed on this base for decades. They put me and Chingy on the top floor and gave him a 4 bedroom suite and me a three bedroom suite. Before I could even get my bags inside, my phone started blowing up with messages from all the guys saying their rooms were not air conditioned.  Neither was mine and it had to be over 100 degrees inside.

I called Jared and told him we would have to find rooms somewhere else even if it meant going off base.   We went to the Misawa Inn on base where I had stayed for decades but were told the rooms were not air conditioned there either. Now, I almost always came here in June and never had a room without air conditioning. The front desk said that they have portable units but all of those were in use by the air crew.  We decided to go to the venue so Todd could get set up and there was a Japanese translator on staff. She was so sweet and investigated all the hotels looking for 5 rooms with AC and WIFI. She found one but the rooms were SMOKING.  I can’t believe hotels anywhere in the world still allow smoking indoors. Then she found rooms where we would have to share rooms. Finally after about an hour, she found the rooms we needed.  Misawa is a very small town so the hotel was similar to the one in Kumamoto.  Clean but small. Chingy sent me a text that a spider fell off the ceiling and landed on his shoulder!  He was going to wait for us downstairs!

By the time we found the hotel, I had gone over everything with Jared for the show and Todd had completed setting up. We drove by the hotel to be sure it was acceptable.  Then back to base lodging to pick up everyone and our bags. By that time we only had 30 minutes before we had to be ready for our Mission brief.  My dream of taking even a 20 minute nap disappeared.

The brief was given by the wing commander Colonel Richard. I met him and his wife last November with Kellie Pickler but it was before he became Wing Commander. He gave us an excellent brief and Chingy thanked him profusely. While we had done individual unit visits, none of the bases had given us a “formal” briefing on why the base is located where it is and what they do on a daily basis.  The guys loved it!

We made a quick stop at the shopette and I was able to get a lot of the Kit Kat and other snacks I needed to take home. Means I now have to switch out my small checked duffle for the large one I had packed in my suitcase.

From there we went straight to the venue for Chingy to do his sound check. He got his levels where he wanted them and the show was set to start on time. The base originally did not advertise as 18+ and we encouraged them to do so. They switched it to PG and then finally warned everyone that if they brought their children, it was at their own risk. I get it. This is a family-oriented base.  But this show is designed for the young adult males and females serving our country.  I had asked the wing commander about it and he said Chingy should do his regular show.

I went onstage right before the show started and realized there were Japanese families with young children standing in the very front of the stage where huge speakers were set up and not wearing any ear protection.  We did not start the show until they were asked to move to the back for their own safety.  The entire front of stage area was filled with very excited men and women who had already been drinking for an hour. Not the place for young children.

It was a great last show to end our tour!  The base had given out 175 M&G passes so the line was long. Fortunately we only had altercations with three or four inebriated individuals. LOL

We took photos of just our group after the show since this is our last performance of the tour.  In some ways it feels like we have been gone a month and in other ways it feels like we just arrived. I can’t say enough good things about Frank Tagatac and AFE for putting together the tour and of course all our base hosts with Army and Navy MWR, Marines MCCS, and Air Force FSS plus all the hard working production crews and Chingy, DJ Actright, Adam and Jason.

We were back at the hotel before 9:30 and struggling with everything being written in Japanese!  I answered only crucial emails and got in bed by 130 am — simply exhausted from the previous night’s lack of sleep.

Jude