WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH 2022 – NASHVILLE TO ANCHORAGE, ALASKA WITH “CHINGY”:
Traveling to Alaska today with Hip Hop Artist “Chingy” for 3 shows to entertain the troops at JBER, Ft. Wainwright, and Eielson then on to Hawaii for 3 shows at JB Pearl Harbor and Schofield Barracks. Seeing a lot of excitement for his visits and he’s been awesome to work with. Also, his manager (and DJ) for these shows is my dear friend and business associate Scott Adkins. Going to be a fun tour – if we ever get there.
Woke up to a text message from Tripit saying our flights from Minneapolis to Anchorage on Delta had been cancelled. I immediately called the Delta Diamond line and they knew nothing about it nor had I received any messages from Delta. They put me on hold for about 20 minutes and came back and said that “due to high winds”, the plane would have to make a stop in Seattle to refuel. They gave me the new times as landing Seattle at 9:15 pm, refueling, and taking back off at 9:30 pm. WHAT??? You can’t even land and take off in that amount of time, much less re-fuel as well.
The information keeps changing on a minute by minute basis and I have yet to receive even one notification from Delta. Their App and website doesn’t even have the correct info. Thank God for Tripit!
Met Scott at the gate in Nashville and we boarded on time for the short flight to Minneapolis. Chingy flew from St. Louis to Minneapolis and landed about an hour prior to us. We all met at the Delta Lounge and have been there for the last 3 hours. Supposed to depart to Seattle in about an hour but who knows? No one in the lounge seems to know the “truth” either.
Also landed to find out that there is a major ice storm in Anchorage. I know that Alaska is “prepared” for lots of snow, but ice could shut down the runways!
We had time to work and eat a good meal in the Lounge and the flight departed to Seattle on time. There was a long line of passenger having boarding passes reissued when we had arrived at the gate and the gate attendant kept making announcements about the flight going to Seattle and then to Anchorage.
Before we took off, the pilot explained about the “refueling” issue and said it was as much of a surprise to him as it was to the passengers. Our pilot keeps using the word “blast” off to Anchorage which is disconcerting. He announced that the reason for the change was because we couldn’t fly into Anchorage because of high winds and in the next sentence said we would refuel and “blast” off to Anchorage!
Chingy’s phone is blowing up with DM’s from service members saying they can’t attend the show in Anchorage at JBER because only 40 people are being allowed in the venue. The base made the decision weeks ago to move the show from the theatre to a smaller venue and limit capacity to 50 because of COVID. That 50 has to include us and staff. None of the other bases in Alaska are limiting capacity. Chingy offered to do a “meet and greet” before the show and I am going to try to live stream his show on Facebook. Definitely not the same as being there but the best we can do if the base won’t lift the restrictions.
Just departed Seattle after refueling. We’re not allowed to get off the plane. This trip has been as long as an international flight. Arrived at the airport at 10 am CST today and when we finally land in Anchorage, it will be around 3 am CST.
Delta has quit using Go-Go Wifi on most of their planes. We had Go-Go on the Nashville to Minneapolis flight but had their new Wi-Fi on the other flight. From the time we departed Seattle until we arrived Anchorage, the WiFi didn’t work at all.
We arrived Anchorage and honestly the flights were some of the smoothest I’ve ever taken. I was prepared for those “high winds” but never experienced them. My bags were tagged priority which means they were the last ones to come out on the belt in baggage claim.
We called the Hyatt to send their van to pick us up and were told that they had changed their vehicle to a “white van” with “Hyatt” written on it. We waited about 10 minutes and the van pulled up. The driver kept asking if we were going to the Holiday Inn for some reason. We learned that he makes stops at 6 different hotels.
I was checking us in and the lady at the front desk announced that we were at the wrong Hyatt! The van had already left but she called the driver and he came back and picked us up. My only excuse is the fact that I have been up and traveling for almost 24 hours by that time.
Got checked in and everyone can “sleep in” tomorrow. I “think” our new lobby call time will be around 2 pm for the 3 pm “Meet & Greet”.
It’s so good to be back visiting the military bases but disappointed by the capacity limits. Chingy’s performance could have brought a much-needed morale boost to so many people at JBER. Hopefully we’ll have huge crowds at Ft. Wainwright and Eielson!
Jude
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH – FIRST SHOW AT JBER, ANCHORAGE:
Got in bed by 2:30 am and at around 6:30 am, my phone started blowing up with text messages. Because there is a 3 hour time difference, it was already 9:30 am in Nashville.
I walked down to grab some breakfast before they closed so I could take it to my room and eat it for lunch. LOL. Scott and Chingy were already downstairs and had eaten breakfast. We all agreed that we were going to the Exercise Room at the hotel for a quick workout. Our call time today got moved to 3 pm, so we have some “free time” which is an unusual luxury.
I made the mistake of checking a couple of emails before going to work out and by the time I arrived, Scott and Chingy had already worked out and left. Spent the rest of the morning working and handling changes for tonight’s show.
We departed the hotel at 3 pm. It had stopped raining and snowing and warmed up enough for the roads to be slushy rather than covered with ice. It’s about a 30 minute drive from the hotel to the base. We had to stop by the visitor’s center to secure our “one day pass”. Unfortunately, I forgot to remind everyone to be sure and take either their passport or driver’s license and Chingy didn’t have his own him. The Meet and Greet was supposed to start at 4:00 pm, our driver was going to rush Chingy back to the hotel to grab his license. They had only been gone about 5 minutes when our FSS host was able to contact a “general officer” and she got him cleared to come on base with just the “copy” of his driver’s license that I had with us.
The turn out for the Meet and Greet was very light because the base was only able to release the notice that it was taking place this morning. People were working so didn’t see this on FB and also did not get off work before 4 pm so they could attend. But it was a fun time for the ones who did make it.
We did a quick sound check. Johnathan and Josh – our Production team – had everything set up and ready for us. We had about an hour and a half to “kill” between sound check and show time and I spent it working. This is the show that is limited to 50 people including me, Scott and Chingy and the staff. So 40 people total allowed in the audience. There were lots of messages from disappointed folks on FB today. This decision was made by the Base Commander based on the current COVID situation.
The 30 minute show started about 5 minutes late and Chingy did a great job. The people who were able to get the 40 free tickets were huge Chingy fans and knew the words to all his songs. It was a great show and great audience. Chingy took photos with everyone after the performance and gave everyone an autographed photo. We were back at the hotel by around 8:30 pm!
Our hosts had picked up pre-ordered food from Olive Garden so we sat in the closed “breakfast room” at the hotel and ate dinner. I put in a call to Delta airlines to help Scott upgrade his ticket home. They were so busy, I couldn’t get a call back for one hour and 14 minutes. But we got him all taken care of.
It’s a little after midnight now and I think I’m going to be able to go to bed soon. Have a 9:15 am lobby call for the one hour flight to Fairbanks tomorrow. It was 25 degrees below zero in Fairbanks last night. BRRRRRR!!! And the Northern Lights have been out in full force for weeks now. Praying I “FINALLY” get to see them.
Jude
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH – SECOND SHOW AT FT. WAINWRIGHT, FAIRBANKS, AK: We had a 9:15 a lobby call to depart to the airport for a short one hour flight to Fairbanks. Before we took off, the pilot informed us that Fairbanks was in the midst of a heavy snowstorm! It looked like a “white out” when we landed. There were some planes parked near the terminal and snow was piled several feet high on top of them. I’ve never seen this much snow anywhere in the USA – only in Norway and Switzerland! Our fantastic hosts – Rebecca and Angela – met us at baggage claim and introduced us to our new “driver” – Matt. They are all such amazing people to work with and I know they have taken care of all details way in advance. We stopped and had amazing sushi and then checked into the Holiday Inn which is actually located inside the base gates. This is where we stayed on the previous tours as well. The first thing I always do before unpacking is to set up my computer and check the WiFi connection. All was good, so I unpacked and then started working before we had to depart to sound check. As I was sitting at the desk, I felt it vibrating and it sounded a lot like the “Whump-Whump” sound you hear when someone pulls up next to you at a traffic light and has that “bass” thing going on. I could not figure out where it was coming from but it gave me a roaring migraine before I left the room. I also made Scott come into my room and “listen” to make sure I wasn’t imagining it. I talked to the front desk and they said I could move to a room across the hall. I didn’t want to pack up everything but moving across the hall seemed like the best option. However, that had to wait until after the show. I remembered from my previous visit that my room had a similar issue when I was here in November. I told the hotel about it when we checked out and they were going to investigate. What are the chances of getting the exact same room in a three story hotel when I return more than 3 months later? Just my luck! There was no capacity limit tonight and we were expecting a big crowd. Prior to the show, We met the new Command Sergeant Major (CSM Reuben Murillo), his wife and mother. A friend of mine since the Iraq days – Kurt Pinkerton – had emailed me and told me that the CSM is a friend of his so I delivered a hug on his behalf. Such really nice people and Ft. Wainwright is lucky to have them. The Base Commander and his wife (Colonel Nate Surrey and “Mrs.” Colonel Alicia Surrey – both Colonels!) were also there. They have attended all the performances for the events I’ve brought over the past several months. Colonel Surrey was the helicopter pilot for me and Charlie Daniels on one of the tours to Iraq many years ago. I met so many wonderful people on those tours and it’s always such a pleasure to reconnect. The club was set up for 100 people and all those seats filled more than an hour before the performance. Then there were people standing along the side of the room, sitting at the bar and of course, standing on the dance floor. Chingy gave a fantastic performance and then stayed and took photos with everyone. He is recognized everywhere we go! We had ordered dinner to take back to the hotel and eat again. Scott and I ate in the lobby again and “caught up” on plans for the next day. I went to the desk to get the room key for my “new” room and learned that they were moving me to another floor. It was definitely too much to deal with at 10 pm at night, so I decided to “tough it out”. It went down to around -8 tonight and will be even colder tomorrow night. It was much too cloudy to see the Northern Lights but keeping my fingers crossed for tomorrow night. Great second show and looking forward to the final show in Alaska tomorrow night at Eielson Air Base. Jude
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 19TH – THIRD SHOW AT EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, NORTH POLE: The breakfast bar at this hotel is really good with lots of healthy options. I went down and picked up an egg white omelet, banana and yogurt to eat much later in the day. Got in a decent workout with my “bands” in my room. There is a small exercise room but it only has cardio machines…no free weights! Scott wanted to go to the fitness center but it was a challenge to find him a ride. Normally, he could just walk over but there’s just too much snow and too cold. Snow is piled over 20 feet high in some places. We tried to call the base shuttle but the number was disconnected. Uber wasn’t an option and he would have had to make a reservation for a taxi two hours in advance. Rebecca was out running errands and dropped by and picked up Scott and Chingy and dropped them at the gym. Her husband was there working out and gave them a ride back to the hotel. Was so very nice of them! A man came to my room from maintenance and solved the problem of the noise! The vibration and “whump” sound is coming from a service elevator shaft which happens to be right next to my room. He tried to fix it but wasn’t successful. Also, when I open the door to my room after having been away for a while, the wall heater kicks on and sounds like a freight train for about 15 minutes. He was able to fix that thankfully! We departed the hotel at 3 pm for the drive to Eielson Air Base in North Pole, AK! Our escort – Ted — had a little trouble driving from Eielson to Ft. Wainwright because of the snow and ice and then the gate was closed when he arrived because they were snowplowing the roads. When he finally arrived, he informed us that the Thai Restaurant where we were going to eat had burned the week prior! But he took us to one in Fairbanks that was wonderful – best Thom Kai soup I have ever had. We made a really quick stop at The Santa Claus House and then a local gun shop as a favor to Ted. Ted had stopped at the gate at Eielson when he left to pick us up to make sure they had the paperwork for our entry clearance. All was good…until we arrived at the gate and there had been a shift change. They wouldn’t let us enter and insisted that we go to the Visitor’s Center and get passes. Sound familiar? Happens EVERY time no matter how well-planned our visit is. When we went in the Visitor’s Center, there were 3 airmen working and we were the only ones in there. We gave our ID’s to one person and he had me enter my social security number. The other two staff members were watching him and one reached over and took Chingy’s ID and started working on it. The guy working on mine got on the phone and called someone and the guy working on Chingy’s yelled at him that we “had a letter and he didn’t need to make the phone call”. He talked for a minute, then stood up, and stuck his cell phone out to Chingy and said, “He wants to talk to you”. Chingy looked sort of confused – as we all were – but he took the phone. I could tell the conversation was not going well so I told Scott to take the phone and tell him he is Chingy’s manager. Scott handled it very professionally. Evidently it was the desk Sergeant who wanted us to come by and sign autographs for him! In the meantime, the guy working on my pass was still not finished with it although the other guy had finished both Scott’s and Chingy’s. We finally “escaped” and made it to the club. Scott set up and did a quick sound check. The Wing Commander “Ajax” and his wife Nikki came in to say hello. I met him when I was there with Runaway June and he is a good friend of my dear friend General Robin “Baba” Rand. When I met him with Runaway June, I asked him if he could arrange a tour of the new F-35’s when I returned with Triple Threat. As you know from my Road Reports of that tour, he made it happen. He is such a great guy and so supportive of the entertainment that AFE brings to the base. The club was packed – around 175 people – and it was a young, lively audience. Again, even the younger members knew every word to his songs. Chingy had a great time and so did the audience. Ted said it’s the largest crowd they have had in the club for an event. Afterwards, the Meet and Greet line was very long. The autograph cards that AFE shipped to the base in advance were never received. I really think everyone in the audience stayed to have a photo made with him. Ajax asked his wife if she had seen even one person who was having their photo made who didn’t have a big smile on their face. And THAT is why we are here…to lift their morale and make them know how much their service is appreciated. We stopped at Pagoda Chinese Restaurant where we usually have the meal after a performance and picked up “to go” food to eat at the hotel. Once again, it was too cloudy to see the Northern Lights. I was hoping the third time would be the charm. We fly to Honolulu tomorrow to “thaw out” and perform 3 more shows. Jude
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 20TH – ALASKA TO HAWAII: Lobby call at 11:30 am this morning and then we were off to sunny and warm Hawaii. It wasn’t snowing and seemed a little bit warmer when we departed. Check in at Fairbanks was quick and easy and the flight was only one hour. I thought we had about 1 ½ hours layover in Anchorage but we landed late and only had 1 hour. We managed to grab a quick “sushi” lunch at the airport before we departed. We’re flying Alaska Airlines and I sure didn’t want too. Delta has flights but they were all “overnight” flights and I didn’t want to do that either. The Alaska airline plane we had for the short flight between Fairbanks and Anchorage was new and very nice. But the plane we have for the 6 hour flight from Anchorage is Honolulu is so old, it doesn’t event have video monitors on the seat backs! Very uncomfortable, too. The meal was good and healthy. I worked for a few hours, read a little, and then napped. It felt like I had just fallen asleep when the pilot came on and said, “We are about 1 hour and 16 minutes from landing and the flight attendants are going to give you a form to fill out”. I know at least 90% of the people on the flight were asleep. They turned on all the lights and gave out the forms and we had to fill them out immediately and turn them back in. Why they couldn’t wait until we were 20 minutes from landing, I’ll never know. Like I said, Alaska Airlines is fine for short trips but not for the long hauls. We landed on time and our driver – Will – was there to pick us up. It only took about 20 minutes to drive to the hotel – Waikiki Beachcomber. I’ve stayed there in the past and it’s a really nice hotel. Located right next to the International Marketplace and across the street from the beach. The line was long for check in and people kept cutting in front of us. Finally we were able to check in and an ID had to be provided by each of us. The clerk worked and worked and I thought she would never get us a room. I had given her the list of names and all the confirmation number with the 3 ID’s. She finally handed me a key and I asked her whose room it was. She looked stunned and said “all 3”. She had put all 3 of us in one room! So another 30 minute process took place made longer with an ancient credit card machine that didn’t work. We finally got our keys with Chingy on 4th floor, Scott on 6th floor and me on the 20th floor! The rooms are nice and we dropped our bags and headed outside to look for food. I told them Frank had dropped off a cooler with fresh fruit, Quinoa Salad, bananas and lots of beverages. They wanted to keep that until tomorrow but I was worried about how many places to eat would still be open at almost midnight on a Sunday night. We found a “grocer” that had great salads, sushi, etc. It’s 1:30 am now and I’m going to bed so I can get up and run on the beach tomorrow morning before we depart to JB Pearl Harbor for a Meet and Greet and first show. Jude
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