Sorry for the lack of updates! I've been on vacation for several days last week and this week. If I didn't clear out, I would have lost those days. I have to tell you that for a workaholic, it's tough for me to get away for so long.

Here's a couple of blogs about what I've been up to. First, I spent some time in Santa Fe last week. Now I'm in Houston. My friend Beth Ann and I saw the Goo Goo Dolls last night (right, here's a pic of Johnny Rzeznik during the show). Through luck and connections, we were able to meet the band before the show. Here's a shot:















Here we are with the Goo Goo Dolls! (left to right):
Robby Takac (Bass), Beth Ann, John Rzeznik (Vocals),
Michael Todd and Mike Malinin (Drums).

After we got to the show, we found out from my Warner Brothers friend, Howarad Frank, that John had been fighting a cold and wasn't feeling totally great. I went into the show with that expectation and I'm amazed to tell you that besides looking a little tired, you'd never know he was sick. He bantered with the crowd, told a few self-deprecating jokes and hit the notes dead-on. Robby is a maniac on stage. The band used to be a 3-piece and Robby's used to running around the length of the stage to make it seem like there's a lot of action going on. Now the band takes along a sax dude and an extra guitarist for the tours.

Another cool trivia bit for you is that for some of the songs (like "Iris"), Johnny has the guitar tech pull off a couple strings from his acoustic guitar. There's a particular way he plays certain notes and this makes it easier for him to make the chord changes.

The band also tapes every show to use at the next show's soundcheck. That saves time when they're trying to make adjustments. So if you're near a venue with the Goo Goo Dolls and you hear them in the afternoon, chances are it's not live...it's Memorex!

They've got a couple of weeks off and then head to Europe.

I'm ashamed to admit, this is the first show I've seen at The Woodlands. This place is an excellent venue. Even people with lawn seating are pretty close to the show. Two giant screens showing what's happening on stage also help. Houston's been cooler than normal, so the weather wasn't unbearable, even though I wore jeans. We walked around before the show and I saw that the Woodlands have some cool stores and restaurants, making The Woodlands its own mini-village...something else I wasn't aware of.

So far, a very cool trip but I'll be back at work (and with a new blog) Monday!