MARK WILLS

COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

PHOTOS

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2012:

TODAY I LEAVE FOR ITALY WITH MARK WILLS.  I AM MEETING 2 BAND MEMBERS AT CUSTOMS TO REGISTER THEIR GEAR AND WE WILL GO STRAIGHT TOTHE AIRPORT FROM THERE.  ARRIVE AT THE AIRPORT, WAIT FOR THE REST OF THE BAND TO ARRIVE.  GOT EVERYONE CHECKED IN, LUCKILY I AM “SILVER” ON DELTA AND CAN CHECK 2 BAGS FOR FREE, SO I CHECKED A PIECE OF GEAR AND PAID EXCESS ON 1 OTHER.  SHORT FLIGHT TO DETROIT, WHERE WE MET UP WITH MARK.  WE HAD A QUICK DINNER AND HUNG OUT IN THE DELTA LOUNGE UNTIL TIME FOR OUR FLIGHT TO BOARD.
THE FLIGHT WAS COMPLETELY FULL SO THERE WAS NO ROOM TO MOVE AROUND.   SOME TIME DURING THE FLIGHT A PASSENGER SITTING NEXT TO MIKE STARTING GETTING OBNOXIOUS, YELLING, MAKING A REAL SCENE AND NO ONE AROUND HIM WAS ABLE TO SLEEP.  GUESS HE FINALLY WENT TO SLEEP AT SOME POINT AND WHEN IT WAS ALMOST TIME TO LAND, MIKE LET HIM KNOW HOW HE HAD BEEN ACTING.  THAT PASSENGER COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT HE HAD DONE.  HAVE NO IDEA WHAT HE WAS ON.  THEY DID SAY HE HAD BEEN DRINKING ON THE FLIGHT, SO MAYBE HE HAD TAKEN MEDICATION AND IT DIDN’T MIX WELL.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2012:
LANDED IN PARIS.   JUST AS WE WERE COMING IN, IT WAS SO FOGGY, BUT YOU COULD STILL SEE THE TOP OF THE EIFFEL TOWER.  ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SIGHTS I HAVE EVER SEEN IS THE EIFFEL TOWER ALL LIT UP AT NIGHT.  WHEN WE LANDED, WE HAD TO WAIT ON THE PLANE BEFORE WE COULD DEBOARD.  THE FRENCH POLICE CAME ON THE PLANE, AND WE ALL JUST KNEW THAT THEY WERE COMING TO GET THE GUY WHO HAD DISRUPTED THE FLIGHT BESIDE MIKE, BUT THAT IS NOT WHO THEY WERE AFTER.   THEY TOOK A MAN FROM THE MIDDLE CABIN WHO APPARENTLY HAD BEEN GROPING A GIRL BESIDE HIM DURING HER SLEEP.  WOW!!  THAT IS A FIRST! APPARENTLY THE FRENCH DON’T MESS AROUND.  🙂
SHORT LAYOVER IN PARIS.  AIRPORT WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, BUT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM NAVIGATING OUR WAY THROUGH.  HAD A SHORT FLIGHT ON TO VENICE, ALL LUGGAGE ARRIVED AND MITCH WAS OUTSIDE WAITING FOR US.  🙂
WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A 45 MINUTE DRIVE TO THE HOTEL, BUT WAS MORE LIKE AN HOUR +.  THE HOTEL IS A NICE QUAINT PLACE LOCATED IN PRATA, JUST OUTSIDE OF PORDENONE, WHERE THE VENUE IS LOCATED.  GOT EVERYONE CHECKED IN AND WE ALL RESTED AND FRESHENED UP BEFORE WE LEFT FOR DINNER.  I PLUGGED IN MY STRAIGHTENER, SAME ONE I HAVE USED FOR THE LAST SEVERAL TRIPS, AND FRIED IT.  NOT SURE IF THE VOLTAGE IS DIFFERENT HERE THAN IT VOGHERA, ITALY THIS PAST SUMMER OR WHAT, BUT NOW I HAVE TO FIND A STRAIGHTENER!  🙁
WE ALL LEFT FOR DINNER ABOUT 7PM AT A RESTAURANT AT THE RANCH THAT MIKE RUNS ABOUT 30 MINUTES FROM THE HOTEL.  ITS A SMALL LITTLE RANCH STYLE HOTEL WITH A HUGE BONFIRE OUT FRONT AND A TEEPEE OUTBACK, REALLY NEAT PLACE.  WE HAD DINNER, MET NEW FRIENDS, HUNG OUT AND MARK SANG A COUPLE OF SONGS – WE HAD A REALLY NICE TIME.
WHEN WE LANDED IN DETROIT AND MET UP WITH MARK, HE MENTIONED A MESSAGE THAT WAS SENT TO HIS FACEBOOK PAGE.   A LADY AND HER HUSBAND, WHO WAS STATIONED AT AVIANO AFB, WAS GOING TO ATTEND MARK’S SHOW, BUT HE IS A FIREFIGHTER ON BASE AND HIS SCHEDULE GOT CHANGED.  MARK SAID HE WOULD LOVE TO SURPRISE HIM AND GO VISIT HIM AT THE BASE.  WELL AT THE RANCH, WE MET CHRIS, WHO IS ALSO STATIONED AT AVIANO.  MARK TOLD HIM “THE STORY” AND CHRIS IS GOING TO HELP US MAKE THIS HAPPEN. REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
LEFT THE RANCH ABOUT MIDNIGHT, BACK TO THE HOTEL AND READY FOR BED ABOUT 1 AM.  TIRED!!!

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2012:
UP AND HAD A QUICK BREAKFAST BEFORE WE ALL HEADED OUT TO VENICE FOR THE DAY.  MARK DID A QUICK PHONE INTERVIEW WITH THE LOCAL PAPER TO TALK ABOUT THE SHOW ON SATURDAY.  WE TOOK A TRAIN INTO VENICE, WHICH WAS ABOUT AN HOUR.  WE MET UP WITH ESTER, HAD LUNCH AND ESTER GAVE US A MAP AND SUGGESTED A FEW SIGHTS TO SEE.  WE WALKED AROUND THE CITY ALL DAY , BOUGHT SOUVENIRS, AND TOOK A TAXI BOAT BACK TO THE TRAIN STATION.  GOT BACK TO THE PORDENONE AROUND 7:30, RAN BY THE STORE TO PICK UP A FEW THINGS AND WENT TO DINNER.  WE WENT TO THIS AMAZING PIZZA PLACE AND HAD THE BEST PIZZA EVER!!  IT’S THAT REALLY THIN PIZZA AND EVERYONE GETS THEIR OWN “PIZZA PIE”, AND YOU ACTUALLY TASTE THE TOPPINGS, IT’S NOT A LOT OF PIZZA CRUST AND REAL FILLING, WHICH IS GREAT!
WAS A VERY FULL DAY, BACK TO THE HOTEL AROUND 11 AND CRASHED.  EARLY MORNING TOMORROW SO THE GUYS CAN GO SKIING IN THE ALPS.  🙂

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2012:
UP EARLY THIS MORNING C OMPARED TO YESTERDAY, HAD A QUICK BREAKFAST AND WE LEFT FOR THE MOUNTAINS AT 8 AM.  IT IS RAINING HERE IN PORDENONE, SO IT WILL BE SNOWING UP IN THE MOUNTAIN.  🙂
MITCH, OUR PROMOTER & GUIDE FOR THE TRIP,  HAS A GPS TO HELP GUIDE US TO CORTINA.  ABOUT AN HOUR INTO THE TRIP, THE GPS SENDS US TO A VERY RURAL AREA SO HE CALLS MIKE (FAIR BUYER) AND MIKE TELLS HIM TO TURN AROUND AND GET BACK ON THE INTERSTATE.  MITCH GETS BACK ON THE INTERSTATE AND ABOUT 3 MINUTES WE COME TO A SPLIT ON THE INTERSTATE AND THERE IS A CAR SITTING THERE WITH THE FLASHERS ON.  WE ALL LOOK AS WE GO BY AND THERE STANDS MIKE MOTIONING WHICH DIRECTION FOR US TO GO.  WE ALL BUSTED OUT LAUGHING, NEVER EXPECTED FOR THAT TO BE MIKE.  MARK MADE THE COMMENT LATER THAN HE EXPECTS TO SEE MIKE AT THE AIRPORT DIRECTING THE PLANES WHEN WE LEAVE.  LOL
WE MET SOME FRIENDS OF MIKE’S WHO LIVE IN THE CORTINA AREA AND ARE ESCORTING US UP TO THE ALPS AND WILL TAKE THE GUYS WHERE THEY NEED TO GO FOR SKIING.  WE ARRIVED AT THE SKI LODGE AROUND 11 AND BY THE TIME THEY GOT ALL OF THE SKI GEAR AND TOO THE TRAM UP THE MOUNTAIN IT WAS 12 NOON.  MARK AND 3 BAND MEMBERS (MIKE, ALEX AND WILL) ALL TAKE OFF TO SKI WHILE MITCH, BRICE AND I GO INTO THE RESTAURANT AND HAVE LUNCH, AND WILL SPEND THE BETTER PART OF THE DAY WHILE THE OTHERS SKI.  ALEX COMES IN FIRST FOR A BREAK, EATS A LITTLE AND HEADS BACK OUT.  MARK COMES IN NEXT, EATS AND HEADS BACK OUT, WILL COMES IN AND STAYS AS HE IS NOT A “EXPERIENCED” WITH SKIING AS THE OTHERS, THEN MIKE COMES IN AND HEADS BACK OUT.  THE LAST TRAM DOWN THE MOUNTAIN RUNS AT 4:30, AND MARK SHOWS UP AT 4; SAYING ALEX AND MIKE WERE GOING TO DO ONE LAST RUN.  THEY SHOW UP AT THE TRAM AT 4:20.  I WAS STARTING TO GET CONCERNED THINKING THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SKI ALL THE WAY DOWN THE MOUNTAIN….EVERYONE TURNED IN THEIR SKI GEAR, WE STOPPED IN THE TOWN OF CORTINA FOR COFFEE AND A LITTLE SHOPPING, AND BACK ON THE ROAD.  SEEMED LIKE THE TRIP DOWN THE MOUNTAIN WAS A LOT QUICKER THAN THE TRIP UP THE MOUNTAIN, BUT ISN’T THAT HOW IT ALWAYS SEEMS?
STOPPED BY THE FAIR WHERE THE SHOW WILL BE, HAD DINNER AND WATCH A LITTLE OF THE SHOW.  GOT BACK TO THE HOTEL ABOUT MIDNIGHT.  I SKYPED BACK HOME EACH NIGHT, BUT I HAVE TO GO TO THE LOBBY.  THE SIGNAL IN MY ROOM IS NOT VERY STRONG.  🙁

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 2012:
GOT TO SLEEP IN THIS MORNING AS WE ARE NOT LEAVING UNTIL 11 AM TO STOP BY AVIANO TO MEET JOHN, THE FIREFIGHTER.  CHRIS WAS WAITING FOR US JUST OUTSIDE THE BASE, GOT US ALL CLEARED TO GET ON BASE AND DROVE US TO THE PX.  WE WALKED IN AND THERE WAS ABOUT 8 SOLDIERS IN UNIFORM, AND THERE WAS JOHN.  I THINK HE WAS IN TOTAL SHOCK THAT MARK HAD COME THERE TO MEET HIM SINCE HE COULD NOT MAKE IT TO THE SHOW.  IT WAS PRETTY COOL.  WE STAYED AND LET THEM TALK, VISIT, TAKE PHOTO FOR ABOUT 45 MINUTES. MARK TOLD JOHN TO BE SURE AND HAVE HIS WIFE, TERRI, FIND HIM AT THE SHOW.
WE LEFT AVIANO AND WENT BACK TO THE FAIR FOR A QUICK LUNCH, BACK TO THE HOTEL TO FRESHEN UP AND THEN BACK TO THE VENUE FOR SOUND CHECK & SHOW TIME.  WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE 1 1/2 HOURS FOR SOUND CHECK, 5-6:30.  WHEN WE ARRIVED THE BAND BEFORE MARK WAS JUST FINISHING UP THEIR SHOW SO WE HAD TO WAIT BEFORE WE COULD GET ON STAGE TO LOAD IN.  I THINK IT WAS ABOUT 5:20 BEFORE WE ACTUALLY GOT ON STAGE.  THEN HALF WAY THROUGH THEIR SOUND CHECK SECURITY OPENS THE DOOR AND STARTS LETTING THE AUDIENCE IN.  I FREAKED OUT.  WENT TO THE SECURITY GUY AND TOLD HIM TO SHUT THE DOOR, EVEN TRIED SHUTTING IT MYSELF , BUT HE KEPT OPENING IT.  HE SAID THE PRESIDENT OF THE FAIR CALLED AND SAID TO OPEN THE DOORS!!  WHAT???  MARK STOPPED WHEN HE SAW THE AUDIENCE AND WAS NOT ABLE TO FINISH HIS SOUND CHECK.  I WAS SO MAD, EMBARRASSED AND THERE WAS NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE.  MARK HAD NOTHING IN HIS “EARS”.  REALLY HOPE EVERYTHING ENDS UP SOUNDING OK FOR THE SHOW.   ME AND THE LITTLE SECURITY GUY HAVE HAD “RUN-INS” TWICE NOW.  WHEN WE FIRST GOT TO THE VENUE, HE DIDN’T WANT TO LET ME IN THE BACKSTAGE AREA BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE A PASS ON, BUT MITCH SET HIM STRAIGHT.  THEN THE WHOLE SOUND CHECK THING.
WE MET UP WITH JOE MENNIT, WHO IS WITH THE AFE AND LOCATED AT AVIANO AFB.  I INTRODUCED HIM TO MARK AND HE JOINED US FOR DINNER.   WAS REALLY NICE TO MEET HIM.  WE  HAVE WORKED WITH HIM A FEW TIMES OVER THE YEARS SO IT’S ALWAYS NICE TO PUT A FACE WITH THE NAME / EMAILS.  AFTER DINNER WE TOOK MARK OVER FOR A SHORT MEET & GREET WITH SOME VIP’S AND GUESTS.  DURING THE MEET & GREET MARK IS INTRODUCED TO A LADY NAME TERRI.  YES, JOHN’S WIFE, THE LADY WHO WROTE MARK THE MESSAGE ON FACEBOOK.  MARK TALKED TO HER AND HER FRIEND AND INVITED THEM TO HANG WITH US FOR THE REST OF THE EVENING.  SO, BACK AT THE STAGE, I AM TRYING TO GET TERRI BACKSTAGE AND THE LITTLE SECURITY GUY IS NOT WANTING TO COOPERATE WITH ME – REFUSING TO LET THEM BACK.  I WENT TO GET MITCH, WHO AGAIN, HAD TO SET HIM STRAIGHT AND LET HIM KNOW THAT THEY ARE COMING BACKSTAGE TO HANG AND WE WILL STAND AT THE SIDE OF THE STAGE BY THE SOUND BOARD DURING THE SHOW.  MR. SECURITY GUY WAS NOT HAPPY.
MARK PUT ON A GREAT SHOW.  YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH SOUND CHECK IF YOU WERE NOT ALREADY AWARE.  MARK HAS A LOT OF HITS.  IT’S FUNNY HOW YOU DON’T REALIZE HOW MANY SONGS HE RELEASED (OR ANY ARTIST FOR THAT MATTER) UNTIL YOU SEE THEIR SHOW.  AFTER THE SHOW MARK AND THE BAND CAME OUT AT THE SIDE OF THE TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS AND TAKE PHOTOS WITH THE FANS.
BACK TO THE HOTEL ABOUT 1 AM.  WILL BE UP IN A FEW HOURS TO LEAVE FOR THE AIRPORT.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2012:
UP AT 5 AM, QUICK BREAKFAST AND LEFT THE HOTEL AT 7 AM.  TOOK ABOUT AN HOUR TO GET TO THE AIRPORT.  EVERYONE GOT CHECKED IN AND MARK ENDED UP CHECKING THE EXTRA PIECE OF GEAR, HOPING THAT SINCE HE IS A MEDALLION MEMBER ON DELTA HE CAN CHECK IT FOR “FREE”.  WRONG.  THEY CHARGED HIM 200 EURO (ABOUT $250) FOR THE THIRD PIECE.  DANG!!!  BOARDED ON TIME, ARRIVED IN ATLANTA ON TIME.  PICKED UP ALL THE LUGGAGE, RECHECKED AND MADE IT TO THE GATE JUST AS THEY WERE STARTING TO BOARD.  THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE BEEN THROUGH ATLANTA SINCE THEY OPENED THE NEW INTERNATIONAL AREA FOR PASSPOR CONTROL.  SEEMED SMALLER TO ME, BUT WAS QUICKER THAN BEFORE.  GO FIGURE.  LANDED IN NASHVILLE ON TIME AND SO GLAD TO BE HOME.  JACOB WAS THE FIRST TO SPOT ME AND WAS REACHING FOR ME.  I THINK HE MISSED ME ALMOST AS MUCH AS I MISSED HIM.  SO GLAD TO BE HOME!!