In der Haushaltungabteilung, {in cleaning of the household department} we must do up the results of last month's opinion poll regarding Mr. Michael D. Bridges {Herr Guitarre Spieler}. By clicking OPINION POLL, you can see the responses to the questions posed last month. Very interesting, if I do say so myself, and I do.

Don't make me (?) you!

You can do it!

What a Baum town!

Pre-pre-med students

And on to the month in hand. March for us began like any other month—on the first. Beyond that came the second, and that's when we got busy. We started a massive tour in Wichita, Kansas, playing at the Friends University. We had a great time, but they sure do get a ton of rain on March 2nd at that school. In the evening, we played a little place called Hutchinson, Kansas. At the church there, they have a special program for continuing education, so they had a poster encouraging folks to go back to school. The next day, on our way to Texas, we stopped in a fine town in Oklahoma. Well, "town" is a bit of an overstatement: there's really nothing more than the church there. But, I personally am fond of the place. So, we were heading for Dallas to play at another Youth Encounter event. As always, a great time had we. While there, we were asked to conduct a "mystery session" in a room that made everybody look like they were attending a conference on medical procedures.

On Sunday night, we played in a beautiful church in downtown Austin, Texas (home of a future president). We met yet another girl hoping to be immortalized in a particular song. The next morning we played at the chapel service at Concordia University in Austin, Texas (home of a future president). When you see the photos in the Photo Phrenzy, you'll note that—true to Lutheran form—everybody sat as far back as possible. On Monday evening, we played in San Antonio at a h-u-g-e church for some very nice folks. The next night we played in Houston, Texas (home of a former president), where I met some fellows with whom I might start a bowling team. Either that, or we're going to be a Christian singing team. Or maybe we'll go place some bets down at the OTB joint.

Slide Girl

We'll take all challengers!

Yes, I am

She treats me like a (?) mat!

Can I get a "duh?"

The next day, we played two High Schools. One was called Lutheran High South, and the other was called Lutheran High North. In between them, we drove in a northerly direction. At the second school, Michael decided to post a banner. That night we had dinner with our good friend Dan Yeaney, who is probably the most trustworthy monitor mixer in the business: that "business" being the mixing of monitors, and that category of "trustworthy" being VERY lonely, and that above-noted distinction making Dan a VERY popular guy to the members of the LOST AND FOUND band. In the morning, we played yet another Lutheran high school; this one in Tomball, Texas. That evening we played in Sugar Land, Texas. The next night we were back at a church we've been playing quite regularly since 1986 in Metairie, Louisiana. They converted a semi-circle sanctuary with an altar in the middle into a concert-friendly place by rolling the altar out the door—a serious effort, to be sure! After the concert, we picked up one of those composite logs to burn in the fireplace, since we stayed in Jackson, Mississippi at a Residence Inn that night. (We love these hotels because they have a kitchen where we can cook real food, and sometimes the rooms have fireplaces!) We were puzzled by the warning on the fireplace log.

The next evening we played in Little Rock, Arkansas, home of a soon-to-be-former president. Or, perhaps more accurately, former home of a soon-to-be-former president. That night we started off toward Kansas City, as in, here we come. That was the church where—in hindsight—an hilarious thing happened. On the Limo Van there is a cage between us and the sound equipment, which opens into the cargo area. We keep speakers against that door, and thus it doesn't open. On the rear door of the Limo Van, we kept two clips for hanging our banner. A box of t-shirts fell against those clips, and the rear door would not open. So, there we stood, ready to load in and looking at a van full of sound equipment but unable to get to it. At some point we decided if I drove the van fast and slammed on the brakes it might loosen things up. So, in my best Fonzie-verses-the-Milatchi brothers I revved the engine, squealed the tires, slammed on the brakes, and we all laughed at how ridiculous that thought was. Fortunately, a fellow named Tom was curiously adept at using a coat hanger to break into a vehicle, and saved the day.

You'll have to (?)

Mecca!

Wow!

"Thank you, Oregon!"

The next night was Bellville, Illinois, which is Saint Louis to you and me. From there it was a return engagement (suddenly we sound like Elvis) in the town of Chester, Illinois. Those with good memories will recall that Chester is the hometown of Popeye. The next day we stopped briefly at my house and then headed off to Oregon, Illinois to play for a boisterous cadre of campers at the LOMC facility. On Saturday, we were able to do a little sightseeing and found our way over to the grandest site of all. The boyhood home of the greatest living president. Saturday night, we played in Oregon at the Oregon Coliseum.

On Sunday night we teamed up with our long-time friend and mentor Ken Pollitz, who is now a pastor in Ottawa, Ohio. If that town sounds familiar to regular readers, that's because it has the same name as the capital of a nearby country. Oh, wait, and also because we played there a couple of years back next to the train tracks. Anyway, Ken packed them in at his newly built church and we had a most awesome-like time. The hosts thoughtfully provided a trailer for folks to visit on their way out of the concert, so that they might have a faster recovery.

"Hey, anybody got a minivan around here?"

How thoughtful!

My date

From there it was back to our homes for a lengthy 10-day break. My first night back I attended a gala with my daughter Eleanor called "Date With Dad." Sounds like something a mom might threaten an unruly child with. "If you don't clean up this mess you're going to have a date with dad, young man!" Anyway, the theme was St. Patrick's Day, if that constitutes a theme, and all the dads had the chance to pose with their daughters in a special photo opp.

After our little break, Michael returned to my home and we drove up to Detroit to play a high school in Westland, Michigan. That evening, we returned to what we consider one of the best concert venues in the country: Faith Lutheran in Troy, Michigan. You may recall that we took the Christmas tour there last year, and a good time was had by all again this time. Michael, however, had some difficulty making a decision. In order to convince him one way or the other, a little angel and devil appeared on his shoulders.

"Which one is which?"

I'm looking at the man in the (?)

'Nuff said

We went back to my house to regroup before heading w-a-y up north into what is called "The U.P." When we got to our hotel in a town called Mackinaw City, Michigan, the clerk told us everything was closed because it was "the off season." This was a technical term that was unfamiliar to us, but we think "off season" might be the equivalent of the German term "weg von der Jahreszeit," {away of the year time}. Or perhaps, more accurately, "für immer geschlossen." The photo from the paper box will pretty much explain what I'm getting at.

After crossing the self-proclaimed largest single-span bridge in America, we entered the off-season U.P. and made our way over to Marquette, Michigan, which reminds us of our favorite poem: This little piggy went to Marquette; this little piggy stayed home." We were going to Marquette for a return engagement (like Elvis) at the Fire UP event. What a grand time! The University of Northern Michigan built a new hockey rink where they never melt the ice. So the entire time, under a half-inch of padding, we were all standing and sitting on an ice rink. It only seemed weird in the same way that flying in an airplane occasionally seems when you remember that there are no wheels under the plane. Anyway, Fire UP rocked, as expected, and we loved it fiercely. Speaking of rocking fiercely, we got to meet my new favorite band, called Superchic(k). In fact, I am listening to their CD as I type this letter. If you want to check them out, you can go to their website at www.superchick.net. Also at the Fire UP event, we were reunited with some folks from Reed City, at whose house we stayed way back in 1989. Rich and Beth have moved up to the U.P. and came over to the event and helped us out in countless ways. Let's see, what else happened there?

"With ice or straight U.P.?"

Superchic(k) steins auf!

Rich and Beth

"Yes, Helen"

At our workshop, Michael took a little time to pretend he was running a press conference.

Michael got penalized for high sticking and had to spend some time in the penalty box, which is where they make you run the monitors.

Two minutes of monitors

Three Models

We met the mc J, and her near-twin sister, with whom Michael posed.

We played a little gig outside, which put us in mind of such songs as "We shall overcome," and "If I Had a Hammer."

Stein Auf!

Well, they're honest.

Before leaving town, we ran across a seemingly self-centered church. But, I guess there's something to be said for being straightforward with folks.

And then, we drove on into the month of April, no fooling. Until next month, I leave you with a little taste of spring, as it came to the front of our home. If you'd like to see the folks we saw last month, you can click on the Photo Phrenzy, or just go to the Stuff To Buy page.

Oh, it's coming, believe me!