For those of you who already know i appreciate your prayers, thoughts and offers of assistance. For those of you who do not know and maybe interested in finding out what is going on. I have chosen to use my road journal as a means to inform you all. Last tuesday, the 22nd of June while i was just finishing up my first show back on the "Crazy Love Tour" , my mom was suffering from a brain aneurysm back here in Calgary. I received that call you never want to get while away working. I must say that i have the most amazing road family anyone could ever ask for, and if i was not able to get home here to Calgary fast enough i am pretty sure MIchael would have hired a jet for me. He is that kind of guy and I cannot express nearly enough how thankful i am to have him as my boss and my friend.
After arriving here to Calgary around noon on the 23rd of June i was met at the airport by my sister as my mom had since been taken into surgery to stop the bleeding and remove the blood that had accumulated. The aneurysm had occurred on the right side of the brain , and by all accounts the 8 hour surgery went as well as it could.
At around 8:30pm that wednesday night i was allowed into the ICU for the first time to see my mom. Its never an easy feeling when you are first walking in to see a parent who is quite sick and surviving by being on machines. I have been down this road with my father and knew somewhat what to expect.
She was intubated with a breathing machine and there was of course a whole host of other tubes , wires, IVs and all that comes with the territory in the Intensive Care Unit.
The last five days have been a bit of a rollercoaster and at this moment we are still in the ICU with a breathing machine doing most of the work. There are unfortunately some pretty serious other conditions that have come into play as my mom avoided doctors for a good part of her life. We are battling with heart failure and severe respitory problems which all contribute to having to stay on the breathing machine and quite heavily sedated. This has stopped us from figuring out what the damage to the brain is from the aneurysm. Once we get a little more stable and off the breathing machine we can lighten up on the sedation and start to get a better handle on her level of comprehension , motor functions, and long term outlook.

Thank you to everyone who has called, emailed, prayed, or messaged me on facebook to offer support in anyway they can. I am very lucky to have the amazing road family that i have , as well as some seriously great friends in my corner. My family is one I am proud to be a part of and together as teammates we are all fighting this battle.

thank you all...

the following clip is from one of my mom's favorite songs ...she always said to me that she hopes I dance....:)

curveball

Crazy Love Rolls On

it is currently 6:22pm here in Tulsa Oklahoma and the temperature outside is a seasonal 86 degrees fahrenheit. Now for those of you who do not have a quick conversion widget I will do the math for you....31 degrees celsius according to my mac widget. This is the outstide temperature of course and not that of the inside of my bus or of the arena. Both of which are pumping with air conditioning and clocking in an easy 20 degrees cooler. So lets do a quick recap...outside=HOT ...inside= COLD...In / Out / In / Out = SICK.

Okay enough of that discussion and onto the current state of affairs of "on the road with Craigers". We are beginning our third leg of the worldwide Crazy Love tour and once again we have grown just a little bit. We now have one more crew bus and a catering truck. For the first time ever we are carrying a crew of caterers while travelling in North America. This can go one of two ways....eat healthy and stay in somewhat shape...or feast on the amazing food prepared by those that care about us , thus potentially putting on weight! We shall see what direction I go.

With every new tour leg I find myself refreshed, renewed , and excited for the upcoming shows. People often ask me if i ever get tired of the same show every night ,and i always respond with the easy answer of no! My position is one where i must be focused and slipping into routine can equal disastrous results. Plus although the majority of the content is the same each night, believe me that each show is not like the last one. So with a smile on my face, some promises on the inside, and a brand new camera lens i recently purchased i am ready to get tonight's first show under my belt and truck on down to Wichita Kansas for the second show tomorrow.

Please stay tuned and check for updates, i promise (again) that i will keep things current..and who knows..those tour crew member interviews i promised months back , may actually surface!

Till the next time....

For your Dad!

Today is the day that is set aside for everyone to let their Dad know how much they care , appreciate, or love them. Now it is of course designed by hallmark to generate revenue, but nonetheless for one sunday in June we celebrate our dads and all that they do for us. In my house hold there was always a battle for attention during this time period as my birthday falls in the same timeline. Many years were spent with my dad and I going CFL exhibition games together, or perhaps bowling. In any event, those of us who have since lost our dads wish to express to you that still have yours, that although today is set aside as fathers day...dont be shy to let him know what a great job he did raising you on any random day throughout the year!

I miss my dad, and hope that nobody takes theirs for granted...

Reading & Listening Material

If you are interested, click the following links...
http://www.digico.biz/docs/latest_news/EkZykZkuFpoqSiLuda.shtml

http://www.tpimagazine.com/podcasts-videocasts/506017/michael_bubl_crazy_love_quality_sound.html

sing a long

I apologize for the quality of this clip , but i felt the need to share it. I was in the audience this night during a concert in Melbourne Australia. NOw i have seen the girls live a thousand times, but this night was one of the special ones.
Great singing Melbourne!

Fences

Please take a listen and search more out on your own. I have know about Christopher Mansfield for awhile now, but have recently just seriously tuned in. Sara from Tegan and Sara has produced his latest record and I recommend you click the video link below and have a listen for yourself...

here we go....

lets hope I have the strength, organization, support, and resilience to make it through this coming week....

Go for lightshow!!

Seriously folks, just imagine the heat of the palm desert, your 15000 newest friends, a potential enhancement or two, and this show going on in front of you.
I said it once and I'll say it again, Canada is home to the #1 electronic DJ in the world right now, half man, half mouse, and all beats, lights and energy...

Reunion

Sunshine
BBQ
Jam Session
Old Friends and new friends

Its good to be back Vancouver...I miss you when i am away

On the Nightrain

Okay, not too shabby for a couple of Canadians to be involved in Slash's new touring band.
My friend and former touring mate Brent Fitz playing drums, and Todd Kerns playing bass...

Turn the page on this chapter folks.....NEXT...

After almost six years living in the same house in east Vancouver , i will be moving on my merry way to occupy my very first studio suite all to myself! I am soo excited as honestly its a few years overdue, but what is a year or two when dealing with punctuality!
I am abandoning my praise for the east side cross and heading west to "greener" pastures. A mere three blocks from the beach, and with everything I need in close proximity I do believe i have found what i was looking for.

I have even found myself online looking at furniture and various other home furnishings! Not that there is a whole lot of space I must say...but i for surely need to get my style on!

Ill post pics in a month or so when its coming together....I will be moving in on the 15th and promptly leaving for tour on the 20th!
No rest for the wicked!

till next time..
keep on rocking in the free world..

Welcome to Antwerp

On a day that saw sun, rain, overcast clouds, and a lot of drunken men wandering the streets....out came the following photos...
enjoy

It's true, I come from political prestige!!

I have never claimed to be all that knowledgeable when it comes to matters of my family heritage. I did attend a really great family reunion about 10 years ago on my mothers side ( Willett), and a few years previous to that I went to a small reunion on my fathers side ( Brittain). However my ability to retain the history, heritage, and important phases of my family tree as never been my strong point. Now thanks to facebook I am becoming reconnected and in touch with more and more family members. Thankfully they seem to pay attention to the heritage of our names and have shared their knowledge with me. Recently i discovered that my great great great Grandfather on my mother's side, was a man named Captain Thomas Willett, the commissioner of New Netherland, and the first mayor of NYC.
Thats right folks, i have a political background..thank you very much!!

state of the union

im tired
im grumpy
i need a home
and a massage would be nice
3 days till Vancouver

before my time

Have you ever worked in a building that was constructed in 30 AD...
well I have....and despite its logistical issues , it was an honor to be a part of a show in the Arena Verona!!!