It's been a long time...
September 15, 2008

Hey, gang!

If you were thinking that it has been a while since I last wrote anything, well... it sure has!!! Forgive me but lately I have been extremely busy and when I do have free time it has been spent with my family. But even then they only get, what feels like, minutes of my life as opposed to days or even hours. Nonetheless, I MAKE time for them, as they do for me, and we reassure to each other, not only the fact that we are still alive and sane but more importantly, that we all love and miss each other incredibly.

Let me give you an example of how my life has changed in, relatively, a short time. Only a few years ago I was dj and/or playing with a band on the country club circuit in the Vancouver area. I would start “work” at around 9:00 pm , play 4 or 5 sets on average from Tuesday to Sunday until around 2:00 am every night about 3 weeks a month. With this schedule I could not only have a normal sleep in my bed every night but I also had the pleasure of being able to spend time with my family and friends on a weekly basis. I could go to a concert if I wanted on my weeks off, have a BBQ or visit friends at their home. I could take my family out for dinner or my kids to hockey and live a normal existence... this is not so now. If I see my family more than 4 or 5 times or any of my friends once a year then I am lucky.

Recently, at the CCMA conference week in Winnipeg (which was amazing by the way) my Dad, his wife, Joan, my Mom and her husband, Cliff, flew out from the West Coast to take in the conference as well. We all imagined before the weekend started that we would run into each other and spend much time together... that was a pipe dream, as we were soon to find out.

I arrived on Friday afternoon and needed to prepare for the Fan Fest the next afternoon where Mitch and I played 3 acoustic songs for a few thousand fans who were great, singing along to the songs and having, what seemed to be, an excellent time! This was the only time I got to see my family that came out. I ran into all 4, at once, backstage for, literally, 2 minutes and that was it for the whole weekend!! We were all there until the following Tuesday and never ran into each other after the Fan Fest performance! This is becoming “normal” for me these days.

As a matter of fact, one of the toughest pill I have had to swallow lately, besides the fact that I hardly see my boys which KILLS me, I bought a house in the interior of B.C. in July of 2007 and since then I have been back home a combined total of less than 4 of those months!! Imagine having a new home that you cannot get comfortable in! I love my house and I look forward to coming home every time I get the chance but it's not like it used to be where I got to come home every night.

It's a double-edged sword because I love this industry I am in, I love going out and playing for the fans, I love recording, I love writing and I LOVE being busy but sometimes I would love to just spend 3 months straight at home... but I know what would happen, I would get the urge to play again. I know I would. It's in my blood to be on a stage performing. I need it.

So, speak of the devil, here I sit yet again on another flight to Toronto for a run of 4 full shows in 3 days and 2 days of meetings and interviews. I won't be getting home now until October 10th and I left a week ago because I had meetings in Vancouver, shot a new video for “How Do I Get There” (which is going to be my most brilliant one yet, with any luck) and had to stay over until today for this flight. This is the life I asked for and received so I am NOT going to complain one iota. With the release of the new album, “Thankful” on September 9th, I am hoping that I even get busier. The Toby Keith tour in Western Canada that we're on is coming soon and then...? Who knows but with any luck I can spend time with my family and friends, for I'm sure what will seem like minutes but hopefully longer and then it'll be “back on the road” for more trips, shows and ultimately more stories to tell my grandchildren some day... in the distant future.

I know I've said it before but I really do mean it - thank you for reading my little excerpts and the fact that you keep returning to enjoy the new ones means more to me than you may realize.

I hope to see you soon!!

Aaron