What a long strange trip it's been.Strange enough to get me to quote the Dead. We've been on the road a few weeks, and in between weekend gigs, I've been staying in NYC. Right after we started bombing, we changed the show a little to tone down the religious stuff (I don't think it had much to do with the audience, but it had to do with me. I didn't know what to expect and I had to get my footing on stage during war). After a while, the show got right back to normal. It's a pretty easy show for me, no Barrel, nothing that really hurts. I'm very proud of how Honor System is going, and I'm very proud of the bass. I'm doing upright for Simple and Honor and it sounds great, and I think I'm playing pretty well. It makes me very happy.

Teller's Hand Shadows in Unicorn are really stunning and funny and just right for the show. I'm way digging that. I'm still trying to get the hard knife throw in Knife perfect every time. It makes me crazy. I don't think it has much effect on the bit, but I love when I do it right. I should practice more, but it feels like a groove. It feels like a mental thing. The crew has been stunning this tour. Just perfect. It's a wonderful feeling around the theaters. It's a great mix of people and everyone is doing his or her job perfectly. I'm proud to be part of this group. Now, if I could just get the knives in the board.

Audiences are really responsive, most of them bought their tickets before 9-11, and they seem ready to have a good time. The shows are fun to do. Being in NYC was really great. The feeling is different, but my friends are wonderful and it's just great to have the jazz and the cafés. I wonder if I'm the only one since 9-11 thinking I should live there a LOT more. I spent a lot of time on card tricks with Jamy and I practice all the time. I'm actually doing close-up tricks for people, how nutty is that? I think I'm going to be okay at card tricks. I love NYC. I just love it. I went to shows and jazz, and just spent time having tea and dinner and coffee and walking around. I didn't go to Ground Zero. I didn't feel the desire, and now that it's status in showbiz, I don't want any part of it. But, mostly, I just didn't feel that I needed to. I think in a situation like this, you do what feels right, and it felt right not to see it. I even looked away from the skyline when driving in and out.

We took a few busses on this trip. We took a few "sleepers" which are a little less comfortable than regular coaches, but it was okay. I don't mind being on the road at all. I like it. We took our usual charter Buddy Holly flights and you'd think those would be the same, but they're not.

I have to say that I'm doing as well as anyone can be doing. It's all jazz bass, the show, and card tricks. The show has no reference to 9-11, and although I applaud Gilbert Gottfried for doing jokes right away, we've never been topical with our show, and I don't think we're going to start now. Our last gig was Foxwood, that "Indian" casino in Connecticut, and my Sister and my family came down to hang and that was wonderful. There are few things that make me happier and nothing that makes me feel more connected to the world than seeing my Sister. It's amazing, an hour in her presence, just sipping coffee, or talking about the Internet and I feel like I've had a week of perfect relaxation. My Sister gives me safety and takes away none of my liberty. It was so great to see her and the rest of the family. Although I now regret not taking my great-nephew, Jeremiah, to the arcade to play video games. It would have been fun to watch him.

So, I'm off to Vegas. We have a lot of weeks there. Vegas is hurting, and I don't know if we'll have good crowds, but we have new bits to put in, and we'll do that no matter how the crowds are. It's what we do.

So, it's another Road Penn, that ends with the quote from Bob that is my life, "Me, I'm still on the road, heading for another joint. We always did feel the same, we just saw it from a different point . . . . of view."

Penn

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