The last week

Back from Reno. It’s a depressing place.

Zippy’s Dreamcatchers, though, won their tournament. Undefeated, and they got really nice bat bags. What worked out well was the American Express gold card and the free checked bags – there was no way to pack that thing in a carry on.

So this is my one week between gigs. I spent my last Saturday in Florida doing yard work, which seems appropriate. I took down the hedges lining the driveway, the ones that scrape my car when I back out.

I’m sore. The battery powered chainsaw is a piece of crap and I also smashed my thumb in the fence.

But I did defeat the hedges.

I’m in the process of laying out my travel to training. Nashville is my ideal stopping point, and I’ve known that. I checked the Bluebird Café schedule, hoping someone I’ve heard of will be playing there, but struck out on that. (I think Vince Gill is there Tuesday or Wednesday and I’ll be there Saturday … bummer.)

The other day – and God knows why it took that long – it finally occurred to me to check the rest of Nashville to see if anything was going on involving anyone I’d want to see. (And by this I mean Scotty Emerick, mostly.)

Turns out, it’s the entire CMA fan fest thing. June 7-10, and I’ll be there the 9^th. Holy smokes. The night I get in, Faith Hill is playing, and the next morning, Phil Vassar (favorite songwriter No. 2) is somewhere. I’m not really familiar with the venues. Or how late I can leave and still make it to

So I’m sure it’s too late to get tickets or anything, but hopefully I can just wander around a bit. I can’t believe I didn’t think to check it earlier.

Based on this, it also occurred to me to get a hotel room now, and man I am glad I did. There were very few available. I wound up Hotwiring one for $90. When I got the name of it and went to their site directly, the same room was priced at $180. Yeah, those special events jack the prices up.

But it’s halfway between me and training, and no way do I want to drive more than eight hours in a day. So Nashville it is.

This week, I was affected by two deaths. What’s weird is I really knew neither person.

One was a sports writer I knew only through his handle on sportsjournalists.com.  In fact, when I logged on one day – from Reno – I saw a thread titled “RIP to one of our own, Chris Stanke,” and I had no idea who he was.

He was a deputy editor of CBSSports.com, and apparently a South Florida guy. He was also only 56 and had run a 5k that day. A post on the board from him the day before referenced the fact he’d stopped drinking, been exercising and was in the best health of his life.

He got up, ran the race, went home to sleep and never woke up.

I learned he was a frequent poster on the board – I knew his handle, just not his identity – and he was one of the most respected people on there. Sane, intelligent, respectful – something a lot of people aren’t. And only 56. And in great shape.

Someone posted a photo of him crossing the finish line of the race. He was checking his time.

You know that morning when he set out, he had no idea he was going to die. That’s what freaked me out. You never know.

Similarly, when I went into town earlier this week, I got hung up in an accident-related traffic jam. It was out 27 North, right across from that stand where you can buy Georgia peaches.

As I approached the accident, I noticed a crashed motorcycle. About 15 feet behind it, right on the side of the road, lay a corpse. A police officer was photo documenting it.

Other than in coffins at visitations, I’ve never seen a corpse, and I’m thankful for that. This guy’s face is frozen in my memory. He looked like Jack White – that washed out. Definitely corpse white. Not coffin-corpse like.

He was wearing a backpack. I’m not sure if he was the driver of the motorcycle or if he had been walking down the highway and got hit.

And I still don’t know. I’ve been checking the Democrat website since it happened, trying to find out more about this guy, and there’s been nothing.

Like Stanke, I know this guy didn’t toss on his backpack and head out upon his day knowing it was his last.

I didn’t know either of these people personally, but both their deaths hit me hard.

It’s a very sobering thought. It’s something you know, of course. Tomorrow’s never guaranteed.

But in both these guys’ cases, *today* wasn’t guaranteed, either. 

That’s my takeaway.