The Summit, Iowa City, Iowa, August 16, 2006

My favorite thing about the Iowa City gig is the hotel we stay in (Heartland Inn).  It's not a Radisson or anything, but it's always nice.  It's got a great laundry room with video games in it (Tetris!), clean nice rooms, and a cook-out dinner every Wednesday (which is the night of this venue).  When I arrive, the front desk is a bit clogged, and they are nice and apologizing to me for my wait, and I am patient and tell them I'm just happy to be out of my car because I've been driving all day.  (They don't know I've had little sleep because of the chicken wings heartburn incident).  Finally, I get my turn with the staff, and they explain they've been overbooked, so they have to give me a different room other than what I'm supposed to get.  The guy at the desk decides to give me his favorite room ... a suite.  Being patient and nice paid off!

My lovely room has got a fireplace!

Good.  It's got one of these, too.

And here you can see a Jacuzzi tub.  It's big enough to do the backstroke in!

Another view of my pretty room.

Big bed!!!

Before the show, I go for SWIM.  (When I was downstairs at the coffee bar getting fresh coffee with a mix of different yummy creamer flavors, the lady manager hooked me up with bath oils when I told her how much I really, really appreciated the room.)

After a few laps in the tub, I go downstairs for the free dinner.  Think maybe I didn't learn my lesson about heartburn?

I get to the show, where I'm working with the very nice Scott Bennett (onstage in this pic).  He got to town later than me, and he ended up having to stay at the Days Inn.  Yeah, I bragged about my suite.  It's just so rare to get a nice room on the road, and I've never had one has nice as what I have tonight.

Here I am with the very impressive MC, Chris Schlichting.  Dude, your name hurts to say.

Now back to my room where I light up my fake log and fall asleep in the middle of my big squishy bed in a dark room with a flickering fire.  Then, the next morning, I have another swim and go downstairs for the big free breakfast - hot stuff, cold stuff, blueberry waffles made on the spot just for me.

Ah, that's the stuff.