Live from the Artists Den: Kid Rock - "Rock N Roll Jesus"

Ooooh, I feel the excitement as you are taking the stage…the crowd; the sounds & feel of an energizing house, the practice, preparation & dedication of you & all involved, so that as you take the stage & rock the house, soul-filling light, energy & joy - which only your artistry provides - fill the night with your irresistible beats & sheer lyrical poetry. I can hardly type for being overwhelmed by the beauty of feeling you & all that you are & do. I feel it, your musical masterpieces, & I pause, focused on you – all you are right at this moment, & I fall in love with you all over again…Robert James Ritchie. I feel the soul sensation you unselfishly share with us all & you… Robert James Ritchie…are the only one that can give it to me… there is no other. You were in my heart, thoughts, & soul while you were on stage working, giving of yourself, baring your soul to all, standing Grand in front of all of us Villagers. I pray you feel how much you are adored, for your artistry & for the real, truthful, through & through good man you are. My walls are down now so I hope & pray, now that I’ve made it home –being with you wherever your heart is – may I ask, please if you would forgive me…please… for I have been away too long… and, if you will, then…would you come back to me? I get faith in His plan & timing & no regrets for learning curves, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t hurt, so I am sorry for your pain of our time apart…before we saw each other, before we knew, before we believed one last time. We’ve been together on the yellow brick road our whole lives – our souls seeking home, the Oz of True Love, everywhere imaginable, because, as you say some people don’t, but some people do. Our hearts, courage, & brains faced life-rushing-in . I am taking my leaps of faith forward to you because it is your eyes, & only yours, I want & need to see every time I open mine. You are my home. Together, connected, we are safely home. All is well, my Beloved. Sweet dreams.

Welcome to Prior Lake, RJR!!! Are you enjoying your time in the Central Time Zone? Well, this is the first ville with its own additional flag & logo. Founded in 1725, Prior Lake (Shakopee’s sister city) incorporated as a village in 1891 & is one of the oldest southern metro cities absorbed by suburban growth. It is 20 miles SW of downtown Minneapolis & experiencing native habitat reclamation via land purchases by the Shakopee-Mdewakanton Indian Reservation, where Mystic Lake :) & Little Six Casinos are located. Surrounding Lower & Upper PL (connected by a channel thus largest lake in southern metro area), the city lies south of the MN River (area known as South of the River) & establishes the S-SW urban fringe of the Twin Cities (TC is U.S.’s 16th largest metro area). PL is popular for fishing, water sports & snowmobilers. This ville’s mayor is Mr. Mike Myser. City pop. 22,796 (mostly white but with a little more diversity peeps); Metro pop. 3,279,833. Median age is 33 years with balanced male/female ratio. Individual (per capita) income is $32,089 with 12.4% below the poverty line. While portions of the federally recognized Indian tribe Shakopee Mdwakanton Sioux Community (SMSC) tribal lands are within PL boundaries (resulting in some litigation), they are working through it. SMSC General Council (18 & older enrolled tribal members) govern tribal land & its Business Council (BC) is responsible for daily operations. SMSC BC Chairman is Mr. Stanley R. Crooks. After the 1999 Columbine Massacre, journalist Elinor Burkett (Another Planet: A Year in the Life of a Suburban High School) followed PL High School students & teachers because it is virtually identical to Columbine demographically. In 2009, the Vancouver Canucks drafted notable person Jordan Schroeder. I hope all has gone smoothly & safely. Enjoy not having to concern yourself with weather & have a good time (in your always amazing performance & afterwards) for you all have worked hard & deserve a little fun!!!

You did ROCK USA! Oooooh…I feel it all the way out here!!! The winds of change are blowing strong & refreshing rain is on its way. I wanted to share more with you about my magical day…it started with my little-sleep night…I climbed into bed – literally. The bed was so high – almost up to my…um…chest…& I asked if there was a pea hidden somewhere in the mattress because I felt like a princess getting in…ok, yes, Princess of Geekdom, but nonetheless. In the morning light, I gazed upon a phenomenal view of the Bitterroots with the tiny town of Stevensville below…like a view from a castle. The backyard, too, was like a fairytale with swan planters, a pond with a waterfall, & a nisse (pronounced nissa), which is the Norwegian name given little people (like Irish leprechauns & German gnomes). What was I saying about Princess of Geekdom? In Missoula, some clock rang out announcing every hour & it sounded like the one in Willy Wonka. The morning definitely had a magical feel & I was gleeful, like a little Kid. I smiled outwardly & had my own private moment with you when a neighboring vendor was talking about tonight’s high school reunion & saying “suck it” with regards to something or other. It happened again when a man’s wife told him he looked “badass” in a pair of sunglasses he was buying from Georgeann’s booth. I smiled at the red butterfly sunglasses I modeled for a bit during the day & at the little girl, not even 2, as every time she took a step, her pink sandals with daisy flowers let out a cute sound, making her unbelievably cuter still & probably helped mom track her movements. A Michigan-plated car winked in promise to my heart. My tiredness & other people’s polka-dotted crabby pants tried to suck my joy, but as I sit here writing this, I envision you on stage & what we’ve shared ‘til now & my joy is restored, for my thoughts of you bring a loving smile to my lips, a spring to my step, & a lift to my heart. I love you, RJR!!!

Oshkosh (1853) was named for Menominee Chief Oshkosh (meaning "claw"). City pop. (66,083) [again mostly white peeps]; metro pop. (159,972). Mr. Burk Tower is this ville’s Mayor. Median age is 32 years & about equal male to female ratio. Male median income ($33,750); female ($24,154). 10.2% is below the poverty line. Fur trade brought European settlers in 1818 but the lumber industry spurred its development because navigable waterways provide access to markets & northern pineries. Rail transportation (1859) expanded ability to meet demands of a rapidly-growing construction market. It was known as the "Sawdust Capital of the World" due to the # of lumber mills. Its "Great Fire" (4/28/1875) cost $2.5 million ($51.2 million 2010 $s). Headquartered here, Oshkosh Corporation (formerly Oshkosh Truck) is a leading manufacturer & marketer of specialty vehicles & bodies for Access Equipment, Commercial, Defense, & Fire & Emergency. Plastic packaging is a major industry & 2 chocolate companies are here (not Wonka’s). OshKosh B'Gosh (1895), a manufacturer of overalls & children's clothing (originally adult work clothing) became best known for its children's lines (to help children dress like their fathers); however its overalls are no longer made here (but still maintains its corporate offices). U of WI–Oshkosh, (3rd largest state university) serves 14,000 students & employs 1,700 staff. The city has 33 listings on the National Register of Historic Places. Lake Winnebago recreational fishing & boating include active fishing tournaments, annual sturgeon spearing season, & frequent yacht & boat races. Wittman Field (opened 1927 for commercial traffic) is now home of the EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) AirVenture Air Show (World's Greatest Aviation Celebration) & becomes world’s busiest airport (500,000 people & 10,000 airplanes annually). Notable people hail from here, but none as wonderful, loving, & notable as who is about to take the stage to ROCK (Oshkosh) USA!!!

(Written before Minot realization) You can take the girl out of the tour guide industry, but you can’t take the adventuring out of a woman’s heart. Maybe I am the Princess of Geekdom, a supporting suburb to Awesomeville & its Mayor. Safe & fun travels! As you leave Peru, heading north towards the beautiful state of Wisconsin, you may begin to see signs for Beloit, home of the beloved Beloit Snappers (Class A Minor League baseball team), to who’s games I would escape in the mid-to-late 90s, with a couple of colleagues, despite not knowing a lick about baseball, but absolutely loving the experience. Prince Fielder played for them in 2003 (Milwaukee Brewers farm team ‘82-‘04; Minnesota Twins' farm system ’05 to present). A bit further north, Janesville is close to where my dad, brother, & his new family moved (Milton), where my brother was very involved in music & comedy, being a proud member of R.O.O.S.A.P. (Royal Order of Strange Acting Persons) who enjoyed (can it be said?) high school together & continue their bond of friendship to this day. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater is also nearby, of which my siblings are both alum. I remember visiting & partying quite a bit. Some of my sister’s closest friends hail from those days. So you’re about an hour east of my long-time Madison-Mt. Horeb stomping grounds. I suspect you may not have much time in Oshkosh, but I wanted to give you a heads up to the “Fields of Honor” Military Veterans Museum whose mission is to honor our Nation’s Military History through education and preservation (920- 426-8615; 4300 Poberezny Road). Princess Geekdom additional Oshkosh information...wait for it, wait for it. I’m creating as fast as I can. :) I’m happy imagining you, your band & crew travelling safely to ROCK USA…it’s who you are in your heart & soul & what you do oh so well. :) Bless your heart. Thank you for your energy, artistry, & spirit you unselfishly shared with our Villagers tonight. Sweet dreams & rest up, my love. :)