I think I have mentioned just how much I hate starting and ending tours! We arrived in New York City at about 7:30AM. I decided to take most of my junk off of the bus. This year I did not do much Christmas shopping. People received what I was giving them either through the mail or when I saw them on the tour. So...I dragged my stuff into the limo from the bus and headed to Astoria. Igor greeted me at the door and helped me drag the stuff upstairs. He had put up a ton of Christmas lights. I have had a friend staying with me on and off during cancer treatment, the house was spotless and very cozy. I stumbled to my bed and slept til 1PM. At this time I heard the music in the basement. I wandered down to see Greek John. We caught up on things and had a few drinks. His Mom brought me over my favorite Greek cookies...then Igor arrived back home from work. At this point we decided to run to McCann's...I was meeting Butch in New Jersey...this was supposed to be at 5. I finally got to him at 8PM! We stayed in McCann's til 5:30, then we went across town to McGloughlin's. Martin the old bartender from Mulligan's (The classic old Astoria hang) was now here. I ate a traditional Irish Christmas meal and called my car service. This car arrived at 6:30. At 7:15 I was on the bus to New Jersey. I met Butch at 8. We hit a few places on the way to Mom's...Finally at 9:30 I wandered into Mom's...very happy! My sister and her boyfriend were there. We all opened our presents. I got some cool new hunting stuff and some toys. Some friends mailed me gifts here. Haley got more stuff than I did! I was so happy to see my cat. She is so fat! We all hung out 'til midnight and I passed out! I was woken up a few times in the middle of the night by my cat. She was making sure I knew she was there. I really missed her.

Christmas Day I woke up at about 2PM. I was so tired. I had not had a full day off since Thanksgiving! I finally took some time to appreciate just how cute Mom had decorated the house. Last night everything was very festive, but in a different way! I played with my toys and went over some bills. Then, of course I do not know how to really take a day off, I decided to vocalize and get to work on this diary. An old friend and his wife stopped by for a bit. We just had the family Christmas dinner. It was so good. I am completely stuffed. Butch is coming to get me here tomorrow and we are driving to Albany. I guess I have a radio interview at about 2PM. No rest for the Elf! I may have some more friends stopping by later. I am trying to decide whether or not to work out here tonite. I may take the night off. My Mom's cats and Haley love their new toys. It is great to come home for the holidays. Makes me very thankful for my friends and family. This tour has been so much fun, this year has been so intense. I can't wait to get in the studio and record my CD. I know some of you may be a bit surprised at just how emotional and aggressive some of this stuff is. However, it is me! I am going to have some eggnog and relax. I hope you have enjoyed this tour and my diaries as much as I have enjoyed living it! Merry Christmas to you all and to all a good night!

		Haley had a hard time adjusting to life at Mom's...NOT!!!

I really wish I could have slept longer today. I woke up at 9AM. We had a radio interview in or around Albany at 2PM. Butch was coming to drive me and follow the buses north. Everyone was running late from the city, so we just headed north. We had to go to WPYX Radio for a live performance. The DJ's name was Cricket. I got directions on the phone from her. Butch and I stopped at the venue for lunch. Then I got the team management for the Albany River Rats hockey team to loan my a jersey to wear onstage. We then headed to the radio station. Cricket was a very nice girl with very cool tattoos! We performed three songs and talked for a bit. Afterwards we returned to the Pepsi Arena for dinner and soundcheck. I met up with my sister and her friends for a few minutes before the show and I headed back to dress for the concert. This was an amazing crowd. In the top three of the tour. Toronto, Grand Rapids and here!!! I tried a new Paris Hilton joke, which I dont think many people got !!! If they did, they were afraid to laugh!!! Jen was back and singing. The autograph line seemed to go on forever. I saw some old friends there and said good-bye to Butch and my sister. We all headed around the corner to relax for a bit. Cricket and her fiance were there. They were so nice. There are two shows tomorrow, so....I am off to bed!!!!

	Elijah Wood	Cricket

I slept in til about 11:30 AM today. I was pretty tired from hanging out late last night. I took a shower and ate lunch. Then we had soundcheck and I headed to the bus to write. I actually was working on a Christmas song. I did manage to run around the building and get some pictures of Philly across the river. The early show went very smoothly. Actually, the first song was amusing. My wireless pack fell off and a mike stand came crashing down near me! There was a very intoxicated guy in the front row. He kept us all amused. Paul O'Neill came out to see us once more and talk to the crowd. Marilyn from last tour was there to sing....so was Dina....so was Allie...We had lots of girls. Jen, Danielle, Allie, Dina, Marilyn....confusing! We finished up the first show, I showered up and ate dinner. Then I headed to the bus to write lyrics. Show #2 was fun. I got an Eagles shirt to wear onstage. They won their game tonite. Paul gave us all a bottle of Dom Perignon after the show. The autograph line went quickly. I was out of picks. We are off to Conn. Moheegan Sun Arena! Gambling!!! :) Tomorrow should be fun! Only three days left. Kemp is coming to Newark!!! I am so happy that she gets to see me play! I am falling asleep....I am going to review my new song and go to sleep! Goodnight!

We arrived in Norwich at 6AM. For some odd reason we were checked into a Ramada Inn about 15 minutes from the casino. I believe it was for a few reasons....1 - so we could rest....2 - so we would not lose all of our money and brain cells before the show tonite! I woke up and checked some e-mail. Then I made my way to the gym and hurried back to shower and vocalize before bus call. I was unaware that bus call was extended. I left my computer on-line and missed the phone call to the room. A few of us got the hotel courtesy van to run us over to the casino. I wanted to take photos and feed the slot machines. I never really win....I just like the nickel plated hands and joy of watching my money disappear. I stayed for an hour and left for dinner and soundcheck. Rob Evan was very lucky at the tables, Skippy was not....I decided to go to the bus and record a new song after soundcheck. I figure if I am going to make a real solid bet these days it is in my music. Much better odds than Blackjack or eating at McDonald's for that matter. I actually have been eating only red meat since the mad cow scare. It is a very safe time to eat red meat. Everything is double checked. The song I am working on is a Christmas song I want to record for either my CD or possibly TSO. It is called "Christmas Is". I will present it to TSO, we shall see....I will record it when I do my CD regardless. It is a balled....The show was really relaxed tonite. Kinda like playing in your living room. Great crowd. I was delivered a U Conn shirt from a CC Board member!!! Lots of beer drinkers...including Darryl Pediford, who made a classic tour mistake tonite. He forgot where we were. In "Prince of Peace" he said......"Can you hear me Foxwoods?" Foxwoods is another casino in Conn.!!! He tried to cover for the mistake. It was funny, however I was so excited to introduce him this evening. I mentioned that we had Mark Wood. I mentioned that Mark's brother Steve was there...then I said we had another Wood and introduced Darryl as Fox Wood!!! He asked for it. Some people on the autograph line thought it was planned. NOT!!! We wandered back to the casino before we drove away to NJ. I took more photos and talked to some newly weds at a bar. Everyone at the casino was very friendly. The TSO fans were amazing and very happy. I need to get to sleep. Two shows in Newark tomorrow. Sort of a homecoming for me. I grew up in North Jersey. Kemp is flying in to see the show. I have not seen her in 7 weeks! She has never seen me perform, it should be fun. Devils Jersey is on the way! Three more shows...two more nights after this...Goodnight!

I was very excited for today's shows. For a bunch of reasons. One...I was born and raised in Mahwah, New Jersey. Two...the venue was amazing. Three...Kemp was coming to see the evening show! I woke up and grabbed a quick shower. Then I hit the last lunch from the Metzger's catering. Same routine afterwards...soundcheck...nap...check presentation and show one! I mapped out a cool route to the third balcony. This venue was so nice. I talked to Kemp during the drum solo....she was coming out at 6PM. I still ribbed Darryl about the Foxwoods thing during the show. I was brought a Devils Jersey for my elf segment. The show was fun, the crowd was typical for a matinee. Very appreciative, but not too crazy. I finished up the show and headed for a shower. A quick bite to eat and I headed outside to find Kemp. She got in a yellow cab from New York City and the driver was lost! She arrived at 6:30. We hung out on the bus. I played her some new music and showed her some new photos that I took with the camera she bought me. I bought her a friendship heart before the tour. I had not seen the other half in 8 weeks! I was so happy to see me best friend. I walked her and her friend to the box office and picked up her tickets and laminates. I was happy to see that management got her seats in the second row. She was right in front of me. I got dressed and show # 2 was on. Kemp spent most of the night trying to make me laugh. It worked a lot. She had never seen me perform. This was a great place to start! The show was really fun. We are all acting a bit silly considering we only had 2 shows left. I sit now on my second to last bus ride. I am going to miss this tour. I threw out hats to Kemp and her friend during "First Snow." Alex Skolnick was in the house too! I snuck in my Paris Hilton joke again. It works, just takes people a long time to get! We finished up the show and headed to the signing line. I had Kemp take some pictures and we talked as I signed. Afterwards I headed to the bus for dinner. I had steak and lobster with my friend and before I knew it I had to send her off to NYCity. I am so proud of her. She gets her first cover of Vogue soon! We started the drive to Portland and popped in a DVD of a Savatage concert from Anaheim in 1990. WOW...that band was vicious! Ray Gillen and Criss Oliva...10 years since they passed away. Life is so bizarre. I really missed that tour for some reason tonite. The total recklessness and fun. The kick ass music and attitude. We were a machine! Criss Oliva was incredible. We laughed at me singing "Power of the Night." Ironic...it is time for me now. One more day and then I get to work. I will make you all proud with this CD. I hope you enjoy it. It is going to be very emotional. Some very intense moments....some funny ones and some really emotional ones. I am going back up front to have a few beers with Stevie, Darryl and Jeff....Goodnight!!!! One more to go! :(

One more day in the mobile homes!	Mark and Sue Metzger's "Luna Catering" www.tourcatering.com

		Afternoon Crowd

	I took this photo during 12-24 Reprise from the third level balcony of the night show!	Kemp was acting as my photographer as I signed...

This is the hometown of Henry Longfellow...nice place. I woke up and started to pack up my things. Before I knew it, it was 2PM. I headed to the hotel to shower and vocalize. I was not in any mood to work out. My legs are so fried! The last day of a tour is always very emotional for me. Not just because it is coming to an end and I will miss my friends, but because of how much I put into a tour. Emotionally, physically, spiritually....it all comes to a head when it is about to end. At the venue today, our road crew was to play a special concert for us. Kyle - my tech, Imy - Jeff's tech, and Chris - stage left tech have been rehearsing this crazy set of 50 songs. It is like 30 seconds of each. Mostly all classic metal tunes.

Here is the 4-Skins set list...

• Karnevil #9
• I Don't Know
• Kiss of Death
• Aint Tallkin' Bout Love
• Jailbreak
• Gypsy Road
• Talk Dirty To Me
• Back in Black
• Immigrant Song
• Wild Boys
• Living After Midnight
• Rock You Like a Hurricane
• Enter Sandman
• You Give Love a Bad Name
• Jessie's Girl
• One
• Fuel
• Eye of the Tiger
• Tom Sawyer
• Metal Health
• Christmas Eve 12-24
• Paranoid
• Symptoms of the Universe
• Du Hast
• My Sharona
• Beat It
• Thunder Kiss '65
• Youth Gone Wild
• Walk This Way
• Cat Scratch Fever
• Black Cat
• Barracuda
• I Love Rock-n-Roll
• Smoke on the Water
• First Snow
• Right Here Waiting For You
• Walk
• Tobacco Road
• Jumpin Jack Flash
• Rock Til you Drop
• Everybody Wants You
• Sirens
• Reigning Blood
• Were Not gonna Take It
• Am I Evil
• Still of The Night
• Heat of the Moment
• Owner of a Lonely Heart
• Beethoven
• Slow and Easy

The show was done with lights, pyro and snow! It was so funny. Skippy (Dave Z) played bass. They finished and I went to catering for dinner. They had lobsters! I love lobster! From there it was soundcheck. Once this was finished Stevie, Rob and I decided to walk across the street to the Mexican Restaurant. Last day of the tour, we wanted a couple of Margaritas. We celebrated our tour and headed back for the show. It was a blast. We had so much fun onstage. I once again tried my Paris Hilton joke. It worked well this time! We finished up with Rob and Stevie air jammin on 12-24 and hit the dressing rooms for a champagne toast. The last autograph line was long, but we did not mind. Once finished we ran across the street and back to Margaritas! The trip back to NY was a bit of a blurr...I remember eating lots of pizza and trying to pack the rest of my stuff. We rolled into NY at about 7AM. I had a car service waiting. We said our final good-byes and I headed for Queens. I sit here now finishing this up the day after New Years. New Years was fun. I hung out local with some old friends and slept most of the 1st! I did manage to get out to dinner with Greek John and hit his parents house for desert. Today is reorganizing day. Laundry, bank, gym, grocery store, etc...I will dive in head first on recording my CD soon. Still can't decide which 20 songs out of the 55 I have to record. I have it narrowed down to 30!!! Thanks again for all of your support and friendship. 2004 should be very intense. I hope you guys will like my CD. It is very emotional...light, dark, heavy, musical....ME!!! Talk to you soon and thanks for a great tour!

Chris

Skippy in the morning... Lovely eh girls?	Umm...they mean on the street, right?

Not across the street!	4-Skins Live and in Yer Face!!!

	Tristin our Pyro tech finally got a chance to eat the last show!	...And we did!!!

Danielle, Jen and Dina...They work for me... My name is Caffery!!!