Unexpected Encounter

*This photo is from imdb.com

Mon., Dec. 31, 2007

We headed up to Buffalo via Southwest Airlines for the Winter Classic. A few hours after we arrived in town we met up for dinner at one of our favorite neighborhood restaurants -- The Italian Village. We were busy talking away when much to our surprise, in walked William Fichtner, aka FBI Special Agent Alexander Mahone on 'Prison Break.' He was with a party of 25 friends and family members. They headed into a private room. It wasn't unusual for Bill to be in the Buffalo area considering he has family living in Cheektowaga and he's a known Sabres fan. My little brother, an avid 'Prison Break' devotee, really wanted to get Bill's autograph but my father sternly told him that dinner wasn't an appropriate time to approach the actor. Out of respect, my brother left him alone. His appearance was a fun addition to our dining experience.

Hot Meal

Tues., Dec. 18, 2007

In the spirit of the holiday season, my boss (at her own expense!) took our department out for an interactive lunch at Otani's, a Japanese steak house in our area. The food including sushi, terriyaki chicken, hibachi steak, shrimp and fried rice was delicious; the chef was entertaining and we had fun gabbing away with each other. It was a really nice opportunity for us to get together before our holiday break. We all walked away with full bellies and sore jaws from laughing so much.

Wishing everyone great health and much happiness in 2008!!!

Sabres Defeat the Caps Once Again!!!

Fri., Dec. 14, 2007

Back at the Verizon Center in D.C. with my dad for another 7 p.m. Sabres / Caps game. This time our seats were in section 401, row G. There was a large crowd, many of which were Sabres fans all decked out in their various Sabres gear! They weren't shy about being vocal.

At one point during a "break" they put the camera on a soldier in the Walter Reed section (Ted Leonsis, the owner of the Caps, has a special section designated for military men/women.) The crowd went nuts clapping for the guy -- they spontaneously all began to stand up and shouted USA, USA!!! The soldier started to tear up ... it was a very powerful/moving moment.

Overall it was a really well played game by both teams. Miller (#30) made MANY great saves. There were no real fights between the players to report. The final score was Sabres 5, Caps 3. Next stop, a mini road trip to Buffalo for the Winter Classic game. Go Sabres!!!

Book Signing

Wed., Nov. 28, 2007

My mom is a huge Food Network fan, so for Christmas I thought it would be cool to get her an autographed copy of Paula Deen’s book. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out as I had hope during my first try (see Nov. 4 blog entry), but being persistent, I wasn’t about to give up.

I went to Paula’s Web site and read under the Paula’s Schedule section that she would be at the Book-a-Million at Dupont Circle in D.C. on Nov. 28. My mission was to attend the event and get the book singed for my mom.

The signing was to take place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Unaware of what the crowd would be like; I got there very early which was good because a line had already formed. My friend Eric (on the right in the photo above) joined me for the adventure. I arrived with books I had purchased in advance but was told by a bookstore rep that Paula would only be signing her holiday recipe book. So I went and bought two copies of it and got in line. The cashier handed me a list of “regulations” with my books.

I understand the need for some sort of organization to get the line to move in an orderly fashion, but two of the bullet points I found to be ridiculous … you could only get one specific book of hers signed and it couldn't be personalized!!! The whole point of getting a book signed is the excitement that the author made the inscription out to you personally. I even put a Post-it Note on the book with my mom’s name neatly printed for Paula’s convenience but that was disregarded.

I had brought my camera of course … another one of the “rules” was that there would be no individual pictures allowed. When you got to her table, you were to give your camera to the bookstore staff member and he took a picture for you, thus the lovely shot of the back of me.

Paula’s husband Michael was with her and signed the books also. When I reached Paula at the signing table I presented her with a candid photo I had taken from the D.C. cooking expo of her and her husband smooching. She graciously thanked me, showed her husband and said it was a beautiful photo which was cool.

After we got our books signed, Eric and I grabbed a bite at a nearby restaurant named Circa. It was a delicious meal and a nice way to end a successful pursuit.

Sabres Rule the Rink

Mon., Nov. 26, 2007

I went to the Sabres / Caps game at the Verizon Center in D.C. with my dad and little bro. Our seats were in section 416, row G. The crowd was very sparse, which wasn’t surprising considering it was a Monday evening. The game started at 7 p.m. but due to lovely traffic we arrived at 7:25 p.m. right in the middle of a good old-fashioned hockey fight.

During the first intermission my brother and I walked around scoping out all the fans. Sabres fans waaaaaaay outnumber Caps fans. There were an array of Sabres jerseys everywhere you looked -- from the classic blue circle logo, to the fierce black/red Buffalo, to the current gold/blue swoosh Buffalo. One big guy had on an original jersey, a large Sabres flag that he wore like a cape and a buffalo horns cap. There was an entire family dressed in matching jerseys who I dubbed the Von Sabres.

I wasn’t able to take any pictures of the action because my cell phone had died. It was a great game overall … the Sabres beat the Caps 3 to 1!!! The next time these two teams face-off will be on Fri., Dec. 14. I’ll make sure my cell phone is fully charged to capture highlights.

Cooking in D.C. Y'all

Sun., Nov. 4, 2007

I heard on the local news that the Food Network's popular host, Ms. Paula Deen, would be making a personal appearance at the Washington Convention Center as part of the 2007 Metropolitan Cooking & Entertainment Show. I couldn't pass up an opportunity to see her in action. I bought a ticket to her noon food preparation demo.

Since her segment was one of many events planned for the cooking expo, I expected to be sitting in a modest reserved section on the convention floor that would hold about 50 - 100 people. I was wrong. One of her sponsors, Land O'Lakes, had set up a huge makeshift theatre that accommodated a crowd of approximately 500 fans!

Paula's husband Michael Groover, a character himself, introduced her and was her sidekick on stage. Paula was even more lively and entertaining in person than she is on TV. Throughout the show she'd get sidetracked by things audience members were shouting. She shared some personal stories and asked the sign language interpreter to show her how to sign the words spit and poop. After she would taste a completed dish, she would spit food out while trying to talk and apologized for doing so.

The dean of the culinary school at Stratford University cooked all the meals while Paula explained which ingredients to use and how to prepare the tasty dishes. The first Paula Deen recipe he made was gumbo, followed by southern cornbread and then pumpkin gooey butter cake with fresh whipped cream. I can't tell you how they tasted (I wish I could), but I can tell you they looked deeeeelicious!

The show lasted a little more than an hour. When it ended I had hoped to get her to sign her latest book "It Ain't All About the Cookin," but unfortunately that didn't happen. Apparently, very early that morning her sponsors had given out a limited number of bracelets to people, granting them access to get their books signed. Denied autograph aside, it was still a fun afternoon.

Classic Rock

Fri., Nov. 1, 2007

Van Halen at the Verizon Center ... the sold out event included an evening of guitar solos (Eddie), a drum solo (Alex), a flamboyant lead singer (Dave) and a young bass guitar player (Wolf). The lighting and stage design -- a ramp, several speakers and a giant projection screen in the background were simple, yet visually appealing. Right before the band took the stage, Valerie Bertinelli made her way through the audience to her seat with what appeared to be bodyguards and her boyfriend. The crowd went nuts shouting her name. She smiled and waved. I heard through the grapevine that she tries to make it to every performance and gets emotional at the sight of her son Wolfgang on stage.

OK, back to the show ... it was my first time seeing Van Halen in concert, so I can't make a past comparison. They sounded great musically and vocally and seemed to get along well considering their history together. They played a little more than three hours with mini breaks where one of them would do a solo while the others disappeared and then would subtly return. At various points Dave waved a huge red flag in a choreographed manner. It made me wonder if he was trying out for color guard!? Later he proudly twirled a large silver baton. I don't know about you, but when I think rock star, I don't think baton twirler. He did some of his signature kick spins which was cool at first, but after the twentieth one it was annoying. We get it Dave, you can still kick, enough already. Eddie owned the stage during his lengthy guitar solo and looked very fit. He must take the same fountain of youth pills as Dick Clark, because he looked younger than he did years ago. Eddie's 16-year-old son Wolf did a great job on bass keeping up the pace with his seasoned bandmates. Throughout the show him and Eddie would pair up and jam together. Eddie’s pride in his son was very evident. Overall, it was an entertaining night.

Pump Up the Volume

Thurs., Oct. 25 - Sun., Oct. 28, 2007

The radio station I worked at during college, 91.3 fm, WBNY, Buffalo's original alternative turned 25!!! To commemorate this special occasion we held a new media, anniversary celebration over the weekend.

Fellow WBNY alumni gathered at Buffalo State College from as far away as New Mexico. Current and past WBNYers networked, exchanged ideas, expertise and stories. The weekend was packed with activities including panels covering the past, present and future of media; a reunion dinner; a special performance featuring The English Beat (the first concert the station sponsored back in April 1983) and a farewell brunch. The visionary behind the station, Tom Calderone (currently the GM of VH1), flew into town to moderate a panel. He graciously offered industry advice to the enthusiastic college students.

I met some incredible new people whom I’m proud to be associated with and I hope to keep in touch. The radio station was a great starting point for me to learn how to entertain an audience during a three-hour shift and write news scripts. I apply those methods to this day when I produce podcasts. Even though technology used at the station is constantly evolving – from records to carts to cassettes to CDs, I hope that the station will continue to thrive for another 25 years. See you in 2032!

To view highlights and read press coverage from the event go to www.wbnyalumni.com.

Special Day

Sat., Oct. 6, 2007

Today my dad turned the big 60!!! I remember I used to think that was really old, but observing my dad I thought ... he looks great. That's one genetic plus I have on my side!

He started his day early by going to play golf with some friends. He called my mom in the afternoon to say he was doing well and would be home around 7 p.m. She replied ummm no, you're going to be home earlier. I think he sensed something was up, but he wasn't exactly sure. He found out soon when he returned home to a surprise party.

Relatives, close family friends, his coworkers and golf buddies were all in attendance. The cuisine included a huge Italian spread. We even special ordered 50 cannoli from Wegman's and 5 lbs. of assorted Italian cookies shipped from a great bakery in Buffalo, N.Y., called Muscoreil's. Attendees brought joke gifts such as plastic dentures hanging off bifocals. Everyone seemed to have a fun time.

As the night winded down and the guests left, he told us it was the best day he ever had! If you knew how hard it is to please my dad, to hear him say that was a pleasant surprise.

Happy Birthday Dad, Love Ya!

A Taste of Home

Wed., Sept. 26, 2007

I heard from many Buffalonians over the years who now live in the Northern Virginia area that I HAD to attend Buffalo Nite. This year I finally bought a ticket. Coincidentally, I was later asked by my alma mater, Buffalo State, to help work their table while I was there. I was happy to oblige.

One of the perks of working the college table was seeing everyone as they arrived. The event drew a huge crowd. The line appeared endless – wrapping around the corner and down the hall, but it moved fast. Congressman Brian Higgins, (representing New York’s 27th District) graciously came up to me and said hello.

The New York State Society hosts this annual event, now in its 29th year. Festivities kicked off at 6 p.m. at the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. Inside the event room was an endless spread of specialty foods flown in from Buffalo including: Beef on Weck, Battistoni Pepperoni, Bison Chip Dip, Wardynski Polish Sausage, Rosina Meatballs, Sahlen's Hot Dogs, Rich's Products, Genesee Beer and much much more. Maneuvering through the standing room only crowd was tricky, but I was able to get a piece of Bocce Club Pizza … a little slice of heaven if you will.

Lots of door prizes were raffled off throughout the evening and everyone who attended was given a baseball hat with a Buffalo on the front. Overall, I had a nice time.

Attention Drivers!!!

Sat., Sept. 1, 2007

It’s time to get back to basics. Next time you’re in your car putting on makeup, shaving your face, reading the paper, texting or immersed in a cell phone call ask yourself – is it really worth hurting, paralyzing or killing someone? It’s truly careless and quite frankly selfish.

Wake up earlier to put on your makeup at home or wait until you get to work. Listen to the news on the radio or a book on CD. If the phone call isn't an emergency, pull into a parking lot to gab away on your cell or better yet, talk to the person once you're at work or at home. People have lost sight of the fact that when they’re in their car, their number one priority should actually be surprise … driving!

I write to you from first-hand experience. Over the last eight months my car has been hit in the rear four times at various stop lights in Northern Virginia by drivers who were focused on activities other than driving. Vehicles are powerful mobile weapons. I’m truly lucky to be alive, thanks to what I attribute to be a guardian angle working his butt off. Each of these accidents has caused me stress, health issues from being a human bobble head, loss of time at work and loss of personal time by having to deal with insurance damage estimates, doctors visits, car rental and auto body shop visits.

I’m frustrated and disgusted at this point. If I could legally cover my car in bubble wrap I would. But since I can’t, I'm begging drivers, PLEASE focus your attention back on the roads!


Hit from behind four times by careless drivers $12,400
Living another day … priceless.

Rock On

Sat., Aug. 18, 2007

My friend Jeff is the lead singer of the band No Second Troy (see Feb. blog entry). The band had a gig at the legendary 9:30 Club for the first time -- my friends and I went to show them our support. They put on an amaaaaaaazing performance. Their vocals and music were tight. They had an impressive turnout. When they finished their set we met Jeff backstage to congratulate him. He invited us to the afterparty, but unfortunately we couldn't go -- we had taken the metro into D.C. and we needed to catch the last train back to the burbs. I'm proud that all their hard work is paying off for them. I look forward to watching them progress as their fan base grows.

19??

Sat., Aug. 11, 2007

In celebration of my friend Mel's belated b-day a group of us got together for an afternoon of crafting. Creative gals, all with different interests -- some worked on scrapbooks, others planned mosaic projects and I designed homemade stationary. It was my first time doing so and it was pretty cool. It was an economical project with endless creative possibilities. After we finished our art masterpieces we went out for a good dinner, cool drinks and yummy dessert. There's no better way to end a day hanging with friends than with a decadent chocolate treat!

Sweet Ride

Sun., Aug. 5, 2007

I needed a "new" car because my current car had REALLY bad juju. I headed over to Fairfax Honda on Sat. because that's where I bought all my Hondas over the years. I had to buy used this time because of finances. I wanted a CR-V to tote my three furry kids around. I wasn't thrilled with my options so I went home to sleep on it and hoped my dad would come with me the next day. When I returned to the dealership on Sun. my little sister came along -- it's always a fun adventure when she's around. They had gotten a cool black pre-owned '07 CR-V in overnight -- I went to take it for a test drive but a couple had beat me to it and started the purchase process. I was really bummed. We sat there contemplating other options. All of the sudden we hear screaming. The guy who was buying the CR-V I wanted was freaking out. He stood up and was yelling ... everyone in the busy showroom heard him and was stunned by his erratic behavior. I jokingly turned to my sales guy Tim Willis and said hey, I think the CR-V is available now ... which turned out to be true. My sister and I were like score! A few hours later and lots of paper work, that lil' SUV was mine. I'm thankful that Tim had come back on Sun., his day off, to make sure I was taken care of. A welcome surprise from start to finish, he broke the used car salesman stereotype. It was rainy and night time when we left the dealership -- I can't wait 'til tomorrow morning when I can enjoy my "new" pimped out, safe and fun vehicle!!!

Batter Up

Sat., July 7, 2007

Before the humidity of the day kicked in high gear I decided to head to the Dug Out, a local batting cage facility. It was around 11:30 a.m. The baseball fields were full with teams playing games, but the cages were all pretty open. I went to the slow softball cage on the end, my favorite one. I hit four tokens (56 balls) out of the park, OK maybe not out of the park. It felt really exhilarating. I’m sure I’ll have sore arms tomorrow but I don’t care ... it was a fun way to spend a summer morning.

Track Day

Wed., July 5, 2007

My friend Tim (in the pic above) invited me to Motorcycle Excitement Track Day at Summit Point in West Virginia. I had never been, so I decided to go as an observer. I “caged” (drove my car) to the motorsport park, arriving around noon. The parking lot was full with various tents and trailers. As soon as I stepped out of my car, Mother Nature tried to throw a wrench into the day with some fierce rain, but shortly after she had a change of heart and cleared up.

The guys had been there since 7 a.m. for check in. The fee for the day (9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) was $175 per person. Each rider was required to wear full body armor, gloves, a helmet and boots. Some people arrived with track specific bikes and some brought their street bikes but modified them for track use. All the participating bikes had to be numbered. Riders got to choose their own number. If there was a duplicate, they’d ask one person to add an "X" to their number; i.e. one 6 would become 6X.

Tim introduced me to his riding buddies and then took me to a building that displayed the layout of the track they had been riding on -- Summit Point Main, which is 2 miles and has 10 turns. There were approximately 100 riders that day. The riders were broken into four classifications groups ... amateur racer, expert racer, intermediate street rider and advanced street rider. Each group had 15 minutes of track time and rotated throughout the day. It took each rider about 1-minute to complete a lap.

I had a blast! I can't wait to be at the level where I can participate.

Fancy Footwork

Sat., June 23, 2007

My friend Mel and I were looking for something fun to do. I read on washingtonpost.com under local events that the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) located in Alexandria, Va., was holding a shoe exhibit. Shoe aficionados that we are, we couldn’t resist checking it out. “Shoes: Innovations at Your Feet” opened on July 13, 2006 and is FREE to the public. The exhibit showcased all kinds of footwear from 19th century models of patented inventions as well as recent accomplishments of today's footwear industry. There were more than 40 glass cases filled with different types of shoes by various designers. Featured brand names included Manolo Blahnik (known as "one of the world’s most prominent women’s shoe designers"), Keds®, Timberland and Dr. Scholl's®. Highlights from the exhibit were the origin of tap shoes, the actual size 23 work shoe of Shaquille O'Neal, select footwear of First Ladies' and an interactive Shoe Designer’s Workshop containing a plain high heel and lots of magnetic accessories for you to customize your own shoe.

Not your typical touristy attraction, it was worth the trip. The exhibit runs until the third week of July 2007.

Caps Off!

Fri., June 15, 2007

The big day finally arrived -- my little sister's graduation from Chantilly High School. The floor was a sea of purple and white (their school colors). The class of '07 consisted of 675 students. A stern warning about proper behavior was given before the commencement officially began. However, it wasn't a surprise when well into the ceremony, beach balls suddenly appeared amongst the students and were bumped around until they were confiscated. Various faculty and students presentations followed. Peppered in was music accompaniment from the band and chorus.

The keynote speech was given by "beloved history teacher" and football coach Phil Cronin. He mentioned the different hats he wore as a coach, teacher and mentor/role model. The following are excerpts from his speech that I found inspiring. "We pushed you to try new things or to grow beyond your expectations of your self. To stay in your comfort zone, to not try new things -- that would be a tragedy! We asked you to give more than you thought you had and told you that there weren’t always trophies or prizes at the end. Sometimes it was the process that was important and that by learning to take care of the little things, the details, that would make you successful."

The ceremony was a little more than two hours long ... impressively efficient. When it ended, happy teens and proud parents, grandparents and friends poured out of the George Mason Patriot Center. Endless possibilities awaiting the new graduates!

Big Screen

Wed., May 23, 2007

I was invited to an advance private viewing of 'Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.' Alas, this installment of the franchise turned out to be a sinking ship. The action adventures of the movie didn’t keep up with the 2 hrs. 45 min. length. The impressive cinematography effects of ‘Dead Man’s Chest’ were simply recycled. About mid-way through the movie was a significant “dead air” spot when the screen went blank from black to white. Instead of being effective to the scene, it came across as if something had happened to the film reel. Predictably, Keith Richards appearance was brief and towards the end. Creative makeup and costumes were the only treasures to be found. Disney should order the director, Gore Verbinsk, to walk the plank for this one.

Transformation

Sat., May 12, 2007

I never thought I would see the day my little rocker sis would get all glammed up ... her signature ponytail, long plaid shorts, tank top, studded belt and Vans sneakers were replaced with a fancy updo, white and black floor length taffeta gown and black patent leather heels. The reason for this makeover? Senior prom. Her date was a sweet and funny guy she's known since childhood. Full of adrenalin, they loaded into a white stretch limo with four other friends for dinner at The Melting Pot before heading to the Hyatt Regency. Next up, graduation ...

Happy, happy, joy, joy!

Sun., April 22, 2007

I traveled up north to Buffalo for the weekend for my BFF’s bridal showers. Fri. night the hot on ice Sabres had a playoff game (they won of course) and the streets were filled with excited fans. On Sat. afternoon my BFF’s soon to be mother-in-law hosted a garden tea party. On Sun. I hosted a brunch … first time I had ever planned an event from out of state. She received several car loads of great presents to launch her new life as a married woman. It was a weekend of food, festivities and more food. When Sunday night arrived I was so full that I was tempted to power walk back to Virginia. I have a few weeks to digest all my indulgences and then it'll be time for me to return for her big day in June!

You’re my person … ('Grey's' Reference)

Fri., April 20, 2007

I trekked to Buffalo over the weekend for my best friend’s bridal showers. Knowing she didn’t care for typical bachelorette activities, I had asked her a while back what she wanted to do. Her reply, get tattoos. At first I was hesitant, but I changed my mind after she sent me a cool design she came up with that fused our two initials. I deeply reflected on our friendship and how she’s had my back, so I decided that’s where the tattoo would go. Friday night when I arrived in town we went to a tattoo shop called Cowpok on Elmwood Avenue to get them done. The feeling was more like a burning sensation than needle pricks. It took Cooper, our tattoo artist, less than 20 minutes to complete the 1.5” x 2” solid black design. A positive experience overall. No regrets.

Airborne

Sat., March 31, 2007

I went to Wintergreen Resort over the weekend for a friend’s spa bridal shower. We were in the mood for some outdoor excitement, so we went to the Out of Bounds Adventure Center. We decided to try an activity called bungee trampoline -- a hybrid trampoline / bungee apparatus, enabling jumpers to reach heights of 25 feet and higher! It was set up on an edge overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. It was soooooo much fun!!!

Wii Marathon

Sat., March 24, 2007

Spring’s officially in the air and I wasn’t about to let a little rain get in my way. I had an urge to be active so I tugged on the shades, opened the windows, cranked up my iTunes and played Wii. My favs are bowling and tennis. I broke my bowling high score with a 210. The Wii team beat me in doubles tennis but it was still fun. Overall a surprisingly good workout!

Nail Taxi

Sat., March 3, 2007

Last year was rough for many of my friends, so we decided to have a girl's chill night that included chick flicks, our fav drinks, pizza and pampering. My friend Mel heard of this service called Nail Taxi that will come to your home and do manicures and pedicures. Their services are available to parties of one or more. Our nail technicians were Tisha and Alicia. They had an array of polish colors to choose from and worked simultaneously during a three hour period, giving us meticulous manicures and pedicures. The cost was only slightly higher than going to a spa. Every girl likes to get pampered; to have such a service actually come to you was a bonus.

Coolest concept ever, we all had a great time!!!

'Dancelife'

Sat., Feb. 10, 2007

I was at Fair Oaks Mall checking out the latest spring trends, when I noticed a huge banner for MTV's 'Dancelife.' A fan of the 'Fame' -like show, (my ringtone is the theme song to the show 'Find a New Way' by Young Love) I had to find out what was going on. The corner of the banner read sponsored by Verizon. I searched out a Verizon rep who informed me that cast members from the show were going to be on stage to do solo routines and a quick dance demo. Excited, I stayed to watch. When it was done I went to the side/back of the stage to talk with the cast. I met Jersey, Celestina and Blake. I took pictures with my cell phone and they autographed a group photo for me. Jersey is my fav. I was hoping Blake would be nicer in person than he is on the show -- that it was creative editing, but unfortunately that wasn't the case.

‘Narcotic’ Weekend Adventure

Sat., Feb. 17, 2007

I received an offer from a friend that I couldn’t refuse -- spend Presidents' Day Weekend on a road trip with two bands the Reserves and No Second Troy. The purpose of this “mini tour” was to promote No Second Troy’s new single ‘Burned.’ Their full summer tour to promote their new CD 'Narcotic' is set to kick off in May and run until July, building up to their big show at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C.

My weekend adventure began early in the morning as I made my way to my first destination, the Vienna Metro. My next stop was AU/Tenley in northwest D.C., where not far off I found the “tour bus” waiting at the corner of Albemarle Street. I rolled my mini suitcase around the corner and there it was … a big silver bus with red and white stripes on the side and the word Quick’s (which I assumed to be the bus company’s name). It was 11:20 a.m. and only a few people had arrived at that point. Bob, the bus driver, a sweet old guy took my bag and put it under the bus. As I climbed the bus stairs I saw a cloth interior that looked like one of Bill Cosby’s sweaters had thrown up on the seats and ceiling. There were “beer stations” containing Bud Light coolers and snacks on a few of the seats which were announced to have been sponsored by Buffalo Billiards. Very slowly the bus began to fill with band members, their wives, girlfriends and their friends. The mood seemed to be a mix of excitement and anticipation. While we waited for the last few people to show up, a girl named Jen ran to a nearby Hollywood Video to get “a good stupid movie” to help fill the time on the road.

The bus finally departed at 12:32 p.m. in late rock star fashion. The passengers cheered and “Listen to the Music” by the Doobie Brothers played in the background. A guy named Damon in army green pants, a black thermal shirt and a black knit cap, a self-proclaimed former player, shouted “this is the last time you’ll see me.” Apparently his wife would soon be having a baby girl and he knew he would not be going on any more wild trips like this one.

Tom McCarthy, the guitarist for No Second Troy and trip organizer, used the bus mic to give all us a quick run down on the trip timeline. Next, keyboardist Mike Beach took the mic and shared some improvisational Cliff Claven-like random factoids. A smart ass heckler in the back yelled, “Hey you didn’t tell us where the emergency exits are! Can I use my seat as a flotation device?” No comment.

Sitting behind me were Brian, the Reserves’ keyboardist and his girlfriend Abby. They were really nice. I was surprised to learn from Brian that the guys in both bands all actually had “normal” day jobs, such as a lawyer and CNN producer, to supplement their struggling musician incomes. Brain went on to tell me that as the opening band for the tour they were promoting their first, full-length studio CD called ‘Where Have All the Dreamers Gone.’ They worked with a local artist on the cover art and he said they’re very excited about the new CD. They piped it thru the bus sound system for everyone to hear. Someone found a National Enquirer on one of the seats and a few people played Sudoku. One of the guys teased that you buy Playboy for the articles and the National Enquirer for Sudoku. Two of the girls in the front, Anna (a twin) and Deb, became fast-friends and exchanged cell phone numbers. They pranked each other on their voice mail to store each other’s numbers.

We made a quick pit-stop along the way and then before I knew it, we were battling traffic to get thru the Holland Tunnel. We arrived at our hotel, the Millennium Hilton, at approximately 5:50 p.m. We all raced off the bus to check in the hotel because the bus was leaving for the show location at 6:15 p.m. I had no luck making it back to the bus on time and had to catch a taxi. No biggie, I considered it all part of the NYC adventure.

When I got to Alrene’s Grocery, the venue, at 7:40 p.m. there were a crowd of people waiting for tickets. The line moved fast – I paid my $10 and got my hand stamped. At the bar I ran into my friend Jeff, the lead singer of No Second Troy, and his girlfriend Yen. None of us had eaten a real meal that day and there was time to kill before the concert started, so Jeff suggested we go to a place close by called Pianos for dinner. Once inside, we headed to the second level of the rustic restaurant. Because of the size of our group we had to play musical chairs and tables to make a section big enough for all of us to fit. After eating good food and enjoying a round of drinks, it was time for us to walk back down the street to Arlene’s for the show. The Reserves did a great job warming up the crowd. No Second Troy took the stage around 10:15 p.m. -- the place was packed. They opened with the song ‘Gone’ and rocked the crowd during their entire set. The show was good and it seemed to go by really fast … both bands sounded amazing.

They all headed to a show after party on the corner of the block at a bar called The Skinny. I was sidetracked from the post-show festivities … a sweet girl I met earlier that night had gotten REALLY drunk. I spent more than 45 minutes in a TINY bathroom stall in the basement of the club holding her hair while she prayed to the porcelain gods. I handed her wads of toilet paper and held my breath as best I could trying with all my might not to get sick. Her boyfriend had to come in to peel her off the floor and when we finally got her outside they took off in a cab bound for home. I headed over to the after party but didn’t stay long – the bathroom experience had soured my night, so I decided to go back to the hotel and call it a night.

Sun., Feb. 18, 2007

There was no rush to get up; the bus wasn’t set to leave until noon. So I decided to grab breakfast at a deli and go for a walk. Since we arrived on Sat. at night and on the side entrance of the hotel I hadn’t realized we were literally across the street from Ground Zero. I walked over to survey the site -- I saw a long list of names of those who perished and powerful vivid images. I was overcome with emotion. Knowing that more than six years had past and the site still looked as it did was shocking. It was evident that a great deal more hard work lies ahead. Before I knew it, the time had come to head for the bus and return home.

I boarded the bus. It quickly filled with the smell of genuine N.Y. style pizza that a few of the guys had bought. They sat in the back and I was in front ... I’m not sure if those pizzas ever made it back to D.C.? Once everyone was settled a few people shouted to play the movie. There had been “technical difficulties” with the DVD player on the way down so we never got to watch the “stupid movie” which turned out to be ‘Talladega Nights.’ I thought it was going to be a “guy flick” but I was pleasantly surprised how funny and entertaining it was. So on four mini retro TVs hanging from the bus ceiling the movie played to a hung-over and enthralled captive audience. The bus was shaky and the movie cut off so many times I stopped counting. Poor Mike Fisher from the Reserves, who truly has the patience of a saint, fixed and restarted the movie every time. Someone passed up their jacket to cushion the vibration of the DVD player and that helped stabilize the system. One movie and a nap later, we pulled into D.C. It was a little after 5 p.m. I bid farewell and headed for the metro back home.

Overall the trip was fun and I’m confident if you don’t recognize these bands now, you soon will! Next up, No Second Troy’s CD release party on May 19 at Iota in Arlington …