The best year ever!

Originally posted on MySpace on December 31, 2007.

Didn't I say that last year...the best year ever? If I did, little did I know that 2007 would prove to be an even BIGGER year full of surprises, unexpected encounters and memorable experiences. Is it no wonder that all of the above were somehow connected with John Ondrasik and Five For Fighting?

Of course, the big event of the year for me was my groupie road trip. I made preparations for that by getting personalized license plates for my wheels...FFF FAN. What better way to display my loyalty for my favorite music guy? I got my hands on a John Ondrasik autographed guitar, which came with me on the trip to be personalized. Playing the groupie was the most rewarding experience of my life. Bakersfield, Las Vegas, San Diego, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City...5 concerts in 7 days. It was exciting and exhilarating...beyond my wildest dreams. Yes, the shows were the best ever...and John CAN put on quite a show!

But, I have to say the experience was made so much better by all the nice people I met along the way. The radio station personnel, who I visited to pick up the stickers that adorned my groupie ride. The strangers I rubbed shoulders with at the Five For Fighting concerts...John's music brings together the most incredible fans! The MySpace friends I met, both planned and unplanned, and also those who became my friends, who I later found out were at the same shows I attended. To the friendly residents of Grants Pass, Oregon...I was made welcome throughout my brief stay in their fair city. And, most of all, the wonderful folks associated with the Five For Fighting spring tour. The band and the stage crew, who put up with my groupie antics. I missed Randy Cooke, though...I hope to rectify that omission this year! The tremendous pleasure of meeting John's wife Carla in Bakersfield...he wouldn't be where he is now without her tenacity and support! The surprise encounter with John's aunt before the San Diego show...such a sweet lady! Last, but not least, the incredible John Ondrasik himself. Once you've gone to a Five For Fighting concert, you want to go again...and again and again and again! I KNOW I'm not the only fan who feels that way. I have so many wonderful memories from my groupie road trip, and I cannot thank John enough for being the biggest part of it. I will never forget meeting him before the shows...I still cherish those brief moments.

The rest of the year, while not as thrilling as my road trip, was still fantastic. John released his Back Country Live CD/DVD, which gave all of us something to keep us occupied till his next album and tour. We all watched with admiration as John went on his USO tour of the Pacific, and showed his support for the troops with his CD For The Troops. We also must not forget his WhatKindOfWorldDoYouWant.com charity site...keep watching those videos to earn money for some great causes! As for myself, I've continued to make new friends through MySpace, some of which I'll be looking forward to meeting in the new year. Oh, and I picked up another prize along the way...former Five For Fighting band member Curt Schneider's bass guitar.

2008 will be another big year...I KNOW it! I've gotten involved with one of John's favorite charities, Augie's Quest. For this year's big fund raising event, The Beach Bash for Augie's Quest, I've reserved a sponsor table for my Five For Fighting group. I'm in the process of filling it with my Five For Fighting friends...we're all looking forward to an enjoyable and inspirational night. And, I'm planning another road trip around the Bash...not exactly the Five For Fighting kind, but you never know what might happen. Life is full of surprises.