Road trip fever

Originally posted on MySpace on February 23, 2008.

Once one has been on a road trip...you gotta do it again. For me, it's easy to get that itch. Working at the U.S./Canada border as an agriculture inspector, I see people traveling on a daily basis. For many, it's just a quick jaunt for milk and gas...or shopping. For others, it's pure road trip. Just seeing those vehicles, loaded down with the accoutrements of travel...luggage, snack food, and DVD players to keep the kids occupied while on the road. It's easy to get me wanting to do it again myself.

Last November, I first got wind of the Beach Bash for Augie's Quest. The Bash has been an annual fund-raising event for Augie's Quest, an ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) charity, part of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) umbrella. ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease, strikes over 5000 people every year, with about 30,000 afflicted at every given time. It's a progressive, neurodegenerative disease that proves inevitably fatal in most cases. Augie's Quest was established by Augie Nieto, who contracted ALS back in 2005, and has made it his life mission to find a cure for this dreadful disease.

In February 2007, John Ondrasik provided the musical entertainment for the Black & Blue Bash for Augie's Quest. Since that event, John has been a huge supporter of Augie and his charity. Being a fan of John and his music, it's not hard to get caught up in his enthusiasm for his causes, both charitable and otherwise. When I became familiar with the details behind this year's Beach Bash, there was very little hesitation on my part...I wanted to get involved. I initally envisioned getting together a bunch of Five For Fighting fans to reserve a sponsor table at the event. I soon learned, easier said than done. After a couple of months of starts and stops, and utter frustration, my dream of that sponsor table went down the tubes. But, I never gave up my desire to attend the Bash myself. I WILL be there, AND with two others who stuck with me from the get go.

When I made my decision to attend the Beach Bash, I always knew I would be driving down to San Diego for the event. I had SO much fun during last year's Five For Fighting groupie road trip...if you haven't yet read about my exploits, check out my blog archive. Unfortunately, I was so busy trying to get from one show to another, I didn't have much time for much else. This time around, I'll be taking the slow route southward, seeing the sights along the way. Likewise, when I reach the southern California area, I'll spend additional time doing the touristy thing. Of course, I'll be blogging everyday of my trip, so you'll all share the experience with me.
A couple of days ago, I called the MDA office down in Los Angeles to get some additional info about Bash night. They were rooting for me when I was trying to get my sponsor table filled, and were equally disappointed when things fell through. I had heard early on that John wouldn't be the musical guest this year. On the other hand, I was curious to find out if he would be at least be attending the event, knowing the charity is so near and dear to his heart. Well, I got great news...it appears John WILL be there, AND with his family!

I'm looking forward to seeing John again. It's been a long time, almost a year since my groupie road trip. I know, that doesn't seem very long, but for a diehard Five For Fighting fan, it's an eternity. Besides, I need something to keep me sane while waiting for John's new album release. Once a groupie, always a groupie.