Yesterday I had my very special phone call with a VERY SPECIAL guy...John Ondrasik! I woke up with a strange sense of calm, considering what was to come. I had a quick bite to eat and exchanged a few emails with friends...other Five For Fighting fans who were anticipating this day along with me. A half hour before the designated time, I had my notes before me...just so I wouldn't forget what I wanted to tell or ask John.
A couple minutes before 2:00 pm, I called the toll-free number that MDA gave me, along with an extension. A pre-recorded voice told me the host...that would be Kelly...was not there yet. I waited...then called back again. This time, Kelly answered, and shortly after, John called in. John and I exchanged our hellos and I told him it was nice to hear his voice again. Immediately, I felt like I was talking to a good friend who I hadn't seen in awhile...which was true! It had been over 7 months since we saw each other at the Beach Bash for Augie's Quest last March.
The first thing I did was tell John the good news about the ALS Registry Act passing the Senate and continuing on to the House for voting, where it is certain to pass, too. One of John's passions is his support for Augie's Quest, an ALS charity. For the next 15 minutes I told him how he changed my life, and talked about his music, band buses and my Five For Fighting groupie exploits. John DID ask how I was doing, too, and I recounted my Bob Dylan pineapple story. As time ran out, Kelly cut in and tried to end things...but, John wasn't quite done yet! He asked Kelly if we could have a few more minutes, and she went away. I managed to get a couple more questions in and razz John about his UCLA Bruins...they're pretty awful this year, but so are my Cougars! We then said our goodbyes...and John was gone. As I hung up the phone, I still experienced some residual euphoria...and a deep sense of happiness.
I hope you understand, I can't reveal most of my conversation with John. It was just too personal, and some stuff, well, must remain secret...at least for now. I CAN tell you that John is STILL working on his songs...he hasn't started recording his album yet. So, the wait continues. No new album OR tour till next year. But, we can wait, right? It will be well WORTH the wait! John told me the new album might be a little longer than the last. Which means more listening pleasure! I can go for that!
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Friday, September 26, 2008
"Hello? How are you?"
Sometimes, the most amazing things can happen in the least expected way. Earlier this month, there was an online auction to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association. It was organized in conjunction with the annual Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon. If you've read my previous blogs and visited my websites, you'll know I'm a big supporter of Augie's Quest, which is one of many charities under the MDA umbrella. I try to do anything I can to help out, and the online auction was an interesting way of making a contribution.
I scanned the items up for bid...and there were a lot of them. But, one particular item quickly caught my eye. It said, "A Phone Call From John Ondrasik's Five For Fighting To You!" Now, I've met John in person several times, but those encounters were generally quite fleeting. And, yes, I do email him regularly, but he's usually not able to reply back. This phone call would present a unique opportunity to REALLY talk to John. Still, I didn't bid immediately, mostly because I wanted to gauge other people's interest. The auction was to last for two weeks, and I waited a week to see what would happen. Nothing. No one bid, although I DID see people bidding for another phone call...with the young country singer Billy Gilman. Perhaps most didn't know who John Ondrasik OR Five For Fighting was...so what's new?
I decided then that there was no reason to wait any longer...I placed the minimum bid of $150. Now, I had another week of waiting to see if there would be any other takers. On September 4th...the last day of the auction...I kept checking to see if anyone else would bid. But, there was none. I watched as the last seconds ticked away, and only then did I stop holding my breath. I won the phone call! But, more importantly, my donation of $150 was going to a VERY worthy cause! Within a couple of hours, I got email verification of my winning bid. The following week, I called MDA to find out how the phone call would take place. I was told I would be receiving a certificate via snail mail that would entitle me to the phone call, along with a contact number to arrange a time.
Upon receiving the certificate, I called Shannon at the San Diego MDA office. She asked me when I would be available to talk to John. I gave her my two days off the following week, and she said she would contact John. Shannon later did call me back and asked if I could do the phone call on Thursday, the 25th at 2:00 pm? I told her it would be perfect, and Shannon said she would let John know. When I hung up, my hands were shaking from the adrenaline rush. I would have a week of waiting before the big phone call.
Those days initially went slowly, then sped up as my special day got closer. During that time, I started compiling a list of topics and questions. Things that I had always wanted to tell or ask John, but just never got the chance...or never got an answer. I was curious how long I would actually be able to talk to John. So, I called MDA, and spoke to Kelly, the gal who would be hosting the call. She told me 15 minutes...something about John having other appointments afterwards. That didn't sound right to me...what appointments? But, I didn't say anything. I would just have to prioritize my list to compensate for the limited time with John. But, I had a pretty good idea what I was going to say. Hmm...15 minutes sure didn't seem like much. Well, I would just have to make the most of it...talking to John! To be continued...
I scanned the items up for bid...and there were a lot of them. But, one particular item quickly caught my eye. It said, "A Phone Call From John Ondrasik's Five For Fighting To You!" Now, I've met John in person several times, but those encounters were generally quite fleeting. And, yes, I do email him regularly, but he's usually not able to reply back. This phone call would present a unique opportunity to REALLY talk to John. Still, I didn't bid immediately, mostly because I wanted to gauge other people's interest. The auction was to last for two weeks, and I waited a week to see what would happen. Nothing. No one bid, although I DID see people bidding for another phone call...with the young country singer Billy Gilman. Perhaps most didn't know who John Ondrasik OR Five For Fighting was...so what's new?
I decided then that there was no reason to wait any longer...I placed the minimum bid of $150. Now, I had another week of waiting to see if there would be any other takers. On September 4th...the last day of the auction...I kept checking to see if anyone else would bid. But, there was none. I watched as the last seconds ticked away, and only then did I stop holding my breath. I won the phone call! But, more importantly, my donation of $150 was going to a VERY worthy cause! Within a couple of hours, I got email verification of my winning bid. The following week, I called MDA to find out how the phone call would take place. I was told I would be receiving a certificate via snail mail that would entitle me to the phone call, along with a contact number to arrange a time.
Upon receiving the certificate, I called Shannon at the San Diego MDA office. She asked me when I would be available to talk to John. I gave her my two days off the following week, and she said she would contact John. Shannon later did call me back and asked if I could do the phone call on Thursday, the 25th at 2:00 pm? I told her it would be perfect, and Shannon said she would let John know. When I hung up, my hands were shaking from the adrenaline rush. I would have a week of waiting before the big phone call.
Those days initially went slowly, then sped up as my special day got closer. During that time, I started compiling a list of topics and questions. Things that I had always wanted to tell or ask John, but just never got the chance...or never got an answer. I was curious how long I would actually be able to talk to John. So, I called MDA, and spoke to Kelly, the gal who would be hosting the call. She told me 15 minutes...something about John having other appointments afterwards. That didn't sound right to me...what appointments? But, I didn't say anything. I would just have to prioritize my list to compensate for the limited time with John. But, I had a pretty good idea what I was going to say. Hmm...15 minutes sure didn't seem like much. Well, I would just have to make the most of it...talking to John! To be continued...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)