As 2010 comes to a close, I can only say...it was quite a year! To embark on not one but TWO Five For Fighting groupie road trips...WOW! The first was in April...six shows in ten days! From Seattle, WA to Las Vegas, NV, I followed John Ondrasik and the band from show to show...okay, I skipped San Francisco, but one person can only drive so much! And, there were some definite high points during my groupie experience. Baking cookies and getting them on the Five For Fighting tour bus in Seattle, where they were enjoyed by band and crew. Getting lucky and being invited for the sound check meet and greet in Portland, OR. Going to the Los Angeles show with my friends Lynne and Dave, and having the pleasure of meeting John's dad afterward. Talking to opener Matt Wertz and getting Five For Fighting drummer Randy Cooke to sign a drumstick in San Diego. Talking to John's wife Carla both during and after the Tuacahn concert...and getting daughter Olivia's autograph, too! There were a couple of low points...straining my neck looking up at John from the front row, and getting sunburned at Pet-a-Palooza in Las Vegas...but, it was overshadowed by the fun moments. The second half of my April road trip consisted of visiting some of our country's awesome national parks. Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Natural Bridges, Arches and Yellowstone. It was a treat to drive and walk through such beautiful sights with perfect weather and no crowds.
In November, I only attended three of John's shows on his acoustic tour, but not having a band to back him up didn't make a difference...he was still great! As I told Carla after the second show, I never get tired of hearing John's stories...even though I know all the punch lines! This groupie road trip had one HUGE high point...I FINALLY got my face to face interview with John! I captured it with my digital voice recorder, and I have yet to transcribe it...Christmas preparations took priority. After the concerts, I had a wonderful time at Sequoia National Park, enjoyed my own private tour of Oregon Caves and played with a black leopard cub at West Coast Game Park. One HUGE low point...getting my finger smashed in the back window of my groupie mobile. The nail still hasn't fallen out, but I'm still not sure it won't!
So, what will 2011 bring? Well, I'm already planning my next road trip! Back in 2008, I had the pleasure of attending the Beach Bash For Augie's Quest. Augie's Quest is a ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) charity near and dear to John's heart, and I was happy to help support such a terrific cause. I was unable to attend the next couple of Bashes, but the stars finally aligned for next year. In March, I'll be going to the Bash for Augie's Quest in San Francisco...and plan another road trip vacation around it! Time is short, but I'm hard at work looking for new and fun things to experience! And, if I get the opportunity, I'll finally get to work transcribing that interview. Boy, how I hate hearing my own voice! Happy New Year!
