Five For Fighting Fan Central

Party at the Showbox: Fitz and the Tantrums

2012-01-22T19:42:00.000-08:00

First of all, I admit I don't go to a lot of concerts that are not Five For Fighting concerts. When I do, I preferably stick to artists that I already know... Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode are examples. So, when I discover someone new, and I mean REALLY new, that's unusual. Such is the case of the pop-indie-soul group Fitz and the Tantrums. Last September, I attended Seattle's Bumbershoot Music & Arts Festival over Labor Day weekend. My main plan was to see Hall & Oates...I've been a fan of their music since the 70's. You can read about that day in my blog The heart of rock and soul. The musical act before Hall & Oates was Fitz and the Tantrums, and I was pleasantly impressed with what I heard. When I found out they were coming back to Seattle to perform at the Showbox, I had to go. I was especially looking forward to the more intimate club setting...nothing like seeing a band up close and personal.

I was unsuccessful in getting anyone to accompany me to the concert so I went solo. I arrived early at the Showbox and had a bite to eat in their bar called the Green Room. One perk in doing this...you get to go in the club before the other folks lined up outside. I found myself in my customary spot front and center at the stage. There were two opening acts... American Tomahawk and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. I didn't much care for the former...they sounded much like a garage band. The second band was a little better, but still not my cup of tea. At least they both didn't spend too much time on the stage, as I was starting to get a little antsy.

When Fitz and the Tantrums finally made their appearance, the crowd definitely perked up. As they started into their first song, I made eye contact with my buddy, bass player Joe Karnes. He toured with Five For Fighting last year and I got to know him when I followed the tour for six shows. I waved to him, and Joe smiled and nodded his head in acknowledgement. It didn't take me long to realize that picture taking would prove too difficult for me for this show. My camera can't handle a lot of movement on stage, and there was a LOT of that! So, I opted to just take a few videos and do some screen captures for shots of the action.

The concert was pretty much non-stop...about an hour and a half of the most energetic music I've ever experienced! The stage was literally hopping! Here is the set list for the night:

Don't Gotta Work It Out
Breakin' The Chains
Winds Of Change
Wake Up
Pickin' Up The Pieces
Steady As She Goes
Rich Girls
6 AM
Tighter

Love Sick Man!
L.O.V.
In Bloom
Dear Mr. President
News 4 U

Encore:
Sweet Dreams
MoneyGrabber

Since this was a 21+ show, there were people drinking in the audience. I think some had a little TOO much to drink, and it didn't take long for it to manifest itself. A few songs into the concert, a couple of guys to the right of me became overly enthusiastic while getting into the music. They started shoving their way forward, pushing not only their girlfriends, but people around them, including myself. At times, I found myself shoving back. What was this, a mosh pit? Thankfully, their antics caught the attention of lead singer, Michael Fitzpatrick. After finishing a song, he called them out and told them to cool it. They got the message and settled down, and kept their enthusiasm to themselves. I have to give Fitz credit...what a classy guy! Throughout the show, Fitz would often come to the very edge of the stage, many times right above me! At one point, he even left the stage and disappeared into the audience, although I could still hear him...it was pretty dark in the room. Then, next thing I know, he appeared right behind me, and literally used my shoulder to help steady himself as he hopped back on stage! OK, glad I could help!

After the concert, Fitz and singing partner Noelle Scaggs were available for a meet and greet. I had brought my CD of their album Pickin' Up The Pieces to get signed. I was hoping to talk to Joe, but he and the other band members stayed backstage. I greeted Fitz and Noelle with a handshake and told them that I really enjoyed the show. I added that it was the most exciting show that I had ever attended, which is true. The energy that I witnessed on stage was truly amazing! They really appreciated my compliments, and were truly thankful for all the support from the fans. Really nice people! Of course, my encounter wouldn't be complete without a photo, so here it is...I think it came out pretty good!

Afterward, I still found myself wanting to see Joe, so I looked back toward the stage to see if he was anywhere around. To my surprise, I spotted him walking in front of the stage. I called out to him, and he stopped and came over. Joe greeted me with a hug and we chatted. I reiterated to him about the energy on stage, and compared it to the relatively low energy Five For Fighting shows. Joe seemed to lament that he wasn't touring with John Ondrasik, but I told him that he was probably going to be busy for quite awhile with his new band. Basically, I was telling Joe that I could see great success and longevity with Fitz and the Tantrums, and he was lucky to be able to showcase his bass playing talents with them. Joe said he spotted me right off the bat at stage front, which made me laugh, since I'm always in front for Five For Fighting concerts. After another hug, I bid my friend goodbye. A fitting ending to an awesome night! Thanks Fitz and the Tantrums for an unforgettable show! Looking forward to seeing you again next time you come to Seattle!

A package full of wishes

2011-11-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

It was magical last night at Seattle's Benaroya Hall. I was there to attend The Last Wonder of the World, a charity concert to benefit Seattle Children's Hospital. This concert was the 14th year the Symphony Guild had put on this event, led by the efforts of composer Mateo Messina. The Grammy award winning Messina...he won for the Juno movie soundtrack...is a passionate supporter of Children's Hospital, often visiting the facility to play piano for the kids and staff. For this year's concert, special guests included the band Civil Twilight, NBC's The Voice finalist, Vicci Martinez and my main reason for attending, Five For Fighting's John Ondrasik. The artists would all be performing songs with the Northwest Symphony Orchestra, Northwest Chorale and Northwest Boychoir. Now, this was the first time John had played on stage with a symphony orchestra, and I was excited to see this. I knew I was in for a treat.

I arrived at Benaroya Hall early to take some photos of the building...I had never been there before, let alone attend a symphony concert. I made sure to get the marquee to record the details of the special concert.

I was hoping to perhaps see John before the concert, but it didn't happen. After a nice dinner at Cheesecake Factory, I returned to the Hall for the pre-concert reception. There was a silent auction, but I didn't see anything that interested me. The concert was divided into two parts, with an intermission in between. I noted John would be performing in the second act with his songs 100 Years, Hope, Superman and World. As the auditorium slowly filled with attendees, the orchestra soon took their seats and warmed up. I recognized some of the notes...excerpts from Superman!

The lights dimmed as the show began. Messina walked out on stage, along with conductor Anthony Spain. Messina played piano along with the orchestra, performing pieces entitled Wonder and Arcano. In addition to light effects, the music was enhanced by a large overhead screen which projected images and action from the stage. In between songs, Messina would animatedly talk to the audience with cheerfulness and humor. It wasn't hard to like the guy. Next, Civil Twilight played their set...they were really good...with Messina backing them up on one song.

At the intermission, almost everyone went back out to the lobby. I hung around the auditorium, hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of John. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find out one of John's Five For Fighting band members had made the trip. Greg Suran came out on stage and started warming up a bit with his acoustic guitar. I walked up to the front of the stage to exchange hellos with him...I'm pretty sure he remembered me from all our previous encounters. As people returned to their seats, I thought I recognized a familiar face...but, I wasn't quite sure if it was who I thought it was. I'm a fan of the Seattle indie-rock group Barcelona, and I thought the guy I was looking at was the lead singer. Not having actually attended a Barcelona show, and only relying on photos and videos of him, I wasn't 100% sure. As the second half of the concert was about to begin, I decided to try talking to the guy later.

After a brief introduction by Messina, John walked out on stage, and took a seat at the piano. He went right into 100 Years, which sounded just awesome with the orchestral accompaniment...oh, and Greg played his guitar, too.

Before his next song, Hope, John made note that the audience was dressed much nicer than a typical Five For Fighting show...people tend wear fancier attire at symphony events. As John sang, the orchestra played music arranged by Messina...it sounded great!

Up to this point, the audience had reacted enthusiastically to John's songs, and it was no different with Superman...I think everyone knew this one! John's final song of the night was World, made more special with beautiful portraits provided by world famous photographer...and Seattle's own... Art Wolfe. In addition, the wonderful vocals of the NW Chorale provided a fitting backup to the symphony and of course, John's fantastic performance. It was definitely my favorite moment of the night.

As John was leaving the stage...and before introducing the final act of the night, Vicci Martinez...Messina jokingly said that John would be famous one day. As we all know, John has already made a name for himself...who HASN'T heard Superman, 100 Years and his latest hit, Chances? Martinez performed the inspiring song, I Am Strong One More with a Children's Hospital beneficiary, young Joanita Nambassa. The concert ended with all the performers taking the stage for a rousing rendition of the Rolling Stone hit, You Can't Always Get What You Want. What a terrific way to end a most amazing evening!

While everyone was filing out of the auditorium, I didn't forget that guy I wanted to talk to. I spotted him chatting with some people, including one of the stage hands. Then, I noticed the jacket he was wearing. I had seen the Barcelona front man wearing that exact same jacket! It HAD to be him, but I couldn't for the life of me remember his name! Then, he started walking toward me and I asked politely if he played for Barcelona. He said yes...I knew it! After introducing himself and shaking my hand...his name is Brian Fennell...he asked my name. I told him, then went on to mention donating to Barcelona's Kickstarter campaign, which pleased Brian immensely. I added not only that, I was one of the $500 donors, which really excited him. Brian confirmed what I already knew...I was on the band's VIP list for life. I asked Brian if that really meant I could attend any Barcelona show in the U.S., and he said yes. He was curious how I heard about their music, especially considering I had never been to one of their concerts. I explained how I read a review of a Barcelona song, where it was described as sounding like a John Ondrasik tune. I had really liked what I heard, and after listening to other Barcelona songs and liking those, too, ended up buying their CD. Brian was very appreciative to hear that, and was even more so when I praised his music and expressed my faith in their talent. Before parting ways, Brian said he was looking forward to meeting me again at a future Barcelona show. Likewise for me! What a nice guy. Meeting Brian was an unexpected bonus to any otherwise spectacular night. I encourage you to check out Barcelona...they're awesome, and their new album will be coming out soon!

Right place, right time

2011-09-30T22:12:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful day at Yellowstone National Park. I took it easy by revisiting areas I enjoyed last year. I started out at the Upper Geyser Basin...that's the area around the Old Faithful geyser. As soon as I entered the visitor's center there, I noted the sign indicating the next scheduled eruption of Old Faithful. I got there just in time...it was in the next 10 minutes...give or take 10 minutes! Old Faithful is pretty faithful, but not pinpoint on the dot accurate. I then realized I forgot my camera in the Blazer. I rushed to the parking lot and got back just in time. But, it was early morning...around 8:30 am...and the cool temperatures created a lot of steam that obscured much of the fountain. That was okay. I figured I could probably catch another eruption later on...Old Faithful goes off about every 90 minutes.

As I walked back into the visitor's center to pick up a trail guide, a ranger announced that the Beehive geyser was going to erupt in about 20 minutes. Now this was an unexpected surprise. This particular geyser can erupt about 2 or 3 times a day...or just a few times a week. It has no set schedule. I quickly made my way out on the boardwalk to the geyser. Sure enough, the Beehive erupted...and put on a spectacular show! Because the Beehive has such a narrow cone, the water shoots like a fire hose. I captured the moment on video...the image below is a screen grab.

The rest of my day had more of the same...being in the right place at the right time. Some geysers erupt pretty often, or you can view pools that are constantly churning and spouting. Others may take awhile and most people don't like to wait around much...myself included. Next, I made my way of the Observation Point trail...and Solitary Geyser. This geyser was not that exciting...it spurted up a couple feet...but, it was a nice walk through a wooded area. Because I was all alone and kind of isolated from anyone else, I used my bear bell for the first time. It rings a little as you walk, and just lets bears know that you are around, which is a good idea in Yellowstone. When I returned to the main geyser basin, I was lucky to be there when the Plume Geyser erupted. And, the Sawmill Geyser put on an impressive display.

At noon, I was ready for lunch. Rather than the usual packed lunch, I decided to splurge a bit and eat at the restaurant in the Old Faithful Inn. It was my first sit down meal on my entire road trip! Afterward, I had one last chance to see Old Faithful...and the timing was right. Things went much better the second time aroung...I got a nice view of the geyser's famous plume.

I spent the rest of the afternoon viewing other hydrothermal sights at Black Sand and Biscuit Basins, and also Midway and Lower Geyser Basins. More small geyser eruptions, Fountain Paint Pots and beautiful pools...I love the blue ones the best!

My road trip is just about over...making the long drive back home starting tomorrow! Nothing on the agenda, just drive, drive, drive. I hear it might rain tomorrow night...now that's welcome news. The sunny skies that I've enjoyed throughout my trip has been nice, but I miss the rain...and cooler temps...and my own bed.

A whole lotta hot water

2011-09-29T21:12:00.000-07:00

The weather was just beautiful at Yellowstone National Park today. Temperatures hovered around freezing as I entered the park and took the road north to Mammoth Hot Springs, but warmed up later. My first destination was the terraces of Mammoth Hot Springs. There was a nice boardwalk that allowed visitors to see the geothermal activity, both old and current.

After inquiring at the visitor center in Mammoth, I headed a couple miles up the road to see the Boiling River. A short hike brought me to literally to a river of hot water bubbling out of a bank, which joined the adjacent Gardner River. Where boiling water meets cold mountain water...a natural hot springs! There were about a dozen people in the soaking pools fashioned out of smooth river rock. I didn't join them, but I DID feel the water...yeah, it was comfortably warm! When I backtracked to Mammoth, there was a minor commotion in town. Sitting on the lawn next to a building was an adult bull elk! In the fall, male elk can get pretty aggressive, so the Park Service tries to keep people safe. In this case, traffic cones were set up to create a perimeter around the elk. After snapping a few pics, I left the elk still sitting there.

I spent the rest of the day looking at a petrified tree, seeing more geothermal features at Artists Paintpots and admiring the various falls around the park. One especially picturesque sight was the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. It has been said this canyon is as impressive as the real Grand Canyon, but I just know it made for a great photo!

Tomorrow, I revisit Old Faithful. The last time I saw the famous geyser, I saw it erupt from afar. This time, I want to be right there. I just hope I time it right...it only goes off approximately every 90 or so minutes. And, I don't want to wait that long!

Grand Tetons: Above The Timberline

2011-09-28T21:47:00.000-07:00

When I left my hotel in Jackson, WY this morning, it was chilly...38 degrees! Brrrr! I had to put on my Five For Fighting hoodie, at least till the sun was up for a couple of hours. I was excited for my first visit to Grand Teton National Park. I knew the mountain views would be awesome, and I was looking forward to getting some nice photos. My enthusiasm was dampened a bit when I noticed a smoky haze in the sky. It appeared the park service was conducting a prescribed burn, which took away what should have been pristine views. Oh, well. I made the best of things, and it actually cleared up as I traveled north through the park. I managed to get some pretty decent shots of the peaks.

While at Grand Teton, I decided to have an early lunch. I stopped at a picnic area and found a table in the sun to eat the supermarket sushi I had bought yesterday. When I entered the park, I got the latest copy of the newspaper given to visitors and I looked through it as I ate. It mentioned being careful about bears, and said they might even show up at picnic areas. I found myself looking around me occasionally during my lunch. I didn't want a bear to sneak up and try to steal my sushi!

As the afternoon rolled around, I drove north and crossed into Yellowstone National Park. I had visited this park last year (see blog Geysers Are Cool, But Bison Rule) , but only had one day to look at the most popular areas, such as the Old Faithful geyser basin. This time around, not only would I have the rest of the afternoon, I had another two days to hopefully see everything I missed last time around. I saw some interesting volcanic features by taking the road less taken in the eastern side of Yellowstone. No spouting geysers, but a lot of steaming and bubbling pools.

Tomorrow, I'll be seeing more of Yellowstone that I've never laid eyes on before. Even though I'm not planning on doing any real hiking, I'll still be negotiating the paved trails and boardwalks around the hydrothermal features. Only four more days of road tripping...

Hello, Wyoming!

2011-09-27T19:40:00.000-07:00

Left Vernal, CO with an easy day on the agenda...just a couple of museums to visit. As I crossed the Wyoming state line, I saw what you would expect from the Cowboy State. Actually, it's officially the Equality State, but the miles of open range on either side of the road made the Cowboy State more fitting. I hadn't gone that far when I spotted my first real herd of wild pronghorn. Yeah, I saw some pronghorn at Bryce Canyon National Park, but those were transplanted there. I pulled over to the side of the road, and tried to snap a photo of the 15 or so animals, but they were moving pretty fast and I could only manage one shot.

I stopped by Pinedale, WY to visit the Museum Of The Mountain Man. During the heyday of fur trapping, western Wyoming was the center of action, and this museum displayed much of that history. Later in the afternoon, I arrived at Jackson, WY, my pit stop for the night. It was here that I checked out the Jackson Hole Historical Museum. One exhibit I found most interesting was a list and map of movies filmed in the area. Not surprisingly, many western films were produced nearby...Shane was one of them. Also, more recent and well-known flicks, such as A River Runs Through It, Every Which Way But Loose and Dances With Wolves.

When I got to my hotel, I was pleasantly surprised to find I had a suite reserved for me. I had booked my room online and selected a room with a couple of queen beds. But, it wasn't costing me anything additional...hey, I'll take it! Tomorrow, I'm looking forward to my first visit to Grand Teton National Park. This afternoon, as I traveled to Jackson, I noticed many of the trees were already showng their fall colors. I hope to see more of that at the park. My camera is ready!

Old bones are good bones

2011-09-26T19:39:00.000-07:00

Compared to my previous week, today was a relatively easy day. For one, the weather was a little cooler...mid-80s. I visited Dinosaur National Monument in Colorado with the hope of seeing a few fossils. Unfortunately, their new visitor center was still under construction, meaning their main dinosaur quarry exhibit was not available for viewing. I settled for the alternate plan...a short ranger-guided tour of the Fossil Discovery Hiking Trail. This was actually pretty cool because not only did I still see dinosaur bones embedded in rock, I could actually touch them, too.

After the tour, I did a short hike to a box canyon, then checked out some nice petroglyphs. Tomorrow, I'm planning an even easier day...museums! I've been doing a lot of hiking...I need a break. In fact, I think I might be done with the all-day hikes for the rest of my road trip. From now on, slow walks and auto touring! Oh, speaking of auto, I forgot to mention a couple days ago that my trusty Blazer hit 200,000 on the odometer! She has taken me on many great road trips, and hope my groupie mobile has a few more left in her!

Death defying day

2011-09-25T20:09:00.000-07:00

I wanted to get an early start on my day at Arches National Park. Mainly to beat the heat...90 degrees was forecasted...but, also to beat the inevitable weekend crowd. When I visited the park last year (see blog post "The Real Golden Arches"), I saw a lot of arches, but I missed some, too. Those arches would require some hiking...and a bit of risk taking on my part. I arrived at Arches promptly at 7:00 am, the sun just coming over the horizon. My first hike of the day was the 3 mile round trip to the park's famous Delicate Arch. I left the Wolfe Ranch trail head at 7:30 and made good time, the biggest challenge being a very steep walk over slickrock...that's bare stone that can be slippery when wet or icy. But, the slickrock was dry, and an hour later, I made it to the end of the trail...and Delicate Arch!

The view from the arch was awesome, and I had to be very careful walking on the rock to get closer to it. One misstep and over the edge I would go and...well, it's best not to think about something that didn't happen. The hike back went much faster as it was pretty much all downhill. When I reached the parking lot, I quickly hopped in my Blazer and headed north to the Devil's Garden trailhead. By now, it was 10:00 am and temperatures were well into the 70s. Last year, I only walked about a mile to Landscape Arch. This time, I planned to go farther, hiking the full 5 miles to Double O Arch and back, with side trips to Partition and Navajo Arches. I knew the trail was going to be a bit challenging, but I almost changed my mind when presented with a huge...and potentially dangerous...section of slickrock. I mean, it was REALLY steep!

That little hump of rock right above the tree was the most frightening for me. Hard to get around and over going up, and even harder when coming back down. In fact, it was the descent that could have been fatal. It's a good thing I'm not afraid of heights. But, it was all worth it in the end. Partition Arch was particularly beautiful.

It was at this arch that a humorous incident occurred. It was right before I took the photo shown above. Three guys with pretty fancy cameras were taking photos of the arch. They were all moving around trying to get the best shots. I was getting ready to take some shots of my own when I heard one of them talking about how people just stand in the way and ruin the shot. He kept at it, and I realized he was directing his comments...but not directly at...a young woman standing right next to the arch. I finally told him why he just didn't say something to her. I guess he was just being too polite, so I decided to do it for him. I got her attention, and made it clear that the guy was trying to take a photo without her in it, and to please move to the side. I think she may have been a foreign visitor because she initially didn't seem to comprehend. But, when I added my hand gestures, she moved enough for the guy to get his shot. He complimented my technique...admitted I said it better than he would have. Afterward, he laughed and said the photo probably wouldn't be that great anyway!

After 8 miles...and about 5 1/2 hours of hiking...I was hot and exhausted. Yes, it was 90 degrees when I finished my ordeal. I'm seeing cooler temperatures are just over the horizon. It can't come soon enough for this Pacific Northwesterner.

A road...and a trail...less taken

2011-09-24T21:00:00.000-07:00

I left the tiny town of Torrey, UT, having spent a very nice night at the Days Inn there. I'm staying at a LOT of Days Inns on this trip, but some...like this one...are better than others. A perfect shower set up and SOFT towels can make all the difference in the world. Oh, and then there was the small rubber duck in the bathtub...don't know what that was all about.

I drove about ten minutes east to the park of the day... Capitol Reef National Park. Never heard of it? It sits between Bryce Canyon and Canyonlands, but I have a feeling most people just pass it by. That's a shame. Capitol Reef has some awesome rock formations, too and really nice trails. I had two such trails on my agenda today. The first...Capitol Gorge trail...is located at the end of the main park road, then another two miles more along a dirt road. My Blazer handled the sometimes rough road just fine. The Capitol Gorge trail proved to be a wonderful hike. A 2 1/2 mile round trip, the walk takes you up a dirt and gravel wash with steep canyon walls on either side.

Along the way, you can see petroglyphs both very old and somewhat newer. Rock drawings done by ancient ancestors of the Fremont Indians, and graffiti placed by Mormon settlers in the late 1800s and early 1900s. As I was returning to the parking lot, I encountered a group of guys walking in the opposite direction. From their accents, they sounded like Australians or New Zealanders. They asked me if I could take a couple of photos of them. One guy handed me his smart phone and another his digital camera. I happily obliged, and they were very appreciative!

My second planned hike was the more challenging trail to Hickman Bridge...a natural stone arch. The first part of the two mile hike consisted of a series of ascending switchbacks up a dirt and rock trail. It gave me quite a workout, made even worse by the increasing heat of the day. The payoff was worth it, though...the view was impressive.

After taking pictures of the arch, the return trip to the parking lot was easier, mainly because the trail was mostly downhill. I met an older couple on the way back and chatted with them a bit. They said they were from Wisconsin, and like myself, they were not used to the heat either. I guess where they live, the weather is similar to what I'm used to. Tomorrow, I'm planning a couple more hikes at Arches National Park. It's supposed to be another scorcher. So, what's new?

Bryce is nice

2011-09-23T19:58:00.000-07:00

Beautiful weather for Day 7 of my road trip. I left Cedar City, UT and made the short drive to Cedar Breaks National Monument. It was downright chilly this morning...40 degrees! I had to put on my trusty Five For Fighting hoodie. The park was almost deserted...it's a pretty small one. It was kind of early for really good views of the rocky vistas...the sun wasn't quite right yet.

I took a few pics and went on a short hike on the Alpine Pond loop trail. It was a pretty easy walk except for one steep section. I had to rest a few times, probably because the 10,400 foot altitude affected me a bit. My high point of the day was a visit to Bryce Canyon National Monument. Personally, I think this park is even better than Zion, with scenery that rivals even the Grand Canyon. I drove along the park road to the very end, then backtracked, stopping at vista points along the way. Awesome scenery and perfect weather...what could be better? Oh, I saw my first wild pronghorn antelope!

One thing I've noticed after a week on the road and seven national parks visited. Most of my fellow tourists have consisted of retirees and foreign travelers. Almost no kids...except for the occasional baby. I guess it makes sense, since families tend to vacation during the summer, and everyone is now working or going to school. It makes it easier for me...less crowds, for the most part. It looks like another couple days of hot weather, then...cooler temps for the rest of my trip. And, NO RAIN in the forecast!

Knight in shining armor...or a ranger

2011-09-22T21:25:00.000-07:00

I was hoping to leave my worst day ever behind and start afresh today. I got up extra early to do a little shopping. I visited the Walmart Superstore in Hurricane, UT at 7:00 am. It was pretty deserted at that hour. I had noticed I was consuming my bottled water faster than expected, thanks to the terrible heat I've been experiencing for most of my road trip. So, I picked up a case of water. One special item I needed to get was soda. Now, you're thinking I could get that anywhere, anytime. Unfortunately, they don't sell my favorite Diet Code Red Mountain Dew in Washington...or Oregon or Idaho or even northern California! I picked up three half cases for myself, plus another three for a friend who can't live without it. The heat also made me realize I could use something for my head. I selected a visor to shield my face from the sun. Finally, I grabbed a sandwich for lunch. When I got to Walmart, it was still dark. As I exited the store, the sun was coming up.

I got to my destination for the day... Zion National Park...around 8:00 am. It was still pretty early. I had no problem finding a parking space. Zion utilizes shuttles to transport visitors from one end of the park to the other. They are numerous, so you never have to wait more than 5-10 minutes at each stop. I opted to ride the shuttle to the final northern stop to hike the popular Riverside Walk. When I started out on the paved trail, I noticed it was a little chilly! I'm thinking low 60s with a breeze. Actually, it felt pretty good to this Northwesterner who prefers temps like that!

It was about 1.5 miles round trip and pretty much flat...I like easy trails. As I was making the return trip, the serenity was broken by the sound of chattering...kids! There is no such thing as a quiet child! It was a school group going in the opposite direction. I'm glad I got there early!

I took the shuttle south to the half mile Weeping Rock trail...short, but a bit steep. As I was going back down, I couple of older women greeted me. They had seen me on the Riverside Walk, and noted that I walked faster than them! They were cheerful and very friendly. My final hike of the day was the Lower Emerald Pool trail. This one was about a mile in length. By now, it was getting rather hot, and this trail didn't have as much shade. There was a humorous moment when I saw the two ladies again...and again while I was leaving and they were arriving. Again, they made note at how fast I walked! Oh, I guess I should mention Zion is most famous for its steep canyons and beautiful red rocks. And, I DID take a lot of photos!

After lunch and a visit to the small park museum, I was ready to leave. When I got to my Blazer, it was blazing in the hot sun. The door handle was very hot...ouch! As soon as I opened the door, I knew something was wrong. I didn't hear my auto cooler operating. Sure enough, I tried starting the engine and the battery was dead! Great! My cooler drained the battery in the five hours I was away. My other auto cooler actually had a feature that turned off the cooler rather than drain the battery...obviously, this one didn't do that! I knew it would take AAA awhile to get to the park, so I decided to ask the park staff for help. I went into the visitor center, and asked the ranger at the information booth if I could get a jump start. To my relief, she made a call, and told me another ranger would arrive in about five minutes. I returned to my car, and in no time, he arrived. Hmm...he was kinda cute! His truck had a built in plug in the bumper and a couple minutes later, I was in business. Oh, I must mention he saw my FFF FAN license plate, and asked me what I was a fan of. I explained to him... Five For Fighting...musical artist...Superman and 100 Years? The nice ranger was totally clueless. Oh, well. That's nothing new. Not everyone knows who Five For Fighting is. I guess I should have played my 100 Years CD? On the other hand, he probably had other visitors to rescue.

I had one more place to go before my nightly pitstop. Kolub Canyons is officially part of Zion National Park, but since it is in the far northwest corner and away from the main area, most people bypass it. They really shouldn't. The Kolub Canyons overlook is only five miles from the interstate, and provides equally awesome views of the red rocks.

Tomorrow...more rocks! Cedar Breaks National Monument and Cedar Breaks National Park. The weather forecast says the 70s. Ahh, finally...cooler!

When it rains, it pours

2011-09-21T22:15:00.000-07:00

I got a late start this morning. Before leaving Reno, I wanted to fill my gas tank. I located a 76 station via the internet...I have a 76 gas card...and used my GPS to direct me. When I got there, I found it WASN'T a 76 station, at least not anymore. Not wanting to search around for another, I went ahead and filled up. Next, I planned to pick up a quick breakfast from Burger King, but when I got to the location...yes, using the internet again...it was nowhere to be found. Two strikes already, and I hadn't even left town yet!

I had a long day of driving ahead of me...about nine hours worth. I would be traveling about 2/3 the length of Nevada...desert country. Things continued to work against me as I encountered two construction zones before the halfway point. Now, I didn't need this! My day would be long enough as it was with the long drive. Construction delays wouldn't make it any easier! At my midday pitstop in the town of Tonopah, I filled the tank again...my Blazer is kind of thirsty...and decided to pick up lunch. I went to a Subway, hoping to try out their new...and highly advertised...oven-baked crispy chicken sandwich. But, when I placed my order, the counter girl checked something behind her, then disappeared in a back room. When she returned, she told me they were out. HUH? It was 12:30 pm! How could they be out already! They had the whole day to go! Reluctantly, I ordered something else. At this point, I realized the planets were not aligned for me on this day.

As I continued south, my journey was slowed two more times by construction. One wait was almost a half hour! Needless to say, I was getting extremely frustrated. I had been planning to get my Blazer washed and make a necessary shopping trip. Now, I would be lucky to get to my hotel before dark...and I hate to drive after the sun goes down. Oh, another downside to the traffic stops for construction. When that happens, vehicles bunch up, particularly the big rigs and RVs. It makes it that much more challenging to pass the slower vehicles on the two-lane highways I was traveling on.

About 10 hours later, I checked into my hotel. What a day! I was hot, exhausted and hungry. When I got to my room, I found it warm and stuffy. Great. It took about an hour to get it comfortably cooled. To top it off, the free hotel internet is sluggish and forgot that I crossed over into the Mountain time zone. Which means I lost an hour AND I missed Survivor because prime time starts an hour earlier! Sigh. I'm ready for this day to be over. Tomorrow has to better! On a bright note, my Blazer performed beautifully in the 100+ degree weather. The air conditioning worked perfectly and it didn't get overheated. Pretty good for a ride pushing 200,000 miles. I love my groupie mobile!

To Hell and back

2011-09-20T21:43:00.000-07:00

When I left Redding, CA this morning, I wanted to get to Lassen Volcanic National Park early to beat the heat. I decided to tackle the hiking part of my visit first, while it was still cool. I arrived at Bumpass Hell to an almost empty parking lot...I counted only six cars. Bumpass Hell is one of the main attractions of the park, consisting of a 3 mile (round trip) trail to an area of hydrothermal activity. It was 60 degrees and sunny when I started walking the trail...perfect weather! The site was pretty impressive...steaming pools of different colors, a large steam vent and bubbling liquid mud, with the pervasive smell of sulfur in the air.

It was similar to what I had seen at Yellowstone last year, but still interesting. I got to talking to an older lady, who like me, was road tripping solo. The walk back up to the overlook was a bit more difficult than the descent. Not only was a little steep, but I had to contend with the 8000 foot elevation, which made the air a bit thin. During the walk to the site and back, it kept seeing chipmunks running around. One appeared to ask for treats, but Iike the chipmunk at Crater Lake, I ignored its plea. I DID get some nice photos of other chipmunks. I love seeing wildlife!

As I made the return trip, I passed a lot of people going in the opposite direction. Sure enough, the parking lot was almost full...I beat the crowd! I visited two other attractions at Lassen...Sulfur Works and Devastated Area Interpretive Trail. Sulfur Works had more hydrothermal features, but on a smaller scale. The Devastated Area outlined the history of the violent volcanic eruptions in the area in a half mile interpretive trail. My day done, I drove to my pit stop...Reno, NV. No, I won't be doing any gambling...not my thing since I always seem to lose anyway. Tomorrow will be a travel day...on my way to Utah to check out some of the parks there. There are two things I just have to do tomorrow...you'll find out in the next blog!

The Descent: NOT The Movie

2011-09-19T22:18:00.000-07:00

Enjoyed my stay at the Days Inn in Klamath Falls, OR last night. Most impressive...at least to me...the big refrigerator in my room! The refrigerator section was roomy, but the freezer on top was huge, too! Anytime I can freeze FOUR water bottles at one time is a big plus! Oh, and the bed was nice and comfy. The only irritant was a dog barking briefly sometime in the early morning. After I got up, I went outside to load up my Blazer, and found out the noisy dog had spent the night in a pickup belonging to a lady in the room next to mine. I didn't say anything, although the dog started barking while she prepared to leave. No matter there might still be other people still sleeping at 7:30 am!

I made the drive south, crossing into California...no agriculture inspection on the county road I was on, not that I had any fruit anyway. My first stop was Petroglyph Point, officially part of Lava Beds National Volcanic Monument, but outside the main park boundaries. I took photos of the rock art, which didn't appear to have a lot of human or animal images. It was still pretty cool, and there was no one around at the remote site...I had it all to myself.

The main focus of my visit to Lava Beds was exploring some of the lava tubes, which it is most famous for. I had purchased a stylish but inexpensive helmet and a headlamp for the lava tubes. Since time was of the essence, coupled with the fact that I was alone, I wasn't too keen on going TOO deep inside the caves. I chose some of the short and easy caves, which still gave me a taste of cave exploration. Although the temperatures were hovering around 80 degrees, it was cool...almost cold...inside the caves. A couple of them were supposed to have some ice, but I didn't see much in the near darkness.

It was a bit creepy walking through the caves with just my headlamp and a small, but bright flashlight. I kept thinking about the movie The Descent about a group of female spelunkers trapped inside a cave inhabited by killer mutant people. I didn't take many photos while inside the caves because they don't come out anyway...too dark!

Before leaving the park, I took a look at Mammoth Crater...it really WAS a mammoth crater...then headed south on a gravel road. I was thinking I would quickly reach a paved road, but it didn't happen. The gravel soon turned into more or less a dirt and rock road. Needless to say, I was a bit concerned! My GPS kind of warned me about this, but I naturally assumed it was talking about the gravel park road I was on. With about ten miles to go before the next junction, I was praying I wouldn't suffer some sort of mechanical problem. I wasn't concerned about the capabilities of my trusty Blazer...it's a REAL truck, not one of the new wannabe SUVs...but it IS eleven years old and pushing 200,000 miles. After about three miles of slow going...MIRACLE! The dirt road turned to pavement...almost a fantasy road. It was so beautifully paved, it was almost unreal...kind of a dream road. A Twilight Zone road. When I reached the junction, I finally turned onto another paved road...thank goodness...with LINES! I was off the hook. I learned a valuable lesson today. Don't rely totally on the GPS and do research on my roads...the fastest route may not be the best route!

Blue skies and blue water

2011-09-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

When I left Vancouver, WA this morning, it was overcast, but no rain. I had checked the weather forecast, and I knew it would be sunny at my destination... Crater Lake National Park in Oregon. I drove all morning, taking the most time after I left the interstate. Almost five hours later, I reached my destination. After showing my annual pass at the north entrance booth of the park...love the convenience AND the value (only $80, good for ALL the national parks, plus other federal recreation areas)...I soon found myself at the Merriam Point overlook. The view was breathtaking...the water was SO blue!

There was some people, but considering how busy it COULD be, it was not bad at all. The traffic along the park roads was extremely light. At the next viewpoint, as I approached the stone wall overlooking the lake, I was immediately greeted by a very friendly chipmunk. It came running up, jumped on the wall, and sat in front of me. It was begging for food!

Now, this was very bad. Park visitors are not supposed to feed the wildlife, but obviously, this one was used to getting handouts. It ran around, and kept returning to me, but it ended up leaving empty handed...or rather, empty pawed. There were a few other chipmunks around, but they probably noticed their friend bombed on the treats, so they didn't come to me. I continued driving around the lake, stopping at other viewpoints, and taking more photos. There was an interesting rock formation known as Phantom Ship that proved popular with the visitors.

Truthfully, it was hard to take a BAD picture. The weather conditions were picture perfect, varying from 60-70 degrees, depending on your location around the lake. I only took one short hike...the 1/4 mile Sun Notch trail...which allowed me to get the best view of Phantom Ship. Tomorrow, I'll continue on my theme of volcanic areas...yes, Crater Lake was once a volcano, Mount Mazama. I'll be spending the day at Lava Beds National Monument. Looking forward to exploring the lava tubes, with a few petroglyphs thrown in.

Mt St Helens revisited

2011-09-17T21:20:00.000-07:00

I woke up to rain this morning, the first day of my national park road trip. But, I wouldn't let a little rain dampen my spirits. As I drove through Seattle, it continued to rain on and off. By the time I reached Mt St Helens National Volcanic Monument, the rain had eased up. I traveled up Spirit Lake Highway to the terminus point...Johnston Ridge Observatory visitor's center. After purchasing an annual park pass...it will get me into all the national parks for a whole year...I went outside for my first close-up look at the volcano.

When Mt St Helens erupted, I was attending college at Washington State University in Pullman, WA...about 250 miles to the east. You can read about my experiences back then in my blog Remembering Mt St Helens. Years later, I had only briefly stopped by the Seaquest Visitor Center, about 5 miles from the interstate. Well out of the blast zone, it only provided a very long distance view of the volcano. Since then, I had been looking forward to a more closeup look. Exiting the visitor's center, I walked out to the viewpoint...and was instantly disappointed. Not only was there overcast skies, low hanging clouds obscured the mountain from view. The wispy clouds were constantly moving, but the crater remained hidden. I went ahead and took photos anyway...at the least the valley below was clear. I was able the see the devastated areas damaged when the mountain exploded.

After taking my photos, I was ready for lunch, so I ate in the parking lot. When I drove back down the highway away from Johnston Observatory, I glanced back at the mountain...and saw it was now completed visible! While I was eating the clouds blew away, exposing the volcano. I stopped at the next nearby viewpoint, and snapped many nicer photos than the ones I had taken earlier.

About an hour later, the clouds moved back in and the mountain was once again hidden from view. I guess I really lucked out! When I returned back to the interstate, the rain started up again, but stopped before I reached my pitstop for the night. Tomorrow's park adventure...Crater Lake, OR! I hadn't been back there since I was a teenager, and I don't remember all that much. Maybe feeding a few chipmunks...not that I would do that now.

The heart of rock and soul

2011-09-06T20:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I went to Bumbershoot in Seattle. It's the city's big music and arts festival held over Labor Day weekend every year. Now, the last time I went to Bumbershoot was in 2004, specifically to see Seal. That year has proved to be a sore spot in my life because that was the same year Five For Fighting performed at the festival. That was on a different day that Seal was there, so I missed out on what could have been a life changing experience. Actually, it only delayed it for a year because I discovered John Ondrasik's music the following July, and the rest is history. Still, it would be interesting to know if things would be different if I had been exposed to John's music a year earlier than I did.

But, I digress. This year, my big plan for Bumbershoot was to see Hall and Oates. Call it another opportunity to fulfill my neverending quest to see the musical artists I have missed throughout my lifetime. And, Hall and Oates have been around for a LONG time! I actually have three of their albums ON VINYL that I purchased back when they were released. I also decided that the festival was a great way to experience my first rap concert, care of the artist Big Boi. I'm no fan of rap music...in fact, I don't like it at all. But, I was curious to see what the atmosphere of such a concert was like.

When I got to Seattle Center...the site of Bumbershoot...I spent the first few hours walking around, taking in the bands playing at the different stages. I wasn't real interested in the comedy acts or the short film festival, but I did check out the visual arts exhibits. One building was devoted to Flatstock...music poster artists displaying and selling their art. But, alas, there were no Five For Fighting posters, so I went away empty handed. The mainstage acts this year were performing at Key Arena, which was a big improvement from the usual outdoor Memorial Stadium. It was there that I saw Big Boi...and only stayed for two songs. That was enough for me. Just not my thing.

I left Seattle Center to check into my hotel and freshen up. When I returned, after grabbing a bite to eat, I got into line early at Key Arena to score a good seat for the Hall and Oates show. There was standing room on the floor of the arena, but I decided I would rather sit. I got there early enough to see another musical act perform first... Fitz and the Tantrums. As soon as the band took the stage and went into their first song, the bass player immediately caught my eye. Hmm...he looked awfully familiar! The band sounded great...they really got the crowd into the music. Throughout their set, I kept looking at the bass player...was it or wasn't it who I thought it was? Finally, the lead singer introduced the band members, including the bass guy. Yes! I was right! It was Joe Karnes, who toured with Five For Fighting last year! I got to know him when I followed John''s tour for six shows, and now he was playing for a pretty awesome band.

When I heard that Fitz and the Tantrums would be doing a meet and greet after their show, I decided to try to see Joe. I walked over to the merch booths...people were already lining up. Luck was with me. When the band appeared, Joe was trailing the group. I greeted him and Joe seemed to remember me. After all, I think you would remember someone who made cookies for the Five For Fighting band and crew! I congratulated Joe for hooking up with such a great band, and told him that I was there to see Hall and Oates but was happy to see him! Such a great guy...and a talented bass player, too! I rushed back to my seat in time to see Hall and Oates take the stage. Wow! They hadn't lost their touch! The set list included most of their biggest hits, and there were TWO encores!

Maneater
Family Man
Out Of Touch
How Does It Feel To Be Back
Adult Education
Say It Isn't So
She's Gone
Sara Smile
I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)

Encore
Rich Girl
You Make My Dreams

2nd Encore
Kiss On My List
Private Eyes

One interesting thing I observed during the Hall and Oates performance was a woman signing the words for a group of deaf people sitting in a section below me. It was cool to see them enjoying the beat of the music and watching the woman passionately signing the lyrics. There were a lot of young people on the floor enjoying the music, and everyone provided the appropriate hand clapping during the song Private Eyes. Hopefully, the younger audience who didn't know who Hall and Oates was...they do now! It's been 37 years since their first hit single, She's Gone hit the charts, but their music will remain timeless! Long live rock and soul!

Game day

2011-08-21T17:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I crossed off yet another item on my bucket list. Nothing overly challenging, and something I can definitely see myself doing again in the future. A friend of mine regularly buys football season tickets for the Seattle Seahawks. I had made it known to him that I had never attended an NFL game and that I would love to do so. Well, turned out he couldn't go to the August 20th Seattle-Minnesota matchup and asked me if I was interested in the tickets. I checked my calendar and to my good fortune, I was free that day! He sold me the tickets for half price. Now, it wouldn't be fun going alone, so I found a female friend who had also never been to a pro football game, so it was perfect.

After a Korean food lunch in Lynnwood, we drove to the Uwajimaya food store near CenturyLink Field, site of the night's game. Uwajimaya is a great place to pick up food and snacks if you're going to either CenturyLink Field or Safeco Field for Seattle Mariners baseball games. We were lucky to find a free parking space along the street just a few blocks away and soon joined the other eager football fans streaming into the stadium. Our seats were up in the 300 level and we had a great view of the field. It was a bit far away to get really good photos, but I still managed to get a few decent shots of the action.

There were Minnesota Vikings fans scattered throughout the stadium, including in my section. During the game, I overheard some good natured banter between Seahawks and Vikings fans, but everyone was having a good time. That's one thing I've observed while attending Mariners games in the past and this game, too...Seattle fans are polite and display good sportsmanship. With the violence that occurs all too often at sporting events in other cities, it's nice to see that rarely happens in Seattle. Well, the Hawks ended up losing the game, 7-20, but I still enjoyed myself. I would love to go to more games in the future. I think that will happen.

Turning a new page

2011-08-06T19:12:00.000-07:00

As some of you know by now, my Five For Fighting Fan Central website is now frozen in time. For those who don't, here's the story. Last year, my web host quit supporting my site builder. That caused some momentary panic, considering it IS my website that was affected...my FIVE FOR FIGHTING fan site! After a quick call to Tech Support, I got access back to the site builder, but I was on my own using it. Not a big problem, considering I never had much trouble with it. At that time, I knew my website's days were numbered, and I would eventually have to rebuild the site.

Well, that time finally arrived about a week ago when the other shoe fell, so to speak. My web host informed me that my site builder was being removed from their systems. Now, that won't affect the existence of my fan site...that will still be available for everyone to visit and enjoy. But, for me, I will no longer be able to edit or modify the site. Needless to say, when I got the notification email, my stomach turned flip flops. I knew the day was coming, but I was totally unprepared to create a whole new website! I immediately started looking over the list of site builders my web host had available and found one to my liking. It had some nice features that my current one doesn't have, looked simple enough to use, and it was FREE! There was some uncertainty on how to install the new software and use it without interfering with my current website. So, I called Tech Support again...love the 24/7 service...and the nice guy I spoke to talked me through the process.

With that done, I felt a sense of relief...and anticipation. The old site builder I had been using was super easy...but, it was also at times, very time consuming. I had to create much of the site BY HAND since there were only minimal templates. That meant a lot of inconsistencies...nothing was perfect from page to page since I moved things around myself! Yeah, it still looked good, but it always bugged me...I'm kind of an obsessive perfectionist. Well, with this new software, there are site designs to choose from, and ways to edit everything. AND, every page has templates! Still, since it was new software, I had some learning to do.

Actually, this was the best time for all of this to happen. There is not a whole lot going on in Five For Fighting land. John Ondrasik has been doing some shows in the past month and has a few more to go. But, he'll be spending most of the rest of this year and into early next year writing new songs and preparing to record his new album. That gives me several months to work on my new fan site. Today, I spent about six hours familiarizing myself with the new site builder. The software company has many helpful video tutorials to help make the journey a less bumpy one. I even managed to start working on my fan site home page a little bit. When I called it quits for the day, I felt encouraged and optimistic. It will take awhile to create my new site to my picky satisfaction, and there will be a lot of tweaking along the way. But, I hoping everyone will enjoy the results of my labor when it's all done. Stay tuned Five For Fighting friends...

All roads meet in Seattle

2011-07-11T00:59:00.000-07:00

Had a terrific day...and night...at Seattle Center! I started things off by visiting the Experience Music Project, better known as the EMP. I was particularly interested in their special Avatar exhibit. There were the usual props and costumes from the film, but the stuff about creating this awesome movie was even more interesting. The EMP also had another science fiction exhibit on the Battlestar Galactica TV series, and music related stuff on Jimi Hendrix and Nirvana.

After grabbing a quick bite to eat, I was hoping to see John Ondrasik before the Five For Fighting show. Knowing that John always does soundchecks before every concert, I walked over to Mural Amphitheatre. I was surprised to find two people waiting at the entrance. In the course of our conversation, I learned that Candy and Jeremy drove up from Portland, OR just to see John perform. They had actually started waiting there at 9:00 am! I'm a dedicated Five For Fighting fan who loves to be first in line, but not THAT dedicated! Usually, 2 to 3 hours before doors open is sufficient for me! I told them about my plan to see John, and immediately noticed a side entrance in the temporary fence. I decided to stake it out, and told Candy and Jeremy I would let them know if anything panned out. Well, my suspicions proved correct! At around 2:30, I noticed a black town car drive up...then John exited the vehicle! I approached him and said HI, and John replied, "Hi Wynne." I asked him if he could possibly have a chat with my new Portland friends at the front gate. John said that he was running a bit late, but would try to make time. I returned to Candy and Jeremy, and gave them the optimistic news. For the next 20 minutes, we enjoyed the wonderful sounds of John warming up his voice. As people walked by, some stopped to have a listen. A few inquired who was singing, and I told them it was Five For Fighting. I also added that tickets were just $25 for tonight's GreenNote show. Hey, I'll support John any chance I get, and trying to sell tickets for him is what a loyal fan would do! After John finished with soundchecks, we eagerly waited to see if he would come visit. Alas, John ended up exiting through a different fence opening without coming to see us. Oh, well. Hopefully, John would do a meet and greet after the show.

My plan foiled, I left my new friends and checked into my hotel. They said they would save a place for me in line. An hour later, I returned to the entrance, and the line had grown to about a dozen people. Included was a nice family from Coeur d'Alene, ID. This would be their second Five For Fighting show. Their first was actually my first official Five For Fighting show, too...November 2006 at Seattle's Showbox Theater. To my delight, I discovered they were frequent visitors to my Five For Fighting fan site. When gates opened at 5:00 pm, we all made our way to the area right in front of the stage. Candy and Jeremy to the right of me...they shared my blanket...and the Idaho family to my left. Shortly after we settled in, a guy in a Five For Fighting hockey jersey stopped by to say HI to me. Turns out we met at a previous Five For Fighting show in Seattle...I gave him one of my fan site business cards! If there's one thing I really enjoy, it's meeting other Five For Fighting fans at John's concerts!

There were two opening acts preceding John tonight. The first was a local gal, Jerin Falkner, who played piano and guitar. The second was pianist Jon McLaughlin, who was accompanied by Dylan Williams, who played electric guitar on a couple of songs. The openers were both quite talented, but it was John who I was really waiting to see. When he finally took the stage, I was SO ready to hear his wonderful voice! Here is John's setlist for the night and a couple of photos that I took.

World (piano)
The Riddle (piano)
Chances (guitar)
Slice (guitar)
'65 Mustang (guitar)
Superman (piano)
This Dance (piano)
Easy Tonight (guitar)
If God Made You (guitar)
Freedom Never Cries (piano)
I Just Love You (piano)
100 Years (piano)
Hope (a capella)

After John did 100 Years, there was a short question and answer period...a GreenNote thing...then John closed with Hope. At that, the majority of the crowd left, which surprised me and the Portland couple. A LOT more people had lined up to see Jon Laughlin. Hmm. Well, their loss. The 20 or so fans who DID stay were rewarded with a meet and greet with John! After Candy and Jeremy got their autographs and pics with John, it was my turn. John saw me and said, "Hi, Miss Wynne!" John is so sweet! As I got my photo with him, I thanked John for singing This Dance. It was nice to hear him perform a song he hasn't before. John agreed it was nice to play a new song, and added he was practicing Note To The Unknown Soldier with the band. So, you lucky folks who will get a full band show coming up will be hearing this song! Before I left John to his next fan, he apologized for not seeing us after the soundchecks. Aww...John you are REALLY sweet!

Before leaving, I said my goodbyes to my new Idaho and Portland friends. I told Candy and Jeremy that I would look forward to being at the front of the line with them at the next Portland Five For Fighting show! So, now I'm in for a long wait till the next Five For Fighting tour. John needs to get to work writing those new songs!

Summertime in Seattle

2011-07-09T21:12:00.000-07:00

Summers for me are usually fairly non-eventful. Work mostly, choosing to let everyone else have their vacations when the weather is warmest...I hate the heat! Thankfully, the weather up here in the Puget Sound area of Washington is nice during the summer...70s and 80s! Things are also normally pretty slow when Five For Fighting is between tours. John Ondrasik is busy writing songs for his next album...or should be!

This month and the next, John is doing a series of shows around the country. Those of us who are blessed to be close enough to attend one of them can consider ourselves lucky! I'll be one of those fortunate Five For Fighting fans when John performs at Seattle's GreenNote Acoustic Music Festival. Matt Nathanson is headlining tonight's show, and John will be doing an all-piano concert tomorrow. It will be an outdoor lawn show at Seattle Center's Mural Amphitheatre, and tickets are still available. The forecast for tomorrow is for mid-70s and NO RAIN, which will provide for a perfect night of awesome music! I'm hoping to see John before the show, but regardless, I'll be posting a blog afterward on the day's events and of course, the concert. I'm ready for a rockin' good time!

Facing off with John Ondrasik: The interview

2011-06-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

Last month, we heard from John Ondrasik that he signed a new record deal with his current label, Wind-Up Records. That means another Five For Fighting album, which is great news for his loyal fans! John will once again be teaming up with his friend, music producer Gregg Wattenberg, who produced John's hit album America Town. Together, they also gave us the greatest Five For Fighting song of all, 100 Years.

So, while John is busy working on writing songs for his upcoming album, that doesn't mean he's not doing a show or two...or three...or more! John will be performing a series of shows in July and August. Don't miss your opportunity to see him perform live this year, if you can!

Even though things are kind of slow in Five For Fighting land, that doesn't mean I'm resting on my laurels! I FINALLY found the time to transcribe the interview I did with John before his November 4th Brixton South Bay show last year. John graciously answered the questions I put before him...many of which John has NEVER been asked in previous interviews he's done. You can read the interview at my fan site, Five For Fighting Fan Central. I sure learned a lot during my conversation with John, and I hope you enjoy reading the interview! May this be the first of...at least another interview in the near future?

All creatures great and small

2011-03-23T22:23:00.000-07:00

When I left my hotel in Crescent City, CA this morning, I decided I couldn't leave town without doing something about my filthy ride. I found a self-serve car wash and spent $2 to wash off all the mud on my beloved groupie mobile. Feeling better afterward, I traveled north to Bandon, OR and the West Coast Game Park. If you've read my previous blogs, you will know this is my favorite zoo. This facility is devoted to breeding endangered animals to perpetuate species should they become extinct in the wild.

When I got to the zoo, the parking lot was pretty full...something I had not encountered in the past. I think part of the reason is because Oregon schools have their spring break this week. Thus, the presence of many families at the zoo today. It made it a little harder to enjoy the close encounters with the animals with so many people there. Still, I was able to pet Cadence, the caracal or African wild cat, and hold their old opossum and a ferret. There was a 10-month-old tiger cub named Sheriff, but because he was too big, we were only able to take photos of him...no petting! With West Coast Game Park, the animals available for petting or holding are all a matter of timing. I had some great experiences in my past visits...not a whole lot this time. But, that will not discourage me from future visits because it's such a cool place. And, I got a lot of nice photos of the other zoo animals, including the young ring-tailed lemur that you see above.

After a quick Thai lunch in Bandon, my only other destination of the day was Siuslaw Pioneer Museum in Florence. This small museum presents the history of the area in the form of photos and personal items donated by local families. Many objects reminded me of things I had seen in antique stores, but these told stories of the generations of people who settled in Florence and made their lives there. So, tomorrow I make the day long drive home. My road trip has been tiring, but fun. I'll be posting a wrap-up blog or two when I get settled back in my old routine and take a breather. I can't wait to see my cat!

Wapiti and wet boots

2011-03-22T22:07:00.001-07:00

As I left Santa Rosa, CA this morning, I was expecting a nice day. I spent the entire morning driving north on US Hwy 101 in northern California...better known as The Redwood Highway. There are a lot of opportunities to see the redwood trees along this route, but that wasn't on my agenda. I only had time for one thing...visit Fern Canyon in Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. When I turned into the road leading to the canyon, I was immediately presented with an obstacle...one of many on this afternoon. Just off the highway, the road was flooded. As I debated driving through the water, I noted a couple of other vehicles parked on the opposite side. The people were observing and taking photos of a small herd of Roosevelt elk...also known as wapiti.

Just then, a small car drove toward me through the standing water. Well, if a car can do it, my Blazer certainly can, too! I slowly crossed the flooded road and made it to the other side. I joined the others admiring the elk, and took a few pics myself. I then continued on my way to Fern Canyon. The paved road soon turned to compacted dirt...then, compacted mud. My Blazer's tires are supposed to be mud and snow tires. They had seen snow, but never mud, so this was a good test. After about four miles of winding through the trees, I was suddenly presented with another challenge...driving through a stream! Now, there were no signs warning that it was not passable, so I held my breath and drove forward. My Blazer rolled down into the water, and I slowly accelerated to the opposite bank...I made it! My euphoria was short-lived because soon after celebrating my first successful stream fording...I came to ANOTHER stream! This one was almost identical to the previous one. With new found confidence, I negotiated the second stream without any problem. The remaining road to the Fern Canyon parking lot was filled with water-filled potholes, which I did my best to avoid.

When I got to the parking lot, there were a few cars there...and a California Department of Corrections vehicle. As I started walking the trail to Fern Canyon, I encountered a number of what I assumed was low risk inmates dressed in orange jumpsuits. They didn't seem to be closely supervised as they worked on trail repair. I found them to be rather pleasant and friendly, talking to them as I passed by. I soon found out my biggest challenge of the day was yet to come. It turned out the normally graveled and fairly dry Fern Canyon trail was currently a wide, gentle flowing stream! I took another trail to the opposite end of Fern Canyon, but discovered in order to see it...I had to walk in the water. I told myself, I wasn't about to drive through the mud, streams and potholes only to be defeated by a little water! I scanned the stream to pick out the best route...then, got my feet wet! My leather hiking boots immediately filled with water, and stayed that way for the length of my hike.

The Fern Canyon trail is about a half mile long, traveling through a canyon with fern-covered walls. It has a prehistoric feel to it, which is the reason it was used as a location for The Lost World: Jurassic Park. But, I'm pretty sure the canyon floor wasn't covered with water for the film like it was now. As I walked through the canyon, the trail would appear here and there. I would alternate slogging through the stream, and climbing over logs and branches. At one point, I miscalculated a branch and tripped over it. I banged my shin good on another branch as I fell down. I was lucky I didn't smash my face on something. With my leg smarting, I continued my ordeal until I reached the end of the trail...if you want to call it that. The canyon was a bit disappointing, not only because of the water, but because the ferns weren't at their peak yet. Still, I got some nice photos. Maybe someday I'll return when things are not quite so wet.

As I walked back to the parking lot, I encountered other people going the other way. At one point, I asked a family if they were planning to see Fern Canyon. They said they were, and I warned them about the water, which like me, they weren't expecting. When I got back to my Blazer, I removed my boots...pouring out the water...and my soaking wet socks. Thankfully, being on a road trip, I had spare dry socks AND more than one pair of extra shoes to wear. After I put my shoes on, I noticed a group of five Japanese girls exiting a mini-van, and looking ready to take a hike. I went up to them, and asked if they were going to Fern Canyon. Like the family I spoke to earlier, the girls were also unaware of the water-filled canyon. After talking among themselves, they asked if one person with rubber boots could walk in the water. When I inquired about the height of the boots...barely mid-calf...I told them that it wasn't high enough for the water. I think they decided just to walk to the nearby beach.

The journey back to the highway was uneventful, but still an adventure. I drove around the potholes, through the two streams, and on the muddy curves. Before going through the final flooded road, I took a few more pics of the elk, which were all leisurely sitting in a field. The bull elk were magnificent with their full racks of antlers. Tomorrow is my last full day of sightseeing. After 18 days on the road, I'm ready to head on home.

Happiness is...

2011-03-21T21:27:00.000-07:00

After yesterday's disappointing day, I was looking for a ray of sunshine. And, I got it, literally and figuratively. I started things off with a sit-down breakfast...something I hadn't done so far on my road trip. For some strange reason, I got my times all screwed up and I went to bed earlier than usual. I think it was the TV station I was watching...they were broadcasting the Mountain time zone. So, when I got up this morning, instead of 7:00 am...it was 6:00 am! I didn't figure it out until I put on my watch and glanced at the time. But, it actually worked out better for me...it gave me more time for breakfast. I drove north for about an hour, and stopped at a diner in Jackson, CA. This eatery was pretty typical...it was full of men! Truck drivers and working guys. I ordered the chicken fried steak, but only ate half and got the rest to go for tomorrow's breakfast.

I only had two attractions on the day's agenda. The first was a short drive up the road in Sutter Creek...the Sutter Creek Gold Mine tour. This modern mine is currently not being worked, but is open for public tours. I went on the first tour of the day with a family of four, and the tour guide drove us down below the surface in a motorized mine car. The guide went over the history of the mine, and explained the gold mining process. It was pretty interesting, and really cool to be underground in the dark tunnels.

The day may have started out cloudy, but as I left Sutter Creek and traveled west, the sun came out. When I reached Sacramento, I saw the result of the several days of heavy rain in the region. Brown water as far as the eye can see on both sides of the interstate from overflowing waterways. Even San Pablo Bay near Vallejo was the color of chocolate milk. The bad thing is...more rain is on the way tomorrow! For now, though, it was pleasant and sunny.

My other destination of the day was the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa. The creator of the world's most beloved comic strip, Peanuts, Schulz has left a lasting legacy for generations to come. This museum is a celebration of his life and his life's work. It was a thrill to see the actual original drawings that made their way into newspapers and books. Watching a video of Schulz drawing the Peanuts characters, I was mesmerized by his talent. There will never be another illustrator like him.

The weather looks favorable tomorrow for a bit of hiking. Only three more days of road trip left...

Rained out? More like SNOWED out!

2011-03-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

When I left San Francisco this morning, the skies were clearing...a big change from last night. The winds were just howling, and with rain, rain and more rain. Little did I know, I was just following the storm that passed over. My plan for the day was to spend the afternoon at Yosemite National Park to see some winter scenery. As I traveled east, the rain started picking up. I stopped in Oakdale for a lunch and gas pit stop. I also checked out a Hi-Tec shoe outlet, hoping to get a new pair of boots for work. I found something that I liked, but the price wasn't right...so I passed.

As I continued on my way and after traveling through the town of Groveland, the rain turned to snow. The snow was soon accumulating on the road, and turned from slush to packed snow. I passed by some cars that appeared to be putting on chains, but with my 4WD, I was doing okay. The photo above is a capture from a video I took, so you know what I was up against. But, after driving about 7-8 miles, no end in sight for the snow, and another 45 miles to Yosemite, I started getting concerned. I would only be traveling higher to Tioga Pass, which would probably mean more snow. And, even if I made it over, the last thing I wanted to do was risk getting stuck on the other side should they decide to close the highway. Reluctantly, I turned around, and headed back the way I came. I think I made the right decision. I can always see Yosemite again on a future road trip.

With no alternate plan, my only recourse was to check into my hotel early. This wasn't exactly a bad thing. I had cable TV and free wi-fi. In addition, I could probably use the extra rest. Road tripping is tiring, especially when you're trying to fit in as many activities as possible everyday. Besides, tomorrow is a new day, which means more sightseeing adventures! Only four more days on the road. Oh, by the way, when I checked the Yosemite website, it said the highway to the west entrance...the route I had been traveling...was closed due to snow conditions. So, I WAS right to turn around when I did!

Cable cars, not trolleys

2011-03-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

On this road trip, I couldn't leave San Francisco without riding the famous cable cars. The last time I had been on a cable car, I was about 14 years old. I remember being with the family and having a hard time getting on one in Chinatown. It was the height of rush hour...and tourist season...and every cable car was full. It would have been a long walk back to Fisherman's Wharf, especially with my 5-year-old sister in tow. Thankfully, we were able to find one with enough room for the five of us.

This morning, I met my friend Johnny at the Market and Powell cable car turnaround. Unfortunately, he had to catch a flight back to DC in the afternoon, so we said our goodbyes before I hopped on a cable car to Fisherman's Wharf. The San Francisco cable cars are the last manually operated cable cars in the world. Which is the reason why they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and are much loved by tourists visiting the city. And, it is wonderful to ride the old cars, traveling up and down the steep San Francisco streets. When I got down to the Wharf, I was ready for lunch. Since it was so rainy and chilly, I elected to eat at one of the restaurants on waterfront to get out from the weather. Turns out I selected one of the oldest eateries in San Francisco... Alioto's. I ordered the fried scallop basket...my favorite...which came with a cup of clam chowder. The soup was great, and I also enjoyed the accompanying sourdough bread...of course, you can't mention San Francisco without thinking sourdough, too!

After lunch, I walked to the nearby Musee Mecanique. This museum is also an arcade of sorts, filled with antique coin operated machines. Games, music makers, fortune tellers, and other entertainment devices...this place had it all. As I looked over the unusual machines, I noticed most of the patrons were adults...many of them older...and, they were having a lot of fun! I tried out a couple of the machines, choosing ones that had just had stuff moving around. Having enjoyed the sourdough bread I ate for lunch, I next went to Boudin Bakery. A San Francisco institution, this bakery has been making sourdough since 1849! Believe it or not, their bread contains the original mother dough (sourdough starter) in every loaf! Since I still had another 5 days of my road trip to go, unfortunately I couldn't buy very much bread. I decided to just get a small loaf for dinner, and a couple of fresh baked cookies.

After a brief visit to the San Francisco Maritime Historical Park visitor's center...it was too rainy to check out the ships...I took a cable car back the Market Street. The first time around, I rode inside the cable car. This time, I decided to stand on the back deck...it would allow me to take photos and video of our trip. I also discovered it gave me a great view of the brakeman operating the brake to help control the speed of the car as it traversed the steep streets. When the cable car reached its terminus, after buying some takeout dinner, I rode one of the old trolleys on my way back to the hotel. There is a difference between the cable cars and trolleys in San Francisco. Where the cable cars are actually propelled by underground cables, the trolleys or street cars are electric powered and travel routes with overhead power lines. But, they both share 19th century origins.

As I compose this blog post, it's very windy and rainy outside. And, it's supposed to be that way tomorrow. In fact, it might rain from now till the end of my road trip. That's a rather depressing thought. But, as I have up until now, I'll make the best of it. Oh, and by the way...the sourdough bread from Boudin Bakery was excellent!

A Bash for the record books

2011-03-18T23:24:00.000-07:00

When I got back from my damp sightseeing day, I stopped by my hotel's office to inquire about calling for a taxi to take me to the Marriott hotel, location of the Bash for Augie's Quest. When I stepped in the door, I saw a familiar face. The guy behind the counter was the same guy I talked to a couple years ago when I was in town for a Five For Fighting show! Not only that, Brandon...that was his name...remembered me, but couldn't remember the singer of his favorite song, All I Know! He said that taxis normally don't make appointments on Friday evenings, but he would try for me. About an hour later, I got a phone call in my room...success! A cab would be coming to pick me up. Later, when I went back down to the office to wait for my ride, I tipped Brandon for helping me out. We then talked for about a half hour while I waited. Such a nice guy!

My friend Johnny was waiting for me when I arrived at the downtown Marriott Marquis. It wasn't hard to tell which people were there for the charity event...most everyone was dressed in the requested red and black cocktail. Yes, including me! We went to the registration table and got our table assignment, then proceeded to the silent auction area. Neither myself or Johnny saw anything worth bidding on, so we just talked and waited for the ballroom to open and for the Bash to begin. I was hoping John Ondrasik would be there, since he is a HUGE supporter of Augie Nieto and Augie's Quest. But, his recent Twitter post mentioned poison oak, so I was pretty sure he would be a no-show.

When we entered the ballroom, the dinner salads were already waiting for us. That was soon followed by the entree...baked fish, steak, roasted potatoes and vegetables. The Today Show's Natalie Morales was host for the evening, and she introduced Augie and his wife Lynne. They got a long standing ovation, which brought tears to their eyes. There was a lot of love and support present in that ballroom! Then, the current U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Regina M. Benjamin presented Augie with the Surgeon General's Medallion. The medallion is the third highest award of the Public Health Service, and is given for exceptional achievement in the arena of public health and medicine. In this case, the incredible research work being done by Augie's charity organization, Augie's Quest. A tremendous honor for such an inspiring man!

As we were served dessert...chocolate cherry mousse...the live auction started, soon to be followed by an energetic performance by the band Sugar Ray. Then, the check presentation. Total contributions for the night...a record $1, 323,721! It's a great feeling knowing that the money donated will be going directly to ALS research. Afterwards, I bid Johnny good night, and grabbed a taxi at the Marriott taxi stand. Tomorrow, it looks like it's going to be a little less wet...I hope! One last day to see the sights of San Francisco, then the slow road back north...and home!

The calm before the Bash

2011-03-18T16:06:00.000-07:00

Today was a pretty lousy weather day. Wind and rain put a damper on sightseeing. Things did not start out very well as I left my hotel on my way to catch a bus for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. For some reason, I got my bearings screwed up and walked...in the wrong direction! After walking a number of blocks, I figured something was wrong. I asked someone for directions and sure enough...I was a dozen blocks from where I wanted to be! I took my new route and found I was still not taking the road most taken. Finally, after nearly an hour of walking in circles, I managed to get on the bus and on my way to the museum. But, my ordeal was still not over. Not only did I fail to get off at the right stop...I missed the next one, too! I ended up spending an extra ten minutes backtracking. Fortunately, when I got to the art museum, my friends Johnny and Rick...who has arrived from Washington, DC the night before...were saving a place for me in the ticket line. Moral of the story: plan things better...and take a map with me!

The rest of the morning was a lot better as I got reacquainted with my friends and we enjoyed the museum's exhibits. I hadn't seen Johnny for a couple of years when he visited Seattle and we both went to a charity event together. Actually, Johnny is in San Francisco to attend the Bash for Augie's Quest with me. I'll be posting another blog after the Bash so you'll know what went on. I'm looking forward to a fun night! Stay tuned...

Redwoods and bridge views

2011-03-17T22:21:00.000-07:00

Had a FANTASTIC day...and I wasn't even in San Francisco! I made the short drive north across the Golden Gate Bridge to Marin County. After picking up a sandwich at a deli in Sausalito, I spent the morning at Muir Woods National Monument. Once again, I used my park pass...what a great deal at $80 a year...and took the paved main trail through the redwood forest. I wasn't the only one with the same idea. There were a couple of tour buses that had already disgorged their passengers, and a number of visitors who arrived via car. There were almost TOO many people there for my taste. It did help that the main trail split into two...I selected the one less traveled. In addition, about halfway down the trail, the Hillside Trail branched off from that. I decided to further distance myself from the crowd by taking that dirt trail. In 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt designated the Muir Woods as the nation's 7th national monument. The residents of the Bay Area are lucky to have such an awesome redwood park so close to home.

After spending about two hours walking through Muir Woods, I drove back south to Sausalito to do some more sightseeing in the Golden Gate Recreation Area. I took a LOT of photos of the Golden Gate Bridge, the bay and coastlines from the many Marin Headlands view points. The sun was shining, and it was just beautiful. Such a perfect day! Besides the scenery, there were a couple of places of note that I visited in the vicinity. The SF-88 Nike Missile Site is a remnant of the Cold War, when the U.S. operated such missile sites around the country to guard against Soviet attack. I also checked out The Marine Mammal Center, a non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating injured and sick marine mammals, mostly seals and sea lions. You often hear about people who do that type of work, but it was nice to see their efforts first hand.

Well, the wait is almost over. The Bash for Augie's Quest is TOMORROW! Good eats, great music and a lot of inspiration. I'll be posting a blog when I get back from the Bash to tell you all about it! It's supposed to be rainy and windy tomorrow, but I won't let the weather put a damper on things!

Double double, road trouble

2011-03-16T22:42:00.000-07:00

When I left Los Angeles this morning, the sun was shining. But, by the time I got to my lunch pit stop in Kettleman City, it started raining. I had a reason for stopping at this oasis off I-5... In N Out Burger! I had mentally prepared myself for the delectable double double burger the night before, so I was ready for it...really ready! After placing my order, I was standing in the near empty restaurant, sipping my soda when a guy sitting nearby made friendly talk. He was admiring my Nike basketball shoes and we soon got into a conversation on our Nike collections. The guy was really nice and we progressed our dialogue to our prospective college teams. I enjoyed the brief exchange with a total stranger.

I was in a good mood as I continued north on the interstate. The rain dissipated and the Pet Shop Boys was rockin' my Blazer. Just as one of my favorite songs of theirs started playing and I was just passing the town of Patterson, I almost got into an accident. Several cars were merging onto the freeway so I moved into the left lane. I watched as the cars moved into the right lane, including an old Mercedes pulling the rear. It was a good thing I kept my eye on it because...it kept moving to the left. Directly toward my me! I almost traded paint with the Mercedes as I laid on the horn, braked hard and moved slightly to the left to avoid the car. I was steamed! It was an old, balding man who realized belatedly that I was even there! Hey stupid, ever heard of head check? He looked in his rear mirror after hearing my horn, and sheepishly waved his hand. What an idiot! I had to follow the dummy until he passed the other cars and SLOWLY pulled back into the right lane. It was only my defensive driving skills that prevented me from damaging my beloved groupie mobile.

It took about 5 minutes for the adrenaline rush from my near catastrophe to disappear. By the time I got to my only sightseeing destination of the day, I had calmed down. At the Oakland Museum of California, I enjoyed a very impressive exhibit on The Story of California. I had seen bits and pieces of California history in a number of museums, but this one seemed to have everything...and then some! It took about two hours for me to see and read everything in the exhibit, it was that fascinating!

Tomorrow, it should be a nice day, albeit a bit cooler than Los Angeles. In other words, my kind of weather! I'll be doing some walking and historic sites. I'll try to make the best of my outdoor day because it's supposed to rain for the next two. That will put a damper on my plans, but I think I can find other things to do in San Francisco!

It's all happening at the zoo

2011-03-15T23:36:00.000-07:00

Got back late from my evening activity so I'll make this quick. I started out my day at the zoo...the Los Angeles Zoo. I had never been to this one before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I found was a lot of nice animals...I took a lot of nice pictures! Now, this zoo may not be the biggest, but it isn't that small either. From the whimsical meerkats to the magnificent gorillas, this zoo is great.

I had lunch with my friend Lynne. I had gone to a few Five For Fighting shows with her in the past, and it was a treat to touch bases with her again while I was in Los Angeles. Afterward, I rushed over to check out the Grammy Museum. As a music fan, I found it fascinating, especially the John Lennon exhibit, which included many handwritten song lyrics. I wished I had more time to spend at this museum, but I needed to get over to Sony Television Studios to attend a live taping of the CBS-TV situation comedy, Rules Of Engagement. I was concerned about getting caught in rush hour traffic, but I got lucky and it was smooth sailing to the studios.

This was not the first time I had gone to a live TV show taping. A couple years ago, I contributed to the laugh track for the series, Accidentally On Purpose (since canceled). I admit I'm not a fan of sitcoms, but it's a lot of fun participating in such live tapings. I joined a couple hundred other people as we sat in seats set up in the sound stage. As the actors were filmed performing their lines, we as the audience were expected to laugh when appropriate. It was cool watching the cast...Patrick Warburton, David Spade, Megyn Price, Adhir Kalyan, Oliver Hudson and Bianca Kajlich...doing their thing. By the way...Oliver Hudson is cute! Taping started at 6:00 pm, and after about 1 3/4 hours, they fed us! Like the Accidentally On Purpose setup, we were each given a slice of pizza and a bottle of water. Awesome! It took about 3 1/4 hours to tape what will be about 20 minutes on television. I'll be looking forward to watching the episode on TV and see if I can hear myself laughing...probably not!

Tomorrow, I leave L.A. for San Francisco and the main purpose of my road trip...attending the Bash For Augie's Quest on March 18. Looking forward to a night of fun and inspiration!

Food and art...what could be better?

2011-03-14T21:57:00.000-07:00

I skipped any kind of breakfast this morning and opted instead to have brunch... Pink's Hot Dogs! I was SO ready for it! I had eaten Pink's famous chili dogs twice on previous road trips and I was craving it again. When I got there right after they opened at 9:30 am, I was the second customer of the day. I ordered 2 dogs and a side of onion rings, and took the food to a nearby park to enjoy. SO GOOD! I ate one chili dog and saved the other for a future meal...after I leave town! Yes, it's good microwaved!

I had four museums on my schedule for the day...not that I was actually thinking I could see them all. I like options and I plan ahead of time so I always have someplace to go. First on my list was the Chinese American Museum in downtown Los Angeles. Once I was in the vicinity, I realized I needed to find someplace to park. Every nearby lot seemed to be full. I went round and round in circles, then finally gave up in frustration. I went on to the next museum on the list...The Geffen Contemporary in Little Tokyo. Again, I had to move on...it was closed for renovation. I had already wasted an hour doing nothing! I drove a short distance to the main Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA...finally, success! I like modern or contemporary art as opposed to the older stuff...anything before the 1800s doesn't interest me much. Too many portraits, landscapes and still life, which simply bores me. With different mediums, styles and themes, contemporary art is just...more creative.

The MOCA had some nice pieces by well-known contemporary artists...Jackson Pollack, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein. But, I wanted more. My last museum of the day was the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This is THE main art museum in Los Angeles...and they had a LOT of modern art there. I was awed by the impressive collection of Picassos. And, like the MOCA, they also had their fair share of Warhols, as well as Henri Matisse and single works by Georgia O'Keefe and Winslow Homer. But, what really made my day was seeing two paintings by my favorite contemporary artist, Rene Magritte. The Treachery Of Images (Ceci n'est pas une pipe) and The Liberator (seen above) graced the walls of the museum. It was quite a thrill. Now, even though I prefer modern art, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the old masters. I was impressed by the collection of Renoirs, Monets, Gauguins, Rodins and Cezannes. Hey, I know a LITTLE about the older stuff!

After filling my day with art culture, I was ready for a good dinner. I drove to the nearby Los Angeles Original Farmer's Market for my Brazilian grill fix. I got takeout from their buffet and selected a couple of delectable meats. I made sure to get my favorite fried plantains! Driving back to my hotel, thankfully, I didn't stay too long on the dreaded Hwy 101. That freeway seems to be in a perpetual traffic jam!

One more day in Los Angeles, then it's off to San Francisco! Looking forward to one last day of fun...yes, it WILL be fun! No more disappointments allowed!

Ride to yesterday

2011-03-13T21:37:00.000-07:00

When I left Yucca Valley, CA this morning, I was eager to get to Los Angeles. After visiting and spending the night in small towns, I was ready for the big city. My first destination of the day was the American Military Museum on El Monte. This place has a wonderful collection of old military vehicles, weapons and hardware. Some of the items were used in movies and TV shows. Afterward, I was ready for lunch. At this point, I was craving a nice bowl of ramen, and I got it from Ajisen Ramen in San Gabriel. The spicy beef ramen really hit the spot, and I elected to get a takeout of order of curry with fried chicken for dinner.

The most interesting place of the day was the Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo. I enjoyed looking at the old cars, but it was even better riding one! On Sundays, they select a few cars from the collection, and offer rides to museum visitors. I had the pleasure of taking a spin in a 1941 Packard convertible. This classic automobile had a surprising smooth ride, and I was told it could actually go fast enough to drive on the freeways. I must say, it's the oldest car I've ever ridden in...my family owned a '57 Chevy when I was little, but this one tops that. The Packard was definitely opposite of the NASCAR race car I rode in a couple days ago, but almost as exciting.

My last point of interest of the day was The Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City. This eclectic museum is certainly unlike any that I've seen before. A mix of the bizarre, the scientific and the cultural, it's probably not everyone's cup of tea, but I found it fascinating. My favorite exhibit displayed old remedies and superstitions from times past. For instance, the cure for a child's bed wetting? A meal of toast with mice...with fur still intact!

Tomorrow, more fun in the Los Angeles sun. I'm getting kind of used to the rays, but I'll never get tired of the cool Pacific Northwest temps...and yes, the rain, too!

Beauty KNOWS pain!

2011-03-12T21:23:00.000-08:00

I left Las Vegas this morning to sunny skies. I was hoping it would not be too hot today. As I drove west to California, I could practically feel my arms getting darker...I tan pretty easy. I won't be needing my Vitamin D supplements, that's for sure! I didn't have enough time to really see Mojave National Reserve, since my priority was Joshua Tree National Park, so I just drove through. At one junction, just as I was turning south for Joshua Tree, a sign caught my eye... Amboy Crater. Then, I SAW the crater. Hmm...interesting. I turned around and drove a mile to the viewpoint to take a look at it. Cool. It's described as a cinder cone volcanic crater, rising up from the ground. I took a few photos from afar, then continued on to Joshua Tree.

Initially, my plan was to see wildflowers at the park. But, it soon became evident there were no flowers in the areas of Joshua Tree that I selected to check out today. I guess I should have planned things better! But, all was not lost. I DID see the beautiful cholla cactus garden. This particular cactus might be beautiful, but it's also dangerous. The plant is known for its branches that can break off easy and attach to your clothing. The spines are particularly hazardous and can be difficult to remove from the skin. I walked along the dirt trail running through the grove and took care not to make contact with the cholla. I also took a lot of photos, including the one you see above.

I spent the rest of the afternoon admiring the numerous rock formations and stone covered hills. Joshua Tree is popular with rock climbers, and I saw quite a few of them enjoying their hobby. With no wildflowers to photograph, I concentrated my efforts on the rocks...and the Joshua trees. I ended my day at the park with a pleasant 1 mile nature trail to Barker Dam. Many people did the same thing, since this trail is particularly easy and picturesque.

Tomorrow, I make the drive to the big city...Los Angeles! Like my road trip has been so far, my sightseeing plans there are a mixed bag. It will be nice to stay in one area and not have to drive too much for awhile.

That's one off the bucket list

2011-03-11T20:39:00.000-08:00

I had a mind-blowing day! I went on my long-awaited Richard Petty Ride-Along Experience, which took place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. A shuttle picked me up at Harrah's Hotel & Casino, along with a guy who would be doing one of the actual driving experiences. Already on the board the shuttle were a couple from Florida and four Australian gentlemen. None of us had done the ride-along before, so everyone was pretty excited. When we arrived at the speedway, our group was given a tour of the Race Shop, where they maintain and repair the NASCAR race cars used for the ride-along and driving experiences. Then, it was adrenaline rush time!

Everyone was issued a protective driving suit...which was worn over our street clothes...a head covering and a race helmet. The workers there did a good job eye-balling everyone's sizes...the suit and helmet selected for me fit perfectly! There was one more important item placed over my neck before my ride...the Hans device or head restraint. This is a piece of equipment developed for drivers to protect them from fractures to the back of the skull after crashes. Sadly, this was brought to the public's attention after NASCAR racer Dale Earnhardt's untimely death in 2001. All decked out in my race gear, I was now ready for my thrill ride! I was led to the race car, and I climbed in through the window...no doors here! A worker strapped me in, and pointed out the emergency releases for my belts and head restraint. I was glued to the seat and I couldn't move my head much. The driver introduced himself...I think his name was Jim. At that point, a photographer took my photo, which would be available for purchase after the ride. In addition, there would be video cameras recording me in the car, as well as the car traveling around the track. This would be burned to a DVD as another memento of the day.

Then, the driver started the engine. It roared to life and I could feel the vibration throughout the vehicle. A pace car pulled out in front of us and we immediately gave chase. The race car quickly accelerated...and away we went! The speed was incredible...supposed around 160 mph...and the car literally hugged the banked track. The Las Vegas super speedway is 1.5 miles long with an incline or bank of 20%. As the car went around the track, I was rendered speechless. The ride was both exhilarating and scary. I found myself praying that we wouldn't crash, but I was also enjoying the experience. The car did three laps...and then, it was over. What an awesome ride! When I crawled out of the car, my legs felt a bit wobbly. It must have been the adrenaline wearing off.

After I got the gear off, I went to the merchandise trailer and found they mounted the photo of me in a nice plaque. I opted to buy it, and also ordered a copy of the DVD. After the ride, I decided once was enough, and I wanted to have something to remember the experience. I must say, now that I know what it's like to be in a NASCAR race car, I have a new found respect for the drivers who do it for a living. To go 200 or 400 laps around a track in a race car is a strenuous and stressful occupation, with a definite element of risk involved. Would I recommend the ride-along experience? Heck, yeah! It might be one of the most thrilling things you'll ever do in your life!

When I returned to the Strip on the shuttle, I enjoyed a buffet lunch at Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino, then drove to the Tropicana for something less exhilarating, but no less entertaining. The hotel had a special exhibit called the Las Vegas Mob Experience...a audio/visual history of organized crime in Sin City. For a sawbuck...that's 10 bucks if you don't know...I found it to be amusing and informative. The first half of the exhibit featured live actors who brought to life the activities of The Mob. The interaction with them was fun, and made this experience well worth going to.

I ended my last day in Vegas with a trip to yet another museum...the Clark County Museum in Henderson. Tomorrow, I leave town and I'll spend the day doing some outdoor stuff. It will be nice enjoying the fresh air and sunshine. After walking through smoky casinos, I can use some cleansing out.

Pawn shopper

2011-03-10T21:51:00.000-08:00

Left Cedar City, UT this morning with the sun shining brightly. All it did was accentuate the dirt on my Blazer. I did a previous internet search and found what looked like a good car wash in St. George, so that was my first stop of the day. Twenty minutes later, my ride looked great! If you want a first rate car wash, go to St. George Car Wash...they'll treat you right! A couple of hours later, I was in Vegas. After five days of eating out, I was craving healthier fare. One way to get that...a buffet! The one I picked for lunch wasn't the greatest, but at least I got my vegetables!

After lunch, I took a short drive to the most famous pawn shop in Las Vegas, the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop. If you watch the History Channel television show, Pawn Stars, you know what I'm talking about. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the guys featured on the show, but they weren't around. Darn. I DID buy a T-shirt, though. I might stop by again tomorrow and maybe I'll be lucky enough to see them.

I only had a couple of museums on the agenda today. I went to the Nevada State Museum, which was pretty standard for its type. I appreciated their using artist's sculptures for most of their animal displays instead of the stuffed variety. I especially enjoyed The Atomic Testing Museum. This museum is about the development and testing of atomic weapons throughout history and around the world. While looking at the exhibits, I got to talking to one of the docents volunteering his time at the museum. He told me about his past experiences during the bomb tests in Nevada. I was especially impressed with a photo of President John F. Kennedy visiting the facility where he worked...and he pointed himself out in the photo! The gentleman was much younger back then, but it was unmistakably him!

Tomorrow is a big day for me! I'll doing the Richard Petty Ride Along Tour at Las Vegas Speedway. That means I'll be riding shotgun in a real NASCAR race car with a professional driver at the wheel. They say we'll hit 160 mph on the banked racetrack. I can't wait!

Mission accomplished!

2011-03-09T20:50:00.000-08:00

I had the best night so far on my road trip...stayed at the Days Inn in Brigham City, UT. Sure makes one forget about the rough towels at "that other place." I left town and traveled south on an important mission...the quest for diet Code Red Mountain Dew. You laugh, but it's a serious matter. You see, the Pepsi Company stopped selling the stuff in Washington...and Oregon and Idaho, too. They said not enough people were buying it in those states. I like regular diet Mountain Dew, but I really missed my Code Red. While I'm on my road trip, I set some time aside to get some for myself and a friend...she also likes diet Code Red.

I stopped in Centerville, UT and the first store I checked only had one half case, which I bought. I was more successful at the second store...I bought FIVE more! That will be three for me, and three for my friend. Mission accomplished! I skipped breakfast to prepare myself for something I had been craving since last November's road trip... In N Out Burger! I lunched on a double double combo in Orem, UT...oh, yeah! It was worth the wait! I'll probably be doing In N Out at least one more time before my trip is over.

Back in my home state of Washington, the maximum speed limit is 70 mph. In Oregon, it appears to be 65. When I crossed the border into Idaho, it jumped to 75 mph. Now, this is plenty fast for me, but certainly not for a lot of other drivers...they were passing me. I found the same speed limit when I entered Utah, but I was in for a surprise. Apparently, they are testing out 80 mph in certain long, straight stretches of interstate. I encountered this today, but I did not feel compelled to increase my speed. I stuck to 75 mph, mainly because my Blazer just burns more gas the faster I go. I'm sure it's like this for other drivers, but they don't seem to care. You would think that with the higher gas prices it would affect their driving habits, but it doesn't seem to.

I only had one sightseeing destination today... Fremont Indian State Park. This park is known for its wonderful collection of pictographs and petroglyphs left by the Fremont Indians a thousand years ago. I had never seen rock drawings before, so it was especially fascinating for me. It was too bad most of the trails were too wet and muddy, so I wasn't able to see all of the drawings. But, I saw enough to make the trip worthwhile. I'll have to come back and see what I missed on a future road trip.

Are two heads better than one?

2011-03-08T20:49:00.000-08:00

This morning, before leaving Boise, ID, I visited the Idaho Historical Museum. I had read that this was a great museum, and I wasn't disappointed. It IS a nice museum! Not the biggest, but it's filled with a lot of interesting things. There were informative exhibits on the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery, the Chinese during the Gold Rush, and the Peace Corps. The most unusual artifact there had to be the two-headed calf. The stuffed calf was donated to the museum by a farmer back in 1950, and it's been popular with visitors ever since.

I only had two other destinations for the day. Both of them were at out of the way places. The first was Minidoka National Historic Site in Jerome, ID. Unlike the more well-known Manzanar National Historic Site, this site only consisted of a few interpretive signs. Like Manzanar, Minidoka was also a Japanese internment camp during World War II. Americans of Japanese descent from Washington and Idaho were relocated here just because they...were Japanese. Minidoka has been listed as one of America's Most Endangered Historic Places. Now that's a shame. Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.

My other destination was Golden Spike National Historic Site in Utah. This park commemorates the first transcontinental railroad in the United States. It features authentic replicas of the two locomotives that met at Promontory Summit on May 10, 1869...the Central Pacific's Jupiter and the Union Pacific No. 119. The trains only run during the summer months, but I was still able to see the beautiful engines stored in their barn.

Tomorrow, if the weather and conditions cooperate, I'll be doing some more hiking. Museums are nice, but I like to mix things up. And, I'm looking forward to a bit of excitement when I get to Vegas. Stay tuned.

Walking in history's path

2011-03-07T19:52:00.000-08:00

Before I left Pendleton, OR this morning, I decided to fill the gas tank. I had done some checking the night before and found one station had regular for $3.39...3 days ago. I thought it was still a good place to fill up, so I went there...and found the price hadn't changed! With gas prices spiraling up, I consider myself fortunate to get one last tank of relatively "cheap" gas.

I drove just out of town to the Tamastslikt Cultural Institute. This museum is devoted to the history and culture of the Umatilla Indian tribe. Having previously worked at Nez Perce National Historical Park back in the 80s, I found the two tribes had a lot in common. After an enlightening hour at the excellent museum, I continued on to my next history lesson of the day. In Baker City, OR is the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center. This facility provides an in-depth overview of the Western emigrant experience, in particular, their travels along the famous Oregon Trail. The high point of my visit was actually standing on a section of the original trail. The wagon ruts were still quite visible, even after 160 years! You can see what I mean in the above photo.

I had a pretty good day up to then, but things changed as I continued east on Interstate 84. As I neared the town of Ontario, a charter bus zoomed past me in the fast lane. I had passed this bus going slow about 15 minutes earlier, and here it was, exceeding the speed limit. Then, the bus started cutting in front of me, barely clearing my front bumper! I laid on the horn, and the driver moved back in the fast lane. As he put a little more distance between us and moved into the right lane in front of me...a rock came flying from under its wheels. It smacked into the left side of my windshield, leaving a dime-sized star on the glass. I cursed the stupid bus driver, not only for his erratic driving, but also for throwing up the rock. After the bus settled in the right lane...he slowed down to the speed limit! What an asshole! I passed the bus and left him behind, but it ruined my mood for the rest of the afternoon. What did I say about good luck yesterday? I take it back...I think I jinxed myself.

Waterfalls galore!

2011-03-06T20:55:00.000-08:00

When I left Vancouver, WA this morning, it was foggy...but, at least it wasn't raining! I decided to grab some breakfast, so I headed over to Portland's Pine State Biscuits. I had been here once before on a previous road trip, having discovered it through Historic Columbia River Highway. This road is famous for its numerous waterfalls, and my plan for the day was to see as many as I had time for. That meant going to the waterfalls that would not require to much walking to see them. My first falls of the day was Latourell Falls. I ate my breakfast in the parking lot, then proceeded to check out the waterfall. I followed that with Sheppards Dell Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. Then, the biggie...Multnomah Falls.

I briefly visited this waterfall in 2007, but just long enough to take a few pictures. This time, I wanted to make the 2.2 mile to the TOP of the falls. I had been told by a friend that it was well worth the hike, so I decided to give it a go. I soon found out it was going to be quite a workout to reach the end of the trail. It was a steep climb from the get-go, and it continued as I negotiated the switchbacks. It didn't take long for my calves to protest, and I had to make frequent stops to rest my legs. On the way up, I passed a young couple with a STROLLER going down. Pretty gutsy of them. One hour, eleven switchbacks and 700 feet of elevation later, I made it to the top. Needless to say, I don't think I'll be doing this again in my lifetime. But, it WAS worth the hike. The photo you see was taken from the falls summit viewpoint. Going back down the steep trail was easier, but still hard on the body...my knees and feet can attest to that! At one point, I saw a family taking a breather at the 4th switchback. The parents asked me how much farther it was to the top. Trying to be encouraging, I told them it was downhill from switchback #9. When I got back to my car, I popped a couple of ibuprofen to help my aching legs and feet, then continued on with my waterfall tour.

Horsetail Falls, Starvation Creek Falls and Wah Gwin Gwin Falls finished things out for the day. The latter was located at the Columbia Gorge Hotel, a historic landmark located in the town of Hood River, OR. After checking into my hotel for the evening, I made a rather wonderful discovery. Last night, I had been lamenting my misfortune at leaving my flash card reader at home. Well, while going through my things, I discovered I had my camera's USB cable! I can download my photos into my computer after all! So, I added a pic to yesterday's blog, and I'll be posting photos in all my future blogs on my road trip. Hope this is a portent of things to come...good luck things!

Splish, splash, I was...making a phone call?

2011-03-05T20:42:00.000-08:00

Day One of my 2011 road trip...I'll call it the Bash Road Trip after the charity event I'll be attending in a couple of weeks. I only got about 5 hours of sleep last night because my final road trip preparations took longer than expected. After I got the Blazer all loaded up this morning, I went to say Goodbye to my cat, Kimi...but she was nowhere in sight. Kimi was hiding because she thought SHE was going, too...she hates riding in the car. I reassured her that she was staying put, and gave her a hug...a friend will be tending to her in my absence.

As with my two previous road trips, the first CD I played in my car was Five For Fighting's Slice album. It just gets me in the mood, and sets the tone for the day. The drive south went smoothly, with periods of on and off rain showers. It was because of this uncertain weather that I canceled plans for a zoo visit. Instead, I headed directly to Vancouver, WA and Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. In the 19th century, this fort was headquarters of the Hudson's Bay Company and one of the most important settlements in the Pacific Northwest. When you think trappers and the fur trade, the Hudson's Bay Company at the center of it all. By the time I got to Vancouver, the rain was gone and the sun was peeking through the clouds. I used my National Park Service pass to access the fort...I bought it last April and would be using it for the last time on this trip before it expired. I found the historic site similar to another one I visited on my last road trip, Fort Sutter in Sacramento.

Afterward, I went to the adjacent Pearson Air Museum. This facility in Vancouver is one of the oldest operating airfields in the U.S. I found the interpretive exhibits on early aircraft and aviation during World War I extremely interesting. Wooden airplanes that can break under stress and flammable hydrogen balloons makes you appreciate the brave men who took to the air back then.

I finished my sightseeing early today, which gave me the opportunity to pick up something from the grocery store for lunch tomorrow. With a favorable weather forecast, it looks like my outdoor plans are a go. When I checked into my hotel for the night, I realized I forgot something rather important at home. I always transfer the photos I took during the day to my laptop, and I found out that I didn't have my flash card reader to do so. Alas, no pics to go along with my blogs, at least not until I get home. Don't worry, I'll add them later. Oh, one strange thing I found in my hotel bathroom...a phone installed on the wall! This is a first for me...never seen that before! So, someone can talk on the phone while they're sitting on the throne? I guess.

Time for another road trip!

2011-02-28T20:22:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been away so long but I've been busy...planning another road trip! I know, I just got back from one a few months ago, but I'm always looking for a good reason to take another one. And, this is a VERY important reason! Three years ago, I went to my first Augie's Quest Bash. If you've been following my blogs, you'll know all about the charity organization known as Augie's Quest. Named after Augie Nieto, who after afflicted with ALS...also known as Lou Gehrig's disease...began his quest to find a cure for this terrible disease. This charity is near and dear to the heart of John Ondrasik...better known as Five For Fighting. I had the pleasure of attending the Beach Bash for Augie's Quest back in 2008. It was a magical evening. John was there with his family, and he was SO NICE to introduce me to Augie and his wife Lynne. I also enjoyed the musical guest, Pat Monahan of Train. Unfortunately, work obligations prevented me from going to the following two Bashes, much to my disappointment.

But, good fortune smiled on me this year, and I'll be in San Francisco on March 18 for the 6th Annual Bash for Augie's Quest! Not satisfied with just flying down there, I decided to use a healthy chunk of my vacation time to do another road trip. Any excuse to get away from the wet and cold Northwest winter! Like my previous road trips, I've planned this one to death. I'll be doing new, cool things...and revisiting old favorites. And, like before, I'll be blogging everyday for those who are interested in sharing in my adventures! I don't know yet if John will be at this year's Bash, but I'm betting on it. It will be nice to see him again and say HI!

What a year!

2010-12-29T17:51:00.000-08:00

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!

Caverns and cats

2010-11-13T21:54:00.000-08:00

On my last full day of road tripping, I only had two places to see, but they were good ones! I left Medford, OR early so I could get to Oregon Caves National Monument in time for their first tour of the day. Registration for cave tours opened at 9:30 am, and I was there before then. I was also the only one there. I was asked if I could wait till 10:30 to allow time for other folks to arrive. But, an hour later...no one! So...I got my own personal tour of the caverns! That's the second time it's happened on my road trip...the first was at Black Chasm Caverns in California. To make things a bit special for me, the Park Service guide actually gave me my own flashlight to use. She wasn't supposed to do that...I hope mentioning it doesn't get her in hot water!

As we entered the caverns, I was shown a few Little Brown bats roosting on the wall. I see those same kind of bats at home...I had one on the wall of my house once! For the next hour and a half, we walked through the caves. At one point, I asked the guide if she had seen the movie, The Descent...and, she said she had! It's about a group of women who explore a cave...and become trapped inside and terrorized by its subterranean occupants. If you like to explore caves and enjoy watching horror films, you'll love this one! It was so cool to be the only one down there...well, almost. About halfway into the tour, we encountered a researcher trying to reconstruct pieces of rock that were damaged long ago by people walking on it. Again, since it was only me, she actually showed me what she was working on...what a treat! Oh, and she has seen The Descent, too! The tour ended all too soon, but I'll never forget the experience!

After a quick picnic lunch, I visited Great Cats World Park. By now, it was raining lightly, but that wouldn't dampen my enthusiasm. This unique facility is devoted to educating the public about the great cats of the world...and we're not talking about domestic cats! Most wild cat species are endangered or threatened, and Great Cats World Park tries to educate the public on their plight. In addition, they have a successful breeding program, and also offer the use of their well-trained cats to the entertainment industry and the media.

For about 2 hours, the guide gave us an up close and personal tour of their cats: white tiger, cougar, Amur leopard, black leopard, snow leopard, Bengal tiger, jaguar, African lion, serval, ocelot and a trio of African wildcats. While the guide was doing her talk, she fed the cats pieces of meat...they seemed to know the routine! We were allowed to stand 4-5 feet away from the enclosure fences, which is the closest I've ever been to such cats! I mean, this was really close! And, the cats were SO BEAUTIFUL! I was especially impressed with the snow leopard...what a huge tail it had! I've seen snow leopards in zoos, but never up close. Toward the end of the tour, we got to pet a baby black leopard. Not quite the same as my experience at West Coast Game Park (see my Fair weather and furry faces blog), but still great!

I spent a longer time at the cat park than expected...that was certainly okay...but, I now had a long drive north to my nightly pit stop. It took me about 4 hours, the second half in the darkness and rain...and getting caught in a post-game football traffic jam. I was pretty tired when I arrived at my hotel. Well, tomorrow is the home stretch! Just one zoo...which I might skip if it rains too much. It might be just as well...I can't wait to get to home sweet home!

Little bit of this, little bit of that

2010-11-12T21:16:00.000-08:00

I had another relaxing day of sightseeing today. Before I got things started, I went to the local Safeway in Redding to buy a few things for lunch. At the checkout stand, the lady at the register happened to see my Washington State driver's license, and commented that she used to live there. Born and raised in Ellensburg...I knew where that was because my parents live just south of that town! Small world!

It was already a beautiful sunny day as I arrived at Redding's Turtle Bay Exploration Park. This preserve is devoted to educating the public of the natural environment, culture and history of the Sacramento Valley area. I went to the museum first, which had a cool exhibit on costumes used in movies and television. Stuff like Indiana Jones' hat, jacket and bullwhip, and Darth Vader's outfit. The Paul Bunyan Forest Camp outside the museum is geared for children, but it was deserted when I walked through it. I was mostly interested in checking out the animals they had on display. As I walked up to the gray fox enclosure, I saw a little head pop up to see who was coming. Immediately, the fox jumped up on a tree branch to have a better look at me, which allowed me to have a better look at the fox. Inali was confiscated by people who were keeping her illegally. Because she could not be returned to the wild, she was now staying at Turtle Bay. Such a beautiful animal, but so sad she can't be free.

A prominent feature of the exploration park is McConnell Arboretum & Botanical Gardens, which I accessed by crossing over the amazing work of art, The Sundial Bridge (see photo above). These gardens include plants of Mediterranean climate zones from around the world. I'm not really big on gardens and plants, but I do appreciate the rare and unusual. I also decided that it would be good exercise to walk the paths of the gardens. In particular, I enjoyed looking at the monkey puzzle tree. I had heard of these trees, but never saw such nice specimens! Because it was so late in the year, many plants were not at their peak. Still, it was nice to take a stroll.

The only other destination of the day was a short drive out of town to Shasta State Historic Park. This park is devoted to the history of Shasta City, as told by interpretive signs with old buildings outside, and displays inside the town's original Shasta County Courthouse. The courthouse actually had a reproduced gallows out back, and jail cells downstairs. As I walked around the jail area, I noticed a smell that I've detected at so many old buildings. Kind of a damp, musty odor...not unpleasant, but a unique earthiness. I guess you can say it's an "old" smell, which lends a certain authenticity!

Before I left Redding, I decided to eat my lunch in my vehicle, parked in the quiet corner of a shopping center parking lot. I scanned the radio dial, searching for a good station. I was thinking there wasn't one until I finally found a soft rock station. Right at that very moment, they played Five For Fighting's Slice! Ahh...I was enjoying my lunch a whole lot more!

For those who served...

2010-11-11T19:50:00.000-08:00

I was looking forward to a nice, relaxing day. I planned to visit a medical museum in Sacramento first thing this morning. But, it being Veteran's Day, that museum was closed. Not wanting to waste precious time doing nothing until the other places on my list opened, I looked for an alternative. I did a Google search and found the Aerospace Museum of California was open at 9:00 am...perfect! Also, I was thrilled to see that they had a special Star Trek exhibit there, and...it was a fitting place to visit on Veteran's Day. When I got to the air museum, I made a beeline for Star Trek - The Exhibition. This special exhibit is supposedly the best display of Star Trek props and information ever offered to the public. I've been a big Star Trek fan from the classic series to the movies, so this really appealed to me. And, I wasn't disappointed...it rocked!

Afterward, I went outside to look at the display of military aircraft. It turned out the first plane I saw is one of my personal favorites...the A-10 Warthog or Thunderbolt II. As I approached the plane, the docent there asked me if I was connected to the A-10 in some way. I said "No, unless you want to count computer games!" I love to fly old World War II fighter aircraft in a computer setting. As for modern planes, the only one is the A-10...I have three games devoted to it! I got to talking to the veteran pilot about the plane. The A-10 is well-known for it's durability and toughness in battle. There have been many stories of pilots getting shot up but still returning home...because they were flying A-10s. He even described a fellow female pilot who experienced that herself while on a mission in the Middle East. Another attribute of the Warthog...it's slow for a jet fighter. For that reason, it might draw more ground fire, but it makes it perfect as a tank killer. The pilot said when he used to fly Red Flag war games, he and the other A-10s would leave for the rendezvous point, while the pilots in the faster jets like F-16s would hang around the base eating cheeseburgers...they had time to catch up to the slower A-10s!

Before I left to check out the other planes, I shook the pilot's hand and thanked him for his service. He seemed surprised, and noted that not many people said that to him. He was very appreciative and thanked me! I walked around and took photos of the military aircraft on the tarmac, then returned to the main building to see the displays inside. Sitting outside the doorway were three more docents...all military veterans. Before going inside, I shook all of their hands and thanked them for their service. One of the men then asked if he should thank me, too. At first, I was a bit confused...until I realized he meant the Five For Fighting hoodie I was wearing! Being of a different generation...or, maybe not a hockey fan...he had no idea what it meant! I explained that Five For Fighting was a musician...who also happened to be a big supporter of the troops. They liked that!

After a quick lunch, I drove to downtown Sacramento to see Sutter's Fort State Historic Park. This historic site is devoted to the story of John Sutter and his failed attempt...because of the gold rush...to build his own farming and trade community. To add to the realism, visitors see volunteers dressed in period clothing re-enacting life at Sutter's Fort. In addition to the fort, the park also includes the State Indian Museum. There, I enjoyed displays of the different aspects of California native American life.

Tomorrow, I've scheduled another easy day. I only drove about 2 1/2 hours today and it will be the same tomorrow. Slow road home is SO much less tiring! Only three more days of road tripping...

Folsom prison views

2010-11-10T20:37:00.000-08:00

When I woke up this morning, my injured finger felt a bit better. At least it doesn't hurt unless I apply pressure. Even typing is no problem...if I don't press on the key too hard! Needless to say, I'm VERY careful opening my Blazer's rear window now!

I was planning to visit two caverns today, but when I got to the first one... Black Chasm Cavern National Natural Landmark...I was told by the guy working there that the other one... Sutter Gold Mine...was closed today. Oh, well...I just go to another museum instead then! I arrived at Black Chasm well before the start of the first tour at 10:00 am. But, when that time rolled around...no one else had shown up! So...I got a private tour of the caves! Cool! This particular caverns is most famous for their extensive display of rare helictite crystals...the main reason it was awarded National Nature Landmark status by the National Park Service. And, those crystals ARE impressive!

As many past mornings on my road trip, I skipped breakfast so I was good and hungry after the cave tour. I was on my way to two museums in Folsom when I passed through the town of Placerville...and spotted an In N Out Burger! I had been planning to just eat the other half of my Subway sandwich, but I forgot all about that. Instead, I was envisioning a double double! I made a quick decision and...well, you know what I did! I beat the lunch crowd by just 5 minutes. As I was walking to my Blazer with my takeout burger, the vehicles started streaming into the parking lot! It was pretty amazing. And, yes...that double double tasted damn good!

I immediately felt a bit apprehensive as I turned into Prison Road in Folsom. There were signs along the sides of the road saying "No stopping or parking." My destination was the Folsom Prison Museum, but this attraction was located adjacent to Folsom State Prison. The prison is infamous for Johnny Cash's two performances there in 1966 and 1968. This was dramatized in the Joaquin Phoenix film, Walk The Line. I parked in the same lot that prison visitors use, which felt a bit weird. Actually, this is not the first time I've been near prisons. When I had a temporary job with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers back in the early 80s, at least a couple of times I went to the main office and drove past Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla. Then, while working for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in New Jersey, I occasionally passed by East Jersey State Prison...originally known as Rahway State Prison. Most prisons look the same...high walls and guard towers. The prison museum was extremely interesting. There were exhibits with prison memorabilia, including weapons and contraband constructed and confiscated from prisoners. The nice lady working there took a photo of me standing in front of the prison's East Gate. I prefer staying outside, thank you very much!

Next, I drove a short distance to the Folsom History Museum. I got a lot of information on local history from this museum. Since I didn't have a second cave visit today, I added the California State Railroad Museum in Old Sacramento to my itinerary. I'm not the biggest fan of trains, but I was pleasantly surprised on how well done the exhibits were at this museum. The history of the big railroad companies in the West, railroad construction, and descriptions on railroad life. I spent a good 1 1/2 hours absorbing it all. Oh, and the trains were pretty nice, too.

Tomorrow, more museums and a historical park...did I ever say I love museums? Four more days till my journey ends...

Frozen in time

2010-11-09T20:04:00.000-08:00

My day started on a painful note. I was loading my belongings into my Blazer when the rear window slammed down on my finger. A combination of overnight freezing temps and me not pushing window all the way up caused the accident. The end of my middle finger got smashed, and I was fortunate to just pull my hand out of the way at the last second, averting probably worse injury. At first, it didn't seem so bad. Yeah, my finger was numb and hurt like hell..I was hoping it was just a minor thing. But, as the day progressed, I noticed the finger starting to show bruising. And, by the time I stopped at my hotel for the night, my finger was swollen and purplish. I can't apply pressure without severe pain...otherwise, I'm managing. And, I'm doing what I hadn't done all day...icing the finger. It will probably keep it from bruising further, but it will take a while to feel normal. I'm just praying it's not something more serious. I guess time will tell.

My sightseeing for the day consisted of a historic park, a cave tour and a county museum. After spending the night in a quaint older hotel in Jamestown, I made the short drive to Columbia State Historic Park in Columbia. Many of the historic sites and museums in the region are related to the gold rush, and this place was a good example. Next, I drove up the road to Mercer Caverns...the first of several caves tours I planned for my road trip. This was only the 3rd time I had ever visited caves in this country...the other two were Jewel Caves in South Dakota and Shenandoah Caverns in Virginia. Mercer Caverns are what are known as limestone caves. It was a fun tour...especially when the guide turned the lights out. I think they do that on all cave tours. Scary!

I was hoping to see a museum in the historic town of Angels Camp, but it was unexpectedly closed...oh, well. So, I went on to my final destination of the day... Calaveras County Museum in San Andreas. Does the name Calaveras County sound familiar to you? Do you recall the Mark Twain story, The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County? Yep, THAT Calaveras County! The short story supposedly made Twain famous, and the rest, of course, is history! Anyway, this particular museum proved to be very interesting and well done. It wasn't real big, but I spent a good hour going through all the exhibits. The photo above is a room in the Hall Of Records...looks just the way it did way back when!

Tomorrow, I have two more cave tours planned, and well as two museums if time permits. I hope the swelling in my finger goes down...

Ancient sentinels

2010-11-08T19:42:00.000-08:00

When I woke up this morning, the sun was shining through the clouds and the skies were blue. I knew it was going to be a beautiful day! After a quick visit to the grocery store for bananas and carrots for lunch, I left Oakhurst for the short drive to Yosemite National Park. At the entrance station, I showed the interagency pass I purchased on my last road trip....still good till April...then, headed over to Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. The only big trees I've ever seen are redwoods, and I was excited to see my first sequoias.

It had rained yesterday and overnight in Oakhurst, but at the higher elevations in Yosemite, it was snow that fell on the ground. It was still chilly as I started on the trail to see the sequoias...35 degrees! But, I quickly warmed up as I hiked along. At first, the trail gradually inclined. As I kept walking, though, the trails became steeper and steeper. To make it even more challenging, snow was on the ground and the trails...tougher to walk on that stuff. When I first started out, there were some people on the trail, too. I soon left them behind, and I found myself on the trail alone. Now, I admit I'm not in tip top shape, but I think most people would have gotten quite a workout on these trails! I occasionally stopped to take photos and admire the view, which gave me a breather. It was also interesting to see the different animals tracks in the new snow...deer, squirrel, chipmunk. Thankfully, no bear or cougar! As time went on, I began to question the wisdom of me hiking to the top. But, I told myself if I do it, I never have to do it again...so, I kept going. Three strenuous miles later, I made it! Then, I quickly took a different trail back down...SO much easier than going up! When I finally reached the parking lot, I was exhausted and famished. It took me THREE HOURS to do those six miles! After fueling up on Subway, carrots and chips, I was ready to see the main attractions.

Yosemite Valley is home to some of the most beautiful and well known natural attractions in the world. Right after driving through a eastbound tunnel...there they were! At an overlook, were the famous El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridal Veil Falls. The photo above is what I saw. It was truly breathtaking! From there, I stopped along the road often to take pictures. You can't get enough great shots of the sights! Even better, since it was so late in the year, there were not too many people in the park. My only regret is not having enough time to do hike some more trails, although at that point, I think I was all hiked out for the day! After getting photos of Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls, I was ready to leave. As I walked back to the Blazer, I noticed some people taking pics of some grazing deer. I opted to take a pass...after all, I see deer all the time in my neighborhood and backyard!

Tomorrow, a less strenuous day! A historic park, a cavern tour and a couple of local museums...less driving, too! I could use an easy day. Road tripping starts to catch up to you after awhile...particularly if you do it alone!

Were there lizards back then?

2010-11-07T20:15:00.001-08:00

I had a terrible stay at my Glendale hotel. First of all, when you enter the lobby and you're greeted by a guy behind a inpenetrable glass wall, you don't feel that welcome! I knew something wasn't quite right when the supposed non-smoking room had it's door wide open...as did several other rooms on the floor! Airing it out...for what? The room itself smelled musty and not all that clean. I soon discovered this was one of many problems. There was NO facial tissue, NO clock radio, NO soap holder in the shower and rough towels! To make matters worse, when I got back from the Five For Fighting show, I passed a couple of people smoking on the walkway, two doors down from mine. I entered my room to find...it smelled like smoke! I think the smoke seeped under the door and through the 1/4 inch gap around the wall-mounted air conditioner! Needless to say, when I do my AAA review of this hotel, I will not be complimentary!

My first item on the agenda today was a visit to Fort Tejon State Historic Park in Lebec, CA. Stationed at this fort from 1854 to 1864 was the 1st U.S. Dragoons. The unit was most famous for their failed experiment of using camels in the U.S. Army. This park has original and restored buildings from that time. But, what interested me the most? Lizards! Small lizards were crawling all over the sunny side wall of the Barracks building. I hadn't seen wild lizards since I was growing up in southern California. All the kids had pets that they caught from the wild...snakes, tortoises...and lizards, too! I spent a good amount of time following the little critters...took a few pics, too, as you can see. So cute! I wished I could catch a couple for pets, but I just left them alone. Hmm...I wonder if those same lizards were crawling around Fort Tejon way back when?

The other fun thing for the day was going to the California Living Museum in Bakersfield. This zoo has animals and plants native to the surrounding area. The place was pretty small, but I managed to find something of great interest...rattlesnakes! Yes, many zoos have rattlesnakes, but it's not often you can actually SEE them really up close! I snapped some nice shots of the reptiles through the glass.

In general, the weather today was pretty nice. That all changed when I reached Fresno...rain! And, it rained all the way to my pit stop for the night. It might still be showering tomorrow morning, but it's supposed to clear up and be sunny the rest of the day. Crossing my fingers that will be the case as I'm going to visit Yosemite National Park!

Super moment...Superman

2010-11-07T00:35:00.000-07:00

My last show of the current Five For Fighting tour was certainly a special one...have I been saying that for every show? I attended with friends Lynne and Dave, who were with me at the Redondo Beach concert. Unlike last night, dinner was actually pretty decent at the Canyon Club, although it's pretty hard to mess up prime rib! The crowd was a little better audience with opener Matt Hires...their bantering didn't quite drown out his music. It might have also been the decent sound system, though. Oh, I guess I should mention I had a GREAT seat for this show, courtesy of my two friends! Got some nice photos, like the one you see here.

When John came on stage, he started out by communicating his pleasure at his Bruins football team winning this afternoon. He got right into World on piano, and replicated his set list for the past two nights (see Making things right blog). But, he did things a little differently for Superman. Cellist Victor Lawrence...who has played with John on past albums...accompanied him for that song. Victor was with John for his appearance in The Concert For NYC, and John reminisced on that special benefit concert. Hearing Victor play his cello for Superman was a wonderful addition to John's performance, and the highpoint of the evening.

After the show, I was hoping for one last photo moment with John, but it wasn't to be. I DID get to say goodbye to wife Carla, though! She was talking to a few friends, and when she saw me, told them I was John's biggest fan...she said it again! I guess it must be true? I explained to the ladies that I followed John from show to show when he toured the west coast, and they were pretty impressed. Then, I said my goodbyes to Carla and gave her a hug, and she wished me a safe trip home.

So, my groupie adventure has come to an end. But, my road trip continues. Still more sights to see, more fun on the horizon. And, thank goodness I'll be heading back into the cool weather!

Way out west

2010-11-06T16:32:00.000-07:00

The nice thing about early Saturday in the L.A. area...no traffic jams on the freeways. At least I didn't encounter any as I left San Clemente and headed north. Temperatures were in the low 70s...my kind of weather! My only destination for the morning was Autry National Center, located in Griffith Park. Actually, this museum features art, artifacts and exhibits related to the American West. As I've said before, I love museums, and this one turned out to be a very nice one. I ended up staying there 2 1/2 hours. I was especially impressed by the original oil paintings done by famous artists.

So, tonight will be my final Five For Fighting show of the current tour. I'm happy to see John Ondrasik one more time, but also a bit sad that it will be coming to an end. Canyon Club in Agoura Hills is another dinner venue. Will the food be better than last night? I'm sure I won't care too much...I'll be too busy listening to John sing. And, his stories, too, of course! Stay tuned...

The biggest fan

2010-11-05T23:17:00.000-07:00

I guess I should have left the hotel a bit earlier...but, maybe things wouldn't have been the same if I had. Entry to The Coach House was supposed to start at 6:00 pm, and I was told by the box office via phone to be there early to get a good seat. Well, I forgot about RUSH HOUR! It was only about 5 miles to the venue, but the fast route...the freeway...was jam packed with cars. So, I asked my GPS for an alternate route, which got me there by 6:00. But, there was already a good line of people waiting to get in. When I got to the seat assignment guy, he looked over his chart, then told the usher where to put me. I think it may have worked to my advantage that I was alone. I don't think they're used to people flying solo, because I ended up having a choice between two adjacent seats. I selected one, but the other one was basically mine, too...more room for me. My view of the stage was not too bad, although there WAS a rather tall guy at the nearby table who had a big head and would end up making it harder for me to see John Ondrasik at the piano.

I elected to eat dinner there, so I opted for the grilled tilapia with pineapple salsa. It turned out to be just so-so, and would have been slightly more palatable if they didn't put CILANTRO in the salsa...I HATE cilantro! As I scanned the crowd, I noticed Augie Nieto and his wife Lynne in attendance. John mentioned at last night's show that Augie would be there. Augie is the subject of John's song bearing his name. He has ALS...Lou Gehrig's disease...founded his ALS research charity organization, Augie's Quest, and is truly an inspiration. Not too long after, I saw John's wife Carla had arrived. I was hoping to chat with her tonight. While waiting for the show to start, I conversed with a lady across the table from me. Turns out John is her cousin, or something like that. Then, Carla came by and started talking to her...and noticed me sitting there. "Hi, Wynne!" she said. Carla proceeded to tell the lady I was John's biggest fan...hey, I won't argue with that! I asked Carla if John told her about the bottle of wine I gave him last night. Carla thought it was cool, especially the UCLA Bruins wine bag it came in! I'm hoping to eventually hear how it tastes when they get around to drinking it!

When opener Matt Hires took the stage, I couldn't help but feel bad for him. The crowd was VERY noisy...I could barely hear him singing, and forget about hearing him talk. I know, this happens a lot to the opening acts, but I think it's rude. If you want to talk, go to a bar or something...some of us want to actually hear the music! Thankfully, and not surprisingly, the chatterboxes piped down when John came out. He seemed a lot more chipper than usual. John's set list was the same as the last show (see blog Making things right). John tells the same stories for certain songs, but I never get tired of hearing them. He DID have a new one, though...about his appearance on Lifetime's Army Wives, and his stress of having to learn a line for the show. SO FUNNY! Because the lighting on the stage was pretty dim, I didn't have a whole lot of luck getting photos of John. The one you see above is one of the better ones.

When the concert was over, I went over to Carla to say goodbye. As she did at last April's Tuacahn show, Carla asked me again if I ever get tired of hearing John's stories. And, as before, I told her "No." I asked her if SHE ever gets tired of hearing them, and she replied, "Sometimes." But, she DOES like hearing the ones about her! I told her that I would be at tomorrow's show at Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, then bid her a goodnight. I'm pretty sure John wasn't doing a meet and greet after tonight's show...he didn't say he would while on stage. But, that's OK...I already got at least one photo of him with me. Last show of the tour for me tomorrow...like usual, it will be great.

Shrunken heads are cool

2010-11-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

I left Redondo Beach this morning, still high from last night's Five For Fighting show...and my backstage encounter with John Ondrasik. John is such a nice guy! Oh, in my haste to put out last night's blog, I forgot to mention there was a special guest in the audience. Unlike myself, HE had an assigned VIP table, and I saw his name when I was looking for my own (see last blog). It was none other than Five For Fighting fan and star soccer player Landon Donovan! He's made it known in interviews that he likes to listen to Five For Fighting tunes before games. And, he was seen wearing a Five For Fighting T-shirt in a CBS Sports video story. When he arrived, the club manager showed him to his table. I could be him quite well from my vantage point. And, after the show during his meet and greet, Landon got a photo with John.

My day today was pretty relaxed. I drove south and checked out the famous Wayfarers Chapel. It's made out of wood and glass and sits on a bluff on the Palos Verdes peninsula, and is a popular site for weddings due to its picturesque location. I also visited the even more famous RMS Queen Mary, but just took some pics. For lunch, I was yearning for a hot bowl of ramen. I made the short drive to Costa Mesa, and visited a Japanese market with a nice food court. That soy sauce ramen from Santouka really hit the spot...SO yummy! Afterward, I decided to feed my mind by visiting the Bower's Museum in Santa Ana. This is a cultural art museum, and it specializes in artifacts from ancient, primitive and modern day cultures. I was especially interested in the more macabre things...stuff like shrunken heads and ceremonial items made from human bones. But, hey, that's me.

So, tonight I'll be going to my 2nd Five For Fighting show of the current tour at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. It will be my first dinner show. You're seated at a table, have your meal, and that will also be your seat for the concert. I neglected to call ahead of time for a reservation so I'll have to cross my fingers I will still have a fairly good seat. Blogging after the show...

Making things right

2010-11-04T23:13:00.000-07:00

Well, my night at the Brixton South Bay started out on the wrong foot. When I got there, I had a feeling something wasn't quite right. First of all, I wasn't on their VIP list...just kind of a separate list. I got my tickets and proceeded to the entry point. I showed my tickets, but there was some confusion about my VIP seats. Then, I was told to look for my designated seating area...my name should be on a table. I looked...and looked...and looked. No name and no table! I started asking around and was told to get one of the wait staff to help me out. When I explained my situation, she ended up notifying the club manager. Turns out she was never notified by the Five For Fighting management that I had VIP seats. OH, NO! It appeared there had been a communication problem between the Muscular Dystrophy Association...they sponsored the charity auction that resulted in me winning the Five For Fighting show experience...and John Ondrasik's manager. Someone neglected to let the Brixton management know that I was to have VIP seats. Wanting to make things right, the very nice Brixton manager seated me and my friend at a booth...but, the view was lousy. Yeah, I was close to the stage, but I was sitting way to the side. I admit I was a bit upset at the whole matter, but tried to put a positive face on the situation. In the meantime, the Brixton manager said she would let John and his manager know what happened.

Well, I was sitting there still feeling kind of down when the Brixton manager and John's manager came to the table. They had a remedy to the screw-up...proceed backstage to the Green Room and spend some time with John! Now, I had NEVER been backstage in my life, although I had always wished for something like that. So, my friend Lynne and I followed John's manager to the Green Room. I found John sitting on the sofa in front of a table of rather generic snacks...I don't think he was eating any of it. John greeted me and I introduced him to Lynne. John asked me how things were, and I told him a little about my road trip so far. I presented John with a little gift...a bottle of Washington State merlot. John is a big wine fan, and he appreciated the gift...which was encased in a UCLA Bruins wine bag! Yes, John's alma mater!

Then, John suggested we do the planned interview. So, I turned on my digital voice recorder...John made sure it was working...and got to the questions. Now, I had been told previously that I would only be allowed to ask a certain number of questions. But, I ended up asking John every single question I had brought with me...and then some! I told John at the start that I would be asking him stuff that he probably had never been asked before...or at least not very often...as I'm sure he sometimes gets tired of answering the same old questions. And, the interview went wonderfully. At the end, John complimented me on my questions, which made me feel great. It was only after I went back out to my booth that Lynne asked me why I didn't get photos with John. DOH! Well, I should get a pic with him after the show.

Even though my view of the stage wasn't the greatest, it didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying the show. And, I managed to get a few decent photos, although the lighting...which was some what dim...made it difficult. The audience loved his stories...and of course, his music, too! His set list of the night was as follows:

World (piano)
The Riddle (piano)
Chances (guitar)
Slice (guitar)
65 Mustang (guitar)
Freedom Never Cries (piano)
Superman (piano)
Easy Tonight (guitar)
If God Made You (guitar)
I Just Love You (piano)
Augie Nieto (piano)
100 Years (piano)

Encore: Disneyland (piano), Hope (a capella)

As expected, John had a meet and greet session for those who stayed after the show. And, yes, I got my photo with John! I also took pics of Lynne and her two friends who also came to see John. One of them, Trish, had never been to a Five For Fighting show and came away a new fan.
Tomorrow, I travel to San Juan Capistrano to see my second Five For Fighting show at The Coach House. I have a dinner ticket, so we'll see how that goes. I'm ready for more!

Getting ready to rock!

2010-11-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

I left my hotel in Hollywood vowing not to stay in a non-chain hotel in the future. Yeah, there was some effort to make the best of it, but nothing could change the fact that it was an older building, and it's the little things that make all the difference in the world. The room was pretty cramped, with furniture crammed in that really didn't fit. Even the bathroom was small...you couldn't even open the door inward without hitting the toilet! I stayed there two nights, but never got the right configuration of towels. The parking lot was pretty cramped, too...not enough spaces for every room, although I was lucky enough to get one each night.

But, enough about the hotel. Things should be better for the rest of my road trip. I didn't really have much to do today. Besides, it was another scorcher and I didn't want to be outside much. At this point of the trip, I decided it was time pick up some liquid refreshment. I love Mountain Dew...diet, please...and that includes their Code Red variety. Well, it turns out the Pepsi Company, who makes Mt. Dew, decided that diet Code Red wasn't selling well enough in my state of Washington. So, they quit stocking it on the shelves of all the stores in the state...Oregon and Idaho, too! That really irked me, but there was nothing I could do. A couple of friends were nice enough to bring back a half case for me when they traveled elsewhere in the country. That didn't last, though, and I needed to replenish my supply. So, I did a Google search and found a convenient grocery store to stop and get my Code Red today because they still have it in California. But, as luck would have it...rather bad luck...they were sold out! Well, there would be other opportunities.

I had an early lunch at Neptune's Net in Malibu...fried calamari and scallop basket...then headed south. I made a brief stop in Venice to check out the beach front and the famous canal area. Onward, to Redondo Beach! I had some time to kill before checking into my hotel, so I went to another grocery store for my soda. YES! They had it...I ended up buying all 4 half cases on the shelf! No, it's not all for me. I have a friend back home who is also a diet Code Red lover, and two cases are for her. I may have to stop one more time for at least another case...three should be enough to hold me until my next road trip planned for March.

I'm now waiting for my friend to pick me up. We're having dinner before we head over to Brixton South Bay for the Five For Fighting show. It's been six months since I've last seen John Ondrasik perform live, and I really miss seeing him. Nothing beats watching and hearing him in concert! I have my questions ready and I'll be interviewing John at the meet and greet post show. I hope it all works out well. Stay tuned...I'll be posting another blog tonight!

Nomming with Nom Nom Truck

2010-11-03T21:23:00.000-07:00

I only had a few hours this morning to spend sightseeing. So, I decided to stick to the touristy stuff in Hollywood. First, the obligatory visit to Grauman's Chinese Theatre to check out the celebrity hand and footprints in concrete. The last time I was here was 25 years ago, and since then, there have been a lot of additions to the display. Next, I went to the Hollywood Museum, home to a lot of old Hollywood memorabilia, with a sprinkling of newer stuff.

Having skipped breakfast again, I made the short drive to Studio City to rendezvous with the now famous Nom Nom Truck. This mobile food truck was featured on Food Network's The Great American Food Truck Race this last summer. I was rooting for Nom Nom Truck...they specialize in Vietnamese style bahn mi sandwiches...but, they fell short and had to settle for runner-up. During the competition, from city to city, they wowed people with their food. I knew I had to try them out for myself. I found out their lunch location from their website, and spotting the truck, parked in front of it. Since I would only be a few minutes, I decided not to put a coin in the parking meter. Just as I stepped on the curb, a Los Angeles County sheriff's car parked on the street behind me! Panicked, I told the sheriff's deputy exiting the car that I neglected to pay for parking. He cheerfully told me not the worry about it. I think he and his partner were more focused on getting bahn mi! I already knew what I was going to order...honey pork bahn mi! Grilled marinated pork with pickled vegetables, cucumber, jalapenos, cilantro and mayo on a crusty bagette. I drove to the nearby Fryman Canyon Park to enjoy my sandwich...and it was awesome! I might try to seek out the Nom Nom Truck again tomorrow before I head south.

My biggest event of the day was attending the taping of The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson. I did this last November, and it was so much fun, there was no doubt I wanted to do it again! I parked my Blazer at The Grove parking garage, and walked around the outdoor shopping center to kill some time. I came upon what appeared to be a filming set-up, and read signs that said they taped segments for the TV show Extra with Mario Lopez. I was interested in seeing him, but I wanted to get to CBS Television City early enough to be at the front of the line. After returning to my car to leave my camera...it wouldn't be allowed in the TV studio...I walked back to the mall to find...Mario Lopez had arrived. Rats! Maybe I should have waiting another 10 minutes...I could have gotten pics! Oh, well. At least I saw him!

It was blazing hot today...the thermometer said 98 degrees! I walked the short distance from The Grove to the CBS entrance. I was pleased to find no one waiting yet...I was first in line! That would hopefully translate into a primo spot in the audience seating area. At least the assigned waiting area was in the shade! When the time came to enter the studio, sure enough, I found myself in the front row! That sure beats back row like last time, although you really don't have a bad seat in the house. One thing you may not know. The musical guests may not necessarily perform on the day that you see them on TV! We were treated to a pre-show performance by a group, whose name escapes me. But, we were told they would appear on a future show. The same warm-up comedian as last time was there...goes by the name Chucky B. REALLY funny! The guest for the show was Jayma Mays, who plays Emma Pillsbury on the TV series, Glee. She and Craig were great...lots of laughs! So, I guess you can say I enjoyed myself! Needless to say, I would love to see the show again in the future , and I would highly recommend it to everyone!

I ended my day by stopping by the Farmer's Market adjacent to The Grove to pick up dinner. I already knew what I wanted to get...Brazilian grill! They had a nice buffet at the Pampas Grill, and I got takeout. Lamb, garlic beef and the always tasty fried plantains!

Tomorrow, I drive south to Redondo Beach and my first Five For Fighting show of my groupie road trip. I'll be on the VIP list at Brixton South Bay, courtesy of the Muscular Dystrophy Association charity auction. Then, after the show, I'll have a meet and greet with John Ondrasik. And, if that's not enough, I will finally...after much asking...be granted the privilege of interviewing John for my fan site, Five For Fighting Fan Central. I was able to get a print interview last year, but I was looking for the more coveted face to face. So excited it will become a reality! It will take me awhile to dictate to print what my digital voice recorder will pick up. But, I'll give you the lowdown on tomorrow night after the show!

Hail to the chief

2010-11-02T20:46:00.000-07:00

Before leaving San Luis Obispo this morning, I just had to get my groupie mobile washed. It was a mess from the rain in Oregon, a couple of muddy roads in Northern California and not to mention the dust I just seemed to pick up yesterday. I ended up going to the same car wash I went to the last time I was in town... Sunset North Car Wash. It's one of those typical hand wash places, but they're fast and do a great job at a fair price. Fifteen minutes later, my Blazer looked great!

I was in the homestretch and due to arrive in the Los Angeles area today. But, before I made the drive south, I had to take a little side trip to a radio station in Bakersfield. You see, back in September, I bid on a couple of items in their charity auction...a guitar and a poster, both autographed by John Ondrasik. Happy to support a good cause, I placed my bids and ended up winning both items. Rather than go through the hassle of having the items shipped, I arranged to pick them up during my planned road trip. I stopped by Kelly 95.3 this morning, and received my auction prizes. The guitar was especially nice...a pretty blue acoustic. While I was waiting in the lobby, I noticed there was writing on the sofa there. I soon realized they were autographs of musical artists who had visited the station. Scanning the signatures...yes, there's John's Hancock! He signed his name with the note, "I Got Your Back!" Why? The autograph was located on the inside seat back...funny! While I was there, I asked if I could have a couple of Kelly window stickers. The one on the back window of my groupie mobile was holding up pretty well, but I would want to eventually replace it. The nice radio station guy gave me FOUR! Before I left town, I had my first meal of the day...and my first In-N-Out Burger of my road trip. Tasted great, and SO much better than Five Guys' greasy food!

My task complete, I headed south to Simi Valley and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. I love museums, and I heard this was a good one. When I got there, I was a bit surprised to find that they had a polling place set up there for Election Day. On the other hand, it was only fitting...I mean, why not? After looking at a replica of Reagan's White House Oval Office, I headed into the large pavilion holding an Air Force One Boeing 707. In the same building, there was also a special motorcycle exhibit, with vintage and movie motorcycles. The high point of my visit was seeing a model miniature White House, complete with tiny rooms with equally tiny furniture and objects. The photo above is the visitor's entrance to the White House...looks real, huh?

Well, tomorrow I'm planning to spend the morning playing tourist in Hollywood. Then, I'll be attending a taping of The Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson. I did the show last year, and it was awesome! Hoping to get a seat up front this time, though!

Take me to the bottom of...the ocean

2010-11-01T21:33:00.000-07:00

It was nice to wake up to sunshine for a change. But, I think the sun contributed to the slowdown in rush hour traffic as I left San Francisco and traveled south. Drivers blinded by the morning rays directly in their faces, and a little fog in one spot from the sun hitting the cold waters of the bay. But, the tie ups weren't so bad, and in no time, I reached Santa Cruz. I was looking forward to getting a real breakfast for a change. My destination was Santa Cruz Diner...an eatery featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Every road trip I try to seek out restaurants I've seen on television. A few days ago I went to Pacific Pie Company in Portland, and now this place. I got country fried steak with eggs to go, and made the short drive to the nearby Natural Bridges State Beach. I settled down at a picnic table and enjoyed my meal in the mid-morning sunshine.

This particular state park had two features I was interested in checking out. It's a wintering area for monarch butterflies traveling from the north to escape the colder weather. And, there is a natural mudstone arch that was one of three carved out by wave erosion...the other two were destroyed by wind and waves. I was hoping to see thousands of butterflies, but there were just some flitting around the trees and tall shrubs. More monarchs than I've ever seen at one time, but nothing impressive...a disappointment. After taking photos of the arch, I left the park for Monterey.

At this time, I realized that I underestimated the amount of time it would take for me to complete the day's activities. I had been planning to visit Point Lobos State Natural Reserve later in the afternoon, but I decided that was out of the question. When I arrived at Monterey Bay Aquarium, I checked my GPS and found out it would take about 2 hours to drive to my pitstop for the night. Better to concentrate my time at the aquarium, and leave Point Lobos for a future road trip.

Monterey Bay Aquarium has always been one of those places I just had to visit. I had heard so many great things about it, and I found out it was all true! The fish tanks and exhibits were awesome! I was especially impressed by the jelly fish and the seahorses. But, my high point of the day had to be my close encounter with a bat ray. These gentle creatures were swimming around in a touch tank, and yes...I touched them! They were surprisingly...soft! Kind of like running your hand over wet fur! Strange, but true!

Tomorrow...Los Angeles! And, two days later...my first Five For Fighting show of the trip! Yes, Thursday will be a VERY special day for me...in more ways than one! Stay tuned...

Redwoods...just drivin' through

2010-10-31T19:28:00.000-07:00

I had my doubts on the weather when I left Crescent City, CA this morning. It was overcast, rainy and windy. As I drove south on US Hwy 101...also known as Redwood Hwy...I observed the ocean was rough and churning. No time to stop for pics, though...I had a lot of miles to cover. My plan for the day was to travel on the Avenue of the Giants...a slow route through Humboldt Redwoods State Park...which is the way to go if you want to really get up close with redwood trees. By the time I got there, it quit raining and the skies were clearing, to my great relief. I was hoping to do some walking along the trails to see the various redwood groves. But, it quickly became evident that I didn't have the time because I had to make it to San Francisco for the night. I stopped a couple of times and took photos, then sought out a couple of cheesy tourist attractions.

In a previous road trip, I visited the Tour-Thru tree in Klamath, CA. Basically, you drive your vehicle through a live redwood. Well, it turns out there two other similar trees located right off the Avenue of the Giants. I had to check them out! The first was the Shrine Drive-Thru tree in Myers Flat. This tree had a really tight opening and I had to take it really slow to get through. Afterward, I asked the guy working there if many people got their vehicles stuck in the tree. He replied it happens occasionally. Recently, he had to let the air out of the tires of a Ford F-150 truck. Turns out it DOESN'T fit in the tree, as the owner of the truck found out! I was happy my little Blazer had no trouble negotiating this redwood! The Chandler Drive-Thru Tree in Leggett was not quite so tight, but a much nicer looking tree. That's my groupie mobile with the tree in the photo.

With the afternoon flying by, I traveled onward to San Francisco. I didn't have much daylight left to enjoy, so I decided to spend it getting a closer look at the Golden Gate Bridge. The Vista Point at the north end provided me with a great view of the bay and gave me an opportunity to take some photos of the bridge. It was nice and sunny...something I hadn't seen in awhile back home! Perhaps in the future, I'll have more time to actually walk across the bridge like the many people I observed doing so today.

Tomorrow, I do less driving and more sightseeing as I travel down the California Coast. Weather is supposed to be perfect...I can't wait!

Fair weather and furry faces

2010-10-30T17:58:00.000-07:00

I left Wilsonville, OR to cloudy skies. It rained a bit as I traveled south on I-5, but not much. I was crossing my fingers that the weather would be favorable for my visit to West Coast Game Park in Bandon, OR. It was early in the morning...just after 8:00 am...but the road was filled with cars decorated with window flags and large magnetic banners with beaver logos...Oregon State fans on their way to a game, no doubt.

It took me about 4 hours of driving to reach the zoo, and I was relieved to find it was not raining. As I entered the grounds, I just missed seeing a couple of tiger cubs available for petting. That's OK...I got up close and personal with baby tigers last year. I was eager to see what else they had. And, it was better...MUCH better! First, I got to hold a opossum again. This one was younger than last time, and such a sweetie! Next, a beautiful, 3 month old black leopard cub named Diesel. I got to pet AND play with him! Awesome! After walking around and taking photos of the other animals on display...more one on one! A half grown caracal named Cadence...a desert cat similar to a serval...was brought out for petting. So beautiful! Finally, more babies! Two lion cubs just a few weeks old. They were too young for holding, but I did get to pet them. I got pics of myself with the lion cubs and the leopard, too. Every visit to this zoo has been so rewarding! I mean, where else can you get so close to animals? And, it's kid friendly, too!

Tomorrow, I get up close and personal with nature...redwoods! I had seen some before on previous road trips, but I want to experience it more. So, I'll be taking the Avenue of the Giants instead of US Hwy 101 through the redwood area. And, I have a few other things on the agenda, too. Ah, it's raining outside...please don't rain tomorrow!

If the shoe fits...

2010-10-29T20:54:00.000-07:00

Had a terrific first day on the road. Rush hour traffic through Seattle was not too bad by the time I got there. When I arrived in Portland, I picked up lunch from Pacific Pie Co. I had a very tasty beef & stout meat pie. I had heard about this place on Food Network's Meat & Potatoes show. They specialize in Australian style meat pies, and they did not disappoint...my lunch was downright tasty!

After my meal, I went directly to PacWest Center, location of KINK FM's Live Bing Lounge. This would be the site of Joan Osborne's live performance lounge appearance. I found myself second in line for the show and had a nice conversation with a couple of other attendees while we waited. We talked music and yes, they both knew who Five For Fighting was! I must admit, I really only know Joan by name...with the exception of her hit song, One Of Us. I was impressed by her singing talent...it was really nice to see Joan perform live. She sang three songs, accompanied by Keith Cotton, who backed her up on piano. I was hoping there would a meet and greet afterwards, but Joan had to prepare for her concert later tonight, so there wasn't. Still, I have to say my first live performance lounge was pretty neat!

My other plan for the day was a trip to the Nike Employee Store in Beaverton. This place is an invitation only store, and I got my invite care of the Washington State University Alumni Association. My support for my alma mater is strong...despite the fact their football team is struggling right now. I was happy to take advantage of the opportunity to add to my shoe collection. After perusing the aisles of men's athletic shoes...theirs is SO much nicer than the women's offerings...I found one that I liked. To my disappointment, my size was not available, but I took a shot at the next bigger size...and they fit! I'm now the proud owner of a pair of shiny blue Air Max Hyperdunks!

When I checked my emails this evening, I had an unexpected surprise waiting for me. I had FINALLY been granted an opportunity to interview IN PERSON a certain awesome singer-songwriter. You can probably guess who that might be. I don't want to give away too much until the time comes, but it's an understatement to say I'm excited. This is truly a dream come true! In the meantime, my road trip continues...

On the road again...

2010-10-29T00:21:00.000-07:00

Well, my groupie mobile is all loaded up and I'm ready to get some sleep before an early start tomorrow morning. I had barely finished my road trip itinerary and programmed my GPS when I had to make a last minute change...but, it was a GOOD change! Turns out luck was smiling on me and I got picked to be in the audience for Joan Osborne's visit to KINK FM's Bing performance lounge. It will be my first for such a thing. I tried entering a similar drawing last August when Five For Fighting appeared at the inaugural Bing lounge. But, alas, I was not chosen, to my huge disappointment.

As always, I will blog about tomorrow's radio lounge show, as I will throughout my road trip. Of course, the highlight will be the three Five For Fighting shows when I reach Los Angeles. It's been six months since I last saw John Ondrasik perform live, and I'm SO ready to see him again! I have an extra special gift to give John...something that I KNOW he'll like! What is it? Well, you'll just have to wait to find out!

Another tour, another road trip!

2010-09-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

Wow, it HAS been awhile since I last posted! After a busy summer on the U.S./Canada border doing my agriculture inspectional duties, things have finally died down. During that time, I was excited to hear that Five For Fighting was planning another tour this year. John Ondrasik will be hitting the road for a rather short acoustic run, visiting some cities that he missed on the last two tours. I was hoping John would be coming to Seattle since had to cancel his show there in November of '09 due to illness. But, as this year's fall concert schedule was finalized, Seattle was missing from the itinerary. Of course, something like that would never stop me from seeing John perform, at least if I can help it!

I had enough vacation time saved up for another road trip, but I had to do some finagling to make it happen. With the help of a couple of generous coworkers who changed their time off to accommodate my needs, my road trip became a reality! The next step...buying the concert tickets! When I saw the three Los Angeles area shows on the tour schedule, I knew my road trip would center around those. Any Five For Fighting concerts on the West Coast are fair game in my book, and logistically, those three shows were my best bet. I contacted my friend Lynne down in L.A., and it turns out she was free to attend two of the shows! I've gone to two previous Five For Fighting shows with her, and it was a lot of fun.

With the tickets purchased, I went to work making hotel accommodations. I'll be traveling in late October through mid-November, which is a great time to do so. Hotel rooms are less expensive this time of the year, and places of interest in general are less crowded. One thing I'll be contending with, though...the weather. During my November road trip last year, I basically hugged the coast, avoiding any potential inclimate conditions. This time, part of my route will take me into areas where things will be colder, with snow a constant possibility. For me, planning my road trip is just as fun as experiencing it. And, I'll be doing a LOT of planning between now and the start of my new adventure. There's never such as thing as overplanning in my book! If I take the time to organize things now, less time wasted and more time to concentrate on fun later! Ahh...I'm such a stickler!

Five For Fighting and Wind-up Records...the REAL story

2010-07-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

I'm sure all of you have heard by now that Five For Fighting left Columbia Records for Wind-up Records. When I first heard the news, it was quite a shock, but I had an inkling beforehand that something wasn't quite right. Most noticeable to me, the Five For Fighting MySpace page seemed to be sorely neglected. Not a lot of news there, comments not being posted...the last one was NOVEMBER! Less obvious was the fact that a second single hadn't been released from the Slice album. I mean, the first single, Chances was released in JULY 2009! That's an awful long time to have nothing new on the charts!

My first indicator that there was a change was in the form of an email from Wind-up Records to sign up for their Five For Fighting newsletter. This was before anything official had come out, so I emailed my contact at Aware Records to inquire about the Wind-up request. I got my answer soon enough when a message from John appeared at the Five For Fighting website the following week.

Friends,

Last week an e-mail went out asking you all to re-up for the e-mail list. As there was a bit of confusion I wanted to let you know about a few changes. After a great 10 year run I am no longer with Columbia Records. I'm pleased to announce a new home at Wind-up Records. Wind-up will be re-releasing Slice and going to radio with the title track "Slice" this July.

In the big picture nothing has changed. It's all good in Five For Fighting land and please re-sign up for the e-mail list here so we can keep you in the loop on touring and various projects going forward.

As always I appreciate your support and energy...

Thanks

John

There it was...John was no longer with Columbia. But, the question was...why? Did he have some sort of falling out with the label? Did they not see eye to eye on things anymore? Were they displeased with John's latest album? Does John take too long to write and release albums? Was Columbia not supporting John's efforts as well as they could be? Why would John move from a big established label like Columbia to...Wind-up Records? For those in Five For Fighting Land, it was cause for worry, despite John's assurances to the contrary.

Well, the real story didn't come out...until July 9th during John's first live video web chat. One of the questions I submitted for the chat pertained to Five For Fighting's move to Wind-up. I was hoping John would enlighten us with the details. I'm sure I wasn't the only one to wonder the same thing because it was John's opening topic when the chat started. The reason for the break-up was a lot simpler than expected. But, first, here's a little background on the relationship between Aware and Columbia.

Back in 1997, Aware Records contracted with Columbia Records to provide them with unsigned musical talent in exchange for having Columbia provide distribution and marketing. It worked out so well, they renewed their contract in 2002. As we all know, one of the artists benefiting from this business relationship was Five For Fighting. Well, as often happens, all good things must sometimes come to an end. And, as John explained during the July 7th chat, Aware and Columbia decided to part ways this year. John stated that this now basically made him a free agent. Even though his connection to Aware will continue, he was free to choose his own record distribution company. For John, it was a pretty simple decision, for he already had a connection at Wind-up.

Never heard of Wind-up Records? Neither had I. When I got that first initial email from the company, I visited their website for information. Turns out that Wind-up is the biggest independently owned record company in the world! And, they represent artists such as Creed, Hawthorne Heights, Evanescence and Finger Eleven. As for John's reason for choosing Wind-up...he has a friend working there. His buddy Gregg Wattenberg is a senior vice-president of A & R...that would be artists and repetoire...at Wind-up. Not only that, he produced Five For Fighting's America Town album, as well as singles 100 Years and Chances. Oh, and Gregg won a Grammy for cowriting Daughtry's hit, It's Over, and co-produced Train's awesome #1 single, Hey, Soul Sister! Sounds to me like John will be in good company! Best of luck to John at Wind-up Records and may his new single Slice burn up the charts!

Remembering Mount St Helens

2010-05-16T10:12:00.000-07:00

Two days from now is the 30th anniversary of the eruption of Mount St Helens in Washington State. On Friday, April 18, 1980, the dormant volcano came to life in a catastrophic explosion. It destroyed 230 square miles of surrounding forest and took the lives of 57 people.

On that fateful day, I was still in my dorm bed at Washington State University when the sound of people yelling outside woke me up. When I opened the window to see what was going on, I overhead someone saying, "The volcano erupted!" Within a couple of hours, a dark, unnatural looking cloud appeared on the western horizon and slowly came over the town of Pullman, WA. Soon, the ash started falling. It was powdery, blanketing everything and impeding vehicles trying to drive through it as their air filters clogged with the stuff. That evening, not wanting students to venture out through the accumulating ash, the dining hall set up a makeshift dinner service in our dorm lobby. We felt like refugees! Later, I went out on the covered balcony and surveyed the eerie sight. Ash was still falling like snow, and the smell of sulfur filled the air. So surreal.

I spent the weekend holed up in my dorm, except for my trips to the dining hall in the adjacent dorm for meals. I donned makeshift protective headgear...a towel over my head, nose and mouth, and lab goggles covered my eyes. When I returned to my room, I would leave my dusty shoes and clothes in the hallway...all the other girls did the same. It was stuffy in the building as the ventilation had been turned off to prevent the ash from getting into the system. Everyone was glued to televisions to watch the constant news coverage of the devastation around the volcano and rescue efforts of the people affected by its wrath.

As Monday rolled around, classes were canceled as the university dealt with the uncertainty of the health effects of the ash. Was it damaging to the lungs? I decided to take a walk with a couple of friends to another friend's apartment for the day. We slogged through about 6 inches of ash on the ground. Police and other essential vehicles were outfitted with makeshift air filters raised to roof level to prevent clogging by the ash. By Wednesday...the third day of suspended classes...we were finally issued filter masks designed to protect from the most harmful particles, even though analyses of the ash were still inconclusive. On Thursday, the word was if we missed one more day of class, we would have to make up the whole week! Finally, on Friday, April 25...a week after the eruption...students returned to class. By then, the clean up of the town and campus had removed most of the ash from the roads and sidewalks.

It would take months before all remnants of the ashfall disappeared from Pullman. I still have ash I collected when I ventured out on the balcony on the night of April 18. It's a day that I'll never forget because I survived it, although survived might not be the right word for it. Perhaps experienced it would be more appropriate because some people literally DID survive the eruption. Many did not. As we remember this day, I wonder whether MY local dormant volcano, Mt Baker will someday soon awaken.

Road trippin' by the numbers

2010-04-21T20:45:00.000-07:00

Okay, here's the first part of my road trip recap...number crunching! How many, how much, days, dollars, etc. It seems with each successive road trip, I exceed the previous ones in many ways. Read on and be amazed...or bored.

Total number of days on the road = 18
Total miles traveled = 4449
Total number of states visited = 8: Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Montana, Idaho
Most miles driven in one day = 590: from Portland, OR to West Sacramento, CA
Least miles driven in one day = 35: out and about the Los Angeles area
Total number of gas fill ups = 18
Total amount spent on gas = $611.05
Most expensive gas = $3.14/gal: tied between Kayenta, AZ and Moab, UT
Least expensive gas = $2.79/gal: Portland, OR
Number of times I got a car wash = 2: Glendale, CA to wash off the grime of the Pacific NW rainstorms and Ogden, UT to clean off the dust of Monument Valley
Number of tickets = 1: I got nailed by a red light camera at a intersection in Seattle...the $124 ticket was waiting for me when I got home!
Number of times I ate at In N Out Burger = 1: St George, UT...I had other opportunities, but one cannot exist on In N Out alone!
Number of times I ate at a sit-down restaurant = 1: House of Blues, San Diego to get their Pass The Line privileges

Total number of hotels stayed at = 14
Total amount spent on hotels = $1232.60: that's an average of $72.50/night, which ain't bad considering those taxes they tack on...oh, and parking fees at 3 of those hotels
Most expensive hotel = Courtyard at Marriott, Portland, OR: after added taxes and valet parking...hey, I need to splurge at least once in my lifetime...it came out to $134.75
Least expensive hotel = America's Best Value Inn, Page, AZ: at $43.12, it came with it's disadvantages (you'll hear about them in the next blog)
Number of times the hotel clock radio woke me up...and I didn't set the alarm = 2: you would think after the first time I would check before going to bed!

Total number of Five For Fighting shows attended = 6: five were part of the tour and the sixth was a fundraising appearance
Number of shows attended with friends = 2: Seattle and Los Angeles
Number of shows attended where people I met at previous shows were present = 4: Portland, Los Angeles, San Diego and Ivins, UT...the last three included John's family!
Number of setlists I procured from the shows = 2: I gave away two others...one to a little girl who didn't have anything for the band to sign, and the other to an older couple who had never been to a Five For Fighting show before and were thrilled to have a memento
Number of photos I got with the band = 2: Seattle and Los Angeles
Number of photos I got with John Ondrasik = 3: Seattle, Los Angeles and Ivins

Number of museums visited = 4: one in Los Angeles and three in Ogden, UT
Number of national parks visited = 4: Grand Canyon, Natural Bridges, Arches, Yellowstone
Number of state parks visited = 2: Monument Valley and Goosenecks in Utah
Number of animals seen in Yellowstone (not counting birds) = 5: bison, elk and a squirrel in the park, and grey wolves and grizzly bears at a wildlife center in West Yellowstone
Total number of arches/natural bridges visited (in 2 parks) = 14

So, after 34 DAYS OFF, I return to work tomorrow! I had a fantastic vacation, and I'm all refreshed and ready to get back to the old grind! I'll be working on my subsequent blog, which will contain the more interesting and unusual events from my most amazing road trip. Stay tuned!

End of the road

2010-04-18T21:04:00.000-07:00

My overnight stay in Spokane, WA felt like no more than a pitstop. I was basically on my way home now, but it was too far a drive from West Yellowstone, MT. In a rush to get on the road, I left about 7:30 am. Instead of taking the interstate option, decided on the more scenic, albeit slower US Hwy 2. This route takes you through the wheat fields of eastern Washington and over the Cascade Mountains, while passing through small towns along the way.

Although anxious to get home, I found time to see one of Washington State's most impressive natural attractions. Just south of Coulee City is an area known as Dry Falls. These rock faces were formed at the end of the last ice age, and the water flowing was ten times greater than Niagara Falls. There is no longer any water...hence the name...but it's still an amazing sight.

As I followed Hwy 2 into the mountains, I stopped briefly in the town of Cashmere to visit Liberty Orchards, famous for their Aplets & Cotlets candy. Since it was Sunday, their factory was not in operation, but I bought a few things at their outlet store. I continued on and drove through the Bavarian town of Leavenworth. This is a good place to go if you want a cuckoo clock! When I reached the other side of the mountains, I joined traffic heading north on I-5. I was in the homestretch!

But, there was one last roadblock impeding my way...tulip gridlock! During the month of April, people flock from miles around...even other countries...for the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival in La Conner. Personally, I don't see what the big deal is. I mean, they're FLOWERS! And, all the same kind...just different colors. Oh, well...to each his own. All I know is, the volume of vehicles on the freeway suddenly increased in the area and delayed my homecoming, much to my frustration. Thankfully, it didn't last and 30 minutes later...I was home! As I was unlocking my front door, I could hear my cat Kimi meowing. She was SO HAPPY to see me...wouldn't stop meowing!

And, so, my third Five For Fighting groupie road trip has come to an end. I would say by far this was the best road trip ever! I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to top this one. When I get caught up on things, I'll be posting my end-of-the-road-trip number crunching blog, as well as my road trip wrap up. You'll read stuff that I didn't include in my previous blogs. So, stay tuned! Oh, there's no place like home!

Above the timberline...and down again

2010-04-17T20:51:00.000-07:00

As I headed north out of the town of West Yellowstone, I had a couple of final encounters with local bison. I'm not sure why, but they sure like to eat along the sides of the road! I had to slow down as I was passing them, although I wasn't really expecting the bison to suddenly dash in front of me. The photo is actually one that I took yesterday at Yellowstone Park, but you get the idea.

My travel day consisted of basically taking I-90 through the length of Montana to my home state of Washington. About 7 hours of driving, with two gas fill ups, a lunch break and 3 rest area pit stops. I really didn't have time to do any sightseeing today, not that my heart was into it. I guess I'm just eager to get back home. Road tripping sure is fun, but after awhile, you get that urge to return to the real world and home, sweet home.

After filling my tank in Butte, MT, I was scanning the local radio stations for music when the sweet sound of John Ondrasik's voice filled my groupie mobile...Chances. I start every travel day with the Five For Fighting Slice CD. It always seems to set the mood for the rest of the day. I never get tired of listening to that one...it's my favorite Five For Fighting album.

Tomorrow, I make the final push home. I'm planning to avoid the interstate and take the more scenic route. It will delay my homecoming by no more than a half hour, and I might check out a couple of things along the way. I'm looking forward to hugging my cat and sleeping in my own bed!

Geysers are cool, but bison rule!

2010-04-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

I couldn't have asked for a better day to visit Yellowstone National Park. The temperature was freezing as I arrived at the park entrance just after 8:00 am. There were already about 20 cars in line. I guess they were as eager as I was for the official opening for the spring season! Today was also the official day that my park annual pass paid for itself. Normally, national park entrance fees are $25 per car, and I had already gone to 3 such parks...Yellowstone would be Number 4. That would have been $100 total for me, except the annual pass only cost me $80. And, even though this is the last national park of my road trip, the pass is good for a year. I may be able to use it next year...I'm planning another road trip in March 2011!

As I drove into the park, it didn't take very long for cars to pull off the side of the road to see something...in this case, elk. I did, too, and snapped a few photos. I continued for only a few more miles before I stopped again. It was the first of many bison sightings that I would have today. These magnificent animals were nothing like the ones I had seen in zoos. It seems like living in the wild makes them bigger and healthier looking. My first destination of the day was Geyser Loop Trail, which included Old Faithful. Contrary to popular belief, Old Faithful is no longer very predictable. When I arrived, I had already decided I wasn't going to waste precious time waiting around for Old Faithful to blow. Instead, I started out on the trail to see what else this wonderful park had to offer. I wasn't disappointed. Geysers, springs, vents and pools. No other park in the United States can compare to Yellowstone when it comes to natural geothermal attractions. About a half hour into my walk, I heard a whooshing noise and looked over to see Old Faithful doing its thing. I snapped some photos from afar, but it didn't bother me that I wasn't seeing it up close. For me, it was just one of many things to see at the park. By the time I saw just about everything along the trails, I was on my way back to the parking lot when Old Faithful started spouting again. Like before, I missed being right there to see it. Oh, well.

By now, the temperature hovered around 60 degrees, it was sunny and breezy...perfect weather for a Pacific Northwesterner! I went to a couple of other locations with loop trails to see more stuff, including something I remember from my childhood... fountain paint pots! A pool of bubbling mud that resembles paint. After a lunch break, I was on the road heading to the Norris Geyser Basin when traffic came to an abrupt halt. Bison! A herd of about 30 bison decided to start walking on the roadway, and they have right-of-way! The animals took their sweet time, seemingly obvious to the vehicles trying to get by them. After about 15 minutes of going nowhere, a couple of guys on bikes seemed to spook them and they quickly ran off the road. Bison can move pretty fast when they want to! Oh, one indicator that this park has a lot of bison, you see their droppings...which I will call bison pies...all over the place! And, I mean ALL OVER! Every place I went today, you can see the pies!

As I was walking along the Norris trail, I soon heard the rather irritating sound of voices...LOUD voices! A small group of what appeared to be college students were talking obnoxiously loud, laughing, even chatting on a cell phone. You would think that just for one day they could leave the city out of the country. Just hearing them destroyed the serenity of anyone within earshot of their raucous conversation. Needless to say, I quickened my pace to get away from them, with success. After this trail, I was ready to call it quits for the day. I think I had walked about 6-7 miles total. I wasn't able to see everything I had planned, but I still had a wonderful time. I'll have to visit Yellowstone again to catch what I missed...there's just too much to see in one day!

Tomorrow, I start heading back home. It will be mostly a travel day, although I might have time for sightseeing. My road trip is almost over...but, I think it's time!

It was a BEARY good day!

2010-04-15T19:00:00.000-07:00

Before leaving Ogden, UT this morning, there was something I just had to do. My groupie mobile was a bit dirty, thanks to the dust of Monument Valley and the overnight snow in Monticello, UT. I did a Google search and found a pretty good car wash just a few miles from my hotel. Ten minutes and $7 later, the Blazer looked great! They do things right at Supersonic Car Wash!

I drove north on boring I-15...yes, most interstate freeways are boring...then switched to the more pleasant Hwy 26. I stopped briefly in Idaho Falls for gas, and picked up a salad for lunch. I wasn't quite ready to eat, so I continued on until I reached the town of St Anthony. Right off the highway, I found a quiet little park. I ate my salad with the sight of the raging Henrys Fork...a tributary of the Snake River...roaring in front of me.

I pulled into West Yellowstone, MT mid-afternoon and headed over to the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center. This facility houses grizzly bears and grey wolves. The bears featured here were either orphaned after their mothers were killed or abandoned them, or were captured after they became habituated to human food and failed relocation efforts. There are also two wolf packs whose members were all captive bred. I had never seen such beautiful specimens of both species up close. I guess it helps when they're living basically in their native environment. Plus, the center makes extra effort to feed them properly. For example, the wolves eat elk and deer meat.

I have a big day tomorrow. Yellowstone National Park is officially opening their west entrance and the northern half of the park to vehicles for the season. And, I'll be there at 8:00 am when that happens. The last (and only) time I visited Yellowstone, I was only 12 or 13 years old. I remember very little...Old Faithful, paint pots and another geyser or two. That's it! I'm expecting to see so much more tomorrow. And, I think I'll appreciate what I'm seeing a lot better than before. My LONG wait to see Yellowstone again will finally come to an end!

Guns and railroads

2010-04-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

I took things easy today. After three straight days of visiting parks...and a lot of walking...I needed a break. I just did a little bit of walking today...through a few museums. I left Green River, UT this morning and headed north to Ogden. My destination was Ogden Union Station, a once railroad depot built by the Union Pacific Railroad. It currently houses three museums...the Utah State Railroad Museum, the John M. Browning Firearms Museum and the Browning-Kimball Classic Car Museum. Admission for all the museums was easy on the pocketbook...only $5.

I walked through the car museum first, which was the smallest of the three. It only consisted of 9 classic automobiles...all donated to the city of Ogden by the Browning family. I've always appreciated old cars, especially the REALLY old stuff. The autos in his small collection were in wonderful condition, and a few of them even appear in local parades. Next, I checked out the firearms museum. I don't consider myself a gun afficionado, but I AM familiar with certain makes and models, especially those used in battle. John M. Browning is one of the big names in the gun world. His firearm designs later appeared in models of other gun manufacturers such as Remington, Winchester and Colt. And, if you are a World War II enthusiast, I'm sure you've heard of the Browning Automatic Rifle or BAR.

I spent the longest amount of time in the railroad museum. I love museums that deal with historical events, and this museum did not disappoint. The bulk of exhibits dealt with the building of the first Transcontinental Railroad, which originated in the Midwest and terminated on the West Coast. Also known as the Overland Route, the railroad line was built from 1863-1869 by the Central Pacific and Union Pacific Railroads. It was quite an amazing feat, considering all the work was done by hand!

Tomorrow is another easy travel day...nothing really big planned. I think I may even wake up a little later than usual. Oh, in case you were wondering, my sore neck is quite a bit better. The pain is bearable, but hasn't gone away completely. Since I haven't done much city driving lately, less need to turn my head side to side...that's the killer. Not that this would prevent me from being at the stage...and looking up...at a future Five For Fighting concert!

The REAL golden arches!

2010-04-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

I was expecting a little precipitation overnight, but I wasn't expecting SNOW! I woke up to about an inch on my Blazer. But, I was prepared...I brought my scraper-snow brush! I also have my chains, just in case...better safe than sorry! Thankfully, the roads were clear as I left Monticello, UT on my way to my only destination of the day... Arches National Park! When I arrived in Moab, I decided to grab some lunch from a local supermarket. I was getting a bit tired of eating out and was craving some REAL food. I grabbed some string cheese, a couple of bananas and a container of enticing smoked salmon pasta salad.

When I arrived at the park, I flashed my annual pass, and continued on. I decided to do what is normally recommended at tourist attractions. Instead of starting at the sights closest to the entrance, I drove to the ones farthest away. The logic is that most people do the opposite, and I think I was correct. I had done some research ahead of time and decided I would try to see as many arches as I could in one day. That meant leaving out the ones that required the most walking to see...or the more strenuous hikes. With plan in place, I did six arches before breaking for lunch. Afterwards, I saw 5 more, including the most famous Delicate Arch. I opted not to attempt the 7 mile hike to get closest to it. Instead, it was the easier .6 mile walk...at least I thought it would be easy! It would prove to be the most strenuous of the day. The trail was fairly level at first, but soon turned into a rock staircase...that went up and up and up! I had to rest for a few seconds at each "landing," but I did better than some. After I reached the top and took photos of the arch...and got a good breather...I started down. As I descended, I tried to encourage those still on their way up. Comments like, "There's no shame in resting," and "It's not too much farther." One guy with his wife was pretty tired, and I told him, "There was nothing in the literature about the steep part, huh?" He laughed and agreed with me!

I would have to say that Arches is the most awesome park I've ever visited, Grand Canyon included. But, the best is yet to come...I think you might guess which park I'm talking about. Tomorrow, will be a sort of rest day...museums only! I'm looking forward to feeding my mind.

Rocks, rocks...and more rocks

2010-04-12T19:18:00.001-07:00

My morning began with a rather abrupt and unexpected awakening at 5:30 am. No, it wasn't MY alarm clock...it was the HOTEL alarm clock. And, I didn't even set it! I never check the alarm clock before I go bed because I assume it's not activated. Well, this one was! So, I lost a half hour of sleep. I was planning to get up at 6:00 am anyway...which in reality was 7:00 am. Confused? Turns out the state of Arizona doesn't believe in Daylight Savings time! But, I still needed to account for it since I was traveling to Utah...which DID change their clocks last month!

My first destination of the day... Monument Valley, which is a Navajo Tribal Park. I had never been to this famous park, location of many old western flicks and more recent films like National Lampoon's Vacation, Forrest Gump and Thelma And Louise. Visitors can drive a loop road through the park to see the unique rock formations. I knew ahead of time the road was going to be rough...dirt and rock. I wasn't wrong about that. But, my Blazer negotiated things with ease. I wonder what the other folks in their sedans were thinking as they bounced along the roads on their street tires? The scenery was breath taking...well worth getting my ride covered with red dust! It was VERY windy, too, which blew that same dust into my hair! Yuk!

When I got back to the visitor parking lot, I decided to eat my lunch in my car. As I did so, I noticed a couple of cute mutts walking around, looking for handouts. They walked up to a car where an older man was eating chips. He threw some on the ground, and they gobbled up the treat. After I was done eating, I got out of my vehicle to dispose of my trash. The dogs walked up to me expectedly. I didn't have any more lunch, but I DID have some beef jerky. I gave each of them a couple of pieces, which they greatly appreciated! Such nice, well-mannered dogs!

Next, I traveled a short distance north to a small, but impressive state park... Goosenecks. This park is notable for their rock formations known as entrenched meander which resembles curved goose necks...hence the park's name. After snapping some photos, I took the quickest route to my last park of the day, Natural Bridges. What I didn't realize was that this road would prove to be the most challenging of the day. Utah's Hwy 261 has a 4-mile stretch of gravel road. Not only that, the road is a series of wicked switchbacks and no guardrails as you travel up a steep grade. I handled this challenge with ease, but as I was driving up, I couldn't help but think this is one road you wouldn't want to take at night!

When I arrived at Natural Bridges National Monument, I was admitted with the annual pass that I bought at Grand Canyon yesterday. After getting a park map, I drove their loop road. Natural Bridges has only three stone arches...unlike Arches National Park, which has many more. I had never seen a natural bridge...or arch, if you prefer...in my life, so three was impressive. There were actually trails leading to each bridge, but I only walked to one... Owachomo Bridge. I really didn't have time to hike to the other two, and it was only a quarter mile to this one. There was no one around as I trekked down the stone steps and over rocks to the bottom. It was nice to just have the bridge to myself.

Going to the parks during the slow part of the year is great...hardly anyone around! And, it's not too hot yet. But, it's supposed to cool off and rain overnight! Hopefully, the weather will be favorable for more park visits tomorrow!

It's a GRAND canyon!

2010-04-11T20:08:00.001-07:00

The sun was shining as I left Kingman, AZ this morning. When I left Las Vegas after a great Five For Fighting show at Pet-a-Palooza yesterday, I drove over Hoover Dam. Naturally, such an important structure requires a certain sense of security. Before reaching the dam, there was a security checkpoint. I was asked what I had in my vehicle, and it was no surprise with all the stuff I had for my road trip that I was selected for inspection. I opened the back for the female security officer and after looking over my multiple bags...much of it clothes, some of it dirty...she was satisfied and I was on my way.

Today, there was only one activity on the agenda...visit Grand Canyon National Park. In a previous blog, I mentioned that I hadn't been here since I was a kid. I was excited to see what I couldn't remember. When I reached the entrance to the South Rim of the park, I opted to purchase the multi-agency annual pass. Considering it can cost up to $25 per park, it's a steal at $80. And, not only can you use it for the National Park Service, it's also good for other federal areas, such as Forest Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Since I'm planning to visit other parks during my road trip, it made sense to get the annual pass.

It took a few hours to drive from Kingman to Grand Canyon, so it didn't leave me as much time as I wanted. Still, I didn't want to rush things too much, so I elected to start my day by walking the popular Rim trail. It was a beautiful day...mid-60s, sunny and breezy. Plus, there weren't a whole lot of people either...I came at the right time of the year! That allowed me to walk the trail with little disruption and enjoy the serenity. I stopped often to survey the scenery from different viewpoints, and I took a lot of photos. I was surprised how many access points there were to the cliff edges...with no fences or railings! It's amazing that there are not more accidents...people falling over the edge! As for myself, the closest I got was a few feet, and I was VERY, VERY careful with my movements. That's one LONG drop!

When I reached the Bright Angel trailhead, I saw the famous mules waiting to take the next group of visitors down the trail. Initially, I had wanted to walk all the rim trails. But, being short of time, I decided to take the free park shuttle to various viewpoints along the rest of the Rim trail. While walking the trails and riding the shuttles, I encountered a lot of foreign visitors. Considering the Grand Canyon is one of the natural wonders of the world, it attracts a lot of tourists, both foreign and domestic. I did make one humorous observation. I saw a Korean family enjoying their day at the park. The dad was taking photos with a rather small digital camera...attached to a full-sized tripod! I guess it made it easier to take a steady picture, but it sure looked funny!

Tomorrow, I continue my park adventures. Crossing my fingers the good weather holds!

Doggone it...it's Pet-a-Palooza!

2010-04-10T20:53:00.000-07:00

I made the 2-hour drive from St. George, UT back the way I had come yesterday...Las Vegas. I was returning specifically to attend Mix 94.1's Pet-a-Palooza, an event to raise money for local animal organizations. I had with me a couple of cans of pet food, which would give me $2 off the admission price. Orianthi was the first musical act to perform, at 11:30. Since I had some time to kill, I checked out the informational booths and grabbed some lunch. I didn't see the Five For Fighting bus parked anywhere nearby, so I assumed they hadn't arrived yet.

From the start, it was obvious Pet-a-Palooza wasn't really about all pets...it was primarily a dog event. And, there were a LOT of dogs there! People proudly parading their prize pooches, purebreds and mixed breeds galore. There were a few other types of animals in the mix. Minatures ponies, wild horses, a donkey...I even saw a couple of people with snakes! But, no cats, which was probably a good thing. When Orianthi hit the stage, I almost immediately lost interest...not my thing. I WAS curious about Kris Allen, though! I had watched him win American Idol last year, and since then, his career is going fine. And, I also think he's kinda cute!

As I was waiting for Kris, I was hanging around the stage when I saw a familiar face...Five For Fighting bass player Joe Karns! I greeted him and he gave me a hug! We talked a bit...Joe wasn't performing today because it was primarily an acoustic show. I assumed that would mean John Ondrasik and guitarist Greg Suran, but Joe told me that drummer Randy Cooke was doing a little percussion today. After Joe left, I went over to the fence where I saw the bus was now parked. I saw Greg and said hello. When I walked back to the stage area, and noticed Kris Allen was being interviewed by a radio station guy. I snapped several pictures of him, and before he left to go backstage, he signed some autographs for people. Rats! I suddenly realized that I forgot his CD in my car! If I had it with me, I probably would have gotten it signed then and there! Oh, well. Soon after, Kris appeared on stage for his performance. It was nice seeing him play live, but I still found myself not that enthused about him either. I guess I was just eager to see John again.

Like Kris, John did a short radio station interview before his performance...I got some photos to capture the moment. By the time John started into his first song, I was roasting in the sun. It got steadily hotter as the day progressed, and my arms were getting pretty dark. In one day, I was getting more sun that I get in a whole summer back home in the Pacific Northwest. At least, it seemed that way! John played for about a half hour, backed up by Greg on acoustic and electric guitar, and Randy on percussion. Here is his abbreviated set list...he played the first two songs on piano, and the rest on guitar, except for his aca pella last song.

World
100 Years
Chances
Slice
65 Mustang
Superman
Hope (Greg on guitar)

Afterwards, I went back to the fence and said goodbye to John as he was returning to the bus. I didn't stay for the autograph session afterwards, but I had done enough of that on the tour. Nor did I hang around for Barenaked Ladies. I have a big day tomorrow...have to drive a few hours and visit Grand Canyon National Park. I haven't been there since I was a child of about 7 or 8, and I remember nothing of it. So, I'm looking forward to this a lot. And, the weather forecast says it will be cooler...low 60s! Fantastic! It was too hot today. Hmm...it looks like my right arm got a little sunburned.

Rockin' at Tuacahn...and red rocks

2010-04-09T22:49:00.001-07:00

The last show of the Five For Fighting Slice tour took place at Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Ivins, UT. This might not be the biggest amphitheatre, but it is certainly a beautiful one. Surrounded by a natural red rock background, it seemed to enhance the acoustics of the venue. By the time the show started, the amphitheatre was pretty much full, which was wonderful to see!

I got a second row center seat, which gave me an excellent view of the stage...and, without further straining my neck, which was by the way still giving me pain (read my last blog). I was hoping whoever was sitting in front of me wasn't tall...I wanted an unimpeded view of the stage. I watched as the front row filled...all except three seats in front of me. Well, I didn't have to worry about tall people. Who should sit in those seats but John Ondrasik's wife Carla and the kids! What a nice surprise! I said "Hi" to Carla as they settled in for the show. The set list of the night was the same as the one they performed at the Portland concert (see Right place, right time...and a little luck), The only difference was that since there was no opening act, John played the storyteller to some songs...more so than the previous shows on the tour. When he came to the song, I Just Love You, and started into his experience at The Ashram, I told Carla that it was my favorite story! So funny! She laughed, too! I ended up taking more photos than usual...or trying to, anyway...because this was the last show. And, because more end up NOT coming out than do. Still, I got some great shots of John and the band.

After the show was over, John and the guys did their customary meet and greet with the fans. I waited till the line shortened, then situated myself at the end. When I got to the table with the band, I saw that John's daughter Olivia was signing autographs, too. Not wanting to be deprived of a future superstar's signature, I asked her to sign my ticket. Everyone else did, too...John signed the front. I told Randy that I brought a drum for him to sign. At first he didn't get it, but then he remembered he joked at the HOB San Diego show after signing a drumstick I had brought that I would bring a snare drum next time! Ha...gotcha! I got a goodbye hug from Randy, and a last photo with John. I told John how much I liked hearing the old songs, and thanked him for putting up with me for the past week.

And, so, the Five For Fighting spring tour is over. But, it's not quite over for me. I'll be traveling back to Las Vegas tomorrow for Mix 94.1's Pet-a-Palooza, which raises funds for local animal agencies. John and Greg Suran will be doing an acoustic performance, along with Orianthi, Kris Allen and Barenaked Ladies. It should be fun!

The price of being a groupie

2010-04-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

My neck is killing me! The right side of my neck from my head to my shoulder aches when I turn it. How did this happen? I have a theory. For the past four Five For Fighting shows, I've been front and center at the stage...right smack in front of John Ondrasik. And, every single stage has been elevated, although the Crystal Ballroom in Portland wasn't so bad. Being that close required a lot of neck craning...look up at opening act Matt Wertz and of course, John. That put a big strain on my neck...that's about 2 1/2 hours straight looking up. I think things went on the wayside after The Wiltern show in Los Angeles. The next day...which was last night...at House of Blues, San Diego, my neck was already hurting pretty good. Was I going to let that stop me from looking up at John? No. So, now, I'm paying the price for my devotion. Aleve barely put a dent in the discomfort. I just hope by NOT looking up anymore, it will slowly get better. Thankfully, tomorrow's show...the last show of the Slice tour...is at a seated amphitheatre. I'll be looking at the stage straight and level. I'm just glad John doesn't hang from wires over the audience like some performers do. My neck just couldn't take it!

Today, I left San Diego later than expected and found there was no time to visit Mojave National Preserve. Oh, well...there will always be other road trips! I'm in Las Vegas this evening, then a short two hour drive to Tuacahn Amphitheatre in Ivins, UT tomorrow. I've never seen John perform outdoors before, so this will be a new experience for me. It's a bit sad that the tour is finally coming to an end, but it's been fun. I'll cherish the final show tomorrow night and look forward to saying goodbye to John and the band.

Sing along with John at the HOB

2010-04-07T23:52:00.000-07:00

It was my first really warm day since starting my road trip a week ago. Warm enough to run the air conditioner in my groupie mobile! Like I planned last night, before leaving Los Angeles, I had an early lunch at Pink's. That chili dog really hit the spot. Nothing tastes better than something you really, really wanted!

When I arrived in San Diego, it was too early to check into my hotel, so I walked down to the House of Blues...the site of tonight's Five For Fighting concert. Since I wanted Pass The Line privileges to get into the show...you buy a meal and get to enter ahead of the general public...I had an early dinner there. About halfway through my hot turkey sandwich, a couple of the Five For Fighting crew guys walked by. Ah, the bus must have arrived. When I finished eating, I walked outside and sure enough, they were in the process of unloading the trailer. Hoping my room was ready, I walked back to the hotel...it was!

After freshening up, I returned to the HOB and found out from the security guy where Pass The Line folks should stand. I then took up my position at the front of the imaginary line, since there was absolutely no one there at 4:45 pm. Opening act Matt Wertz's van and trailer were being unloaded, which didn't take very long...both are pretty small compared to the Five For Fighting set up. Then, Matt came walking out of the building toward me. I said "Hello" and told him it was my 4th show...he was impressed! I complimented him on his music and wished him luck on his career...this was his last show with Five For Fighting. Matt was appreciative and thanked me...such a nice guy! Later, his drummer Josh Robinson came outside and I greeted him, too...he remembered me from Portland.

As I continued to wait, Five For Fighting bass player Joe Karns came out of the restaurant. I told him "Show number 4!," which enthused him! At around 6:00 pm, a van pulled up and out stepped Greg Suran and John Ondrasik. They were coming from a special acoustic performance put on by Sophie @103.7 in San Diego. I said "Hi" to John and told him "I'll see you up in front of the stage!" In response, John gave me the thumbs up! Soon, I could hear the sweet sounds of the Five For Fighting soundchecks through the closed music hall doors. Afterwards, drummer Randy Cooke exited the building, and I called out to him. I asked Randy if he would sign something for me...he was cool about that. At that point, I whipped out a signature Randy Cooke drumstick out of my plastic bag, and Randy started laughing. I told him that he never offered me a drumstick so I just got my own. I asked Randy if he would personalize the stick for me, which he was glad to do. He thanked me again for making the cookies for everyone...I was happy to do it! After Randy left, I was surprised when John popped out of the same door. Before he walked down the street, he told me, "See you later!," to which I replied, "OK." How lame could I be? But, I couldn't think of anything witty to say, considering I was caught unawares and John wasn't stopping.

At around 6:15, people started to finally start lining up for the show, including a few others in the Pass The Line queue. One gal said I looked familiar. Turns out we stood next to each other at the 4th & B show back in 2007! It's amazing how I run into the same people at Five For Fighting shows, but then John has a considerable loyal fan base! When doors opened at 7:00, I was first inside, and got my primo spot at the stage. I was joined by the gal who knew me and her husband and friend, and a couple of Five For Fighting newbies. Like all folks who have never seen a Five For Fighting show, I told the newbies they were going to love John performing live. When Matt and his band started things off, I must say I enjoyed hearing him one last time. Tonight was his final show with John, and he didn't disappoint...great stuff!

As John took the stage, right off the bat it was obvious things were going to be different from the previous 3 shows I had already gone to. For one thing...everyone was singing! World, Chances, The Riddle...the sound of the audience singing in unison with John was truly amazing! John loved it! Nothing is sweeter to a songwriter than knowing that people not only love your music, but take the time to learn the lyrics. John's set for the night was short one song from what I'd been hearing...he didn't sing Bella's Birthday Cake!

World
Chances
The Riddle
Devil In The Wishing Well
65 Mustang
Easy Tonight
NYC Weather Report
Superman
Two Frogs
Freedom Never Cries (solo)
If God Made You (solo)
Augie Nieto (Greg on guitar)
Slice
100 Years

Encore: Disneyland, I Just Love You, Hope

Also missing...John didn't grab a child in the audience to sit with him for Superman because there WERE no children. It was a 21 and older show. And, there was one minor glitch...a malfunction prevented Greg from accompanying John on guitar for Hope. John, ever the professional, went on and finished the song without any music. It was awesome to hear John sing aca pella with no music...he's SO good! After the show, people lined up to get autographs and photos with John and the band. I had something cool to show John, so I let everyone go ahead of me. I was pretty much last when I got to the band table. When Randy saw me, he started laughing. He turned to Greg and told him about the drumstick and joked next time I would bring a snare drum for him to sign! That Randy! Always the funny guy! I told Greg if I had known that he had a turntable on the bus...John tweeted about it...I would have let him borrow some of my vinyl. Finally, when I got to John, I pulled out a vintage Five For Fighting hockey jersey, put out my Sony Music, Canada. It was red and white with white maple leaf on the front with the words "Five For Fighting" inside of it. On the back, it said "Superman" and "5 For Fighting." Randy was impressed with the jersey, and John said it was REALLY old. John signed the back for me, and before leaving, I said I would see him at Tuacahn...the venue of the last Five For Fighting show of the tour.

So, tomorrow I have a free day, which I'll spend doing a bit of sightseeing before spending the night in Las Vegas. No, I don't plan on doing any gambling. I have more constructive ways to utilize my hard-earned dough...going on Five For Fighting groupie road trips!

Welcome home, John!

2010-04-07T00:22:00.001-07:00

My first order of this fine day...getting my groupie mobile washed. It had picked up a thin film from the dirty rain-soaked roads of Washington and Oregon. With luck, I won't have to get another wash from now till the end of my road trip!

Before heading over to the Five For Fighting show at The Wiltern in the afternoon, I thought I would grab a bite to eat at Pink's Hot Dogs. I was dying for one of their chili dogs! But, my GPS chose the wrong moment to let me down once again. By the time I realized I was heading south on La Brea Blvd instead of north, it was getting late in the afternoon. Traffic was already murder and I wanted to get to the venue early to be first in line. So, I abandoned my quest for chili dog and headed to The Wiltern. McDonald's was conveniently nearby, so I almost reluctantly got something to eat there.

Afterwards, I walked over to the theater and found there was no one in line yet. Feeling the cover shirt I had was inadequate for the slight chill of the shade, I went back to my Blazer to get something a little warmer. But, by the time I returned to start my vigil...there was someone waiting there! Hmm...I was no longer first in line, but it was no big tragedy. To a Five For Fighting fanatic like me, second in line was almost as good as first...if you know what to do with it. I started talking to the gal who was waiting. Her name was Alma, and she had walked over to The Wiltern from work nearby. It was Alma's first Five For Fighting concert, and I told her she was going to enjoy it a lot! She was waiting for the arrival of her husband and a couple of friends. I was also awaiting my friends Lynne and Dave...I had attended John's Largo show last November with the two of them. As the hour grew late, and doors opening was fast approaching, our respective companions finally arrived.

When we entered the theater, my friends and I were in total agreement as to where we would watch the show. Alma and her companions chose the seats, whereas we elected to be right at the stage in the standing only orchestra section. As the section slowly filled up, a guy walked up to us and boldly introduced himself...a Devon something. He wasted no time crowing about opening act Matt Wertz, and basically dissing Five For Fighting. Claimed that Matt was a true singer-songwriter and John was "corporate." Excuse me? Turns out this Devon jerk was not only promoting himself...I think he said he would be touring with Matt...he had never even HEARD Five For Fighting's music! Kind of hard to pass judgment when you don't know what you're talking about. At least I could say that I had listened to Matt...having gone to two previous shows already...but, I just wasn't into his stuff. Needless to say, I had no further interest in listening to the clueless idiot. He has a lot to learn about respect and paying your dues.

After politely listening to Matt's set, there was a brief intermission as the crew set up the stage for Five For Fighting. While I waited, I got into a lot more pleasant conversation with a couple of fellow Five For Fighting fans. That's part of the experience of going to these shows...meeting other nice people who are also admirers of John and his music. I ended up giving out a few of my fan site business cards...hey, the more folks who know about my site, the better! Then, what we were all waiting for...John and the band took the stage. The set list was the same as the Portland show (see Right place, right time...and a little luck blog). As in previous shows, after John finished singing NYC Weather Report, he looked for a child to join him on stage for his next song. Since John was at his home base of Los Angeles, it was no surprise his family was there...wife Carla, his kids Johnny and Olivia, and his parents. And, it was only fitting that John selected one of his own kids to grace the stage...in this case, his son Johnny. It was such a touching moment!

When the show was over, John and the band stationed themselves in the lobby for autographs and photos. I made myself useful by taking pics of my friends, and likewise, Lynne took photos of me with the band and with John. Before parting ways, I thanked John for the pic and told him that I would see him in San Diego tomorrow. John replied, "Manana...have a safe drive!" In case you don't know the Spanish, manana means tomorrow. And, so, I'll be heading south for the 4th show of my 6 show groupie road trip. Since, I'm still wanting that Pink's chili dog, I'm going to make a quick stop there before heading out of town. It opens at 9:30 am! Ahh...the perfect road trip breakfast!

Attention Robot Skeleton Army!

2010-04-05T20:56:00.000-07:00

I woke up to...rain! It started raining last night and it was still there in the morning. Thankfully, by the time I drove to downtown Los Angeles, it had stopped and the sun was peeking through the clouds. I checked out the historic Angels Flight Railway, touted as The World's Shortest Railway. At 25 cents a ride, the price was right! I rode it up...then down. Next, I went to Hollywood to visit the Museum Of Death. It's a museum that simply deals with death in our society, which is a topic that most people tend to avoid...until they're forced to face it personally. The exhibits tended to be pretty graphic, especially when dealing with criminal cases, but I found them informative. This museum is definitely not for everyone, but give it a try if you find you have a morbid fascination with death...or just want to learn something different!

My big event of the day was attending a taping of The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. After a tasty corned beef and cabbage lunch at the Los Angeles Farmer's Market, I drove to CBS Television City. I parked in their visitor's lot, then joined the line of people waiting to get in. While I was waiting, I bonded with a vacationing couple from Calgary, Alberta. When I told them I lived in Bellingham, WA, they both knew where it was, having lived north of the border in Vancouver, BC.

When zero hour came, our tickets...previously obtained via the internet...were collected, and everyone went through metal detectors and bag checks. Next, we proceeded into the building and up to the studio. Initially, I was seated in the last row...and right behind a lady with a big head. But, after they placed other audience members in some unfilled VIP seats up front...me and two guys got moved to 4th row center! A much better view of the stage! We were soon entertained by the warm-up comedian, who went by the name Chucky B. He was hilarious, and was later really good at encouraging everyone on when and how to cheer Craig on.

Finally...SHOW TIME! Craig came out and did a musical number with some backup musicians...well, they were pretending anyway! I would have to say, Craig sings pretty good, even though it was a satiric tune! This was a really big show because Craig's robot sidekick made his debut. Named Geoff Peterson...for seemingly no particular reason...the robot was built by Mythbusters member Grant Imahara and was inspired by Craig's Twitter followers, known as the Robot Skeleton Army. You can read about the construction of Geoff here. Craig included Geoff throughout the show, even when interviewing guests Kristin Bell and Grant. The robot was limited to only 8 canned phrases, but Craig utilized them to great comic effect. In all, it was yet another fun-filled experience, and one I would definitely do again! If you ever find yourself wanting some FREE entertainment, why not give Craig's show a whirl! Oh, and you can always watch him on TV, too...CBS-TV, right after David Letterman!

Easter Sunday drivers

2010-04-04T22:00:00.000-07:00

Traffic was light as I left West Sacramento on this Easter Sunday. Looking to avoid the somewhat depressing monotony of Interstate 5, I decided to travel south to Los Angeles via Hwy 99. Unlike the interstate, this road passes through a number of small cities, which in itself makes for a more challenging drive. I've often compared driving the freeways of California to playing an arcade video game. You're going fast, maneuvering around slower traffic and constantly seeking out an open lane in front of you while jockeying for position with your worthy adversaries...in this case, the other drivers. Not only do I enjoy this in a strange sort of way, it helps to keep my mind and body occupied. Ideally, everyone should be driving defensively, but they don't...those are the cars you usually end up passing. One irritating trend I noticed today was the stubborn, discourteous driver. Those are the ones that plant themselves in the faster lanes...and drive slower than everyone trying to get around them! They act seemingly oblivious to the line of cars behind them, and don't even bother to pull over into the slow lane. Why do they do this? And, I saw this A LOT today! Is this a territorial thing, or something they teach in California driver's education?

Being the Easter holiday, I quickly realized my lunch plan was not to be realized. I stopped in Merced, hoping for an In N Out Burger. Closed! I didn't feel like Taco Bell...the drive-through was open...or Kentucky Fried Chicken. So, I just ate the other half of the Subway sandwich I bought for lunch yesterday. As I got back on the freeway, my GPS temporarily went out of its mind...or maybe it was just the voice persona having a brain fart. While I was ON THE FREEWAY, it started instructing me to make turns on a city street! That's the 3rd time on this road trip that the GPS did crazy things! It's enough to make you swear. But, who would I be cursing out...the GPS itself or the voice inside? Oh, in case you were wondering, her name is Mandy. Hmm...it might be time to give Mandy a break and pick out a new GPS helper?

On the road...to rest

2010-04-03T21:50:00.001-07:00

For the past couple days, I have been so caught up with doing my groupie thing and blogging into the wee hours of the morning, my sleep has suffered. I think I've only gotten 8 hours total. To make matters worse, I had a LONG 9-hour drive from Portland to Sacramento today. Why aren't I in San Francisco for tonight's Five For Fighting show, you ask? Well, I'll tell you. I got to sleep around 3:00 am this morning, and got up at 7:00. It would have taken me 10 HOURS to drive to San Francisco! That's not counting rest stops, lunch and a gas fill up. Yeah, I could have made the show. But, what condition would I have been physically? And, I certainly wouldn't have been at the venue early enough for get my primo spot at the stage. So, I weighed the benefits and opted out. I figured, I'm going to 5 shows anyway...6, if you count Pet-a-Palooza, too. So, I could afford to skip a show. Besides, John needs a break from me anyway, right?

My drive today was fairly routine and uneventful. Oh, unless you want to count my GPS letting me down in Medford, OR! After filling my gas tank, I wanted to return to the freeway. I followed my GPS instructions, and it directed me to...a freeway onramp that DIDN'T EXIST! It took me to the freeway, but there was NO RAMP! I had never had THAT happen before! Ultimately, I just retraced my route backwards from the gas station...I didn't need my GPS to help me do that!

Tomorrow, I travel to Los Angeles and The Wiltern show on Tuesday. I'll be doing tourist stuff the day before...I'll be blogging about that later. Today, I saw more sun than I have in who knows how long. Such is the life of a Pacific Northwest dweller...lots of cloudy days! I'll be looking forward to more sunny days on the rest of my road trip!

Right place, right time...and a little luck!

2010-04-03T00:19:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning a bit bleary eyed. I didn't get bed till 2:00 am, and had problems falling asleep. Too wound up from yesterday's excitement, I guess! As I left the Best Western Loyal Inn...there, I revealed the hotel with the stuffy front counter guy...it was raining. It continued all the way down to Portland, with wind added to the mixture. I swung by the Crystal Ballroom...the venue for the night's Five For Fighting concert...at around 12:30 pm, but the bus wasn't there yet. I hung around for about an hour, then decided to check into my hotel.

My accommodations in Portland were a lot nicer than usual, at least for someone as thrifty as myself. I usually stay at the two star hotels, like Days Inn, Econolodge, and the before-mentioned Best Western. Since I wanted to be as close to the venue as possible this time around, I looked over the AAA offerings...and went with the Marriott! Now, you would think a place like this would be expensive, it usually is. But, as a AAA member, it was downright reasonable, albeit about $20-30 more than my usual type of hotel. As soon as I approached the front door, I knew things were going to be different! There were door guys, and valet parking. The front counter gal was VERY pleasant, and immediately checked me in, even though it was only 1:30 pm! I unloaded my bags from the Blazer, and the bell hop/door guy accompanied me up to my room. I admitted to him that I was a newbie when it came to the Marriott, so he showed me the room's amenities. As he left, yes, I tipped him!

After grabbing a quick bite to eat, and freshening up, I made the 10 minute walk to the Crystal Ballroom. At 4:30 pm, no one was waiting in line yet...and the tour bus was parked out in front. But, shortly after I arrived, a couple showed up, and said they were there for the radio station K103 soundcheck meet and greet with Five For Fighting. Now, I had entered the drawing for this, and had high hopes, but I didn’t win. As we waited and talked, Greg Suran got off the bus, and I asked him if he tried my cookies. He said he had, and they were good…he specifically mentioned eating a peanut butter one! A little later, Joe Karns walked up, and I asked him the same question. He also said he enjoyed the cookies, and I thanked him for the compliment!

After a little while, the guy working at the venue told everyone that they would be going in about 5:00 pm. I told him I was just waiting to be first in line for the concert itself. He then told me I could go in with them! I wasn't sure this was right, but he assured me it was okay. At that moment, I thought fortune was smiling on me! Shortly after that, John Ondrasik got off the bus, and made his way toward the entrance. As John walked by, he spotted me, and I told him I got invited to the party. He looked a little surprised, but said that was nice.

When the radio station people arrived, I got the bad news. They had a list, and the venue guy was mistaken about allowing me in! Oh, well. The radio guy started reading off names, and several people did not answer. One of the winners thought that maybe I could go in after all! I didn’t think so. Suddenly, a family who won a different contest…that included meet and greet AND show tickets…said that they were allowed 5 people in their party. Not only did they only have 3…they invited me to join them! How cool was that? I thanked them for their generosity, and rejoined the group. Talk about luck! It was almost too good to be true! But, we all went in, and I soon found myself upstairs, where John and the band were already doing musical exercises with their instruments. John asked everyone what they wanted to hear. Someone suggested The Taste, but John had to decline that one. He did agree on the next request, Angels and Girlfriends, followed by Superman. Then, John and the band did the customary meet and greet thing...photos and autographs.

As all this was going on, I hung back and let everyone enjoy the moment. After all, I had already done it all the previous night. I ended up talking to opening act Matt Wertz's drummer, John. He appreciated my compliments on their music. When I finally got a chance, I asked John if he had tried my cookies. He replied with some resignation that he was on a "tour diet," which accounted for his slim physique! I told him that he was too thin, which he thanked me! I also got to talk to Randy Cooke a little more. I asked him what his cat's name was...Mac. I also asked who was taking care of him while he was on tour. Randy said that his next door neighbors were tending to Mac. I love people who are cat lovers! In all, it was fun being at a soundcheck. I wouldn't mind doing it again, though!

As I exited the building, I once again took up my position as first-in-line. Soon, a couple showed up to join me. Turns out they were at last November's show at The Aladdin...closer to the front of the line then me for that one! We had a nice conversation talking about John and his music...they were pretty knowledgable! Several more people joined us, waiting in the chilly wind for the doors to open. Suddenly, the same door guy I talked to earlier told everyone we could wait in the cafe inside, to get away from the weather! How nice! But, it turned out to be not the best deal for me and the couple...at least at first. Without us knowing it, when it got close 7:00 pm...the official opening time...people who were waiting in the bar started lining up at the staircase to the ballroom! We were now no longer first. In fact, there were about a dozen folks ahead of us! I could see the quest for a front and center spot at the stage going down the drain! When the time came, I went up the stairs with a mission...run if I had to! Turns out it wasn't necessary. Most of the people in front of us ended up going for the balcony seats! I had my perfect spot after all! Whew! Strangely enough, I was joined by 4 other people who I had met at the November show...a lady and her daughter, and a guy with his young daughter! One would say small world, but I would reply...fellow Five For Fighting fanatics! I was now in good company!

Because the ballroom was a bigger venue than the Seattle club show, Matt's music didn't seem quite so loud. But, it was still great! And, the same could be said of John and the band. The night's set list was as follows:

World
Chances
The Riddle
Devil In The Wishing Well
65 Mustang
Easy Tonight
NYC Weather Report
Superman
Two Frogs
Freedom Never Cries (solo)
If God Made You (solo)
Augie Nieto (w/Greg on acoustic)
Disneyland
Slice
100 Years

Encore: Bella's Birthday Cake, I Just Love You, Hope

I need to make special note of lighting director Don Weeks' fine work. The lights were just awesome...they made for some pretty sweet pics! One thing I forgot to mention in the last blog. At one point in the show, John complimented the parents who brought their kids to see him. Then, John focused on one small boy...a 7-year-old named Tyler. He didn't have the greatest view of John because of the huge piano on the small stage. John thought that he should have a better seat...so he invited him on stage to sit with him at the piano! John then proceeded to perform Superman, with the thrilled child next to him! Well, John did the same thing tonight, with a 12-year-old girl named Abbie. John never ceases to amaze people with his kindness and thoughtfulness!

After the show, John and the band made themselves available for autographs and photos. While I waited to talk to John, I perused the merchandise table. Hey, new stuff! I ended up buying a hooded sweatshirt and a T-shirt. I can never have too much when it comes to Five For Fighting apparel! When the line finally petered out, and John and the band started to leave, I wished them all a Happy Easter and told them I would see them at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. Randy wanted a good bye hug, which I was only to happy to give him!

So, that concluded another event-filled day for this Five For Fighting groupie. While John does another show in San Francisco tomorrow night, I'll be making the long drive to Sacramento, followed by another half day of driving to L.A. In reality, it will be a few days of rest for me. Right now, it's 1:30 am, and I still have my personal journal to finish before hitting the sack. Sweet dreams await!