When you only got 100 years...

Today is January 7...John Ondrasik's birthday! He's 45...a milestone in a certain Five For Fighting song. In his hit 100 Years, the lyrics go:

I'm 45 for a moment
The sea is high
And I'm heading into a crisis
Chasing the years of my life

The song talks about seemingly reaching the midpoint in one's life, where time seems to by flying by. For me, it's been almost the opposite since discovering John's music back in 2005. That seems an eternity ago. I can't believe it's been only 4 1/2 years since that fateful day when I heard 100 Years on an episode of the TV series Jag. So much of my life has changed, thanks to that song. I couldn't have even dreamed that I would get to know John personally, and create a fan site to help spread the word about Five For Fighting.

But, there is much ahead for John and Five For Fighting. His talent is so immense, and there are so many more songs to be written and shared with his fans. I'm looking forward to that, as I am for the upcoming Five For Fighting full band tour. Things ARE certainly looking bright in John's future...as long as that proverbial crisis never shows up!

Reminiscing...road trip memories

I know, I know...I said I would have my road trip wrap up soon. Well, my Christmas shopping and holiday activities got in the way of that! But, now that I've caught up on things, I'm ready to relive my good times with some number crunching and fun things that may not have made it into my previous blog posts. So, let's get started!

Total miles driven on my road trip = 3037 miles. Yes, I kept track every day!

Most miles driven in one day = 535 miles, Sacramento, CA to Salem, OR. Sometimes you gotta do this when there's so much to see in one place...and not a whole lot in between!

Cheapest gas: $2.59/gal in West Linn, OR (and they pump it for you, too)

Most expensive gas: $3.03/gal in Bakersfield, CA. I planned to fill up at a Mobil, but passed when they only accepted cash or their own gas card...what's the deal with that?

Biggest GPS mistake: When I punched in the address of West Coast Game Park near Bandon, OR, my GPS accepted it, but steered me in the wrong direction...literally! Instead of SOUTH of Bandon, it took me a spot NORTH of town. I knew something was not right because I had been there before in 2008 and remembered driving south. You also can't miss the place...there's a directional road sign when you're getting close and a HUGE sign in front of the zoo!

Number of car washes visited = 1. I can only stand so many days that my groupie mobile is less than perfect. And, after a week on the road...and braving one stormy day in Oregon...my Blazer was unacceptably dirty. I went to a hand car wash...they don't have those where I live...and got my ride back in fighting shape. Five For Fighting shape, that is!

Total number of times I stayed at Super 8 = 3. I may reconsider next road trip...the Days Inn, Econo Lodge, Ramada and Chariot Inn were much better!

Worst weather day: Visiting Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, OR and the drive south to Roseburg afterward. Just as I got to the museum, it started raining...then pouring...then wind and hail! All was fine...until I had to walk to the other building to see the space exhibits. It's a good thing I had my super cool Shedrain Windjammer umbrella with me! Still, I managed to lose my water bottle during my brisk walk through the downpour...I was too occupied trying to angle my umbrella toward the sheet rain to notice! The rain was still coming down hard as I left the museum and drove down I-5. Strangely, it made what would have been a boring stretch of road, downright intense!

Most challenging road driven: On my previous road trips, I took on the curves of Hwy 1 from Leggett, CA to the coast, and the famous Lombard St in San Francisco. Well, this time, I asked my GPS for the quickest way to Malibu from U.S. 101 in Los Angeles. It took me down Hwy 23, through the Santa Monica Mountains...down, down, down and curve after curve after curve! If I had known the road taken would be like that, I would have picked a longer, easier route! On a more positive note, by the time I got to Neptune's Net, I was SO relieved to just sit, relax and enjoy my scallop and shrimp basket! Next time, I review my route itinerary more carefully before I actually drive it!

Most interesting road: The Singing Road in Lancaster, CA. As far as I know, there is only one road like it in the U.S., maybe in the world! As you drive the short stretch of pavement, your tires roll over grooves in the road, which plays the William Tell Overture...better known as The Lone Ranger theme song! So cool!

Best fast food: Pink's Hot Dogs in Los Angeles. Ha! You thought I was going to say In N Out Burger? There was never one conveniently near my activities, even though I wanted to eat there. My last chance was Redding, CA and drove into town before it was open. Oh, well...next road trip.

Best meal overall: Lunch at the Warner Brothers Studios fine dining commissary. This is where the bigwigs have their power lunches. The meal was included in the price of the 5-hour VIP tour I took that day. Sirloin steak, fingerling baked potatoes with sour cream, sauteed spinach and coconut cream pie for dessert. I chose the most expensive item on the menu! And, no, I didn't see anyone famous, although I thought I may have recognized a director...or maybe it was a producer?

Most rewarding animal experience: Holding the 5-week-old Bengal tiger cub in my arms at West Coast Game Park. How many opportunities does one have to do something like that? It's something I will never forget. Kimbo was such a cute little guy! When he grows up, he'll weigh 400-500 pounds! Needless to say, I plan to visit this zoo again...hopefully next year!

Most rewarding people experience: John holding me in his arms...okay, it was just ONE arm...during our Kodak moment in front of the Swedish American Hall in San Francisco. When John arrived, he couldn't miss me...I was blocking the only entrance into the venue! Since the front door was locked...and there was no one to let John in...I rang the door bell. In the meantime, John proceeded to greet other lucky fans waiting in line when his manager finally came out of the building and had to retrieve him. Note: always better to try to catch John BEFORE a show!

Best celebrity sighting (other than at a Five For Fighting show): Seeing the cast of the CBS-TV sitcom Accidentally On Purpose during the live taping of their TV series. I didn't get to meet them personally, but watching them perform and the whole filming process was interesting and exciting. Yeah, The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien...and seeing Al Gore in the flesh...was cool, too. But, being a big television addict, I've always been partial to actors and TV shows. And, witnessing the talented cast of this comedy series plus special guest Michael Rappaport strut their stuff was something I would love to experience again in the future!

Most museums visited in one day = 3 in Sacramento. I would have gone to more, but I ran out of time...this city has a LOT of museums!

Toughest museum admission policy: I've been to a lot of museums in my life, but never have I had to go through what I had to at the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. The museum is affiliated with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and encourages awareness of racism and bigotry around the world, and to understand the Holocaust. Given the persistance of anti-semitism and those who choose to preach hatred and intolerance, it's understandable the need for security at such a museum. But, things were challenging before I even left home. I discovered that I had to buy a ticket ahead of time to guarantee admission. Not only that, I had to pick the exact day AND time I wanted to attend...for a museum! Then, on the day of my visit, I find out that the museum's parking garage opens when the museum itself opens...not a minute sooner! Why? Because security has to inspect your vehicle before you're allowed to park! That was interesting, considering my Blazer was full of my road trip belongings...we're talking a lot of bags! Thankfully, the guy checking me out didn't think I was much of a threat...he let me go after a cursory look. Once I was parked, I took the elevator upstairs to the entrance lobby...to stand in line to get the ticket I reserved. That didn't take very long, but I wasn't done with lines...there was another one for the metal detector! While I was watching the process and waiting my turn, I discovered yet another restriction...no gum allowed! Now, I wasn't aware of this silly rule ahead of time, and reluctant to lose 2 full packs of gum, I transferred them from my mini-backpack to my pants pocket. It didn't work! The foil set off the metal detector, and the security guy used the wand on me, which beeped over my pocket. Luckily, as I pulled out the gum, he didn't make me throw it away. At that point, I was all ready to see the museum. Not so fast! First, I had to listen to an introduction to the museum. Then, I HAD TO go through the Holocaust presentation as a group, section by section...no wandering off ahead! By the time I finished all of this, I had to leave to make a lunch date with a friend. At least I was allowed to come back later on to finish seeing the rest of exhibits. Oh, don't get me wrong...this museum is well worth visiting. I just wish things were not so regimented, necessary or not.

Museum magic moment: At the March Field Air Museum in Riverside, CA, sharing the awesome sight of U.S. Air National Guard F-16 doing touch and go landings at the nearby March Air Reserve Base with an Air Force vet. The old-timer was a volunteer docent working the P-38 hangar...the Lightning is my favorite World War II plane! We both stood there silently admiring the jet as it dropped down to the tarmac, then pulled back into the sky on afterburner. Such an impressive sight!

Coolest thing I got for free: Pretty much every time I go to a Five For Fighting concert now, I come away with a freebie or two. On this groupie road trip, I picked up a setlist from the stage at the end of the San Francisco show. Usually, I ask the stage crew while they are breaking things down. But, on this occasion, there was no one there...so, I just helped myself! But, my best acquisition came during the Portland show intermission. Well before doors opened, I asked the guy working the ticket booth if there were any extra copies of the Five For Fighting posters gracing the front doors. He replied there were not, but suggested I check after the opening act...they usually take them down then. I followed his advice, and sure enough, I was able to grab not one but TWO different posters! One featured the Chances Mustang pic, and the other was the more coveted poster with John's handsome visage! Yowsah!

Coolest items I got for $10: While waiting for doors to open at the Five For Fighting Largo show in Los Angeles, I perused the merchandise booth. At first, I didn't see anything new, but then the sound of music caught my ears. The guy staffing the booth was showing a couple of greeting cards to a lady. Initially, they looked like ordinary cards with Sandra Boynton's whimsical artwork. But, when the cards were opened, one featured John singing a few verses of 100 Years, while the other played I Just Love You! Awesome! I was immediately hooked! I bought both cards at $5 apiece, but I probably would have been willing to pay a lot more. I mean, where else can you get something cool like that? By the way, it was no surprise John's songs were coupled with Boynton cards. John and Sandra are friends, and he worked with her on two of her music/book projects... Dog Train and Blue Moo!

Well, I think that's enough for now...at least for THIS road trip. I'm looking forward to creating new road trip memories in the future...like next year! 2010, here I come!

Journey's end

Originally posted on MySpace on November 19, 2009.

The weather was blustery when I left Salem, OR...the last day of my road trip. With wind and rain in the forecast for the Portland area, I decided it was pointless to visit the Oregon Zoo. Instead, I headed east and the skies cleared...I think I ran away from the storm. There was a museum I wanted to see in The Dalles, but before getting there, I stopped at Multnomah Falls. I visited the falls in a previous road trip and I felt it was worth a return visit. It was a bit chilly there, but even colder closer to the falls with the mist. I just took some photos and left. I noticed other visitors doing the same thing...yes, it was cold!

I continued on to the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center. This museum has exhibits about the Columbia River gorge area, Wasco County history, and Lewis & Clark's expedition. When I first got there, I just missed a nature presentation with a great horned owl. I chatted with the Forest Service lady who conducted the program. Turns out like me, she also attended Washington State University. But, unlike me, she was able to get a job in the wildlife field...I kind of gave up on that a long time ago. I told her about West Coast Game Park and holding the tiger cubs. She had never heard of the zoo, and I encouraged her to check it out.

Afterward, there was nothing left to do but to end my journey at my parents' house. My cat immediately hid under the bed when she heard me. Damn, she's smart! Kimi thought it was time to go home, and she hates the car ride. And, so, the Five For Fighting Groupie Road Trip 2 is officially over. Not as much groupie as it was road trip vacation. But, the three Five For Fighting shows I DID go to proved most memorable. I'll be doing a recap blog soon. In addition, there will be a new photo album in my fan site Photo Gallery devoted to my road trip. First, I need to start my Christmas shopping...my road trip put me way behind schedule!

Almost done

Originally posted on MySpace on November 18, 2009.

I left Sacramento bright and early with an 8-hour drive ahead of me. Adorning my back window was a NEW radio station sticker! I forgot to mention yesterday, but I decided to try my luck getting window stickers from radio stations that play Five For Fighting music. I scored on the first one... 100.5 The Zone. They had the stickers sitting on the counter of the front reception desk, and I grabbed a few. The other station was a washout...I won't embarrass them by mentioning the name. So, I happily placed The Zone sticker in the big empty spot on my window...looks good!

I drove in sunshine most of the day, which surprised me. That's northern California's Mt. Shasta in the pic, taken on the road. According to The Weather Channel, I thought for sure it would be overcast and rainy. With the nice weather, I made good time, stopping only for lunch and gas. I have to admit, I'm liking having my gas pumped for me...they do that for you in Oregon. As long as it's not busy, it goes really fast, and you just wait in the comfort of your own vehicle. No muss, no fuss. The friendly 76 guy even cleaned my windshield for me without me having to ask him. I'll get such service one more time when I fill up tomorrow before crossing over into Washington where they DON'T pump your gas for you. I was going to the Oregon Zoo but since the weather forecast says wind and rain, I think I'll just take in a museum or two. My road trip will be coming to an end, but I think it's time. I'm looking forward to sleeping in my own bed.

So many museums, so little time

Originally posted on MySpace on November 17, 2009.

If you haven't figured it out by now, I LIKE museums! Especially the regional ones...you can learn a lot about a place by visiting the local museum. Some people find museums boring, but not me. I can never know too much about anything.

I started by going to The California Museum, which has exhibits about California history. There were also some special exhibits on notable women, Japanese American internment during World War II, and movie costumes and props. I spent about an hour and a half feeding my mind. The next museum I went to, on California military history, was a bit of a disappointment. Other than some nice memorabilia, it was just okay. The last stop of the day was the California Automobile Museum. Now, I've gone to a couple of auto museums on previous road trips... Petersen in Los Angeles and the National in Reno...and this one in Sacramento was equally as impressive. I love the older cars, and they had a fine collection. I take the time to read the informational signs and look over the vintage autos, so it was no surprise that before I knew it, I had spent 2 1/2 hours there. And, THAT is why it's best for me to go alone to museums! I'll definitely be back to Sacramento in the future. There are some other museums that I would like to visit!

Tomorrow, will be long day...8 hours of driving ahead of me! And, I'll be leaving sunny California and returning to the dark, rainy and windy Pacific Northwest. After experiencing so many highs on my road trip, I'm not looking forward to any lows. I'll try not to think about it as I eat the fresh peanut brittle I bought today! Yummy!

Sacramento LOVES Five For Fighting!

Originally posted on MySpace on November 16, 2009.

I left Los Angeles early this morning...about 7:00 am. As I drove north, I observed commuters traveling south in huge freeway backups. It's amazing...I could NEVER stand going to work like that AND going home the same way!

I had a 6-hour plus drive to Sacramento ahead of me, but there were a few places I needed to go to. First, was Charlie Brown Farms in Littlerock. I stopped there once on a previous road trip and LOVED their salt water taffy. I picked up 3 BAGS, in addition to nuts, dates and orange blossom honey. It's a tourist draw, but a great place to pick up snacks for the road!

Next...a VERY IMPORTANT stop at a spot in the middle of nowhere. I drove north for about a half hour, on desolate roads through desert-like terrain. Then...there it was. Club Ed. The location of the Five For Fighting promo photo shoot AND the Chances music video! The site is private property, so I couldn't really check it out, but I DID take a lot of photos from the road. The photo that you see was taken at about the same spot as the Slice CD cover. Yes, that's my groupie mobile in the picture! I can just imagine John's Mustang tearing down the road. I wonder how fast he was driving?

Another half hour away in Lancaster is a most unusual piece of pavement. It's known as The Singing Road, and the only one of its kind in the U.S. and probably the world. Several years ago, an auto company created a musical road for a TV commercial. Grooves were placed in the asphalt, which played a tune when tires rolled over them. Afterward, it proved to be a popular tourist attraction. Unfortunately, it wasn't popular with the locals who lived near the road, who had to put up with the constant noise. Subsequently, the grooves were taken out, and the musical road was no more. Well, there was an outcry from those who missed the road and wanted it back. So, the city of Lancaster made a brand new "singing road", but located it out of town away from any populated area. I just had to check it out, and I wasn't disappointed. I drove, I heard...and I recorded a little video of my experience. Onward to Sacramento!

After I checked into my hotel, I pulled into a parking space in the hotel lot. I had my radio tuned to a local soft rock station. Right before I shut off the engine, 100 Years started playing on the air. Cool! I never get tired of hearing John's songs! I unloaded my stuff, and went to get something for dinner. I was so tired from the long drive, I just went to the nearby McDonald's to grab a salad. As I walked into the restaurant, what should be playing over their speakers? The Riddle. It brings to mind John's story about hearing American Pie when he was in the coffee house with Stephen Schwartz and they came up with the idea of his song Slice. Is there such a thing as coincidence? I think some things are just meant to be.

Hope in an intolerant world

Originally posted on MySpace on November 15, 2009.

My last day in Los Angeles! It was sunny and beautiful. I tried to enjoy the nice weather because when I return to Washington, it will not be like that...at all! Since I didn't have to time to do it last week, I drove up to Griffith Park Observatory to take in the city panorama...and get a photo of the famous Hollywood sign! I then had a bite from the equally famous Pink's hot dog stand. Chili dogs with mustard and onions...oh, yeah!

I had been planning to see two museums today, but it turns out I only had time for one. The Museum of Tolerance is part of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and it serves to educate and enlighten visitors of the intolerences and prejudices of the world, past and present. Even though the centerpiece of the museum of the Holocaust Exhibit, there are also many examples of why we must remain vigilant to be prevent history from repeating itself. Despite the dark themes, this museum should be a must see for everyone.

And, so, tomorrow I leave sunny southern California and slowly travel north on my way back home. I shouldn't exactly say slowly...I have a marathon drive to Sacramento. But, I'm going to make time to check out a couple of interesting sights...at least that's the plan. Then, there's my quest for salt water taffy. More on THAT tomorrow!

Preserving the past

Originally posted on MySpace on November 14, 2009.

It was my kind of day today...sunny skies but low 70s...perfect! I took a short drive east to Riverside to take in a couple of museums. I was looking forward to visiting the March Field Air Museum, located adjacent to March Air Force Base. When I was growing up in Riverside, whenever we drove past the base, I remember seeing the flight line of B-52 bombers with their long, drooping wings. The planes are no longer there, but the some of the buildings are. And, the tarmac is now occupied by historic warbirds...and one B-52! I love looking at military aircraft, especially the World War II era planes. This facility had a nice collection, including some very rare planes...and my favorite, the P-38 Lighting, which had the nickname "Fork-tailed Devil." Another nice thing about going to museums such as this one...talking to veteran pilots who flew aircraft in past military conflicts throughout our history. I spoke to one such gentleman at this museum, and appreciated hearing of his personal experiences.

After an enjoyable couple of hours at the air museum, I drove into downtown Riverside to take in the Riverside Metropolitan Museum. It was pretty small and after reading up on the history of navel orange industry and some other local stuff, I drove back to L.A. For a change, I'm going to try to get a good sleep tonight...something that I haven't done much of since I started my road trip. One more day of sightseeing, then I slowly make my drive back north. One more week, then it's back to work for me. In a way, I kind of miss it. And, yes, I'm still listening to Slice. Everyday, several times a day. It's so good, I can't stop!

Going behind the scenes

Originally posted on MySpace on November 14, 2009.

I had a long day experiencing movie and television magic. First up, my 5-hour Warner Brothers Studios VIP Tour. Now, I went on this tour last year and had such a good time, I decided to do it again. Even though a lot of the tour was the same, I learned some new stuff. One of the high points is always eating in the fine dining commissary. It's where the bigwigs eat...producers, executives and yes, actors, too. I decided to go with the top sirloin steak in red wine sauce, baked fingerling potatoes and sauteed spinach. Dessert was a tasty coconut cream pie. There was some filming going on in a few soundstages, but the only actor I saw was George Lopez. He has a new series called Lopez Tonight. I would have loved to see someone from my favorite TV shows, like Cold Case and The Mentalist. Ah, Simon Baker...where were you hiding? Oh, and I DID see George Clooney's parking space...no car, though.

Afterwards, I drove immediately to CBS Studio Center to attend a taping of the CBS television situation comedy, Accidentally On Purpose. I have never watched this series...in fact, I don't watch sitcoms in general...but I was familiar with the basic premise. I got there early, but didn't have to wait too long. Studio pages guided the attendees to the soundstage. After a quick runthough the metal detector...I guess those things are standard at film studios...we were seated overlooking the stage, which was divided into sections. Each section contained a different room or location. On the far right was a newspaper office, and the far left was a bar. The whole middle sections were the kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom of the main character's apartment. The cast of Accidentally On Purpose had a couple of familiar names to me. Star Jenna Elfman was previously on the comedy Dharma & Greg. Grant Show guest starred on several episodes of Private Practice, a series I regularly watch. And, Michael Rappaport was doing a guest appearance on the show. He has been in many feature films, and in another favorite series that is no longer on the air, Prison Break.

The audience was entertained by a stand up comedian who regularly appears at L.A.'s Laugh Factory. He was VERY funny and helped bide the time between takes when filming began. The actual filming process was very interesting...and very tedious! There was usually multiple takes, always to get other camera angles...and sometimes to redo scenes when mistakes were made. Intially, Grant Show was having a frustrating time saying his lines. He would occasionally forget a line, but more often stumbled over his words. But, everyone in the cast made mistakes...not only him. Filming started at 6:00 pm and went on for hours. So, a half hour...actually 22 minutes without commercials...show took 4 HOURS to film! But, like I said, the stand up guy was really good at keeping everyone entertained. He had people dancing, playing Name That Tune, etc and gave out free gifts, too. About 2 hours into things, they fed us...a slice of cheese pizza and bottled water. Nice! The most important thing was our responsibility as audience members. We were encouraged to laugh at the appropriate times while the actors were performing. Our laughter was recorded, and will be included in the laugh track when the episode is later edited. All I can say is I would love to do something like that again...it was fun!

Well, tomorrow I travel about 50 miles to Riverside, CA to visit March Field Air Museum and the Riverside Municipal Museum. I'm always looking to feed my mind...and I love air museums, too! The weather will be beautiful tomorrow...perfect for looking at planes!

Fun with Conan and Al

Originally posted on MySpace on November 12, 2009.

Now that the Five For Fighting portion of my road trip has concluded, I'm continuing my vacation doing other interesting stuff. I had an early lunch at Neptune's Net in Malibu. I try to make a trip there every time I visit southern California...at least since the Two Lights album. In the song California Justice, Neptune's Net is mentioned. I had the calamari/scallop basket...I LOVE scallops! Afterwards, I went to the La Brea Tar Pits and Page Museum. I last visited the tar pits back in 1973...I was only 12 years old. A lot has changed. They didn't have the museum back then, which now houses the fantastic collection of bones excavated from the tar pits. One thing that DIDN'T change was the mammoth replicas in the tar pits...they were the same ones I saw way back when!

After my educational lesson of the day, it was time for something fun. I had a ticket reserved for The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien, so I left the tar pits for Universal Studios. It wasn't a long drive, but I found myself stuck in traffic...on just one street! I had about an hour to get to the studios, otherwise, they would give my ticket to someone else! Getting worried I might be late, I turned off the problem street and relied on my own instincts...and my GPS...to bypass the choke point. And, I was successful! I got to the studio with 30 minutes to spare.

Now, I think most people have never been to a live studio taping, let alone The Tonight Show, so I'll describe the process. A series of signs directed me from the parking garage to the check in location. After presenting my reservation letter, I was given a ticket and a wristband. Then, I waited. There were a lot of people already there, and most seemed to be in their 20s and 30s. At 4:00 pm, they escorted groups of us into the building housing The Tonight Show set. There was a metal detector that everyone had to walk through, but I'm wondering if that is standard practice, or because of the special guest appearing on the show. As I walked into the set, I was amazed at how great it looked. There was music playing quite loudly over the speakers, and I immediately noticed the air conditioning that is always present in such studios. At first, it's not apparant why it should be so cold. But, when the hot overhead lights come on and stay on...you know why!

About 10 minutes before showtime, the warm up guy came out and bantered with the audience. He had fun with some Canadian tourists, and was a good start for things to come. Then, he turned things over to Conan's announcer and sidekick, Andy Richter. We found out the guests for the evening would be former vice-president Al Gore, actor Jim Parsons and musical artist Jason Mraz. I wonder if the metal detector was for Mr. Gore's safety? Now, I've seen a few government figures in person in my time, but never a president OR a vice-president. The Tonight Show band got things pumping as the final minutes ticked down. Promptly at 5:00 pm, it was time to roll!

We had been educated by the warm up guy to react properly to the Applause sign, and everyone did when Conan took the stage. It was so exciting to see what I've always seen on TV right in front of me. Conan immediately got into his opening show monologue, and he was funny as usual! When he was done, the band played again during what would be the commercial break. Next, Conan and Andy did a comedy skit entitled In The Year 3000, where they predict future events. After another break, Al Gore came out to promote his new book. The interaction between him and Conan was the high point of the show. During the next break, Conan recorded a few local promo spots for tonight's show. Then, Jim Parsons from the hit comedy Big Bang Theory was the next guest...funny guy! Finally, Jason Mraz performed one song with The Tonight Show band and a women's choir. Conan ended the taping by singing a little impromtu ditty about not letting the audience leave to battle the rush hour traffic...hilarious!

In all, it was a very entertaining experience, and something I would love to do again. As it turns out, I'm going to another live TV taping tomorrow. This time, it's this season's new situation comedy Accidentally On Purpose with actress Jenna Elfman. But, before doing that, I'll be repeating the 5-hour Warner Brothers Studios VIP tour. I'm hoping to see an actor or two, since television program filming is still in full swing, and Warner Brothers hosts a LOT of shows on their backlot. Hooray for Hollywood!