Good bye and hello

Monday, June 29th

It's time to say good bye to this space which for most of the readers means I'm about to re-join your life. I got everything I hoped for with this blog experience. I got to keep you all updated about my life on the road while learning tons about the blogging process. I learned how to make a blog, use Google Analytics, and Ad Sense.

One of the things I like most about my job is that I get to peek behind a lot of curtains. I've followed politicians around, lived in a firehouse, worked on sidelines, in dugouts, and shot tons of stuff with really fascinating people.

For the last nine weeks I've been on tour with Dane Cook and the experience has been fascinating. As a society we owe a lot to comedians because, by making us laugh, they tell us a lot about where we are as a culture. Watching the performances of Dane Cook, Robert Kelly, and Al Del Bene in 37 cities was again ... fascinating. It was also fascinating to watch audiences watch them. Like anyone who makes something look easy, this trio worked very hard to make people laugh and watching that process up close is another experience I won't forget.

Finally, I'd like to thank my "Busmates". Uncle Al is Al Dotoli the Tour Manager for Dane Cook. In short, Uncle Al has been on tour with everybody. I'll never forget the time spent on the bus listening to stories about "Frank" or "Sammy"or any of the countless performers he has toured with. Once in the middle of the night, we were the only people in a bad casino restaurant on the Nevada/Arizona border. The Muzak system was pumping in a bunch of old tunes and we were playing "name that tune". After somebody determined who the artist was, Uncle Al would relate a story from being on tour with them. In this picture he is standing.

To his right is Sari Miller, the only woman on the bus. She was also the smartest of the group and my memory of her will be the expression on her face while she patiently waited for the person she was talking with to catch up to her. To her right is Rob McLaughlin. I would not have made it without Rob. His calm and methodical manner while dealing with stress can't be matched. To his right is Allan Santose. Allan did a great job. If you have ever worked with Allan then you need not close your eyes to imagine what it was like working with him for 9 weeks in a row. It was just like that.

Sonny Brown is to Allan's right. He was our driver. You always had the feeling he was in control of the bus - even while moving 40 miles an hour over dirt roads in Idaho. To his right is John Penkala. John and I started a few political "conversations" that would fizzle out when we both ran out of facts. I would say to him that although we just met, we were going to know each other a long time and that I had many years, not a bus trip, to pull him to my side.

Finally to John's right, in the center of the picture is the man that hired me, Mitch Kansky. Mitch called and woke me up on the last Saturday in February and asked me to think about going out on a tour bus for 9 weeks. Although flattered to be asked, I remember hanging up the phone thinking there is no way I would do that. Well I did it, and although he doesn't know it, he really gave me a gift that morning. He gave me an opportunity to walk away from my life for awhile which for an adult is a rare opportunity. I really think the experience changed me. Thanks Mitch.

I'm back in Boston now. I just woke up from a nap in my favorite chair, next to my favorite window, that overlooks the harbor in my favorite city. Think I'll go to Sully's on Castle Island for a burger ...

As Promised

Here it is ... as promised ... my naked belly over 9 weeks. Thanks to Rob who took most of the pictures and edited them together. The result, although entirely underwhelming, does show a shrinking belly. I lost about 15 lb. some of which can be attributed to my inability to hold any food down during week 7. One more post to go !

Sonny and Andrea

This is our driver for the second half of the tour. Sonny's advice to me when joining the bus was "if you sense the bus is still moving and you see me running to the back of the bus, follow me as fast as you can."

I once asked him how long the drive was to the next city and he said "2 cokes". The coke on the left is what he was referring to.

For Andrea in Cleveland ... 1600 feet a night times 37 shows is 11.2 miles out and in. Soft as a babies a

I've had a relapse

I worked hard in the late 90's to overcome a compulsion to take with me, from every hotel I went to, the small bar of soap provided in the bathroom. I use Lever 2000 and, except for the incredibly stupid name, the soap is perfect. I think I started collecting soap again because I've lost so much other stuff in my travels. Anybody need any stinky soap ?

Thanks Andy

Another blast from the past last week. Andy White took me to lunch in Houston. He was my roommate my junior year of high school and I last saw him in 1979. Yikes.

Happy Father's Day father

Wouldn't you love to have a beer with this kid ? If I could go back in time, this is where I would go for a beer. This is from 1950 or 1951. My Dad ... 12 years before he started work on his 1st son. I love you dad. Happy Father's Day.

Signs Signs Everywhere a Sign

A confession ... When back in the Boston area and I've found myself on the type of gig I'm on now, I would secretly make fun of the "sign people". I always thought they had a little too much time on their hands. We have none of these people out with us on this tour, but they are easy to identify ... they wear lots of black, and they speak with a body language, and a tone of voice that suggests they are planning a child's cancer treatment, not trying to decide the ratio of coke to diet coke in a crew lounge. Well the joke is on me because I've grown very dependent on the signs. After 30 shows the venues are starting to all run together.

At the end of the night I try to catch a shower before the bus leaves and at that time of night the signs are all down. Here's what it feels like ... imagine going through the door into your kitchen and when you go through you find yourself in someone else's kitchen. It's just like that. I walk out of our locker room and nothing looks familiar. I usually walk towards the noise of trucks being loaded and find my bus. So tonight a toast ... to the "sign people" the world over ... Thank you.

Dylan turns 11 !

I think 11 ... bad uncle ! Love you bud. Here is a pic of him with his Dad last 4th of July Parade. Happy Birthday !

We are on our way to Tulsa, Oklahoma tonight for 3 days off. Coming later this week ... another "odds and ends" entry. Woo hoo. Pass it around !

As Promised ...

Snapped by Al Santose a few days ago.

Matt's Back !

Sorry for the lack of posts. I've been a little under the weather. We finished last week in Edmonton on Sunday and drove to Victor, ID for a day off. I forgot about the altitude and did a few things wrong ... exercise ... lack of enough water, etc. By the time we left on Wednesday afternoon, I had a little fever that I couldn't shake until this afternoon. Everyone covered for me and I slept most of the day. The show went fine and we are heading to Detroit.

Here are a few cool pics from Monday all taken within a few hours of one another ...

Mountains in Idaho ...

Rainbow in Idaho ...

A rainbow in Victor that ended right over Mitch Kansky's bedroom. Imagine that.

Coming tomorrow ... a pic of a bald eagle on the building next door taken by Allan Santose.

Lefties Unite !

Portland, Oregon is a progressive city. Finally after years of struggle, left-handed, handicapped men and women finally have their own bathrooms.

Here is a snap from the gate next to where I was connecting this morning in Seattle. I stopped and stared for a minute or so. Tonight we are Edmonton.

I SAW A UFO !!!

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Kidding. This is the "Space Needle" behind the venue we just left in Seattle. It's 12:45 a.m. and we are on the bus on the way to Portland OR.

The show we are working on is simple. We have four cameras cut together for an Imag show. No Audio, little playback, and no Elvis, or Chyron. We are a small 7 person crew. 4 on the bus and 3 locally hired. Above is a pic of Allan and local John in Vancouver. Video world is generally set up in an area central to a power source, and an I/O panel to connect to the house. The expression on Al's face reflects his pleasure that video world in Vancouver was placed here ...

That image will not be the one I keep from Vancouver. We had 2 days off there and I made the most of it. Sari and I took in a Vermeer exhibit at the Vancouver Art Gallery. I also enjoyed 2 mid-day jogs around Stanley Park which is the most beautiful city park I've ever seen. Lots of wide open areas ... woods ... bike trails ... walking paths, and water everywhere.

Here are a couple pics from my hotel balcony.

The harbor was idyllic. The small sea planes that were constantly taking off and landing were fun to watch at first but the noise became tiresome by the time we left.

Finally, here is a pic I snapped at the Grandville Brewery where I had a tour on Wednesday.

The out of focus shot is in deference to my TV friends who would not recognize a shot of mine that was in focus.

Odds and Ends

We just finished our swing up the west coast and currently we are pushing on to Vancouver where we will have two days off before the Thursday show. If I were to name the blog today, I would call it 9weeksinahotelroom.com. My time on the bus passes much quicker than time spent working or waiting to work. Here are a few requested pics ... this is my bunk on the bus.

I know what you're thinking ... this bunk is bigger than my entire apartment in East Boston ... and you're right. But this bed has no windows and I really miss the view. Below is a picture of me peeking around the corner of a nook where we set up "video village" in Salt Lake City. The day/night went by fast but the "out" was a little disorganized.

This blog gets thousands of emails everyday. By far the most asked questions relate to my nephews. Mitchell was in the picture I put up on my father's birthday. Kyle made the blog on his birthday. Nephews three and four are Dylan and Jason. Here's a snap of them from last February on the way into the Gardner Museum.

Dylan is into dinosaurs and trombones and Jason ... well let's just put it this way... someday we'll all be working for Jason. I see them next over the fourth. Dylan and I are planning to resume work on our tunnel from the beach in Ocean Park to Bangalore, India.

Narrow escape

Sunday night we were all anxious to get out of Las Vegas. After dinner on the Nevada/ Arizona border our temporary driver Brian took us for a middle of the night crossing over the Hoover Dam. He explained that commercial vehicles were not allowed on the dam, but we were OK because we were "sight seeing". We were boarded by a federal police officer on the Nevada side and then sent on our way. Here is a pic of the group on the Nevada side.

Pictured in back are Matt, Uncle Al, John, Mitch, and Allan. In front Sari and Rob.

With no traffic we stopped on the Arizona side of the dam and got out. Then a bunch of cars came up behind us so the bus took off and stranded us. Passing cars saw a bunch of people on the dam taking pictures so they decided to stop and join the fun. Then the police showed up.

They were sincerely pissed and yelled for us to get back in our "car". When we pointed to our bus clearly visible 1/4 mile away and unable to come back for us, they suggested we start walking. They were more concerned with the people who had stopped cars that were still running on top of the dam.

Here is a shot of the dam from the Arizona side.

Finally, here is a cool shot (taken from the same spot as the above photo) of the almost finished US 93 bypass road under construction. It is a 1/2 mile or so south of the dam. It will allow commercial trucks and buses to travel 93. For more info about the by-pass click HERE.

I win 55 bucks !

I was back in Las Vegas for three days of work last weekend. Winning 55 dollars was easy. In less than twenty minutes, while waiting for takeout, I took 55 big ones out of this machine. My strategy was simple. First, I slipped in a brand new 100 dollar bill. Then I punched a bunch of buttons, got bored, and cashed out. Coming later this week ... Pictures from our "near arrest incident" on top of Hoover Dam at 2:30 this morning.

Iowa Cubs 3 Salt Lake Bees 2

This AAA minor league game had a 10:30 am start and was sold out. Beautiful place to watch a game.

Dreaming of The Pour House on the way to Denver

This was taken on the bus by Mitch on the way to Denver. I was dreaming about the Pour House.

Denver's Pour House is owned by a couple of guys who went to school in Boston. Although there is no connection to Boston's Pour House on Boylston St., the bar's TV's are tuned to every Sox, Pats, and Celtics game. Also from my morning jog ...

Invesco Field surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. To get this view I had to climb four flights of a fire escape stairs next to a parking garage. On the way down I encountered a squirrel who was busy climbing up. I sort of tried to scare him away, but every step I took down, he jumped up one. After a few minutes of unsuccessful coaxing, I just jumped over him and he chased me down the stairs. The people in Denver are a lot more friendly than the squirrels. I wish we had days off here.

Postcards from St Louis

These are from my morning jog. I think this statue is called "Guy running through water". Also a snap of the famous Gateway Arch.

My naked belly

We are back out on the road. Tonight we are in Cleveland. Then we go to St. Louis, Kansas City, and Denver. Here are a couple Cleveland pics from my late morning jog. Old Stone Church is downtown and The Cleveland Browns Stadium is on the shore of Lake Erie.

Out on the road food is always around. A lot of it is good and healthy and a lot of it is not. I'm trying to pass on the mac and cheese, ice cream, and pizza. Those who have spent time with me recently are aware that my self-discipline on the food front has been less than stellar. So ... to add a little pressure, Allan and Rob are doing a time-lapse of my naked belly. Each workday after we are set-up, one of them snaps a pic that will be edited together and posted here at the end of June. The above is a pic of them taking the first picture.

Back Home in Eastie

We get to spend our 2nd set of days off at home because we finished the week in Manchester. I grew up in Framingham, but East Boston really is home now. I love the people, location, and views. I plan to spend the entire 2 days split between the Boston Athletic Club and Kelly's Pub.

The early lead for "worst venue to work in" goes to Philadelphia. The Spectrum is a place with lots of great Celtic memories but this building has to go. A new one is being built nearby. I sensed none of the sadness we had in Boston when we lost our Garden. The "wildlife" was incredible. I've seen more than a few four legged friends but in Philly, I really felt like I was intruding on their turf. The nickname for the Spectrum is a body part that rhymes with spectrum. I walked out of this hole for the last time late Saturday night.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's day to all the Moms in my life. My Mom, pictured here with yours truly, is the best. I took this pic this past February while walking with her in Ocean Park. Lot's of people retire and move south. My Mom retired, moved north to Maine and kept working. Now completely retired she spends her time taking classes at Senior College and playing with her grandchildren. I'm thankful for her. I love you Mom. Happy Mother's Day. .

Robert McLean turns 78 !

During the summer of 1968 I was 6 years old. I remember a cookout my family was having and I was being a little clingy with my father. I had recently had a birthday and I remember being curious about everyone's age. I asked my Dad how old he was. He replied that he didn't know and I found that impossible to believe. I insisted he tell me so he subtracted 31 from 68 and answered me. I'm certain he still doesn't know his own age, but now that I know him better, I think I understand why. One of the qualities I love the most about my father is his ability to live in the moment.

He has taught me so much. He has a certain wisdom that is hard for me write about. Throughout my life he has been one of my best friends.

In the pic is the birthday boy, his guide dog Belle, my brother Mark and his son Mitch.

Lunch was a Trip in Pittsburgh

I haven't seen Tripp Clarke since June 1980. We were roommates my junior year of high school. I met him for lunch Wednesday in Pittsburgh and the experience was exactly like meeting an old friend should be. It's such a curious feeling meeting a stranger that you know so well. I can't say it any better than that.

Music was always central to his life. Here is a link to some of his recent work as a radio producer.

http://www.wyep.org/music/features/feature.php?id=46

He also wrote the book on musicians from Pittsburgh ... Literally. Here is a link to that.

AMAZON

Finally here is a pic of 2 of his kids, Will and Evan, who were at the show last night. I was their age when I last saw their dad.

4 More from the Intrepid Air and Space Museum