NYC - Day One - The Big 3-0
Well...this was quite a weekend and yes, I am home safe and sound. So much happened, that I am going to break this post up by days. You might not care to read it and that's fine, but it's a memory for me that I want to keep...so here is the first. Enjoy!
On Friday morning, Candi and I got up bright and early and headed to the airport for our flight. We met two really nice ladies there, Mary and Betty and had hoped to see them when we returned, but I didn’t spot them if they were on our same flight.
Anywho…we made it through the woes of security and had a nice bagel and coke before boarding the plane. The flight was smooth for the most part and it was even more fun because it was the first time that Candi and I had flown together.
Exciting tidbit...during the flight we had an FBI Agent sitting in front of us. *beams. I won't tell you how we found out though. *wink
Once we arrived, we headed out of the airport and were excited about our first cab ride together. We were kind of disappointed because it wasn’t the scary experience that we thought it was going to be. However…our destination made up for it. Haha
We traveled from LaGuardia in Queens…to where the boys live. Ladies and gentlemen, yes it’s true…Candi and I found ourselves standing on a street corner in Harlem.
We called Ron to find out exactly where we needed to be, crossed the street and he let us into his building. Awwwwww….RON!!! He had cut his hair without telling us and he had his glasses on and was still half asleep and was sooooooooooo cute!! Naturally we gave him huggles and then headed upstairs.
We were then welcomed into the humble abode of the boys and that’s where we met Zach Berkman. I met him via MySpace and have enjoyed his music for quite a while, but it was nice to finally meet him face to face.
As we were equilibrating to our surroundings, Ron came out of his room and presented me with his birthday present to me which was a CD of his songs that no one else has a copy of and there’s nowhere to download them or anything like that. Rare Ron Pope tracks…in my hands…words can’t express how amazing this was and still IS to me. Ron gave me the gift of music and he couldn’t have given me anything more special if you ask me.
It turned out that Ron went back to bed after putting clean sheets on a bed for us and Candi and I also decided that a nap was a good idea. So, the room was hot as eff, but we were so tired that we tried to sleep anyways. During this one nap, we experienced all of the noises of Harlem that one would expect (except gunfire). We heard banging and yelling and horns honking…doors slamming, dogs barking and someone half-heartedly yelling for help. Candi and I got tickled after she said, “Was someone just calling for help?” I confirmed it and told her that it sounded like someone who was auditioning for Passions because it was so unconvincing.
So…we gave up on the nap idea and headed back into the living room where Zach chatted with us…played some Phantom of the Opera previews for us on the piano, as well as Gavin DeGraw. : )
We decided that we were hungry, but we really weren’t so sure about going out and about by ourselves just yet. We debated for a while before we finally decided that we were going to be brave and head out into the streets of Harlem to get something to eat. And so we did…rather successfully and MAN!!! Those pepperoni rolls were SOOOOOOOO incredibly worth it. Mmmmmm!!!
When we got back, Zach reeled us into watching “Sideways” with him and little did we know that this was a 3 hour movie!! It seemed even longer though, as there were interruptions here and there and so it seemed like we had literally been watching tv all day when Ron finally got up.
Then it was time to get ready…Zach, Chris and Ron…all running around the apartment in their various stages of getting dressed and trying to find things and Zach was stringing Ron’s guitar and you won’t believe what happened next. Yes folks…Ron was running late for his own show. : O HAHAHA!! This of course is hilarious because when is the boy really ever on time??
So…it turns out that John Pope (Ron’s little bro) was waiting outside (SQUEE) and so Ron had Candi call the guy who was opening and tell him to go on even if we weren’t there yet and then we all piled into the car, poor Zach lying scrunched in the hatchback part….awww….*pets him
Now…remember earlier when I said that we weren’t scared of the cab ride? THIS was what did it for us. Ron Pope, late for a show, driving through NYC…thankfully I was squished in the middle in the backseat so I didn’t move around too much during the ride. LOL
Anywho…we finally arrived safely at the venue…went inside and it was PACKED!!!!!!! It’s a little café and a little hoity toity for my liking, but it was a Ron Pope show, so that made it tolerable. LOL
The set was amazing, of course and there were numerous announcements about it being my birthday and Ron even shared the story of when Candi and I were with them in Athens back in April. Good times.
I met one of my Street Teamers in person finally after the show, and that was really cool! She’s just as sweet as she seemed in our communications! : )
Then…we trekked across the city. We were following Zach and Will for what seemed like miles until we finally arrived at our destination! Candi and I decided that we needed to eat before the birthday festivities began and then it was on!!
John Pope bought me my first beer and as I walked through the bar, people I didn’t even know were telling me Happy Birthday and before I know it, I am standing in the middle of over 20 people raising their glasses to do a shot for my birthday. Never in my life has that happened before and I am not sure it ever will again. It was pretty darned amazing, if I do say so myself.
I met so many people and made so many friends that night and yes, I even recruited more people into the Street Team (yes, I am shameless…hahaha) Everyone there that I talked to (except for one creepy guy) seemed really nice and I think everyone had a great time. I met the members of the original The District that I hadn’t yet met before and all in all it was a good time.
Then…Katie Pelkey introduced Candi and I to the beauty of the Belgian Cheese fries that were right next door to the place…MAN those were yummy!!!!! After the fries were finished, there was a fiasco in getting home (BOYS!) but we finally made it and pretty much headed straight to bed and thus ends the tale of my actual birthday. : )
On Friday morning, Candi and I got up bright and early and headed to the airport for our flight. We met two really nice ladies there, Mary and Betty and had hoped to see them when we returned, but I didn’t spot them if they were on our same flight.
Anywho…we made it through the woes of security and had a nice bagel and coke before boarding the plane. The flight was smooth for the most part and it was even more fun because it was the first time that Candi and I had flown together.
Exciting tidbit...during the flight we had an FBI Agent sitting in front of us. *beams. I won't tell you how we found out though. *wink
Once we arrived, we headed out of the airport and were excited about our first cab ride together. We were kind of disappointed because it wasn’t the scary experience that we thought it was going to be. However…our destination made up for it. Haha
We traveled from LaGuardia in Queens…to where the boys live. Ladies and gentlemen, yes it’s true…Candi and I found ourselves standing on a street corner in Harlem.
We called Ron to find out exactly where we needed to be, crossed the street and he let us into his building. Awwwwww….RON!!! He had cut his hair without telling us and he had his glasses on and was still half asleep and was sooooooooooo cute!! Naturally we gave him huggles and then headed upstairs.
We were then welcomed into the humble abode of the boys and that’s where we met Zach Berkman. I met him via MySpace and have enjoyed his music for quite a while, but it was nice to finally meet him face to face.
As we were equilibrating to our surroundings, Ron came out of his room and presented me with his birthday present to me which was a CD of his songs that no one else has a copy of and there’s nowhere to download them or anything like that. Rare Ron Pope tracks…in my hands…words can’t express how amazing this was and still IS to me. Ron gave me the gift of music and he couldn’t have given me anything more special if you ask me.
It turned out that Ron went back to bed after putting clean sheets on a bed for us and Candi and I also decided that a nap was a good idea. So, the room was hot as eff, but we were so tired that we tried to sleep anyways. During this one nap, we experienced all of the noises of Harlem that one would expect (except gunfire). We heard banging and yelling and horns honking…doors slamming, dogs barking and someone half-heartedly yelling for help. Candi and I got tickled after she said, “Was someone just calling for help?” I confirmed it and told her that it sounded like someone who was auditioning for Passions because it was so unconvincing.
So…we gave up on the nap idea and headed back into the living room where Zach chatted with us…played some Phantom of the Opera previews for us on the piano, as well as Gavin DeGraw. : )
We decided that we were hungry, but we really weren’t so sure about going out and about by ourselves just yet. We debated for a while before we finally decided that we were going to be brave and head out into the streets of Harlem to get something to eat. And so we did…rather successfully and MAN!!! Those pepperoni rolls were SOOOOOOOO incredibly worth it. Mmmmmm!!!
When we got back, Zach reeled us into watching “Sideways” with him and little did we know that this was a 3 hour movie!! It seemed even longer though, as there were interruptions here and there and so it seemed like we had literally been watching tv all day when Ron finally got up.
Then it was time to get ready…Zach, Chris and Ron…all running around the apartment in their various stages of getting dressed and trying to find things and Zach was stringing Ron’s guitar and you won’t believe what happened next. Yes folks…Ron was running late for his own show. : O HAHAHA!! This of course is hilarious because when is the boy really ever on time??
So…it turns out that John Pope (Ron’s little bro) was waiting outside (SQUEE) and so Ron had Candi call the guy who was opening and tell him to go on even if we weren’t there yet and then we all piled into the car, poor Zach lying scrunched in the hatchback part….awww….*pets him
Now…remember earlier when I said that we weren’t scared of the cab ride? THIS was what did it for us. Ron Pope, late for a show, driving through NYC…thankfully I was squished in the middle in the backseat so I didn’t move around too much during the ride. LOL
Anywho…we finally arrived safely at the venue…went inside and it was PACKED!!!!!!! It’s a little café and a little hoity toity for my liking, but it was a Ron Pope show, so that made it tolerable. LOL
The set was amazing, of course and there were numerous announcements about it being my birthday and Ron even shared the story of when Candi and I were with them in Athens back in April. Good times.
I met one of my Street Teamers in person finally after the show, and that was really cool! She’s just as sweet as she seemed in our communications! : )
Then…we trekked across the city. We were following Zach and Will for what seemed like miles until we finally arrived at our destination! Candi and I decided that we needed to eat before the birthday festivities began and then it was on!!
John Pope bought me my first beer and as I walked through the bar, people I didn’t even know were telling me Happy Birthday and before I know it, I am standing in the middle of over 20 people raising their glasses to do a shot for my birthday. Never in my life has that happened before and I am not sure it ever will again. It was pretty darned amazing, if I do say so myself.
I met so many people and made so many friends that night and yes, I even recruited more people into the Street Team (yes, I am shameless…hahaha) Everyone there that I talked to (except for one creepy guy) seemed really nice and I think everyone had a great time. I met the members of the original The District that I hadn’t yet met before and all in all it was a good time.
Then…Katie Pelkey introduced Candi and I to the beauty of the Belgian Cheese fries that were right next door to the place…MAN those were yummy!!!!! After the fries were finished, there was a fiasco in getting home (BOYS!) but we finally made it and pretty much headed straight to bed and thus ends the tale of my actual birthday. : )