Catte's House

Soraia: Like a Bomb

2011-02-23T02:28:00.014-05:00

Well Hello There. It's been a loooooooong time, I know. A lot's happened since I last posted, back in September. Unfortunately my blogging has kinda gone by the wayside, in light of my many other pursuits.

But I got somethin' to say tonight.

I had a truly fantastic weekend courtesy my Dear friend Willow, who was kind enough to have a birthday. And a birthday party. One that kept me up WAY later than usual, and made me remember one of the many things I loved about back when I used to stay up way late in college: Hanging out in bars, listening to live music.

Now those of you who know me are aware of the fact that for the last couple years I've been a BIG fan of a certain little ol' Philly band named SORAIA. Those of you who don't know me.... well, now you know.

I discovered Soraia after hearing the Wise and Mystical Obie O'Brien mention them in an interview a few years back. He said he had been working with a local female-fronted Philly rock band, and he had just put them on a bus and sent then across the South to learn "The Biz." I figured "Hey, I like rock music, I like Rocker Chicks, and I like Philly. And if Obie's backing them, they can't be too bad."

So I Googled Soraia and found out they had an EP and a newly-released album and a website. A click on their website took me to their then-current single, Not the Woman.

It was love at first listen. I bolted over to iTunes and downloaded their EP, Recipe for Disaster, and their album Shed the Skin. I think I listened to them non-stop for about 2 weeks. And as many of you know, that's saying something. It's usually Jovi or Southside or Bruce or HairNation in my iPod and CD player. But not this time -- Soraia Mansour and her kick-ass band completely took my breath away and stole my heart. They've been on heavy rotation beside my Jersey boys and 80's guilty pleasures ever since.

I started following the band through their website and Philly press, as best as I could since I don't live in Philly. When Soraia was announced as the opening act for Bon Jovi at Summerfest in 2009 I sent a quick congratulatory e-mail to the band via their website, and had a minor freak-out when Sue e-mailed me back with sweet Thank You. And I told everybody who would listen (and a lot of people who probably didn't) about this Awesome Band who speaks to my soul.

Just ask Hath, LOL.

Anyway, as time went on Soraia started getting more notoriety. As I learned more about Soraia and its members I came to realize part of the reason I'm so drawn to this band is the raw and honest emotion behind their songs. When I read Tony K's fantastic piece on Sue's backstory, I understood why I feel such an intense connection to this music. It's real. It's authentic. It's dark and rough and sexual and kick-ass and empowered and hopeful and strong -- all things I like to see in myself from time to time.

And it's channeled through one Hell of a Front Woman.

Soraia "Sue" Mansour, AKA "Zou Zou"

For over a year now I've been trying to get myself up to Philly to see Soraia perform live. Since I discovered them they've opened for Bon Jovi two times -- Summerfest 2009 and at the July 2010 Saratoga Springs (NY) Performing Arts Center stop on The Circle Tour. Neither of which I was able to catch. And every stinkin' time they were playing The Note in West Chester, where I have a relative-of-a-friend connection, I had some other conflicting commitment like my daughter's school chorus concert or a visiting parent.

I was supposed to go with Willow to see them months ago. Then life got in the way. She ended up going all by herself to a midnight gig -- for which she cursed me via text and email and Twitter -- but wound up taking the first step on a journey that has brought her to a whole exciting new chapter of her life. And I got to say a big "I TOLD YOU SO" when she raved about how fantastic Soraia's performance was. She was officially Soraia-fied, LOL. Since then she's seen a handful more shows with plans to see many, many more

As for me -- I had to live vicariously through Willow's YouTubes. Until now. Last Saturday night the planets aligned and my Karma was good.... I FINALLY got to see Soraia Live.

It was un-freakin'-believable.

Photo by Catte

Soraia played an upscale bar near the Villanova campus called MIXX. It's a gorgeous place, a huge bar all done in brick and glass and dark wood. You know--the kind of place that serves $10 drinks, LOL. And the stage area was fantastic--all black and white tile and wallpaper and upholstery, with these very cool black chandeliers hanging down over the stage. It was a perfect environment for my first encounter with the band I'd been dying to see for so long.

I must admit the FanGirl in me was a little freaked out when Sue strutted into the room on her five-inch heels. Willow had been teasing me all weekend about finally getting to meet my "Girl Crush." Yeah, she wasn't wrong. I was nervous as Hell to meet Sue, though I knew she'd be wonderful and sweet and genuine. I wasn't disappointed (though I confess I had to hide in the Ladies' Room to pull myself together). It was fantastic to meet her and the guys, and to hang out and chat and laugh. But even more fantastic was the music.

Oh my GOD -- the MUSIC.

Photo by Willow

Soraia started off with my favorite of the new songs they've been working on for their upcoming album, "Love Like VooDoo." Okay, I admit I like just about anything having to do with VooDoo.... but that song totally ROCKS. I was bouncing around with a big stupid grin on my face after the first few tom-tom beats of Joe's drums. I knew from the first note it was gonna be a gooooood night, LOL.

After some playful banter by way of introduction, Soraia launched into the body of their planned first of two sets. They turned in an energetic performance of their new single "Runaround".... and literally blew the place out. As in tripped the circuits. No power at all to the stage. Dead. LOL.

That caused an unexpected intermission of sorts while the club manager tried to figure out how to restore power to the room. Sue and Willow and I passed the time by chatting about sexy shoes, LOL. (Hey, what do you expect? We're chicks, after all!)

Once power was finally restored the setlist went out the window, with Sue calling audibles for the remainder of the set. Soraia performed a nice mix of their new and older songs, including "Like a Bomb," "Not the Woman," "Little Cat," "Long Time," "Damn Dirty Woman" (during which Sue came down to the floor to dance with the audience), and a breathtaking cover of Dolly Parton's "Jolene." But I must say I was a bit disappointed that the band didn't do their cover of "Vampire," one of my favorites that was on the setlist but was a scratch. Ah, well. Next time.

Photo by Catte

Photo by Willow

Sue was positively hypnotic, somehow grooving on those insanely high heels and belting out those vocals in that gorgeously unique husky, melodic voice of hers. I knew from the YouTube videos I'd seen that she's one helluva performer but....Wow. Just... WOW. Her stage presence is almost overwhelming; sexy and magnetic and Siren-esque. The woman definitely has "IT"... lots of it. I can think of only a few performers who can so effortlessly dominate a stage... and Sue Mansour is right at the top of that list. Holy Cow.

Soraia also performed a newly-written song called "I Want What I Want," I immediately fell in love with that one--it was all I could do to stand still to capture the energetic performance on video. It just made me want to groove, LOL. But I did get my groove on with the final song of the set, the fantastic "Love Amnesia." Talk about a song made for dancin' -- it's a good old-fashioned juke-joint rock-and-roller. Willow and I twisted 'til we almost fell over (literally), forgetting that our bodies don't quite move like they used to, LOL. But it was a damned good time.

The worst thing about the evening was that it was over too soon. I was flying high on great music and good wine, and couldn't stop grinning. I thoroughly enjoyed the intimacy of the performance and the genuine energy and heart the whole band put into the show. It was an evening of rock-and-roll as it should be--loud and hard, without pretense or apology.

Photo by Willow

There's definitely something to be said about the pleasure of seeing a great up-and-coming band do their thing. I've been to so many massive-scale concerts over the past year that it was refreshing to experience a show without all the bells and whistles--just fantastic performers doing great songs and obviously loving every minute of it. Even when they blew the power, when Sue's mic fell apart, and when Steve came unplugged soloing in front of the stage, Soraia took it all in stride, laughed, and played louder and harder. It was real, it was genuine, and it was a whole helluva lot of fun.

I'll definitely be back for more.

Next time I see Soraia they'll be on their biggest stage yet, opening for Bon Jovi at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on March 2, which happens to be Jon Bon Jovi's birthday. He couldn't have picked a better band to kick off his party.

Soraia ROCKS.

For the Heroes

2010-09-11T09:46:00.000-04:00

In Remembrance of Fallen AFOSI Agents

Special Agent Thomas Crowell

Special Agent Nathan Schuldheiss

Special Agent David Wieger

Special Agent Matthew Joseph Kuglics

Special Agent Ryan Andrew Balmer

Special Agent Daniel J. Kuhlmeier

Special Agent Rick A. Ulbright

We miss you, Brothers.

To those in harm's way: Good Luck and GodSpeed. Carry on.

My Kind of Town (Part 1)

2010-08-05T00:49:00.001-04:00

So, it's been a few days now, and I'm slowly recovering from the most Awesomely-AWESOME weekend I've had in a long, long while. As I type this I'm sitting in the lobby of a very nice hotel in Cleveland, OH, sipping wine and missing my Jovi-Gal Pals. It's just not nearly as fun drinking in a hotel lobby without them.

Ah, where to begin...

Well, it's summer. Time for family vacations, right? This year our clan was due for one of those load-up-the-family-truckster road trips to visit Hub's relatives, aka "The Outlaws." I saw this one coming a mile away; it has been three years since we last visited. Being the resourceful Catte I am, I decided early-on to work this situation to my advantage.

Now, Hub and I have been together for 23 years. His family seemed normal enough in the beginning; but then again I was young and naive and in love. See, Hub has one of those big, boisterous Polish Catholic families who do EVERYTHING together. They can't go out to the mailbox without calling each other first. Needless to say, being the extremely independent and impatient person I am, my tolerance for this level of togetherness is low. In fact, the window is about 12 hours.

But because it's what you do for the one you love, when the topic of a family visit came up earlier this year I gritted my teeth and said "Sure, Honey. We'll go spend a week with your mother this summer." I knew then it was gonna be the longest week of my life. (And turns out it was... If you've been following me on Twitter the past week and a half, you know what I mean.)

But once again the Bon Jovi Boys came to my rescue. They announced their North American Stadium swing, ending at Soldier Field in Chicago, a mere hour away from The Outlaws. Sweet Salvation. And not only that, the show was smack-dab between Hub's birthday and mine. Perfect excuse to leave the Cattelet with her Grammy and escape to the city for a long weekend.

Hallelujah.

It didn't take much to convince Hub about the weekend sans kid, and he was positively drooling at the idea of staying at the very sexy Hard Rock Hotel. He also saw the brilliance of having said hotel room immediately available post-show, when his wife was still deep in the throes of Sambora-rapture. Hub may be a PITA sometimes, but he ain't stupid. :)

So it came to pass that Hub had a Spiritual Experience last Friday night. A Jovi-Virgin for 23 years, he finally got to see what exactly all the fuss was about; why his wife spent the past four months and undisclosed amounts of cash schlepping around the country to rock-and-roll shows far and near. I'm proud to say he thoroughly enjoyed it. And the concert too, LOL.

It would probably be going a bit far to say Hub is now a devoted member of Jonny's Church of Rock and Roll. He won't be insisting I take him with me to all the shows on the next leg of The Circle Tour (Thank God). But he gets it. And he admits that Friday night's Bon Jovi concert in Chicago was one of the best he's ever seen.

Friday morning we hopped the train from Northern Indiana with about 500 other future concert goers, then wheeled our luggage 2 blocks to our very nice, very hip hotel. Jovi Gals Willow and Deb and Jean were arriving about the same time, and we all met up at Navy Pier for a nice lunch. This served as an initiation of sorts for Hub; Willow and I figured we should ease him into the madcap Fandom World a little at a time so he wouldn't be overwhelmed (or scared). After everyone got acquainted we returned to our various hotels to get ready for the show, with a plan to reconvene at our hotel for pre-show drinks in the bar.

Pre-show drinks in the bar turned into 2 bottles of wine in our hotel room (Three Blind Moose Pinot Grigio and Red Guitar Tempranillo). We Gals played "guess the setlist" (and were pretty damned close), and teased Hub about staging a photo shoot a la the naughty puppy pics of Jonny that had just surfaced that week. He didn't quite get it... which was probably a good thing. : )

After our refreshments we all piled into a cab for the trek to Soldier Field. We managed to get a cabbie who had no idea how bad traffic would be, and the one-mile ride took 35 minutes. Good thing we all like each other. Once we arrived we hiked ALL the way around the stadium to claim our tickets at the Backstage tent, then navigated security and beer and bathroom lines.

Once we tried to actually get to our seats the fun began. Seems Soldier Field had never hosted a concert before -- or at least that's how they acted. After being sent to three different places we finally obtained the required wristbands and headed for our seats, before Kid Rock started his set.

Hub and I had seats practically Circleside on David's side of the stage. The look on his face was priceless as I led him to our chairs, just 15 feet from the ramp. "Holy Shit!" he exclaimed. "How did you get such good seats?" I smirked and answered. "These seats? Well, they're okay. See, being in the Fan Club does have some benefits." I didn't think it would be prudent at that point to bring up the fact that Willow and I had Pit Seats for the next night; I just let him bask in my Awesomeness, LOL.

We took some photos, had a beer, then out came Kid Rock in all his greasy, sinewy, foul-mouthed glory. Hub was loving it; he thinks Kid... well, Rocks. And so he did. It was one helluva set. Hub was even more impressed by his "rock and roll experience" when Security busted five guys behind us who were passing around a little Wacky Tobaccy.

After Kid's set our seat-neighbors arrived and I had to laugh out loud at Hub's expression. The only words I can come up with to describe the "young lady" are "teenaged prostitute." Seriously: 5-inch heels and a 5-inch long skirt. The "young man" looked like he was headed to a Jay-Z show with his four-sizes-too-big denim shorts and Timberland work boots and Sox cap on sideways. Hey, as Jon often says, there is true diversity in this audience.

The lights went down, the video went up, and Hub excitedly snuggled his arm around my waist. "Not yet--wait 'til the show's over!" I hissed as he squeezed my ass. "Richie's coming out!" Then there he was, working the talkbox to the opening bars of Blood on Blood. And off we went.

Several times in the opening two songs I snuck a peek at Hub and saw him staring wide-eyed as Jon pranced and preened and threw his hands in the air and strummed furiously on that black Takamine. Apparently our frontman can cast the same spell over men as he can women, because Hub was mesmerized. By the time Bad Name came out, Hub was singing along, shouting out "YOU GIVE LO-O-O-VE A BAD NAME!!!" with gusto.

I could see my work was done.

On the show went, me dancing and singing and shaking my booty in between snapping photos and taking video, and Hub fully into it by my side. He even gasped out "Oh My God! I Love This Song!" when Jon launched into Lost Highway. I'm sure he'll deny ever making such a girlish statement when confronted. I got that one on video (it was one of the BEST performances of that song I've ever seen), and Hub has already watched it 5 times. And we're not even home yet.

It's My Life, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead, We Got It Going On... Hub and I danced and sang and smooched and cuddled. He was having the time of his life. My heart almost burst with pride when he elbowed me and nodded toward our young seat-neighbors and said "what the Hell is THEIR problem?"

Girlie and her Boy had stood through exactly TWO songs -- Blood on Blood and It's My Life. The rest of the time they had been perched on their folding chairs, playing with her iPhone, trying to make phone calls, posing for goofy pictures of themselves, and sucking face. Needless to say the couple and their posse of 6 left somewhere mid-Runaway, never to return. Which was fine with us; we just scooted down Circleside.

(NOTE: If you haven't read Tony K's review of this show, you should. These idiots were the EXACT people he was talking about when he described the lackluster crowd.)

Anyway, Hub was totally into it, and was practically in a Jovi-frenzy when Kid & Co joined the band for the Jukebox Song, Bob Seger's Old Time Rock and Roll. I suspected that would be the night's selection and was glad Hub got to see it, as it is one of his favorite songs. Then we went to church with Richie (during which time I wasn't really aware Hub was even there, LOL), and it was time for Jonny on the circle.

We cuddled and sang to Bed of Roses and Diamond Ring (in between me gasping and shooting photos), and somewhere mid-I'll Be There For You Hub nuzzled up to my ear and softly cooed the most beautiful words I've heard him utter in years. "You're right, Babe. These guys are fucking awesome."

That right there GUARANTEED he was getting laid post-show. Repeatedly.

The rest of the show passed for me in a state of bliss -- my Hub GOT it. Watching him enjoy the show and seeing the performance through his eyes was absolutely exhilarating. It reminded me again just how this music can resonate with someone, with anyone; how it reaches in and touches your soul in a very personal way. I always suspected deep-down in my Dear Hub there was a Jovi fan waiting to be released. I was right.

As I watched Hub discover the Joy of Jovi I had to laugh at how excited he got when The Boys started playing Who Says You Can't Go Home... and I didn't. He gave me a look that clearly said "What is WRONG with you?" then proceeded to throw his hands in the air and shout "It's Alright!" while I checked Twitter on my Blackberry before shooting a few more photos.

Then IT happened... Sympathy for the Devil, right in the middle of Keep the Faith. I was shooting photos and saw Jon look at Hugh. I gasped and squealed to Hub "OH MY GOD! HE'S GONNA DO IT!" and hit the "record" button on my camera. Hub didn't know what the Hell I was talking about, but the minute he heard those notes he went nuts too. I daresay our marriage became even more "forever" in that moment.

We took a breather before the encore, and I was proud that Hub didn't even attempt to sit. He kept saying "What are they gonna do? What songs did you girls predict?" He was almost giddy; it was adorable. Then we got Always (my prediction). Again Hub and I snuggled and smooched, then we swayed and sang along with Wanted and bounced along with Prayer. Hub didn't even roll his eyes when I squealed and snapped away when Jonny stripped to don the Blackhawks Jersey somebody had tossed onstage. Good Man, my Hub.

Then it was done. Hub actually looked sad. I was on the highest of highs -- everything had gone as I hoped. We got one helluva show, one that seemed tailor-made to convince Hub that all those concerts I had previously attended with the girls were in fact worth it. Jon must have had that little voice in his ear as he made out the setlist... "Hey, do this one for Mr. Catte." Damned if he didn't nail it.

By this time it was nearly midnight... and almost my birthday. We were celebrating Deb's birthday on Friday night; mine was Saturday. We were both of the same mind: what better way to celebrate than with Bon Jovi -- in The Pit?" Deb had scored third-row pit seats via the secondary market, and when she got to the venue she discovered to her delight she and Jean got "The Chairs." My response to her excited text was "WOW! How Cool!" followed by "How the Hell are you gonna get them home?" (Turns out it cost $190.00 to UPS them).

Well, as we were gathering our wits and our swag to go, Willow got a text from Deb. She turned to me and shrieked "Hurry! She got us CHAIRS!" And indeed our dear Deb had. Seems the couple sitting in front of her and Jean had split before the show was over, abandoning their fancy-schmancy Bon Jovi folding chairs. Being quick of mind and even quicker of hand, Deb grabbed them both and smuggled them out of the Pit for us. I will be forever grateful to her for that, despite the fact we had to lug them about 2 1/2 miles before we could find a cab. (I'm also insanely jealous that Jean got one of Richie's guitar picks, but I digress.)

So, to the strains of Sinatra crooning "My Kind of Town... Chicago is..." we made our way out of Soldier Field, folding chairs in our hands, songs in our hearts. We were directed to hike to Michigan Avenue to hail a cab, only to find everybody else and their mothers were doing the same thing. So we started to hike up Michigan Ave, carrying folding chairs.

We must have been asked at least a hundred times, "Ummm... why are you carrying chairs?" Of course, it didn't dawn on us to just park the damned chairs on the corner and sit down and wait for a cab. But they did come in handy when we decided to stop at Subway for a sandwich and drink after an hour of trudging/lugging. There were five of us, two tables on the patio, and one chair. Perfect. We clunked down our chairs, opened 'em up, and sat.

Finally, after about 20 minutes of rest and nourishment we were able to hail a cab back to the Hard Rock Hotel. After a few more glasses of wine in our room and much "oohing" and "aahing" over each others' photos, Deb, Jean, and Willow said their goodnights. It was 3:30 a.m. About normal for a Jovi Night.

As for what happened after that, I'll be modest for once and leave it to your imagination. Let's just say Hub and I enjoyed watching the sun rise over Michigan Ave from the amazing view of our hotel room.

My Kind of Town, Chicago Is....

Tune in tomorrow for Part 2....

The Sweetest Place on Earth

2010-05-21T15:09:00.005-04:00

Well, it was this week, anyway....

The Boys are Back on the road and so am I! I couldn't resist road-tripping to Hershey, PA for the opening date of the Circle Tour stadium leg. Several weeks ago, realizing the Jovi Withdrawal was probably going to be severe at this point, Willow and I decided to grab a couple "cheap" tix and trek to Chocolate Town for what we originally thought would be a day trip.

Funny how plans change.

It all started with Willow getting to take the day off from work, then with Samantha texting to tell us she had decided to come to Hershey.... then it all kinda snowballed from there. But in a good way. Texts, e-mails, and phone calls flew fast and furious the few days preceding the show. Finally, after at least 9 versions of "The Plan" I drove to Jersey on Tuesday to meet Willow. The second she got off work we hopped in the JoviMobile and headed East, ultimately arriving at our hotel at the dinner hour.

Sam was waiting for us, dinner reservation in place. After a quick change to look presentable (this wasn't the kind of place that would welcome my driving-attire Aerosmith t-shirt and tennies), we three sophisticated ladies headed for the bottle of wine we just knew had our name on it. I felt quite worldly and adult being able to actually dine with two grown-ups for once (as opposed to my kid and husband), and I'm sure I had a smug little smirk on my face when we walked into the restaurant.

I'd like to think I kept my composure when the hostess led us over to our table about 15 feet from where Tico was sitting, dining with a friend. Holy Crap. Welcome to Hershey!

We sat, accepted our menus, ordered our wine, and remembered to turn off the Bon Jovi ringtones on our phones (could you IMAGINE?). I had a direct line of sight to the Hitman and I could hear his low, rumbly growl as he talked on his cell. I tried to read the menu and realized I would have to just ask for the "specialty of the house" because I couldn't read a blessed word on the page. Good Grief.

Luckily our server Gina (how's that for Karma?) brought the wine quickly and we all toasted and drank. Trying to resist the urge to stare and drool we came to some sort of decision about an appetizer. Before it arrived Tico and friend made their departure, strolling oh-so-casually out the door with only a little glance and smile in our direction.

*SIGH* Thank God. Now I could eat. I was freakin' starving.

Dinner was lovely and delicious, as was the company and the second bottle of wine. After our meal we took our glasses and retreated to the lounge across the hall, settling in for a little girl-talk. Soon another familiar figure strolled into the lounge and took a seat on the other side of the fireplace from where we girls were relaxing. "Mike Rew! No, wait! That's Paul K!" The giggly, slightly tipsy wide-eyed murmurs flew around our corner of the lounge. "Crap, how much wine have we had? WAITER!!!" Then a few minutes later in sauntered the Rock Star Himself.

No, not THAT one. Obie. God of all Jovi-Wit and Wisdom.

I couldn't stop grinning when I saw him.

Anyway, about that time two more lovely Jovi Gals arrived and we all proceeded to get acquainted, keeping one eye on the other side of the room. Somehow another bottle of wine arrived and soon Samantha leaned over and stage-whispered "Pssst! They're drinking wine! Should we send them a bottle?"

"Hell yeah!" I replied. In a cat-like leap Sam was on her feet and headed for the bar. I stayed curled up in my chair with my wine glass, watching her with what I'm sure was by now a stupid leer on my face. She gave her instructions and returned to our group, settling in to watch but pretend she wasn't watching like the rest of us.

Alas, several minutes later our lovely waiter came bearing the news that Obie and friends were departing and had declined our offer with thanks. Oh well. So much for that. We shrugged and resumed our conversation... until suddenly, there was Obie. Right there, behind Denise's chair. Holy Smokes, he's quick!

With a sweet smile and a wisecrack he thanked us for our gesture, apologizing that they were heading to bed to prepare for a long day tomorrow. It was very brief, but very kind of him to go to the trouble. Good guy, that Obie. : )

So, the objects of our distraction gone we proceeded to close out the bar then retreat to our room where we had more "imported" (i.e. schlepped from home) wine. And thus the hours flew by until finally around 4:00 am I drifted off to sleep, surrounded by half-drunk glasses of wine and Hershey chocolate wrappers.

10:00 am came damned early. At least I didn't have to work (poor Samantha).

*****

So, fast-forward two and a half hours. T minus eight hours 'til showtime. I'm standing in the lobby, showered, blow-dried, casually dressed, and looking only remotely hung over. Beside me is a pile of luggage as I waited for Willow to pull the car around.

And around the corner comes Obie. Our eyes meet, he grins and says hello. I'm pretty sure the thought running through his head was "Hey, it's the redhead from the bar! Betcha she's hung over!" I replied with what I hope wasn't a grimace. He paused and we chatted for a moment during which he assured me in a sing-songy sarcastic voice that he was "Hershey Happy!" (lol) Then with a smile and a wave he headed out the door, undoubtedly off to manage whatever crisis was looming.

That was cool. I've always loved Obie.

After packing the car Willow and I lunched and shopped and made dinner plans with Sam and our new friends. We also met up with the fabulous Rutpop and her adorable husband at Chocolate World. After buying way too much candy we wandered out into the parking lot that happened to be right beside Hershey Stadium. The sweet sound of guitar riffs from a familiar Beatles tune filled the air. "Ahhhh.... Richie!" Willow and I sighed together.

Then IT happened. One simple sentence, sung in that unmistakable blues-sexy wail. YOU SAY IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY!!!!

My knees buckled. I bumped against Willow. She laughed at me. I had literally swooned at Richie's vocal sneak-attack. Holy HELL.

But he didn't continue. Instead we heard Jon's voice counting down then soaring through the air. This one goes out to the man who mines for miracles...

Soundcheck had begun.

Of course we weren't going ANYWHERE out of earshot. So we delivered our purchases to the car and headed for the stadium, hoping to be able to peek through a fence or crawl through some bushes for a glimpse of the rehearsal. At the very least we were going to enjoy the free audio show.

We killed time listening to the expected set tunes while standing in line at the merch table. Toward the end of the check were rewarded with a full version of Birthday, this time with Jon on soft, croony vox with a slight hint of British accent. Apparently it actually was somebody's birthday, because he commented after the song "That's for you..." Thank you Birthday Boy, whoever you are!

A blissful hour later soundcheck was done, show tix were in hand from the Fan Club tent, and we headed out to dinner. We did a little Non-Raindance on the way as dark clouds had been swirling all day. But in all honesty after what I had just witnessed I didn't care if I had to stand in a downpour for 2 1/2 hours of Jovi Goodness. I was all set. The show was just icing on the cake. Ahhhh....

*****
Showtime arrived with only a smattering of occasional raindrops. The crowd was enthusiastic and I heard lots of Oohs and Ahhs over the gargantuan stage setup. Man, they weren't kidding when they said this screen spanned a football field. It was ENORMOUS. And, as we would see when the show started, VERY cool.

After a half-hour in line for the Ladies Room (and I use that term loosely) Willow and I bolted for our seats just as we heard the tom-tom beat of This is Our House. We got settled just in time for the stadium to go dark and the big screen to light up with the familiar opening Circle graphics. Ahhhh, it felt good.

Then off they went... Richie's distinctive riff on Blood on Blood. After the opening bars up bounced Jon, strumming furiously on his black Takamine, pouting that sexy little ego-filled smirk.... and wearing that black zippered leather shirt he wore to the Grammys. The one I've obsessed about for months. Oh. My. God.

It's gonna be a good night.

As the Boys worked their way through the now-very-familiar setlist I was struck by the fact that they seemed very relaxed and happy. Lord knows they looked great, but it was apparent that they were having FUN. Not that they don't usually look happy on stage; quite the contrary. But tonight it really did feel like a reunion of sorts after a break, a "Hey Man, let's Jam" kinda vibe.

And apparently they were chilly, too. Jackets stayed on all night, and when Jon came out after his break in a black leather jacket and gorgeous black-and-white scarf every woman in the stadium (and probably some of the men too) let out one big collective gasp. For those of us dancing along in the crowd it was actually not that cold, but then again body heat from 15,000 of your "closest friends" can keep you pretty toasty.

Other than the AWESOME stage setup there weren't any surprises in the show. Those of us who had attended multiple arena dates were mildly startled when the usual order was juggled a bit. My biggest disappointment was that they didn't do the usual "jukebox song" in the middle of Bad Medicine. I was seriously jonzeing for a little Roadhouse Blues.

Though the band sounded fantastic and Jon was his usual consummate showman self, it was obvious this show was a dress rehearsal for the upcoming week at Giants. Jon didn't seem to be using his full voice, though he still sounded great. I wondered if he was feeling under the weather, but he had sounded fabulous at soundcheck earlier. And if he wasn't feeling well it sure didn't slow him down. He still danced and bounced around the stage like a guy half his actual age. I can imagine the damp, chilly night wasn't much fun to perform in, though.

As for the stage itself, it was of course quite a bit larger than the arena setup. The main stage was flanked by two enormous jumbotrons, and the entire arched back of the stage was a huge video screen. Jon had a lot more room to move around and he did venture out onto the wings of both sides of the stage as well as out onto the circle ramp. Because the setup was larger so was the Pit, and Jon did not venture down "among the people" as he had during the arena shows. I also missed him dancing on the robotic platforms for We Got It Goin' On. Oh well--it would take a LOT of robots to do that on this stage!

When it was time to bring Richie out on the ramp to join him for I'll Be There For You, Jon joked that he hoped Richie packed a lunch "'cause it's FAR!" When David and Tico came out, they had to hustle to make it to the front of the ramp to kick off the song. It was kinda funny to watch, the little "whoas" and "oh craps" you could catch as the guys worked an unfamiliar setup. There were a few minor technical glitches throughout the night, but nothing major. It was still the polished performance we've all come to expect.

As Jon started to shake his maracas for Keep the Faith the raindrops began to fall. Luckily the sprinkle stayed just that -- a few passing drops. Apparently Obie's anti-rain VooDoo was working, lol. The encore was short, just Wanted and Prayer, then they were done. I'm sure the Boys were on a plane back to Teterboro before we even made it out of the parking lot.

All in all it was a pretty awesome 24 hours. The show was fun and upbeat, I got so see some old friends and make some new, and I got to relax and bask in the joy of Jovidom for a brief moment in time before having to return to real life.

Yep, Obie... you had it right. "Hershey Happy!"

NerdProm Redux

2010-05-02T10:53:00.023-04:00

Hello again, it’s been awhile…

Yes, I know it’s been 2 months since my last post. I’ve been busy, what with 6 Jovi shows in the past 8 weeks plus several other adventures. Promise, I’ll catch you all up soon…

This morning I’m just popping in to comment on one of my favorite Rites of Spring, the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner (WHCD), aka “NerdProm.” It was held last night at the Washington Hilton, and as usual it has had the entire city all a-Twitter for the past week.

Last year our favorite Rock Star attended his very first NerdProm with his lovely bride on his arm. By all accounts Jon reveled in the 2009 event, hanging out with the Stephanopoli (George and his hilarious wife Ali Wentworth), giving witty and enthusiastic soundbytes to practically any media outlet who shoved a microphone in his face, and hob-nobbing with the Pols at the Vanity Fair Afterparty and at a former Gore-Man’s private residence. He was EVERYWHERE.

Not so this year. Though for a brief, shining moment he did cut a handsome figure on the Red Carpet (he snuck in before the live feed coverage started on C-SPAN, Dammit!), for the most part Jon kept a low profile. The Bongiovis looked fantastic; Jon dashing as always in that perfectly-tailored tux with the classic bowtie and thin scarf and Dorothea gorgeous in knee-length black satin with a diamond brooch (though I didn’t love the shoes—sorry, Dot!) They paused only briefly for photogs before saying a few “hellos” and heading into the maze of no-press-allowed pre-dinner receptions.

I heard from a friend who attended that Jon worked the reception rooms with his usual savvy, but that he seemed rather subdued (POLITICO is reporting he seemed "grumpy").

Even the brief peek we got of Jonny listening to the President's speech showed him smiling, but not guffawing along with the rest of the crowd.

A little tour fatigue, perhaps? Can't blame the guy. It's not like he's slowed down much during the break. DKMS benefit on Thursday night, NerdProm, plus upcoming American Idol and who knows how many other Foundation- and Soul-related tasks?

Anyway, after the dinner Jon and Dot did the party rounds, like all good Celebs-with-a-Cause should. He put in an appearance at the MSNBC Afterparty, which was expected since he was at the Prom on an NBC ticket. Apparently he didn't stay long, high-tailing it to the Vanity Fair/Bloomberg Party at the residence of the French Ambassador.

The VF/Bloomberg party was definitely more Jon's preferred style; he attended last year with former NJ Gov Jon Corzine, and this year he was seen mingling with some of his known partners-in-crime including David & Susan Axelrod (below), Donatella Versace, and Jimmy Fallon.

So, even though Mr. Bongiovi's umpteenth trip to Washington was a rather low-key affair this time around, it sounds like he did the town up right. Looking forward to your next visit, Jonny. DC loves you.

If you missed the WHCD and would like to watch, you can see it at C-SPAN's White House Dinner Hub.

Fly Like an Eagle

2010-02-22T22:01:00.013-05:00

Man Alive, did I have one FUN Saturday! So FUN in fact, it took me all day Sunday to recover from it! We have these wonderful neighbors who have become dear friends. We find them delightful because a) they are a military family, as we once were, b) they have two adorable girls, the oldest the same age as our daughter, and c) they drink beer and love sports. And oh, by the way, they are HUGE Philadelphia Eagles fans. They are AWESOME. Anyway, when her lovely husband surprised her with two tickets to Eagles Academy for Women, my dear friend Stacey immediately thought of me. So it was that we found ourselves headed northbound to Philly this past Saturday morning, sipping coffee and giggling gleefully at the thought of a WHOLE DAY of football and sports bars and shopping with NO CHILDREN!!! Now before I go on with my tale, let me clarify: Eagles Academy for Women is pretty much what it sounds like. It's a football Fan Camp, held by the Philadelphia Eagles, exclusively for female fans. And let me tell ya, this isn't a "Hey honey, see that brown kinda-egg-shaped thing with the white stitching? They call that a football" kinda camp. This is serious business. For women who are SERIOUS about football. My kinda place. So, a bit before the 10:00 am start time we pulled into the lot outside the gorgeous NovaCare Complex and climbed the steps. After registering and receiving our team assignments (Team Cole!) we joined the other 200 or so women attending the Academy in the huge auditorium to receive our welcome. After a great opening by Channel 6 Sportscaster Jamie Apody we were off and running! First up for Team Cole: a visit to the hallowed halls of the Eagles Locker Room. After being led on a short tour of the facility, we gals were allowed to run amok (or at least wander at will) down the looooong row of lockers, photographing anything we wanted. I of course had to pause by fellow K-State Wildcat Darren Howard's locker, while Stacey worshipped at the threshhold of DeSean Jackson's rather blinged-out cubby (lol). After about ten minutes of gawking, it was time to get down to business. We settled into our desks at the rear of the locker room, opened our provided playbooks (Yes! Playbooks!) and gave our attention to the Scouting Coordinator. For about 20 minutes he explained how the Eagles scout not only college players coming into the draft but active NFL players as well, and what exactly it is they look for when they watch hours and hours and hours of game tape. It was quite enlightening. And kind of exhausting. I mean, I love to watch football on digital video as much as the next guy, but sheesh -- how many times can you really watch Jeremy Maclin go forwards and backwards and forwards and backwards and forwards and backwards off the line of scrimmage? I left that session with a true appreciation of just how much work a small staff of personnel guys (and gals, there are a few women in the profession) has to do all year long to keep building and re-building a great NFL team roster. After the Scouting session it was off for a quick tour of the MASSIVE weight room. Seriously, I've been in aircraft hangars the size of this thing! Stacey and I got a laugh out of how huge the weight plates were on many of the machines. Scary big. Then again, there are some BIG boys in the NFL. Then it was off to Defense, where the Assistant Linebackers Coach taught us about coverages and tackling and all kinds of other cool stuff. He seemed a little taken aback when we started asking questions like "would you pull the free safety out and slide the corner down if the offense shifted to a U-Pony Package?" or "What's the deal with Assante Samuel always going for the pick instead of the tackle? If he gets burned with that showboat crap one more time I'm gonna...." Told ya the women at this thing were hard-core fans! ;) After Defense, Offense. This one was hard and fast: the Offensive Quality Control Coach taught us seven basic offense packages, and at least five variations, with film, all in about twenty minutes. We all furiously scribbled Xs and Os and arrows in our playbooks while calling out questions like "And what if Jackson draws double coverage? Could Donovan go to Celek in the flat?" Hee Hee. It was awesome. I'm pretty sure when I could call a game as early as this fall, once I decipher all my cryptic notes. Or at least I can figure out how to navigate the Jersey traffic circles and jughandles. After that, on to Special Teams, were we learned 3 things: 1) Special Teams is the most important part of the game; they are the game-changers, the tempo-setters, the big-play busters 2) Kicking field goals is really, really hard, and 3) The chairs in the front of the auditorium are HUGE. They are made for 300+ pound NFLers. Seriously, my feet barely touched the ground, and I sat Indian-style with my knees just barely touching the armrests. But honestly, I now know exactly what's gonna happen on a kickoff return just by looking at the line. That will come in handy. Then we encountered what was probably the most amazing thing we would see all day -- lunch in the players' cafeteria. The food was INCREDIBLE, and there was a TON of it! I sampled grilled chicken, chicken marsala, some kind of Greek rice that was fantastic, a big salad, and a yummy bowl of fruit. They even had chocolate chip cookies! The lunch ladies laughed at all of us, putting little dabs of this or pieces of that on our plates. Apparently the players come through with two trays each! That made me feel a little less pig-ish as I chowed down like I hadn't eaten in days, lol. After lunch it was off to the practice field for the REAL deal -- drills! Team Cole was joined by three other teams of about 25 ladies each, and after a group stretching session we all split to different stations. Our team started with the obstacle course, which was a ton of fun. It involved jumping, blocking, catching, throwing, and in my case, doing a total face-plant on the turf after getting a little cocky and trying to hurdle one last obstacle without taking an extra step. (Hey, not the first time I've made a total doofus of myself in public!) But I did what I was supposed to do -- jumped up, caught a pass, threw a block, tossed a lateral and caught another one, then leveled the blocking dummy at the end of the course. WOOT! After that we moved on to receiving, which I ROCKED. I ran the assigned pattern, caught two short passes, then went long and..... was the FIRST woman to catch the 40-yard long ball! (Guess it paid off to date a quarterback in college). After that, on to kicking. And again we learned that kicking field goals is HARD! I managed to boot one through the small training uprights, but couldn't get the elevation for the real goalpoasts. Stacey and I took a vow never to cuss at a kicker again when he misses a 50-yarder. After a quick pause for a Team Cole photo with Swoop the Eagle mascot and Linbacker Omar Gaither we moved on to our final station, Passing. I was delighted to find I could still throw a nice, tight spiral (again, thanks Jersey Boy QB), but my accuracy is a bit lacking. I could hit the 25-yard targets just fine, but I lack the finesse for the short pass. Go figure. I'm not exactly a finesse kinda gal. Finally, after two hours of fun and games the Academy came to a close. We all gathered in the Center for a little Q & A with Omar, then we were presented our Certificates of Completion and some awesome parting gifts. I'm wearing my Eagles Snuggie right now. :) We are so TOTALLY going back next year! As if the day wasn't just too fun already, Stacey and I moved on to Part 2 of our Adventure in Philly: we met up with the Fabulous Miss Willow for after-camp drinkies at Chickie & Pete's. This was my first face-to-face meetup with Her Fabulousness, but I wasn't at all surprised when we all settled in to crab fries, lobster pizza, and merriment like we had known each other for years. And of course we all had to worship at the Philly Soul wall in the back room before leaving. After a delightful couple hours with Willow, Stacey and I decided we weren't ready to go home just yet. So we headed out to the King of Prussia Mall, which thanks to her GPS we found approximately an hour and a half later after a lovely tour of the winding back roads paralleling Highway 76. But once we were there it was all good. After a little shopping, including my new throwback Jaworski #7 tee, we finally flew home, tired but happy little Eagles. Can't wait for next year! E-A-G-L-E-S!!!

Superman

2010-02-03T16:57:00.009-05:00

I'm a big ol' sucker for anything with an unsung heroes theme... guess it's just in my blood.

Jovi's new video has pretty much left me speechless.

I absolutely LOVE it. Not much else I can say.

Great Job, Boys. *sniffle* : )

I've Got a Crush on You....

2009-12-29T12:34:00.011-05:00

He may be a little old for me (I was 8 when he released his first album), but I've got a little crush... Last night I went with Hub and friends to see Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes at the Ram's Head Tavern/OnStage in Annapolis, MD. And I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY. I've always liked SSJ's music. I've owned several of their albums for years, but never really followed them closely. They've always been part of my "Jersey Shore" rotation, though, along with The Boss and you-know-who. SSJ has been on many a mix-tape and CD compliation and iPod playlist over the years. When I saw that SSJ was coming to my neck of the woods, I jumped at the chance to FINALLY see them live. Hub has always liked their music (where he simply tolerates Bon Jovi) so I figured this was one concert experience we could share that he might actually enjoy. And with our long-time New York friends back on the East Coast from an assignment in California, it just seemed like the perfect way to ring in 2010/celebrate surviving the holidays. So off we went. And WOW!!! WHAT A SHOW!!! As you can see below, the Ram's Head is a really small venue -- only about 400 seats total. It is TRULY a "juke joint." This pic (not mine) is taken from the VERY BACK of the room, so you can see that it was an "intimate setting." We had a table in the front row, stage right. The stage was ridiculously small for The Jukes--it was pretty funny watching them stumble all over each other trying to maneuver the horns around for various solos. And Johnny never stands still, so... brings a whole new meaning to "Trapped Again", lol. From the first note, I was hooked. The place was ROCKIN'. But lemme tell ya, the breaks between songs were as good as the music! Johnny was HILARIOUS. The banter between the band members and him (especially with Jeff Kazee) was a riot. At one point Johnny jokingly "revealed" his plan to add Jukes Snuggies to the band merch table, and asked the audience's opinion. A woman told him she got two for Christmas and they were crap, so he called her up on stage to explain exactly why, into the mic. The executive decision was that Jukes Snuggies would actually be pashminas, LOL! A little later he offered romantic advice to a couple seated in front of Jeff's keys (Johnny's advice to Him: No more Nachos tonight. To Her: Keep drinking). Then he told them he was going to set them up with a room at the Loew's Hotel across the street after the show. During another song he decided to take a little break while the horns played, so he laid down on one of the tables and relaxed, being careful to make the patrons pick up their drinks first. But the funniest moment of the night was when he bantered with the folks at the front table, asking what they were drinking. The man replied he was drinking a Copperhead Ale (local brew), to which Johnny remarked it was "poisonous snake beer", then the woman said she was drinking Chardonnay. Johnny's crack: "CHARDONNAY? You're drinking CHARDONNAY in a Beer Joint?" After tsk-tsking at her for a moment, he kicked into the next song, only to find his harmonica was broken. He swapped out for a new one, blew a few notes, and promptly declared it wasn't "bluesy enough." So to remedy the situation, he picked up the woman's glass of Chardonnay, dunked his harmonica in it, shook it off, and proceeded to play the hell out of it! After playing, he staggered around a bit, then observed that it was obviously a California Chardonnay, probably a 2008, from Napa Valley, not Sonoma, with a hint of Cabernet Sauvignon. We were practically rolling on the floor, we laughed so hard. Quite a character, is Johnny. The music was, of course, awesome. In addition to some of my SSJ favorites (Gin-Soaked Boy, This Time It's For Real, Walk Away Renee, I Don't Want to Go Home) we got to hear Jeff Kazee croon a little Sting and the Police (which of course Johnny made fun of), as well as a Christmas tune. And I was VERY happy to get a rip-roaring version of my Theme Song of the Month: Workin' Too Hard. We also got a little Jingle Bells from the horn section, which was fabulous. All in all, the 2 hours passed WAY too quickly. I left wondering why the Hell I waited so long to see SSJ live. As you all know by now, JBJ and the boys are never far from my mind, and several times my Jonny-Muse snuck up and tapped me on the shoulder to give me a wink and a grin. It was funny to watch SSJ do some of the same little moves and quirks that I have seen JBJ do on stage. And when SSJ broke out the maracas and started shaking his booty all over the stage, I couldn't stop grinning. It's evident that SSJ was a MAJOR formative influence on young Mr. Bongiovi's stage presence. It was really fun to watch. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun at a non-Jovi show. I'll definitely be in the audience the next time Johnny and the Jukes come to town. If they're in your town, make sure you get yourself down to the show, ready to laugh and sing and shake your booty. You won't be sorry! And yeah, Johnny's still got it. *SIGH* Jersey Boys are like fine wine... NOTE: These pics aren't mine and they aren't from last night's show, but they fit my narrative. Thanks to whoever put them out on the Web for Google Image to find!

We're Havin' a Party...

2009-12-28T13:00:00.003-05:00

FINALLY, after all the holiday "merriment" I've endured the past week, my time has come. Tonight I get to celebrate the holidays MY way. I'll be hanging with Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes tonight! They are playing a great little venue in Annapolis, MD, the Ram's Head Tavern. This place is TINY. It's gonna be AWESOME. Hub and I bought a table and invited one of our favorite couples to join us to celebrate. They're headed down from New York as we speak. It's gonna be the first real "grown-up" night out we've had together in YEARS -- we both have kids, and finally theirs are old enough to stay with grandparents overnight while Mommy & Daddy get to play. And you can BET we will be playing -- HARD! I've been playing this over and over the past few days. Unfortunately, it's not 1994 and I won't get to see this up-close-and-personal tonight, but I'm hoping to at least hear this song. It's my mantra at the moment... I've DEFINITELY been Workin' Too Hard lately! I'll let ya know how it goes!

BEST. DAY. EVER.

2009-12-02T21:27:00.015-05:00

Author's Note: I apologize in advance for the length of this post... but I have a LOT to say tonight! Consider yourself warned!

Well, maybe not the VERY best day of my ENTIRE life.... but damned close! I was a very, very Lucky Girlie today. I met Jon Bon Jovi. Really MET him. As in talked to him for a couple minutes. Told him my name, a little about myself. And he remembered my name. *sigh* Here's how it happened.

I live and work in the Washington DC area. Several weeks ago when I heard about Jon's scheduled participation in the USA Network's Characters Unite Town Hall, I started researching the event. I thought it would be interesting to attend, not just because JBJ would be there (though that's what initially caught my attention) but because I find the Characters Unite campaign quite innovative, and I love a good political discussion.

NOTE: Full disclosure -- I'm a PoliSci GEEK. Have Bachelors' and Masters' degrees in Political Science, as well as in Criminal Justice. Yep, full-on Social Science NERD.
When I saw the lineup of panelists, I couldn't resist. Not only JBJ, but Tom Brokaw (moderator), Newark Mayor Cory Booker, Columnist Kathleen Parker, Secretary Max Cleland, Rep. Xavier Becerra, Politico White House Correspondent Mike Allen, Dr. Michael Dyson... and the list goes on. Some All-Stars of PoliSci Nerddom, to be sure. So I started placing calls to my various contacts about town. It took some doing, but finally I got my name on the list for this invitation-only event. God, am I glad I did.

I showed up at the Newseum a half-hour early, a little nervous and slightly shaky. Murphy's Law is no stranger to me, so I wanted to be sure to have plenty of time to straighten out any problems should my name not appear on "The List." No such worries. I was ushered right in, straight to the check-in table, issued my credential, checked my coat, and headed in to the reception room. There I mingled for a very few minutes, then headed to the taping room to find my seat.

My contact was VERY good to me. Third row, aisle seat, right center of stage. About 25 feet from the chair on the dais with the placecard that read "Jon Bon Jovi." SWEET.

I pulled out my Blackberry to type a quick message to a friend, and suddenly found my hands were shaking so badly I couldn't push the buttons. I had to take a DEEP breath, blow it out, and try again. Finally I was able to complete the task.

Sidebar - In DC EVERYBODY is on their Crackberry ALL the time, so nobody noticed. Everyone else in the room was glued to their own little glowing screen.

I killed the 15 or so minutes before air time with a few messages, then listened as the girls sitting in the row in front of me were sternly told that no photography would be allowed during the taping, as official photographers would be recording the event. Dammit. I turned off my Blackberry and left my camera in its case.

At 10:00 (start time), two women strolled past me down the small aisle and slipped into seats in the front row. Had no idea who one was; the other was Dorothea Bongiovi. Little butterflies started in my tummy. Holy Crap, HE'S REALLY HERE!

About 10 minutes past official start time, we started. We had an introduction by Dule' Hill (Charlie from West Wing), USA VP Bonnie Hammer, then Tom Brokaw came out. He talked a bit about the Town Hall and his new documentary, then showed us a short preview. (Looks GREAT!)

Then the moment most of the people in the room were waiting for... Mr. Brokaw introduced the panel. Sixth in line, JBJ himself. Dressed all in black, blonde hair shining under the lights, looking very dignified, serious, and scholarly. No usual wave and megawatt smile as he bounds onto the stage, like on Conan or Fallon or Leno. This was CEO JBJ. Soul Foundation JBJ. A man with something serious to say. Lord, what a turn-on. *growl*

Immediately the room was filled with hundreds of *clicks* as every woman in the place, and half the guys, started taking pictures. I whipped out my camera, turned off the flash, and did the same, warnings about "no photography" be damned! No way in HELL was I missing out on THIS photo opportunity!

The rest of the panel followed, then all took their seats. Mr. Brokaw launched into the moderation with the polished skill of... well, Tom Brokaw. Seriously. There's no one better in the biz.

One by one the panelists addressed the opening questions asked of them, each in his or her area of expertise. Jon listened intently, brow furrowed and little frown or pout on his lips, depending on what he was thinking. He was holding a folder (the only one on stage with something in his lap), and he fidgeted with it throughout. Oh my God, I thought. He actually looks... nervous! Turns out he was... but we'll get to that in a moment.

Finally Jon got the chance to answer his question, about artists and musicians and involvement in various causes. He had a great answer, and he talked a little about Bob Dylan, which was really cool. He seemed to relax a bit, but there was still a little edge to his voice. He still wasn't really at ease.

Once each panelist answered an opening question, Mr. Brokaw started guiding the discussion to various topics about the state of life in America. Jon didn't say a lot; he did talk a little about his kids and how he is proud that they don't look at other people and see black, white, Hispanic, Asian... they see people. There were a lot of nods all around at that, from panelists and audience alike. He threw in a couple little comments here and there, but mostly he listened and frowned and nodded, and looked off at the back of the room, like he was trying really hard to concentrate on what was going on. There were a few times he cracked a smile, including one adorable grin, but it only happened a couple times.

The only exception was that, every once in a while, he'd glance over at Dorothea and the corners of his mouth would twitch upward ever so slightly. I don't know if anyone else saw it or not. I was looking for it. It was quite sweet.

There were some quite funny moments in the discussion once it got rolling, with Writer/Activist David Mixner, who is VERY openly gay, commenting on how fabulous Dorothea looked, stating "And I should know! I'm Gay!" Later Dr. Dyson responded that he noticed how beautiful Dot looked too, and HE should know because he's NOT Gay! Jon looked pretty darned proud at that, I must say, LOL!

Dr. Dyson also got Jon to loosen up a bit when he started analogizing public perception of race with music, talking about "Brother Bon Jovi" going from hair metal band to hard rock band to pop band to grunge band" (yeah, he didn't quite have that right), and quoting Alfred Lord Tennyson and Jay-Z in the same breath. It was pretty funny. And a very eloquent way to make a point.

After about an hour and a half of moderated discussion, the floor was opened for questions. Four high school students from across the U.S., who had won contests to attend the Town Hall taping, were allowed to present their questions to the panel. Jon didn't answer any of them, but he was very sweet in making eye contact and giving each student an encouraging little smile. Considering he was sitting RIGHT in front of them, dead-center, next to Tom Brokaw, that was the least he could do. I was lucky enough to be RIGHT behind the microphone stand, so I could look straight past the students at him.

After the students asked their questions, the floor was opened for questions from the audience. I took a deep breath... and raised my hand. And (HOLY CRAP!) I was the first person called upon by Mr. Brokaw. Out of nowhere, a microphone was thrust into my hand. Please God, don't let me screw this up...

I stood, glanced at Jon, then immediately looked away so my brain didn't freeze up. I introduced myself, hoping I wasn't squeaking like a guinea pig, and started to talk. I commented that I am both a military and law enforcement veteran, and that I appreciated the discussion the panel had on those topics earlier. I couldn't resist glancing at Jon, and saw those blue eyes staring intently STRAIGHT AT ME. HOLY CRAP!

I took another breath, looked at the other side of the dais, and started to ask my question. For those of you who care, it went something like this... "We talk a lot about our cities. There are certainly many problems to solve there, be it education or housing or whatever... but the majority of this country is made up of small towns and rural areas. Those communities face the same or greater problems as cities and often don't have access to resources or services to help them solve their problems. Often these communities are ethnically homogenous (yes, I used a big word). How do we overcome the obstacles of increasing understanding and tolerance of diversity in small-town America?"

No, I didn't write it out. That shit just rolled right off my tongue. Thank You Political Science degrees... See, Mom? TOLD YOU it wasn't a useless major... Then I sat down (on my Wonder Woman notebook and camera, which I had laid in my chair) and about fell OFF my chair when half the panel said "Good Question!" HOLY CRAP!

First Mr. Henderson answered, then Mr. Brokaw, then Ms. Parker. I really wanted to look at Jon, but considering all these other people were looking DIRECTLY AT ME and there was a camera in my face, I had to maintain eye contact with them. It was the polite and professional thing to do. (Dammit!)

Finally, what seemed like an hour later but probably more like 5-7 minutes, the panel moved on to the next question, from a young woman on the other side of the room. I exhaled, looked back at Jon, and just as I did he turned his head and looked straight at me. Our eyes met for just a brief moment, I smiled, and he gave a little half-smile and looked back at the girl with the microphone. I just about melted into a big puddle, right there on the floor. GAH!

But it gets better.

After the second question from the audience, Mr. Brokaw wrapped up the meeting. We all applauded, then everyone stood and started to mill about. Jon talked to several of the other panelists for a couple minutes, then stepped down off the dais and walked over to Dorothea. He gave her a little smile and reached out and squeezed her hand (AWW!). Then he started to walk up the aisle, RIGHT TOWARD ME.

I gulped, smiled what I hope wasn't a goofy/creepy/stalkery smile, held out my hand, and introduced myself. He stepped up, gave me a beautiful smile, and took my hand. OH. MY. FREAKIN' GOD. His hand was VERY soft. He said "Nice to meet you. So, you're the gun-toter, huh?" He had a little sparkle in those blue -- and I mean BLUE -- eyes, and the little lines crinkled at the corners. I giggled or chuckled or choked or something, and said something like "used to be, back in my glory days." He laughed at that, then asked me what I do now. I told him I work for the State Department, and he said "Oh, you work for Mrs. C, huh?" I nodded and said yes, then he complimented me on my question *swoon* and thanked me for being "involved" in the event. (I guess begging your way onto the guest list is being "involved", LOL!). I thanked him for his work with the Soul Foundation and his other projects, then said hi to Dorothea and shook her hand, and they moved on.

As I stood there dumbstruck Jon & Dot slipped out the back of the room. After a couple minutes I was able to move, and I wandered up to the front of the room where I talked to Dule' Hill and Cory Booker (who is VERY funny), then made my way through the crowd, headed for the stairs to the luncheon room. I stepped out into the lobby, which was almost empty, and froze.

Jon and Dorothea were standing in the lobby, chatting with the other woman who had sat with Dorothea in the front row. She seemed to be some sort of a personal assistant. As I started to walk past I heard Jon say "I think it went pretty well, I didn't look like too much of an idiot, did I?" or words to that effect. I had to stifle a chuckle at that. He really HAD been nervous. (NOTE: See Hath's blog for details of his open-mike comment...)

I hesitated and thought Well, it's now or never.... and pulled out my camera. I turned toward Jon and Dot and stopped about 5 feet away, and just stood quietly for a minute. Dorothea noticed me and gave me a little smile. Jon saw her look at me, then turned his head my way too. "I'm sorry to interrupt," I said meekly, "But would you mind if I got a picture?" Jon gave me a BIG smile and said "Sure!" and held out his arm. EEEP!

Dorothea offered to take the camera, so I handed it to her and moved over to Jon. He slipped his arm around my waist, I slipped mine around his, and we leaned in to each other and looked at the camera. He said "Smile, Cate," that rough, sexy voice right next to my ear. *swoon* And believe me, smile I DID! (I still haven't stopped.)

It was absolutely surreal... and let me tell you, the man smells GOOD. Don't know what his cologne was, but it was just.... GAH. The smell of pure sin, I tell you. Dot took the pic, and when she lowered the camera Jon said "You sure you got that?" to her, apparently because the flash didn't go off. I didn't even notice -- I was already seeing stars.

Okay, so it's not the greatest photo, and I look like a blithering idiot, but who cares? I wasn't gonna critique Dot's photography skills when she let me grope her husband!!!

Dot handed the camera back to me. I thanked her and turned to Jon and thanked him again. Then I said something about "see ya on tour," and he gave me another big smile. He asked if I'd heard the "new record" (I love it that he still calls them "records"), and I said yes, I loved it. He said "Well Thank You!" still with a big smile. He told me he'd see me on the road, then I shook his hand again, and Dot's, thanked them both again, then headed for the stairs.

How I made it up the stairs to the luncheon I have NO IDEA.

Jon & Dot didn't stay for the luncheon -- apparently they had to get back to Jersey. I had a great time there, and was completely awed when Tom Brokaw came over to ME and told me he really liked my question. Then he stood and continued his answer for another 10 minutes, LOL! Later Mike Allen (Politico) came over and gave me a pat on the back, as did Kathleen Parker and Dr. Christine Sierra. Dr. Sierra was VERY cool -- she's a Political Science professor, so we did Geek-Talk for about the next 20 minutes.

Finally, after the luncheon was over, I claimed my coat and stepped onto the elevator -- and found myself again with Tom Brokaw and Kathleen Parker. We chatted on the way to the main floor, then they headed out into the rain, to their chauffeured Town Cars. I practically floated out of the Newseum and back out to real life.

It still seems surreal. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. As much as I love to see Bon Jovi in concert, to watch Jon perform, to do what he does, IMO, better than any other Frontman on earth, today was AMAZING. I saw Jon Bon Jovi the Man. Watching him in an environment where he was not in control or completely comfortable was fascinating. He was quite humble, very down-to-earth, and extremely gracious, as was Dorothea. He was exactly as I've always hoped I would find him to be, if I were ever lucky enough to meet him. He really is a Good Guy... as he would say, "warts and all."

NOTE: The Characters Town Hall was webcast on passtheball.com If you missed it, you can go to the site and watch it in "online events".

Bad, Bad Boys! (YUM!)

2009-11-20T21:32:00.011-05:00

I'm finally starting to catch up on my TV viewing. Well, kinda. My DVR is still loaded with episodes of various series I follow. I'm woefully behind in most of them. There's just been too much Jovi-Goodness going on lately! Hell, they're EVERYWHERE! Not that I'm complaining... Monday night I recorded Lopez Tonight, comedian George Lopez' new late-night talk show on TBS. I've never seen it before, though I think Lopez is a HOOT. The only reason I hit the "record" button was because I saw on Twitter that Slash was going to guest (yes, I follow Slash on Twitter. He's funny as Hell!) I was out of town for a couple days, then catching up with work, so I didn't get around to watching Lopez until last night. And Holy Crap, was I in for a pleasant surprise! Not only was one of my favorite Bad Boys on the show, sitting in with the band... my OTHER Major Bad Boy Crush was the featured guest! The one and only Charlie Sheen. I've mentioned before on this blog that I've had a major thing for Charlie since 1986, when I first saw him lounging on that Police Station couch in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." *shiver* He just makes my toes curl. Through all the trials and tribulations of his life, I've remained a Charlie Fan. Same with Slash. I've always found him insanely HOT, in a skeezy, dirty, wanna-lick-the-sweat-off-his-bare-chest kinda way. Not to mention he is one of the most amazingly talented guitarists ever to walk the earth. Every time I see him play, I just stare in awe. This performance was no exception, even though it wasn't "incredible" by his stratospheric standards. He really is in a class of his own. (Sorry, Richie Baby--you're amazing too, but I know you'd agree Slash is not of this planet.) So imagine my glee when I discovered Charlie and Slash were on the SAME SHOW at the SAME TIME! It made for some funny dialogue about their Wild Days together, including a story about Charlie taking Slash to his first Dodgers Game and neither of them remembering how they got home. Slash is now one of Charlie's neighbors in Malibu, and they kidded about carpooling to the show, and about their kids having playdates together. Lopez, ever the comedian, just shook his head and observed: "Man, what's happened to you? You've gone from Playmates to Playdates!" VERY funny moment. Charlie was on to talk about "Two and a Half Men" and his new twin boys, Bob and Max. Slash not only sat in with the band, but did an interview with Lopez to promote a benefit concert he set up for the L.A. Youth Network, a charity he is actively involved with (his wife Perla is on the board). The concert is tomorrow night (11/21) in L.A., with a killer lineup of the Who's Who in hard rock (Ozzy, Billy Idol, Tom Morrello, Dave Navarro, Perry Farrell, et al). Then he performed a SMOKIN' guitar duel with House Band guitarist Tommy Organ. Okay, I confess, I watched it a couple times. And it's staying on the DVR for awhile.

It's THAT Time of Year

2009-10-29T13:09:00.005-04:00

Well, the holidays are officially upon us, as of this week. Know how I know? I got 26 catalogs in the mail today. Yep, TWENTY-SIX. Most of them went straight into the recycle bin. A couple I kept to page through, just for fun. One of my favorites was in there, one that makes me laugh. It's one of those catalogs that has all these goofy novelty and pop-culture gifts; crap that nobody really needs but you inevitably end up buying for one of your good friends because it "just fits" them. I was not disappointed by this year's selection of gifts. I even found a couple items to put on my must-read list:

Wonder Woman is my hero, so I'm sure the first book will be full of handy tips from the Amazon perspective. I can see it now: "If your boss insists on calling you "Honey," wrap his ass in the Golden Lasso of Truth and dangle him off the 34th Floor window ledge." And the second book? Well, really, what more is there to say? I'm giggling already. Probably my favorite thing about this catalog, though, is the selection of wittily-captioned t-shirts. Face it, we can all use more t-shirts. And many of these we'd LOVE to wear in public, but couldn't quite get away with it. A few of my favorites: Don't make me get the Flying Monkeys! National Sarcasm Society - Like we need your support.... Some days it's not even worth chewing through the restraints. Just another poo-flingin' day in the jungle. Sarcasm. Just one more service I offer. Patience is a virtue, but flipping someone off feels better. I'm a BadAss. You're just an Ass. Easily distracted by shiny objects. Heavily medicated for your safety. Yet despite the look on my face, you're still talking. Paddle Faster! I hear banjo music. I admit it. I ate the last cookie. Looking for love (will settle for green jelly beans) The decline of Western Civilization leaves me strangely unmoved. Careful, or you'll end up in my novel. What would Yoda do? Your ass, kick it, he would! Police Officer: Our job is to save your ass, not kiss it. And my personal fave... If you woke up this morning.... It's because Jack Bauer spared your life. Only 56 more shopping days, People!

They're Still Beautiful... Oh SO Beautiful...

2009-10-22T00:45:00.007-04:00

I was one of the lucky folks who won passes to the theater screening of the Bon Jovi documentary "When We Were Beautiful." You could have knocked me over with a feather when I got THAT e-mail a couple days ago! I never win ANYTHING. But if I am going to win only one contest, ever, well, this one will do. At least for now. So, tonight was the screening of the Doc. Both of my local SheCop Jovi GalPals happened to be out of town for work this week, but they just couldn't stand the thought of me attending alone. So one of them changed her return flight, which would have been tomorrow, to today so she could "keep me from being lonely" (AKA glom on to my free second pass). She came straight from the airport to the lovely Mazza Gallerie Mall in northwest Washington, DC, in just enough time to enjoy a pre-Doc celebratory glass of wine. Then in we went, along with a whole buncha other Jovi Peeps. Oh. My. Freakin'. God. It was everything I hoped it would be. And more. I love documentaries. I will watch a documentary on just about anything. History of toilet paper? Check. Soviet Space Program? Yep. ANYTHING by Ken Burns? Abso-freakin'-lutely. But of course I love Rock-Docs most of all. In fact, I just recently watched "Anvil - The Story of Anvil," which I thought was brilliant. So, knowing I liked the genre, my question going in was: "Is this really gonna be the honest, open, warts-and-all behind the scenes look at what it's really like to be part of the Jovi world? Seriously?" Well, IMO, it is. The doc opens with scene of Jon getting limbered up in prep for playing MSG (side note -- how do I get that job? GAH!) and talking about the fact that it's almost 25 years ago to the week that he first played The Garden. And off we go from there. I'm not gonna give you a play-by-play and ruin the fun for those of you who haven't seen it yet. But I will say that I found it to be well-balanced, with a good mix of interviews with each of the band members (no Huey, though), candid moments with Jon and the Band, concert footage, and interviews with others such as Obie O'Brien and Kid Rock. I really got a sense of the highs and lows the Guys go through on the road, and how their own personal lives help ground them and sometimes push them close to the edge. There is some pretty raw emotion, some candid opinion-sharing, and even a little smug arrogance *gasp* from you-know-who. But you definitely see the love and devotion these men have for each other. And that's the real story, the real heart of this film and this band. Just a few of my favorite moments: * The pre-show huddle in Abu Dhabi, when Jon tells the guys what to do if things go wrong (it's funny) * Jon talking about going from on-stage in front of thousands of screaming maniacs to the silence of his hotel room, and not even being able to call anybody and share how excited he is that the Soul just beat Dallas -- Again! * Tico talking very frankly about dealing with his anger about his childhood and his drinking *Jon going off about his frustration with lawyers and promoters and Ticketmaster and MLB and the Mayor of NYC and pretty much EVERYBODY in trying to get the Central Park concert to go. (I could TOTALLY identify with his reaction here, lol!) * David commenting that maybe someday Jon will make the band a real democracy... and then somebody better check the dosage on his Prozac * Some very candid and direct conversation by all the guys about what was going on behind the scenes when the band almost split up in the early 1990s.... and just how close they really were. * A really sweet & funny scene of Jon meeting an elderly lady whose home was rebuilt as part of the Detroit Soul Foundation project. * Richie talking about Ava coming to NYC, not to see him play in an historic event (Central Park), but for another reason entirely (I won't spoil it for you, but it's really funny, and Ava's gonna kill him!) * The gorgeous soundcheck performance of "Diamond Ring" * Richie performing IBTFY * Jon performing *gulp* "Hallelujah"--the entire song, with some dialogue overlaid. Just stunning. * The final scene, which damned near turned me into a Jonny Girl. You get to see the REAL Jon, probably more so than anywhere else in the doc. It's just beautiful. Judging from the audience reaction, pretty much everybody had the same thoughts as I did as I watched. There were lots of chuckles, some outright laughs, and quite a few sighs and growls (especially when there was a sweaty lead singer involved); singing along to the concert scenes, and complete breathless silence during some of the more painful parts (such as Richie talking very candidly about his problems). Granted, there was some pretty significant bias in this audience, but it really did seem to touch everybody on some level. My only complaint? It's not 12 hours long. Can't wait to watch it again, and again, and again.

Karma

2009-10-16T20:35:00.011-04:00

Ever have one of those moments that just makes you go "WOW"? One of those times when it seems that the planets have all aligned, the cosmic tumblers have clicked into place, and some higher power is trying to tell you something? I had one of those today. I have had a brutal week at work. My job takes me all over Washington, DC, usually by means of public transportation and good ol' shoe leather. My scheduled was jam-packed all week long, meaning I had to accomplish all my paperwork at night, after normal business hours. Add to that family responsibilities, a little time for my writing, the baseball playoffs, and that didn't leave a whole lotta time for sleep. Oh yeah, and it's been cold and rainy for like the last 3 days straight. So today I was trudging down the sidewalk from the Metro stop toward the State Department, hunched under my umbrella in the pouring rain, feeling pretty cranky and snarky, when I saw something that actually made me stop and smile. My trek to State takes me through the campus of George Washington University. I've been making that walk for the past 5 years, and for as long as I can remember, I have encountered a homeless man sitting on a milk crate outside one of the buildings that is part of the GWU Medical School. His name is Ernest, and he is something of a "mascot" to the people who pass his way, especially to the GWU students. Ernest is a Vietnam Vet, and the lines on his face and the weariness in his posture tell me me has had a very tough life. Far tougher than I can imagine. But Ernest is always smiling, always cheerful, calling out "Hello"s and "Good Morning"s and "God Bless You"s to all who pass by, whether they decide to drop a little change in his cup or not. Over time Ernest and I have gotten to know each other in a way, and when I have time I stop to chat for a moment with him before continuing on to whatever appointment I have to keep. I had a series of assignments over the summer that took me to other parts of the city, so I didn't see Ernest for awhile. When I started walking by his usual place again, a couple months ago, I was saddened that I didn't see him. I wondered what had happened to him, and I hoped that he was okay. And today, he was there. He was sitting off the sidewalk today, under the overhang of the building, out of the rain. "Well, Helloooo, Purple Lady!" he boomed out when he saw me. (He calls me that because I have a purple briefcase.) Though I was in a bit of a hurry, I gave him a big smile and asked where he had been for the past few months. Ernest had wonderful news. With the help of a couple GWU Law Students, he had been put on a list for a subsidized housing unit through a local charity, and he had been fortunate enough to receive a small apartment and other services to help him begin to climb out of the poverty and despair he had endured for so long. I was genuinely happy for him, and I told him so. But the thing that really made my jaw drop was what Ernest had cradled on his lap. It was a beat-up old acoustic guitar. I asked him about it, and received a gigantic grin. Turns out Ernest has played guitar since he was a boy, growing up in the South. After he started receiving services through the charity a volunteer found out he played and gave him the instrument. Now Ernest plays every day and is teaching some of his friends from the Shelter he used to frequent how to play too. Standing under the overhang of that building as the rain pelted down, looking at the smile on the face of a man who had little of nothing but the pure joy of music, I remembered just how blessed I am, to have a job and a family and a home and people who love me. Then something else happened -- and I'm convinced it was the Karma Goddess just tapping me on the shoulder, but nearly knocking me on my ass. "You look a little down today, Purple Lady," Ernest said, giving me another big smile. I nodded and made the excuse that I was tired, and that the rain always made me a little blue. "Well, then maybe you need a little somethin' to cheer you up." Ernest replied. Then he started to pick out a tune on his battered old guitar, and to sing in his warm, gravelly voice. Here comes the sun Here comes the sun, oh I say It's all right.... I damned near started crying right there. Seriously. I had tears in my eyes. I stood there listening and watching for another minute, until I had to go. I thanked Ernest and wished him the best, and stepped out into the rain again, continuing on to do my job. That was probably the best gift I could have gotten today. Not just because I needed it, but because I have a friend who is going through her own little rough patch right now. And I happen to know that she loves that song, too, especially as performed by a certain Jersey-Boy guitarist. She was on my mind as I trudged through the rain and encountered Ernest and his song. I'm convinced that song was as much for her as it was for me. Everybody rides on the Karma train. And sometimes it's a good ride...

Happy Birthday, Squids!

2009-10-13T19:38:00.002-04:00

The United States Navy traces its origins to the Continental Navy, which the Continental Congress established on 13 October 1775 by authorizing the procurement, fitting out, manning, and dispatch of two armed vessels to cruise in search of munitions ships supplying the British Army in America. The legislation also established a Naval Committee to supervise the work. All together, the Continental Navy numbered some fifty ships over the course of the war, with approximately twenty warships active at its maximum strength. After the American War for Independence, Congress sold the surviving ships of the Continental Navy and released the seamen and officers. The Constitution of the United States, ratified in 1789, empowered Congress "to provide and maintain a navy." Acting on this authority, Congress ordered the construction and manning of six frigates in 1794, and the War Department administered naval affairs from that year until Congress established the Department of the Navy on 30 April 1798. In 1972 Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Elmo R. Zumwalt authorized recognition of 13 October as the Navy’s birthday. Since 1972 each CNO has encouraged a Navy-wide celebration of this occasion "to enhance a greater appreciation of our Navy heritage, and to provide a positive influence toward pride and professionalism in the naval service." And I must say, they do have the best and worst uniforms in the entire military. Worst: dungarees. Best: Oh, those Officer's Whites!!! Happy Birthday, U.S. Navy! Anchors Aweigh....

Happy Birthday, You Hot Cubano!

2009-10-07T21:19:00.004-04:00

Happy Birthday to my favorite Hot Cubano.... Teek, hope your day is filled with laughter and love. See you soon! 'Cause I just can't resist him when he plays the bongos....

A Rite of Passage

2009-10-06T19:52:00.001-04:00

How many of you remember the first album you ever bought? Was it vinyl? Cassette? CD? I remember mine - Pat Benatar's "Crimes of Passion." It was 1980, I was 12. And yes, it was vinyl. I still have it. My parents, who were still living in the era of Elvis Presley and Bill Haley and the Comets (not that that's a bad thing, they're just a little behind), were NOT thrilled. Especially when they heard my favorite song from the album.... "Hell is for Children." Yeah. Today was one of those landmark days in our house. Today my Baby bought her very first album, with her very own money. After her guitar lesson we stopped by WalMart to pick up a couple necessities, and there she encountered the album she HAD to have, just COULDN'T live with out. "Momma?" she said, batting her insanely long, thick brown lashes at me. "Will you buy me this? PLEEEEEEAAAAASSSSEEEE?" (She forgot that works on Daddy, not me). "Hmmmm..." I thought. Actually, I really wanted the music, too. But I wanted to see just how badly SHE wanted it. "Well, not today." "But Momma, PLEASE!" she begged. "Well, Baby... if you want it, you can buy it with your own money." She stopped and considered that for a moment. She won $20.00 in premiums for her projects at the county fair last week. Normally that money would be frugally squirrelled away to pay for an extra week of horseback riding camp next summer. Was this CD worth having to work a little harder for the Barn Rat Fund? I tried not to grin as I watched her little face twist into a beaming smile. "Oh yeah, Momma. I'm gonna buy it." Blame it on the love of rock and roll. Her very first album purchase? Sonic Boom, the new KISS album. (Jeez, Kid, couldn't wait for "The Circle?" LOL) I know she'll remember this day forever, just like I remember the day I walked out of Musicland with "Crimes of Passion" tucked under my arm. I wish she could have had the experience of going to a REAL record store, but hey, times have changed. She'll have it memorized by tomorrow, I guarantee. *tear* I'm so proud!

Heat Wave

2009-10-06T12:35:00.010-04:00

October 4-10, 2009 is National Fire Prevention Week. Many cities across the U.S. also designate this week as Firefighter Appreciation Week. I am firmly in support of that idea... In observance, be safe and thank a Firefighter! Though to have one of these guys show up in a big red truck.... Kinda makes you wanna play with matches, doesn't it?

I Hate it when Work Interrupts Important Stuff...

2009-10-05T22:24:00.009-04:00

So, Jonny snuck into D.C. again today... Well, he didn't really so much "sneak." He was a keynote speaker for World Habitat Day Opening Ceremony at the National Building Museum. JBJ is a member of the U.S. World Habitat Day Honorary Committee. Unfortunately, I don't hang out at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HQ (though I am in there occasionally for work) and I can only watch so many press office sites at one time, so I missed this one. And, to add insult to injury...I was only TWO BLOCKS AWAY at the DC Metropolitan Police HQ at the time! Grrr... One of the press releases mentioned he was scheduled to perform, so we may see some video sometime soon. Of course, it's all over the press here...NOW!!! D.C. always gets all a-Twitter (pun intended) whenever HRH comes to town: Politico Spotted: Jon Bon Jovi kicking off World Habitat Day at the National Building Museum Monday morning. Also in attendance: U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice, White House Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes, and HUD Secretary Shawn Donovan, among others. Washington Post ".... Jon Bon Jovi hanging in the lobby of the Georgetown Ritz-Carlton on Monday. Tight black pants, tight black T-shirt: Rock on! Was in town to serve as a celeb rep at the U.N.'s World Habitat Day at the Building Museum." Apparently Jonny's hangin' at the Ritz! Hmmm... they have a good bar.... :) Queenie also has some great pics up on her blog. Man, he cleans up good! Jonny, Baby, next time you come to town, give me some notice and I'll clear my schedule for you, LOL!

Retail Therapy

2009-09-24T12:29:00.013-04:00

Ahhh.... Sweet Relief. I feel a little like Jonny, in need of a nice, long break... Well, I survived the visit from my family. All in all it went well, and I was glad to have the chance to spend time with my aunt, cousin, and even my Mother. I was pretty much right on target with my 72-hour Mom Tolerance Window... somewhere around hour 75 she called me "middle-aged" and told me to cut my hair. Apparently 41-year-old "matrons" shouldn't have long hair. Or listen to loud rock and roll music. It all kinda went downhill from there. *Sigh.* Anyway, had a great time with my cousin, and it was lovely to see my 80-year-old aunt again. She's a hoot. And now, Thank God, they've gone home. I took the fam to the airport just outside Baltimore yesterday morning. After ushering them through the check-in process and watching to ensure they made it through security (never quite sure what my Mom may try to "smuggle" aboard her flight), I almost skipped back to my car. The first thing I did was turn up my stereo - LOUD - and blast out some Velvet Revolver (Slash, Baby, how I missed you!). Then I headed down the road for a little Retail Therapy. There is a huge, world-class, upscale outlet mall about 3 miles from the airport. Now, I'm not much of a shopper, but I have been known to enjoy a good sale. I have been looking for a new pair of black boots, and I need some new work clothes, so I figured...WTF. Indulge my "Girly" side. That's not quite how it worked out.... I spent about 4 hours at the mall, working my way around the huge racetrack of designer and upscale outlets. I was actually quite surprised that I found some things I needed... and LOTS of things that I wanted. But I kept repeating my mantra ("Tour Tickets... Tour Tickets....") and managed to keep myself reasonably within check. I only bought things for which I have a legitimate need. Until I hit the one store that always seems to be my undoing. Perhaps you've heard of it... "Kenneth Cole NYC" ? And everything was 30% off of the markdown price. Drat! I've loved Kenneth Cole's stuff since even before Jonny signed on with the RSVP to Help project. It's just my style. So of course I couldn't resist. I walked out of there with a couple t-shirts (from the RSVP line, thank you very much!) and the most GORGEOUS jacket. My little splurge to celebrate making it through the week without commiting Matricide. So I went to the food court for lunch (sat next to a bunch of Nuns eating tacos, LOL!), and contemplated my purchases as I nibbled at my Subway sandwich. It was then I realized that... I've been spending WAY too much time in Jon Bon Jovi's head. Among my purchases: One black v-neck t-shirt from Kenneth Cole One pair of dark-wash premium denim jeans One pair of black leather boots with low stacked heel (that will undoubtedly be scuffed soon) One pair of pewter-rimmed, smoke tinted sunglasses Sound familiar? Crap, all I gotta do is add the black cap (I actually have one that is similar) and I'm practically a female JBJ. Without the money, looks, or talent. Wow. Self-awareness can be scary sometimes. But at least I'm fashionably self-aware.

Happy Birthday, Air Force!

2009-09-18T00:06:00.002-04:00

You're lookin' good for age 62... Many of you know I am an Air Force Veteran. I spent 13 years on active duty, most of it in law enforcement. However, before I became a Special Agent I was honored to work in two large aircraft maintenance units; one at McGuire AFB, New Jersey and the other at Luke AFB, Arizona. Both squadrons had over 800 active duty airmen assigned; about 15 officers and 775+ enlisted men and women. I was doubly-blessed in those two units: my Commanders were good, honorable, and decent men who were the best role models imaginable, and the Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) who served under me were brave, dedicated, and patient men and women who helped gently (and sometimes not-so-gently) "grow" me from a clueless and naive young "butterbar" into a confident, capable, and compassionate junior officer. I will be forever thankful to those NCOs; one of the proudest days of my life was the first time one called me "L.T." instead of "Lieutenant." I knew then that I had earned respect, and that I was doing something right. On the flight lines in Jersey and Arizona I saw the blue-collar Air Force in action. I carried tool boxes and slung gear with the Crew Chiefs, I hung bombs off fighters with the Armament Techs, I counted missiles and bullets with the Ammo Crew (IYAAYAS!!!), I packed parachutes with the Life Supporters, and I worried over depot and flight schedules with the Maintenance Officers. I learned what it REALLY meant to be an Airman, with a capital "A." The experiences I had on the flight line early in my career gave me the appreciation for the heart of the Air Force that would serve me well in my law enforcement career. It helped me understand the culture and lifestyle of the men and women, and their families, who are the backbone of our national defense. And it gave me the courage and resolve to take the sometimes difficult, sometimes gut-wrenching steps necessary to enforce the law and the Uniform Code of Military Justice against those who dishonored the uniform and their fellow Airmen. Today, September 18, 2009, marks the Air Force's 62nd birthday. The Air Force was originally part of the U.S. Army, but was created as a separate branch of the U.S. Military by the National Security Act of 1947. The Air Force is by far the youngest military branch (and the BEST!) There are currently over 327,000 officers and enlisted men and women on active duty, another 115,000+ in the Reserves, and over 106,000 in the Air National Guard. Additionally, the Air Force employs over 171,000 civilian personnel, who are very much part of the Air Force family. The Commander, Air Mobility Command, had this to say about this auspicious occasion: On Sept. 18, 1947, our Air Force became a separate branch of the military. Since then our unequalled accomplishments have helped provide a beacon of hope for men, women and children all over the world. The Air Force's birthday is an ideal time to celebrate this heritage and the people who have made and continue to make it all possible. During the Berlin Airlift, our veteran Airmen delivered 2.2 million tons of cargo to a city desperately in need. Today, our AMC, Air Force Reserve Command, and Air National Guard Airmen continue this honorable tradition as they work together to achieve unprecedented results around the globe. Our success does come at a price as evidenced by the many sacrifices of our Airmen and their families. While our people work long hours and endure time away from home, their families remain steadfast in providing unyielding support and care for our personnel as they make history every day. Take time on Sept. 18 to remember and recognize the superior contributions our Air Force has made to this great nation. Also take time to remember the sacrifices that Airmen and their families have made to found the freedoms that we enjoy today. For that, I am honored and thankful to be among you wearing the Air Force uniform. I am honored to have served alongside these amazing men and women of the U.S. Air Force, and to have been a part of a glorious history. Happy Birthday, Air Force! To my Brothers and Sisters in Blue -- Good Luck and GodSpeed.

Mother Superior

2009-09-15T01:10:00.005-04:00

There's a certain level of insanity that only a mother can drive one to.

My mother is coming to visit tomorrow, along with my aunt and my cousin. I'm looking forward to the visit, for this is my Very Favorite Aunt coming to see me. We always have the BEST time together. In fact, my own Mom often comments that I am much more like my aunt than I am her.

I'm also really looking forward to seeing my cousin, whom I haven't seen in more than five years. She is a cardiothoracic nurse, and one of the funniest people on the planet. And a Jovi fan to boot. Yeah, we're gonna have a good time.

Our guests will be here for a week, taking in the sights of the Washington, DC area. I will be playing tour guide part of the time, and hiding part of the time. (I'll probably have to hide in my bathroom with my laptop to post my Jovi-Porn, so be warned!)

Now, before you start to wonder why I haven't said I'm looking forward to my MOTHER visiting, let me go on the record and say I AM looking forward to seeing her.

For a little while.

Don't get me wrong, I love my mother. She is an amazing woman, and I am so very grateful for all the things she has taught and given me throughout my life -- even when the lessons were administered under the heading of "Tough Love" or "Because I Said So." I hope I am half the Mom to my daughter that she has been to me.

But I have about a 72-hour tolerance window with her. Then things start to get a little iffy.

One of the many things I inherited from my mother is a compulsive perfectionist streak. Another thing I inherited is a stubbornly independent streak. Both of these traits have served me well in my chosen professions and in life, and I have learned how to harness them to use my powers for good rather than evil (most of the time).

But that all goes out the window when Mom is around. Now, Mom comes from good German stock. She grew up on a dairy farm in Kansas, where you worked from sunup 'til sundown, and went to school for a couple hours in between. My grandfather immigrated from Germany when he was a teenager, and he instilled his work ethic in all of his five children. They in turn passed it on to (most of) their children.

I'm like my mother in that I'm not afraid of a little hard work. I'm also not immune to her criticism, no matter how veiled or sugar-coated it might be. And that's why I'm sitting here at 1:30 in the morning writing this (somewhat therapeutic) rant/post.

Because I have spent the past 17 hours cleaning my house.

Now, I can usually clean my 4-bedroom, 3 1/2 bath home in about 5 hours, all told. And it looks pretty good, too. But not when Mom comes to visit. Approximately 48 hours before her arrival the perfectionist gene goes into overdrive, and I see dirt and crud and filth EVERYWHERE. It's not enough to just wipe down counters and sinks and vaccuum and dust and swish toilets. I must scrub the tile floor on my hands and knees, like Cinder-freakin'-rella. I must meticulously scrape the miniscule specks of mildew from the grout in the shower tiles. And I must crawl along the entire perimeter of every room of my house, wiping every smudge and stain from every white baseboard.

That's what I did today... well, yesterday. Now I'm sitting at my keyboard, gulping iced tea and waiting for the Naproxen to kick in to soothe my aching back muscles so I can sleep.

About 5 hours ago my Hub gave me one of those looks that only he can muster as he dragged the Dyson vaccuum cleaner over to empty its bin for the 6th time. "Why didn't you just hire a cleaning service?" he asked wearily.

I fixed him with a glare. "Because. I can handle this." I answered tersely. "Besides, there's no reason to spend good money on something we can do ourselves" (NOTE: The "we" comment was to appease him; I actually meant "I.") Besides, I thought, There's this TOUR coming up, and this means more money in my ticket/travel fund...

But we both knew the REAL answer to his question; the unspoken truth. Because Mom would KNOW I hired someone to clean my house. And to her that is just unacceptable. It is a badge of dishonor. It is LAZY. Even if I never told her, she would somehow know.

So I choose to suffer on into the night, then to quietly smile and bite my tongue in a few short hours as I stand in my sparkling-clean kitchen as she performs her little covert inspection. "Oh," she'll say. "The house looks... nice." Then she'll give me that little Mom smile. "I know you're busy, Dear. You're doing the best you can," she'll say gently.

Grrrr.

Thank God my cousin drinks wine.

Remembering Our Heroes...

2009-09-11T00:58:00.004-04:00

On September 11, 2001, the world was forever changed. That fateful day touched every American, every Citizen of the world in a profound way. For me it was personal. On that day, I was sitting in my classroom with my students at the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) Training Academy at Andrews AFB, MD (we hadn't yet moved to FLETC). I was an active duty Air Force Officer and Special Agent. My students were preparing to go out to our training "raid houses" for tactical assault training. First one, then a second plane slammed into the World Trade Center. We heard the explosion as American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the Pentagon, just across the Potomac River. We watched the smoke and flames rise into the sky. There are no words that can describe what I felt. Probably the closest I can come is... RAGE. Complete, profound, all-consuming rage. And unless you are a military veteran, or a cop, or a first responder, you probably can't understand why I don't say shock, or sadness, or fear. I was four months pregnant with my daughter at the time. Six hours after the attack on the Pentagon, I was there, at the site of the crash, helping process the second-largest crime scene in the history of our country. The largest was the World Trade Center. I didn't sleep for more than two days. I had a job to do, and despite my pregnancy my mind and my body wouldn't let me slow down. I remember driving home on the usually-busy DC Beltway in the middle of that long night, my car one of only three on the road. It was eerie. Like I was one of a few survivors of the apocalypse. I heard the afterburners of the F-16 fighters flying combat air patrol over our Nation's Capitol. After 10 years in the Air Force, the sound of jet engines was like background noise to me -- I never noticed it, even when I lived right next to the flightline. That night, I heard every jet. When I got home from the Pentagon that night, I wrote a letter to my unborn child. I read it every year, on this day, and again I feel the rage and pain and sadness I felt as I scribbled out those words. I don't ever want to forget how I felt that day. It's part of who I am, who I have become. I want my daughter to know that about me. Someday she'll be old enough to understand. The days that followed passed in a blur. There were too many funerals to count. We grieved the loss of our brothers and sisters in police and fire departments, and we prayed for the souls of the victims of the attacks and for peace for their families. We also prayed for those who would endure the hardship and sacrifice yet to come. And we went to war. Since 9-11, there have been 7 Special Agents of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) killed in the line of duty, in Iraq and Afghanistan. More than a dozen others have been seriously wounded. All were performing critical counterintelligence work in incredibly dangerous environments. Even tonight, as I write this, hundreds more are in harm's way. I am not a religious person--at all. But I pray every night for their safe return to their loved ones. Today I remember Special Agents Tom Crowell, Nate Schuldheiss, Dave Wieger, Matt Kuglics, Ryan Balmer, Danny Kuhlmeier, and Rick Ulbright. Tom, Dave, Matt, and Danny were former students of mine. Rick was a friend and colleague. You can read their stories here. I also light a candle and say a prayer for the firefighters, police officers, and other first responders who made the ultimate sacrifice on 9-11-2001. When others ran out, they rushed in. Today, take a moment to reflect on the fact that Freedom is not Free. And if you see a cop or firefighter or EMT or Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine, thank them for their service. For a long time I've been meaning to put together a tribute to these heroes. I finally did it. Chances are if you're reading this, you know the music: It's "Nobody's Hero." Please take a minute to listen and watch and remember. If you are so inclined, say a prayer. The portraits shown during the solo are of the AFOSI Special Agents killed in the line of duty. They are images of from the Hall of Heroes at AFOSI Headquarters. Well Done, Agents. We are forever grateful for your sacrifice. You are my heroes.

Are You Ready????

2009-09-10T08:31:00.007-04:00

...For some FOOTBALL? The NFL Season starts TODAY! Now mind you, I'm a Baseball Girl all the way. Given the choice to watch a baseball game or a football game, I'll take baseball every time (well okay, 99% of the time). But football is my second-favorite sport, and I celebrate the return of Monday Night Football as exuberantly as most of my guy friends. Like most fans, I have teams that I follow faithfully. I grew up near Kansas City, so I am of course a Chiefs fan first and foremost. But since there hasn't been much to cheer about there lately, I've sought solace in my "other" teams -- the Eagles, Steelers, and Bears. Growing up, I was a huge fan of two quarterbacks who played on opposite ends of the State of Pennsylvania -- Terry Bradshaw and Ron Jaworski. (Hey, my Grandmother was from Philly, so it does run in my blood...). And of course, being an Eagles fan, I absolutely loathed anything to do with the Dallas Cowboys. Still can't stand 'em. When I was in high school I traveled to Chicago for the first time and fell in love with the Bears. I gleefully followed Jim McMahon and the Monsters of the Midway to their Super Bowl XX trouncing of the New England Patriots (sorry, Hath!), and yes, I could do the Super Bowl Shuffle, LOL! : ) My devotion to Da Bears would pay off... on my first date with the cute little soldier who is now my Hub, we discovered we had identical six-foot posters of "Mad Mac" (Jim McMahon) hanging in our barracks/dorm rooms. We knew then that fate had brought us together. I still have my #9 Jersey. I break it out every now and then for the Hub. ; ) So, here we are on the cusp of a new NFL season, and I'm looking forward to watching and attending as many games as I can. And I'm sure there will be a goodly amount of trash-talk going on with friends and family as the season progresses. And it will be SUH-WEEEET when the Eagles kick the Patriots' butts in the Super Bowl, after a rockin' Bon Jovi halftime show! (My prediction, not actual fact.... yet!) BRING IT ON!!! Get us started, Hank... (and Richie!)

Alice Cooper and... Alice Cooper

2009-09-02T12:31:00.009-04:00

I have this really cool kid. She's funny, smart, adorable, and sometimes a bit too mature for her age (like 7 going on 30). Thankfully, she has inherited my taste in music. After all, she's been exposed to Bon Jovi and other rockers since her residence in the womb. Come to think of it, she was probably conceived to a Bon Jovi song... Anyway, there's none of that Hannah Montana crap in our house. High School Musical? Gag. The Jonas Brothers? "Mom, they're just BOYS," my kid says with a sneer and a roll of her eyes. "They don't know how to ROCK." (Note to Self: Start preparing Hub now for the fact that Daddy's Little Girl will probably be "With the Band" when she's in college...) Anyway, one of my daughter's favorite rockers of all time is Alice Cooper. She thinks Alice is absolutely HYSTERICAL. Now, before you cringe and think "Jeez, that Catte is one permissive Mom...", let me tell you how Kiddo discovered Alice Cooper. It was the Muppet Show. I'm a lifelong Muppet Groupie. I am head-over-heels in love with Kermit the Frog. So of course I have every season of The Muppet Show on DVD. When Kiddo was 5, I took great joy in introducing her to Kermit & Co. And I gotta admit, I breathed a sigh of relief that she was immediately hooked, since she was not a great fan of Sesame Street. (Can you imagine a preschooler who could care less about Elmo? That was her.) Slowly, patiently, I doled out Muppet Show episodes as special treats, watching her little face light up and hearing her delighted giggle as she watched "Pigs in Space" and "The Swedish Chef," and "Veterinarian's Hospital." We worked our way through the episodes in order, starting with the first season and advancing. I should have seen it coming, when somewhere around Episode 8 she remarked. "Mommy, Rowlf the Piano Playing Dog looks an awful lot like David Bryan." (Took me awhile to stop laughing at that, but damned if she isn't right!) Finally we arrived at Season Three, Episode 7, with guest star Alice Cooper, circa 1978. I was a little apprehensive about her reaction to Alice, even in family-friendly, fuzzy Muppet mode. After all, the guy does climb out of a coffin and dance around with Muppet ghosts while lip-synching "Welcome to My Nightmare."

She LOVED it. From that point on, it was all about Alice. She played that episode over and over, and begged to be allowed to listen to more of his music. I relented somewhat, allowing her to add "No More Mister Nice Guy," "House of Fire," and "Feed My Frankenstein" to her Alice playlist, which already included Muppet-friendly "Nightmare," "You and Me," and of course, "School's Out." Needless to say, most of the rest of Alice's catalog, along with music videos and footage of his stage shows, have remained off-limits. Since that time I've added a couple more songs with more mature lyrics to her playlist, along with a long discussion of what is and is not appropriate to be belted out at the top of her lungs on the school bus or in other public places. She has also expanded her list of favorite rockers to include Joan Jett, KISS, Lita Ford, Meat Loaf, and Slash, among others. And since HairNation is on A LOT in our house, she does hear some things that aren't exactly second-grade-friendly. Yeah, I'm still awaiting that phone call from the school: "Well, your daughter was singing some... um... inappropriate music on the playground... Yes, well, it was "Take me down, slow and easy..." (She likes Whitesnake, too). But I just can't find it in my heart to squash her enthusiastic discovery of power chords, screaming vocals, wailing guitar riffs, and heavy, thumping bass guitar. I remember how much I loved to sing when I was her age, and my heart just melts when I hear her in her room, singing away to Alice or Joan Jett or Bon Jovi. Blame it on the Love of Rock-n-Roll. Anyway, the thing that inspired this post was an article I stumbled upon yesterday. It's been out there for a few days, but I thought it was pretty darn funny. It's about Alice being quintessentially Alice, one of the nicest guys in Rock and Roll, trying to be all scary but not quite succeeding. Apparently last week the New York Post ran a story about some Good Samaritan out in Brooklyn who rescued a rare kestral (a type of hawk), then named it "Alice Cooper" because of its resemblance to said Rocker. Now, this is one cute, fluffy bird, and one not-really-cute, scary-ish character. But you can definitely see the resemblance. Alice is currently on tour in Australia, and when asked about his avian namesake, responded with tongue firmly in cheek: "First 'The Crow' stole my makeup, and now this kestrel has done it. This madness has got to stop, or I'm going to send my army of lawyers with everything they've got to go up against this bird. The bird has been trying to get a part in the show and will try anything to generate attention and get into our production.... the only one who wants him in the show is the snake."

And that's why I love Alice. Scary and sweet, all at once. Rock On, Dark One. As a treat, one of my favorites. Could have a little something to do with backing vocals by His Royal Hotness himself.... "If my love was like a lollipop, would you lick it?" Umm, yeah....

I Love This... Promotion

2009-08-31T09:06:00.013-04:00

Well, if you read my last post, you learned that September is an exciting time in my house. Kiddo's back in school, new TV season... but it's a melancholy kind of excitement. See, I'm a Girl of Summer at heart. In fact, I HATE winter. The only good thing about winter is that it's when the NFL season is in full swing.

My idea of the perfect winter? Staying inside for 3-4 months, never venturing out into the cold and snow. Or better yet, living someplace where it doesn't snow AT ALL. I lived in the beautiful Arizona desert for three years, and I was in HEAVEN. If I wanted snow, I could drive north and find it (never happened, though!) Now that I live in the Northeast, I spend most of the winter stomping around the house, grumbling "I'm moving back to Goddamn PHOENIX!" My Hub just ignores me; he's used to it by now...

Anyway, I find this time of year a little bittersweet not just because I know winter will be here soon, but because baseball season is winding down. Now, as a lifelong fan of America's Pastime, I know that September is when I find some of the most exciting, competitive games of the year. After all, pennant races are in full swing, and the chase for the Wild Card spots for the playoffs are usually... well, Wild. (C'mon Cubs!) And the Playoffs and World Series are just around the corner.

This is the time of year I get NO sleep, because I can't bear to go to bed early and miss the last out of the last inning of the game I'm convinced will be THE crucial game in one of my teams' treks toward the World Series championship. Yeah, I'm usually exhausted by Halloween. In fact, the Phillies about killed me last year, when they went all the way.

Now, the last two years' Playoffs seasons have been particularly pleasurable for me, despite the fact that my beloved Cubbies choked in the first round. Why, you ask? Well because my Jersey Boys, obviously recognizing my need for comfort, decided to lend their little ditty "I Love This Town" to TBS' MLB Playoffs promotional campaign. (And YES, it is totally THEIR song...see "Musicologically Speaking...")

I got a real kick out of those commercials, not just for obvious reasons, but because I'm a sucker for baseball players acting goofy. I watch "This Week in Baseball" just for the bloopers and dugout shots. So, a bunch of cute boys in baseball pants playing air guitar and air drums to the rockin' music of the Best Damn Band on the Planet? Well, Yes, Please!!!

And now, I'm a Happy, Happy Girl yet again this morning because... drum roll, please... They're BACK! This morning's Sports Business Journal reports:

"For the third consecutive year, TBS will use the rock band Bon Jovi to promote its postseason baseball coverage — and network officials insist there isn’t a band groupie working in Atlanta."

Yeah, I'm not so sure about that groupie thing. After all, we're everywhere!

Now, I'm so excited about this that I can't wait for the details to hit the wires (as I'm sure they will later this week). And I'm too cheap to get a subscription to SBJ online, so I have to be satisfied with the little tease that popped in my Google Alert this morning. And I am, for now. I'm just happy that we'll have another Playoff Season of singing and dancing to Jovi between innings.

So, I wonder if "I Love This Town" will three-peat? Or if we'll be hearing "We Weren't Born to Follow"? My money's on WWBTF, not just for the obvious promotional reasons. It's a rockin' tune, and in my mind a little more fitting for sports promotion than ILTT. Ya know, lead the way to the World Series, get up offa your asses and PLAY... But either way, either song (or another one), I'm happy.

Now, about that rumored Super Bowl halftime show....

But first things first. September's here tomorrow, the home stretch toward the Playoffs. Division Series start October 7, so we should be seeing and hearing our Boys on TBS in a couple weeks!

So, I'll Sleep When I'm Dead... or at least in November.

UPDATE: 1:07 pm EST... OOOHH! The video is up on MLB.com! (THANKS LisaMarie, for sharing!) And yes, its WWBTF... and it's HOT! Tho' I could have done without the footage of the Dodgers sweeping the Cubs in last year's playoffs, and the shot of A-Rod... But the Phillies footage was Phantastic!!! : ) And of course, there's Jonny.... But where are the rest of the Boys? *pout* And the rest of Jonny's hair? *yum* Enjoy! (To show you the level of my devotion to Bon Jovi... this is the only time I'd be caught DEAD on a Yankees website! LOL!)

P.S. - My World Series prediction? Phillies (YAY!) vs. Yankees (BOO!); Phillies repeat in 6. (Sorry, Cubbies. This ain't your year).

Two and a Half Men + One Rock God

2009-08-27T20:27:00.015-04:00

Well, fall is just around the corner. Kids are back in school. The Mall is actually someplace I enjoy venturing out to on a weekday again. College Football starts this weekend (WOO HOO!) It's still about 90 degrees every day... but that I can live with. That means one of my Very Favorite times of year is fast approaching... Fall TV Premiere Week. (Yes, I lead a very full and exciting life). Ah, September, when night after night after night I can curl up on the couch and bask in the glow of new programming. Well, usually on my DVR, so I don't have to watch the commercials... I'm particularly excited about September 20th, when two of my favorite comedies premiere -- "Big Bang Theory" and "Two and a Half Men" on CBS. Both are created/produced by Chuck Lorre, who is a freakin' comedy genius. They are "Must See TV" for me (sorry, NBC). Anyway, this year Two and a Half Men is gonna have a little extra somethin' that has me excited. The premiere has a cameo by Eddie Van Halen! And he plays the guitar (of course)! The episode was taped a couple weeks ago, and is supposed to be "hysterically funny." But then again, I think EVERY episode of "Men" is hilarious. I mean, Hell, how could a show with episode titles like "Prostitutes and Gelato," "Young People Have Phlegm Too," and "Did You Check With the Captain of the Flying Monkeys?" NOT be funny? Though I must say I am consistently amazed at the level of downright dirtiness they get away with on primetime TV. I saw Charlie Sheen on "Inside the Actors' Studio" awhile back and he said the same thing... that he can't believe some of the jokes in the show actually make it on air.

Ah, Charlie. He's one of my Bad Boy crushes. Has been since I saw him on that police station couch in "Ferris Beuller's Day Off," waaaaay back in 1986.

And he's still a damned fine-looking man, despite all he's put his body through. A seriously funny comedic actor, as well. Eddie's appearance won't be the first time a bona-fide Rock Star has appeared on "Men." Steven Tyler and Elvis Costello also appeared as themselves, and Enrique Iglesias played a very Handy handyman.

There have been a ton of big-name celebs who have guested on the show, as well, including Heather Locklear, Michael Clarke-Duncan, Jenna Elfman, Sean Penn, and James Earl Jones. Charlie's Dad Martin Sheen and his brother Emilio Estevez have also appeared. So, I know it's probably wishful thinking, but wouldn't it be great if JBJ showed up on an episode of "Men" sometime? He could play himself. Hell, Charlie's character lives in Malibu, so why couldn't Jonny pop by to say hello, bring a plate of cookies, sunbathe naked on the beach.... Oh, sorry. Drifted off there for a minute. And Richie has some acting under his belt, too. He's definite guest star material. Er... well, maybe not, given real-life history. After all, Charlie was married to She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named... (I still haven't forgiven her for cursing my Cubbies with her "performance" at Wrigley Field.) Well, no matter who appears on the show, I'll be watching and DVR-ing faithfully all season. It's bound to be Funny as Crap.

And as a little bonus, a "cherry-on-top" if you will, at the end of every episode Chuck Lorre posts funny little vanity cards. You never know what he's gonna come up with, but it always makes me laugh. And because they are often lengthy and hard to freeze-frame to read, he was nice enough to post them on his website. Here's a sample:

WARNING TO MALE VIEWERS!

Despite the comic conceit of tonight's episode, ingesting "semi-lethal quantities of alcohol" in order to overcome the deep-seated fear that women will reject you, is a terrible idea. We, the producers of Two and a Half Men, do NOT recommend it. If you are struggling with this fear we strongly urge you to seek healthier solutions. A few to consider are: Becoming handsome. Becoming rich. Becoming a famous musician, actor, writer, director or artist. Becoming a famous athlete. Becoming a brooding loser who is also handsome. Becoming funny. Becoming thin. Becoming old. Becoming apathetic. Becoming a woman. Becoming a college professor. Becoming a religious leader. Becoming psychotic (this allows one to achieve the steely confidence bestowed by alcohol, but without the attendant liver damage). Having really big muscles and hanging around simple women. Having drugs and hanging around women who are addicted to them. Having food and hanging around hungry women. Having the inner joy that comes from knowing you're a one-of-a-kind miracle of creation, and that even if women reject you, you are still a beloved child of God... you just ain't gettin' laid tonight. If you need a good, long belly-laugh... his site is the place to get it. Or watch that crazy cheeseburger-lovin' cat on YouTube. Eddie and Charlie... Ooooh, I'm getting all tingly just thinking about it! Hurry up, September!

Wicked Wonderland

2009-08-25T23:14:00.015-04:00

So, we all know there's a new album coming out from a certain band in November. But that's not the only new music on the horizon that I'm excited about.

I'm a Rocker Chick at heart. I am brashly unapologetic in my devotion to loud guitars, heavy, bluesy bass riffs, and incredibly smutty lyrics. I LOVE Hair Metal and wish it had not gone the way of the dinosaur. (But it does live on in Hair Nation on Sirius/XM Radio - Love Ya, Keith Roth!)

Those who know me are well aware of my obsession with guitar players. Specifically sexy, dark-haired axemen, of which there seems to be quite a fine selection out there.

But it's not Richie or Slash or Joe P. or Dave J. I'm excited about right now. It's Lita.

I have always been in absolute AWE of Lita Ford. She's smart, tough, gorgeous, and one HELL of a guitar player. Every guy I knew back in college got immediately turned on by the mere mention of Lita. And if somebody put one of her records on during a party... well, let's just say she did for my guy friends what Jonny does for most women.

As I've gotten older, I've gained respect for her on another level; as a mother. She stepped out of the rock-n-roll limelight to get married, have babies, and homeschool her kids. That's a big decision for anyone. I can only imagine what it must have been like for Lita. Now granted, hers has most likely not been the most ordinary motherhood experience... she's raising her kids on a private Caribbean island, after all... but I gotta say I admire her even more now than I did back in the day.

So, when I heard she's coming back with a new album on 10/06/09, I was beyond thrilled. And the timing couldn't be better... a month before The Circle. A little time to rock out with Lita before I immerse myself in all kinds of Jovi Goodness....

The title of the album is "Wicked Wonderland," which I gotta say I think is one of the coolest album titles EVER. (Note to JBJ: THIS is how you name an album, Baby!)

Some of the tracks on the album are "Crave," "Indulge," "Bed," "Scream," and "Piece (Hell Yeah)".

Sounds like great music to write FanFic to!

In honor of the Return of Lita, one of my favorite of her vids.

(Sidebar: She kinda looks like she could be Heather Locklear's big sister in this one, doesn't she?)

You can check out more info about her album on Lita's MySpace page at :

http://www.myspace.com/litaford

Her song "Crave" is up there for a listen, too.

LITA ROCKS!

First Day of School

2009-08-24T22:25:00.010-04:00

So, today was my daughter's first day of the Second Grade. In her mind, that makes her just about ready for college. Big plans, that one has. We have a tradition in our house. Whenever it's a special day for someone, like a birthday, big event, etc. the "VIP" gets to pick three songs to listen to while we eat breakfast. There's ALWAYS music of some kind on in our house (unless there's a baseball or football game on TV). Well, since today was the Big Day, Kiddo got to pick. Believe me, MUCH thoughtful consideration and debate went into this decision. We're talking DAYS of deliberation... Here were her choices, her reasoning, and my Mom Psychoanalysis of what her choices may mean... Song #1 - "School's Out" - Alice Cooper Justification - " 'Cause, Mommy - Alice ROCKS!" Psychoanalysis - Manifestation of wishful thinking by kiddo...ah, if only it was the beginning of the summer again! (But she's right, Alice DOES Rock!) Song #2 - "Rock and Roll All Nite" - KISS Justification - "I LOVE that song! It makes me wanna dance!" Psychoanalysis - Possible rebellious attitude toward curriculum/homework/sleeping habits? YIKES! Hope not... Song #3 - "We Weren't Born to Follow" - Bon Jovi Justification - " 'Cause it's about just being yourself. And I like to sing 'Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Oh Yeah'!" Psychoanalysis - I'm SOOOO proud!!! :) Obviously the prenatal brainwashing worked.... My First Day of School Song: "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year..."

Musicologically Speaking... You're Nuts

2009-08-23T13:09:00.010-04:00

So, I have this dirty little secret. I'm a Nerd. A Law Nerd, to be more specific. I am absolutely fascinated by the law. Not so much by the legal system (since I've been involved in that for years), but with the philosophy, development, and application of law.

The rule of law is the true underpinning of civilized society. And while some would argue that our society is far from "civilized," well, let me tell ya, we're not doing too badly here in the good ol' U.S. of A. If you don't believe me, go visit an "exotic" locale like say, oh, Kabul, Afghanistan...

Anyway, I'm such a Law Nerd that I regularly read legal opinions...for fun. Yep, it's true. One of my home pages is the page for the Clerk of the U.S. Supreme Court. I also follow a number of federal dockets. And since I live near Washington, DC, I occasionally sneak into a federal court room just to watch and listen.

Sometimes a gal just needs to feel like she's doing something "intellectual." Can't read Jovi-porn 24/7 after all. (Well, not that that would be BAD...)

Anyway, I had to laugh when I read this ruling, from the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts. It brings together two of my very favorite things -- Bon Jovi and baseball -- so of COURSE I eagerly absorbed the legal wisdom in these pages.

If you follow Bon Jovi even slightly obsessively (and if you're reading this, chances are you do), you probably recall that a Red Sox fan/amateur musician sued Bon Jovi, TBS, the Red Sox, and several other individuals/entities, for copyright infringement. This guy apparently wrote a song back in 2004 called "Man I Really Love This Team," about his beloved Sawks.

Well, fast-forward to 2007, when TBS aired the promo for the MLB Playoffs featuring Bon Jovi performing "I Love This Town", intercut with video of various MLB teams and players. (You all know it; it was up on the Bon Jovi official site until like, yesterday). Apparently the Sox Fan didn't like this promo, and decided that TBS, Bon Jovi, et al had ripped off his Ode to the Sawks and used it for their personal gain.

So anyway, I'm not gonna hash out the details of the case here, you can read it yourself if you choose. However, I gotta say that I enjoyed the Court's analysis and opinion. The Court granted the defendants' (Bon Jovi et al) motion for Summary Judgment, which meant that there wasn't "a genuine need for trial." In the analysis, the Court noted the "evidence" presented by "Expert Musicologists" from both parties.

Now the thing that really made laugh were the excerpts from the reports of the Expert Musicologists, i.e. "This case is not strong musicologically." I didn't know "musicologically" was even a word. Huh. You learn something new every day.

The Court said: "(The Court) has also carefully listened to the Steele Song and the Bon Jovi Song and viewed both the original TBS promo and the version provided by the plaintiff... (and) detects no musical similarity between the Steele Song and the Bon Jovi song."

Well, Duh. I could have told you that, and I'm not even an "expert."

But think how much fun those law clerks must have had, listening to "I Love This Town" and watching that video over and over and over.... Damn. I need a job like that!

Strap In, Here We Go...

2009-08-19T22:57:00.000-04:00

Okay, I've finally done it. I'm finally taking the leap. My very own blog. A FREAKIN' BLOG!!! A year... hell, a month ago, I would never have thought it would come to this. But here I am. And I have some stuff to say. Most of it is crazy, wacko, completely nuts. But hey, that's who I am. I'm completely bat-shit crazy about a little thing called rock-n-roll. Specifically, for a certain bunch of Jersey Boys, who have been the "Other Men" in my life for two and a half decades. It's a love affair that shows no signs of slowing down. And I don't believe in doing anything half-assed. I'm an all-in kinda gal, for better or worse. So anyway, welcome to my little corner of the world. Come on in, stay awhile, and let me know what you think! I welcome all opinions, whether I agree with them or not. It's a free country... and I take freedom VERY seriously. And here we go.....