Speed Street

Well, it’s the Memorial Day weekend, and that means NASCAR here in Charlotte! Yesterday Speed Street kicked off downtown and the roads are blocked and full of sweaty office workers who rarely see day light. This is an annual event, and the Coca-Cola 600 will take place this Sunday. Although I don’t keep up with NASCAR and who’s leading in the points, I have been to a few of the races and found it very enjoyable. Once, through work, I even took the Jeff Gordon driving experience and drove 8 hot laps in one of the race cars. I had to follow the pace car, but still managed to reach just over 140 mph. I was completely shocked at just how tight you fit into one of those cars. Once I was strapped in, the only thing I could move was my arms and legs, and nothing else. Not my head, not by body, nothing. It had a very claustrophobic feeling about it.

Anyway, back to Speed Street. As with any street event, about all you can do is eat expensive fast food, drink beer, and sweat as you’re trying to fill your bag up with as many free handouts as you can get. Generally the promotional items that are given out are brochures, drink cozies, posters, and candy. I normally don’t attend these types of things, but since I work downtown, all I need to do is walk outside and here it is. Of course since I’m at work I have to skip the beer portion of it. That’s a real shame too, because I just might enjoy it that way, not to mention being better able to cope with my co-workers afterwards. Once back in the office, everyone compares their crap with everyone else’s crap, and then we joke about why we even bother in the first place.

Battling Beauties

Just over two years ago, I was looking for part time work to make a little extra money and to break the monotony of the daily grind. What I ended up with was far better then what I had expected. A friend had a side job as a ring announcer for a sports entertainment company, and their main focus was women’s wrestling and mixed martial arts. At that time they were looking for someone who could run the sound and lighting equipment. This is something I’ve never done before, but being that I have a technical background, I was willing to give it a try. So I went down and was introduced to the owner who showed me the equipment and how to use it. We spoke for awhile and he agreed to give me a try.

When the next shoot came, I showed up for work with full expectations of working the sound and lighting board, but what happened was a little different. The ring side cameraman had been in a car accident and hurt his arm and wasn’t able to hold the camera due to the pain. I was given the camera and a few minutes of instruction, and off I went. I must have done a decent enough job because just over two years later, I’m still running the ring side camera.

Recently we moved into a new studio with all new equipment. Now everything we do is in high definition. Before I use to use a camera that I had to hold steady in my hand while at the same time capturing the “moving targets” in the ring. By the end of the day, and many of those days were 12 hours in length, my arm and back were killing me! Now, I have a shoulder mounted camera that I use. Again, another 12 hour day, but this time my arm and back were fine…but my legs were killing me! Still, this camera is much more comfortable to use and gives a far greater picture quality.

Going back to the day job in my dingy little cubicle is difficult after a weekend of filming, but I do enjoy showing off some photos of my wrestling co-workers to my office buddies. While they spend their weekends playing World of Warcraft and changing diapers, I get to spend time with models, professional athletes, and actresses. The one thing I did realize is that despite how beautiful and famous some of these girls are, they are just like everyone else. They have their daily routines that they’ve grown accustomed to, they have their families that wonder if they’ll do anything good with their lives, and some of them even have husbands and children that they go home to afterwards. They really are no different than anyone else. And of course at the end of the day…


…it’s only a job.

Healthy Living

Yesterday morning I finally watched the movie, “Super Size me.” Although I had heard many things about it, including just how bad fast food is for you, it was much more dramatic actually seeing it happen on the screen before me. I can happily admit though that I haven’t been to a McDonald’s in over a year, and really only eat fast food maybe once a month. But still, the lessons learned from this film can apply to diet in general. I do go to the gym on a regular basis, so later on that afternoon, I made my way to GNC to buy some protein powder. As I’m leaving, of all things I stop behind a Toyota Prius that had two kayaks strapped to the roof. As I’m sitting there peering out the windshield of my SUV, I’m reminded of that South Park episode where all the hybrid driving people enjoy the smell of their own farts, so I thought to myself, “Snooty bastards!!”

I guess I still have a ways to go…

No, You Can't Vote!

I remember when I was 18. It happened to also be a Presidential election year, and I was finally going to be able to cast my vote and to feel like my vote counted for something. I registered to vote and waited until the day came so that I could finally be heard. Once that day arrived, I drove myself down to the local community center and cast my vote for President of the United States. What a proud moment it was for me! I was an adult, my voice could now be heard, and I had the power to vote for or against any candidate that I chose to.

Fast forward 4 years and another election year is upon us and once again, I was proud to be able to cast my vote and be heard. I had moved out by this time and was now living on my own, so I called up the election center to see where I needed to go to vote. The voice on the other end of the phone asked for my name so that he could look me up. I told him and a few moments went by as he fumbled through some paperwork. Eventually he came back and said, "You aren't eligible to vote."

"How can that be?" I responded.

"It's too late, you can't vote." he told me.

"What do you mean it's too late?" I said. "The election is over a month away, and I'm still registered."

"Did you vote last time?" he asked.

"Yes, and my legal residence is still the same. If I need to re register I will." I said.

"No, it's too late, you can't vote." He said more firmly now.

Unfortunately my naive ass believed him, and I didn't vote that year. I don't have any type of a criminal record or anything else that would make me ineligible to vote, so the only thing I can think of was that he saw that I was registered in a different party then he was, and he didn't want me to vote against his favorite candidate. This little episode left me with a sour feeling over all. I was just trying to do the right thing. I just wanted to vote and let my voice be heard. Unfortunately that voice was silenced by the stranger on the other end of the phone.

Please don't let those voices silence you.

Everyday Extraordinary

Often times I’ve wondered what is it that makes one person seem extraordinary and another person ordinary, and I think I’ve finally figured it out. It’s simply public knowledge of what you did. That’s it! Take for example you’re walking home and you hear some kittens meowing from a storm drain. You look down the storm drain and indeed there are some kittens that have somehow fallen in. You lie down and attempt to reach them, but they are just too far away. You quickly go home and get what you can to help you retrieve the kittens and then go back and make the rescue. The kittens are now safe and you have the satisfaction of knowing that you did a good deed. Now take this same scenario but this time have a camera crew there. Nothing has changed except the fact that your good deed is now broadcast for everyone to see. Suddenly people you’ve never met before are walking up to you to shake your hand, pat you on the back, and tell you how inspiring you are to them. Your good deed is the same with or without the public attention, but somehow this makes you extraordinary as compared to before when you were alone and just plain ordinary.

What we don’t see are the everyday extraordinary feats that we ordinary people do. We give to charities, we volunteer our time for others, we take in lost and stray animals and give them homes, we give someone a dollar at the checkout line when they come up short, and we hold the door open for a stranger whose hands are full. So many things we do simply because it’s the right thing to do. Not for any public image or adulation, but because someone once did it for us and we want to repay the kindness, even if it’s not to the same person. It’s like the old adage that “It’s the little things in life that count.” This couldn’t be truer. We take for granted so many things we do every day to help one another, and then move on like it was nothing. Then when we get home and watch the news later that evening, we see a story about one person doing something kind for another person, and we think to ourselves, “What an extraordinary person they are! I wish I could be like them.” Truth is, you already are. You never hear on the news about someone who married, took a job, worked 40 years, raised a family and put them through school while teaching them right from wrong. Sometimes the most extraordinary thing to do in life is to keep plugging on day in and day out, week after week, month after month, year after year...

New York City, a Girl, and a Cello

Last January I made my first trip to New York City. Even though I now live in North Carolina, I’m not a stranger to large cities having lived in both Los Angeles and Houston, not to mention many childhood visits to Chicago. But New York had always eluded me, until now.

In the past I had always waited until I had someone to travel with, but this time I made the trip on my own because there was someone I wanted to finally meet. My favorite actress of all time, Lori Singer, is also a cellist, and even attended the prestigious Juilliard School of music before turning her attention to acting. Anyway, I found out that she would be performing at Carnegie Hall and I knew I just had to attend! So I made my reservations, planned my trip, and boarded the flight to La Guardia.

Being that this was my first trip to New York City, I was like a wide eyed kid at Disney World wanting to experience everything in front of me. My first experience was the shuttle bus ride to the Hotel. I had been told that taking a cab from the airport was my best bet, but knowing the shuttle bus was $17 and the cab ride would be about $50, I decided on the shuttle. So there I was, crammed in with a bunch of strangers staring out the window at my new playground. First one stop, then another until the very last stop an hour later…me. At least the shuttle drove through Times Square and right by Carnegie Hall where I would attend the concert in a couple of days. Once I checked into my room, I hit the streets!

Being a guy, I have a great sense of direction so I set off on foot to the fabled land of Central Park. After a few blocks of walking however, I found myself in Riverside Park on the west side boardering the Hudson River. “Yes, I meant to do this!” I said to myself. Perhaps I’ll go down by the river and wave at New Jersey. Needless to say, I did walk up and down the park and found it a nice retreat in a large city.

The next morning I set out towards Central Park again. It was easy to find this time because I already knew how to get to Riverside Park and knew that Central Park was in the opposite direction. I had been told that one place I definitely had to try was The Tavern on the Green restaurant, so in that direction I walked. The restaurant was crowded, but that was to be expected. I checked my coat and was seated at a table in the main dining room. I ended up ordering the fillet mignon which was the most expensive item on the menu. I figured if I was going to experience this restaurant, I was going to do it right. Of course what’s a steak without a nice cold beer? Perhaps I should have looked at the menu first, because I wasn’t aware that Heineken costs $10 per 12 oz bottle there. Thankfully I only had two. The restaurant’s atmosphere was wonderful, the location was absolutely perfect, but the food was only OK. $71 later as I’m leaving the restaurant, I was still glad that I had this experience to take home with me.

The rest of the time I spent walking and exploring the city. I walked through Central Park to 5th avenue. I walked down 5th avenue past Trump Towers, Rockefeller Center, and many other landmarks to 39th street. Then I cut over to Broadway. I then made my way back up passing through Times Square and exploring along the way. The city is crowded, noisy, and smelly in some areas, but yet I loved every minute of it! I saw so many landmarks that I had previously only seen in movies and on TV, so it made it all the more special to me.

The day of the concert found me starting to get nervous with my anticipated rendezvous. Still, I pressed on. I put on my suit; made sure I had my ticket, and then proceeded to catch a cab ride to Carnegie Hall for the dress rehearsal. Once in the cab, I told the driver “Carnegie Hall, please.” to which he responded in a thick unknown accent, “Where is that?” "Are you kidding me??," I thought to myself. Hell, I even knew it was on 57th street, and I’ve never been here before. I told the driver it was on 57th, and made a point of also saying that it was one of New York’s most famous landmarks. He still didn’t know so he called into his dispatcher, and of all things, the dispatcher had no clue either and couldn’t offer assistance. What? Is this a joke? Is this a new reality show about New York cab patrons?? The driver then pulled over to let me out, and to his credit, didn’t charge me since he couldn’t help out. I hailed another cab, and before I got in I asked him this one question, “Do you know how to get to Carnegie Hall?” Just as soon as those words left my mouth, that old punch line of. “Practice, practice, practice.” came to mind, but thankfully this cabbie hadn’t heard the joke before. The good news is however that he knew how to get to Carnegie Hall, so off I went.

Once I arrived at Carnegie Hall, I marched through the front doors and up to the ticket counter and informed the lady behind the glass that I was there for the dress rehearsal. She then proceeded to tell me that for the dress rehearsal, I needed to go around back to the stage entrance. So I marched right back out the front doors and went around the block to the back of the building. Once inside I was led through a maze of stairways and hallways to where the dressing rooms were. Then suddenly in front of me I see Lori Singer as she's talking with the production director, and then she quickly ducked back into her dressing room. I was then led into the concert hall where I took a seat close to the stage where Lori would soon be.

15 minutes later Lori came out to practice her part for the concert, and I sat there quietly, hoping that I wasn’t grinning like the village idiot while she played. Once her time was up, and apparently she was the last to rehearse that day, the concert hall quickly emptied and soon there was only Lori, the conductor, a couple of other people and myself. I knew this was the best time to make my introduction, but I sat quietly while she talked to the conductor, and waited for the right time. I waited for what seemed like an eternity, but in truth was probably only 5 or 6 minutes. As I sat there, my heart was beating harder and harder in my chest. Finally I decided that this wasn’t going to work, so I got up and left the auditorium. Once out in the hall I realized what an idiot I was for leaving, so after a few internal words of encouragement, I turned around and went back in. As soon as I reentered the concert hall, she was by herself and walking up the aisle, and before I knew what I was doing I heard my own voice speak out, “Ms. Singer?”

Lori turned to me and responded, “Yes?” I responded and told her that I wanted to introduce myself, so I awkwardly made my way between the concert seating towards her. You know, like passing through movie theater seats. Then suddenly we were face to face. Wow, she’s beautiful, and tall! I already knew she was tall, but being that she was also wearing heels and standing on the upper end of a sloping floor, it really stood out to me. I first complimented her on her playing, and she politely thanked me. I tried to make some small talk, but being that I’ve always been bad in that area, it was difficult. Knowing that I was coming to New York to meet her, I had played out conversations in my mind so that when the time came, I would come across as relaxed and half way verbal. However, that changed once I looked into her eyes. Suddenly my college educated brain seized up and I was left speechless. Possibly my only saving grace was that I actually said, “I’ve completely forgotten everything I was going to say.” She quickly took over the conversation and everything went smoothly after that.

The icing on the cake to this trip was finally meeting Lori Singer and being able to watch and listen to her perform. She’s an amazing person and I hope to see her again sometime in the future.


And the concert was fantastic!!

Corporate Rebel

Once again I was chided for crossing the street against the light today, and once again, it was so clear that I could have literally crawled across all four lanes blindfolded without any fear of being hit by a car. I’m starting to view myself as the corporate rebel because I say, “Damn the ‘Don’t Walk’ signs!” I’m a big boy now and can choose when to cross the street. “Damn the 8:00am start time!” If I get stuck in traffic and get to work 10 minutes late, the world will not stop revolving, I promise. “Damn being stuck in a windowless building all day!” Hell, if I want to know what the weather is outside, I have to look it up on the web! And, “Damn these small, depressing, work cubicles!” Seriously, just damn these damn things. They have a way of sucking the energy right out of you.