Memphis in May 2013

May 10, 2013 by DeenasDays

Memphis in May is an annual month-long celebration. The first weekend of May is the Beale Street Musical Festival, which is three days of music on four stages at Tom Lee Park along the Mississippi River. The second weekend of May celebrates a different country each year – this year it’s Sweeden. The third weekend in May is the World Championship Barbecue Contest. The fourth weekend in May is the Sunset Symphony with music and fireworks along the Mississippi. But I only go to the Beale Street Music Festival. I have attended it every year since 2002, with the exception of last year. In fact, this was the first time I have been back to Memphis since I moved in October 2011 – and I had the best time! I think I really enjoyed my time in Memphis more than usual, although I always enjoy it, because I didn’t just go to MusicFest. I spent a lot of time hanging out on Beale Street, visiting Graceland and Sun Studio, eating at my favorite restaurants and going to the Grizzlies game 6 playoff game!

Friday May 3rd, I woke up at 4:30am eastern time and was on a plane to Atlanta (because there are no direct flights from Baltimore to Memphis) by 5:30am. I quickly learned that AirTran’s planes are older than Southwest’s, which is usually what I fly. But I was front row in the business class, which was very comfortable. I had just enough time to make my connection in Atlanta and landed in Memphis by 9:30am central time. It was cold and raining in Memphis, which is how it would be all weekend. It always rains for MusicFest, but it is usually in the 80s. I have never known it to be in the 50s during Memphis in May. I got my rental car, checked into the Days Inn Graceland (where I stay every year when I didn’t live in Memphis), unpacked, and was at Graceland before 11am.

I took the VIP tour of Graceland since I hadn’t been in a while and never know when I am going to get back. The VIP tour includes an additional exhibit of Lisa Marie Presley, which I hadn’t seen yet, and a tour of the grounds. Also, you can visit the mansion as many times as you want, so I went through Graceland twice at my own pace. I like to just stand in the foyer, my favorite spot in Graceland, looking into the living room and up the stairs. Don’t think I’m crazy, but you can literally feel Elvis there.

I was back in my room by 1:30, wet and tired. I was drenched from walking to Graceland and then touring Graceland. I took a little nap, watched an Elvis movie (they are on 24 hours in your room at the Days Inn Graceland), showered and was on Beale Street by 4:30 for Happy Hour before the Grizzlies game. It had finally stopped raining. I parked where I used to park for Grizzlies games – and the same guy was still working there. I went to Jerry Lee Lewis’ new place that just opened the week prior. It was ok. There were no Happy Hour prices and it wasn’t crowded yet – but nothing special. But a liquor rep walked in and bought be a fireball shot, which actually went well with my Blue Moon. Around 5:15 I walked over to Rum Boogie, my favorite spot on Beale. The same bartenders were working there. I had a couple of Guinness and my favorite sausage and cheese plate. I noticed that Brandon Santini was playing next door at Mr. Handy Blues Hall, so I went over to see a little of his performance. Such a great blues guy and great harmonica player. I met some guys who were visiting from Boston who bought me a beer and then my friend Tim showed up.

Around 7:30 we went over to FedEx Forum for the Grizzlies-Clippers game 6 playoff game. I had a great seat in the club level, almost center court. It was such a great game, very physical and intense! My favorite Zach Randolph got ejected at the end but got the crowd even more excited while walking out throwing his hands up and tossing his headband into the seats. The Grizzlies won 118-105 and advanced to round two of the playoffs. After the game around 11:30, I walked over to Beale but it was too crowded, so I walked back to my car but couldn’t get out of the parking lot because traffic was just stuck – with the game and MusicFest letting out at the same time.

I walked back to Beale and went to Dyers for a midnight snack – a triple triple with fries. A triple triple is 3 meats and 3 cheeses. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. They have the best cheeseburgers ever! So greasy it runs down your arm when you pick it up. They haven’t changed their grease since 1912 when they opened. By the time I had finished, my greasy late night snack, the traffic had dispersed and I was back at my hotel by 1:15am. I didn’t get to sleep for another couple of hours, so I had been up for 24 hours.

After only about four hours sleep, I got up Saturday ready for my second day in Memphis. I tweeted Al Kapone, a great Memphis rapper, asking him for a Meet and Greet before his performance on Sunday. He graciously agreed. I met Tasha at the Graceland shops and we went to Flashback, a retro store in Midtown, while her sister and brother in law were touring Graceland. We visited the Nathan Beford Forrest statue and gravesite then onto Sun Studio. Sorry Cleveland, but Memphis is the birthplace of Rock n Roll, and it started at Sun Studio. Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and many others got their start at Sun Studio in Memphis. It is the same studio, with the same tiles, where they all recorded back in the 1950s. U2 also recorded three songs at Sun for Rattle and Hum while they traveled through Memphis on The Joshua Tree Tour in 1987. Needless to say Sun Studio is my second favorite place to visit, after Graceland.

We then went to our favorite place for lunch, The Cupboard. They have the best country cooking. I had my usual four vegetable plate: macaroni and cheese, eggplant casserole, corn pudding and fried green tomatoes. I love anywhere that considers macaroni and cheese a vegetable! Plus the Cupboard has great sweet tea! I finally made it to MusicFest around 2:30, just in time for Sonny Burgess – a rockbilly artist from Sun. He played a great set as usual covering Elvis’ Don’t Be Cruel and Billy Lee Riley’s Red Hot. I was on the front rail and was going to stay there for Jerry Lee Lewis’ set when all of a sudden the sky grew dark, the winds picked up, and it began to rain. Then something big and metallic fell from the stage and landed next to me, so I bolted. I went to the Blues Tent for a bit to wait out the storm, but it didn’t let up. I decided to call it a day, and I was back in my hotel room by 5:00. I ordered from Marlowe’, a favorite restaurant of mine. I ordered two meals, so I would have something to eat Sunday night after MusicFest. I had what they called Marlowe’s BBQ Chips. It was sort of like BBQ nachos, but with homemade potato chips instead of tortilla chips. It was piled high with Pork BBQ, sour cream and cheese. It was so yummy!

After a good night’s sleep, I had a relaxing Sunday morning in bed watching Elvis movies before heading over to FedEx Forum for the Grizzlies Watch Party. It was game one of the second round of the playoffs against Oklahoma City. It was free to get into the Forum and we watched the game on the big scoreboard. I only watched the first half though because I was supposed to meet Al Kapone at the far stage in the festival – and it took a good half hour to walk down there through the mud to get to that stage. But I arrived exactly at 1:30 and secured my spot on the front rail, just left of center. Unfortunately Al Kapone was running late, so we decided to meet up after his set.

Al Kapone’s performance was so great! He had a band and dancers and Mucky Sticky and Alexis Grace joined him on stage for a few songs. I love Al Kapone’s passion for his music and his city – MEMPHIS! He sang my favorites We On Deck, Memphis Pride, Get Crunk Get Buck, and Whoop That Trick, which has become something of a Grizzlies chant during the games. After his great performance, Al Kapone tweeted me saying they asked him to do a 30-minute set on the next stage and we could meet up after. He said he wouldn’t leave until we took a picture together. So I walked back through the mud to the next stage and caught the end of Vintage Trouble’s performance – think modern day Otis Redding.

I was again on the front rail for Al Kapone’s second performance of the day. I think this one was even more energetic than his first. I was excited to see him perform twice. After his set, I waited about 45 minutes but I didn’t hear anything so I left around 6:30 to meet some friends on Beale Street. We hung out at Silky Sullivan’s, then back to Dyers for another Triple Triple (I hadn’t eaten since breakfast). Al Kapone tweeted me about 9:00 apologizing for not being able to meet with me – he had to do a television show across town.

After eating, we went over to the Blues Hall. While watching the band, Brandon Santini came through the door from Rum Boogie. I was surprised and flattered that he remembered my name and where I had moved. It had been about 3 years since we last spoke. We talked for a few minutes, and I congratulated him on his music success. He told us he was playing at Rum Boogie, so we went next door to watch his set. I stayed out way too late and didn’t get any sleep before I left at 4:30am Monday morning for the airport.

To see all 120 photos from my weekend in Memphis, please click here.

NKOTB ’10′ Record Release – Orpheum Theatre Boston 3.30.13

March 31, 2013 by DeenasDays

NKOTB 10 Record Release party at the Orpheum Theatre in Boston March 30, 2013 started and ended with Jon Knight. In between, I enjoyed a bit of Boston, made a lot of great friends, and saw a great show. I landed in Boston just before 11am on Saturday, walked from the Hotel Nine Zero to Faneuil Hall and back, then met Tricia and walked over to the Orpheum Theatre around 3pm.

Hi Jordan!

Hi Joey!

I wanted to go to the box office to see what the procedure was for our ticketless entry, so I walked up to the door of the Orpheum. I was about to go in, but saw someone standing just inside the door talking to someone else. He was leaning on the door, so I didn’t want to open it. He started pushing his way out, so I opened the door and held it for him. I was stunned to see that it was Jon Knight. I didn’t know what to do. I looked over at Tricia and the other women waiting, but no one was looking. I didn’t want to shove my iphone in his face to take a picture, so I just said, “Hi Jon!” He said, “Hi.” I said, “Good luck tonight!” He said, “Thanks.” I was shaking – and it wasn’t even Jordan! Jon was actually on his way to get coffee, as we saw when he returned. A few minutes later Jordan come walking up the alley – the cars must have let them off at the end of alley at the street. Jordan waved and said, “Hi.” He may have looked at me and smiled A while later Joey walked up. Apparently Danny and Donnie were already inside – we just missed meeting Danny by a few minutes. Ugh! Even though all the guys were inside, we stayed and hung out in front of the Orpheum. We listened to the souncheck – even though the fire door said not to block it and the food court security guy kept kicking us out. We heard NKOTB rehearse The ReMix, Jealous, Step By Step, Hangin Tough, The Right Stuff, Five Brothers and a Million Sisters, Crash, Whisper, and Survive You.

The show was supposed to start at 7:30, but didn’t begin until about 8:15 and lasted just over an hour – although it felt longer. It opened with a montage of NKOTB’s albums while Whisper was playing – so I guess we didn’t actually hear the boys sing it during soundcheck. Then NKOTB appeared on stage in their suits singing what is my current favorite off ’10′ We Own Tonight. Crash was next and was followed by the guys sitting down and talking about how the new album came about. They brought Lars and the production team on stage – but there was no Q & A like Jordan had tweeted. I really wanted to ask him if they were going to play Single on this tour, and I wanted to ask Donnie where the After Party was. The sit down talk was followed by Survive You with Robbie on the piano, then a very excited performance of The Remix.

And just when I thought it couldn’t get any louder, the theatre erupted with the Step By Step / Hangin Tough / Right Stuff medley. Fans then presented NKOTB with the full-page ad they bought in Billboard congratulating them on the release of 10 and thanking them. The guys were visibly moved, especially Jon who was a bit choked up to talk. Joey then sang Five Brothers and a Million Sisters while Jordan played piano. It seemed that the show was over, so I ran outside in case they tried to sneak out early. Once outside the doors, I heard Donnie talking and it was obvious they were going to sing another song. So I ran back inside the Orpheum to listen to Jordan sing I’ll Be Loving You (Forever). I would have been VERY upset had I missed that. Then I ran back outside to wait for them. It was 9:30.

At 11pm, Donnie drove by us. Apparently there was a side door where everyone left – even though everyone had entered at the front door. We went to the Beantown Pub, since I hadn’t eaten in 12 hours. I wanted a Bostonian meal, so I had a lobster roll and a Sam Adams – across from Sam Adams’ grave. We found out that Jon Knight was in the back playing pool. By the time we got back there, he was upstairs talking with everyone. He was so nice and gracious. Tricia got a nice hug and kiss from Jon – so sweet. I got back to my room around 1am, didn’t get to sleep until almost 3 and then left for the airport 9am the next morning.

Donnie jumps into the audience.

Boston is a great city! I never really appreciated it before. I had a fantastic time at the NKOTB record release party – it flew by way too fast though. To see all of my pictures from NKOTB ’10′ record release at the Orpheum in Boston, please click here. To read about my preview of the NKOTB Package Tour and my ticket buying saga, please click here. To read about NKOTB at MixTape Festival last year, please click here.

My 40th Birthday in Vegas – October 4, 2012

October 13, 2012 by DeenasDays

My 40th Birthday in Las Vegas Oct 4, 2012, that I had been planning since December 2011, was a fabulous celebration! Four glorious days in Vegas with my family and friends. We ate, we drank, we played the slots, we explored. This was my fifth time in Las Vegas, and it never disappoints. Vegas is my second happiest place on earth, the first is Memphis (more specifically Graceland).

my 40th Birthday in Vegas

I woke up in the dark at 6am on Tuesday October 2nd and was at the Park and Ride at BWI Airport by 7:10am. The line for security at Southwest wasn’t too bad and with the early bird check in, I was able to snag a front row aisle seat. It was a 5 1/2 hour flight from Baltimore to Vegas. Luckily the new NKOTB biography had just downloaded to my kindle. Ironically, the last time I was in Vegas was for the start of the NKOTB no-casino tour two years ago. After reading for a bit, I watched Greaseon my iphone and then listened to U2. I took two dramamine, but did not sleep. I am not sure why flying makes me so hungry, but I ate cheese crackers, Lorna Doones, twix, peanuts and pretzels. I don’t like flying, so maybe I was trying to comfort myself. I was excited when we landed 45 minutes early, but then disappointed when we had to sit on the runway for 20 minutes until there was an available gate. After a quick shuttle ride and a long check in, I was finally in my room at Bally’s at 11:30am (which was 2:30pm my time).

the Las Vegas Strip

I love Bally’s because it is in the center of the Strip and easy to get to everything, plus they have a little mall below the casino with reasonably priced eateries and shops. While waiting for Mom and Dad to arrive, I had pizza and sweet tea at Sbarro’s in Ballys – because I didn’t have enough to eat on the plane apparently. To work off all of my food from the morning, I walked out to the Strip – actually I love looking at all the action of Vegas. Mom and Dad arrived at 1:15. They had a little lunch, and although tempted to eat once again, I resisted. We walked over to Paris casino, which is connected to Bally’s, to play for a little bit. I found a great new slot machine called Pinball that I really liked and would win on throughout my stay. Around 4pm, we left to meet Cindy and Kathy at the Grand Cafe Lux at the Venetian for an early dinner. We took two shuttles to get there – one from Bally’s to Rio (which is off the strip) and then one from Rio to Harrah’s. Then we got turned around at Harrah’s and walked way out of our way before finally making it to the Venetian. We had a nice dinner though. When we’re in Vegas, Cindy and I always eat at the Grand Cafe Lux, which is owned by Cheesecake Factory. They have such a vast and diverse menu and everything is great. I had a wonderful blue cheese salad and turkey and brie sandwich. Then everyone gave me their leftovers to take with me. Apparently, my reputation as a foodie is well-known. After dinner we played for a few minutes (I won on Alice in Wonderland) and then headed back on our long journey to Ballys. We walked to Harrah’s and then took the monorail to Ballys. The Venetian is only five casinos away from Bally’s, but each casino is so huge that it is a really long walk, especially for my parents. Plus to get to the monorail, you have to walk all the way to the back of the casino and up and around and it was just a long, long day. I was in my room, in bed, by 8pm (which was really 11pm my time).

dinner at Grand Cafe Lux w/Mom, Dad, Cindy, Kathy

After six hours sleep, which was the most sleep I got in one night while in Vegas, I woke up at 4am (which was really 7am my time) and was in the casino at Ballys by 7am to start my second day in Las Vegas on Wednesday October 3rd. I had lost most of my money by the time I met my parents for breakfast an hour later. After breakfast, we took the bus down to Freemont Street. My parents had not been to Vegas in over 20 years, so they were anxious to see everything. I wanted to recreate my favorite I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For video, but realized I could not play my ipod on my iphone while videorecording with that same iphone, so there is visual but no audio.

Mom and the gold cowboy

After exploring Freemont Street and meeting the gold cowboy, we went into Binion’s, which is now my favorite casino downtown. We got a bunch of free stuff and I won my money back from the morning. Mom, Dad and I got our picture taken with a fake million dollars (our only family photo in years). I got a free luggage tag and a $5 Las Vegas tote bag. I won $110 at Stuntman Sam. my new favorite slot. It was a fun motorcycle jump game that I didn’t see again for the rest of my time in Vegas. I also played the Elvis slot while at Binion’s, but I was able to play that again at other casinos.

we won!

After a couple of hours exploring Freemont Street, we got back on the bus and walked two blocks to the World Famous Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, better known as the site of Pawn Stars. Mom is a big fan of the show. It was very crowded and much smaller than it looks on tv. None of the guys were there. I bought Rick’s autobiography and a magnet. I’m happy to say that they were the only souvenirs of my entire trip.

Pawn Stars

We walked two more blocks, hopped back on the bus and after a long, crowded bus ride, we were at Margaritaville by 1:30. I had a nice, soothing mango margarita at the bar then played some slots. Mom, Dad and I met Cindy, Kathy, Frank and Chris for lunch at Margaritaville at 3pm. After lunch, Cindy and I played the slots at The Flamingo, the first casino in Vegas – started by Bugsy Segal. By 6pm, I was back at Bally’s. Mom and I joined Dad downstairs at the Sports Book to watch the Orioles game, unfortunately they lost and would have to play in the wild card game in Texas on Friday. I went back to Paris and played Grease before meeting Mom and Dad at Le Burger Brasserie for a late dinner at 8:30pm. I had a fabulous yummy blue cheese burger and chocolate shake. To work off my dinner, I played some more at Bally’s and won $133 on Quick Hits. I was in my room by 10:45pm. It was a perfect day!

lunch at Margaritaville w/ Cindy, Kathy, Chris, Frank, Dad, Mom

On my 40th Birthday, my third day in Vegas, I woke up at 5am – sleeping less than four hours after staying up to ring in my birthday at 12:04am, which was 3:04am eastern time. I put on my ‘It’s My Fabulous Fortieth Birthday’ shirt and met my parents for breakfast at 9:30. We ate the wonderful Le Village Buffet at Paris with amazing omlettes and homemade pastries – an absolutely perfect birthday breakfast and a great way to start my 40th birthday! After breakfast, Mom and I played the slots at Paris casino and then Dad and I walked up the Strip. We went to the Walgreens in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood so Dad could get sunglasses – nothing like Walgreens in Vegas! Then we went to the Harley Davidson Cafe, which was really cool. They had all sorts of celebrities’ bikes including a corner dedicated to Elvis. Nothing from Larry Mullen though. Dad noticed two showgirls standing on the Strip, so I took his picture with them. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile that big for a picture.

Dad loves Las Vegas!

Dad continued his journey down the Strip to MGM and New York New York while I went back to Paris to play some more. I had to charge my phone in my room and was back at Bally’s by 2:30 to play some more. I walked next door to Bill’s thinking that my luck may be better in a smaller casino – I was wrong. I came back to Ballys and had a little snack of potato salad and chocolate milk at Nosh before going back to my room to take a break from all the losing at the slots.

Kathy, me, Cindy with my new Vegas tee at my birthday Happy Hour

At 5:30pm, I met my Mom, Dad, Frank and Chris at Le Burger Brasserie for my Birthday Happy Hour – two for one drinks. Cindy and Kathy joined us at the very end and then we all walked over to Le Provencal for my birthday dinner. I was already feeling very happy after my two pinto grigios. My friends Matt and Melissa joined us for dinner, so there was nine of us. I had two more pinto grigios with dinner, so I had a great time and thought the food was good, but it wasn’t the amazing dinner I remembered from 2005 when Cindy and I had dinner there. For my 40th birthday dinner, I had caprese salad, seafood pasta and creme brulee. Of course they brought my creme brulee out with a candle in it and everyone sang. It was quite festive.

My 40th Birthday dinner at Le Provencal at Paris w/Dad, Mom, Kathy, Melissa, Matt, Cindy, me, Chris, Frank

my beautiful and yummy caprese salad

Happy Birthday to me!

After dinner, Cindy, Matt, Melissa and I walked over to the Cosmopolitan. It was very chic and fancy and a completely different world than Ballys or Paris, or even the Venetian or Bellagio. We played for a bit and then walked over to Planet Hollywood. I won $150 at Wizard of Oz. There was a band playing all sorts of 1980s covers, including U2′s I Will Follow. We were back at Paris at 1:45am and parted ways. Matt and Melissa kindly drove Cindy back to the Wynn on their way home. I played a little longer at Paris before going to my room at Ballys. I ordered a pizza and was awake until after 3:30am.

Paris Vegas

Barely three hours later I woke up to see my parents off. They were driving to Mount Rushmore by way of Denver before heading back home. I ate some leftover pizza and napped in my room until checkout, so I didn’t really start Day 4 in Vegas until noon on October 5th. I had just three hours left in Vegas until I caught the shuttle to the airport. I started out in Bally’s and won a little on Alladin, Sex and the City and Wheel of Fortune. Then I walked over to Paris and won a little on Grease, Pinball, and Hot Shot. I walked out onto the Strip one last time on the way back to Bally’s. On my last spin on my last slot, Wheel of Fortune cash wheel, I won $300. I was still down for my time in Vegas, but at least I was going home with more than $10, which is all I had in my wallet. The airport shuttle was 20 minutes late, but I was at my gate by 4pm in plenty of time for my flight at 5:15pm. During my 4 1/2 hour flight home, I again read my NKOTB biography, watched Grease and listened to U2. I again did not sleep. I again was very hungry. I ate cheese crackers, three packs of sugar babies and Lorna Doones. Throughout the flight, the pilot gave us updates on the Orioles Wild Card playoff game.

I had a fabulous time in Las Vegas! I only slept 14 hours total in the three nights I was there. I did everything I wanted to: played slots, ate lots of good food, toured the Strip and Freemont Street, visited Pawn Stars, and most importantly celebrated my 40th Birthday with my family and friends (Mom, Dad, Cindy, Kathy, Frank, Chris, Matt, Melissa). The only thing I will not miss about Vegas is the smoke. I am a bit sad now because my birthday celebration, since I’ve been planning since last December, is over. Wow I’m 40! This is not what I thought 40 was going to be like when I was a little kid, but I am so happy with my life and so very blessed!

Cindy and me, best friends for 40 years

To see all of my pictures from Las Vegas (because there are so many great ones you haven’t seen), please click here.

V is for Vegas – my 2nd favorite city

April 25, 2012 by DeenasDays

A favorite of mine that begins with V is Vegas, as in Las Vegas my second favorite city. I love Las Vegas so much that I am planning to celebrate my 40th birthday there in October.I have been to Vegas four times, and two of those times have been with my best friend Cindy who will also be joining me in October. The first time was for my job, the second time was for U2′s Vertigo tour, the third time was for U2′s 360 tour, and the fourth time was for the opening of NKOTB’s tour and to see the Viva Elvis cirque de soleil show. Whenever I go to Vegas, I stay at Bally’s. It’s a great casino and hotel centrally located on the strip. I love everything about Las Vegas – the lights, the energy and the many, many slots! It is the perfect place to celebrate my milestone 40th birthday! I can’t wait until October!

What is your favorite city?

This blog post is part of my A to Z April Challenge – 26 of my favorites. Thanks for stopping by. I am also blogging the A to Z Challenge on my other blog On the Road with U2.

Today is the 20th Anniversary of my 1st U2 show – ZooTv March 7, 1992

March 7, 2012 by DeenasDays

My musical journey on the road with U2 started 20 years ago today in Hampton, Virginia. It was Saturday March 7, 1992, and I was 19. My first U2 show was the fifth of the ZooTv Tour. On the morning of March 7th, my best friend, Cindy, and I drove four hours south from Ellicott City, MD to Hampton, VA. Back in those days, there was no need to get to the city of a concert a day early because there was no general admission – we had actual assigned seats on the floor. We checked into our hotel and immediately walked across the street to the Hampton Coliseum, even though it was hours before the concert was to start. We saw a small circle of people with a big microphone hovering over them. As we got closer, we realized Bono was in the middle of that circle! I didn’t speak with him, but got close enough to hear what he was saying to everyone else and to take pictures. For my first U2 show, I was seated in the fourth row in front of The Edge. Bruce Hornsby and Phil Joanou walked in from behind the stage and passed by us on their way to the soundboard. The Pixies opened. For the only time on the ZooTv Tour according to U2gigs.com, “The Fly is played after Even Better Than the Real Thing and Mysterious Ways, rather than before.” The set list from my first U2 show was as follows: Zoo Station, Even Better Than the Real Thing, Mysterious Ways, The Fly, One, Until the End of the World, Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses, Tryin to Throw Your Arms Around the World, Angel of Harlem, Satellite of Love, Bad/All I Want is You, Bullet the Blue Sky, Running to Stand Still, Where the Streets Have No Name, Pride, I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For, Desire, Ultra Violet, With or Without You.

If you think you’re having a deja vu moment, you are. I also posted this on my On the Road with U2 blog. I just thought it was important enough to also post here because it was a HUGE day in my life.

Dallas

February 15, 2012 by DeenasDays

I love Dallas. I am not sure if I watched it when it was originally on television in the late 1970s and 1980s, but I know my parents faithfully watched it. I did watch the re-runs though, and now I have the first five seasons on dvd, which I recently watched again. Watching Dallas made me want to ride horses, wear my cowboy hat and go back to Texas. I visited the actual Southfork ranch in 2010 when I traveled through Texas with my two dogs Elvis and Cilla. I just finished Larry Hagman’s (who played JR Ewing) autobiography Hello Darlin’.

the Dallas cast

Dallas debuted on April 2, 1978 as five-part mini series and then was picked up and aired until 1991. If you live under a rock and do not know what Dallas is about, it is about a rich, oil family in Dallas, Texas. Originally Bobby and Pam were the focus of the show, but soon the serial revolved around JR and Sue Ellen. Dallas invented the cliff hanger, which is now used on almost every television show. My favorite character was Bobby Ewing, played by Patrick Duffy. He was the youngest of the Ewing brothers and the nicest. JR Ewing, played by Larry Hagman, was definitely the most entertaining. He was so funny with his smirk and snide remarks. At first I didn’t like Sue Ellen, JR’s wife, because she was pathetic and weak, but she morphed into a strong, smart woman. Conversely, I first really liked Pam, Bobby’s wife, because she was strong and smart, but then she morphed into sad and whiney. Lucy Ewing, JR and Bobby’s niece, started out as a spoiled brat but turned into a good girl. Jock Ewing, the family patriarch, was a really cool, tough old man. Unfortunately, he died at the end of the fourth season. Miss Ellie, Jock’s wife, was a very strong woman. Ray, the ranch foreman and eventual fourth Ewing brother, was a real cowboy. A few things I noticed while rewatching Dallas were there was lots of drinking, lots of purple, lots of fast cars and the store where Pam worked was actually called The Store. Everyone was drinking at every meal and every business deal no matter what time of day in Dallas. All the ladies wore purple clothes and purple eyeshadow – it was the 80s. Everyone zoomed in and out of the driveway at Southfork. For the first three seasons, the family ate breakfast and dinner together every show and then everything changed on season four. The most memorable part of Dallas was the ‘Who Shot JR?’ saga. The episode that revealed who shot JR was the most watched television show ever, until the finale of MASH. It was Kristen, Sue Ellen’s sister, who show JR. She was played by Mary Crosby, who was Bing Crosby’s daughter.

Southfork!

On June 4, 2010, I toured Southfork Ranch, the Ewings home on Dallas. It was so cool. It was the highlight of my trip through Texas. Dallas was never filmed inside the house until the reunion show, but all the exteriors were shot on Southfork – the pool, the back porch, the driveway, the front and back yards, and the front of the house. I was so excited to see the yellow awnings on the back porch and the actual table where the Ewings ate breakfast. I was surprised that the pool was so tiny. They used mirrors to make it look bigger on tv. The driveway is shorter than in looked on tv. And they used to put powder down to make it look as if it was a dirt driveway. The tour was great. I took the free shuttle from Southfork hotel, and they even gave me a coupon for the tour. I first toured the Dallas museum and then the ranch. A guy in a tractor pulled us around the ranch and told us about the real Southfork, which was owned coincidently by a guy named JR. We then went inside the house and learned about the real house, which is only about 5000 square feet, and the house on Dallas was supposed to be about 30,000 square feet. I bought a lot of souvenirs while visiting Southfork, including a sparkly orange cowboy hat.

Dallas!

the Southfork Ranch

the Southfork driveway

the Southfork house

the Southfork backporch and breakfast table

the not so big Southfork pool

my Dallas stuff

To continue on with my Dallas obsession, I just finished JR Ewing’s, excuse me, Larry Hagman’s autobiography Hello Darlin‘. Larry did not have a great life growing up. His mom, who was broadway star Mary Martin (she played Peter Pan), was only 17 when Larry was born. Mary was too busy being an actress to raise him. Larry was raised by his grandmother until she died when he was 12. Larry moved back in with his mother & stepfather, but they were never around. His stepfather was an abusive alcoholic. To put Larry asleep, his nanny gave him a sack of sugar dipped in whiskey. Maybe these things led to Larry’s future alcoholism. Larry wanted to be a cowboy then an actor. Coincidently, he was born in Texas – right near Dallas. After deciding he wasn’t cut out to be a cowboy, Larry started his career as an actor in the theatre and the circus before going on to becoming a star on I Dream of Jeannie and Dallas. Throughout his career when a fan wanted an autograph, Larry would ask the person to give him a poem, prayer or song first. He thought this made the experience more memorable and it was a good way to get to know his fans.

I am really looking forward to the new Dallas series on TNT this summer!

My 2011, or should I say U2011

December 30, 2011 by DeenasDays

When I look back, I will see 2011 as a watershed year for me. It was a year when my entire life changed – for the better. I started the year in Memphis and ended it back home in Maryland – and in between drove 18,000 miles through 31 states in search of a drummer. I saw all 16 U2 360 shows in the US, discovered I wanted to write for a living, started my U2 blog, wrote my U2 tours memoir, tripled my twitter followers and most importantly moved back home.

Although 2011 was consumed with U2, I did manage to squeeze in a few other activities. In January, I became a published writer, celebrated Elvis Presley’s 76th birthday, saw some Grizzlies games in style and started my On the Road with U2 blog. On January 7th, I scoured the book stores for a copy of the new Twisted South magazine because I had written a review of Jerry Lee Lewis’ cd Mean Old Man – my first (and only so far) published article.

my first published article

Later that same day I started Elvis’ 76th birthday celebration at his father Vernon’s house, where many Elvis fans gather to celebrate. It was my first visit to the house that backs up to Graceland. That night, I went to Graceland for the Elvis Insiders Reception and Tour. The next day, January 8th, was Elvis’ birthday. We celebrated on the front lawn of Graceland singing Elvis songs and ‘Happy Birthday.’ Chilean miner, Edison Pena wowed the fans with his rendition of Elvis’ Wonder of You.

I had season tickets to the Memphis Grizzlies, but there were three special games – and they all occurred in January. On January 15th, I watched the Grizzlies game in style. About 25 of us who had $10 seats enjoyed the Grizzlies-Mavericks game from a suite, complete with food and drinks as well as visits by Grizzlies GM and VP Chris Wallace and Grizz himself. The Grizzlies defeated the Dallas Mavericks 89-70. It was Zack Randolph mini bobblehead night, and I received my autographed Zach Randolph jersey that I got for buying my season tickets early and paying for them at one time. Two days later was Martin Luther King Jr Day. I wore my U2 Pride MLK shirt to spend MLK Day with the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum. The Memphis Grizzlies were the first NBA team to have a MLK game – now everyone does. Prior to the game, I went to the Martin Luther King Jr Day Sports Legacy Award Symposium honoring NBA greats Willis Reed and Lenny Wilkens and MLB legend Willie Mays, who was such a character and very funny. Grizzlies lost to the Bulls 84-96, but the halftime show was great – the fantastic Mavis Staples performed! I spent the last day of January court-side at the Grizzlies-Wizards game. I asked for an upgrade and boy did I get it. I picked up my ticket at Will Call and it said $387. I was pretty excited because my entire season tickets cost $400. I was unsure where my seat was so I asked an usher, he looked at my ticket and said, “This is a $387. ticket! You’re on the floor.” I was dead center, court-side. I could hear the plays and see every expression on the players’ faces. The Grizzlies defeated the Wizards 107-93.

I spent most of February planning my U2 360 trip and relaxing around the house reading and writing. I became very interested in Tennessee Williams. While reading his memoir, I discovered that he spent time in Memphis. Tennessee Williams spent the summer of 1934 at his grandparents’ house in Memphis recovering from an illness when he was in college. His grandparents, the Dakins, lived at 1917 Snowden Avenue, across from Southwestern University, which is now Rhodes College. While Tennessee Williams was in Memphis he had dinner at the Peabody Hotel restaurant, but spent most of his time in the library at Southwestern University, now Rhodes College, right down the street from his grandparents’ house. It was here where he wrote his first play Cairo, Shanghai, Bombay!, which was produced and performed by The Rose Arbor Players at 1780 Glenview in Memphis. There is a historical marker at the corner of University and Snowden.

Tennessee Williams in Memphis

In March, I celebrated St. Patrick’s Day at Murphy’s pub in Memphis with a girl U2 tribute band EweToo. I put on my U2 360 I’ll Go Crazy tee, drove a mile down the road to Murphy’s, got a Guinness and found a seat on the deck in the shade. I talked with a lot of great people, long time Memphians who all knew each other for years. Three Guinness later, EweToo finally took the stage. They weren’t really a U2 cover band. They learned U2 songs to play specifically for St. Patrick’s Day. They played Two Hearts, Sunday Bloody Sunday, New Year’s Day, Still Haven’t Found, I Will Follow, With or Without You, Pride and Desire. There were maybe two other U2 fans in the crowd, but mostly everyone was just singing the chorus and having fun.

In April, I went to the Memphis Redbirds Opening Day and toured Graceland for what turned out to be the last time before I moved. For the third year in a row, I attended Opening Day for the Memphis Redbirds, the Triple A affiliate for the St. Louis Cardinals. For three years I sat in the front row behind homeplate. And for three years the stadium has never been full – even though it was 70s degrees, Opening Day and the Redbirds were the defending Conference Champions for the past two years. The game ended just before 11pm (4 hours!). Unfortunately, the Redbirds lost to the Redhawks of Oklahoma City 8-7.

In May before I started my U2 360 Tour, I went to the Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival as I had done the first weekend in May for the past nine years. My friend Tasha flew in early Friday morning for our annual weekend at the Beale Street Music Festival. We ate lunch at Paula Deen’s at Harrah’s Casino in Tunica, walked around the Art Galleries on South Main, and ate dinner at Majestic Grille. My first stop once inside MusicFest was the hat tent because I wanted to get a new cowboy hat. The prices were much lower than when I bought one a few years ago, so I bought another one. I would wear this hat to all 16 U2 shows. That first night of MusicFest we saw Everclear, Cake, Flaming Lips, Jimmy Vaughan, and Stone Temple Pilots. Saturday Tasha and I decided to go downtown early and walk around Beale Street before going to the festival. We had a great lunch at Alfred’s after a failed attempt at breakfast at Lil’ Anthony’s. The second day of MusicFest we camped out on the front rail of the Budweiser stage all day because Tasha wanted to see Mumford and Sons. We saw Amy Lavere, Paul Thorn, Jerry Lee Lewis (my annual favorite), and then finally Mumford and Sons – and Jake Gyllenhall who was watching from the side of the stage. Sunday we decided not to go to the Beale Street Music Festival because it was pouring rain. So instead we had lunch at the Cupboard and went to Sun Studio. We didn’t take the tour, as we could give the tour by now. We just sat in a booth and hung out for a bit, soaking in all the music history. This was to be my last visit to Sun Studio before I moved from Memphis. Monday morning we drove out east in the pouring rain to Blue Plate for breakfast before Tasha flew home.

I spent the next three months On the Road with U2 driving over 18,000 miles with my dogs Elvis and Cilla through 31 states to all 16 US concerts, seeing many fantastic American sights along the way and making many great friends. This U2 360 tour was definitely the highlight of my year. I drove through and/or stayed in Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Delaware, New Jersey and Minnesota. I visited Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Deadwood in South Dakota, Red Rocks in Denver, Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Reno and Lake Tahoe in Nevada, the Experience Music Project and Kurt Cobain’s house in Seattle, Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco, Harmony Hotel, Joshua Tree Park and Elvis’ homes in Palm Springs, took a bus tour of LA and Hollywood, visited Johnny Cash’s grave outside of Nashville, Bronz Fonz and Summerfest in Milwaukee, the Football Hall of Fame, and Soundgarden in Philadelphia. My favorite places I visited were Mount Rushmore, Palm Springs and Milwaukee. My favorite U2 concerts were Anaheim2, Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburgh and Seattle. My favorite tour moments were seeing U2 walk through the crowd and onto the stage 16 times, “LET ME IN THE SOUND” during Get on Your Boots 16 times, Larry walking around during I’ll Go Crazy 16 times, being on the field at the Denver Broncos stadium for the first U2 show in the US, hearing Love Rescue Me for the first time in Salt Lake City, talking with Bono in Seattle, shaking Larry’s hand in Seattle, talking with Bono again in Oakland, hearing Larry sing Perfect Day in Oakland, hearing I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For for the first time that leg in Anaheim, opening the show with five straight songs off Achtung Baby in Anaheim, Larry taking off his shirt on his way to the car in Baltimore, watching half of the show in the daylight in East Lansing, hearing Northstar for the first time in Miami, seeing Larry get out of his car at the stadium in Nashville, hearing The Wanderer for the first time in Nashville, Bono bringing a blind fan on stage to play All I Want is You to close the show in Nashville, shaking Edge’s hand in Chicago, finally hearing Out of Control for the first time that leg in Chicago, hearing One Tree Hill for the first time in Chicago, hearing the original version of Magnificent for the first time that leg, Bono’s shout out to me about the Larry Mullen Band in St. Louis, ending the show with Out of Control in New Jersey, the fantastic rain in Minneapolis, hearing Bad for the first time that leg in Pittsburgh, and my favorite moment of the entire tour (the entire three months) was when Larry hugged me on his way to the stage at the final US show in Pittsburgh. For all the details of my three months on the road with U2, including pictures and videos, please visit my other blog.

After the U2 360 Tour ended on July 26, I spent a couple weeks at my parents’ house in Maryland before I drove back to Memphis for Elvis Week in August. Tuesday August 16th was the 34th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death and his fans still remember. In fact, each year more and more fans flock to Memphis to pay their respects and remember the King of Rock n Roll. This was my 6th Elvis Week. I went to the 25th anniversary, then the 30th and then every one since. I began my Elvis Week with a screening of the documentary Sam Phillips: The Man Who Started Rock n Roll hosted by Knox Phillips and Peter Guralnick at the University of Memphis. After the documentary, Sam’s son Knox and author Peter Guralnick told stories about Sam and Elvis. It was a great documentary, a great couple of hours. Later that night I went downtown to the Orpheum Theatre for Elvis Presley Live: the King in Concert. Elvis’ conductor Joe Guercio introduced the show. When the curtain opened and the music started, the audience went wild. Elvis on stage, at least he looked as if he was on stage, with the band behind him. They used footage from Elvis ’69 performances in Las Vegas on a big screen that covered the entire stage top to bottom, but you could still see the live band behind it. I was so into the show that I forgot Elvis has been dead for 34 years and wasn’t really singing in front of me. From the screaming and cheering I heard, everyone in the audience agreed with me. At intermission The Imperials, the gospel quartet who toured with Elvis, performed a few songs. It was a great night, and the most fun event of Elvis Week for me. Elvis Week ends each year with a candlelight vigil at Graceland beginning the night of August 15th. Fans stand in line overnight and make the pilgrimage up the driveway to Elvis’ grave to pay their respects. I took my chair and cooler and secured a nice spot in the median on Elvis Presley Boulevard in front of the gates of Graceland. It was a beautiful night – cool for Memphis in August. It was great to be sitting in front of Graceland listening to Elvis music with people who love Elvis as much as I do. During the opening ceremony, everyone lit their candles and sang along with Elvis’ If I Can Dream- “there must be lights burning brighter somewhere…out there in the dark there’s a beckoning candle.” After the opening ceremony, I walked around a bit admiring everyone’s Elvis sidewalk art and sat back in my chair for a few hours enjoying the night. At 11pm, I got in line to make my way up the driveway. I passed through the gates of Graceland at 11:15 and was at the Meditation Garden by 1am.

In September, I attended a preview of the remake of Footloose, saw the Denver Broncos play in Nashville, and decided to move back home to Maryland. Memphian Craig Brewer, who directed the remake of Footloose, put me on the guest list for its preview – we follow each other on Twitter. The large theatre at the Paradiso in Memphis was almost full for the sixth screening of Footloose. A lot of folks from the local news were in attendance and Craig Brewer was there to greet us as we arrived, introduce the film and sign posters after the screening. Craig explained he remade Footloose because as a 13 year-old kid in 1984 when it came out, it was as if the movie was made just for him. He was the misfit city kid who moved to the small rural town. The movie was fantastic! It was really funny and had an underdog champion kind of feel like Karate Kid and Rocky. The story and characters followed the original movie. Kenny Wormald’s Ren was way hotter than Kevin Bacon’s, but he did wear what looked like the same maroon blazer to the dance at the end of the movie. Dennis Quaid’s Rev. Moore was more sympathetic and less scary than John Lithgow’s. The music was great. It was a mix of covers of the original soundtrack and new songs.

Footloose

I drove to Nashville September 25th to cheer on my Denver Broncos against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field in Nashville, just as I had 51 weeks prior. Unfortunately unlike the previous year, my Broncos lost 14-17 to the Titans. It was still a great game though, mostly because I got to see John Elway. I saw him come out of the tunnel and ran toward him. I got halfway down the stairs when the usher stopped me because my seat was not down in front. I tried to explain to him that it was JOHN ELWAY and I love JOHN ELWAY, but he didn’t let me pass. He did, however, laugh at me as I screamed and squealed and shouted JOHN JOHN JOHN! I was shaking and SO excited. I’ve been to games and have seen John Elway play four times in his career, but I have never been that close to him. Unlike last year when I spent the entire weekend in Nashville (my birthday weekend), this year I just went to Nashville for the day. I couldn’t take the time off from packing for my move home or spend the money to stay in Nashville overnight. Plus my mom was flying into Nashville to help me pack and move, since Southwest doesn’t fly into Memphis. Mom texted me at the end of the 3rd quarter to say she had landed and was in a cab on her way to Big River Grille. Denver was leading 14-10 and the Titans fans were getting ugly, so I decided it was a good time to leave. I walked back across the bridge and met Mom. We had a nice lunch, and I got to see the last quarter on tv at the bar. Denver lost 17-14, so I didn’t miss much. We left Nashville at 4pm and were back in Memphis just after 7pm. The next few days Mom and I finished packing, played the slots at Harrah’s in Tunica (and of course ate at the delicious Paula Deen’s), and had one last traditional Memphis BBQ dinner at Central BBQ.

In October, I moved back home to Maryland. More specifically back into the basement of my parents’ house in Ellicott City, Maryland. They are in Florida half of the year, so I have the whole house to myself, but I still stay in my basement apartment. Surprisingly, I love having all of my things in one room. I never thought I would leave Memphis and move back to Maryland, but something changed in me this summer. I decided it was more important to live where my family and friends are rather than live in a city I love. I love Memphis. I had a great time in Memphis. But it was time to come home. Mom and I left Memphis October 1st, we were back in Maryland October 2nd, got Ledo’s pizza on October 3rd, celebrated my 39th birthday on October 4th standing in our driveway directing the movers where to put my furniture and boxes, registered my car in Maryland and started unpacking October 5th, and Mom, Kathy and I went to Dover Downs Casino on October 6th – I won $1760. All and all a very productive week.

Since I moved back home, I have been writing my U2 Tours Memoir, hanging out with friends and family, reading, blogging, watching my Denver Broncos play, eating a lot of Ledo’s pizza, and looking for a job. I went to the Maryland Irish Festival with Abbey and Anisha to see U2 tribute band 2U play, went to Keira’s 5th birthday party, went to a Ravens game with my dad, had Thanksgiving dinner with the Knedeisen’s and my dad, went to Jilly’s with my dad and Shawn to watch football, saw The Muppets with Cindy, Tabitha and Keira, went to Charles Town Casino with Cindy and Kathy, babysat Tabitha and Keira, went to Dover Downs Casino with my mom, had our annual Trivia Christmas party, celebrated Christmas with my family, celebrated Cindy’s birthday with her family, and saw The Chipmunks with Cindy, Tabitha and Keira.

2011 was a great year because I moved back home, I discovered I love to write, I drove over 18,000 miles with my dogs across the country for three months visiting places I had always wanted to, made many great new friends, saw 16 great U2 shows, and Larry Mullen Jr hugged me on his way to the stage at the last US 360 show!

We're home!

I won big at Dover Downs

October 13, 2011 by DeenasDays

Last week, I took a break from unpacking and organizing to take a trip with my mom and Ms. Kathy to Dover Downs Casino. For the first time ever, I won big at at the slots – and big for me is $1,760.80! I won it on the new penny slot machine called Bombs Away. I was playing the max, so I had the chance to win the progressive pot. The max was $3.00 per spin, so I told myself I would only play the max for a few spins. The third or fourth spin I hit the bonus and then a bonus within the bonus and won $1,760.80. Sirens went off, people were congratulating me, I was sweating, and I couldn’t find Mom or Ms. Kathy.

We arrived at Dover Downs around noon on Thursday October 6 – I was still celebrating my birthday two days later. We checked into our free rooms, and I was in the casino by 12:30pm. I played my favorite slots: Hot Shot, Sex and the City, Power Strike and Happy Days. In an hour, all of my $170. free slot play that Dover Downs had given me was gone. I used my comp dollars for a free yummy tuna melt and potato salad at The Deli. By 2:00, I was in my room taking a break hoping to change my luck.

Happy Days slot

A couple hours later, I took out some money and went back to the casino to meet Mom and Ms. Kathy for a snack and a glass of wine. They introduced me to a new slot called Hot Tournament, then we went our separate ways. This is when I came upon Bombs Away and won $1,760.80. The only other time I have ever won a significant amount was also on my birthday a few years ago – I won $800. Maybe I should just go to the casino once a year on my birthday. After my big win, we played a little more but then went to the bar for happy hour appetizers and drinks. I played a little more after, but wasn’t winning anymore, so I was in my room by 8:30 watching SVU and eating room service pizza.

I didn’t sleep much that night and was in the casino before 9am on Friday. I was back in my room in 30 minutes because I wasn’t winning on anything and didn’t want to lose my winnings, since I need it to live on until I get a job. I met Mom and Ms. Kathy for an early lunch then went back to my room to hide from the temptation of the slots. Around 2:00, I went back down to the casino and played a little, but was losing, so I stopped and just hung out with Mom. We met Ms. Kathy for an early dinner at Doc Magrogan’s and left Dover Downs just before 6pm. I came home with $1,600. I’m very proud of myself because this was the first time I’ve ever shown any sort of restraint.

I love Dover Downs! It is my favorite casino – after Vegas of course. And luckily now I only live less than 2 hours away. Dover Downs is a great, bright, clean, friendly casino with a variety of my favorite slots – and there is no smoking! There are also many bars and restaurants and lots of free stuff – free rooms, free slot play, free food. Dover Downs has great customer service all around. Hopefully I will be back in December, or maybe I should wait until my next birthday.

There’s No Place Like Home

October 6, 2011 by DeenasDays

October has always been my favorite month, mainly because it’s my birthday month. This October I started my 39th year back home in Maryland – literally at my parents’ house.

The movers came to my house in Memphis at 7am on October 1 and packed my stuff until noon. They were very good, very careful. Mom, Elvis, Cilla and I left Memphis at 12:15 cst, stopped 45 minutes later for lunch, snacks & gas and then again in Murfreesboro for gas. We arrived in at the Quality Inn in Kodak, TN, just outside Pigeon Forge, at 8pm est. We just ate our leftover lunch for dinner. No one slept that night. We left at 8:15 the next morning. We stopped at 10:30 just past Bristol for snacks and then had lunch at 2:15 at Johnny Appleseed in New Market, VA near Luray Caverns. We finally arrived home just before 5pm exhausted.

Johnny Appleseed's

We're home!

The next day I transferred my car insurance and registered my car in Maryland. It was cold, rainy, and in the 40s – not the October weather I love. I was drinking hot chocolate in my sweats!

I celebrated my 39th birthday on October 4th by standing in the driveway for 5 hours telling the movers where to put my stuff – luckily it wasn’t raining and a little warmer. I did have my Ledos pizza and sweet tea though – for every meal! My birthday present from my parents was letting me move back home – and putting a fence in the backyard for Elvis and Cilla.

The next day I was still celebrating with my Ledos pizza. I set up my furniture in the basement, hooked up my cable and DVD player, and unpacked a couple of boxes. I have everything I need in the basement, except a bathroom and closet – I’ll work on that next year.

I never thought I would move back to Maryland, let alone back into my parents’ house, but I am really excited about it! It will be great to be with my parents everyday, except when they’re in Florida.

Please watch my video of our drive home from Memphis to Maryland.

Memphis to Maryland

September 30, 2011 by DeenasDays

Today is the last day in September, and my last day in Memphis. I had my last meal in Memphis at Central BBQ. The house is all packed and the car is loaded. The movers will be here in the morning, and we’ll be on our way back home to Maryland. I am quite excited about this new chapter of my life. I’ll be surrounded by family and friends again, hopefully get a job I love, and get my U2 memoir published. Happy October!

My day with the Denver Broncos in Nashville 9.25.11

September 28, 2011 by DeenasDays

I went to Nashville Sunday to cheer on my Denver Broncos against the Tennessee Titans at LP Field in Nashville, just as I did 51 weeks ago. Unfortunately unlike last year, my Broncos lost 14-17 to the Titans.

Broncos-Titans

It was still a great game though, mostly because I got to see John Elway. I saw him come out of the tunnel and ran toward him. I got halfway down the stairs when the usher stopped me because my seat was not down in front. I tried to explain to him that it was JOHN ELWAY and I love JOHN ELWAY, but he didn’t let me pass. He did, however, laugh at me as I screamed and squealed and shouted JOHN JOHN JOHN! I was shaking and SO excited. I’ve been to games and have seen John Elway play 4 times in his career, but I have never been that close to him.

JOHN ELWAY!!!

Unlike last year when I spent the entire weekend in Nashville (my birthday weekend), this year I just went to Nashville for the day. I couldn’t take the time off from packing for my move or spend the money to stay in Nashville overnight. Plus my mom was flying in to help me pack and move, and Southwest doesn’t fly into Memphis. I left Memphis 7am Sunday morning, parked at Big River Grille where I was meeting Mom after the game, walked across the bridge and was in my seat at LP Field by 10:30am. Of course I was dressed head to toe in Broncos orange, including my orange cowboy hat and orange Broncos jersey. The Broncos scored first, but the Titans quickly tied it up. The refs made a lot of bad calls in Denver’s favor. I forgot what big boo-ers Titans fans are. Mom texted at the end of the 3rd quarter to say she had landed and was in a cab on her way to Big River Grille. Denver was leading 14-10 and the Titans fans were getting ugly, so I decided it was a good time to leave. I walked back across the bridge and met Mom. We had a nice lunch, and I got to see the last quarter on tv at the bar. Denver lost 17-14, so I didn’t miss much. We left Nashville at 4 and were back in Memphis just after 7pm.

Go Broncos!

Please watch the video of my day with the Denver Broncos in Nashville

Maryland Move Countdown: 8-10 days

September 20, 2011 by DeenasDays

Just over a week to go until I move back home to Maryland. I scheduled the movers today, and they will be here next week – either Wednesday, Thursday or Friday – and I will be in Ellicott City two days later. I scheduled Salvation Army to come pick up a bunch of stuff I’m donating, and they will be here next Tuesday. I have a backup plan in case I don’t sell the piano, and they will be here next week to pick it up. And I have 2 people interested in buying the jukebox, and they will look at it the next couple of days. I have cancelled my MLGW, DirecTv and alarm as well as changed my address to have my mailed forwarded. I made one last trip to the grocery story – hopefully. I went to Saturn to get the oil changed for my final journey home, but hit a snag when they couldn’t get the hood opened – 3 hours sitting in the dealer reception area.

What I haven’t done is pack. I’ve gone through everything and picked out what I want to get rid of, but I actually haven’t packed anything into boxes. But for the next 4 days I will be doing nothing but packing. Then Sunday I drive to Nashville for the Broncos game and to pick up mom, who is flying in to help me pack. Then we will continue packing Monday and Tuesday. If the movers come Wednesday, then we’ll leave. If they don’t come until Thursday or Friday, then we’ll hit the slots in Tunica – and maybe a final trip to Graceland.

Things I will miss about Memphis: Graceland, Sun Studio, everything being so close, the warm weather. Things I will not miss about Memphis: the slow drivers, the crime, the tornadoes, being away from my family and friends. Things I am not looking forward to in Maryland: the cold weather and driving miles and miles to get everywhere. Things I am SO looking forward to in Maryland: being near my family and friends, Ledos pizza, low rent, going to Orioles games, being near lots of U2 friends.

I probably won’t write again until after the Broncos game Sunday night. And I won’t continue my U2 360 recap on my On the Road with U2 blog until after I’m back in Maryland. But once I’m settled in the next couple of weeks, I plan on writing everyday. So please stay tuned!

After 3 months, I’m finally home

August 9, 2011 by DeenasDays

My U2 360 tour ended 2 weeks ago, but I just got home yesterday. I was hiding out at my parents’ house in Maryland avoiding reality. I drove exactly 18,073 miles through 31 states since I left Memphis May 14th. I saw 16 wonderful U2 shows, saw lots of great American sights and met lots of great people.

To help me get over my post-tour blues, I bought tickets for some Fall events: the play Memphis and the Denver Broncos – Tennessee Titans football game in Nashville – yay a road trip! Also something to look forward to is Rock for Love 5, the Memphis Music and Heritage Festival and the Cooper Young Festival. But more than anything, I am looking forward to Elvis Week this week, which I will report on all the events here.

After Elvis Week, I will begin writing my book about my magnificent musical journey this summer on the U2 360 Tour. You can check my other blog OntheRoadwithU2.com for updates.

On the Road with U2 – my musical journey across America

May 12, 2011 by DeenasDays

This is my last post here on my Deena’s Days Blog until August – not that I wrote that much here this year anyway. I leave Saturday for U2 360 – I am driving with my 2 dogs to all 16 U2 shows in the US. You can follow my updates on my other blog On the Road with U2 and on twitter as MemphisMullen and on facebook as Deena Dietrich. Each day I will be writing about my travel experiences and posting pictures and videos. Not all of my travels will involve U2. I am also doing a lot of sight seeing in the US in between the U2 shows - Mount Rushmore, Reno, Portland, San Francisco, Hollywood just to name a few places. So go to my On the Road with U2 blog and follow my musical journey across America this summer.

It’s All About U2011

April 16, 2011 by DeenasDays

I haven’t written much in my DeenasDays blog this year because this is the year of U2011, so I have been writing in my On the Road with U2 blog. I will probably blog about the Memphis Grizzlies playoff games and definitely about the Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival in 2 weeks, but that is probably it until August.

The U2 360 Us tour starts in just over a month, and I leave one month from today for my summer-long road trip across America to attend all 16 shows. I have been blogging and posting constantly about U2 the past 4 months because I am trying to reach as many U2 fans as possible, so they will follow my blog and my articles on U2TourFans during the tour and hopefully buy my book after the tour. I have been writing a book about my travels on U2 tours I have been on from ZooTv to 360 and will continue with this summer’s road trip across America on U2 360. I will also be filming my entire trip with hopes of making a documentary.

When I return to Memphis in August, I will get back to blogging here on DeenasDays about Lollapalooza, Elvis Week, and all things Memphis. So please excuse me for a few months while I’m On the Road with U2.

2010 My Year in Review

December 31, 2010 by DeenasDays

I had a fantastic 2010 and am looking forward to 2011. I visited many places I had been wanting to visit. I did not make it through my entire list, but I made quite a dent.

January I attended Elvis’ Birthday weekend celebration. It would have been his 75th, so there was a lot of hoopla, including a visit by Priscilla and Lisa Marie.

I got Grizzlies season tickets in 2010 and enjoyed my view from up top. Also in January, I saw Amy Lavere at Young Avenue Deli and went to the cd release party for Nancy Apple’s Shine, which she recorded at Sun Studio. Nancy is my favorite Memphis artist who I now consider a friend.

In February, I visited some local treasures. I toured the Rock n Soul Museum, played the slots at Harrah’s Tunica and ate at Paula Deen’s, and toured the Pink Palace. I also saw the movie Crazy Heart, which really inspired me to take a roadtrip out west. I saw the great play The Jersey Boys at the Orpheum Theatre.

I saw Brandon Santini and Delta Highway at the Blues Hall on Beale Street and they blew me away. Fantastic blues group! I really need to get back to see them. I went to the Big One flea martket and saw Kris Kristofferson and Merle Haggard at Horseshoe Casino in Tunica. It’s the closest I’ll ever get to seeing Johnny Cash.

I ended February at the Memphis Zoo on International Polar Bear Day. Polar Bears are my favorite, after dogs of course, and they are in danger of becoming extinct.

In March, Elvis, Cilla and I took a trip through Mississippi. We saw Medgar Evers house in Jackson, the casinos in Biloxi and Elvis’ summer home at the Golf Resort, Robert Johnson’s birthplace in Hazelhurst, where coca-cola was first bottled in Vicksburg, Robert Johnson’s grave in Greenwood, Dockery Plantation in Cleveland, and the Cathead store in Clarksdale.

I visited the Dixon Gallery and Gardens, played and ate at Harrah’s, and walked the dogs along the Mississippi River at Tom Lee Park. I finally went to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame in Jackson, TN, which was small but packed with lots of memorabilia!

I went to Little Rock, Arkansas for the day to visit the Clinton Presidential Library, which was great and situated along the River. My first time at a presidential library and in Little Rock.

I ended March with a visit to Jerry Lee Lewis’ ranch in Nesbit, Mississippi. I couldn’t tour it because Jerry lives there and no longer gives tours, but I drove by it about 8 times back and forth taking pictures and video. Love his piano gates as an answer to Elvis’ music notes gates.

On April 3 I wrote, “Today I was inspired by a documentary I watched called 10MPH where these guys quit their corporate jobs to follow their bliss. They made a documentary about their cross country journey on segweys. It made me feel a little less crazy knowing that I’m not the only one out there who quit their job to follow their bliss. I am very much enjoying seeing everything I’ve been wanting to see and videorecording it along the way. So I bought a domain and made this blog public.”

I spent a lot of time in April planning my U2 tour roadtrip that never was, went to the Memphis Roller Derby and finally got to the Memphis Pizza Cafe.

I went to the Found Footage Festival at Studio on the Square. Basically, these guys go around collecting and buying old VHS tapes and editing them to make these great montages of nostalia and then show them to folks like me in various cities. A simple and great idea.

I again attended the Memphis Redbirds opening day, which is really a night game – which still bugs me. They lost, but it was fun and a great view from my front row seat.

I went to the Juke Joint Festival in Clarksdale, Mississippi. I listened to great blues by Stacy Mitchart and Valerie June, watched blues documentaries at the old theatre and took a tour of Clarksdale including Tennesse Williams’ house and those of his neighbors Blanche and Brick.

I visited Graceland because I hadn’t been since the birthday celebration in January.

In May for the first time in years, we did not attend the Memphis in May Beale Street Music Festival because of the tornado. Tasha and I had fun though, except when we were hiding in the closet with the dogs from the tornado. Before the tornado, we went to played slots at Harrah’s, went to Sun Studio, went to Trolley Night where I bought some Memphis art, hung out on Beale Street, ate at Paula Deens, Marlowe’s, Blue Plate, the Cupboard, and Alfred’s. After the tornado, we drove around looking at the damage and then watched hockey at Young Avenue Deli.

The best part about May 2010 was my trip to Las Vegas! I met Cindy there for 4 days, and we had a blast. Plus I got to see New Kids on the Block the first two nights of their tour and the new Elvis Cirque de Soleil show. Cindy and I stayed at Ballys but of course played the slots up and down the Strip, like Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock and the Flamingo.

The worst part about May 2010 was learning that U2′s North American tour had been postponed until next year because Bono had emergency back surgery, but luckily he was alright – thank goodness! So I scrambled to make plans because I was itching to take a roadtrip, since I had planned to be on the road for 2 months seeing every US U2 show and much of the country. I decided on driving out Route 66, with Elvis and Cilla, from Oklahoma to New Mexico and then back through Texas and Louisiana.

I saw many of the classic Route 66 sites from Tulsa to Albuquerque, but my favorite part of Route 66 was Amarillo – the Big Texan Ranch and Cadillac Ranch.

I really loved Texas, well north Texas anyway. I enjoyed Lubbock, Austin and Dallas. Being a Buddy Holly fan, I visited Lubbock and Buddy’s school, studio, grave, as well as the Buddy Holly museum.

On the way to Dallas, I stopped in Killeen to visit Elvis’ home while he was at Ft Hood.

In Dallas, I stayed at the Southfork Hotel and visited the Southfork Ranch. I am a fan of the tv show Dallas and touring the ranch was great fun.

There was one last stop on our roadtrip before heading back to Memphis. And that was in Shreveport Louisiana at the Auditorium where the Louisiana Hayride took place. This is where Elvis, and many others, got there start.

In June, I went home to Maryland for about 2 weeks and had a blast! I attended my 20th high school reunion, spent a few days at Dover Downs casino, went to an Orioles game, went to the Mason Dixon Master Chef tournament at the Belvedere, and hung out with my parents and my friends.

In July, I tried going vegan for about a month, but couldn’t find a great cheese substitute that I could live with, so I’m back to being just vegetarian. I found out that the U2 North American tour had been rescheduled for Summer 2011. On my July visit to Graceland, I bought an annual pass which will pay for itself after 2 visits.

I spent the rest of July attending events in Memphis. I went to the Who Shot Rock n Roll photography exhibit at the Brooks Museum of Art, the opening reception for the Elvis: from Memphis to Manhattan exhibit at Stax Museum, the HiTone (finally!) to see Bulletproof Vests, Daylight Fades encore presentation at Studio on the Square, the Arts Memphis Bravo season kickoff party featuring the Bluff City Backsliders, WEVL’s annual Blues on the Bluff featuring the BoKeys, Marshall Grant’s (Johnny Cash’s bassist) final performance and book signing at the Brooks, and Joan Jett at Horseshoe Casino in Tunica.

August found me on the road again, but this time without Elvis and Cilla. I met Tasha in Chicago for Lollapalooza, but also went to see the play Million Dollar Quartet and a cubs game at Wrigley Field. My main reason for going to Lollapalooza was to see Soundgarden, but I really enjoyed the entire festival. It was clean, organized, and lots of great music. I enjoyed seeing These United States, the Ettes, Mavis Staples, Amerian Bang, Ed Kowalczyk from Live, Devo, the Black Keys, Lady Gaga, Switchfoot, the Cribs, XJapan, Wolfmother, and of course SOUNDGARDEN!

Back in Memphis in August for Elvis Week. I attended the benefit for Myrna Smith (sadly she just passed away Christmas Eve) featuring a performance by Cowboy Jack Clement, Elvis Insiders Shake Rattle and Bowl where I met Chris, Noel, Joe Guercio, Cynthia Peppers, Conversations on Elvis at the Orpheum with Joe Guercio, the Stamps, Joe Esposito, the sreening of Elvis on Tour at the Orpheum with a performance by the Stamps, the Candlelight Vigil with a heat index of 115 degrees and an appearancy by Elvis’ nurse Marion Cocke on George Klein’s radio show.

The end of August brought me to the realization that I love writing, this may have been inspired by seeing and reading Eat Pray Love. But writing is what I want to do – find a way to get paid for writing. I would love to get paid for reviewing events I attend, so I have this blog and I write for examiner.com. I have also I started my memoirs – 3 different versions. I also ate at restaurants I had been wanting to try like Majestic Grill and Fuel Cafe and saw Billy Idol at Harrah’s Casino in Tunica.

September started off great with the annual Memphis Music and Heritage Festival downtown, which is free. It was a day of great Memphis music with Roy Harper, Nancy Apple, Barbara Blue, Sweet Angel, the Kattawar Brothers, Elmo and the Shades, Bluff City Backsliders, and Jack Oblivian and the Tennessee Tearjerkers.

I went back to Harrah’s to play the slots and eat at Paula Deen’s. I went to traffic court in Illinois to fight a speeding ticket I got on the way to Chicago – and I won! I spent the day in Tupelo visiting Elvis’ birthplace, Tupelo Hardware, Elvis’ school, the CVB and eating at Johnnie’s Drive-In.

September 17, 2010 was the last episode of As the World Turns. It has been on the air for 54 years, and on the radio before that. My grandmother used to listen to it on the radio, then watched it on tv. It was the first soap opera that was a half hour – the rest were 15 minutes. I have watched As the World Turns since the late -1980s.

I attended the Cooper Young Festival for the first time. Actually I worked it. I helped out in the Indie Memphis Film Festival booth.

In October, I was on the road again to Nashville for my birthday weekend. I left Elvis and Cilla at the vet’s and away I went. I toured the Ryman, visited record shops and bars on Broadway, saw my Denver Broncos defeat the Titans (the whole reason I went to Nashville), toured RCA Studio B where Elvis recorded and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

I attended the 17th annual Memphis Blues Ball, which was honoring the 75th birthdays of both Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis – neither were in attendance. But Jerry Schilling, George Klein, Mark James, Knox Phillips, Jerry D Williams, Ronny McDowell and Jack Soden were there.

Using my annual pass, I spent the day at Graceland, the happiest place on earth.

I went to the annual Wine Fest in Millington, featuring Nancy Apple.

October ended with the Memphis Grizzlies 10th season opener featuring a performance by Al Kapone.

November started with more U2 shows being added and me planning for next summer’s tour/roadtrip. My parents’ friend was in Memphis, so we had breakfast at the Arcade, toured Graceland and Sun Studio, watched football at Alfred’s and saw Chips Moman and Marty Lacker get their music notes on Beale Street.

I went to Payton the polar bear’s birthday party at the Memphis Zoo – he was 7.

I went to Tunica, but this time played the slots at Horseshoe and Gold Strike before going back to Harrah’s and eating at Paula Deen’s. I saw Vince Vaughn and Kevin James at the Cannon Center. They were absolutely hysterical!

For the Portland-Grizzlies game, my seat was upgraded to about 10 rows off the court – a $227 ticket for free! It’s a whole different game from that angle.

November ended with the Memphis Grizzlies defeating Lebron James and the Miami Heat. It was a fantastic game, even if I was back up in my nosebleed seat.

In December, Elvis, Cilla and I went home to Maryland for over 2 weeks for Christmas and had a fantastic time! I went to Dover Downs casino for a couple of nights, went to a Ravens game, ate lots of Ledo’s pizza, attended our annual Trivia Christmas party, celebrated Cindy’s birthday, and spent time with my parents and my friends.

What a truly wonderful year I have had! I am so lucky!

I started a new blog at http://ontheroadwithu2.com to document my U2 tour travels next summer as well as my adventures from past U2 tours I’ve been on. I will still post on this blog for non-U2 related events, but 2011 is really going to be the year of U2011!

Maryland to Memphis Day 2: Bristol to Memphis

December 29, 2010 by DeenasDays

After over two weeks, I’m back in Memphis! We left Bristol
at 6:25am EST, and it was 16 degrees! It was nice driving west when
the sun rises in the east. We stopped 3 times before Nashville, and
it rained on and off from Nashville to Memphis. As much as I like
the drive through Tennessee on route 40, it was tough today -
exhausting and seemingly longer than the 8 hours it actually took.
We arrived in Memphis at 1:40pm CST and got my mail for the past 2
weeks. Now we’re relaxing on the couch catching up on our dvr.
We’ll unpack tomorrow. We had a fantastic time at home in Maryland!

Please watch the video of our 2nd day of travel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6wE4Q85LZ8

Maryland to Memphis Day 1: EC to Bristol

December 28, 2010 by DeenasDays

Well I’m on the road again. This time heading back to Memphis. Today I went as far as Bristol, Virginia, which is just over 6 hours from my parents’ house – 390 miles. Even though today’s drive is shorter than tomorrow’s, it’s my least favorite part because it is all Virginia and all route 81, which is quite unpleasant.

on the road ec to bristol

We left the house just before 11am, stopped once 2 hours later at Love’s travel stop, and arrived in Bristol around 5:15pm. It was an easy drive, just over 6 hours, but there was a bit of traffic along 81. And there is snow in Bristol, not a lot but more than there was in Ellicott City. I pretty much had a cheese and chocolate diet today. I had melted cheddar and wheat thins for breakfast, twix and chesse crackers for lunch and leftover Ledo’s extra cheese pizza for dinner. Now we’re relaxing in the hotel with hopes of getting more than a few solid hours of sleep tonight before the 8 hour drive to Memphis tomorrow.

Elvis & Cilla relaxing in a Bristol hotel

Please watch the video of our drive today http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZRL2AnSKyA

Home from Dover Downs

December 17, 2010 by DeenasDays

We’re home from Dover Downs. Lost a lot of money, but had a great time. I think I’m going through slot withdraw though. Will definitely need to find Hot Shot and Power Strike in Tunica because I know they are not at Harrah’s.

I actually slept better last night even though I was on a sofabed. I woke up just before 6am and was back in the casino by 7:30. I went straight to Hot Shot and played all 8 but lost. I only got 6 bonuses, and they were all small. So then I played the old Hot Shot (all 5), but lost there too.

I decided to play my last $70 at Power Strike because it had been good to me Wednesday. And it was again this morning! After a few big bonus wins, I walked away with $200. Still down for the trip, but a good way to end and nice to bring some money home.

We left Dover Downs at 9:30am, had no problems on the road and got home by 11:30. Elvis and Cilla were very excited to see us! Now time to relax for a day and a half before Tabitha’s performance Saturday night and the Ravens game Sunday.

Please watch the video of our time at Dover Downs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yrdZi4-Ci8

Due to Inclimate Weather: another night at Dover Downs!

December 16, 2010 by DeenasDays

I woke up at 5am, watched the sunrise over Monster Mile and was in the casino by 7am! I love an empty casino! I went straight to the 8 Hot Shot slots and played all of them and won $100. This is going to be a good day!

I played some other slots, like Monopoly and Sex and the City and Fireball, considering variety is the slice of life. But I just don’t enjoy any other slots as much as Hot Shot, so I played it again – and won another $100. By the time we met for breakfast at 10, I was up a couple hundred for the morning. Santa was at breakfast.

After breakfast, I played for about an hour and lost all the money I had won. I should have never stopped to eat – completely changed my luck. Bad day! Although I did get to see, and smell, the Oreo Christmas tree made from over 16000 Oreos.

I went to the room because we were leaving at 1. Dad texted to say it was snowing and the roads were bad. So rather than risk sliding off the Bay Bridge in the snow, we decided to stay at Dover Downs another night. Luckily Mom got another comp night, so we’re both in the suite. I’m sleeping on the couch in the living room with the big tv.

I went back to the casino at 2pm hoping the 2 hour break in the room would change my luck – it did not. I played a few non Hot Shot slots, but didn’t win. So a half hour later I got a sandwich at the Deli.

After lunch, I won a hundred dollars at a new game called Ms Little Green Men. Feeling confident my luck had changed, I went back to Hot Shot. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I lost a bundle. It’s as if all the machines stopped hitting after 10am.

By 5:15, I was exhausted and broke! Even though I wasn’t that hungry, I met Mom and Candy for dinner at 6 to avoid losing even more money at the slots. We went to the buffet, which overlooks the racetrack – and there were horse races on the snowy track. I had pizza and ice cream. Perfect comfort food after a day of losing in the casino.

As a glutton for punishment, I decided to play some more slots with the hopes of winning my money back. Usually when I’m down a lot, I’ll win my money back at that last minute. This unfortunately did not happen tonight.
I lost even more money. I watched a little of Elvis singing Christmas songs then went up to the room before 8 to watch The Big Bang Theory.

The snow has ended and hopefully it will be sunny in the morning to warm up the roads for a safe drive home. Of course if I wake up at 5am again, I will go back to the casino because I haven’t learned my lesson and still believe I can win some of my money back.

Please watch the video of our time at Dover Downs http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yrdZi4-Ci8

DeenasDays

My name is Deena Dietrich, and I am living back home in Ellicott City, Maryland with my 2 dogs Elvis and Cilla. My passions are Dogs, Elvis, U2, LMP, NKOTB, the Denver Broncos, the Baltimore Orioles, blogging, social media, biographies. It is better to regret something you have done, than to regret something you haven't done, so ... Pursue your passion!

Deena's Days

Pursue Your Passion

Category Archives: Travel

Memphis in May 2013

NKOTB ’10′ Record Release – Orpheum Theatre Boston 3.30.13

My 40th Birthday in Vegas – October 4, 2012

V is for Vegas – my 2nd favorite city

Today is the 20th Anniversary of my 1st U2 show – ZooTv March 7, 1992

Dallas

My 2011, or should I say U2011

I won big at Dover Downs

There’s No Place Like Home

Memphis to Maryland

My day with the Denver Broncos in Nashville 9.25.11

Maryland Move Countdown: 8-10 days

After 3 months, I’m finally home

On the Road with U2 – my musical journey across America

It’s All About U2011

2010 My Year in Review

Maryland to Memphis Day 2: Bristol to Memphis

Maryland to Memphis Day 1: EC to Bristol

Home from Dover Downs

Due to Inclimate Weather: another night at Dover Downs!

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