One Year Anniversary of Joe & Alexandra 10-10-11
// October 20th, 2011 // No Comments » // Joe's Blog
Joe and Alex celebrate one year of marriage together, and revisit where they exchanged vows at the Orlando World Center Marriott. With a romantic dinner at Emeril’s Tchoup Chop, followed by a show from their favorite performers, Blue Man Group, the day was magical and fun. The following day, we drove up to St. Augustine, FL and climbed the world famous St. Augustine Lighthouse with our friends Tina Verduzco and Femi Oyewole.
Do you ever notice how life sometimes grants us open doors that seem remarkable, unbelievable and just awe inspiring? Life goes well for a few months or years, everything is going smooth. And then, all of a sudden, something happens… That new thing in your life no longer is new and it then becomes an extra bag for us to tote through this whimsical world of life. Something happened from A → B in this open door. But what was it?
I’ve had several of these instances in my life. Some lasted just a few months, one has lasted over ten years. There’s things in my life that when they were present, were the pinnacle of my world. Take for instance my former disc jockey role at WMMT 88.7 FM and BounceRadio.net. For that 8 year time period, I devoted myself to the cause and diligently tried to improve myself and keep raising the bar. Even though I left on a respectable terms, and it was hard to give up, at the time I had no choice. I had to drop the bags and move on to the next terminal of life.
I used to be a noted podcaster for several years from 2006-2009. The podcast was syndicated on iTunes worldwide, and for a period of months, we were ranked in the top 20 always under the Performing Arts category of podcasts. The show was called Switchback, and during the 3 year run, I interviewed hundreds of Blue Man Group fans, noted rock musicians ranging from Todd Rundgren, Tom Shipley, Jason Isbell, Mark Knight and even the founding members of Blue Man Group. But like everything else in my life, it got stale. The shows became a burden instead a labor of love. I had to drop of this bag at the terminal as well.
I was once a MC at a local coffee shop in downtown Whitesburg, KY called Summit City Lounge. It is a happening little place on Main Street and they have a delicious menu. The owners, a husband and wife team, approached me about doing a weekly event at night called “Open Mic.” I would run it, organize the list of performers and engage the crowd with some silly antics. I even gone as far as being the sound guy for all the performers on stage. Now this was a cool little gig. It even blossomed into a pay job, as I started branching out booking bands for the very busy weekends. It was one of the funnest times of my life, and l met some of the most talented individuals that could stand behind a microphone. But, with life, and a new found interest in the state of Florida, I had to resign my role as MC of over a year. I never will forget Joel and Amelia and all the done for me. This bag sadly had to be escorted with tears and a long face at the terminal. 
Did you know I once worked at a place that all the employees were reputable rock musicians? DrummerConnection.com was such a place, and for a period of 5 months it became a new passion for me in 2009. I love the people, I loved the fact I could use my musical skills in the piano and I loved my boss and his work environment. I got to meet some pretty stellar people in the drum circle world, and make connections that to this day I still keep. But, things happened in my life personally that I could not control, and again, I got that all too familiar stale feeling. Needless to say, this case was left at the terminal door to. 
So, here I am, 2011… I’m wide eyed at the world around me, and examining my arms for baggage. There’s a part of my life that has been on the teeter totter for some time, and it all started in 1999 on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. I saw a group of 3 bald blue guys that captivated my heart and soul. It infused with me inspiration to create, and a passion to be artistic. That was in 1999-2000. In 2001, I founded Blue Man Group’s official first fan base web site called the Blue Man Library, (BML). It ran for a long time, all the way to Feb. 2010 when I finally pulled the plug on the site due to overwhelming costs of server space and bandwidth. I never will forget that day… I must have cried for weeks. It’s like nurturing a child for 10 years and then letting it die right before your eyes, and there’s nothing you can do about it. I was heart broken. But, it came with accurate timing, because of recent evens within the company and myself, I was able to merge with Blue Man Productions and become an Insider. Man, what a run. I’ve seen cities I could only dream about before. Skylines towering, street lights on every corner, the brisk cold Rocky Mountain air hitting your face in December, the sweet aroma of The Venetian in Las Vegas to the hustle of New York City. All because of one group, one company and one web site I made. Phenomenal it is.
In recent months, my attention has been lacking in the realm of the Blue. I’m not sure why to honest. I’m surely not jaded to the shows, company or being an Insider. It hurts most when no one seems to listen. It hurts most when something you’ve planned and conceived has been downsized to a mere former shell of itself. It hurts most when I scream, and no one listens. It hurts most when you’re on the inside looking back. It hurts most when you’re promised bells and whistles, and all you have in your pocket is lint. It hurts… This bag I’m holding with a light grasp of the fingertips. I’m standing at the terminal of my own life, watching the train go by and wondering if I should let go of this bag and move on down the line, or keep it. God grant me wisdom in this situation. Maybe this is my problem, I talk too much, I don’t know… Maybe I should mind my own business and just let it be what it is meant to be, “business.” I just don’t like pacified to get by.
Jedi Mickey Mouse at the Florida Mall Star Tours 3D Preview Event
Star Tours is true to it’s former counter part, but very updated with the latest digital 3D technologies and visual effects. The theme of the line cue has been for the most part revamped drastically, complete with bio luggage scanners that guests get to see the humorous contents of the luggage. I saw random items in the briefcases ranging from mickey ears, an ewok, Madame Leotta’s head, Mickey’s sorcerer hat, broomstick from Fantasia and even scuba gear, bowling balls. The luggage scanner also projects in 3D, much like the end of the line cue at Haunted Mansion. Pretty amazing to see it up close in the second room of the line cue. The motor conveyor belts are gone, and a new LED wall of celeb Star Wars passengers shows up, much like the one in DLC. There’s also a thermal imaging camera as you make your way up the last walkway toward the loading areas. I won’t spoil every little detail…
The ride itself is perfected in terms of motion, visuals and sound. C3PO whisks you away to random areas through the Star Wars universe. There is an “in-ride” camera that takes a picture of a guest, and you become part of the ride, and part of the rebel spy alliance. I saw some repeats on the ride, but for the most part, each of my 5 rides were different. I saw two different intro sequences, two different endings, three different hologram messages from 3 of Stars Wars noted rebel alliance Akbar, Yoda and Leia. The holograms are stunning 3D, and done in the style of R2′s holographic message system. I visited a number of planets, each ride being unique and in different orders. My favorites are Hoth, Naboo and Tatooine. The new 3D glasses are form fitted, much like the same style of IMAX 3D glasses.
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