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On Saturday, I went to Buffalo Bill's Museum and gravesite in Golden, CO high atop Lookout Mountain. To get there you have to wind you (and your car) around one of the highest mountains in Colorado. Bill Cody requested that when he died he would be buried on top of this particular mountain as he enjoyed the view og Denver and the other hills surrounding it. I tried my first buffalo burger at the museum's cafe as well. I also went to the Coors Brewery for a tour of the factory. Interesting but not my cup of tea (or beer).

The highlight of the trip was a concert I attended at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre just outside of the city. The venue sits along the hillside of one of the highest mountains around and has two huge rocks surrounding the seating area. Your view of the stage is from above it and you can see the lights of the city as the night takes place over the hills. Simply amazing and reminded me of the Hollywood Bowl in LA that I have attended four concerts at in past years.

The performer for the concert was Roy Rivers. Roy is a John Denver tribute artist and puts on an incredible show. It was the 20th anniversary since John Denver played at the venue for his 17th and final time. John's brother and mother also made an appearance prior to the show and received a huge standing ovation from the crowd. Denver's real name was Deutchendorf which most of the crowd didn't know. Being the holder of much useless information...I had knowledge of that and was amused that I was probably one of a handful amongest the 10,000 in attendance that did. Of course, the fact the concert was in John Denver's home state, the crowd was frenzied at times and lots of fun.

The downtown area has a unique shopping area called the 16th street mall. I ate Friday at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company and I ate a few hours ago at the Paramount Cafe...which is adjacent to the historic Paramount Theatre in town. Going back home to keep doing spruce-ups to the house along with chores and getting ready for our week of camp which is next week starting on the 5th.

Earlier in the month I enjoyed five great days in Ocean City with Jon and his mother Margie. She celebrated her 91st birthday with us for the second year in a row. Got to ride the boogie board on Friday of the week as the winds were very cold and didn't lend itself to going in the waters too much. Camp's family camp weekend was also enjoyable last weekend but there were few in attendance due to the weathermans gloomy forecast.

So as you can tell, I am enjoying my Rocky Mountain High from my first visit to the Mile High City.]]> http://pblog.standupcomedian.com/index.php?entry=entry090606-211222
I made a whirlwind 48-hour tour of the Tonight Show last week for the last two "Tonight Show's" hosted by Jay Leno and the last ones to be filmed at the historic NBC Studios in greater downtown Burbank. Thursday's show was highlighted by Billy Crystal and his farewell serenade to Jay. Prince was the musical guest for the evening.

Friday's final show had heir-apparent Conan O'Brien as guest with James Taylor featured as the last musical guest in the 17 year run of the show. I wasn't expecting to get into either show when I left PA but the staff took care of me and I was an audience member for both. I was originally going to watch the show from a big screen that was set on the back lot of NBC. So glad I went and had a chance to be a part of the historic occasion.

I had a nice lunch with some industry friends at Bob's Big Boy. The Burbank location is the oldest one of the restaurants in the country. As a matter of fact, they still feature car-hop service on Friday and Saturday nights. The classic cars of LA are usually part of these evenings. Heath Hyche and Justin Worsham are comedian friends of mine and Bill Glass was one of the actors in the Troy Polamalu Super Bowl commercial from this past year. Just the "guys" having burgers and fres and talking shop.

The moment I will never forget about this trip, however, was when I was standing on the NBC lot on Friday the 29th. I received a call at 8 a.m. from my aunt telling me tha my cousin had taken his life in his home in NC. Nothing else can be said, I guess. I was standing on the studio lot for a couple of hours helping with funeral plans. Talk about a surreal moment......

It has been a week since I got the news and the funeral was yesterday. Mixed emotions. Sad at the loss of a family member but upset that he would do it when his mother was visiting his house in NC. As always in these situations, you are left to wonder why?

I am leaving in a few hours for Elizabethtown, PA for a performance at an independent living community. This will be my 20th summer performing for the residents and they are always an encouraging audience. Staying with my friends Dwayne and Sue Magee overnight. We rarely see each other so it will be nice to catch up for a few hours.

Monday through Saturday morning I will be in Ocean City, MD for a week of boogie-boarding, good food, bicycling, and sun (hopefully). Many...and I mean many things to get busy on when I return from vacation. I hope all of you have some great weather and will enjoy summer....when it finally gets here!]]> http://pblog.standupcomedian.com/index.php?entry=entry090518-090615
The New England trip went great as my friend Nick went with me for his first trip to the area. We went to Fenway Park for a Red Sox game on Wednesday, did the Freedom Trail in Boston on Thursday, drove to Cooperstown NY for the Baseball Hall of Fame on Friday, and the Basketball Hall of Fame on Saturday.

My performance went well on the Saturday evening at Ashlar Village in Wallingford, CT despite several technical issues that were hard to resolve prior and during the performance on their part. We went back to Boston for a few hours on Sunday for a final meal (or parts of several meals!) before the flight back to Pittsburgh.

Things start to get slow now with the traditional summer slowdown. I had been planning on doing my veterans tribute at Pearl Harbor on Memorial Day but the performance that was to be scheduled has been postponed till later this year. I have been given the option by Park Services (Pearl Harbor) to do the tribute at any Memorial Day or Pearl Harbor Day observance in the next couple of years. With that in mind I simply postponed to a later date although the publicity that goes with it is always welcome!

Spent some time on the phone last week and got back to the golf course where I have been doing extremely well lately. Always nice to take out your frustrations on the little white ball! I also have been quite dedicated to the gym the past couple of weeks as well. Also had the opportunity to catch game six of the Stanley Cup semi-finals in Pittsburgh. It was a brilliant game although the Penguins lost in overtime.

This week is busy with a lot of misc. things too numerous to mention but alot of it is keeping up the house and property and going out with a special friend this weekend.

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Traveling early on Friday to Coopertown, NY for a visit to the baseball hall of fame. It's been 10-12 years since I was there for my second visit and Nick's very first to a place that he always wanted to visit as a kid. Saturday night is the purpose of the trip and that is a performance in Wallingford, CT of the "Nostalgia" Show. It will also be my first performance in CT after 27 years in the business. Back to Boston on Sunday with dinner and the trip back to the 'Burgh.

It has been rather depressing the past few days as I lost a new friend who I was hoping to spend alot of time with in the future. I met Danny Gans at the TBS Comedy Festival this past November. Danny was an absolutely phenominal impressionist who had just moved to Steve Wynns Encore Hotel this past February. He had been in Vegas since 1995 starting at the Rio and then on to his last stint as the headliner of the Mirage Hotel for eight record breaking years.

Danny was found unconscious on Friday morning in his bedroom by his wife. The cause is unknown at this point. He was a great guy, a family man dedicated to his wife of 28 years, and a father of three young children....and a Christian man. I say that because there are few of them (or us) in Las Vegas. He was everyones friend and had just become mine when he invited me to worship with him at his Church when I was in town on a Sunday. Sadly, that day never happened. He was only 52. I was just in Vegas a week ago and remembered that I wished I could have stayed longer so that I could have went to that Church service.

Back to the homestead...the trim was completed by my neighbors last week on my newly plastered/drywalled home. Painting should take place a little at a time for the next few weeks and then curtains. CAN'T WAIT TO GET THIS DONE!!! That's all from the home front for now.............
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My performance was in Peoria this past Saturday and there were well over 300 people in attendance for a benefit. The performance was in the Scottish Rite Cathedral and was very well received and I was booked for another future Illinois performance from it.

Went to dinner with and am staying at my friends Phil & Janie's tonight. They are dear friends that I met at the Riviera Hotel in 1996 when the hotel hosted a very unique ministry inside a casino! Yes, I said...inside the casino. I once was involved with an "EXTRA" Tv magazine piece that they did on the ministry about ten years ago. I did about 30 seconds of material on the nationally syndicated show.

Phil officiates at weddings in Vegas and has become quite popular. He will be on his seventh reality TV show this spring from working the Vegas market. His web site is www.lvrev.com. His wife Janie teaches at one of the elementary schools in town. I had the opportunity to do a show for her fellow teachers this past February.

My Pastor from my home Church, Pastor Gary, is in town spending time with his mother on her vacation. We are eating at my favorite restaurant Carluccio's tomorrow evening. I have a small show on Wednesday and not much else planned. But when in Vegas, you WILL always find an activity or show to take in as I'm sure will be the case for me on Wednesday and Thursday before returning home Friday night. Sleeping will be my number one activity as it has been limited in past weeks and then the Riviera Hotel pool will come in a close second. That's life on the road at the moment......

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Back to Las Vegas for four days next Monday before returning home next Friday. Staying at the Riviera Hotel and it could be the last time as the hotel is currently under bankruptcy protection. Of course, half of the Vegas hotels are in the same situation right now.

Last minute activities for Thursday are giving blood, excercising, coffee with a friend, and a massage and chiropractic visit. Definitely looking forward to spending time at the Riviera pool next week. The last time I was in Vegas in February it was much colder there than hear. You could have skated on the pool!!!

My neighbors will be installing trim in my house while I am on the trip and it willbe done when I am back. That will just leave painting and curtains before the grand re-opening! I will be SO glad when all is done and I just have to worry about how to pay for it now!!!

I will attempt to get on here from on the road in either Iowa or Vegas or both. Sometimes computer access is limited and they want a first born for access through the hotels. I'll work on it though (the computer access...not the first born)! Hope my Pennsylvania Peeps (lingo from my days in the hood) will enjoy the warm weather heading your way.....I sure will from about 2200 miles away! Mowing awaits upon my return. Does anybody have any sheep for rent?]]> http://pblog.standupcomedian.com/index.php?entry=entry090409-204745
I performed yesterday at the Heritage Pointe independent living community in Morgantown, WV It was a daytime show for about 50 residents and was received very well. The next week will be getting ready for the eleven-day trip starting next Friday. More about that later.......

Friday will be a day of intense and long cleaning sessions, Saturday will be spent with a special friend, and Sunday, of course, is Easter. Sunrise service, Church, more cleaning, and dinner at Adams Pine Creek restaurant with my cousin.

Future booking for the Western Reserve Community of Ohio in July and the USS Bearss Naval reunion in San Antonio, TX in October. The Bearss reunion is very special to me as it was the ship that my Dad served on in World War II. It was de-commissioned for the final time about forty years ago. This will be a rewarding experience to perhaps meet some of my fathers shipmates from so long ago. It will also be a tough one to stand in front of these men and do the military tribute at the end of the show with Dad's picture on the screen behind me. I wish he could be there.....

I'll try to update again before the trip next week......
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It's looking quite nice but I will be a long way from completion. Once the remodelers leave at the end of next week I still have to get curtains, put up trim for all the doors and some of the windows, and paint. Probably won't see the fruits of my labors until summer with the upcoming road schedule. I have had to take somewhat of a break but haven't accomplished a tremendous amount of work with moving furniture and preparing rooms for work since Tuesday of LAST week.

I have been visiting several camp friends in their homes in the last couple of weeks also. I spent a nice evening with Clint and Angie and their children last Tuesday and then to Smithfield to visit Judy and her mother. Tomorrow night I will be going for a long overdue visit with my friends Doug and Nicole in Greensburg. With being on the road so much I am sometimes laid back when someone says "you have to come over to the house sometime." Lasagna is my fvorite meal and is on the menu for tommorow night!

Golfed a couple of more times last weekend which makes five times in March. I am very happy that I have been posting lower scores consistently especially with the fact it's the beginning of the year. I'm hopeful that I will be comfortable with my game as I have been invited in the past to play as a guest in some celebrity tournaments and always felt THAT would be the day that I really put on a great comical display!

The writing of the Christmas show is coming along very slowly with the house work. AAA contacted me about doing the show for a bus tour in the fall which is nice. The other exciting things for the weekend include painting the base of a lamp, watching Penguin games, ironing, and more moving for room #6.

So I will continue to live, breathe and yes, eat everything plaster until this is all done........]]> http://pblog.standupcomedian.com/index.php?entry=entry090314-181557
Busy day today as I went golfing early this morning and did quite well with four pars in the mix. Had a long overdue and refreshing nap that led into new energy to walk the dog, burn trash, dust and vacuum the entire house, do the last bit of tax preparation, and bake M & M cookies. I'll make someone a wonderful mate someday!!! Sure hope she gets out of prison soon!!

Got a bid on redoing the walls in the entire house and will have to decide if I want to do that in the approaching weeks. I have a wall between the living room and dining room that I still can't decide if I want to leave it upor take it down to make one large room. I've been wanting to take it down and then I feel if I take it down that I'm somehow ruining what was my parents house and original layout. As of 9:22 p.m.on Saturday, March 14th...it will be at least halfway gone before the construction starts!!!

Rare Saturday evening home as I have invites fo dinner with different friends the next two Saturday nights. Also a performance at the Kingwood Civic Center in Kingwood, WV this coming Friday night so I'm back at rehearsing early in the week. My dog gets tired of me vocalizng for the evenings leading up to a performance. The typewriter routine from the show where I do pantomine ala Jerry Lewis is something he howls at and absolutely hates!! Not sure what the reason is unless he had a run-in with a portable typewriter before I rescued him!

Well....my public needs me...back to my facebook friends and their exciting adventures!

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I have a little over a month that is "unusually unbusy". Many things, as spring approached to fill that time with as well as finishing the Christmas Show. I should have a couple of more shows coming this week for May and June which will be nice.

I have a special Las Vegas appearance in the works for later this year which should be contracted by the end of this week. It will be a benefit for the Liberace Museum in a room where his mirrored piano resides as well as a small 90-seat theatre. The museum and it's foundation is responsible for hundreds of thousands of dollars in music scholarships each year and I wanted to do something to help in my own small way.

Nothing else....it can't all be bright lights and big cities. Sometimes you have to settle for dim lights and little villages. ...and I've been accused of being dimly lit for some time!!!!]]>