COMEBACK VERSION 1.4

 I know I stated in January "I have decided that this will be my last entry for a while, maybe ever". So like KISS and their 'Farewell Tour' in 2000, I am back because there is ALWAYS something happening around casa de McBride and I KNOW with no doubt in my mind that YOU need to read about it!!!! I just needed to take a break for a few months, KOOL AND THE GANG!?!?! OKIE DOKIE and we go a lil' somethang like this, HIT IT!!!!

 Not gonna lie to ya, this year has kinda sucked so far. Let the BAD NEWS commence! So everyone knows now, and frankly I could give an EFF if you don't, BECAUSE THEY WERE A HUGE PART OF MY LIFE!!!!! Anyways, after a very long time, My best friend and his wife (who is like a sister to me) are no more. I was told NOT to delve into it further but I need to let you know my LIFE changed at 4:10PM on 4/19/13....

 As you know Wylie (a pupper I had with a former girlfriend) passed away in 2010 and it took me over 2 1/2 years to realize Mary, my old girlfriend, did something very cool!!! Now I, and people that I know, have not always looked at her in the ‘brightest light’ from time to time BUT what she did was a very sweet thing, and I for one think she is very cool for doing this. At the same time Wylie had to be put down, I had a friend who went out to New Mexico and was going to send me some dirt from there. WELL I got a package and I ASSUMED it was the dirt so I just put it in a cabinet for when I did something in the yard and I needed a little 'fill in' dirt. In those 2 1/2 years, I moved it to the garage. One day a few months ago I was cleaning out the garage and said to myself, “Open up that package and dump the dirt in the yard and get it OUT of the garage.” When I opened it, there was a note from Mary and a bag of some of Wylie’s ashes!!!!!! The note said that they were ashes and I might want to scatter them at Lake Wylie (HENCE her name)… AGAIN, VERY COOL OF HER TO DO! So some of the ashes are by one of the trees I have in the front and off a dock at Lake Wylie.

 I turned 40 in April and I am happy to report that I haven’t had a midlife crisis yet and bought a Vette!

 My best friend’s (yeah the same one going through a divorce - it's not just a kick in the balls for him but it's when someone uses the top of their foot and causes a 'slapping' effect) dad was diagnosed with brain cancer and so I told Mrs. Boike that EVERYTHING that I am going through (Going to Duke Medical) is on hold because I can deal with my issues and she has A LOT on her plate! So with a ton on my mind, I went on my annual tour to go visit people in the OH., NY., PA. areas. Usually VA. is the last stop BUT I made the call NOT to go down there. Do I regret my decision? Is the Pope Catholic????? ANYWAYS, let's start;

 The night before I was to leave, my old friends Mike Carbonara and Boike came over and we had a couple, OK A LOT, of beers and talked about ‘stuff’ on the front porch. Needless to say, I didn’t get on the road until around 8ish and let me tell ya, driving eight hours with a bitchin’ hangover kinda stinks…

 SCREEEEEEEEECH!!!! I will have an update each Monday of the week for the month of August... Each new update will be in RED..

Mansfield, OH-

The first stop was Grandma McBride’s apartment at the assisted living complex in Mansfield, OH. She is 94 and can hardly see but STILL INSISTS to do everything herself. She made some Stouffers lasagna, like she did EVERY NIGHT when her and Grandpa watched me in 1989 while Catholic KATE and Big RON went to Hawaii. The next morning we went to breakfast with Sue who takes very good care of grandma and is just a freakin’ SAINT!!!!! We then went for a walk around the complex and she pointed out plants that she likes to take care of. AGAIN FOLKS SHE CAN HARDLY SEE BUT SHE MAKES DUE!!!!!! I then went to my cousin Chris’s house and he drove me around to some places I have NEVER seen and/or not seen in years…. One place we SHOULD NOT have drove by was my Nana’s old house! GOOD LORD!!!! WHAT A DUMP!!!! I will just leave it at that because I will get too upset about it. ANYWAYS! It was very cool to just hang out with him on his back patio and shoot the $hit about the demons that every family has, our grandpa and the Pink Floyd concert (which was his first) he and 90K other people were at in 1977 at the old Cleveland Stadium! HA!!!!!!!

One or the first regrets of the trip occurred the 2nd day I was there. I decided NOT to see my 95 year old Nana at the nursing home, I KINDA know myself and I don’t think I could handle it. This has been ‘weighing’ on my mind since the last time I saw her last June. Kripes when I went to see her at the nursing home, I almost ‘lost’ it. I know she doesn’t even know me anymore and from what the hospice nurses have said, she is very thin and feeble.

Before heading out, I stopped by casa de Amy (She’s my cousin) in a way it’s like mine, in shouting distance of a race track. Mine is Lancaster Speedway and her’s is Mid-Ohio. FYI- her hubby is pretty funny, I can’t go into detail BUT his body language around some people is pretty funny. Then I drove up to Cleveland for a game at Progressive field or whatever they call it now, for an Indians game.

I ALWAYS stay at my friend Scott and Dustin’s house where the hospitality ALWAYS rules and the beer is always cold! After last year's debacle of getting super drunk thus having a terrible hangover the next day. I only had a couple and we just hung outside and chit chatted for a little bit. YES!!!!! They are a gay couple!!! I know you were wondering that and don't lie and say you weren't. GET READY cause' I'm sooooooooooo getting on my soap box!!! TEST 1-2-3!!!! This thing on? OKIE DOKIE!!!! They are the coolest guys and they are A LOT nicer to fellow humans then some. I would LOVE to find a girl that loves me as much as Scott and Dustin love each other!!! THERE! I'm off now.


Allegany, Olean, Bolivar, Buffalo, NY SunnyHill Campground

After an evening of hanging out and drinking, I drove up to A-TOWN, Allegany, NY for some MORE!!!!!!
BUCKOFEST 2013- You might remember when an old friend of mine unexpectedly passed away in 2012. Well his mom who is a very sweet lady, and his step dad had a party for all of his friends and family. It was a great time! NOT only did I get to drink some of Scott Sonneborn's YUMMY IN MY TUMMY home brew but I also saw some old friends that I love spending time with.

HEY LOOK!!! We didn’t ever have anything BUT Kathleen Donavon had the ‘hey pass that over EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR’ look going in every picture! HA!!

A few of us stayed there until 3AM and during that time one of Dave’s daughters FARTED A LOT hence I started calling her ‘FART GIRL’ which I don’t think her mother really appreciated. HA!!!!! I was up there for more than a week just :

• Going to some dining establishments that I crave for a year between visits Like Renna’s, The Burton, The Chuck Wagon, Tasta Pizza, Randy’s Up The River and Duffs ( don’t get the mild hot ones! I couldn’t finish them because they were so HOT.)  One night my friend Kelly and I went to get some YUMMY IN MY TUMMY pizza and after we went to a local watering hole for a few drinks. Well we made the mistake of sitting at the bar next to this old DRUNK who was ‘undressing her with his eyes' from the first minute we sat down.…. He and I didn't get along from the moment we walked in. Not sure if he was just HITTING on her but he mentioned that he knew people in her family and that caused her to instantly gravitate towards him. In their conversation he said he was a Vietnam vet and I thanked him for his service and also said that I am sorry he was exposed to such a nasty chemical. He in turn said the exact quote 'Agent Orange wasn't that bad." REALLY!?! I respectfully disagree with you fine sir… I think he was arguing with me just to argue. Another argument revolved around NASCAR! I admit I was WRONG to a point but this ‘A’ hole kept on saying "DON’T ARGUE NASCAR WITH ME BECAUSE I KNOW MY NASCAR...." he kept on saying it over and over again. CRAZY LUSH!!!!!!!!!
• Cleaning up some old friend’s graves because IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO!
• Going to CUTCO to have the knives my mom gave me (I think they are from the 70's) sharpened so I can cut me finger without even knowing it!
• Just checking out places that I think about throughout the year. I LOVE history and so I go to places that I remember as a kid or someone on ‘DA BOOK’ (F/B) mentioned it.
• Chillin’ out with someone and enjoying a cold beverage (usually a beer) on their porch while visiting. I did A LOT of this at casa de Kiener. It's where I stayed some nights, Oh and Kylee, their daughter, thanks for letting me sleep in your bed while I was there! Don't mind the wet spot, I just peed a little in it THAT'S ALL and their son said the quote of the TRIP when he told his little sister that "GOD doesn’t like liars and bad actors"! Speaking of beer, Saturday night 6-29 was the annual BEER-PA-LOOZA. Sure the turn out wasn’t that good, I blame the rain and the crappy @$$ carnival, BUT three events happened that made it all worth it to me:
• Seeing Mike Wilber’s girlfriend and saying “Hi Joy.” See she wasn’t expecting me to remember her name. Needless to say, she lit up like a Christmas tree….
• Seeing an old friend Stacey for the first time in over 25 years!
• Seeing another friend Rita and meeting her funny husband Matt
• Hanging out with Mark Vitale at the bar and him telling some GREAT stories about some of the trips we took to go see concerts in Buffalo or Rochester... He's ALSO a SAINT (at least in my eyes he is) for letting me hold his shoulder while he lead me to the bathroom!!!
• One day my cousin Jeff and I installed a new POOP PIPE at Camper de Margeson up on Sunny Hill camp. Kinda glad I washed my hands AFTER it was done and it was BEER THIRTY on his DECK ‘MAHAL’!!!! I don’t need spinal meningitis.
• Went up to Buffalo and was almost arrested at Ralph Wilson Stadium apparently they don't like strange looking people wandering around the stadium. FYI- they are doing some work up there because I heard jack hammers and stuff before I was 'escorted' to my car by security.... BEFORE I was 'almost arrested' , I was in the field house and I was talking to this guy. Buffalo Bills fans know who he is. He is the voice of the Bills and I was chatting with him while he was blowing his nose, The poor guy had a nasty head cold..... 

 The final regret happened on the Monday 7-1. I decided NOT to go to VA. I just felt at the time that it was the right thing to do AND I went a different way home. I took Hwy 219 down to I-80 not only did it NOT save some time BUT the dang McDonald's in Brockway, PA charged me EXTRA to use my check card instead of cash…. Not sure which one riled me up more BUT I will NOT go that way again, MARK MY WORDS!!!

 And I will leave you with these wise words from the this guy: "ALWAYS remember that you CHOOSE the things in your life! NO ONE ELSE!" HA! I have no idea if he EVER said that but it soooooooooooooo sounds like something he would say.

RIP NANA!

COMEBACK VERSION 1.3

I know I stated in January "I have decided that this will be my last entry for a while, maybe ever". So like KISS and their 'Farewell Tour' in 2000, I am back because there is ALWAYS something happening around casa de McBride and I KNOW with no doubt in my mind that YOU need to read about it!!!! I just needed to take a break for a few months, KOOL AND THE GANG!?!?! OKIE DOKIE and we go a lil' somethang like this, HIT IT!!!!

 Not gonna lie to ya, this year has kinda sucked so far. Let the BAD NEWS commence! So everyone knows now, and frankly I could give an EFF if you don't, BECAUSE THEY WERE A HUGE PART OF MY LIFE!!!!! Anyways, after a very long time, My best friend and his wife (who is like a sister to me) are no more. I was told NOT to delve into it further but I need to let you know my LIFE changed at 4:10PM on 4/19/13....

 As you know Wylie (a pupper I had with a former girlfriend) passed away in 2010 and it took me over 2 1/2 years to realize Mary, my old girlfriend, did something very cool!!! Now I, and people that I know, have not always looked at her in the ‘brightest light’ from time to time BUT what she did was a very sweet thing, and I for one think she is very cool for doing this. At the same time Wylie had to be put down, I had a friend who went out to New Mexico and was going to send me some dirt from there. WELL I got a package and I ASSUMED it was the dirt so I just put it in a cabinet for when I did something in the yard and I needed a little 'fill in' dirt. In those 2 1/2 years, I moved it to the garage. One day a few months ago I was cleaning out the garage and said to myself, “Open up that package and dump the dirt in the yard and get it OUT of the garage.” When I opened it, there was a note from Mary and a bag of some of Wylie’s ashes!!!!!! The note said that they were ashes and I might want to scatter them at Lake Wylie (HENCE her name)… AGAIN, VERY COOL OF HER TO DO! So some of the ashes are by one of the trees I have in the front and off a dock at Lake Wylie.

 I turned 40 in April and I am happy to report that I haven’t had a midlife crisis yet and bought a Vette!

 My best friend’s (yeah the same one going through a divorce - it's not just a kick in the balls for him but it's when someone uses the top of their foot and causes a 'slapping' effect) dad was diagnosed with brain cancer and so I told Mrs. Boike that EVERYTHING that I am going through (Going to Duke Medical) is on hold because I can deal with my issues and she has A LOT on her plate! So with a ton on my mind, I went on my annual tour to go visit people in the OH., NY., PA. areas. Usually VA. is the last stop BUT I made the call NOT to go down there. Do I regret my decision? Is the Pope Catholic????? ANYWAYS, let's start;

 The night before I was to leave, my old friends Mike Carbonara and Boike came over and we had a couple, OK A LOT, of beers and talked about ‘stuff’ on the front porch. Needless to say, I didn’t get on the road until around 8ish and let me tell ya, driving eight hours with a bitchin’ hangover kinda stinks…

Mansfield, OH-

The first stop was Grandma McBride’s apartment at the assisted living complex in Mansfield, OH. She is 94 and can hardly see but STILL INSISTS to do everything herself. She made some Stouffers lasagna, like she did EVERY NIGHT when her and Grandpa watched me in 1989 while Catholic KATE and Big RON went to Hawaii. The next morning we went to breakfast with Sue who takes very good care of grandma and is just a freakin’ SAINT!!!!! We then went for a walk around the complex and she pointed out plants that she likes to take care of. AGAIN FOLKS SHE CAN HARDLY SEE BUT SHE MAKES DUE!!!!!! I then went to my cousin Chris’s house and he drove me around to some places I have NEVER seen and/or not seen in years…. One place we SHOULD NOT have drove by was my Nana’s old house! GOOD LORD!!!! WHAT A DUMP!!!! I will just leave it at that because I will get too upset about it. ANYWAYS! It was very cool to just hang out with him on his back patio and shoot the $hit about the demons that every family has, our grandpa and the Pink Floyd concert (which was his first) he and 90K other people were at in 1977 at the old Cleveland Stadium! HA!!!!!!!

One or the first regrets of the trip occurred the 2nd day I was there. I decided NOT to see my 95 year old Nana at the nursing home, I KINDA know myself and I don’t think I could handle it. This has been ‘weighing’ on my mind since the last time I saw her last June. Kripes when I went to see her at the nursing home, I almost ‘lost’ it. I know she doesn’t even know me anymore and from what the hospice nurses have said, she is very thin and feeble.

Before heading out, I stopped by casa de Amy (She’s my cousin) in a way it’s like mine, in shouting distance of a race track. Mine is Lancaster Speedway and her’s is Mid-Ohio. FYI- her hubby is pretty funny, I can’t go into detail BUT his body language around some people is pretty funny. Then I drove up to Cleveland for a game at Progressive field or whatever they call it now, for an Indians game.

I ALWAYS stay at my friend Scott and Dustin’s house where the hospitality ALWAYS rules and the beer is always cold! After last year's debacle of getting super drunk thus having a terrible hangover the next day. I only had a couple and we just hung outside and chit chatted for a little bit. YES!!!!! They are a gay couple!!! I know you were wondering that and don't lie and say you weren't. GET READY cause' I'm sooooooooooo getting on my soap box!!! TEST 1-2-3!!!! This thing on? OKIE DOKIE!!!! They are the coolest guys and they are A LOT nicer to fellow humans then some. I would LOVE to find a girl that loves me as much as Scott and Dustin love each other!!! THERE! I'm off now.


Allegany, Olean, Bolivar, Buffalo, NY SunnyHill Campground

After an evening of hanging out and drinking, I drove up to A-TOWN, Allegany, NY for some MORE!!!!!!
BUCKOFEST 2013- You might remember when an old friend of mine unexpectedly passed away in 2012. Well his mom who is a very sweet lady, and his step dad had a party for all of his friends and family. It was a great time! NOT only did I get to drink some of Scott Sonneborn's YUMMY IN MY TUMMY home brew but I also saw some old friends that I love spending time with.

HEY LOOK!!! We didn’t ever have anything BUT Kathleen Donavon had the ‘hey pass that over EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR’ look going in every picture! HA!!

A few of us stayed there until 3AM and during that time I was EYED UP by Cindy and made me feel REALLY CHEAP and one of Dave’s daughters FARTED A LOT hence I started calling her ‘FART GIRL’ which I don’t think her mother really appreciated. HA!!!!! I was up there for more than a week just :

• Going to some dining establishments that I crave for a year between visits Like Renna’s, The Burton, The Chuck Wagon, Tasta Pizza, Randy’s Up The River and Duffs ( don’t get the mild hot ones! I couldn’t finish them because they were so HOT.)  One night my friend Kelly and I went to get some YUMMY IN MY TUMMY pizza and after we went to a local watering hole for a few drinks. Well we made the mistake of sitting at the bar next to this old DRUNK who was ‘undressing her with his eyes' from the first minute we sat down.…. He and I didn't get along from the moment we walked in. Not sure if he was just HITTING on her but he mentioned that he knew people in her family and that caused her to instantly gravitate towards him. In their conversation he said he was a Vietnam vet and I thanked him for his service and also said that I am sorry he was exposed to such a nasty chemical. He in turn said the exact quote 'Agent Orange wasn't that bad." REALLY!?! I respectfully disagree with you fine sir… I think he was arguing with me just to argue. Another argument revolved around NASCAR! I admit I was WRONG to a point but this ‘A’ hole kept on saying "DON’T ARGUE NASCAR WITH ME BECAUSE I KNOW MY NASCAR...." he kept on saying it over and over again. CRAZY LUSH!!!!!!!!!
• Cleaning up some old friend’s graves because IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO!
• Going to CUTCO to have the knives my mom gave me (I think they are from the 70's) sharpened so I can cut me finger without even knowing it!
• Just checking out places that I think about throughout the year. I LOVE history and so I go to places that I remember as a kid or someone on ‘DA BOOK’ (F/B) mentioned it.
• Chillin’ out with someone and enjoying a cold beverage (usually a beer) on their porch while visiting. I did A LOT of this at casa de Kiener. It's where I stayed some nights, Oh and Kylee, their daughter, thanks for letting me sleep in your bed while I was there! Don't mind the wet spot, I just peed a little in it THAT'S ALL and their son said the quote of the TRIP when he told his little sister that "GOD doesn’t like liars and bad actors"! Speaking of beer, Saturday night 6-29 was the annual BEER-PA-LOOZA. Sure the turn out wasn’t that good, I blame the rain and the crappy @$$ carnival, BUT three events happened that made it all worth it to me:
• Seeing Mike Wilber’s girlfriend and saying “Hi Joy.” See she wasn’t expecting me to remember her name. Needless to say, she lit up like a Christmas tree….
• Seeing an old friend Stacey for the first time in over 25 years!
• Seeing another friend Rita and meeting her funny husband Matt
• Hanging out with Mark Vitale at the bar and him telling some GREAT stories about some of the trips we took to go see concerts in Buffalo or Rochester... He's ALSO a SAINT (at least in my eyes he is) for letting me hold his shoulder while he lead me to the bathroom!!!
• One day my cousin Jeff and I installed a new POOP PIPE at Camper de Margeson up on Sunny Hill camp. Kinda glad I washed my hands AFTER it was done and it was BEER THIRTY on his DECK ‘MAHAL’!!!! I don’t need spinal meningitis.
• Went up to Buffalo and was almost arrested at Ralph Wilson Stadium apparently they don't like strange looking people wandering around the stadium. FYI- they are doing some work up there because I heard jack hammers and stuff before I was 'escorted' to my car by security.... BEFORE I was 'almost arrested' , I was in the field house and I was talking to this guy. Buffalo Bills fans know who he is. He is the voice of the Bills and I was chatting with him while he was blowing his nose, The poor guy had a nasty head cold.....

BUS TRIPS Revisited after 20+ years.....

 The Chronicles of DA BUS TRIPS to concerts! FIRST OFF, this kind of stuff will NEVER happen again. Think about it as a parent, your teenager comes to you and says “Can I go to a concert on a bus that another teenager rented oh and BTW, there will be NO adult supervision.” You would say ‘H’ to the ‘E’ to the double ‘L’ NO!!!!! Anyways, I don’t know about you BUT I LOVE telling people that as a 14 year, my friends and I went on a rented bus to a concert of some band that is of no more but was HUGE at the time. People are blown away!!!! According to the GODFATHER of the trips, Todd Hopkins, This is how it started:
 “One day while on a typical after school "hanging at the fantastical Olean Center Mall" session, we were walking to Blue Bird Coach Lines on Union St to catch the Bona Bus home. As we stood there waiting, I said "you know Dave, We should charter a bus to UB Spring Fest to see the Ramones." Dave thought about that for a minute and then replied "How would we go about this bus idea Todd?" To which I responded "I'll call Blue bird and try to set things up," So when I got home, I called the Blue Bird office and said to the woman who answered "I would like to charter a bus please." She asked me for the pick-up time and location, and asked which type of bus we required and gave us pricing options. I realized that the $$ was completely feasible and that if we could fill each seat, it would only cost about $10 per rider. Later that evening we realized what a great service we would be providing people so nobody would need to drink and drive. It also afforded many who had no means to get to Buffalo or Rochester an opportunity to go see a concert.”

 So it began with the pioneer trip to UofB’s ‘Spring Fest’ (4-88) to an all day festival where the Ramones were headlining. I was on this trip!!!! WOO HOO!!! The school principal and a few teachers actually watched us get on the bus! Their ‘red flags’ were raised when they received a bunch of notes from our parents asking us to be excused from school on the SAME day!!! Word on the street is that they were amazed how organized we were in pulling this off. Can you verify that Mr. Petruzzi? ANYWAYS, I can tell people that I saw Living Colour before anyone knew who they were! HA!!!! I soooooo remember Corey Glover telling the crowd of maybe 200 people, to STAND UP because we were all sitting on the ground….. An act before the Ramones took the stage was Grand Master Flash…. Sure they were on the ‘downward spiral’ of their career BUT still!!!! People at work are AMAZED that a white boy saw them and actually knows who they are! HA!!!! The Ramones were no thrills just B@LL to the wall music with the only thing between songs being Dee Dee yelling 1-2-3-4!!!! One of the many HIGHLIGHTS from that day was Todd and Dave leading me to an empty car (Ford Taurus) at the side of the stage. I wasn’t quite sure why we were there until I saw all four of the Ramones get in and being whisked away. WOO HOO!! I was 5 ft away from freakin’ ROCK ‘N’ ROLL legends!!!!! I remember Todd yelling at Joey that he wanted to play ‘pocket pool’ with him and Joey saying ‘”WHOW!!! I don’t play for your ‘team’ kid.” HA!!! I soooooooooooooo just made that last part up BUT Todd did say something and Joey said “ALRIGHT MAN!”

06-88 Monsters of Rock (Kingdom Come, Metallica, Dokken, The Scorpions, Van Halen) Rich Stadium, Buffalo: Dare I say, one of the greatest days of my life! As an 8th grader and 25 years LATER I still pinch myself when I think of it and say “was I really there?”…. So many memories, the trip up and getting PLASTERED at 9AM in THE MORNING, people screaming that Steve Lippert was SHOT when he really had a bottle thrown at him, people wondering where my brother was when he was passed out someplace from all the booze he drank, Billy Miller being taken to the E.R and having his stomach pumped because he drank too much Night Train wine, Watching Van Halen with my best friend Mark Singer……. I could go on BUT I will resist the urge.

03-89 Metallica/Queensryche Buffalo: I wasn’t on this one but Todd wrote “Dave and I were at the dept. store in the mall that had ticketmaster. Bob & Phil Quinlan's mom worked there. We would always stop there on paydays, get our checks cashed and she would look up any shows coming to Buffalo, Erie or Rochester. On this particular day she saw that Metallica just went on sale. There was no internet yet so we were able to get third row on the floor. The 2 end seats. When the lights went down for Queensryche we ran like hell around those first 2 rows and ended up front row center right up against the wall. James Hetfield literally stood over us”.

05-89 Cinderella, Bullet Boys, Winger Rochester: I was not on this one either BUT Todd told me that on the way home the state troopers stopped the bus and boarded it. He said that he was freakin’ because everyone was drunk or hung over and the police were walking over empty beer bottle and stuff going from seat to seat looking. It turns out they were looking for someone that just escaped from jail. Basically they could give a cr@p about all the underage drinking that was going on, they were on a mission to find this escape fugitive and that’s it….

12-89 Motley Crue/Warrant Rochester: Again, I was NOT on this one but Mark Vitale and Mark Singer told me a great story about it. Usually the bus driver was very cool! Heck, I think he was the same guy for a lot of them, he was the husband of one of the managers at McDonalds where Todd and Dave worked BUT this was a different driver and he was kind of a prune! He wouldn’t let everyone drink on the bus. WHAT THE H@LL, he had a conscious!!!!! So after some ‘negotiating’ he agreed to let everyone have ‘adult beverages’ BUT only after they got out of the city limits? Not sure how that would help BUT OH WELL! Mark Vitale donated his services and packed his little Dodge Colt full of ALL the booze and met the bus at the designated place where everyone paid him for his services and they loaded the bus up with all of the alcohol. I forget how much $ he told me he made BUT it was A LOT!

06-89 Ozzy, White Lion, Vixen Darien Lake- Even after moving to Charlotte, NC 10 months before, Mark Singer and I STILL talked on the phone at least every month and he asked me if I wanted to go up on a bus to see Ozzy Osbourne at Darien Lake in June. WELL DUH!!!!! Of course I do!!!!! I knew it was going to be a BLAST being I had been on two already. Well I don’t remember the trip up because Mark Vitale made me some lemonade and vodka drinks. Needless to say I was PLASTERED! The concert you ask?? Well I have no idea, I assume it was good. The one thing I DO remember about was making the HUGE mistake of getting some chocolate cookies and milk and downing it!!! HUGE MISTAKE because 10 minutes after that they had to stop the bus so I could PUKE on the side of the highway!!!!! HA!!!!!!!!

06-90 Aerosmith/Metallica/Dokken/Black Crows at Silver Stadium Rochester: Todd stated that Dave Howard started organizing the trips BUT when I emailed him he stated ”I was not at that show. I think Mike Z and doc did that trip.” So who did this trip and WHO is Mike Z. and 'doc'?

This is from Todd:

"Here are a couple corrections and answers to your questions. It was the Crue/Warrant/Bullet Boys show that Dave Howard put together. The bus left from the old Kmart parking lot. When Dave and I arrived as participants and not organizers for the first time, we were greeted by everyone freaking out about Jack being a dick not allowing alcohol. We knew him very well....he drove a few of our earlier trips and yes he was married to one of my McD's managers. He said that the Blue Bird folks had caught wind to the whole underage drinking thing we had going and he didn't want to get in trouble. We talked him into the outside the city limits thing. The Silver Stadium show with Metallica/Aerosmith/Dokken/Black Crows was organized by Dave and I. I can't tell you a damn thing about the show because my girlfriend at that time left her ticket at home in Olean. I stayed on the bus with her the entire day while everyone else enjoyed the show. It was pouring rain and Richie B was moshing down in the front in like a foot or so of standing water. He lost his shoes."

COMEBACK VERSION 1.2

 I know I stated in January "I have decided that this will be my last entry for a while, maybe ever". So like KISS and their 'Farewell Tour' in 2000, I am back because there is ALWAYS something happening around casa de McBride and I KNOW with no doubt in my mind that YOU need to read about it!!!! I just needed to take a break for a few months, KOOL AND THE GANG!?!?! OKIE DOKIE and we go a lil' somethang like this, HIT IT!!!!

 Not gonna lie to ya, this year has kinda sucked so far. Let the BAD NEWS commence! So everyone knows now, and frankly I could give an EFF if you don't, BECAUSE THEY WERE A HUGE PART OF MY LIFE!!!!! Anyways, after a very long time, My best friend and his wife (who is like a sister to me) are no more. I was told NOT to delve into it further but I need to let you know my LIFE changed at 4:10PM on 4/19/13....

 As you know Wylie (a pupper I had with a former girlfriend) passed away in 2010 and it took me over 2 1/2 years to realize Mary, my old girlfriend, did something very cool!!! Now I, and people that I know, have not always looked at her in the ‘brightest light’ from time to time BUT what she did was a very sweet thing, and I for one think she is very cool for doing this. At the same time Wylie had to be put down, I had a friend who went out to New Mexico and was going to send me some dirt from there. WELL I got a package and I ASSUMED it was the dirt so I just put it in a cabinet for when I did something in the yard and I needed a little 'fill in' dirt. In those 2 1/2 years, I moved it to the garage. One day a few months ago I was cleaning out the garage and said to myself, “Open up that package and dump the dirt in the yard and get it OUT of the garage.” When I opened it, there was a note from Mary and a bag of some of Wylie’s ashes!!!!!! The note said that they were ashes and I might want to scatter them at Lake Wylie (HENCE her name)… AGAIN, VERY COOL OF HER TO DO! So some of the ashes are by one of the trees I have in the front and off a dock at Lake Wylie.

 I turned 40 in April and I am happy to report that I haven’t had a midlife crisis yet and bought a Vette!

 My best friend’s (yeah the same one going through a divorce - it's not just a kick in the balls for him but it's when someone uses the top of their foot and causes a 'slapping' effect) dad was diagnosed with brain cancer and so I told Mrs. Boike that EVERYTHING that I am going through (Going to Duke Medical) is on hold because I can deal with my issues and she has A LOT on her plate! So with a ton on my mind, I went on my annual tour to go visit people in the OH., NY., PA. areas. Usually VA. is the last stop BUT I made the call NOT to go down there. Do I regret my decision? Is the Pope Catholic????? ANYWAYS, let's start;

 The night before I was to leave, my old friends Mike Carbonara and Boike came over and we had a couple, OK A LOT, of beers and talked about ‘stuff’ on the front porch. Needless to say, I didn’t get on the road until around 8ish and let me tell ya, driving eight hours with a bitchin’ hangover kinda stinks…

Mansfield, OH-

The first stop was Grandma McBride’s apartment at the assisted living complex in Mansfield, OH. She is 94 and can hardly see but STILL INSISTS to do everything herself. She made some Stouffers lasagna, like she did EVERY NIGHT when her and Grandpa watched me in 1989 while Catholic KATE and Big RON went to Hawaii. The next morning we went to breakfast with Sue who takes very good care of grandma and is just a freakin’ SAINT!!!!! We then went for a walk around the complex and she pointed out plants that she likes to take care of. AGAIN FOLKS SHE CAN HARDLY SEE BUT SHE MAKES DUE!!!!!! I then went to my cousin Chris’s house and he drove me around to some places I have NEVER seen and/or not seen in years…. One place we SHOULD NOT have drove by was my Nana’s old house! GOOD LORD!!!! WHAT A DUMP!!!! I will just leave it at that because I will get too upset about it. ANYWAYS! It was very cool to just hang out with him on his back patio and shoot the $hit about the demons that every family has, our grandpa and the Pink Floyd concert (which was his first) he and 90K other people were at in 1977 at the old Cleveland Stadium! HA!!!!!!!

 One or the first regrets of the trip occurred the 2nd day I was there. I decided NOT to see my 95 year old Nana at the nursing home, I KINDA know myself and I don’t think I could handle it. This has been ‘weighing’ on my mind since the last time I saw her in June 2012. Kripes when I went to see her at the nursing home, I almost ‘lost’ it. I know she doesn’t even know me anymore and from what the hospice nurses have said, she is very thin and feeble.

 Before heading out, I stopped by casa de Amy (She’s my cousin) in a way it’s like mine, in shouting distance of a race track. Mine is Lancaster Speedway and her’s is Mid-Ohio. FYI- her hubby is pretty funny, I can’t go into detail BUT his body language around some people is pretty funny. Then I drove up to Cleveland for a game at Progressive field or whatever they call it now, for an Indians game.

 I ALWAYS stay at my friend Scott and Dustin’s house where the hospitality ALWAYS rules and the beer is always cold! After last year's debacle of getting super drunk thus having a terrible hangover the next day. I only had a couple and we just hung outside and chit chatted for a little bit. YES!!!!! They are a gay couple!!! I know you were wondering that and don't lie and say you weren't. GET READY cause' I'm sooooooooooo getting on my soap box!!! TEST 1-2-3!!!! This thing on? OKIE DOKIE!!!! They are the coolest guys and they are A LOT nicer to fellow humans then some. I would LOVE to find a girl that loves me as much as Scott and Dustin love each other!!! THERE! I'm off now. 

 I will have an update for you next Monday, OKIE DOKIE???

COMEBACK

 I know I stated in January "I have decided that this will be my last entry for a while, maybe ever". So like KISS and their 'Farewell Tour' in 2000, I am back because there is ALWAYS something happening around casa de McBride and I KNOW with no doubt in my mind that YOU need to read about it!!!! I just needed to take a break for a few months, KOOL AND THE GANG!?!?! OKIE DOKIE and we go a lil' somethang like this, HIT IT!!!!

 Not gonna lie to ya, this year has kinda sucked so far. Let the BAD NEWS commence! So everyone knows now, and frankly I could give an EFF if you don't, BECAUSE THEY WERE A HUGE PART OF MY LIFE!!!!! Anyways, after a very long time, My best friend and his wife (who is like a sister to me) are no more. I was told NOT to delve into it further but I need to let you know my LIFE changed at 4:10PM on 4/19/13....

 As you know Wylie (a pupper I had with a former girlfriend) passed away in 2010 and it took me over 2 1/2 years to realize Mary, my old girlfriend, did something very cool!!! Now I, and people that I know, have not always looked at her in the ‘brightest light’ from time to time BUT what she did was a very sweet thing, and I for one think she is very cool for doing this. At the same time Wylie had to be put down, I had a friend who went out to New Mexico and was going to send me some dirt from there. WELL I got a package and I ASSUMED it was the dirt so I just put it in a cabinet for when I did something in the yard and I needed a little 'fill in' dirt. In those 2 1/2 years, I moved it to the garage. One day a few months ago I was cleaning out the garage and said to myself, “Open up that package and dump the dirt in the yard and get it OUT of the garage.” When I opened it, there was a note from Mary and a bag of some of Wylie’s ashes!!!!!! The note said that they were ashes and I might want to scatter them at Lake Wylie (HENCE her name)… AGAIN, VERY COOL OF HER TO DO! So some of the ashes are by one of the trees I have in the front and off a dock at Lake Wylie.

 I turned 40 in April and I am happy to report that I haven’t had a midlife crisis yet and bought a Vette!

 My best friend’s (yeah the same one going through a divorce - it's not just a kick in the balls for him but it's when someone uses the top of their foot and causes a 'slapping' effect) dad was diagnosed with brain cancer and so I told Mrs. Boike that EVERYTHING that I am going through (Going to Duke Medical) is on hold because I can deal with my issues and she has A LOT on her plate! So with a ton on my mind, I went on my annual tour to go visit people in the OH., NY., PA. areas. Usually VA. is the last stop BUT I made the call NOT to go down there. Do I regret my decision? Is the Pope Catholic????? ANYWAYS, let's start;

 The night before I was to leave, my old friends Mike Carbonara and Boike came over and we had a couple, OK A LOT, of beers and talked about ‘stuff’ on the front porch. Needless to say, I didn’t get on the road until around 8ish and let me tell ya, driving eight hours with a bitchin’ hangover kinda stinks…

 SCREEEEEEEEECH!!!! I will have an update each Monday of the week for the month of August... Each new update will be in RED..