Hands in the air
like I just don't care. Absolutely speechless at
this entry.
So I'm still
revelling in the Palaur meeting the following day,
however it's so long ago few people have any
recollection of it. Basically Marty, Jess and Burg
were like "wow!". Otherwise, no one to share the
amazement with...
...except one Dirk
Thompson. Dirk Thompson worked at CD101 just before I
was hired there in 1998. His firing was legendary and
controversial and though I had never met him, he
knew of my show on WTVN and emailed me awhile back
saying he was a fan. He also made it a point to tell
me how much he loved Palaur. Thought it was just
completely gripping stuff. So when he popped up on
Facebook I was quick with:
"guess who I
ran into yesterday?"
"someone from
CD101?"
I sent him
the video link. He wrote back:
"I was typing
Palaur as you sent me the link as a
joke!"
Filled him in on
all the news and told him why I was in town. To
my surprise he was totally caught up on The Journey
and mentioned Comedy Central. He then asked if
I wanted to call into his radio show to pimp my
show on the 2nd. I said of course and then he
upped the ante by asking if I could be in studio.
HELLZ YES. There's a fun Journey Entry. I felt
embarrassed, I didn't know what station he was at so
I did a quick google search and wouldn't you
know: 610 WTVN. Where it all began for "Young Adam" 15
years ago. Cuh-RHIST it was 1995 wasn't it. JESUS.
So I'm goin' back
to 610 WTVN this Sunday at noon to do an interview and
The Journey ends 1000 entries with a nice little
button wouldn't you say? All thanks to Laura walking
up to that "funny guy with a Santa hat on". I called
Marty immediately and we both jumped up and down a
bit. I met Marty at my WTVN show in early 1998...
in fact, during the entire Palaur craziness. He was
actually there one of the nights she was there. And
this weekend we get to return. Now WTVN has physically
changed buildings, but it's still a logo-filled radio
station. Only CD101 has ever felt utterly unique
(because it is). Every other radio station I've been
in is cookie-cutter so this will just feel like a
twilight zone version of WTVN. And of course it'll be
Entry #995, and I started there in, yes, 1995. Why do
I even bother questioning the romance
anymore?
Then I remembered
Keith Coast Superstar is gonna be in town, so there's
another tie-in with Journey Players from years past...
oh and I'm staying at Jess & Jeff's house for a
couple of days while I try in finish this editing
insanity called "The Journey" show. (Seriously, why I
ever thought this wouldn't be that tough is beyond me.
It's just massive. ) It's this massive
"THIS IS YOUR LIFE" week for me and in
the midst of all of it: I'm editing the story
together. I can barely tell where the video stops and
life begins...
...so I thought it
might be fun to go on a Journey Scavenger Hunt. You
know? Find all the scattered pieces of The Journey
that are now housed in a new house with a new
family... yet played a role in all those videos.
I mean, it does kind of border on creepy, I know,
but watch the video -- it's kinda fun:
Any idea how fun
that was to put together? Clearly I was avoiding my
editing duties (although actually GETTING to
Entry #1000 is still part of the job) which as I've
written before is UBER-CREATIVE time for me... just in
the wrong direction. I'm sure I could've found a
bunch more with Jess's help but she was at work. I
like that all these little videos feel almost tangible
after all this time. Finding parts of the videos was
really, really fun. I mean - it's stupid in my
house, everything counts. But here? It's actually
really difficult. I kept going through videos and then
running all over. What an absolutely bizarre
day...
...followed by yet
another unbelieveable coincidence. So Jess let's me
know there's a "New Nikki's" that I must try. "New
Nikkis" was our code for a greek place that tried to
live up to an incredible Greek Restaurant that
unfortunately closed in the late 90s. Jess and I loved
it and nothing else has come close... anywhere. I
originally went there with Burgundie and then Palaur
(who was pre-Jess) and it was the only place we ever
frequented in our short time together. In fact, in the
"mystery video" that's within the Palaur site, we
actually go to Nikki's right after rolling around in
the Park of Roses.
So imagine my
amazement when I walk in and see the exact same
original mural that was in Nikki's from 1998.
I turn to Jess: "Wait, these are the same
owners?!?" Indeed it was. Last year they re-opened
under a new name, yet everything was the same.
I was absolutely floored. Got the world's largest
Gyro (I shit you not, it's comically large), and
everything was exactly as I remembered it in 1998.
I of course wanted to tell Palaur. I may
still email her so she too can go and see the mural
and freak the hell out. Mykonos
Taverna,
1307 Stoneridge Dr. Gahanna, OH. 43230 for those
wondering.
