Pinch me…

If you read my blog, you know that I had planned on starting the Jewish Hospital-monitored Optifast 800 weigh loss program today. However, fate stepped in and offered me the opportunity of a lifetime. I will be starting the program a week from today, but read on for my (in my humble opinion) sound reasoning.

At 3:30p on Monday, March 22nd I received the following email from the president of Xavier University’s Pep Band:

Hey Guys,
    We are in need of a trombone and tuba players for Salt Lake City or for the women's round 2 game. Please let me know if you are available ASAP. Call me at 513-XXX-XXXX.

Salt Lake City: ($200...$50/day)
Leaving TOMORROW early afternoon... returning either Fri. or Sun (depending on game outcome).

Thanks, Michelle

That $50/day is a per diem, by the way, not a charge. So, I was being invited to go to Salt Lake City, UT to play with the XU Pep Band for the Xavier University Men’s Basketball team’s Sweet 16 and (hopefully) Elite 8 games.

After about 30 minutes of internal struggle about the weight loss program, I decided that I couldn’t pass this up. So, I’m currently typing this in the Starbucks inside of the Marriot – City Center in Salt Lake City, UT (or as a souvenir tee put it yesterday “SL,UT”).

We flew out of CVG on a chartered jet with the team, benefactors, and cheerleaders. That was a neat experience. There was minimal screening done and the plane was so cool. All of the seats were leather and business-class sized.

This is the plane that flew us from Cincinnati to Salt Lake City. The two people in the picture above are Joe Sunderman and Byron Larkin from 700 WLW. They are also each Xavier Basketball royalty. 

The inside of the Sun County 737. That’s Joe Sunderman’s head sticking up…he is a VERY tall man. He is also one of the nicest and most gracious people I have ever met.

Right before we landed in Salt Lake City, we were treated to an absolutely amazing view of the Wasatch Mountains.

We landed in Salt Lake City and taxied to a private terminal that was pretentiously named Million Air. After I stopped laughing my ass off, we descended the stairs-on-a-pickup truck (pretty cool), took 10 steps (no more), and got onto our charter bus from the much more aptly-named Le Bus.

I stowed my sousaphone in our private meeting room, got my stuff to my room, and went with some friends to dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen. (I had to try this place since Joe Boyd’s son recommends it so highly). The Chipotle Chicken Pizza was fantastic. So was the bread. We need one in Cincinnati.

Good night’s sleep and two hours in a Starbucks…good times. Apparently, we are headed to the Utah Olympic Park in Park City this afternoon. I’m not sold on it, so I may try to beg off and see the Temple Square and other areas. I know that I’m 30yo and can make my own decisions, but I want to respect the rules that the band has set forth…they have been very gracious.

Until next time…