Yeah it’s later than usual I know. Bill and I just got back from a WNBA game, NY Liberty hosting San Antonio Silver Stars. Bill sang the national anthem once again. We were prepared for it this year, not that we weren’t last year. I walked across town after a crappy day at work, enjoying a Padron.
I was in a suit and tie as per Greg Stevens request since we had a big wig in who may or may not bail out our company. I don’t know whats going on, but I do know that now we are down to 4 employees, not including myself. Another one falls by the wayside. Butted heads with Tom Chin as well. He can be so penny wise and pound foolish. But that’s a bullshit story and I just don’t want to get into it now that it’s after 10:00 PM.
So I walked from 50th Street and Third Avenue to 33rd Street and Eighth Avenue. It was muggy and I was in a suit and tie so by the time I met up with Bill outside Madison Square Garden I was moist and damp. I rallied to put on a good face and not ruin Bill’s time to shine.
Sound check
We were ushered into the arena, Bill did a sound check then shown to a dressing room which was smaller than last years. I guess this is the dressing room that the opening acts get. We were even fed this time, but I had already did my fight against the McDonalds boycott so we had some salads in the press room and this being the WNBA it was a bit skimpy.
Then we went back to the dressing room and waited for the appointed minute. It came and we were escorted to the basketball court. Last year I was able to walk across the court and take some snap shots of Bill singing.
This year, our escort had me run alongside with her in the back stage area of the arena, in 40 seconds. From one side of the court to the other. She was in sneakers, I was in dress shoes and I held my own. I guess when I HAVE to run I will. My niece Meghan would have been surprised, if nor proud to see her uncle sprinting.
I kept pace with the escort and we made it with a seconds to spare. She told me I could only stand in one spot so I planted myself and started shooting. Then a WNBA official said I could move up onto the court so I did.
Show Time!
Unfortunately with the running and being told where to stand I started shooting Bill’s introduction, then I stopped. A few seconds later I find myself looking at the LCD and notice that there aren’t seconds flying by on the bottom of the screen. No red light either. I wasn’t recording anymore.
So I started recording again, half way through. I got half of the anthem which was pretty good. A dodgy note change to my ears, but Bill said it’s what he was trying for. And the crowd loved the high note so it all worked out for the best my unfortunate video shooting not withstanding
I think I could have gotten the whole 1:30 seconds if I didn’t have to run the 220 in full suit and tie and dress shoes. I would have liked to have seen that on video. Of course it was, since I was at the Garden running alongside an employee but I’ll never see it.
Bill was able to have one of his mother’s neighbors take his mother to the game so she could hear Bill sing. She sat in the seats, or rather probably stood while her son sang the national anthem in front of a couple of thousand people.
She loved it, the neighbor loved it, and a lot of people applauded Bill as we walked back to the seats to join his mother and neighbor and some of Bill’s coworkers. We left at the half, NY Liberty and San Antonio Silver Stars tied 31-31. Bill and I walked his mother and neighbor to a taxi outside Penn Station, seeing them off with blowing kisses.
A nice Path train ride home, I had Bill in stitches on the sidewalk describing my bus ride into work in the morning with Casey. Nothing against Casey of course, just what was actually funny was my slow responses to Casey’s animated conversation.
I was doing both parts of course. It was funny because it was true.
I’m still not a morning person but I’m getting better. Ask me about it after lunch.
