One week until the BIG night!

I am just out of my mind with excitement.  One week from today is my big night in Albany, where I'll be headlining at The Linda (how nice of them to name a venue after me!)

What a thrill it will be to share the stage with my kids and their dad, a.k.a. The Blackwell Sinners.

I wish Mike could go, but he's done two trips back East already this year, and with the kids starting school the following Monday ("It's the most wonderful time of the year..."), he just can't swing another trip this time.  But YAY--Mom has been given clearance to fly again! You may remember she had to miss my son's wedding because of that sky-high blood pressure incident last May.  Well, she's flying into Vegas on Tuesday and then we're heading to Albany on Wednesday.   I'm so glad she can make it--I have some new material (at her expense, of course) and it's so much fun when she's in the audience to witness it.

I'm SO psyched to be seeing so many people from my past and present--friends from high school and college and even my old Lincoln Avenue neighborhood, folks I used to work with, and new friends I've met only in the past couple of years.  Of course, my sister Lori shares many of the same friends--she said it will be like going to our own wake and we don't even have to die!

Speaking of wakes... stay with me here, this is funny... one of the people I'm really looking forward to seeing is my father's old friend, Hub.  Dad and Hub were friends since they worked at their first job together at the National Commercial Bank and Trust Company fresh out of high school.  Well, back in 1966--when there was still only three of us kids--my father gave Hub a picture of us.

TO THIS DAY, THE PHOTO IS STILL IN HIS WALLET!

That's me on the left!

Of course, Hub has gone through how many wallets in the past 46 years, and every time he gets a new one, our picture goes in it.

Long-time readers may remember my telling you that my father died suddenly of a heart attack while vacationing in Florida back in 1999.  We had an awesome wake and funeral, complete with a billboard of Dad from his days as a male model.

Okay, he was really a bus driver

Anyway, at that time we hadn't seen Dad's friend Hub in years.  I'll never forget how happy I was when Lori flashed that photo of us in front of my face in the receiving line and said, "Guess who's here?!"  Hub was always so nice to us, and he was just the comfort we needed.

I can't wait to see Hub next Thursday night.  I can't wait to see everybody!  Yes, I do feel a little (self-imposed) pressure to do well, but I'm going to give it my all.  If you're in the Albany area, I hope you can come!

I know we're supposed to live in the present moment, but man, there's so much to look forward to!