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Monday, December 19, 2005

SO TO MAKE MY WEEK ALL BETTER...

We had our company Christmas party Friday night. So we didn't have to drive home, we got a room at the Courtyard Marriott in Basking Ridge, NJ (where I used to live for 17 years - Basking Ridge, not the Marriott). Saturday morning we came down to check out at 9am. We walked outside, only for Earl to say,

"That IS the TAPS van... I thought I recognized that son-of-a-bitch in the lobby!"

"WHAT??" I dropped my bag on the sidewalk and literally ran back in to the hotel with Earl.

We turned the corner into the lobby -

And there he was.

In all his glory.

Eating his breakfast.

And I got to shake his hand.

This man.

I got to shake the hand of THIS MAN.












The founder of TAPS.

And one of the main guys on Ghosthunters. My favorite show EVER. I watch it religiously - even the reruns. And now that the season is over, I don't know what to do with myself...

My heart just dropped when I saw him sitting there. I walked right up to him and said, "OH MAN, I AM YOUR BIGGEST FAN".

And you know what he said? He said "Thank you!". He said the whole team was with him to investigate a couple cases in the area, and I wondered what and where in my old town might they be interested in. He didn't go into specifics, but he did assure me they were not investigating the Marriott. Again, I told him how excited I was to meet him, and he shrugged his shoulder and said, "Aaa, I'm just a normal guy." I just couldn't believe I was actually face to face with the founder of TAPS. He looks just like he does on TV only a little smaller, and it was just weird to see him sitting there eating breakfast. I went on and on about how much I love the show, to which he kindly replied that it's because of people like me that make them so sucessful.

Ahh shucks.

I don't know if anybody else in the lobby knew who he was, but after I left, they sure knew he was somebody special. He may not be all that famous, but if I could have met any "celebrity", it would have been this guy or any other member of the show. Really, Jason and Grant (the other main guy) are just your average joes - Roto Rooter plumbers by day, ghost hunters by night. They're a good bunch of guys and I respect their work, especially the professionalism behind how they go about doing it.

Jason - I can call him that now that we have offically met - asked where we were from, and I responded that I used to be from Basking Ridge but now live in BBBB-Bethlehem, PA... I get so tongue-tied when I get excited - I even told him how fast my heart was beating~ such a dork. And believe me, had this man not have been eating his breakfast, I would have asked him for his autograph, sat down to wait for the others, asked to see the equipment, and probably begged for a hat or something stupid like a ride in the TAPS van. But of all things that could have been, shaking Jason's hand was the greatest honor and the highlite of my year.

Consequently, he said the new season starts in February (oooo, my birthday month! Sweet!!)





Again, I must say its a damn shame I didnt get to meet the rest of the team because the chances of running into them again is pretty slim. Perhaps they would have let me entertain them with stories about my silly house, which doesnt seem nearly as spooky as the places they've been. But who knows, maybe some day they'll take a trip out from Rhode Island to the Lehigh Valley and we'll have a reunion.

Hehehehe.

And so, not wanting to interupt his breakfast any more, and even though I would have loved to stayed for hours, we decided not to become annoying stalkers and leave him alone. But of course, as I turned the corner, I had to make an ass out of myself and shout out one more thing,

"Say HI to there rest of the gang of us!"

The "gang" Amy? What - were they from Scooby Doo? Couldn't you have at least referred to them as the 'team'?

Geek.

Still, I wonder if he did say something to them, like - Hey guys, you just missed our biggest fan...

We walked back out of the doors and that's when I noticed TAPS mini-van too. Yes indeed, the whole TEAM was there.





How freaking awesome. If I needed to go through the hell week that I did just to get to met Jason from TAPS, then it was all well worth it. If I need to go through hell month to meet the rest of the team - Well then I say,

BRING IT ON.

Although, if there is an easier way, let me know. Please.


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