Photo TR: Jason's Christmas Adventures

[printersdevil78]

Wow, it's been nearly a month since I've had time to post anything on TPR, much less a whole photo TR! Between chairing one Christmas parade, starring in another (as Santa Claus), helping organize a shopping spree for nearly 200 underprivileged children, traveling just about everywhere to see Christmas lights and actually getting ready for Christmas itself, I've been spread pretty thin for the past few weeks.

 

Fortunately, I remembered to take my camera with me through most of it, and now that I have a little breathing time, I thought some of the folks on here might get a kick out of some of the stuff that's been keeping me busy as of late. Enjoy!

Finally the food arrived. I had never had a pulled pork sandwich smothered in cheese (much less two kinds of cheese), but after the New Star Cafe, just about anything would have tasted great! And thus began our snowy five-hour journey home.

Jay was stylin' in his new NYPD cap. The ladies supposedly love it. Not Jay; just the cap.

Most of us were just happy to sit down!

Oh no, my friend, the bull actually started about 38 photos ago....

Back in Hoboken, we stopped at this restaurant, alternately called "Any State But New Jersey."

And finally we made it back to our subway station. It was a miracle on... you know.

Macy's was lit up for the season.

Here's a shot without people for all you tree snobs (you know who you are).

...and the Rockefeller Plaza Christmas tree.

...the "30 Rock" building...

We also got to see Radio City Music Hall...

Apparently it was NASCAR Champions Week in New York, so we got to see a good many race cars up close and personal.

The plan was to stop here for dinner. However, after learning there was a 50-minute wait, the majority of the group voted to spend the next two hours fighting New York holiday crowds in an effort to see at least a couple sights and then return to Hoboken for dinner.

Wonder if that company put this one up?

On our way to dinner, we found out who puts all those giant Christmas lights up in New York City.

Everyone is all smiles after seeing Lucy the Slut.

After the show, Jay and Buddy get busy texting their reviews (and the same usherette yelled at us again for taking too long to leave the theater).

Angela offers her opinion of the rude usherette who sat us.

For the uninitiated, "Avenue Q" is sort of an adult-oriented version of "Sesame Street," complete with characters such as Trekkie Monster and Lucy the Slut.

After having spent two hours trying to find a place to eat and getting lost three times, we finally picked up our tickets from will call just 10 minutes before curtain.

And who should be waiting there to see me but Big Mike! It was the surprise event of the day, and having someone jump out of a crowd in the middle of New York, call my name and ask me to pose for a picture certainly made me look like a big shot in front of my fellow Jaycees. (Photo courtesy of the Big Mike Collection.)

The theater is the John Golden, by the way, and it's located on 45th Street.

Why, yes you can. But it's difficult to do when no one bothered to look up the name or address of the theater before leaving home....

For instance, here's Brian showing his petrified patty melt, which, through carbon dating, we determined was actually an early Civil War relic.

It was one of those pay-by-the-pound buffet places, which I really enjoyed. Not because I'm a big fan of buffets (which I am), but because I'm also a history enthusiast.

After waiting nearly an hour and being told our food would take at least another hour, we left Harrie's and opted for this place instead.

Callie and Joanne just love tossed salad!

Next order of business was food. We tried this place first.

Must have been King Kong's day off.

We finally made it. Anyone know what this is? Anyone?

"No, Joanne, the pole isn't supposed to be sticky. Why do you ask?"

We eventually gave up on the garage and found an open-air parking lot, where an attendant made us tip him $5 under the table to let us park since we had an "extra large" vehicle. Then we had trouble with the ticket machines for the PATH train (seen here). Gotta love New Jersey!

Our plan was to park in Hoboken, NJ, and take the subway into New York. The clearance in the parking garage was so low that Jay "rode" the hood of our rental van to make sure we didn't hit a beam while navigating the structure.

The next morning, after less than four hours' sleep, I got up and rode to New York City on a Jaycees field trip. As chapter president, I initiated the trip last January as an attendance incentive; only the 10 Jaycees attending the most chapter events in 2008 were invited. The excitement apparently was too much for Buddy.

...and some guy balancing on a ball.

...four plates a-spinning...

On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me: five ladies dancing...

OK, so it was really Cornish game hen. And this is really salmon.

Bring on the peacock pie!

For those who haven't been to one of these types of events, they're basically a recreation of royal holiday feasts held during the Renaissance. In addition to a seven-course dinner, the feast includes two solid hours of entertainment, from madrigal singers to commedia dell'arte to jests by the royal court itself. Even the "chef" came out to serenade us!

Lord and Lady Merrick were on hand to oversee the festivities.

First major event of December 2008: A Renaissance madrigal feast at the local university. (Please forgive some of the colors; the room was dark.)

And one more shot of the prison float to wrap up this portion of the TR: "Th-th-th-th-that's all, folks!"

 

Still to come: Helping the less fortunate, yet another Christmas parade and lights galore!

Of course, no one was nearly as interested in me as they were in this guy, bringing up the rear!

As Jaycees president, even I got to ride in the parade!

The float sprayed "snow" over the crowds on both sides of the parade route. Other effects: The Tasmanian Devil actually spun, as did Road Runner's feet (which also kicked up "dust" courtesy of a well-concealed smoke machine), and Bugs Bunny pulled back and forth on the reins.

In all, this year's float was good... but it still doesn't compare to the years they constructed a full-scale train (that one took three full vehicles), replicated the mountain from "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" (complete with a perpetually sledding Grinch and Max), made a two-story dragon with flapping wings for their "Harry Potter" float, fabricated a 20-foot rockfish with a moving tail or built a 15-foot-tall Winnie the Pooh. Their work has been compared to that done for Mardi Gras floats.

Nine years ago my dad founded a parade float construction inmate rehabilitation program at the local state prison. The only program of its kind in the nation that we're aware of, it was inducted into the National Parade Float Hall of Fame (there really is such a thing) last year. The next few shots show this year's Christmas entry from the prison.

The Cub Scouts were out in full force.

Mitchell's Martial Arts brought out the Grinch.

As did R&B Ranch, our animal unit champion of the day.

Footsteps Dance Academy put on a big show for the judges.

The grand marshal was local championship boxer Fernando Guerrero. You may have seen him in his recent Showtime fight, filmed just across the street from where the parade lined up. He'll be on ESPN soon, as well. He sent me a very nice e-mail the next day, telling me how much he enjoyed the parade.

Though four marching bands dropped out due to the weather, six still braved the cold and wind, including Washington High School.

Seven hours after returning from New York, I was up and out again, this time setting up for the 62nd annual Salisbury Christmas Parade, which I chaired. We had a lot of problems, not the least of which was the weather, with 40 mph sustained winds, snow flurries and a temperature that didn't rise above 29 degrees all day. However, it all worked out. The Wicomico County Sheriff's Office color guard began the parade at exactly 2 p.m.

[robbalvey]

OMG! This TR is both entertaining and disturbing!!! I love it!

[cfc]

I had never had a pulled pork sandwich smothered in cheese

 

Must be a "Jersey thing."

 

I knew nothing about Avenue Q before--now I want to see it.

[mcjaco]

 

This picture rates this PTR as the best ever.

 

 

Matt "think about it" _ _ _ _ _ _

[TheRapidsNerd]

Always great to see one of your TRs, and by the sound of things you were most busy. The medieval feast sounded like a lot of fun as did Avenue Q. I enjoy a good comedy and one of my faves was Legends, with Mary Martin (Peter Pan) and Carol Channing.

 

Thanks for posting this one and congrats on being Santa for one event and being in the parade.

[U2Rox]

Hey Jason,

 

Loved the shots of New York!!

 

Times Square and the Pizzeria. Brings back memories!

It doesn't get any better than a couple of slices of a brocoli and pepperoni pizza.

 

Thanks for sharing!! Looks like a great Christmas Holiday!

[esvadj]

I had never had a pulled pork sandwich smothered in cheese

 

Must be a "Jersey thing."

 

I knew nothing about Avenue Q before--now I want to see it.

 

Chrysler Hall, downtown Norfolk

January 27 - Feb 1

[printersdevil78]

Sorry, computer glitch-induced double post. Nothing to see here. Move down one for the main attraction.

[printersdevil78]

OK, now that I have some time on my hands--and Christmas is more than three weeks behind us--I figured it was time to complete this holiday TR. Enjoy!

Flash forward to New Year's Eve, when my girlfriend (who hates to be photographed, hence the lack of pictures of her in this and other TRs) and I were invited to the wedding of two longtime friends of mine. I borrowed this shot from my friend Melissa because it shows me with the president of the U.S. Jaycees! Not that I hadn't met her before (I had twice, actually), but it was kind of cool to end my year as local chapter president that night with the head honcho of the whole nationwide organization! Also pictured are Paul and Liz, whom you may remember from my Kennywood TR last summer.

 

And thus concludes my holiday adventure trip report. Happy New Year, everyone!

After lights and dinner, it was time to go back home and open presents! I got a new camera and a luggage set for the West Coast Trip in August. Lauryn got a Cinderella doll (pictured), among many other wondrous things.

This display represented the nearby town of Berlin, which had retained its Victorian-era feel by preserving much of its historic downtown section and burying electrical and telephone wires instead of stringing them up on poles. This has drawn the attention of Hollywood, and at least two major motion pictures--"Runaway Bride" and "James and the Giant Peach"--have been filmed there. If you squint, you can make out the closed-for-the-season Jolly Roger at the Pier park in the background.

It's Chessie, the Chesapeake Bay monster (which was later discovered to have been a manatee).

This one was placed in honor of the nearby Fenwick Island Lighthouse. Or so I assume.

Jingle shells, jingle shells....

After we left Winterfest proper, we drove to the Ocean City inlet, where a few more displays were set up in connection with the event. This one commemorated Trimpers Rides' 1902 carousel--the second ever constructed by the Herschell-Spillman Co. and the oldest in existence today (the company's first carousel burned in a Coney Island fire in the '50s; Trimpers' has been in continuous operation for more than 100 years).

This one was furnished by the Ocean City Parrothead Club, hence the giant "Cheeseburger in Paradise" hanging off the top.

One of the event's major sponsors was Kandy Kitchen, which explains why these trees were all decked out in saltwater taffy boxes.

Right, Lauryn?

By consensus, this was the most important stand in the whole Winterfest complex.

Santa wasn't there, of course. He was out cruising in his convertible with his ho-ho-homies!

Apparently Santa keeps a beach house in Ocean City. It's cheaper than renting a condo by the week, I guess.

...the gift shop! Seriously, this is the only display of this type I've ever been to with its own gift shop. For the record, we skipped over it.

...even more so over the water. Unfortunately, these were about the only good photos I got of the main section of Winterfest since it takes place on a moving tram through a series of chain-link fences (i.e. hard-to-photograph conditions). So let us exit directly into...

This Christmas tree was very pretty...

This Santa doesn't look like me or the truck driver. Mostly because he's made of lights. They got the bi-plane right, though.

Just in case you thought I was lying.

The next weekend was the weekend before Christmas and the last one my girlfriend and I would be home until after Christmas. We decided to spend it at the Winterfest of Lights in the nearby beach resort town of Ocean City.

You know, some say this particular Santa bears a striking resemblance to... me! Not after this year, however. After being the chamber of commerce's official Santa Claus for seven years (and the official Santa of the Shopping Tour for three), I decided to hang up my beard when my dad hung up his parade clipboard. If I go to this parade next year, it will be as a mere mortal participant and not Jolly Old Elf. Ho ho ho!

Remember those inmates who made the Looney Tunes float? They also made this one, which ushered in Santa Claus! For those who remember my TR on this parade last year, the float was recycled from then.

News Hound, the mascot from the local newspaper (and my former employer of many years) came out to support the parade.

Miss, Little Miss and Little Mr. Crustacean were another focal point in the parade. Believe it or not, "Miss Crustacean" is the grandest and most sought-after title that can be bestowed upon a teenage girl in my hometown. Honest!

Saul the Salisbury Jaycees Bear was in the parade, too. Except I couldn't find anyone to wear the suit on behalf of the Jaycees (our regular Saul is currently incubating a child--or at least we assume it's a human child), so my dad borrowed the costume, wrapped a red ribbon around its neck and called it the "Christmas Bear."

My mom's boss was the grand marshal. He and his family have done a lot for the town throughout the years--and his grandfather was once governor of Maryland.

Remember that float from the last parade in this TR that was made by inmates at the local state prison? It was in this parade, too!

After the Shopping Tour I drove to my hometown, where my father was busy putting the finishing touches on the town's annual Christmas parade, which he has co-chaired since its inception. This was a pretty big event since it was his and his co-chair's "farewell" parade. My alma mater high school band led the event.

This was my first round. Those cheesy potato things at the top were pretty good!

Even the deputies joined us!

After the event, we all headed off to Golden Corral for the annual post-Shopping Tour breakfast. Traditionally the last Jaycees event of the year, we always have plenty to celebrate!

Because the foundation's mail campaign raised a record amount last fiscal year, we were able to provide each participating family with a free canned ham this year, as well. Unfortunately, given the current state of the economy, that probably will not be the case in 2009.

Deputies from the local sheriff's office volunteer to help each year. We used to go it without them. Unfortunately, that led to some... mishaps a few years ago. Suffice it to say Santa barely made it out alive.

Joanne organized the party room (AKA the Wal-Mart break room), where the kids went while waiting to board their buses at the end of the event. Wal-Mart played cartoons and provided snacks. Toys R Us gave us coloring pages to help keep the kids occupied, and Joanne brought games from her youth ministry.

Wal-Mart employees volunteer to wrap up to two gifts per child each year, and Wal-Mart donates all the wrapping paper and tape.

Let the shopping commence! Each child got $65 to spend this year.

Melanie went through this child's list with him before the tour began. She's the president of our foundation, which raises more than $10,000 annually for this event.

We're so cool, we get our own row of checkout lines for the event. Even Big Mike doesn't get that perk!

This isn't a "rough" kid, either... it's just Brian being Brian.

For those doubters out there, yes, there is a real Santa Claus. And in the off-season he looks like a truck driver from Maryland's Eastern Shore, apparently.

My intern and two of her friends were there!

Dozens of volunteers, mostly from the local colleges, get up at 4 a.m. (or stay up after leaving the bars at 2 a.m.) to help out as volunteer chaperones. The Shopping Tour runs from 5 to 8 a.m. in an effort to avoid conflicting with Wal-Mart's peak shopping times during the weeks leading up to Christmas.

We typically bus the kids in from the rougher part of town since Wal-Mart is not within walking distance for most of them. (These are not "rough" kids, by the way, but two of our chaperones--who also happen to be two members of my weekly Wednesday night bar trivia league team.)

Six days after the Christmas parade I chaired, my roommate (seen here) and I co-coordinated the Jaycees' annual Children's Christmas Shopping Tour, taking nearly 200 underprivileged children from the local area Christmas shopping at Wal-Mart. Children are invited via local elementary schools and social service agencies, each of which receives a limited number of invitations to hand out to those they believe will best be served.