Can I just have the Variations wit'out the Theme?

I have been spoiled by a not-so-authentic Cheesesteak.

Years ago when I was living in Chicago, I got a sandwich that knocked me on my ass! It was from Philly's Best and it was a Chicken Philly Cheesesteak on Garlic Bread. Soooooooo good. This was a magical feast, one that I had to share with friends and colleagues... well, I shared the excitement. I made them buy their own damn sandwich.

Zoom ahead to today. My family embarked on our summer vacation which is a road trip to Tanglewood (via Philadelphia and Princeton, NJ), Boston, and NYC. With the idea of going through Philadelphia, we decided to stop and get an authentic Philly Cheesesteak.

First problem - where to go? Naturally, the first suggestions were the legendary dueling neighbors of the south side Geno's and Pat's. Being the info-hounds that Fatima and I are, we consulted many sites on the internet for thoughts, opinions, blogs, and reviews. My, oh my, there are many places to get a Cheesesteak in Philadelphia. The thing that turned me off of those two locations was the lack of parking and the suspect neighborhood. Our car, filled with a week and a half of stuff, with our two kids, I was strangely turned off.

Consulting the pantheon of food reviews, Zagat, we saw many places with high marks for food, and of course, record lows for decor (who cares what the walls look like, its the taste I care about). Out of 30, we saw 22's, 23's, and 24's. But it was the 25 and glowing reviews of Tony Luke's, as well as its close proximity to I-95 that said " 'ats the place".

As we approached this "legendary" (aren't they all?) steakery (and hot doggery for Max), with the line-up of people in front, including a woman with a walker who had to be at least 134 years old and some guys with painted faces getting ready for the Phillies game that day, we were ready. Despite some of the things I read online about having your order ready when its time "One, whiz, wit" i knew I was from out of town, and couldn't hide it. I just spoke plain english (as opposed to "Palin english" - I love a good typo) and ordered for the family and that was that.

As we waited and staked out a table, we noticed a small t.v. crew there filming what I later found out to be a segment of Man vs. Food for the Travel Channel. Then we saw a 5 lb. Cheesesteak brought out to be consumed by one guy... and it was. Feh!

Then the moment of truth. My first authentic, "no-kidding" Philly Cheesesteak wit' fried onions, and extra whiz. First bite...

Not so much.

I was so used to the gloriousness that I knew of that Chicken Philly on Garlic Bread, and even the version I get now at work from Charley's Steakery with lettuce, pickles, cooked onions, mayo and mustard, that this tasted bland. The meat was a bit dry, missing lots of spice, the whiz was erratically spread over (and dripping as my shorts will now show), and while it was good bread, who the hell get's a cheesesteak for the bread???

However, as we were dissecting it in the car, on the way out of town, Fatima and I were glad we tried it, can put a check in the box, and never go out of my way again to try that. Bring me back the chicken and tons of condiments.

If I happen to get a truckload of crap from my readers (both of you) on how I went to the wrong place, school me! Fool me once shame on me, fool me twice... um.. third times the charm?

================

The following songs randomly were shuffled while still deigesting lunch 7 hours later:

"Man Overboard", The Flower Kings, Untold the Future

"4 Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes: IV. Storm", London Symphony

"Petrushka", Spirit of Atlanta, 1988 DCI Finals

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps", The Beatles, The White Album

"Pictures: Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks", Burning River Brass, Russian Carnival

"Pines of Rome: IV. Pines of the Appian Way", New York Phil, Sinnipoli cond.

"Christ lag in todesbanden" (Stokowski), Bournemouth SO, Stokowski Bach Transcriptions

"Seven Seas", Echo and the Bunnymen, Songs to Learn and Sing

Inauguration 2009

The following is a "Tick-Tock" of the (somewhat interesting) events of Inauguration 2009, beginning Monday, January 19, 2009.

7:33 pm - Sign in at historic Hangar II

7:37 - claim floor space in Recording Production office

This is the office where I am an Assistant Booklet Editor for the band.

7:52 - watch members of the Airmen of Note destroy each other in Halo 3

Tech support set up a few HD tv monitors to provide band members a venue to hook up their Xbox 360s with wireless modems so all USAF Band members can play each other throughout the building.  At the most, 12 different people were playing on 4 different screens in two rooms.

8:14 - talked with friends

8:35 - prepped uniform for inspection

8:55 - watched more Halo 3

When you are forced to be at work, and you don't want to work, there ain't a whole lot to do.

9:04 - began playing Halo 3

9:04:17 - first time I died.  this would occur with embarrassing frequency.

10:48 - quit playing Halo 3.  Died more times than I killed other people.  At least I took most of the gunfire off of my teammates.  Where's my damn purple heart?

11:25 - entered sleeping bag on the floor of room 173B, next to my CPU staring at me.  Was this safe?

January 20, 2009

12:06 a.m. - asleep

2:24 - turn over to sleep on stomach

2:24:01 - motion sensor senses motion, turns on light in my office

2:24:07 - lights manually turned off.  note to self:  turn over slower

4:06  - finally fall back asleep while having an old fashioned duel with motion sensor

5:15 - alarm goes off

6:30 - Inaugural Ball Band rehearsal

Its one thing to be a professional musician who sometimes has early call times, but no one, NO ONE can make Hail to the Chief sound good at this hour... including us

7:30 - Inspection and Rehearsal

I have now spent 12 hours at work, which is a. longer than anyone should spend at work, and b.  the wrong hours of the 24 hour day in the first place.  So odd.

8:47 - Depart Bolling AFB

9:06 - sit on I-295 North next to a bus filled with people wearing orange touks.  Is it hunting season?  Bus in front of them is packed solid with everyone standing.  Maybe I didn't have it so bad after all.

9:36 - arrive at Pentagon Parking lot

12:00 p.m. - Ceremony begins at U.S. Capitol, broadcast on NPR on bus

12:06 - exit bus for security sweep

12:07 - "I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear..."

...of course, I realize this once I'm back on the bus at...

12:51 - return to bus

1:46 - busses depart for The Elipse

1:51 - cross Memorial Bridge, see hundreds of people walking opposite direction of us.  Who the hell are we doing this parade for besides POTUS?

1:54 - see balloon statue of former (tee hee) President Bush in shape of famous Saddam Hussein statue pulled down in Baghdad, being pulled down, and pelted with shoes

2:26 - exit bus and head to "warming" tent where I continue to freeze my ass off, serenaded by high school bands warming up poorly.  there should be a rule against all indoor playing like this.

3:04 - head out to staging area to form parade block

3:05 - loose feeling in tips of all fingers on left hand.  that can't be good, or get any better.

3:24 - get relief from donated hand warmers not warming my fingers

3:29 - park in front of Museum of American History.  check local weather on phone.  Registers at 25 degrees

4:08 - Willie Clark begins game of follow the leader

After an hour outside, now watching the sun set behind us, with 10 mph winds, Willie gets at least 30 people to follow him as he walks around the parade block, through the sousaphones, winds around the saxes, even walks through the Hackey Sack game just to keep us all warm, our spirits up, and our sanity.  This guy can find a good time anywhere, ANYTIME!

5:15 - USAF Band finally hits Pennsylvania Ave and begins 2009 Inaugural Parade.

5:15 - I depress my valve trigger to play first note of Washington Post, and it freezes in place. Hand slide is also almost frozen in place as well.

5:19 - Instrument begins to function normally again

6:04 - pass by President Barack Obama.

This brief moment of joy and excitement suddenly makes me forget the freezing, the lack of sleep, the poor eating I have done all day, as I perform the Air Force Song for our new Commander in Chief.

6:12 - Inaugural Parade ends

6:13 - wonder where the busses are

6:28 - REALLY wonder where the hell the busses are.

6:50 - begin Police escort up to Washington Hilton

7:20 - enter Hilton, bypassing press, cooks, busboys, to go through security.

"Everyone move aside, I need to get the band in first!"

7:38 - Begin soundcheck, after watching Kanye West do his soundcheck.  Nice of him to warm the room up for us.

 - 24 hour mark of Inaugural Festivities - 

9:17 - watch colleagues return from downstairs where they got pictures with actress Rosario Dawson.  My esteemed colleagues are giddy like school children, permanently changing my impression of these manly men

9:40 - I head downstairs to people watch

Being the MTV Youth ball, the event was geared towards 18-35 year olds.  As I observe the party goers, I feel my place outside of the demographic as a 37 year old, and feel more like a prom chaperone.  I quickly take my creepy presence out of there, and back to the holding room.

10:00 - band heads downstairs to get in position

10:04 - band passes a hot 24 year old brunette in kitchen claiming to "need a place to throw out my gum"

10:04:06 - band drummers recognize hot brunette as Demi Moore

10:06  - Kanye West warming up the room for USAF Band.  Very nice of him

10:11 - USAF Band takes stage to chants of "U.S.A."

10:12 - Party goers sing along with USAF Band on drum corps version of "God Bless America".  Fun

10:15 - Party goers sing along with USFA Band on Washington Post.  Now its just odd.  "Da da, da dut da, dut da, DUT Da..."

10:28 - 4 Rufles and Flourishes

 "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Presid-"  

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" from the 7000+ attendees like a wall of sound.  Loudest human made sound I have ever experienced in my life.

10:33 - USAF Band receives its first command from our new Commander in Chief.  "Hit it, band!" as we begin the First Dance of "At Last"

10:40  - USAF Band departs stage and gasps as the day comes to a close

10:41 - USAF Band spots Pete Wentz of Fallout Boy talking with Kanye

10:43 - USAF Band spots a ghost outside hotel

10:44 - USAF Band realizes ghost is just Cher.

11:14 - USAF Band arrives at Bolling AFB

11:24 - depart for home

11:35 - arrive home

11:36 - take out the trash

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

12:15 a.m. - go to bed

5:45 - Max wakes me up

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This blog was patriotically composed while listening to:

Mongo 'n' McCoy - Steve Turre - Steve Turre

Lady of the Island - Crosby, Stills,  & Nash - Crosby, Stills, & Nash

Berwald Symphony #1 - III - Gothenburg Symphony, Neeme Jarvi, cond.

Pound For A Brown - Frank Zappa - Zappa in New York

Interstate Love Song - Stone Temple Pilots - Purple

Country Death Song - Violent Femmes - Hallowed Ground

Another Love Song - Naked to the World - Listen Naked

Tia Lupe - Alien Ant Farm - truANT

Please Don't Bug Me - Frank Rosolino - Turn Me Loose!

Act 3 Prelude - Met Opera - Gotterdammerung 

Under Pressure - Queen and David Bowie - Greatest Hits I & II

I know Its True, But I'm Sorry To Say - Violent Femmes - Hallowed Ground

Night Life - Airmen of Note - Big Band Jazz Sound '67

One X One - INXS - Listen Like Thieves

Franck Symphony in d minor, 3rd movement - Chicago Symphony, Pierre Monteaux, cond.