Dining with Strangers

I was contacted a few months ago to take part in writer Anthony Lacey's project "Dining with Strangers".

Anthony travels all over and invites people to join him for dinner and an interview.  It was a lot of fun and the food was great!

Click here to check it out!

RI on a Dime: Things to Do This Summer on the Cheap

Summer has arrived, and Rhode Islanders continue to be money conscious. I’m always looking for ways to save some scratch and still have a great time. Who says you can’t have fun with little or no money? I’m on a quest to unlock the inexpensive secrets to having a blast in Rhode Island.

My first thought on beating the heat on the cheap is to catch a movie. I’m talking about Super Tuesdays at Cinema World at the Lincoln Mall where all tickets all day long are just $6.00 - excluding 3D movies. And if you’re a Movie Club member you’ll qualify for discounts at the concession stand. Cinema World also runs Cult Classics on Sunday mornings at 11 am for just $2.00. Other great movie options include Movies on the Block in Providence every Thursday during through September or the wonderful Rustic Drive-In on Rt 146 in North Smithfield.

If you’re more of the cerebral type who likes to pinch pennies, perhaps you’d enjoy the RISD Museum of Art in Providence, where on the last Saturday of each month (except December) you’ll get free admission all day. I speak from experience when I say to get there early, it’s so worth it.

For the outdoorsy type - head to one of the many Rhode Island State Parks which offer a slew of activities from hiking, swimming and fishing to camping and cooking out. Not all State Parks have swimming available but do offer free admission. For those that do offer swimming it’s just $6.00 per car on weekdays and $7.00 on weekends for Rhody residents. Better still, you can buy a Season Pass that will allow access to any park all season long… obviously the best choice if you plan on getting outdoors a bunch. One other fantastic outdoor event that most people have heard of and needs no explanation is Waterfire. Make sure to go this summer.

Other great ideas for saving money: hit up one of the many farmers markets held across the state or maybe tour a working Alpaca farm in Exeter at Shadow Pines Alpaca Farm.

Whatever you choose to do to save money this summer in Rhode Island, just be sure to do it with the ones you love… because those moments will last a lifetime and you can’t put a value on that. Enjoy!

It All Began When…

It was 2005 and I had just come back from what I thought was the most unbelievable pilgrimage - out to Seattle, WA to see the Dave Matthews Band at The Gorge. Actually, The Gorge is in a town called George, WA on the Columbia River. That’s right, the town is called George and it’s in Washington. If you’re a Dave fan this is an absolute must on the list of places to see the band perform. At the time MySpace was a relatively new creature - at least to me, and I had posted a bunch of pictures and a little story about my experience at The Gorge seeing the band.




A few days had gone by and I received a message from this woman who told me how envious she was that I had gone out there to see DMB play and that she was hoping to do the same someday. I couldn’t help but think how cool it was that someone other than a friend had commented on something that I had done. At the time the thumbnail picture was pretty small but I could see that she was pretty, I just needed to see it in a larger format, so I clicked on the message and up pops this gorgeous curly haired brunette who was semi-posed against a wall. The second I saw her picture my heart was in my throat like when you’re about to have your first kiss or when you see the love of your life for the first time. Having already experienced my first kiss some twenty-four years ago, I guess it’s safe to say my feeling was from staring at the love of my life for the very first time. Her name was Melissa.

We continued to write for about two weeks followed by phone calls, each time revealing more about one another so much so that when we finally met I felt like I had known her forever. I think life gets very easy when you actually find the person you’re supposed to be with. I’m not talking about the person you’re going to spend a few months or years with but the one true love that you’re so happy to see when you wake up that all you want to do in life is wake up next to them every day until the end of time. That’s what Melissa means to me and it was all due to a chance encounter on a social networking site because I had gone to see DMB. Thank you Dave.

Fast forward to present day. Melissa and I have been together for 3 ½ years and have been to 8 shows in that time. Our very first was at Fenway Park in 2006, which was made into a CD, followed by The Gorge for 3 shows and a tour of Seattle. The circle was now complete. On May 30, 2009 we had come back to Fenway Park for another DMB show. This time we had VIP seating and we loved every second of it.


Early morning on the 30th we decided to head to the Coventry animal control facility to meet a little Dachshund that Melissa had learned about through a friend at work. Although going into it I had no real intention of getting a dog, of course once we saw him I knew we’d be picking him up in a couple of days. I’m easy like that. So, fresh from seeing our future dog we set out for Fenway and the VIP experience. Boston here we come.



Being the constant planner, I made sure we arrived in Beantown with plenty of time to do whatever it was we wanted. The atmosphere was already thick with excitement as we walked around the historic park waiting to for the concert and mingling with other DMB fans. Not really knowing which way to go, we headed toward our entry gate to see what was going on and to get a feel for how things would work. Further up, there was a small crowd gathered hoping to catch a glimpse of the band. We stopped by for a few minutes but continued on because we hadn’t eaten yet. We ended up eating at a place called The Landsdowne Pub. It just so happens that this place is where the VIP reception was going to be held.

Later we headed back to where the crowd was, in hopes of seeing the band - and luck being on our side, we did. Dave, Boyd, Jeff and Rashawn all walked by and even stopped to sign a few autographs. Very cool experience. We hung around for several hours but the time was approaching for us to head into the VIP reception. The line formed quickly and we were ushered into the reception for free food and drinks. Now that we’ve done the VIP thing, I don’t think we’ll be able to go to another show and NOT do it again. I highly recommend it.

After we’d eaten our fair share, some newly found friends had joined us at our table. We met a guy from San Diego who happened to have friends from Boston with him. The music was super loud but I think that had a lot to do with us sitting under a speaker. Two hours after we entered the reception it was time to head in to Fenway. We had 14th row just to Dave’s left. Incredible seats for an incredible day that only seemed to get better as it lead up to the show.

Willie Nelson was the opener and he was basically leaving the stage as we sat down. We were looking forward to this show. We had been listening to and learning to songs on the band’s new CD, Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King. The CD was named for the band’s original saxophone player Leroi Moore, whose nickname was Grux, and who passed away last summer. Earlier we were told by one of the bands personal security team that the show was going to start at 7:35. Well it was 7:35 and the crew was just putting the finishing touches on the stage set up. I stood up and looked around to soak up the fact that I was standing on center field of Fenway Freaking Park staring UP at the Green Monster and seeing a view that all of baseball’s greatest players have seen before. As I looked out at the crowd all around the park I couldn’t help but feel humbled by how lucky I was to be standing there. After all, this was the night that I was going to get engaged to the woman of my dreams… right there on the field during a DMB concert.

The ring was in my left shorts pocket in a small pouch. While I was standing soaking it all in, I decided to free it from the pouch and just have it in my pocket for easy access in case the perfect moment struck. As I took the ring out I actually fumbled it and almost dropped it to the floor. Really, how cliché is that? Luckily my cat-like reflexes kicked in and I saved the day from being ruined. Anyway, I secured the ring and not a moment too soon. As I was pushing it down into my pocket the band slowly entered the stage and the crowd erupted, including Melissa and I.

Leading up to this day I had been in constant contact with the jeweler in hopes that Melissa’s ring would be ready for the show. It was my plan all along to get engaged on this day. I mean, I couldn’t have asked for a better scenario and when I realized it was all going to come together it took everything I had in me not to tell everyone I knew and even people I didn’t. My plan was to wait for the perfect moment during the show. The problem was I didn’t know when or if that would happen.

A few songs into the show and I started losing my voice from yelling but I never lost focus on my mission. I was waiting for my chance and I wasn’t going to let it get away. The fifth song of the night had just finished and I had asked Melissa to switch spots with me because a couple of seven footers were standing a few rows ahead of us and right in her sight line. Just after we switched the next song started. From the first note of the song we both knew what it was and she turned to me with a little tear in her eye to tell me how much it reminded her of when we met. It’s a song called “So Damn Lucky” and that’s exactly how I felt then and will feel the rest of my life thanks to her.

It was like a giant hand smacked me in the face and said “do it now” because as perfect moments go, this was right there with the best of them. I reached into my pocket and with a firm grip pulled the ring out and held it clinched in my hand. I looked Melissa in the eyes and said in a very slow deliberate way “I love you” to which she responded much more assertively “I love you too baby!” I then said “No, I LOVE YOU.” It was at this point that I think it hit her that this was really happening. I went on to say a few things that will remain personal between us. I’ll just have you know it was totally unrehearsed and from the heart. She started to cry as I slide the ring on her finger. Then I started to cry. We stood there embraced for what seemed like a million years just crying and hugging the type of hug that only comes along when two people are so happy to be with each other they almost want to occupy the same space. The moment felt almost movie-like as we stood there listening, hugging and crying. It was surreal, fifty thousand people surrounded us but it felt like we were alone.

All of this was happening during this incredible song called “So Damn Lucky” that was being played by the Dave Matthews Band, who brought us together 3 ½ years earlier, as we stood in center field of Fenway Park.

Immediately following the most AMAZING moment of my life to date, I turned to the couple standing right behind us and I grabbed Melissa’s hand to show them that we had just gotten engaged. Everyone within earshot went crazy with cheers and congratulations. Complete strangers started snapping pictures and shaking our hands. I must have passed out twenty or so high fives to people I may never see again. If by chance one of them reads this I’d like to thank them for being part of our moment.

The show continued on and we continued to hug and cry and stare at her hand. I remember wanting to share this with everyone so I updated my Twitter feed, which updates my Facebook, with the statement “She said YES!” Apparently I didn’t need to explain to what she was saying yes. All fifty-six people who responded over the next several hours knew exactly what I was talking about. We’ll never, ever forget this day.

Remember the dog I mentioned way at the beginning of the story? Well, we picked him up on Monday morning. His name is Grux Black. Now if we could just get him to act cool around our cat Dave. Well... not everything can be perfect.

Bob Black REALTOR Williams & Stuart Real Estate 870 Oaklawn Ave Cranston, RI, 02920	Work: 401.942.0200 ext 28 Mobile: 401.261.1599 Bob@BobBlackOnline.com www.BobBlackOnline.com
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Quiet on the Set!

It was a normal Friday just like any other, but I would soon find out that things were a little different once I got home and checked email. Last summer I did a one-day gig on the set of Brotherhood as an extra. Being on that side of things was incredibly interesting - that’s why when I read email on Friday I was smiling from ear to ear - because waiting for me was another invite for work. This time it was on the set of the new CBS pilot being shot in Providence called “House Rules”.

House Rules is about newly elected “freshmen” congressmen and women who find themselves trying to keep up with the controlled chaos of a high profile Congressional lifestyle while trying to build friendships, relationships and avoid getting stepped on by their more seasoned colleagues.

Being a pilot, there’s no guarantee that the show will even see the light of day on the network, but from what I’ve read online this is a much-anticipated project. It’s being filmed primarily at the Rhode Island State House given its close resemblance to the U.S. Capital building in DC, which is where the show is supposed to be based. Written by Michael Seitzman of “North Country” fame and produced by Mark Gordon, whose accomplishments read like a laundry list of Hollywood success stories. Gordon is the executive producer of “Grey’s Anatomy” and was a producer on “Saving Private Ryan," among others.

This email told me that I had an 11:45 call time on Sunday, March 22. I’m sorry for going all Hollywood on you and using “call time” but it had to be done. I arrived dressed for success at 11:30, after all I didn’t want to be late on a day that my big break could come! I made my way to the extras holding room, despite a PA that offered nothing in the way of help when asked where I should be heading. Once I arrived I was told my clothes were fine but I needed to have a more Congressional looking tie. Now it was Hurry Up and Wait Time.

After squaring away the registration process to ensure we get paid, we were soon taken out to film the first of many scenes. The film crew only had the building for the weekend while it was closed and had to fit in as much as possible before the legislators returned. In my first scene I was lucky enough to get a mark that was directly in line with the actors as they walked past. I was close enough to almost brush shoulders with the female lead, played by Zoe McLellan of “JAG” and “Dirty, Sexy, Money” fame. She was joined by Eion Bailey from “Band of Brothers” and “ER”.

The scenes kept coming at a rapid pace totaling seven or so for the twelve-hour day. I know it doesn’t sound like many, but when you consider the amount of people and stuff that have to be moved around for each scene, it’s impressive - trust me.

By the end of the night my feet and legs were useless. Being a newcomer, I hadn’t yet known the three rules of extras acting, which had been explained to me by my new friend Jim. First, always wear comfortable shoes. Second, always take your fair share at lunch. Third, never stand when you can sit. Words to live by… thanks Jim.

After a twelve-hour day, ten of which were spent on my feet, I was happy to realize that I didn’t have a big day ahead of me at work. Just another in a long line of reasons I love being a Realtor.


I was excited to be called back a week later to do a ballroom scene at Rosecliff Mansion in Newport. I knew I would be wearing a tuxedo, so I went to see my friend Danny Harris over at Carl Anthony Tuxedos in Cranston. Danny had exactly what I needed - and considering the short notice, I was quite impressed.



Although it was pretty cold outside this time, we spent a good portion of the night in the ballroom, eating and waiting for filming to start. I even had time to take a picture of myself...




What a great experience. I can't wait for the next time.

Bob Black REALTOR Williams & Stuart Real Estate 870 Oaklawn Ave Cranston, RI, 02920	Work: 401.942.0200 ext 28 Mobile: 401.261.1599 Bob@BobBlackOnline.com www.BobBlackOnline.com
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Oh Summer... How I Long for Thee...

As I sit here writing this, Old Man Winter is bearing down on Rhode Island and the Northeast with yet another winter “event”. I call it that because it’s not truly a snowstorm and it’s heavier than a flurry, but according to the weather report, it’s a fast mover that should only drop 2-4 inches when it’s done later tonight. As any true Rhode Islander knows, this is never the case… and we don’t really have any idea what’s going to happen until it does. I applaud our local weather reporters for at least letting us know something is coming our way. If anything, they help the local economies by boosting the sale of milk and bread with every approaching storm.

But with each winter that finds us cursing and wishing we lived anywhere but here, the thought of spring is in the back of our minds. In fact, Rhode Islanders typically start to curse winter just after the first frost, which makes for a long season of wishing. After we’ve dealt with what seems to be an increasing number of snow days (thanks, Global Warming) we reach the ever popular mid-date of winter. That’s right, Groundhog Day. Now I know it’s not numerically the mid-date of winter, but it’s the measuring stick that tells us what to look forward to, or what to dread - depending on your views. Of course Punxsutawney Phil saw his damned shadow and ran right back to bed. Personally I feel it had something to do with the skiing lobby in Washington, D.C. They’re a formidable bunch.

Being a Realtor, the majority of my time is spent in the car driving from home to home. So of course my work is affected by bad weather. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve driven in many snowstorms to show properties… but that doesn’t mean it’s fun. Besides, any self-respecting Rhode Islander knows how to handle themselves in a little snow. Generally speaking, I love the snow, but it’s the many consecutive weeks of extreme cold that makes me want to pack up the family and run to the Florida Keys to hang with Jimmy Buffet. The only way that I can rationalize the winter in RI is by thinking of what’s just around the corner-- spring.

Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth for the world around us. It’s also a time for all of us to get outside and scrape off the rust. With the final frost now six weeks away (thanks, Phil) I’m looking forward to planning the first hike of the season with Melissa. With any luck, that will happen sooner than later.

Bob Black REALTOR Williams & Stuart Real Estate 870 Oaklawn Ave Cranston, RI, 02920	Work: 401.942.0200 ext 28 Mobile: 401.261.1599 Bob@BobBlackOnline.com www.BobBlackOnline.com
Your Friend in Rhode Island Real Estate
Visit MyBlogLog and get a signature like this!

Brrr

So yeah, it’s been a while but I’m back… so let’s forget the last two months of my ass dragging. Since the last time I wrote, the season has changed and we’re now immersed in a full-blown winter freeze. This, after Melissa and I returned from an incredible road trip down to Florida where the temps averaged 75 each day and the sun was always out. Now for a little indulgent blog promotion: You can catch that whole trip on our other blog here. Enjoy.

Now back to RI.

Like any city in any state anywhere in the world, life goes on. And such is the case for Rhode Island. Contrary to my own belief this blog wasn’t missed much by the masses but considering the condition of the economy and the unemployment rate I think people have a little on their minds. In a time of extreme unrest and confusion, the one shining light that we all can look forward to, regardless of political affiliation, is the upcoming inauguration of President Barack Obama. I’m not leaving the house that day and I’ll be writing about my thoughts and views of this historic event. Join me, won’t you?

From Washington DC and Florida Road Trip

As you can imagine, being a coastal state, RI is very summer oriented but don’t be fooled by the cold weather. Rhode Islanders in the winter are as social as Floridians but we have to be more creative with what we do. For instance, in Florida people can get up on a weekend morning and head to the beach for a little sun and fun in the ocean. We Rhodies might head to Julian's Restaurant for a fantastic brunch or the RISD Museum for "Free for All Saturday". The last Saturday of the month, get in FREE!

New Topic: Facebook. What a freaking phenomenon! I almost have too much to say so I’ll try to keep it short. It seems Facebook is succeeding where Myspace falls short; it’s actually bringing people together. Yeah - you might say Myspace brought people together, but most of those unions were of the “hookup” variety… unless it was your cousin or an old school friend who now lives in Poughkeepsie, and even then there still may have been a “hookup” ewww. Facebook is reuniting old friends, classmates and family like no other social networking site has done before. Kudos and a tip of the hat to you, Facebook.

I’m off to pick up Melissa for our daily lunch rendezvous. I love this time of day. Wish me luck, I’m about to go into the frozen tundra that is Little Rhody.

Bob Black REALTOR Williams & Stuart Real Estate 870 Oaklawn Ave Cranston, RI, 02920	Work: 401.942.0200 ext 28 Mobile: 401.261.1599 Bob@BobBlackOnline.com www.BobBlackOnline.com
Your Friend in Rhode Island Real Estate
Visit MyBlogLog and get a signature like this!

Where have I been?

Well as most people know who’ve read this blog with any regularity I haven’t been very active lately. Life takes over and as a result, the blog suffers. It’s not like I’ve been sitting on my ass just going through my day. I’ve been very busy with work, the gym and a social life. I’m sure I can do better at putting my thoughts on screen but I’m finding it difficult to fit that in. However, I’ve made a decision to dedicate a small portion of each day to get my thoughts out.

Since the last time I blogged, Melissa and I have been busting our butts (literally) at the gym. We’ve both started to lose weight and see results in our clothing. It’s a great feeling and I’m looking forward to dropping a total of 65 lbs and keeping it off! We’ve changed how and what we eat which has had a huge impact on our weight loss. In the back of my mind I always knew the only way to get healthier was to make big changes in those areas even though it took me several years to get motivated enough to do something about it. Having a supportive, loving partner has made this transition a breeze. I could go on and on about how we’ve changed our lives but I don’t want to bore everyone with what would appear to be gloating.

Work has taken off for me and I’m out doing more than ever before. In fact, I just had another closing yesterday. Albeit it wasn’t the million dollar closing that I’m hoping for someday, but it still counts. I have a good amount of activity in the pipeline and hopefully we’ll start closing them in bunches soon.

Socially, Melissa and I have been pretty active. Last week we went out three nights in a row. I know it doesn’t sound like a lot but for us it was a stretch. Luckily one of the days was with old friends who we haven’t seen in a long time. It was so nice to spend the evening with them and catch up on lost time. We’re hoping to fit in an apple picking session and maybe King Richards Faire before it ends on October 19. I’ll be sure to let everyone know how that goes. Also, Dale Chihuly who happens to be the leading glassmaker in our country and perhaps the world, is showing at RISD. We’ve been excited about this for a long time. Again, I’ll keep you posted on how amazing it is!

I Was an Extra on "Brotherhood" Yesterday!

About 5 months ago I Googled “Rhode Island casting companies” and up popped LDI Casting which handles casting for the Showtime series Brotherhood along with many other movies, commercials and extra work in Rhode Island. I was intrigued by the possibility of doing something like that so I registered. I input my physical stats and uploaded a headshot. I never really thought I’d hear from anyone because I’m not a professional actor. Two days ago, to my surprise, I received a call about some background work for Brotherhood, which is shooting locally until late October.

I wasn’t totally sure what my role would be even after I received the email with my call time. I was told I would be “Land Worker #14” and I was to bring my work boots. Once I arrived at the crew facility, I quickly realized that I was in a different world. We were finally told what we’d be wearing and it wasn’t looking good because it was very hot and very humid. I had to don a full Hazmat Suit complete with facemask, hardhat, goggles and thick rubber gloves. Apparently our group of extras was going to be cleaning up a mock mercury spill in Providence Harbor. Man it was hot... have I said that yet?

Once we finished with fittings we were led to a place they call “holding”, which feels like a holding pen for cattle. In came the call, time to head to the set. Now I’m really getting excited. We loaded into a van and headed over to our set, which was along the East Providence Bike Path right next to the Squantum Club. It was amazing seeing the inner workings of Hollywood production. Ethan Embry and Jack McGee were the two actors in our scene. Unfortunately, Jason Isaacs, who plays Michael Caffee was not there. As we stood by during rehearsal it became more apparent that we’d be out on the rocks down by the water.

If you’ve ever seen the movie E.T., you can get a good idea of what we looked like in our Hazmat Suits. As I walked by Ethan Embry, I asked him if he wanted to switch roles and he asked me if I meant just for today, or for the rest of the shoot? It was really nice to have a little interaction with him. He seemed really cool.

The extras director put all of us into place and gave us a little direction as to what we should be doing. I was up on a cliff overlooking the “spill”. It was a little slippery but I was glad to be up there because of the very mild breeze. The shoot went very smoothly and we really only had to do about 10 takes, but in the suit if felt like 10 hours. We finished up and immediately headed back to craft services to have lunch and cool down. Some of the guys started to succumb to the heat. A big guy wrapped in plastic is a bad combination.

Lunch was awesome and everything I expected. I took my time eating and made sure I was one of the last people to finish so I could soak up the experience. As I headed out to the lot I made my way by the actors’ trailers and I came across Jack McGee. I stopped and told him how much I like his work on Rescue Me. Jack was great. He asked my name and thanked me for being part of the production. He has a new fan in me.

I’m so happy to have been lucky enough to have done this and I hope to do more extra work in the future. Make sure to look for me when you watch the Brotherhood. I’ll be the guy in the yellow suit.

Rhode Island Blood Center and The Tomorrow Fund Annual Celebration

I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Rhode Island Blood Center and The Tomorrow Fund's Annual Celebration of life on July 30th. It was a gathering of donors, recipients and staff from both organizations in a show of appreciation for all of the hard work and dedication that everyone puts into fighting numerous medical issues that children with cancer face every day. The event was held at the Rhode Island Blood Center's Providence location.

We heard from many speakers who shared their stories of how being a part of this wonderful cause has affected their lives. Barbara Morse Silva from Channel 10 and Heather from the Jones and Heather in The Morning show on LiteRock 105 spoke about their experiences with The Tomorrow Fund and curing childhood cancer. We also heard from 15-year donor Tony Deller who shared a story of how and why he started donating and how it’s made such a huge difference in his life.

The most touching moment of the day came when Carlene Lawrence spoke about her 3 year old daughter, Autumn, who was diagnosed with Leukemia when she was only 2. I’m not afraid to admit that I was very choked up when she told the story of how Autumn fought off Leukemia and then had to take on another battle with another form of cancer that required extensive chemotherapy. I looked around the room and many people were wiping their eyes. Carlene is happy to report that Autumn is doing very well and appears to have the cancer on the run.

While she was being treated for Leukemia, Autumn received dozens and dozens of pints of blood, platelets and plasma. This is where all of the generosity of the donors comes in. Our simple donations - whether they are a quick whole blood donation or a two-hour long pheresis donation, make all the difference in the lives of so many people that we never even see or meet. I’m very proud of the fact that I am a long time monthly donor of platelets and I look forward to helping in any way I can for the rest of my life.