Holy cow.  Two months–gone.  Over.  Finito.  Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we?  (Forgive me for indulging myself; this could be my last Rhode Show blog ever…)

Freezing my butt off at the NYLO open call.

Meeting the Shawn Tempesta at the callback.

My first vlog with Courtney Caligiuri on the day I started this here blog.

Cardi’s commercial debriefing with Mr. Tempesta.

Catching a new rising star at Twin River.

My maiden voyage in radio at 92 PROFM.

Trying to impress Jess from PROFM.

Post-PROFM vlog with Courtney.

I CO-HOSTED THE RHODE SHOW!

How I see Rhode Island.

What co-hosting was really like.

I love my tiny town and all of you who’ve been reading and watching and voting.  Thank you all so so much for the support and suggestions!  I hope I’ll be seeing you tomorrow morning on the Rhode Show.

Take a look at today’s Standard Times newspaper article recapping my two-month trek.

Tune in to Fox Providence (or FoxProvidence.com) tonight at 7pm EST for the dramatic conclusion.  What a long, strange, and wondrous trip it’s been.  Wouldn’t change it for the world.

No, I’m not talking about the holiday season (although it is quite wonderful, isn’t it?).  I’m talking about the off-season.

Clam shells outnumber people, parking is free, and you can actually hear the ocean unobstructed by the buzz of radios and incessant conversation.  It’s finally just the beach again.  And it’s the best time to take advantage of Newport’s Cliff Walk and its wonders, especially this year with all the miraculously temperate fall weather we’ve been dealt.

If you’ve never experienced the Cliff Walk –and back me up here if you have–there are a few rumors that I feel obligated to dispel:

1.  When Nature Calls. Contrary to certain websites, Cliff Walk isn’t a trek fit only for the iron-bladdered.  There are toilets along the way.  Granted, there are only two of them and they’re less than a mile into the walk (across from the Forty Steps), but they do exist, which is comforting.  They aren’t kingly thrones, but I’ll take a  Port-O-Potty over an unseemly accident any day.

2.  This Cliff Was Made For Walking. Anyone, and I mean literally anyone, can enjoy Cliff Walk.  I’ve seen young, old, two-legged, four-legged, extreme athletes, and lollygaggers on the trail.  Just take it at your own pace, which is so much easier without the currents of summer tourists.  The walk is about 3.5 miles–but don’t forget that you have to retrace your steps to get back to your car.  The path is paved for the first two-thirds or so but can get a little hairy after that (and includes a stroll through an unlit tunnel) so, of course, use your discretion.

3.  Break the Rules. The Cliff Walk’s designated “start” is off of Memorial Boulevard, just up the hill from Easton’s Beach.  But there are several other points along the path that can be your own personal start and finish lines.  Sea View Avenue, Narragansett Avenue (across from the Forty Steps), Marine Avenue, and Ruggles Avenue (boy, do they love their avenues in Newport) are among the available access points and can be great beginning or ending spots for your customized trail.

The weather’s beautiful, the beach is quiet, the toilet paper’s stocked, and the trail is your own, so lace up those sneakers and hit the walk…before the tourists catch on.

Happy Turkey Day, everyone!!  I hope your day was full of fun, food, and family and you’ve slipped into a tryptophan-induced turkey coma.  (Did you know that’s actually all a crock o’ hogwash?!?  I just learned that turkey doesn’t make you sleepy at all–National Geographic even wrote an article about it!)

And, as if by some grand design, Movie Maker finally let me finish the second part of my Awful Awful gorgefest on this, the holy day of overeating.  Praise be to gluttony.

“A friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.”

As I told you in my last post, I headed out to Yale last weekend to experience the glory that is Harvard-Yale.  After a nightmarish trip on Greyhound–my 1:45pm bus out of Providence didn’t show up until about 2:30pm and, in an attempt to make up lost time, raced and braked its way down 95 and got lost in the bowels of the urban jungle in all its fury–I somehow managed to make it one piece.  Thankfully,  the Kennedy Plaza repaving project should be over soon, which will at least make the front end of the trip a little less stressful.

Getting back to football, Harvard outdid itself in THE GAME this weekend–not only did we pull out an incredible 4th quarter 14-10 victory over the poor Yalies, our rare yet ferocious display of school spirit also caught the eye of a Fox Sports reporter.

(Notice the red paint on the back of the poor reporter’s jacket…)

In case you couldn’t make it out, the guys are shouting “CURRIER!  CURRIER!” and then “WHOSE HOUSE?  C-HOUSE!”  before finally belting out the “LET’S GO HARVARD!” chant.  Aside from the last, the cheers may seem off-point if you don’t know that Currier is one of twelve upperclass houses at my alma mater (the best house, in my very biased opinion).  I lived in Currier my sophomore through senior year and, as you can see, we’re one of the more…spirited houses.

I was just excited that Fox recognized Harvard football as a sport.

If football’s not your cup o’ tea, take a look at this article in the Middleboro Gazette that was recently posted on the website (**SPOILER ALERT:  The following article alludes to the outcome of the Awful Awful Challenge):

http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091117/PUB04/911179992/1040

It doubles as a shameless plug and a distraction from Turkey Day pigskin madness.

I am having yet more trouble uploading my Awful Awful videos.  Sigh.  I’m starting to think that someone’s meddling with the process [*cough* SHAWN TEMPESTA*cough cough*].  I honestly have no idea why Movie Maker has it out for me, but I toughed it out for Round 1, and I’ll do it again for Rounds 2 and 3.  No excuses.

Unfortunately for all of you clinging to your seats, awaiting the suspenseful outcome, I won’t be able to work on figuring out this mess until Sunday.  This weekend’s the epic Harvard-Yale football game (or as we nerds call it, “THE GAME”).  It’s a rare occasion when Harvardites actually show some school spirit, so I couldn’t deprive myself a chance to sport my crimson and white.

In the meantime, I wanted to share an uplifting (you’ll get the pun after you watch it) happenstance that went down at the station this week. There was a little surprise for the ladies at the station when they went to use the restroom:

Building Manager Mike Cribari to the rescue!

*No animals or people were harmed in the making of this film.

Fox Providence truly is a magical place…

I’ve teased it not once, not twice, but THREE times, and now…it’s finally here.  The blog you’ve all been waiting for:  THE AWFUL AWFUL TRUTH.  Can the underdog pull it off?  Or does the incumbent prevail?  What happens when you ingest 72 ounces of the pure, creamy goodness that is the Newport Creamery Awful Awful?

In short, I challenged Mr. Rhode Show himself, Shawn Tempesta, to the Awful Awful Challenge under the impression that my victory would instantaneously win me his job.  Maybe it’s a good thing that wasn’t the case…or was it?

A half-cup lead.  Embarrassing.

I apologize that only the first round of drinks is available for your viewing pleasure right now–as you know, I’ve been having a terrible time trying to post the full-length video.  So I chopped it up and took out the music, went a little less crazy with effects…  I’m hoping that the three installments will be enough to maintain the suspense.

Thank you so much to Brian Colton (“The Enabler”) and the rest of the fabulous people at Newport Creamery. They were exceptionally patient with our shenanigans during the challenge and have been equally patient as I tried to work out the kinks to get this story posted.  And, of course, I must thank Shawn for challenging my belly and ego.

Tune in tomorrow for ROUND 2:  CHOCOLATE VS. VANILLA.  A rivalry centuries in the making.

And don’t forget to turn on Fox Providence tomorrow (Tuesday) morning at 8am EST to see me try my hand at hosting The Rhode Show.  You can even stream it live at http://www.foxprovidence.com/subindex/rhode_show/rhode_show.  If you still can’t get enough, turn to Fox Providence again at 2pm for an encore.

See you then!

Me with the incredible videographer Ric Valles, the hilarious (and forgiving) emcee Frank O'Donnell, and the brilliant RS producer Rebecca Johnson.

Thanks to everyone who came out to support Rhode Island’s finest amateur comics at Twin River’s Catch a New Rising Star (Season 8 ) last Thursday! It was a BLAST! I have an affinity for funny, so I was in my glory. All the performers were so good to me (even poor Ray–I will never forget your name again). No idea what I’m alluding to? Roll clip!

Congrats to Dan Burgess and Jack Walsh on taking first and second place in the competition (not to mention $100 and $50, respectively)!!! It took us three rounds of voting by applause to determine the winners. Everyone was so incredible!

Before the show, I had a little time to kill–due to a misunderstanding on my part, I got to the club eons before I was scheduled to be there. But I didn’t have any trouble entertaining myself.

How can you not feel like a million bucks when you’re at Twin River?!

Thanks so much to Frank O’Donnell and Mike Ceci from Catch a Rising Star for letting me steal the stage for a bit! And congrats again to all the hilarious and oh-so-brave comics who put themselves in the path of that blinding spotlight. Your job sure ain’t easy.

Don’t forget to tune in to 92 PROFM tomorrow morning at 8, when I make my radio debut! That’s 92.3 on your radio dials and 92profm.com for all of you listening at work. 

Now you have zero excuse not to listen.

Talk to you then!

Is there some celebrity or drug cartel making its way through southeastern Mass./Rhode Island that I don’t know about??

Don’t forget to head out to Twin River casino at 7 tonight for Catch a Rising Star with emcee, m-e.  Hope to see you there!

FYI:
After three days of cruising the shorelines and interstates of Rhode Island, the shooting for my story is finished!  It’ll be edited next week and then you’ll get to catch it on the show–I’ll keep you posted.

This is the week of weeks, my friends.  Not only am I slated to warm up the crowd for a slew of ridiculously funny comics at Twin River’s Catch a Rising Star contest on Thursday night, I also have to figure out a way to encapsulate all of Rhode Island into a two-minute video story.  We get the camera for three days–that’s 72 hours to capture maybe an hour’s worth of footage.  Doesn’t sound so bad.

But herein lies the problem:  How the heck do you fit all of Rhode Island into a measly 120 seconds?!?  Sure, Little Rhody is the smallest state, but that doesn’t change the fact that it has the biggest people, people from every background (and “foodground”).  How do you whittle it down?!

In an hour or so, I’ll be hitting the road to do just that.  I’ll be cruising the interstates trying to tie up the Ocean State in a pretty two-minute bow.  I have until Thursday morning, so leave a comment or two if you have any suggestions on how to capture quintessential Rhode Island.

Honk if you see me on the road (I’ll be driving an obnoxiously blue Mazda with Sox plates–hard to miss even if you’re not looking)!

The heavenly staff at The Herald News granted me a hefty piece of page A3 space in the Sunday paper–the electronic version is the most popular web story of the day (and I’m competing against mayoral campaign coverage, a slew of robberies, and the announcement of a new site for a proposed strip club…can’t lie, I’m pretty proud of myself).  I even have five comments from readers, one of which gives a detailed step-by-step on how to vote.  I should hire you guys as my promoters.  You’re all so amazing!  Thank you so so much for all of your support!

You can give the article a look over here.

As always, feel free to air your thoughts–the good, the bad, and the honest–right here or on The Herald’s website.

Thanks so much again!

One of the Glamour Shots That Didn't Make It to the Presses

*Just to clarify, I think the reporter misunderstood what I told him about the initial number of co-host candidates at the show’s open audition–I have no idea what the actual total was but do know that each of the two audition days was capped at 200, so I couldn’t have competed against more than 400 hopefuls.  The important thing to take away is that there were a heck of a lot of people, and I’m so lucky to have made it this far.

**Having trouble uploading the Awful Awful video but am making progress!  I promise I haven’t forgotten!