Welcome to the Bob Brader Blog!
This blog scares the Hell out of me! However, I have been trying to battle as many fears as I possibly can.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Getting there is half the fun. Come share it with us!

During our cross country trips, Suzanne has taken to writing down notes on different things that happen on the trip.  I wanted to include some of the notes here and embellish on them as needed.

CROSS-COUNTRY TRIP #5

DAY 1: 12/18/11
NYC to Salem, VA

Alexander Hamilton Rest Stop, NJ
Roy Rogers
Suzanne: which do you recommend? The egg cheese and sausage crescent or the breakfast platter?
Woman behind counter who does not understand English:  You want both?
Bob: You are not going to get an answer on that one.

Whoa! Having those windows open is like having a York Peppermint Patty!

Waiting for sandwiches at the Carlyle,Cumberland County, PA
SHEETZ:
ENT Guy 1: I got number 69!
ENT Guy 2: that's a good number!
(They both laugh very hard)

The brilliance that is Mix CD disc 2.  I made seven mix CD's for the car, Suzanne is partial to CD number 2! 

Restaurant du Grease at the BP
Still smelling the grease 20 minutes after leaving the place and we only got tea.


Light up Santa at the entrance of the La Quinta Hotel, BIG ASS blow up Santa behind the concierge desk - hotel employee a little bitchy especially when she finds out we did Hotels.com and she can't take our credit card.
Showtime, Chinese, Dexter finale.  We used our TomTom, and Suzanne called ahead to find a hotel that had Showtime so we would not miss the Dexter Finale!!  It was so worth it!!






DAY 2: 12/19/11
Salem, VA -> Jackson, TN

At IHOP:
Suzanne: "That bacon looks nothing like the bacon in the picture."

Highway Sign - "blasting today at 11:30". I-80

Disc 3 is playing Sting's "If I ever lose my faith in you" and just then when we're thinking and talking about Patrick we drive by a green sign that says "Montgomery Co."

Bob: OMG! Long John Silvers! Richard and I used to go to the mall and eat there because it was really cheap.

Waffle House!
Perkins!
Bob: Perkins is a little more dignified.
Suzanne: Just a smidgen.

Hampton Inn Front Desk person: Mrs. Breeder?
Suzanne: No!

DAY 3: 12/20/11
Jackson, TN to Russellville, AR

Abandoned gas stations, Shell firebomb and unmarked on west side bring us, hovering above red zone, to Exxon on east side of 40, we usually boycott Exxon, but in this case we made an exception.

Memphis.
Suzanne: We're in the city of my conception.
Bob: Are you feeling all tingly?
Suzanne: Yeah. But it may be the morning redhots.

Church with bright flashing billboard - Jesus is the reason for the season of Christmas.

DAY 4: 12/21/11
Russellville, AK to Amarillo, TX

Free hotel room courtesy of dumb ass night shift guy turning off the A/C in our room from the Main Office by mistake and the lovely day girl remedying the situation.
Cracker Barrell lady, a younger blond Kathy Bates wears a "mistletoad" on her apron: green frog wearing Santa hat!

Kickapoo Casino

Bob: I wanted to take a picture of that restroom.
Suzanne: Really?
Bob: Awww, it was bad.

Sign - Leaving Kickapoo Nation
Bob: For a while there we were part of the Kickapoo Nation.

Bob: That (white) car has an antler and a red nose and drives like a maniac!
 
(Seeing Hitchhiker) Bob: O My God, it's Bill Bixby.  Don't make me angry. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry.
1/4 mile later:  Sign - Banner Road.
Bob: Maybe that's where that hitchhiker was going!


Gracefully avoiding the Chalet Inn at Groom, TX, a town with a massive creepy cross standing in its town center.












DAY 5: 12/22/11
Amarillo, TX to past San Jon, NM to Amarillo, TX to Odessa, TX


 Frozen tundra wonderland
Gray, cold northern Texas
No recycling at the Hampton Inn
29 degrees. Why is it so cold?

Sign - Bushland
Bob: Is that an amusement park?

Jersey Girl Pizza in Texas - great pizza



DAY 6: 12/23/11
Odessa,TX to El Paso, TX

A horse statue stands outside the Fairfield Inn. We don't know why.

Putting on disc 1 which starts with "Movin' Right Along" per Bob's request and simultaneously passing a green sign that says "Kermit"!!!!

Large collection of cameras, and mirrors on large stands on both sides of the road.
Bob: What the fuck was that? Are we getting our pictures taken or what? (Border Patrol vehicle parked nearby).
Bob: Maybe they were taking pictures of us to make sure that we're white.

Heavy Snow...weather advisory: I-10 is closed through New Mexico.

Stranded in El Paso for the rest of the day. 

So there you have it!!  Right now we are stuck in a hotel room waiting for the snow to end.  We hope to be on our way by tomorrow, or Christmas!!  

A few shots from the road!!!


Saturday, June 18, 2011

The Test

My girlfriend Cindy had the monogamy level of a five-dollar hooker; of course I did not find this out until we were breaking up.  As our last fight was ending and she started to read off the long laundry list of men she slept with while we were dating, the only thought that went through my head was that old familiar phrase, “You are not only sleeping with her, but everyone she has ever slept with.”  As it turns out, I was fucking a lot more people then I thought. 
With that in mind, I decided it was time to take the test; the big test, the HIV test.  Now, this was in the summer of ’95, and I had no insurance, no idea where to get this test, and I wasn’t even sure what the test entailed.  After a lot of calling around, I found out that I could get it done, whatever it was, at a clinic in Jamaica Queens, and not only was it free, but it was also anonymous.  I walked into the hospital, it was a Wednesday morning and the place was empty.  I asked at the front desk about the HIV test and the lady  pointed to a large wooden door that had the word “clinic” written on a piece of paper taped to the door.  I walked in and it was a huge space.  They had TVs in every corner of the room looking down from the ceiling held up with brackets, and row after row of chairs except for an aisle that lead to the nurse behind the bulletproof glass that was so thick she had to use an intercom system in order for you to hear her.
“Can I help you?”  Her voice echoed throughout the empty space.
“I’m here to take an HIV test.”
“Fill this out.”
I filled out the card and placed it back through the paper-thin slot under the bulletproof glass.
“Have a seat, the doctor will be with you any moment.”
I sat alone in that huge space thinking about nothing but how much I hated Cindy for making me feel paranoid enough to even take this test. 
The nurse called me into the doctor’s small room.  The exam table was just large enough for you to sit on, and across from it was a metal cabinet crowded with jars of cotton balls, tongue depressors, Q-tips, normal things in a doctor’s office, but there seemed to be no order to anything it was just thrown together.
“Take your pants off and sit up on the table, the doctor will be with you soon.” The nurse was then out of the door in a flash.
I took my pants off and sat on the cold metal table.  Now I am having images of choking Cindy with my bare hands.
The door opens and in walks the oldest doctor I have ever seen in my life.   He has white hair, walking really slow and looking very confused.  The only real way I knew he was the doctor was because he wore a white coat and had a stethoscope.  The image of Tim Conway from “The Carol Burnet Show” jumped into my head and I almost laughed.

“HIV test?”
“Yes, Sir.”
“You like to be checked for other sexually transmitted diseases, yes?”
“Sure.”
With that being said, in a flash, the doctor grabbed my dick like some kind of angry lover and very roughly examined ever inch of it.  Now the doctor has ceased to be funny in my mind, he was starting to scare me.  While he still had the stem of my dick in his hand, he reached over and grabbed a long Q-tip out of one of the containers and in one quick motion rams it into my dick.
“OW!”
“Sorry about that.”  Now I am thinking that this doctor just wants to torture me.  He yanks the Q-tip out and releases my dick. 
“I do not see any warts or lesions or puss, so that is good.  The nurse will be in to take your blood, you can put your pants on.”
As he waddled out of the room, I could not help but feel violated.  Now I am thinking no matter what the results, I want to tell Cindy I have something just so she has to go through this hell.
As I am pulling my pants back up the nurse comes in.
“Hold out your arm.”
She grabs my arm and jabs the needle in a vein and fills up a vile.
“So, which test is the HIV test?”
“This one is, the blood needs to be analyzed to find out if you are positive or negative.  I had you take off your pants, because I knew the only reason a white boy like you would come to a clinic like this was because he stuck his dick in something he should not have stuck his dick in.  Am I right?”
“Well, I guess that is true.”
“And nobody will know that you ever came in here to take this test, unlike if you went to your family doctor who would have to put the results in your file.  That’s why I figured you’d want to get checked for everything while you were here.  All finished, you can come back in three weeks for the results.”
She put a label on my blood and I was out the door. 
After I left the hospital I thought about how stupid I was being, worrying over this test.  I am not sick, I feel great, and I am just being very silly.  The day to go in and get my results came and went and I felt no reason to go in and get the results, I am fine.
Then the letter came.  It was from the clinic. 

Dear Mr. Brader,
A few weeks ago, you came into the clinic to take an HIV test.  The results of your test are in and it is imperative that you come into the clinic and get your results.  Please report to the clinic on Saturday, August 22.

It is amazing how only one word stood out in that letter, the word imperative.  Fuck, I knew I was sick.  Christ, I have this fucking disease.  I knew that was not just a black and blue mark on my leg, when did I hit my leg against anything?  My throat has been sore for the last few days, and that is not normal.  I am going to die.
When I walked into the clinic on August 22, it was a totally different scene than when I was there the first time.  All of the seats were full, people were all over the place, and all of the televisions were on.  The noise was deafening.  I went up to the bulletproof glass.
“I am here to get the results of my HIV test!”
“Name!”
“Bob Brader!”
“Have a seat!”
I turned and looked for a seat, it was not easy to find, but I did and started to notice everything that was going on in the room.  All of the television sets were on and two of them had Magic Johnson talking about dealing with AIDS.  One of the other ones had a video on about a man who had an affair with a prostitute and has to tell his wife that he has AIDS and she needs to get tested for it.  The other set had a doctor talking about living with AIDS and the different drugs that are available.  The TVs were freaking me out even more, so I started looking around the room at the people waiting.  Nine gang members were sitting in one corner, all of them crying.  Not just a tear, but openly weeping, loudly.  A mother was holding her baby, crying and screaming.  A family on the opposite end of the room were all looking at their one son and shaking their heads.  The rest of the waiting room was filled with people like me, anxiety-ridden people waiting to get that result. 
Then it hit me, that is why they called me in on this day.  Everyone here has it, this just makes it easy for them.  If you are here on this day, you have the disease.  At this realization, I go into a panic, I am having trouble breathing, I am sweating and I am shaking.  I look over at the gang members who are now hugging each other and wailing.  Who am I going to be able to hug when they tell me?  How do I tell my mom that I am going to die?  How the fuck am I going to be able to afford all of those drugs this doctor is talking about?  The room is spinning, all the blood in my infected body is rushing to my feet and I feel like I am going to pass out.
“Bob Brader.”
“AH!”
A man dressed in all white carrying a clipboard calls my name.  He is the Messenger of Death, and he wants me to fallow him to the doctor’s office.  He looks like a very nice guy, and this very nice man holds the secret to the rest of my life in the palm of his hand.  Once we are in the office and he closes the door, he throws the clipboard on the desk. 
“I guess you want to know what your results are?”
“Yes, I do.”
He takes his pen, puts it under the top page of the clipboard and flips the page up.
The word NEGATIVE was in big bold letters on the center of the page, and nothing else.  The Angel of Death said some more things while I was in the room with him, but I have no idea what they were.  I ran out of that clinic, with the feeling that I had just cheated death. 

Friday, April 22, 2011

Driving Test

This is in honor of my one year anniversary of being a licensed driver!!

We pulled up in front of the DMV and I was incredibly nervous.  These three girls were standing out front, all of them very perky, young and pissed.
“He said I wasn’t going fast enough, and last time he said I went too fast.  They can fuckin’ eat me.”
Her girlfriends were in total agreement, and I knew I had to divert my attention.  None of them realize what a huge responsibility a license is. 
He looked to be about fifty, balding with grey hair forming a perfect horseshoe on the side of his head, and he had a very friendly smile.  He had a small black canvas case in his hand that held the small computer that would decide my fate. 
I got into the driver’s side, and he got into the passenger side.  He started fumbling around with all of these papers that he had inside the canvas case, trying to get the computer ready.  The papers were folded in all different ways, it looked amazingly unorganized and I immediately thought of Columbo.  He wants me to think he is a bumbling mess, so he can trip me up on this test.

“AAAA…Do you have your permit?”
I handed him my permit without saying a word.  I am innocent Mr. Columbo, I know how to drive. 
“And  AAAA...Your certificate for the class.” 
I pulled it out of my pocket in a second.
He scanned that certificate and handed me back my permit.  He was still fumbling around with all of his papers when he said: “When you are ready you can pull out.”
I waited, put my seatbelt on, fixed my mirrors, even though I didn’t need to, and turned the key with my foot on the brake.  You are not going to trip me up on the easy stuff Mr. Colombo.  I put on my turn signal and got ready to pull out.  I checked my blind spot by turning my head; something that I kept forgetting to do during my driving lessons, and I started easing out. Just then little miss perky and pissed with her two friends decided to run in front of the car.  I stopped easily and even waved them along.  You see how relaxed I am Mr. Columbo?
We started down the road a bit and he was still fumbling with his papers.
“AAAA…Make a left up here.”
I hit the blinker and made a beautiful left turn; I think it was a personal best. 
“AAAA...Pull up to that car and Parallel Park.”
I hit the blinker, Looked at my blind spots and started backing up, but as I was going back I noticed I was pretty far away from the curb, so I pulled it in a little more, then straightened out and put it in park.  It was not horrible, but not great. 
“Now make a three point turn please.”
I hit the blinker, checked the mirrors and pulled out.
“You need to check behind you  when pulling out right?”  Columbo has now stopped playing with his papers.
I made the rest of the turn well and we went back down the street. 
“Turn right at the stop sign.”
We are heading back to the DMV.  Oh well, I thought, maybe I shouldn’t be behind the wheel anyway.  The dreams, the fear, it’s all telling me to stay in my place.  Why did I think I could do this?
I made the turn. 
“Now at the next street, make a right.”
The test wasn’t over, and I suddenly felt like I had a shot at passing this test.  As soon as I made the turn I saw a huge truck in my lane, not moving at all.  We drove up the street to the truck; traffic on my left was coming in the opposite direction.  I had to wait; this wait was amazingly stressful.  Car after car just kept coming down the road.  I had hoped he would go back to fumbling with his papers.  Instead he just sat there watching me.  It seemed to last forever.  I was just about to make my move when a red sports car came flying down the road.  I turned to Columbo.
“This sports car seems like it’s in a hurry, so I’m going to wait for him.”
He nodded and just kept watching me. 
I passed the truck, hit my blinker and immediately went over to my lane. 
“Make a left here.”
I made the turn and it was good, not great, but good.
“Make the next left.” 
I couldn’t see a left turn coming up, no signals, no road marker, no only lanes, no turn lanes. 
“Left, the next left!”
Finally I noticed the turn.  It looked like a driveway, but it was really a road.  I signaled and went for the turn, just as I was in mid-turn a guy ran across the street.  I waited for him in the middle of the road, then proceeded to make the turn.
“Sorry I didn’t see the turn.”
“Not all turns are marked with a sign or signal.  Sometimes you just have to look.”


We drove down the road. 
“Make a right here and pull over.” 
I looked and noticed that we were right across the street from the DMV, a block from where we started.  Columbo went back to fumbling with his papers and I was just relieved it was over.  I had been stressing about this test for so long, and now I knew what to expect.  Next time it will seem easier, and I do need more practice, this was a bit sloppy, I totally understand him failing me.
He pushed a few buttons on the computer and then a piece of paper flowed out of his machine, like a credit card slip.
“Please sign this.”
He looked annoyed, and in a hurry.
I was looking for a retest date or for him to tell me again about all of the mistakes I made that forced him to fail me. 
“This is your temporary license, keep it with your permit until you receive your permanent license.”
“You mean I passed?”
“Yeah.”
He got out of the car and I was shocked and shaken.  I got an adrenaline rush that made my whole body shake.  Every part of my body was excited and invigorated.  I did it!  I passed!  Aubry, my driving teacher, drove me home, and only after I got home and it was all over did the fear come back.
Why did he give me a license?  I’m not ready to be a driver.  I still make stupid mistakes.  How could that guy have passed me?  Was he paid off by someone? How can he know that I am ready to put other people’s lives in jeopardy, with only a five minute test?  He doesn’t know how good I am under pressure.  How well I am going to be able to handle going 70 miles per hour?  He doesn’t know my fears or doubts.  I was so excited to get my license, but I knew I should not be on the road.  Maybe he felt sorry for me, poor 42 year old guy, still not driving, poor loser.  How can he tell I’m not crazy, that I’m not going to ram the car into some poor child or hit pedestrians crossing the street?  I mean hell, they are right there in front of me.  Just some pressure on the gas and bang I have just changed that person’s life forever.  Could I live with that?  Can I accept that I won’t do those things?  That I won’t get drunk and think I can drive home?  Can I handle the responsibility of being behind the wheel?  Who the fuck does that guy think he is; with the push of a button he has put tons of steel and glass legally at my disposal.  Didn’t he notice I wasn’t ready?  Did I fool him?  Or was he just not paying attention.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

This is Vegas?


Suzanne happens to be one of the biggest Vegas fans I know. She can name almost all of the hotels on the strip, knows where the best shopping is, the best places to eat, she loves Vegas. At the risk of being unpopular, especially with my wonderful wife, I did not like Vegas. Maybe it was because we only had one night to see everything, but the whole place looked to me to be all set up and no bang. It was like being at Disney World with all of the magic and fantasy of a major attraction, without the satisfaction of getting on a ride.
We got majorly lucky in the fact that we got set up in a hotel that we should have never been set up in. We got into some deal that was being done with Planet Hollywood, and their new condo. They were having people stay over to try and sell them a condo. It was way less than it should have been and it was like being a celebrity. It had a great view of the strip, huge TV and two smaller ones throughout the room, huge bed, Jacuzzi in the bedroom, huge bathroom, wonderful shower and a special door for the john. It was the most amazing room I have ever had the pleasure of staying in. If we had stayed in the room, I think I would have loved Vegas.
It was venturing out into that world that gave me pause. I am not a gambler, I never have been. To me gambling is fun for about an hour maybe two. I will play the slots for a bit, a little electronic poker, and maybe watch some people play blackjack but then I am done. I just don’t like playing games like that when I know that I am just not going to win. I find it boring. So, we walked around a lot and I got to see a lot of Vegas. It is very pretty, and reminded me a lot of Disneyworld. Every moment I was like, “What ride is this?” Only to find out it was just another casino.
Vegas just left me a bit cold. Especially the day after, when all of the neon is off and you can see that they are just buildings, and you notice the people walking with their heads down. You can feel loss and emptiness.
However, here are some of the things I loved about Vegas: the Bellagio fountains were beautiful and I was really happy I got a chance to see them, the big ball of light from the show Vegas, the Caesars Palace shopping area was amazing, our room, and being in that place with Suzanne was what really made it special.
I am hoping to go back to Vegas again and see what my wife and millions of people every year see. I know I am missing something, I just don’t know what it is.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Day Three!


It was a very smooth five hour drive from Yulee, Florida to Palm Beach, Florida. Florida is a huge state!! The highlight of the trip was finally getting to our destination, and the burning field we passed on the road. I am pretty sure this was some kind of arranged field burning, because lots of cop cars were around, and no one was doing anything. It was so beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Sometimes there is beauty in destruction. We have had a ball getting this together and will be posting more when we start out on Thursday morning going to Anna Maria Island!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Day Two!!


This was a weird and wonderful day. It started off with a splendid breakfast with Jessica, a friend of Suzanne's from high school and her husband Reid at Elmo's Dinner. Really great way to start off the day! Then lunch at Cracker Barrel, this is challenging for me because I am on a diet, trying to lose weight for a show I am doing this summer. It is the first show in a long time where I have to be shirtless, and I don't want my gut sticking out! So I had something very small. Then we came across the highlight of the day! South Of The Border!! What a cheesy fantastic little place. You name the item and they had it with some kind of South Of The Border symbol or logo stamped all over it. Then came diner and the scariest bar/dive I have ever been in. The worst part of this bar, was everyone was smoking inside the bar! It brought back so many memories of sitting in NYC bars and smoking and drinking. This place of course has nothing healthy on the menu! I had a burger with no bun and fried mushrooms. I thought the mushrooms were going to be cooked on a skillet. I was so wrong! They came covered with a thick breading! I caved and ate those amazing tasting mushrooms and it was a delicious burger. One of the best I had in a long time!! It was a seven hour drive today from Durham, North Carolina to Yulee, Florida. Tomorrow we make it to Palm Beach!!

Sunday, February 13, 2011

Day One!!


When you are taking a long driving trip, you have some of the inevitable bad things.  The horrible road side food, the amazingly huge trucks that tend to ride around in packs (insert the CONVOY song here!), and the amazing amount of expletives I can sometimes scream at people who just do not know how to drive.  What is often forgotten is all of the good things.  The amazing scenery, listening to your favorite song while going 70mph, all of the interesting places you find yourself when you are taking a trip like this, the interesting people you meet, and for me it is also getting to spend lots of quality time with my wife.  The video attached kind of sums up the days activities!  It was a nine hour day from New York City to Durham, North Carolina!  It was a blast. We really Loved The Dick Clark American Bandstand Grill!!  I promise to try and get better footage for Day Two!!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Support for our show

Awareness is one of our key goals in touring with the show, Spitting In The Face Of The Devil.  It is so important to let people know that these things still go on.  So, I would like to thank the amazing organizations that have supported our show, past and present!

Prevent Child Abuse – New Jersey
  They were the first organization that really believed in the show, and took a major interest in it.  I am looking to do a major benefit for them at some point.
(Supported the Garage Theatre Group Solo Fest shows)

Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey is a nonprofit organization
working to end child abuse.  There mission is to prevent child abuse in all of its forms, for all of New Jersey’s children.  Prevent Child Abuse-New Jersey is the only statewide non-profit dedicated to preventing child abuse in all of its forms, for all of as the New Jersey chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America, the 9th Chapter to be established among a national network. Today, we exist as one of the largest chapters across the country, and have become a recognized leader for prevention work in New Jersey.

Women's Community House
An amazing organization that does so much for battered women and children.  We were able to take a tour of their facility when we were in London.  It was an emotionally moving and powerful tour.
(Supported London Fringe show/Benefit show for organization on June 25, 2010)

Founded in 1978 Women's Community House (WCH) in London with a combined total of 67 beds at the Wellington Road and Clarke Road facilities is the largest high security shelter for abused women and their children in Canada.  Open 365 days per year around the clock, each year WCH provides emergency and short term shelter, counseling support, and transitional outreach services to roughly 6,000 London and area residents. WCH also owns and operates Second Stage Housing a 25-unit apartment complex that provides Rent-geared-to-income independent living for 49 families each year.


Little Warriors   
Another wonderful organization, focusing mainly on education, and information. 
(Supported Atlantic Fringe Shows/Percentage of proceeds went to organization)
a National charitable organization, based in Canada, focusing on the education and prevention of child sexual abuse. Little Warriors teaches adults how to help prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. In addition to prevention education, Little Warriors also provides information about the prevalence and frequency of
child sexual abuse and information about healing and support resources.


Prevent Child Abuse - California
This is a sister company to Prevent Child Abuse – New Jersey.  I am such a huge believer in the work they do.
(Supporting the Rogue Festival, Fresno, CA / A portion of the proceeds will go to this organization)
Prevent Child Abuse California is an agency of the Child Abuse Prevention Center with a 35 year history of serving children and families.  Our mission is to prevent the abuse and neglect of California’s children by building community resources, enhancing public awareness, developing and coordinating prevention programs, and facilitating advocacy activities.

Each one of these organizations does amazing and powerful work every day.  They deserve our support.    

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Our Cross Country Adventure

This is a very exciting time! This year we are going to be taking two cross country trips! One across the US, and the other across Canada!
It all begins on:

February 13th
when we leave NYC and take a three day trip to Florida, to visit Suzanne’s parents in Anna Maria Island via Palm Beach to visit a wonderful family friend.












February 22
nd
we leave for the seven day trip cross country to Fresno California!










February 28
th
we arrive in Fresno! We will be performing Spitting In The Face Of The Devil at The Rogue Performance Festival!


March 2nd
Tech 4-7

March 4, 5, 10, 11, 12
Spitting In The Face Of The Devil all shows at 7:30!


March 7, 8
we will be traveling to San Francisco, I have never been here before I am am looking forward to seeing it very much!
March 13
we head to LA for a week to meet up with friends!
March 20th
we leave for Solana Beach California, where Suzanne will be working with the amazing theatre company New Village Arts!
April 25th
we take the next 6 days and travel back to NYC





April 30
th
Back in NYC!!



I promise to document this whole trip, and post something almost every day. I am going to try to do the same for the second leg of the tour, but one tour at a time!

Sunday, January 16, 2011

The Dream

It’s a large black car with red interior. It’s my mom’s car, and I am driving. People are in the car, but I can’t tell how many. Lots of talking going on, but I’m not paying attention to them, I am too busy watching the road. Suddenly, I get very scared, everything starts to get dark and I feel the car fly off the road. The car is falling down a hill. It rolls, spinning around and around, it stops and we are upside-down. Everyone is screaming. Now the car is on fire, I can see the flames and feel the heat. I am trapped lying on my stomach. I can smell plastic burning; the screaming gets louder as I feel the heat on my leg. I see bodies burning and I cannot move. I can’t help them or myself. I now feel the heat on my arms, I am on fire and I know I am now about to burn. I see a huge flash of light in front of my eyes, and I wake up. This is the dream that has haunted me my whole life, and has kept me from ever learning how to drive.

On April 13th of 2010, I got my driver's license. This was a major ordeal for me. Suzanne and I realized that we were going to be doing a lot of traveling with the Theatre Company and it was really not fair that she was the only one who had a license. Even if I was not going to be doing most of the driving, at least I could help if it was needed. I went to The Grand Prix Driving School, here in New York. The instructor was amazing. His name was Aubrie and he talked to me the whole time I was behind the wheel, about everything and nothing, just kept me talking. He wanted me to focus on the road and the conversation, and not the fear. It worked, and I have my license today, all because Aubrie helped me stand up to my fear. Because of his help I was able to pass my test on the first try. I have driven many miles since I got my license, and some days I still feel scared. But I love driving, and I am going to try as hard as I can never to let fear keep me from living my life ever again.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Spitting In The Face Of The Devil




In this daring, uplifting and comedic monologue, Bob Brader tells the gripping true story of discovering that his charismatic ex-Marine father is a pedophile. Hailed by New York critics as "brilliant", "brave" and "unforgettable". The Beat Arts in London called it "Eighty minutes of brilliance!", "Down to earth masterful storytelling" and named it "Best Show of the London Fringe". Most recently it won "Best Script" in the inaugural United Solo Theatre Festival in New York City.

I am very proud of this show, it was hard to write, but empowering to perform. I wrote the show and it was directed and developed by Suzanne Bachner. Suzanne was amazing in putting this show together. She helped me dig deeper then I ever thought I could go. She is the greatest partner and friend anyone could ever ask for! We have traveled all over with Spitting In The Face Of The Devil, and we have even been able to raise a little money for a few Child Abuse Prevention Organizations. Prevent Child Abuse-NJ, Little Warriors and Woman's Community House have worked with us, to create as much awareness on this issue as we can. This year we will be traveling to Fresno, CA for The Rogue Festival and Canada for The Calgary Fringe Festival and The Victoria Fringe. I will be listing dates and times very soon!