They Came, They Saw, They Shook Our Hands

Last Friday The Free Beer & Hot Wings Morning Show was live from Albany, NY at the at Clubhouse Race Book and Legend’s Field Restaurant & Pub. Then the guys were good enough to hang out with us at O'Toole's. 

In the morning when the guys were at the OTB, I was here at Q103, working the local boards for the show, so I was there in spirit. You could not see me, but without me the entire Capital Region would not be listen to Free Beer & Hot Wings live from Albany, NY.

It sounded like a good time, and then there was this guy.

His breasts do not look like they are full of milk, his shirt is a lie, but he made a Albany Free Beer & Hot Wings moment. His image of standing next to Free Beer pointing at his chest full of lies is now immortal. If he did have milk filled breasts, I would of stared, but I was not there.

I did make it to O'Toole's later on in the day though, I have allot of fond memories of O'Toole's.

In High School my friends and I used to go to O'Toole's for Monday Night Football, we would hold contests to see who could eat the hottest wings, and some radio station called the edge was there. One night the guy working the table gave us kids some free CDs, and that is how I was introduced to Soul Coughing. 

I celebrated my 21st and 22nd birthday at O'Toole's, my 21st was all beer, but on my 22nd my friends kept buying me pink drinks, we had the same waitress from my 21st, she remembered us and bought me a pink drink.

Now I can add 'Met the guys from The Free Beer & Hot Wings' to the list of memories.

I had arrived late, it was my sons last day at the Daycare he had been going to for the past 2 years. My wife refused to pick him up because she was afraid she getting emotional, so I had to do it and watch his teachers tear up while saying good bye.

Going from the scene at the Daycare to O'Toole's was kind of weird, I needed a beer, but I could not get the waitresses attention. The place was packed, especially where I was standing, in the middle of the restaurant where the tables were set up for Free Beer & Hot Wings, who I were kind of nervous about meeting because of streak of making a jerk out of myself when meeting celebrities.

I hung back for a bit and let the guys do their thing, Eric Zane almost got beat up by some guy that looked like King Kong Bundy, and I got distracted by a plate on the wall with all of the Beatles faces painted on it. It was out of place because it was the only entertainment themed decoration in the place and at first I thought it was the Monkeys. 

Eventually I was introduced to the guys, I shook everyone's hand, but was nervous about reaching over their food to shake their hands, because I forgot who was the germ freak. I think Producer Joe made fun of me, but I could not hear him.

I talked to Free Beer about the local stand-up comedy scene, then I backed away, the fear of turning this meeting bad was in the back of my mind. So I decided to play it cool and hang back, but then I felt like I was being awkward, I did get my beer though.

I stuck to my plan of hanging back and trying to look cool, but when Free Beer started a scavenger hunt for free Yankee's tickets everything went wrong, I instinctively went out to my car and got my Tigers hat. When I got back inside, the only person that seemed to notice was Dave from Q103. Free Beer announced that first person to show him a picture of their kid would win the tickets, I had a picture of my son in the breast pocket of my jacket. I pulled it out and approached Free Beer with my hat on backwards, I showed him the picture and he looked at me and said " You can't win."

Then I turned my hat around.

I don't know why I always have to make a jerk out of myself when I meet famous people, at least I am consistent because now the streak lives.

Shortly after that the guys made their exit, the Q103 crew said their 'good byes' and I congratulated Free Beer on the birth of his twins.

The live broadcast was a success, from my end it sounded like everyone had a great time in the morning and I know for a fact that we all had a great time in the afternoon. I did not make a complete jerk out of myself, but I will get a second chance in August.

Hopefully the streak will end.