My online diary.
Yes, you can live vicariously through me.
This page is
constantly under construction.
I am an amateur radio operator
and my callsign is: KC4URW. So far, I have worked 88 countries. I was born and
raised in Philadelphia, PA. I go back every chance I get for the three most
important staples oflife: Philly Cheese Steaks, TastyKakes, and
Philly soft pretzels.
Here are some links you hams might find of
interest.
The QRZ online callsign lookup.
NASA on the web.
KA9FOX the best contest site I've
found.
I have been to Walt Disney World 30 times. My most recent
trip was September 2016.
I have been to see two space shuttle launches. One during the day, andone at night. I have a great video of that night launch.
Click here for one of the funniest wav files
I've ever heard.
1998
I had a ticket to a hockey game where I got to see the Philadelphia Flyers play
theCarolina Hurricanes. The Flyers won 3 - 1.
I had a ticket to the Late Show with David Letterman. I waited years to see
Letterman and on December 30 I got my chance!
I also had a ticket to see the Philadephia Eagles play the New York Giants on December
27. The Eagles lost 20 - 10.
1999
I saw KISS on January 2, 1999.
What a way to ring in the new year.(literally as well
as figuratively)
I went to see WCW Monday Nitro on January 11.
Seeing wrestling in person, especially Nitro, is wild!
I got to see the Flyers play the Nashville Predators onApril1.
I vacationed in Las Vegas from September 12 thru 19. I got a great price via priceline.
Most travel agents I tried wanted $1k or more for this trip. Priceline got me
airfare for $200 and a hotel for $50/night. Not bad.
I stayed at the Days Inn Downtown off Freemont Street. I saw Siegfred and Roy,
Comedy Max, Dennis Miller, and Steve Wyrick.
I also went to Hoover Dam and took the Hard Hat tour. It was $25, but well
worth the money. I even took a trip to Laughlin, NV and gambled there.
Y2K
Even more news in the life of Bob. I am starting 2k off right!
I went to see the Flyers play the Atlanta
Thrashers, in Atlanta, on April 4. What an ediface.
The folks that designed the Phillips arena should be proud. The Flyers defeated
the Thrashers 5 - 3.
And yes, in case you're wondering, I did, indeed, have tickets to see KISS
in concert here in Knoxville on April 30. This was, I thought, my last KISS
concert ever.
On May 28, I went to my second NASCAR race in Charlotte, NC.
On September 11, I left on a four day cruise to the Bahamas. I sailed on Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. I left from Miami
and got to see Nassau, Cococay and Key West. I had
never been to any of these places, so I really looked forward to this trip. For
a review of this cruise, go here.
I traveled to Nashville on December 12 to see the Flyers play the Predators
again. This game ended in a 2 - 2 tie.
Y2K ended on a sad note with the passing of my mother on Dec. 28.
Y2K+1
A new year and more excitement in the life of Bob.
On February 18, I traveled to Hotlanta for my very first KISS Konvention. I got to see Love Gun a KISS tribute band and
the Demon from WCW.
On March 12, I got to see WCW Monday Nitro and TBS Thunder taped at the Civic
Coliseum. As you well know, this was one of the last broadcasts of WCW on TNT
and TBS.
On March 31, I went to Nashville to see the Predators play the Minnesota Wild.
The Predators won 4 - 1.
In September, I went to Disney again. I stayed at the All Star Sports Resort
from Sept. 9 - 15. I headed over to Universal Studios also. For a review of
this trip, go here.
On October 20, I got to see James
Brown at Sam's Club in Tunica, Mississippi. I've always wanted to see
James. He did a 2.5 hour concert with no opener. What a great show. See, and
you folks thought all I listened to was KISS :).
On December 23rd I went to see the Atlanta Falcons play the Buffalo Bills. The
Falcons won with a field goal with three seconds left. Final score: 33 - 30.
2002
Another year starts. This one's going to be good.
The weekend of February 18. I went back to Tunica for some gambling pleasure.
On February 28th I got to see David Copperfield. This was a very good show.
On Friday April 19, I got to see Gallagher.
He really puts on a fun and messy show and I have the shirt to prove it.
On Memorial Day weekend, I went back to Tunica for more gambling.
The weekend of July 26th <my birthday> I went to see the Braves play the
Phillies.
On Saturday, the Phillies lost 5 - 3. On Sunday the Phillies won 7 - 1. I also
went to Six Flags Whitewater and Six Flags.
From Sept. 8 - 14 I went to Vegas. I got a room at the Westward Ho, a rental car and rountrip airfare from Nashville for $598. I saw the Blue
Man Group, and George Carlin. I also got to play some golf. For a review of
this trip, go here.
In October, I went to printer repair training in Mt. Laurel, NJ. Now, here's an
interesting story. I stayed with my sister (she lives in Lansdale, PA), went to
see TWO Flyers games, went to Pat's steaks and bought a MESS of tastykakes, liverwurst and scrapple. I even went to
Atlantic City for some more gambling.
On December 9th, I went to WWE Monday Night Raw. This was live from Knoxville!
And I bought myself an early Christmas Present. On Feb 16, I will be going to
the Daytona 500. Look for more info on this trip soon.
2003
Ah, yes, just what everyone needs: More info on the life of Bob.
On January 20, I went to Atlanta to be in the audience of Talk Back Live.
On February 14 (Valentine's day) I went to the Daytona 500 for the first time
and WDW again!
I visited the Animal Kingdom (ate breakfast at Donald's Breakfastaurs)
and then spent the rest of the day at EPCOT.
I had a sign that says, "Finally Bob's on Fox" that I am brought to
the race, but alas I didn't get on TV.
On March 8, I had front row tickets to the Ringling
Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus.
On March 20, I had a second row seat for Gallagher. Yes, I plan on getting
messy again.
On March 25, I had a ticket to see the Flyers play the Predators in Nashville.
This game ended in a 1 - 1 tie.
On April 18 thru the 20th, I went to Atlanta again to see the Phillies play the
Braves. The Phillies lost two of the three games. I did get a GREAT hotel rate
through hotwire. $29 a night at a
Homestead Suite near Perimeter mall.
I went to Philly again over the July 4th holiday. Yes, I went to Atlantic City.
No, I didn't win, this time.
I traveled to Cincinnati over the Labor day weekend. I
went to the Argosy Casino and WON
$300 at craps (woo hoo!), Paramount Kings Island, and the Zoo.
I attended two (yes, I said TWO) KISS concerts in eight days recently. I went
to Atlanta on Sept 14th then Nashvilleon the 22nd. On
December 10, I went to my third (yes, I said THIRD!) KISS concert. This one was
in Knoxville. Once again KISS made my night.
On December 8 I started a new job. I'm still doing the same thing I was, but
with a new company. This one's going to send me to Colorado to get trained to
fix Sun Solaris machines. Who said my life's boring?
Speaking of Colorado: I went to Colorado Springs from Dec 28 - Jan 2nd.
2004
Well, the year started out with a gambling junket to Cripple Creek, CO on Jan
1. This is a very nice town that has great casinos. I won again, hitting a
flush, straight and three of a kind on Bronco Billy's three card poker table. I
even played a little Texas Hold'em. Won there too.
What a way to start the year.
On Jan 26th I went to Broomfield, CO. Broomfield is north of Denver. On Friday
January 30, the class let out early enough for me to do a little site seeing. I
went to Golden, which is the headquarters of Coors Beer. They have a very nice
tour of the plant (FREE BEER included). I bought a coffee cup and a Beer mug. I
also went to Coors Field where the Rockies play. I was too late for the tour
there. After these visits, I traveled to Black Hawk which, in case you're
wondering, is another city with gambling (I know, imagine that). I won a whole
$5 at Fitzgeralds and, the people there are just
plain RUDE. Anyhow after another week in Colorado, I headed home on January
31st and somehow US Air lost my bag between Charlotte and Knoxville. I did get
it back Sunday.
On President's day weekend, I went to Atlanta for a KISS Konvention. There were several tribute bands and I had a
great time.
From July 2nd thru the 5th, I went back to Philly! More food, fireworks, family
and fun. I went to the new Borgata Casino and played Texas Hold'em.
Winning (WOO HOO!) almost $80. Left there and went to Harrah's and played craps
winning again (WOO HOO *2). After all was said and done after starting with
$100 I ended up with $220. A good day to say the least.
On January 16, I went to Nashville to see Michael Winslow. He's the guy from
the Police Academy movies that does all the sound effects. It was a very funny
show.
From Sept 11 thru 18, I vacationed at Myrtle Beach, SC. If you remember, I was
supposed to go last year. I didn't get to go due to my job situation. I stayed
at the Holiday South Motel and played two rounds of golf.
I also went on a gambling cruise aboard the Southern Elegance. Started with $60
and ended up with $236 WOO HOO! I also frequented a bar at Broadway at the
Beach called "Crocodile Rocks, Dueling Pianos." I went there four out
of the seven nights. Much fun was had.
I know what you're
thinking. What happened? The diary disappeared. Due to technical difficulties,
I have been unable to keep this up. So, without further ado, here's a summary
of what I did between 2005 and 2011. In November 2009 I went to Iraq and was stationed
at Tallil Air Force Base COB Adder. I stayed through
August 2010. Since I was unemployed, when I returned home I moved to upstate
NY.
There were several trips to Walt Disney World, more KISS concerts before
I moved. I'm now located in Schenectady.
2011
In 2011 I went to Walt Disney World again this time staying at Pop Century
Resort. An awesome place to stay.
I started a job at KAPL. That stands for Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory. Yes, I
did more computer and printer roll outs and repair.
So, you'll never guess what else I did in 2011. Ready? Yes, I attended yet
another KISS concert. This time at Turning Stone Casino. Two and a half
hours of music. Another great concert put on by the Hottest Band in the World.
2012
In June, I went to California and visited every major league ballpark. Another
quest of mine is trying to get to every park.
2013
And in 2013, I had the best experience. Second row at, yet another, KISS
concert. The Monster Tour! And, it was a Monster alright. Another killer koncert <see what I did there?>
2014
In 2014, over Memorial Day weekend, I went to Baltimore to see an Orioles game.
I'm now one park from being half way on my trek.
In September, I returned to Las Vegas, NV. I stayed at the Main Street Casino.
I got a rental car from Dollar and had a great time. I even visited the red
rock valley. I got to see Seigfried and Roy's house, played some golf and I
highly recommend Main Street as a place to stay.
2015
So, it's another year and, GASP! I bought a house. I could go into a huge rant
on how I was treated by Key Bank, but to avoid the inevitable law suit, I'll
just say this: I would never use them for a home loan.
In June, I continued my baseball trek by visiting Chicago. I saw the Cubs,
White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers.
In November, I visited my sister in PA and went to another black friday Flyers game. The Flyers beat the Nashville Predators.
Over Christmas while visiting my sister, I went to the Sugar House casino and their new poker room. It's nice and I entered the $40 tournament along with 19 other people and ended up sixth.
2016
On September 4 I
flew to Miami Florida to continue my baseball trek. Leaving from Newark I got a
great video of New York City and even the Statue of Liberty. Try this link First class to Miami.
I then flew from
Miami to Tampa, then drove to my favorite place on the planet Walt Disney World
for another week at Pop Century. This was my 30th trip to Walt’s
world. To say I had another great time is an understatement.
2017
So the last week of
July and the first week of August, I traveled to four more ballparks. I drove
from Schenectady to Toronto, Ontario then to Detroit, Michigan. Then I flew to
DFW where I saw the Rangers play. While in Dallas, I visited my brother and his
family in Athens. After a four day stay, I flew to Houston to see the Astros
play. While in Houston, I visited the NASA Space Center. Flying home from
Houston was an adventure all on it's own. A storm rolled through causing a
ground stoppage which delayed flights. I was supposed to go through Hotlanta
however, I ended up going through Minneapolis then to Albany. To say it was an
interesting flight and connection experience is an understatement. After a week
and a half away from home I made it back safe and everything I planned went off
without any issues. Amazing!
2018
I
went to Kansas City, MO on May 15 for more baseball. I also went to St. Louis,
MO. Traveling via Amtrak I rode the
Missouri River runner between KC and STL. While in St. Louis, I saw the Arch
and the Anheuser-Busch brewery. The bonus of this trip was the Cardinals played
the Phillies.
In 2019, I had several interesting events. The most important
of these was I turned 60! To celebrate, I made another trip in November to Walt
Disney World. I stayed at Pop Century again.This time I used Mickey Travels. Lisa George was
extremely helpful helping me with all my questions and getting all of the fast
passes I requested. In August, I made one of my all time dreams come true. I
met KISS! They were playing SPAC and as another gift to myself, I bought the "meet
and great" package. Here's the picture to prove it.
2020
In 2020 to celebrate my birthday I again went to Atlantic City. This time I stayed at Ceasar's in room 572. Somehow the video I took of the room disappeared. I had planned on traveling to Colorado over Memorial Day weekend however, this supposed pandemic cancelled my trip. The only other trip I have planned this year is to visit my sister over Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hopefuly in 2021 I can resume my baseball trek.
2021
In July 2021, I went back to Las Vegas, this time staying
at the Luxor room 10153. The elevators/inclinators are
fun or scary depending on your perspective. They rock back and forth as they step
up to the floor level. I took an excursion to Eagle Point at the Grand Canyon
and the skywalk plus lunch.
2022
In
February I took a cruise on the MSC Divina. This was right after cruising
reopened due to the covid flu. The private island Ocean Cay is beautiful and
has a great beach. I had never been to Cozumel, so I took an excursion that
toured this island which included a Taquilla tasting and a visit to a chocolate
factory. In Ocho Rios, Jamacia I took a river rafting trip. Oh my! This was the
best excursion I think I’ve been on. The tour guides and river guides call the
water ‘refreshing.’ Well, it’s just down right cold.
You get used to it and there are places you can get out of the tube and swim. I
did get a free upgrade to a balcony room which I really enjoyed.
In
May, I went back to Walt Disney World for the 50th anniversary. I wasn’t
about to miss this celebration.
2023
In
April, I took another trip to Las Vegas. This time I did an excursion that took
me on a large raft trip to the Colorado river and close to the Hoover Dam and
included a snack. I was glad I did this as the water is very calm, but you can
feel the undercurrent from the dam.
In
May, I went to Truist Park in Atlanta to see the Phillies play the Braves.
2024
In
March I went on a 7-day cruise sailing on the NCL Epic. That ship took us to Puerto
Rico, San Juan and Amber Cove. I had one of the solo cabins. While small, they’re
perfect for one person and you get access to a lounge with coffee and treats. I
enjoyed this cruise and liked NCL as they really cater to solos unlike some of
the others I’ve been on.
In
September, I went to Disney World again staying at the Rosen Inn Lake Buena
Vista. This is a spectacular hotel very close to Downtown Disney.
On
December 27th I officially retired from doing desktop support as the
company I worked for decided that they didn’t want to pay me to move to Kansas
City, MO or give me a raise. All while laying off my co-worker who was one of
the best techs I’ve ever worked with.
2025
I
am planning on buying a Class C RV and traveling. I really want to see Mount
Rushmore, Old Faithful, Tombstone, Arizona, and travel route 66. Plus I’d love to play a round of golf in all of the 48
contiguous states. I’ll update this page when I start my journey.
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