The Man, the Myth, the Legend...

Johnny Cash! Every year I try to take my brother Johnny to a New York Rangers game and usually we can make it to a game up in Ottawa. Well this year, the Senators-Rangers game happened to fall on the same night of Tommy and Shelby's wedding. Since Johnny and I were both in the bridal party, we figured we might want to show up. So we checked the Rangers' schedule to see when they played in North Carolina and the date was set. February 15- Johnny was coming to North Carolina. Paying for his ticket to the game and plane tickets were no problem, hence the name Johnny Cash, but now we had to get him here.

This meant Johnny was flying all by himself- which is definitely something he has never done before. Of course there were no direct flights between Syracuse and Raleigh, that would be too easy. So we spoke with the airline and they said someone would help Johnny make his connecting flight in Philadelphia. Well... OK, but there were still a few nervous hours between the phone call from Syracuse telling me he was on the plane, and Johnny actually arriving in North Carolina. And imagine my surprise when I'm on my way to Raleigh to pick him up and I recieve a phone call from none other than Johnny himself. He was calling me from the bar in the Philadelphia airport. "Johnny, is someone there with you helping you?" "No. C24. Marg, I got it." "Um Johnny, whose phone are you on?" "I borrowed someone's." Oh boy. As it turns out, they did get him to his next gate, but then left him there. He wandered off to get a drink and couldn't find his way back. So he goes to the bar to ask where C24 is and decides while he's there why not give Margaret a call. You know, just to chat. And according to Johnny, he borrowed the phone from a "hot babe." Who else, right? But he made it, safe and sound (kind of). I won't even go into the whole story of his flight home, this time he was stopping in New York City. New York City? (and this time you say it loudly like in the salsa commercials) And worse yet, there were possible weather delays in Syracuse. So I literally put him on the plane in Raleigh having no idea if he would be stuck in New York City (of all places) or not. Just what we need- Johnny alone in New York. I shudder at the thought.

So his first night here we went to dinner and then out to a bar with Tommy, Shelby, and some of Tommy's friends from school. They had heard many a Johnny story and jumped at the chance for a live show. And let me tell you, he did not disappoint. Between the "gun show" and hitting on Tommy's friend Z, he was in true Johnny form. We came here to Jacksonville the next day and Brent was able to come out of the field for a few days while he was here. Which was nice for me, because Johnny and Brent played video games for hours. Now when I say they played, I really mean Johnny kicked Brent's butt. But you didn't hear that from me. We went bowling, out to dinner, and Johnny even went into work with Brent one day. Johnny got to get his picture taken with some tanks, inside a 7 ton truck, and wear some cammies. Then he got bored and I had to go get him. But I think the pictures say it all.

Then finally it was game night. Johnny and I headed back to Raleigh all decked out in our Rangers' best. Our seats were really close, Shelby got to experience her first ever NHL game, and the Rangers won! Which of course was the best part, and meant Tommy owed Johnny $2. Now I know what you are thinking, Johnny comes to visit and we have him gambling- but it was all Tommy's idea, I swear I had nothing to do with it.

Johnn's visit was a lot of fun, he is welcome back any time. And I guess you'd have to ask him, but I think he had a pretty good time.