Sunday, February 20

11:45 pm
My Room

I have such an awesome kid.

Don't know how I managed it since it seems like I was never home when he was growing up, but my Son is one helluva young man.  Guess Dorothea gets all the credit, she's done a great job raising him.  But there's no doubt he's My Boy.

Flew down to Raleigh today with Jess in tow.  He doesn't have school tomorrow because of the holiday so we get to spend 3 days together instead of 2.  He's having a blast, but I think I'm enjoying it even more.

Got here this morning, got settled into the hotel then started looking around for things to do.  We were gonna just hang out and watch the NBA All-Star Game on TV, but I just didn't think that was enough.  Wanted to do something more with Jesse than just sit in our room or some hotel bar.

Matt talked to the concierge and found out Duke was playing Georgia Tech over in Durham.  Big-time college hoops sounded like fun, so Jesse and I and Matt and Richie and Davey and Dean all piled in a van and headed over to campus.  Got nosebleed last-minute seats but had a blast.  It was a complete rout; Duke kicked the crap out of GA Tech 79-57 but it was a fun game just the same.

Jesse was quite the Man.  Since we were way up in the rafters nobody really bothered us, but a few cute co-eds recognized me and Richie.  After a few beers a couple of them were bold enough to come over and invite us to their Sorority House for a post-game party.  Of course we very graciously declined -- the last place a bunch of old Geezers like us need to be spotted is on Sorority Row with a bunch of girls just a couple years older than my daughter.

Jess was all for going to party with them, though, ha ha.  Actually, so was Richie.  Yeah, like I'm gonna turn him loose on a college campus.

There was a cute little redhead who had eyes for Jess, and he definitely had his sights on her.  We old farts sat back and grinned and watched them flirt.  I've said it before and I'll say it again.... damn, that kid of mine is smooth.  He was all Mister Cool and aloof, but he made that girl feel like she was the only one in the room.  She had no idea he was only 16, and just barely that.  Christ, after about 15 minutes it was obvious she was ready to drag him into the ladies' room and blow him until he passed out.

When Jess finally does go to college in a few years, he's gonna have no problem finding dates.  Hell, he doesn't now.

Gotta admit, I was pretty proud of my kid.  Nice to see he's carrying on the family tradition, heh heh.  I just hope he's not as stupid as I was at his age, and he treats his girls with more respect.  Seems to be so far so good, though.

Jesse is so much more worldly and mature than I was at 16.  My whole life revolved around the shore and the clubs and my band.  He's traveled the world three times over and does volunteer work with homeless families.  I have no doubt he'll grow up to be a much, much better man than I am.

And that will be my proudest accomplishment.

So after the game we dragged my horny son away from the Siren Sisters of Kappa-Sigma-Whatever and came back to the hotel and watched the end of the All-Star Game.  In honor of his birthday weekend I even let Jess have a beer.  Just one--can't be too permissive a Dad, after all.  But I am a cool one, ha ha.

I'm so glad Jesse came to spend his birthday weekend with me.  I wasn't sure Dorothea was gonna be on board with my idea -- he's her Baby Boy too, after all.  Then again, she has two more at home just like him, ha ha.   Actually, that's not true... Jesse is a saint in comparison to those two Chuckleheads.  Which kinda scares me.

All kidding aside, though -- I think D knew how much it meant to me, as well as to Jesse, that we could spend his 16th birthday together.  Maybe it's some kind of stupid Italian Rites of Manhood thing, but I just felt like I needed to be with my son this birthday.  I'm glad he felt the same.

So tomorrow night we'll be headed back home on the red-eye after the show, then it's back to normal high school life for Mr. Cool.  Don't know if he's ready for that, but I sure as the hell am.

One more show until I'm back home in my own house with my wife and humdrum married life.  We're at the Garden later this week, then just a hop, skip, and a jump for the next few shows.  I get a few nights a week in my own bed.

Can't wait.