Long Live The Queen

One thing you need to know about my friends is that they’re loyal. I could give you hundreds of examples of how we’ve come through for each other over the years, but I will spare you and tell you only the relevant ones that brought me to Tifah.

Before I continue on with my explanation, I will tell you that the days of friendship wishes have happened for some time now. Starting in New York, Robbie came to visit one chilly February weekend (during his birthday, no less) and expressed his only wish for the weekend, tickets to Saturday Night Live. Not that we were opposed to the admittedly stellar Tina Fey/Carrie Underwood program, we just weren’t sure how to go about this. After many discussions and several avenues of research, we discovered that you can opt for the “stand by” line beginning the night before, only to get a ticket at 7 AM that morning with a designated number that may or may not get you into the actual program. In going with the theme of idiotic, cheap fun, we set out for the task by going to bed for three hours, waking up (in the snow!) at 4:30 AM and waiting in line with the eclectic midnight crowd. Some of the people around us were prepared with various survival mechanisms for intermittent rain/snow, while others came straight from the bar with smeared make-up and 6-packs in hand. Because really, it takes all kinds. We decided to switch off coffee breaks by pairing off in two’s and thawing only to switch off every thirty minutes. You begin to realize just how close you are with people when you’re in that situation. Eventually you stop talking, humor is lost, but you all know that when you eventually taste glory it was a relay effort and your memory becomes erased as to the misery it took to get you there. My friends, I am happy to tell you that we swallowed glory on that fateful Saturday. We were 4 of the last guests shuffled (read: blazed) through the doors of the famed 30 Rock studio, only to sit down with little time to catch our breath and realize that “Live from New York, It’s Saturday Night!”

The next story, of the similar variety, occurred last summer (also) in New York. Again, Robbie, Alyssa and I, set out for the John Mayer concert at Jones Beach that had been decided for us months in advance. Our dearest Alyssa is quite possibly the biggest JM fan (read: fanatic) and has all but drug us down with her in her attempts to chase him at the nearest venue each season that he tours. This time was no different. We knew that New Jersey Transit would be necessary in our travels as was the after-work madness that accompanies this blessed form of transportation. I think that I have described it to you before, but it is truly unlike anything I’ve ever seen. People are so anxious to flee the City on their evening commute that they’ll practically taste blood to achieve a spot on their desired train. So we set out. We threw our heels off after work, changed into some comfy clothes, and set sail for the forecasted rainy evening at the beach side venue. Two of us remembered to sneak in umbrellas, one of us didn’t...I will let you go ahead and make your assumptions now. Anyway, we finally got to our seats with our over-priced dinner in hand when quess.what.happens? The bottom fell out, that’s what happened. There we were, soaked to the bone and hours/miles away from home. It’s like taking the Log Ride at Six Flags and then just sitting in 60-degree weather for several hours = not our finest. However, I will say that all was not lost because the venue was absolutely amazing and in many ways the rain only accentuated how nice it is to just sit back, listen to good music, and let a close friend obsess.

Now, on to my request. For those of you wondering, “who’s Tifah?!” I will say that I am glad that you asked and do my best to offer a brief explanation. ‘Tifah’ is the shortened reference to Queen Latifah, the world famous triple-threat sensation that hails from Newark, NJ. Queen got her start as a rap artist and has risen to fame through the ranks of Hollywood through television, film, music and modeling. I don’t know when my excitement over her and her talent began but I do know that she has continued to surprise me with her “can do” attitude and continual optimism. Anyway, Queen was in town promoting her new album and decided to make a stop by our popular music station. Her scheduled appearance was set for 7:15 AM, which was perfect for those of us that were dying to see her only to then rush off to work with the high that only a celeb sighting can offer. True to form, Alyssa, Robbie, and I, set out at 6:40 with coffee in hand and with the hope of seeing one of our favorites in person. Not even a 5-car pileup that happened on the way to the studio could disrupt our mission...sheer determination. The result? A hug from the Queen and one happy girl. Thanks, Friends!