We drove fro Fort Lauderdale, FL to Birmingham, AL in a couple of days. It was good to be able to make the drive at a leisurely pace after the schedule of the last few days. Along the way, the truck was starting to drive very rough. I had a front end alignment a few days ago but the ride was really difficult. We stopped at a truck stop somewhere in the panhandle of Florida and bought a couple of new drive/front tires. Wow, what a difference!! So, in spite of the $1100, it was worth the price to ride in more comfort.
Once we arrived in Birmingham, we drove over to the Alys Stephens Center to drop the trailer. Adam, the TD, met us on the corner a couple of blocks from the venue and directed us to the loading dock. Once we dropped the trailer, we got checked into the hotel. The next morning would start early with a radio interview on MAGIC 95.6. Lannie (from ASC) picked us up at the hotel and got us to the station. Rob, the morning show host, was fun and energetic which made for an enjoyable interview.
Once we wrapped at the station, we spent the rest of the day working with physical and occupational therapists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (which has one of the most progressive academic departments in the nation). We ended the evening with a 3-hour workshop for therapists.
The next day was the best. It all started when Kimberly picked us up at the hotel and drove us over to FOX 6 for an appearance on Birmingham’s #1 morning show – GOOD DAY ALABAMA. These hosts were great! I even made the weather guy disappear live on television…you’ll have to check out the video once I get it posted.
Next stop was one of the area high school where we worked with a special group of students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. And then we spent the afternoon working at the Exceptional Center, a day care program for people of all ages with learning differences. We had some exceptional students learning magic tricks!
I woke up to find a cool picture on the front page (above the fold)Friday night was the performance at the Alys Stephens Center on the campus of the University of Alabama. We were sold out with an amazing audience who honored us with a standing ovation. Everyone at the ASC made us feel like family – we even had an information luncheon with the staff and crew.
Thank you Birmingham for a warm reception – and thank you Jessica, Kimberly, Sharon, Natalie, Eric, Lannie, Adam (and the entire tech team), and everyone at the Alys Stephens Center for a fantastic experience!!