Hi Guys,
Hope your New Year is off to a great start. This email has a lot of stuff in it, so grab a cup of coffee or cranberry juice.
Okay, last I left you I had told you I had 4 mystery things I could not reveal. Well, I can now reveal two of them.
But before I do, let me give you guys a couple of quick updates and 1 announcement:
TV NEWS UPDATE:
Good Day New York:
I did 3 segments on Good Day New York on Jan. 11. Some of you caught it on TV, which was cool. I didn’t mention it to anyone, because I didn’t know the segment times and didn’t want you guys sitting around waiting for me to come on. Yeah, I know they have Tivo and all that stuff…but still.
FIT-TV Changing Times:
Did a segment called the Lighter Side of Divorce… Do not know air date yet.
(No I’m not getting divorced again, hell I didn’t even marry Steve yet – but we are celebrating 5 years this Saturday.)
MONTEL WILLIAMS SHOW:
I am taping the show on Feb. 9th – do not know air date yet
I’m doing some fast-talking comedy sketches, and talking about my new world record, on the show. (You know the record of me doing the book signing at the top of Kilimanjaro that will appear in this year’s Ripley’s Believe it or Not book.)
BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT for my Queens, New York friends:
I will be doing a 1-hour talk and booksigning:
Saturday, February 12th at the St. John’s University Barnes and Nobles located at 176-60 Union Turnpike, Fresh Meadows at 2 P.M. Store number is (718)380-4340. I will talk about my adventures on Kilimanjaro and other trips. To promote Adrenaline Adventures.
They already have my poster up and books on display, which is cool.
AND NOW FOR REVEAL NUMBER ONE:
Back in August I got asked to go to the Middle East to perform five motivational lectures for women in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Dubai. At first I said no, but after months of persuasion, research, meeting with people from the countries, etc. I agreed to go. With each month the trip grew bigger and soon I asked my friend Janette Barber (comedienne, best selling author, 5 time Emmy award winner) to join me on the trip to talk to the women. I was asked to also bring Spencer so he could talk to the High School children there and tell them what it was like to be a teenager in America. Then Barry, Janette’s boyfriend and videotographer were also coming on the trip, to tape it in its entirety as a documentary. Finally, we were also asked to do shows for both the British and American Troops. We were thrilled and even had sent copies of my books over to the soldiers via my publisher Authorhouse to the USO. We thought this was our way of helping women around the world and helping lift the spirits of the soldiers – especially the women soldiers who we were told needed more entertainment geared towards them.
Anyway, We were to leave Feb. 19th (the week Spencer was off of school).
I didn’t want to say anything because I was afraid all my friends would worry about us. It was hard enough convincing my mother we’d be okay.
Now, The way I got the gig was great.
The Prince of Bahrain actually called me! Now, who the hell thinks the prince is going to call you. So I hear, “Ms. Capo this is the Prince of Bahrain”, and I’m like “Yeah and this is the Queen of Queens, who is this really?”
“No Ms. Capo this is really the prince…I saw your website and would like you to come to my country and perform.”
To be honest, one I didn’t believe it was the prince and two I didn’t even know where the hell Bahrain was. I just knew it was in the Middle East.
So I said, “Look not for nothing prince, I’m a little worried about beheadings.
I mean it’s kind of hard to do my act without a head.”
“No, no Ms. Capo, no beheadings in this country.”
Then I asked the Prince, “Okay if I come over there do you promise to give me a sand dune ride so I can write about it in my next book?”
He laughed and agreed.
I told him if he ever came to New York I ‘d show him around as my guest.
Anyway, I find out my friend Patrick set me up. Patrick lives in Bahrain and had seen me perform with Spencer here in the states seven years ago at the Comedy Cabaret. We stayed in touch ever since. He befriended the royalty there and had told the Prince about me, showed him my website and thought it would be cool to have the prince call me. (The Prince by the way went to school in Texas for a while so he was laughing at me while I was joking with him.)
After I realized it was a real call, I was a bit embarrassed. I emailed Patrick. “So what did the prince say about me?”
Patrick said, ” Ahmed, thought you were a scream. He said he wants to marry you and make you a princess.”
“Great so now I don’t have to only worry about a beheading, I have to worry about being kidnapped as well!”
Needless to say the past 6 months of planning have been most unusual. We had to be approved by the royalty in that country to perform.
Anyway, we just found out that they are postponing the trip for a couple of reasons, but mainly because at this point in time the travel advisory wants Americans to keep a low profile and quite honestly with our picture in all the papers advertising our speaking events…it was hard to do.”
So the Capo players may still be going…but just not at this point in time.
REVEAL NUMBER TWO – THIS ONE REQUIRES THE HELP OF ALL MY FRIENDS
As you know, when Spencer and I returned from Africa in July, the picture of me doing the book signing at the top of Kilimanjaro circulated around the world.
One of the people that happened to see it was Brian Day O’Conner, (Yes, Supreme Court Justice, Sandra Day O’Conner’s son) who has summitted Mt. Everest. He was impressed with my accomplishment and emailed me congratulations. As a fellow adventurer he was going on a fantastic voyage. He mentioned it to me and one thing lead to another and the next thing I know he had arranged for me to go on a Russian ship for my next adventure…where to? The most famous shipwreck in the world – The Titanic! Yes, 12,400 feet into the deep blue ocean in a tiny two-seat submersible. (These are the same submersibles that were used by James Cameron to film the IMAX titanic, Ghosts of the Abyss and his new IMAX movie that is out.)
But, even with the special arrangements, the trip is quite expensive as you can well imagine.
I have already lined up my first sponsor, my fantastic publisher, Authorhouse. Their sponsorship has secured my space on the ship till March 1st.
Originally the same people that were sponsoring the Middle East trip were also going to sponsor the Titanic trip. But now everything has been postponed. SO now if I am ever going to write about this from the eyes of the “common” person, I need to get more sponsorship money and quick. I’m only a fourth of the way there as far as money.
So here’s the deal. If you guys have any suggestions or know of any corporation who would want to sponsor another world record attempt that will get world wide media attention in radio, TV and print, at one of the worlds most majestic and respected historic sites, kindly send me an email. I would greatly appreciate any contacts or information. This is going to be a true Capo adventure if I pull this one off.
Any potential sponsors should want their brand linked with uniqueness, adventure, the spirit of never giving up, boldness, and a link to something of historic magnificence.
Anyway, I figured I’d ask you guys, cause “Ya never know unless you ask, what mountains you can climb or seas you can conquer.” And besides in life, they always say, you get by with a little help from my friends. 🙂
I wasn’t going to mention any of this till I got back and surprise you all, but things change and now I have to roll with the punches.
Well that’s it for now. Create a great day.
Capo out.