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Sleep Across America DIARY |
| June 1st:
SLEEPMOBILE BREAKS DOWN--KING SLEEPS
After the send-off at the Pacific Ocean, our sleep
technician hooked the King up to Cadwell's 'ambulatory polysomnographic
recorder' (the King is the first man to use this prototype), and the King
fell asleep at 1:30 AM. June 2nd: SINK HOLE ON I-70 DETOURS SLEEPMOBILE The Sleep Mobile is running smoothly after it, the King's Court and crew spent time with a mechanic in St. George, Utah. However, Tom Wilson, the King of Sleep, was now wide awake, so we had to remain in St. George until he fell asleep again. We waited and waited. And waited. And waited. And finally, the King became tired. He began to yawn and his eyes began to droop and as the cameras rolled, Sleep Technician Sharon Spence hooked him up to the polysomnographic recorder, and he fell asleep at 1:45 AM. The Sleep Mobile drove toward Denver on I-70—stopping at Parachute, Colorado around 10:30 AM to refuel while the King slept on. Meanwhile Queen Adele was calling our press contacts in Denver—a lucky thing—because Ron at KBCO told her about the giant sink hole that closed the I-70 at Vail to traffic in both directions. Hmm. The Sleep Mobile stayed on I-70 until the King awoke in Glenwood Springs (some 170 miles West of Denver). We seized the opportunity and detoured to Aspen, where we did a spot for Grassroots TV 12 and parked the Sleep Mobile right in front of the Visitor’s Bureau, where the King bestowed goodies and information about Sleep Across America and its sponsors to passers by with the breathtaking beauty of the Rockies as a backdrop. As of this writing, we are
returning to the exact point at which the King woke up (Glenwood Springs and
I-70), so we can resume our journey. Once he falls asleep, we’re on our way
to Denver! June 3rd: THE SLEEP MOBILE SINK HOLE SAGA CONTINUESOn our way back yesterday from Aspen to Glenwood Springs—our resumption point—we pulled into an RV park in Carbondale to replenish the water tank, check the wheel bearing, change the generator oil, and charge up all the batteries, ours included, by having a barbeque and listening to the rushing Crystal River in the cool evening as we waited for the King to get sleepy. Today at 12:30 AM Sharon Spence wired the King to the sleep recorder and the King adjusted his Select Comfort Sleep Number® bed, raising it from 75 to 83. At 1:30 AM, when Ms. Spence confirmed the King was asleep, the Sleep Mobile began its trek from Glenwood Springs to Denver. On I-70. Our driver is well-rested, the weather is good, and everything is A-Okay. And then:
At 6:30 AM, the King's Court breathes a collective sigh of relief when we realized that, not only are we all still in one piece, but the King is still ASLEEP. So we must press onward to the East. As the Court falls into an exhausted sleep, the last thing the driver is told is, “we’re not stopping in Denver, keep on going." Princess Ana takes care of the royal cat (for which the King and Queen are eternally grateful). Meanwhile, Craig Lachman, manning the wheel back on the home front has confirmed on-air radio interviews with the King of Sleep to take place over the next few days with CJAD radio, Montreal, Canada; KKND THE END, New Orleans; and live in Melbourne, Australia, the Breakfast Show with Jane Holmes! And we wake up in Kansas. We had continued on I-70—instead of switching to I-76—which took us farther South than we had planned. When the King of Sleep awoke, he was somewhat bemused to find himself in Ellis, Kansas, but was prepared to make the best of the situation, which didn’t take too much effort from any of us in such a pretty, little, railroad town. As we were trying to decide our next move, serendipity snuck up on us. A pleasant-spoken, smiling woman, walked up and told us that her eye had been caught by the “Cadwell” sign proudly displayed on the side of the Sleep Mobile. She introduced herself as Mary Hill and informed us that she worked with the Sleep Disorders Clinic at the Hayes Medical Center as a sleep technician! We filmed our encounter with her as she told us that the computers she uses at the clinic are from Cadwell, and we showed her the prototype of the Cadwell Ambulatory Polysomnographic Recorder as she answered our questions about her work with sleep disorders. We were particularly interested in the problems children could have with faulty diagnoses that didn’t consider their sleep patterns. Now we’ll get back on track, go North to I-80 and point the Sleep Mobile towards Lincoln, Nebraska. And onward.
Tom Wilson, the King of Sleep, had a busy day on June 4. We had to send him to bed late and wake him up early so he could meet his television and radio commitments. All of Sleep Across America’s sponsors are getting nice airtime because of these interviews. At 12:15 AM, as Sharon put the King into his electrodes for the night, Peter Anthony Holder of CJAD Radio, Montreal, called and spoke with the King and some of the King’s Court for a live on-air interview. the King then went to bed, and at 1:15 AM he was fast asleep. The Sleep Mobile started its engines and headed North towards Nebraska. The crew and Court passed through Lincoln, then Omaha, and cruised into Des Moines, the Capitol City of Iowa, and the one with the largest population (500,000) in the state. Adele called Sheila Brummer, News Anchor at KCCI-TV Channel 8, to confirm Ms. Brummer’s invitation to the King to appear on their morning news show. The Court, including our documentary film crew, mobilized and, with only a low roar of chaos and pandemonium, ventured into the city. We very nearly lost one of our documentarists, who jumped out of the sleep Mobile to get some shots, very nearly getting left behind. The King was charming on the show, and handed out Howard Leight ‘Leight Sleepers’ earplugs and Breathe Right Nasal Strips to all the crew and News Anchors. During the interview the station dropped live pictures of the Sleep Mobile into the segment, and displayed www.sleepacrossamerica.com on the screen. While in town, the locals were treated to earplugs and nasal strips as the King expounded on the benefits of a good night’s sleep, and talked about how the appropriate use of these items have benefited the King and his Court along the way. The scope of interest in the King of Sleep’s progress is broadening every day taking on a decidedly international flair. A sampling for today:
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KKND in New Orleans
After a couple of interviews in the morning, the King and his Court will attend the APSS Conference in Chicago, for the largest gathering of sleep professionals in recent history, and spend a few hours with the Canadian Broadcasting Company.
It was 6:00 in the morning (CST), and from the home office in Los Angeles Craig Lachman faxed and emailed press releases, while Adele called the stations, alerting the media about the home-town boy who has returned as the King of Sleep. The Aurora Beacon News interviewed the King – and sent a photographer out to take pictures – for a feature that will run on Sunday. Meanwhile he was interviewed live and on-the-air on two California stations: KTYD in Santa Barbara, and the high-powered 91X in San Diego. The Sleep Mobile, with the members of the King’s court inside, drove to Chicago to the APSS Conference, the largest sleep professional’s gathering, which this year celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the discovery of REM sleep. When he arrived, the first stop the King made was at the Caldwell Laboratories booth . The Sleep Mobile stopped directly in front of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the site of the Conference, where the King held court while conference attendees had a chance to tour the Royal carriage. Kudos to the Royal Printers, Aaron and Millie Gallagher at Digitall Imaging for the eye-catching sponsor logos. In the afternoon, renowned Canadian documentarian Josh Freed and his film crew from Gala Films, who are producing a documentary about insomnia for the Canadian Broadcast Company, loaded their cameras into the Sleep Mobile, to interview Tom for their film. The interview lasted three hours, while they rode up and down Lakeshore drive, with another camera crew following. Sleep Across America’s traveling filmmakers Curt Walheim and Jais Sardo spent much of the day following the King. After leaving the conference, Walheim traveled with Tom, while Sardo, Queen Adele and Sharon did on-camera interviews with some of the conference attendees. Queen Adele also got to meet Peter Bils, a member of the team for Select Comfort Sleep Number Beds, who mentioned that Lindsey Wagner, their spokesperson, had asked him if he’d heard about “the guy who was sleeping across America.” Coincidence? We don’t think so. At the end of the day we bade goodbye to the King’s Mom and family, Sharon hooked the King up to the recorder and we resumed our journey at 2:00 am on Friday.
The King and his Court departed from the Windy City when the King fell asleep at 2:15 AM CST. The day began with radio interviews for which we had to rouse the King from sleep just North of Sandusky. First he had an on-air interview for the Big Party Morning Show on 106.9 'The City' in Omaha, Nebraska. That was quickly followed by interviews that were taped for broadcast on a few stations in the New England area including 100.3 WHEB, WGIR and Rock 101. When the King fell asleep again we rolled into Cleveland, Ohio, at 11:30 (now EST). By now, although the quarters in the Sleep Mobile are still as comfortable as when we started, they seem to be getting smaller and closer with each passing day. The "pardon me, pardon me, excuse me, excuse me" Bugs Bunny routine is starting to wear thin. We are finding bruises and scratches in unheard of places (never mind the bug bites and the chigger story that was too disgusting to tell). To preserve everybody's sanity, we took a couple of rooms in a small hotel so that everybody had a chance to take a shower that wasn't timed for water conservation and we could make phone calls from all our cell phones to our loved ones without losing them halfway through. Greatly refreshed, the King and his Court boarded the Sleep Mobile, which took up a prominent "temporary residence" in front of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, which was TEEMING with people. The King was excited because we were right in the middle of the Cleveland Harley-Davidson meeting, featuring a free concert in front of the Hall of Fame, and when he saw the multitude of Harleys and riders, he knew that he had struck gold--Leight Sleepers earplugs would help save the hearing of motorcycle riders and rock music lovers, and Breathe Right Nasal Strips would be of use to many of the riders, because a great percentage of them tend to be large men, who are prone to suffer from many problems, including stentorous snoring. Our drivers, Rich and Sylvia, were delighted as well, because they are both lovers of Harleys, and this put them in 'Hog' heaven. The King's charm enabled the Sleep Across America Sponsors to be the only non-Harley Davidson-themed products available at any of the party's displays. The film crew and Court jumped into action, talking with attendees about snoring, sleep apnea and other sleep-related disorders and capturing the excitement on film. After a while it was time to go, so the King gathered his Court and we all returned to the Sleep Mobile for some sustenance and to get ready for our Eastern swing. Our next challenge: Figuring out how the King's sleep patterns will fit into to the fact that the cities on our proposed route Eastward from here are now much closer together--we have plumb run out of prairies. Can anyone spell "nap?" As the King says, "I can only sleep so hard for so long."
The Sleep Mobile rolled out of Cleveland at 2:30 AM, and limped into Pittsburgh at 6:15. Driver Sylvia Vrattos kept us on course as intermittent rain pelted the Sleep Mobile we continued further Eastward. As the King and his Court slept, she made a few stops: once to refuel; once to purchase postcards (which she has done in every city and burgh that we have been through), and finally because she and Keeper of the Sleep Mobile Rich Martin had to check underneath the hood to see what may have caused that weird, horrible noise… Now, a word from the King: Greetings to all of those who dwell in the Land of Nod. And that is all of you. Here we sit on the precipice of sleeping across the span of this great nation and the anticipation of completing this fantastic adventure is weighing heavy but my sleep is good and my resolve firm. As to my loyal subjects, I have noticed a tinge of weariness, so in the interest of preserving the sanity of all concerned I have decided to stop and give them a good night’s rest in the wonderful Burgh of Pitts. While we continue to work hard on the promotional end I have decided that a good night’s sleep would do this traveling band a good service. I know many of you are wondering how the King is doing so I will tell you this: I am sleeping well and the Kingdom is safe and secure. I have experienced many wild and fantastical things. Each day passes into the other as the land of America passes beneath my sleeping head. I often reflect on the philosophy of Salvador Dali as I awake in a strange land and take on new and exciting adventures with each day. Surreal Salvador…and I am sure you would be proud. I am the King. Citizens…I have been asked many questions, and I hope I have served you well in all my replies, but I must admit to this. I know the answer to Who? What? When? Where? How? But only sometimes Why? On this question my long journey continues. So for:
So, June 7… more Pittsburgh. Ah the sweet taste of the Big Apple still lingers in the corners of my dreams as Philly awaits. Get my Leight Sleepers ear plugs, prepare my Breathe Right nasal strips, strap on my Cadwell Polysomnographic Recorder, tuck me into my Veratex bedding and “I lay me down” on the greatest bed ever made…the Select Comfort Sleep Number Bed and ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzz.
Since we only have two nights left, we feel it’s appropriate for us to present a recap of the cities and towns that we have visited since June 1. We had a proposed route set out for this, but as in most cases, even the best laid plans… After the crew was granted a night’s rest by the King, they listened to, and, per the suggestion of Jais Sardo, adopted their own song: “No Sleep ‘til Brooklyn” by the Beastie Boys. If you know the song, sing along as you read. Now, the recap: We started with the Kick-Off Event at Malibu Surf Realty in Malibu Beach, California. The King slept for 20 miles, we waited in Crenshaw for a couple of hours, he went back to sleep, and finally woke up in Valley of Fire, Nevada. The King then slept into Colorado and toured the city of Aspen. The next wake-up call for the King took place in Ellis, Kansas. Des Moines, Iowa brought a warm sunrise, and then on to Chicago, Illinois for the APSS Conference for sleep professionals where they celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the discovery of REM. On slept the King—waking only to visit the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and party at the Harley-Davidson Cleveland Chapter meeting. In our journey to the East we have met interesting people and had pleasant and some unexpected experiences. While in Pittsburgh today the King and his Court had the pleasant variety of experiences. First, a short night of sleep brought the King to the National Alliance for Autism Festival at Heinz Field (home of the NFL Pittsburgh Steelers), where Leight Sleepers earplugs were handed out to people that couldn’t wait to get them; to quote one Dad, “I could really use some of those. I have an autistic boy at home and he can get extremely noisy.” Several people told the King and his court that apnea, snoring, and heavy breathing are part of their current sleep routines. The King met with many of them. Afterward, the Sleep Mobile was driven to the heart of downtown Pittsburgh, where the Court finally made a visit to the Three Rivers Arts Festival also in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh is a beautiful city. Who knew? The three rivers DO run through the city, and the old images we have of this place – with steel mills and factories, and smog and soot, seem to be in the history of this thirty years ago. It is stunning, and the people are terrific. As the King has bestowed a night of rest on his Court, we are now anxious to get to Philadelphia, particularly as the King of Sleep is on the verge of becoming the first man to Sleep Across America, and the King will soon awake in the ‘city that never sleeps’, which will be a memorable feat. Thanks to Meg Helgerson and Frank Gallagher, this evening we enjoyed listening to our “sleep soundtrack,” which is filled with sleep and dream pearls!
The King of Sleep and his Court have been humbled by the historic significance of the City of Brotherly Love, where America was founded. Standing on the streets, with cobblestones under our feet, we prepared for our last night of Sleep Across America. The thoughts of history gave the King pause, when he realized that he was not the first man to sleep across just ANY country, it is across America that he sleeps. The day began in Bensalem, PA, when the King awoke, just Northeast of Philly. The court and crew mobilized for their daily routines: Queen Adele got on the phones; Sharon disconnected the King from his polysomnograph recorder; Sylvia, our nighttime driver, went to work on her sleep; the Keeper of the Sleep Mobile, Rich, made all the necessary checks and adjustments; and the ace filmmaking team of Jais and Curt got ready for their own shooting schedule. Turning heads along the way, the Sleep Mobile headed south on I-95, stopping on a bustling Market Street in the center of town. The doors of the Sleep Mobile opened onto the street, and out stepped the King in full regalia—followed by his court—to parade through the Historic District, where—under the watchful walls and buildings of our nation’s first government—citizens, students and tourists learned not only about American history, but also about sleep apnea, narcolepsy, insomnia and other sleep disorders from the only King that could ever be accepted in this anti-monarchial city. Philadelphia is a beautiful city, and though we DID meet one sour apple, all of the other people we met were terrific. We stopped for sustenance at a small joint called SoHo for Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches. Our host Shawn gave us pointers on how to properly prepare these regional specialties, giving us heaping plates of pickles and hot peppers. They are fantastic! Once the King falls asleep tonight, we roll into New York City, on to Brooklyn, and finish at Coney Island. It’s a short drive, so we’ve got to keep the King awake tonight for as long as possible. We’ll then begin our final leg, and the King of Sleep will officially be the first man to Sleep Across America!
Enough already! He did it. The King of Sleep officially became the first man to sleep the entire span of the United States. His endeavor to Sleep Across America is complete. Preparations for getting into New York were furiously being done: A hotel suite for seven people—remember, no advanced reservations could be made because no one knew when we’d be in New York; A parking spot for Winnie for 24 hours—we found only one parking company that would accommodate this 12-foot-tall-34-feet-wide vehicle; A route to bring the Sleep Mobile into town—NYPD and the New York Department of Transportation told us repeatedly that EXPRESSway is OKAY, PARKway, is NO WAY! And to add fuel to the fire, the NYPD warned us about bringing hazardous materials into the city, because no hazardous materials are allowed through tunnels. Adele says, “We don’t have any hazardous materials…” The voice on the other end of the phone asks, “Do you have propane on the motor home?” “Propane? Yes, but only to power the fridge…” “We’ll ma’am, that’s considered a hazardous material…” Only slight panic set in. The evening of June 9th slowly ticked into being June 10th, while all the court awaited the time when the King would fall into slumber for the last time during Sleep Across America. Sharon wired him for the last time to the Polysomnograph, and the King did his best to stay awake as long as possible. The hours ticked, the crew fell asleep where they sat, waking every few minutes to monitor the King’s progress toward sleep. Finally, at 4:30 AM, he laid his head on his pillow, and at 4:41, he was deemed asleep. Sylvia turned the key to Winnie, the Sleep Mobile, for its final trek Eastward. Winnie purred like a kitten. Queen Adele, having only 2 ½ hours sleep this day, began her calls. Yes, there are people in the newsrooms at that hour! Sharon kept her eye on the King’s progress, while all others waited in anticipation for the end of the journey. Curt navigated the Sleep Mobile into New York. We had re-routed ourselves away from traveling on any road called a “Parkway.” Winnie would now cruise into Brooklyn via the Staten Island Expressway, over the Verazzano Bridge, and hopefully no tunnels. As the King slept, we rode on. The sun rose directly in front of us. Curt mounted a camera to the top of the Sleep Mobile to capture the sunrise as we drove in. We hit rush hour traffic. We got inspected at a bridge and asked about carrying propane. We didn’t get turned away. We exited the bridge at 86th and sped toward the boardwalk at Coney Island. We pulled up to the entrance, with the Eastern Shore in front of us. We woke up the King. He made it. He stepped slowly out of the Sleep Mobile, and, as cameras rolled, he strolled onto the beach and into the water. He did a radio interview standing on the beach. He returned to the Sleep Mobile. We all waved good-bye to the seashore, and headed into Manhattan for a night on the town in the city that never sleeps. Thanks to all who helped us at our home base in Los Angeles (you know who you are.) Extra special thanks to Craig Lachman, web master and production manager extraordinaire. A special nod to the sponsors who helped to make Sleep Across America possible:
And a word from the King, “I’m tired.” |