They say that every person has a moment in their career that truly defines everything they have worked so hard for. That one moment where all the blood, sweat and tears, the effort and determination – and the uphill battles pay off. That single instance when it is realized that another plateau has been reached after a very long and arduous climb. For me, that moment will be Friday – when my book, I’ve Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway will be delivered – officially making me an author.

I can not tell you how thrilled I am that this moment is so close at hand. To be honest, there were times during the creation of the book that I thought I would never make it to Friday – because the only person working on the book was me. I wrote the stories, I took the photos, I designed the layout, I edited the pages, I designed the cover, I pitched it to publishers, I got the funding – and I sent the camera-ready artwork to the printer – all this while still working at the Taxi & Limousine Commission, hosting Ring Fever and doing a daily South Park Digest – but all of that is behind me now – because the book will be here in just under forty-eight hours.

The funniest thing about the book is that I did not originally intend to publish it. Considering the fact that almost every detail of my life makes it’s way into my columns – how could I not write columns about such a life-altering event as September 11th? While everyone was either directly or indirectly effected by the events of September 11th – that awful day effected me in three very different ways. As a New Yorker, I almost lost my life when the first tower fell, as a City worker, I was right in the middle of everything in the days following the 11th and saw and heard some pretty horrific stuff – and as a friend to one of the most wonderful people this world has ever seen – I lost Douglas Farnum. So as I wrote the columns that make up the book, I did so only to help begin my own personal healing process and hopefully bring back just a little of my sanity – because writing those columns is the only way I have dealt with the events of September 11th.

As I was three quarters of the way through the sixty-nine columns that make up the book, I decided to start laying the columns out along with the pictures I have taken during the attack and in the months following the tragedy. While I was only doing this to create a keepsake for myself and my family and friends – I was unknowingly designing the pages of my first published book – which will be out in two days.

Besides the obvious reasons for my excitement, I am especially proud of this book because over the last five years – there have been people who have told me that neither myself or my column would make it. From as early as my first column, I was met with opposition, backstabbing – and downright sabotage. I have had bosses who have tried everything in their power to make sure that my column did not appear in their paper, I have had co-workers that praised the column to my face – while knocking it behind my back – and I have dealt with colleagues who told me that no one would ever care about me or my column. So with that in mind – I dedicate this book to them – and thank them for fighting me tooth and nail as much as they did – because all that did was strengthen my belief in my writing – and make me push even harder to make the column a success.

And now, my column that is five years and five hundred and thirteen columns old will finally be published in a book and be made available to the general public. For the first time since the column’s creation, people will be able to go to a bookstore or log on to an online book company and purchase a book written by me – you have no idea how amazing that feels.

So with two days left until I am an author, I am already planning book signings, press appearances – and of course – one really big publishing party.

The beginning…