Diary From Inside Richie’s Tent Outside the Crossgates Mall [PHOTOS]

It was just a LITTLE BIT uncomfortable trying to catch some shut eye during our camping excursion outside of the Crossgates Mall. It was supposed to be. We wanted to "rough it". But I didn't realize how rough it could get, so I decided to chronicle what I went through for you

10 PM 8/31- We pitch the tents. (Well, Levack did, actually. I forgot how)

12 Midnight - After a very long and rewarding day, we turn in for the night. But of course, I had to make it complicated. I decided to sleep in a chaise lounge. It was a tough fit in the tent, but with careful placement and with my background as a former contortionist, I made it work:

9/1 1:37am- Still wide awake. I was fairly comfortable, but there was one slight problem. The neon sign of the Standard Restaurant was blaring thru my tent window, and I was too lazy to get up and put that thing on that covers the tent windows in case of rain. (It also tends to block a little thing called oxygen)

3:30-3:47am - total extent of my deep sleep.

3:48-3:50- Various states of attempted slumber, interrupted many times by the sound of the street sweeping machine in the huge parking lot (can't blame them though. They've never had to deal with mall campers before)

5:30am Up and at-em! Show starts at 6:00am. I thought I would get a head start on the mall walkers, so I took a stroll (and I mean SLOW stroll) up to the food court to wash up in the men's room)

5:45am I pack up all the camping gear (well, actually Sean and station photographer Nick Lee do it. I don't know how to do that either)

6:00am Back on the air for yet another rollicking Sean and Richie Show . Thanks to the listener who brought Go Fast and 5 Hour Energy drinks over to "stimulate" us. I didn't try them, so I can't make a judgement as to their effectiveness.