Just thought I’d take a second and promote my brand new group of earring designs on Etsy! Like all of my jewelry, my earrings are crafted with only the nicest precious and semi-precious gemstones, freshwater pearls, glass, and sterling silver. They are all 100% authentic and 100% one-of-a-kind! Go check them out today!
Two of my main design clients are the New Orleans Musicians’ Clinic and the New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation. These are two non-profit organizations that work together to provide healthcare to local musicians that normally couldn’t afford it. They often have workshops on topics like how to control diabetes, how to stay hydrated during the festival season in New Orleans, how to keep your blood pressure stable, and on what constitutes a balanced, healthy diet. They partner with several local health groups, including the LSU Health Sciences Center to provide hearing tests, eye exams, mammograms, and other routine procedures to these musicians at little to no cost to them. They even offer alternative treatments, such as acupuncture and Feldenkrais to keep their patients healthy in mind, body, and spirit.
The Clinic and Assistance Foundation also host several fundraisers throughout the year featuring local New Orleans musicians that help to pay for all the great work they do. The two coming up are the Down From the Bayou event, hosted by the New Orleans Suspects, and the Naughty Nurse Prom, celebrating NOMC’s 15th birthday. Both of these events have limited tickets remaining, so get them while you can!
My job for the Clinic and the Assistance Foundation is to take care of any and all of their graphic design needs. This includes invitations for fundraisers, any and all eblasts, medical education flyers, medical form layouts, and any sort of business papers (i.e., business cards, letterhead, envelopes, brochures) that the organizations might require. They keep me very busy. However, it is always fulfilling knowing that my work goes to help “keep the music alive” here in this great city! Above are examples of just a few design projects I’ve done for them. Go check out the work they do if you get the chance!
About a month ago, I received an email offer from Lakefront Arena for free tickets to a taping of America’s Got Talent while it was here auditioning in New Orleans. The taping was on a Tuesday afternoon, so I thought it would be a nice change of pace during the work week for my assistant and I to attend. I applied for the tickets and got a couple for the noon show.
When we got to the arena, I was impressed that we got decent parking and were let in first because of my wheelchair. While we were standing in line at the door with the other people in wheelchairs, there was a lady in a regular “push” wheelchair and her friend in line behind my assistant. We figured that the lady had not been in her chair long because she kept running into/over my assistant’s heels while we were waiting. Very frustrating and painful.
Once we were allowed in, we had to go exchange our tickets for handicapped accessible ones, which was annoying because they wouldn’t let any wheelchairs down on the floor. We were at the top of the first tier, and it was very difficult to hear the judges and the contestants due to the crappy sound system. But, we could basically see, and the tickets were free, so I wasn’t really complaining.
As we sat down, the same lady that was behind us in line took the seat next to us with her friend. About fifteen minutes later, the America’s Got Talent people made an announcement that they needed to fill the remaining floor seats, and whoever wanted to come down would get seated down there on a first-come-first-serve basis.
Ready for the miracle?
The same lady who rolled over my assistant’s feet proceeded to get UP out of her wheelchair, walk it to the nearest stairwell, leave it there, and WALK briskly down the stairs to the floor where she was given a better seat.
HELLO??!!! Does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture?
All I can say is that lady is very lucky that she did not come back by my seat because I would not have been able to keep my mouth shut. It was obvious that she was temporarily “wheelchair bound” because she wanted the good parking spots, the ability to get in the arena first, and what she thought would be a good seat. It bothers me the same way healthy people “borrow” their grandparents’ handicap parking tag so that it is more convenient for them to park at the mall or movie theater.
To people like Miracle Woman: I hope that one day you know what it’s like to really be stuck in a wheelchair and not have the choice to stand up. I hope that one day you need that wheelchair accessible seat or that handicap tag. But most of all, I hope one day you realize the value of your ability to walk and provide for yourself. You have no idea how lucky you are.
*On a side note, the show was interesting, but the taping went very slowly. It was cool, however, to see the judges and Nick Cannon do their thing while the camera guys and the crew did theirs. Not something I’d want to do again, but kind of a neat experience, minus Miracle Woman.
About a week ago, I took my mom to her first Little Big Town concert, which happened to be her first country concert in about twenty years. She is not a huge fan of country music, but I had been telling her that as soon as Little Big Town came close enough, she was going whether she liked it or not. Low and behold, they scheduled a show in Biloxi shortly thereafter in the perfect venue. I handed Mom a few of their albums, told her to study up, got the tickets, applied for the meet and greet, and off we went.
For those of you who aren’t familiar with them (shame on you), Little Big Town is technically a country band with major bluegrass and rock influences. I think they sound a lot like the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, and Chicago with a little bit of country twang. Made up of four members, Karen Fairchild, Jimi Westbrook, Kimberly Schlapman, and Phillip Sweet, these people create the most amazing harmonies and rhythms you will ever hear. Mom knew I loved them, but she just couldn’t understand why. Well, let me tell you.
Let’s start with the obvious: these people are DAMN talented. Karen, Jimi, Phillip, and Kimberly have amazing voices on their own, but when you combine them, magic happens. It always amazes me how they can sing different notes at the same time to bring out an individual voice or create a harmony that is to die for. Jimi has a smooth, silky voice that can probably seduce any woman, especially if you look in his eyes while he sings (sorry, Karen). Phillip has a great bass but his range goes all the way up. He can play a guitar with the best of them. Karen has the lower of the two ladies’ voices, but it is often the lead. She is so good, and I’ve really seen her blossom over the last two years. She’s really come in to her own, and it’s great to see her confidence level sky high on stage these days. Kimberly is just freaking awesome. She’s a smooth, high soprano, with the sweetest disposition (and great fashion sense). She has amazing stage presence, and she’s just one of those people everyone loves as soon as she opens her cute, squeaky little mouth. It’s so good to see her taking the lead for a couple of songs recently. But as I said, the real magic happens when you have all four of these people singing in harmony. It’s like nothing you’ve ever heard.
Talent set aside, Karen, Jimi, Phillip, and Kimberly are wonderful people. I’ve had the opportunity to meet them several times, and each time they remembered me from the last and were just delightful. Jimi and Phillip are both a little quiet, but super, super nice. You bring Jimi anything to do with Alabama football and Phillip a bottle of tequila and you are golden. (Phillip’s wife will kill me if all of you bring him tequila, and I don’t think Karen will appreciate a complete Roll Tide decor in her house, so you didn’t hear any of this from me.) Kimberly has always been super nice. When you talk to her, you can tell she truly appreciates her fans and she really wants to know about them. She’s very open and always appreciates hearing about YOUR life. Karen is definitely the business woman of the group. You can totally tell she is the one that keeps everyone in line. However, she is also extremely nice and appreciative towards her fans. And she has a really pretty smile too.
What I’m trying to say here is that yes, these four people have an immense amount of talent, but they are real, amazing, kind, awesome people too. They are husbands, wives, moms, dads, aunts, uncles, and friends. They are business owners and performers. They are creators. They are singers. They are artists. They are smart, funny, and genuine. They have worked so hard to get to where they are, and they deserve every ounce of goodness that comes their way. Their perseverance and incredibly strong work ethic makes me respect them more than they can possibly know. They are some of my biggest idols, not because I EVER think I can be a singer, but because of who they are as people and what they have accomplished in their musical journey.
I know my graphic design and photography experience is a little lacking in the music industry, but one day I hope to be able to work for these four. I love everything about them, and it would be a real honor to help spread their message of perseverance, kindness, and the importance in believing in yourself. That would be the coolest job ever.
To say the least, I think Mom finally gets why I love Little Big Town. We were lucky enough to get a meet and greet, and being able to introduce her to four of my favorite people in the world was a really cool experience. And of course, the show was amazing as always. We got to hear almost the entire new album live, which was a real treat.
If you’ve never heard of Little Big Town, do yourself a favor and give Karen, Kimberly, Phillip and Jimi a listen sometime. Their new album, Tornado, is fabulous, and I also love their past albums. If you’re looking for the perfect summer song, go download Pontoon right now. Don’t forget to catch Kimberly on GAC with her new cooking show, Simply Southern. This lady can totally cook and the show is hilarious! But if you do nothing else, get yourself some tickets to a live LBT show. It will be some of the best money you ever spend!
To quote my mother who “hates country music,” “They are like the Chicago of the country world! They are great!”
Check out my YouTube videos from the last LBT concert I attended in Biloxi, including Self Made, On Fire Tonight, Grenade, Front Porch Thing, Leavin’ In Your Eyes, and Sober. Also, check out some of my best LBT pics below.
“If you work really, really hard and you chase your dreams, all the good stuff happens and it follows you.” -Karen Fairchild
Recently, my mother, a friend, and I took a long weekend trip to wine country in California. To say it was beautiful is an understatement. We spent two nights in Napa and two nights in Sacramento, and naturally, we tasted, bought, and shipped home A LOT of wine.
Even if you aren’t a wino, I highly suggest a visit to Napa. It is absolutely gorgeous. Even on the cloudy days there was breathtaking beauty in the rolling hills of vineyards backed by the mountains. The colors in the landscape alone were just exquisite. All of the leaves were beginning to change, so along with the greens and yellows of the vineyards were deep oranges, browns, and reds. Though there were a couple of days where it was a little nippy, all in all the weather was perfect; a nice seventy degrees during the day and a crisp fifty-five or so at night.
However, if you ARE a wino, then you cannot die without visiting Napa at least once. The wineries are grouped in threes and fours on small back roads within a couple of miles from each other. The best strategy is to pick an area to visit one day and winery hop all day long. Though they are a little hard to walk between, each winery is within three minutes of another via car or shuttle. We found that we were more impressed with the smaller wineries like Clos Pegase, Michael Mondavi, or Black Stallion rather then the bigger ones such as Sterling or Artesa. The atmosphere in these smaller places was more intimate and the tastings were just more fun. We also found that the wine at these wineries tasted better. There are also quaint little restaurants with delicious food placed strategically between wineries for lunch, dinner, or just a quick snack. My favorite we went to was Mankas Tapas and Steakhouse. My tuna tar tar was absolutely to die for!
The second two days of our trip were spent in downtown Sacramento. There are areas of the city that are really beautiful, but there are others that are uninhabited due to the drop in the economy. You could walk down a major city street and have one block completely up and running and filled with shops, while the next block could be completely empty. Some blocks were only half full. Since we don’t have the economic struggles in New Orleans to the extent that California does, it was eye-opening to experience. It made us feel lucky to have the local economy that we do, even if it’s not perfect.
While in Sacramento, we visited a cute little courtyard shop that did tastings from two very small wineries. I can’t remember the names of them, but the wine was very good. This was located in Old Sacramento and was placed between boutique shops, tattoo parlors, and restaurants. Afterwards, we drove about twenty miles to a place called the Old Sugar Mill right outside of the city along the river. Naturally, this place was an old sugar mill that had been gutted and made into a sort of flea market for small wineries. There were eight tasting rooms in it (one for each winery) and you could visit them all for a very reasonable price. I can see where it would be very easy to get drunk here on just a few tastings. Though I don’t think this was the best wine we tried, the location was very unique and it was just a neat place to visit.
One thing I noticed about Sacramento and Napa is that they are both extremely handicapped accessible. There was not one winery I couldn’t get into and all of them had very big handicapped accessible bathrooms. There were ramps at every curb in Sacramento, and the sidewalks were fairly smooth. Even in the airport, the hooks in the bathroom stalls were at a level that a person in a wheelchair could reach. Most people don’t think about any of these things because they don’t have to, but I am sure to note them anywhere I travel.
Though we had a little bit of trouble with the airline and the wheelchair (again) towards the end of the trip, overall, it was a great time! I’d highly suggest a vacation out there to anyone, even if you aren’t as crazy about wine as we are!
Have you ever had someone make an assumption or judgment about you or the way you feel that is simply untrue? You should be nodding your head. All of us have. And where has that assumption led to? I’m going to take a wild guess and say no place good.
I have strangers make assumptions and judgments about me every day. We all do. People think that because I am short and in a wheelchair that I am either a) a baby or b) mentally disabled. Obviously I am neither. Because I have had this happen to me so many times due to my physical nature, I try not to do it to others on any level that I pass in public. I’m not saying I’ve never done it (because contrary to popular belief I’m not perfect (LOL) ), but I try hard not to. I know first hand how offensive and annoying it can be.
As aggravating as strangers making judgments about someone they’ve never even met can be, it is even more frustrating when people you know do it. It’s very irritating when people who know you think they know every little thing about you and how you will react in any given situation. It really frustrates me when people get mad at you because of an assumption they made about you, your opinions, or your feelings without actually talking to you first. For example, I have recently had someone I know well get very angry with me because they assumed my political views favor Romney. (Let me just say now, I hate politics, period. I think they are just another reason to argue, but that’s beside this point.) Now, whether I favor Romney or not, which I absolutely will not say here, it is extremely frustrating that someone would basically do the equivalent of yelling at me via email under the assumption that I was 100% voting for him without any backing behind their beliefs.
I think this same idea can be applied to any judgment we make against someone without knowing the facts first. Are you blonde? If so, should I just assume you are a ditz? Are you from Alabama? Should I then assume you are a very religious Baptist that goes to church multiple times per week? Are you of Latin or Eastern European descent? Should I then assume you cannot speak English and that you have no education? Do you work at Chick-Fil-A? Are you then anti-gay rights? Do you have a lot of tattoos? Does that mean you are some crazy person on drugs and in a gang? I know people who fit all of these descriptions and defy each and every one of the stereotypes made against them by society.
I write my blogs about things that go on in my life that bother me or mindsets that I think need to be changed, or at least updated. The idea of making an assumption or judgment about someone without any backing behind it has always been a major part of my life and a pet peeve, for obvious reasons. As of late, it feels like it has intensified. Maybe it’s just because I’m older now and am noticing it more. Maybe it’s because I’ve really started observing my surroundings and am thinking for myself. I don’t know. But I don’t like it, and I constantly strive not to do it myself because I know how it feels to be on the other side of a false assumption.
Next time you’re walking through the mall, or an airport, or a crowded street and are people watching, try hard not to assume what someone is or isn’t. Try hard not to judge someone simply on what they’re wearing or how they speak. Try hard not to assume someone’s opinions or feelings. You’d be surprised how wrong your assumptions can be.
Recently, I read a book called Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult, about a family that has a five-year-old child with Type III Osteogenesis Imperfecta. I was a little hesitant to read this book at first because, from what I understand, Mrs. Picoult does not have OI herself, nor do any of her children. I wasn’t sure that someone who doesn’t live with the disease in one way or another could adequately and accurately convey what our lifestyle is like. Though we often want the same things out of life that “normal” people do, the way we achieve our goals is usually very different.
However, I was pleasantly surprised by Mrs. Picoult’s account of young Willow’s life. There’s a lot of drama that goes on in the novel regarding a lawsuit between Willow’s parents, but what is a good novel without drama? Though the book is well-written and has a compelling story line that brings up a lot of moral questions, what impressed me the most was the accuracy in which Picoult describes the life of a Type III OI child.
Having been in many of the situations Willow is in, reading the book actually got a little creepy for me at times. It was almost like Jodi followed me around when I was five and took notes on my life to add details into her story. Let me give you some examples.
Willow is put in a regular school with regular children and is very smart. Like me at that age, she knows all of the technical terms for all of the bones in her body, loves to read, is bored easily, and soaks up as many random facts as she possibly can. She deals with kids her own age who are afraid of her, curious of her condition, or jealous of the extra attention she requires. I dealt with all of this at one time or another, but I jealousy from my peers was one of my main issues in grade school. She is often not included in her peers’ birthday parties because she can’t physically do the things they can. I know that feeling of wanting so badly to be included but knowing you can’t be. Willow is hit by a stray ball at recess and breaks her leg, something that happened to me three times as a kid. Willow has spontaneous fractures of unknown causes, something I am very familiar with (especially during growth spurts). She breaks when she sneezes or when she moves the wrong way in her sleep. She breaks both arms at the same time. Strangers often treat her like a baby, and, like me, Willow comes up with some kind of sarcastic, smart-ass comment to put them in their place. This sounds just like my childhood.
Even Willow’s parents are much like my own. They have the same exact argument mine did about rodding her legs; her insists that it will help her break less in the long-run, while her father argues not to give her anymore pain (from the surgery) than she already deals with. Luckily for me, my mother won this argument. Like my parents, hers are accused of child abuse, though the two scenarios are completely different. Her parents have to advocate for her constantly so that she is given the same rights as the rest of the world. My mother still has to do this sometimes, and I’m now an adult.
Though there are a few little things in this book that I think are probably exaggerated for the shock effect, overall, the accuracy Picoult has is incredible. I personally wasn’t a huge fan of the ending (which I won’t give away here), but I’d definitely recommend it. It is not only an interesting story, but also one that brings awareness about OI to the reader. Give it a try and leave your comments below!
I just wanted to take a second to feature a short but inspirational story I saw online the other day.
Patrick Connelly, a young man who is wheelchair-bound like me, recently attended a Blake Shelton concert that was standing room only. Although he was close to the stage, as soon as the concert began, the crowd rushed up in front of him and he could no longer see the show. His mom and sister tried to hold him up, but he proved to be too heavy. Shortly thereafter, two strong men who were strangers to the family picked Patrick up easily and took him to the front of the stage. They held him up for nearly the rest of the show. Not only did Patrick get to see the show, but once Blake realized what was going on, he took Patrick and his family backstage following his performance. What a great night this ended up being for this kid!
This story makes me smile for a number of reasons. Firstly, it is nice to know that there are still good-hearted people like those two guys that took Patrick up to the stage in the world. They could have been dancing and drinking and enjoying the concert with their friends, but instead they chose to help this kid out and give him one of the best nights of his life. Second, it was really nice of Blake to bring Patrick backstage, adding to his amazing night. I’ve had that exact experience with Sugarland, and let me tell you, it’s something he will never forget.
I think this story really makes people who are not wheelchair-bound think about what it might be like not to be able to do something as simple as stand up at a concert. Patrick and I don’t get a choice of sitting or standing. One of my biggest pet peeves is the fact that concert venues almost always put the ADA section at least one level up off the floor towards the back of the building. I know this is usually for safety reasons, but I think that if you, the concert-goer, make the decision to be on the floor with the risk of being bumped or knocked into, then that is your choice to take that risk, not the venue’s.
For any of you who have ever been in the front row of a concert, you know that there’s no better feeling than being within touching distance of your favorite performers while singing along with them to all of your favorite songs. I don’t think it’s fair that just because we are in wheelchairs we are often not given that same opportunity as people who can stand. Now granted, I have found ways around this many times, but that shouldn’t be necessary. I wish that people who build these venues are required to sit in a wheelchair for one whole day and go to a concert in that wheelchair just so they can see what it’s like. I think they would learn a lot.
Watch Patrick’s inspirational story below. Maybe we can change this situation one concert at a time, just like Patrick did.
A few weeks ago, I set off with one of my best friends on what would be one of the biggest adventures I’d ever been on. While at a Luke Bryan concert in March, my friend Christy and I plotted an epic journey by way of automobile from New Orleans, LA (or in Christy’s case, Orange Beach, AL), to Oshkosh, WI to follow Sugarland from there to Cadott, WI and Chicago, IL. Sounds crazy, right? Yeah. We are.
I distinctly remember Christy arriving at my house on that Tuesday afternoon shortly after my aide and I had packed the can to its gills. We had lots and lots of snacks as we set off on what would be a 2500 mile plus drive. Between the ice chest, plug-in refrigerator, suitcases, wheelchair, and other random paraphernalia, we looked like hippies that were perfectly accustom to living out of their van. As we were pulling out of the driveway, excitement building, she looked at me and said, “Are we really doing this?” I looked right back at her and said, “Yes.” And so we set off.
Our first stop came around 7:00 pm that evening in Memphis, TN. We had heard a lot of good things about the legendary Beale Street, so we wanted to try and stop there for a little while. Coincidentally, we ended up sort of running into it right off the interstate and decided to eat at a great little place called Rum Boogie Cafe. Rum Boogie Cafe is a great restaurant and bar full of culture and music…and most importantly, rum. It features some of Tennessee’s best barbeque and its ceilings and walls are covered in guitars from almost any musical artist you can think of. For dinner, we split a delicious pulled-pork sandwich and deep-fried green beans (almost a vegetable, Christy…almost). We walked around the street for a little while after dinner, observing that it was a lot like a toned down Bourbon Street with multiple bars and great music at every corner. As night was setting, we decided it was time to get moving and drive as far as we could by about ten o’clock. Around that time, we found ourselves in the middle of Missouri surrounded by corn. Lots and lots of corn. Little did we know, the worst of the corn was yet to come. We were waiting for little children with demon eyes to emerge out if the fields right before our eyes. I consulted my handy dandy iPhone (which saved our lives on more than one occasion this trip), and it told me that the last hotel for an hour’s drive was an EconoLodge, located in Charleston, MO, in, you guessed it, the middle of a corn field. We stopped there for the night, and actually, it was quite nice. Two beds, working air conditioner, and a flushing toilet. What more can you ask for? Day 1 comes to an end: 534.9 miles, deep fried green beans, rum, and lots of corn. Check.
Day two begins. Destination: Wisconsin. On Wednesday morning, Christy and I semi-reluctantly got up to complete the second half of our drive up north. After a quick bite at Subway, we drove through the rest of Missouri, and the VERY long state of Illinois. Did you know that there is road construction all the way through Illinois right now? Well, there is. And the speed limit is somewhere between 45 and 55 miles an hour practically the whole way up. So aggravating. Unfortunately, the road construction caused us to hit Chicago at five o’clock, prime traffic time. Talk about miserable. It took us an hour and a half just to get through the city. When we finally arrived in Wisconsin, we were happy to eat delicious bratwurst, potato salad, and corn, topped off with a shot of honey-pepper vodka and a pickle. Yep. A pickle. Day two ends with my first ever sighting of fireflies. 465.26 miles.
Day three, the day we’d been waiting for, the first concert day. On the way to Oshkosh (approximately a two hour drive) we took a slight detour into Milwaukee for lunch at The Safe House, a spy-themed restaurant. Christy had been there for her twenty-third birthday and always said that if she was in the area again she would try and go back. The restaurant itself is very creative. A password is required for entry, there are moving walls, and you are given little missions to complete all through lunch. The food was great too. Would definitely recommend it if you are in the Milwaukee area… And no, I’m not giving the password away here…
We left lunch eager to check into our hotel room in Oshkosh and get ready to see Jennifer, Kristian, Annie, Thad, Scotty, Travis, Brandon and the rest of the Sugarland Team. After passing a few bison on the side of the road (another first for me) and a lot more corn, we finally arrived at our Best Western Hotel. We couldn’t have timed it better as it was happy hour and the hotel was giving away free drinks. Perfect! We quickly dropped our stuff in the room, had a drink, and headed into, literally, the middle of a corn field for the festival Sugarland would be performing at in just a few hours.
Besides straightening out a little ticket issue and the copious amount of gravel I had to drive my wheelchair through, this night could not have possibly gone better. We got there and went into the little VIP tent that our tickets allowed us in. There was some great music happening in there between the main acts, as well as interviews with all the main artists just before their performances. As we were watching one of the openers from way on the far side of the main stage (plotting how we would get into the front row), a lady from Canada came up to and asked us if we would like her extra VIP ticket, along with a Phil Vassar Meet and Greet. It only took Christy and I 1.2 miliseconds to say, “Um, yes, please!” We went and met Phil Vassar (who is very cool) and then went back to the little VIP tent to get more drinks, etc.
And then we managed to score a Sugarland Meet and Greet! It was amazing. I was so nervous, again. You would think by this point my hands wouldn’t shake every time Jennifer’s within ten feet of me, but no, they still do. We ended up first in line to meet with them. They were VERY surprised to see us all the way up there, to say the least. When we told them how far we had driven to see them and that we’d be following them all weekend, they exclaimed in unison, “But WHY???” And of course, our answer was simply, “Because we love you guys!” After they got a good laugh, we congratulated Jennifer (she’s pregnant), and took our picture with them, we headed back to the main stage to secure our spot for the show. Long story short, we ended up in front of the front row where only Sugarland’s “people” were allowed (thank you, Jess). We were even in front of the press. It was amazing. It was like having our own private Sugarland concert with 80,000 people seated behind us. It was also incredibly safe for me. And of course, Jennifer, Kristian, and the band were unbelievable as usual. From “Wide Open” to “Want To” to “Stuck Like Glue,” Christy and I sung every word to every song. A night I will NEVER forget. As we made our way out of the cornfield and back to the hotel, we were starving, but it was pushing 2:00 AM. The only food-type stuff available at that time was Tostitos Pizza Rolls for exactly $2 in the hotel lobby, heated via microwave. Very healthy, very decadent dinner. It took us a while to wind down after that amazing night, so we were probably up till close to 3:30 AM. Late night, but so worth it. Day three ends. Mileage count: 145.28.
As we drug ourselves out of bed on day four for 11 AM checkout (though it was closer to noon by the time we packed up), we looked forward to another concert night in itty bitty Cadott, Wisconsin, approximately three hours of corn fields and windmills away. Before leaving the hotel, we had a nice lunch at the grill next door (this time we were smart and took leftovers for dinner), got gas, and headed on our way. Our hotel that night was about fifteen miles away from the next cornfield of festival, so it took us a little while to unpack, change clothes, and get there. Upon arrival, we found that all of the handicapped parking for the festival was full, so we were asked to park in the trailer park. Seriously. The trailer park. There were literally people who brought their RVs, tents, vans, and cars to camp out on the festival grounds. Lots of very drunk people. It stretched for miles. Luckily though, we got a spot right by the gate and were easily ushered in. We secured a front row seat, and waited for our favorite people to hit the stage once again. Billy Currington opened for them that night, and he was great. He’s got a song about his dog when he actually brings his Labrador Retriever on stage with him. It was too cute! And then there was that moment where he was singing “Must Be Doin’ Something Right,” and looked right me for an extended period of time with those gorgeous blue eyes… Yeah. That was quite nice.
Then it was time for our SugarDose of the evening. Sugarland took the stage around 11 PM and totally rocked. The highlight of the night was getting a pick from Scotty, which he promised us via Facebook a few hours earlier. We also got one from Kristian. Jennifer was flawless. Annie was rockin’ out on her base, Thad’s guitar work was incredible, Brandon was doing his thing on the keys, and Travis was playing away on his drums. The weather was beautiful and the night couldn’t have been better. Once again, Sugarland never fails to impress. As we made our way back the hotel, dinner was leftover lunch, much better then Pizza Rolls. Another night up till 3:00 AM, but another night totally worth it. Mileage count: 212.87.
Day five: probably our craziest driving day of the entire week. Because we had approximately six hours to drive from Cadott to Chicago (Tinley Park), we had to get up and go straight to the venue without checking into our hotel. By this time, we were both pretty exhausted, so getting out of bed was easier said then done. Though we tried to con one of Sugarland’s truck drivers into driving our van the night before, they just weren’t into that. So, we got up and got moving, though a little slowly at first. We drove approximately 350 miles in five and a half hours…we were sort of flying. But, we made to the venue with plenty of time to spare.
This show was special in that there was a good amount of the fan club present. Sugarland is the only musical group that I know of where the fan club is as tight as it is. It’s amazing how just a few songs and a few lyrics have brought so many people together from all over the United States into a family. Thanks to the Internet and particularly Facebook, we are able to keep up with each other on a day-to-day basis and really get to know one another. There are usually two or three shows every year that we all try and go to so that we can see each other, and Tinley Park happened to be one of them. There were probably somewhere around eighty of us there, and it was awesome. There’s nothing more fun then standing in the middle of the pit surrounded by so many people that know all the words to all of the songs and are singing them just as loudly as you are. We also had Canaan Smith and Lauren Alaina opening that evening, which was a real treat. They are both great singers and did a really nice job. Jennifer and Kristian were awesome with the audience as usual, and even covered Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar” for us. It was awesome! You would think after seeing the same artists three nights in a row we would get bored, but that certainly did not happen. I could watch and listen to them every day of the week. Each show is unique and I couldn’t possibly have more respect for the performers. Aside from the crazy guy who tried to jump on the stage at the end of the show to get a setlist, we had another perfect night. Thank you Sugarland for one of the best weekends of my life.
After kind of a sad realization that our last concert night had come to an end and saying goodbye to our fellow SugarCubes, one of our friends came with us to a late dinner (11:30 PM) at TGI Fridays. We then went and checked into our Holiday Inn at 1:30 AM, learning that we were upgraded to the king’s suite and that we could check out as late as 2 PM the next day. Score! To say the least, we took advantage of that and slept/lounged around for as long as we possibly could the next day. That was the first night we actually got a decent amount of sleep in four days. Day five ends: 344.32 miles.
Days six and seven are kind of a blur and were mostly spent in the car. After getting up around noon on day six, we hung around and took advantage of our glorious hotel room until about 2:30 PM. We then drove through most of Illinois where we met a friend of mine for dinner that I haven’t seen in about eight years just off the highway. We’ve managed to keep in touch all this time, but haven’t physically seen each other in a while. We had a nice visit at Cracker Barrel (though I think they had to go catch and clean my chicken before they cooked it) and then drove till 1:30 AM. We wanted to try and get to Graceland before we left for home the next day, so our goal was to make it to Memphis before we stopped. After pulling into a very sketchy hotel parking lot that we were sure was being used as a drug dealing hub, immediately turning around, and driving a little further off the interstate, we found a gated Scottish Inns and Suites that seemed nice enough. It was at least safe as far as we could tell. After a snack of dinner leftovers, we went to bed and slept like rocks. Day six mileage count: 511.75 miles.
Day seven consisted of a Graceland tour. It was actually pretty neat and Elvis-tacular. My Dad had always wanted me to go there, so I know he was smiling down on us as we ooo-ed and ahhh-ed at all of the crazy jumpsuits, beautiful grounds, and shiny memorabilia. This was the only day we totally did the “tourist thing,” and it was a lot of fun. We waved goodbye to the King and drove the remaining 384.96 miles home where Mom had a giant steak dinner waiting for us. It was the perfect end to the perfect vacation.
Final Mileage Total: 2600.34 Miles.
I’m sure that most of you would think that I’d say that the best part of this trip was getting to meet Jennifer and Kristian again, or watching them perform three nights in a row, but honestly that wasn’t the best part. Granted, that part was amazing, and I’d turn around and do it again in a heartbeat, but the best part was the simple escape from reality for an entire week. I got to spend an entire week with one of my best friends (who I actually met at a Sugarland concert in 2009), seeing new places, laughing, doing new things, listening to our favorite music, and having the time of our lives. There wasn’t a second I wished I were at home or with someone else. This trip was definitely in my top three vacations in my life, and being with Christy is definitely a major part of why it’s ranked there. If she called me and said, “Let’s go again this weekend,” you bet I’d answer, “When do we leave?” I can totally see this happening again in the future… Look out people!
Last week, I woke up one day and the first thing out of my mouth to my mother was, “Oh no. It’s going to rain today.” She answered, “No it’s not. All of the weather stations say not till next week.” (And we all know the iPhone app never lies, right?) Guess what? She and the weather professionals and even the iPhone app were wrong. At about four o’clock, it stormed.
Since I was little, I’ve always been able to gauge when we would have a front or a major rainstorm move through our area depending on how much my body hurt that day. If you’ve ever had a major surgery or have had any kind of metal (rods or plates) put into your body, you might identify with me. Usually people who have had major bone-related operations will say that the area that they had operated on hurts more on days it rains. I think it has to do with the change in barometric pressure that rain brings. It’s not really a sharp pain, but rather more like a constant dull ache. I think I feel it more everywhere because all of my bones are soft and abnormal. I usually ache all the way from my toes to my neck, wherever there are joints. When I was younger, however, my bones were so soft that the change in barometric pressure actually made them break rather then just ache. It wasn’t odd for me to break a couple ribs or a collarbone every time the weather made a big shift. We think that’s why I tended to break much more during the months of March and October when the weather changed from winter to summer and vise versa, which we not-so-fondly named my “breaking seasons.” At least that doesn’t happen anymore now that my bones have gotten a bit stronger! And it’s crazy – as soon as it actually starts raining, my aching goes away. Weird huh?
Ah yes, the joys of living with OI (or any bone issue, really).
I think I’d make a good weather girl. Not only am I accurate, but I’m also cute and personable! Don’t you think?
Note to self: if graphic design doesn’t work out, try meteorology…