Okay, sorry for going so completely teenybopper in the last entry but damn! Seeing Joey that close turned me combined with some alcohol turned me into a weak-kneed 16 year old. Wouldn't have it any other way!
Okay, I've calmed down some now(still can't wipe the stupid grin off my face though) and am prepared to write a proper trip report.
I was going to go into work for a couple of hours on Friday but in talking to my boss on Thursday, he encouraged me not to come in and to enjoy my trip. Who was I to argue with that kind of logic?? It ended up being a good thing because due to a snafu at Torrid my time was more limited than I thought.
I had budgeted enough time so that I could go to the mall to pick up a cute new top, come home and surf the net for a bit while still leaving time to leisurely pack up all the remaining things we needed. So I went to Torrid and got the shirt I had been looking at online the night before, got a couple other things and mosied on home. I got in, played
on the computer for a half an hour and then decided I better try on the shirt with the new bra that I bought to make sure it all looked okay. That's when I discovered they had left a security dye tag on the tank top part of the shirt. You know, the kind that says ink will explode all over the shirt if its tampered with. So now my leisurely packing turned into a frantic throwing everything in my backpack and hoping like hell I remembered everything so I could run back to the mall and have them remove the tag.
Frantic and sweaty, I made it only ten minutes late to Rob's office where I picked him up. We got to the airport and found the economy parking was full so they gave us a map and told us we'd have to drive all over hell and back to get to the other lot. Rob dropped me off at the terminal with the instructions to go to the ticketing desk and ask if we could get our seats changed. (we booked too late and out seats were one in front of the other rather than side by side. The guy told me that the flight was full but to double check at the gate and see if anything had changed. Waited forever for Rob to get back from this lone parking lot in the middle of nowhere. He finally arrived and we made our way through security with no problems. At the gate we were told again that we could not be reseated and sat down to wait. I played peek-a-boo with the little girl in the seat across from me and then it was time to board the plane. I got to my seat first and the gentleman that was sitting in Rob's row was already seated. I asked him if he would mind switching with me and he asked if it was an aisle or window, it was window of course and he said he would do it in a second but he had just had surgery so he needed the aisle to get up and walk around if he had to. At this point I was just thinking this trip was going to be a disaster. From the day I had so far it wasn't looking likely that it was going to get much better. Anyone who knows me well knows I am a phobia freak. I can't help it. I am afraid of pretty much EVERYTHING and flying is right up there at the top of the list. Without having Rob there to hold my hand and talk me down I didn't think I would make it through the flight. On our last flight I literally almost passed out because I was having a panic attack and forgot to breathe until Rob reminded me. Yeah, I'm a freak, but I didn't really want to take a Xan@x and then be out of it all night for the show.
Luckily the guy sitting next to me was able to switch with Rob so all was well with the world.
The flight was short but really bumpy. We got into Orange County on time and headed out to smoke and get our rental car. Threw our stuff into a white Neon and headed out the the Econo Lodge. We checked in and found out to our surprise that they had wireless internet--good thing we brought the wireless card! We got in the room, it was small but not
nearly as small as the room we stayed in Vegas in for the bus trip. We settled in and fired up the computer to find the wireless internet was slower than dialup but we couldn't really complain since they weren't charging us for it.
Took a shower with the worst water pressure I'd ever experienced and got ready for the show. The walk was about two miles from the hotel to the show but it was a nice cool night so it wasn't that bad.
I was disappointed to find out once we got to the House of Blues that there was no photography allowed. In fact when they wanded you and checked your bag, if they found a camera(like they found mine) they said I could go put it in my car or I could pay three dollars and have them lock it up to be picked up after the show. Seeing as I wasn't about to
walk back four miles total we plunked down the three bucks and got a receipt. The opening band was playing while we checked out the layout. We went to the outside bar to smoke while I got a drink and once the opening band stopped we booked it downstairs. I noticed there was an open spot by the speakers so I planted myself there and waited.
Words can't describe the show for me so I won't even bother trying. I'll only succeed and getting into "teeny" mode again and make a fool out of myself.
After the show we smoked, I had one more drink and we walked back to the hotel where I managed to write out the last entry and then we ate the pizza we had gotten delivered earlier and went to bed with a big goofy grin on my face.
Saturday morning we got up and packed our stuff, ate leftover pizza and then headed out to San Diego.
Okay, remember me saying how flying was one of my worst fears? Well riding on the freeway is at least one notch above that. And the only way to San Diego was all freeway...a VERY LARGE freeway.
Several panic attacks later, we were off the freeway meeting up with our friends Jim and Karen at a brewpub for lunch. I had some really yummy fish and chips that didn't travel so well in a doggie bag and Rob pigged out on ribs. I stole one and they were realllly good. Stuffed and happy we said goodbye and went about trying to find our Days Inn hotel.
We found it but decided to drive up and see if we could find where Cane's was. We didn't find it we found out later because we got discouraged and turned around. If we had kept going we would have found it. We got a little lost on the way back but made it back to the hotel in relatively good time. We checked in and found again, wireless internet.
Gotta love California!
We had some time to kill so Rob watched nascar while I played around on the net until it was time to get ready to go.
We got to Canes while the second opening band was playing. Rob spent some time bonding with the merchandise guy that he had met the night before while I went up to the patio to smoke. When the band announced it was their last song I positioned myself to the side of the stage and waited til they were done and as people came out I slowly moved my way in until I was in between two people in the front row. To make a very long story short, the girl to the left of me and I struck up a conversation and it turns out she is as huge of a Europe/Joey fan as I am.
She even wrote stories about them too when she was in high school. It was just very cool to be able to experience the show with someone that feels exactly how you do about it. I love Rob and I love that he was excited about this show for me but he just isn't that into the band. Anyway, we bonded and I got her email address to send her pictures of the show(she only had a little disposable camera). Once again the show was just fantastic. I was able to take pictures at this show but not with a flash. By the fourth song I had given up trying to take them without the flash because they were coming out crummy. I saw some other flashes go off so I said screw it and kept the flash on for the rest of the night.
I think I'll put up a webshots page tonight with all the pics. I put them on my webpage but they are using up some serious space and I don't want to lose the quality...I printed a handful out last night but the printer ran out of ink. :-(
So anyway! After the show Rob snagged a water bottle from the stage for me and I got an autograph from the bass player John Leven. Everyone else in the band ran for the bus, John was the decoy. :-)
We hung out in the parking lot for a little while until it became clear that were not coming off the bus. We said goodbye to my new friend megan and headed back to the car. We were hungry so we tried to find anything open but it was two in the morning. So we stopped at a seven 11 to get *anything* at that point and discovered a little late night
Mexican place next to it. We got what we wanted, headed back to the hotel and grubbed out before falling asleep. Sunday we woke up and packed before another hair raising drive on the freeway back to OC. I took a quarter of a Xan@x this time but it was still nerve-wracking for me. We got to the airport waaaay early so we sat around and giggled hysterically at each other. We were totally punch drunk from lack of sleep but it was cute. The plane home was much bigger than the plane there so it made for a much smoother ride...but let me tell you that the take off out of OC is one hell of a doozy!! It's like flying straight up into the air. I had been told about it a long time ago but nothing really prepares you for it. So now it's home at last and back to work. So I guess it goes without saying that the diet went out the window this weekend. Even today because we are just so exhausted from all the staying up late and then getting up early to travel, we had pizza last night and I got a calzone out of the vending machine here at work for lunch. Tomorrow I have to get back on track!!
I think what's on tap for tonight will be trying to get my pictures online...possibly photobucket or webshots and see about getting some more ink for the printer. I think I've got some 8x10's in my near future!! Woot!
9:26 p.m. - 2005-04-25
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