Havin' a good time ... or not?/Part 3

I wrapped up the details of my Knoxville trip the other day, but I want to do a compare between Birmingham and Knoxville Widespread Panic Shows.

If you check out this post from April about my Birmingham WP experience, you will notice I mentioned I cried during most of the first set.

What???????????????? How can anyone cry at a WP concert?

The day of the show, I was running my own errands, and then meeting up with people who were going to buy extra tickets and then didn't show up or return calls and texts. While all of this was going on, I was keeping an eye on the weather and tornado sirens, and getting texts and phone calls from people wanting to know where and what time to meet, what to wear, etc. I had been going over this with these people for weeks and they could not get it together.

The concert venue had changed the night before due to weather and I let everyone who was going know we were to meet at Nana Funks at 5:00 and we were to leave promptly at 5:45. Because the venue changed, the seating opened up for general admission. No one was ready to leave at 5:45, and I was about to flip out! That person I was supposed to meet earlier never showed up, no one wanted to pay face value for their ticket (I was getting offers for half and less!), I didn't even have time to get as ready as I wanted to, but everyone else could do whatever they wanted. Talk about entitled!

Some of my tickets were VIP first tier seats, and if you had those tickets, you got a special armband and special seating. Well, you were supposed to. The ushers at the door gave Space (who was with me) the right armband, and I got the "wrong" one. It took nearly an hour to figure that out. I kept showing my ticket and asking why I wasn't allowed in the VIP or reserved section, and FINALLY some usher got me the right armband. Well, Charlie Daniels had started by then.

My friends that were supposed to sit with me had no problems at all and I was finally able to meet up with them and sit with them, but someone in the group had to ask me where someone else was THE WHOLE TIME. I finally was able to see a couple of Charlie Daniels songs. During "Devil Went Down to Georgia," between ignoring the annoying person and constantly having to show off my armband to the ushers, these other people come up and start shoving me, and yelling at me that I couldn't save seats.

Yes, Charlie Daniels was ruined for me.

Between bands, I was still having to show my armband to ushers, and I noticed a ga-zillion groups smoking pot around me (this is supposed to be a non-smoking venue) and letting their smoke go wherever it may, and those shovers from "Devil Went Down to Georgia" a few rows down without the appropriate armbands. They aren't getting bothered. The smokers aren't being stopped. But me, who is not smoking or drinking, has the apropriate armband, and is just minding my own business, trying to have a good time, I'm the one the ushers want to harass, and I'm the one being harassed by everyone else breaking the rules. WTF?!? THAT, my friends, is the whole problem with Birmingham. There is this sense of false entitlement that you can do whatever you want, take whatever you want, infringe on other people's rights and soveriegnty, and no one is going to stop you or bother you. Actually, I would venture to say that wherever there are inherent problems, that is the root of them.

I found my "point person," who had lost her cell phone, and tried to introduce myself. But she was too preoccupied with her lost cell phone.

When the band started back, Space and I found a couple of seats again, and we tried to sit back and enjoy the show. But those ushers just wouldn't let us sit anywhere we tried. We had to show armbands, we got kicked out of one seat, we had to find another, repeat, repeat, repeat. All the while, all these people are dancing in the aisles, without proper armbands, smoking their joints.

Here's the deal: That section was supposed to be marked off. It wasn't. It was up to the ushers to enforce it. They clearly weren't. Pot is illegal. The security, cops, and ushers clearly didn't seem to think so. Smoking is not allowed. Again, the people hired to maintain the rules and laws and help the patrons clearly did not have their job responsibilities in order. I had missed most of the concert to this point and had been walking all over the BJCC, trying to find where I should be.

Sick of it, I marched back into that VIP area, got my point person, and told her what was going on. She took me and Space to the handicapped row and told us to be there and if anyone had a problem with it, to say she put us there. So then the ushers tried to move us. When we straightened that out, I was told I couldn't dance, that I had to sit (I was dancing in place). At that point, I lost it. I started bawling. Y'all, there were people all over the aisles (i.e. the path to the exits), blocking the aisles, dancing away. Everyone but me and my friends were having a good time. Most of my group left because it was such a fudgecluster.

Someone gave me a glow stick, and then someone else was trying to grab it out of my hand. Again, really?!? We are supposed to be mature people. Just because the band is called Widespread Panic does not mean you need to create it.

During the intermission, I went to the restroom, and left Space to hold down the fort. While I was standing in the beer line, where people got to slide on up next to me and get served, then finally I was told they quit serving beer (again, say it with me, people, REALLY?!?), Space found me and said he got kicked out.

As the music started back, I marched Space and Alan right back up to that place we were sitting, explained to the ushers, again, that we were allowed there, and did my best to have a good time. Alan and I did our little jam dancing a bit, got a little bit harassed by ushers, and we made it to the end of the show.

Was that necessary? No. Do I feel entitled to something? At this point, yes, and rightfully so. I paid good money for those tickets, and I missed most of the concert and was constantly disctracted. I wasn't causing any trouble, and everything I did was done in safe parameters (i.e. I wasn't blocking any paths).

Saturday, I was able to chill a bit. We met up in the lot before heading in, and I got some cool lot tees and some feathers in my hair.

Saturday was much better and my only complaint was I had to defend my box a bit from some "entitled" Birmingham people.

Going into Knoxville, I was slightly apprehensive, but I didn't know I had as good of seats as I did. I thought I had seats on the balcony, a few rows back. As the ushers at the Tennessee Theatre (beautiful, by the way!) walked me closer and closer to my seats that first night, I started to get nervous. I was really close and I was not in the mood to defend my territory. (And I was on steroids and pseudo-ephedrine, so it was going to be a brawl if anyone crossed me! Haha!)

No need to worry in Knoxvegas, baby! Those people were so cool and laid back. Like I said, a few people actually came up to me and ASKED if I minded if they stood near me. Of course I didn't mind. They asked, nicely, first of all. They didn't push or shove me. They didn't yell at me. They weren't smoking pot that was blowing directly in my face. They didn't invade my personal space (except to hug me <3!). I "had a good time" in Knoxville and it's all because of the "good people" there. Thank you, Knoxville, you are awesome!

Havin' a good time, part 2

Hey y'all

I'm getting back on schedule, here.

I posted the pictures from my Knoxville trip earlier, and I am actually following through and posting about my actual trip.

The back story: Back in April, when I was gearing up for Widespread Panic in Birmingham, I mentioned to some friends I would love to follow them around, maybe for a week or so. Since I didn't have it together enough in the spring, I said next time they came to the Southeast, I would do it. When they announced their fall tour, I checked the dates and locations. As I was exploring the logistics, I realized just going to Knoxville for three nights would be the most feasible. Not a whole week of Panic, but basically half a week. (I had already booked my trip for the Harvest Moon Festival at Callaway Gardens, and that was a week and a half after Knoxville, so I knew my early fall was booking up quickly.)

So, in July, I started trying to find someone to go with me. None of my loser friends would take time off work (with three months notice!) to do this trip with me. Guess what I did? I made that trip happen! I changed up my itinerary a bit to stay in Knoxville longer to visit the kids I used to babysit while I was in college.

A few days before I was scheduled to leave, I began getting the symptoms of an annoying sinus/upper respiratory infection. It seemed to get a little better, but on Saturday, two days before I was supposed to leave, it seemed worse. Worrying about the painful cough I was developing and flying with head congestion, I went to the doctor. Doctor hooked me up with some cough syrup and a steroid shot, and I was good to go! What I wish they had told me was I may not be able to sleep for a few days.

After five hours of sleep Saturday night, and another five Sunday night, I got myself out of bed at 5:00 to shower and catch my shuttle bus to Atlanta. Got on an airplane in Atlanta and landed in Knoxville before 11:00 Eastern time!

I was very strung out on lack of sleep and that damn steroid shot (and Sudafed).

I laid down for a bit that afternoon, but my phone kept blowing up with trying to figure out who would be attending the show with me that night. I decided to go ahead and check into my hotel. I laid down a bit longer, but with no sleep luck.

I went to the little cocktail/hors d'oeuvre reception at the hotel and met Savannah, who hooked me up with people to go to the show with me that night.

I went to a bar she recommended, where I met a fourth person to share my tickets with. This guy was a pilot and his sons are big Widespread fans. I talked him into going, at least just to get his kids a shirt, and he stayed for a few songs.

Savannah's friends, Oslo and Johnny, met me at the bar and hung out with me. Oslo introduced me to a great sandwich shop that gives you way too much food for a very reasonable price!

When I got to my seat, was I surprised! Y'all, I was eight rows from the stage! No joke!

Even more surprising, my fellow concert goers were very polite and asked if they could stand near me. I'm going to have to tell you about Widespread in Birmingham later, just so you know how strange this was to me.

On Tuesday, I went back to the house and got to see the kids for the first time. I still only got about six hours of sleep Monday night, so I was still a bit out of it, but getting used to the lack of sleep. (Seriously consider getting a steroid shot and use Sudafed wisely while on one. You probably won't sleep. Also, I am so thankful Knoxville people are NICE because I was also rather edgy and ready to kick any one's ass who crossed my path. Luckily, that Smoky Mountain high is contagious!)

Back to Tuesday ... Christy and I went to the bar from the night before for dinner and to get rid of my two extra tickets. We sold them to a girl who was offering more than face value (I sold them for face value, since that's they way I roll. Keep it just, people.) Christy got to hear her favorite, "Hatfield," and I got to hear "Little Lilly." We left during the (what seemed like) half-hour bongo solo in the second act. The lack of sleep, light show, and bongos were really getting to me. I'm kind of sad we did because we missed "Jack" and "Walkin' (For Your Love)."

I got about six hours of sleep again.

Wednesday, I went with Christy to get the kids and checked back into the hotel. This night I took the kids old number one Knoxville babysitter, her roommate, and his girlfriend.

Y'all, this was the night! I can't remember every song, but remember "Bust it Big," "Blackout Blues," "Imitation Leather Shoes" and "Travelin' Light."

They played a lot from "Dirty Side Down", which the more I hear it, the more I love it.

(I had great seats the last two nights, as well.)

The rest of the week, I hung out with Christy and the kids and did some cooking and sightseeing.

The vibe in Knoxville is great and the people are awesome. I'm not quite "in love" with it, like I am with Gainesville, but I am going back about three times between January and May/June, so that might change.



I'm even still on Eastern time!

"Z Bebes"

(I am having serious issues posting this, so bear with the weird layout.)

At one point, I had twelve animals living in my house. No, I do not hoard animals. I just had a boyfriend who would rescue every stray cat. It's a really crazy, long story that I will definitely share sometime, but for now, I really want to share my greatest loves, the three animals who still live with me.

First up is Boston Go-Go. Boston is a four year old black and orange tortoiseshell cat, with an extra thumb on one of her paws (poly dactyl, better known as Hemingway cats). She is very talkative and loving, and probably my most social cat.

Her mother did not properly wean her, so she has always loved to try to nurse my hand. When she isn't "nursing" me, she is holding my hand. (Love!)

Boston is pretty and she knows it and she loves to have her picture made! (She will even pose for pictures, as y'all can see in her first picture. LOL.)

She is definitely a mama's girl, which poses quite the competition for Tux, who we'll get to later.

Next up is Prudence. Pru is my "special" cat. Pru is very skittish and runs away from anyone coming near her, any sudden movement, and any loud noise. She got her name from the Beatles song, "Dear Prudence," because the Beatles were playing the first time I saw her come out to play. The second picture of her used to be typical Prudence, thinking she was hiding since she couldn't see anything. Now, she's more social, but still so skittish it's hard to get a picture of her.

Finally, there is Tux, who is the BIGGEST mama's boy I have ever encountered! The Space-man talked me into taking in his momma and she birthed him in my guest bedroom, which served as a kitten nursery two years in a row. He was always the sleepiest, slowest moving, whiniest kitten of the bunch. I didn't intend to keep him, but while we were waiting on him to get adopted, all of his other siblings got moved out. So, little Tux, only knowing me and Space at that point, got thrust into the Fur-galicious household and attached himself to me. At first it was very sweet and fun to have my little buddy, but as Space got his cats out and Tux got older, he got more aggressive, despite being fixed at the early age of five months. (Sometimes, I think he has a bit of an Oedipus complex, the way he pushes Boston and Pru away from me ...) He is a very snuggly cat at night, when I go to bed. And he is still the whiniest cat I have ever encountered! (For some reason, though, I still love my little buddy.)

Boston and Tux in a good "getting along" moment

I woke up Easter morning to find this in their food bowl. I think they wanted in on the fancy meal action, too.

Tux feet!

Tux and Boston after they've settled their battle for who gets a piece of Mommy, a nightly occurrence.

Havin' a good time, Part 1

Here are my pictures from Widespread in Knoxville. They're crazy out of order, so mind the captions. Check for another post about the whole trip!

Night 2 - My favorite shirt ("Walkin")

Night 3 - Me and "Santa Hippie." Nearly every guy in Knoxville has facial hair and he was my favorite!

Day 3 - Shopping center with the initials "WP"

Night 2 - Christy's favorite shirt (back)

Night 2 - Christy's favorite shirt (front)

Night 2? - Crowd in the balcony

Night 1 - Eight rows from the stage!

Night 1

Night 1

Night 1

Night 1

Night 1

Quick Updates

I've been super slammed the past few weeks and I can hardly think.

I've been suspecting for a while my thyroid cured itself. People laughed at me when I told them. So guess who was laughing a few weeks ago when I found out my suspicions were true? I am still laughing.Third endocrinologist is the charm :) My thyroid didn't actually cure itself. This third endocrinologist is awesome and her first step was to determine what kind of hyperthyroidism I have. She did bloodwork and she had me do another thyroid uptake (and she told me to "do myself a favor and take a benadryl before" the test to counteract the side effects of the iodine pill I had to take - that alone makes her my favorite doctor, the fact she actually acknowledged the fact I know my body and know I don't react well to iodine). The results were ... I have Graves disease, which is an autoimmune disease. Sounds sucky, right? Wrong. The blessing in autoimmune diseases is they go into remission. My lupus symptoms are much improved as well, so she is guessing the hyperthyroidism and borderline lupus go hand-in-hand. Right now, I am in remission, and I go back in three months for more bloodwork and if that's good, then I go back in six. We'll take things as they come and my orders are to just keep doing what I'm doing (i.e. having a good time).

Speaking of "having a good time" ... I'm going to Knoxville, TN to see Widespread Panic for THREE days and visit the little ones I used to babysit for back when I was in college. This is Panic's last tour for a while, so I am really looking forward to this. There are a few songs I have never heard them play, and I am really hoping to hear "Bear's Gone Fishing", "Sparks Fly", "Climb to Safety" and "Little Lilly." I've also always heard "Porch Song" and "Ain't Life Grand", so it would be nice to hear them this week, too. I have discovered a bunch of new favorites lately, and I would love to hear "Jack", "Heroes", "Can't Get High", "Don't Tell the Band", "Imitation Leather Shoes" and "Big Wooly Mammoth." Additional old favorites and covers include, but are not limited to: "Superstition", "Coconuts", "No Sugar Tonight", and "Feelin' Alright."

Maybe I'll do a fantasy Widespread show blog post someday. Maybe I'll get a tattoo this week to commemorate my big trip. And MAYBE, if I have time tomorrow, I will set up the Twitter and chronicle the concert via tweets (if that makes any sense ... clearly I am way behind on the Twitter bandwagon). I'll let y'all know.

And Warrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Eagle! Hey!

Bible Studies and Devotionals

In the past, I've linked up with Kelly's Korner for her Show Us Your Life Fridays. I haven't done it in a while, but this week the topic is favorite Bible studies and devotionals.

Back in the college days, I did Paula Rhinehart's Strong Women, Soft Hearts. Y'all, I love this book! I go to it when I'm feeling out of sorts and pick a chapter that sticks out to me and just read it. It's kind of hard to explain what it means to me, but as someone who listens to my body, it is also God speaking to me through myself. I'm not sure that makes any sense to y'all.

Maybe a better example is when I was in junior high, my friends would tell me to "get over it." Meaning, something really devastating to me happened and I just needed to get over it. What they probably meant was "we're sick of hearing about this," and that was their nicest way of saying it was time to move on, but for me to hear those words, I was more than hurt. What my friends didn't know, because I barely understood, was I was going through way more than they knew and all those other things (that were pretty big, but also facts of life), did not help the biggest of things going on. Anyway ... what I got from SWSH was I wasn't supposed to get over it, but to acknowledge it, because it happened to me as a way to shape who I am. The emotions I feel I shouldn't shove deep down in my metaphorical closet and ignore them because God created me to be this way.

Basically, it's all about accepting yourself and honing your traits so that you may serve God better. It gave me permission to be myself.

I also love Paula Rhinehart's Better than My Dreams. I've never read the entire book or done a Bible study on it, but from what I have read, it's about trusting God to provide for you. You pray and pray and pray and you get a hint of what you're praying for, but then, poof!, there it goes. That wasn't your time for it. The stories she uses in this book all start off, where people think their prayers are being answered and they are so overjoyed, but then it turns out their prayers aren't being answered quite yet and they are devastated, and maybe they lose some faith, but on down the road, their prayer does get answered and they get more than they could ever imagine. This is a great book when you're having trouble with faith.

A few years ago, I was blessed to be able to hear Paula Rhinehart speak at a women's retreat. What a great weekend and it was so exciting to be able to speak with her in person. I just hope she knows how much she helped strengthen my relationship with God.

Television these days

New TV shows started back last night, and I missed it :( I still have some kinks to work out in my DVD-R. See, if I had it my way, I wouldn't have cable. I just got sick of spending all day Friday catching up on my shows from the night before. In Birmingham, the price of cable with BrightHouse isn't so bad. I even splurged on the DVR with them :) In Auburn, though, Charter is through the roof. And the quality sucks. AND I HAVE to get digital cable so I can get my "A Different World" and, you won't believe this, the CW, which is how I watch "90210." Once I get used to my DVD-Rs (I have two so far and might need to get one more), I should be set for Thursday nights.

Why might I need three DVD-Rs for Thursday nights you wonder? "Grey's Anatomy," "The Office," and "Bones." "Bones" won't come on until November, so we'll see how things go. "The Office" has James Spader, and that's the only reason I plan on watching. If I decide I still don't like the characters talking to me, I will gladly go without my Spader fix.

What bugs me is the lack of awesome programming.

I watch "Desperate Housewives" and I am not the least bit sad this will be its last season. "Brothers and Sisters," though? Ohmigosh I was devastated when I found out it was cancelled. I love that show! And I had no time to prepare myself the last few episodes, thinking how nice it was everything just worked out. Devastated, y'all.

Speaking of cancelled series ... I wouldn't even be bothering with "The Office" if "Boston Legal" hadn't been cancelled in the first place. That show is how I made it through the week. Whatever day it came on.

And let's go way back to 2005 and that show with Geena Davis ... "Commander in Chief." Loved it! Okay, as a political science major, I couldn't stand the whole major crisis gets resolved in one hour, yet the backstabbing goes on for the whole season crap. I loved that an INDEPENDANT became President. I guess the show was a little too much of a threat to the Democrats and Republicans that the show had to be pulled. God forbid our people have a choice besides a Democrat or Republican for President.

Because it's not very nice to complain about the way things are and not offer a solution, let me say this: since all these old shows and movies are being re-made, can we bring back "A Different World?" Only, I want Jasmine Guy and Kadeem Hardison reprising their roles.

To sum it up, I will be watching "Desperate Houswives," "90210," "Grey's Anatomy," "The Office," and "Bones" this year. Assuming my shows make it, next year I will be down to probably two shows. Not to be negative, I just don't see "The Office" working out with me. (Sorry, James. I still heart you.)

Any suggestions to add to my schedule?