Onward in October!

This is the lamest title in the world, and I will probably change it soon. Regardless of how lame the title is – the shows rocked! Oh you wanna know the full story – I thought you'd never ask!

It started off about 3 or so weeks from me typing this now. Tampa was totally out for me. I'm a Chkapella and Chkapella's don't go to concerts that they can't get good seats at. This late in the game – my only hope would be a seat in the above nose bleed section. Until my angel in LA decided she wasn't going to go to the show, and asked my other angel in LA if she knew of anyone who would want the ticket. I guess I was the first to pop in angel number 2's mind and she asked me if I wanted it soon there after. Do I want it? Free? Do you think I'm CRAZY? I didn't think so – so angel number 1 emailed me and got everything down and right to go.

Right after that I called my mom and asked her if she wanted to go – She did at first but like 3 days before I was to leave, she bowed out. Go figure… what am I gunna do now? A vacation in Tampa FL all alone – how ever would I live????

Fast forward to Thursday, October 4^th – 2001. Ok wait rewind to about 10pm Wednesday…

All set? Alright – well I had started a group card for one CSL4 the great, and was going to finish that – well Master Phew had other plans for me and asked me to lay down with him. Hey it was the last night I'd be seeing my baby boy for at least 4 days, I wasn't about to say no. I guess I was so tired that I just fell out – next thing I know – it's 5am. OH NO – THE CARD… MY CLOTHES… AHHHHHH so I ran around the house until 7:30am getting my stuff together and planned on doing the card that night in the hotel room.

I had missed all week the week before because of being sick so I didn't feel comfortable ditching Math again – so I stayed until 11am and ditched Sociology. I got on the road at about 11:05pm and started off. I got to New Bern to get some of the necessary concert traveling and attending provisions. You know like Whales, Chex Mix, Code Reds, Film, and new clothes… the usual. So I ran into Wal-Mart and picked all that stuff up along with a much-needed watch. It was cheap man, only 4.49! I rock.

I was in and out with in 5 minutes and started my little blue Neon back up and headed back out on the road.

With the music blaring and the wind blowing in through my non air-conditioned car – I roared down the road at speeds well above the speeding limit. Cops everywhere – I just knew I'd either get pulled.

I was making excellent time when I came to the Exit to get on I-16 to Mt. Vernon. So I said what the hell – I'm going to test my luck. I took the exit and excelled down the interstate. I had fun on that stretch – no cops to be seen – I found out my car COULD push 90 and not fall apart. I rock man I roll. It was starting to get dark when I finally got off I-16 and started toward Mt. Vernon. Jadey no drive well in dark.

Anyway, Mt. Vernon is very much like Pamlico County. If you blink – you miss it. There's nothing there but a couple of gas stations, cows and a huge college. Guess what… Jadey got lost. Ok so I didn't get lost, I just couldn't find the hall where the guys were singing. After a few illegal turns and some near miss head on collisions (kidding) I finally decided to stop at the gas station and ask the what the cashier thought was the stupidest question she'd ever heard.

"Where's that hall where Rockapella is playing tonight" – She looked at me like I had 3 heads for about 5 seconds before saying, with a much more southern accent that I have – "Yer not from 'round here are ya". I kindly told her no I wasn't – NC was my home state and she nodded approvingly – "It's just down the street from Doobie's (I think that's what it was called…) just go down that road and it will just dump you out right there. Nice, I thought – great visual aid.

I had no time to fix my hair, change my clothes or anything. I looked and probably smelled like shit on a stick. I did perfume myself before exiting my stale smokestack of a car, so I had that much going for me. That's not a lot but hey – I figured they'd be approving – split second decision to go.

When I got there, I told the lady at the makeshift ticket counter that I needed a ticket. I asked for one of the expensive front row tickets and she gave me an inexpensive front row ticket, of course it wasn't front row. I had to argue with the makeshift usher for 5 minutes that I was more than willing to pay 30 bucks for front row. That the lady at the counter gave me that one and told me to sit where ever I wanted, which was what I fully intended to do. She argued back until I said ''Look – I didn't drive 10 hours to sit in row F… give me a break". I got front row Jeff side so it rocked just the same.

I found Barb and Co. and Suzi and Co. and sat on the floor in front of them for a few minutes and yapped with them before show time. Then went back to my seat and yapped with a total stranger (Male) about the joys of Rockapella and how much he would love them once It was all over.

Once I was done yapping the lights went down and the sound started soaring. Ahhh...I'd missed this so much. There they were once again. I was grinning like a child who'd just beaten her younger sister to the last tootsie roll in the candy jar.

The concert was so much fun. They did all the regular songs and replaced 60-Minute Man with Big John. What a treat! I love that song – it's currently my new favorite. That, along with Dance with Me (now complete with separate moments of shining cute little dance moves from each guy) is now my new concert faves. *Starts singing Hey John – Hi John – Hi…* I love that!

Elliott told a story – well it was more of an observation. Scott was doing his usual shuffle on stage and it reminded him of being at the beach earlier and there being a sign that said "shuffle" – Scott told them it was because of stingray season and shuffling would scare them away.

If you think that's funny – try Uvalvea. Actually it was Uvaidla but don't tell Kev that. Anyway he went off on how funny of a name that was and mentioned it wasn't every day you could follow a tractor down the road. I wasn't amused because I get caught behind tractors every morning – especially during the corn and cotton harvesting seasons…

They all seemed pretty hyper, but not hyper enough to prepare them for that night's pretty woman. The girl who beat me hands down at being the biggest ham in America. Her name was Ashley and she rocks and rolled!

I was proud of her. She even likes the Power Puff Girls – Just like me… hee.

Scott's girly man keeps getting funnier and funnier - this time he flit and fluttered and was heckled by some guy in the audience.  I would have kicked the guys ass but he was WAY on the other side and - well I was tired... hehe

Anyway – so the concert rocked and rolled and then it was over.

I hung around the meet and greet with my friends and headed back to the hotel I'd seen earlier. When I pulled in – I saw some very familiar faces. Namely those of Kevin and Scott. I rolled down my car window and asked them what they were doing there. Scott answered "this is where we're staying" Oh... ok I said. God he's so cute.

So I went and got my room. Then figured out he was right next to me - Lovely.

After trying to figure out if it was moral to be naked in the room next to my married fantasy man – I decided to get in the shower and try to go to sleep knowing he was over there. It was prolly one of the hardest things I've ever done.

Anyway – I'd hoped that I would have woken up way before check out time in order to give me time and a half to get to Tampa – get a hotel room and work on Scott's Card. But I over slept and had an hour to get out of my room… so I was rushed…

Continued in Tampa Review!