leighblack (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
leighblack) wrote2005-07-28 04:57 pm
leighblack) wrote2005-07-28 04:57 pm
Entry tags:
Nashville Trip Recap
Yes, I realize that I still haven't finished my journal entries from LA or done the one for my Des Moines weekend. Hush. They'll get done eventually. I wanted to write up this one while I still have a small thread of memory about what happened. I apologize that the only photos I have to go along with this post are crappy cell phone pics. I cleaned them up as best I could.
My trip to Nashville to see Duran Duran and Stimulator, or Leigh's hangover is named Chad Stewart.
Thursday, July 14th
For once, I actually managed to leave on time for a road trip. 7:30am on the dot. I thought I'd be stuck in the traffic in the Cities, but there wasn't really any to speak of. After looking through my road atlas, I had realized that I wouldn't be driving through any major cities until I hit Nashville. Madison, WI and Bloomington, IL were going to be the biggest ones. That made me happy - knowing that I wasn't going to have to avoid rush hour anywhere.
So, I set off in my poor, battered car. Three weeks before, my CD player had died and was still out getting repaired. So, I had NO radio in my car. Yes, let me repeat that. 14 hour road trip - no radio. Ugh! I decided to be all ghetto and set my portable CD player up on the driver's seat, but it just wasn't the same. Also, I don't have air conditioning in my car, and it was supposed to be in the 90's all weekend. Still, I was determined to make this trip happen.
I don't know what else I can say about my drive. It was long. It was HOT all the way through Wisconsin, but it was cloudy most of the rest of the way, so it wasn't all that bad. Somewhere in the middle of IL, I encountered the remnants of Hurricane Dennis and ran straight into a torrential downpour. Not exactly exciting. Or fun. I had serious flashbacks from when I was stuck in the snowstorm on the way to Detroit and spun out & hit a sign. But, it cleared up eventually and everything was fine.
While I was driving, I saw a car with a TN license plate in WI. That made me happy, because it was a sign that my trip to see![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
annfromdetroit was good. Then a song about Memphis, TN came on the radio. Another good sign. Then, a Hall & Oates song came on, which was a sign for Chad. Then I passed a ginormous cross somewhere in IL. It really creeped me out. It was then that I realized I was headed straight into the Bible Belt. Not such an encouraging sign.
My phone put some weird glow around the cross in this photo.
My drive took me across WI, all the way down IL, through KY and into TN. I was very, very happy when I saw the sign for TN, because I knew I was getting close to the end.
And finally, around 9pm, I arrived at Ann's house. YAY! I peeled myself out of the car and promptly took a shower, because I smelled like I was drenched in sweat. Oh wait. That would be because I was. Ewww! Once I was clean, I got attacked by Ann's dog, Winston, and her mother's dog, Willie, who apparently like to lick people covered in lotion.
Of course, my visit didn't really start until I squooshed Ann's boobs. Chad had called & tried to convince us to go out to the topless bar with them, but we didn't really feel like it. Instead, we sat around talking with her boy, Austin, and some of their friends. The lead story on the news that night was that a Hustler Hollywood store had opened downtown, so we decided that we needed to run there sometime during the weekend. Pretty soon we shooed everyone off and went to bed, where we gossiped and chatted like schoolgirls for several hours.
*Since there are some new people around here, I should give a little background info, so there's not a lot of confusion. Chad Stewart is the drummer for my favorite band, Faster Pussycat. He's a bit of a band whore and seems to always be involved in multiple bands. Right now, his biggest thing is Stimulator, a pop/rock band from LA. They're signed to a major label & have a CD coming out this fall. We've gotten to be friends in the past couple years I've been stalking FP around the country. Not in a "OMG! I'm lyke SOOOO friendz with the band!!" way, but actual friends. And, yes, I may have the teensiest crush on him. It's all good though. Thomas Cesano (aka Fast Tommy) is Chad's best friend, and has worked for FP in the past as a roadie and tour manager. He's roadied/babysat for Poison & Bret Michaels, and is currently working as the Stimulator tour manager. He's also a good friend and always, always makes sure to take care of me when I'm around.*
Wednesday, July 15th
The day started out well. Not long after we got up, Chad called & invited us out to lunch that afternoon. Ann & I sat around, watched BBC America and the dogs chasing after each other. Eventually, we got ready to go out and were ready to leave once we heard back from Chad. Of course, when we got to their hotel, they weren't there. He told us to just sit tight and they'd be there in 10 minutes. Thus began a new round of "Waiting for Chad." *sigh*
Chad, scarily, was driving their van when they finally showed up. He yelled at us from the driver's window to "get in the van!" Ann & I switched vehicles, but Thomas stopped me before I climbed in to give me a huge hug and a kiss. I love my Fast Tommy! =) Inside the van, we met Stimulator's touring keyboardist, Chris Aidan, and their hottie guitarist, Geoff Tyson. They were both very, very nice. Thomas asked what was going on with us and I answered that we had apparently been kidnapped in a van. Pleasantries, gossip and the "Chad & Thomas Comedy Show" continued as Chad drove us to our lunching location, which turned out to be a yummy taco stand.
I got myself a big Chaddy hug as we walked to the restaurant. I do so adore the big goof. The usual chaos, and Ann boobage, reigned as lunch orders were made. Chad had graciously offered to treat Ann & I out. Everyone else disappeared to order food or smoke outside, and Chad & I were suddenly left alone. He turned to me and said "I'm NOT drunk yet!" which made me giggle. (Anytime I happen to notice that he's on the Faster Pussycat message board before noon, I always PM him to ask if he's drunk yet.) Of course, then he ordered a Negra Modelo with lunch. We talked about the Stimulator tour, the brand new drum kit he'd already broken after one night, the doomed Faster tour, how he & Keri Kelli did the backing vocal tapes for the Motley tour, and other stuff before Thomas came back inside, and chaos ruled again.
We finally got everyone settled, with food in front of them, and it was as close to calm as it was going to get. Poor Chris has never been out on tour before, and we felt really bad for him being stuck in a van with Chad & Thomas. He said it was definitely an experience. He also turned to Chad at one point and asked, "Just how many bands are you in, anyways?" (correct answer: 6) Chad said something about Thomas being his Heterosexual Life Partner, and food nearly flew out of my mouth since I started giggling. Only because it's so true! I commented that they really are like "Jay and Silen...well, actually like Jay and Jay." Ann questioned Chad about the Danger Danger shirt I'd spotted him wearing in LA (Drunk Boy SO did not remember our conversation about how manly it was), and ragged on him about on the Chaddy Sixx promo photo ("It wasn't my fault! The stylist did my hair like that. I had nothing to do with it!" Uh huh). We also pestered him about his black & blonde Keri Kelli hair ("No, it's not! Keri's hair is purple now!"), but he said he didn't care what we thought. He wasn't changing it. Ann threatened to kill Chad at one point, but Thomas said she couldn't do it until after the band was off stage at 8:30. Then it was fine, because he'd be able to find another drummer before the next night. Also, Chad was not allowed to get fucked up before 8:30, but it was fair game after that.
Many other things were discussed, but it's nearly impossible to keep track of what the hell direction the conversation goes in when Chad is around. Thomas was actually happy, even pleasant, and I'd even go so far as to say cheerful, all through lunch. It was quite strange. We finished up lunch and piled back into the van, since the boys were soon due at the venue. Somehow, I ended up sitting next to Chad and holding the beer he'd decided to make into a to-go beverage. I told Chris that I was Chad's official alcohol handler. Which turned out to be prophetic. There were discussions of them hitting the liquor store before going to the venue, but Thomas didn't think they had time. At some point Chad said what may be the funniest thing ever - that he wasn't going to have any Jager on this tour. None at all. Uh huh. Sure. *wink*
We got back to the hotel and shooed the boys on their way. We told them to call us if there were any problems (because there can't be a show without drama) or if they needed anything. Ann & I drove back to her place, then prepared to take Winston & Willie to the dog park. My phone needed to charge, so I left it there, thinking that they wouldn't call us right away. On the way to the dog park, we passed Dunn's (of Brooks & Dunn) house, complete with tour bus in the driveway.
I'm not so used to the dog park, as my dogs run around loose as they damn well please. But Winston & Willie are certainly used to the dog park, as they started getting more and more hyper the closer we got to it. They got most of their fill of running around, sniffing butts and starting tiffs, but then all the other dogs suddenly left. We decided to go too, and it was a good idea, since it started pouring as soon as we got in the car.
When we got back, Chad had called the house twice and my cell three times. Even before I listened to his messages, I knew that it would be a request for booze. And it was. Something along the lines of "babble, babble, babble...VODKA!...blah, blah, blah." Ann called him back and we told him that yes, we'd bring booze. We were also told that Thomas needed cigarettes. There was also an issue with the list, as they weren't allowed any comps or passes for the tour, but Chad assured us that we'd get in. Of course, Ann pointed out that it would be a tad bit difficult since he put the comps under my fake name. So, she instructed him to change them to her name instead, since no one can spell my last name.
Since we had some time to kill, Austin came by and we took a voyage to Starbucks and the liquor store. Chad had said something about a fruity vodka, so I grabbed a bottle of Raspberry Smirnoff, and I also bought some Mad Monk vodka, because it had a cool bottle. I also grabbed a tiny bottle of Jager for myself, so I could drink it in front of Chad, since I'm evil like that.
We got back to the house and got ready for the show. Chad called again, requesting that we also bring a videotape. I didn't want to know what it was for. He called once more as we were on our way out to the car, with some instructions as to where to park and such. I know it wasn't for our own benefit, but rather so that we could get the booze to him. Finally, we actually got on our way to the Starwood Amphitheater without any more interruptions.
We saw a rainbow on the off ramp to the venue - also, you can see the scalper that was hitting on Ann
Chad's instructions weren't actually that helpful, and we still didn't know where we were supposed to park. Ann worked some magic and the boy in the VIP parking area let us in for free. We finally located the van, and called Chad to come out and get his booze. He finally wandered out in his "rock star" gear, along with Thomas. We handed over the booze, cigs and videotape, and then I took a swig from my Jager bottle in front of him. I was told that I was mean. ;)
We parked, walked all the way over to Will Call and got our tickets. No passes. Boo. Oh well. I knew they'd done everything they'd could for us. Our seats were pretty decent, and we alerted Thomas that we'd gotten in, since he'd been a little worried about it. The Starwood Amphitheater was outdoors, and looks very similar to the Tweeter Center in Chicago, without the open pit in front. It was a little warm out, but not too bad.
Stimulator went on just as the sun was setting, which was pretty cool. I'm not really sure about the set list. For sure, they played "Chemical Love," "Feelin' Alright," "How Far Would You Go? (Die for Me)," "Let's Hook Up," "Fame is Lame," "New Vampire," "My Beautiful Muse" and ended with "78 Stimulator." Two slow songs = set killer. Also, no "Magic"?!? I was very disappointed about that. Otherwise, it was a good set. They sounded really great! Susan Hyatt, their singer, needs some work though. Her choice of wearing a lime green dress with a green & white scarf and a green sequined beret really needed to be questioned. For that matter, Chad's choice of wearing a scarf/ascot on stage also needed to be questioned. I started referring to him as Fred, like Fred from Scooby Doo. Also, Chad's hair choice really needed to be questioned. From back where we were, you couldn't see the black in his hair as it blended in with the background. All you could see was the big blonde patch on top, which was waving in the wind and made him look like a rooster. =( Susan's clothing choice wasn't her only problem. She has pretty much no stage presence. She spent a lot of the show spinning, spastically jumping, and doing other moves that made it rather painful to watch her. I avoided watching her, and instead amused myself watching the dorkastic faces Chad was making on the big screens. But really, even after all that, it was a good set and I really enjoyed it! I wasn't the only one, as quite a few people in the crowd were getting into them too.
They announced that they'd be hanging out by the merch booth, so Ann & I hiked over there. We ran into Chris on the way, and he was wearing the most fabulous belt buckle! It was a LCD display, and he had a marquee scroll on it that said "78 Stimulator." I want one! There was a good sized mob of people when we reached the rest of the band. I got myself a sweaty Chad hug, then stepped to the side so he could bask in the glow of his adoring fans. Well, after we took his drink. I talked to Susan for a moment, and got a weird vibe from her. Like she was trying to be a diva, but had no idea how to go about it. Really, all she has to do was watch Chad, since he is the biggest diva I know. I also met their bassist, Sean Tichenor, who was like "oh, you're the girl that drove 14 hours!" He was quite sweet.
Ann ran into a guy (Wally) who's worked on Winger's crew who seemed to know her (although she didn't remember him), and they talked for a while. I mostly stood back and enjoyed watching all the little girlies cooing over the band. I really, really think that they have a chance to go somewhere and I'm excited that Chad has a chance for something big. Still, I kept laughing about all the fans mobbing him. It seems so strange to me, since I'm used to the FP crowds. I did manage to snag some stickers and a few buttons, and I pointed out to Chad that I wanted a T-shirt. He said he'd be sure to get me one. Not the pink tank though, as he knew I'd never want or wear that one.
Once the crowd dispersed and DD was ready to go on, Chad went back to get more drinks. Wally offered to walk us through security so we could stand at the center console to watch the show. Sounded like a good plan to us! We ended up spending the show alternating between hanging out by the sound board, and smoking at one of the picnic tables in the concourse area.
What can I say about Duran Duran? I've never been a huge fan of them. *ducks object Rizzy throws at me* But I'm always up for a good show, so I was excited to see them. They didn't disappoint! They sounded great, even though they had some major equipment problems. And they looked fantastic! Although, as Chad pointed out, Simon has a bit of a George Michael vibe going on. Of course, George Michael can only wish he still looked that good.
If you squint really hard...this still looks like a crappy cell cam photo
Songs were played, but I couldn't really tell you what they were. Chad kept bringing out glasses of "Stewart Screwdrivers" (which are about 5 parts vodka to 1 part juice) for us to share, and I was quickly hammered. Still, we managed to get in some actual conversation time. He asked us what we thought about the show, and Ann & I stated our concerns about Susan. He said that she actually looked better on stage than she had at Warped Tour last year, which is kind of scary. I also told him that they needed to get rid of one of the slow songs, but he said they were John Taylor's favorite songs and they needed to play them both. Ann & I both teased him about the rooster hair and I think he kind of got annoyed by that.
Lots of dorky dancing happened during DD's show. Mostly from Chad. He was really in his geek element! There was also much grabbing and flashing of Ann's boobs. All of the Stimulator peeps were hanging around at some point. Geoff tried to pay me back for the videotape (which I refused) and told me that they wanted it to keep copies of their shows. They were planning to edit them into a clip for their website, along with "backstage antics." I complained that the "Magic" video still wasn't on their site, and he told me that they were having trouble transferring it onto their Macs.
While we were sitting with Geoff, I discovered my patented new way to Impress Cute Band Boys™. I asked him if he wanted to see what I dork I was, and then played the ring tone on my cell phone for him, which was a clip of "Magic." He kind of looked at me in awe, and told me that he was flattered. =) This knowledge has definitely been tucked away for future Impressing Cute Band Boys™ use. Of course, for this to work, it helps tremendously that I'm able to turn my own mp3s into ring tones for my phone.
Ann & Geoff
In what was perhaps the best line of the night, Chad noticed the lovely black woman singing on stage with DD, and told me, "It's a good thing Taime's not here. He'd be all over that!" I had such a flashback to the "Baby Momma" night at the Elbo Room! *giggle* Of course, I was quite drunk at this point, and started laughing hysterically. I think perhaps Chad was regretting sharing drinks with me, because I really was gulping them down. Hey, I paid for the booze. I should be able to drink it too.
Chad Stewart - dork extraordinaire
The show ended and Wally graciously offered to drive us back to the hotel, since both Ann & I were unable to drive at that point. In exchange, Ann & I were treated to a not-so-interesting recap of how his dancer ex-wife swindled him out of everything he had. *snore* I finished off the bottle of Jager in the car, but was still feeling okay. Just drunk. When we got to the hotel, Thomas was in the lobby and yelled at us for interrupting his conversation, although all we wanted was the room number. He washitting on talking to this woman who was out celebrating her daughter's 21st birthday. Poor girl! I sure as hell didn't want my mom around on my first legal drunk binge.
Ann & I somehow lost Wally and made our way up to the room. Chad was now wearing the 4th outfit I'd seen him in that day. Much bellyaching was going on from everyone because the booze was quite nearly gone. It was decided that we'd all be heading over to one of the local establishments, but there were hotel room shenanigans to be had first. These included Thomas harassing Ann about her boobs, my giving Chad a backrub, much Chad & Thomas arguing, and Ann digging Chad's clothes out of his suitcase. Sean kind of sat back & watched it all and Geoff & Chris randomly wandered in and out of the room.
Chad had offered to burn the new Stimulator disc for me, and I ended up sitting on the floor at his feet, as he randomly played stuff for me on his laptop. He was very, very excited that he'd gotten to play the chimes on "How Far Would You Go? (Die For Me)." While he was futzing around, the room fell blessedly quiet as everyone else left for the bar. Chad also burned me some of the demos for the new Faster Pussycat CD. *happily claps* He also started playing some songs he and Keri Kelli had recorded in Keri's mom's living room. They were pretty and pop-y and I totally wanted a copy! He was out of CDs though, so he promised that he'd give it to me when I saw them in KC the next weekend.
We finally left the hotel and wandered over to the van so Chad could grab a shirt for me. Apparently, he knows me better than I thought, because he immediately rejected all the pastels and pretty shirts, stating that they weren't for me. We finally settled on a really nice deep maroon shirt. We then made our way across a couple parking lots to hit The Tin Roof. As we crossed the street, I stumbled and fell. Because I'm a classy broad like that. Chad just looked at me and told me not to fall down, before continuing on his way. Gee, Drunk Boy, I'm already on the ground. And don't offer a hand to help me up or anything. =/
When we finally got there, I was the only one with any real amount of cash, so I knew I'd be continuing the party. I even paid for Chad to get in. Twerp. We found Ann & Thomas, who was again chatting up the chick from the hotel lobby, then headed over to the bar. Chad essentially grabbed my cash and started handing it to the bartender. A round of drinks and Jager shots were handed over, and we headed back to the table.
This is where things start to get really, really blurry. Chad disappeared, since I think there was a band playing in the back. I ended up flashing various people, at Thomas' great insistence. Chris showed up at some point, or he might have been there all along. I remember getting Jager shots for Thomas & I, then Chad grabbing more cash and coming back with more shots. Ann wrangled my change from him, and I vaguely remember retrieving it from the waist of her jeans with my teeth. Ann tells me that I really was the life of the party for a while. Too bad I don't remember it so much. Chad tried to bully us into agreeing to go to the Memphis show the next night, but we both told him that it wasn't happening.
Thomas started yelling at me about how he was my friend, and he didn't like that Chad was taking advantage of me because I was so in love with him. But then he wanted me to bring him socks and a cookie in KC. Thomas & I actually got into quite a heated discussion about this. Not about the socks. The Chad thing. Because no matter what, I am not stupid enough to actually be in love with him. Yes, I adore him, but there's a big difference. I really think Thomas was upset because Chad was getting praise for getting us into the show, when he really had nothing to do with it. Which is how it always happens. I know very well that it's Fast Tommy that really takes care of me. He also went on about how he'd had to pull strings to get us comps for the show, then had to go back and change everything since they'd been put under my fake name. Hey now, that part wasn't my fault. I told him to blame Chad, just like everyone else does. Thomas & I smoothed it all out though, since I know he's just concerned for me. But if I didn't have the money, I wouldn't spend it. I just like to be generous when I'm able to, and it's not just Chad who benefits from that. Other people do too, as I rememinded him about how many packs/cartons of cigarettes I've gotten him over the past couple years. Thomas & I took some really cute pics together once things were cool again.
After that last Jager shot, I didn't feel so good. Ann whisked me off to the bathroom, pointing out the cigarette machine she had put her foot through. She'd just been trying to shake the machine to help someone get their pack out, and kind of underestimated the power of her kick and the weakness of the glass. Oops. After I puked, I felt a little bit better, and it was near closing time, so we left the bar.
This is where it gets really, really hazy. I guess Chad had decided that he wanted food, so Ann, Chad, Chris & I myself piled into Ann's mom's car and headed for a Waffle House he remembered. Too bad it didn't actually exist. Ann kept driving around and trying to find it, while getting directions from Chad. Except that he kept falling asleep. She'd hit him, he'd wake up, say "go left" and fall back asleep. Then, every once in a while, she'd hear a very weak "Ann?" come from me. And she'd have to find a place to pull over so I could puke out the car door. I felt really bad that Chris had to witness this, but he was nice enough to keep handing me water from the back of the SUV. We actually have no idea how many times I puked while driving around - somewhere between 3-6, I think. A lot.
Ann finally got tired of driving in Chad's crazy circles, and went back to the hotel to drop the boys off. I somehow managed to crawl into the front seat, and then broke the lever as I tried to adjust the seat. Ann had to pull over again so she could fix it for me, this time stopping in a parking lot full of cops. Oops. In my confusion about the seat lever, I also managed to turn on the seat warmer and started complaining that my ass was hot. We finally got it turned off, stopped for a late night food run to Jack in the Box and the rest of the ride home was rather uneventful.
Until I couldn't wait until I got into the house, and puked into the garbage can. =(
Somehow, I made it upstairs and into bed. Well, after I half-assed wiped off my makeup, dropped one of the Ibuprofen pills Ann handed me, and knocked my fries onto the floor. Winston sure loved me though, because he really enjoyed my fries.
Saturday, July 16th
The day started a lot earlier than I would have liked, as Ann's mom had been planning to make us a big breakfast. I really could have spent the whole day in bed, but ended up wandering downstairs around 9:30 or so. Water was the keyword for the morning. And Advil. Once breakfast was ready, I realized that I still didn't feel all that good, and rushed back upstairs to puke one more time. That one was the trick though, because I felt much better after that. Except for my throat being worn raw. Ugh! But I could actually eat and that was a very good thing.
I ended up going back to bed when Ann & Austin took the dogs to the dog park. That's also when I made this rather exhausted-sounding phone post. I got up again sometime in the late afternoon, and joined everyone back downstairs. It was decided that we'd order out to Applebee's and I gladly showered off the rest of my drunkenness while Ann & Austin picked it up.
We'd been planning to hit a bunch of the downtown Nashville bars that night in a massive shot run, but alcohol SO did not sound appealing. We decided to go out bowling instead, with a much smaller bar crawl afterwards. Since Ann didn't want her mom to know she'd been drinking the night before, she'd been trying to hide her hangover all day. So she was very happy to collapse in the car while Austin drove, and make a run to Starbucks. She called Chad to tell him that her hangover was named Stewart and was his fault, and that my hangover was named Chad Stewart and was really all his fault.
Before bowling, we made good on our plans to visit the brand new Hustler Hollywood store. Being as how we were in the Bible Belt, there was quite an uproar about the store's opening. Which I can't understand, because it's so not your usual porn shop. It's clean and well-lit, and very boutique-like. They just happen to sell a large selection of XXX videos. After wandering around for a while, Ann bought a fluffy purple penis pillow and a vibrating rubber ducky. I got a cool bondage cuff and a shirt that said "Buy Me a Fuckin' Drink."
After some tomfoolery in the car with Ramon the Purple Penis, we made it out to the bowling alley in the 'burbs. I do bowl much better when I'm a little drunk, but decided against getting a drink. I settled for an Icee instead, since it was kind of warm that day. My first game of bowling actually went fairly well, but the second one wasn't so hot. Austin somehow convinced them to put up the bumpers for Ann's second game, so she did much better.
We were going to hit the bar for karaoke, but decided to hang out in the game room instead. I always enjoy me some air hockey and skeeball! We goofed off for a while, then decided to avoid the bar scene altogether, since I still wanted nothing to do with alcohol. We went back to Ann's place and watched Rock Star instead.
Sunday, July 17th
Again, I managed to get up and ready to leave on time for my long drive back home. I was sad to say goodbye to Ann because I'll miss her tremendously and I don't know when I'll see her again. *sniff*
My drive back to Minnesota just plain sucked. There was hardly any cloud cover, so I was stuck in the blazing sun for nearly the entire drive. It was so uncomfortable! A few times, I thought I was nearly going to pass out from the heat. I've never been so happy to see Wisconsin before, because the sun was starting to go down by the time I got there. I was greeted at the MN border by a huge storm, but I didn't care because I was nearly home. I made the necessary phone calls to say I'd arrived safely, then pretty much collapsed for the rest of the night.
Annnnnnd...that's about it! KC trip journal coming soon!!
My trip to Nashville to see Duran Duran and Stimulator, or Leigh's hangover is named Chad Stewart.
Thursday, July 14th
For once, I actually managed to leave on time for a road trip. 7:30am on the dot. I thought I'd be stuck in the traffic in the Cities, but there wasn't really any to speak of. After looking through my road atlas, I had realized that I wouldn't be driving through any major cities until I hit Nashville. Madison, WI and Bloomington, IL were going to be the biggest ones. That made me happy - knowing that I wasn't going to have to avoid rush hour anywhere.
So, I set off in my poor, battered car. Three weeks before, my CD player had died and was still out getting repaired. So, I had NO radio in my car. Yes, let me repeat that. 14 hour road trip - no radio. Ugh! I decided to be all ghetto and set my portable CD player up on the driver's seat, but it just wasn't the same. Also, I don't have air conditioning in my car, and it was supposed to be in the 90's all weekend. Still, I was determined to make this trip happen.
I don't know what else I can say about my drive. It was long. It was HOT all the way through Wisconsin, but it was cloudy most of the rest of the way, so it wasn't all that bad. Somewhere in the middle of IL, I encountered the remnants of Hurricane Dennis and ran straight into a torrential downpour. Not exactly exciting. Or fun. I had serious flashbacks from when I was stuck in the snowstorm on the way to Detroit and spun out & hit a sign. But, it cleared up eventually and everything was fine.
While I was driving, I saw a car with a TN license plate in WI. That made me happy, because it was a sign that my trip to see
annfromdetroit was good. Then a song about Memphis, TN came on the radio. Another good sign. Then, a Hall & Oates song came on, which was a sign for Chad. Then I passed a ginormous cross somewhere in IL. It really creeped me out. It was then that I realized I was headed straight into the Bible Belt. Not such an encouraging sign.My phone put some weird glow around the cross in this photo.
My drive took me across WI, all the way down IL, through KY and into TN. I was very, very happy when I saw the sign for TN, because I knew I was getting close to the end.
And finally, around 9pm, I arrived at Ann's house. YAY! I peeled myself out of the car and promptly took a shower, because I smelled like I was drenched in sweat. Oh wait. That would be because I was. Ewww! Once I was clean, I got attacked by Ann's dog, Winston, and her mother's dog, Willie, who apparently like to lick people covered in lotion.
Of course, my visit didn't really start until I squooshed Ann's boobs. Chad had called & tried to convince us to go out to the topless bar with them, but we didn't really feel like it. Instead, we sat around talking with her boy, Austin, and some of their friends. The lead story on the news that night was that a Hustler Hollywood store had opened downtown, so we decided that we needed to run there sometime during the weekend. Pretty soon we shooed everyone off and went to bed, where we gossiped and chatted like schoolgirls for several hours.
*Since there are some new people around here, I should give a little background info, so there's not a lot of confusion. Chad Stewart is the drummer for my favorite band, Faster Pussycat. He's a bit of a band whore and seems to always be involved in multiple bands. Right now, his biggest thing is Stimulator, a pop/rock band from LA. They're signed to a major label & have a CD coming out this fall. We've gotten to be friends in the past couple years I've been stalking FP around the country. Not in a "OMG! I'm lyke SOOOO friendz with the band!!" way, but actual friends. And, yes, I may have the teensiest crush on him. It's all good though. Thomas Cesano (aka Fast Tommy) is Chad's best friend, and has worked for FP in the past as a roadie and tour manager. He's roadied/babysat for Poison & Bret Michaels, and is currently working as the Stimulator tour manager. He's also a good friend and always, always makes sure to take care of me when I'm around.*
Wednesday, July 15th
The day started out well. Not long after we got up, Chad called & invited us out to lunch that afternoon. Ann & I sat around, watched BBC America and the dogs chasing after each other. Eventually, we got ready to go out and were ready to leave once we heard back from Chad. Of course, when we got to their hotel, they weren't there. He told us to just sit tight and they'd be there in 10 minutes. Thus began a new round of "Waiting for Chad." *sigh*
Chad, scarily, was driving their van when they finally showed up. He yelled at us from the driver's window to "get in the van!" Ann & I switched vehicles, but Thomas stopped me before I climbed in to give me a huge hug and a kiss. I love my Fast Tommy! =) Inside the van, we met Stimulator's touring keyboardist, Chris Aidan, and their hottie guitarist, Geoff Tyson. They were both very, very nice. Thomas asked what was going on with us and I answered that we had apparently been kidnapped in a van. Pleasantries, gossip and the "Chad & Thomas Comedy Show" continued as Chad drove us to our lunching location, which turned out to be a yummy taco stand.
I got myself a big Chaddy hug as we walked to the restaurant. I do so adore the big goof. The usual chaos, and Ann boobage, reigned as lunch orders were made. Chad had graciously offered to treat Ann & I out. Everyone else disappeared to order food or smoke outside, and Chad & I were suddenly left alone. He turned to me and said "I'm NOT drunk yet!" which made me giggle. (Anytime I happen to notice that he's on the Faster Pussycat message board before noon, I always PM him to ask if he's drunk yet.) Of course, then he ordered a Negra Modelo with lunch. We talked about the Stimulator tour, the brand new drum kit he'd already broken after one night, the doomed Faster tour, how he & Keri Kelli did the backing vocal tapes for the Motley tour, and other stuff before Thomas came back inside, and chaos ruled again.
We finally got everyone settled, with food in front of them, and it was as close to calm as it was going to get. Poor Chris has never been out on tour before, and we felt really bad for him being stuck in a van with Chad & Thomas. He said it was definitely an experience. He also turned to Chad at one point and asked, "Just how many bands are you in, anyways?" (correct answer: 6) Chad said something about Thomas being his Heterosexual Life Partner, and food nearly flew out of my mouth since I started giggling. Only because it's so true! I commented that they really are like "Jay and Silen...well, actually like Jay and Jay." Ann questioned Chad about the Danger Danger shirt I'd spotted him wearing in LA (Drunk Boy SO did not remember our conversation about how manly it was), and ragged on him about on the Chaddy Sixx promo photo ("It wasn't my fault! The stylist did my hair like that. I had nothing to do with it!" Uh huh). We also pestered him about his black & blonde Keri Kelli hair ("No, it's not! Keri's hair is purple now!"), but he said he didn't care what we thought. He wasn't changing it. Ann threatened to kill Chad at one point, but Thomas said she couldn't do it until after the band was off stage at 8:30. Then it was fine, because he'd be able to find another drummer before the next night. Also, Chad was not allowed to get fucked up before 8:30, but it was fair game after that.
Many other things were discussed, but it's nearly impossible to keep track of what the hell direction the conversation goes in when Chad is around. Thomas was actually happy, even pleasant, and I'd even go so far as to say cheerful, all through lunch. It was quite strange. We finished up lunch and piled back into the van, since the boys were soon due at the venue. Somehow, I ended up sitting next to Chad and holding the beer he'd decided to make into a to-go beverage. I told Chris that I was Chad's official alcohol handler. Which turned out to be prophetic. There were discussions of them hitting the liquor store before going to the venue, but Thomas didn't think they had time. At some point Chad said what may be the funniest thing ever - that he wasn't going to have any Jager on this tour. None at all. Uh huh. Sure. *wink*
We got back to the hotel and shooed the boys on their way. We told them to call us if there were any problems (because there can't be a show without drama) or if they needed anything. Ann & I drove back to her place, then prepared to take Winston & Willie to the dog park. My phone needed to charge, so I left it there, thinking that they wouldn't call us right away. On the way to the dog park, we passed Dunn's (of Brooks & Dunn) house, complete with tour bus in the driveway.
I'm not so used to the dog park, as my dogs run around loose as they damn well please. But Winston & Willie are certainly used to the dog park, as they started getting more and more hyper the closer we got to it. They got most of their fill of running around, sniffing butts and starting tiffs, but then all the other dogs suddenly left. We decided to go too, and it was a good idea, since it started pouring as soon as we got in the car.
When we got back, Chad had called the house twice and my cell three times. Even before I listened to his messages, I knew that it would be a request for booze. And it was. Something along the lines of "babble, babble, babble...VODKA!...blah, blah, blah." Ann called him back and we told him that yes, we'd bring booze. We were also told that Thomas needed cigarettes. There was also an issue with the list, as they weren't allowed any comps or passes for the tour, but Chad assured us that we'd get in. Of course, Ann pointed out that it would be a tad bit difficult since he put the comps under my fake name. So, she instructed him to change them to her name instead, since no one can spell my last name.
Since we had some time to kill, Austin came by and we took a voyage to Starbucks and the liquor store. Chad had said something about a fruity vodka, so I grabbed a bottle of Raspberry Smirnoff, and I also bought some Mad Monk vodka, because it had a cool bottle. I also grabbed a tiny bottle of Jager for myself, so I could drink it in front of Chad, since I'm evil like that.
We got back to the house and got ready for the show. Chad called again, requesting that we also bring a videotape. I didn't want to know what it was for. He called once more as we were on our way out to the car, with some instructions as to where to park and such. I know it wasn't for our own benefit, but rather so that we could get the booze to him. Finally, we actually got on our way to the Starwood Amphitheater without any more interruptions.
We saw a rainbow on the off ramp to the venue - also, you can see the scalper that was hitting on Ann
Chad's instructions weren't actually that helpful, and we still didn't know where we were supposed to park. Ann worked some magic and the boy in the VIP parking area let us in for free. We finally located the van, and called Chad to come out and get his booze. He finally wandered out in his "rock star" gear, along with Thomas. We handed over the booze, cigs and videotape, and then I took a swig from my Jager bottle in front of him. I was told that I was mean. ;)
We parked, walked all the way over to Will Call and got our tickets. No passes. Boo. Oh well. I knew they'd done everything they'd could for us. Our seats were pretty decent, and we alerted Thomas that we'd gotten in, since he'd been a little worried about it. The Starwood Amphitheater was outdoors, and looks very similar to the Tweeter Center in Chicago, without the open pit in front. It was a little warm out, but not too bad.
Stimulator went on just as the sun was setting, which was pretty cool. I'm not really sure about the set list. For sure, they played "Chemical Love," "Feelin' Alright," "How Far Would You Go? (Die for Me)," "Let's Hook Up," "Fame is Lame," "New Vampire," "My Beautiful Muse" and ended with "78 Stimulator." Two slow songs = set killer. Also, no "Magic"?!? I was very disappointed about that. Otherwise, it was a good set. They sounded really great! Susan Hyatt, their singer, needs some work though. Her choice of wearing a lime green dress with a green & white scarf and a green sequined beret really needed to be questioned. For that matter, Chad's choice of wearing a scarf/ascot on stage also needed to be questioned. I started referring to him as Fred, like Fred from Scooby Doo. Also, Chad's hair choice really needed to be questioned. From back where we were, you couldn't see the black in his hair as it blended in with the background. All you could see was the big blonde patch on top, which was waving in the wind and made him look like a rooster. =( Susan's clothing choice wasn't her only problem. She has pretty much no stage presence. She spent a lot of the show spinning, spastically jumping, and doing other moves that made it rather painful to watch her. I avoided watching her, and instead amused myself watching the dorkastic faces Chad was making on the big screens. But really, even after all that, it was a good set and I really enjoyed it! I wasn't the only one, as quite a few people in the crowd were getting into them too.
They announced that they'd be hanging out by the merch booth, so Ann & I hiked over there. We ran into Chris on the way, and he was wearing the most fabulous belt buckle! It was a LCD display, and he had a marquee scroll on it that said "78 Stimulator." I want one! There was a good sized mob of people when we reached the rest of the band. I got myself a sweaty Chad hug, then stepped to the side so he could bask in the glow of his adoring fans. Well, after we took his drink. I talked to Susan for a moment, and got a weird vibe from her. Like she was trying to be a diva, but had no idea how to go about it. Really, all she has to do was watch Chad, since he is the biggest diva I know. I also met their bassist, Sean Tichenor, who was like "oh, you're the girl that drove 14 hours!" He was quite sweet.
Ann ran into a guy (Wally) who's worked on Winger's crew who seemed to know her (although she didn't remember him), and they talked for a while. I mostly stood back and enjoyed watching all the little girlies cooing over the band. I really, really think that they have a chance to go somewhere and I'm excited that Chad has a chance for something big. Still, I kept laughing about all the fans mobbing him. It seems so strange to me, since I'm used to the FP crowds. I did manage to snag some stickers and a few buttons, and I pointed out to Chad that I wanted a T-shirt. He said he'd be sure to get me one. Not the pink tank though, as he knew I'd never want or wear that one.
Once the crowd dispersed and DD was ready to go on, Chad went back to get more drinks. Wally offered to walk us through security so we could stand at the center console to watch the show. Sounded like a good plan to us! We ended up spending the show alternating between hanging out by the sound board, and smoking at one of the picnic tables in the concourse area.
What can I say about Duran Duran? I've never been a huge fan of them. *ducks object Rizzy throws at me* But I'm always up for a good show, so I was excited to see them. They didn't disappoint! They sounded great, even though they had some major equipment problems. And they looked fantastic! Although, as Chad pointed out, Simon has a bit of a George Michael vibe going on. Of course, George Michael can only wish he still looked that good.
If you squint really hard...this still looks like a crappy cell cam photo
Songs were played, but I couldn't really tell you what they were. Chad kept bringing out glasses of "Stewart Screwdrivers" (which are about 5 parts vodka to 1 part juice) for us to share, and I was quickly hammered. Still, we managed to get in some actual conversation time. He asked us what we thought about the show, and Ann & I stated our concerns about Susan. He said that she actually looked better on stage than she had at Warped Tour last year, which is kind of scary. I also told him that they needed to get rid of one of the slow songs, but he said they were John Taylor's favorite songs and they needed to play them both. Ann & I both teased him about the rooster hair and I think he kind of got annoyed by that.
Lots of dorky dancing happened during DD's show. Mostly from Chad. He was really in his geek element! There was also much grabbing and flashing of Ann's boobs. All of the Stimulator peeps were hanging around at some point. Geoff tried to pay me back for the videotape (which I refused) and told me that they wanted it to keep copies of their shows. They were planning to edit them into a clip for their website, along with "backstage antics." I complained that the "Magic" video still wasn't on their site, and he told me that they were having trouble transferring it onto their Macs.
While we were sitting with Geoff, I discovered my patented new way to Impress Cute Band Boys™. I asked him if he wanted to see what I dork I was, and then played the ring tone on my cell phone for him, which was a clip of "Magic." He kind of looked at me in awe, and told me that he was flattered. =) This knowledge has definitely been tucked away for future Impressing Cute Band Boys™ use. Of course, for this to work, it helps tremendously that I'm able to turn my own mp3s into ring tones for my phone.
Ann & Geoff
In what was perhaps the best line of the night, Chad noticed the lovely black woman singing on stage with DD, and told me, "It's a good thing Taime's not here. He'd be all over that!" I had such a flashback to the "Baby Momma" night at the Elbo Room! *giggle* Of course, I was quite drunk at this point, and started laughing hysterically. I think perhaps Chad was regretting sharing drinks with me, because I really was gulping them down. Hey, I paid for the booze. I should be able to drink it too.
Chad Stewart - dork extraordinaire
The show ended and Wally graciously offered to drive us back to the hotel, since both Ann & I were unable to drive at that point. In exchange, Ann & I were treated to a not-so-interesting recap of how his dancer ex-wife swindled him out of everything he had. *snore* I finished off the bottle of Jager in the car, but was still feeling okay. Just drunk. When we got to the hotel, Thomas was in the lobby and yelled at us for interrupting his conversation, although all we wanted was the room number. He was
Ann & I somehow lost Wally and made our way up to the room. Chad was now wearing the 4th outfit I'd seen him in that day. Much bellyaching was going on from everyone because the booze was quite nearly gone. It was decided that we'd all be heading over to one of the local establishments, but there were hotel room shenanigans to be had first. These included Thomas harassing Ann about her boobs, my giving Chad a backrub, much Chad & Thomas arguing, and Ann digging Chad's clothes out of his suitcase. Sean kind of sat back & watched it all and Geoff & Chris randomly wandered in and out of the room.
Chad had offered to burn the new Stimulator disc for me, and I ended up sitting on the floor at his feet, as he randomly played stuff for me on his laptop. He was very, very excited that he'd gotten to play the chimes on "How Far Would You Go? (Die For Me)." While he was futzing around, the room fell blessedly quiet as everyone else left for the bar. Chad also burned me some of the demos for the new Faster Pussycat CD. *happily claps* He also started playing some songs he and Keri Kelli had recorded in Keri's mom's living room. They were pretty and pop-y and I totally wanted a copy! He was out of CDs though, so he promised that he'd give it to me when I saw them in KC the next weekend.
We finally left the hotel and wandered over to the van so Chad could grab a shirt for me. Apparently, he knows me better than I thought, because he immediately rejected all the pastels and pretty shirts, stating that they weren't for me. We finally settled on a really nice deep maroon shirt. We then made our way across a couple parking lots to hit The Tin Roof. As we crossed the street, I stumbled and fell. Because I'm a classy broad like that. Chad just looked at me and told me not to fall down, before continuing on his way. Gee, Drunk Boy, I'm already on the ground. And don't offer a hand to help me up or anything. =/
When we finally got there, I was the only one with any real amount of cash, so I knew I'd be continuing the party. I even paid for Chad to get in. Twerp. We found Ann & Thomas, who was again chatting up the chick from the hotel lobby, then headed over to the bar. Chad essentially grabbed my cash and started handing it to the bartender. A round of drinks and Jager shots were handed over, and we headed back to the table.
This is where things start to get really, really blurry. Chad disappeared, since I think there was a band playing in the back. I ended up flashing various people, at Thomas' great insistence. Chris showed up at some point, or he might have been there all along. I remember getting Jager shots for Thomas & I, then Chad grabbing more cash and coming back with more shots. Ann wrangled my change from him, and I vaguely remember retrieving it from the waist of her jeans with my teeth. Ann tells me that I really was the life of the party for a while. Too bad I don't remember it so much. Chad tried to bully us into agreeing to go to the Memphis show the next night, but we both told him that it wasn't happening.
Thomas started yelling at me about how he was my friend, and he didn't like that Chad was taking advantage of me because I was so in love with him. But then he wanted me to bring him socks and a cookie in KC. Thomas & I actually got into quite a heated discussion about this. Not about the socks. The Chad thing. Because no matter what, I am not stupid enough to actually be in love with him. Yes, I adore him, but there's a big difference. I really think Thomas was upset because Chad was getting praise for getting us into the show, when he really had nothing to do with it. Which is how it always happens. I know very well that it's Fast Tommy that really takes care of me. He also went on about how he'd had to pull strings to get us comps for the show, then had to go back and change everything since they'd been put under my fake name. Hey now, that part wasn't my fault. I told him to blame Chad, just like everyone else does. Thomas & I smoothed it all out though, since I know he's just concerned for me. But if I didn't have the money, I wouldn't spend it. I just like to be generous when I'm able to, and it's not just Chad who benefits from that. Other people do too, as I rememinded him about how many packs/cartons of cigarettes I've gotten him over the past couple years. Thomas & I took some really cute pics together once things were cool again.
After that last Jager shot, I didn't feel so good. Ann whisked me off to the bathroom, pointing out the cigarette machine she had put her foot through. She'd just been trying to shake the machine to help someone get their pack out, and kind of underestimated the power of her kick and the weakness of the glass. Oops. After I puked, I felt a little bit better, and it was near closing time, so we left the bar.
This is where it gets really, really hazy. I guess Chad had decided that he wanted food, so Ann, Chad, Chris & I myself piled into Ann's mom's car and headed for a Waffle House he remembered. Too bad it didn't actually exist. Ann kept driving around and trying to find it, while getting directions from Chad. Except that he kept falling asleep. She'd hit him, he'd wake up, say "go left" and fall back asleep. Then, every once in a while, she'd hear a very weak "Ann?" come from me. And she'd have to find a place to pull over so I could puke out the car door. I felt really bad that Chris had to witness this, but he was nice enough to keep handing me water from the back of the SUV. We actually have no idea how many times I puked while driving around - somewhere between 3-6, I think. A lot.
Ann finally got tired of driving in Chad's crazy circles, and went back to the hotel to drop the boys off. I somehow managed to crawl into the front seat, and then broke the lever as I tried to adjust the seat. Ann had to pull over again so she could fix it for me, this time stopping in a parking lot full of cops. Oops. In my confusion about the seat lever, I also managed to turn on the seat warmer and started complaining that my ass was hot. We finally got it turned off, stopped for a late night food run to Jack in the Box and the rest of the ride home was rather uneventful.
Until I couldn't wait until I got into the house, and puked into the garbage can. =(
Somehow, I made it upstairs and into bed. Well, after I half-assed wiped off my makeup, dropped one of the Ibuprofen pills Ann handed me, and knocked my fries onto the floor. Winston sure loved me though, because he really enjoyed my fries.
Saturday, July 16th
The day started a lot earlier than I would have liked, as Ann's mom had been planning to make us a big breakfast. I really could have spent the whole day in bed, but ended up wandering downstairs around 9:30 or so. Water was the keyword for the morning. And Advil. Once breakfast was ready, I realized that I still didn't feel all that good, and rushed back upstairs to puke one more time. That one was the trick though, because I felt much better after that. Except for my throat being worn raw. Ugh! But I could actually eat and that was a very good thing.
I ended up going back to bed when Ann & Austin took the dogs to the dog park. That's also when I made this rather exhausted-sounding phone post. I got up again sometime in the late afternoon, and joined everyone back downstairs. It was decided that we'd order out to Applebee's and I gladly showered off the rest of my drunkenness while Ann & Austin picked it up.
We'd been planning to hit a bunch of the downtown Nashville bars that night in a massive shot run, but alcohol SO did not sound appealing. We decided to go out bowling instead, with a much smaller bar crawl afterwards. Since Ann didn't want her mom to know she'd been drinking the night before, she'd been trying to hide her hangover all day. So she was very happy to collapse in the car while Austin drove, and make a run to Starbucks. She called Chad to tell him that her hangover was named Stewart and was his fault, and that my hangover was named Chad Stewart and was really all his fault.
Before bowling, we made good on our plans to visit the brand new Hustler Hollywood store. Being as how we were in the Bible Belt, there was quite an uproar about the store's opening. Which I can't understand, because it's so not your usual porn shop. It's clean and well-lit, and very boutique-like. They just happen to sell a large selection of XXX videos. After wandering around for a while, Ann bought a fluffy purple penis pillow and a vibrating rubber ducky. I got a cool bondage cuff and a shirt that said "Buy Me a Fuckin' Drink."
After some tomfoolery in the car with Ramon the Purple Penis, we made it out to the bowling alley in the 'burbs. I do bowl much better when I'm a little drunk, but decided against getting a drink. I settled for an Icee instead, since it was kind of warm that day. My first game of bowling actually went fairly well, but the second one wasn't so hot. Austin somehow convinced them to put up the bumpers for Ann's second game, so she did much better.
We were going to hit the bar for karaoke, but decided to hang out in the game room instead. I always enjoy me some air hockey and skeeball! We goofed off for a while, then decided to avoid the bar scene altogether, since I still wanted nothing to do with alcohol. We went back to Ann's place and watched Rock Star instead.
Sunday, July 17th
Again, I managed to get up and ready to leave on time for my long drive back home. I was sad to say goodbye to Ann because I'll miss her tremendously and I don't know when I'll see her again. *sniff*
My drive back to Minnesota just plain sucked. There was hardly any cloud cover, so I was stuck in the blazing sun for nearly the entire drive. It was so uncomfortable! A few times, I thought I was nearly going to pass out from the heat. I've never been so happy to see Wisconsin before, because the sun was starting to go down by the time I got there. I was greeted at the MN border by a huge storm, but I didn't care because I was nearly home. I made the necessary phone calls to say I'd arrived safely, then pretty much collapsed for the rest of the night.
Annnnnnd...that's about it! KC trip journal coming soon!!
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And wow, talk about booze. Still, at least you had fun, right? Right? (And I must ask, is this Ann character rather well-endowed or something? There are so many boob comments...)
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Oh yeah, lots of booze. WAY lots! But, I certainly had fun! It's always a good time with my Annie and muh boys.
*snerk*
Ann always says her boobs get invited to things, and she get stuck going along since they're attached to her and all. They're quite wonderful and squooshy!
Me & Ann:
http://www.purepussycatpleasure.com/files/Planet02.JPG
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That's good. I'm glad you enjoyed.
Heh, well, evidently they're enjoyable. :) Hehe.
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Oh yes. Ann's boobs are very enjoyable!
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Evidently. ;)
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The only thing I'd ever throw at you is my underwear. ;)
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I've read about that cross before. It cost like a million dollars to build. My physical therapist told me about it. She spotted it on her way to Atlanta in the middle of the night and thought she was hallucinating. http://www.crossusa.org
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I need a silly drunken weekend with you guys!!!
Isn't that what the Sludge weekend is for??
The cross has it's own website?!? I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised.
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You know you want to.
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