OK… so I can cover the happenings in Atlanta only. I wasn’t at West Palm or Tennessee but having the few days with this amazing group of folks make me wish I had been at each and every one… ATL Crew, you guys really are the greatest. Get some more get togethers going folks.. it’s well worth the time…
OK… so my part started on Thursday when I picked Mike (LostDwarf) up at the airport. Though ya talk to someone on the phone a couple a times, it’s always cool to meet them in person. And here’s this guy… digital recorder in hand, saying “Hi” and recording “captain’s logs” into his digital recorder… and after hanging onto him for a few hours, which was the first time he invaded my computer at home, I passed him off to Steph (DivaSteph) so they could head off on the first leg of their trip to West Palm Beach. Meeting Mike was cool and really set the mood for me to be excited for them to get back on Saturday…
So Saturday rolls around and Lisa (HalfpintOGuinness aka my wife) and I start getting our place ready for folks and planning out dinner for everyone Sat night. Andrew (Grakthis) shows up about 4:30pm. This is a really great guy folks! I’m glad he was there early helping with dinner and chattin’ and chillin’. Plus he brings me whisky… and not just any.. IRISH WHISKEY!!! So around 8:30 there’s a knockin’ on the door and in comes Mike, Steph, Ryan (Steph’s BF), and Let (eclv). After a few introductions to Andrew, we start in to a great home cooked Mexican feast, and crack open a few drinks and really just start having a great time just hanging out. Danny (Superscientific) finally shows up from his solo interstate trip from Orlando and joins the crew…We basically just hung out for a few hours and about 11pm those of us who has to, started getting ready to hit the town… and then we were off to “The Library”
The Library is a club near GA Tech, where Steph and Ryan hooked us up. Now let me tell you.. we let loose on this place!!! Lisa, Steph and Let lit up the dance floor… Andrew and Mike got schooled on the pool tables and Danny got to check out the DJ they had spinning… I personally enjoyed rockin the bar stool as Let kept the pitchers full. This place was crazy and we fit right in.. even to the point of a little bar top dancing going on!!! Oh yeah!!! Afterward we all headed back to my place where almost everyone crashed out and got some sleep for the next day.. Concert day!!!
So… having been quite the party crew Saturday night… getting everyone moving Sunday morning was not the easiest of tasks. And so when Steph’s chipper voice is on the phone saying “where are you guys?” and you realize that NO ONE is ready to go anywhere ya kinda start to panic… so Andrew, Mike, Let, and Danny get ready and head to Steph’s.. where I hear they spent most of the time falling right back to sleep on her futon
Lisa and I made it there a little later and so did Traci (UGATraci). We all had cake to celebrate Steph and Andrew’s Birthdays!!!! BTW, Steph that Chocolate cake was absolutely amazing!!! Around 5 or so, we divvied up the tickets and loaded up the cars to head to the concert.
We got there nice and early and were some of the first people through the gates… through a little working of mojo, a small group got in on the meet and greet with Vanessa. They got autographs, pictures, and that is where Let made the now infamous Pretty Baby reminder, to Mike’s great dismay as you all have heard.
That crew also made it down to the front row and struck their claim to see Vanessa up close… Vanessa came out onstage with Pink Floyd’s Eclipse playing in the background… and it was killer… she sat down and started in herself… and then we got to hear c’est la vie. We were all just spellbound… and when Vanessa said, “I have to play this next song because I PROMISED SOMEONE (she turned and looked right at Let) that I would. It’s called Pretty Baby” We were all floored!!! It was just amazing and we were all so happy for her. Vanessa finished in great Vanessa style. But those of us not up front got a nice chuckle when we saw the front row crew get escorted to where there seats were “supposed” to be
After Vanessa we all moved up to the lawn so we could sit together as a group.. and sort of just were all over from then on.
After the show folks were kind of tired and hungry, so some of us came back to my place again for Mexican leftovers
Let and Traci came over about 1:30am and everyone made their plans for Tennessee. I headed off to bed as everyone was sitting and chatting and watching Fellowship of the Ring. Mon morning, everyone started moving around 11. They packed up their things and I said goodbye to this awesome group of really great people.
I can not wait until Vanessa hit Atlanta again… I want to see her again, I do, but I also really want the whole Traveling crew to come back to the A-T-L…
I’m sure I left out a lot of details and a lot of really great stories.. sorry about that. I will get pictures developed soon and post them as soon as I have them…I hope this long post was OK… feel free to add on anything I forgot…
Love you all.. and I hope some of you others can make it next time!!!
