The Tale of Old Friends, Doing A Medley, and The Burn...

Myself on the left and Shelley on the right.
Out on the Santa Monica Pier.

Well, last time I left off I was in Newport Beach… I got to spend a week there. I had am amazing time! I got the chance to catch up with so many people that I hadn’t seen in a very long time. It felt so great to reconnect with people! I spent one day up in Santa Monica with my friend Shelley, who was one of my best friends in elementary school, but I hadn’t seen her since her sister’s wedding almost two years ago. I also got to see another friend from elementary school that week, and that guy I hadn’t seen since 6^th grade! So surreal to now be sitting there next to him at happy hour!

I also got a chance to go down to Temecula and visit the rest of my family! All my nieces are growing up so quickly. I just cannot believe it! But I am so glad that I got the chance to go visit everyone down there and see what everyone is up to! Pizza at my brother’s house closed out that awesome day! Plus, later in the week I got to catch up with Dusty Hatfield- who is practically family, and hear about all his amazing travels! I always love being able to see him and hear about what he has been up to.

The cutest church in CDM.

There was a singer/songwriter night at The Marine Room in Laguna Beach that I got to go to as well. I met Tim, Larry, and Gabe and his parents there. (It was Gabe and his family’s home turf since they are all from Laguna.) It was a lot of fun hanging with everyone and listening to some great music. The people running the show were the parents of a friend of mine, and they are insanely talented! One funny moment that I should share from that night though... There was a singer/songwriter guy onstage and he was running out of time, so he said something about "I don't think I'm supposed to do a medley, but maybe I'll do one anyway." I leaned over to Gabe and said, "As the only Medley here, I can guarantee that he will not be doing a Medley." Followed by a rimshot off the table by Gabe. Thank you Gabe- my personal drummer!

I even got to go to church in Corona del Mar with my dad while I was in town. It was the church I remember going to a few times with my grandma when I was a kid. My grandma passed away a few years ago now, but going there very much reminded me of her! So it was very special!

Hail at my parent's house in
Newport Beach!

Oh, and it even hailed in Newport Beach, California one night! It was insane! I thought I had gotten away from that kind of weather, but I guess God had other plans! All and all it was a pretty great time on the So-Cal coast!

April 15, 2011

I was up and moving around 9am, getting everything packed and ready to go. Dad and I said our good-byes to mom, and then we were in the car by 10:30am to start out on the drive to Las Vegas. The drive was moving along pretty smoothly until we got to Ontario where everything started to slow down. (Not a good sign for things to already be slowing down that early in the drive!)

I sent Gabe a text message to see if he was driving, we thought he might have left a little earlier than us and so he would maybe know if the traffic breaks in a bit. But he quickly responded that he was flying and would get in around 4:15pm. We quickly responded that we currently hate him…

The traffic did open up a bit, but it kept being very congested and slow moving in a lot of areas. However, I was preferring to call it cozy… Cozy just sounded like a brighter and happier way to look at the traffic situation. How’s the traffic? Well, it’s nice and snuggly! Doesn’t that sound better to you?

We decided to stop off at In-N-Out in Barstow- of course! And it was packed! Dad and I hadn’t seen it like that in a long time! We couldn’t believe how many cars and busses were there! But we managed to get our food and a table anyway. Soon we were back on the slow moving road though. But we were much more content now that our stomachs were filled with animal style burgers and double doubles!

Not only were we going to Las Vegas, but we were going to North Las Vegas. So once we reached Vegas, we still had to go to the other side of town. We actually passed Las Vegas Airport right as Gabe’s flight was supposed to land. (Apparently this time he had the right idea of flying!) We made it to The Cannery Hotel at about 5pm. Tim and his wife Mary Shannon had just pulled up a couple minutes before us. Their drive was just as long as ours. It ended up taking six and a half hours! That’s just about double the amount of time it usually takes!

The outside of the showroom.

We all got checked in and headed to our rooms. I would describe the smell of my room as “funky fresh”. You know when they use some cleaning product that just smells too strong, like they are trying to cover something up? Yep, that was the problem! But it was a very nice hotel, and very comfortable room. At 6:30pm, Dad, Tim, Mary Shannon, Gabe and I went down to the steakhouse for dinner. It was really good! And of course the conversation was too! Larry arrived just in time for dessert.

I was back up in my room by 9:30pm and decided to turn on a movie and relax for a bit. After that- and then a little reading, it was time to crash though.

April 16, 2011

I got up by 10am, and by 11am I had made my way down to the gym. I was down there for about forty-five minutes, and I was feeling the burn! Been a minute since I had gotten my butt in a gym. It felt good though!

After that, I got changed into my bathing suit and went down to the pool. I pulled up a lounge chair and began to get some sun- dunking in and out of the pool every so often, because the sun was quite strong! Dad came down for a bit, and some of his friends from junior high school were hanging out there too. So there ended up being a group of us. It was so nice and relaxing! I was absolutely loving it! It had been way too long since I have just laid out by a pool.

However, there was a price to pay… I got back to my room after being by the pool for two hours, and I jumped into the shower and began to get ready; but I was already noticing that I was starting to turn a bit pink. As I was doing my makeup, I noticed that my skin was getting even more pink- and starting to be more red looking by the minute!

The theater, they were setting up
the chairs while we did sound
check. Sold out show!

I went down to sound check at 3:30pm, and that went smoothly. I was on my way to the buffet by 5pm with Gabe, Bob, Larry, and our soundman Bill. After a nice little dinner together, I went back up to my room and did some reading for a while, and even snuck in a little writing too! Then I started to get ready for the show. By 7:45pm I was on my way to my dad’s room to meet up with him. We had a security escort to get downstairs. One of the security guards was talking on his walkie talkie, and kept referring to my dad as “the package”. I couldn’t help but giggle a little bit! Apparently getting us to the theater was very serious business.

We actually walked down to the steakhouse first to say hello to some friends of ours who were in there eating. Then after a few minutes, we were on our way through the employee hallways to backstage. Once we got there and “the package was secured and delivered”, I began talking with some of the guys as my dad took a couple pictures.

Our pre-show fists, all in! My arm is obviously the one with the feminine satin long sleeves!

Soon, it was 8:30pm and time for the show to begin! Dad and the boys took the stage as I finished doing my hair and getting my in-ears in place. I was also wearing a bit of a different outfit... Normally I wear a skirt, but because I was so sunburnt, (and by then, the sunburn was really starting to show!) I ended up wearing my comfy pair of whitewash jeans! The idea of wearing stockings with a sunburn is truly painful, as I’m sure all you ladies know!

Before I knew it, it was my turn to get on stage. The show went great! It was a lot of fun! There were a lot of friends in the audience, which always makes it exciting! We also had a couple great photographers taking pictures. I saw a few of the pictures and they looked awesome, I can’t wait to see the rest of them! (I’d post some with this blog, but I don’t have the photos in my hands yet, sorry!) After the show we went out front to sign. The line was rather long, but we had a great time talking to everyone. One couple said they came all the way from China just to see the show because their favorite song has always been “Unchained Melody”. So that was pretty amazing!

Stage entrance.

By the time we were done, we wandered backstage to hang with everyone. I sat with the band by the stage for a while as dad was catching up with some old friends of his. But after a few laughs, I knew I better get up to my room. I said my good-byes to everyone and got upstairs by 11:30pm. I organized my suitcases a little, and then I tried to get to sleep as quickly as possible. But I have to admit, it was pretty much the perfect day! Sometimes it is amazing that I can have such an awesome “work day”! I mean seriously- gym, pool, sound check, food, reading and a show… Life is good sometimes!

April 17, 2011

Alarms started blaring at 4:15am! I was not happy to be getting up, but I did it anyway. I got all my stuff shoved into my luggage, and I walked downstairs to the valet area to find a man holding a sign with my name on it at 5am. He seemed rather cheery for 5am… But I was glad that he was so awake since he was the one driving!

We drove down the 15 towards the airport. It was obviously still dark outside, and I have to say I have never seen a moon look so huge! I couldn’t believe how beautiful it was! I thought about trying to take a picture of it, but I knew a picture wouldn’t really show the incredible size. But it was stunning.

Backstage at the gig.

We pulled up to the airport and I got checked in at the Frontier desk. Not long after, I was on my way through security and then sitting at my gate patiently waiting. My flight didn’t leave until 7am. So I just sat there in a daze until they started boarding. I literally didn’t get a book or anything out; I just sat there, and did a little people watching. It is a great airport to people watch at… Especially at that hour! People are either in pajamas or what they wore clubbing the night before! Or some strange combination of both- like the girl in the full on sequin mini-dress and slippers perfectly represented.

Soon I was on my plane and in my window seat. A young man sat next to me, he informed me that he hadn’t gone to sleep yet, he had stayed up for the flight. (And those who know me, know that is something I’ve done on more than one occasion too!) Another young girl sat down on the other side of him, she was on the less is more sleep schedule as well. After we all shared about our weekends in Vegas, all three of us were fast asleep! I was crashed out most of the flight.

After an hour and a half, we landed in Denver. I made my way straight over to my next gate. It was in a very small “jumper plane” section. I don’t think I had been to that part of the Denver airport before. I sat there awaiting my flight. A young kid sat down on the same row of seats as me, and sure enough he had a tiny guitar with him, and he got it out to play. He wasn’t horrible, but being half asleep and all, I didn’t particularly like him sitting right next to me and trying to pick out chords.

Las Vegas Airport

But it wasn’t too long before they started boarding my plane to Branson. I took my seat, and was happily surprised to find out that no one was sitting in the seat next to me, so I had the row to myself! I was soon laying down and dead sleep. I remember some turbulence, but only as a dream. I was out! The flight attendant woke me up just before we landed. Everything seemed a bit hazed to me. You know how that happens when you come out of a deep sleep! But the view over the Ozarks was gorgeous! But soon we were on the ground in Branson, Missouri. However, I slept through the complimentary cookie on that flight… A major bummer indeed.

I got off the plane and went through the small airport to the ground transportation desk. To get a cab there, you actually have to fill out a form- which seemed unusual, but I did what I needed to! I grabbed my bags and then they got me in one of the waiting taxis.

Just a short drive and then I was back to my house! I felt exhausted! Also, you know how it feels when you are constantly on the go and then you stop and have nothing? It is a weird kind of sad/depressed feeling… Maybe I’m the only one who gets it. But I know I really enjoy my time off- after a day of adjusting to the radical change anyway! I eventually went to get some food, and then just turned on a movie for the rest of my night. I actually ended up in bed and asleep by 10pm! And the only reason I was up that late was because I was scared to go to sleep too much earlier than that and completely mess up my sleep schedule.

But I have to say it was a pretty incredible couple weeks away from Branson! However, I know I am going to need to recoup this week and get ready for my next adventure!