Unknown to me at this time, the girls had been playing a practical joke on me that I wouldn't discover
until the morning. In the morning when I was trying to get my clothes together so that I could get
dressed, I had a slight problem getting a bra and a pair undies out of the drawer. Someone thought it
would be funny to tie all my bras and underwear together to make a chain out of them. It was actually
more of a joke on them that I didn't need to get anything from that drawer when I got out of the
shower last night. They had to wait until the next morning to enjoy their joke, and they did enjoy. I
had no clue. Nikki just kept saying, "Ally, take it all out". She was laughing, and I still had no clue as
to why. I don't think I was suffering from a hangover at this point, I believe I was still drunk from all
the Jack's that I had used to make the Lynchburg Lemonades. I just couldn't understand how my
clothes had gotten into such a knot. Well, what they thought would take a few minutes took them quite
a while since I was severely over-packed. I couldn't decide what I wanted to wear at all, so I brought
several different outfits, and each one called for a different set of underwear. They said that the chain
spanned about 20 feet. So, for a two-day trip, I had packed 20 feet of lingerie.
Well, when I was finally able to get my clothes all unknotted and get dressed; I got to join everyone out
in front of the hotel again. The girls were sitting on one of the benches facing straight out into the
parking lot. There was only one bench facing in that direction, and Nikki and Jen were sitting on it.
Apparently, they had quite the view since Lonestar's bus was sitting right ahead of them. Their bus had
pulled up a short time ago, and the guys in the band were heading into the hotel to take showers. Well,
some were heading in and some had already showered. There was no room for me on the bench. I had
to keep turning around to see who was getting off the bus and walking over towards us. I didn't want to
keep doing that, so with Jen's help we rearranged the hotel's outdoor furniture, so that I could see who
was walking over towards us.
So, there we are, the four of us just sitting there watching Lonestar and their band members walking
in and out of the hotel. It was still kind of early in the morning. No one had gotten dressed yet, but
me. Nikki just put a hat on her head so that she could go outside. She didn't have a hat of her own, so
she borrowed mine. My hat was a Kenny Chesney hat. I guess she didn't realize that until Dean
Samms made a point of reading what her hat said. She took it off to look at it, and just about died.
She had something to say to everyone as they had walked by, but she didn't realize that she was sitting
there looking like the KC fan. After that, she would turn her head or cover up the KC part with her
hand or her pack of cigarettes.
When we were just about ready to leave for the venue, we were sitting out front waiting for Patty I
think, things are still fuzzy. Jen and Nikki had been sitting there smoking when I came out. There
were two guys sitting across from them. Nikki asked me if remembered trying to go upstairs to their
room with them last night. I looked at them, and I couldn't remember a thing. Then this cute guy tells
me that I was singing to him. At this point, I decide that I'm never drinking Jack's again. As it turns
out, those two guys play in a band for E.C. Scott who is a jazz/blues singer. She is from California and
she was doing two shows in Virginia during this weekend. They were getting ready to leave for their
next venue. When I got home, I tried to do some research on them. I checked out E.C. Scott's website
as they had mentioned we should do. I just couldn't find out anything on them. I know this; they call
the band "Smoke". That was all the information that I could find on them So, I was singing to some
cute guy, the girls told me he enjoyed it, and I don't even know what his name is.
We finally left for the venue shortly before 3 PM. We expected it to take only about 30 to 40 minutes
to get there. We didn't plan on there being so much traffic already. We were stuck in traffic, just
outside the venue, for about 60 minutes. Still, we found ways to occupy ourselves. With our trusty road
sodas in hand, we found some amusement with a little statue that Jen has stuck on her dashboard. It's
a little hula man with a grass skirt that she got in Hawaii. We kept sticking that guy on different parts
of her car. For a while we had him hanging out on top of the car just outside of the sunroof. We would
sit there and rock the car to make him dance. While we were keeping ourselves amused in took us 60
minutes to go only two miles. That's incredible. I still don't understand why it took that long, but after
watching the traffic pulling into that parking lot all night, I shouldn't complain about how long it took
us. Some people were still trying to get in at 8PM. I've come to learn that others had given up and
went home instead.
When we got the car parked in the VIP parking area, since we actually had a ticket to be there this
time, we continued our tailgate party. I had made the strawberry margaritas at the hotel before we
left. When I had opened my first beer in the car, Nikki said to me, "Ally, that's just what you need,
some hair off the dog that bit you to make you feel better." With that comment, Jen, who is driving
and sitting next to me, and myself look at the bottle that I am drinking out of. We were both looking
for dog hair. Apparently, it's an old saying meaning that the best thing for a hangover was to drink
some of what put you there in the first place. Jen and I totally misunderstood her.
We had only been in the parking lot for a short time when Nikki and I both realized that we needed a
bathroom. From where we were standing it looked like there were some port-a-potty's that weren't
inside the venue. So we started to walk to where they were. Now, me being the big GM winner that I've
been all year had no idea that GM would be there for this show. They didn't have this show listed on
their site. I thought that meant that they wouldn't be there. So as we are walking down towards the
bathrooms, I notice the GM booth. Naturally, I get excited. I start walking towards that, nevermind
the bathroom. I need to meet Kenny, again. With that, there's a man walking away from the venue
towards the parking lot. He mentions to me that I appear to be in a hurry. Naturally, I smile, laugh,
and have comment right back, after all I am a natural flirt.
Well, as it turns out, we need to show our tickets to use the bathrooms, and once we do that, we canâ
€™t leave and re-enter. So, that means, no GM pass, no kidney relief. So, we are standing there trying
to decide what to do. Then the guy that saw me in a rush just a few moments ago now saw me just
standing there. He asked why I wasn't in a rush anymore and Nikki told him that we had to use the
bathroom, but that they wouldn't let us enter, leave and re-enter again. He said come with me. He
talked to the lady who was responsible for taking tickets. He said that he would escort us to the
bathrooms and then back outside of the venue again. He was so kind. He was our hero. Do you think I
stopped at just using the bathroom? Of course not, my mission was to meet Kenny again. I had to tell
Kenny that I really did deserve a smile in my last GM picture since I had made him laugh.
So I asked this nice man, who apparently had nothing better to do, if I could just run over to the GM
booth, which was about 50 yards away from where we were standing. All he could say was if I have to
come looking for you. I offered to give him my license. He said to just go, but that he didn't want me
to stroll away. So, I run over to the booth and fill out the survey very quickly. It helped that I knew all
the questions and answers already. Then, I ran back. He told me I was lucky.
When everyone was done, he escorted us back outside the venue. Me trying to be really nice, and also
not knowing what to do with so many copies of that tour CD, offered it to him as a thank you. He was
excited with that. Then Nikki told him that she would try to get Kenny to autograph it for him. So, he
gave it back. Then we told him where we were parked so that he could meet up with us after the show.
Well, before the show even started, here comes our bathroom hero. He asked me for something to
drink. Since I assumed he was working, I offered him some cold water. He said he knew I had
something stronger and that he wanted whatever that was. See how easy it is to make new friends.
Just before Kellie took the stage, we could hear who the big winners for GM meet and greet.
Unfortunately, I wasn't one of them. I guess Carolyn made a point of remembering my name along
with my face. Oh well. It was a great run while it lasted. So, we just continued with our party.
After Kellie's set was over with we decided to head into the venue. Actually, Patty had already left.
She had been looking for the person that she was supposed to sell her extra tickets to. Her cell service
had been out for a few miles before we had reached Lovingston. My cell phone could make an outgoing
call every few tries, but it would never connect with anyone. We had some other friends, Sue and Judy,
that we were hoping to meet up with, but could never get in touch with them to let them know where we
were. Nikki had met up with a friend of hers, they had discussed where to meet up at before anyone
lost cell service. They had left already to head inside. Jen, myself, and our new friend, formerly the
bathroom hero, we'll just call him VA, were the only ones left by the car. We started walking in, I
realized that I had forgotten my sweater, and I thought that I would need it once the sun went down. I
told Jen that I would catch up with her. So, I ran back to the car. Well, VA followed me, and he was
my friend the rest of the night.
As it turns out VA is quite the volunteer. You might think he was from Tennessee. From what he was
telling me he's been to a lot of different places at times of crisis. He spent time at the World Trade
Center last year. We had spent a lot of time talking about this. Actually, through most of Lonestar's
set. He also mentioned that he was in California in 1988 after the earthquake that hit during the World
Series that year. Finally I realized how late it was getting, and I needed to find my friends. While
looking for my friends we came across some of VA's friends. Then all of a sudden Kellie Coffey was
there, and somehow I got put in charge of taking pictures of Kellie Coffey and VA's friends. When I
was done taking pictures I had an impromptu conversation with Kellie. I told her I enjoyed her show
tonight, and that I also enjoyed her show last month in New York. It was just too bad I couldn't
remember which New York show I had seen her at. Oh well, blew that one, but we did have a nice little
chat. She was very nice. So, I guess maybe the next time she opens for a show that I'm at, I'll give her
a little more time.
When we were done hanging with Kellie, I told VA it was imperative that I get to my seat before Kenny
hit the stage. He had some friends who work for Nelson County Sheriff's department, and they had told
him about all the problems they were having with people not being able to find their seats. If they did
find their seats, someone was already in it that didn't belong there. Plus, all the fights that were
breaking out, people getting trampled on, and basically total chaos.
until the morning. In the morning when I was trying to get my clothes together so that I could get
dressed, I had a slight problem getting a bra and a pair undies out of the drawer. Someone thought it
would be funny to tie all my bras and underwear together to make a chain out of them. It was actually
more of a joke on them that I didn't need to get anything from that drawer when I got out of the
shower last night. They had to wait until the next morning to enjoy their joke, and they did enjoy. I
had no clue. Nikki just kept saying, "Ally, take it all out". She was laughing, and I still had no clue as
to why. I don't think I was suffering from a hangover at this point, I believe I was still drunk from all
the Jack's that I had used to make the Lynchburg Lemonades. I just couldn't understand how my
clothes had gotten into such a knot. Well, what they thought would take a few minutes took them quite
a while since I was severely over-packed. I couldn't decide what I wanted to wear at all, so I brought
several different outfits, and each one called for a different set of underwear. They said that the chain
spanned about 20 feet. So, for a two-day trip, I had packed 20 feet of lingerie.
Well, when I was finally able to get my clothes all unknotted and get dressed; I got to join everyone out
in front of the hotel again. The girls were sitting on one of the benches facing straight out into the
parking lot. There was only one bench facing in that direction, and Nikki and Jen were sitting on it.
Apparently, they had quite the view since Lonestar's bus was sitting right ahead of them. Their bus had
pulled up a short time ago, and the guys in the band were heading into the hotel to take showers. Well,
some were heading in and some had already showered. There was no room for me on the bench. I had
to keep turning around to see who was getting off the bus and walking over towards us. I didn't want to
keep doing that, so with Jen's help we rearranged the hotel's outdoor furniture, so that I could see who
was walking over towards us.
So, there we are, the four of us just sitting there watching Lonestar and their band members walking
in and out of the hotel. It was still kind of early in the morning. No one had gotten dressed yet, but
me. Nikki just put a hat on her head so that she could go outside. She didn't have a hat of her own, so
she borrowed mine. My hat was a Kenny Chesney hat. I guess she didn't realize that until Dean
Samms made a point of reading what her hat said. She took it off to look at it, and just about died.
She had something to say to everyone as they had walked by, but she didn't realize that she was sitting
there looking like the KC fan. After that, she would turn her head or cover up the KC part with her
hand or her pack of cigarettes.
When we were just about ready to leave for the venue, we were sitting out front waiting for Patty I
think, things are still fuzzy. Jen and Nikki had been sitting there smoking when I came out. There
were two guys sitting across from them. Nikki asked me if remembered trying to go upstairs to their
room with them last night. I looked at them, and I couldn't remember a thing. Then this cute guy tells
me that I was singing to him. At this point, I decide that I'm never drinking Jack's again. As it turns
out, those two guys play in a band for E.C. Scott who is a jazz/blues singer. She is from California and
she was doing two shows in Virginia during this weekend. They were getting ready to leave for their
next venue. When I got home, I tried to do some research on them. I checked out E.C. Scott's website
as they had mentioned we should do. I just couldn't find out anything on them. I know this; they call
the band "Smoke". That was all the information that I could find on them So, I was singing to some
cute guy, the girls told me he enjoyed it, and I don't even know what his name is.
We finally left for the venue shortly before 3 PM. We expected it to take only about 30 to 40 minutes
to get there. We didn't plan on there being so much traffic already. We were stuck in traffic, just
outside the venue, for about 60 minutes. Still, we found ways to occupy ourselves. With our trusty road
sodas in hand, we found some amusement with a little statue that Jen has stuck on her dashboard. It's
a little hula man with a grass skirt that she got in Hawaii. We kept sticking that guy on different parts
of her car. For a while we had him hanging out on top of the car just outside of the sunroof. We would
sit there and rock the car to make him dance. While we were keeping ourselves amused in took us 60
minutes to go only two miles. That's incredible. I still don't understand why it took that long, but after
watching the traffic pulling into that parking lot all night, I shouldn't complain about how long it took
us. Some people were still trying to get in at 8PM. I've come to learn that others had given up and
went home instead.
When we got the car parked in the VIP parking area, since we actually had a ticket to be there this
time, we continued our tailgate party. I had made the strawberry margaritas at the hotel before we
left. When I had opened my first beer in the car, Nikki said to me, "Ally, that's just what you need,
some hair off the dog that bit you to make you feel better." With that comment, Jen, who is driving
and sitting next to me, and myself look at the bottle that I am drinking out of. We were both looking
for dog hair. Apparently, it's an old saying meaning that the best thing for a hangover was to drink
some of what put you there in the first place. Jen and I totally misunderstood her.
We had only been in the parking lot for a short time when Nikki and I both realized that we needed a
bathroom. From where we were standing it looked like there were some port-a-potty's that weren't
inside the venue. So we started to walk to where they were. Now, me being the big GM winner that I've
been all year had no idea that GM would be there for this show. They didn't have this show listed on
their site. I thought that meant that they wouldn't be there. So as we are walking down towards the
bathrooms, I notice the GM booth. Naturally, I get excited. I start walking towards that, nevermind
the bathroom. I need to meet Kenny, again. With that, there's a man walking away from the venue
towards the parking lot. He mentions to me that I appear to be in a hurry. Naturally, I smile, laugh,
and have comment right back, after all I am a natural flirt.
Well, as it turns out, we need to show our tickets to use the bathrooms, and once we do that, we canâ
€™t leave and re-enter. So, that means, no GM pass, no kidney relief. So, we are standing there trying
to decide what to do. Then the guy that saw me in a rush just a few moments ago now saw me just
standing there. He asked why I wasn't in a rush anymore and Nikki told him that we had to use the
bathroom, but that they wouldn't let us enter, leave and re-enter again. He said come with me. He
talked to the lady who was responsible for taking tickets. He said that he would escort us to the
bathrooms and then back outside of the venue again. He was so kind. He was our hero. Do you think I
stopped at just using the bathroom? Of course not, my mission was to meet Kenny again. I had to tell
Kenny that I really did deserve a smile in my last GM picture since I had made him laugh.
So I asked this nice man, who apparently had nothing better to do, if I could just run over to the GM
booth, which was about 50 yards away from where we were standing. All he could say was if I have to
come looking for you. I offered to give him my license. He said to just go, but that he didn't want me
to stroll away. So, I run over to the booth and fill out the survey very quickly. It helped that I knew all
the questions and answers already. Then, I ran back. He told me I was lucky.
When everyone was done, he escorted us back outside the venue. Me trying to be really nice, and also
not knowing what to do with so many copies of that tour CD, offered it to him as a thank you. He was
excited with that. Then Nikki told him that she would try to get Kenny to autograph it for him. So, he
gave it back. Then we told him where we were parked so that he could meet up with us after the show.
Well, before the show even started, here comes our bathroom hero. He asked me for something to
drink. Since I assumed he was working, I offered him some cold water. He said he knew I had
something stronger and that he wanted whatever that was. See how easy it is to make new friends.
Just before Kellie took the stage, we could hear who the big winners for GM meet and greet.
Unfortunately, I wasn't one of them. I guess Carolyn made a point of remembering my name along
with my face. Oh well. It was a great run while it lasted. So, we just continued with our party.
After Kellie's set was over with we decided to head into the venue. Actually, Patty had already left.
She had been looking for the person that she was supposed to sell her extra tickets to. Her cell service
had been out for a few miles before we had reached Lovingston. My cell phone could make an outgoing
call every few tries, but it would never connect with anyone. We had some other friends, Sue and Judy,
that we were hoping to meet up with, but could never get in touch with them to let them know where we
were. Nikki had met up with a friend of hers, they had discussed where to meet up at before anyone
lost cell service. They had left already to head inside. Jen, myself, and our new friend, formerly the
bathroom hero, we'll just call him VA, were the only ones left by the car. We started walking in, I
realized that I had forgotten my sweater, and I thought that I would need it once the sun went down. I
told Jen that I would catch up with her. So, I ran back to the car. Well, VA followed me, and he was
my friend the rest of the night.
As it turns out VA is quite the volunteer. You might think he was from Tennessee. From what he was
telling me he's been to a lot of different places at times of crisis. He spent time at the World Trade
Center last year. We had spent a lot of time talking about this. Actually, through most of Lonestar's
set. He also mentioned that he was in California in 1988 after the earthquake that hit during the World
Series that year. Finally I realized how late it was getting, and I needed to find my friends. While
looking for my friends we came across some of VA's friends. Then all of a sudden Kellie Coffey was
there, and somehow I got put in charge of taking pictures of Kellie Coffey and VA's friends. When I
was done taking pictures I had an impromptu conversation with Kellie. I told her I enjoyed her show
tonight, and that I also enjoyed her show last month in New York. It was just too bad I couldn't
remember which New York show I had seen her at. Oh well, blew that one, but we did have a nice little
chat. She was very nice. So, I guess maybe the next time she opens for a show that I'm at, I'll give her
a little more time.
When we were done hanging with Kellie, I told VA it was imperative that I get to my seat before Kenny
hit the stage. He had some friends who work for Nelson County Sheriff's department, and they had told
him about all the problems they were having with people not being able to find their seats. If they did
find their seats, someone was already in it that didn't belong there. Plus, all the fights that were
breaking out, people getting trampled on, and basically total chaos.