Reflections, Pt. II

I only woke up once or twice after I went to sleep. I'd be up a short while and then drift back to sleep again. It's unusual for me to sleep a full and uninterrupted 8 hours anymore, but I had a pretty good night's sleep Thanksgiving evening - something to be really thankful for. I had a lot of time to kill, but also some things I wanted to do and see. It was Black Friday, and there was a huge mall a few blocks away. I was anxious to go, and a little concerned that it would be really crowded. I figured I could always come back if it was too crazy. I think I took a shower, blow-dried my hair, and went to the second floor of The Tazewell to get some breakfast. Or did I get breakfast first? There wasn't really a lot available for breakfast on my usual diet, but I did have a bagel and some oatmeal. I tried to toast the bagel - emphasis on the word tried. In other words, I burnt the bagel. It didn't look like it was burning, but it was cooking rather unevenly and some of it was quite black. I decided to just have an untoasted bagel. It was safer that way. At least no smoke alarms went off.

After breakfast, I was able to get the key to the computer room, check my facebook for messages and post an update. The computer was exceedingly slow for the most part, and I had to chuckle a bit at the fact that there was a floppy disk drive. At some point (before or after breakfast, I can't recall for certain) I took a photo of the toaster. (I'm guessing before breakfast since the toaster has a bagel in it in the photo. LOL) The toaster had an appearance of age, and the timer was a dial. The Tazewell was a lot like that - things with an appearance of age, but still somewhat anachronistic. I didn't use the flash at all for my toaster photo, and I must have looked pretty silly trying different exposures and angles to get enough light and still have a somewhat sharp photo. I'm pretty sure a few people thought I was rather weird. I guess I never claimed to be normal.

After breakfast, I decided to make an attempt to walk to the mall. I knew the general direction, and so I just headed out. Along the way, I saw a Starbucks and stopped for a Vanilla Rooibos Tea latte (with Soy.) I usually don't want all the sugars in that thing, but I will get it for a special treat now and again. I reasoned that this was a good occasion for a treat. I also reasoned that I was a little cold and something hot to drink was an excellent idea. While in Starbucks, I asked direction to the mall and was given a little shortcut throught the building across the street. While I was waiting for my drink, I noticed a flyer for The River James. I had to take a photo as this is Jacob's (Mae's drummer) new band and I was pretty excited to see it there, and a little sad that I wouldn't be around on Dec. 14 to see it.

Once I had my tea in hand, I headed for the mall. I wandered about and took a couple of photos on the way to the mall and in the mall. The city of Norfolk has oddly painted mermaid sculptures all about. I wondered if every area had it's "ugly" sculptures. We have bison.

I also decided at some point to hunt for some black jeans that fit since I'd been wanting some. Most stores had some sales until at least 11 a.m. and it wasn't 11 a.m. yet. It wasn't quite as crowded as I expected, not deserted, of course and it was a pretty large mall) so it was nice to not be overwhelmed. I bought a small stamp pad set for a discount at Sanrio, then spotted a Toys R Us Express (I think that is what it was called) and found a couple of adorable dolls for my granddaughters for a great price. Of course, I had no idea where I would put the dolls to transport them back, but they were adorable, and I had a Toys' R Us giftcard that covered most of it. At some point I went to Barnes and Noble. I picked up two books, Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton and The Soloist. I could read later if I wanted something to do.




Then I wandered a bit more. I saw this amazing lamp that was on a huge tripod and tried to take photos. I was having a difficult time getting a sharp shot (no flash) and I had a nice little banter with the salesman who let me photograph it from inside the store. The price tag definitely was enough to give most people a little sticker shock, but since it seemed like a rather upscale furniture dealer, it wasn't too surprising.


Then I headed off and stopped to take a few more photos. I was just about to attempt a photo of the fun lights one floor above me and a security gal stopped me and said I wasn't allowed to take photos. Then she spent an inordinate amount of time trying to find a business office card even though I tried to tell her it was okay I would just put the camera away. LOL I was a little bummed, but it wasn't that big of a deal.

So, I set about in earnest to find the jeans I'd been looking for. I wasn't having much luck, although I did find a few things on sale at Charlotte Russe that I purchased. I stopped at one store that was awesome as far as having petite sizes for my short self, and they had some great clearance prices, just not black in my size. I did try something on there, but it didn't work out. Mostly I was finding black jeans were all "skinny" at the bottom and I needed boot cut jeans. I was referred to Forever Young's huge store on the first floor, and the jeans were all skinny jeans. I tried a pair on, but they were really long, and they just bunched up at the bottom and looked pretty strange on me. I did manage to get a couple pair of comfortable stretchy pants for $5 off their clearance rack.

After Forever Young, I went up to check out the movie theater on the third floor. Most of the third level consisted of the theater, and a food court. There was also a Chili's. After a while, I decided to have lunch in the food court and head back to the hotel. The plan was to come back to the theater later, see the movie Red, and have dinner at Chili's.

When I got back to the hotel, I read a bit, got back on the hotel computer, and killed time until it was time to head out to have dinner and see the movie. I ordered a Salmon dinner from Chili's and it was quite good and satisfying. :) Then I bought a ticket and went inside the theater. I had seen a trailer for Red online some time before it came out, and I liked the cast. For some reason I didn't get that it was a comedy, so that was rather a surprise. It was a little cheesy in places, but there was a lot of action - shooting, blowing things up, etc., so it wasn't dull and it was enjoyable enough. Besides, how can one go wrong with Bruce Willis and Morgan Freeman?

After the movie I went back to the hotel and waited. It didn't seem all that long before Stephanie arrived, and I was actually expecting her a little later. I was kind of glad she came earlier than I expected. She said they were all next door (other Mae fans, and Zach from the band with his fiance) so we got ready and headed over to the Irish pub. Zach seemed really tired, so he didn't stay long, but I did have a chance to talk to his fiance for a bit before they left. She was such a sweet person. :) I was the only one not imbibing, so to speak, so that was a bit awkward at times. Everyone was pretty "happy" by the time we left. I ordered a soda (the only thing they really had besides water) and wasn't charged for it. I guess they give free soda to "designated drivers". In this case, I guess I was the designated walker since we were all just heading for the hotel. I was tired by the time we left. Stephanie was pretty exhausted, which was understandable, having driven from Ohio!

We chatted a bit and got ready for bed. Tomorrow was a big day. :)

End, pt. II

Hello Utah, Goodbye Mae

November 4th and 5th had come and gone. In case the significance of those dates escapes you, they were the dates of the two Utah concerts on Mae's final tour. On November 4, I was privileged to be at the Electric Theater in St. George and be a part of that experience. It was a long drive, but I made it in pretty good time and checked into my room at the Best Western, once I discovered at which of the two Best Westerns I had reserved a room.



Once I was checked in, it was only a short walk to the venue. I arrived insanely early. Face it, what else was I planning to do anyway? So I walked over to the venue and waited for a little bit before I decided to go next door to a small thrift store run by the local pregancy care center. I found two pair of jeans for my granddaughter and stuck them in my bag.

Then I went back and waited a little more.


And I took a few pics here and there to kill time:



At some point (the time frame escapes me), Mae arrived. I went next door and grabbed something to eat, and then got nervous because it took quite a while, and I couldn't see if anyone else was showing up. I was nervous for nothing. I am frequently nervous for nothing so I guess that makes me a slow learner. I sat down and ate my food. It was a French Dip with some really unusual cole slaw that was quite delicious. After a while, a young couple showed up and then they left again to get something to eat. At some point, Mark came out and said "hello" and chatted really briefly. I was there to hear sound check, and for most of it the doors were open. I took photos of things to kill time, and listened to dave sing one line out of the song "Bloom" over and over, occasionally changing a few words in a humorous fashion. He sang the rest of the song once or twice, so it felt like I was getting a bonus. I wish I could recall what he said. People did eventually start to arrive for the show, but most came pretty close to door time. John Allred was the opener, and I was looking forward to hearing him play again. During set up I talked to Trenton a good long while about camera-related issues, mostly. John sang and played, and I thoroughly enjoyed his set. I talked to a few people in line who had mainly come just to see John, though most liked Mae.





I had looked forward to hearing Windsor Drive who was to play next, having only just listened to a song or two once or twice, but they had to cancel out due to a death in the drummer's family. Terrible Things followed John, and I absolutely loved their set which was energetic and fun - but then I really like Fred Mascherino so that was no surprise, and I was able to snag the set list.




Then, it was time for Mae. I watched them tape the set list to the stage and vowed to keep my eye on it. I collect set lists. Mae's set lists have often been rather elusive for me. I am pretty sure that Mae played all of the songs I most wanted to hear with the exception of A Memory, The Melody. The venue was small and intimate and so was the concert. No one was pushing, or shoving, but people were engaged and singing every word. I almost felt guilty snagging the set list between the last song and the encore, but the encore wasn't on the list, so I went ahead. The encore was amazing. A good group of us in the front were chanting for The Fisherman song, and they played it. I think it was on their set list for the end all along, but we didn't know that at the time nor did I really care. It was just incredible to hear it all live.





The show ended and I talked to Fred, and purchased his cd. I talked to John and some of the band. I talked to Jacob, then to Dave, and pretty much everyone in Mae at least once, had photos taken, and signed Jacob's book. Then I eventually wandered back to the hotel room taking photos along the way. A few turned out. Some didn't. So the 4th had come to an end. But it wasn't over yet. I had plans to get up early and make the drive back to The Avalon in Salt Lake City for the second (and last) Utah stop on Mae's Goodbye Goodnight tour.




Morning came too early, but I wasn't sleeping anyway. I was up before my cell alarm even went off. I got cleaned up and dressed and went over to get a little of the complimentary breakfast. Then I loaded up my car, and headed down the road. I had a gift for Jacob (cloud photos) and which needed a three part frame. I hadn't found one at my local Wal Mart. I mentioned it to Dave the night before and he suggested I try Michaels. I had no idea where between St. George and Salt Lake I would spot a Michaels. I did see a Kohl's on the way, however, and thought perhaps I could stop there on the way out. I pulled off the exit and into Kohl's lot only to see that it was next door to Robert's. Robert's is a craft store, rather similar to Michael's.
I parked and went inside and looked for a frame. A sales associate helped me to find what I needed and then mentioned that one of the frames was actually on sale for 1/2 off. It had to be providence. I purchased the frame and headed for Salt Lake.

I think I arrived at The Avalon somewhere between 2 and 2:30 p.m. I put Jacob's gift together. Mae arrived very shortly after. I saw Jacob and said "hello", and I really wanted to give him his gift, but he was on the phone. I think he was on the phone the entire time. It ended up back in the car -- waiting. I was hungry by then so I finally went across the street to get something to eat. I spied a place that was something of a cross between Greek/Italian food. I ordered a sandwich, and then noticed they had a Rooibos/Cranberry drink and decided to give it a try. It was pretty good. I went back across the street and ate my food. I walked around, took pics of the marquee, tried to catch Jacob when he wasn't on the phone (to no avail) and waited for someone else to arrive.
A few did. I heard sound check again. I heard Bloom many times over the course of 2 days. I had an extra ticket I had promised to someone and occasionally I would text him to find out when he was coming. Eventually people arrived, and the doors opened. He still wasn't there, so I was able to get people to hold my spot long enough to leave the ticket at the entrance for him. I think it was then that I was able to pick up the Mae cd and a Bloom tee for a friend, but it could have been later.

This time around Windsor Drive was able to play the show, albeit with a substitute drummer (who was actually very good.) I really loved finally getting to hear them play, although I had some issues with their smoke machine. It was aimed straight at my face and a few times it made breathing difficult as I'm mildly allergic. You know it's bad when someone next to you complains about it as well. However, I liked them enough to determine then and there to pick up their cd's. I tried for the set list, but the gal next to me got it. She let me take a photo while Terrible Things set up.



Again I loved hearing Terrible Things play. Fred is also a lot of fun onstage. I even remembered a few of the words here and there - very few, but for me that's pretty good. LOL The crowd was starting to pull in closer in anticipation for Mae.
There was a lot of energy in the room, and it was growing every minute. I was able to get the set list for Terrible Things again.





It seemed an eternity waiting for Mae to set up, but I knew it would be over far too soon, they would pack up and I might not see them again. The lights went down and the crowd started chanting for Mae. Just a few more minutes and the took the stage. The audience went crazy. Song after song, people knew every word. People applauded, cheered, jumped, danced and created an incredible amount of energy. It was a rare time where everything seemed so connected -- the band and their fans.






Sadly, it came to an end (as all good things do) and the concert was over. The guys decided to stick around and meet everyone and people lined up. I went over to Windsor Drive's merch table, purchased their ep's and had a photo taken. They seemed like very nice guys. I saw Miss Corey and we chatted a few minutes. I was trying to figure out a way to get my gift for Jacob out of the car as reentry was not an option for me. Corey went out to my car and retrieved it for me, which I thought was very sweet. :)

I stopped at Mae's merch table and decided I really wanted the hoodie, so I asked to have one held until I could run down to the ATM. Then, gift in hand, I took my place towards the end of the line. Not long after I got in line, I was interviewed for the DVD. I was a little caught off guard, and I'm sure I sounded pretty lame. LOL Who knows if it will even make the cut anyway. ;) After a while, I came close to the end of the line and gave someone my camera to snap a photo for me. Rob smiled and said, "It's Melanie Ta" which made me laugh since that is just my online screen name on Facebook and Mae's community site. I had given Tyler some Hershey's kisses for Rob, and I asked him if Tyler gave him his kisses. Tyler proceeded to give him something other than chocolate kisses. I still don't know if he ever got them. There were hugs, and then I gave Jacob his gift. He seemed to really like it. :) That made my day. It was hard to tear myself away, but I did and then stopped to take a photo on the way out of people signing Jacob's book.




Then, I literally RAN to the bank a block or two away, used the drive up atm to get enough cash for a hoodie and ran back to the venue. I went to the alley where they were all loading up and chatted a bit until I was able to get someone to get me a hoodie. Success! Then I said my goodbyes again and got into my car. It was very late by that time. I was very tired, but happy and satisfied. It was bittersweet, in a way, but I wouldn't have been anywhere else.

Thanks Mae, for the memories. I will miss you.