Wild Weekend!

Friday Teresa and I left her house, got caught in the rain (again), got gas, she had a clothing malfunction, and then we went to get Karen. Her new kitchen is really nice!!! The three of us drove to Charlotte (always take a break at Exit 48) on I-77. We just got a drink and snack and saved Dairy Queen for the ride home on Saturday!
We arrived at the Springhill Suites in Charlotte and Carolyn had already made it there from Anderson! It was great to see her after 2 years! We checked in to our hotel room, caught up on each other's lives, and just hung out for awhile. The hotel there is really nice. Exit 45-B on I-85. Anyway, I introduced them to Red Robin. I've eaten there with Travis in Castle Rock, with Mandy in California and somewhere with Bethany (can't remember!). They also have one in Columbia at Sandhill, my favorite shopping place!
Then we headed to the Verizon for the Brad Paisley concert. He's my favorite singer right now, so I was thrilled to be there. For some reason they didn't do upgrades, but we were able to get in seats instead of the lawn anyway. Juliann Hough from Dancing with the Stars just released her new album. The girl is going to be a star. What a voice!
Next up was Chris Wicks. I know I've heard his song "Cinderella," but I started nodding off during his performance. Still, he was good.
Jewel came on next. She sang her latest plus all of those from 13 years ago. She's trying to make it in country music now. I enjoyed hearing all of the old songs until she started screaming in a transition of "Dreams". What was that?? Then she showed us her yodeling talent. Interesting, but hey, I'm ready to listen to Brad!!
His first song was "Mud on the Tires" from an earlier album. I love his videos behind the set up. He sang all of the songs I love except "We Danced" and his new one, "Waiting on a Woman." Kind of glad he didn't do the last one. It makes me cry every time! Andy Griffith is in it. The song talks about the "man being the first one to go." At the end of the video, Andy is dressed in white sitting on a bench by the beach. Real tear-jerker!
The song "Online" was awesome! I think it, together with the video is one of his most creative. They were also able to have a hologram of Allison Krause singing "Whiskey Lullabye" with him. Looked so real!!
Brad is a rare entertainer that allows his band to take a break while HE sings to the audience. During this time he sang "When I Get Where I'm Going" that he sang as a duet with Dolly Parton. Lots of cheers for those whose pictures were randomly displayed behind him. Johnny and June Cash, Elvis, Dale Earnhardt, and Don Knotts, just to name a few.
Brad's writer and producer is Frank Rogers. He went to school here at Sumter High and was in our Choir program!! I substituted for the program for 5 years and I remember him as being extremely talented. Always playing guitar. Evidently they met at Belmont University in Nashville.
Another neat feature of the concert is a cartoon with animated cariactures of the band members and Brad. It plays behind them while they are "jamming." At the end it's a pleasant surprise to see "Animations by Brad Paisley." Is there anything this guy can't do??????
His song "A Letter to Myself" is a wonderful song!! Brad is a good memoir-writing person. I like that style and do a lot of it myself in my writing. If you don't know the story, he writes a letter to himself at 17, in which he tells about life then and life now. The video was him going back to his high school and showing people then and now, including his band members. Cool!!
The encore was "Ticks". I had to laugh because my friend, Karen, was not familiar with the song. So when the video started before he came out, she said "Those look like ticks!" "He's going to sing about ticks?" :)
After the concert, we waited during the mass exodus where people do not know how to merge into one line of traffic out of the parking lot. One car of young men yelled to us as they drove by. I thought they said, "Clemson sucks!" (With which I totally agree!) But that was not what they were wanting. Silly boys.
We stayed up until 3 in the morning just talking and laughing. Next morning we weren't even awake until 9:30!! So much for swimming. We got ready, checked out, and drove to Concord Mills. Now if you have never been there and you like to shop---this is the place!!! There must be over 100 stores, all in an indoor mall. Bass Pro Shoppe, Craft store, Yankee Candle, Bath and Body Works, Bed, Bath and Beyond, etc.
Before we shopped, we ate lunch at Dave and Buster's, a family favorite and now I have my friends going, too!!! It's the only one near to us. We had lunch, got our tokens and off to the games!! I won another 1100+ tickets. So my balance is about 1700 right now.
We were at Concord Mills from 11:15 until 5:30. We even sat down and paid $1 for a 3 minute chair massage!! Saying good-bye to Carolyn, we started down 77, stopping at Sonic at the infamous Arrowood Road (late night for late planes). Karen was so enthralled with her Hazelnut Latte that she poked a hole through the cup!! At Exit 48 we stopped for DQ's Girl Scout Mint Cookie blast. (Karen). Teresa opted for a hot fudge sundae and since I was driving, I got a chocolate malt. Haven't had one of those since United Dairy Farmers in Ohio last year.
By the time we got home it was after 8. Whew!! Sunday Bruce and I went to church and I taught my Laurel class. Good group of girls.
We were so sad to hear that Zachary is in a cast for 2 weeks! He tried to crawl out of the car, lost his balance, and fell on his arm. The Air Force doctor is trying to see whether it is a small fracture or just a bad bruise. It could have been so much worse!
Last night right before midnight I got my plane ticket and I'm off to Ohio on Wednesday morning. 5:40 in the morning!!! Thank goodness, Columbia. I'll rent a car in Dayton and go and spend a couple of days at my parents, who are on Lake Erie for the summer.
Then I will do my "Wake the Dead" tour as my brother, Jeff calls it. I call it going to the cemeteries once a year to put flowers on the graves. Although I think we will go to Indiana, as I have found two of our 3rd great grandparents. I'll be flying home on Monday.
Will blog when I get back!