After the show we all trooped
outside to make our post-show plans. Rose had to take off as she had to work
the next day. Miles, Cat and Michael were still “on duty” in their official
capacities, but we agreed to meet at the first Denny’s on Sunset (are you
getting a feeling that Denny’s is doing a lot of Journey business??) While we
were planning, we ran into the two women we had spoken to before the show, and
they couldn’t wait to tell us how much they loved it! Both said they had goose
bumps running up their arms. Woo hoo! Two more on the inside!
Cheryl, Ana Marie and I
headed off to Denny’s to await Cat, Michael and Miles. Pancakes at 1:00
a.m?…sure, why not??? We went through the usual post-concert analysis, and it
never ceases to amaze me how long Journey fans can talk about Journey. You
would think we knew of no other subjects the way we all went on, but I think we
all have the same sense—there were years and years that none of us knew other
people who “got it”, so now that we have found kindred spirits, we just can’t
stop ourselves.
Back to the hotel by 2:00, at
which point Ana Marie and Cheryl debated whether to take a cab or a shuttle to
the airport in the morning. Their 4:30 wake up call was cruel, and as they were
leaving, I rolled over in bed and said “Oh I feel so sorry for you guys...I
wish you didn’t have to go back to work!!” I don’t know how they did it—heck
I’ve done it before and don’t know how I did it—concert the night
before, early flight, and straight into work...ouch. Once they had
departed, I rolled over and slept until 9:00. I was lying in bed watching the
news and contemplating getting up when my cell phone rang. It was my office, of
all things! Steve was on the line telling me he needed to shut down the
voice mail computer so that they could move it out of the way to install some
new wiring. Since I was the only person who knew the password, I got a 9:30
call...Alas, I misremembered the password, thus resulting in a second call
about 15 minutes later. (Well, hey, what do you expect when you get a phone
call on your vacation??!!)
I finally got up and started
getting ready to go meet Eileen for lunch since this was my day off from
touring. Darla called while I was getting ready, and I filled her in on
the night before. Towards the end of our conversation my cell phone started
beeping...my battery was running low. No problem, I’d charge it in the car as I
drove to Eileen’s house. When I got in the car, however, there was a problem.
For some inexplicable reason, my car charger wouldn’t work! I knew it was
working, so it must have been a problem with the outlet in the car. Great! now
what was I going to do...I didn’t have my regular adapter with me and I need
my cell phone when I’m out on the road.
The visit with Eileen was
great fun. She and I took off for lunch, leaving Doug at home with the kids.
During lunch it occurred to me just how divergent our lives had become. Here we
were, all of 10 months apart in age, totally inseparable as kids leading
completely different lives. Eileen—married for nearly 10 years, stay-at-home
mom with 3 kids, a cat and a mortgage, living in a city hundreds of miles from
where we grew up. Me—single, working, living in an apartment 10 miles from my
parents, following Journey around the country. Odd how things change.
Luckily for me, Eileen needed
to run a few errands before we went back to her house, so I was able to charge
my phone in her mini-van (which she handled much more competently than I did
with the rental earlier in the week!) which would hold me over until I could get
to a Radio Shack to pick up an adapter. What had been intended to be getting
together for lunch turned into an all day visit as I was invited to stay for
dinner as well. It was a wonderful visit—her kids are growing up so fast and I
rarely get a chance to see them. Yet another perk of my Journey
obsession—visiting relatives while I’m on the road!
I returned to the hotel that
evening to find a message waiting for me. It was from Cat. There had been a
change of plans—she would need to be in San Diego at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, so
wouldn’t be able to pick up Rose for the show, could I possibly? I called her
back and squared things away, then pondered how to reach Rose the next day...I
had her home phone number, but I knew by the time I would get a chance to call
her, she’d be at work, and I didn’t have her email address with me on the road!
Only solution—a quick post to the list asking her to call me on my cell (which
I warned her was dying) or at the hotel in San Bernardino, which is where I was
heading Friday morning.
With a full 8 hours of sleep,
I hit the road for San Bernardino, stopping only at the local Radio Shack to
pick up that charger for my phone. When I checked in at my hotel (in 100 degree
heat no less!) I found a message waiting for me from Ana Marie...she had gotten
in touch with Rose for me and left me Rose’s phone number at work! Yay!
A quick lunch and a call to Rose, and things for Saturday were settled. It was
only 2:00 and the show was scheduled for 7:30...plenty of time to get a little
rest in. A quick check of my email once back to the hotel, and I discovered
that the time for the show had changed...it was now at 6:30! Eeek! A
quick call to the venue confirmed this, so my nap was a bit shorter than
planned.
The Blockbuster Pavilion is way
out in the middle of nowhere, and the designated place to meet (Joe’s Cafe and
Mini Mart) was a little hole in the wall...When I pulled up I noticed a sign
that said “Journey Fans—we are now meeting in the parking lot...” Well
terrific...back in the car and off to find Cat and the latest group of Journey
Forum folks (most of whom I’d never seen before!) As is often the case in such
things, I was early...this meant a great parking space for arrival, not
so great for departure. I found the Forum gang easily enough; alas there was no
shade, but the organizer of the gathering had thought to pick up plenty of
water and ice, thank goodness.
The heat soon got to us, so
Cat and I headed inside with Donna M. and we finally had some time to check out
Color—the band who had been playing the side stage for the whole tour. Pretty
darned good. The three of us decided that the lead singer was a mix of Freddie
Mercury, Jim Morrison, and Axl Rose (not vocally, but in presence). We went
inside shortly thereafter, and it wasn’t too long before we found Mark, fresh
off his Roadie for the Day assignment. He was grinning from ear to ear and was
so overwhelmed with the day he could barely describe it! Every once and a while
you meet a genuinely warm and kind person, and Mark is definitely one of those,
so I was just so thrilled for him to have the opportunity he did. He told us he
would be watching the show from the wings of the stage, which was just amazing
to me.
Being in the middle of
nowhere meant no post-show dinner, which wasn’t a bad thing...earlier to bed
for a change! Up again at 9:00 and time to check the directions to Rose’s house
and then to the hotel in San Diego. Amazingly, I made it to both places early
and didn’t get even the slightest bit lost!
to be continued...
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