Whiner Wednesday: April 3rd Edition

I started working out a gym about a year ago...I go five days a week, Monday through Friday, and spend 45 minutes huffing and puffing and sweating and grunting, all in an effort to fight gravity and fight aging, with every bit of effort I can give. My trainer is an ex-Marine, and he likes to pretend that we’re all brand-new recruits going through boot camp, rather than a bunch of middle-aged women who haven’t seen their twenties in...well...over twenty years.

Sometimes, when he tells us to “Drop and give him twenty” - or something along the lines of - I will protest, half-heartedly, with groans, sighs, and curse words said under my breath. He and I finally came to an arrangement where I am allowed to whine only on Wednesdays - “Whiner Wednesday” - as I call it - and it works out well. He doesn’t have to listen to me protest the other four days of the week, but I can let him have it on that one, glorious day that comes mid-week. It’s a win-win.

So, in that spirit - I’m going to do a Whiner Wednesday post today...talk about what is going on my life this past week...and perhaps groan, sigh or cuss under my breath - but also post when I think things are positive....

So, without further ado, here we go...here’s how the past week has gone:

What I’ve Been Doing

Whew. A busy week.

Hubby and I celebrated our 20th anniversary by heading to the place where it all began, the Grand Street Cafe, where we had our first date. We had a delicious dinner with a yummy appetizer of potato skins, that didn’t look like any potato skins I’VE ever had before. But they were Nom Nom Nom DELICIOUS!!

Seriously - does that even LOOK like potato skins??!! But Oh. My. God. They were sooooo good. I think I licked the plate.


That evening, Hubby presented me with 20 gorgeous coral roses - one for each year we’ve been married. Awwww. He so sweet.

Over the weekend, besides watching some of the March Madness of NCAA Tournament Basketball (and here I MUST insert, “Go War Eagle!!” Yes, my beloved Auburn Tigers have made it to the Final Four - squeeeeeee!!!), I spent some time with girlfriends. Sunday morning was brunch with unlimited mimosas at a local restaurant:

That evening, I spent some time with a good friend, Robin, who I see on a regular basis to discuss our passions: running, Disney and our family. Robin lives not too far from me, but I met her in an online Facebook group dedicated to running and Disney. It was bizarre to find out she lives within five miles - and is about my age - and so we make it a point to get together once a month and discuss our next races, or our next Disney trip - or just life. Girlfriends are the best.

Today, I had lunch with another girlfriend, who I met 15 years ago, and who I try to see as much as possible - but because of life, sickness, appointments, work, etc - I haven’t seen in six months. We were LONG overdue - so we had a lot to catch up on. Sorry, waiter - I left you a good tip since we took up the table. Hee hee.

What Book I Am Reading

The book I’m currently reading is called, “The Elephant in the Room: One Fat Man’s Quest to Get Smaller in a Growing America”. The author is Tommy Tomlinson...and I am seriously hooked. This guy can REALLY write a sentence - and I find myself chuckling out loud as he paints pictures with his words. A good read, so far - I recommend it.

What I Am Watching

My guilty pleasure has been binging on “Santa Clarita Diet”, which can be found on Netflix. It stars Drew Barrymore and the always-gorgeous Timothy Olyphant - and is the sick-but-funny chronicles of a suburban mom who turns into a zombie. It’s hysterically funny in a sick, twisted way, and I can’t stop watching. I recommend it.

What I Am Listening To

Old school. My favorite jam lately has been rocking out to The Steve Miller Band. I saw them in concert many, many years ago, and they’ll always be a favorite. Yes - I recommend. Obviously...hee hee!

How I Am Feeling

Well...if you were wondering when the whining was going to start, HERE WE GO!! Woot woot! Are you excited??!!

First, my allergies. Or sinuses. Or whatever it is. I DON’T KNOW AND IT’S DRIVING ME CRAZY. I. Am. Miserable. I can’t breathe. I can’t sleep. Headaches, drainage, sinus pressure - medicine, humidifiers, Kleenex - an endless carousel of dealing with some unnamed beast, and I am frankly tired. So, tomorrow I am heading to an ENT for some answers. I am hoping, praying and praying some more that I am not looking at sinus surgery FOR THE SECOND TIME. Gah.

Second, my elbow. I hurt it. It hurts. It doesn’t stop hurting. It has hurt for months. So - I broke down and saw an orthopedic doctor last week, who said, “Physical therapy for YOU!” And so that is what I’ve been doing. And that hurts. Gah. But I am hoping, praying and praying some more that it will make it better.

I thought that physical therapy for an elbow would be a piece of cake. I thought wrong. It kicks my butt every time I go in. Today, I got a nice steroid patch on my arm, so we’ll see if that brings some relief.


So - that’s my week. No more whining. Really, other than my nose and my elbow, there’s not much to whine about...and I’m hoping to get those fixed, right??!!

Here’s to another week, and here’s to doctors, medicines, drugs, and spring. Whee!

Rude, Much??!!

Sometimes, the things in life that are “supposed” to make our lives easier, actually lead to more frustration.

Such as autocorrect.

Today, I was texting with one of my sons...I’m trying to set up a photo shoot with my kids, and I was attempting to tell my son the location of where I wanted the photo shoot. There’s a beautiful park close to our home, with an enchanting waterfall...the park is located at the corner of two streets, Pryor and Chipman Road.

Which is what I was trying to type.

Autocorrect wasn’t having any of that, though - “Chipman” doesn’t exist in Autocorrect World, as I found the hard way:

How rude!

I really DO hate autocorrect sometimes.

Sigh.

Breakfast Club to Bristol to Barry Manilow

It's hard to believe that it's been 30 years since the release of one of greatest movies, like, EVER, in cinematic history….

I am of COURSE referring to "The Breakfast Club."

Sigh.

What an awesome movie.


Having seen said movie approximately 525,600 times - on any given day - it's understandable that I pretty much have the entire movie memorized, and can pretty much, at the drop of a hat, insert a cool quote from said movie into any given conversation.

Because there's only like 525,600 cool quotes to choose from…the movie is just one quote to the next…but a particular favorite of mine is when Bender says, "Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?"

Which segues into what the topic of this blog entry is all about, which actually, is NOT about "The Breakfast Club" (I know…try not to be too disappointed) - but about Barry Manilow.

Hubby and I went to see Barry Manilow ONE LAST TIME last night here in Kansas City - and I emphasize the ONE LAST TIME because that is the name of this particular tour. NOOOOOO - say it ain't so, Barry!!! One last time?? To see the idol of my 12-year old eye? Whose romantic ballads would croon me to sleep on my cheap little record player in my poster-laden room?

EEP.


Prior to the concert, though, Hubby and I headed to our favorite restaurant, Bristol Seafood Grille, located in Kansas City's Power and Light Entertainment District in the revitalized downtown area of KC. Normally, one doesn't associate "seafood" with "Kansas City," as we are known as the Beef Capital of the World…but Bristol manages to produce some seafood creations that can compete with any decent restaurant on the coast. They also have a terrific Gluten-Free menu, which makes ordering extremely helpful. Kudos to restaurants who are "jumping on the gluten-free bandwagon" (gah!) and making it easier on us poor folks who have food allergies or intolerances.

Anyway.

I began by ordering a delicious chocolate martini, which never fails to disappoint:


Pretty…yes??


I took one sip, and HOLY SMOKES, was this strong!!!! I'm pretty sure it was 99.9% alcohol, as it left a trail of fire down my throat. But oh, oh so delicious. We were off to a good start.



The gluten-free appetizers are pretty limited, so we stuck with what we know, and ordered our usual shrimp cocktail:



Presented on a 12" tray of ice, the shrimp are HUGE. And icy-cold. And tasty.

Nom. Nom. Nom.


For my entree, I went with the grilled salmon, with sides of roasted cauliflower with bacon, and whipped potatoes:



I normally sorta' freak out when I have two vegetables of the same color on my plate (yes, because I'm mature like that), but I love, love, love potatoes - and I was curious about the cauliflower, so I chose it instead of the usual green beans. The verdict on the cauliflower? Meh. It was okay. The "roasted" seemed to translate to a slight taste of "burnt" in my mouth, so I wasn't thrilled.

But the flakiness and seasoning of the salmon more than made up for that. It was divine - a true plate of Fish Nirvana.


Dinner was nearing an end, and we still had about 45 minutes before our date with Barry, (which was literally like, right across the street), so I was delighted to receive a text from one of my best girlfriends, Suzie, who was ALSO going to see Barry and was in a bar a few doors down.

It was a no-brainer to join Suzie and her friend, Rick, for a pre-concert drink. Suzie and I went to high school together and are now neighbors, and she can always make me laugh…especially after I've guzzled a strong martini:


I'm feeling no pain in this picture from that delicious martini…



Pretty soon, it was time to walk across the street and enter the Sprint Center, where we were all given green glow sticks:




Full disclosure. When I've had a martini, pretty much ANYTHING can make me happy. But a FREE green glow stick???!!

SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.


Making our way down to our seats, I noticed the concert demographics: predominantly middle-aged women (like me - go figure) with a few husbands who were there because they were good sports. It looked like a very happy and laid-back crowd, especially since everyone had their green glow sticks flying high.

Of course, before the concert started, I had to take the obligatory selfie:



Terrible photo…but hey. We were having fun.

Soon, the show started…but not until the TWO MOST ANNOYING EVER women sat down beside me. One of the women had seen Barry five times, which she stated to anyone - and everyone - who would listen to her, at least 100 times before the show started. The other woman had never seen Barry before, and had been "dragged" to the concert by her friend…which would prove to be a NIGHTMARE for those of us around her.

I'm stepping up on my soapbox for this…but seriously. If you have NO INTEREST in the performer…that's fine. But DO NOT SPEND THE NEXT TWO HOURS TALKING TO THE LADY NEXT TO YOU ABOUT YOUR MUNDANE LIFE, BITCHING ABOUT WORK, YOUR NEIGHBORS, AND YOUR DIET. The rest of us are not there to HEAR YOU BITCH in your loudest voice possible. We are there to hear the music. NOT YOU.

Gah.

Rude, much??!!

Stepping off my soapbox.

I swear, I could see steam coming from the ears of the people sitting in front us - so I know I was not alone in fuming about their rudeness.


But. Back to Barry.

He was fun. He was entertaining. He was energetic, especially for a 71-year old. He was enthusiastic, and he played to the crowd. He went through his extensive repertoire, with sometimes resorting to medleys, which was fine.



It was everything you'd expect from Barry and ONE LAST TIME.

Our local paper wrote up a review today, and from the tone of it, our reviewer enjoyed it as much as I did. Here's the link if anyone's interested:

Barry Manilow takes a Sprint Center crowd through a final arena extravaganza

All in all, a great night…with a great date…and great food…and great fun.

Peace.

The Happiness Project

Happiness…what does it mean?

It's interesting…I looked up the definition online, and I chuckled when I read that it meant, "the state of being happy." Yup - that certainly explains it, huh??!!


Which does beg the question, though…what makes you happy?


I've been doing a lot of thinking about this lately…most likely due to my feelings of sadness that have shadowed me since losing my father last month. I've felt burdened by tears and grief, and believing that my life was void of happiness. Sometimes, when faced with overwhelming grief or joylessness, it can be hard to find the small moments in life that make us happy…it's as if we can't be happy unless something huge or major comes along that surrounds us with glee and delight…and that's not a good thing.

We sometimes need to be reminded to find the happiness in the small things.


I needed a good kick in the butt reminder of this, and so I'm grateful to a friend, Kathi, who challenged me to find three things a day that bring happiness…no matter how big, no matter how small. And, of course, being the competitive person that I am, I will ALWAYS rise up to a challenge (or a dare, but we won't go there!), and so yesterday, I deliberately and determinedly looked for those small things that made me smile.

And boy - was I surprised by the results.

I didn't find just THREEE things yesterday…oh, no.

The day ended up being full of moments that brought a smile to my face…a warmth to my heart…pleasure to my soul.


The day began with a bowl of warm potato soup for breakfast:




Yes. I said potato soup for breakfast.

DO NOT JUDGE ME on my breakfast choice!!!

I had made a HUGE batch of homemade potato soup on Saturday, deliberately making extra so we'd have leftovers. And on Sunday morning, a nice, warm bowl of potato soup - with some cheese and bacon on top - sounded perfect for breakfast.

And it was. Nom. Nom. Nom.

Happy, happy, happy.


After breakfast, I said a quick goodbye to Hubby and Daughter, and then headed to a Ladies Holiday Brunch and Ornament Exchange. For three hours, I giggled, laughed, drank delicious mimosas, and played a cutthroat game of Swipe the Ornament with some delightful and super-fun women:



Okay, so we don't look like we're having much fun in this picture, but BLAME THE PHOTOGRAPHER (me!), because this is so not representative of the laughter - to the point of tears - that ensued later! I think we were actually listening to our hostess go over the rules of the game here…which is why we're all looking a bit serious. Stealing ornaments from someone else is definitely serious business, for sure.

I was also tickled because I was sitting next to THIS girl, Suzie, one of my BFF's - going all the way back to high school:



Suzie can always make me laugh and bring me out of a funk, which is a good thing…girlfriends are definitely good for the soul.


When it was my turn to play, I made a beeline for THIS set of ornaments and stole them from another lady:



I really, really, really liked these - as I decorate one of the rooms in my house with a woodsy theme, highlighted with bronze ornaments…these would go PERFECT in my house!! I did feel a tad guilty about swiping these beauties from the other lady, but I was assured it was all part of the game. My happiness in having scored the perfect ornaments overshadowed the guilt, though, so after a heartfelt apology to the original owner, I left the party very, very happy.


Hubby and I then headed down to the Kauffman Center to catch the matinee performance of Mannheim Steamroller:




The Kauffman Center is truly a gem here in Kansas City, and I'm always impressed at the beauty of the venue:



Pictures do NOT do it justice, as it will blow your mind pretty much every time you visit.

Before the show, I took a selfie of Hubby and I:



I'm a lucky girl, so this guy always makes me happy. I think the lady behind me doesn't look too happy, though - maybe she's sleeping…or most likely, checking her phone. Let's hope.


So, the concert was pretty amazing…I love the music of Mannheim Steamroller…so soothing, so relaxing, and so cool to watch them perform it live with the entire orchestra on stage. One song, though, had me in tears - Auld Lange Syne. Gah. I couldn't help but think of my Dad, and so I shed a few.


After the concert, it was going on 6:00 pm - and dinner was now in store. Hubby took me to one of my favorite restaurants, the Grand Street Cafe. And there, I was thrilled to discover they had a gluten-free pasta now on the menu:



This was a buckwheat farfalle "Mac & Cheese" dish - made with sun gold tomato, olive oil, fried kale, fontina cheese, pecorino & romano cheese, and smokehouse bacon.

EEP.

It was delicious. And gluten-free, to boot!!!

WIN-WIN!!!!!!!


And truly one of the best parts of the day were the pants that I was wearing:



I splurged on these Antonio Melani wool pants two years ago - after falling in love with the beautiful pattern & bronze/gold ribbon running through them - but I was a little too thick-in-the-middle to wear them.

UNTIL NOW!!!!

This running has definitely paid off, as I managed to fit into these pants all day yesterday with ROOM TO SPARE!!!!

Woot. Woot.

Happy, happy, happy - that was me!!!!


Strangely enough, I had a very, very vivid dream last night - about my Dad…and in my dream, my Dad was admonishing me for being gloomy and sad…telling me I needed to get on with life and enjoy the moments…coincidence???


Peace.

My Chat with Mickey Rooney

The time was the early 1980's, and I was the quintessential poor, struggling college student. Balancing several part-time jobs, along with a full schedule of classes, mix in some sorority and fraternity functions, and top off with a demanding boyfriend - my schedule was crazy, insanely busy.

Added to this was my passion for live theater, of which I couldn't - and still can't - get enough. The problem, though, was my empty bank account. I simply couldn't afford tickets to all of the productions that I wanted to attend.

The solution, when presented, was brilliant…I was offered an opportunity to volunteer as an usher at a local theater venue. For a few hours of work, I would then have the wonderful chance to watch visiting performances for free…FREE!!! Squee. After a brief bit of training, I soon settled into my role as usher, program giver, seat finder, and watchdog…and I loved it. LOVED it. The best part, though, was being able to take in the actors and actresses - most of which were nationally famous - as they weaved their magic on the stage.

I saw all sorts of shows those years…one that stood out was "A Chorus Line", which was dazzling in its choreography and music. Another one that stood out - for quite a different reason - was "The King and I" - which brought the illustrious one and only Yul Brynner to town. Before his scheduled performance, the ushers were given a HUGE list of demands that Mr. Brynner had personally prepared…he was extremely strict and regimented when he performed, and the list was almost amusing if it hadn't been so ridiculous. If I remember, he pretty much banned coughing during the performance - like that would be possible. It was pretty evident that his ego was as big as his head was bald. Geesh.

However…the show that stands out most of all was "Sugar Babies" - the Tony-award winning Broadway show that had starred Ann Miller and Mickey Rooney. Both Ms. Miller and Mr. Rooney were in Kansas City to bring this show to life for our town, and I had arrived a few hours pre-show to insure that the theater was ready for the performance.



As the five or six of us ushers prepped the seating area, a man walked out from behind the curtain on the stage…and called for us to gather closer. Imagine my shock when I realized that it wasn't the House Manager, as I had first thought - but it was Mickey Rooney, himself.

He sat down on the edge of the stage, and invited us even closer…where he then proceeded to introduce himself.

Yes.

Mickey Rooney introduced himself.

As if.

He then asked each of us our names, and where we were from…and he seemed genuinely interested in our answers. That wasn't enough, though - he then asked us for advice. Oh, not acting advice, obviously - but he asked what the best restaurants in town were.

Mickey Rooney - asking ME for advice???!!

Squeeeee!!!!

We talked for a few minutes about our town, and he then asked if we had any questions for HIM.

Well, duh.

The first question was who had been his favorite leading lady over the years, and being the gentleman that he was, he diplomatically answered, "Oh, they've ALL been wonderful!" He then went on to say how fortunate he was, that a guy who looked like HIM was able to work with Hollywood's most beautiful women (his words, not mine).

It was amazing.

I was having a conversation with a living legend.

What a class act. No demands. No diva act. No contempt for the "little people" who worked the house.

A true gentleman. After a few more minutes of chit-chat, he personally thanked each of us for our service, and then excused himself to go get ready for the show. I had to pinch myself as I thought, "Did THAT just happen? Did I just chat with Mickey Rooney???!!"

One thing I think he got wrong, though. I think the world was fortunate to have a guy like HIM.

RIP, Mickey.

TSO: Ticket Snafu Omnipresent

I'm cursed, I tell you.

CURSED.

There's no other explanation for this, really.

See, there's a certain band called Trans-Siberian Orchestra…perhaps you've heard of them? An "orchestra" in the loosest sense, playing classical music with a hard rock edge to it. Then throwing in some amazing laser lights, flames and smoke - all resulting in a mind-blowing performance good for all ages.

A lot of folks will call them "TSO" for short - but I've discovered that TSO does NOT stand for "Trans-Siberian Orchestra"…but "Ticket Snafu Omnipresent". This is because we've had not one…not two…but THREE ticket snafus with this group over the last ten years…which is not only weird, but downright frustrating. Gah.

Seriously, I do NOT know what is going on…as I have never, ever had these ticket issues with anything - or anyone - else. We have tickets to all sorts of plays, theater, concerts, etc - and have NEVER been cursed like we are with TSO. Very weird.

We started seeing TSO way, way back in 2002 or so…they would come to Kansas City and appear at a little venue called Memorial Hall, which had a grand capacity of 3,500. We'd pay a few dollars and sit practically on top of the stage - a very intimate experience, for sure, and one we tremendously enjoyed. No one had really ever heard of this group at that time, so we pretty much had them to ourselves, which was pretty cool. Snafu #1 occurred at this venue…our second year of attending…when we dined at a restaurant pre-show, and then went off and left the tickets sitting on the restaurant table afterwards. Didn't discover it until we'd arrived at the concert hall and discovered we HAD NO TICKETS. Yeah, imagine how happy Hubby was to turn around, drive all the way back to the restaurant, retrieve the tickets (which our waiter had fortunately stowed in a safe place for us), and then get back in time for the show. Not.



The band got bigger, their popularity grew, and it wasn't too long before they were appearing at a much bigger venue in Kansas City, Kemper Arena. Ticket prices went up along with their popularity, and although we still enjoyed attending their annual concert, we didn't quit have the intimate experience that we'd had before. Still, though, it was a family favorite, and we would often invite other family members to attend with us - grandparents, cousins, foreign exchange students - strangers off the street. We're friendly like that.



Snafu #2 occurred one year at Kemper…when the day of the concert, I couldn't find our tickets…anywhere. ANYWHERE. I turned our house upside down, searching for those gosh-darned tickets - EIGHT of them, by the way - to no avail. Those tickets had VANISHED into thin air. I accused everyone - even the dog - of perhaps accidentally throwing those tickets away, because TICKETS JUST DON'T WALK AWAY!!! In a panic, we drove to Kemper Arena that night, and fortunately, after working with the wonderful folks at Will Call, we were able to prove our purchase and were admitted to the show.(By the way - the eight missing tickets turned up four years later, when we moved out of that house and into our current house. They had fallen down behind a bureau, and were quite hidden. Oops. My bad.)

It was at Kemper one year when the band got so loud, and so raucous, that some ceiling tiles file down on some guests in the section next to us. They weren't hurt, fortunately…but that was exciting, especially for my kids. Things falling from ceilings always get their attention…and they still talk about that to this day.



Kemper is now closed for concerts, as Kansas City built a new and improved concert venue, Sprint Center, which is where TSO now appears. We're doing good if we're within 500 miles of the stage in this new venue, but it's all good. It's been pretty cool to see the legions of fans grow and appreciate the band; we feel sorta' like proud parents.



We had tickets for the 3:00 pm show today, and it was then that Snafu #3 occurred. I'd ordered the tickets months ago, and had stashed the envelope in a safe place, so they wouldn't fall back behind a bureau. When I went to go retrieve them today, I came up with four tickets…and yet, there are five of us. Hmmm…four tickets? But…we have five people? Houston, we have a problem. Why would I buy a ticket short??!! This made no sense, and I was kicking myself all morning…"What an idiot," I thought…."Do I really not know how many people are in my family??!! I can't believe I only bought four tickets??!! GAH!!!!!"



Upon further investigation, I discovered that I had, indeed, purchased the correct amount of tickets…but I had only received four in the mail. My order showed five. I received four. Did I ever bother to check the envelope when I first received these tickets months ago??! No. GAH.

So, off to Will Call we went this afternoon, and once again, they were gracious and fixed it. They're pretty much getting used to me by now, I think. I'm becoming a regular. Derp.



As far as the show - it was awesome, as usual. My daughter has loved, loved, LOVED the violinist since she can remember, and she's always inspired to continue her violin lessons after these shows. My boys love the lighting effects and the pianists, and Hubby and I just love the music. (Actually, I love Angus, the long-haired guitar player, but we won't go there. Shhhhhh…..)



A great family trip today…and here's hoping no more Ticket Snafus in the future. I'm getting too old for these.

Peace.

The Eagles: Takin' It Easy

So, the Eagles rolled into Kansas City last night for a one-night concert...and having been deprived my entire adult life, I had never seen them in person. I obviously could NOT die - yet - without having had the experience of being in the same room as Glenn Fry, Don Henley and Joe Walsh - so, I got tickets and rounded up the Hubby and away we went.


Obviously, choosing an outfit became of prime importance...I ended up going with a black skirt, black boots, and a black/leopard flowy" thingie that covered the imperfections:



I love, love, love these boots - as they are the most comfortable walking boots in the history of mankind. And I knew - between parking the car, walking to dinner, walking to the concert venue, and then walking back to the car - I would be doing some SERIOUS walking. And I needed boots MADE for walking, and these fit the bill. They. Were. Awesome.




I then adorned my outfit with enough necklaces, bracelets and earrings that I could seriously be the poster child for "heavy metal"...little did I know that this would result in a small issue later in the evening. All I know is, I jingled when I walked, and I thought it was lyrical. I liked it. So the jewelry stayed on.


Just a bit of the bling this night....



The concert was set to start around 8:00 pm at the Sprint Center, Kansas City's premier spot for performances:



Approaching the Sprint Center, the crowd was heavy - but VERY laid back. I mean, we're all aging baby boomers...our rebel days are pretty much behind us. Even the numerous cops, monitoring traffic, were laid back, joking with us as we headed inside. Once there, we all had to walk through a metal detector for security purposes, and here's where my "heavy metal" bit me in the butt. I think I pretty much set off not only MY metal detector that I walked through, but every metal detector within a five-mile radius.

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Crap.

I looked at the security guy in horror, as I realized it was my extensive bling creating this mess. The guy took one look at all the jewelry, rolled his eyes, and said, "Just GO!!!"

Sigh.

Bless his heart. If I'd had to take the time to remove everything, we'd have never made it to the actual show.

Once inside, we made our way up to the rafters - aka "Nosebleed Section" - and took a look at the growing crowds:



Yes. We were up high. But I'd only paid $40 per ticket...and I thought that was pretty reasonable. Besides, I'm blind with anything beyond five feet in front of me, so it didn't matter to me where we sat - all I was going to be able to do was listen anyway. Hee.

Anyway, at about 8:07 pm, the show began...and what a show it was.

Twenty seven songs.

Pretty much every greatest hit that the Eagles ever had.

Sung to perfection.

Performed with precision and passion.

It. Was. Amazing.

Glenn Fry...kept the show moving with humor and style, as well as a thoughtful shout-out to the hometown Chiefs...

Don Henley...still has an amazing voice and totally blew me away on "Hotel California"...

Some photos:


Pinch me, please...as this is surely a dream....







I was breathing the same air as these guys!!! Be still my heart!!!!



I know that I had thoroughly enjoyed it, but I wasn't sure about Hubby. He's normally more blase about things like this, so imagine my surprise, as we headed home in the wee hours of the morning, when he declared it the BEST CONCERT he's ever been to.

Squee.

Oh. And Joe Walsh?



He is still rockin' a guitar. Unbelievable.

Peace.