![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vanillafluffyI've had an intense weekend.
For starters, Friday: Was supposed to be picked up at 10AM. Fortunately, I woke up before my alarm clock and showered and my clothes were laid out---because my phone rang at 9:35AM and![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
missybrat's SigOther was calling to say they'd be there in about 30 seconds. I skreeched at him and hung up, and godDAMN, they weren't kidding, because 60 seconds later, 'Brat was knocking at my door.
Yes, I'm grumpy first thing in the morning, the more so because 25 minutes early---5 minutes early, even 10, okay, I can deal with that, but 25 minutes? Seriously a pain in the ass. I was already packed, I had MOST of my stuff together---I *did* inveigle Brat to hook my bra for me, which probably saved us five minutes---by 10 AM, we were on 528 headed west.
Grumpy though I may be in the morning, Brat is fun to be with. Some people are not fun to be with on long car trips---and with people like that, "long" may be back and forth to Melbourne, never mind Tampa---but she and I do not have that problem. A good friend is someone you can get lost with and still laugh. In that sense, we're VERY good friends.
Apparently there are something like FOUR La Quinta inns in Tampa. We landed at one of the wrong ones first, although our driving around in circles *did* take us past a Salvation Army store. (Duly noted for future exploration....)
Our La Quinta was on Grand Regency Blvd---I say this because if you're ever looking for a nice place to stay in Tampa, this one is very nice. They didn't tear down all the trees when they built it, and have added additional landscaping to make it lush and tropical. The pool area especially makes it all worthwhile. (We checked in a little after 1, and she and I were in the spa enjoying the bubbles shortly thereafter.) There's something magical about floating on one's back, gazing up at a bright blue sky fringed with palm trees.
We got dressed and went exploring after that---which meant a visit to the Salvation Army store previously noted. I investedsocialhermit's gift in a bedspread---it's just the right colors to serve as a couch cover---a silver lame clutch bag to accessorize my ensemble for The Wedding, and a couple books that looked interesting.
We did some more running around---Brat was looking for a bank with an ATM, and it took a while; we were starting to think people in Tampa kept their money in their mattresses. Saw quite a bit of that corner of Tampa, and it's a shame we didn't go looking for the concert venue then....
Pictures were taken of us in our finery, which I hope to get copies of, (Hint, hint!) and we were off---when I say 'we', I mean me and Brat---her SO had a nasty migraine and opted out of the concert.
May I just say that Google maps didn't know where the fuck they were going? They had us making a left instead of a right onto the main drag (that we'd already been up and down about four times already that day), until we were going, Wait a minute, this is more that 2.8 miles, where the hall is N301? and asking a local who said it was a few miles in the other direction. It ended up being a road we'd gone the OTHER way on earlier...
The concert was supposed to start at 7:30...we didn't get there til around 8, so we only heard the last few songs from the Swedes who were the opening act. We were still in a good mood---that's why I say we're good friends, because I was laughing and not stressed. A month ago, I was bummed because I couldn't possibly go to the concert because I couldn't get time off, and here I was, and it's true, better later than never. It's a free concert, it's ALL good.
The part of the evening that made Brat happiest---and I mean she was cackling like a fiend---was getting free VIP parking. She has a handicapped tag because of her neuropathy, and thanks to that, we got to park a stone's throw from the front gate, right near the tour bus and the lurid pink stretch limo. (It was porn-star pink, I swear to god!) Since VIP parking was $30 otherwise, I think her glee is justified.
Rather than climb a shitload of stairs, we went around to the wheelchair ramp---by the time we got to the top, I commented that if I had been in a wheelchair, my arms would've fallen off fifty yards ago--- and ended up at a gently sloping grassy area that overlooked the stage and several gigantic screens as well as the mosh below.
Clearly, middle age has set in. I had no desire whatever to be down there---moshing is a sport for the young and indestructable.
Blankets were allowed, and I'd brought a quilt. We found a spot where we could see the stage and a couple of the screens, and settled down to enjoy the last few songs from Peter Bjorn and John, including one of the ones I'd heard on YouTube. (Young Folks, AKA "The Whistle Song" -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1FHIP4mLxQ -- The embedding was disabled, sorry.)
Depeche Mode went on promptly at 9, and they were amazing as ever. Can you spoiler concerts? If so, I'm sorry, but I'm going to describe a few things.
They had a sphere suspended over the stage, and in front of the big screen behind the band. The sphere was a key part of their show. Before they went on, it flashed DM is big primative orange letters, and during the show it did other things: It was variously, an all-seeing eye, a net full of balloons and a typewriter ball. (The younger generation may not have "got" that, but I thought it worked fabulously.)
This is the first time I've attended a concert with screens that could intercut onstage action with video images; it really enhanced the experience, especially with "Precious":
I don't claim to be all-knowing as far as DM goes, but I was able to sing along with some favorites: "Policy of Truth" and "Everything I Ever Needed". They did "Personal Jesus" as an encore and THAT was huge. They finished up with "Tranquility", which was perfect, dreamy and low-key.
Brat and I giggled and snarked and sang along by turns. We got free beads from TBT (local paper). I took my shoes off early on---there were a few mosquitos, but not too bad. The ground was a little damp, and the night rather dewy, so the quilt was a Good Thing. It was humid, but cool enough not to be oppressive. The moon was full overhead, playing tag with patchy clouds. We shared a snickers bar. And my other 15% got turned on.
I've said for years that I'm 85% het. There was this girl...20-something, I'd definitely be a cougar! The first time I saw her, I pointed her out to Brat as elegant. She had on a black dress, with a very 40s look to it: capped sleeves, fitted waist, knee-length with a cocktail hem, full and maybe lace? She had a bandana on as a head scarf, dark hair flowing down from under it. It was darkish, and she never got close enough for me to make out details. The second time she drifted past, it was with her boyfriend, and obviously, he hadn't put as much thought into getting dressed: Baggy plaid bermuda shorts and a khaki polo. Schleppy, we snarked.
By the end of the evening, the two of them were dirty dancing nearby, and honestly? I was paying more attention to them than to the stage. (I've been dry-humped at concerts by perfect strangers; it was not unpleasant.) And remembered a comedian---I think it was either Dennis Miller or Dennis Leary, I don't *think* it was St. George---who said the reason young men like such loose-fitting pants is because there's room in it for a hard-on the size of a beagle.
Getting out of the auditorium was easy enough. Like I said, we were close. Although I thought I was going to carry Brat back to the car when she spotted a bumper sticker that read, "The cruise control has PMS". The rest of the bumper was filled with a host of UU stickers; woohoo, someone else who knows the secret handshake.
The trouble was, we didn't go out the way we came in, and drove around for quite a while looking for something familiar. We *thought* the Steak'n'Shake we came to was the one down the road from the LaQuinta, but no. After we dined on burgers and fries and shakes, we drove around for a while longer, still perfectly amiable.
The show let out at 11, including dinner, we got back to the room at 1AM. I didn't sleep well; usually I take 2 ibuprofen and a muscle relaxer as a nightcap, but this time I didn't and I tend to be twitchy in strange places (and I'm not used to sharing a room/hous/space with anyone at night any more). So I was up at 7:30. I was using the facilities when Brat came in with the same idea. She was happy that her SO had made coffee before taking Jazz (his service dog) out for emptying. I was less happy, because I was back in the can as soon as she came out...I don't know if it was too much dairy or not, but we made a stop on the way out of town for some Immodium.
The La Quinta offers free breakfast---a very nice breakfast, I thought. I had a buttered bagel, strawberry yogurt and orange juice. Brat had fresh waffles.
We/she got a few pix of the pool area, and were checked out and on the road around 11, although there was the aforementioned stop for Immodium and a visit to Checkers at the request of SO. (We felt bad that he'd missed the concert, but he was philosophical about it.)
We didn't get lost on the way home, Brat was highly amused when I translated the sign for "Bay Lake Motorcoach Resort" as "Mud Puddle RV Park", we both marveled at signs for gator jerky ("Bet that doesn't taste a damn thing like chicken.") and I discovered that the ladies' room at the Lone Cabbage Fish Camp is to be used only in extreme circumstances...yeah, and if I take any more Immodium, my bowels are going to turn to cement.
After the party, I came home, took my nightly cocktail, and slept for 12 SOLID HOURS!
There's more---my party!---but I've been writing this for two and a half hours and need a break!
For starters, Friday: Was supposed to be picked up at 10AM. Fortunately, I woke up before my alarm clock and showered and my clothes were laid out---because my phone rang at 9:35AM and
missybrat's SigOther was calling to say they'd be there in about 30 seconds. I skreeched at him and hung up, and godDAMN, they weren't kidding, because 60 seconds later, 'Brat was knocking at my door. Yes, I'm grumpy first thing in the morning, the more so because 25 minutes early---5 minutes early, even 10, okay, I can deal with that, but 25 minutes? Seriously a pain in the ass. I was already packed, I had MOST of my stuff together---I *did* inveigle Brat to hook my bra for me, which probably saved us five minutes---by 10 AM, we were on 528 headed west.
Grumpy though I may be in the morning, Brat is fun to be with. Some people are not fun to be with on long car trips---and with people like that, "long" may be back and forth to Melbourne, never mind Tampa---but she and I do not have that problem. A good friend is someone you can get lost with and still laugh. In that sense, we're VERY good friends.
Apparently there are something like FOUR La Quinta inns in Tampa. We landed at one of the wrong ones first, although our driving around in circles *did* take us past a Salvation Army store. (Duly noted for future exploration....)
Our La Quinta was on Grand Regency Blvd---I say this because if you're ever looking for a nice place to stay in Tampa, this one is very nice. They didn't tear down all the trees when they built it, and have added additional landscaping to make it lush and tropical. The pool area especially makes it all worthwhile. (We checked in a little after 1, and she and I were in the spa enjoying the bubbles shortly thereafter.) There's something magical about floating on one's back, gazing up at a bright blue sky fringed with palm trees.
We got dressed and went exploring after that---which meant a visit to the Salvation Army store previously noted. I invested
socialhermit's gift in a bedspread---it's just the right colors to serve as a couch cover---a silver lame clutch bag to accessorize my ensemble for The Wedding, and a couple books that looked interesting.We did some more running around---Brat was looking for a bank with an ATM, and it took a while; we were starting to think people in Tampa kept their money in their mattresses. Saw quite a bit of that corner of Tampa, and it's a shame we didn't go looking for the concert venue then....
Pictures were taken of us in our finery, which I hope to get copies of, (Hint, hint!) and we were off---when I say 'we', I mean me and Brat---her SO had a nasty migraine and opted out of the concert.
May I just say that Google maps didn't know where the fuck they were going? They had us making a left instead of a right onto the main drag (that we'd already been up and down about four times already that day), until we were going, Wait a minute, this is more that 2.8 miles, where the hall is N301? and asking a local who said it was a few miles in the other direction. It ended up being a road we'd gone the OTHER way on earlier...
The concert was supposed to start at 7:30...we didn't get there til around 8, so we only heard the last few songs from the Swedes who were the opening act. We were still in a good mood---that's why I say we're good friends, because I was laughing and not stressed. A month ago, I was bummed because I couldn't possibly go to the concert because I couldn't get time off, and here I was, and it's true, better later than never. It's a free concert, it's ALL good.
The part of the evening that made Brat happiest---and I mean she was cackling like a fiend---was getting free VIP parking. She has a handicapped tag because of her neuropathy, and thanks to that, we got to park a stone's throw from the front gate, right near the tour bus and the lurid pink stretch limo. (It was porn-star pink, I swear to god!) Since VIP parking was $30 otherwise, I think her glee is justified.
Rather than climb a shitload of stairs, we went around to the wheelchair ramp---by the time we got to the top, I commented that if I had been in a wheelchair, my arms would've fallen off fifty yards ago--- and ended up at a gently sloping grassy area that overlooked the stage and several gigantic screens as well as the mosh below.
Clearly, middle age has set in. I had no desire whatever to be down there---moshing is a sport for the young and indestructable.
Blankets were allowed, and I'd brought a quilt. We found a spot where we could see the stage and a couple of the screens, and settled down to enjoy the last few songs from Peter Bjorn and John, including one of the ones I'd heard on YouTube. (Young Folks, AKA "The Whistle Song" -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1FHIP4mLxQ -- The embedding was disabled, sorry.)
Depeche Mode went on promptly at 9, and they were amazing as ever. Can you spoiler concerts? If so, I'm sorry, but I'm going to describe a few things.
They had a sphere suspended over the stage, and in front of the big screen behind the band. The sphere was a key part of their show. Before they went on, it flashed DM is big primative orange letters, and during the show it did other things: It was variously, an all-seeing eye, a net full of balloons and a typewriter ball. (The younger generation may not have "got" that, but I thought it worked fabulously.)
This is the first time I've attended a concert with screens that could intercut onstage action with video images; it really enhanced the experience, especially with "Precious":
I don't claim to be all-knowing as far as DM goes, but I was able to sing along with some favorites: "Policy of Truth" and "Everything I Ever Needed". They did "Personal Jesus" as an encore and THAT was huge. They finished up with "Tranquility", which was perfect, dreamy and low-key.
Brat and I giggled and snarked and sang along by turns. We got free beads from TBT (local paper). I took my shoes off early on---there were a few mosquitos, but not too bad. The ground was a little damp, and the night rather dewy, so the quilt was a Good Thing. It was humid, but cool enough not to be oppressive. The moon was full overhead, playing tag with patchy clouds. We shared a snickers bar. And my other 15% got turned on.
I've said for years that I'm 85% het. There was this girl...20-something, I'd definitely be a cougar! The first time I saw her, I pointed her out to Brat as elegant. She had on a black dress, with a very 40s look to it: capped sleeves, fitted waist, knee-length with a cocktail hem, full and maybe lace? She had a bandana on as a head scarf, dark hair flowing down from under it. It was darkish, and she never got close enough for me to make out details. The second time she drifted past, it was with her boyfriend, and obviously, he hadn't put as much thought into getting dressed: Baggy plaid bermuda shorts and a khaki polo. Schleppy, we snarked.
By the end of the evening, the two of them were dirty dancing nearby, and honestly? I was paying more attention to them than to the stage. (I've been dry-humped at concerts by perfect strangers; it was not unpleasant.) And remembered a comedian---I think it was either Dennis Miller or Dennis Leary, I don't *think* it was St. George---who said the reason young men like such loose-fitting pants is because there's room in it for a hard-on the size of a beagle.
Getting out of the auditorium was easy enough. Like I said, we were close. Although I thought I was going to carry Brat back to the car when she spotted a bumper sticker that read, "The cruise control has PMS". The rest of the bumper was filled with a host of UU stickers; woohoo, someone else who knows the secret handshake.
The trouble was, we didn't go out the way we came in, and drove around for quite a while looking for something familiar. We *thought* the Steak'n'Shake we came to was the one down the road from the LaQuinta, but no. After we dined on burgers and fries and shakes, we drove around for a while longer, still perfectly amiable.
The show let out at 11, including dinner, we got back to the room at 1AM. I didn't sleep well; usually I take 2 ibuprofen and a muscle relaxer as a nightcap, but this time I didn't and I tend to be twitchy in strange places (and I'm not used to sharing a room/hous/space with anyone at night any more). So I was up at 7:30. I was using the facilities when Brat came in with the same idea. She was happy that her SO had made coffee before taking Jazz (his service dog) out for emptying. I was less happy, because I was back in the can as soon as she came out...I don't know if it was too much dairy or not, but we made a stop on the way out of town for some Immodium.
The La Quinta offers free breakfast---a very nice breakfast, I thought. I had a buttered bagel, strawberry yogurt and orange juice. Brat had fresh waffles.
We/she got a few pix of the pool area, and were checked out and on the road around 11, although there was the aforementioned stop for Immodium and a visit to Checkers at the request of SO. (We felt bad that he'd missed the concert, but he was philosophical about it.)
We didn't get lost on the way home, Brat was highly amused when I translated the sign for "Bay Lake Motorcoach Resort" as "Mud Puddle RV Park", we both marveled at signs for gator jerky ("Bet that doesn't taste a damn thing like chicken.") and I discovered that the ladies' room at the Lone Cabbage Fish Camp is to be used only in extreme circumstances...yeah, and if I take any more Immodium, my bowels are going to turn to cement.
After the party, I came home, took my nightly cocktail, and slept for 12 SOLID HOURS!
There's more---my party!---but I've been writing this for two and a half hours and need a break!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-07 12:41 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-07 01:57 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-07 01:31 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-07 02:02 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-07 02:12 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-07 03:03 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-07 03:41 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-09-07 04:00 am (UTC)