Bringing the Drama

(this is one of those stories that happened during my blog absence)

Here’s the setup: I am not one to have a strong opinion about different cities, but I love NOLA and HATE Houston. The hate started when I went to Houston to see Coldplay in 2007. I ate dinner with friends in SE Houston, then drove back to my friend Andy’s house in NW Houston and the trip was more than 70 miles. If I drive 70 miles, I want to be in another city. I drove 70 miles and I was still in Houston. It was like the Twilight Zone.

Last summer when I went to Denver despite Bono throwing out his back, I flew from NOLA to Houston and had a connecting flight to Denver. My connection time was probably between 30 and 45 minutes. We landed in Houston and I found out the connecting flight was a train and a bus away on the OTHER SIDE of the airport. THANKS CONTINENTAL! I have now learned that IAH is laid out so it is impossible to make a connection if you have less than an hour. The train moved very slowly. It is nothing like ATL’s train that whisks you from terminal to terminal with ease. I could have run faster than this train at IAH moved. After the train, I had to take a bus to the outpost where my connecting flight was, which apparently was an older terminal. The bus driver drove like he had nowhere to go, ie SLOW. The terminal had two sides, and my flight was on the 2nd side. We pretty much wasted a stop because no one got off at the first one. At the 2nd one, I hurriedly exited to try to make my flight. As my fellow Denver passengers and I walked up, the plane was backing away. We had missed our connection to Denver. We were trapped in Houston! I shook my fist in the air with fury!

The lady at the desk was able to book us later flights, but the damage had been done. We all had to ride the bus and train back to the bigger terminal to wait for the flights later in the afternoon. For those who enjoy diagrams, this is how my time at IAH went:

Arrive –> Train –> Bus –> Missed Connection –> Bus –> Train –> Depart

Instead of arriving around lunch, I would be arriving around dinner. I walked around and found a place to eat, and later a Clyde Drexler handprint that I compared my hand to. Finally, I boarded the flight to Denver and met up with my friend Adriene in the middle of a severe thunderstorm. Of course I did. Thanks again Continental and IAH for the ridiculous travel adventure.

one of my favorite pictures from when I went to Europe in 2008 was me running from a giant metal spider outside of The Louvre in Paris.

My travel companion Lori persuaded me to do it after a short discussion of “can we walk on the grass?” It was the first real tour day of Paris, and it was at the very beginning, before we found out The Louvre was closed.

Anyway, the reason I’m posting all of this is I found out via Ryan Adams (really, I’m not obsessed, I just clicked on a link of someone’s FB or something, and then he had posted a link with a picture of a giant spider like in the picture) that the artist responsible for sculpting the spiders (which are placed around the world), Louise Bourgeois, died last week. She was 98! She was known as the Spiderwoman. Imagine that.

Sometimes at work I’ll be looking something up on Wikipedia, and then the next thing I know I’m reading something I had no intention of reading, yet it is fascinating. One day a few months ago, I happened upon the page talking about Andrew Jackson, and read how the famous statue of him on the horse that I knew from Jackson Square in NOLA is also in Nashville and Washington DC. Intrigued, I made a plan to get my picture taken with all 3. At the time I had plans to go to DC for a youth conference, but those plans fizzled. When I made my plans for Nashville, I remembered reading about the statues. Luckily on Saturday, I was able to get my friends Brandi and Aaron to swing by the state capitol and Brandi got my picture. It was ridiculously cold BTW.

So now I have the one in NOLA which obviously shouldn’t be that hard, and the one in DC to get. I have no idea when the next time I’ll be in DC, but I didn’t put a time limit on getting the pictures. I read that there’s one in Jacksonville, FL, but the plaque on the one in Nashville says there are 3, so the one in JAX must be a late addition that won’t be required. However, if I end up in JAX for something, I’ll be sure to make it to the statue.

Because I’ve suffered from severe writers’ block lately but I still want to document the awesome things that happened over the weekend of my triumphant return to Nashville after a 2 year absence, you get the incomplete sentences of the awesome and not so awesome:

- shared plane with inappropriate singer
- lady’s excitement over inappropriate singer
- beer shopping
- trip to recycling collection place
- Dagny!
- well, now don’t you feel horrible for parking where kids in wheelchairs are coming out?
- 2 for 1 High Life
- seeing friends from across the room in the Ryman, feeling like a rock star
- realizing God still chases after me, no matter how unintentionally I seem to run from Him
- sleeping late
- ridiculous federal job app
- meeting blog friend Mandy
- making it to Fido for the first time ever
- Miles!
- Jack White’s house!
- eating sushi for the 2nd time ever
- interesting shop talk
- Hank/Hank Jr mugs
- Jack White’s record studio/shop was closed
- picture of me with Andrew Jackson statue
- Grimey’s with drunk Santa and ‘drunk’ elf
- Saints/Cowboys!
- “chicken/taco/really good whatever it is officially called” soup
- Missed FG! Craziness!
- Saints sadness
- awesome sermon at church
- leading the youth group boys to a gift wrapping championship
- blue coast burrito
- 5 NFL games at once
- free airport wifi
- home

This past weekend I went up to North Carolina for a wedding. I was flying, and had probably waited a little too long to book my flight, so I had to get a crazy flight time going to NC. My flight Friday was 6 am. SIX IN THE MORNING! It was on US Airways, an airline I had never flown before but my friend Kari had, and she’s had issues. I figured the 6 am flight was the first of the day, it wouldn’t be delayed, and I was not checking a bag. What could possibly go wrong?

I set my alarm for 3:35 am so I could wake up and have time. I packed almost everything the night before, so getting the final things together wasn’t a big deal. I left my house at 4:25 to make the 45 or so minute trip to the airport. There was no one on the road for obvious reasons, but the whole time I was nervous about making it on time because of that one time 3 years ago when I was late for a flight. I couldn’t be late for this flight. I made it to the airport about 5:15, plenty of time. I parked the car, walked in the terminal, checked in, and made it back to the gate by 5:30. I was wearing a long sleeved shirt because NC was actually cold, so I was a bit warm standing there. At 5:35 am, the guy at the gate comes on the intercom and says “Ladies and gentlemen, the crew got in late last night, so they’re still resting and we’ll start boarding once they get here.” WHAT?!? The 6 am flight is delayed? It’s the first flight of the day! Also, the crew had a late night, so they might be tired? GREAT! We waited until about 6 am, and the crew finally walked up. Freaking slackers, I had woken up at 3:35 and did my part to make it to the gate on time, the crew on the other hand did not.

We got on the plane and I put my stuff away. I had an aisle seat, which I don’t normally get, but they ended up being pretty nice. Everyone straps in and the pilot comes on and gives us some line about the FAA regulating how much sleep a crew gets each night, and they had to get their allotted rest, blah blah blah. So then he says “but don’t worry, we’re going to make it to Charlotte on time, watch this happen!” I thought to myself “he just said ‘watch this happen’”, and looked around to see if anyone else had heard it. I didn’t see anyone notice, because it was 6:15 and I guess everyone was still tired.

I tried to get some sleep, and did get some, but a whiny toddler in the back decided to make it difficult for everyone on board. Sedatives people, sedatives! We did in fact get to Charlotte on time. I did watch it happen. Maybe the pilot wasn’t so bad after all. I still didn’t forget them strolling in late though.

The connection flight to Greensboro was supposed to take off at 9:45 to arrive at 10:40 am. I had arranged for my friend Brandi to pick me up. There were some pre wedding activities she was having to do, so when I heard the connection was delayed 15 minutes, I texted her. Then we sat on the tarmac in a line of planes for another 15 minutes, so I got my phone out, turned it on, and texted her to tell her “we’re still sitting on the runway, I’ll call you when I land.” I thought for sure there was no way we’d make it to Greensboro on time after being delayed half an hour. The pilot didn’t tell us to watch anything, but assured us he’d try to get us to Greensboro on time.

I dozed off and the next thing I know we’re landing. I turned on my phone to check the time and it was 10:41. We were only 1 minute late after leaving half an hour late. How does this happen? Of course, the insanity of this happening caused me to have to chill at the airport for Brandi, which was fine because I was able to read in my grad school book and play in the arcade. They have Ms Pac Man and Galaga machines in the Greensboro airport, and they are only 25 cents! I’m pretty good at those games, so it occupied a lot of time. In fact, I gave one of my four tokens (seriously they had a TOKEN machine) to a guy that walked in right after Brandi texted me because I had no idea how long it would take her to get to the airport, and I didn’t want to make her wait with the excuse “hold on, I’m playing Ms Pac Man.”

Incidentally, this story allowed “watch this happen” to become one of the lines of the weekend. So to the pilot on the NOLA to Charlotte leg of my trip Friday, thank you. US Airways though, you suck, and btw, your $25 one way bag fees are a complete joke.

until i can type something about how awesome the PM show was, here are some stats and a link to all of the pictures.

180 – times I sang “Na” during “Hey Jude”
81 – total pictures I took
53 – times I realized why taking family vacations is hard
27 – times i randomly yelled “MACCA!” at concert
16 – times I said “that’d be a cool/lame name to have” at Twisted Root
14 – times I said “these guys suck!” referring to the opening band
12 – bottles of Fat Tire I brought home
9 – PM songs i stood for
4 – times I was referred to as Ari Gold when eating at Twisted Root
4 – times I used the hotel’s computer for the internet
3 – number of assassin teams I think were in Dealey Plaza
2 – Thin Mint Blizzards I consumed
1 – margaritas at Pappasito’s
1 – waffles I ate that were shaped like Texas
1 – free beers I had at the hotel

The past year or so, I’ve really gotten into watching soccer, specifically EPL. My friend Jacob’s gone hard core with it, so I’ve gone to watch the games live at a pub in NOLA with him. Then last year I got invited to play in a fantasy league so I had to learn the players and teams even more than I had before. The way the league works is the winner gets a jersey of their choice paid for by the previous year’s winner. That would mean this year Jacob will buy the jersey. Currently I’m leading, and I’m constantly checking EPL news whether it’s on ESPN or BBC. Not so much for the free jersey, but to win something that’s such a new found love and to beat guys that know way more about it than I do.

Anyway, so lately I’ve been thinking about the game I went to last year when I went to Europe. When planning the trip, I told Lori I’d like to go to a game if we could. She was able to plan our trip that we’d make the Sunderland/West Ham game. It was incredible. Most people in this country have been to football games and everything, and football in Europe is pretty much the same thing, if you had the college intensity at a pro game, amped up a bit beyond that. Lori’s friends who got us the tickets were from Middlesborough, and they told us they couldn’t believe they were having to get Sunderland tickets. The opposing teams hate each other. I’m talking hatred like college teams hate each other. Pro sports really don’t have that type of rivalry at all. I mean, I know as a Saints fan I should hate the Falcons, but it’s not like I hate the university of south carolina.

The morning of the game we got dropped off at the stadium and it was cold and rainy. We walked over to a pub across the street to get some beer and hopefully not antagonize any of the Sunderland fans. Jacob is a big fan of West Ham, the day’s opponent, and I was kind of actually going hoping to see WH win. Luckily no one really asked us who we were pulling for, they just thought it was funny that a couple of Americans would be going to a Sunderland game. They didn’t really have any food at the pub, so we drank a couple of John Smith’s Extra Smooths (I was pretty much only drinking stuff I couldn’t get in the US) and headed over to the stadium.

It was pretty cold, and once we got inside, the concourse was packed. We got up to the concession counter and got some food (Shepherd’s Pie!) and ate it in the concourse. Mostly because it was cold and rainy and we wanted to stay out of the weather as long as possible, also you couldn’t bring food down to your seats. We go down to our seats and they are on the front row behind the goal! We were pretty much behind one of the goal posts. I think they were officially in the family section, because the hard core guys who chant and sing were at the opposite end. The West Ham supporters who had traveled to see the game were also on the opposite end of the stadium, surrounded by police. Even though we were in the family section didn’t keep fathers from heckling and cursing or their kids from following suit. I thought it was funny how they booed a member of the opposing team when he was injured. I always want to do that when I think they’re really milking the injury (which the guy was). Oh, and NO walking vendors! The concessions also closed during the game, so no one was getting up to go get more beer or food. It was actually great.

The first half was cool, and the score was tied at 1. West Ham scored first at our end of the field, then Sunderland scored at the opposite end of the field. The game was pretty much back and forth until the very end. During the game Lori took refuge in the empty concourse and I later joined her. It was pretty miserable, but we went back to our seats soon enough.

The game was still tied at 1 at the 90th minute, so they went into injury time. IT is basically the time the ref adds to the clock to account for things like injuries or substitutions since the clock is constantly going. A lot of people had actually left by this time, I guess assuming the game would end in a tie. Sunderland had a couple of chances but they missed. The thing about actually being there, is it’s hard to figure out how much injury time is, so the game could have ended at any time. Sunderland kept firing, and then just when you thought the game would end, they got a goal. The entire stadium (or what was left of it) went insane! By the end of the game I was hoping Sunderland would pull it out, so when they did in such dramatic fashion I went crazy too. Lori and I were jumping up and down hollering our heads off and then the camera guy turns his camera back towards the crowd. We managed to get on the BBC! (at least Lori did) We got on match of the day! this clip is part of the MOTD clip, and Lori’s in the green coat and I come behind her, about 0:25 into it. I have never been that excited for a game where I had no vested interest in either team. Come to think of it I’ve never really been that excited for a game many times. I’ve been to see games won at the end, but there were plays leading up to them, so you kind of knew they were coming. The IT goal had drama building for 30 minutes and close chances, but nothing to make you think “all they have to do is kick the FG now” or “they’re going to run a play to hit a 3 to win”. It was an amazing thing to be a part of.

Peter King wrote about a game he went to last month on his MMQB article a couple of weeks ago. It was cool to see someone else had a similar experience.

So the full lineup for the ACL Fest came out today and I actually looked into taking a train, because looking on a map the Amtrak station was near where the festival is. Austin is one state over, I figured, it might take half a day or something, right? WRONG! This is the actual route the Amtrak webpage spit out: Slidell to DC to Chicago to Austin. THIS TRIP WOULD TAKE THREE DAYS! I think settlers in the 1800s could make this trip in a shorter amount of time! The US needs a better passenger rail system.

Three of the main headliners were huge to me in 1998, while KOL was not even a glint in my eye. Would I love to go relive 1998 in October? Yes please. The rest of the lineup is just packed with bands I’ve either seen before and loved (Decemberists, Felice Bros.) and bands I have not seen but really want to (Andrew Bird). The lineups at ACL have always looked good to me, but I’ve never been able to go for one reason or another. Hopefully this year will be different.

This past week/weekend was fantastic. and as much as i want to talk about all that, this story needs it’s own post. While at dinner on Saturday with my parents for my birthday, my dad told me my uncle had called him. they haven’t talked in 3.5 years, and it’s been something i’ve struggled with being in the middle of. i’m the only one out of my intermediate family that my uncle or grandfather will talk to, at least until last week. he told me that my uncle had called to say my grandfather wanted to give my dad his Jeep since he doesn’t drive it anymore. the conversation wasn’t major or anything, but it was something. like a crack in the dam. i told him that it had been a year since i stood in Notre Dame cathedral and lit a votive candle just for the relationship between my dad and my uncle and grandfather. (i had remembered this because earlier in the day i was watching that show Cities of the Underground, and they were in Naples going underneath of a church, so i remembered being in Notre Dame.) I can’t expect things to go back to normal overnight, but at least there’s hope.

Ryan Adams Road Trip Part 2, Night 2

have you ever been to a show where the entire crowd seems like they’re into it? i’m not talking just the people up front, but the people in the back too. it’s loud the entire time and there’s a certain buzz in the air. when i went to see Radiohead back in 2003, that’s what it seemed like the UNO Arena was. everyone stood from the moment the lights went down and the band put on a performance to match the intensity of the crowd. last Friday night in ATL for the ‘final’ Cardinals show, that’s what it was like, only in the gorgeous Fox Theatre.

getting there was pretty easy, but we walked around for a while looking for a place to eat. we met up with a couple of CJ’s friends at hit this highfalutin restaurant that had 40,000 different wines but only 6 different kinds of beer. i struck up a conversation with Clint all about RA and live shows and setlist choices and we were lost in our own world while the girls talked about something else. with it being a Friday during Lent, i ordered a portobello mushroom sandwich that wasn’t too bad. the service took a while, and it didn’t take much to get some of us anxious. after the bill was paid we left to walk the three or four blocks to the Fox.

Adriene was sitting with me, and i was kind of nervous not to go all fanboy, but she’s crazy about U2, so i think it’s relative. we walked down to the seats i got for free and i was amazed at how pretty the inside of the Fox was. its got more than the ornate theatres like in Birmingham or the old Saenger in NOLA. the ceiling was bright blue with stars, the seats were covered with custom coverings, and each armrest (at least where we were sitting) had the names of people who donated to restore the Fox. (Adriene gave me a history lesson after i went “who are these people?”)

the buzz in the theatre was palpable. everyone knew this was the last show, and everyone was hoping the band would make it count. the lights went down, and the roses lit up, and the theme song from Shaft started. the crowd started cheering and then the band walked out to Shaft! i thought that was great. they took their spots on stage and immediately kicked into Magick.

every song was ended with a roar from the crowd. we were hoping for a song out of the ordinary, and we got Dear Chicago and Blue Hotel early on. not exactly Hard Way To Fall but DC has been one of my favorites for a while, so it was good to hear it again. they poured through the heavy hitters for the first set; Cold Roses, Easy Plateau, Magnolia Mountain, Peaceful Valley. it was amazing. after the night before in Mobile thinking Ryan was just kind of dialing it in, tonight i could tell he was locked in. every song was played and sung with gusto, the performance was matching the intensity of the crowd.

the 2nd half i thought was where things slowed down when they started playing the hits (CPMU, OMSC, Stars Go Blue). the thing was about those songs, was that was the first time i’ve heard a crowd at a RA show sing loud enough together where if Ryan had stepped away from the mic the crowd could have taken over. the singing was so loud, it was incredible. i keep using incredible to describe the show, but it fits. it was one of those moments where you felt a part of something bigger than yourself, and for that to happen at a concert is hard. it felt amazing.

when they started Goodnight Rose, everyone seemed to realize that it would be the last song. the jams were fantastic, and at the end the volume of the roar rose even more. the band stood at the front of the stage to soak it all in. after they left, Dust In The Wind started. i thought it was a perfect choice, much like the Shaft theme song was the perfect choice to come out to. everyone i was with, including me, felt the show merited being a final show. no massive disappointment like the Nickel Creek shows were. the band poured everything they had into the last show, and if it was in fact their last show as a band, they can be proud of it.

listen to the show here.