ETA: A HUGE thank you to CMcKennaS who pointed me in the right direction as to how to add a background to your blog - it worked! You are awesome! The picture is a screencap from Louisville...you know, to go with the story.

ETAA: HUGE thank you to CarolinaClay for showing me how to post links (at the bottom of this blog)! Thank you!!!

Alrighty, well, I think I am done editing this finally! It's only taken me like 3 days to get it right!

Well, I said I'd talk about my adventures during the JNT. Let's start with my Louisville/Cincinnati weekend. This was going to be my FIRST concert of the JNT! I couldn’t wait! And, most importantly, we were allowed to take Clack! Woohoo!

Now bare with me cuz I am doing this from memory – and you all know how my memory is! I can’t remember everything that happened, but I’ll try!

WARNING – this is long!

So....I fly out to Indianapolis cuz it was cheaper than flying into Louisville. (Flying out of there was cheaper than flying out of Louisville OR Cincinnati too!) And Laura picked me up at the airport. We hadn't seen each other since the JBT! The flight was okay, from what I can remember.

So I get there and she picks me up and we start driving to Louisville - about 1.5 hours away. And we're talking and talking and chatting, and talking and all of a sudden she says, "The car is slowing down...why is the car slowing down???!!!!" So we (okay, she) manages to pull over to the right and just made it off the highway when............THE CAR RUNS OUT OF GAS!!!! We were so busy talking, we didn't even check the gauge! What are we gonna do? We just kinda sat there, silently for a few minutes. Then we started laughing. Only us! There was a sign there that a gas station was coming up at the next exit. So we get out and start to push! Haha! Yeah, we got really far with that. All of a sudden, a SUV (or is it an SUV?) drives by and slows down and parks in front of us! This guy gets out and starts running towards us! He asks if he could help, and we tell him we ran out of gas. He says, come on, we’ll give you a ride. Ummmm…what? I ain’t gettin’ in that car with strangers. Laura says she could see in the car and it looks like 2 women are in there. So cuz of that, she thinks it’s okay, and besides, we could REALLY use the help. So I typed 911 into my cellphone and put it in my pocket with my finger on the Send button. So we get there and I get in first. There was a woman driving and a young girl (maybe 16) in the back seat who I sat next to. They both said hi. There were TONS of bags and packages in the back. I felt a little better. The woman says, “we were just on our way home from a whole day out Christmas shopping, and you girls looked like you could use some help.” So we said yes, thank you very much! We repeatedly said thank you over and over. So we were off. We explained we ran out of gas, and didn’t know the area. They asked where we were from and I said Connecticut and Laura said Iowa, and they looked puzzled as to why we were meeting up in Louisville. So Laura told them we were there to see Clay Aiken. And they were like what????!!!!! You both came all that way just to see Clay Aiken? (Hey, at least they knew who he was!) And we laughed and said yup. They asked if he was coming to our towns. Yup. But we said that we hadn’t seen each other since the summer, and we wanted to get together again, and Louisville was in between us and we could also see Clay at the same time! So they accepted that as a logical explanation. Then I think the daughter says, “Didn’t he win American Idol? Laura and I just looked at each other and laughed. Then we explained that whole situation as well. Then I think the mother said, “I didn’t know he was in town, I would like to see him.” And the father and daughter agreed. They asked where he was playing and we told them and they said they lived right in Louisville, and the theater was not far from them. I wish we had extra tix!!! But we didn’t. We did tell them that we thought there were still seats available, and they should check it out. They said they might. I know there was more positive talk about Clay here (by them) but I can’t remember what.

So we get to the gas station and it was so far away! There is NO WAY we could have pushed the car there - heck, I don't even think we could have walked that far! Haha! So the guy goes in with us, and wants to pay for the gas can and the gas! No, no, no!!! He was really very nice. So we get the gas and start to head back. Again, there was some nice conversation here, but I can’t remember a darn thing. So we get back to the car, and we need to drive way out of our way on the opposite side of the highway, just to turn around. Finally there was an opening, and it didn’t even say no U-Turn so we go for it! We get back to the car and the guy puts the gas in for us. They were so nice. So the car starts and they say they are going to follow us back to the gas station. Everything was happening so fast, we didn’t even get their name or anything! But, we figured when we got back to the gas station, we would thank them and Laura was going to give them her copy of MOAM and I was going to give them a copy of Clack. So we get back to the gas station, and it looks like they are pulling in behind us, but no! They pulled back out and turned around! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!! We didn’t even get a chance to thank them or get their names or anything!!!!!!! We felt SO BAD!!!!!!!! I only wish great things and happiness for that family. We wanted to thank them and stuff so bad you have no idea. But they were gone. We even drove down the road trying to find them, but no such luck.

So we head out to the hotel. It’s starting to turn dark and we can see the hotel in site! But how on earth do we get down there? Wow, look at that bridge – it’s all lit up in purple lights!!! Cool!!! (Purple is my fave color). Back to, how do we get down there? Hey, we’re on the purple bridge! How on earth did we end up here??? Hey, now we are heading OUT of Louisville! Help! So we drove around for like 20 minutes trying to get down to the hotel. Must’ve now crossed that lovely “purple bridge” about 3 times. Somehow, someway, we finally made it to the hotel! But we are hungry! Laura’s friend, Mary, was already at the hotel waiting. We called her to let her know we were there, and we were going to try to find something to eat cuz we were starving. Well, we were afraid to leave, and all that was there was McDonald’s so we went there. Finally we got into the hotel, had just enough time to eat and change and then we were off to the concert! My first of the tour! Did I already mention that? Yeah, I was excited.

We had 3rd row seats and they were close to the stage – amazing seats and an amazing concert! You all know, I don’t need to explain it. And best of all, I got some great Clack! We were REALLY close so it came out crystal clear. And I couldn’t help but zoom in a lot. Hehe If anyone hasn’t seen it and is interested, you can find it at ATCA under Videos under the link to the Second Half of the JNT. Cincinnati can be found there as well.

The next day we headed off to Cincinnati, and you know what? I really can’t remember anything after that! I see Clay and then my mind goes all foggy after that! Haha! I know we went there though. (Duh, of course I know cuz I have video! Haha!) Although I do remember this part – when we had bought tix for Cincinnati, all we could get was 15th row, so the day of the concert we went up to the ticket window, and the lady was like, oh, I have first row, and we were like where? And she pointed to the first row right in front of the stage, kinda center, so we were like, we’ll take it! Come to find out, she was wrong, and it was 1st row of the orchestra, not of the pit – even though that is where she pointed. But the 1st row of the orchestra was still 5th row, so that was good. Better than 15th anyway. Oh yeah, I remembered something else. When William Joseph was on, Laura started videotaping, and security came up to her and said no video!!!! What???!!!! So during intermission we found the guy and told him to please go talk to Clay’s “people” about it. Well, he was kind enough to do so (during the JNT, we came across some that would NOT), and he came back and apologized and said it was okay. Yay! So, of course, it was another great show. But you all know that already.

So afterwards, we went back to the hotel, and when we checked in, they told us we would have to use the back elevators to get to our room, and that we might have to show our ID or something. Hmmm…that was odd. Anyway, so we were really hungry. And we had noticed all these people walking around in these jerseys that looked like a team of some sorts or something. And there were people walking around with their faces painted and stuff. We just figured whatever team it was for, was playing there. Then we noticed some kid handing some guy a magazine, and then the guy signed it and they took a pic. Must have been someone on the team. But he really didn’t seem too interested to be doing it. Heh. And we also saw a couple guys walking abound with "scantily clad" women in each arm. rolls eyes Anyway, so we started driving around looking for something to eat. The valet told us these directions to a McDonald’s. Well, we followed his directions and nothing. We drove all around and couldn’t find anything that was open! So we finally headed back to the hotel. When we got there, some guy was getting out of his car with some McDonald’s! What???!!! No fair! We were like, hey, where did you get that! The guy told us, but we were not venturing out again. So he went to check in and we headed to the back elevators. Then he came running up to us and asked if we were heading to the back elevators and we were like yes, so he said, okay, then I’ll follow you. So we are riding up in the elevator together smelling that McDonald’s and boy did it smell goooooood!!! (Okay, what is up with all the McDonald's this weekend? I didn't even realize it until now when I am writing about it! Haha!) He even offered us some, but no. We couldn’t. We sure regretted it later though! Anyway, so the next morning, we are checking out, and who is there, but the entire Cincinnati Bengals football team! Haha! And the guy who offered us the McDonald’s was the coach! Haha! Or something along those lines, cuz he was the one rounding the guys up and stuff. By the way, the only reason I know who it was is cuz I read their jerseys. I’m not into sports. So anyway, that was interesting. And they were obviously staying in the same area we were, which is why we might have had to show ID. They were quiet though. I don't know why I would think a football team would be loud.

So that’s about all I remember. Hope you enjoyed my latest adventure!

This has absolutely nothing to do with what I wrote about, but I just wanted to add - I am so proud of myself cuz I made a montage to BFM that actually works! It was hard work!

Here is a link to download it if interested:

Back for More Montage