My flight home was uneventful but we had a really fun time there. Sawyer Brown (Sawyer who?) was booked to appear at the local Community College on March 15, 2002 and can you guess who was booked to open for them? Yes, Randy and the Saltwater Cowboys were coming back!!! You know, I tried really hard to get BlackHawk booked there or at the Washington Twp. Center for Performing Arts. Anyway, Randy and the guys gave a stellar performance and I gave Randy a bouquet of flowers at the stage. I kid you not, they keep getting better and better and I long for the day when I can say, I'm going to Nashville to see them! Sawyer Brown gave a really good performance too. But again, it was amazing to see the amount of people who flocked to Randy's merchandise table! I made certain that Melissa (Randy's wife and oh so sweet) got those flowers to take home to Maryland.

A few days later, I received a newsletter from Club Montana West in Upper Darby, PA that BlackHawk was scheduled to appear there on 4/3/02 and I immediately emailed the Fan Club about a meet~n~greet or if it was a listener appreciation show where there may not be one. I got a response that they knew nothing about it and if it was a listener appreciation there may not be a planned meet~n~greet. A short time later, the show was confirmed as a listener appreciation show and it was listed on the tour dates on the BlackHawk Fans website. My friends and I decided to make dinner reservations there so we'd be some of the first to be let into the club before the show started. Once inside, Charmaine rode the mechanical bull and almost fell forward in the direction of the horns...yikes!

Not long after BlackHawk took the stage, Henry began to acknowledge some of the fans they knew, which I think is such a very cool thing for artists to do. When he noticed me he said, "aren't you from CT and I said, no. He then said, no wait...Philly? And I said no and he said I know I met you in NJ and I said yes and MA". He couldn't remember my name though but you know what they say about the mind being the first to go. Hmmm...now where was I? I guess it's true!! LOL Henry thanked me for the Birthday present I sent him the year before which was also before they asked that in lieu of personal gifts that fans make donations to the Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Research fund. This was amazing in light of the fact that it was the only thing I'd given him!There was no planned meet~n~greet for after the show since it was a listener appreciation show so I had passed Henry a note at the stage. I was so not prepared when someone yelled out for him to read it and he actually did, only he improvised almost the entire content. It was really hysterical and I thought I would die when the videographer stuck the camera right in my face! Now I have to think of some way to get him back for that stunt. LOL A few minutes later, Cadillac Jack brought out 3 shots, one for Henry, one for himself and one for me. Later after the show I thanked Carol and BlackHawk for letting me interrupt their dining and Roy from XTU for snapping the photo of Henry and I. My friends were disappointed that they were not able to meet the guys that night but it happens sometimes and tomorrow afterall, is another day.

What's that...there's a bill in the Senate that would increase the length of Daylight Savings Time; meaning it would begin a month earlier and end a month later, making for more daylight? Wooo*freakin*Hooo!!! Ever since a serum was developed that would allow people like me to go out in the sun without turning to dust, I have been loving daylight. As long as I can keep dodging those stakes and holy water, I'm fine! LOL Now where was I. Oh I know, I was about to have a bite.

As the months draw closer, the excitement begins to mount about Fan Fair. Fan Clubs send out notices of the upcoming parties which is definitely preferential over buy tickets to the shows at the Adelphia Coliseum and passes to the Convention Center where you could get autographs and photos at the artists booths. In my opinion, the parties offered the best of both worlds. I had been to and would go to so many concerts, that the free time in the evenings in Nashville, would allow for more breathing room. You not only received a performance in an overall more intimate setting but you were fed (which came with the price of the ticket) and you received a meet~n~greet. You were also given the opportunity to meet up with old friends and make new ones. There was no way I was about to miss BlackHawk's Benefit at the Vanderbilt School of Music. The proceeds went to the Van Stephenson Memorial Cancer Research Fund and as soon as tickets were on sale, I made my purchase. Plans were made to stay at an Extended Stay off of Briley Parkway, where Jamee and Sheron would be staying. And I believe we drove the 14hrs. down to Nashville on 6/10/02 if my memory is correct. It was a long drive but it was exciting because we were heading for Music City. After the eerie experience we had on Rt. 66 at about 2:30A, we vowed to avoid that highway in the wee hours again. Jamee and Sheron had plans to attend other parties but the following morning, we all decided to head to the Pancake Pantry for breakfast. The place is always packed and I'm not sure if it's as much due to the food or the fact that you never know who you might see there. The next stop was Keith Urban's party at the historic Belcourt Theater. Jamee and Sheron had not planned to attend the party but seeing that Scott Huber was now Keith's road manager and after hanging out a bit and finding out there were still some tickets left, they decided to attend. While waiting in line to get in, I met up with Cindy who I'd met in FL at the Mets Spring Training camp. It was at this time, I would learn that Virginia had lost her battle with cancer. As the tears streamed down my face, Cindy pleaded for me to get a hold of myself before she started to cry herself. She told me that Virginia had gotten to see Garth again before she passed away and she was happy about that. She also said he knew about her passing and was sad to hear about it. The only downside to Keith's party was that our seats were in the back of the theater. It was learned too late beforehand that although postcards about the party were responded to promptly once received by mail, tickets could also be purchased weeks before on the website. That was not good and not fair for the fans who didn't spend time on the message boards. Nonetheless, the party was a lot of fun and you could purchase a photo of you and Keith from a professional photographer or have yours taken with your own camera.

Later that evening, my friend at the time and I headed to the Wildhorse Saloon for the Chely Wright and Friends Show. The fan club was to have had their party there prior to that and then the place was to clear out, giving everyone a fair chance to get a good seat for the performances and auction. Much to our dismay and I suspect that of a lot of others, we learned that the fan club party attendees were allowed to stay inside. At one point, while in line I spotted Bob from the Opry 75th Anniversary. You remember Bob, he's the one who looks incredibly like Garth. Bob had a cowboy hat on and a pair of sunglasses but I'd recognize him anywhere. When he spotted me he came over to give a hug and say hello. He smelled completely delicious and when he took his sunglasses off, I thought my friend would have a heart attack. Getting lost in his eyes was not only easy but you really couldn't avoid it. After chatting a bit and taking photos, Bob and his friend took their places in line around the block. Once inside we grabbed two stools at the bar after quickly surveying the situation and watched as many perused the upper level only to find no empty seats. Bob and his friend found 2 seats off to the side within sight of Cyndi Thompson who was performing there that night and who Bob was completely enthralled with. He had also met a young lady while he was in Nashville, who was not exactly happy that he kept coming over to us. Keith as well as some others performed that evening and it was made clear early on that there would be a surprise. The surprise turned out to be Chely and Sissy Spacek singing Coal Miner's Daughter with none other than Miss Loretta Lynn. Knowing how much Jamee loved Loretta, I called her on her cell phone and held the phone out so she could hear. After learning that Loretta was there, she and Sheron ran a few blocks to the rear of the Saloon. There she met Loretta and had her autograph a photo for me and one for herself. She asked for a photo with Loretta but she replied that she didn't think "they" would let her. Jamee was so excited over meeting Loretta, she cried. The auction was a huge success and I believe the t-shirt that Keith was wearing went for something like $9,000. It was apparent that the bidders were not just fan club party attendees. No one I knew could or would fork out that kind of money unless they took out a second mortgage. LOL I think we scared Bob when we asked if we could meet up for lunch down there one day. I was no longer the shy little thing I used to be and you never know if you don't ask right? Bob is from Rochester, NY and what would he do with 2 women, he must have wondered. How about eat lunch?? LOL He said we hadn't scared him but I've seen a deer caught in headlites before. At any rate, he's a sweetheart!

The following morning we headed to "________ Recording Studio" where Jamee and Sheron had found out a number of artists stop to give interviews during Fan Fair. They start arriving early, so there was no time for breakfast. Who needs to wait in long lines at the booths at the Convention Center only to have the line cut off before you get an autograph or photo. Once the artists begin to arrive, sometimes there's a line out onto the street as the valet parking guys hurry as fast as possible to get the cars parked. This day would be one of 2 busy days there and we ended up seeing Steve Holy, Andy Griggs, Brad Paisley, SheDaisy, Charlie Daniels, Joe Diffie, Jamie O'Neal and Kellie Coffey. I had emailed Kellie later thanking her for her time and how her song, "When You Lie Next to Me" had really moved my friend Barbara after the loss of her husband Ron. She wrote back thanking me and said that was what she had hoped to accomplish through her music. Kellie's Krew said she wanted to respond herself. See what's so real about Country music and it's artists? We also saw Keith and I not only got a photo with him but I also got a photo of his car and I blurred the license plate before I posted it here on my site. It was bad enough that 3 years later Country Music magazines would report of Keith being stalked by some guys, let alone my fostering such actions by revealing a license plate. This was also my first time meeting Trick Pony. When Heidi asked my name to sign my book, she started writing it but she began to misspell my name. I didn't say anything because Keith had misspelled it also but she said, "I'm sorry honey, you should have spoken up." We also saw Rhett Akins, Darryl Singletary, Tommy Shane Steiner, Scott Huber and Henry Paul, Dave Robbins and Randy Threet. Jamee and Sheron were disappointed that BlackHawk did not come over to us as they had come from the rear but some do have appointments and it is rather hectic during Fan Fair.

The following day was hectic for us! That morning we attended BlackHawk's Benefit concert during which Henry and Dave tenderly spoke of Van's last days and once Henry's tears began to fall, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. It was an incredible acoustic concert and one that I will never forget because it was my first glimpse at the hearts of men who dearly missed their friend. I told Henry afterwards that it was the first time I cried at a party. Sure it was a benefit to raise money for the research fund and not so much a Fan Club party but it was also to me a party to honor the memory of a talented, kind, spiritual soul whose music touched so many and who I regret having never met and to celebrate him having been loaned to us for a while. Just before the meet~n~greet, Betsy the Fan Club President announced that if anyone had somewhere to be they should get in line first. We had tickets to the City of Hope Softball Game and I got autographs from the guys including having Henry sign my Grey Ghost (Henry Paul Band) Album and had a photo taken with him and Dave. I wore the t-shirt that Mark (BlackHawk fan) had sent me after seeing the shirts he'd made at the BlackHawk show at Club Montana West that says "Live at the Fox" on the front and "BlackHawk" on the back and sitting in the hot sun in a black shirt at the softball game after the rain was something that I had to endure gleefully. Mark said that his girlfriend was not a big fan and he thought I might appreciate more. He was right!

More to come..........