Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi!!


Thursday morning the plan was to leave my house at 9:00 am to meet my friend Jeannie at her house. But first things first... I had to drive my son to the bus stop. I'm so excited I end up waking up early and get him to my MIL's with time to spare.

I get home and pack. I had done a little the night before, but I still had to pack up make up etc as I go.

Around 9, I'm ready to go but I end up taking a couple more trips into the house. I was struggling with stomach pains, but nothing is getting in the way of good times!

After filling up my gas tank, I guess I'm really on the road around 9:20. But hey, that's pretty good for me!

I drive through through Boonsboro and see the hotel Nora Roberts was building, and the charred remains. Very sad. But as I know Nora is a fighter, I'm sure the next time I'm in the area I'll see a new building arise from the ashes. And the stones are still there. As they will be for years to come.

I meet Jeannie and we hug. Man, I've missed my friends. Then after two hours on the road, I'm back on the road again. But this time I'm not driving so it's all good.

After a couple traffic jams, we get to Jen's house. More hugs.

We hang out and talk a little while. Get ready. Then we're out the door and on the way to DC.

Jen discovers her right turn signal is out, but really, who needs a turn signal in the city? ;o)

We drive through some places near DC that I had only heard about on the news...and not in a good way. Once we're in DC, one of the first things I see is the new National's Stadium. I take a picture and send it to my husband. It's HUGE.

Jen navigates through the city while Jeannie prays to God, Oprah and Tom Cruise in the front seat. I worked in DC for awhile, but it's been years, and I'd forgotten how hectic it was. Yet, in so many ways I miss it. It's hard not to feel alive when you're near so many people on the move. Working where I do now hidden back amongst a lot of industrial buildings doesn't quite have the same vibe.

But I digress...

A few more scary moments later (I thought Jeannie was going to jump out of the car a couple times) we get to a public parking place.

First on the agenda is dinner. We jump in a cab and Jen takes us to this Mexican restaurant she loves. And with good reason!

She orders us tons of appetizers and drinks called Margarita swirls. Mmm! They are strawberry and regular margarita swirled together.

And the appetizers! OMG! They are to die for. I think I had a moment. Especially the guacamole. I could eat that without chips. Oh, and the chips! They are homemade right in the restaurant. Light and flaky...mmm.. Damn, I'm hungry now. Where was I?

Here is the link to the restuarant:

Lauriolplaza

I order the Enchiladas De Mariscos and seriously... I can't even describe how good they are. And after two Margarita swirls, I'm so ready for some Bon Jovi!

We jump in another cab, but this time we're so "happy" that the cab driver laughs at us the entire ride to the MCI center.

After a couple of walks down the sidewalk trying to figure out where the entrance was, we're inside. We go to the second level up and wait in line to buy merchandise. This shit is expensive! Jen ends up buying a Bon Jovi thong for $20, while Jeannie's yelling at her not to buy and butt floss. Did I mention she yelled this? LOUDLY. Good times...lol

After Jen and Jeannie buy their stuff, a couple of people cut in front of me. I hear Jen yelling at me from the side, "Be aggressive, Melly!!" I act like I can't hear her. I'm not sure I want people to know I'm with the girl who buys Bon Jovi butt floss for $20. LOL Then it's my turn. The inner happy drunk girl was telling me to buy a bunch of stuff, but that small voice who knows payday isn't for another week is saying, "You'll regret it tomorrow..." Luckily that voice prevails and I only buy one Bon Jovi t-shirt. But that was still $40!!!

$40 for a t-shirt!!! Things sure have changed since that first Bon Jovi tour back at the Caps Center for Slippery When Wet. Yes, back in my day... Oh shit. Never mind. I'm really not that old!!!

We finally go to our seats...and OMG. They are freaking HIGH. I look down and think, "Oh shit... I'm dizzy." Yes, I'm normally dizzy anyway, but add alcohol to the mix, and well... It's not good.

We're at the end of the aisle, which is good and bad. It means we can get out easily, but we end up doing a lot of standing up and sitting down when the assholes who seems to really like beer end up leaving every five minutes throughout the show. Even at the good parts! Why are you at a concert if you don't watch the whole thing?? Pricks.

But I digress...again.

I decide I need to pee before it starts. I have a weak bladder these days (oh hell, I am old) and I know if I start jumping up and down or anything...well, it will be like that first time I got drunk...oh wait, I wasn't going to tell that story.

The bathrooms are gross, of course. I wasn't totally surprised by that. I try to do my business and go, but first I'm stomping toilet paper off the bottom of my shoes. WTF? lol But at least I noticed before I left. Margarita goggles don't always let me see these things.

Daughtry comes on. I wish I could say he was looking really hot and totally rocked the house down, but honestly... The don't use the big screens for him and the sound sucked. Half the time I didn't understand what he was singing. I could recognize some songs, but not all of them. The only thing I know is that whenever he said Bon Jovi, the crowd went wild.

The one part I do remember the most was when he was about to sing Over You, he said, "This is a song about being dumped." lol Pretty much sums it up.

Daughtry goes off and the place starts getting packed. We're standing up and sitting down a whole lot of more.

Then the moment comes... Bon Jovi. Oh my. It's just as electric as it was those other three concerts I went to.

Let me see if I can just highlight some of the big moments:

Runaway. I love when he goes way back.

Wanted Dead or Alive. No matter how many times I've seen him sing that song it's always the same. You can't hear him, just the crowd singing. But its a beautiful thing. Gives me goosebumps.

I'll Be There For You. Just one of my favorite songs of all time.

It's My Life. Just such a great message in that song. We really won't live forever.

Bon Jovi hasn't lost a bit of their ability to put on a good show. I was bit sad, though, because I hadn't realize how much I'd lost track of their last two CD's. (I almost said albums...do they use that term anymore? I'm not old! I'M NOT). Usually when I'm at a Bon Jovi concert, I recognize the song the minute Ritchie strums a chord. But no more...

There was one song... I can't say for sure what it was... When the whole crowd as singing in unison after it was over, Jon said, "Sweet." lol It cracked me up.

Oh, and for some of the concert, he's on this platform which is to the side of the floor seats and right in front of some of the people in the seats going up the side and using Jeannie's binoculars, you could see those women just LOSING it. Not that you could blame them. I was a bit envious. But I'm sure if I had been, I would've just been twirling my hair, nervous as hell.

That's just me.

Oh, and BTW, Tito, the drummer? His arms are HUGE. OMG. Dude. There's nothing like a set of big arms on a man.

Where was I? Oh, yes. So there's an encore. And Jon mentions how much he loves DC and will be back. And he mentions the Capital Center. People go wild again. It's amazing to think about how many of those people who were there with me during that first concert I went to (and the second) are there now. Not that I would recognize them...but you know what I mean. We are the diehards. Bon Jovi fans to the end.

Anyway, we leave towards the end of the encore to avoid the crowds, but there are still a lot of people on the street. Jen loses her cell phone, and a park police finds it and calls Jeannie on her phone, but honestly, I didn't know what the hell was going on. lol Typical.

We leave and go back to Jen's.

That night, as I'm trying to sleep, I was wishing the ringing in my ears would just go away. But that kind of makes me sad, since in the "old days" I would've enjoyed that sensation knowing it meant I had lots of fun.

I did have a great time. One of those times in my life I will never forget. But I'm old. I admit it. The good thing is that I'm not the only one.

Bon Jovi is awesome and I'm sure I'll be there again.

The one bittersweet moment of the whole thing is that I wasn't with my friend Robin. But I thought about her a lot. The next concert she's going if I have to drive down there and pick her up myself. We'll find a babysitter!!

Now I must go and do something domestic. Or sit here and surf the web some more. Whatever...

I walk these streets, a loaded six string on my back. I play for keeps, 'cause I might not make it back. I been everywhere, still I'm standing tall. I've seen a million faces and I've rocked them all...

I'm a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride. I'm wanted dead or alive. I'm a cowboy, I got the night on my side.I'm wanted dead or alive.
Wanted... Dead or alive...