A Sign!

After giving blood yesterday, I was sitting at Caribou replenishing my fluid supply with a mint mocha latte.  I was also monitoring the Gentlemen of the Road website to find out where my beloved Mumford & Sons would be holding their Stopover music festivals this year.  Coffee and Mumford & Sons, what a fine way to spend 45 minutes of my day...but I digress.

Anyway, when the digital clock on my laptop struck 2:30 CST, the announcement was made that the nearest Stopover to me was...wait for it....Oklahoma!  Oklahoma?  Why could it not be Minnesota, or at least Iowa or Wisconsin?  Even South Dakota would be closer!  Guthrie, Oklahoma is 10 1/2 hours away....

But!  But!  But I have a Mumford friend in Oklahoma...and other Mumford friends spread across the south....and a sister in St. Louis (only 7 hours and 20 minutes from Guthrie, OK)...

And then there was my coffee cup...

Soooooo, it looks like I'll be taking a little trip to Oklahoma come September.  Anyone want to join me?  You'll have to decide fast.  Tickets go no sale on Friday and they are sure to sell out the same day.

When I went on my first Middle-Age Moms' Road Trip I had no idea that this would become a yearly event.  But then, I had no idea that Mumford & Sons would stop doing concerts in Minnesota either (what's with that, any way?!)  So, I've seen them in Kansas City, MO and Dixon, IL, and this year it will be Guthrie, OK.  More memories, more friends, more fun!

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Memories Made

So.....many....emotions!

I'm home.  Back from that little festival I went to.  After an amazing weekend, great music, precious little sleep and 12 hours in the car, I'm a little emotional.

Instead of a weepy, reminiscing post I will sum up the weekend in some short phrases or words - each one has a story (stories) behind it, each one carries a precious memory of my time in Guthrie...OH!  now I've done it, I'm crying....

Okay...

Here's the list...

1. Sisters of the Road (Oh, man, I'm crying again!)
2. Hugs!
3. Ivan
4. HOT
5. Graffiti
6. Dust
7. Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros
8. Wal-mart
9. Bastille
10. Rythm of the Night
11. Walking
12. 5:00 AM
13. Ice
14. Security Guards
15. WATER!
16. The Vaccines
17. "We love you!"  **usually said to #14 because of #13 and #15
18. Adam
19. Kansas
20. Half Moon Run
21. Lucy
22. Hair freedom
23. Tattoo
24. "If you close your eyes...."
25. God
26. Spring
27. Barrier
28. Drum stick
29. Mumford & Mums
30. Sunscreen
31. Sweat

I'll stop now. Feel free to ask for the story behind any of those, if you're interested.  I'd be happy to share memories with those that are interested.  For now, a few pictures...

FINALLY, I got to hug some of my Sisters of the Road!!  Notice the intensely happy face!

Graffiti was encouraged, so we obliged (thanks to Ben for the fine artwork!)

More SOTR arrived the next day!

Molly & Ben doing the festival thing in Guthrie.

Sunrise at the queue.

Waiting for gates

Barrier spot secured.  LOOOOONNNNNGGGGG wait in the heat.  Ice in a bottle is a glorious gift!

Notice how much happier they look now that the sun has set!!!  It's almost Mumford time!!

As I've said before, it doesn't matter if there are 100 people or 30,000 people at the concert if they're all behind you!  And yes, there were 30,000 people there.

Just about the only decent picture I got of M & S.  I'm lousy at taking concert pictures and I would MUCH rather just enjoy the show.  And enjoy it I did...thoroughly...even though I had just seen them three days prior...and no I am not obsessed....okay, maybe just a little bit....

Oh, one last thing....

it's mine now :-D

My Brush With Fame

Otherwise titled "They May Not Know My Name, But They Know My Friends and They Know Our Moniker."(well, kind of at least)

Interesting night last night was...but first, a little story....

You all know I will soon be trekking down to Oklahoma to see Mumford & Sons perform.  What you don't know is that I am meeting up with some dear, dear friends there.  Dear friends I have never met in person, but with whom I have skyped, talked on the phone, emailed, exchanged many laughs, gifts, etc.    I met this lovely bunch of ladies on the Mumford & Sons fan forum.  We're an "older" crowd, so we made our own little subgroup on the forum (meaning we're the fans that don't want to marry one of the band members, we'd rather mother them).  Our little group of eight is pretty tight knit.  Four of these lovely ladies have already met in person and done that concert thing.

Here's the story...

Last year, four of my Mumford friends (we call ourselves the Sisters of the Road - SOTR) went to Nashville to see a few Mumford & Sons concerts.  While hanging out in Nashville they happened to have a few conversations with "the boys."  During those conversations, it came out that my friends had met through the band's fan forum - this surprised and pleased the members of the band GREATLY.

Fast forward to last night.  What should my friend Donna put out on Facebook, but a little clip from a recent Q magazine article....

Apparently, even a year later, Marcus remembered talking to Donna and what she shared about our little group (even if he got the name our group wrong).  If you want to read Donna's first hand account of all this, you can find it here.

As excited as I am for the concert in Guthrie, I am even more excited to finally meet, face-to-face, these wonderful ladies who are my Sisters of the Road!!  I am absolutely CERTAIN I will come back with stories to tell!

Almost Time For a Countdown

Some of you may have forgotten my excitement over securing tickets to the Mumford & Sons Stopover show in Guthrie, Oklahoma.  I, on the other hand, have NOT forgotten.  The concert is now only 84 short days away!  It's probably a little early to start an official countdown, but I thought I would just insert a little reminder here today.  

GAAAHHHHH!  (okay, I got that out of my system)  

One can never go too long without watching a Mumford & Sons video, can one?  I wrote a whole blog post about this song, but apparently I have never put the song out here on the blog.  In order to remedy that situation, I present to you "For Those Below."

SIsters of the Road Trip

I have been woefully negligent in keeping you all up-to-date on the impending road trip to Guthrie, Oklahoma.  I hope none of you have lost any sleep wondering if I was, indeed, still going to trek 11 hours south to hear some bands play.

Rest assured the road trip is still on.  I have just had precious little time to blog about it, what with school starting and all.  Sending two girls off to community college for the first time, and then today sending Aidan off to the public school for the first time, I have been a busy little beaver.

Oh, and then there's that little concert thing I'm going to here in St. Paul tomorrow...

Let's not forget teaching my first science class at co-op tomorrow, as well.

And prepping for school to start next Monday here.

And Meal planning for Chris, so that they have things to eat while I'm away.....

Yeah.  It's been a little crazy around here.

I will probably be out of touch of the blog until I arrive back in Minnesota on Sunday. :-(  Sorry about that.  It's hard to blog from my ipod, and there will be no internet at the campground, I'm sure.  I will try to post stuff on Facebook and Instagram as the opportunity arises, but if you don't hear from me, just rest assured that I am having a GREAT time.

And, oh, the stories I will have to tell upon my return!

Ta ta!

Getting Decked!

No, I haven't been in a brawl (I haven't even been to Guthrie yet...oh, wait, forget I said that...)

We are FINALLY beginning to build our deck.  It was the first thing to go when we added on to the house last year, and it is the last thing to be replaced.  That's okay though because it is finally getting done...or at least started.

As with most building projects, this one begins with digging holes.

My dear husband had no idea that he would spend an ENTIRE Saturday digging three holes, but that's the way it worked out.  We have the dubious distinction of living in a VERY rocky area.  Rocks and digging holes are not compatible companions :-(

All of his hard work has paid of though, and we now have three very beautiful holes dug in our yard, just waiting for cement to be poured in (after the required inspection, of course).