BeatleBlog

I'm back and I now present (because I know you all woke up this morning just HOPING someone would bore you to tears): a day-by-day account of the trip.

THURSDAY
My flight was at 9-something a.m., leaving from Tulsa -- which meant it was wakey-wakey time at 4:50 a.m. I grabbed a quick shower and we basically hauled the kids out of bed right before we were ready to go, slapped some clothes on them and chucked them in the car. I'd put them to bed early so they were in fairly good spirits and I popped in a video for them and all was well. We actually left early, which is so insanely unheard-of I figured it was a portent of impending disaster, i.e. I was heading to my demise in a fiery plane crash or similar. (This did not happen.)

We got to the airport with no problems (and no potty stops -- woot!) I got on the plane and proceeded to fly back south, passing almost directly over my house in the process, to catch a second flight in Dallas. This was cheaper than flying directly from Dallas, which basically sums up why the airlines are all bankrupt. Because they are STOOPID. My layover in Dallas was 3.5 hours, yeehaw.

On the plane I sat next to a lady who was also on her way to AROTR, and there was another across the aisle from us, one behind us and one behind that. My seatmate and I exchanged first names and walked together down to baggage claim as we were both scheduled to catch the hotel shuttle. We ran into each other a few times over the course of the weekend and exchanged pleasantries.

I got checked into the hotel and went up to rest a little while. My room, incidentally, was on the same floor as last year. Last year, however, I was at the front of the building. This year I was on the backside, directly overlooking the festival grounds. It was great! I could hear the music as clearly as though I had the radio on in my room, and I could look down at the festivities.

When I got up from my rest and looked outside I discovered that it was raining, which was a bummer because there was supposed to be a preview concert from 6-10. I went downstairs to eat in one of the hotel restaurants, though, and discovered that the powers-that-be had improvised and moved the bands inside to the ballroom, which was already set up for concerts for later in the weekend. I went ahead and ate and got to the ballroom in time to see a group I really wanted to see, the Greek Beats. They are a group of about six guys and two girls, from Athens. They do (of course) all Beatles songs and they are REALLY good. Lots of fun. They went down very well last year; they were rather a sleeper hit. They weren't top-billed or anything but people enjoyed them so much the festival promoters actually added an extra performance. This year they played a couple times every day.

FRIDAY
Friday was kind of a quiet day. I had a hard time waking up, as I've been super-tired lately. I got down to the festival and had a brunch of a funnel cake with cherry topping. Then I went inside the building where I discovered NIRVANA. Anyone who has been here and read my journal with any regularity probably remembers that I am obsessed with bags and purses. And anyone who's been here longer than five seconds knows I'm obsessed with the Beatles. So I only have six words to say to describe the heaven I found:

Bags....with the Beatles on them!!

Yes, I nearly had a thrombo when I walked in and saw them. They were way expensive but I, frankly, didn't give a flying fruitcake. I bought two purses and a large travel bag (pictures to follow). I'd have liked to have gotten more but I do have to exercise some control (plus I can always order more online later )

After I got my bags I went to the indoor concerts, for which I had a reserved seat. The first band playing was The Fab Four, which was cool. The last time we were in Vegas (almost two years ago!) they were playing at the LV Hilton and I took Madalyn to see them. They weren't at the festival last year so this was the first time I'd seen them since then. After them was a tribute concert for Paul, which was a bunch of different artists doing Paul songs.

Sometime during the day I walked downtown a bit, to Borders and bought a few books. I also had dinner at The Old Spaghetti Factory. I turned in to the room pretty early but ended up staying up till 3 a.m. reading.

SATURDAY
I'd found an ad in the hotel magazine for Papa John's saying they had breakfast so I ordered myself a breakfast pizza (egg, cheese, bacon -- no sauce!) and another dessert-type "pizza" that had apple pie filling and icing on top. (They were small, individual-sized ones and I didn't finish them!) I know, gack, gack, and more gack, right? I can't help it; I'm a sucker for breakfast novelties. It's a weakness.

At noon I went downstairs to listen to a presentation by an author who I'd really enjoyed listening to last year. After that I went back up to the room to wait for Stacy! (For those who don't know Stacy is a friend of mine who used to live here but moved to Kentucky last year and I hadn't seen her since, though we hang out at the same website still.)

She arrived and we had a short but lovely visit. We sat in the room and gabbed a while and then took off walking downtown. She humored me while I ducked into Payless to see if they had a particular color of mock-Crocs Madalyn wants (they didn't) and then I was hungry so we stopped at Wendy's. We headed back, got someone to take our picture and then Stacy left. It was so, SO excellent to see her! I have missed our dinners and conversations since she moved away!

Next I went to the outdoor concerts for which I had preferred seating. First was a group of three guys who did the entire Revolver album and then after that was a recreation of the Rooftop Concert. After I went back up to my room and ordered pizza. Later on I went down to the midnight concert in the ballroom. It was a really fun group called Instant Karma. They do some of John's Beatles songs but mostly his solo stuff. They are a riot. The lead singer is a nut. I definitely want to see them again next year. The concert wasn't over till after 2 so, again, it was quite late when I went to bed.

Ooh, yes, Saturday I also bought my Beatle boots. I had wanted some SO badly last year but the money just wasn't there. Robert was given plenty of notice that I was going to get them this year, come hell or high water, and I did. I lurrrrve them.

SUNDAY
Went to two indoor concerts this day. In between I popped back downtown for lunch at The Old Spaghetti Factory (again). I was really excited because today was the day 1964: the Tribute (my favorite) was to play. However, when I came out of the inside concert, it was pouring rain! I about died. It stopped and then rained a bit more then stopped. By now I was sitting in the preferred seating area waiting. Then they made an announcement that some lightning was coming and to take cover. It never really came around, though. There was some to the south but it never came too close to the park. FINALLY they were able to get things going about two hours late.

1964 came on and was brilliant, as usual. They played an abbreviated set, though, as they were trying to get back on schedule. Bummer, but I'm just glad I got to see them at all! The Fab Four came on after them and I watched a song or two but then took off to buy some things. I got the kids sunglasses that light up and light-up wand thingies. I also was able to get myself a t-shirt I wanted last year but they hadn't had the correct size then. I grabbed another funnel cake and headed to the room. I listened to the music while packing my stuff and then put a blanket and pillow on the window ledge and lay down to watch the finale from my 20th floor vantage point.

FINAL THOUGHTS
The festival food this year was a bit better than last year -- more variety -- but still not as good as, say, fair food. I was pretty "meh" about it all except the funnel cakes. I just couldn't get in the mood for the stuff they had which is why I got so much food from outside sources. The problem, though, is there's not much I'm interested in within walking distance of the hotel. I'm thinking about, next year, renting a compact car for the weekend so I can perhaps go to some different restaurants and maybe do some shopping.

I am not having the feeling of returning from another dimension like I did last year (I wrote about it here when I got back). For one thing, I don't think my saturation was as complete this year. Last year when I wasn't at the festival I was lying down in my room listening to the Beatles on my headphones. Really -- I didn't read or watch t.v. at all. This year I was reading non-Beatle stuff, watched some t.v. and visited with Stacy. Also I think last year that things were so crappy at home (stress-wise) that I threw myself headlong into the experience and pretty much tried to forget anything else existed. I didn't really need to do that this year since things have improved so much. I was happy to be there but wasn't trying to use it to escape my real life. Which is good, I guess. It was definitely nice not to have to detox when I got back. It was kind of a bumpy transition last year because I really didn't want to be back. This time I was glad to be back home because I missed everyone and I wasn't dreading what I had to come back to.

I also feel like I didn't do as much, though I think I actually spent more time at the festival per day than I did last year. In '05 I'm fairly certain I didn't stay down there for more than a few hours at a time, then I'd go upstairs to relax for a while, whereas Sunday, for example, I left the hotel room at noon and didn't get back till 10:45 p.m. So I'm not sure why I feel like I missed so much more this year than last. I guess maybe because there were more stages and more bands this year. There were 9 stages but I only went to two of them! And yet I was busy all day long so I don't feel I wasted my ticket or anything. At a festival this size there's just no way to do/see every single thing.

So there is my field report. Nothing much to mention about Monday. I got up, made it to the aiport in plenty of time, had two uneventful flights and was met at the airport by Robert and the kids, who were happy to see me (though I suspect Madalyn would've been slightly less enthusiastic had I not promised her souvenirs).

And now....the pictures.

Festival grounds as viewed from my hotel room window. There were more stages off to the right of the foreground.

Ohio River seen from my window (looking to the right)

My room from the festival grounds. (Yellow circle indicates my window)

Beatle purse #1

Beatle purse #2

Beatle bag

Beatle boots!

Posted by Mary at 06:56 PM | Permalink

Hello from Louisville, lovelies!

I made it safe and sound. Met a fab bunch of like-minded nutsos on the plane and chit-chatted with them a bit on the way up. Exchanged first names with the lady sitting just next to me and we've run into each other a couple times since arriving and have made small-talk. Have definitely been eating better this time than last time, when I was on a shoestring budget and trying to save all my cash for souvenirs and the like. My plan this time was to buy Beatle boots and bootleg CDs. Well, the bootleg CDs are not here this time BUT I have found an appropriate (if more expensive) substitute. For those who know me well all I need to say are these six words and you'll understand the enormity of the situation:

Purses. With the Beatles on them.

I will have pictures when I get home.

My dear friend Stacy is driving up to see me for a few hours this afternoon. I haven't seen her since she moved from OK to Kentucky, oh, I've blocked it from my memory.....a year ago, now? I'm very excited!

The money-grubbing bastards here at the otherwise-excellent hotel have changed the business center so I now have to pay to get online so I will save any further updating for another time. This may well be my only reporting from the field. I will do the full story when I return home Monday

Posted by Mary at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After a year of anticipation, the time has come. I'm off to the airport in the morning and will be in Louisville by 5 p.m., just in time to attend the preview concerts being held from 6-10 on the festival grounds.

I will be online once a day from the business center at the hotel -- I need to get away from the concerts and decompress a couple times a day and that's a good way to pass some quiet time. I will endeavor to do a little blogging if I can pull my head out of Strawberry Fields long enough to string a couple coherent sentences together. If not -- well, it will be Monday night or Tuesday before I pop up here again. It's about a 50/50 proposition.

Good holiday weekend to you all.

Posted by Mary at 09:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Trip update:

Plane ticket purchased

Room reserved

Airport shuttle secured

New shirts and jammies arrived in mail

Ticket purchase info, hotel confirmation number and instructions for airport shuttle already printed out and in my "papers pouch" in my purse

Money due in at various times up till the day I leave

Robert calling today to pay part of hotel bill ahead of time

All in all I would say I'm 75% ready to go. All that's left is to pack, which I won't do until Wednesday, and possibly go shopping for a couple new pairs of pants.

I'm starting to get some pre-trip jitters, but that is completely de rigueur for me. Once I am dropped off at the airport and I walk through the doors the nervousness will vanish and I will be all about the fun.

The biggest dilemma I have right now is whether or not to take my camera. I did take some pictures last year but not a whole lot. Having pictures of the performers really doesn't interest me, for some reason, so the ones I did take were of the festival grounds, the view out my window, etc.

It's a pretty good position to be in, only having to worry about whether to take a camera or not. Last year at this time my worry was, "Am I going to have any spending money at all to do fancy things like, you know, eat?"

Posted by Mary at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, I can't say I'm happy I was right but....I was right.

Paul and Heather announce split

Now, how weird is it that I saw this coming just after listening to his most recent album? I knew I am sensitive to things other people don't pick up on, but that's pretty impressive even for me.

Posted by Mary at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well, the hot rumour is that Paul and Heather's marriage is on the rocks. Not only am I not surprised, if this is actually the case, but I have had a feeling for quite some time now that something was not quite right. I wish I'd posted about it when I first got the feeling because probably no one will believe me since I've not said anything till the news started to leak out. But I will elaborate, anyway.

Back when I saw the footage of them together on the Back in the U.S. dvd, I thought, "Wow, he's going to get sick of that pretty quick." Not only did I feel like it was a classic case of a rebound relationship, she just seemed SO needy and demanding. There are a couple times where he's doing interviews, either for local t.v. or the radio, and she's in the next room shouting at him (not angrily, I mean; just trying to tease him or make jokes). Right in the middle of him being interviewed! It put me in mind of a kid who is perfectly well-behaved until the mother gets a phone call and then the kid goes nuts, trying to get attention back on herself. That set off little red flags for me that this was a high-maintenance person. But I figured it also could just be sour grapes so I adopted the stance that if Paul was happy, I was happy. He certainly deserves happiness.

Fast forward to last year when Chaos and Creation in the Backyard was released. After I'd been listening to it for a while it suddenly struck me that things might not be so happy anymore. I am not 100% sure why; it's just a feeling I got in considering the songs, as a whole. For one thing, the album isn't filled with his usual shmoopy love songs that he tends to go heavy on when things are good. Secondly, the song "Promise to You Girl" tipped me off. The song isn't, oh, I love you so much, let's be together forever. The basic sentiment I get from the song is more along the lines of, "I promised we would team up to save the world and I'm not going to go back on my promise." Not exactly the most romantic sentiment. None of the other songs on the record appear to me to be the usual, gooey fare we've had from him in the past. It seemed like something was just.....off, and I got the feeling that none of the other songs on the record were directed at her. When Paul is head-over-heels in love he shouts it from the mountaintop. There was no shouting on this album. Also, the entire record seems to have a more somber tone to it. Paul seems to do his best work when things in his personal life aren't great, and this album is some of his best work in decades. How accurate were my perceptions? I don't know. All I know is that I got an unshakeable suspicion after listening to the album a number of times that Paul's feelings for her had changed and perhaps the bloom was off the rose.

The one other thing that struck me was the lack of singing her praises on his part during publicity for last fall's tour. During the appearances for the Driving Rain/Back in the U.S. tours, and while on stage during those tours, he brought her name up frequently and was very effusive when doing so. This past tour, though, she merited only one mention on stage; he dedicated a song to her, and I was again struck by the impression that there wasn't the same feeling behind it. He also didn't bring her up that often in the interviews I saw/heard, and when he did it was more of a passing mention rather than him gushing about her.

So, what's all this worth? Nothing, of course -- whether I'm right or wrong. But, this is my Beatleblog and it's here for me to be an outlet for all my Beatle-related thoughts. And this is something that's been on my mind a lot for several months now. I was beginning to think that, perhaps, it had all been in my head. Then, lo and behold, yesterday's email from Yahoo Alerts had two stories about the suspected marital troubles and today's had even more. Apparently I am not as nuts as I sometimes think I might be. Now, nothing is official, these are just rumours....but substantiated ones. Paul's own spokesperson the other day, instead of categorically denying anything was wrong, fueled the buzz by admitting he had no idea if Paul had seen Heather since he'd been back from his trip and didn't know if they were together in the same place or not. There are also numerous other sources close to Paul's camp who are confirming things have taken a turn for the worse.

I just hope Paul will be okay, no matter what happens.

Posted by Mary at 03:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

And that liftoff will be at approximately 9:04 a.m.on the 25th. Yes, my plane ticket is booked!

Because we waited so long (as usual) the fares available weren't the greatest. It was cheapest to go from Tulsa, which, actually, was true of last year, as well. The least expensive fare from Tulsa left at 6:47 a.m. For those of you playing along at home, we live about 2 hours from Tulsa and I'd have had to have been there at 5:45 a.m. at the latest. Robert is dropping me off to avoid paying for parking for five days. In a simple equation: 5:45 a.m. - 2-hour drive - 1 hour to get ready to go x 2 kids =Oh, HELL no! So I paid an extra $20 for the 9:04 departure and it was still $40 less than the OKC fare -- which was also similarly early in the morning.

Illogically enough, I fly from Tulsa to Dallas, which means I will drive two hours north to fly back south, more than likely passing directly over my house in the process. Then I get to spend a lovely 3.5 hours in DFW, which, all things considered, is still better than getting up at 2:45 a.m. to drive to the airport. I will take the portable DVD player and a bunch to read and will be just fine. Arrival in Louisville is scheduled for 4:48 p.m. which will put me at the hotel just in time to go to the preview concert being held on the festival grounds from 6-10. This is a new addition for '06. Last year they only had one band play a few songs in the downtown area, which was a good ten minute walk from the hotel and festival grounds. Looks like they are going all out with the preview this year so that means four days of activities instead of three.

Coming back my flight leaves at 11:23, which is perfect. I don't have to get up too terribly early and yet I won't be stuck rattling around with nothing to do for half the day (some of the other return flights were not until 2:30 or later). I get back into Tulsa at 2:37, which is fab. Even if we decide to have a bite to eat before coming home we will still be back long before the kids' bedtimes (and ours) and will have time to sit and unwind for a while. I have no qualms about Robert making the drive with the kids in tow. Now that we have a t.v. in our vehicle we could drive all day and not hear a peep out of them, save for when it is time to change videos.

I am so darned excited....and, yet, as I may have mentioned before, kind of dreading it getting here because once it does it will speed by in the blink of an eye and then will be a whole year before I get to do it again! I do wonder if I will have as much difficulty reentering reality as I did last year. It was quite a bumpy transition, saturated as I was by all things Beatle-related. (Read about it here if you missed it when it was posted on my main blog last year.)

Posted by Mary at 11:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I sent Johnny to his room earlier to get something for me. He returned, smiling, carrying the item and singing, "Love Me Do." It's been a while since he even heard the song since the CDs I've been listening to lately don't have that song on them.

I love that my kids can sing Beatles songs from memory!

Posted by Mary at 10:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Was just listening to Beatles For Sale this morning and got to thinking about how much I like "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party." It's a really good song, of course, but, more than that, I like it because it's kind of a novelty. You have John singing the higher part and Paul singing under him. It's usually the other way around. They do switch when they get to the middle eight but during the verses and the chorus John's up and Paul's down. You don't hear that very often. I like it, I think it sounds good, and it's too bad they didn't do it more often!

Posted by Mary at 10:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Oh dear lord! I leave for Abbey Road on the River three weeks from tomorrow!!

Tonight I was reading the guestbook at the AROTR website. It's not just for signing your name; people have conversations there, ask questions, and the admins post answers. So there is all kinds of buzz about the upcoming festival. I am just beside myself with excitement. I cannot wait. On the other hand, though, I kind of don't want it to get here because it will fly by and then it will be another whole year till the next one. Not that I have a contradictory nature or anything. Heh.

I feel like I keep repeating the same things over and over again (probably because I am!) but I'm just downright giddy at the thought of AROTR. I have tried to convey how much I enjoyed last year's....but I don't know that I'm articulate enough to do it justice. You'll just have to take my word for it that I am overjoyed at the prospect of once again attending this festival a mere three weeks from now.

By the way, I have some thoughts about John that have been roiling around in my brain for a couple of days now and I intend to write them all out in at least semi-comprehensible form...just not now. It's 1:30 a.m. already and it's a good half-hour of writing, at the very least. I'm incorrigible.....but not THAT incorrigible. I'm off to bed now.

Posted by Mary at 01:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)