Concert goers log: We are now entering the Torilite Zone...... My morning started, too early, anyone who really knows me, knows a more true statement will have never been uttered from my fingers.... Well…well before the Roosters for certain. I had spent the night before getting ready and attempting the impossible, early to bed, for my early rise.... Attempt being the key. I tried to sleep but couldn't, not out of anxiety or excitement, but out of strong built circadian rhythm. I had packed my bags, laid my plan, hand my map quest in tow. I had this inkling feeling as I was taking care of business that I was forgetting something major. I remember distinctly the moment I told Misty I felt like i was forgetting something uber important but shrugged it off as cliché. I tossed and turned all night and the 3am alarm seemed more like a curse then a start to a well earned vacation.
I did the shower thing and stumbled to the already packed car.
The first show in the Florida tour had started the night before, PIP came out to play at the House of Blues opener in Orlando, which out of mighty principle I had snubbed. I am an acoustic whore and just couldn’t bring myself to stand for four hours in a dead hall with little resonance. More a box then a listening venue. Maybe for the thrasher concert of the century, but not for my Tori. I had spoke with Reese the night before, err, that morning at 12am after I had gone to bed and solidified my plans to Taxi him to Fort Myers with me. Resse is a form and my pace pal who flew in from Lima Peru to catch the Florida shows. I didn’t know him by face, but was dreading the long ride to Ft Myers alone. Months prior I had bought my tickets to the shows. Started as an attempt for My best friend Cindy and I to attain VIP tickets to the Melbourne show. The stiff price of tickets did not wavier me, but a commodity those turned out to be. So I invested the money that was earmarked for 2 VIP tickets into funds for as many Florida shows as I could get a hold of. After all waste not want not. I was going to spend a few dollars less for one show right? Cindy and I had planed an elaborate Tori adventure. I had saved my vacation for months past the time when the majority of my co-workers went gallivanting on summer cruises. My Cindy ended up getting the news she was pregnant two days after we purchased all the tickets. After a rough first pregnancy she decided that at 5 months pregnant she would no be up to gallivanting across the state on a Long Taxi ride and blur of days into nights. We settled on one show, and I started pawning off the rest of the tickets to any friend who’d tag along. By three days before Ft. Myers no one local I knew wanted to take that kind of ride, so I gave the ticket to my friend Georgia whom I lovingly call MILFY.. Which is a very inside thing. She lived on the other coast and was planning to meet me at the Venue.
When Resse came up short on a ride, I figured I had nothing to loose but a long silent car ride so I map quested his Hostel and found myself driving at 4am towards Kissimme thought the damp “lost highway-esqu” Swamps we now dub the Beach line, even though after 30 years its hard not to just call it the B-Line.

I found Kissimmee no problem but found myself going up and down Irlo Bronson over and over again trying to find this well tucked hostel. Very few of the business actually had numbers and at 5:15 am on a Saturday it wasn’t exactly bustling. By 6am I had finally found the Driveway where and unlit sign pronounced he little hostel to the world, as I pulled in my little Peruvian friend rang the bell on my cell. Sleepily asking, as I began to tell him I was in the driveway. We packed him up, not really behind schedule, but the morning had been long already. Headed over to the Golden arches for a little perking. Which came in the form of their New Iced coffee as I wasn’t at a Starbucks requesting the latest sweetened coffee treat. I’m a coffee blonde, not that I’m dumb about coffee, but I[‘m a cream girl. Maybe some day I’ll be a darkie, but for now, gimmie coffee with lots of milky love… Lots of it, preferably flavored. Not exactly a stock item in your local drive through pit. We sipped and briefly got to know on another before heading out once again on out Taxi for Tori ride.

I dubbed Resse MR. DJ while I pulled out the map and got us headed back to 417 barreling towards 1-4. The sun was rising and shedding much need light on my loast highway. We made it soundly down I-4 past the Last Lakeland exit when Resse began to tell me a story about how he had dreamed he forgot his ticket, coming from Peru, that would seem a nightmare would it not. As he began his story a light when off in my head and a slew of words more suited for a sailor came gushing from my mouth. Not only were we in full light now, but I had finally realized exactly what I felt I had forgotten the night before as I wandered my little loft cottage by the river wondering what I had forgotten. It had been major. Very major…….. My first reaction after the slew of colorful language was to begin to find a way to apologize to Reese. I can only imagine what I must have looked like at that moment to him. Not exactly the epitome of a shinning first impression? LOL…..I remember asking him as I searched for my next escape route “how badly did you want to make that meet in greet?” He graciously and elegantly told me to turn back for the tickets. I dipped into an exit and hit a Shell station in a little farming community just west of Lakeland, topped the gas tank off and rangy MILFY”

Your never going to believe what I did, and I began to hurriedly with panic rising like bile in my throat recount my reality check brought on by what started as a story about a nightmare. She laughed as she told me she was just pulling into the venue parking lot.
She told me to hit the road, and I asked her to call and keep me updated on the Venue.

So back to I-4 we went barreling in the opposite direction. I followed every car I could breaking speeds that would be a crime to recount in my little red Nissan Sentra rental car.
I started to add up the time. And told Reese if everything went well we should be in Ft Myers no later then 2pm. He continued to be gracious, keeping us well in Music. I had received an update from my Milfy informant as we headed back, no one was at the venue. Prior to the Show we had discussed, and I had heavily encouraged her bringing her board out with her. Milfy is quite the Massage therapist, a salt of he earth groovy kind of chick. She had recounted possibly setting up her table and making a little money off weary travelers, but the true goal in the heart of hearts was to somehow get back behind the scene working on the Touring staff. I remember telling her she had nothing to lose and everything to gain. So when she told me that Management had approached her and her large table as she sat out at the Venue to find out what it was about I about screamed. What followed was even better. “Jes I’m on my way back in, the tour manger went back and asked if anyone wanted a massage therapist today and they said yes!” I remember telling her everything happens for a reason, and that maybe had we been on time standing out their with her the door would have never opened. I was excited for her and her great opportunity to rub knuckles, and arms and legs with the people working so hard to give us fans our just desert.

I continued driving, amazed at the turn of events for Georgie girl. It took my mind of my big blunder. We made it back to the East coast in record time. Finally in front of my house, yes de ja vous to say the least. I opened the door and Grabbed the tickets from my secret spot where they had been nestled for the last few months, and finally a peaceful calm washed over my being. Resse met the zoo and we were back on the road, once again hurdling towards Ft. Myers and well on time for my estimated arrival time.
We passed our first turning point in less time then it had taken us to get home, which seemed odd since we were actually traveling at much more acceptable speeds, and before I knew it we were on I-75 on the last stretch to Ft. Myers.

I got another call from MILFY who was heading into a new massage on a crew member, when her voice said “You’ll never guess what I just did” I really couldn’t. The possibilities were staggering. She was back stage where few people got but everyone wanted. “I locked my keys in my car” I laughed and told her not to worry. Soon Reese and I would be there and I’d use my road side rescue to rescue her keys”. She finished the conversation by telling me upon her last journey she still saw no one at the venue. We agreed to call when I was close. If she was in a massage she’d call back as soon as possible. Otherwise she’s meet us out their.

When the Sing said Ft. Myers I about died…….. We were finally there. One of those I thought it would never come moments, which led to more confusion when MAP quest didn’t seem to quite have things right. Another stint of driving up and down, trying back raods that were showing as meeting the road to our venue, and one to many pit stops in which one felt like an Idiot after talking to the attendant, we were still zipping back and fourth looking for our destination. Milfy was in a massage when I called, a few voice mails later she finally chimed in a walked me down the road which changed names as you bore around different corners and we were finally there. Just in time to get the announcement that their would be no meet in greet. I was relieved that Resse had not really missed anything. Georgia headed back in to work on Matt Chamberlain’s (for those who don’t know “the” bass man in the band’s wife, and I pulled out my handy cell phone, called my carrier and proceeded to rescue Milfy keys from her dash board.

Caught up with My Lisa Lady who I first met in Boca Raton dancing in a fountain after a show in 2002. By 6pm I had keys in Hand, a readjusted albeit quite tired attitude and was counting down to my show. My last Update form Georgia was that she may actually be massaging John before the show…. Again I was thrilled to death for her.
SO I sat recounting my long journey and waiting for my first show wondering which Doll would open……… Knowing I would be happy no matter who, what when where or why.
I rested my eyes and waited for the doors of the venue to open.

(to be continued)