Hi Everybody,
I am currently in Traverse City at the Library and thought I would go ahead and post a message about my trip so far starting with my worst airline horror story to date.
I left Thursday out of Cincinnati (it was cheaper than Lexington) at about 2:30 PM and to my surprise the plane departed the gate right or time . Of course there was a ground stoppage and no plane was allowed to leave so we set on the ground 30 to 40 minutes until we left but no big deal since there was still pleantly of time for me to make my connection in Chicago. My flight to Traverse City was suppose to leave at 3:30 but of course it was delayed and we finally backed out of the gate at 5:30. They said it was because of a routine safety check, but it does not seem routine when mechanics come off the jet way carrying plane parts. Well once I left the gate the captain said he did not know what air traffic was doing but they had a mess only two runways at Ohare were open and that wind had caused them to shut one down and that they would have to rout traffic to another runway. Well I counted at least 50 planes ahead of us. Finally, however we got off the ground. Over an hour after leaving the gate but off the ground. Now for the worst part. About 20 to 30 minutes into the flight lightning hits the plane. I have never heard something so loud in my life. The capitain comes on a few minutes later and makes an announcement that lightning hit the plane and "knocked out some stuff" and we were going to land in Grand Rapids instead. So we made an emergency landing in Grand Rapids still about 3 hours from Traverse City. Well the airlines decided to put everyone in cabs to Traverse City for the last three hours of the trip in pouring rain with a cab driver whom I did not know if was safe or not. I looked at the meter and the ride cost $240. I made it at 12:30 AM only 7 hours late. This is why I have finally learned to leave the day before a show if you are flying. What we go through to see Martina.
Once Martina went on stage the trip is worth it emergency landings or not. Well the Friday show was one of the best I have seen this year. The crowd was really into the show. It did not hurt that I had the best seat I have ever had. I have had the front row before but never this close. My knees pratically bumped the stage while sitting in my seat which was in the dead center of the front row. After Valentine I just stood up and handed Martina some flowers. I did not even have to move. After I handed her flowers, Claude, Steve and Keith that I know of also gave her some flowers. She said lets sing that one again.
During the show Martina added in Make Me Beleive after someone yelled it repeatly throughout the show. She also did Cheap Whiskey which sent Jim Medlin frantically searching through the music charts to give to the new guitar player so he could follow along. His name escapes me now but I will have it for the next post. During Independence Day people kept yelling and Martina could not hardly get through the intro for laughing. She held that note in the intro the longest I have ever seen. For the encore she did Life #9. I know I am leaving out some details that I will think about later and I will post when i have more time and when I write about tonights show and I sure others will fill those gaps in when they get home as well.
Well can't wait until tonight for the second show.
David