A Tribute to Mustang (Rustang) Sally...

I'm not even really sure where to begin when it comes to my very first car...from the beginning I suppose (and let me warn you: this will probably be the longest post ever). I remember as a child I had a poster of a Mustang convertible hanging in my bedroom. I always wanted a Mustang, and one July day, weeks before my senior year of high school began, my mom came in my bedroom and asked if I still wanted one. She had seen a yellow one in the showroom at the local Ford dealership. About a week later, it was a done deal. Mustang Sally (named after the song, of course) was mine. I still remember picking it up that day. She was the first to drive it from the dealership to home, because she was worried about me driving it on Route 30 and wanted me to take it on the side streets first. Anyway, I never envisioned what memories would be made in that vehicle back then, but they certainly flooded my thoughts on December 21st, 2013 when I handed over the keys to the new teenage owner.

Going into senior year at Crown Point High School was pretty awesome with a brand new Mustang. Jarrod Fodemski, another senior and one of my best friends, also had a new one (his was a red convertible, though). We felt awesome. I even remember having to pick up pizza for our entire econ class one day during summer school. Kyle Long, Jim Smith, and Katelin Klepsch all took turns driving it. It was a fun little joy ride. When homecoming came around, my date and I took it to the dance. In fact, I still have a picture of my dad and I at grandma's house (conveniently located in front of the high school - which has since been torn down) right before taking off. 

Fast forward after high school, when I got accepted to the greatest place on earth Indiana University. Sally survived the long hauls (usually with Aimee Pancini - bestie since 3rd grade!) to Bloomington and back (I can't even count how many times), during all seasons of the year. This included taking trips up to Michigan to visit dad, Chicago for Chi Omega formals, and who knows where else. Freshman year and sophomore year first semester were interesting because it was then I was a pledge of Chi Omega. This didn't happen often, but there were nights where I was the designated sober driver (we all had to take turns - oh the joys of being a pledge). It was then that I successfully fit seven people (including myself) into my vehicle. I know that fitting seven people in many vehicles is child's play, but have you ever been in a Mustang, specifically the back seat of one? I still remember Megan Schlegel, who is about 5'10", laying across the entire front seat and laughing hysterically in my lap. Going back to Aimee...I never forgot the time I had to pick her up when we were in Bloomington because one of the tires on her Bug Convertible went flat. When I showed up, she was attempting to stick a piece of chewed gum on top of the hole of the tire in an attempt to stop additional air from leaking out. I can barely type as I recall the memory...I'm laughing so hard again. Then of course there was the time I had to rush Jacie Perkins to Indy for her hair extensions. I definitely got pulled over on the State Road 37 along the way. I told the guy we were headed to the airport. Yeah, he didn't care. That was a 93 mph ticket in a 55 speed limit zone (on a side note, I got 3 tickets in her overall - not too bad for a 12 year time frame). He even put me in the back of his vehicle to frighten me. I remember being in my pajamas when it all went down. I won't even get into the time I had to pick her up from FIJI. I'll never forget it. She wore a "Add a Chapter to your Life" baseball tee (all frat guys on campus had one), and she was carrying two red solo cups, one for each contact. She was also blind for a good seven days after that. Haha. Sorry Jacie, had to. Finally, another fantastic memory was when Michael Mills came running into his frat looking for me because I had let him borrow my car. I guess he had listened to one of my random CDs and Raspberry Beret by Prince had come on. Apparently he fell in love with the song and couldn't wait to tell me about it. Good memories. 

Then there were also the not so good memories, like the time I was attending two summer school classes at IUN and was struck by a semi truck on I-65, forcing my car to spin out of control on the expressway while driving there. I can only think of two times in my entire life when I thought my life was in serious danger. You know how they say that when you think you are going to die your life flashes before you? Well, I can't agree that this was the case, but in the blink of an eye, I did think about all of the people that were very important to my life. Here is a picture from that awful day. The year was 2005. I was lucky that my car was repaired and not totaled. I was even luckier to walk away uninjured.

(Sally was involved in three accidents over the years. The one above - by far the worst - a slight fender bender in 2008 - my fault - and some redneck guy who side swiped me -and tried hiding from his insurance company this past September - his fault).

The other not so joyous memories of Sally were during atrocious winter storms. I remember one Thanksgiving holiday when Justin Warren and I were driving back to Crown Point from Plymouth, Michigan, and we drove right into blizzard like conditions. The town was called Kalamazoo, and there's a whole lot of nothing there. I remember we had to stop at a gas station, and when we were off and rolling again, we literally slid at the top of the entrance ramp right onto the expressway. It was scary then. I guess it's funny now. Then there was the time I was student teaching in Martinsville, Indiana, about twenty miles outside of Bloomington. The school district had a two hour delay for heavy fog, and by the time noon came around, the great outdoors looked like a winter wonderland. Typically when a snow storm is on it's way, school is let out early. However, because of the two hour delay earlier that day, the bus schedule couldn't be adjusted to allow an early release. The harder the snow fell, the harder I knew it was going to be to get back home. Not only did a bunch of the kids have to help push my vehicle out of the parking lot (getting a rear-wheel car to move in heavy snow is nearly impossible), but it took me over 3 hours to get back to Bloomington that day, a drive that typically took about 25 minutes.

Moving to Arizona was one of the best decisions I could have made, in part because of my vehicle. Before I even get into the Arizona stories, I first must discuss the trip driving to Arizona from Indiana. This was my first true "across the country" type road trip, as the job in which I interviewed for was over the phone. I literally moved there sight unseen. Dad drove the Rhino (we nicknamed it that...you'll see why shortly), and I drove Sally behind him. I'm not sure what was worse: his lack of radio, or my lack of cruise control (that's one thing I always wish I had, yet haven't used it once in the new ride). Anyway, the first day we drove from Crown Point, Indiana to Oklahoma City. Day two took us to Albuquerque. I'll never forget leaving Albuquerque on day 3. The views were some of the most incredible I have ever seen in my life, which made up for some of the most treacherous roads I have ever driven on my life. In my opinion, the drive from Albuquerque to Phoenix is pretty majestic, and I highly recommend taking the trip. We finally arrived to Kearny, Arizona on day 3.  

With the Rhino in Kearny AZ, July 2007, at the tender age of 23 to start my teaching career.

Getting to Phoenix from Kearny (which is about an hour drive) was also never a small feat. Tucked into the mountains, taking rides to and from Kearny meant getting to use my lower gears for the first time and often. Crazy I know, but how many people can say they've needed to use their lower gears...ever? To put things into perspective, one time I had someone (who shall remain unnamed) in my vehicle who felt it was always necessary to be armed. One day, when we were on our way to the valley, he pulled out his Colt 45 and shot it out the window into the wilderness (I'm not kidding when I said rural). Now, other than the fact that this was probably very illegal (ridiculous that I was even in this situation since anyone who knows me at all could validate that I'm quite the rule follower), I'm pretty sure I also went slightly deaf for a few minutes. I wasn't kidding when I said there were some interesting memories in this car. This story is also a reminder that some people just aren't meant to be in my life. We all make mistakes I suppose.  

Anyway, Kearny was a great place to launch my teaching career. I remember there was restaurant called Buzzy's (which burned to a crisp recently - but from what I hear is getting re-built), and I was obsessed. There would be days when I'd let Colt McClennon, one of my students, take my car to fetch me lunch from there. I'm not sure allowing one of my students to drive my vehicle was ever a good idea, but hey, he was responsible, and the place was just up the road. One of my other highlights was having the ability to kill rattlesnakes with the Mustang. Living in essentially the middle of nowhere meant there was wildlife everywhere. I'd get excited (and grossed out) every time I saw a vicious looking snake on the road. I don't hate many things in life, but I can assure you that I absolutely hate snakes, specifically poisonous ones. Running them over was always a treat. There was so little to do in Kearny, so when I wasn't riding out in the hills with JP on the quads (some of my best memories ever), there were many times I'd take drives in the car just to think.  

Fast forward two years, and I moved to what Arizonians refer to as "The Valley". Going back to crappy weather (we'll get this out of the way), snow in the Phoenix metropolitan area (The Valley)  is incredibly rare. In fact, my debit card has been used to scrape ice. Here's a pic from winter 2012.

Enough of the cold weather stories. I remember moving to Phoenix and thinking the expressways (known as freeways here), felt like a race track. With no potholes or construction zones, it was easy to fly. One of the most classic memories was when I was actually in the passenger side of Jade Cantu's Scion. One day, she turned the windshield wipers on and one flew completely off of the vehicle. I made fun of her endlessly. The joke was on me, though, because the very next time she sat in the passenger side of my vehicle, I too turned on the windshield wipers to make fun of her, and shockingly enough one of mine flew off. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard. Then of course there was the very best weekend of 2013, when my buddies Ken Doll Sothman (local Indiana celebrity) and Ryan Camden flew into town for a little Spring Break fun. Now, the weekend is a quite a blur, but one memory sticks out vividly. In between some R&R and Gilligan's fun, Ken, Megan, and I ran back to my house to change. On the way, we caught some Bieber fever and listened to Beauty and a Beat on repeat. Ken Doll probably died a little bit that day. Finally, there was last April 2013 when Aimee finally visited me in AZ. Upon her arrival from the airport, we practically ended up right at the legendary Rusty Spur. Long story short, she ended up getting sick in Sally on our way home. Miraculously, none of it got in the car. I still don't know how she pulled that off.  

I know technically this is a blog about the adventures of me and my dog, so it wouldn't make sense not to include him, especially because going "bye byes" is one of Alfredo's absolute favorite things to do in the world. Alfredo spent lots of time in Sally, from the very first time I picked him up (he slept in my lap the entire way home), to taking various trips - Dallas, Indiana, Michigan, etc. all over the country.

                                        

   Okay, so I know this isn't the most cautious way of driving, but what can I say, he loves checking things out. Hey Fredo, How's traffic?!

Aside from driving from the great Midwest to Arizona (three times in Sally, actually), I did take quite a few road trips in her. Road trips happen to be one of my favorite hobbies, which is great, because Arizona itself certainly has so much to see and do. One trip specifically, which was to San Diego in January 2013, rings a bell. My friend Josh and I were headed out of town just to get away for the weekend, and along the way we were stopped by border patrol on I-8 (this is common because of the high volume of illegals in the area). On one of the stops, we were asked if we had any fruit (specifically oranges) in the car. We didn't, but the part that's hilarious is that we happened to pull behind a very large truck who passed through, which was filled with oranges. We were thinking, "Really?! They weren't going to let me go through if I had oranges, but they let that guy?!" Maybe you had to be there.

The most recent (and last...tear) road trip I took in Sally was to Sedona in November. Sometimes when life throws lemons your way (funny, since I was just talking about fruit), it's not always easy to make lemonade. For years my sanity and stress reliever has been running, but I'm afraid I needed more support this time around. This is where Sedona comes in handy. It is the absolute best place to seek refuge from any of life's challenges. I don't have a picture of Sally from this trip, but I do have a pretty fantastic picture of my furry kid and I from a hike we took on Bell Rock.

By the way, I'm not sure who likes Sedona more...me or Alfredo...fruit (ah, fruit again!) doesn't fall far from the tree I guess...

I think at this point this blog post is getting a bit frazzled, so I guess I'll wrap it up by saying by nature I'm not much of a superstitious person, but on December 13th (in other words, Friday the 13th), Sally's fuel pump went out. Conveniently (I'm being sarcastic), mom was flying in one hour later. Here's the very short version of this story: on Friday morning I walked out to the car to go to work. She wouldn't start. After about the sixth try, she finally did, but I knew something was wrong. I drove to work, tried to start her at lunch (she did), so I went back inside and continued my day. After work she started again, but she struggled. I called Firestone on the way home, stopped at home to grab the dog (while leaving the car running - wasn't sure if I'd get her to start again), drove to Firestone (with the dog), and waited. The problem ended up being the fuel pump, a $680 fix. I decided it was time to go car shopping, so the guys let Sally stick around in their parking lot. I literally couldn't even drive it to the airport to get mom. Even the mechanics couldn't get it started. 

So, now I was at Firestone, with Alfredo, and no working vehicle. Mind you, mom's flight was fast approaching. While one of the associates ran around the store with Alfredo, I started dialing numbers. Whitney Tarbutton, my twin in many ways, had her boyfriend come pick up me and the dog so that we could at least get back to the Tuna Can (this is the name for the condo in which I live). From the Tuna Can, my next door neighbor, Stacie, drove me to the airport and dropped me off at the rental car location, which was another adventure in itself. Long story short, mom gave me a Sally contribution as part of my Christmas present, and I also purchased this cute little thing on the following day:

I was blessed that someone through a family friend was immediately interested in the Mustang, but it was incredibly difficult giving her up. I kept her for a couple of weeks before selling her and drove her around as much as I could. It's funny, because on the very last drive I took as the owner, I also tried something new for the very first time. My final memory with her was driving to Dutch Bros. Coffee for the very first time, right across from the bank where she was ultimately sold. 

(James was right. Dutch Bros. hot chocolate is so much better than Starbucks hot chocolate.)

Once the transaction was all said and done, the new owner, Taylor, offered to drive me back to my place. It's funny, because she was nervous about driving it and had me drive it home. It reminded me exactly of mom driving it off the lot when it first became mine all those years ago.

Taylor was nice enough to take one final picture of me with the car. I gave Sally a hug (the best way I could), and smiled (even though I was crying on the inside). When she pulled away, I walked into the condo and cried like a baby for a good ten minutes. I had to get it all out of my system.

Maybe it was destiny to grow up with a yellow Mustang. After all, it resembled my Big Wheel. 

I'm just grateful it wasn't sold to a complete stranger so that I can check in to see how Sally is doing, and I'm even more grateful that she lasted me as long as she did (162,569 miles, to be exact). 

I am thankful for...

I've never really needed a holiday to remind myself of all of things in which I am always thankful for, including (but certainly not limiting to) the following things: Alfredo (of course), my close friends, Ryan, people who have been inspirational to my life, some of my awesome co-workers (special shoutout to Dana - the only person who I know reads my blog consistently), my parents, a few family members, Starbucks, my cowboy boots, Arizona, my job, running, good memories, vacations, the sun, etc. Let's face it. The list goes on and on. Aside from the "I am thankful for" thought, I actually happen to think Thanksgiving is unique, and I probably look at this specific holiday from a different lens than most. First, I have the unique experience of working directly with Native Americans, on an Indian Reservation, for a living. Before the Black Friday/football watching/busiest travel time of the year hype ever existed, Thanksgiving was built on the values of two cultures setting aside their differences and making peace with each other. Now, I'm certainly not saying racism doesn't exist in the world, but I get the luxury of working with Native Americans in an effort to better the lives of Native American children every day. It's quite rewarding and makes the history of Thanksgiving personally significant. I guess I can't really help but to think about why America established Thanksgiving to begin with every time the holiday comes around. Anyway, putting the historical appreciation aside, this Thanksgiving was great for two specific reasons. First, I took a trip to Iowa for the very first time. Despite the freezing cold weather, it was a fantastic time. Secondly, Alfredo was in great hands back in Arizona under the care of Auntie Stacie and Auntie Aimee. There was no worrying about him while I was off losing money at the casino, laughing until my abs hurt while playing Apples to Apples, standing in shopping lines on Thanksgiving evening, stuffing my face with puppy chow (best snack ever) and other fantastic food, or while winning huge or losing huge in family games of rummy. While all of this was going on, Alfredo...

was captured by Auntie Stacie for play time.

Here he is at Auntie Stacie's house playing with his girlfriend, Dion, and Dion's other roommate, Max. Auntie Stacie also tried getting all of them to play at the dog park, but Alfredo refused to get into the vehicle. This isn't the first time he's done this as he's also refused to ride with his grandma. Stranger Danger, I guess!

 When he wasn't playing with his friends, Auntie Aimee made sure his belly was nice and full.

       She also took him for lots of outside fun time.

So, I guess if I had to create a "I am thankful" list this year, it'll be for Alfredo's aunties and my fun trip to Iowa.

Only 24 more days until Christmas!

BARKTOBER

October in Arizona has to be one of my (and probably Alfredo's) favorite time of the year. The weather finally hovers in the 80s, which means we get to spend lots of time outside. He looks pretty handsome on walks, don't you think?

Aside from just being outdoors is my absolute favorite annual event with Alfredo, which also happens to fall during the month of October. It's called Barktoberfest, and it's an event that allows families and their four legged babies to celebrate and appreciate dogs. The event is similar to an expo - lots of opportunities to buy all kinds of goodies ranging from leashes, collars, dog bowls, treats, etc. The very best station, in my opinion, is known as the Dog Vinci tent, where dogs can create their own work of art. This was Alfie's third appearance.

The arteest at work

Shockingly, he wasn't really into painting as he was in previous years. Nevertheless, he still did a terrific job. Here is his final product...

And of course, I had to take a picture with him and his new painting. I look proud. He looks exhausted. 

This particular Barktoberfest was exceptionally fabulous because Auntie Noel and Cousin Joon Bug joined us.

Alfie and Joon were instantly BFFs. They especially bonded to and from Barktoberfest. Yes, they both sat in my lap pretty much the entire time we were in the car. It was one of my finer moments.

Additional excitement this October has been Alfredo's first experience with pumpkin carving. I must admit, he wasn't as into it as I had hoped, but he was certainly fascinated with the top of the pumpkin. He couldn't chew it off fast enough...

We didn't really need the top anyway. It's the finished product in which we I was most concerned.

This is by far one of my favorite pictures taken of Alfredo ever. That could change when we get our holiday pictures back in a couple of weeks...another event we took part in this October. Stay tuned!

$125 just to walk in the door...

I consider myself quite fortunate in comparison to many Americans when it comes to the average cost of medical bills. While my medical bills literally add up to $0, the same cannot be said for my beloved Alfredo. For as long as I can remember, he's been on some type of medication for his fur (or lack thereof). When he was around 2, he began taking daily doggy fish oils (we refer to them as his jelly beans) to promote fur growth. What can I say, Bostons are known not only for their tuxedo fur, but also for their lack of fur, especially on the chest and behind their adorable overly sized ears. Fish oils have been successful in that he has grown some additional fur, and as a result, he's been taking them daily...up until about 10 weeks ago. It was then that Alfredo's regular vet became concerned that he had developed a type of allergy due to his itchiness. To rule out internal issues, I had his thyroid tested ($158) before making any assumptions. Just as suspected, all was good with his thyroid. Allergies it was.

Moving forward meant taking Alfredo to the veterinarian who specialized in dermatology. Walking in the door alone cost me $125. I had learned that the first step in determining allergies is to completely change the diet. I tucked away the mainstream Royal Canin adult food, and replaced it with a prescriptive Royal Canin (rabbit and potato) diet. One 25 pound bag of dry food and one case of cans cost me $250. Cha-ching! Did I mention that this food had to be purchased 25 miles away because the local Petsmart doesn't carry this specific food? The things we do for our furry (or lack of) kids...and to think I often eat a bowl of cereal out of a $4 box.

Well, here we are several weeks later, and I think it's safe to say that Alfredo's allergies are environmental. The itchiness (although not overwhelming), still exists. Not all of the special shampoos, sprays, and other medication that I haven't even mentioned, combined with the crazy expensive food and jelly beans has solved our problem. I've also changed the air filters, had the carpet professionally cleaned, and changed detergent just in case it was something environmental that I could fix. Not the case.

Sooo, Alfredo now has an appointment on Saturday, September 14th for allergy testing. Any guesses on the cost of this extravagant appointment? Here's my quote:

Yes, you probably see right. According to this document, Allergy testing would cost anywhere between $735-$1,128. I should note that this visit would cost me more than the actual price of Alfredo himself, who was $600 (but certainly worth everything I have).

I haven't committed to this test yet. I'm researching like a mad woman and seeking other options. I think there are two morals to this story:

1. Consider the cost of a dog before committing to one. They are costly. None of this includes all of the mainstream care, or the $2500 I spent on his broken leg (three years ago last weekend actually). We won't even go there. And...

2. Despite this setback, I'm still going to do whatever I can to give Alfie the best possible life that he deserves. Who wouldn't want this little guy to be happy and healthy at all times?

  

I LOVE MY JOB

It's amazing to think that week three of the new job is already coming to an end. Despite absolutely loving it, it's a bummer I am rid of an extended summer break. I guess it's a sacrifice I have to make to get where I want to go. I have a feeling the summer work days are also impacting the dog. This is what he's been up to since I got home today...

I can't decide if this is Alfredo's way of convincing me to take him to work, but it certainly makes me wish I was self-employed so that I could. Even a "take your dog to work day" would be awesome in my opinion. Until I establish my own "something", one can dream I guess...

On a side note, I happen to just love this picture. Anytime he shows off his needle teeth, known as his Rumpelstiltskins, I basically melt. Looks like he's ready to confirm contract transactions to me! 

Why a Boston?

I'm often asked, "Why did you choose a Boston Terrier?" Well, I must say, my first encounter with a Boston was surprisingly when I lived overseas in Oxford, England back in 2007. Surprising because Boston Terriers are actually American bred dogs (one of the few I may add). In fact, their nickname is "America's Gentleman" because their fur coloring appears as if they are wearing a tuxedo. You can be the judge of that...

Anyway, I met a good (and American)  friend while overseas, named Krista, who just happened to have a Boston Terrier. Her name was Lady, and I just loved her. 

She had all the characteristics I ever wanted in a dog, a true companion with personality, which is exactly what I got with Alfredo. Fast forward three years, which is when Alfredo came into my life. I couldn't imagine having another breed now. Like most Boston owners, I'm probably a "Boston Lifer." There is no doubt that I have probably also influenced others to adopt a Boston, which is good, because these dogs deserve nothing less than constant love and companionship. 

Petsmart = Toys "R" Us

Summers in Arizona are a bit rough. I may laugh at the rest of the country during the winter season, but I think it's safe to say [they] get revenge during the summer. It's July 2nd, and already Arizonians have experienced multiple days in the triple digits. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I'd be able to say that I know what 122 degrees feels like. In fact, the hottest outside temperature I have ever experienced here in Arizona is 127 degrees. 

With that being said, I enjoy doing things as much as possible in the wee hours of the morning and late evening during the summer months. This includes entertaining Alfredo, who is basically held captive inside from the scorching outside temperatures. I have to get creative in terms of keeping him active, so I stick to dog friendly places. Unfortunately, this is pretty limiting. 

Depending on the occasion, Alfredo either enjoys or hates dislikes Petsmart, a dog friendly place. For example, buying things, i.e. yum yums, toys, treats, or any type of food, is enjoyable. On the flipside, visiting Banfield (the vet inside of Petsmart), the groomer, or the doggy hotel are not so enjoyable. Let's stick to an enjoyable story...

One of Alfie's greatest pleasures is strolling down the toy aisle, and yes, he knows exactly where it's located. It's just the same as taking a child into a toy store. Their eyes light up, and they want everything in sight. Well, at least Alfredo does anyway. Here he is making his most recent selection...

The funny thing about this choice is that he already selected the same exact moose in a previous visit. Maybe he thought it belonged to him. Whatever. I just go with it. 

Once he's made his final decision, he knows its time to check out. Believe me, he's quite the attention grabber when running through the store with his newly found treasure...

The challenge is always getting the toy rung up since he usually darts for the door.

I don't believe in shoplifting, even though he tries getting away with it.

Trust me, the story doesn't end after the transaction is made. It's off to the car...

...and back into the house. Here he is running around like a maniac.

 I guess the nice thing about being cooped up is having something new and exciting. In this case I guess he thought decapitating the moose was necessary.

 Whatever makes him happy!

 

THE BRITISH ARE COMING

When dad called me a couple of months ago asking if I wanted to go see the legendary Rolling Stones, I jumped at the chance. Apparently Alfredo was equally as excited.

I didn't really have the heart to tell him that he wouldn't be joining us. As usual, Auntie Aimee took great care of him.

It only took us a few weeks to determine the venue. Hello Philly!

Pictured here were our original seats at $300 a ticket. Despite being in the "nose bleeds", Antonio Banderas dad and I were PUMPED! How great does the stage look?!

 

Mick Jagger, legend



Keith Richards, legend

So now you might be thinking, with seats like those, how did she get pictures like these?

Well, let me tell you what I now know for sure:
A. Being friendly goes a long way. You never know who you are talking to.
B. There really are great people in this world
C. Miracles happen

Here's the official story:
I'm sitting at Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix waiting for my flight. I'm scheduled to arrive in Philly at 5pm. Show time was at 8pm. About 30 minutes prior to departure, the flight is delayed. As you can guess, panic began to set in.

In the meanwhile, I am doing what I usually do at the airport...listening to music, playing around on the iPad, people watching, etc. In fact, I never spark up conversation with others at the airport. Ever. However, this lady walked up to use an outlet (finding available outlets at the airport is like stumbling upon gold), and she happened to be wearing a Rolling Stones jacket. For the first time in my many years of flying, I took the earbuds out of my ears and asked her if she was going to the show. To make a long story short, we spoke for awhile before we boarded, she saved me a seat once we boarded, and we exchanged numbers "to potentially meet up" at the show (or so I thought) before going our separate ways.

After flight delays and an incredibly long flight, I was finally wheels down at 6:40pm. Dad scooped me up, and we were off to the show. A while later, my new airport friend sent me a text asking where we were sitting. I explained to dad that she may hang out with us for awhile during the show. A few songs in, there she was, with something BIG.

Turns out, her husband works for the band and as a result, she gave us pit passes so that we could watch the show from the very front of the stage. Five days later, I'm still waking up every morning wondering if it was all a dream. I just have to look down at my wrist to remind myself that it all really happened.

 

Still rocking our wristbands several days later!

Dad and I will never forget this incredible experience, all because a stranger decided to do such a great deed. I feel I will forever be in debt to my new friend. Other than giving me (and dad) such a great experience, she will forever remind me how influencial it can be to pay it forward. 

Philadelphia was one of the greatest trips I have ever taken. Aside from the concert, I tried a cheesesteak for the very first time, which was another delightful Philly experience.     

These would be dangerous if I actually lived in Philly. They are devine!

And of course, we did all of the historical sightseeing.

 

Here we are in front of the Liberty Bell. This picture makes perfect sense, really, considering I basically had bells and whistles on during the entire trip.

Okay, now stop reading this blog and pick up the latest Rolling Stone magazine.

HEAVEN!