Okay, Listen Here

Okay, Listen Here

Monday, February 20, 2012

Magical Mystery Tour

I am going on a Magical Mystery Tour. In fact, at this reading, I will have already been, but at the writing, I have not. And I will tell you about it in the last part of the blog. Maybe there will be pictures. I don't know since it's such a big mystery. I named it myself, though I didn't think up the tour. That was all Dr. Great Smile's doing. A couple of months ago, she said to us—us being an eclectic bunch who have survived many things together—"If I plan a little outing for us, will y'all trust me and just go with it?"

"Yes!" I said. "Yes, yes, yes!" I think I was on my feet by then with my arms pumping in the air. She had told her husband, who is my eye doctor, that I would be the first to say yes and Picky Sticky would be the first to ask questions. And that's what happened.

This is what we know: (Mostly from Picky Sticky's questions.) We are meeting at Dr. Great Smile's office on Saturday afternoon at 3:30. We are departing at 3:45. We will return about 2 A.M. No one has to drive. We are to bring snacks, wine, and a hundred dollars. We will be inside 99 per cent of the time. There is no need for heavy clothes. We will want our purses to be small. We will want a camera.

Later.

***

Okay. It's Later.

I had never ridden in a limo before since I am not a movie star and Back In The Day, people did not go to the prom in limos. I, myself, was transported to the prom in a brand new Trans Am. I had daisies pinned to my shoulder and my shoes matched my dress. It was a different time.

Anyway. There's a lot to be said for a limo and an accommodating limo driver. He'll get you right in front for the Tivoli Theater in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He'll say, "You ladies are just fine in there. We'll sit right here until you are ready to get out or until they make us move." Then, he will proceed to stand in front of the limo door with his hands folded in front of him. He will go inside to see if there is a bar and report back. While you are in the theater hearing Jeanne Robertson be hilarious, he will go buy Cutest Girl the World some more Michelob Ultra. Then he will be there when you get out and he will put out a little red carpet for you. By the way, nobody made us move. I think they thought we were somebody.

I plan to do some more limo riding. It fit in very well with my view of how I like my life to go.

There is no way to describe how funny Jeannie Robertson is. I believe she is the funniest woman alive. At six feet, two inches tall, she enjoys the distinction of being the tallest Miss America contestant in history. The year was 1963. She has some stories to tell. If you will click on her name above you can go to YouTube and see "Don't Send a Man to the Grocery Store."

Since Jeannie was (and really is a beauty queen) Dr. Great Smile dictated that we all wear tiaras. Also, Dr. Great Smile was homecoming queen. Wearing tiaras was no imposition.

This is my pictorial diary of the evening. I wish I could show you a picture of the built-in champagne bucket, but I made a movie instead of a picture on accident. I know it sounds as though I liked the limo more than the show. I did not. But it was shiny and I am a magpie.

I do not have a picture of Jeanne. Taking pictures of a performer is just plain rude. But you can see her on her website.


Tom, the Limo Driver. Take note of the tall boots and the knees to his left.


The tall boots and the knees belong to Art Girl, who is also The Baby among us. She won best dressed for the night in her short skirt and tall boots. She looked sensational. We might have been mad at her for it, if she wasn't The Baby and we didn't love her so much.


Box seats inside the beautiful Trivoli Theater.


Surprise! The Guy was able to turn my movie of the built in Champagne bucket into a picture. Much like Jeanne Robertson's husband, The Guy cannot get out of the box or be expected to go to the grocery store without incident, but he's got skills--many, many skills.


Dancing Queen had the tallest tiara. She meant business. She knows she's royalty.


Inside the limo. I know. I'm Country come to Town. Or Country come to Limo, more like. What can I say? I went to the prom in a car with a decal of a giant bird on it.


Ms. Classy did a lot of research trying to figure out where she was going. She did not succeed. She became afraid she might be going to see the Chippendales. I told her that was not Dr. Great Smile's style.


After the show, standing on the stairs. Fun was had by us.


Would you embark on a surprise adventure that a friend had planned, or would you have to know the details?

24 comments:

  1. Oh I'm just gonna have to hate you! I LOVE Jeanne Robertson. You see, I'm a North Carolina native who remembers watching her be crowned Miss North Carolina and then win Miss Congeniality at the Miss America pageant. When I was in college, she emceed a beauty pageant at my university. And then I forgot about her for about 35 years until I heard her on XM radio. I laughed til I cried, and that was not good since I was driving up a very steep and mountainous section of I-40. I got home and Googled her and learned she was now doing appearances all over. And I keep trying to see her. According to her schedule she was in Huntsville on February 9. How did I not know this? And she'll be back on October 16 at 2PM at the VBC, but that's a Tuesday and I have to work. I may be sick that day. But to answer your question, if I knew the friend very well, I'd go on a surprise adventure.

    Marilyn

    P.S. Did she tell you she graduated from Auburn University? War Eagle! ;-)

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    1. It was great fun, Marilyn. Try to work it out for October. Yes! She did tell us she is an Auburn Alum.

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  2. It looks like y'all had a great time! I am with Marilyn here. I would go on a surprise adventure if I knew and trusted the person who was planning it. The kicker here is that list is VERY short.

    The Guy did a great job for you. His mad skills are so handy!

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  3. I would go again! It was a great time! And the limo is really the only way to go on a trip like that.

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  4. Well, you answered a big mystery for me. As my husband and I were leaving the show we saw the limo and wondered who it was for. Thank you. I'm so glad I discovered your blog. I would so love to do what you did. What a fun trip! And wasn't the show great? I can't wait to see her again. She's coming to Atlanta next month. We live in Athens, well just to the west of Athens, so we might go again.

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    1. Welcome, Susan. I hope you will come back. I blog with four other writers, but I always blog on Mondays.

      Yep--our limo. I may never get over it. Such a fun night!

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    2. Thanks for joining us, Susan! Good to meet you. I'm Kathy & I blog tomorrow. Hope you'll come back!

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  5. I love Jeanne Robertson too! The story of her husband in the grocery store is priceless. Everytime it comes on the radio, I turn it up and laugh just as hard as I did the first time. Another favorite is the baton story. Love it. Plus she always has good life lessons in them. OH! And I love the stories about her accent, especially when she was looking for J.F. Too funny.

    Anyway, that had to be so much fun. Limo, tiaras and friends, that's awesome.

    Would I let my friends take me on a surprise night out? YES! They probably wouldn't trust me as much (Chippendales probably would be involved), but that's okay. LOL!

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  6. I've never heard of her! Sounds like a fun time. I will have to check her out (and it doesn't hurt that she's a fellow alumnus ~g~).

    No I wouldn't just blindly go; I have a lot of trust issues. I would have to know the where, whys and hows of the whole thing before I agreed to go. You're lucky to have such wonderful friends, especially being able to trust them! So glad you had a wonderful time!

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    1. You must go watch her YouTube spots. So, so funny. Go to the bathroom first.

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    2. Okay, I have you to blame for sitting here this morning for 2 hours watching videos of this woman and laughing. I have nearly died. Thanks Jean...

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  7. Oh, this sounds fabo! So happy you had a great time! I would dearly enjoy adventures like this, but of course, hubby would insist I knew everybody going very well before I went.

    I have trust issues too. Good friends wouldn't steer you wrong however. ;)

    I've never heard of Jeanne. Must check her out!

    I have an adventurous spirit! But I've never been in a limo before or to hear a comic. Lol!

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  8. Oh man, that looks like so much fun! And I made Hubby watch the video about men at the store. That was hilarious!!!

    I would have totally gone if I hadn't promised Hubby not to do things on the weekend in addition to my crazy travel schedule this year. :( Originally, I'd thought we'd be cruising this week -- but it's next week. I also told him that next year, I'm going to the beach.

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    1. We missed you so much! About this year's beach trip--we are going in September instead. There are so many conflicts this spring/early summer.

      If we could score you, that would be fab!

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    2. Oh, September! That might work. Will look forward to details!

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    3. I think we are looking at about Sept. 15. I really, really hope you can!

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  9. Yea though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow . . . yeah, sure, I'd go :-).

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    1. And to go with you would truly be an excellent adventure because, in spite of the syntax, I say there is more than one funniest woman alive and you are definitely there.

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  10. A car with spacious interior, a bucket of champagne and all other classy stuff- it can only be Limo! Nothing really beats Limo when it comes to being grand. I might say, it is the ultimate car.

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  11. Embarking on an unplanned adventure. And why not? As long as you trust the friend who’s planning it, then I suppose it’ll be fun to go on a suprise trip. So that was the first time you rode a limo? I see how the experience had been exciting to you, and good for you for planning to do it again. Share us your experience when you do! Have a good day!

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