Its official….I’m not cool.

Maybe everyone else has known this but I’ve sort have always operated under the delusion that I’m pretty cool.  I do cool stuff, I’ve been to cool places, I’ve bought cool things, I know about cool stuff, I listen to cool music, I’m current.  Don’t these automatically make you cool?  It’s the whole Transitive Property of Equality, if A=B and B=C then A=C.  Ok maybe that’s not the best argument to make if you’re trying to prove your cool.     Being the cool mom that I thought I was, I bought concert tickets for my son and nephews.  And so I didn’t have to suffer alone with three teenage boys, I included my sister too (she’s mother of nephew).  I get great seats to one of the hottest concerts (at least that’s what the advertisement said and they kept repeating on 97.9B)   We’re going see Chris Brown.  He’s a huge Hip Hop star that sings Lovely, Lovely, Kiss, Kiss.  Oh wait,  just got corrected by the son its Lovey, Dovey, Kiss, Kiss.  Shit.  Well anyway isn’t cool that you take your son to his first concert and its of this magnitude.  That’s gotta make you cool.   And not only do we do we get Chris Brown but Lil Mama, Sean Kingston, Soulja Boy and Lil Bow Wow are also going to be there.  Damn, corrected again.  Its just Bow Wow now.  He’s all grown up now and doesn’t want to be referred to as Lil’.   Its so fun to watch the boys and sister get ready for their first concert.  This just also happens to be the first concert my 30 something sister has also been to.  She’s as excited as the kids.  Its really kind of an honor to be able to provide this experience.  Ok, tearing up and this kind of sentimentality is definitely not cool so I’ll have a glass of wine.  They boys have their bling, sis has her hair did and I’m feeling the glow of my first  glass of wine so we are ready for the evening.   Driving to the arena Tam Tam keeps telling the boys if they don’t keep it down she’s not taking them back stage.  This actually calms them down for a minute.  Hey its their first concert they don’t know what really happens.  Hysterically, she serious!  She goes on to tell Coconut what he’s supposed to do until she comes home with his new stepdaddy, Bow Wow.   Its at the concert that I have to face reality.  I only knew 4 songs between the 5 acts.  I think I recognize a song played during itnermission and shout out… Luther!  Tam pokes me in the ribs and tells me shut up, “that’s not Luther!  You’re embarrassing us!”  Apprently it was Brian McKnight and neither he or Luther are considered hip in this crowd.   My feet starting hurting about half way through.  It might have been all the walking I did between seats and concession counters to get my $6.50 miniature bottles of Ernest and Gallo Merlot.  I’m not a wine snob but even I found this barely drinkable but needed something to get me through.  I sat down about half way through.  I think I actually feel asleep at one point.  The boys on the other hand had a fantastic time.  They sang and danced for the entire 4 hours so it was worth every penny, every indignity and every stark reality I had to face.  I did get some great movie clips of Chris Brown doing his ‘thing’ on the stage.  He’s one fine brother!

Travel Diary – Annalong, Ireland

You would think that after 20 years of non-rev (standby) travel that I would be used to it by now.  However, I can never sit back and fully enjoy my glass of champagne until the wheels of the plane are rolling down the runway.  I promised my friends that I would definitely visit them in Ireland this year so in typical Tonya fashion I try and squeeze it in during the very last week of the year.  I should get credit as I did try earlier but the flights were full.  Leaving Christmas day produced the greatest chance of available seats.    My son also left Christmas day so to see his grandfather in Miami so I’m not as bad of mom as it sounds.   My careful planning (or dumb luck) paid off and I managed to get first class all the way from Dallas to Dublin (via Chicago).  If you’ve never flown first class internationally its an experience I highly recommend.  See if you can fit it in once in your life.   My first first class international trip was at the tender young age of 21 on my way to London.  I didn’t think life could get any better (and it some ways it hasn’t) but I still get the same thrill sitting up there.  I still feel like the young girl eager to set out on the world.   Now the first class menus haven’t changed much in 20 years but the fully reclining seats and the Bose headsets are vast improvements.  (I’m going to invest into a pair of those!)   Non-rev travel allows you to travel at significant discounts but my flight to Dublin got a bit expensive as it cost me my Ipod.  I feel asleep with it on and it managed to slip in to the motor compartment of the reclining seat.  I have a connection in the maintenance department so they are trying to see if they can track down the plane and get it back but so far no luck.  I’m traveled alone this time as my travel buddy had to back out at the last minute losing my navigator so I was a bit nervous.   But I managed to pick up the car and make it to the M1 motorway without a single incident, missed turn or any rude gestures from the local population.  I’m quite impressed with myself!  I make good time to the North.  Small side bar:  Did you know that Northern Ireland uses the Pound Sterling instead of the Euro.  That they go in mph instead of kmh?  I didn’t, good thing I brought both Euro’s and Pounds.  And since I didn’t know the difference I kept the car to 50 which may explain why I was being passed by old ladies in the North.  I was expecting to find a border crossing like something you see out of some 50’s movie with long pole and Garde but apparently its only a logical separation.  Too bad I wanted another passport stamp.   Ok back to the trip.  I get to a town called Newry, which is where I’m supposed to leave the motorway and take more local roads.  This is where something extraordinary happens.   Newry is a little more complicated to maneuever.  I’m on my 2nd or 3rd turn around town when I’m stopped a light and some guy blows his horn at me.  I’m sure he’s not impressed with my wrong sided driving skills.  But after the light he continues to follow me.  At first I’m not sure he’s following but after about 14 turns I’m its not a coincidence he’s behind me.  I’m looking for the most populated area I can find to pullover, which isn’t easy since this is Boxing Day.  I gingerly roll down my window expected to see a small caliber handgun or hear a barrage of expletives.  He says, “Are you lost?”  “Can you tell?” I ask.  He laughs at me and asks where I’m going.  I show him on the map and he tells me to follow him and he’ll get me on the right road.  He takes me about 20 minutes through town and pulls over.  “Just stay straight on this road and you’ll get where you’re going in about 20 minutes” he says and then pulls away.  It was like something from the Wizard of Oz.  Can you imagine something like that happening in Dallas? The road I’m on hugs the shore along the Irish sea.  The drive was fantastic and the scenery incredible.  In Annalong, I’m staying with my friend Norman.  Norm’s house is bout 30 feet from the sea.  He’s got a small garden outside the front door and then the sea.  The view of the sea and stars at night is one I won’t soon forget.  His house is 300 years old and his family has always lived there.  Being an Air Force brat that kind of family continuity is difficult for me to imagine.  Norm says he’s going to tear it down and put up town homes.  I was crushed until I realized that it gets freaking cold in a 300 year old house!   I’ve never been to an ugly part of Ireland but that area up there is just beautiful.  The Mourne Mountains (mountains being a generous term) sit behind is house.  We did a hike and the air was so incredibly fresh and everywhere we turned were little streams and brooks of the coldest cleanest water.  The countryside looks like a lush green quilt seamed with hedges of stone.  Rainbows kept sneaking out the clouds to land in some pasture or mountain pass.  It easy to believe there is a pot of gold at the end.   As would be expected we frequented the local pubs.  Norm has a pub that is not 20 yards from his house (that would probably be a little dangerous for me!).  One evening we went to a pub in Newcastle that was having a jam session of local musicians.  They just show up play and drink!  When we got there the group consisted of about 7 players and when we left there were over 20.  It was a packed house and the music was fantastic.   The only problem with going to Europe right now is the exchange rate.  I spent a night in Dublin before coming home.  Hotels usually are more expensive and $9 for glass a wine wouldn’t be unreasonable until you think that’s 9 Euros which is more like $18 a glass!  Of all the things to forget I forgot my camera and my descriptions simply do not do the place justice.  You’ll have to go see for yourself. I can recommend some places and I’m sure Norm will host your for a beer!