Current mood: angsty
you tear down all my reason
you see through all i hide
you make me perfect
help me get inside
~ "Closer" by Nine Inch Nails
Saturday Night at Voodoo Fest was NOT my first concert-going experience. That being said, the large amounts of alcohol must have altered my good judgment because I thought it would be a 'smart move' to wear $1.00 flip-flops from Target to the show. Granted, they were my Little Miss Naughty flip-slops that I bought in San Diego, and I thought they could possibly inspire me to be a little naughty and get Trent Reznor's attention. Still, they were flip-flops.
Once the show started, I knew that I had to move forward into the crowd if I wanted to see Trent better! Ali-Son and RPN wanted to stay back – so we agreed on a meeting point and I took off for the front. It was a slow process, as people were packed tightly and I was wearing shoes that were not conducive to moving forward at a rapid pace. On my trip forward, a girl grabbed my hand and asked if I could help her move up in the crowd. I agreed; but warned her that if she let go of my hand, I was not going back for her. She kept up for a while, until the crowd got pretty rough, and unbalanced. I asked her if she was okay, she acknowledged that she was but that she was not going any further. I bid her farewell and started to take another step when my damn right flip-flop broke. Bloody Hell!
I had to make a choice – do I stay where I am and remain with the shoe?; do I leave the shoe behind and risk my right foot?; or do I attempt to repair the flip-flop?
I went with door number 3. I asked the guy next to me how old he was. He said 20 – which meant I did not feel badly holding on to him while I stood on one foot and picked up my broken shoe with the other. Luckily for me, these particular flip-flops are quite durable and I was able to make a patch-work repair. And, as a way of saying thank you to the guy who kept me upright while I made the repairs, I asked him if he wanted to move up more. He did, so I grabbed his hand and we were soon within 5 rows of people to the stage. It is always easier for girls to move forward in the crowd than guys – so he was appreciative of our new vantage point.
I spent the rest of the show, in front of 20 year old boy and next to the most beautiful transvestite I have ever seen. She was gorgeous and in a costume similar to what you would see in the musical Chicago. I laughed when she asked if I wanted to feel her rabbit fur. Turns out, she really had rabbit fur on her costume, and it was rather soft.
The show was long and I was gross and sweaty from the New Orleans heat and the tightly packed people. Still, the show was incredible and while I did not actually get to touch Trent Reznor, I know that he wanted me to have done so. Maybe when he is here in a few weeks. I won't wear flip-flops next time.
After the show, I caught up with the girls and we headed to the Haunted Mortuary. It is truly a haunted mortuary; but it is also a haunted house attraction for Halloween. California Guy texted several times during the show and asked us to come over for a party they were having. Ali-Son and RPN said that maybe after we went through the mortuary we could swing by the party. I let him know.
Once we arrived at the attraction, we got in line and waited to buy tickets. It was then that I had a horrible feeling rush over me. And that feeling clearly told me to get out of line and NOT go in that building. I love haunted houses, but I trust my intuition. I told Ali-Son that I was not going in. She asked me if I was serious. I told her that based on the gut feeling I had; there was no way in hell I was walking through there. I let them know I would wait outside for them and got out of line.
Sitting by the flagpole, I patiently waited. Four Army soldiers were guarding the area and they asked me where my smile was. They then called me over by them and we spent the next 40 minutes or so talking and laughing. California Guy called me and one of the soldiers elected to talk to him. It turns out that CG wasn't comfortable with me just standing by myself on a New Orleans street at midnight. The good sergeant explained that I had 4 armed guards until my friends came out of the haunted house. And they all agreed with me for not going in there if I had a bad feeling. We had fun and I really did feel pretty safe with 4 army guys keeping watch over me.
Ali-Son and Roly-Poly Nicoly came out and we bid farewell to the soldiers. Of course, they were too tired to go to the party, so we headed home and I called CG and explained that I was under lock-down and could not leave. I also spoke to his roommate and his brother – all of whom tried to talk me into going over anyway. But, in the end, I obeyed the directive given to me and stayed where I was.
Eventually, we all fell asleep and dreamt about what Sunday would bring.
Please turn the page for Part Five.
