Parrotheads Everywhere!!!

...last Tuesday, May 3, I went to my first Jimmy Buffett concert! It was a birthday gift to myself because I've wanted to see him for almost 10 years. I've had the opportunity before but was too chicken to go because I'm not a Parrothead, just a huge fan. This year though, I said screw it, I've got Mattie so we'll go and have a great time! Here I am at home with the tickets, I checked like 500 times to make sure I didn't forget them!

We got to the parking lot and it was PACKED! Wall to wall cars, people and Parrotheads. The laid back, tropical atmosphere, despite the arctic temperatures, only increased my excitement. Typically cameras are allowed into the amphitheater but it’s up to the artist’s discretion and Jimmy said no cameras. However, I was able to get my digital camera in due to my super sneaky skills. Now about 90% of the concert goers had I-phones with a camera and were snapping all sorts of pics. Since Mattie and I choose to save our pennies by having the simplest phone (seriously, we don’t even have text messaging!), I didn’t feel bad about bringing in my camera although I was too afraid to use it once we got inside. I finally worked up the nerve and snapped a few pics. Jimmy on the big screen:

They tried their best to make us feel warm and tropical...

Here's Mattie and I after the concert. Can you tell how cold it was based off the redness of our noses and cheeks?

We wanted to get a good lawn seat so we got there right when the doors opened so we had about an hour and a half to wait. If the wind wasn’t blowing then it wouldn’t have been that cold but it was blowing and blowing fast. One of the Parrotheads had a windmill on his head that was spinning 90 mph. I was trying to wait to put on my extra clothing so I laid down on our blanket all curled up only to be kicked in the head by some guy stumbling around not paying attention. I sat up rubbing my head and told my husband, “I guess that’s karma for bringing in my camera.” I wasn’t going to let the swift kick to the head damper my spirits, I rubbed my head for a few minutes, let a few tears slide down my cheeks in pain and then decided I was over it although the dull headache was a reminder that I won’t be sneaking a camera into anywhere in the near future.

The concert started and Jimmy did his best to warm us up and give off that tropical feeling. Maybe a few heat lamps would’ve helped, but the dancing and moving around got our blood flowing. However, not many fans stuck around for the entire concert due to the chill factor. After “Margaritaville,” I was happy to head home and warm up. As we turned out of the parking lot, we got in the far lane and were minding our own business driving along. Then a car decided to pull out of the parking lot and instead of staying in their own lane, they wanted to get into ours. My husband swerved onto the curb which was a sewer lid to avoid being hit and then BOOM! Blow out-tire and the kind driver of the other vehicle quickly sped off. We spent the next 45 minutes of the chilly night changing our tire and having concert goers stare at us and mutter to each other how awful a flat tire would be. Yeah…we know! The damage (we ended up paying $120 for a new tire):

We’re thankful it was only a flat tire but I don’t think we’ll be going there to see any more concerts. Next time I see Jimmy Buffett, I’ll make sure I *am* in Margaritaville!