The Ledge - My trip of a lifetime!

WARNING: Long post!!

My first plane ride was...nerve wracking!! LOL I was nervous the whole way, through the takeoff, turbulence and landing. I was in coach, which, even tho it's the cheapest, SUX. LOL I'll tell you why later. We land WAY early, like 45 minutes or something, so I arrived at Gatwick with no one to pick me up. LOL My best friend was on his way, but I didn't know that and was clueless that we were so early. I waited for awhile and right before I was gonna call him, he walks through the door. YAY!!

It's raining and I'm in awe that I'm in a car, driving on the WRONG side of the road (LOL) in London!! Surreal is not even the right WORD. My mom and dad call my friend's cell phone and I talk to them for a minute to let them know I'm fine. We drive to my hotel and I can't check in, it's too early, so we leave my luggage there and go out. Within an hour, I'm having a bottled water and brownie in a Coffee Republic with my best friend IN LONDON. I'm sweating from all the walking we did that first day (LOL) and I feel a little weird and bleh.

Later on, I check in to the room and WOW, it's small and the ceiling is really high. It's fine for me tho, I don't need a ton of room, I managed.

Within the first week, I'm seeing Buckingham (WOO!! LOL) Palace, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament, the British Airways London Eye, Selfridges, FM (DUR. LOL), Birmingham, double decker buses, the Tube/Underground/Subway, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus and Oxford Street. I mean, WOAH. LOL

Within the other two weeks, I'm going to Notting Hill (record hunting, I found a PRIMO Kiln House record!!!!! Also, a Behind the Mask record, but I messed it up taking the friggin sticker off.), Madame Tussaud's, riding the London Eye, getting VERY familiar with the Tube system, more FM (LOL), going to Manchester and Liverpool, seeing Tower Bridge, Tower of London, eating at Hard Rock Cafe, shopping, shopping and oh yes, more shopping including Harrods, Hamley's (toy store), Fortnum & Mason and Harvey Nichols.

Meeting the Ledgies was AWESOME! Putting faces to names/screen names and hanging out, enjoying the front row and acting like the nuts we are!! LOL Lindsey definitely noticed the repeat offenders. LMAO!! At the last show, he goes "Thanks for coming out to see us....and to some of you...again." BWAH!! Yeah, the front row to the shows were the same folks. I don't think FM will ever forget the Ledgies/Fireflies at the England shows. HEHEHE. My obsession for Lindsey Buckingham has only gotten worse after seeing the man up close and personal 5 times (Plus Dallas and Saturday's London show where we were 23rd row back). My respect and love for him is just immense...he's phenominal and amazing. A true artist/performer in every sense of the word. I got my Buckingham Nicks album signed by him too in Manchester!! I also got some excellent photos!! Some will get blown up to an 8x10 and framed, for sure!! I started crying on Saturday during I'm So Afraid even tho we were far back that night....shows the power of the song for me. I got TONS of recognition from THE MAN too!! During the Birmingham show, right as the Chain started, I pointed at him and was like "YEAH!" and he pointed and looked at me and went "YEAH!!!" WOOOO!! LOL INTENSE! I also waved at him while he sat over to the side during World Turning and he smiled at me. At the last London show, I waved at him AGAIN and he bent down to get the light out of his eyes and he saw me and smiled and nodded like "There's my girl." LMAO!! I played his guitar a lot and that was just surreal. His voice during Say Goodbye brought me to tears because it was just flawless and gorgeous....also during Beautiful Child, his harmonies were just on. Every time he looked or smiled at me or Seteca, we would nudge each other. LOL Madformac and Neil were over on Lindsey's side with us too and they got looks and poses for photos. I had a hard time getting good photos of Miss Stevie, she didn't look over toward us much. She looked out and not down. There was one particular night where Lindsey was really getting the majority of the yells and recognition and I kept wondering "Hmm, I wonder if she's kinda bummed." Of course, the Fireflies kept her company. LOL Go Pip and company! My fave songs she did were GDW and Beautiful Child. Fave LB songs were ISA (DUR. LOL), Come and Say Goodbye. I wrote Lindsey a letter and bought him a guitar shaped keychain that says Fort Worth Stockyards on it and in Manchester, he got it. He didn't see it when I held it out to him, so Madformac grabbed it since he's taller and Lindsey took it from him, and smiled and nodded at MFM, so Lindsey, if you read this, I am Christy!!! LMAO!!! Not MFM!! I'm not good with details as in what speech was changed, Landslide dedications and such, so I can't help with those things. Others are good at that sort of thing. I'm trying to remember every detail tho. I did yell out "AMAZING!" after either Come or ISA one night and the guy behind me thought I was nuts. The night he broke the string during ISA (December 10th), after the song ended, and it was quiet, I screamed "He broke a string....WOOOOO!!!!" superloud and everyone laughed at me. LOL Yep, I'm nuts. Just for the record, no, I didn't get a sweaty towel...um, EW and what the frick am I gonna do with a sweaty towel? I got recognition, photos and he got my letter, "and that's enough for me." Hehe. Funniest line from my mom the entire trip "Did you get his pick?" ME: "Mom, he doesn't use one, he uses his fingers." MOM: "Oh." LMAO!! Seeing the kiddos at the last show was AWESOME....I hadn't seen William since the BTM so that was a real treat! I noticed him looking up at Jenna, so he takes after dad. ;) Also, Lee Lee tapping on the floor was just the cutest thing. I took their photo, but it came out really blurry and I kinda felt bad about taking their photo, so I deleted it. LB really got a kick out of the screams, waves, recognition and he gave back to the audience 10 fold! He blew kisses, smiled and everything. The solos took on new lives as well on the good audience feedback nights. They FEED off the audience, no doubt. When it would get really quiet during NGBA or something, we'd scream and he'd smile. I noticed also that LB carries his wallet on stage in his back right pocket. Yeah, I checked out the butt, so what? HAHA! The Mick spittle factor was not extremely intense, but one lil droplet fell near us, and we moved our things. LOL He did however spray a lot towards Lindsey when LB gets up during WT. He wanted a taxi hailed, he said something about the Lone Ranger and Tonto and the same old Hanky Panky thing. LOL The English audience really showed Mick some love and he loved it. Also, John got lots of love with penguins thrown up and Happy Birthday sung to him by the audience. He was very embarrassed too. Hee. I missed the notorious "Hey, HEY, get the F outta my concert." night in Manchester. There was this jerkhead who stood behind me at the last London show who was all up on me (in that he was RIGHT behind me "dancing" and tapping on my arm and I'm all, WTH are you doing?) and was being a menace to the Nth degree. I wish I could have snapped his neck, and I'm a non violent person....really. LOL Incidentally, he touched Seteca's arm and got the "I WILL break your neck." look and went "Sorry." LMAO! He's the only English person I came into contact with that was a bad experience tho. All in all, MAGNIFICENT shows and experiences!!

Oh, by the way, I saw Peter Green perform. LOL Yeah, like it wasn't a big deal. HELLO!!!! It was AMAZING!!! I smiled at Peter at one point and he smiled back!! Awesome!! Nigel Watson is a terrific player and they are all just great. Hearing Albatross (yep, lump in the throat on this one), Man of the World, Need Your Love So Bad, Black Magic Woman and Green Manalishi was just surreal. He was like less than 5 feet from me, that's just too nuts!!! There were two new songs (can't remember the names tho) that I really dug too. It's really something to see FM in a HUGE arena and then go to this lil bitty jazz club to see the man who started it all so many years ago. WAY COOL!!

I was really disappointed that Christine didn't perform at the last show, as I kept looking for a sign of her. I'm glad she got acknowledged tho, and Peter Green as well. Ah well, as long as they are both happy and healthy, it's all good, right?

My plane ride HOME was awesome. I got bumped up from coach!! Why? I dunno. I didn't ask, I just went "Cool!" LOL I had more leg room, got a newspaper to read, got a Kit Kat for dessert (Mmmm....chocolate. LOL), plus the takeoff and turbulence were not as bad. But, the landing back at DFW was a lil rocky, perhaps because of the wind we are having here, it's very gusty. I also slept on the way home a lil bit, whereas on the way over, I was too nervous, but I did try. Also, I had an aisle seat going home, as opposed to a window seat going over. I loved looking out the window (even tho it was dark most of the way), but having freedom to get up without bothering people is great too. The stewardesses are extremely warm and friendly on British Airways and even tho I am bashing coach, I'm not bashing the people, just the legroom. LOL Hearing the BBC News announcement that Saddam Hussein was captured was a treat too, some folks on the plane clapped and cheered.

I would just like to thank my best friend for showing me around London. I'd also like to thank God that I was able to even GO on this trip. Everything worked out perfectly for me to go at this time with the FM shows, my job situation, finances, just everything. Going to England has been a dream of mine since I was a kid, and seeing all the famous landmarks and things was just a kick! Riding a plane for the first time ever was a huge deal for me. Also, the fact that I've never gone ANYWHERE on my own without a parent or both parents with me was a big step. Eating alone in a restaurant for the first time as well. Hey, everyone, look at me, I'm a grown up!! LOL

Well, I'm gonna end this long post, as my brain is still a little crazy and I can't seem to think of details right now.

Thanks for the prayers, thoughts and emails everyone!