Paula's Pittsburgh Experiences & Pics

[skcin]

I am in the process of uploading the pics I took, at the same time going through all the threads here. I think I'm caught up, in the Stevie forum anyway, so I'll post my review, opinions, random thoughts & other useless information.

First of all, we left Buffalo WAY late. I wanted to leave by 1pm at the latest, we ended up racing out of here around 2:40pm. Thank God Ryan (a close friend of mine for the last 10 years or so) drives fast. We were making really great time until the torrential downpours came. I was so nervous we wouldn't make it. It rained on & off for the last hour of our 3&1/2 hour drive. Oh, and it was at least 85 degrees with unbearable humidity. During the trip, Brian (liquidblue5000) calls me to report he was stuck in NYC traffic for hours & is now way behind & may not make the show on time.

We pull into the hotel around 6:20pm & I see a boy in a black tank shirt on sitting in a car in the lot - CURTY (ontheedgeof17 for those of you who don't know him, if that's possible!) We find a parking spot, give hugs & unload our crap from the cars. We go to the lobby, soaking wet, I almost broke my ankle cuz my sandals are slippery when wet (heehee.) Another hotel guest is being made to feel stupid by the hotel desk bitch cuz she can't find her room. I hand them my charge, sign the receipt & the hotel bitch says "Just how many people are staying in your room?" I look at the other 2 people standing at the desk next to me & say "Umm, 3." DER! She says "Well your rate will be higher. It's going to go up to $74.95." I said "OK, I'm think we can handle it." She hands me the key & says nothing. I say "how do we get to our room?" She says "Go out the door, walk around the building..." I go "It's pouring out - is there no way to out room from inside?" She tells us to go down a hall which ends up leading OUTSIDE ANYWAY. Jerkass.

This ****hole has outside corridors, like a balcony, so we're stepping over all these hillbillies who seem to be living at the Ramada. They had their chairs on the balcony (again, which is also the hall to our room), grills, you name it. Every room had AC, yet several very unattractive people had their doors propped open, which gave us a great view of them laying in bed eating & watching TV.

We are afraid, so we run to the room. It is hideously outdated, but clean. I immediately throw the semen-infested (remember that Dateline?) bedspreads on the floor. We have a few drinks & blast Stevie tunes (see Curtis' review for details of our little pre-party.) Ryan is getting ready & taking forever (typical homo ) At about 7:15, we jet out of there. Brian calls again - he is about 50 miles away (we all think.) We devise a plan to leave his ticket at Willcall if needed. We get stuck in some traffic, but not for long. We finally reach the venue at about 8:20 & I hear Juliana Ray. I am ecstatic that we have time to spare. Brian calls & says "I'm here, I'm parking my car!" He finds us & we all go in - Paula & her 3 fags of Rhiannon.

Con't...