As D and I were passing the airport on our way to the concert last night I had a sinking feeling. I had forgotten to put my replacement debit card in my wallet and I had no cash. Only credit cards. No big deal except that parking at the ampitheatre is sparse at best and cost $20. And, because it is smack-dab in the middle of a residential area, there is no where to park and "hoof it" either.
My mind raced.
So, as we got off the interstate and approached the Lenox Mall area, I devised a plan. We scoured the area for hotels where we could catch a taxi (and pay with credit card!) and, after spotting a Marriott near the mall, put our plan into action. A few blocks away I found an open parking area for a CVS and an assorted sundry of other stores so we parked the car there. Then, with a cooler on my shoulder and a sleeping bag in Daniel's arms, we began to walk. This is when I will tell you I had NO IDEA where we were going but could not let Daniel in on that little factoid or he would have panicked a little. So across the street we go, through the underground parking garage for Target, out and around some office buildings until I saw the oasis of an illuminated Marriott logo in the distance.
I don't know if you have seen "Pursuit of Happyness" with Will Smith and his son but it's one of my favorites. And, I gotta tell you, walking aimlessly with a kid carrying a sleeping bag put me in the middle of that scene where they were searching the train station for somewhere to sleep for the night. I know the tragedy of having no debit card does not rank in the same universe as homelessness but, for a moment, I felt the weight of that responsibility and tried to make it a fun "adventure" for the D-man. We counted sports cars, looked for airplanes and he seemed oblivious to my efforts of distraction.
Finally, we arrived at the hotel with 10 minutes to spare before the concert began. A valet called a cab which turned out to be a Cadillac Escalade with a suit-wearing driver and a bowl full of soft peppermints and bottled water. I got tickled at Daniel kicking back, stretching out like the CEO of some company being driven to an important meeting. He dropped us off at the front gate and in we waltzed for an evening of great music under the stars.
Rick kicked off the show and I swear my son knew EVERY word to EVERY song. My heart swelled with pride to see that he and I share a love for music and lyrics. It was fun to sing and dance with him. Rick did perform an acoustic song I had never heard called "You and Me" and I loved it:
Next up was Pat Benetar and her husband of 32 years Nick Giraldo. Oh my granny they were awesome. Their chemistry was amazing and his guitar playing was a thrill to watch. My Singing Into a Hairbrush Hits were there in all their glory: "We Belong", "Shadows of the Night", "Love is a Battlefield" and "Hit Me with your Best Shot"... she was fantastic.
On the way home as it was nearing midnight and I let Daniel play DJ for our 45-minute drive. He played his favorite (Bruno Mars) and we drove and sang as the lights of downtown slowly faded behind us.
It was a good night to be a child of the 80's, blessed with the resources to enjoy a concert on a whim; but, most of all, it was just good to be a Mom enjoying the company of her kid.
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| D-man chilling at the concert |
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