THE Coolest Man on the Planet

.... nay the coolest human on the planet!  That is how I will now describe one Mr. Jimmy Buffett!  How does one even go about describing the most amazing night of their entire life??

At about 1pm I rolled out of town, still curious where my earring went. It was there, and then it wasn't. I grabbed a back-up pair, but the original choice was the perfect choice.  Traffic on I-5 wasn't so bad, so I got into a nice cruise control pace and held it most of the way. While adjusting my top I felt something very strange in my cleavage. ... yeah, I was shocked there was cleavage, too!  Upon further investigation I found my missing earring! Who knew I was just carrying it around with me the whole time?? What a relief!

The relief quickly disappeared once I hit Portland. I was ahead of schedule, and it is a good thing I was. Traffic was a nightmare. Mark my words, I will never live in Portland or its suburbs! This total asshole (I can say it, it's my blog!) would NOT let me over and therefore I missed my exit. I ended up going way out of the way, having to find the first exit and then drive through neighborhood streets back toward the Rose Garden. STRESS!! I mean I was flipping out so much I actually applied deodorant while at a stop-light!

My date at and I got to the parking garage at the same time, so it all worked out well in the end. He helped me put on my coconut bra - and of course I had to break the strap in the process. Ugh. We fixed it! It was very cool to meet my date in person finally! I stole him from my mom earlier this year when I kept talking to him on facebook. He was so cool, just as I imagined he would be. He even let me decorate him so he'd blend in with the rest of us Parrotheads! The costumes people came up with were great. I didn't even feel the least bit silly in my tropical creation!

First stop was a Parrothead pre-party in the Memorial Coliseum. After a round of margaritas and listening to a band we moved to the outdoor Margaritaville party.  I went home with so much swag:  tons of temporary tattoos, two types of margarita salt that is not yet for sale, a t-shirt, an awesome drink holder tote, a magnet with directions for making margaritas, and samples of chips, salsa, margaritas, iced teas, chicken and shrimp. I confess I only sampled the margaritas - I'm that kinda girl! ;)  It was pretty cool out there. They had Jimmy Buffett kararoke and Rock Band, limbo, tattoos and just random silliness!  Back in the indoor party we got to see the Coral Reefers up close, so that was pretty cool. More drinks, more bands, and then off to the concert!

Before taking our seats I HAD to stop at the souvenir stand. I ended up going home with a cute mauve hoodie with a simple concert logo on it. I wanted a t-shirt, but they were a little too loud for me.  :(  Our seats were nice and close. I bet if I had something to throw at him I could have done it. He came out to introduce the opening act and I couldn't help but squeal. I mean there he was! It was Jimmy Freaking Buffett right there!! And I'm pretty sure he waved at ME on his way down the stairs to go backstage. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

I could carry on about the concert forever, so I'll just be short and simple. It was AMAZING! I have been to too many concerts, and this one tops them all. Even *NSync! Even KISS!  He was just so cool. That's the word I am stuck on. Cool! Laid back, personable, having fun doing what he's doing, good music, good stories, barefoot(!!), great performer, COOL!  He played all of his big hits, and then some older ones that I wasn't as familiar with, but still enjoyed. I was up and dancing and moving my fins to the left and right, singing along, shouting random things at the right times. I never stopped smiling. I mean my face actually hurt from smiling at one point! I cannot wait to see him again. Once I get the opportunity I will jump on it without hesitation!

A nice bonus for me was the drive home. It took almost 30 minutes just to get out of the parking structure, but luckily they started replaying the concert on Radio Margaritaville (XM55). So I drove home listening to the whole thing all over again. I was in heaven!  I didn't sleep well, but because I was still on a Buffett high. I close my eyes and I see him. I hear him singing. I am still at the concert in my head!

There he is in the same photo that I am in! YES!

Let's just say I took an obscene amount of photos and video. If you are desperate for more ... and I KNOW you are!.... just let me know. Or find me on the ol' facepage as I like to call it (link is on the right side of this page), 'cause there are a lot more over there!

Look at all this nonsense I typed. I could have summed it up in 3 words.

BEST. NIGHT. EVER!