We’re back!!! Sligh -tly tired from a very long night, but in good spirits. We drove up to Westerly in a little under 3 hours, stopping first to unload our things at a very nice bed & breakfast in nearby Pawcatuck. This inn was a Victorian structure with tons of antiques inside. We were greeted on arrival with fresh baked brownies. The inn owners recommended a restaurant in town, where Carmen pigged out on a giant piece of prime rib, Harry had stuffed flounder and I had the “Asian tuna”. After dinner, as soon as we walked out the door, the 7:00 PM fireworks started. After that we walked around the town and then went back to the inn for a rest.
We spent the final two hours of 2007 and the first two hours of 2008 with Chris and Sarah. How’s that for New Year’s? Chris drew a sizeable crowd and we had front row floor seats - literally. MJ joined us before the concert started. Adam Fisher from HPF was there on lead guitar as part of his new touring band. In addition, there was Jon on drums, Walt on bass, and Clint on lead guitar. Chris (on guitar and keyboard) and the band played for 90 minutes straight without a break. He put on an energetic performance and broke out in quite a sweat! The songs included Eleanor Rigby, Helter Skelter, Tunnel Vision, Good Intentions/Loaded Gun, Livin’ on a Prayer, In a Moment, I’m Clean, Somewhere, Hero, Empty Me, Pleased, City of Blinding Lights (U2), Cry Tonight, Know, Running Back, and Potential. I don’t know if I missed any. He signed some CDs for the crowd and then did the New Year’s Eve countdown. Following that, there was another round of fireworks.
DJ, being DJ with her bad timing, missed Chris’s phone call to her, but received a lovely recorded message from him, which she will treasure for at least the next 21 days.
Being that nothing was open in the area after midnight, we went back to the lobby of his hotel to chat for a while. We gave Chris and Sarah a lift to their hotel. On the way, we had to stop for MJ to get gas for her car. Chris, being the true southern gentleman, got out in the freezing cold and pumped the gas for her. Carmen says “His momma raised him right!” While we were at the hotel, a guy passed Chris who told him that he looked like Jack Osbourne. It was very nice just to sit back and chat with Chris and Sarah and get Chris’s perspective on the music industry.
We were awakened on New Year’s Day by the inviting aroma of the most scrumptious French toast with cinnamon apples, syrup, sausage and bacon. The inn owner was in a very chatty mood so we didn’t get out of there until 12:30 PM. We got back to NY around 3:00 PM. That’s it for now. Photos to come….
