We just got to open a show for Alan Jackson in Michigan and it was awesome!! However, there were some bumps in the road on our way there.
We started our trip off right in my opinion……. an 8pm flight. It’s pretty awesome to not have to fly out at the crack of dawn and sit in a metal tube sharing recycled air with other humans! We land in Detroit at 10:30pm and head straight to the rental car place excited to get to our hotel and SLEEP! There were a few more people on the Budget bus then we would like but hey, what’s a few people? Not only was there our bus but there were many others as well and they just kept on coming. The cool thing is there was only 1 guy working that night at Budget. Apparently there was some bad weather with delayed flights that caused a massive amount of congestion in the rental car line and there was no other choice but to weather the storm of people. So our record rep Jason (a.k.a. The Stein a.k.a. Frank) stood in line while we wondered around outside for 3 hours! That’s right, 3 hours! We didn’t get in the car until 2:30am and what’s even better about all this is while I was waiting out on the curb I got bit by a nasty nasty spider on my hand and my leg. How this little turd snuck up on me without being seen I will never know but he did some damage. I take my hat off to you Sir Spider however I hope biting me killed you:) OK so, now we are finally driving to the hotel and like a little child I keep asking “Are we there yet, are we even getting close?” These are 2 very dumb questions because for one “Are we there yet?” would only imply that we have arrived which clearly we had not. 2nd “Are we getting close?” is even worse considering that the car is moving and we are actually getting closer every second.
Ahhhhh finally in my bed for the night and it’s 4:30am. I lay, I think and think and think……..OMG I can’t shut up my brain! Oh and what’s this? My hand feels like it’s been put in a vice and bit by 100 fire ants. Holy moly it’s huge! Swelling out of control! Clearly there will be no sleep for me:( 45 minutes of sleep and a fat hand later was our 10:30am lobby call. We’re all just sitting there enjoying our Hilton Garden Inn breakfast and up walks Mike Ditka. So being the mature adults that we are we all get out our phones and tried to sneak a picture. Ditka vs. The Harters and I do believe Ditka won that round cause the little guy wouldn’t hold still long enough for any of us to snap a clear picture. After our dining with Ditka we climb in the minivan for our 3 hour trip to the casino where would be playing with AJ. It was pretty great to be staying at a casino for obvious reasons but also the hotel gave us $80 each for food and stuff!! So we go to sound check, go to dinner, get ready and sing our little hearts out. We had a blast and the crowd was awesome! We stuck around to watch AJ and then it was off to the casino. I go up to my room to change and noticed that my hand is twice as big as it was in the morning and its really painful and itchy. Being the smart girl that I am I take 2 Benadryl and head to meet Mike and Scooter at the casino bar. I only planned on staying for a minute but there were a couple fans from the show there that were buying us drinks and wanted us to hang. We hang, I’m having a good time and forgetting all about my hand. I stayed down there for about an hour then noticed I was getting pretty sleepy. So I said thank you to our new friends Bruce and Tyson for the drinks and slept walked my butt up to my room. Opened the door, took off my shoes and landed face first on the bed for a nice Benadryl filled night of sleep:) I woke with a swollen hand and a Benadryl hangover. COFFEE PLEEEAASE!!!! Coffee…check. Slim Fast bar….check. Making the boys wait on my late butt cause I had to have coffee…. check. 3hrs in a minivan with a swollen hand and a Benadryl hangover…..priceless:) We arrive at the airport 3hrs early, which is pretty awesome considering I could have really used the extra sleep but whatever better safe then sorry. We return the car and get on the bus to the airport with swiftness and grace just to be shot down by the fact that the escalator and elevator are not working. We wait for the grumpy tech to try and fix the problem then we realize we must climb the escalator with all the bags and gear. I was pretty useless considering my hurt hand so I’m sorry boys I owe ya one.
All in all we had fun at the show and made it home safe and sound at 5:30pm just in time to go to a family/friend cookout. My hand is still swollen and my leg itches like crazy but it was worth the experience of opening up for AJ. Thanks to all who were there and AJ:)
Leslie Harter