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I guess the place to begin is before the concert. I have finally met all of my Board Sisters! I’ve been waiting a long time. They are so cool! I couldn’t get enough just looking at them. Elaine, if you ever do run away with Gianluca I would like to have first crack at your patient husband. What a gentleman!
I’m not sure I can do the next part justice. To say that The Flight Crew is well known is an understatement! I was privileged to meet many Flight Crew Members and shook hands with a bunch of you who read this site all the time, but never comment! I can’t begin to list everyone. Here are some of the wonderful people I did meet:
Had a lovely conversation with two members of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra.
The Chicago Fan Club – What a fun and spunky group they are!
By-the-way Irene, you are not the only one I met who is contemplating a tattoo.
I was also lucky enough to run into the two ladies who were with me last year when I attacked that left dimple. At one point I looked around and all of us were surrounded by people! Many thanked me for our travel pictures, videos, news (In Case You Missed It – by name) and various articles. Several of you mentioned my poetry and remembered the titles of your favorites. Amazed – Grateful – Honored. Two women from Guatemala even knew all about us. One woman dragged her daughter over because she wanted to meet me, but was too shy to bother me. Me!?! Our stats show the numbers, but I never actually realized you are all out there! So, to those of you who read without commenting, Thank You Very Much!
Just so you know, quite a few of the non-commenters told me that those who of you who do comment speak well for them. If you can’t tell by now let me put it simply…I was overwhelmed!
The Concert
Once again it was stupendous! Have I said that before? I’m running out of adjectives. Piero blew out candles on a birthday cake. Ignazio jumped off a six foot high stage. Him getting back up on the stage was pretty funny! Here are a few of my concert shots:
The Meet & Greet
Ignazio remembered who I was, (again!) he said, “You are everywhere”. I told him I had one more concert too. He said he remembered me from Vienna. (He actually said, “Venice”, but I knew what he meant.) This time no tricks. No set-ups. This was my last Meet & Greet. It was all for me! I told him, “Last year I got your left dimple. Hold on, I’m going in for the right one.” And I did. He laughed. Then he gave me a hug! Thankfully a photographer took a picture of it!
I hugged my other two Boys and stood for this picture. I don’t like the picture of me, but isn’t it a beauty of Our Guys?
The Fence
Satisfied that we’d gotten our hugs from The Boys, the four of us piled into the car heading toward the hotel. Before we left the area, we noticed about 10 people standing by a fence. We also spotted “The Bus”. Naturally we pulled over and got out. Soon Piero came out heading for the bus. We led the group in singing Happy Birthday. He came over to the fence.
Then the other two came over.
You know, you think you’ll remember every word they say and everything you tell them, but you don’t. Afterwards your mind is blank. We sat around later telling each other what we remembered. At one point Michele and I had Ignazio to ourselves. He was leaning on the fence talking to us like he had nothing else in the world to do. I didn’t want to flash my camera in his face so I stepped to the side and took these:
I don’t know where Elaine was at this time, but I saw Kelly heading for Gianluca.
I tried to think of appropriate things to say to Ignazio.
“I love you.” – Didn’t say that.
“Please get in our car.” – Didn’t say that.
“So, do you like really, really older women?” – No, didn’t say that either.
Instead I said things like: “Is your family with you?” “No, none.” “Are you tired? (stupid question) “Yes very tired”. “Are you missing home? (duh)” Yes, but happy to be here.” He said to me, “I have a tattoo too” (Like I didn’t intimately know all seven of them!). He pulled up his sleeve and showed MICHELE the “Born to Rock” on his upper arm. I was so thankful for the fence that separated us. I would have bit that tattoo! In a nice way, of course. Neither Michele nor I remember anything else that was said. We do remember that we quit talking to him before he turned and left us. You try looking into that face and thinking of something to say that’s not, well, what I really wanted to say (see above).
Our Dear Boys did not want to be separated from us by a fence. Security wanted them there. Gianluca compromised and was allowed to stand by the open gate. That’s where I got that beauty of he and Kelly below.
I know this is long, but I have to add this ~
If you’re thinking that Gianluca’s sweetness, vulnerability and love for his fans (us) is real and that he is much more than a voice, endearing tweets and selfies, you’re correct.
He smiled the sweetest smile of them all.
He stayed with us as long as he could.
He got as close as allowed.
He was still waving good-bye to us from the front of the bus when it pulled out.
I wish I was in Milwaukee…one concert seems like not enough when they can’t get to my neck of the woods too often.