So about a month ago I decided it might be fun to get tickets and take Caroline to see Taylor Swift. And then I thought it might be fun to see if my friend Julie and her daughter wanted to come with us. But Julie was going to be out of town, so I offered to just take her daughter. And then decided it might be fun to see if Gulley wanted to go with us.
Are you following me? I’m sure I could come up with a better lead in for this post but that would take more effort than I’m willing to expend at the moment. I’m very tired from all the late night concert antics of Tuesday night and emotionally spent after watching the season finale of Rachel Zoe.
Who knew she was going to be so maternal? Who knew they made Gucci loafers for a six-week-old baby?
But back to Taylor Swift. I surprised Caroline with the news after school one day and she was so excited that she actually began to cry. This was a first. I’ve never seen her so excited about anything, not even when she shot two hogs with one shot. It made me feel like she might actually have a little bit of my DNA coursing through her veins.
We counted down the days and listened to “Mean” more times than I believed humanly possible. And we bought a super sparkly top for her to wear to the concert because seeing Taylor requires sequins.
Please imagine in your mind that the twinkle from the sequins in that photo make a sound like “TING” as the light hits the camera. TING!
Tuesday night we all ate dinner and then drove to the AT&T Center to see Taylor Swift live and in person. And, MY WORD, it did not disappoint.
Maybe that explains why my hand is on my chest in that picture. As if to convey MY WORD.
Granted, it has been years since I’ve been to a concert. YEARS. Unless you count the performances I’ve seen at the rodeo over the last several years and I know now that those absolutely don’t count.
In fact I’ve tried to remember the last concert I attended. I definitely remember going to see Bobby Brown (BOBBY B!) in concert at the Montagne Center my senior year in high school. And I have vague recollections of going to see Stacy Q. (Two of hearts, two hearts that beat as one) at some point when I was sixteen or seventeen. But I can’t remember why on earth I would have gone to see Stacy Q. Except I think maybe she was there with Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam. If you are reading this and went to high school with me can you confirm this? (Tracey? Did you go with me to see Stacy Q.?)
Oh. And I went to see George Strait in concert in Austin before P and I were married. And while George is great, he’s more of a stand and play the guitar kind of performer.
What I’m saying is that maybe Taylor Swift’s concert is just the way the kids do it these days. But it was IMPRESSIVE. I lost count after she changed into her ninth dress. And the stage kept changing. There was a bridge and a wedding set and then a county fair-type thing. And there were fireworks and a large bell that rose up from the stage and a woman popped out like we were at Cirque de Soleil. And at the end she sang Love Story and got in some kind of balcony-thing and flew all around the whole place. Which made me so happy because Caroline and Sadie both showed that they take after their daddies when they remarked, “Wow. If that thing falls it could really hurt a lot of people.”
My pictures could not be worse. I am so sorry. That’s what happens when you just bring your ancient iPhone to a concert.
And then she walked through the crowd and sang by this tree that popped up out of nowhere.
Caroline just sat there and took it all in. I even asked her at one point if something was wrong and she just shook her head and continued to absorb it all. Gulley and I could not get over how fast Taylor (we’re on a first name basis) changed clothes. She’d be in a gold ballgown with her hair down and then two seconds later pop up somewhere else in a short red dress with her hair in a braid.
Gulley even started channeling Nena. I’d hear her next to me whispering, “Well, GOOD NIGHT.”
That picture is proof that you should never lean back at that angle while taking a picture of yourself and your best friend.
Anyway, kudooz to Taylor Swift. I think she’s going to make quite a name for herself.
And in totally unrelated news, we finished our Aslan pumpkin. Not to be confused with an Asian pumpkin.
Is it just me or does he lack the majesty you’d expect from Aslan? Does he look more like a shaggy dog?
Wait. Don’t answer that.
The important thing is Caroline thinks he’s a great Aslan and I’m happy with that. Sadly, one of his googly eyes has gone missing and will need to be replaced before school in the morning.
And now I have no idea how to bring a post about Taylor Swift and an Aslan pumpkin to a close. It seems like there would be a joke there somewhere, but I can’t come up with anything.
See y’all tomorrow.