Happy Birthday to Me!

 

Rick Savage

Previously:  Some sort of Bold took over me.  Sounds like a song lyric, doesn't it?  I approached Rick Savage, the extremely talented bassist for Def Leppard and showed him my pick necklace.

At that point, I left him to his conversation and talked to the woman, Nancy, at the bar.  We got along fine, she didn't think I was creepy and I joined her. 

During our second glass of wine--a very nice Petite Syrah--I wondered if I could get a picture with Sav, since I had my iPod in my pocket.

He politely declined for the moment, as he was deep in conversation with his companion, but perhaps when they finished.

I accepted that graciously (I hope) because really, I know they must get tired of being approached by strangers.  Didn't I recently finish a novel that deals with just this sort of thing?  Yes. 

So I returned to the bar where Nancy and I continued to converse.  A company of three, to whom she had been talking before, were on the other side of her and they were a lot of fun.  As they were leaving, Nancy told them I was on my own, and it was my birthday.  One of the three was having her birthday as well, and none of us were exactly reticent about it--right in front of Sav. 

But I did have the sense to sit with my back to him and I didn't turn around to look at him while talking with Nancy.  He could've easily slipped out and I wouldn't have known.  I almost expected it, and I wouldn't have thought any less of him.  I may have been disappointed, but such is life, eh?

My conversation with Nancy covered many different subjects including dogs, pets in general, husbands and aging parents among other things. 

Imagine my surprise when a touch on the shoulder revealed Sav's companion who said, "Let's do this thing, but discreetly."

Wow!  We went into an adjacent, but unpopulated area and Sav's friend took two pictures with my iPod.  I wanted to squeal and jump for joy, but I didn't.  For once, I didn't become a victim of my unbridled enthusiasm, a la Billy Mumfrey.

"Do me a favor, will you?" Sav asked me.

Anything, I wanted to say, but "Sure," came out of my mouth.

"Keep this to yourself, okay?  I don't want to see it on Facebook."

Being a part of the Lepp Nation on Facebook, I certainly understood that.  I told him I hadn't even been able to connect with the Internet from my room and he was glad to hear it.  So, he didn't actually ask me to promise I wouldn't, but to me, it was a promise and I will not post the picture on Facebook.  I won't post it here, either, because inevitably it will find its way to Facebook.

(Sidenote:  One of my friends used his Photoshop to exchange the original background of the pictures with a picture of Def Leppard onstage, making it look like Sav and I are standing in front of the stage.  My friend didn't know about the promise and it was on Facebook for about an hour before I saw it and panicked.  He took it down when I called him.  *grin*  He did a great job though, and an 8X10 print of it will look fantastic in the stairwell going up to the gameroom, next to the one of me and Eric Johnson in 2005.  That was another smile I held onto for weeks afterward.)

Eric Johnson and me
2005




Vegas, Baby!

Elevator door at the
Hard Rock Hotel in
Las Vegas, NV

Previously:  I got to Vegas on my birthday and began to explore the hotel. Without the meet and greet package, I knew I wouldn't see any of the band members except onstage.  But really, I told myself I would be happy to share the same building with them for a couple of hours.

My body told me it was past time to have supper, and having had only a salad for lunch, albeit a very nice salad, at Chicago Midway, I was hungry.  The map of the hotel was fairly useless to anyone over forty, as the names of things were printed in teeny-tiny letters and I probably should, but don't carry a magnifying glass around with me as a general rule.

And, I wanted to find the box office right away to pick up my ticket.  How exciting!  My first Def Leppard concert--ever.  I wanted to physically hold the ticket.  On the elevator down, I figured out the "casino" floor was the first floor and, surprisingly, I didn't get too lost, too often.

But man, I could not find that box office.  And you know me, I asked for directions.  Like, twice.  Jimmy Buffett would've said, "It plum evaded me."

I did, however, find the Hard Rock Store and saw they had some of Claire Jane Vranian's shirts, as worn by Joe Elliott onstage.  Check out her website, www.ICJUK.com or on Zappos at http://www.zappos.com/inspired-by-claire-jane.  They also had some of her incredible feathered rock and roll handbags.  I looked around but I left empty-handed 'cause I needed to eat.

Right next to the store is a restaurant/bar called "Culinary Dropout" (www.hardrockhotel.com/las-vegas.../culinary-dropout ) and it looked like a fun place, even at the early Las Vegas hour.  I went in and sat at the bar.  I ordered a glass of wine and hoped to strike up a conversation with someone other than the bartenders.  Not that they weren't a lot of fun, 'cause they were, but you know.  They get busy.

Presently, I noticed a woman who I thought was sitting alone and sort of kept my eye on her, in what I hope was not a creepy way.  Hahaha!!  (I'm cracking myself up, as I have everyone else to whom I've told this.)  Really, I just wanted to see if a companion showed up to join her.  None did, and when she ordered another glass of wine, I got up to see if we might hit it off.

I had been sitting beside a large square, cement-like column, of sorts, so I had an obstructed view of the long table behind it.  When I walked around the column, I got the shock of a lifetime.  In one of those seats obstructed from my view was Rick Savage, bass player extraordinaire of Def Leppard!  He was having a conversation and a pint with another guy.  Afterwards, I had the thought that this other man was someone important to the tour, but at the time, I was basically unconscious, so he'll have to forgive me.



Rick Savage, bass player
extraordinaire for
Def Leppard

Honestly, I hope I didn't gasp and drop my jaw, but I can't swear to it.  I had on my Hysteria pick necklace and just dropped by their table quickly to point it out.  I can't even believe I did that!

"See what I'm wearing?" I asked Sav.

It took him a couple seconds, but then he recognized it and smiled.  Fortunately my feet and legs held me up. 

"Are you coming to the show tomorrow?" he asked.

"Oh, yeah.  That's what I'm here for," I answered.

"Fantastic," he said.

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