Drunk on Adrenaline - Day 1 - Show Me Music and Arts Fest

(I originally was going to do this in one post... but I 'm seeing that you would be reading forever, so I am breaking it up into the 3 days... and 3 posts)

I have had the MOST fabulous weekend!!
I had high hopes going into this weekend, but I could have NEVER foreseen how much I truly would have enjoyed a 3-day music and arts festival.

You see... back in Feb., I heard that my FAVORITE band, OneRepublic, was going to play near my house.
I seriously would travel anywhere to see them! (If funds allowed...)
So the fact that they were practically going to be playing in my backyard...
Well... DUH!!  I was, of course, going to buy a ticket!!

I facebooked ALL of my friends... "Who wants to join me??"
No response.
Seriously.

Finally, I convinced my friend, Rachel, to join me ONLY because of the country music stars playing.
I thought this weekend would never get here.
Trust me.
I have had a rough school year (to say the least).
I needed something for me.
THIS was solely  for me!

Day 1
Rach and I get there after both working a full day.
We're tired, but we are trying to make the best of it.

We head to see Chef Robert Irvine from Food Network's Dinner Impossible. 

I don't have high expectations.
I mean, he's a TV celeb for Pete's sake.
They're all hoity-toity, right??

Boy, could I have ever been wrong!!

First things, first, it was about a million-gazillion degrees out.
Okay... so I exaggerate... but trust me...  the term "like a whore sweating in church" does come to mind.

So... what does hoity-toity Robert Irvine do??
He starts chucking HIS water bottles into the crowd and telling his service people to find more. (Yes, Rach & I got one!)
Then he says that he was saving an alcoholic slushy for later in the show, "But what the heck, let's break it out now!"

He was so personable!
He involved kids.

He brought a local young chef from the audience up to come up and help him out.

He talked about the real reason he was at the fest was because he came to volunteer in Joplin and because he was so close, he knew the proceeds from this weekend would benefit Joplin as well.
He thoroughly impressed me!! (and that was even before  he signed an autograph for me :)

Rach and I don't think we can top that experience...I mean, to meet a hoity-toity personable celeb.

So, since our stomachs were growling, we headed down the line of traveling food trucks.
I was so hot, nothing sounded good.
Then we reached The Traveling Taco truck.

"Best Fried Taco EVER!" the sign read.
I'll be the judge of that.

OMG!!!
They weren't kidding!!
Rach and waddled away from there wondering what our taste buds had just experienced.

But, of course, we couldn't stop there... Oh no.
We also went for the Fried Snickers... oh yes!!
(There should be a picture here to show you... except the fried snickers was inhaled... maybe next time.)
Needless to say, it was delish as well.

See??  All this excitement and we hadn't even made it to the concert portion of the night.
As we located a spot to stand (yeah... we didn't come prepared with lawn chairs),

 I saw this guy in front of us:

and I was like, "Really??  Who wears earplugs to a music concert??"


Then the music started playing.
"OMG!!  My ears!!! I think they're bleeding!!"


Okay... I'm totally kidding!
I mean, even if they were, I wouldn't admit it because in my brain music that is too loud is admitting that you have offically reach the mark of "old"
"Turn down that racket sonny!!" is what plays in my brain.
So... I might have lost part of my hearing this weekend... but I'm not old!

For our listing pleasure through my bleeding-deaf ears, we got to hear:
REO Speedwagon

Yes, I was catapulted back to middle school slow dances... where I was the wall flower wishing I was dancing with the popular boy.

Don't laugh.

In this pic, I am desperately holding back tears.

Okay... again, I kid.

I mean, not about the wallflower bit... or the pining over boys bit... those are SOOO very true.

But about the crying... I was having TOO good of time to cry.

Who could cry with hair whip-age like this going on??

Next came Trace Adkins.

I have to confess...
I'm not a big Trace Adkins fan, especially when he lets his hair down.

I get it.
This does it for some women...just not me.

I also have another confession.... (Wow.  Where did all of these confessions come from??  And it's not even Friday!!)

I might have snickered at this guy early in the evening...

But when the crowd started pushing forward... He was not a bad guy to have by your side.

Well... There you have it...Day 1

I promise more excitement to come!!