09/03/07 California State Fair, Sacramento, CA

jerAL · Post by **jerAL** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:05 am

Thanks, Kristine! I'm really glad you're going to be at Monterey, my pictures stink!
And thank you, Patti! I've finally seen your work in person! (in cookie?)

We really did have fun though, the show was awesome! We saw Jim walking around the fair a little while before the show- I wanted to jump all over him like a puppy, but I didn't think he would appreciate that! So I just said "See you later!" and he gave me a smile and a

.

I have never seen such a huge audience. People were piled up ten deep outside the seating area fences. They were across the lagoon, up the grass hills, everywhere! the show was the fabulousness we have all come to expect. During Pentiums, Al went right up behind the Sign Language interpreter and boogied his jacket right over her hair- she just went on laughing and dancing and signing...it looked like she was really having fun.

He got a huge ovation for the Atlantic Records shirt during Pitiful, and an even larger roar when the final layer was revealed. WBUL went down an aisle far, far away- but we could see most of his progress on the large video screens. He Kablammed the interpreter! It seemed the applause for each song got bigger and bigger, the show just kept growing! Everyone yabba dabba do-ed, oy veyed, grabbed Yanko-bucks(I got one and Jerry got one we gave to Dale) and the singing for little Anakin was loud and lovely. Yoda was awesome, with people gawking at the chant- an artistic little friend of ours got the Nirvana cup!

We all waved for Amish Paradise- I turned around and it was just a sea of arms, incredible. W&N- you can imagine! Cell Phones was another sight to behold with thousands of them waving for it seemed like miles!

And then Albuquerque! He did it in a really conversational style, pausing to say oooo! Bubbles! when some floated over the audience. We all screamed at the appropriate moment- I never knew so many people hated sauerkraut! And I lost track of how many different kinds of donuts there were. I was exhausted from screaming and laughing, and so happy!

I got happier, too, but I'd really like to get my pictures up first before that story- Maybe Linda will have hers ready sooner!

Post by **algonacchick** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:18 am

hehe, glad you like my cookies. I hope Al and the guys did, too. Can't wait to hear more about the presentation of the gifts and everything. I'm glad the show was entertaining, seeing as there was trouble afterwards. Scary! Hope to see your pics soon.

I'd like to add: Come on, Linda! I wanna hear from you, too!

Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:23 am

Great reviews, and I too can't wait to see what happened with the gift presentation. The suspense is killing me!

Okay, not really...

Post by **kaffy©** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 1:56 am

I wanna hear more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

Glad you guys had such a good time, and yes, that is scary about the fight. Ugh!! How Freaky!!

Anyhow.. Can't wait to hear about the presentation!

Post by **Kristine** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 2:04 am

kaffy© @ Sep 4 2007, 03:56 PM wrote: Anyhow.. Can't wait to hear about the presentation!

Ditto on that one!

Post by **Squirrelygirl** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 4:50 am

Sorry I didn't post sooner, but I was totally exhausted putting together and scrapbook and everything else (I tend to get very anal about things like this), and I didn't even wake up until about 3:30 this afternoon. I'm keeping rock star hours these days

I got a chance to meet artist Aron (not AAron) Shay (not SHAW as I had mis-spelled), and She very graciously helped me put together the remaining pages in the scrapbooks. Al had so many pages, I needed to buy an extra scrapbook just for him, and even then we had to cram them as full as possible.

We got to the fair, then met up with Vikki and her sons and started carting all the gifts to the fair. Vikki had some beautiful bottles of wine for the guys, but security wouldn't let them on to the fairgrounds (from the fights that broke out, I can understand the problems), so we had to take them back to me car which was parked somewhere near Timbuktu. Fortunately, the heat wasn't as bad as I had anticipated, but repeated speedwalking in 90 degree heat, carrying packages through dusty parking lots...yuck!

Once side, the show was well under way, and Al was already at YP. We managed to work our way through the crowd and Vikki very graciously gave me an extra front row seat ticket she had, so we got to sit together. YAY! Al started WBUL, and by the time he started his audience strut up the center aisle, we were trying to get to find our seats, and ended up being right in the middle of the action. Sorry, Al! He actually took a step backwards and brushed up close enough that I could feel the fabric of the red suit.

I was also supposed to meet up with Alison with a ticket for her friend Dale, so I was stressing about that. Fortunately, I was able to meet up with Dale and give him his ticket, so that was one problem solved.

After the show, we got to see Jon and Steve which was very pleasant as always, although Jon said said he wasn't feeling well and went off to lie down. We brought the group over with all the presents, and Al really was surprised. Anyway, he opened them and seemed genuinely appreciative. Alison gave him a great set of Vans with his eyes painted one on each shoe, and looked just terrific. He loved Patti's cookies and the candies and the shirts, and was very impressed with the scrapbooks. He started paging through them, but then wanted to wait until he got on the bus to look at them more closely. We took some photos, Aron had her forehead signed and then we left.

It was a very fun (and sometimes trying) evening. I'll post more later with pictures, but I'm tired now and think I'll go back to bed again.

Post by **algonacchick** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 4:56 am

So glad to hear Al was surprised, and that he loved my cookies! I can't wait to see your pictures, but, I'll let you get some rest now. Thanks for posting, and for giving all our presents to Al and the guys!

Post by **childofthespiral** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:14 am

algonacchick @ Sep 4 2007, 10:56 PM wrote: So glad to hear Al was surprised, and that he loved my cookies! I can't wait to see your pictures, but, I'll let you get some rest now. Thanks for posting, and for giving all our presents to Al and the guys!

I believe I second that opinion.

Ambra · Post by **Ambra** » Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:52 am

I'm glad Al and the guys were surprised by their gifts. Thanks Linda, Vikki, Aron, Shay, Alison, and anyone I'm forgetting for getting everything together and braving the crowds to get those gifts to the guys! Get some rest and I look forward to seeing the pics!

Wed Sep 05, 2007 6:57 am

I believe that is so awesome! I am so glad Al was surprised and I know he and the band will love all the work put into it. Thanks again for setting up this great idea sg!