The day started out like any other, except it was an Adventure Wednesday.  I had made no plan for after work.  I decided to put my faith in the “I wonder” strategy.  “I wonder what fun things will happen today?” as I started off to work.

“Adventure is Worthwhile in Itself” – Amelia Earhart

My brother posted this on my FB page, and with the card’s message, he reminded me that the spirit of the right attitude can affect one’s outlook on life.  Amelia Earhart definitely had courage for her big, life changing adventures!

I chose to wear a bright red, with white polka dots, sundress that hot summer day.  Red is not my traditional color.  But I had decided to do my best and not wear the standard City black as much as possible.  I also chose white sandals, as the black patent leather pumps made me feel a little too much like Minnie Mouse! But it was a fun dress, and I felt like wearing it, I would attract the fun adventure, somehow.

By noon, I was right!  My friend Deb called saying she had won two tickets to a concert that night, and would I go?  YES! Besides being free, it was at a place I’d never been to before.  And hearing music from live bands is different for me (Deb is a big concert-goer.  Me, not so much as I’m tone deaf)

The bright circles of the umbrella contrast the circle of hail

At lunch it started to hail.  This, in the middle of a hot summer.  Sticking with my not-black theme, my umbrella is hot pink with yellow polka dots.  Standing in the streets, in my bright red dress with white polka dots, holding my hot pink with yellow polka dots umbrella, looking down at all the white polka dots falling on the ground…I realized how amusing all the dots were. My sense of the oddity of it all overtook me.  “I wonder” if people smiled when they saw a wet lady in bright colors singing (off key, as you may guess) “Singing in the Rain”.  I certainly hope I did make people smile, because I sure was having fun!  (Meeting Gene Kelly, who made “Singing in the Rain” famous, is a story for another day)

Deb and I at the front of the crowds at Summerland Tour

The crowds behind us (junior adventurers standing right behind us, having their own fun!)

Deb knows how to get this close to the action!

I met Deb at the front door.  We walked in, and somehow I started talking with a woman who was working at the concert.  Ok, this is vain and also a viewpoint – but when the woman said I looked much younger than 48 (after a comment that we were older than most of the audience) I happily believed her.  (Viewpoint – men often lie to women about how old they really think the woman looks.  Women don’t tend to lie to other women about it).  In crowds, I tend to be a watcher.  Not Deb!  By the end of the first set, she had us front and center!  Maybe one to two rows of people away.  I loved being so close!  Seeing the details of the guitars, actually hearing the words the musicians say in their remarks, seeing the adorable smile on a lead rocker’s granddaughter he brought on stage.  We were there for the Summerland Tour (7.18.12) featuring Marcy Playground (I believe the opening act, and whom I still don’t know any of their songs), Gin Blossoms (“Hey Jealousy”), Sugar Ray (the lead singer, Mark McGrath is very hot! How did I miss this in the late 80’s? But I do remember the song “Fly”) and Everclear (the lead singer, Art Alexakis, looking so attractive especially since he’s only a year older than I am.  I wish I had Deb’s courage to have figured a way to get his attention…apparently the red dress with white polka dots in a massive crowd wasn’t enough.  Then again, my faith in the Universe and “I wonder” means there’s probably good reason we didn’t meet!).  Deb and I laughed all the way to Thursday.

From a morning with nothing but “I wonder” in front of me, to a fabulously fun Adventure at a rocking concert – Adventure Wednesday is about being open to the possibilities!

Guest singer, and I forgot who

Making art of Art

Showing his Irish guitar

80s stylin’!

See the nickels in the guy’s guitar?