To say that I was over-excited about this event might just be the understatement of the pandemic. Until about two weeks before, when I caught a show featuring Ottawa area local bands, I’d not experienced live music since March 2020. Might not seem that long ago to some, but for a guy that was at concerts as often as possible, regularly travelling the globe for the bands and festivals I won’t get at home in Toronto, it’s a veritable eternity!
THE NEW TRAVEL
Navigating the airports that was formerly old hat, now involved destination entry requirements and of course covid testing. Weeks of reading websites and watching for changes in restrictions, the day dawned ever nearer. Rapid antigen test was all the USA wanted for entry, so that was easy to find, pay for ($40cdn) and complete the day before.
Trying to pack seemed way more of a challenge than it should have been. I mean, in the past, I’d been known to show up at the airport with a plastic Wal-Mart bag containing a change of boxers and a couple of other items. OK, not that unprepared, but you get my drift. I stared at the duffle bag and walked away. And again. I couldn’t seem to fathom what to put in it….OMG, what’s happened to me? A stern talking to resulted in clearing my head and I at least was able to get boxers into said duffle bag…lol.
Off to Toronto Pearson Airport for an uneventful check-in and flights connecting at LGA to Knoxville. I almost felt a little Mad Max-ish as there was literally not one fucking person ahead of me in the customs line to see the USA border agents. So surreal, normally expecting to wait in lengthy cattle herding type mazes of lines. Oh, and not one person seemed to take any interest in a covid test nor vax certificate.
KNOXVILLE, TN (Wednesday, October 13, 2021)
Touching down in Knoxville I dialed up an Uber, whose license plate read TARDIS for the Dr. Who fans. Although I should have been, I was not frightened away by the price and had booked myself a room near the airport. My ride from Knoxville to Pigeon Forge would not collect me until Thursday morning. The sketchiness of the hotel was palpable in the entire atmosphere/aura immediately upon exiting my Uber. It did not improve. The counter guy was not overly welcoming and after running both my debit card and then my credit card proclaiming that both did not approve, he directed me to the gas station outside for an ATM. This was my second clue to move hotels that I missed.
Entering the room made my skin prickle. I could see piles of dust accumulated in the corners. And in two separate spots, dead bugs (they did not appear to be roaches). An old candy wrapper on the desk. The window’s curtain, complete with burn holes, didn’t quite cover the glass area. Then I saw the fair-sized bug on the loveseat. It could have been a cricket, it wasn’t a roach like I’d ever seen at any rate, but I didn’t like it. I placed my bag on the table after dragging it into the center of the room. I didn’t want my stuff on or near anything if I could help it.
…BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE…
I discovered the door didn’t lock as I was on my way out to complain. Closed it and tested the handle to find it simply opened up again. Tried several times to be certain I’d closed it properly etc. Then I engaged the deadbolt while holding the door open and found that turning the handle simply opened that as well!
Standing in the centre of the room I began to google nearby hotels deciding what to do. Holy crap…that big motherfucker that just came running across the floor was definitely a cockroach! I’m outta here! Clicked “order” on the Uber and ran. Thankfully the Uber got me to a Best Western and they had a room, without roaches, I even asked! I didn’t sleep well, kept waking up and putting my phone’s flashlight on the floor checking for “friends”.
PIGEON FORGE, TN (Thursday, October 14, 2021)
Tired, yet filled with an excited anticipation, I waded through the free hotel breakfast and into check-out time. By looking online, any used record stores did not seem particularly close, nor near each other or anything else if I’d Ubered to them. A 6-minute walk saw me enjoying Yuengling Lager and lunch at Ruby Tuesday Restaurant awaiting my friend who would safely convey me to Pigeon Forge. Friends arrived lunch was had, and a great many laughs filled out the car ride to Pigeon Forge.
MONSTERS MEET & GREET
Conveniently, my friend’s hotel was located just across the road from mine. Later that evening we collected three more friends housed two hotels down from me and we headed out walking over to the Meet and Greet at Margaritaville Island organized by cruiser Scott. Finding out the party had relocated to Dick’s Roadhouse, soon saw us on the patio there with a steadily arriving stream of cruise friends new and old.
It was exhilarating to spend time in real life with friends I’d not seen in nearly two years talking and laughing. More and more folks arrived throughout the evening and I met some new friends as well. The mood was an excited electricity that I’d sorely been missing. Big ups to organizer Scott for setting things up, unfortunately, I didn’t get to meet the gentleman personally. With things on the island area closing up shop at 10-10:30pm, folks began to disperse and several of us contemplated grabbing an Uber to another area of town. But a cooler head had me and two other friends walking back to our hotel area stopping at a Domino’s pizza on the way (the only thing open).
Bring on Monsters on the Mountain tomorrow!
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Cheers,
The Meister
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