Durandemonium 2013 part 2
Social media has truly changed our lives. Weeks ago, I had friended someone on Facebook who I knew was also a DD fan and who would be coming to the Chicago weekend. We began chatting on the Instant Messenger and, long story short, we decided to become roommates for the weekend. Some said when I explained it to others that I was crazy to room with a bunch of people I don't know, but I said it's kind of like college, boarding schools, summer camp or even starting a new job : you are suddenly thrown in with a bunch of people you don't know and you have no choice but to be friendly. If they turn out to be psychos, you'll find someplace else to live. It is a hotel, after all. Just a few days before we left, C mentioned to me that there was someone else that she had met on Twitter who said that they were also from the Cleveland area who would be traveling on the same bus as me! I searched for Twitter handles that might be who I was or wasn't looking for, but no luck. I posted a general shout out on Facebook that if there is in fact someone who was going to the same place as me, I'd be looking for them.
M dropped me off at the MegaBus stop in the city early morning on Friday. He asked if I knew what I was doing, I said I'd be ok. I was at the RTA station in the city near CSU. Anyone who knows anything about riding the bus knows what a depressing experience it can be, having to ride with a bunch of convicts and those who have had their driver's licenses taken away thanks to some bad behaviors. Not to sound racist, but once you see white people who are standing around, you know that you are not riding a city bus but rather a charter like the MegaBus. Could I be lucky enough to find two people who had on Duran Duran T shirts standing around? Oh yes I was! Never let it be said that I don't have a knack for finding eccentric people, but they were a mother/daughter team who were doing this together. One of them turned out to be a white Muslim who put a scarf on her head and prayed to Mecca during the ride. I just sat back and watched. Whatever will be, will be, I say.
Nothing of note really happened on the way there, it was a fairly easy trip with a stop in Toledo. While we picked up and dropped off a few, it was discovered there was a mechanical problem. One of the tires was scraping against the undercarriage, and we were stuck in Toledo for about an hour. While waiting for repairs, I did something that I had not done in years but did because it was there. I ate at McDonalds. Having once been 40 lbs heavier than I am now, I know that I gained all the misery weight from my broken heart in 2002 in part thanks to eating McDonalds products. I no longer call it food because it's not really food, it's a genetically engineered and modified product that we have been brainwashed to eat and enjoy since we are children. It's acceptable to only imbibe soft drinks, coffee and bottled water from McDonalds, but I felt it was acceptable to have a small order of French fries. Needless to say, it tastes the same since I first ate it, it tastes just as good, and it's still something to avoid. D got a Happy Meal, and got the boy version of it, as the boy versions for it have always been better than the girl ones. The currant boy ones are the Angry Birds Star Wars versions, and they even have an app you can download. I still remember when Happy Meals just had a toy in them.
Once we reached Chicago, I programmed my GPS so that we could walk it to the hotel. It was only two miles, but we made it without much complaint about aching feet or an "Are we there yet?" question. Technology is a great thing. I can only imagine what kind of mess we would be in if we had to resort to the old fashioned folded map and look like tourists.
When we reached the hotel, I contacted C who I had met online a few weeks before and I was welcomed into the party room. We had four people in there at all times and were knee deep in crap all over (clothes, DD stuff, etc.) and there was constant noise. It was, essentially, a party room. Some said I was nuts to room with a bunch of people I didn't know who I had met on the Internet, but hey, this is the world we live in now. We're all friends here, and nowadays a stranger's just a friend you haven't met.
The welcome reception was held in a conference room. I'm sure this room was used for all kinds of purposes before, but this was perhaps the first fan related activity that ever occurred. It's not all that different than a business related activity or perhaps a wedding. No one knows each other, you are put together, and you have no choice but to be friendly with one another in order to achieve the same goals. Some came from different cities in Illinois (which I fully expected) and others came from the West Coast, and one came all the way from London, England. Never let it be said that one will not go the distance for something they love. It's rather difficult to explain this to others who have never done such a thing before, I'd been through it with a-ha so I'm well versed at this. Some people chase football, baseball, world cup soccer, they go places to play championship golf courses and this is what we do. When we do this, we're meeting up with friends or making new ones, it's an instant sense of belonging with others.
We got together in the room and talked a lot. What did we talk about? Duran Duran of course. We talked about their music, their lives, what they are doing now and what they must be really like. It's rather silly, I realize, but isn't that what we do despite it? What do you think Andy is doing right now since he left? I heard he had a screaming fight with Nick. Simon really likes extreme sports and sailing, remember that big accident with the Drum while they were on hiatus? I heard they called JT an anteater. Roger never says a word, does he? I wish I were Yasmin out of all of the wives and ex wives, don't you? I think at this point the funniest things for them were that they grew up and had daughters. Imagine the fights they would have when their daughters said that they too wanted to be models like their mothers were. Karma is hilarious, imagining that their rock star fathers would hit the roof saying "Over my dead body! You know what goes on at those parties?!?" "Of course, how do you think you met Mom?"
Managing to squeeze so many into such a small space made for some cramped quarters, but it was good sleeping ultimately. We didn't have to crank up the heat.
M dropped me off at the MegaBus stop in the city early morning on Friday. He asked if I knew what I was doing, I said I'd be ok. I was at the RTA station in the city near CSU. Anyone who knows anything about riding the bus knows what a depressing experience it can be, having to ride with a bunch of convicts and those who have had their driver's licenses taken away thanks to some bad behaviors. Not to sound racist, but once you see white people who are standing around, you know that you are not riding a city bus but rather a charter like the MegaBus. Could I be lucky enough to find two people who had on Duran Duran T shirts standing around? Oh yes I was! Never let it be said that I don't have a knack for finding eccentric people, but they were a mother/daughter team who were doing this together. One of them turned out to be a white Muslim who put a scarf on her head and prayed to Mecca during the ride. I just sat back and watched. Whatever will be, will be, I say.
Nothing of note really happened on the way there, it was a fairly easy trip with a stop in Toledo. While we picked up and dropped off a few, it was discovered there was a mechanical problem. One of the tires was scraping against the undercarriage, and we were stuck in Toledo for about an hour. While waiting for repairs, I did something that I had not done in years but did because it was there. I ate at McDonalds. Having once been 40 lbs heavier than I am now, I know that I gained all the misery weight from my broken heart in 2002 in part thanks to eating McDonalds products. I no longer call it food because it's not really food, it's a genetically engineered and modified product that we have been brainwashed to eat and enjoy since we are children. It's acceptable to only imbibe soft drinks, coffee and bottled water from McDonalds, but I felt it was acceptable to have a small order of French fries. Needless to say, it tastes the same since I first ate it, it tastes just as good, and it's still something to avoid. D got a Happy Meal, and got the boy version of it, as the boy versions for it have always been better than the girl ones. The currant boy ones are the Angry Birds Star Wars versions, and they even have an app you can download. I still remember when Happy Meals just had a toy in them.
Once we reached Chicago, I programmed my GPS so that we could walk it to the hotel. It was only two miles, but we made it without much complaint about aching feet or an "Are we there yet?" question. Technology is a great thing. I can only imagine what kind of mess we would be in if we had to resort to the old fashioned folded map and look like tourists.
When we reached the hotel, I contacted C who I had met online a few weeks before and I was welcomed into the party room. We had four people in there at all times and were knee deep in crap all over (clothes, DD stuff, etc.) and there was constant noise. It was, essentially, a party room. Some said I was nuts to room with a bunch of people I didn't know who I had met on the Internet, but hey, this is the world we live in now. We're all friends here, and nowadays a stranger's just a friend you haven't met.
The welcome reception was held in a conference room. I'm sure this room was used for all kinds of purposes before, but this was perhaps the first fan related activity that ever occurred. It's not all that different than a business related activity or perhaps a wedding. No one knows each other, you are put together, and you have no choice but to be friendly with one another in order to achieve the same goals. Some came from different cities in Illinois (which I fully expected) and others came from the West Coast, and one came all the way from London, England. Never let it be said that one will not go the distance for something they love. It's rather difficult to explain this to others who have never done such a thing before, I'd been through it with a-ha so I'm well versed at this. Some people chase football, baseball, world cup soccer, they go places to play championship golf courses and this is what we do. When we do this, we're meeting up with friends or making new ones, it's an instant sense of belonging with others.
We got together in the room and talked a lot. What did we talk about? Duran Duran of course. We talked about their music, their lives, what they are doing now and what they must be really like. It's rather silly, I realize, but isn't that what we do despite it? What do you think Andy is doing right now since he left? I heard he had a screaming fight with Nick. Simon really likes extreme sports and sailing, remember that big accident with the Drum while they were on hiatus? I heard they called JT an anteater. Roger never says a word, does he? I wish I were Yasmin out of all of the wives and ex wives, don't you? I think at this point the funniest things for them were that they grew up and had daughters. Imagine the fights they would have when their daughters said that they too wanted to be models like their mothers were. Karma is hilarious, imagining that their rock star fathers would hit the roof saying "Over my dead body! You know what goes on at those parties?!?" "Of course, how do you think you met Mom?"
Managing to squeeze so many into such a small space made for some cramped quarters, but it was good sleeping ultimately. We didn't have to crank up the heat.
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