The ULTIMATE PRINE EXPERIENCE

The webmister and I were invited to take a "working" vacation in Nashville. Do some archiving for Oh Boy and catch a Prine show. When we first arrived the car had some issues with it and we spent a little time at the local fixer up store and fixed er up in the parking lot.

I was too excited to just rest and we went straight to Oh Boy and began archiving. It was fun and fabulous to sort through all the old photos, tickets, notes, stories and ads of John and the Oh Boy business. We worked for a couple of hours and headed off to the cute little apartment just down the street.

The next day being a Saturday was explore Nashville some more day. So we walked downtown to Broadway where all the fun places are. Wandered through the shops, lunch at Tootsie's and I signed the wall, we had some ice cream and hit another trinket store to stock up on goodies to bring home to friends and family.

As I was looking at cute little personalized Tennessee bicycle license plates - I noticed there was one with "Hayden" on it - I intended to buy it - because you just don't find "Hayden's" as easily as you can a Michael or Ashley. My 8 months pregnant daughter and her fiance' were planning on naming their baby Hayden, either way, boy or girl after the famous Iowa Hawkeye coach Hayden Frye. So I picked it up and ran my fingers over the letters, thinking about the event that was going to happen next month. As I held it in my hand, the phone rang.... "Mom, dammmmmmit, I just peed my pants at work, I am so ticked off and embarassed, I had to leave work to change.... and mom, I am feeling a little crampy"

Oh don't worry honey, you've been on your feet all day and the baby is just getting into position for next month, he probably is putting pressure on your bladder. Go home and put your feet up, you'll feel better tomorrow."

With that she hung up, I purchased the little Hayden plate and we wandered back to the apartment to ready up for the Prine concert.

Again, we took the short walk down to the Ryman and this time the barkers were out in front of the bars trying lure people in, the streets were filled with people of all kinds and musicians were spattered about on the streets, trying to get famous. They come out at night there, you can just feel the pulse of Nashville beating at a feverish pace as the moon rose up to meet the stars.

We picked up our tickets and found ourselves in the balcony overlooking the stage, right next to Al Bunetta and his wife, Fiona Prine and her boys and their friends, Roger Cook was in front of us, and the office secretaries from the Prine boys' school were sitting next to me. I suddenly felt warm, like wow, are we really here doing this?

Mindy Smith came on stage and did her opening songs, and it was time for the intermission before John played his set. The houselights went up and the webmister's phone vibrated... It was our daughter again..... "Dad, I didn't pee my pants, my water broke and I'm in labor, I wish you guys were here, I am going to the hospital with the other grandmother - we'll call and let you know what is going on"

Still, I think, she's not really in labor, she has a month left to go... she peed her pants... this isn't happening, not while I'm hundreds of miles away"

We have plenty of time to get home before the baby is born, this is her first one, it'll take hours and hours, maybe days. My heart is pounding, my head is spinning and I am hundreds of miles away.

And we continue to enjoy the company and the ever excellent Prine concert. Full of surprises and spirits of the Ryman. It is just a religious experience, 1 to see a Prine concert and 2 to see it at the Ryman.

The show ends and the phone rings, "Dad, I just had a baby boy. He's under 5 pounds and having some problems... we're in ICU and he's beautiful and a little jaundiced but they think he will be all right. I wish you were here."

I'm in shock... and filled with stupid as we wander up to the meet and greet with John and about a 100 other people. John comes out to greet everyone - he introduces me to his eldest son Jody and at that moment it hits me.... John! I'm a grandma... he was born during your concert! I think I grabbed Jody's hand and said something totally ignorant like "you look just like your mother" - he and John exchange some sort of knowing grin and I blubber some more.

With that we left the Ryman and went back to the apartment and packed, it was about 12:30am and as we headed out of town, there was Crusher, standing on the corner of the Ryman, wet head and looking around... I hung my head out and hollered "We had a baby! oooooh Baby, we gotta go now!"

We traveled at lightning speed over the foggy interstates - hearts pumping and still in a daze over everything that had transpired in less than 24 hours. We made it to the hospital about 6:30 am and rushed into the ICU unit. There was my baby with a baby of her own. He was sooo small, and hairy...

Love at first site.... and he kind of reminded me of the Oh Boy logo... I dunno, it was all too surreal and it has taken me nearly 4 years to get back to writing this, yet I still haven't put up the review. I have it, scribbled on a popcorn box... and I hope it doesn't take another 4 years to get back to this and finish it.

more to come... gosh, I hope so.