FFE2: The Country Bugaloo
Sunday, January 22, 2017
PellaPosse Palladium
Monrovia, CA
During the week leading up to the house concert, it rained. It rained a LOT. It was going to rain some more. On Friday morning, Weff and Glenndy came over to set up the Palladium and tried to find times when they could move the sofas to the garage when it wouldn't be pouring on them. I had been freaking out all week because I didn't want my floors to get wet. Weff got a coat rack that we could fit in the bathtub. Glenndy got umbrella bags. My friends take care of me. In the afternoon, Glenndy and I needed to pick up Steve. But wait. His goody bag wasn't ready, and I needed gas. You know what's funny about the 7-11 in Arcadia? They have Pocky. All kinds of Pocky. I got all the flavors and we went back to my house so I could fill up the goody bag, and then went to LAX. It wasn't raining very hard, but I still worried a little because the next day we would be outside. Wendy had made a sign for me, and we giggled in the airport waiting area as people looked at it when they walked by us. One guy even started humming "Have You Seen Her", and I was pleased because that meant someone was actually paying attention to our sign. Not that he had seen Steve or anything, though.
Once Steve's plane landed, he texted me and we waited. And waited. I thought he was tricking us again and hiding somewhere. Turns out they were taxiing on the tarmac for a while because their plane arrived so early that they didn't have a gate at which to park the plane. We kept looking at people's legs as they came down the escalator, trying to guess if they belonged to him. Once we saw the guitar case, we knew: FFE Weekend had begun!
After getting his luggage, we drove directly to Villa Italia Ristorante, my favorite Italian place, introduced to me by Glenndy themselves. We were all hungry despite the snacks we ate while waiting for FFE to arrive. Everything was delicious, and the company was wonderful, and I would have had wine, but I was driving precious cargo around, so that didn't happen. We went to my house and FFE put his luggage away. During dinner, we had asked if he had any idea what we'd be doing the next day. He didn't. I asked FFE to bring out the bag that was in his room. He was happy to see all of the Pocky in the bag...and then saw a button that said "1st Visit Disneyland". He excitedly asked us, "Are we going to Disneyland tomorrow?!" Yes, yes we are!!! It turns out that this would not be FFE's first visit, but he was a little kid back then, so this would be quite a different experience. We explained that we were able to book a VIP tour so we'd be doing Disneyland in style. He got really excited, like a little kid. It was adorable. I had only one request: that he ride with me on The Little Mermaid ride. Of course, he agreed. I mean, what was he supposed to say? I mentioned to him that Disneyland is special to me partly because I met Glenndy there, back before they became Glenndy. Then we all sat down to tell the long story of the internet bringing us together. Knowing that we'd have a big day coming, Glenndy left so we could get some rest. I'm not sure if we got any, though, because we were excited. I may have been excited about stuff other than Disneyland, too.
Saturday morning, the weather was perfect. Not a drop of water was falling from the sky. Bro and V arrived and I introduced FFE to V. We went to a doughnut place for breakfast, where I realized that I didn't have my phone, so I went back to the house to get it while they ate. Luckily, we were only a few blocks away from my house. On the way to the Park, V studied the way to maximize points on the Toy Story Midway Mania ride, and we decided to be in the same vehicle and together we would outscore our other friends. KP and her brother, Jim, were late to our meeting place at the Grand Californian, which was unusual for her. Turns out that Jim's camera was damaged while going through bag check and he was dealing with that. Bummer. We met our guide, Willy, and headed for DCA. We had lunch reservations at Ariel's Grotto, and met princesses. Ariel loved my Ariel shoes.
Yes, FFE sat with me on my ride, although it seemed that Bro was going to steal him from me (hence the LotD). FFE got the most points in our vehicle at Toy Story Midway Mania.
We showed him where Bro and V got engaged.
We went to Disneyland and rode a bunch of rides over there. We watched the "Frozen" show at the Hyperion and FFE told Cindy that he needed to sit by me so we could share my $1.00 popcorn. Like I'm going to say no. We spent some time in what Miss O calls the "special place".
We went to back to Disneyland to watch the Main Street Electrical Parade and the subsequent fireworks. I told FFE about my balloon phobia, which made him understand why I brushed him off when he pointed out the Death Star balloon. We didn't stay until closing because we still had another big day for the weekend. It was a perfect day at Disneyland: the weather, the company, the activities...perfect. What an awesome, fantabulous, magical day!
The rain started on Sunday morning, and I went to church. FFE slept in. Weff and KP came over and the five of us went to brunch at what FFE knows as "our place" so he could have huevos rancheros.
They went to do some errands while FFE rested and I got the house ready for the concert. Also, I formed cowboy boot-shaped sugar cookies from pre-made dough. They came out pretty lame, and I was cracking up at my ineptitude when Weff returned. So Wendy helped me decorate them to make them look less lame.
KP and Jim arrived and the chairs were unloaded. Yes, he had to bring them in while it was raining. So prep also involved wiping off the chairs. Glenndy arrived with the food and also had to bring that in while it was raining. OMG, the wetness. Katie, Bro, and V arrived and set up the video equipment, and FFE did a quick sound check with Double N. It was an NFL playoff day, and FFE's Patriots were contenders, so he was hidden away in the den to watch the game until the guests arrived. Kyoko arrived early to make something for everyone, and when I got out of the shower, I asked why it smelled the way it did in the house. Turns out she burned stuff in my microwave, so the next task was to clean that out and make my house smell OK. Thank goodness for the Angry Mama microwave cleaner.
The other guests arrived, and Cindy greeted them at the door, told them how to deal with their wet belongings, and gave them place cards to save their seats. KP had created awesome jars for the raffle tickets, and dealt with that process.
When FFE was ready to talk to folks, he did so in his wonderful way and everyone cheered with him as they watched the Patriots win the game while they ate Filipino food.
Then he got warmed up for the show and folks were eventually asked to take their seats for the show.
Double N was having some trouble with the sound system when the show started, so FFE talked about our perfect day at Disneyland with the audience. Then it was time for him to sing!
Do It For The Love
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| Bananaman helps me on my search |
Once Steve's plane landed, he texted me and we waited. And waited. I thought he was tricking us again and hiding somewhere. Turns out they were taxiing on the tarmac for a while because their plane arrived so early that they didn't have a gate at which to park the plane. We kept looking at people's legs as they came down the escalator, trying to guess if they belonged to him. Once we saw the guitar case, we knew: FFE Weekend had begun!
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| The Star Has Arrived! |
After getting his luggage, we drove directly to Villa Italia Ristorante, my favorite Italian place, introduced to me by Glenndy themselves. We were all hungry despite the snacks we ate while waiting for FFE to arrive. Everything was delicious, and the company was wonderful, and I would have had wine, but I was driving precious cargo around, so that didn't happen. We went to my house and FFE put his luggage away. During dinner, we had asked if he had any idea what we'd be doing the next day. He didn't. I asked FFE to bring out the bag that was in his room. He was happy to see all of the Pocky in the bag...and then saw a button that said "1st Visit Disneyland". He excitedly asked us, "Are we going to Disneyland tomorrow?!" Yes, yes we are!!! It turns out that this would not be FFE's first visit, but he was a little kid back then, so this would be quite a different experience. We explained that we were able to book a VIP tour so we'd be doing Disneyland in style. He got really excited, like a little kid. It was adorable. I had only one request: that he ride with me on The Little Mermaid ride. Of course, he agreed. I mean, what was he supposed to say? I mentioned to him that Disneyland is special to me partly because I met Glenndy there, back before they became Glenndy. Then we all sat down to tell the long story of the internet bringing us together. Knowing that we'd have a big day coming, Glenndy left so we could get some rest. I'm not sure if we got any, though, because we were excited. I may have been excited about stuff other than Disneyland, too.
Saturday morning, the weather was perfect. Not a drop of water was falling from the sky. Bro and V arrived and I introduced FFE to V. We went to a doughnut place for breakfast, where I realized that I didn't have my phone, so I went back to the house to get it while they ate. Luckily, we were only a few blocks away from my house. On the way to the Park, V studied the way to maximize points on the Toy Story Midway Mania ride, and we decided to be in the same vehicle and together we would outscore our other friends. KP and her brother, Jim, were late to our meeting place at the Grand Californian, which was unusual for her. Turns out that Jim's camera was damaged while going through bag check and he was dealing with that. Bummer. We met our guide, Willy, and headed for DCA. We had lunch reservations at Ariel's Grotto, and met princesses. Ariel loved my Ariel shoes.
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| That's Me! |
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| Before he kicked our butts |
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| My brother got engaged here! |
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| Selfie #1901 |
The rain started on Sunday morning, and I went to church. FFE slept in. Weff and KP came over and the five of us went to brunch at what FFE knows as "our place" so he could have huevos rancheros.
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| Having his dish at Our Place |
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| Boot-ish Cookies |
The other guests arrived, and Cindy greeted them at the door, told them how to deal with their wet belongings, and gave them place cards to save their seats. KP had created awesome jars for the raffle tickets, and dealt with that process.
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| Raffle Table |
When FFE was ready to talk to folks, he did so in his wonderful way and everyone cheered with him as they watched the Patriots win the game while they ate Filipino food.
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| Watching the Patriots win |
Then he got warmed up for the show and folks were eventually asked to take their seats for the show.
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| In the Hallway |
Double N was having some trouble with the sound system when the show started, so FFE talked about our perfect day at Disneyland with the audience. Then it was time for him to sing!
FFE asked me to sing in harmony with him, so I did.
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| Sing With Me Now |
Edge of 18
FFE: That's going to go on your doodle.
KP: I've been commissioned.
KP: I've been commissioned.
Runnin' Red Lights
FFE asked Dene if he remembers leaning over in the car to get a smooch from June.
Dene: More than a smooch!
Dene: More than a smooch!
SD has to unwind guitar strings when he flies.
No Substitute
No spoilers, but...
I like that intro.
Math teacher, KP!!!!
Sam Cooke!
FFE: You hit that dissonant chord first, then you bring them back. Oops.
Duct Tape and Prayers
Cute song!
You Leave Me Wanting More
More of your ey--Heart
Wish I Would Have Let You
FFE: (forgets lyrics) "That happens sometimes."
This happens with Scott, too. I guess if I wrote as many songs as them, I'd forget stuff.
This happens with Scott, too. I guess if I wrote as many songs as them, I'd forget stuff.
One Last Summer
There may be jello shots involved with this song
Rudy began to reminisce about his past summers. Then realized how much he liked the song. "That was sweet, man!"
Weightless
Sherry sighs loudly and announces that this is her favorite one.
Sher: I need to get that Weightless Water.
He's right there.
He's right there.
I Can Always Tell
Close To You
This song was requested by Kyoko, whom sang along a little.
The Good Life
FFE's grandfather would slice apples at one of their gatherings and call it "Having an Apple Party"
...and we're all crying now.
FFE can't look at his dad when he plays this song or he'll cry. It's FFE's favorite song.
Full Moon Feelin'
Perfect for a spin on a night like this (maybe not a convertible on this rainy night)
Afterward, we held a raffle to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation. I was disappointed that I didn't win a frame THAT I MADE myself and could make another, but Ferdie had won a lot of stuff, so when he won that, he gave it to me. Aw, sweet!
Weff brought a yummy cake from one of my favorite bakeries for the occasion: an Ube cake with Lecheflan filling from Baked Dessert Bar. So yum. I tried not to make it look like we were cutting the cake together. No, I did not feed cake to FFE. I already fed him lumpia earlier. ;)
Kyoko sang "Close to You" with FFE playing the guitar.
By the time our guests left, the rain had dissipated a little bit, but it was still wet. FFE helped bring in the furniture and the Posse and I cleaned up. FFE tried to help by eating more pancit even though he said he wasn't going to eat anymore. I told FFE why I like Doritos and somehow he's still speaking to me. I gave him a cute print of Han Solo and Chewbacca playing with a toy Millennium Falcon, which he loved, and insisted I sign on the back.
The posse left after cleanup, and said their goodbyes. FFE and I planned our alarm times and he went to sleep. Because I'm me, I still cleaned up a little bit more before going to bed because I still couldn't sleep right away.
I drove FFE to the airport early the next morning, and we had some time, so I parked the car and walked in with him. Due to him no longer being an official Rockapella member, I sadly voiced my fear that I might never see him again. He told me not to think like that because he's trying to get his band to play out here in CA sometime this summer. (I'm writing this in September. No word yet. Yes, I'm about to cry again).
We gave each other huge hugs and kisses on the cheeks and said we'd see each other soon. I went home and sent messages to the posse to thank them for such a great weekend. There may have been more crying. Dang, all of these emotions!
Thank you, Posse, for everything you've done to help get this done a second time, and in style! Thank you to all of our guests for braving the torrential rain to see FFE do his thang. Thank you to photographer Jim for the awesome pictures on House Concert day. Thank you to videographers Katie, Bro and V. The footage looks great, and will be uploaded to YouTube when I figure out how to do that. Thank you to Steve, for being such a trusting soul and for every smile you put on my face this weekend.
Until next time, FFE. Love you lots.
Afterward, we held a raffle to benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation. I was disappointed that I didn't win a frame THAT I MADE myself and could make another, but Ferdie had won a lot of stuff, so when he won that, he gave it to me. Aw, sweet!
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| Sherry Sandwich |
Weff brought a yummy cake from one of my favorite bakeries for the occasion: an Ube cake with Lecheflan filling from Baked Dessert Bar. So yum. I tried not to make it look like we were cutting the cake together. No, I did not feed cake to FFE. I already fed him lumpia earlier. ;)
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| See? |
Kyoko sang "Close to You" with FFE playing the guitar.
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| Group Picture Silliness |
The posse left after cleanup, and said their goodbyes. FFE and I planned our alarm times and he went to sleep. Because I'm me, I still cleaned up a little bit more before going to bed because I still couldn't sleep right away.
I drove FFE to the airport early the next morning, and we had some time, so I parked the car and walked in with him. Due to him no longer being an official Rockapella member, I sadly voiced my fear that I might never see him again. He told me not to think like that because he's trying to get his band to play out here in CA sometime this summer. (I'm writing this in September. No word yet. Yes, I'm about to cry again).
We gave each other huge hugs and kisses on the cheeks and said we'd see each other soon. I went home and sent messages to the posse to thank them for such a great weekend. There may have been more crying. Dang, all of these emotions!
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| The Star and The Posse |
Thank you, Posse, for everything you've done to help get this done a second time, and in style! Thank you to all of our guests for braving the torrential rain to see FFE do his thang. Thank you to photographer Jim for the awesome pictures on House Concert day. Thank you to videographers Katie, Bro and V. The footage looks great, and will be uploaded to YouTube when I figure out how to do that. Thank you to Steve, for being such a trusting soul and for every smile you put on my face this weekend.
Until next time, FFE. Love you lots.
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| Our Star |
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