The Rest of the Story

Back in late April, I wrote a post about how I saw Chris Young in concert while I was in Texas.

It was such a fun night with my youngest sister, Kate. 

It occurred to me last week, though, that I didn't tell the rest of the story.  (Whenever that phrase runs through my head, I totally hear Paul Harvey saying it.)

So, here it is...

The night of the concert, Kate and I were sitting in the stands chatting, and she mentioned that she would be guest bartending for Bacardi that coming Thursday night. She was all excited because she'd be in the compound (I think that's what they call it) where the artists park their buses and relax for a little while, away from the crowds.

She read me the list of stars who would be possibly stopping by, and it was an impressive group of country artists. I recognized nearly all the names on the list -- even the singers who were more popular five or ten years ago -- because 1) I've been a huge country music fan since high school; 2) I listen to a lot of country music on Pandora and the radio; and 3) I watch the GAC Top 20 Country Countdown (with Nan Kelly -- who seems like such a doll!) every Friday when I run on the treadmill.

So, I was super excited for Kate to have such an awesome opportunity, and I told her as much. 

Four days later, I was back at home sweeping the floor in our kitchen, when my phone vibrated. I pulled it out of my back pocket, and there was a text message from my sister with this photo attached.

Photo Credit: Katie Meredith

Ladies and gentlemen, the broom hit the floor. And I do believe my jaw dropped as well.

Then, I texted as fast as my little fingers would go: "SHUT. UP." (Yes, in all caps like you're never supposed to do. But in my defense, I was yelling in my head.)

Yeah, I know my response wasn't very eloquent or original, but it was genuine.

I really couldn't believe it! Seconds earlier, Chris Young had been standing right in front of my little sister, talking to her.

What?!

I wish I could have texted, #Imcominover. Ha! 

And not only did she meet Chris Young, but a friend of his -- you might have heard of him -- Blake Shelton. (For you non-country fans, yes, he's the tall and funny guy from The Voice.)

Kate loves Blake Shelton. (She said it was so cool to hear Blake's laugh in person.) But she really adores his wife, Miranda Lambert, who unfortunately, didn't make an appearance that night. (I hope Kate gets to meet Miranda one day.)

And of course, I'm all about Team CY.

I can't lie: When I saw the photo above, I was just a teeny bit peanut butter and jealous. I mean, Kate did get to meet my favorite country music singer. ever. (evah! is how I say it.)

But the jealousy disappeared as quickly as it had arrived, and I wanted to know details. Like...what did you say? What did he say? And who's that guy on the right? (She had no idea.)

Kate said Chris was just the nicest guy. She told him that she attended his concert a few days before in Grand Prairie, and he said it was a record crowd. He tipped her $20 (way to go, CY!) and she snapped this shot. 

Totally. awesome. Amiright?!

For the next hour or so, Kate texted me each time she saw or met a new country music artist.

It was fun for me because, even though I was 1500 miles away, it felt like I was kind of there with her. And let's be real: it was a heck of a lot more interesting than the laundry I was folding or the carpet I was vacuuming or the dishes I was scrubbing.

And if that wasn't cool enough, Kate (and her husband) also attended the 50th Annual ACM Awards Show at Dallas Cowboys Stadium a couple of days later. (Working for Bacardi clearly comes with some awesome sauce perks!)

Oh, and one more thing -- if you'll indulge me.

Today happens to be Chris Young's 30th birthday (he's a fellow Gemini), so I'd like to send out birthday wishes to him.

Here's wishing CY 30+ more years of writing and performing music, good health, and an abundance of happiness.