Concert and Car

                The alarm shattered a deep sleep at 5:15 on Saturday morning.  Due at the Blakely’s by 6:45 for the drive to Marietta for the Celebrate Freedom day long concert, I gathered cool clothes, sunscreen, some reading material for a break, grabbed breakfast, and headed out just in time.  Excitement levels varied.  Katie was subdued after feeling a little under the weather Friday afternoon.  Kjersten eagerly looked forward to Amy Grant and the concert experience but also had her IPOD touch and a book to read.  Beth’s main desire was to see Amy, her all time favorite artist, and check out several others performing.  Bill came graciously to provide support and spend the day with us.  I was looking forward to hearing several groups and artists that I enjoy on the radio.

                We took my car because there was more room for lawn chairs, five people, and all the other paraphernalia that goes with attending an outdoor concert.  The early drive was pleasant with little traffic.  As we turned off the Interstate onto the state roads to , “smoke” and strange sounds came from the right rear wheel well.  When the smoke dissipated, we relaxed until the heat gauge indicated the car was overheating.  Limping into a station, Bill checked the radiator reservoir finding it totally empty.  Bill added some coolant, and we headed for the concert grounds.  By the time, we arrived the air conditioning quit, but we got into the parking place just in time. 

                Admittedly, I was a mess – worried about the car, anxious about ruining the day, and wondering how we would get home in this stupid car at midnight.  However, here we were at the North Georgia Fairgrounds with the strains of the first band floating across the parking lot.  With chairs, blankets and assorted time wasters gathered, we trudged across the grass lot into the park area filled with a tent city of advertisers, promotions, and activities for the kids.  Our ears led us toward the pavilion where, thankfully, space remained for us to open our chairs and throw our blankets down on the dirt floor.  Last week, the pavilion hosted a horse show.

                The concert continued with each set separated by words from the sponsors. By the end of the day, many in attendance could speak the words of the commercials more readily than those of the featured artists, many of whom decided to introduce songs from upcoming releases rather than sing the songs for which they are known.  To me, this was disappointing, not only because I was looking forward to singing along with words I knew, but also because the volume of the band and the seeming  for the singers to scream meant that discerning  lyrics proved challenging, especially to older ears.  I’d forgotten that about live concerts. 

                As the decibels rose so did the temperature inside and outside the pavilion.  Someone mentioned it was 95° on the grounds.  The rare breeze that would occasionally filter into the pavilion provided little respite.  Pity the poor people who arrived later and were left out in the sun.  At one point one of the announcers suggested only partially in jest, that  perhaps people shouldn’t raise their hands as the heat, dust, and perspiring bodies were likely to make it quite “aromatic”.  Katie, who doesn’t deal well with heat wilted more with each set and by the time Amy came on for her set, she was pretty much in melt down – literally.

                At five o’clock, an announcer told a group in the front sitting on folding chairs that they had to remove the chairs before the evening concert.  Later he came back and told everyone that all chairs had to be removed for safety reasons, and if they were not removed, he would personally come and get them down.  Grumbling and complaining about these particular directions, we took the chairs down and Bill hauled them all out to the car.  It gave him a chance to check the car once again, only to discover that the latest sealant and radiator coolant had seeped out the back of the car again.  Between the precarious state of the car and Katie, we decided to leave after Amy Grant’s performance, skipping Jeremy Camp and Switchfoot. 

            Honestly, we were also a little frustrated that no more mention  was made of chairs although many remained and others came in with chairs which they set up in the spaces the rule followers had opened.

Having no chairs proved a non-event once Amy came on , as we were on our feet for the whole performance.  The smiles on Beth and Kjersten’s faces as they sang along with every song Amy did made the day worth it. Katie ended up piggy back on Beth, and Bill carried water to the car.  I, too, knew the words and sang along.  The more mellow sound levels and balance between singers and musicians made it the most enjoyable performance of the day, though Jamie Grace and Jars of Clay also performed wonderfully as well.  

          Leaving early was OK;  by then my ears were filled with noises whether or not a band played, and I was pretty uptight about the drive home.  We stopped and replaced the fluids, but as we were driving along a freeway, the engine shut down; we just couldn’t make it to the next station.  Bill dumped in more water, but the engine would turn over but not start.  After 25 minutes with no appreciable reduction in engine temperature, I called AAA who promised we would get priority service.  Another 25 minutes went by with no call from AAA, but with the engine temperature dropping, the car started, and we headed up the next ramp to a gas station for a safer location and added more water.  Bill decided we could make it back to their place and plotted a Quik Trip to Quik Trip itinerary.  We cancelled AAA and headed out, successfully arriving back at their place after refilling the system at least five or six times.  Numerous cars blinked lights or tooted horns as the steam poured from the tire well following each addition.

             I drove one of their cars home for the evening, and today they took me to AVIS where I rented a car while I look for alternate transportation.  This really does appear to be the handwriting on the wall.  The problem is that some metal tubing to a rear heater has rusted out.  It turns out this is a “known” problem with 2000 and 2001 Mazda MPVs;  it seems these uninsulated tubes easily corroded in the salty conditions of northern states’ roads.  Unfortunately, the expiration of the fix was 2011.  Thus with exhaust system problems and this $600 repair, it is time to say a sad farewell to my work horse car.

           Problems laced the day, but it was fun to be with family and weather the difficulties together.  All of us enjoyed some part of the concert, Bill was a trooper and such a helper, and in the end we are all fine and richer for the experience.  We were protected on the roadside, and we all slept well in our own beds.  I do think I will be selective about concert venues in the future, but every experience is worth at least a good story.  

          Praise the Lord.