"You can't say we didn't give it..."

I just read a great quote: “Life is like photography... you develop from the negatives!"

And that pretty much sums up my Monday in Seattle. But first, a little background…
In 1997 I heard this band Hanson on the radio. Cute kids my age. And that was it. I became obsessed with music. Writing it. Playing it. Listening to it. Learning everything about them.

So, when Hanson played at the Aladdin Theater in Portland on Sunday I was there -- eleven years later -- alongside my sister, and friends Taylor, Meagan and Wokker. Very fun.

I’ve always admired their ability to interact with their fans and make everyone feel special. I’ve met them several times over the years and each time they are so fun – chatty, genuine and adorable. This time I got to interview them for my newspaper. I even gave Zac and Taylor copies of my first CD, which I later found out from their siblings that they listened to on the drive from Portland to Seattle. Nice. The inspiration listening to my inspirations. I love America!

Sunday was great – talking with the boys, great concert, running into old friends at the Portland venue and tons of great pictures.

And then there was Monday. Us four girls drove to Seattle for round two of Hanson. Coming off such a high from the day before we thought nothing could stand in our way. Well, nothing that we couldn’t handle. Ha!

What went wrong:

1. SHELTER: The hotel in Seattle we checked into wasn’t fit for cockroaches. Toilet paper on the floor. A smoking truck parked outside our window where a view should have been. And within five minutes a man tried to break into our room with a wrench. A wrench! He said he was there to fix the sink and I was spooked. I said we don’t need help. After he left I checked the faucet. No running water! We were so out of there. But when I tried to check out after our 15 minute stay the crazy man behind the counter lived up to his name. “No refunds!!!” he yelled. YELLED. I was being verbally degraded! After a lot of mish mash back and forth I yelled that “I had never been treated like this in America,” and ran out to my car, $80 poorer and raging mad. But that didn’t last long. We had a concert to go to.

2. FOOD: After dinner Meagan said she “wasn’t feeling so hot.” True. The poor little thing ended up throwing up through most of the opening act and Hanson. I checked on her condition again after a disturbing text message from her.

3. MONEY: When Meagan went outside The Moore theater to get some air, she was MUGGED! $60 cash stolen! YES! And after my credit card had just been robbed by our shanty hotel.

Oh, you’re wondering about the concert? It was great! Zac did a little funny strip tease center stage that made us all laugh. But it was no laughing matter to be homeless. After the slew of hellish events we opted not to crash at my aunt’s and drive back to Portland. Three hours in the dark – squished between semi trucks – and dodging road construction cones. Hell!

4. MISSING: At 2:30 p.m. I was home, in comfortable P.J.’s and IN MY CAR WITH A FLASHLIGHT SEARCHING FOR MEAGAN’S MISSING I PHONE. Just when we thought it was all over.

All crappy events aside, the weekend was really a bonding experience between my sister, my friends and I – and Hanson. I’m pumped for them to read my story. I’m pumped you read my story. And I think it’s hilarious that after 10 years this band has again found ways to bring hilarity back into my life. How fun!

Next on the agenda is the Heart/Journey concert. “Don’t Stop Believin’”…