Oh wow! We slept, had a leisurely breakfast, a great workout, and drove uneventfully to our next destination. Upon arriving in Andover, we find our rooms aren't ready yet. No problem - they gave us a guest key to go hangout by the pool. Michael and Dilana brought the guitar and mouth organ and were jamming. I was reading and napping. Almost like a vacation afternoon - until Dilana goes to check into our rooms. They only booked one room, and due to the holiday weekend, there were no more rooms. The next hour involved sitting outside on a bench until Mama Jewels fixed it and got us new room in a different town. Pack up and move to our new home in Haverhill!
Happy and settled in our new rooms, we continued our restful afternoon and had plenty of time get ready for the night's gig. Andover is a lovely town and we made it to Phillips Academy without incident. Phillips is a private high-school and the kids were ages 13-17.
The show: A well- rested Dilana took the stage and once again commanded the audience's attention with her amazing vocals. The set included Hangover, Time After Time, My Drug, Zombie/If God Was One of Us, and ended with a resounding performance of Supersoul, during which Dilana did her "rap version" for the kids! The students loved her and once again she connected with her audience, inviting another young, budding artist to take the stage with her. Casey, a charming young girl, offered to perform an original. Dilana relinquished the stage and her guitar and sat on the floor with the kids. Casey was very good and was amazed at Dilana's generosity and encouragement.
Thru my eyes, from where I sit, behind the wheel, I see a successful artist encouraging our children to be themselves and never give up their dreams. Dilana includes Somebody Else in her set list and uses her music and kind words to inspire these young kids. Day Two - a job VERY well-done!
PS- Now we have to make our way back to our new hotel for our "after party". Dilana wants to drive to check out our wheels, as I've been telling her what fun it is to drive this gorgeous Lincoln. The three of us, Dilana with the GPS on her lap, chatting about what a good time we had, motor on back to Haverhill. As we pull up to the hotel, Dilana says "Here we are!". I look at the name of the hotel, and say "Uhh, mama, this isn't our hotel". It took only second for us to realize she used the wrong address in the GPS and took us back to our old hotel! No worries! It was only ten minutes to change the address and go to the correct hotel and it ended the evening with a good laugh!
Or so I thot.....here's a pic from our "after party" and I'm not saying another word!
That's hysterical that you guys went back to the wrong hotel. Thanks Linda for sharing !! Glad she was so well received by the kids as well.
Posted by: Eva | 10/13/2010 at 04:31 AM
So far so GOOD!!
Posted by: Kate | 10/10/2010 at 07:43 PM
Thanks for sharing, kinda cool sitting here in Sweden and still be able to follow your adventures. Gotta be the best job ever to be Dee's assistant :)
Stay safe and have lots of fun
Proppen, Gothenburg Sweden
Posted by: Proppen | 10/10/2010 at 04:31 PM
Thanks for updating us...sounds like everything is working out beautifully!! Dilana relates so well to kids & I am sure they will remember their time with her always! She is a kind & giving soul as well as an amazing talent! Continued success & safe travels!
Posted by: Nancy Rotz | 10/10/2010 at 01:20 PM
Linda, thanks for taking the time from your schedule to sit down and write for us; it is much appreciated. The show at the high school sounds fantastic. Dilana's giving nature continues to amaze me. She is an incredible woman. See you in a few days!!
Posted by: Pittsue | 10/10/2010 at 11:21 AM