[Back-tracking a bit just cuz I think it's funny: just want to add how I met pdx. Was standing around waiting with the small pit crowd and trying not to be a freak when a white and green flag pledge t-shirt approached. Being the classy broad that I am, I walked up to the man inside the tee and said something to the effect of, "Hi, I'm Dirty Martini. Who the hell are you?"]
So there had been circles of debate for weeks about what to do about the pit line-up situation. Option A: wait in line all day; Option B: go to the meet-up at Fat Annie's. After going round and round for a while, I had finally landed the night before on Option B: Mo was not keen on the idea of spending all day in line, and as much as I enjoy the company of the folks who would be in the pit, I really did not want to lose the opportunity to meet folks whom I might not otherwise get to meet, and it might be the last chance anyone would get to sign the Flag.
So after spending a bit of time with the folks outside MSG, Mo finally managed to pry me away to go to the Tick Tock for some food -- where we ended up running into a few other nutters, and many more continued to gather. Food and chat and love was shared -- and I'm going to try and breeze over the just general social bits of the day and try to stick to the flaggish stuff since otherwise this story will never end and there are plenty of other folks who can fill in those details. But a good time was had, pdxracer signed the Flag, and my phone wouldn't ring no matter how many times I checked it.
We decide to mosey over to Fat Annie's (having just eaten, after all) with a stop at the pit line along the way. More social awesomeness as we run into many folks, including the incredible Ska Man who informs Nancy and me that he loves the Stewart Girls. (Smooth move there, Ska Man.) Ska signs the Flag; vermontfan signs the Flag; the Flag gets its gross green mug into many photographs.
While everyone is twittering about, I receive another "eyo" and need to get a bit of distance -- at which point, my husband captures what is probably the quintessential DM portrait of the week:
http://dirtymartiniii.smugmug.com/galle ... UuytG-L-LB
Jeff is telling me that this flag thing may not happen. That I should just pass off the flag to Stewart from the pit or "your choice."
Damn.
I can't say we didn't try -- and I can't say that I don't understand -- but damn.
I start texting Jeff back, asking if SC will still come downstage for the flag before "Next To You" -- and as I'm typing, a small thought occurs to me: I'm the one with Flag Duty tonight -- and if need be, I don't actually need the real flag during the show. At this point, getting it in front of everyone tonight trumps getting it in front of Stewart. So I add to the text, asking if it would help if I give the Flag to Jeff before the show/gong. "Don't tell SC," I tell him, "but there will be other flags in the audience..."
He says he doesn't know, that he'll discuss with SC, I return to the throng, and we head over to Fat Annie's. . . .
Dramatic highlights & a unique musical cosmos. Guaranteed.