Remember me?

Hi --

I haven't written in some time, but I did want you to know that your visits here, along with your comments, are much appreciated both by me and by Brian. To be honest, I've been in a bit of a slump, emotionally, over the past week or so. It seems, at times, like all of this is an uphill battle against a hill that keeps getting bigger and bigger. My constant struggles with the insurance company, after so much time in the hospital, left me feeling somewhat hopeless. Ultimately, it seems like some progress was made, so I am counting my blessings. Among those blessings I count most important are the kind thoughts and gestures of all of you.

Through the blue moments, one thing that kept me feeling excited was the plan to attend the Snow Patrol concert with Brian -- although my health concerns made me worry that I wouldn't be able to attend the show. Everyone who knows me well knows that I'm a worrier who frets over details, so I also worried that something would make things not work out as planned. Now, though, I know I fretted without reason. Brian made sure that every single detail of the evening was covered so meticulously that I was able to just relax and enjoy the night. We were given VIP treatment from the moment we arrived to the moment we left.

Wonderfully, Brian has spent a lot of time this year looking for opportunities to make life special for me and the kids without incurring a lot of expense. I am also so grateful to everyone else, including family, colleagues, friends and even new acquaintances, who always seem to come through with overwhelming demonstrations of kindness. Last night, though, I consider a special, romantic gift from my husband -- just like this blog.



Now, for the details. Snow Patrol was amazing in concert, and both the band and their managers are incredible. Neil, their tour manager, was very accommodating and warm. Tara, from their management company in London, was a sweetheart. Each member of the band -- Gary, Nathan, Jonny, Tom and Paul -- was very gracious and conversational, although Jonny was just getting out of the shower when we arrived at their dressing room. You'll see, in the pictures, that he's in the background, without a shirt. The band signed a CD, and gave us a set of drumsticks with the band logo on them. I even got a kiss on the cheek from Gary, the lead singer, which seemed very genuine. When we left the concert, I felt like there is goodness in all walks. Brian and I could have stayed for the aftershow party, but I was ravenous, and wanted to make sure I could eat before bedtime.

All morning in the hotel, and for much of the later afternoon, I slept. The Allegro Hotel was very generous with us as well, in part by giving us an incredible room for next to nothing. In addition, they did not balk when we asked for a later check-out time. Well, I'm going to get back to my Sunday evening with Brian. Please keep visiting the site, and please keep sharing your thoughts. I'm a regular visitor here, don'tcha know...

Love,
Patty

Snow Patrol with Brian



Snow Patrol on stage -- amazing! (click on the pics to see larger versions)