An Announcement, A Rabbit That Looks Like My Cat, and A Little Disco (For Funsies)

First and foremost, the formalities...

You will notice that Abby Gabs has been magically transformed over night. That's right---this writer is ready to jump head first into National Novel Writing Month, and I figured giving my blog (and Twitter profile, and Facebook page) a serious makeover would help keep me in the spirit all November long. For those who have absolutely no clue what I'm talking about, you can learn all about NaNoWriMo on their glorious website, or you can click on the handy-dandy tab above titled "Chasing My Dreams."

I will try to post here as frequently as usual, and will probably not write about NaNo (much,) so if you're curious as to my progress, you can check out the Word Count graphic to the left. It'll tell you how many words I've written. May I ask, dear Reader, if it gets to be November 15, and that number hasn't reached 5 digits yet, that you gift me a swift kick in the arse? (Or perhaps a gentle nudge, depending on your mood?) A million thanks in advance.

Now that I've reminded you that I'll be hunched over my keyboard, striving for brilliance, for the next 30 days, I'd like to share with you a few highlights from our visit to the Coastal Carolina Fair last evening.

First of all, it was a night of Look Alikes. When we visited the petting zoo, I was shocked and amazed to see my cat, Scooter, there. Except....well, it wasn't a cat. It was a bunny. But he looked JUST LIKE Scooter. See?:

Photographic proof that I'm not crazy (despite my penchant for cooing at animals and children in a weird, high-pitched voice):

Then, as if the Scooter-Look-Alike Bunny wasn't enough, we sat down behind a young man who, I swear, looked JUST LIKE Detective Esposito (played by actor Jon Huertas) from the television show, Castle. So much so that I pulled up a picture of Huertas on my phone just so Brian could validate my claim. Throughout the entire concert (more on that in a minute) I kept elbowing Brian in the ribs, saying things like, "Holy crap, that guy looks like Espo!" and "I swear, he could be Esposito's twin!" Finally, I got up the nerve to talk to the young man, and because he was an awesomely good sport, I also secured more Photographic Evidence to prove to you that I'm NOT crazy:

Photo of Jon Huertas courtesy of this website

I don't know what was more surprising: that all he was missing was a tiny bit of facial hair, that he was totally cool with taking a goofy picture with me, or that he'd never seen or heard of the show Castle.

Crazy pants.

Anyhoo, the only reason we ventured out to the fair last night was because of a change in their scheduled entertainment. You see, The Village People were supposed to play. You know...these guys:

Yes, they still tour. And yes, they still dress up. Awesome. (Photo)

But unfortunately, due to Sandy, The Village People were stuck in New Jersey and would not be able to make it to their scheduled performance. <Insert "Aw Shucks" here.> And so, the very smart people in charge of the Coastal Carolina Fair put out feelers for a last minute replacement, and our hero, Edwin McCain, came to the rescue.

I've told you, without mincing words, that I'm absolutely in love with Edwin McCain. I've been following him since I was a sophomore in high school, and I've been to tons of concerts, and even a breast cancer awareness benefit. He is, without a shadow of a doubt, the author of my life's soundtrack. (Seriously, if you've never heard of him, find him on iTunes. You've probably heard the song "I'll Be" and don't even know it.) So naturally, when we caught wind that Edwin was going to perform in lieu of the People, we beat feet to the fairgrounds and took our seats front and center (behind Espo.)

About halfway through the show, there was a quiet moment when Edwin switched from an electric to an acoustic guitar. A gentleman in the audience took the opportunity to shout "PLAY YMCA!!!!" Edwin, always a good sport, laughed and started to make a joke. That's when his bass player, Jason Pomar, began free-styling the bass line of the popular 70s song. By the time drummer "Tez," saxophonist Craig and lead guitarist Larry has figured out the tune (which took less than 2 minutes), Edwin launched into the song, completely unrehearsed. And naturally, I got it ALL on tape:

So. Much. Fun. 

We've been to a ton of Edwin shows over the past 13 years, and this is, hands down, the funniest thing we've ever witnessed. (Sorry for the blip in the middle...blame the new iPhone user who accidentally hit the "stop" button. My bad.)

To recap: today marks the beginning of NaNoWriMo (if you'd like to donate coffee, email me here); I saw a rabbit that looked my cat, and a dude who looked like an actor; and Edwin McCain knows how to rock, disco style.

Happy Thursday!

Celebrate Good Times, C'Mon!

Some special occasions are so special, the only thing left to do is to don your favorite party dress and dancin' shoes and PAR-TAY.

I'd say being one year cancer free is one of those occasions.

So last night, Brian and I headed to Mt. Pleasant to attend a breast cancer awareness charity event, hosted by my favorite singer/songwriter Edwin McCain.

And yes, we wore pink. That's right, I said WE.

It was a gorgeous South Carolina sunset. Shem Creek was bustling with activity, the breeze was cool on our skin. And Mother Nature showed her support with a vibrant pink sky.

The first thing I need to say about this event is this: Holy Pink Cocktails, Batman. I have NO idea what was in these things. All I know is that they were pink, fruity, delicious, and went down WAY too easy. Forty-five minutes into the event, I'd already consumed two. 

And the liquid courage was just what I needed when I spotted my musical muse standing near the back of the venue, quietly surveying the activity around him.

I grabbed my camera, my husband, and my drink and over we marched to talk to Edwin.

And I'm proud to say, despite the butterflies in my belly, I managed to stay poised and calm. I shook his hand, told him I'd been a fan since 1994. I asked about his wife, who recently had a double mastectomy. I told him of the 3 generations of women in my family who have battled the same disease. And then I told him about Brian, and that we were there to celebrate his big anniversary with Edwin. He was gracious, kind, generous with his time, and totally willing to pose for pictures.

A little out of focus, but it's a new camera. So a learning curve is expected.

Except for the woman behind us, who offered to take this picture. It took her 6 minutes to figure out how to work the "capture" button. LOL

The venue was decked out from floor to ceiling. Pink table cloths, pink lighting, gorgeous pink centerpieces--every single detail, large to small, was carried out to perfection.

And believe me when I say, I noticed every. Little. Thing.

The best thing about this event: there was no set plan. Edwin mentioned that he'd just sent out a smattering of emails to friends in the music industry, and it was literally up to the last minute as to who would show. Local talent, friends who helped Edwin get his start, even his best friend from high school--a sax player, all joined Edwin on stage and jammed. It was musical chaos, and it was fantastic.

I nearly hyperventilated when Darius Rucker, of Hootie and the Blowfish fame, came on stage to sing "Solitude," with Edwin. As in, literally almost passed out from excitement. Darius was the one who gave Edwin his first shot at the big leagues, and they've been great friends ever since. All the many times I've ever seen Edwin live, I've never gotten to see him sing with Darius. Until last night.

Amazing.

I could cry right now just thinking about it. Edwin's voice is one of those you can feel in your soul. And with Darius...well, it was haunting and heartbreaking, all at the same time.

What it all boils down to is this: we had a terrific time. The food was great, the drinks were great, the ambiance was great, my date was great, and Edwin was great. Suffice it to say that, if he makes it an annual thing, we'll be there every year, hands down. We got to celebrate Brian's anniversary in style. And that's a memory I'll always treasure.

One year cancer free. Who gets a cocktail? BRIAN gets a cocktail!!!

My Personal Soundtrack

The time: steamy summer of 1997.

The place: lying on the floor of my high school sweetheart's bedroom, in a pool of sunshine.

The soundtrack: Edwin McCain's Misguided Roses.

I fell in love that summer--with a boy who's eyes were the color of melted chocolate. With the idea of "true love." And with a songwriter who's words were heartbreakingly beautiful.

That first romance bloomed, and eventually died on the vine.

I traveled the road of True Love, and Broken Heart, and Never Love Again.

And that songwriter traveled with me, from high school to college to real life.

He was with me during those first moments of falling in love with my husband. He was there when we shared our first dance as husband and wife. He was there to hold me up when Brian was diagnosed with cancer last year. And he's still with me today.

When you find a songwriter like this, who's voice reaches deep down inside and moves your soul, you tend to grab hold and hang on for dear life. 

Songwriters like that can be your therapy. They can share your moments of triumph. They can buoy you up in your moments of defeat. They can make you laugh, and dance, and groove. They can make you cry, and think, and feel. They can be such a permanent fixture in your life that everyone who knows you has been touched by that songwriter, too.

Edwin McCain is that songwriter for me.

The day I met Edwin, in fall of 2006.

Each and every time Edwin releases a new album, it is a day of celebration in our house. And Brian was up extra-early this morning to ensure he had enough time to download Edwin's latest album, Mercy Bound, for his long commute to work.

On this album is a song that will break your heart and have you jumping out of your seat at the same time. It's called "Boom." Edwin wrote it about his mother, who was diagnosed with cancer in May of 2010. (Video shared below for your listening pleasure.)

As you can imagine, it really hits home with us.

And as usual, my songwriter has released an album I know I'll listen to for many years to come.

Some days I think I should write Edwin a letter and describe to him just how he's affected my life. How his music, his story telling, his words have worked their way into the very facet of my person. I often wonder how I would articulate that to him in a way that he would understand. His music is the soundtrack of my life.


Maybe I'll just send him a link to this blog. 


If you are visiting, Edwin, I can only think of one thing to say.  Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.