Sarah Palin was stumping for Saxby Chambliss at several stops in Georgia today. One of those happened to be Perry, Georgia…minutes from my old stomping grounds of Warner Robins.
My day in short order:
- 4:15 AL time (5:15 GA time): Wake up to get myself and the girls ready for the drive.
- 5:15: leave Montgomery, Alabama for Perry, Georgia
- 9:15: Arrive at the GA National Fair Grounds, or the GA Agricenter, or whatever that place is called.
- Notice that I am first spectator there. Record still holding.
- 10:30-ish: head inside to wait in line. Am accompanied by my two girls, my mother, her friend and my aunt. My brother and sister-in-law would show up later.
- 11:45-ish: Notice that some newcomers behind us were trying to inch their way around us closer to the door. Oh no they didn’t. Who exactly did they think they were messing with?
- 12:00-ish: Doors open to the rally room. Said people tried to push their way past us. I used stroller to block their path (while accidentally mangling the ankles of the people in front of us…there’s always sacrifice). My group manages to get right up to the ropes of the stage, save two twenty-something boys who were so hoping to get her to sign their book.
- From 12:00 to 1:30: Wait. Wait. Wait. Fortunately Ashlyn was asleep for most of this. She had gotten her energy out running around the hour and a half we had just waited.
- Notice that they are pulling people from the crowd to sit in the bleachers behind the stump on the stage. Mom’s friend manages to get Richard (my brother) and Reagan up there.
- I am ecstatic.
- Begin to lose my ecstatic-ness little by little as the lady behind me tries to press me as flat as a pancake into my stroller handle. After one particular shove I turn around and ask her: “are you being pushed?” (With a smile, of course). She replied, “no, I’m pushing you…” and at that I turned immediately around as she mumbled the rest of her sentence because anything I said at that point wouldn’t have been Christian-like of me (think: my Ramblin’ Wreck post on crack). Manage to hold my ground.
- 1:30-ish to whenever: Sarah speaks. I take pictures. I video. I notice her clothing. A pantsuit. An awesome cream-colored jacket with sparkly pants. Oh yes, they were sparkly. Not tacky sparkly. Just the slightest hint of sparkliness. My big disappointment of the day was that I could not see her shoes. Her pants went all the way to the floor.
- Ooh, ooh! Sarah’s exiting the stage. She’s coming this way!! I quickly hopped over my stroller, which put me right inbetween both twenty-something guys.
- Here she comes! She stops and admires Ashlyn who is being held by my mom. The exchange goes something like: Sarah: “Oh, she is just beautiful!” Mom: “Oh thank you!” Sarah: “What is her name?” Mom: “Ashlyn” Sarah: “Is she one? two?” Mom: “Almost two.” Me, butting in: “My husband’s in the military!”
- Darn! She’s moving on to the twenty-something book guys. I get in between them again and she shakes my hand. As she’s about to walk away I say, “Can we get a picture?” “Sure!” Y’all she’s so nice. She spent about thirty minutes with the crowd and I was near the beginning. So, Mom snaps the picture and as she’s turning to leave she says, “tell your husband thank you.” “I will,” I say. “Hey, do you think this pantsuit makes me look dowdy?” She asks me. “Girl,” I offer, “you rock those pants and that jacket coordinates perfectly. Although, it being an off-white color, you’re probably going to have to have it cleaned after all these wannabes are finished mangling you.”…oh wait, that didn’t happen outside of my mind…
- Then I started jumping up and down and screaming like a teenage girl vowing to never wash my hand. Or something like that.
- I start planning on how I can get me and Sarah and Beth Moore to spend some time together. Mmmhmm. That would be my soul sister day. I could probably die and go to heaven right after that meeting.
- I then begin typing furiously on Twitter and Facebook letting all of my friends know what they just missed out on. I’m a good friend like that…
Me and my soul sister
Gaining Ashlyn’s affection.
Richard and Reagan as part of the backup singers behind Palin
But this experience and many others lead me to realize that this is exactly where I can be a good friend for you:
We all know I’m kind of competitive when it comes to being first in line for something. Remember the iPhone posts of this summer? (First in line. First to get the iPhone in Montgomery. Make the evening news.) So, I’m your girl if you’re wanting to get somewhere first to make sure you take part in the action.
I’m also competitive when it comes to getting down to the front of the stage. I have always been able to make my way to the front at a band party or any establishment. Fights? Never. But I did almost get into one trying to maintain my front row position watching David Allan Coe at Mama’s. And I was darn near front and center for Offspring too. And Sugarland? Made it to the front and then onto the tour bus. Yep. Pillar? Chatted like long-time friends after the concert. So, if you ever want to get front and center at a large, crowded event. I’m your girl.
Right now though, me and Sarah have some soul sister chatting to do. Anyone got Beth Moore’s number?
*****************************************
Now, just why did I title the post with this: (one upping Ashley of The Linares Family)? Ashley is my friend of a different political bent. She’s posted, not once, but twice her photo of herself with our future president. Now Ashley wins hands down when it comes to comparing her and me, but I’d say Sarah Palin is so much hotter than Barry. This just goes to show that you can achieve anything once you set your mind to it. Ashley, you inadvertently gave me a goal that I was able to achieve. Actually, my goal for eight years has been to get a picture with President Bush (and it almost happened, but that’s another story), but I will immediately replace that with this already achieved goal!! Thanks friend!
Not So SAHM 
that is so funny, you are such a star… Ashley too for meeting Obama!
That is fantastic!!! What a great day 🙂 I love Sarah Palin!!!
1. i’m very irritated at the woman behind you. 2. that’s so awesome you got to meet her….i’ve loved her ever since “mean girls” and before. i don’t see the scar, though….she must be using better makeup now. 3. you are a total whack-job, but i love how you chase your dreams.
Wow…a once-in-a-lifetime experience, huh? And you even have photos to prove it! Hey, I’m Sharing Some Linky Love with you over at my place…please come Check. It. Out!
And I thought going to bed at a good time with all my floors clean and every dish done was a n accomplishment! You topped that big-time AND your house stayed nice the whole time (you had the girls with!)–I shall live vicariously through you instead of emulating you though–I’m the girl who lets the little old lady with 3 things into the line ahead of me 😀
although…the chick behind you? I would TOTALLY have “lost my balance” and stepped backward HARD (hoping fr toes)–then I would appologize about losing my balance because someone bumped me and it’s oh so bad we are so crowded and noone can have enough personal space because of shoving from behind….I have a KILLER pair of western-looking shoes with nice little boot heels and pointy toes for good measure. Most likely I would have been the one who offered to stay home and watch everyones little kids for them so they could have a good time–YOU would have brought me a really cool souvenier too (I have a Dr.s for Bush sign in my attic-you would have managed some chocolate I bet–you are cool like that!)
Girl, I can say that you have achieved something that I have been wanting to do…Meet Sarah…I also wanted to meet Mike Huckabee, but when he was in town last year, I wimped out of going to the rally b/cuz I couldn’t get my dh to go with me! I am a groupy kind of person…, but now I know next time who to call…the girl that shoves to the front of the line with a smile on her face!!!! YOU! I hope you told her that a friend of yours from church would have been right there hovering–if it had not been for it being the beginning of the month…and that silly billing cycle!
See … your comments about Ashley’s experience and my lack of comments about the celebrity herein … proof that not only that bi-partisanship can work, but of the many views that make up this great country.
Congrats on your successful mission and on your restraint exercised with the woman behind you. 🙂
Haha! This is too funny!!! You knew I would enjoy this one. You know, If Sarah was visiting close by I think I would have to go see her just to hear what she had to say…… and blog about it.
I’m glad you got your photo taken with the Governor of Alaska and not the VP Elect of the United States 😉
Great accomplishment, though! You should definitely be proud of those ‘first’ skills! I don’t have those but I do have ‘push through the crowd’ skills.
This was a great day. I was there too, but I have to take issue with one tiny thing. When my daughter and I arrived just before 7am, there was another lady and her sister from Sylvester already there and sitting in their car next to where we parked. The staff people let us in because we were standing outside at the door (because my daughter insisted on guarding her “first in line” status) and they must’ve felt sorry for us freezing out there. We did go to Perry the night before and stayed in a hotel, though, which was maybe an unfair advantage over you in that respect.
This was our second visit to a Sarah rally. We also went to Jacksonville on 10-7-08, where we arrived just before 5am. In both cases, we were on the front row on the rail, and in both cases we got to meet Sarah and have pictures with her. She is absolutely beautiful, inside and out!!
Oh, and the pants were sparkly, but it was actually a metallic-type thread running through the black pants. They were beautiful (but not as beautiful as she is) but whatever size they were is a size I must’ve skipped on my way up to my current size. She is teeny-tiny, probably wears about a size zero, or maybe a two!
And I must’ve missed the shoes, too, because I just don’t remember seeing them. You would think we would have noticed that.
Here’s hoping we get another opportunity to meet her, maybe on her NEXT round of campaigning (2012 for President, maybe)!
Oh my gosh! I wasn’t first!?!? I didn’t even get out of my car and head around to the front because the doors weren’t supposed to open until around noon. Good for you and your daughter!
I didn’t realize how tiny she was until I shook her hand yesterday. I’m not big either, but I felt like I was going to crush her with my grip!
Did she recognize you this time? You guys are almost like Grateful Dead fans, traveling around. I’d do it too if she were going to be close again.
Vicki – if you ever get that meeting with Sarah and Beth Moore all in the same place – pick me! That would be the most awesomest thing ever. I’d get there extra extra early just to make you proud…
I love it!! You crack me up! I was just bragging to my hubby last night that Sarah Palin called me yesterday. In my best Alaskan accent I re-lived her encouraging me to vote…oh…that was a recording that probably thousands of others heard yesterday…oh well!
So…guess my phone call from Palin doesn’t compare to your shaking her hand…you go girl! ~giggles~
What a fun experience for you. Even though I don’t totally agree with Sarah Palin’s politics, I love her “real womaness” and appreciate that she makes her supporters feel like “friends”. As well, your tenacity rocks. You’re a superstar!
I’ll get back to you with Beth Moore’s digits. 🙂
xoxo,
Melinda
What an awesome day..Glad you got your pic!! Something you will never forget! 🙂
Wow, that’s cool!! And you look equally as glamorous as Sarah 🙂
Completely jealous. Completely.
That’s really neat. I’d love to meet her!