Smoke On The Water, True Friendship And An Angel To The Rescue

Wow... what a day/night we had on the riverfront! My hubby and I were invited to the Memphis in May BBQ Fest and decided we would take a chance on going. Generally, when you go to one of these things, you have to know someone in order to eat at any of the booths. There are vendors available, who will be happy to sell you their wares, but the fun is in visiting people you know. There is a LOT of walking, which is extremely difficult for me. I was soon to find out exactly HOW difficult it would become.

Before we left for the BBQ, I had my doubts as to whether I could make it, but I wanted to do this for my hubby. We had received an invite from some fraternity brothers of his, and there were friends that we hadn't seen in 30 years. Okay, 30 years for him. Probably 25 for me. Anyway, when we first got there, we sought out the booth that his brothers were in. They weren't there at the moment, so my dear hubby decided he wanted to walk around a bit. That was bad news for me. I was already having trouble walking. But I went with him, trying to keep up, and having to stop every couple of booths to let my hip joint rest. We caught up with the Parrotheads, who we had met years ago when our friends Pat and Tim still lived in Memphis. A quick story about the Parrotheads... we also ran into them in Chicago! At the Billy Goat Tavern! It was shear luck that we ended up there that night. What a group! They were wonderful and we resolved to be lifelong friends.

So back to the BBQ... We stopped at the AT&T booth which, thankfully, was air-conditioned and had internet access set up! I was shocked. We quickly went in and checked our Facebooks. Ha ha! Can't get away from that, it seems. It was a good thing though, because I saw that some other friends of ours were there as well, and we made a silent note to visit them before we left. We found some funnelcake vendors, which is one of my favorite greasy treats. We quickly found shade and gobbled up the sugary mess. I was getting really hot and tired, and I didn't want to take any chances, so I asked if we could please stop at the First Aid station. I'm so glad we did! We met two really nice nurses who took my blood pressure (normal), gave me some ibuprofen and an impromptu ice pack made from a rubber glove. As we sat and talked, I made a mental note of the proximity of the exit gate and where the EMT's were located. I was on dangerous ground, and I knew it.

We finally went to the Earthquake BBQ booth, sat down and got some water. We sat for a really long time, talking to Phillip, who was cooking the butt. After numerous references to "do I want some of his butt", Steve and I decided to see how good it was. I was totally shocked at how moist and flavorful the meat was. Phillip kept asking me what I thought it needed, and although I'm not a connoisseur of pork barbecue, I couldn't help but think it needed more hickory. Phillip asked me "You could taste the hickory?" Yes, I could, but it needed more. I've never... EVER tasted such good pork. And the conversation flowed... he told us all about Huntsville, where he lives and works, and about how the judging is done at the fest. We were completely enthralled at how it all worked, and how much preparation and planning went into not only having a booth, but the entire festival. I regret that we had to leave suddenly, when a call from home made me realize that we had some medical matters to tend to.

As I went to find Steve (who had conveniently disappeared from view), I ran smack into his old classmate, Greg, who welcomed me with the biggest hug I had ever had. Tears filled my eyes as I realized that this was the kind of welcome I had hoped for when I first came to Memphis. Greg and I talked for a while, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. When we found Steve, the guys talked for a while longer, and I knew I had to get home or die. The pain I was feeling was getting intense. Reluctantly parting, we all agreed to get together next Tuesday at Cafe Ole' and headed for the exit. What came next was the biggest surprise of the evening.

I knew I was in trouble trying to head up the hill. It can be brutal if you have any kind of leg trouble. And boy, was I having it. We asked an EMT if she could give me a ride in the cart, just to the top of the hill. She said no. We ventured a little farther and spied a woman getting into a cart just ahead. I begged Steve to ask her if I could ride. By then I was starting to cry. She didn't even hesitate when she said "get in". She told me to sit in the front and kept asking me if I was all right. She wanted to take us directly to our car, but there was some trouble at the south gate, with a tach squad and multiple grey cruisers blocking the streets. She was on the horn immediately to find out what was going on, and apologized to us for holding us up. Good heavens! She wasn't holding US up... she was helping us! I made a note to look at her badge and found her name... Diane Hampton. She dropped us off at a gas station not far from our car and apologized for not bringing us all the way. I was crying and impulsively hugged her... thanking her and telling her she had earned her way into heaven tonight. She smiled and Steve gave her his card, letting her know who we were. And then we found out exactly what her position was... The Executive Vice President of Memphis in May! I was FLOORED!!! I couldn't believe this person of SO much importance was helping ME! We thanked her again, and she went to handle the emergency at the south gate. What an angel. I'm going to write a letter to let the whole city know what a wonderful person she is.

We finally got to our car, after having to stop quite a few times to soothe the pain in my legs. Steve had been begging me to stay at the gas station, but I insisted on going to the car myself... slowly... slowly... and I made it! All the way home, Steve and I talked about his friends, our lives and how much I have needed the generosity that was shown to me that night. I cried almost all the way home, realizing how much goodness and friendship I had missed in my life. This is just the start of making it better.

Oh, the pain? I'm going to try and get in to see my doctor on Monday. The left leg feels like it did when I had the clots in it. I may have to go back on coumadin, but it's better than having another embolism. Wish me luck and good health!

Nazdrowie'

Paczki Puta