The post that took two weeks to finish.

I have returned from Nashville! Like...a week ago...
Haven't been there in a while. But this time I was traveling on foot with a bunch of other chorus people (and a few from the band, but they kept to themselves for the most part). Too much construction going on! It was a nightmare trying to get around!
I roomed with Sarah Johnson, Carmen, and Libba. The band girls were in the adjacent room and the guys were down the hall. Helen and Mrs. Warren got the cushy room with the couch. Bah.
Our first day there we settled in, ate dinner at Joe's Crab Shack, where we were fascinated by the TV coverage of a college gymnastics event (all male), then met Helen at the Renaissance to pick up our nametags and whatnot so we could go to rehearsal. Hehe, we had some time to kill so we rode the elevator to the top floor. Judson just had to get off, and the doors closed. He called to yell at us on the way down. We're easliy amused.
The women's group was practicing in the sanctuary at the McKendree Methodist Church. Being the aspiring architect, I was being all ADD and staring around at the dome and the stained glass windows whenever I wasn't engaged in singing. Our conductor was a Canadian, which explains all the French songs.
After the first night's rehearsal, we met up with Hicks and went to the Hard Rock Cafe for drinks and dessert. After we'd left, Hicks proudly displayed his prize of the night: a menu to add to his collection of stolen restaurant paraphanalia. Laughter ensued. While we were walking back to the hotel (careful to avoid Printer's Alley, unlike the poor band girls) we ran into a few homeless people handing out flowers they'd picked from various gardens in the area. We were all tired from walking when we got back to the hotel, so we crashed pretty soon.
The next morning we went in search of breakfast and found a little cafe called Maggie's (or something to that tune). It's a lot like Pappy's in Milan, but with breakfast. Quick, cheap, everything you could want for a budget of two bucks. Then to rehearsal! More French, woo! And Greek food for lunch! And more rehearsal!
The women got out more than an hour early, so Libba and I wandered back over to the hotel where we hung out for a little while in Helen and Mrs. Warren's room. It was all giggles and smiles for Helen.
It was during this time that I called my mom regarding a message she'd left that afternoon. Something about an extension of my scholarship and whether she needed to water my violets or not. I asked her if she'd heard anything about the JCM march, but she was still relatively clueless.
Libba and I left around 9 to meet everyone at the Renaissance. On the elevator we met a girl who was in the group from Union that was attending the workshops. "Do you know Brennan?" "Uthe?!"
We were shocked to see Uthe in a short-sleeved shirt and NO TIE. *gasp*
And it was about this time that Libba's bra broke.
Off to Demo's. Tab's on Helen!
There were some jokes made toward Libba about the "Short, party of ten" announcement.
So we all ate really well, and Kevin and Libba decided to follow in the footsteps of dear Hicks, so they smuggled out a menu.
It was at this point that our decision-making skills slipped a little. It was about 10:35 and curfew was at 11. Only we figured that since Helen had just been with us we could go out for ice cream and be a little late. So off we went (WITH Uthe, so it's not like we were unsupervised). Passed a club, made a joke with Uthe since we were the only people old enough to get in, found the ice cream shop and proceeded to bum around. Brandon called Libba's phone a few minutes later. We had four minutes to be in our rooms. Yikes! Carmen, Libba, Judson, Uthe and I sprinted out of there, perplexing Melody, Sarah and Kevin, who were in line getting their orders. We were going pretty fast until Uthe broke off to go back to his hotel, but afterward we were running like a mofo, dodging drunk girls coming out of a parking garage, jaywalking, only not going up the scary alley because we would die.
Through the revolving door, up the elevator, around the corner...STOP! There was Helen, waiting for us like a watchdog. Judson ducked into the little room with the ice machine.
"Do you know what time it is?" We just stood there trying to catch our breath. "11:02..." Libba said.
"Where is Kevin?" Not "Where are the others," just Kevin.
We went back to our room and called the others. Still at the ice cream shop. They started running back, Melody was crying when Sarah and Kevin made her run through the scary alley.
We thought they were dead when they finally got back and Helen pulled them into her room. Initially we thought we could act like nothing happened...she probably wouldn't remember a thing the next morning...but there was one hitch: Mrs. Warren.
But strangely enough, it was her suggestion that saved us from any real punishment.
So much for the call Judson made to Melody's room. "Good morning, Madison. The following students have community service: Lane Norton, Hayne Hazelhurst, Zach Livelli, Melody Dale, Kevin Isbell, Sarah Johnson, Meredith Matheney, Carmen Wagster, Libba Walker, and Judson Wood..."