"Missyisms": A Dream Come True! (part two)

My Grandparents should have been detectives! They are great information getters! My Grandma and I took a stroll through the casino gift shop, my Grandpa, unbeknown to us, made small talk with the hotel concierge at that time. He found out that Frank Sinatra Jr. was indeed checked in to the hotel and that he and his band were currently at the golf course! Who is able to get that kind of information?! Apparently, my Grandpa! Through the course of the day, he also got the security code to the back entrance of the casino that the band used! I couldn't believe it. They're good, they're very, very good!

So, our big plan was to return to the showroom around 2 and casually walk into the showroom. We were all coached. We all knew our role. My Grandpa was to have his listening ears turned on! When sneaking into the showroom and when being in the showroom he wasn't allowed to be hard of hearing or to assume that he knew what my Grandma or I were going to instruct him if we had to talk! We were also coached that we were to walk briskly, but not too briskly, straight past the box office (which you had to do in order to get in the showroom) with out looking in their direction and if they tried to talk to us that we were to ignore them and just keep walking, straight into the showroom.

OK, game on, I thought!

We headed down the corridor towards the showroom.

Something was different, though.

Shoot! There was a beautiful maroon velvet curtain hanging up in front of the showroom door. My Grandma just kept walking. We were nearing the box office window. We walked passed it. No one yelled at us. BIG PHEW! My butterflies slightly subsided. We walked around the curtain, pulled on the showroom door and nothing happened.

My Grandma kept pulling and pulling, then she started pushing the door and pushing! Still nothing happened! I told my Grandma the door was locked. "Let's go," I said. But, then my grandma noticed an open door to the right of us. An open door that led to the inside of the box office where there was another door that presumably led to the showroom. Did I mention that the open door had a sign on it that read, "No Admittance, Employees Only." So, what do you think my Grandma did? Obey the sign? Nope, not a chance! (The butterflies were now back, by the way.) Just as my Grandma was walking towards the door and I'm vehemently whispering at her to stop, the lady who gave us our tickets the day before emerged and asked if she could help us.

My Grandma told her a similar story to what she told Joe just a few hours before. The nice lady who gave us our tickets yesterday wasn't so nice today and she curtly informed us that the showroom door would remain locked until 6:30pm when it would be opened for the show and that the door is always locked. To which my Grandma casually and coolly replied that the door has been unlocked up until now and that we had made several trips in and out of the showroom since arriving at the hotel, with out anyone stopping us. Humph!

A little bit defeated, we walked to the end of the showroom corridor and hung out there for awhile. We noticed a girl trying to get into the showroom and then talking to the rude box office lady. "Watch her, watch her," my Grandma said.

"She's a band member," I said.

"How do you know", my Grandma asked.

"I see the instrument on her back", I replied.

The band member started walking towards us.

"Excuse me, excuse me," my Grandma said.

My Grandma preceded to have a similar conversation with the band member as she did with Joe and with the rude box office employee. The band member was very helpful. She's the reason we ended up in the back parking lot of the hotel trying to get in to the showroom! The back parking lot that had a lot security cameras on top of every lamp post!

She told us that the band members were entering through the back and advised, yes, she ADVISED us, that we try to get in there. She said that it was a public parking lot and that the back entrance that the band members were using was out in the open.

Oh my gosh, I thought.

So, the three of us went traipsing to the back parking lot. We watched a few band members enter the hotel through their special door. My Grandpa walked up to the door and hung out there, taking up conversation with the next set of band members to arrive. (At this point, I'm wandering around the parking lot pretending to admire the pretty fall leaves on the trees so security doesn't think I'm loitering and come out to get us and remove us from the premises!)

No one was letting my Grandpa, or any of us for that matter, into the showroom through the back entrance; so, my Grandma and I decided to camp out in front of the showroom, where Frank Sinatra Jr. would likely make his entrance. We reasoned that since he was staying at the hotel, it was unlikely that he would use the back entrance as opposed to simply taking an elevator and walking through the casino to get to the showroom.

So, there we were. I perched my arms up on a ledge and started texting Dave. My Grandma, on the other hand, was pacing in little circles, moving her head constantly tyring to look in all directions. I focused my attention straight ahead, he'd have to walk through my field of vision to get into that showroom, I thought.

And then, there he was.

There was Mr. Frank Sinatra Jr. himself!

Walking straight for the showroom, carrying a white binder with papers on it and wearing a white with blue pin stripes, long-sleeved shirt.

Folks, I recognized him INSTANTANEOUSLY! It didn't take one second, it didn't even take a split second...the recognition was INSTANTANEOUS! And, I saw him before my Grandma! Oh for shame! Lol

"Grandma that's him, THAT'S HIM!!!!!!!!!!!

Then, he turned and started walking away from the showroom.

And with that, my Grandma took off running, yes RUNNING after Mr. Sinatra Jr. She had a black velour lounge suit on, her arms were raised to her sides, like runners do, and she was running after Mr. Sinatra Jr in the casino yelling, "Mr. Sinatra, Mr. Sinatra."

This made me laugh! Did I run after them, too? NO! I hung back. I was shaking! Shaking with excitement and nervousness because I knew a dream had just come true for me and for my Grandma.

Mr. Sinatra Jr. stopped at an ATM machine and it seemed like he was at the machine for FOREVER! Lol

When he completed his transaction, my Grandma approached him and I joined them. This part is really a blur. But, what is crystal clear was Frank Sinatra Jr's face. We made eye contact. He has crystal blue eyes. In my head, I had the most beautiful, perfectly poised and elegant statement to say to him...but, all I could do was smile! The sentence was running through my head as if I should be saying it aloud, I wanted to say it aloud...but, all I could do was smile. I just kept thinking, when we made eye contact, "Smile, Missy, smile." Thank God my Grandma was there to talk to him. She didn't seem nervous at all, the ol' pro!

Frank Jr. was very gracious. He told us to wait outside the showroom and he would come and get us. (At first, I thought he was blowing us off). By this time, I was shaking bad! I was so excited and so nervous and in such disbelief that I met this untouchable individual whose music has been a humongous part of my life.

A lady came out and got us, walked us into the showroom and seated us. Before the rehearsal began, Frank Jr. looked over at us and asked us if we got in OK and if we were OK. Can you believe that? He checked on us himself! One other time during the rehearsal, he walked over to where we were sitting and asked how we were doing, too.

He is a gracious, polite and kind, kind man.

Seeing the rehearsal was awesome. I don't think there are words to describe it. Seeing the rehearsal, watching the rehearsal, was like getting to know Frank Jr. The man is so passionate about these songs and about music. His knowledge on music, arrangement, notes, tempo, beat, etc is amazing, simply amazing, folks and I'm not exaggerating or telling tales.

After the rehearsal, my Grandma and I went to thank Mr. Sinatra. He asked us a few times what we thought, if we enjoyed it. I was finally able to speak this time! We had a nice, but short conversation with him.

It was a dream come true.

Here are some pictures of the rehearsal: