Midnights Mayhem

Back at the end of August, I had just come home from visiting Erin in Texas and wasn't feeling great. It was Sunday and I figured I'd turn on the MTV Music Video awards show since Taylor was there. I saw her win and went to bed. I woke up the following morning feeling like shit. As I waited for my COVID test results I checked my Instagram to find several messages from my fellow Swifties letting me know Taylor had indeed announced a new album. She hinted at it after winning another award, long after I had gone to bed. So the bad news is I was positive with COVID but the good news is we were getting new Taylor in less than 2 months. 

The lead up to the album drop was chaotic and all over the place. She announced the name of song titles via TikTok. There was a bunch of rumors about who the hell NiceBoyEd was and I'm still confused by this weird piece of the puzzle. She never dropped A SINGLE SINGLE in all of the promotion. At least when she surprised us with Folklore and Evermore the albums were released at midnight so we waited less than 24 hours to hear what they sounded like. We didn't even get so much of a clip of what Midnights would sound like. Based on the promo photos I was almost certain it was *finally* a rock album. Have you heard Better Than Revenge? Or that bad ass live version of We Are Never Getting Back Together? Girl NEEDS an entire rock album.

I knew my elder millennial ass would not be able to stay up until midnight, especially when I had to get up and work the following day, so I went to bed at my regular ol' grandma time. This was my Christmas Eve so I already knew I'd sleep like shit and end up waking up earlier than my alarm clock. And I did. Do I know myself or what? So I took a shower a good hour before I normally get up and snuggled in on the couch to listen to Midnights for the first time. But before I listened to a single track I had to look up what her "chaotic 3am surprise" was. MORE SONGS. Of course. Some Swifties guessed it would be a double album and I guess, in a way, it kind of is. I listened to the first original 13 tracks. It was not rock at all. It was rep!! And ya girl has always been a rep stan (it's a no skip album - fight me). So although I was slightly bummed it wasn't rock I was super pumped that our rep baddie was back! I was immediately obsessed with the first 3 tracks. LOVED THEM. I didn't even want to move on to the others but I had to. That track trio was so damn solid. But then I loved the rest of the album too. Was I confused by the opening of Midnight Rain? Yes. Did I freak out at Karma especially the "Karma is a cat..."? Yes. There wasn't a single song I didn't like upon first listen. Of course some ranked much higher than others but overall I was like OK TAY. I listened to the original 13 as I got ready for work. 

I left the house much earlier than usual so I could go to Target at 7 AM (5 miles in the opposite direction of my job) just so I could make sure Maggie and I had a copy with the bonus track "Hits Different" which is only available at Target. Not on streaming or anything. Muahaha. 

I was a giddy mess driving to work. I was high on life. I was the best version of myself. I was HAPPY. This was the moment I was hoping for when I decided to stick around. This was the moment I was hoping for after the years of work I put in. 

I tried to hold it together while at work but I was bouncing in my chair and I'm sure people could tell I was "off", but in a good way. A co-worker casually mentioned listening to Midnights and I squealed. ANOTHER SWIFTIE! I immediately showed her my Taylor earrings and we discussed our new favorites. 

It was a beautiful, cool day so I ate lunch outside. I also decided this is when I would listen the the 3 AM tracks. What a lunch! If I was the main character of a movie this is when Hoku's "Perfect Day" would've started playing as the camera pans out for a wide view of Downtown Orlando and you just see me bopping my head. 

 

Below is my song sorter results. GET YOURS. I took this a few days after the album was released but I still feel like this is pretty accurate. 

Some explanation of my bottom three:

Would've, Could've Should've - An incredibly powerful song but also a really heavy one. Love the beat, love the anger, love the truth of it but not one I'm seeking out to listen to on repeat. 

Sweet Nothing - This is my non-Swiftie Erin's fave song which is saying a lot because she's usually not into anything Taylor puts out (I know, we're sending her to the best doctors because clearly something isn't clicking HA!). It's so cute that she co-wrote it with Joe. It's a beautiful song but compared to the rest of the album its a little boring (for lack of a better word). 

Bigger Than The Whole Sky - This is clearly about some kind of huge loss. Since she mentions "would've, could've, should've" in the lyrics I feel like it could be related to that song and the John Mayer of it all. Again, a beautiful song that I listen and sing along to but not one I'm ever going to seek out. It's how a lot of people feel about 'Soon You'll Get Better' or 'Epiphany'. It's cool to see so many relating to it but I wish they wouldn't put their own experiences onto Taylor. IYKYK.

It's a bop of an album. Truly! While the main Midnight tracks gave rep vibes the 3 AM tracks give 1989 vibes - all of which I like BUT my main criticism is the album artwork/aesthetic didn't mesh with the sound of this album for me, whereas all of her others have. The artwork screams 70s rock while the actual music is 80s synth city, which is still taking my brain some getting used to.

The album is far too new for me to know exactly where it ranks. Taylor can't make a bad album so it really just depends on my mood or my current life experiences. 

 

Favorite lyrics:

The 1950s shit they want from me

Lavender Haze

I have this thing where I get older, but just never wiser

Midnights become my afternoon

When my depression works the graveyard shift

All of the people I've ghosted stand there in the room

Anti-Hero

Draw the cat eye sharp enough to kill a man

You did some bad things, but I'm the worst of them

Vigilante Shit

Break up, break free, break through, break down

You would break your back to make me break a smile

Labyrinth

Karma is a cat

Purring in my lap 'cause it loves me

Flexing like a goddamn acrobat

Me and karma vibe like that

Karma

You know there are many different ways that you can kill the one you love

The slowest way is never loving them enough

High Infidelity

Burn all the files, desert all your past lives

And if you don't recognize yourself

That means you did it right

Dear Reader

I got Covid but WE all got Midnights

I got home from Texas around early afternoon Sunday, 8/28/22. I was tired and you guessed it, needed a nap. I took an extra long one and woke up not feeling great. I had a very minor sore throat that morning but I just thought it was from all the scream singing I did at the AM | DC concert. I honestly didn't think much of it until I woke up from that nap and my throat was on fire. I took a Covid test and it was negative so I just stayed in bed for the evening and watched Taylor kill it at the MTV Video awards. 

When I woke up Monday morning I was feeling worse but I started the day like I normally do. I took a shower and then hopped on Instagram where I found out courtesy of Maggie that Taylor had announced a new album at the VMAs (clearly I didn't watch until the end because I didn't think she would be back on the stage!) Then I saw a message from Kaycee about it too. I thought to myself - am I dreaming? am I hallucinating? is it the sickness? NOPE. Midnights is coming October 21! I went from pure elation to pure devastation real quick though. 

 

 I thought it would be best to take another Covid test before leaving the house. 

And for the first time in 2.5 years it was positive. 
Womp womp. 

   

 

I called Dustin and texted my boss and then went back to bed for many many hours.  I was out of work all week, obviously, and since the following Monday was Labor Day I got one extra day to rest. Each day I was up for a few hours watching TV and then I'd sleep for 3 hours. Repeat. I slept so much and still didn't feel rested. Olive rolled up into a little ball next to me a lot of the time instead of her poof (which is her preferred daytime napping location). 

I didn't leave the house for 6 or 7 days before I was finally able to drive to Starbucks for breakfast. I was so happy I tested negative and was starting to feel a bit like a human for the first time in awhile. It felt like those early pandemic days of never leaving the house and getting excited to be in my car for 15 minutes. 

DAY ONE            Sore throat, exhaustion, ears hurt, low grade fever

DAY TWO           Sore throat, exhaustion, ears hurt, congestion

DAY THREE       Sore throat, exhaustion, ears, hurt, congestion, low grade fever, lost taste

DAY FOUR         Exhaustion, congestion, no taste

DAY FIVE           Exhaustion, congestion, no taste

WEEK ONE         More energy, mucus and snot, coughing

WEEK TWO        So much coughing

WEEK THREE    Occasional cough, lots of clearing my throat due to mucus

I'm so thankful for all of my vaccinations because that shit was no fun. I couldn't even imagine what it would have been like without modern medicine. And I'm extremely grateful I didn't have trouble breathing. I certainly got winded easier but that was the extent. The BEST part was that Dustin somehow never got it (that we know of anyway - because he never had symptoms). We can't quarantine in our 1,000 SF place so he and I were still sleeping in the same bed each night. Although maybe it was his Darth Vader mask aka CPAP machine that protected him during the evenings. He would drop off food and medicine but we didn't have any physical contact and I missed hugging, kissing, and just hanging out with him. Erin also dodged it this time around but Meagan (another first timer!) was positive the same time as me. 

Dustin just got his 3rd booster (the new and improved one) Thursday and has felt kind of crummy from it this weekend. I can't get it for a few months since I just had Covid. But when I can, you betcha I will. 

Dally Day Two: Farmers Market Food & Fun

Erin ever so lovingly kicked Jon out of the house during my stay (I did not in any way request this! LOL) so I got to sleep in their bed like a true slumber party for two nights in a row! I was hoping one of the keeties would have snuggled up with me but all I got was Leia walking on my back in the middle of the night. Before we got ready and started our day I helped Erin give Peach her meds. We used the burrito method as seen below in which I held her wrapped in a blanket while Erin shoved some pills in her mouth. She had been sick right before I arrived and the vet had recommended this course of treatment for a month. I was so impressed with how good she did in her little burrito. My cats would have flailed about so much I would've ended up looking like Tyrion Lannister. 

Erin took me out for breakfast at Cracked and Crepe. It was a cute little place and our server was phenomenal. She was so lovely and also went the extra mile to really jazz up the crepe we ordered to share. Look at the difference below! You can just tell which one she put her heart into and which one the kitchen just through out to be served. 

Erin suggested we go to the Dallas Farmer's Market. I was game even if it was hotter then hell out. As luck would have it we passed by the Taylor mural again! We had driven ny it the night before but didn't have time to stop. But I gave her the cutest little puppy dog stare and she pulled into the empty parking lot and took my photo with my girl. This simple little thing gave me so much joy and honestly would've been happy if that's all we did the whole day. 

The Dallas Farmer's Market was just around the corner. It is outside but thankfully covered by a huge Pavilion so at least the sun wasn't beating us up. But don't you worry, I had my sunscreen on regardless. We found so many cute things from jewelry to shirts to slushies. We also went into some shops across the street for mostly air conditioning purposes but they, too, had a lot of cute things especially the home store. 

We came back to Erin's and took a nap. I LOVE that she and I are always on the same page with resting. I don't know how to tell you this but some people never nap. THE HORROR. But not my boo and I. We are always napping and it was so cute we got to take a nap together while I was in town. It's the little things! 

Once we were refreshed we went out to dinner. Originally we had planned to meet up with Jon, Meagan, and Megan's friend but the only reservation available was for like 7:30 or 8 pm and I'm sorry but that's just too late for us grannies. Ha! So instead she took me to Gloria's Latin Cuisine which was AH-MAZING. The food was incredible and once again so was our server! He was next level sweet and totally on the ball.

We then went to Target because what is a boo-reunion without a trip to the old Tarjay. Erin's sandal was squeaking the entire time we walked around and I couldn't stop laughing at her. Sorry boo! We got home and watched a home-reno show on Netflix while eating brownies before calling it a night. 

My flight was pretty early which meant we had to wake up VERY early. That's outskirt living! So early that this was the beautiful shot I got before the sun came up. I got to the airport and all was again went smoothly. We were told they were adding more fuel because of possible bad weather around Orlando but thankfully never saw nor felt any such weather.  I flew home with a big chunk of the Bethune Cookman band. I had picked my seat (aisle) and the two next to me were empty so I told all of the people walking by both were available. One of the band members took my offer and sat next to the window. I looked up what they were doing in Texas and found this video!

I hinted at Erin's tattoo bruise in my Day One post and I just wanted to point out how insane it ended up getting before it finally disappeared. I asked her to send me a new picture every day because I was intrigued by it. I have never EVER seen a tattoo bruise so this was just fascinating to me to witness. 

Dally Day One: Bruuuuuised!

Everything about traveling to Dallas went off without a hitch. I kept waiting for some disaster to strike because...anxiety, and of course everyones recent horror travel stories. It may have been the one time I got right through security without a wait at all. The flight was on time. The flight had absolutely no turbulence. It was a nervous-flyers dream. 

I got to Dallas at 11 and ran out of LOVE to find my love. After a bit of confusion on where to find Erin and Meagan, I finally saw my boo honking the horn! 

First stop was to get some food at this cute little vibe of a restaurant Paradiso. The hummus! The cauliflower! The artichoke! The best damn truffle fries (Yes, Gaya, possibly better than Lonnie's!).

Earlier in the week, Erin, texted me asking if I wanted to get a matching tattoo with her. This was very out of character for her. I was not only shocked because 1. my boo isn't a "tattoo person" even though she has a couple small ones and 2. we literally were going to do this when she moved to Texas 8ish years ago and I wound up with a "follow your arrow" tattoo and she did not. LOL But I'm game because tattoos are a roadmap of your life and to get something that represents my boo is something I've thought about for awhile. She wanted a simple cat face which I did not since I already have my cats tattooed on me. I threw out the ghost idea because we have called each other "Boo" since the beginning of our friendship (18 years ago) when we watched How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days. If you don't know the reference then please find that lovely romcom on a streaming service of your choosing. I've been thinking about a ghost for her for a little bit so I thought this would be perf. She was on board! Until she was not...LOL The minute I got into the car she's like "Ok, don't hate me but I don't want the ghost." I honestly wasn't even mad because this is just classic indecisive boo. She had decided she wanted a simple bouquet. Get it girl. Do you. I came up with the idea of a Bluebonnet to represent Texas, Meagan came up with the carnation to represent her birth month, and of course the orange blossom to represent her Florida roots. 

After lunch, we drove not even a mile to Erin's friend's tattoo shop where she had so kindly already booked an appt. for all of us. Her friends were all so nice and even had a cute dog and cute baby in the shop. Meagan and I made Erin go first since she was FREAKING OUT. Mind you this entire thing was her idea. We talked her through both of her tattoos and she was a champ. I ended up still getting my cute lil ghost for my boo on the back of my ankle. I love it! It's my first out-of-Florida tattoo! Meagan went last with a design on the back of her arm. 

We were tatted and ready to party! Meagan offered to use her points to get a hotel room nearby to rest/get ready before the show instead of driving an hour back to Erin's house ON THE OUTSKIRTS. Erin was appalled we called her area "the outskirts" but it is. It is literally a fact. I see Frisco (where she used to live) as the burbs and now she is even further from that which, my dear friend, is known as the outskirts. Honestly, the hotel was perfect even though we took the long way walking around the entire floor because none of us could read a very visible sign. Shrug. I took the task of saniderming up everyone's tattoos so they were nice and protected. While looking at Erin's bouquet, I noticed bruising. Meagan confirmed my suspicion while she sang in the tune of Jack's Mannequin "Bruised...." and we all just cracked up because A+ comedy right there. I have a lot of tattoos and so does Meagan and neither of us had ever seen a tattoo bruise like this.  Apparently it can happen (obviously!) according to the internet. We had no idea how insane this bruise was about to get...

After we all had a couple outfit changes and makeup touch-ups we headed back out to go get some food before the show. We paid $20 to park in a garage when Erin mentioned the name of the venue and I was almost certain that was incorrect. I checked, and yep we were at the wrong venue. She thought it was The Bomb Factory when it was in fact at the South Side Ballroom (thankfully only a couple miles out of the way). We ditched the whole dinner idea because time didn't seem to allow for it if we wanted a good spot and WE WANTED A GOOD SPOT. The venue did offer nachos and bags of potato chips so that had to suffice. We got some merch and were about to check it at the "Merch Check-In" but we refused to pay $10 just for them to hold our bag for the night. We got a plastic grocery bag and shoved all our shit inside it and I slipped it on the belt of my fanny pack. I was swinging that bag all over the place the entire night. Sorry to anyone I hit by accident (which is probably everyone). Before the show started we got all center of center on the floor and started talking to Pittsburgh Lindsey. She was super nice and friendly and showed me all the cool photos of Andrew and Chris playing a week prior, right outside Heinz Field, at the AE stage. One of these days Dustin and I will go to a show there. 

I've seen Andrew perform in his varying bands the most I've seen anyone (maybe 15 times?) and I'm sure half of them were with Erin. She and I hadn't been to a show together since she moved to Texas so it has been a minute. 

Or 8 years.

So when I saw the tour come out and there was no Orlando date but the Dallas date was on a Friday, it was a no brainer. Then Jon and Meagan jumped on board and all we had to do was wait like 4ish months. It was just like old times singing to one another in a crowd of fellow forever emos all losing their minds like we were 17 again. I mean, his setlist included Hurricane, I Woke Up In A Car, and Punk Rock Princess. How could we not? He floated over our heads one minute and another he was walking in the crowd RIGHT NEXT TO US. See the video for receipts.

After his set, Erin and I went to pee. Well, we tried but the line was SO long. We went to the other side and the line was also SO long but also didn't even make sense so we decided to sit down against a brick wall and rest our old ass millennial bones until the line got shorter. We finally saw our opportunity and got back in line. A girl came out of the "mens" side and was like "There are two stalls in there!!". Erin and I  looked at one another and ran in there so fast. Sorry to the guys at the urinal we might have startled but we had to go. 

Erin and Jon hung back on the outskirts during Dashboard's set. I didn't want to dive back into the depths of the crowd again but I had never seen Dashboard (weird, I know!), so I wanted a better sightline.  I moved to the side of the stage with a great view and enough room and sang along. Of course they played all the oldies but I was actually bummed he didn't play more newer music. His latest album is really good and I wanted to hear more songs from it. But I get it, this night/tour was to honor all of our former teenage selves. And we did. 

We met back up with Meagan. Said goodbye to Lindsey. And drove the hour back to Erin's because hashtag outskirt life. But first we stopped at Whataburger because we were all starving. This was my first time and it hit way harder than In-N-Out ever could. Yes, I said what I said. They both warned me to go with onion rings instead of fries which I did. We didn't go to bed until like 2 am. Who even are we?