Sacramento...Until We Meet Again!

We just returned from a FANTASTIC weekend in Sacramento at Time Out for Women. This was the first TOFW of the fall season, so we had those all too familiar butterflies as Saturday got close. But the women of Sacramento put us right at ease. I couldn't beleive how responsive they were from the minute TOFW began. It was like we were old friends.

I have to admit that there were MANY interesting things that happened to me in Sac. Starting with the first number of our morning set. There was a little confusion with the sound cue...and Hello Sunshine started playing before we were on stage!!!!! Not only were we yards away, but Brooke had NO shoes on. I sprinted to the microphones and dashed on stage, as I am the first to start singing. I missed the first 5 words or so...Brooke and Soni were hot on my heels...I was frazzled, out of breath, panicked....wow. I can say we've never quite had an entrance like that!! I was worried that this would throw me off the rest of the day but the energy and generosity of the 2500 women literally sustained us.

I adored  meeting the women of California. I am always amazed at the stories the TOFW women share with us. And this was kind of fun...one woman came up to me and introduced herself as my mother's first cousin! We had never met and she hasn't seen my mom in over 35 years. Very cool. I also met a homeless woman after TOFW who was searching for any extra Hope Kits. They had already been taken away, but Soni and I talked to her for a few minutes and were able to find her some lunch. That's one of the things that surprised me about Sacramento--the number of homeless people on the street. It is sobering to be reminded how people suffer right under our noses in our own country. And what a blessing these TOFW Hope Kits will be to so many of those struggling women.

And now this--Sacramento, do you always have 50,000 police cars patrolling the midnight streets with their sirens on full blast? It took me a while, floating in that place between awake and asleep, to realize that surely that wasn't normal. Then when the helicopters started circling I had no choice but to peek out the window. Here was this helicopter, circling this bank right across the street from us with its light fixed on one of the floors. And poilice car after police car--surely every police car in Sacramento--came to join in on the fun. It was quite a loud affair. And what makes me mad is that I can't find anything about this excitment on the news. If I had to be awake half the night, I wanted 1) an explanation, and 2) bragging rights that I was there at whatever IT was. And an interview on CNN (I WAS an eye witness afterall ) would have helped to make up for the lack of sleep.

I will end with 5 happy words: Carmeled Apples In Old Sac. (I will be craving more oreo and chocolate chip covered apples until I return to you, Old Sac.)

We love you, Sacramento!!!

--Whitney