Wednesday, May 21 - Chapter One:
We left at Noon for our long weekend in Charlotte, North Carolina. Janine decided yesterday to go with us instead of riding up with Ashley and Jason on Thursday. We had a great and a fast trip! We arrived at our hotel in time to get a good night's rest, as Rudy and I had a BIG day ahead of us and I could hardly wait!!
Thursday, May 22 - We were on the road to Hendrick MotorSports for the Jeff Gordon Network Fan Event! I was so excited and so ready and we weren't sure about the traffic delays so we left the hotel in Pineville, NC at 7:15 a.m. The traffic wasn't bad and we arrived at 7:45 a.m. and was the third couple in line to get in the doors where the event was to take place (the event was to start at 9:30). We had a great time chatting and making new JGN friends! Because we arrived so early when we were allowed to enter the building - we got front-row, center-stage table seats! We couldn't have asked for a better place to sit and view all the action and excitement that happened that day! Rudy won a JG wastebasket in a raffle drawing, we had some Bojangle's chicken for brunch (not my favorite), but I was too excited to eat anyway! Then . . . Jeff arrived and he was so relaxed, personable, down-to-earth, patient and just plain friendly as he talked and answered questions. Each one of the 250+ guests were able to get his autograph, chat a minute with him and get their picture taken with him by a professional photographer. Of course I had my camera clicking the whole time, trying to get the perfect picture of my favorite driver.
(Oh yeah, I almost forgot to tell you that I even convinced Rudy to wear a HMS t-shirt to the event). Rudy got one of die-cast cars autographed and I got a picture of me and Jeff autographed that Rudy took in January at Testing in Daytona that I had framed and is hanging in our RV. I was the last Fan to go up on stage and stand next to Jeff, so I decided to ask him if I could KISS him on the cheek and he obliged, he even hugged me and put his arm around me as I did it! Got pictures to prove it too! AAAHHHH - (i was shaking like a leaf when I walked off that stage).
We were there until 1:30 p.m. when the started kicking everyone out of the building. This was the best way to spend a Thursday morning - in the presence of JEFF GORDON, his fans, new friends and old friends, too. We headed back to the hotel to pick up Janine and find some lunch!
Chapter Two - coming soon!
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