I'm not very good with words but here goes. All I really wanted to win were the tix to Red, White and Boom so I called on Tuesday night and actually got through, woohoo I had tix to Red, White and Boom!!! I knew they were going to put everyone's name in a drawing for airfare, hotel and tix to the AI Finale but I wasn't worried, I don't win the big prizes! Now let me preface this with the fact that I have never been on a plane in my life and have a real fear of ever getting on one so I was really not trying to win the trip, just wanted the opportunity to see David and the guys again.

Skip forward to Friday morning. While getting ready for work it dawned on me that today was the day they picked the winner for the trip. Why do I have this gut feeling that this will be the big prize I finally win because it involves a plane trip? I'm on my way to work listening to the radio station and they say they are going to pick the winner at 7:20, about 7:10 my cellphone rings. I almost didn't answer it as it was a number I didn't recognize and I usually don't answer those calls but something in the back of my mind was saying "What if it is the station and you actually won?" So I answer it, at first I can't hear who is talking to me but when the man says this is Rocket I started shaking. He asks me how I'm doing and we make small talk (it is pouring down rain and I'm shaking so hard I'm surprised I didn't run off the road). Finally I ask "Are you calling me for what I think you are?" He says "What do you think we are calling for?" I say "Did I win the trip to Idol?" Then it was like OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE I WON!!!!! I know I must have sounded like such a dork. I asked them if it meant I was actually going to be at the finale show, duh!!!!

Skip forward to Tuesday. I am actually going to get on a plane and fly to LA! I am scared to death but there is no way I am not going on this trip especially after finding out that David is going to sing Permanent at the Finale, so I get the doctor to give me drugs and off we go. I am surprised at how calm I am and the flight was actually awesome. It helps that it's a nonstop flight and I have a pilot sitting in the seat next to me explaining everything as we go. I have to stop here for a moment and say we flew Southwest Airlines and they were awesome, the crew was funny and they were great with a novice flyer like me

Three and a half hours later we are at LAX waiting for a shuttle to take us to the hotel. At this point while we are waiting The Love Shack comes on the speaker at the airport and I knew I was going to be fine!! Between the ladies of the Shack and my friends at Yes.com I am surrounded by good vibes!! The hotel was absolutely beautiful. It was really old and had a lot of really pretty detail on the ceilings etc. We did find out the first night that walking around in downtown LA was probably not a wise idea so after we found something to eat we took a taxi down to the Nokia Plaza. We got to see Allison being interviewed and she is adorable. I have to say there was an excitement in the air around there both days and I can't believe I was there!!

Wednesday morning we head out to the Nokia Plaza again to get the tix for the show at the will call. We got to watch them setting up the red carpet. I did see Jason Castro and Chikeze that morning. After we picked up the tix we went back to the hotel to clean up and change as the dress code was a little fancier than what we were wearing that morning. We got back around 2 and the doors open to the Nokia at 3:30 so we had hoped to see some celebrities on the Red Carpet however there was very little room to be able to see and unfortunately someone who is vertically challenged like me couldn't see at all. We gave up and went in to the Nokia when it opened. I have to say it was soo exciting to be there despite the fact that if our seats were any further back we'd have been outside!!!! Luckily there a big screens so you can actually see and no one seemed to mind it, the fact that we were there was enough to make us all giddy! I knew some of the people that were supposed to perform that night but luckily there were still some surprises that hadn't leaked out as far as I knew. My husband is not a big AI fan but he was in awe of all the electricity in the air throughout the whole show. Now let me stop and say right now David was absolutely amazing and Permanent is beautiful in person. It's always been one of my favorite songs on the CD but in person it takes it to a whole other level and the amount of love that David got from the audience made my heart melt even more!!!!!!! I have to admit that I didn't watch much of Idol this year (David has set the bar soo high that they just didn't measure up) but if I was going to vote it would have been for Kris. Now before you get all upset with me because you think Adam has all this talent etc... I just have to say, if I close my eyes and listen to the singing without the showmanship Kris actually has the voice and style I would listen to. So needless to say the show was that much sweeter for me that Kris won. After the show we hung out at the Nokia Plaza for a while and saw all the Idols from this year but still too short to actually get any pics

All in all it was an awesome trip even if I didn't get the pictures that I would have hoped for and the fact that David has me doing one more thing I never thought I'd do (flying) I had the TIME OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!