One of my most memorable days of tour...only I did not realize how special it would be until September 11, 2002. After spending the morning getting ready at Erin's apartment (waiting for Shirls to get out of the shower!), Erin took Melinda, Shirley, Rachele, and me for a little tour. We had planned to go to Little Italy, but by some confusion and craziness, Mel and Shirls rushed onto a subway train to the World Trade Center. Erin, Rachele and I had no choice but to follow them and spend a good half hour looking for them, which was hilarious at the time! I remember Mel looking so forlorn at Erin, Rachele, and me through the window of the train door, Erin being all worried that we would lose them, Rachele trying constantly to get a cell phone signal, and me talking to Shirls on the phone while staring straight up up up, looking at...whoa, this building is tall! If it hadn't been for this mishap in plans, I never would have seen the World Trade Center that day. Given that it was the only time I can actually remember the WTC, I never would have seen it at all! Just another example of how the little crazy turns in life can mean so much.
Mr. and Mrs. Cooper (Rachele's parents), along with Rachele's little sisters Chelsea and Ashley, were nice enough to host us in their home during Spring Break Tour 2001. This part of tour was especially fun; memories include singing for Ashley's show choir, Andy modeling a particularly tight hoochy top with gold trimmings, saving Christy from big scary guy at a club in D.C. with a special "kiss," and being saved in turn by Rachele from the evil Navy guy and his "water."
