Last week, Doc. B and I enjoyed a Tori Amos concert at the Fox Theatre with two of our best buds. I’ll call them "metal-artist girl" and "sweet-shot #2", but they can e-mail me and select alternate aliases if they so choose. Actually, for any of you out there to whom I've given unapproved and/or unacceptable nicknames, just let me know if you need a revision. It’s an easy addendum. And if any of you have web pages that you would like me to share with my readers, let me know that too (hint, hint metal-artist girl…). But…back to the topic at hand.
The concert was exceptional. I had never heard Tori in person but her music is very unique and I've always wanted to go to a show. We probably have all of her CD’s or at least it seems that way. If you rifled through our CD collection, the most represented artist would have to be Tori. She’s just too weird and her voice is just too unique to not love her. Okay, wait, that description inherently means you either love her or hate her. We love her. What’s not to love about songs entitled "Cornflake Girl" and "The Power of Orange Knickers?" I was thrilled that I got to hear both of those tunes. Oh, and "Precious Things." I had to hear that song since it ALWAYS pops up on my iPod when I “mash” the shuffle button – that’s southern for "press" (FYI, Doc B. does NOT use the term "mash").
Tori changed costumes twice (including wigs) and one outfit was an American Flag jumpsuit. I practically thought I was back at my second ever concert – Diana Ross at Cobo Hall in Detroit. I lost track of how many times she left the stage to put on drag queen dream outfit after drag queen dream outfit. Oh, and if you insist on knowing, While Diana was my second, REO Speedwagon was my first ever concert.
So now you’re probably wondering what Tori Amos has to do with Taco Bell, right? Well it’s not so much about Tori as it is about staying up late. We're usually in bed and asleep by 10:00 pm. So when we attend an evening event, walk to our car, begin our drive home and then realize it’s almost midnight, we eventually also realize that we’re hungry. And nothing hits the spot at midnight better than fast food from Taco Bell. I’ve known this since I was in High School when the only late night restaurant in town was a McDonald’s (where I and two of my three siblings made our first payments into Social Security). Well, I guess you could also count the Elias Brother’s Big Boy as a late-night spot - but that's not really fast food. Back in the 80’s, we had to drive to the neighboring Mecca of Battle Creek to get our Taco Bell fix. And back at that stage of my life, I had no knowledge of Waffle House; besides, there wasn’t one located that far north of the Mason Dixon Line I’m certain. Is there yet?
So, as you might have guessed by now, Doc B. and I pulled into the only Taco Bell between us and the Fox. It happens to be one of the grimiest Taco Bells in Metro Atlanta (wait, I think that’s redundant – aren’t they all grimy?). At the corner of Ponce and Monroe we ordered what was supposed to be a vegetarian chalupa on a crispy flat shell for Doc B. and a couple of soft tacos for me. What Doc B. got was more like a burrito with beans, cheese and some kind of meat in it. When it’s midnight at Taco Bell on Ponce, you don’t go back to the drive through window and tell them there was an error in your order, you just scrape off the meat and eat it anyway – so that’s what Doc B. did. Mine wasn’t the correct order either. I can’t remember the last time I ate sour cream, but I ate it that night. The bottom line: who cares if your order is right or not - your order is simply a starting point so long as Taco Bell food products, and at least a couple of "fire" sauce packs, are literally thrown into your to-go bag. Shoot, they can even forget the napkins and I don't even get upset.
We were done with the food by the time we pulled into our driveway. Our full and happy yoga bellies fell right to sleep on a Taco Bell High. Well, Doc B’s is a yoga belly - mine's more of a Yoda belly - or at least what I would imagine Yoda's belly would look like if we were forced to see it.
