Friends in Not-So-Low Places

Here's a major life revelation: friends are worth it! I've been swapping babysitting with my neighbor for a few months now. She takes my two kids one day a week, I take her two another with random, "could ya help for a few minutes" scattered in between. I have to admit, changing other kids' poopy diapers isn't really my thing, but as I discovered today, there are fringe benefits.

I was laying on the couch tonight eating cookie dough and watching some Mario Lopez movie on the Oxygen channel. Phone rings. I tried to ignore it, Mario was breakdancing on the lawn of a country club and I didn't want to miss any of the "plot." But I couldn't hear the show over the ringer so I finally caught it on the last ring. "Hello?"
"Hi Hollywood. Do you like Garth Brooks?"
"Uh, yeah. Why?"
"I have tickets."
"Tickets?" I was confused. The guy retired in 2001, much to the horror of us Texans. I was 20 but my life may as well have ended that day.
"For tomorrow night at Staples Center. Box seats. Do you want to come?"
"But how? He's - YES! But I thought - what time? I love you - BOX SEATS?"

I spent all day today chasing her crying kids around my apartment and suddenly the laws of karma are very clear. Her husband had gotten three tickets for free at work but he isn't a fan so he passed on his ticket. Instead, my friend invited her mother and 13 year old sister. "Great," said her little sister. "Now who's Garth Brooks?" She was instantly uninvited and I got the call.

I moved to Texas when I was 12 from Connecticut. It was a strange, terrible place. People were friendly, teenagers wore makeup, and everybody went to church on Sunday. To a pureblood Yankee, it was worse than hell. But Garth held out his chubby hand and helped me find my way. In less than a month I had bought my first pair of cowboy boots and had made a karaoke tape of myself singing, "Friends in Low Places" at Six Flags. I cried as if I knew what love was whenever I heard his song, "The Dance" Though I didn't start shaving my legs or calling people "honey," Garth made me want to be a Texan.

In 2001 Garth paused his music career to enjoy his kids' childhood. He promised he'd return to music when his daughter turned 18 (that's 10 years from now, people). But after the California fires this summer, Garth felt a call to duty and put together 5 charity concerts at the Los Angeles Staples Center this weekend to benefit the Southern California 2008 Fire Intervention Relief Effort.* All the tickets were sold out in under an hour.

So yes. Although changing another baby's dirty diaper and handling two overtired three year olds may not sound like fun, trust me, it's worth it. More poopy diapers, please. Mmm mmm good! I LOVE YOU GARTH!


*The money will go to agencies helping victims and first responders and provide financial assistance to state firefighting departments.