My name is Nicole & I cry too much.

Oh how I started today in such a fabulous mood---- and Adobe ruined all that in a quick 10 minutes. No, seriously, am I the only one having this total BS error in Photoshop all the damn time of "Sorry, we can't load your actions due to an unknown error"?  Seriously, someone tell me how they've fixed this error. How hard is it for shit to just....WORK?! Can I throw my computer out the window now?

Maybe I should have titled this "I cry too much AND have no patience". (And speaking of crying too much....I seriously cried in the FIRST TEN MINUTES of Monsters University. Yes, I'm serious. I mean, none of the little monsters wanted to play with Mikey when he was little, and I felt so bad for him! Kadin looked at me and started the "Aunt Nicole, are you crying already?!..." before I gave him the "Dude...just watch the movie!")

So I'm attempting to re-cap P's Saturday night Opry, which is almost difficult to do.  It was so overwhelming...

Let me start by saying there isn't much I have missed in this girls career.  I've been there through it all -- the good, the bad, and the "nothing going on" phase, even though some moments I was too young to fully appreciate or understand. Patty was there for me as a kid than she could have ever realized. As a result of having been there for everything for so long, I've got such pride for all her incredible accomplishments, because I remember the days before all that. June 11th marked Patty's Opry Anniversary, so they made the 15th a special evening to celebrate it. You know the mom at school whose kid lands the lead role in the school play and she's got the camera in the front for the whole ceremony? THAT was totally me Saturday night.  Oh, and I cried. Because you know, I cry at freaking everything. (And so everyone knows, the bestie cried when she saw Loretta, so I was not the only blubbering mess this night. It was a straight out of Steel Magnolias... "I have a strict policy that no one cries alone in my presence" moment.)

Oh I guess I forget to mention:  Loretta Lynn was on the schedule for Saturday night as well. And well, most of you know our ridiculous love for Loretta, so..this was basically going to be one of the best nights ever.

With the bestie, Opry bound! (okay, technically at the Opry already!)

So first of all, let me tell you how the Opry has these killer Hatch Prints made for like every occasion you can ever imagine. And in most cases, they sell them in the gift shop and online - you know, when members are inducted, there's an induction poster made. When big anniversaries happen, they make a poster. And since most of you know my obsession with my vintage Country Music Hatch Prints, you can imagine the hopes I had for a PL Hatch. They even teased us with it on Friday night showing it on the backdrop.

See how fabulous it is? You know who got one? Patty. You know who didn't get one? This girl. That's because they decided not to sell any in the shop. What the !($&*!( We went in and they sold 5 year prints for Carrie Underwood, but no 25 year for Patty. Sigh. (This meant naturally the first thing I did Sunday morning was email Hatch Show Prints to see what magic I have to work to get my hands on one!)

Anyway. the show was amazing, as usual --- P got tons of stage time.

easily one of my top fave pics I've ever taken of P! Love love love this one.

And then after, they brought her back out to present her poster to her. And this is when the ridiculous sap in me started to cry. (This probably should not surprise me right? I mean, who remembers my cousin & I SOBBING during the Muppets Movie when they all sang Rainbow Connection??....) The very mention of all her accomplishments teared me up, and then she started talking about induction night..And THEN they bring out Emory so she can introduce him and tell everyone what a badass he is.  (Okay, so maybe that's not exactly how she worded it, but it's how I would have... like "My husband is a badass and better than the rest of you, that's all!") 

Somehow in the midst of all this, she's all humble & stuff, and doesn't believe she's a freaking awesome as she really is. 

Totally dig this. 

P & Vince came back out to sing after the presentation, annnnd in the background, they decided to show all these photos of P in the back throughout her career. Like I wasn't ALREADY a blubbering mess.....good lord. I should have stock in Kleenex. I wish I could adequately express what P has done for me & helped me through, but I really have no words that would do it justice.

Her music saved me more times than I could probably count. I probably should have paid her in my teenage years for being my therapist. As a child, she was my ultimate hero, I had it set in my head at a young age that I was going to be "just like" Patty when I grew up. (Okay, so that wasn't all that realistic nor did  that ever happen, but I do like to think that her influence helped mold me in to the person I am today.) And let's not lie, if it weren't for her, I wouldn't haven't met the amazing people in my life now, and I sure wouldn't have found my independence at an early age -- I probably would have hesitated jumping in the car and driving hundreds of miles by myself as a teen if it weren't for a show at the end of the line!

My childhood memories are peppered with PL memories. I recently discovered the diary I kept when I was 11-12, and I'm pretty sure my entry the morning "The Trouble with the Truth" was released is the greatest thing in the world. Apparently, I did not clean my room & my mother refused to take me to get it. It said - and I quote - this is the worst thing that could ever happen to ANYONE! (Maybe acting was my calling, I totally had the Drama Queen act down!)  2 hours later I had it in hand, horrible crisis averted & updated that everything was great, and duh, this was the greatest CD ever! (And you better believe that bedroom was clean every CD release day after that!)

27 years & 200+ shows later - I have so so many wonderful memories of her - Opry Induction included (so I suppose this night was already off to a sappy night of memories for me!). I had to be one of the most annoying kids ever at gig after gig, and NEVER once did she ever make me feel like I was. I was a truly fortunate kid, who had a hero that made a serious difference in my life -- and one that I had the opportunity to grow up in front of, and not a lot of kids had that. A few years ago, my sweet Paige had her chance to meet HER favorite (well, WAS her favorite anyway!), and taking her home in tears because she was so incredibly disappointed at what a nasty person this artist was heartbreaking. I'm so thankful I never had that experience with P.

What sappy blog entry about P would be complete without an embarrassing photo of us when I was a kid? PS, the glasses were totally my mom's fault! Kids, this is what happens when your mother won't let you pick out the glasses you want!