Let me start just by saying it was...FLIPPPIN AMAZINGLY AWESOME, and that doesn't do justice to the time I had. I started this contest not really thinking I would win but wanted to help habitat for humanity out. Well one thing led to another and I ended up actually being the top donater with $735! Well after all the confusion and stress of where I'd actually be going, I ended up making the Indianapolis, IN trip and getting the $1000.00 in advance so I could pay for the trip. Here is a brief summary of the ride there. We ended up $350.00 short in the gift cards because of card 'malfunctions', it was a long 9 hour drive, Chicago was horrible as always, 4 site constructions on the way there, gas fill up lasting 15-20 minutes long cause everyone wants to talk or take pictures of a storm chaser, our tickets weren't at the box office for the concert and we were the blame for crashing Taco Bell's computer system. Ok out with the negative here's what you guys wanna hear.
So we left Thursday morning about 7 am central time and arrived in Indianapolis about 5 pm eastern time. We went on 'gut instance' not really knowing where anything was located in the town as far as the verizon center and our job site, and we just picked the Hampton Inn to stay out which turned out to be smack dab in the middle of the two places! Praise God! Everyone was really nice at helping us feel comfortable and helping us get to the right places. Oh let me throw in here before I forget, when passing through IL I said Hi to Mindy but I don't think she heard me lol. We got to the hotel and crashed for about an hour or so then went to get something to eat. Went back to the hotel and ate then Rose called the hotel to talk to me. Although she told me to go to bed and get some sleep...like YEAH RIGHT DUDE! I did try about 12 am I probably dozed off. We woke up at 5:30 to start getting ready for the day. Took our showers, I seperated skittles for the guys, and we were out of the hotel about 6:45am. We didn't have to be on site till 8 but we we wanted to make sure that we didn't get lost and with the traffic there we didn't want to be late.
We arrive on the site about 7:30 and met with some of the Habitat for Humanity guys, other than them we were the first ones there. We just did small casual talk about 7:45 more Habitat people began to show up and I can't tell you how many people said Congratulations how did you raise THAT much money! Don't worry Gomers or non Gomers you guys got your credit, thank you again for your donations, love and support. So I met Ally who just 2 days before I was practically crying on the phone with when she told me I had to go to TN and well that just wouldn't work for us. Ally found out soon that I had never met Third Day and found out more about how important this was to me. She told EVERYONE my story especially about how big of a third day fan I was lol. Well about 8 am the homeowner gets there Angela and we're ready to get to work.
They start me, mike and angela working on insulation in the house. I got to work with Angela the whole day and that was so flippin awesome God bless her and her home where she will soon become a foster mom! I had a lot of fun with Angela she was a bit shy but you guys know me, soon enough I had her laughing and loosening up in no time. Ally kept coming in to update me on where the guys were and stuff, and get this while we were working our butts off they were cruising the town sipping coffee! Anyway...it took us about 2 hours to get the whole house insulated. About 9:30 Ally comes in the house and says 'Tracey I know you haven't really liked me thus far with all you've been through, but will you like me if I tell you there's a van here filled with a bunch of rockstars?' I just looked up at her and my heart bout fell apart, I was begining to learn my first lesson.
I learned a lot on this trip and it wasn't all about how to be a rockstar or how to build a house. God really showed me some life changing lessons that I was not expecting in this trip. Anyway, let me back up a bit and tell you about the 2nd place winner. To start with I did not like this girl just something about her struck me wrong, maybe it was all in the fact that she took 2nd place from Karen I am not sure. So I am inside the house cutting insulation with Angela and we're laughing and having a great time, I look up and see Jenna (2nd place winner) outside getting her assignments. My attitude changed QUICK. I didn't know she was going to be there and everything I had been through I had a bitter heart. Angela noticed my change in attitude and asked me if I was ok I just tried to pull it off and went back to work. I noticed our laughter and chit chatting had stopped and the mood was just a bummer. Jenna came in the house with her mom, Missy and they were working on their assignment. I felt God tugging at my heart and heard the devil laughing with delight. I had to put aside all that had happened and make this a great time not just for me but Angela and everyone else. So I walk up to Jenna and her mom and introduced myself properly. She knew who I was and acknowledge to quite a few people that I was the top donater (although that wasn't really important). I can't describe the peace that came over me after meeting her. She was a friend of the foot (lol) and was really a cool gal once we started hanging out and stuff.
Ok so back to the guys arriving. While I was standing there frozen thinking what in the heck am I suppose to say or do, Jenna ruins my moment of despair and confusion yells out to me and says come on girl lets go they're finally here! I snapped out of my trance and headed outside and there they were OMG my heart flippin melt. I am sure I had the biggest cheesiest smile on my face ever! Ally just looked at me and said I am so glad we were able to make this work for you, as if everything wasn't enough already your smile just made this trip worth it. I was the happiest girl on the planet! Mac came walking up and just smiled at me real big and waved and did i mention my heart melt!?! So we're all gathering around and the guys are introducing themselves and stuff, and we quickly moved into devotional, I didn't have a chance to really meet Third Day guys yet. After devotional and prayer Ally called me over and said stand right her I'll get the guys over here for you. Tai Anderson was standing right beside me I was like OMG I can smell his cologne this isn't a dream any more! LOL So, the guys come over and I meet them all and they're like yay we got a gomer here. David walks up and I tried so hard to be so sarcastic with these guys but it's hard at times. He looks at me and he says so umm are you a gomer...and I was busting out laughing inside, my shirt says gomers and I am wearing my Third Day hat lol. I just looked at him and said of course what else would I be.
It was hard to get back to work after the guys were there but we made it work. They guys went to put the shingles on the roof and please note...Mark Lee was noted the top lifter of the day by Mac Powell. :p So we go inside and later Mark and Tai follow us inside and we're just talking. Yes, I told mark that there were some broken hearted Gomers because he wasn't following all of us on twitter, he's reply was when you guys get donations coming in to pay for my cell phone bill then I'll follow everyone...Mark Lee doesn't have unlimited texting! Imagine that! Tai just said he learned a long time ago that you can't make all the gomers happy lol. Mark did say that he'd follow me but i've yet to receive that invite yet lol. So mark and Tai wander off again and in comes Mac and we're just standing around doing casual talk with him he asked where I worked and I said I was a sandwich artist at subway thinking woohoo I am so important. And I be dog on if Mac doesn't say really??? We're fans of subway we love those guys and all of a sudden I felt important, lesson number 2 learned. Amazing how certain people's opinions and views of us matter and where we seek approval from.
The guys offered to help but it was pretty much a done deal there were 4 more sections to insert insulation and we were done so we just all hung out and talking small talk and about Revelation and stuff. Yes, Jars of Clay and Switchfoot was there...but what kind of Gomer do you think I am??? I ran to the truck and got the guys their skittles. Tai gets purple and says, awww sweet you even did the color thing that's awesome, Ally was standing close by and said well someone did their homework before coming lol. I give Mark his red and he says something like dude that's so awesome I love red skittles! I give Mac what is suppose to be his green and he says ok I have a confession, I lied in the video I really like orange not green can I trade? LOL I said sure just don't tell David and stay watch out for Tai's purple ones. David was on the roof or somewhere so I just gave his to Mac and he took them to the van. Now on to talk about our truck.
We are really storm chasers, have the truck and all. Everyone LOVED the truck. Switchfoot and Third Day especially they were all asking questions and looking inside our truck which I thought was just flippin awesome us having rockstars in our truck lol. Mark and Mike talked about storm chasing for what seemed like a flippin hour. Then talked about sky diving and we got Scotty in on that talk, Scotty wants to go and Mike was giving him pointers lol. Mark says he'll just stick to being a rockstar that's enough adreliene for him lol. We took group pictures in front of the house and stuff did mini interviews and then I got my camera out to get some pictures of the guys. I also brought out the GOAS! Everyone was like what in the heck is that and the guys and I were trying to explain it and everyone thought it was really cool and creative! Rock on Gomers! I took Karen, Denise and Rose and her family and yes the guys recognized everyone of them. I hope one day I end up a GOAS and they recognize me like that. Anyway, we took a few pictures got a couple autographs and then headed back to the hotel and rest till the show that night. Oh we only worked from 8-11:30 and were outta there by 12 so it wasn't really that bad.
Before leaving the hotel for the concert both Rose and Karen call me to see how things were going. I talked to Rose on and off the whole weekend and she really helped me to calm down and get some sleep surprisingly lol. We get to the Verizon center and all of our tickets aren't there so we have to stand and wait for the guys to come up and give them more tickets and approval. Grant it they got it fixed but it was a heart dropping moment. We get inside and wait around about 30 minutes for the meet and greet and the line was ridiculously long! We had time for one item to be autographed and just pass by pictures of the bands no pose shots. We get there and all the guys are asking if we brought the truck with us and how we rested and said they had a great time hanging out with us today which I thought was so cool. At times I really felt like the Rockstar that day. The concert was flippin amazing, switchfoot is a flippin mad man band lol. The dude was like a monkey climbing on everything and even came out in the crowd standing in the chairs and stuff! It was totally amazing!
Ok, some of you know my Third Day story, briefly here it is. I saw them about 1999-2000 at an Aquire the Fire retreat, I had very sheltering parents and the only way I could go to the show was if my pastor agreed to leave immediately which means we couldn't meet Third Day. We were standing on the balcony and Mac looks up, smiles and winks at me. On that day I felt like I was worth something and worth living for and made a commitment to myself I would meet them if it was the last thing I did. I went through suicide in my younger years and everytime I wanted to do it that night with Mac popped in my head and I couldn't do it. I wrote a note Friday night before the concert and told mac that story although I am sure he didn't remember. When Third Day came on stage, Mac starts singing the first song and gazes the audience and makes eye contact with me. Are you ready for this? He smiles at me waves and yes even the wink and I just started crying. I was the happiest person in the entire world and universe! Mark looked at me with this funny look and just points at me and smiles real big and I got back into the 'rocking mood' lol. The concert was flippin amazing all the bands did a SPECTACULAR job and I can't wait to see them again.
That's my story guys it's really long I know but it was such an amazing trip and I wanted to try and let you guys know everything. Me and Mike and the time of our life this weekend and I feel it sort of brought us closer in a way too. Mike got his picture with Mac and he's so happy about that lol. Oh one last thing, I have a Gomer name finally! Insulated Gomer! To always remind me of this day the insulation we did with Habitat for Humanity and I am insulated with the love and fire of God that will never fade away. Thanks to Habitat for Humanity, all the bands, my husband Mike and all my friends that made this trip possible. Thank you God for making this all possible, this was truly a God trip and if anyone denies it...oh well that's your problem not mine, No Worries. :)
~Insulated Gomer~
