Adventures in AI & ATL (Part 3)

Wednesday, June 17^th, 2009

This was our “day off”. With no American Idol adventures to be had on this day, we weren’t about to let our week in the ATL slip away! Of course, we slept in, but then headed into the city for the day. Heather was able to steal away from work thanks to a leak in her bathroom or something like that and join us.

We at lunch at this neat little join called “Eats” before heading to the World of Coke. As a Diet Coke fanatic, I was more than thrilled to be spending the day there! Being surrounded by all the cool Coca-Cola memorabilia is truly an experience! We even sat on the red couch from Season 4 of American Idol (when Carrie Underwood won)!! We hoped a little good luck would rub off on me after spending those few moments there.

And then we entered the tasting station. There were stations set up all around the room from different continents in which you could taste their different versions of Coca-Cola products. All throughout the tour, the “Beverly” drink was mentioned. Having never heard of it, we were anxious to give it a try…only to have never tasted anything so absolutely disgusting in all our lives!! IT WAS HORRIBLE!! It had an aftertaste like nothing else and had a burn that felt like Chloraseptic. And after that, we were ready to try to some more drinks…if for no other reason but to get that nasty taste out of our mouths! YUCK! We had to try all the Africa drinks in honor of our friend, Beth, who is a missionary in South Africa. Every one of them tasted like sugar syrup. By the time we reached the United States versions of Coca-Cola products, we were ready for some familiar tastes, but feeling a little sick from ALL THAT SUGAR! Heather called it the “Junk Funk”. J No Diet Coke with Splenda (Brooke’s and my favorite), but we talked to the funny guy working at one of the sample stations and gave him our input!

We walked up to Centennial Olympic Park and if a nice dinner at the Cheesecake Factory hadn’t been in our near future, we would have totally been right in the middle of the water fountains with all those kids! It was soooo hot!

During our dinner at the Cheesecake Factory, we were seated right next to a couple of girls who had come into town for American Idol as well, but got to the GA Dome too late and were turned away because all of the wrist bands were given out already. I wasn’t a huge fan of getting up early or waiting in line, but if I’d traveled all the way there only to be turned away, I would not have been a happy girl. Just goes to show that some sacrifices associated with this trip were worth it!

After our visit to the Cheesecake Factory, we went back to Heather’s to crash and figure out two very important details: What to sing and what to wear! After a brief fashion show, the girls helped me decide on the perfect outfit for my big audition. Oh, but what to sing?!?! When you’ve only got about 30 seconds to wow your judge, song selection is of utmost importance. I had a few songs in mind and did a little talent show so they could help me decide on the perfect song. We ended up choosing “Summertime” from the musical “Porgy & Bess”. We figured it showed off my range as well as the soulful qualities of my voice while allowing me to show my vocal control.

Before I move on to Day 4, I must recount the adventures with the wrist bands. We were given strict instructions about these prized possessions: Do not cut them. Do not get them wet. If either of those things happen, your wrist bands are no longer valid and you are not be allowed to enter the audition. We weren’t about to let something as dumb as a messed up piece of paper keep us from getting into the auditions!! When it came time to shower, we turned to saran wrap and hair ties to keep it dry! We had quite the system down to make sure we were safe! (Turns out, other contestants went to a water park all day and their wrist bands looked just like ours did. Ha!)