Oh, Say Can You See...

Every couple of years, our friend Donna from Australia comes through the States and stops by with us for a visit. We usually take this opportunity to trot out the more authentic (ie, embarrassing) elements of Southern American culture so that she leaves really feeling like she "did" Georgia.

The last time she came, we went to Alabama to eat at Fibber's, an amazing mom-and-pop's country buffet with EVERY type of Southern food you can imagine. We made Donna eat chicken livers, for crying out loud.

This time, I was racking my brains to come up with something new and it hit me:
Laser Show at Stone Mountain! Elvis, Lee Greenwood, The Devil Went Down to Georgia, lasers, and rednecks in lawn chairs... perfect.

So we packed up the car and headed to Stone Mountain Thursday night. We settled into our own lawn chairs and waited for the sun to set and the fun to begin. Chris kept Rory entertained way past her bedtime with a light stick he borrowed out of my car emergency kit, and Donna and I people watched. Finally, the show began! Rory AND Donna loved it!

Things were going great until near the end... during the National Anthem, which is usually the closing song anyway, a fuse blew and the whole place went dark and the music went off. Most people were already standing with their hands over their hearts, so after a brief pause during which everyone figured out what happened, the whole crowd pitched in and started singing to finish the song. It was hilarious. So incredibly American. Luckily we were to the part about "Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave..." so we only had 2 lines left. Everyone was hooping and hollering afterward as the PA announced the rest of the show was canceled. Then, as everyone managed to pack up and leave in the dark, they got the music running again and guess what song was playing...

The Day the Music Died (Bye Bye Miss American Pie).

I couldn't help but wonder if some underpaid Stone Mountain employee was laughing his butt off in the sound booth.