The Old Town in Höchst - it´s a big mediaeval cobblestoned plaza with a fountain, centered a castle with moat, some city wall ruins, half-timbered houses and most important - three big restaurants where it´s great to sit outside. From my home it takes only a 10 minutes walk to get there. To cross the park is the much nicer way but it´s also the long way round and as usual I was too late so I took the straight way past the Lindner Congress Hotel. (Actually every way to downtown Höchst leads you past the Lindner.) Must say, as yet I had put a good face on the STYX concert and I didn´t expect that much really. What effect less expectations can have you learn when you read the concert review...

The bus was still there as I went past the hotel. Now I kind of knew that this must be the STYX tourbus and I took down my sunglasses and watched out for Ricky Phillips. There was no Ricky Phillips far and wide, of course, and I think to myself how funny it would be to bump into him. Grinning, I placed the sunglasses back on my nose and stopped at the crossing, waiting for green. On the other side of the street I noticed a long haired guy that seemed to be very weary of the heat. I watched him stopping at his traffic light, and very slow I took down my sunglasses again because this seemed to be far too incredible. But I wasn´t wrong. About 20 steps away from me on the other side of the street there was standing Mr. Ricky Phillips. Waiting for green. Pretty stunned I was gazing at him (did someone read my thoughts?) as he crossed the street after his traffic light had turned to green and while he was strolling on till he disappeared in the hotel bar. And me silly goose, I was standing there, addle-headed goggling after him...

I don't know how many times my traffic light changed the colours till I had composed my features and slowly but surely I moved on and tried to understand that this was no phantom. And while moving on I had to fight an inner conflict... Why don´t you follow him!? My gutlessness stopped me from doing so...

Reaching the Old Town castle my hubby and friends were kidding me: "So much time on her hands, so why turning up punctually..." I sat down and told them what happened to me a few minutes ago. My friend Anke, that actually has no relation to things like that...-- Ricky Phillips? Who the hell is Ricky Phillips? -- ...pointed out what I thought: "God, what a chick... What´s up with you, usually you´re not that sheepish." The guys are laughing at me, first of all my hubby Michi that teases me (again) because of my penchant for long haired guys and all my protestations that long haired guys are not the subject fell on deaf ears. At least the girls felt pity for me.
And I began getting angry about myself, I mean really angry. Dinner? Not for me, please... because I became aware of the golden opportunity and the fact that I bungled it. It wasn´t the first time I missed a chance due to my indecision, f.i. a desired teeshirt that is going to be sold to someone else because you pondered too long about buying it or not. Sounds familiar to you? Well, this time some f***ing teeshirt was not the point, the point this time was to jump at the chance to say "HELLO" to one of my heroes and missing it... Well, that´s it. But it wasn´t...

Because about half an hour later he came round the corner. Together with Todd Sucherman (STYX drummer) and Chuck Panozzo (One of the STYX  founders). And I do know that there will be no 3rd chance when I´m goofing this, too! So I gave Silvia a punch (Sorry Silvia, usually I´m not rowdyish!) and commanded her to stand up and let me go out. Now! I jumped after Ricky -- do not think about what to say -- and dabbed on his shoulder. (That guy is tall, man...) I didn´t know whether he was surprised or not and I also didn´t know how many times he is being accosted by fans and to be honest, I didn´t give a damn. I mean - Hey! This was Ricky Phillips standing right in front of me! So I introduced myself as waite4you-Petra (How silly was this, scaled from 1 to 10 ?) and mentioned his email from February. I still couldn´t say whether he recognized me or not but in the end I was glad anyway that he understood what I said. Hm. So my English might be not too bad. Usually I get intimidated when I´m faced with someone that speaks a better English. And Ricky Phillips obviously is one of them. But believe me - it works pretty good when you switch off your brain...
We had a short chat about the forthcoming gig and suddenly my dear friend Frank was there, waving with his cell phone: "Ask him if he would mind to take a photo." Good boy... Ricky agreed. After that I gave him my best wishes for the concert, then he followed his band mates to the restaurant next door.

Back on my seat my Michi said: "Why didn't you use our digicam, you have it always with ya!" Oups. That's true but I didn't think about it. So Michi tried to persuade me to go over and ask for another photo but I scrupled. I think it's pretty pushy to disturb someone while he´s having dinner. For us it was time now for Handkäs´ mit Musik (Hassian specialty) and Southern Comfort (...)

Maybe two hours later the three STYX members got on their way to I-Don´t-Know-Where (to the hotel I guess...), and my Michi that had digged out my camera meanwhile asked me, what was the guys´ name ("God... Ricky Phillips!") and then he got up. He gave Ricky a shout, pointed to the camera first, then to me and in his eyes I could see the wordless question that he threw over to him. I felt pretty ashamed when I found myself beside my favourite Iowa kid again and I was hoping that it wasn´t as embarassing as it appeared to me... But Mr. Phillips -- the Gentleman that he is -- gave us another minute and another smile. A final handshake and then he and the STYX mates left.