A Day in the Life of Sue, Ron and Paul McCartney
Super Bowl XXXIX

Thursday evening, Feb 3rd we arrive in Gainesville FL, check into our room and go out for supper... ribs, baked sweet potato, salad and sweet iced tea..... No probs.....

Friday we drive to Jacksonville and locate the Credential Center and have our first glitch, our photo shots for security clearance neckwear were corrupted on disk when it arrived in Jax [our photos were taken here in Nash back in Jan. & sent over night to them]. We are finally issued a photoless oneday passes to get in the stadium & told to return later for a photo ID to be issued. We get through security, and try to figure out where to go.

We run into some other suite attendants from Nash and follow them....that was so easy.

After breakfast we are directed to sign in at the Centerplate offices. Not much goes on the first half of the day so we walk over the the Credential Center to have our pics taken and get the new ID's. Mid afternoon, things picked up and we actually begin to get around stadium and were taken up to the 5th floor suites. Nice they are. The rest of Friday we spent getting suites set up and just learning our way around the place. Once, we actually thought we might get to leave but they found one last chore for us... assembling the suite orders... we had to put entre' place cards in each package according to the food order... one we came across did not have a food order listed but had the words "Vegan menu" hand writen at the top of the front page... No entre' place card available for that package... We finished that task after 7, grabbed some dinner and headed back to Gainesville...

Saturday: No need to stop at credential center because our photo ID's are good for all pre-game entry.... straight to Alltel Stadium and the Centerplate Cafe for breakfast... oats, bacon, sausage, biscuit and gravy, coffee cake, and orange juice... 9am - manditory work day for all suite attendants... our first and only meeting together with all 93 private attendants!! the room was a buzz while everyone waited for their work assignments wondering who might be in their suite... names called... Susanne Waddle... Ron Waddle... we raced to the front of the meeting room to get our notebooks and back to our seats to get a glimpse at our assignments.... Sue's paperwork showed a bunch of food and liquor totaling $3400... Wow ! Not a cheap date!! I open my notebook.... no food ordered, only a drink package.... total order $700... Wow! what kind of moron goes to the Super Bowl and drinks alcohol and does not order food ?????? Disappointment... I may have gotten the worst suite in the bunch... cheap date... The 93 suite attendants are placed into groups according to the whereabouts of your assigned suite... I have E - 20, Sue has E - 29.... Oh good, at least we are in the same group... with Micheal Riley as our floor supervisor...

Our group follows Micheal up to the 5th floor... I don't remember our first couple tasks that morning, I was too busy contemplating weather this was really a good idea at all... my curiousity finally got the best of me... I ask Michael why my order form says Vegan menu on top but has no food ordered... Mr "Nonchalant" answered, "Oh, that's Paul McCartney's menu. I'll explain it to you later." The whole group of us were walking simultaniously down the hall... everyone's chin dropped... everybody's but mine... yeah, my chin did not drop but for some reason Sue had to do CPR...

Could I really believe what I just heard ???? Did he say Paul McCartney ??? .....

Wow, I have to call everyone I know... Wait till Larry and Donna hear this... Do we have their phone#??? Sue says let's call Carol first because she had been praying all week that I would get the time off work to go to the Super Bowl and had also mentioned in an email that she hoped Sue and I got to meet Paul Mc... Dennis answers the phone and lets us know that Carol is at the hospital with Greg and Patty because their baby is breech and a c-section was necessary. The birth of a baby and Paul McCartney's suite all in one day. Could there be anything more! We tell Dennis the news about Paul's suite... Sue calls Jane and Bill, left msg... Ron is working Paul's suite for the Super Bowl... She calls Lois and Ken, left msg... Ron is working Paul's suite for the Super Bowl !!! I call my daughter Tammy, and her husband Danny... I can hardly believe I will be working Paul McCartney's suite for the Super Bowl... Sue calls Lois back to get Larry's ph#... I call Larry... leave msg... hey Larry, this is Ron of Sue and Ron... we are at the Super Bowl and I am going to work Paul McCartney's suite... Darn, he did not answer... Sue's ph rings... It's Jane calling back... How could you just leave that msg on my voice mail??? Hey, did you call Larry and Donna??? She gives us Donna's cell#....

Next break we try to call Donna. no answer... Sue says try Larry again... Finally Larry answers.... "Hello"......"Is this Larry"......."yes"......"this is Ron of Sue and Ron"......."hey Ron....I got your message.....how much do you want to trade places with me"....."well, I would love to barter with you.....I don't know if it's possible to pull it off though".......we chat a bit and Larry congrats me......gotta run.....hand phone back to Sue.....

Oh no... how will we get any work done now?? I'm floating in air and nothing will bring me down...

What do you mean Micheal?? Did he just say we have to go to the top of the stadium and pass 12 packs of drinks assembly line style to the very top in the sun??? What the...?? Oh yeah, that was almost fun! After that chore Sue and I are instructed by Michael to "make Paul's suite pretty." Awsome, we get to work together! We're told that we gotta get another chaffer and some more linens. Without knowing the actual menu items it'll be difficult to set the dishes and serving utencils in place but we get the suite shaped up the best we can...

Carol calls back, she's home from the hospital... Judah Greg is born! All is right with the world... Congratulations Greg and Patty !

Last chore on Saturday... put hot dog rolls and sauces in all the suites... take hot dog rolls out of Paul's suite... don't want to offend the guy...

Back to Gainesville... McCallister's Deli... Sue has French Dip Sandwich and Potato Salad... and I choose a BLT with Fruit Salad.... hits the spot...

time for bed... I set the alarm for a whopping 3:20 am... we will have to leave the hotel by 5 to get back to Jacksonville by 7 to catch the suttle, get game day credentials, go through security by 8 and report for duty on the big day.... I wonder if I will be able to sleep... I tell myself, close your eyes... close your eyes for tomorrow you meet the man... Paul McCartney....

Good Night!

A Day In The Life Of Sue, Ron, and Paul McCartney Super Bowl XXXIX - Cont. part 2

Sunday: 3:20 am comes awfully early.... Sue and I look at each other... it's the big day... this is what we came here for.... Super Bowl XXXIX, Jacksonville FL, 2005.

On the road by 5 am in full uniform. Black tuxedo pants, black shoes, white tux shirt and a black bow tie. Sue and I are dressed identical except she wears a black hair tie. We stop for gas and I remember that I forgot my glasses. We have to go back to the hotel.... It's a long line of rooms, white concrete with red doors. There is not many cars in the lot and it's still dark out.... OK, just kidding. I'll get on with it..........

Once in Jacksonville we have to catch the shuddle and we're not sure which lot to park in this day... the shuddle system today is a scream... finally we are dropped off about 5 blocks from the stadium. We follow the crowd, through the roped areas into the credentials tent.... V - Z last names all the way to the right... first sight of our official game day ID's... wow, this is it... we head toward the security shakedown... girls to the right, gentlemen go left... pat down, empty pockets and walk through metal detectors without a hitch... the stadium is right in front of us now... ALLTEL STADIUM, WELCOME TO JACKSONVILLE the greeting's large on the building...

We checked in at the Centerplate office in the basement of the stadium, 8:55 already...

Up to our suites.... E - 20 looks the same as yesterday.... I breath the air trying to get a feel of what it will be like in this 20' X 25' room later once Paul is here.... I look out the front window directly on the 50 yard line....

I get my first glimpse at Paul's menu.... Tofu Steaks, Fresh Steamed Vegetables, Eggplant, and Black Beans and Rice... Umm

Time to set the bar... I set the bottles in one corner of the counter. It was a basic bar order with a good variety including, Michael explained, "Paul's drink of choice" Johnnie Walker Black Label, 12 year old whiskey...

All the suites had the same snack menu.... FL 9 layer dip served with regular and kettle chips, corn chips with salsa, carmel corn in a commemorative tin, reg popcorn served in a Super Bowl XXXIX bucket, meat and cheese platter crackers and toasted bread chips, mixed nuts, and snack mix... I know better than to serve the chip dip or the meat & cheese platter seeing as they are animal products. I checked the ingredients on the chips and popcorn for any discrepancies.....

Throughout the day different camps of not so well wishers and nosey people came by and started spreading rumors that Paul is so particular that he may not even allow me in the room once he arrives.... I start to get nervous about it...

The flow of traffic has started in E - 20.... Secret Service guys asking who I am and if I had passed the background check (or if killed anyone in the past 6 months) (just kidding), my address, etc writing as they went.......

around two o'clock one of Paul's entourage comes in and converts the rest room into a dressing room by moving the lights from one wall to the opposite one... and she requested a portable wall to be placed in front of the doorway of the newly converted changing room.... Paul's liaison came to check the room, dinner and snack menus. She asked for fresh squeezed orange juice for Paul.... She scrutinized the snacks, first saying no to anything not "organic" but then decided "all natural" was good enough... As she goes down her check list, she adjusts minor things, and I ask her if I will be needed in the suite... she asks if I know how to tend bar.... do I lie?? Yes mam, I say confidently..... lying through my teeth... she says, Good, Paul needs a bartender in here because his band likes to drink but they don't like to mix their own drinks... that went well... we both got what we wanted.... She advises that Paul will be there around 5 pm... I wonder to myself... what the hell time is it right now???

the stream of officials continues throughout the afternoon.... Paul's liaison comes back to stay by 4 pm... just before 5, security comes by one last time to look around.... 5 pm guests start entering the suite as scheduled... entourage of 15 - 20 and Paul enters last... the door that has been open all day closes behind him, leaving one security guard outside the door...

sorry guys.... time for bed.... we'll try to pick up again tomorrow... we're enjoying reliving the expirience... hope you are too....

A Day In The Life Of Sue, Ron, and Paul McCartney Super Bowl XXXIX - Cont. part 3

........ meanwhile down the hall in suite E - 29 Sue is getting ready for her guests.... Jack Kemp and General Tommy Franks to name a few... she is cutting the hot dog rolls for their pre-game snack and making last minute preps for her guests.

She tells Jack Kemp later that she is an old home girl from West Seneca NY... He says, "OH West Seneca is my old district!!" and he gives her a sideways hug.... "how did you get down here"...... blah, blah, blah...

Next door to her is the Fox suite... During the game Ashton Kurtcher shows up as well as Randy Jackson from the American Idol show.... both very friendly... the other side of the Fox suite is Will Smith with 2 of his children.... Once he is in the suite he does not come out until the end of the game but he has some visitors such as P Ditty, MC Hammer and Lionel Richey. (Lionel Richey touched Sue on the back and said, Hey, how's it going?) Sue says it was so exciting star watching that she forgot there was a football game going on....

...... Paul McCartney's manager approached me first... I think he said his name is Jerry... He said Paul may come over to introduce himself and he wanted me to know that we all are not on a first name basis... He said to call him Sir Paul or Mr. McCartney.... others mingled, Sir Paul approaches the makeshift bar. Jerry introduced us... Paul, this is Ronald and he will be your bartender this evening.... I said, "It's truly an honor to meet you Sir." and we shook hands. Paul said it was nice to meet me too... (I haven't melted down or lost it yet)... He said he only had one request... he said the guys will want to be drinking but he wanted only virgin drinks to be served before the halftime show... Yes sir, I said....

as Sir Paul walked away to visit others, Jerry advised me that he wants dinner served after halftime and that "Pauly" will want a special Margaritta and he instructed me on how it should be made.... first Jerry says to shelve the liquior that NFL/Centerplate provided....they will have their own deliverd up shortly........

Receipe for Paul's Margaritta: .....exact juice of one lime (cut in half prior &sqeezed just before making drink) .....exact juice of one orange .....3 shots of Tequilla .....1 shot of Cointrau .....1 shot triple sec

I tell Jerry that I need to go make it happen for the oranges & limes and leave the suite momentarily to catch my breath and hunt down Michael so he could be working on the fresh oranges & limes for the drink... I'm anxious to get back into the suite so I don't miss a thing... Michael says he will get it done and I believe he will. I run down to the kitchen to advise when entrees are to be deliverd to suite E-20 ......hurry back to suite.....

By this time I am realizing how really cool & laidback everyone is ....the vibe in the room is awesome.....it's almost spiritual.....

I serve up virgin drinks to all the thirsty entourage.....virgin Bloody Marys being most popular with band mates....some only requesting soft drinks....one older woman asks for white wine...I serve her up anyhow (I don't think she is the drummer)....all the while trying to formulate the margaritta blend in my mind.....

So far everyone in the suite is going out of their way to introduce theirself to me, they are so cool....my mind and heart race a little still....somehow I just keep it together....(have no choice.....blowing this is not an option)

Security guard walks in....."You have a delivery".....I go to door and it's Michael....with limes (cut into halves) and a freaking picture of oj (sqeezed)......Michael passes things off to me and says security won't let him enter....."Do we have any whole oranges"......"not any more" is Michael's reply.....now I'm in trouble....how much juice is in one orange I wonder as I return to the bar......have to deal with it...no options....

By now the pre-game enterainment is on the feild.....crowd in the suite really buzzing around to get a veiw.....Gretchen Wilson kicks it off....."Here for the Party"....everyone in the suite is on their feet rockin now.......followed by Charlie Danials....."Devil went down to Georgia"......all are dancing around and really into it.... I tell Jerry "I'm from Nashville....these are my people down there now"....."awesome" he says......

end of 1st Quarter:

everyone is milling around.....I'm mixing bogus drinks still for a few ....Paul starts dancing around the room a little singing and clapping his hands.....seems normal to everyone else.....It hits me.....he's warming up his vocal cords...He dances up to folks and sings at their faces as he passes by....he skips over to me clapping and belts out "Hey Jude" just on the other side of my makeshift bar....just inches from my face.....he rolls his eyes and cocks his head & smiles a little and prances away....I bop a little with him and clap......my god.....this is so surreal....I almost cave at this point.....I don't....I think of Sue....my strength....I can't let her down....it's almost more than I can handle (afterall....it's Paul)......

2nd Quarter: Film crews come into suite....Paul & band rehearse exiting suite 3 times......Jerry comes over to me and says 20 minutes after halftime show is over everyone will come back up to the suite...Paul will change in dressing room and when he walks out he will stop here...(he shows me) and I am to present him with the margaritta....."Am I suposed to say anything" I ask Jerry......."Do what feels good for you" he suggests...."Ronald....these film crews will be filming this...you ok with it"....."Yes sir Jerry...I'm ok".....I lie again......"Ronald....if Pauly doesn't ask for a second margaritta....he didn't like the 1st....are you following me"......"Yes sir".....

much to my relief....they exit for the show.....film crew rolling....I dash out of suite and take a breath.....a mob is outside the suite with security holding them at bay.....

I only have a few minutes to get collected and return to the suite and focus on the margaritta.....

I catch a little of the halftime show in the suite, then go back to the bar....I set out several plastic cups to pour ingredients into.....their liqiour supply is outragious....they brought glasses & salt tub also.....can only guess on oj.....lime is no prob.....get all the ingredients ready to pour into ice filled shaker.....

this is it......half time show over 15 minutes ago....Jerry returns 1st.....comes to me and asks am I ready....."Yes sir" film crews return and set up....band mates flock in......every one is extremely pumped......Jerry says he will signal me when Paul emerges....I am to walk over and present him with the margaritta.....(I swear that I am extremely calm at this point....another me emerged....the me only God knows).....Jerry reaches over and taps my shoulder....the signal....Paul emerges from the dressing room and I walk to him ....."Your margaritta Sir.....Awesome halftime show"..."Thank you Ronald....yes...it was awesome".....I move backward and out of the camera....I back over to the bar and start mixing drinks so fast my head is spinning....everyone is wanting drinks now....live drinks....I use cheat sheet Sue and I put together earlier in the day.....I am actually able to keep up with it all....lot's of banter going on all around me.....this is a real party.....a really first class party now.....in a few minutes a tap on my shoulder...I turn my head to the right to see Paul's face 5 inches from my face....."The margaritta was excellent Ronald....I'll have another please"....."Yes Sir....coming right up"....I manage a smile.....

a few minutes later...

I tell Jerry that I have to go on an errend and that I will be back in 2 minutes with a replacement for me while I take a break.....I run out of the suite....tell security I need a break and will be right back with my replacement.....I run to E-29....knock on the door.........Sue......come with me....we have to hurry....we walk into E-20...I introduce Sue to Jerry....they exchange niceities....I take Sue's hand and lead her to where Paul is sitting eating (end seat...middle row)....."Mr. McCartney.....sorry to bother you Sir.....I want you to meet my wife Susanne....we came down from Nashville Tennesse to work this event...... He puts down his fork and offers his hand to Sue. I know she is in aww and she tells him, nice to meet you. Sue and I both tell him the halftime show was awsome... Sue stays in the suite tending bar while I go for an ice run....

I can go on & on with the party happenings......I'm going to save that for another time....The whole entourage was so kind to me....the party was so surreal......it's the end of the forth quarter and everyone is getting ready to leave out....a steady stream now exiting the suite giving thanks to me....me saying what a wonderful experience for me to everyone......Jerry and Paul come over and shake again and give thanx and praise for a job well done....."This is the best night of my life" I say and thank them back.....They turn and walk out......Damn....no tip......

I look around the room.....who pulled the plug......it's over......it's really over.....I tear up......I don't want it to ever end......I regain my focus and get started with the job at hand....tearing down the suite......2 or 3 minutes pass...I am working on the bar setup putting away stuff...I hear the door open and close.....don't hear any foot steps...take a quick look over toward the hall again as I work....Paul slips his head around the wall looking for me......he comes to me with his hand out.....making sure I notice there is something sticking up a little as he offers his hand to me...as our hands grip he says....."The margarittas were excellent and I want to thank you personally for a job well done".....still shaking hands I am almost speechless....."Again Sir....it's such a honor to meet you...and thank you for an awesome experience...I will never forget this evening" (we are still shaking hands....I reach up toward his shoulder and place my palm on his upper arm.....he does not pull away..."Thank you so much Sir"....I touched him....."You're awesome Ronald" he says looking me right in the eye...we break the hand shake and he turns and walks out.....I break down and cry a few tears of joy.....I look at the tip in my hand.....don't ask OK....it's too personal to share....I wipe away a tear and look around the suite again.....taking a visual assessment of how much work I need to do to get the suite tore down......there is Paul's margaritta glass sitting on the counter in front of where he ate.....I look at it again......I think of Larry & Donna....it's for them....only people I know who will really appreciate it..... (watch for DHL delivery Friday).....

The night wasn't over yet... after cleaning up our suites Sue and I and some of the other Nashville suite attendants go back to the basement of the stadium to sign out at the Centerplate office.... 11:55 pm.

we leave the stadium, leaving behind the physical but taking every moment of memories that are just beyond our belief.... we walk to meet the shuttle that will take us back to our car..... the line for the shuddle goes up one block and down another..... not exactly fun at midnight... we wait one hour for our turn to ride.... finally, back to our car and a two hour ride back to Gainesville and a bed... we walk back into our room at 3:05 Monday morning.... crash...... 24 hours ago we were just getting up for the big day....

Final thoughts...

Always pray.... dreams do come true....

we love you guys.... thanks for being with us this time around....