Halien Party - Chicago, Labor Day weekend, 8-31-13

[NUG]

At the airport bar drinking a $13 bourbon lookin' for Haley. My, my how I've fallen. There's tears in my beers (bourbons) Haley!!! I thought we were besties now! Where are you? Criminy this drink us strong.

[Miguel]

[Babbs234]

At the airport bar drinking a $13 bourbon lookin' for Haley. My, my how I've fallen. There's tears in my beers (bourbons) Haley!!! I thought we were besties now! Where are you? Criminy this drink us strong.

That sounds like a song title or a line in a new song to me! haha

[Miguel]

At the airport bar drinking a $13 bourbon lookin' for Haley...Criminy this drink us strong.

It ought to be for $13.

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[My Alter Ego]

At the airport bar drinking a $13 bourbon lookin' for Haley...Criminy this drink us strong.

It ought to be for $13.

A $13 drink is reason to shed a few tears.

[Miguel]

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[Himm2]

I linked Haley's Vine Video with me shooting her shooting it:



"I HAVE AWESOME FANS! MADE AN APPEARANCE AT HALIEN HEADQUARTERS"

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The party didn't end Last Night! After Breakfast at Rise n Dine we made it to the Bean and checked out where Haley took the Lollapalooza Stage:

[yanni5]

Whew, I got home a few hours ago. First of all, a special Halien thank you to Himm and Cheri for making this all happen. You both are so friendly and hospitable, you opened up your home to us crazy Haliens, you prepared food, snacks, events. I need to learn the Captain Dinkens yell now in your honor!

This was one of the most memorable weekends of my life. I met so many new Haliens this time around, even though I felt like I already knew you, it was great to put a face to the names, and just hang around and have fun. I really enjoyed watching Haleys Journey and talking Haley stuff, playing games, (Buzz kicked my ass on the basketball court), and sharing Haley stories.

It was great to meet and hang out with the Reinharts. Harry and Patti and Angie (Haley too of course) are just the most incredible down to earth friendly people. When they meet you, they treat you like you are an old friend. I told Patti who I was and that I was from CA and she got a big smile on her face and hugged me and thanked me. Harry mentioned something, I don’t remember exactly what his comment was, but it implied that he has checked HF. I asked him “Do you actually check the site?” , and he says not all the time, but you guys (HF) usually know what’s going on before we do. I thought that was cool.
Hats off to Miguel for creating THE priemier Haley site!

I’ll put up a couple more vids here pretty quick, I need to check out what I have. From what I saw and heard this weekend, there will be some really awesome vids and audio coming our way from THF and Miguel and Tusk.

When we arrived at the gig, we were hours early for the event. From what I heard since, there were at least 15000 people at the BG fest, although I don’t know how many people were on the football field. We stayed up front from start to finish once Haley and family started jamming. Some people speculated even 25K, although that seems high.

To all the Haliens that were able to make it out to Wheeling, I had a great time hanging out with each and every one of you. Thanks for helping to make this a weekend I’ll always cherish! I hope many other Halien friends will be able to make it next time.

[Swansteel]

I finally made it home. And can you believe it, I left the overhead light on in my car in long-term parking and when I at last got to it the battery was completely DEAD!? I had to get a charge from airport maintenance. LOL

Some really great photos are popping up in this thread! My iPhoto is gaining many new ones. Thanks!

Here's a little post I wrote earlier when I didn't have an internet connection:

How do I put into words what I experienced on Sunday? So unbelievable was what happened at the Halien Shindig that as I sit down to write this out my mind is swirling with disbelief that a day could be so perfect in every way.

Back when I finally decided to make the leap and travel to Chicago, I hoped for the best but tried to keep my expectations to realistic levels. I felt fairly certain that the concert would be great, but little did I know it would end up being my all time favorite Haley show so far. I thought the party at Himm's house would be a fun time and that hopefully Haley would make at least a brief appearance, but little did I know that she would end up staying for three hours along with her absolutely wonderful family and that we would all be able to spend so much quality time with her.

Imagine how it felt at the moment when it was announced that the Reinhart's had arrived and that they were on their way into the house. All of a sudden my heart began to flutter and I had the giddy sensation of an adrenaline rush. Unable to stay in place, I headed towards the front door filled with an anticipation counter-balanced with uncertainty. This was really about to happen.

And happen it did.

What a special family the Reinhart's are. From top to bottom they are thoroughly down to earth, friendly and ever so open and generous. From the moment they arrived they greeted everyone like old friends and were extremely gracious.

Harry, the proud papa, was practically bursting at the seams with pride. When I told him how much I enjoyed their performance from the night before he beamed and seemed deeply touched that we all had so much appreciation for Haley and for the unforgettable show they put on.

Everything that others have said about Angie I found to be completely true. Not only is she very approachable, but she also has the kind of personality, like Haley's, that puts me at ease and allowed me to talk with her with a feeling of unguardedness. I even told her about my unpleasant Facebook experience when I one time defended Haley over her Idol performance of House of the Rising Sun and was so cruelly attacked on there (LOL).

I can easily say that Patti is just about the sweetest person I have ever met in my entire life. Never have I met someone who exudes so much love and kindness from her very pores. She immediately makes you love her with her effervescent personality and openness of spirit. She is so cute in the way she talks about her daughters and how she makes everyone feel loved and appreciated. I got a chuckle out of the way she had to be physically pulled from the party when it was time for them to go because she just seemed to want to stay and spend time with everyone. I especially appreciated one time during the party when I was standing nearby as she was talking to others guest and she actually beckoned me over to talk with her. She made me feel great and so appreciated. And when she was saying her good-byes she gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. She is such a sweet and lovely woman!

And then there is Haley. What more can I add to how impressed I am with her composure and kindness. When I first greeted her she shook my hand and when I foolishly asked her if she still remembered me she said, "Of course!" I knew she remembered me but I still love hearing that she does.

From what I gather, Haley had originally planned on staying at the party only a short while before heading out. I was thrilled when she actually stayed for a full three hours. She seemed so comfortable and relaxed, and all of us Haliens were so charming, that she continued to mingle long past the expected time frame. She even ate with us and it was so cool having the feeling that we were all partaking in a big family gathering.

One very special moment for me was when I gave her a birthday card and a present and watched her open them. I chose my moment perfectly and had the luxury of talking with her about the gift, which happened to be a CD from Susanna Hoffs of 60's cover songs. I was able to point out to her one song on the album in particular and the main reason I chose the gift. It was the song Different Drum, of course, and I was able to tell her yet again how I'd love to hear her cover that song some day (I can be a very persistent swan sometimes). Once I got the ball rolling, other Haliens began bringing over their gifts for her and she seemed truly touched by it. We all surprised her with that and she was very appreciative.

I was fortunate to have several opportunities to talk with her spaced out throughout the three hours she was there, and I was very pleased that I seemed to continue to come up with decent topics to talk about. Overall, I feel that I probably maintained a pretty good impression with her. At one point I told her that she can probably expect to see me again at a future gig and she said to me, "I expect it!" in a very playful way.

If I were to tell you every detail of this magical day, I'm afraid this post would have to stretch out much, much longer. And so, I'll wrap it up by expressing my deepest gratitude to all my fellow Haliens who made this entire weekend all that it was and more. From lunches, tours, videos, croquet and hula hoops to great food, fun conversations and late night wrap-up parties, I could not have asked for a better time. Anything that might have spoiled the weekend (like bad weather) never happened and everything that did happen did so in the best possible way. This was a dream trip that proves that dreams can come true.

[Tusk]

I'm surprised no one posted our tweets/pics... Here are mine

Buzz and Mr's Buzz (Kathy)


Apparently Yanni hit the spot with his Bday card and got Haley laughing


Himm2's gift got Haley saying, if there's ever an S10 reunion they will play it

(Himm2 showed me afterwards that he altered the box top to have a Haley theme, pasted Haley pics into the stars covering the original images)

I wanted to get a pic with Angie since I missed my opportunity at Carnegie Hall, but I forgot to get one this time too , but she was in great spirits, smiled the whole time. She introduced me to her teacher who was also there. Such a genuine sweet heart.


You can't fake this, the Reinharts were having a good time too



So glad Lisa made it to the Shindig, what a moment she will remember forever . Haley took a big slice home too (Insert "My Cake" lyric >here< )

Angie joins in


If there was any doubt Haley appreciates her fans, Himm2 manor made it into her vines!!!

Haley Reinhart ‏@HaleyReinhart 1 Sep
I have some awesome fans! Made an appearance at the Halien headquarters
https://vine.co/v/h5wmJHdjbbU

http://vinebox.co/u/wi9RrPVvAfQ/wa1zRBUQpHT