BLACKLILY (SHONDA LORRAINE ROSE YOUNG)

My friend Rachel and I are pretty regular ROO-ers since actually MEETING at our first BONNAROO in 2006. This years line-up was UNDENIABLY GOOD...so...we decided we were gonna hit it. But with gas prices and all...we were most definately going to have to get a couple people in on the mission...so of course, I turned to INFOROO. It has been an AMAZING tool for rideshares in years past. So...we get the two people we need: MISTERROOSTERNY & BLACKLILY. I am a for real festival kinda cat. I love people, and always put others ahead of myself. MISTERROOSTERNY turned out to be a GREAT addition to our crew. I will party with you ANY TIME, sir. No messin.

BLACKLILY and I had (I thought) actually become pretty tight through FB chat over the last month or so. I would have NEVER in a million years thought she would be scamming me. It was almost like a totally different person did the trip with us. Rude. Anti-social. Although she was warned that the drive from Easton, PA would be a tough one...all she did was complain and roll her eyes at EVERYTHING. But still...we welcomed her into our group with loving, open arms.

Pre-Roo on Wednesday...we visited a good family in Tennessee who had been my neighbors at several other Roo's (mostly destiny putting us in the same campground). BEAUTIFUL, comfortable house. BLACKLILY was absorbed into the family. She accepted all the hospitality...food and drink...but chose to sleep the afternoon away, which is fine...but she had no appreciation for anything. If any of you were there with us, you would have walked away thinking, "WOW. What an AMAZING WAY to kick off our Bonnaroo..." Seriously. I left the house just FULL of LOVE in my heart. What a great way to start...

Did the Walmart thing...met up with some people (some new friends from Inforoo & a new friend I met at Hangout Festival), and into the line we went. You know how it is...THE SCRAMBLE when you get to your site...start rolling your gear out. The combination of THAT and the long drive...well...you aren't all that motivated to do much else. So...I decided I would figure out the gas and tolls total in the morning (the whole reason BLACKLILY joined us: to share travel costs), and collect then. She was also buying (from me) the BONNAROO ticket she used to get in as well, which I had her register...whole 9 yards before we even left for Roo...

Right from the jump, it was evident that she was not a friendly person with regards to our (WONDERFUL) new camp neighbors. We had THE TIGHTEST campsite. GREAT characters. And she just sat there. Not inter-acting with anyone. All I got from her was eye-rolls and this "you're an asshole" look...anytime I got the crew busting out with laughter (something I'm pretty good at!). But still...she was treated with UTMOST KINDNESS...She didn't even have a tent...which is fine...we had enough gear to accomodate (and by the way...the two people who slept in the tent with her that night confided in me the next day that she absolutely STANK LIKE ASS)...

So...she disappears...apparently to go hang with the Inforoo-ers at that site, which is cool...we are all there to party the way we want to party...to hook up with other friends...etc. No one is locking anyone down to hang with us, and to be honest...initially...we weren't all that bummed out that she wasn't hanging with us. As far as festival campsites go, she was the proverbial STICK IN THE MUD. It was all about new friends and LOVE with the other two dozen or so people there. So...she is gone for the day....

I get it together to add things up. I sent her a text: "Hey Shonda...when you get back to camp, I'd like to square up on the money...gas & tolls is $95, and of course the ticket is $275...for a total of $370. I'm kinda counting on that for my Roo spending money. Thanks!" No response. But a little later in the day...she makes an appearance at camp. "Heya Shonda...did you get my text?" YEP. I'm thinking: Cooool. But I blink my eyes...and she's gone again. And that was the last we saw of her. Left a suitcase full of clothing...all the food and beer she bought...everything.

So at this point...we aren't thinking SCAM. As the days pass, we are worried. Checking with the Police, Sheriff's, Medical Pods. I mean...not only do I NOT have the money she owes...but a significant part of my weekend was stressing over if this new "friend" is OK...did she do some bad substances, was she assaulted, is she alive? You know...the kinda stuff GOOD PEOPLE would be concerned with. All attempts to communicate with her go UNANSWERED. Other questions start to arise...like...what do we do Monday morning if she hasn't contacted us? We all have lives we have to get back to...do we leave without her?? You know...all of these things really tainted the otherwise GREAT weekend...WTF wants to be worried and concerned about all this??

Then we discover she has unfriended the 3 of us (in the direct travel mission) on FB. Then it started to become clear...SCAM. And I'm out of $370. Because of me and my big ole trusting give people the benefit of the doubt HEART. There were calls going out to burn her stuff...or even just leave it there. But that's not what I do. Even under these awful circumstances, we packed her stuff up and brought it with us. And even trying to let her know I have her stuff and am prepared to get it back to her? UNANSWERED. But that is the difference between her and I. I am all about OTHER PEOPLE. She is all about HERSELF. And in this particular case...that means screwing people over to hold onto her money, even if it means ruining someone elses weekend/financial situation. Just a warning to all: DO NOT GET INVOLVED WITH BLACKLILY!! Her name is Shonda Lorraine Rose Young (as far as we know). HER HEART IS NOT IN THE RIGHT PLACE!! IT IS BLACK & EVIL