oh yeah, because it’s less calories to drink diet coke than to drink a rum and diet coke *sigh* Of course, my hubby waited until after I finished my Cosmo and my Grey Goose and Cranberry to let me in on the fact that I’d be the one driving home. Luckily, with two more sets to go, lots of water and some tiramisu (yeah, less calories my ass!) I was good to go in a couple of hours.
Next time dammit, I’m going to be the tossing back the drinks!
No my day hasn’t improved. I’m still serenaded by the cacophony of the pneumatic nail gun and it’s accompanying compressor. Even as I type this.
But it IS the Best Day Ever because I’ve beaten my previous most views. And the day is still young!
Now if I could only convince people to comment. That would make this the Bestest Day Ever!
Alison Krauss & Union Station @ the Greek
Originally uploaded by katysabrat.
You know it’s going to be one helluva night when it starts out at Denny’s! Yeah well, they hubby figured it was closer to the ATM and wouldn’t have a huge crowd like anything in Silver Lake would have.
We got to the show a little late, but that meant for easy breezy parking. Luckily, since he’d won the company box seats through a work raffle, it also came with premium parking. So we were able to slide right into a parking space and cruise right on in to our seats. Let me just say, box seats at the Greek are nice! And you’re not nearly as cramped and crowded as you can get at the Bowl.
The show was fun. Alison Krauss has an incredible voice. And I had no idea that her bandmates (Union Station) were those Foggy Bottom folks from that weird George Clooney movie. They put on a very entertaining, and very blue grassy show.
Their last song of the evening before heading off stage was Oh, Atlanta. I’ve loved that song since the first time I heard it. Sadly, the band decided to mess with her and played it so slow it just sounded awful. She kept trying to do it, and wound up laughing. Eventually, she just told them to stop. It’s a shame because that’s such an awesome and fun song.
And their first encore was When You Say Nothing At All. That has to be one of the prettiest songs out there. I get goosebumps or tear up whenever I hear it. Again, it was a tad slower than usual, but not nearly as noticeable.
So now we’re home briefly before heading out to the Hotel Cafe for that super secret Hanson/Rob Thomas show. It doesn’t even start until midnight, so we have plenty of time. I’m interested in who their target audience will be. I mean, they’re all married with kids now (I think) and they’re not quite those Mmmmbop boys anymore.
So now back to my chilled glass of Pinot Gris (Valley of the Moon – bought while on vacation) YUM!
I know it may look like I was being, like, a bitch, but that’s only because I was acting like a bitch – Mean Girls
A week or so ago I made some changes on our website. For some reason that I’ve yet to understand, folks freaked out – guess it’s that whole fear of change thing. But more interestingly, it gave the Mean Girls of our community just the sort of space they needed to stir up some trouble and look down on others. It’s recently come to my attention that these Mean Girls (no really, that’s how they refer to themselves!) needed to create their own space where they can privately laugh about others and well, just be mean.
Yesterday, I finished reading a book appropriately called Frenemies by Megan Crane. And of course, this book was about adult women and how there will always be That Girl – you know, the bitchy, perfectly coiffed, perfect boyfriend, perfect job, kind of gal that always feels she’s better than everyone else. Between the book and the recent activities on my site, I have to say that I just don’t get it.
I mean, can any happy, well-adjusted adult really be all that happy or well-adjusted if they can only find joy in being mean and looking down on others? Can acting like a middle schooler in their day to day interactions really help them find happiness and feel better about themselves? How can they not see that the way they treat others makes them look like horrible people? How can their husbands, friends, family and co-workers enjoy spending time with them? Does it really help them to feel better about themselves?
I’d think this is really just a small portion of the world, you know, an isolated incident. But really, many books have been written on the subject. There are books on how mean young girls are being towards each other and even books on how women sabotage other women in their lives. When does it stop? Is it really just about being the Queen Bee?
As cliche as it sounds, why can’t we all just get along? Why can’t we celebrate the successes of our fellow women? Why can’t we be happy with what we have and not define ourselves through the pain of others. Forget about that glass ceiling, we’re our own worst enemies (or so it would seem).
Me, I say the more the merrier and to each their own. ‘Cause baby, I’ve just got to be me!
Okay, it’s more than thirteen songs, but how else could I justify posting about their first LA show in 24 years!!! That’s a loooong time, no matter how you slice it. I’ve been dying for this show for those same 24 years (*ah* Veteran’s Stadium in Philly – a mere teen – what an awesome day!). So here goes…
I just got back from the Police show about an hour ago. I have to say, while I had an awesome time, it really wasn’t the best show ever. In fact, about mid-show (Invisible Sun-ish) I actually thought to myself that for a greatest hits show, it wasn’t half as good as the Petty show I saw last summer. And that says a lot considering I’m a HUGE Police fan and not much of a Petty fan at all. They just didn’t seem to be having as much fun or playing like they enjoyed the crowd. Maybe it’s still too early in the tour, but I don’t think so.
I will say though, they looked awesome! I’m thinking they’ve been doing some clean living ’cause they’re aging much better than your average rock-n-roller, rock star. Stu looked awesome as usual. Sting looked good (though something about him in a baggy shirt and skinny-legged pants just doesn’t sit too well with me). Andy was rockin’ it (though Richard said he was obvious playing easy compared to how they sounded 20+ years ago.
So yeah, I enjoyed myself beyond belief. And the fans, well pretty much everyone there was a total fan (except for the weirdo row of hot chicks in front of us that just randomly disappeared after the third song never to be seen again until right before the encore – a couple of said hottie girls didn’t even know the words to Every Breath – how lame!) But really, stuff was just missing. There wasn’t much audience participation – very little Roxanne-o and even less So lo-lo-lo-ing going on – and if you know anything about Police shows from back in the day, they were jam-packed with sing-a-longs. Kind of makes me want to track down a bootleg from their Zenyatta tour (Synchronicity never really did much for me – I tended to like them harder and edgier).
I don’t know if they just didn’t trust the LA crowd (Springsteen is rumored to HATE playing to the “industry” crowd in LA) or what. It was strange though considering they had audience mics everywhere, so they were recording. You might think that would be reason enough to put some effort into the performance. They also kept going dark between the songs and that kind of bugged me since I had to watch the show on the monitors (so no monitors on the after-the-song antics that are usually fun to witness).
So yeah, it was a fun show and I loved singing and dancing along. I had so much fun, I left unable to hear (first show without earplugs in I don’t know how long) and without a voice I from screaming and singing along so much. But for $250 tickets, it just wasn’t that great and I just didn’t leave there wowed. Maybe I’m just too jaded with all the concerts we go to. But dammit, I was really wanting to be blown away by an incredible show. Did I mention I waited 24 years for this show?!?!
And I have to say, I’m quite bummed that we got gyped out of Murder By Numbers since 1) it was on earlier set lists and 2) it happens to be one of my favorite songs. According to previous show set lists, they also gyped us out of Spirits in the Material World. We wound up getting 19 out of the 21 songs on the other set lists. They wound up ending the show with at least 10 more minutes (and upwards of 20 more minutes) left before curfew. That’s enough for 3 more songs – or at least 2 more and a bit of a sing-a-long!
I will say, it was definitely fun to see them together again and if I had the ability, I’d head on over to see them again this same tour in a couple of months hoping they sound a little better. For those of you left to see them still, maybe try lowering your expectations a bit (yes they’re a super group, but unlike all of the current super groups, they’ve spent the past 24 years apart!) and I’m sure you’ll have a fun time jamming to some great songs!
Playlist (8:47 out of seats for some Bob Marley – 8:50 on stage)
* Message in a Bottle
* Synchronicity II
* Walking on the Moon
* Voices in My Head & Don’t Stand So Close
* Driven to Tears
* Bed too Big
* Every Little Thing
* Truth Hits Everybody
* Wrapped Around Your Finger
* De Do Do Do
* Invisible Sun
* Walking in Your Footsteps
* Can’t Stand Losing You
* Roxanne
* Kind of Pain (10:15)
* So Lonely
* Every Breath
* Next to You (off stage by 10:40)
hello?!?! SuperTramp! Really? Who sings SuperTramp songs in their head?!?!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhK5AbftSA4]
And who knew it would be so difficult to find a video of Girlfriend on youtube. But boy howdy, they’ve got every other kick ass SuperTramp song out there!!!
Here are Thirteen Things I must bring with me wherever I go on vacation…
1. socks to sleep in – my feet are always cold, even in the dead of summer
2. lipbalm – I am addicted and as an addict, I need to know my lip stuff is right near by.
3. and 4. books & magazines – my husband is a bit of a workaholic, so even on vacation, he works, so I make sure I have something to read.
5. and 6. digital camera & USB connector for my smart card – I love to do self-portraits and I love to take pictures of things. What better way to have memories to look back on.
7. sunscreen – I’m one fair skinned kind of gal, so I tend to always make sure I bring along the SPF (even if I don’t wear it on a daily basis).
8. workout clothes – you never know when you’ll get the chance to burn off some of those high point, vacation treats and drinks.
9. travel alarm clock – I’m a little crazy about wanting to know what time it is, wherever I am. This way, if the hotel alarm clock isn’t on my side of the bed, I’m still in the know.
10., 11. and 12. my own soap, shampoo and conditioner – though I will typically take the hotel provided toiletries back home with me (they’re great for guests).
13. snacks – I like to know that if I’m hungry that I have something to snack on. Usually, it’s just a granola bar or two, but still, it helps to keep those vacationing high point days bearable.
And of course, a few other things, but hey, I only needed 13, right? 😉 Now back to that packing…
A friend pointed this story out to me today. It sounded so familiar, I just had to share.
I Has a Sweet Potato
You know, a lot of times I write up random posts and then don’t post them. But Best Beloved just called me, and I could not really explain why I was inarticulate about sweet potatoes, so I said I’d go ahead and post this. That way, she can read it at work and know just what kind of day it has been. (Short version, for those who do not feel like reading the whole post: ARRRRRRG. Fucking sweet potatoes.)
The longer version, summarized in conversation form:
Dog: I am starving.
Me: Actually, no. You aren’t starving. You get two very good meals a day. And treats. And Best Beloved fed you extra food while I was gone.
Dog: STARVING.
Me: I saw you get fed not four hours ago! You are not starving.
Dog: Pity me, a sad and tragic creature, for I can barely walk, I am so starving. WOE.
Me: I am now ignoring you.
Dog: STARVING.
Dog: Did you hear me? I am starving.
Dog: Are you seriously ignoring me? Fine.
[There is a pause, during which the dog exits the room in a pointed manner.]
[From the kitchen, there comes a noise like someone is eating a baseball bat.]
Me, yelling: What the hell are you doing?
Me: *makes haste for the kitchen and finds dog there*
Dog: *picks up entire raw sweet potato, which is what was causing the baseball bat noise, and flees for the bedroom*
Me: *chases dog, retrieves most of sweet potato, less the portion which has disappeared into dog’s gullet*
Dog: See? STARVING.
Me: …That can’t be good for you. It’s a RAW SWEET POTATO.
Dog: I had to do it. I haven’t been fed. Ever.
Me: You realize you aren’t normal. Normal dogs don’t steal raw sweet potatoes.
Dog, sadly: I was badly brought up.
Me: Yes. Yes, you were.
Dog: By people who starved me.
Me: Oh, no. I am not doing this again.
Me: *exits the room, bearing sweet potato*
[There is a pause.]
[There is a noise like someone is trying to eat a baseball bat very very quietly.]
Me: Oh, for the love of GOD.
Me: *heads off to the kitchen*
Dog: I am not eating a raw sweet potato.
Me: You have sweet potato parts all over your snout.
Dog: But you don’t actually SEE a raw sweet potato, do you? So maybe that’s just – um. A birthmark.
Me: Did you seriously eat a whole sweet potato?
Dog: You don’t listen. I told you, I wasn’t eating a sweet potato.
Me, searching around fruitlessly: Look. NO MORE SWEET POTATOES.
Me: Oh, what am I saying? This is you we’re talking about, here. *goes to hide all the sweet potatoes that are left – which isn’t many – in the fridge, because some people cannot be trusted*
Dog: *attempts to look thwarted*
Dog: *does not succeed, because her tail is wagging so hard small cyclones are forming in the kitchen*
Me: *has a very bad feeling about this*
[There is a pause, during which I do not even bother trying to return to what I was doing. I just stand in the computer room, waiting.]
[There is, as I wholly expected, a baseball-bat-eating noise.]
Me, stomping back to the kitchen: OKAY. GIVE ME THE DAMNED SWEET POTATO.
Dog, looking up guiltily: What sweet potato?
Me: THE ONE IN YOUR MOUTH.
Dog: Oh, did you want this? I just, um. Found it. Lying here.
Me: *confiscates the sweet potato and deposits it in the locking trashcan*
Me: Let us say no more about this.
Dog: …Nooooo! They be stealin’ my sweet potato!
[I attempt to remember what I was doing before the sweet potato episode.]
[Some ten minutes later, I succeed, and return to it.]
[NOT ONE MINUTE LATER, I hear a noise with which I have become all too familiar.]
Me, bonking head on desk: Arg.
Me, arriving in kitchen: How did you even get another sweet potato?
Dog, smugly: I have my ways.
Me: Are you punishing me for being away for several days? I was at a FUNERAL, you know. It wasn’t FUN.
Dog: How would I know? You didn’t take me. You left me here with only one human to look after my needs. One human is NOT ENOUGH.
Me: *shuts dog in bedroom, conducts a sweep of the kitchen to track down all remaining sweet potatoes, wipes up random sweet potato particles from floor, eradicates all traces of sweet potato from house*
Me: *lets dog out*
Dog, sulkily: Oh, so you think you’ve won.
[I watch her go about her business with the same sense of overwhelming doom that heroines of Victorian novels get when they meet Count Sinistrus Grimblack for the first time.]
[Half an hour later, there is a wetter, juicier eating noise, as though someone was eating a very moist baseball bat.]
Me, wearily: What NOW?
Dog, hunched over the remains of a butternut squash: *says something garbled because her mouth is full*
Me: Okay. Fine.
Me: *stomps over, empties entire vegetable bowl into trash*
Me: WE JUST WON’T HAVE ANY ROOT VEGETABLES ANYMORE. THERE. ARE YOU HAPPY?
Dog: I’m not even remotely sorry. I told you I was hungry. And you went to a funeral without me.
Me: ARRRRRRRRG.
[A half-hour later, there is another baseball-bat-eating noise from the kitchen. The dog, who apparently does not know how to win gracefully, has found another sweet potato, or possibly caused one to materialize from the Rift.]
Me, hauling chewed sweet potato parts from the mouth of a dog very reluctant to part with them: Oh my god how is this my life?
Dog: Don’t you think it would just be easier to feed me?
Me: EVERYONE GO TO THE BEDROOM AND STAY THERE. EAT NOTHING.
Dog: Actually, I feel…um…not so good.
Dog: *throws up* *vomit is very bright orange*
[Unfortunate details ensue.]
Some time later:
Me, attempting to rescue something from the wreckage: So. What have we learned from this?
Dog: Sweet potatoes are yummy!
Other Dog, looking thoughtful: I should pay more attention to crunching noises. Sweet potatoes are probably yummy.
Me: I need a lobotomy.
And that, Best Beloved – and anyone else who made it through that – is What Kind of Day It Has Been.
FUCKING SWEET POTATOES. ARG.
This story and many others can be found in MetaQuotes – Overheard on LJ
I’m not one to give much thought to What Might Have Beens. I’ve never Googled any exes. Heck, I don’t even Google myself or my husband. Though he loves to Google his family and our two boys – have you any idea just how many Griffin dogs or Charlie cats there are out there?
Today, for some reason, out of the blue, my ex popped into my head and I can’t seem to shake him. Once I got home, I thought I’d give that ol’ friend, Google a whirl. Thing is, my ex has a fairly common name, so I wasn’t able to find anything. Not even a crumb. But I still can’t seem to shake him.
I know full well that we’d never have lasted. Not even counting the fact that he was a few years younger (not a big deal, I know), we were just two different kinds of people and in two different places in our lives. He was a hard worker, but he wasn’t college educated and didn’t really see the point. While I don’t think that college is for everyone (my hubby has no college education and is doing quite well surrounded by MBAs), it was still a huge part of who I was at the time. So much so that I went on to get my Masters.
Back when we were dating, I was just finishing up my teaching degree, hoping and praying to get a teaching job. My focus was entirely on getting that job. His focus was entirely on finding someone to settle down with and take care of. Me, I was in that I-don’t-need-anyone, I’m-an-independent-woman phase. I was ready to finally get started being an adult and living the life. Interestingly enough though, we were head over heels, blissfully enamored.
Or so I thought.
One of his co-workers broke up with her husband or boyfriend or baby daddy, or whatever and starting focusing all her attention on my guy. I knew this because he told me. She was an older woman (older than him, older than me) with a young child. He, as I stated earlier, just wanted to settle down and take care of someone. She, it turned out, was just that someone. He dumped me.
He went head on into a relationship with her and never bothered with me again. Well, until she broke up with him about 3 months or so later, that is. Then he came back to me. We went out to dinner and I said that we could try to be friends, but I just didn’t trust him. A week or two later, she wanted him back and back her went. This time, I walked away. For good. Until today.
T that time, I really wasn’t able to look to someone else as my hero or my savior. I just didn’t need that in my life. I didn’t need someone to “complete me.” I can see now how that might be annoying when you’re in a relationship. There’s needs to be some emotional give and take. I can honestly thank him for allowing our relationship to teach me that.
But I do wonder what made me think of him. Was it a song on the radio? Reflecting back over the last couple of weeks, I have heard a LOT of songs that could remind me of him – if I was in that frame of mind. Is it our long ago psychic connection? Is he thinking about me? Is he wondering what might have been?
I’ve got to tell you, I may have had a rough patch of life here or there, but I really, really like my life. I really like the person I’ve turned into. And I really like the friends that I consider my “family.” I really don’t have any thoughts of him, good, bad or ugly, but I do wish him well wherever he may be.
It is officially my husband’s 45th birthday. We went out earlier this evening for a celebratory dinner (Ciudad in down town Los Angeles – very yummy) and then we settled down for a movie and a snuggle with the boys. Our cat, by the way turned 7 yesterday, so this has been a celebratory weekend all around, as I’m sure you can imagine.
While taking in all the love that my husband and my boys have to offer after enjoying our delicious meal (and more importantly, after balancing our business books – yeehaa!!) I started to realize that I’m grateful for so many things in my life. What a perfect thing to blog about since it’s been a while since I’ve publicly counted my blessings. Here goes…
* I am grateful for my husband. He can always make me laugh. He knows how to calm me down when I’m freaking out. And he loves me for the person that I am (tears and all when doing the bookkeeping) and doesn’t freak out and try to change me.
* I am grateful for my boys. They’ve both been incredibly snuggly this whole weekend. Charlie even offered to help me open the tuna for his birthday breakfast, he’s so sweet.
* I am grateful that our books balanced. Last year I went through a lot of tears and heartache, to say nothing of my time and energy to come even close to getting things to balance. This year, thanks to my hubby, we’re A-OK!
* I am grateful that we’ll be getting a bookkeeper so from this day forward I’ll never have to cry or get pissed over or angry over QuickBooks – never again.
* I am grateful for our home. While we’d love a bigger place of our own that doesn’t share walls with (what seems to be) a miserable, old woman that hates us, our home is still just perfect for where we are right now.
* I am grateful that we have the resources to eat out when we feel the need (maybe, possibly, a tad too much – LOL). Especially when we can go for the occasional splurge and not feel guilty and just enjoy our time and our food.
* I am grateful for Firefox and their (fairly) new spell check. Without it, folks would think I was the world’s worst speller and would doubt that I was ever really a 4th grade teacher.
* I am grateful that we’ve been having some beautiful weather. It may bring on allergy season, but it’s so nice out I just can’t help but love it.
* I am grateful for Weight Watchers and their program. I may not be doing as well as a couple of my friends (talk about impressive), but I’m losing weight and feeling great. And man, how much fun is it to be able to buy new clothes and fit into a smaller size!!! Oh yeah, I’m also grateful my arms finally stopped aching from that damn upper body workout I did the other day. Man that was tough.
* I am grateful for my friends. I know that I’d do anything for my friends and it’s great knowing that they’re there to support me through my good times and the not-quite-so-good times. Heck, they’d even help me bury a dead hooker in the desert – I know, I asked – LOL
* I am grateful for the ability to manifest an income. Once again, I turned around and was presented with an opportunity to earn $200 for doing 2 hours of my time doing market research. While it might not seem like much, it’s still money, and it’s still coming into my life freely and for that I’m grateful. Then again, I’m really, really grateful that I’ll be able to spend it on a little spa time *grin*
And lastly, I’m grateful, and so happy, for the wonderful, exciting opportunities and experiences that the Universe is bringing into my life.
Happy birthday to the most wonderful man in the World! I love you baby (and now even more people know!)