Just a couple of weeks to go now until the photo shoot. I have managed to pull all my “stuff” together and I think I am finally ready. Yesterday I went out to Red Rock Canyon to scout out some locations for pictures. Thank goodness I did! I found a really great spot with terrific views on all sides. It’s gonna be a tight fit with a giant car, but I think we can do it. I tried to be mindful of the time of day, the sun, the wind, etc so I could be there as close to the time I think I’m going to be there next month. It was just gorgeous! One downside was the wind. It just happened to be a windy day already, but I am hoping I won’t see quite that much on the 14th. My hair will be a disaster.
I also put in a request for a tour of the Neon Graveyard for May 7th and I was just confirmed. That’s good news. Now I can walk through there and scout some locations for David. I will feel better knowing that I have already seen both areas and have a sense of how to make the best use of our time that day. It’s gonna be a long day for sure, but I think it should also be a lot of fun. The only other thing with the car is trying to find the rental place. I was going on memory yesterday when I tried to find it. No success. I’ll have to look at the map again. I know it’s on the Strip and I think I know the plaza, but I just couldn’t see it from the road. Ugh. Timing wise, it took me about 20 minutes from Red Rock to the Strip, so I think we are in good shape getting from point A too point B without wasting a lot of time.
Which leads me to what is wasting my time right now…my stupid car lease!! I don’t want to go into the details, but I am now leaving this Saturday to drive my car back to OH to immediately turn around and drive back in my new car before Friday. 6 days in the car and I have to call it vacation!!! Grrrr…
Dad is still in OH, but now that I am coming out, we are going to drive back together. I had to go and dig out my walkie talkies that we used when I first moved out here. Luckily, they still work. The just needed a charge. So I have to spend the week before my photo shoot in a car for 6 days, eating fast food, and no gym access. I already told Mimi. I think she is going to try and put some exercises together for me that I can do in the hotel. That should be interesting. Dad of course would rather not stop at all, or just pull over on the road and catch a nap. Um, no thanks. I am tempted to wear pajamas the whole time. That could be fun.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Thursday, March 31, 2011
The Battle of the Bulge Continues…
I’ve been going to the gym about 5 times a week for the last 3 months. One might think I would have a little more visible progress to show for it. It’s frustrating. I won’t go into the laundry list of all the things I am doing to try and get in shape, but just the fact that there is a laundry list is frustrating.
So last night I had a follow up meeting with Mimi, my trainer from the gym. She and I had some training sessions earlier this month. I knew she was going to try and push for more sessions eventually. As I’m sitting there listening to her go on about the different things we could try I finally decided that I couldn’t go into this photo shoot feeling like I didn’t do everything I possibly could. So fine, 5 more sessions. One last push to try and tone my arms and belly.
She took my measurements again and as expected there were some small changes. Some were a bit unexpected. Arms and legs were essentially the same. I lost about a half inch on my hips only to relocate it to my chest! What the Hell?!?!?!?! I lost about a half inch from my waist too.
So I have yoga, weight lifting classes that I recently added and now 5 more sessions with Mimi. If that wasn’t enough, she also would like for me to go to another class: Boot Camp. Hmmm….don’t know about that one. The last thing I want is someone yelling at me. Still, it looks like it’s only once a week, so that could work. Honestly, how do people do this all the time and enjoy it? It feels like an entire second life. If I’m not at work chances are I’m at the gym.
In other news, can I tell you how much I hate ordering clothes online? I have sent back yet another pair of Capri pants that don’t fit. Finally yesterday I decided to abandon the idea of the capris and try to find shorts instead. Found some sailor style ones on Ebay. I know I’m still ordering online, but I have to give this one more shot. As we are approaching the last 6 weeks, I have yet to finalize my outfit for the car. I really wanted capris, but I guess I have to let that one go. I tried a couple of skirts, but it just seems a little too formal for the car shots. Besides, since I already have a dress picked out, I wanted something more casual. So let’s see if these shorts are the answer. At this point I am starting to get a bit nervous about the time…
So last night I had a follow up meeting with Mimi, my trainer from the gym. She and I had some training sessions earlier this month. I knew she was going to try and push for more sessions eventually. As I’m sitting there listening to her go on about the different things we could try I finally decided that I couldn’t go into this photo shoot feeling like I didn’t do everything I possibly could. So fine, 5 more sessions. One last push to try and tone my arms and belly.
She took my measurements again and as expected there were some small changes. Some were a bit unexpected. Arms and legs were essentially the same. I lost about a half inch on my hips only to relocate it to my chest! What the Hell?!?!?!?! I lost about a half inch from my waist too.
So I have yoga, weight lifting classes that I recently added and now 5 more sessions with Mimi. If that wasn’t enough, she also would like for me to go to another class: Boot Camp. Hmmm….don’t know about that one. The last thing I want is someone yelling at me. Still, it looks like it’s only once a week, so that could work. Honestly, how do people do this all the time and enjoy it? It feels like an entire second life. If I’m not at work chances are I’m at the gym.
In other news, can I tell you how much I hate ordering clothes online? I have sent back yet another pair of Capri pants that don’t fit. Finally yesterday I decided to abandon the idea of the capris and try to find shorts instead. Found some sailor style ones on Ebay. I know I’m still ordering online, but I have to give this one more shot. As we are approaching the last 6 weeks, I have yet to finalize my outfit for the car. I really wanted capris, but I guess I have to let that one go. I tried a couple of skirts, but it just seems a little too formal for the car shots. Besides, since I already have a dress picked out, I wanted something more casual. So let’s see if these shorts are the answer. At this point I am starting to get a bit nervous about the time…
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
March 8
No burning topics today, so this will be the rambling update.
First of all, Happy Birthday to Tom Chaplin. I think he’s all of 32 years now. No album or concerts from that front this year. It’s probably just as well with all the travel I have planned for summer anyway. Still hoping that Duran Duran makes it here or to Phoenix this year so April and I can see them. They have a show in LA this month, but it’s on a Wednesday night! Really???
Tonight is round 2 with Mimi the trainer at the gym. I am guessing she is going to make me do more arm stuff again tonight. My arms feel a lot better today than they have the last 2 days. Yoga class last night helped. Mimi thinks it won’t be a problem for me to drop 10-15 pounds by the time the photo shoot rolls around. I hope she’s right!
Dad was on his way here and then decided to go back to OH because another friend of his is battling cancer and is back in the hospital. At first I was a little frustrated that once again the man seems to be scattered all over the place like so much dandelion fluff, but for all intents and purposes he is retired at the moment and can do whatever he wants. Plus, I was really only feeling a bit put out because I have no idea when he is actually showing up here and now it’s delayed even longer. And besides that, Dad's a great friend and I knew as soon as I heard the news he would turn around and head back. Dad would read this and say that I was once again worrying over something I can’t control. To this I say “duh”.
So today’s Groupon was for a 1 hour professional photo session for $49. Oh sure! Where were THEY when I was trying to find a local photographer???? I love that David is coming and that I get him the whole weekend, but the price was a just a little too good to ignore, so I bought the Groupon anyway. I figure I’ll use it sometime later in the year or give it to Heidi or something.
Oh and here are the new bangs....
First of all, Happy Birthday to Tom Chaplin. I think he’s all of 32 years now. No album or concerts from that front this year. It’s probably just as well with all the travel I have planned for summer anyway. Still hoping that Duran Duran makes it here or to Phoenix this year so April and I can see them. They have a show in LA this month, but it’s on a Wednesday night! Really???
Tonight is round 2 with Mimi the trainer at the gym. I am guessing she is going to make me do more arm stuff again tonight. My arms feel a lot better today than they have the last 2 days. Yoga class last night helped. Mimi thinks it won’t be a problem for me to drop 10-15 pounds by the time the photo shoot rolls around. I hope she’s right!
Dad was on his way here and then decided to go back to OH because another friend of his is battling cancer and is back in the hospital. At first I was a little frustrated that once again the man seems to be scattered all over the place like so much dandelion fluff, but for all intents and purposes he is retired at the moment and can do whatever he wants. Plus, I was really only feeling a bit put out because I have no idea when he is actually showing up here and now it’s delayed even longer. And besides that, Dad's a great friend and I knew as soon as I heard the news he would turn around and head back. Dad would read this and say that I was once again worrying over something I can’t control. To this I say “duh”.
So today’s Groupon was for a 1 hour professional photo session for $49. Oh sure! Where were THEY when I was trying to find a local photographer???? I love that David is coming and that I get him the whole weekend, but the price was a just a little too good to ignore, so I bought the Groupon anyway. I figure I’ll use it sometime later in the year or give it to Heidi or something.
Oh and here are the new bangs....
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
MARCH!!
Ya know, it always seems that March does indeed “come in like a lion.” That’s not a complaint since I have a lot to do and a short time to get it done. Sometimes I think the faster things roll in, the better. (Generally this feeling is AFTER I have had a pot of coffee and BEFORE my nap.) So this week I have to finish up the next big hurdle to my work project. I really have until Friday which is like an eon away, but if nothing is happening by tomorrow I’m going to get a little nervous again.
I also received a package today which has my lovely black cherry swing dress in it. I tried it on and of course it’s tight across my chest. Grr…Well, that was bound to happen. It gives me the motivation to proceed with my next step at the gym. I am planning on getting a few sessions with a trainer so I can start to add some much needed strength training to the routine. I am in a familiar cardio rut and yoga is great, but not really pushing me hard enough. Plus cute sales guy at the gym is being rather persistent with the trainer “deal” right now. Arm stuff is not my favorite by a long shot, but neither is the fat peeking out from my bra under my arms. Yuck…
Tomorrow I am supposed to receive my new phone. My contract ended almost a year ago and I had been kicking around the idea of an upgrade to a Blackberry, but I didn’t really want to spend the money. I barely use my cell phone anyway. Well it looks like my procrastination has finally paid off. The special deal Sprint offered me last week was to get the Blackberry for 99 cents. Hard to turn that one down. Yeah, it means my plan is going to be more expensive, but I will probably use it more once I can figure out how to get my work email on the phone. The only part I am not looking forward to is calling Sprint for the activation. I am currently on the Nextel network and apparently even though the 2 companies merged years ago, they still haven’t integrated everything. Three years ago when I got my current phone I was on the phone with customer service for 2 hours because I was swapping from a Sprint network to a Nextel network. Now I’m going back to a Sprint network so I am not sure what to expect.
Tonight is my hair appointment with Ruth. I have some pictures I printed out for possible hair styles for the shoot in May. I need to get her opinion on any changes we need to make now with color and cut. I think the big decision for tonight is what to do with my bangs. I have a feeling we are going to end up chopping them..er, shaping them.
Hmmm, what else? Sometime next week Dad will get here. He is leaving OH tomorrow. It’s been a long time coming. The next couple of months should be interesting…
I also received a package today which has my lovely black cherry swing dress in it. I tried it on and of course it’s tight across my chest. Grr…Well, that was bound to happen. It gives me the motivation to proceed with my next step at the gym. I am planning on getting a few sessions with a trainer so I can start to add some much needed strength training to the routine. I am in a familiar cardio rut and yoga is great, but not really pushing me hard enough. Plus cute sales guy at the gym is being rather persistent with the trainer “deal” right now. Arm stuff is not my favorite by a long shot, but neither is the fat peeking out from my bra under my arms. Yuck…
Tomorrow I am supposed to receive my new phone. My contract ended almost a year ago and I had been kicking around the idea of an upgrade to a Blackberry, but I didn’t really want to spend the money. I barely use my cell phone anyway. Well it looks like my procrastination has finally paid off. The special deal Sprint offered me last week was to get the Blackberry for 99 cents. Hard to turn that one down. Yeah, it means my plan is going to be more expensive, but I will probably use it more once I can figure out how to get my work email on the phone. The only part I am not looking forward to is calling Sprint for the activation. I am currently on the Nextel network and apparently even though the 2 companies merged years ago, they still haven’t integrated everything. Three years ago when I got my current phone I was on the phone with customer service for 2 hours because I was swapping from a Sprint network to a Nextel network. Now I’m going back to a Sprint network so I am not sure what to expect.
Tonight is my hair appointment with Ruth. I have some pictures I printed out for possible hair styles for the shoot in May. I need to get her opinion on any changes we need to make now with color and cut. I think the big decision for tonight is what to do with my bangs. I have a feeling we are going to end up chopping them..er, shaping them.
Hmmm, what else? Sometime next week Dad will get here. He is leaving OH tomorrow. It’s been a long time coming. The next couple of months should be interesting…
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Victory Rolls! Hey wait! I thought I was trying to lose those…
Manager is away today, all my content is in the hands of others for review, bills are paid….so time to goof off a bit today. First up is trying to figure out hairstyles for the photo shoot. I have a hair appointment with Ruth next week and I need to bring her some ideas on what I want her to do for me. So today I have been looking through all kinds of photos, how-to videos and the like for inspiration. What I have found to be interesting is how much of the 40’s trickled into the 50’s in terms of hairstyles. I guess I shouldn’t be so surprised. I had my 80’s hair well into the 90’s. It’s not like we hit 1990 and just said NO! to everything that came before. So….here are some of the questions I am pondering today.
Bangs – To Betty or Not to Betty
I realize that the iconic bangs for the pinup are the Betty Page U bangs. Do I really want them? Another option (which I hate) is the weird looking rolled bang. I don’t even know why I am debating this one. I would have to let my bangs grow out before I could even attempt the sausage roll on my forehead anyway. Ugh…Ok, let’s have some pictures…
Final thought…I love Bernie Dexter. Total girl crush right now. FYI she’s the model in the photo I included for my dress…and also the head scarf pictures.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Photo Update
Well I finally heard back from the Neon Museum and it sounds like we are a go for the shoot!!! YAY!!! It’s a big relief to have that confirmed because now I can work on the rest of the plans. I found a web site for classic car rentals and managed to find a red 1959 Cadillac convertible. I swear I think it’s the only 50’s Cadillac available for rent in the whole city. It was surprising to say the least. I did find a 1971 Cadillac El Dorado which I briefly considered since it was the year I was born, but it would clash with the rest of my 50’s theme. Either way, I am able to rent the car for a few hours which is nice since I don’t want to have to be responsible for it any longer than necessary.
Still on the “To Do” list from Hell is reserving the car, recon mission to the boneyard to scope out locations, recon to Red Rock Canyon to scout locations for the car, clothes, hair, makeup, blah, blah, blah…..
I will say that I ordered a dress that I’m excited about. I told myself I wouldn’t order a swing dress and then I saw this one. So much for will power…I think this is the dress for the boneyard. I’m still debating on the outfit for the car shots. More later…
Still on the “To Do” list from Hell is reserving the car, recon mission to the boneyard to scope out locations, recon to Red Rock Canyon to scout locations for the car, clothes, hair, makeup, blah, blah, blah…..
I will say that I ordered a dress that I’m excited about. I told myself I wouldn’t order a swing dress and then I saw this one. So much for will power…I think this is the dress for the boneyard. I’m still debating on the outfit for the car shots. More later…
Monday, February 21, 2011
Meeting Agenda
Well, it’s out there now. On Sunday morning I had to attend a 2 hour meeting at work. I use the term “meeting” loosely since generally what happens is a lecture that goes on and on forever. How awesome is it to sit in a room and be told for a couple of hours all the things you should know already and where “some of you” just aren’t cutting it? So inspiring!!
I tell myself all the time to just sit in the boat and row. This is a mindless weekend job that lets me clock in and clock out and no more. I’ve never once been late, never called in, and am focused on the financial end game. Yes, this is of course leading up to the point that I have ditched my own advice. I actually asked them if I could host our next “meeting.” I came home and typed up a sample agenda and included suggestions for team activities and everything. So much for rowing!
I don’t think I can stand to sit through one more of these. All that “leadership” and not one of them have any presentation skills. No sense of their audience at all! We have people that just started and people that have been there for almost 30 years. I was looking at everyone around me and there was a range from half asleep to “they aren’t talking about me” looks to counting tiles in the ceiling and well, you get the idea. Totally lost on the people that were literally reading documentation to us.
So like I said, it’s out there now. I turned in my suggestions. I’m really hoping that I am coming across as being helpful and not over-stepping. Then again, this job was never meant to last this long. Still, if I decide to try and come back around the holidays, it sure would be nice if I didn’t burn any bridges. I’m not going back until Saturday so it should be interesting to see if it even gets mentioned to me.
Row, row, row your boat….
I tell myself all the time to just sit in the boat and row. This is a mindless weekend job that lets me clock in and clock out and no more. I’ve never once been late, never called in, and am focused on the financial end game. Yes, this is of course leading up to the point that I have ditched my own advice. I actually asked them if I could host our next “meeting.” I came home and typed up a sample agenda and included suggestions for team activities and everything. So much for rowing!
I don’t think I can stand to sit through one more of these. All that “leadership” and not one of them have any presentation skills. No sense of their audience at all! We have people that just started and people that have been there for almost 30 years. I was looking at everyone around me and there was a range from half asleep to “they aren’t talking about me” looks to counting tiles in the ceiling and well, you get the idea. Totally lost on the people that were literally reading documentation to us.
So like I said, it’s out there now. I turned in my suggestions. I’m really hoping that I am coming across as being helpful and not over-stepping. Then again, this job was never meant to last this long. Still, if I decide to try and come back around the holidays, it sure would be nice if I didn’t burn any bridges. I’m not going back until Saturday so it should be interesting to see if it even gets mentioned to me.
Row, row, row your boat….
Friday, February 18, 2011
Friday Night
So normally I would wait to write something up after an event, but I’m bored while waiting for a meeting, so let’s do a little warm up first shall we?
My weekend job puts me in contact with the public in general, but also with some pretty interesting coworkers. Most of them are ridiculously younger than me. It’s a bizarre experience. Anyway, one of my friends has reached the end of her Las Vegas experience and has decided to pack it in and move back to Indiana. Kind of a bummer since she was a good person to work with, but not a total shock given her situation. Plus, this was her first big move away from friends and family. At 24 I would have been hard pressed to make that work too. It took me at least 2 tries to get out of the Midwest. Fate is too quirky for me to risk saying that I’ll never go back, so we’ll just leave that for now…
Last weekend I took her out for drinks at where else???? The Peppermill. She loved it. Luckily she was down with the whole lounging vibe rather than clubbing. Now, with her time running out, she wants to go out again tonight. The difference this time is a bigger crowd, probably a club and something we call LBD (Little Black Dress) night. Oy. Not a lot of my favorite things here. Granted, I know I don’t have to go since I technically already had a night out with her. But, soft touch that I am, I am most likely driving tonight. So bring on the Spanx, I guess.
We have tentative plans to go to Red Rock Casino, so at least we aren’t schlepping down to the Strip. I haven’t heard from her yet today, but it wouldn’t surprise me to hear the location change a few times. Whatever. As long as there is breakfast at the end of this night I can put up with a lot.
My weekend job puts me in contact with the public in general, but also with some pretty interesting coworkers. Most of them are ridiculously younger than me. It’s a bizarre experience. Anyway, one of my friends has reached the end of her Las Vegas experience and has decided to pack it in and move back to Indiana. Kind of a bummer since she was a good person to work with, but not a total shock given her situation. Plus, this was her first big move away from friends and family. At 24 I would have been hard pressed to make that work too. It took me at least 2 tries to get out of the Midwest. Fate is too quirky for me to risk saying that I’ll never go back, so we’ll just leave that for now…
Last weekend I took her out for drinks at where else???? The Peppermill. She loved it. Luckily she was down with the whole lounging vibe rather than clubbing. Now, with her time running out, she wants to go out again tonight. The difference this time is a bigger crowd, probably a club and something we call LBD (Little Black Dress) night. Oy. Not a lot of my favorite things here. Granted, I know I don’t have to go since I technically already had a night out with her. But, soft touch that I am, I am most likely driving tonight. So bring on the Spanx, I guess.
We have tentative plans to go to Red Rock Casino, so at least we aren’t schlepping down to the Strip. I haven’t heard from her yet today, but it wouldn’t surprise me to hear the location change a few times. Whatever. As long as there is breakfast at the end of this night I can put up with a lot.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Think System
I have a very important project going on at work right now. So important that I can’t seem to make myself work on it. I spend so much time thinking about what I want to say and not a lot of time actually writing it down. It’s weird. I have work sessions scheduled with my subject matter experts and everything is going fine. I haven’t missed a single deadline and yet I feel like I’m not really doing anything. Does thinking about work count as work? I still enter it that way on my timesheet!!
Even as I am sitting here typing this out, part of me is thinking about PowerPoint slides and tone for the narrative that will go with them. I have another work session scheduled for next week and so far not a single word written for it. When it’s finally finished, everyone in the company is supposed to view it. And I am supposed to write up some talking points for the CEO who is supposed to make an introduction video for this training. My quest for perfection is rendering me speechless. I know I am too far in my head right now. That’s why I keep scheduling these work sessions. Deadlines are forcing me to keep actively plugging away at it.
To try and keep myself loose, I keep “walking away” from it and coming back to it several times throughout the day. In the past I have often found it useful to switch focus onto mundane things like laundry or paying bills, or whatever while noodling over some problem or another. So far no lightening bolts of inspiration. Maybe it’s time to try something else.
Even as I am sitting here typing this out, part of me is thinking about PowerPoint slides and tone for the narrative that will go with them. I have another work session scheduled for next week and so far not a single word written for it. When it’s finally finished, everyone in the company is supposed to view it. And I am supposed to write up some talking points for the CEO who is supposed to make an introduction video for this training. My quest for perfection is rendering me speechless. I know I am too far in my head right now. That’s why I keep scheduling these work sessions. Deadlines are forcing me to keep actively plugging away at it.
To try and keep myself loose, I keep “walking away” from it and coming back to it several times throughout the day. In the past I have often found it useful to switch focus onto mundane things like laundry or paying bills, or whatever while noodling over some problem or another. So far no lightening bolts of inspiration. Maybe it’s time to try something else.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
This ain’t no Olan Mills!!
I’m too excited about it to keep it a secret. I have decided to organize a photo shoot for my upcoming birthday. My mind is going so crazy with ideas that I can’t concentrate on work which is a very bad thing! Still, I have so much planning to do and I have to get everything going right now if I want to make my deadline. I am trying to schedule everything for the first weekend in May. I realize its Mother’s Day weekend, but hopefully that won’t interfere with my plans.
So I have started thinking about locations and I am beyond excited to say that I have set the wheels in motion to have a photo shoot at the Neon Boneyard. How completely cool is that??? I have contacted them to determine if I can get the date I want and to arrange all the particulars. Since its run by volunteers, I have to plan in advance and get permission to even get in let alone bring a photographer with me. Fingers crossed that everything is approved. And speaking of photographers…
I asked a friend of mine to take the pictures for me. I started to go down the road of looking for local photographers since there is certainly no shortage of them in this town. I contacted a few and frankly I was less than impressed with the way I was treated if they bothered to acknowledge me at all. Maybe it had something to do with how far away the date is, maybe not but they can just forget it. I decided to ask my friend David to do it. It’s a bit of a leap of faith for both of us, but even just a couple of conversations about style and tone and we are already on the same page. I feel really great about my choice.
Since I am using a friend that isn’t going to be watching the clock I feel a lot more adventurous to try different things. Case in point is that I am looking into renting a classic Cadillac convertible and have us drive off into the desert. I proposed the idea to David and he loved it. Yay!! Now I just have to start pricing that out and figuring out how far in advance I can make the reservation and if I have to get special insurance, blah, blah, big money blah…
So in case it isn’t obvious yet, I am going with an old Vegas, 50’s retro kind of vibe for the shoot. That means hair, makeup and clothes!! WooHoo!! So far I have been hitting the gym almost everyday. Amazing the things you can accomplish when you have a deadline. Come Hell or high water pictures will be taken of me regardless of the size of my waistline. Ugh. Might be time to invest in some Spanx! My hairdresser is on board and although she has also offered to do my makeup, I am pricing that out too. As for clothing, I am all over the map. I have some ideas and some items earmarked on various sites, but I really haven’t decided yet. Plus, what size do I order? No, unfortunately I have to wait on that part for now. You can count on the fact that something is going to have cherries on it!
So I have started thinking about locations and I am beyond excited to say that I have set the wheels in motion to have a photo shoot at the Neon Boneyard. How completely cool is that??? I have contacted them to determine if I can get the date I want and to arrange all the particulars. Since its run by volunteers, I have to plan in advance and get permission to even get in let alone bring a photographer with me. Fingers crossed that everything is approved. And speaking of photographers…
I asked a friend of mine to take the pictures for me. I started to go down the road of looking for local photographers since there is certainly no shortage of them in this town. I contacted a few and frankly I was less than impressed with the way I was treated if they bothered to acknowledge me at all. Maybe it had something to do with how far away the date is, maybe not but they can just forget it. I decided to ask my friend David to do it. It’s a bit of a leap of faith for both of us, but even just a couple of conversations about style and tone and we are already on the same page. I feel really great about my choice.
Since I am using a friend that isn’t going to be watching the clock I feel a lot more adventurous to try different things. Case in point is that I am looking into renting a classic Cadillac convertible and have us drive off into the desert. I proposed the idea to David and he loved it. Yay!! Now I just have to start pricing that out and figuring out how far in advance I can make the reservation and if I have to get special insurance, blah, blah, big money blah…
So in case it isn’t obvious yet, I am going with an old Vegas, 50’s retro kind of vibe for the shoot. That means hair, makeup and clothes!! WooHoo!! So far I have been hitting the gym almost everyday. Amazing the things you can accomplish when you have a deadline. Come Hell or high water pictures will be taken of me regardless of the size of my waistline. Ugh. Might be time to invest in some Spanx! My hairdresser is on board and although she has also offered to do my makeup, I am pricing that out too. As for clothing, I am all over the map. I have some ideas and some items earmarked on various sites, but I really haven’t decided yet. Plus, what size do I order? No, unfortunately I have to wait on that part for now. You can count on the fact that something is going to have cherries on it!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Pandora, Yoga, euHReka
So I finally decided to check out Pandora a couple of weeks ago. So far it’s just been whatever the default service is. No upgrading here just yet. I’m still not convinced it’s for me. I am still having some trouble figuring out how to customize the stations. Somehow all of my stations eventually all sound the same. Why can’t I have a station that only plays one artist? Maybe I could if I upgraded. Bah…
So I have started going to yoga 3 times a week at my gym. It’s been rough since I haven’t been to a class in years. I was surprised at how much flexibility I’ve lost over the years. I have to measure success in small steps. Last night I was finally able to do a side plank. It wasn’t pretty but I didn’t fall and I didn’t quit. I don’t know if I am ever going to get to the wheel, but never say never I suppose. The 3 classes each have a different instructor which is good and bad. I find the variety interesting since each instructor clearly has their favorite poses. The frustrating part is that not all of them are necessarily the same when it comes to giving instructions. Seems wrong to get mad during yoga. Still, my incremental results are worth it. I feel stronger.
Yoga isn’t really doing much for my stress. I have a very high profile project starting and everyday I feel a little more excited and nervous about the work ahead and how critical it is to be absolutely perfect. Our flagship product is called euHReka and I am tasked with building some awareness training for it in the next 6 weeks. The whole company is supposed to take the training and in reality this is just the start of an entire training program. As you might imagine, the upside to this kind of exposure is huge. The downside is something I don’t even want to consider. Think positive, right? I have people working with me that have just as much at stake and won’t let this project get off track. I know it will all work out fine but here and now it seems a bit nerve racking.
So I have started going to yoga 3 times a week at my gym. It’s been rough since I haven’t been to a class in years. I was surprised at how much flexibility I’ve lost over the years. I have to measure success in small steps. Last night I was finally able to do a side plank. It wasn’t pretty but I didn’t fall and I didn’t quit. I don’t know if I am ever going to get to the wheel, but never say never I suppose. The 3 classes each have a different instructor which is good and bad. I find the variety interesting since each instructor clearly has their favorite poses. The frustrating part is that not all of them are necessarily the same when it comes to giving instructions. Seems wrong to get mad during yoga. Still, my incremental results are worth it. I feel stronger.
Yoga isn’t really doing much for my stress. I have a very high profile project starting and everyday I feel a little more excited and nervous about the work ahead and how critical it is to be absolutely perfect. Our flagship product is called euHReka and I am tasked with building some awareness training for it in the next 6 weeks. The whole company is supposed to take the training and in reality this is just the start of an entire training program. As you might imagine, the upside to this kind of exposure is huge. The downside is something I don’t even want to consider. Think positive, right? I have people working with me that have just as much at stake and won’t let this project get off track. I know it will all work out fine but here and now it seems a bit nerve racking.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tetris
I feel a little rusty starting this back up again. Still, I find myself composing in my head which is what I used to do when I was writing regularly, so perhaps my sabbatical from writing is over. Then again, I am also taking a break from moving the furniture around my apartment, so even writing seems like a better option.
Why am I moving things around my little cracker box? Well, it turns out I am going to have a houseguest for a bit. Not sure for how long (although I have been assured it will be for only 2 weeks). So, here I am trying to maneuver some extra space in my spare bedroom/ office. Isn’t it irritating that before you can clean you have to make a really gigantic mess first? I have already emptied out the contents of one closet and I now have to empty out the storage unit so I can refit all of the old stuff as well as the new stuff. Once again I feel like I am playing a life version of Tetris.
Why am I moving things around my little cracker box? Well, it turns out I am going to have a houseguest for a bit. Not sure for how long (although I have been assured it will be for only 2 weeks). So, here I am trying to maneuver some extra space in my spare bedroom/ office. Isn’t it irritating that before you can clean you have to make a really gigantic mess first? I have already emptied out the contents of one closet and I now have to empty out the storage unit so I can refit all of the old stuff as well as the new stuff. Once again I feel like I am playing a life version of Tetris.
Of course now that I have started this process, I just want to box it all up and then get rid of it. Case in point: I have a large storage bin full of binders that have my textbook/ classroom materials from my Masters program. I graduated 7 years ago and I don’t believe I have opened the bin let alone referenced anything from it. Do I get rid of it? Yeah, I supposed it’s time.
Next issue is books. I have been thinking about buying a Kindle. If I do, do I add books to it that I already own and then get rid of my hard copies? It feels a little like my cassette tape to CD project and my VHS to DVD project. Do I really need to tackle this too? I am finally getting to the point where I am OK about not buying CD’s. (Well, except if it is a favorite band and I already own everything else.) Still, getting rid of a lot of these books would free up more space.
In the meantime, I keep staring at the pile of stuff I have to do something with and so far just staring at it isn’t doing much. Guess my break is over.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Flagstaff for the Long Haul
So this past weekend I had a chance to take a quick trip out of town to see a good friend. My friend Darin is playing in a band and they are out touring right now for their album. I decided to go see them play in Flagstaff. About a 4 hour drive, but I was also interested in checking out the town. I’ve driven through many times, but never really had a chance to explore. Well I can certainly claim it now. I stayed down in the historic district at a hotel called the Monte Vista.
According to the hotel brochure, more than 100 movies were filmed in Northern Arizona in the 40’s and 50’s. The Hotel Monte Vista became the destination of choice for a number of Hollywood stars. I ended up in the Lee Marvin room. The movies I came up with for him (with some help from Dad) are The Dirty Dozen, Paint Your Wagon and Cat Ballou. The brochure even has a picture of my room in it. Hmmmm…yeah, my room didn’t look anything like the brochure.
There was a pair of his boots nailed to the wall and a picture of him passed out drunk on a horse from Cat Ballou in the closet they called a bathroom. The hotel is also rumored to be haunted, but there were certainly no ghost sightings while I was there. The only thing from the brochure picture that I can say was in my room is the horse statue on the dresser. Oh well, not the most interesting part of the story, but a good place to start.
So I breezed into town Saturday afternoon and checked in. I had some time to kill before Darin and the band came in, so I decided to go do some exploring. The historic district is about a 4 block radius of bars, shops and restaurants. The town square is an open red brick affair with iron benches and a little area for bands to play. There was a band setting up as I strolled past. As for the people, it was clearly divided by 2 groups: college kids and tourists. There were plenty of both as I walked up and down the streets. My goals were simple: find the bar where the band was going to play, find the coffee places, find a place for dinner and find a place for breakfast Sunday morning. I accomplished all of these things in about 30 minutes. That’s how small it was. (Reminded me a bit of Yellow Springs, actually.)
The band came in to town and set up around 8 that evening. The bar (Uptown Billiards) was part of a pool hall. Nice place, really. Small playing area for the band, but probably not the worst place they’ll ever play. The bartenders were friendly and the drinks were cheap, so who could complain? The band was awesome. Although they are out promoting their album, they also played a lot of covers. Given the fact that they were playing to a bar crowd, playing the familiar made a lot of sense. The songs they played from the album were my favorites, so it really was win-win for me all night. They also played a song about a trip to Vegas (not on the album) which I really liked. Maybe it will make it on the next one.
I had a chance to meet the guys and they are all pretty cool. (I think traditionally it will be the dreaded sophomore album where the egos emerge, the money, fame and drugs kick in and the “behind the music” cautionary tale begins, but maybe I’m just having a glass is half empty moment.) I also saw the van they have stuffed themselves into as they drive across the country. It suffered a breakdown in Wyoming, which I personally think is critical to the “rising from obscurity” part of the band back story. I told Darin he couldn’t put a price on memories like that. He very smartly told me that the price was a new alternator on the credit card….touché.
Dan Tedesco and The Long Haul rocked out for a few hours. Sure, there was a tense moment with broken glasses being kicked around as well as a bit too much plumber-butt from an “enthusiastic” fan, but it was still a good time. After the show it was time to check out the rest of the nightlife in town. There were still some bands playing at other venues, so off I went with the band. Turns out, the nightlife was winding down in the rest of the town too, so options got limited real fast.
Some of the friends also in town to support the band were staying in the same hotel I was so I got an opportunity to check out the Presidential suite of the hotel. Not sure which president, but the red walls, black trim and gaudy knickknacks made me think it might have been a “chicken ranch” kind of official. Do they have presidents?
I think I finally passed out in the rustic Lee Marvin suite about 4 am. The train station is a block over from the hotel with trains running through about every 30 minutes. So even with the air conditioning unit on and the ceiling fan trying to give me some white noise, there I was awake from my “nap” by 6am. By 7 I gave up and decided to embrace the day. Darin and I got some coffee and found a bench to smoke and take in Flagstaff in the god-awful AM of Sunday morning….
…only to be accosted by a Native American intent on giving Darin a “reading” and a healing, I suppose. There was a laying of hands (germs!) and the Good Book was revealed for a bit of scripture. Now Dad would say that you meet people for a reason. We both sat and listened politely for a bit and personally I marveled at Darin’s patience. Finally, he got to the part where he asked for money. (And THERE was the reason for this soul in our lives at that moment.) We ended up politely breaking away from our hungry shaman and decided to do another circuit around town.
Eventually, we decided to go and have breakfast. The rest of the band was still sleeping in various places and I had no place to be in any hurry, so breakfast was the right choice. The Downtown Diner was a quaint greasy spoon with tape on the torn vinyl booths and a collection of license plates and historic town photos covering every square inch of wall space. The food was fast and hot and cheap. Not bad either, although Darin found a little extra “floss” with his food. (That’s what you get for avoiding tasty breakfast meat, you hippy!)
Eventually, people started to wake up (it was closing in on noon after all) and I dropped Darin off and headed for home. I was so punch drunk from the lack of sleep and the long drive that I literally fell into bed by 6 pm and didn’t move until the alarm went off this morning. I don’t know that I would recommend the town or the hotel, but I would definitely recommend seeing the band. In true band-supporter fashion, I will now insert a link for Dan’s MySpace page so you can check out the tour dates and even hear a couple of songs.
According to the hotel brochure, more than 100 movies were filmed in Northern Arizona in the 40’s and 50’s. The Hotel Monte Vista became the destination of choice for a number of Hollywood stars. I ended up in the Lee Marvin room. The movies I came up with for him (with some help from Dad) are The Dirty Dozen, Paint Your Wagon and Cat Ballou. The brochure even has a picture of my room in it. Hmmmm…yeah, my room didn’t look anything like the brochure.
There was a pair of his boots nailed to the wall and a picture of him passed out drunk on a horse from Cat Ballou in the closet they called a bathroom. The hotel is also rumored to be haunted, but there were certainly no ghost sightings while I was there. The only thing from the brochure picture that I can say was in my room is the horse statue on the dresser. Oh well, not the most interesting part of the story, but a good place to start.
So I breezed into town Saturday afternoon and checked in. I had some time to kill before Darin and the band came in, so I decided to go do some exploring. The historic district is about a 4 block radius of bars, shops and restaurants. The town square is an open red brick affair with iron benches and a little area for bands to play. There was a band setting up as I strolled past. As for the people, it was clearly divided by 2 groups: college kids and tourists. There were plenty of both as I walked up and down the streets. My goals were simple: find the bar where the band was going to play, find the coffee places, find a place for dinner and find a place for breakfast Sunday morning. I accomplished all of these things in about 30 minutes. That’s how small it was. (Reminded me a bit of Yellow Springs, actually.)
The band came in to town and set up around 8 that evening. The bar (Uptown Billiards) was part of a pool hall. Nice place, really. Small playing area for the band, but probably not the worst place they’ll ever play. The bartenders were friendly and the drinks were cheap, so who could complain? The band was awesome. Although they are out promoting their album, they also played a lot of covers. Given the fact that they were playing to a bar crowd, playing the familiar made a lot of sense. The songs they played from the album were my favorites, so it really was win-win for me all night. They also played a song about a trip to Vegas (not on the album) which I really liked. Maybe it will make it on the next one.
I had a chance to meet the guys and they are all pretty cool. (I think traditionally it will be the dreaded sophomore album where the egos emerge, the money, fame and drugs kick in and the “behind the music” cautionary tale begins, but maybe I’m just having a glass is half empty moment.) I also saw the van they have stuffed themselves into as they drive across the country. It suffered a breakdown in Wyoming, which I personally think is critical to the “rising from obscurity” part of the band back story. I told Darin he couldn’t put a price on memories like that. He very smartly told me that the price was a new alternator on the credit card….touché.
Dan Tedesco and The Long Haul rocked out for a few hours. Sure, there was a tense moment with broken glasses being kicked around as well as a bit too much plumber-butt from an “enthusiastic” fan, but it was still a good time. After the show it was time to check out the rest of the nightlife in town. There were still some bands playing at other venues, so off I went with the band. Turns out, the nightlife was winding down in the rest of the town too, so options got limited real fast.
Some of the friends also in town to support the band were staying in the same hotel I was so I got an opportunity to check out the Presidential suite of the hotel. Not sure which president, but the red walls, black trim and gaudy knickknacks made me think it might have been a “chicken ranch” kind of official. Do they have presidents?
I think I finally passed out in the rustic Lee Marvin suite about 4 am. The train station is a block over from the hotel with trains running through about every 30 minutes. So even with the air conditioning unit on and the ceiling fan trying to give me some white noise, there I was awake from my “nap” by 6am. By 7 I gave up and decided to embrace the day. Darin and I got some coffee and found a bench to smoke and take in Flagstaff in the god-awful AM of Sunday morning….
…only to be accosted by a Native American intent on giving Darin a “reading” and a healing, I suppose. There was a laying of hands (germs!) and the Good Book was revealed for a bit of scripture. Now Dad would say that you meet people for a reason. We both sat and listened politely for a bit and personally I marveled at Darin’s patience. Finally, he got to the part where he asked for money. (And THERE was the reason for this soul in our lives at that moment.) We ended up politely breaking away from our hungry shaman and decided to do another circuit around town.
Eventually, we decided to go and have breakfast. The rest of the band was still sleeping in various places and I had no place to be in any hurry, so breakfast was the right choice. The Downtown Diner was a quaint greasy spoon with tape on the torn vinyl booths and a collection of license plates and historic town photos covering every square inch of wall space. The food was fast and hot and cheap. Not bad either, although Darin found a little extra “floss” with his food. (That’s what you get for avoiding tasty breakfast meat, you hippy!)
Eventually, people started to wake up (it was closing in on noon after all) and I dropped Darin off and headed for home. I was so punch drunk from the lack of sleep and the long drive that I literally fell into bed by 6 pm and didn’t move until the alarm went off this morning. I don’t know that I would recommend the town or the hotel, but I would definitely recommend seeing the band. In true band-supporter fashion, I will now insert a link for Dan’s MySpace page so you can check out the tour dates and even hear a couple of songs.
Monday, July 06, 2009
4th of July 2009
This year’s celebration was a change of pace from the last 2 years. Heidi and family were off to LA for some Disney time, so no gathering to watch their crazy neighbor launch missiles from the driveway. No, this year I made a trip to LA too. Chuck is there for work for a couple of weeks and I decided to drive out and visit.He is staying near the convention center in Anaheim which is right across the street from Disney. I got there Friday night and we went over to the Downtown Disney area for dinner and a movie. We ended up seeing the Transformers movie which I thought was pretty bad.
We didn’t really have any plans made for the 4th which was fine with me. The next morning we went to breakfast and discussed options. We though about going out to Catalina Island for the day, but based on price and the amount of time we would get to spend there it didn’t make much sense. Still, I think I have a location to check out for a future girl’s weekend!
Instead, we decided to go out to Long Beach and check out the Queen Mary. Apparently, it’s been there my whole life and I never knew it. It’s a hotel and museum. It was interesting to say the least. In addition to being a working hotel, they have various tours and things to do onboard as well. They have a tour called ghosts and legends which looked like fun, but we decided to skip it and explore on our own. We wandered all over the ship trying to open locked doors to get a look inside some of the rooms, but no luck. The Promenade deck had some fun shops in it, so I loaded up with some souvenirs.
Right next to the ship is a Russian submarine. Kind of weird, really. No idea what it was doing there, but again they offered a tour to go through it. Now, I’m not claustrophobic or anything, but I wasn’t really in to crawling around an old submarine for fun either. Still, it had its own gift shop so we wandered through that too. I was so excited to see the Russian nesting dolls! I was hoping to maybe get inspired again for my Russian Christmas tree theme, but nothing really jumped out at me except the dolls.
The ship was also gearing up for a 4th of July party. We thought about staying all day to see the show, but after a couple of hours, we had explored everything we could and decided to go find something else to do. Besides, Chuck had access to a suite on top of our hotel where we could see fireworks from Disney and pretty much the rest of the valley. So once we got back to the hotel we made a reservation for dinner at a Hawaiian Fusion restaurant called Roy’s. Granted, it was a sushi place, and I don’t do sushi, but I figured there would still be something for me to find on the menu.
Turns out I was feeling a bit adventurous once dinner rolled around and decided to try the sushi. Um….yeah, still not really a fan. It’s a texture thing. And frankly, I don’t find a lot of flavor in any of it. Still, I was proud of myself for giving it a shot. The rest of the meal was excellent. We each tried a sampler of their most popular fish dishes and it was amazing.
After dinner we walked back to the hotel to go watch the fireworks. In the suite on top of the hotel, people from the convention started to wander in. Interesting crowd. The group Chuck is with is the National Episcopal Church. He explained it as a sort of Church Congress. Every 3 years they all come together to discuss church business and pass laws? Rules? Not sure what to call them…anyway, an interesting crowd to be sure.
While we were waiting for the Disney fireworks to start someone looked up the Declaration of Independence and the started to recite it for the group. And then the singing started. Really? It was like Christmas caroling gone wrong. There was a rousing sing a long of the Star Spangled Banner, America and God Bless America. Oh, and in mostly perfect harmony. The Disney fireworks were good, although another Internet search indicated that although in past years they normally did a special fireworks show for the 4th, this year they were not. And the Recession strikes again…..
Still, all in all it was a nice time. The next morning we went to breakfast and then I hit the road to come home. The traffic was nice and light as usual. It’s always worse going in the other direction. Even with the Michael Jackson business going on, the traffic side of the highway was all about people heading to/ from Vegas for the weekend.
Friday, June 19, 2009
June News Update
So, what’s new? Well, there has been some family news, but I think we have that all sorted for now. The last thing I need to do is rehash the family drama yet again.
Next week is my birthday. 38 is one of those unimportant numbers, so no plans going on this year. I will say that Jeff is coming to town, so I’m sure I’ll get a chance to see him and have him buy me dinner…
Frankly, what I am already thinking about is turning 40. Not so much about the actual number, but what the girls and I are going to do to celebrate the milestone. Seems like a long way off to start planning a trip, but if we want it to be something really special (translation – expensive) I would rather start saving for it now. Plus, prices on some of these things might be better in this economy and this far in advance. So the planning begins…
What else is coming up? The trip to Ohio is in a couple of weeks. It’s supposed to be for my high school reunion, but there was a reminder email that came out that all reservations had to be in by next Friday or dinner was cancelled. I would be really pissed at this point to come all that way just to have it all fall apart. Still, more time for family and friends, which will be nice too. Always good to have a backup plan!
Then in August I have some stranger plans I guess. Time to scatter the ashes for grandma and Linda. It’s weird to think about a planned “event” such as this. Still, I know that Dad has wanted to do it for at least a year now and is tired of waiting for everyone else to decide on a time. So this summer is it. The only worry I have for the event is the state of my stomach while on the boat, so Dramamine is coming with me to make sure the only thing scattered in the ocean are the ashes…
Next week is my birthday. 38 is one of those unimportant numbers, so no plans going on this year. I will say that Jeff is coming to town, so I’m sure I’ll get a chance to see him and have him buy me dinner…
Frankly, what I am already thinking about is turning 40. Not so much about the actual number, but what the girls and I are going to do to celebrate the milestone. Seems like a long way off to start planning a trip, but if we want it to be something really special (translation – expensive) I would rather start saving for it now. Plus, prices on some of these things might be better in this economy and this far in advance. So the planning begins…
What else is coming up? The trip to Ohio is in a couple of weeks. It’s supposed to be for my high school reunion, but there was a reminder email that came out that all reservations had to be in by next Friday or dinner was cancelled. I would be really pissed at this point to come all that way just to have it all fall apart. Still, more time for family and friends, which will be nice too. Always good to have a backup plan!
Then in August I have some stranger plans I guess. Time to scatter the ashes for grandma and Linda. It’s weird to think about a planned “event” such as this. Still, I know that Dad has wanted to do it for at least a year now and is tired of waiting for everyone else to decide on a time. So this summer is it. The only worry I have for the event is the state of my stomach while on the boat, so Dramamine is coming with me to make sure the only thing scattered in the ocean are the ashes…
Monday, May 18, 2009
Chicago Weekend
This past weekend I went to Chicago for a visit with Lynnea. It was my first trip out since Nolan arrived and it was past time for me to meet the little guy. Plus, I was also coming out for my first Keane concert in Chicago. I want to try to keep the tradition going to see them in different cities and Chicago seemed like a logical choice.
The weather on Friday when I arrived was rainy, but that was the worst of it. The rest of the weekend was beautiful and much cooler than the record temperatures here at home. Once Lynnea and Nolan picked me up we headed out for a quick stop to pick up some dinner and head back to her house to settle in and visit. Nolan had some different ideas. He is getting close to the 2 year mark and the fun antics that accompany that age. After making a bit of a fuss while waiting for food, we got home and got back on track.
The first night we just took it easy and we watched a movie after the little guy had gone to sleep. Well…and after Lynnea fixed the remote for me. It seems that her simple directions for using the remote were too complicated for me. Long story short, I ended up pushing all of the buttons. Once she came back and fixed it, we were all set. We ended up watching Ghost Town. It was hilarious. Didn’t seem like the movie did too much when it came out or stayed around too long, but we both thought it was good.
Next day was spent playing with Nolan until grandma arrived for babysitting duties. Dave’s mom is really cool. We didn’t get to visit too much before we headed out the door for the show, but we had some time on Sunday morning. Once we got grandma and Nolan settled, we were off to the Aragon Ballroom for the show. As usual, people were already lined up when we got there. It’s always interesting for me to see the types of people that come to these shows. In general, it’s such a nice looking bunch of all ages. I think Lynnea’s comment once we were inside was that it was a warm nice smelling crowd.
The ballroom was very pretty and easily the largest venue I have seen them perform to date. Even with the long line outside, we were still pretty close to the stage. One concern I have for any show like this is that tall people will be in front of me and blocking my view. This place was great because the stage was up nice and high. So same as last week, the first 2 bands came and went. I really like the Helio Sequence. The drummer was just as weird as before and I had a much better view of him this time. Matt Kearney sounded better this time around which led me to believe that the sound system in LA wasn’t all it could have been. I still don’t have an urge to run out and own anything by him, but at least the sound was much better.
The only tense moment (for me) was when 2 guys tried to push their way to the front. Lori would have appreciated this I’m sure, but I wasn’t having it. They pretended to be looking for someone up front but seemed to be getting stuck right in front of me. One guy made a show of trying to apologize and I told him he needed to leave. We talked for a few minutes and I think I actually shamed him into leaving. He made some comment about maybe staying anyway since the view was so good and I told him that yes, the view was good which was why I had arrived so early so I could have it. And then I told him again (nicely) that he was being a jerk and that he needed to get out of my way. He finally apologized to me and then he and his friend (who wisely kept his mouth shut) blended back into the crowd. It’s funny again to think about the type of people who come to the show. How many concerts do you go to where you reason with the idiots and they actually listen, let alone apologize?
And then Keane came on. They changed the set list a bit from last week which was cool. I really tried to stay calm about it, but I could not seem to stop myself from providing some commentary for Lynnea about the band and the songs. Hopefully I wasn’t overly annoying about it, but I might have been. I kept telling myself to just shut up, but that didn’t work out so well. Maybe there is a reason I tend to go to these things by myself? Anyway, it was a great show and the band as always seemed genuinely appreciative of the support and energy of the crowd. I love them.
We were feeling a bit dehydrated after the show. It was so freaking hot in there by the end. So a stop for fluids on the way home and we were still back at a decent hour. The next morning Nolan was nice enough to sleep in until 8. Apparently it was a treat. So Sunday morning was a nice visit with grandma before she hit the road. Then we took a trip to the park near Lynnea’s house. That’s where these pictures were taken. As you can see, Nolan had warmed up enough to me to play and hold hands while crossing the street.
All in all, a great weekend. It was good to visit and meet Nolan and to see another great concert in a new city and venue. Maybe next year I can try Denver or San Francisco. You never know. I would love for them to come to Phoenix too so I can drag April with me. I’m sure she can’t wait…
The weather on Friday when I arrived was rainy, but that was the worst of it. The rest of the weekend was beautiful and much cooler than the record temperatures here at home. Once Lynnea and Nolan picked me up we headed out for a quick stop to pick up some dinner and head back to her house to settle in and visit. Nolan had some different ideas. He is getting close to the 2 year mark and the fun antics that accompany that age. After making a bit of a fuss while waiting for food, we got home and got back on track.
The first night we just took it easy and we watched a movie after the little guy had gone to sleep. Well…and after Lynnea fixed the remote for me. It seems that her simple directions for using the remote were too complicated for me. Long story short, I ended up pushing all of the buttons. Once she came back and fixed it, we were all set. We ended up watching Ghost Town. It was hilarious. Didn’t seem like the movie did too much when it came out or stayed around too long, but we both thought it was good.
Next day was spent playing with Nolan until grandma arrived for babysitting duties. Dave’s mom is really cool. We didn’t get to visit too much before we headed out the door for the show, but we had some time on Sunday morning. Once we got grandma and Nolan settled, we were off to the Aragon Ballroom for the show. As usual, people were already lined up when we got there. It’s always interesting for me to see the types of people that come to these shows. In general, it’s such a nice looking bunch of all ages. I think Lynnea’s comment once we were inside was that it was a warm nice smelling crowd.
The ballroom was very pretty and easily the largest venue I have seen them perform to date. Even with the long line outside, we were still pretty close to the stage. One concern I have for any show like this is that tall people will be in front of me and blocking my view. This place was great because the stage was up nice and high. So same as last week, the first 2 bands came and went. I really like the Helio Sequence. The drummer was just as weird as before and I had a much better view of him this time. Matt Kearney sounded better this time around which led me to believe that the sound system in LA wasn’t all it could have been. I still don’t have an urge to run out and own anything by him, but at least the sound was much better.
The only tense moment (for me) was when 2 guys tried to push their way to the front. Lori would have appreciated this I’m sure, but I wasn’t having it. They pretended to be looking for someone up front but seemed to be getting stuck right in front of me. One guy made a show of trying to apologize and I told him he needed to leave. We talked for a few minutes and I think I actually shamed him into leaving. He made some comment about maybe staying anyway since the view was so good and I told him that yes, the view was good which was why I had arrived so early so I could have it. And then I told him again (nicely) that he was being a jerk and that he needed to get out of my way. He finally apologized to me and then he and his friend (who wisely kept his mouth shut) blended back into the crowd. It’s funny again to think about the type of people who come to the show. How many concerts do you go to where you reason with the idiots and they actually listen, let alone apologize?
And then Keane came on. They changed the set list a bit from last week which was cool. I really tried to stay calm about it, but I could not seem to stop myself from providing some commentary for Lynnea about the band and the songs. Hopefully I wasn’t overly annoying about it, but I might have been. I kept telling myself to just shut up, but that didn’t work out so well. Maybe there is a reason I tend to go to these things by myself? Anyway, it was a great show and the band as always seemed genuinely appreciative of the support and energy of the crowd. I love them.
We were feeling a bit dehydrated after the show. It was so freaking hot in there by the end. So a stop for fluids on the way home and we were still back at a decent hour. The next morning Nolan was nice enough to sleep in until 8. Apparently it was a treat. So Sunday morning was a nice visit with grandma before she hit the road. Then we took a trip to the park near Lynnea’s house. That’s where these pictures were taken. As you can see, Nolan had warmed up enough to me to play and hold hands while crossing the street.
All in all, a great weekend. It was good to visit and meet Nolan and to see another great concert in a new city and venue. Maybe next year I can try Denver or San Francisco. You never know. I would love for them to come to Phoenix too so I can drag April with me. I’m sure she can’t wait…
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Getting Ready
Heading to Chicago tomorrow for the weekend. I find I am full of energy today. Where was all this earlier in the week? Today I am scrambling around like a crazy person cleaning and taking care of things before heading out again. Laundry, bills, air filters, plants…..supposedly doing some work in here too.
Still, it was nice to get back into my walking routine this week after being out of town. Doctor’s visit this week says I have lost 12 pounds since January. Nice! Of course that maniac also wants me to lose about 20 more pounds. Never satisfied! With the temperatures starting to heat up for summer, it’s getting a little more uncomfortable but I won’t let it stop me. The worst part so far has been an unexpected case of allergies this spring. I was really hoping that the move to the desert would be the end of it, but I was a fool. Who knows that the culprit is now, but the windy days don’t help. I have noticed that since the wind died down 2 days ago I have felt great.
It was a great night last night for walking. Yes, it was warm, but the crowds were nice and light. The early part of the week is always the best time to be there. On weekends, I have the luxury of going out early morning to avoid the crowds too. It’s good to get out of the apartment head space and go be in a different head space on the Strip. With the music playing, I find it is a good stream of consciousness time to just let my mind wander. Plus I always manage to amuse myself when I find that I am trying to walk to the beat. Now if everyone would just get out of my way!
I have to say the weight loss is also nice given this summer’s high school reunion. Seems like a good motivator, although that wasn’t my intent when I started. Facebook has been nice since I can see a lot of friends now and the wear and tear over the years compared to mine. It feels a bit silly to be concerned by my appearance, but how can you help it with that group? These are the people you went through that time period with when appearance was everything. Time to let the insecurities of the past go.
Still, it was nice to get back into my walking routine this week after being out of town. Doctor’s visit this week says I have lost 12 pounds since January. Nice! Of course that maniac also wants me to lose about 20 more pounds. Never satisfied! With the temperatures starting to heat up for summer, it’s getting a little more uncomfortable but I won’t let it stop me. The worst part so far has been an unexpected case of allergies this spring. I was really hoping that the move to the desert would be the end of it, but I was a fool. Who knows that the culprit is now, but the windy days don’t help. I have noticed that since the wind died down 2 days ago I have felt great.
It was a great night last night for walking. Yes, it was warm, but the crowds were nice and light. The early part of the week is always the best time to be there. On weekends, I have the luxury of going out early morning to avoid the crowds too. It’s good to get out of the apartment head space and go be in a different head space on the Strip. With the music playing, I find it is a good stream of consciousness time to just let my mind wander. Plus I always manage to amuse myself when I find that I am trying to walk to the beat. Now if everyone would just get out of my way!
I have to say the weight loss is also nice given this summer’s high school reunion. Seems like a good motivator, although that wasn’t my intent when I started. Facebook has been nice since I can see a lot of friends now and the wear and tear over the years compared to mine. It feels a bit silly to be concerned by my appearance, but how can you help it with that group? These are the people you went through that time period with when appearance was everything. Time to let the insecurities of the past go.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Updates
I know it’s been awhile since my last update. I guess I just need to feel that something worthwhile has happened before writing anything. I mean really, how exciting is it to talk about day to day life here when nothing changes?
But that is not true now. So here are the updates.
First up is my new hair color. I know with Facebook that I have already made this update, but for those of you not on Facebook and that I didn’t already shove pictures at, I have added purple highlights to my hair. I really like it, but it sure is a maintenance hassle. My bathtub, my fingernails and my pillow case all tell the tale of constantly bleeding dye. So that would be the biggest drawback to this non-permanent color choice. Still, I love the color, so I guess I will deal with the rest until I can’t take it anymore. Chances are this is just a summer experiment, but we’ll see how it goes. The big test was a business trip I took last week to Montréal. If the client was really going to react in a strange way, then I would have had to do some serious rethinking on my hair choices. Turns out I didn’t need to worry about it, but more on that in a minute.
But that is not true now. So here are the updates.
First up is my new hair color. I know with Facebook that I have already made this update, but for those of you not on Facebook and that I didn’t already shove pictures at, I have added purple highlights to my hair. I really like it, but it sure is a maintenance hassle. My bathtub, my fingernails and my pillow case all tell the tale of constantly bleeding dye. So that would be the biggest drawback to this non-permanent color choice. Still, I love the color, so I guess I will deal with the rest until I can’t take it anymore. Chances are this is just a summer experiment, but we’ll see how it goes. The big test was a business trip I took last week to Montréal. If the client was really going to react in a strange way, then I would have had to do some serious rethinking on my hair choices. Turns out I didn’t need to worry about it, but more on that in a minute.
At the end of the day, the color is so dark that it really is not noticeable until I get out into the sun. The next stage is the inevitable fading and seeing what the heck it’s going to fade into. As long as I don’t see any of the orange that was there before the color was applied I think I will be fine.
Ok, so last week I took another trip to Canada. It was so nice to finally be in Canada in a season other than winter. The weather was nice, even with the bit of rain we had. I really like working with this client since they are so easy-going. Each trip I take to Canada just continues to reinforce my love of Canadians.
And no trip would be complete without an interesting travel story, and I do so hate to disappoint you. Now I know I have covered this, but since I take so few flights these days, it was a reminder tome as well. I am referring to having Las Vegas as my home airport. The trip home was the usual party plane with groups of people all excited to get through a grueling 5 hour flight and get to the playground in the desert. I had a couple of guys sitting next to me and clearly they were part of a larger group scattered around the plane. Since I had already resolved the fact that I would be getting no sleep, I finished the book I brought with me.
The guy sitting right next to me was the interesting story for this trip. I honestly couldn’t tell what his problem was, so let me just describe it here. Once he and his friend were seated, he immediately pulled out some hand sanitizer for himself and then offered it to me. It’s like an updated version of offering someone a stick of gum or a breath mint. I felt compelled to accept and I certainly am not against clean hands on an airplane, so I graciously accepted the offer. Nice Bath and Body stuff that smelled like figs. So far no weirdness, but this was only the beginning.
After applying the hand goo, he pulled out a mask. Now that had my attention. Was this guy a serious germaphobe? Was he in fact sick? Overly paranoid about swine flu? This was the mystery I had in front of me. Over the next 5 hours, he proceeded to use the hand sanitizer about every 20 minutes. I’m not even kidding about this. I think I am going to be reminded of him each time I smell figs. Given the compulsiveness of his hand washing, I was leaning toward the germaphobe explanation. But then there were things that just didn’t fit.
He had no problems touching the tray table, the touch screen TV on the back of the headrest, or the beverage cans that were handed to him. That doesn’t make sense, right? I was expecting to see some serious cleaning or avoidance behavior and I got nothing. Just the constant had washing. He even switched out to a clean mask about halfway through the flight. Then I wondered if he was ill after all? He didn’t strike me as being sick though. Oh well, I just have to live with the mystery I guess. If nothing else, it kept me occupied while I flew ever closer to my own bed.
Friday was back to work, but not a lot going on there and I had to get ready for the next trip to LA. It was finally time to see Keane again!!!! Los Angles is now the first time I have seen them in the same city. Since they don’t appear to be coming back to Las Vegas any time soon, it looks like that may be the trek I have to make each time they come to the states. Still, it’s not a bad drive at all. And rather than stay in LA, I end up near Pasadena which is a bit better for me on the way home again. I didn’t really pay much attention to the name of the hotel I had booked, so it was funny to me when I arrived and realized it was the same place I had stayed 2 years ago when I last saw them.
This year they were playing at the Hollywood Palladium. It was an interesting old ballroom that has been around forever and hosted all sorts of entertainers from Lawrence Welk and Glenn Miller to the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead. Standing room only of course, and there were 2 opening bands. I got there about an hour before the doors opened and the line was already stretched halfway around the block. Still, I was pretty close to the stage, so I settled in and waited. Luckily, I didn’t have amazons standing in front of me this time.
The first band was called the Helio Sequence. Kind of an electronica/ dance sound to them and they were fantastic. The drummer was easily the most entertaining drummer I have ever seen. I love watching drummers anyway since they seem to be in their own world behind the drum kit, but this guy was extra special. He has these facial expressions that were so funny, I thought for sure that he was doing it on purpose. Just really over exaggerated stuff. I swear he had a rubber face like Jim Carrey. Anyway, they were great so it looks like I can add another band to the list.
The next act was Matt Kearney. He was kind of dull, frankly. I know one single of his and its ok, but it sounds like so much other stuff that it doesn’t really make much of an impact, at least not for me. He reminded me a bit of Jack Johnson although not quite that sleepy. Still, my knees were beginning to hurt and I just wanted him to leave. After feeling like he played forever, he finally left. I seriously thought I was going to pass out that that point. I had to keep reminding myself to stop locking my knees. Keane finally took the stage around 10 pm. At that point I had been standing for about 4 hours. I found my mind wandering to how much Aleve I had packed with me and why didn’t I think to take one before the show? Not exactly something I worried about in my 20’s you know? Ugh. Oh well. The boys finally came on and I felt no more pain.
Since this new album is a bit more upbeat and they have finally added guitars back in to the mix, it was a much more rocking show than in previous years. They played the songs a little faster and a little sharper than they perform them on the album and it really works well for the live audience, in my humble opinion. They played lots of songs from the new album of course, along with some mixed in from the previous 2 albums. It was a good set list, but I was a bit sad to see that some of my favorites didn’t make the cut. They finally wrapped up around 11:30 and I had to remind my legs how to work again to get out of there.
Getting back to the hotel was a bit of a nightmare and took about an hour and a half. I am really disappointed over the stupid directions I got from the Internet. Trying to get to the venue, the roads just disappeared and I literally stumbled across Sunset. Trying to go back to the hotel, I tried once again to follow the directions and it was a disaster. I realize I was in Hollywood on a Saturday night, but I could not believe the traffic on the 101. It was bumper to bumper for miles and made it no faster than about 15 mph. Again, fate intervened and I saw an exit for the 110 to Pasadena. Granted, I wasn’t staying there, but I was close enough to it that I figured I would take my chances. Thank God I decided to do it. The highway ended and dumped me out in Pasadena. From there I had no clue where I was. I went another block and there was the sign for the 210. Awesome!!!
This week I am headed out to Chicago for another show and to visit Lynnea. This time, I am probably going to end up in sneakers and take an Aleve before I go. They are going to be playing in another ballroom and it will be my first time to see them in Chicago. I am really excited, but I also know that once it’s over I will go into my Keane hangover. Still, I get to spend time with Lynnea and baby Nolan, so it won’t be so bad.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
30 Days of April
Since I couldn't resist posting this to FaceBook today, I figured I may as well post it here too. Clearly not my favorite month (#9). Since I get asked the same questions I thought I would take a more proactive approach this year. It was actually tough to come up with all 10 responses.
Probably the longest 30 days of my whole year. Right then, let’s get to the answers….
With the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, New Year's Day was moved from an eight-day celebration starting on March 25 to the date we know now.
However, because every day was a slow news day then, many, when they finally heard about the change, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1. These backward folk were labeled as "fools" ridiculed and often sent on fool’s errands.
Probably the longest 30 days of my whole year. Right then, let’s get to the answers….
- No, it’s actually in June.
- Follow up answer to inevitable follow up question: Because they wanted to.
- No, it’s Inger.
- No, it doesn’t change. It’s the same every month.
- Yes, I’ve heard of the group.
- Yes, I am familiar with that song.
- No, it brings the water bill.
- OR…No, it brings relief to my bladder (sickos!)
- No, it isn’t. I prefer October.
- Not generally. I think I am more suspicious of everything today.
And here is some good information for you. It’s true. I think…
With the introduction of the Gregorian calendar in 1582, New Year's Day was moved from an eight-day celebration starting on March 25 to the date we know now.
However, because every day was a slow news day then, many, when they finally heard about the change, refused to accept the new calendar and continued to celebrate the New Year on April 1. These backward folk were labeled as "fools" ridiculed and often sent on fool’s errands.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Twilight
I finally watched the movie this weekend. It was ok, but I didn’t think it was great. Since I read the series, I knew that with any book-turned-movie that you are bound to run into some disappointments. No way can they really capture the essence of all those pages into a 2 hour movie. Still, it wasn’t really the story itself that was the disappointment.
No, my biggest complaint was in the actors for Bella and Edward. They just seemed really flat. Its one thing for Edward to appear a bit repressed especially since there was a lot of himself that he was hiding in this particular piece of the story. I could have bought that I suppose. Bella was the real drag in this movie. Her performance was awful. Honestly, it was like watching a female version of Toby Maguire. Bella is supposed to be a bit of a loner and kind of shy, but I wasn’t getting that from her performance. She seemed so deadpan most of the time I found myself rolling my eyes a lot at the things she would say with no emotion on her face.
I think the best part was when James broke her leg and bit her. At least then she was required to do something other than stare and mumble something. The version of the movie I bought was the 3 disc set with a bunch of interviews and a documentary of the making of it. That part was more interesting. There were a couple of interview segments with the actors for Bella and Edward. It was clear from their commentary that they understood the characters well enough and the mindset they had in their performances. The delivery was just off somehow.
Oh well, maybe the second movie with Jacob and the pack will be better. What I will really be interested in seeing is the scene in the beginning when Edward breaks up with Bella and leaves her in the woods. To read that scene and the following pages had me bawling my eyes out. Hopefully seeing it on the big screen won’t cause me to bawl in disappointment.
Frankly, the Harry Potter movies did a better job with the casting.
No, my biggest complaint was in the actors for Bella and Edward. They just seemed really flat. Its one thing for Edward to appear a bit repressed especially since there was a lot of himself that he was hiding in this particular piece of the story. I could have bought that I suppose. Bella was the real drag in this movie. Her performance was awful. Honestly, it was like watching a female version of Toby Maguire. Bella is supposed to be a bit of a loner and kind of shy, but I wasn’t getting that from her performance. She seemed so deadpan most of the time I found myself rolling my eyes a lot at the things she would say with no emotion on her face.
I think the best part was when James broke her leg and bit her. At least then she was required to do something other than stare and mumble something. The version of the movie I bought was the 3 disc set with a bunch of interviews and a documentary of the making of it. That part was more interesting. There were a couple of interview segments with the actors for Bella and Edward. It was clear from their commentary that they understood the characters well enough and the mindset they had in their performances. The delivery was just off somehow.
Oh well, maybe the second movie with Jacob and the pack will be better. What I will really be interested in seeing is the scene in the beginning when Edward breaks up with Bella and leaves her in the woods. To read that scene and the following pages had me bawling my eyes out. Hopefully seeing it on the big screen won’t cause me to bawl in disappointment.
Frankly, the Harry Potter movies did a better job with the casting.
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