I may never leave Colorado.
Monday, August 01, 2011
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Cool
When I was a freshman in college, my friend Brandon came over one night and when he went through all my CD's he told me my New Edition Greatest Hits disc was the ONLY one worth listening to but also cool enough that we could still be friends.
I had to come to the office today to finish up my orders for next summer. And iTunes decided to give me this ditty as a gift
Just for the record, I can still sing every single lyric on that entire album. Yep.
I had to come to the office today to finish up my orders for next summer. And iTunes decided to give me this ditty as a gift
Just for the record, I can still sing every single lyric on that entire album. Yep.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Win Win
I joined a kickball team this summer. Some friends at work sent me an invitation and it seemed so fun I broke my own rule of never signing up for a sport that involves other people. I am just not an athlete so I have tried to stick to thinks like running and biking and even climbing where my inability to catch or serve or hit a ball will make the people at my job hate me.
I was actually pretty stressed out the first night as I realized even kickball requires at least a little coordination and I really do hate to lose at things. I had these terrible flashbacks to being in a hyper competitive congregation as a kid and being the weak link on every softball/volleyball/basketball team the Mormons make their young suffer through regardless of talent level. Fortunately it's really just a nice excuse to run around a little, do some trash talking, high five a bunch and then go sit at Tony's and drink beer (or Diet Coke) on a hot summer night. And tonight I even scored a run and performed decently at third base.
The theme of this year seems to be wildly awesome things strung between millions of tiny simple pleasures. Like Tim photo bombing my double rainbow photo. Endlessly entertaining tonight.
I was actually pretty stressed out the first night as I realized even kickball requires at least a little coordination and I really do hate to lose at things. I had these terrible flashbacks to being in a hyper competitive congregation as a kid and being the weak link on every softball/volleyball/basketball team the Mormons make their young suffer through regardless of talent level. Fortunately it's really just a nice excuse to run around a little, do some trash talking, high five a bunch and then go sit at Tony's and drink beer (or Diet Coke) on a hot summer night. And tonight I even scored a run and performed decently at third base.
The theme of this year seems to be wildly awesome things strung between millions of tiny simple pleasures. Like Tim photo bombing my double rainbow photo. Endlessly entertaining tonight.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Peace
I was getting ready to leave the office tonight when I saw a tweet from a friend with the news that Jeret "Speedy" Peterson had died. Jeret was a freestyle skier and medalist on the US Olympic Team in Vancouver.
I got to met Speedy at an event just prior to Vancouver. I was tasked with making sure he and one of his teammates got in the car that would take them to the airport. We sat on a bench at 30 Rockefeller Center and chatted a bit while we waited. He was cute and funny and charming-just exactly what you imagine when you think of meeting an Olympic skier. When the freestyle team came through team processing a few months later they were lively and fun and his silver medal moment was one of my favorites from the Games.
So the contrast of this young, vibrant guy I have in my head and reading that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot is breaking my heart tonight.
I was already thinking this after reading about Amy Winehouse and her fairly tragic death this weekend as well but gosh, this kind of thing just makes me want to be kinder and more patient with people. We have no idea what kind of demons the people around us might be battling. This article written during the 2010 Games talks about the particular difficulties Jeret went through and the enormous efforts he made to try to deal with them.
I have a lot of Olympic related people and organizations in my social networks so I've been reading all kinds of sweet messages from his friends and teammates. They reminded me of this Jackson Browne song that I've loved since I was about 16. It's sad but it's also tender and hopeful.
I sincerely hope Jeret is finally getting to feel the peace he couldn't seem to find in this life. And that maybe heaven has hills.
I got to met Speedy at an event just prior to Vancouver. I was tasked with making sure he and one of his teammates got in the car that would take them to the airport. We sat on a bench at 30 Rockefeller Center and chatted a bit while we waited. He was cute and funny and charming-just exactly what you imagine when you think of meeting an Olympic skier. When the freestyle team came through team processing a few months later they were lively and fun and his silver medal moment was one of my favorites from the Games.
So the contrast of this young, vibrant guy I have in my head and reading that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot is breaking my heart tonight.
I was already thinking this after reading about Amy Winehouse and her fairly tragic death this weekend as well but gosh, this kind of thing just makes me want to be kinder and more patient with people. We have no idea what kind of demons the people around us might be battling. This article written during the 2010 Games talks about the particular difficulties Jeret went through and the enormous efforts he made to try to deal with them.
I have a lot of Olympic related people and organizations in my social networks so I've been reading all kinds of sweet messages from his friends and teammates. They reminded me of this Jackson Browne song that I've loved since I was about 16. It's sad but it's also tender and hopeful.
I sincerely hope Jeret is finally getting to feel the peace he couldn't seem to find in this life. And that maybe heaven has hills.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Pup
Can we all agree that I look good with a dog?
And can we also all agree that all photos should be taken in the witching hour of perfect, golden sunlight?
And can we also all agree that all photos should be taken in the witching hour of perfect, golden sunlight?
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Falling
Back before everyone had an iPod and a million ways to get music online, some friends and I started a little CD trading club. We all picked some kind of theme and then sent out mixes to the other fifteen people in the group. We lived all over the country so getting the mail for those few weeks was such a treat. Some discs got more play than others but every single one ended up yielding at least one or two gems that are still in rotation even nine years later. That club was what finally unlocked Radiohead for me, helped me see the beauty of electronica, introduced me to Kings of Convenience and Beth Orton and Damien Jurado. We got a Johnny Cash primer and a CD full of songs my friend Mandy was reclaiming from past relationships.
We only did two rounds but I still have all the CD's and the artwork that people put put a lot of effort into. One of my very favorites came from my friend Jed, who I adore for both his flawless musical taste and relentlessly upbeat attitude. It was titled "Late Night Summer Listening in the Dark." It seemed hyper-specific but I am have come to realize that late night summer in the dark activities always require a soundtrack. And typically, you are either doing something super awesome (like eating ice cream in the park and talking until the wee hours) or something super introspective (like staring at the ceiling with your headphones on trying to figure out what to do with your life). I've had a nice amount of the former this particular summer but tonight it's definitely the latter and since this new computer has yet to get it's own LNSLITD playlist, I decided to put a few songs together and share them with you. I hope your late night listening is as satisfying as mine.
I've become straight up obsessed with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals since that Red Rocks show. Their music runs from big rockin' tracks to slow and sexy ones that are perfect for, well, nocturnals like me. I adore this one. The line "lately I feel like I'm fooling myself, either that or I'm fooling everyone else," shot me right through the heart the first time I heard it. Yes to that.
Late night summer activities usually make me feel like I'm 16. And they probably wouldn't love to hear this but Third Eye Blind does a great job of evoking teenage feelings. This is a pretty great make-out song and one thing you should definitely do at about midnight in July is make out.
When I was a sophomore in college I went down to school about a week early for some student government responsibilities. My roommate and I spent the evenings listening to the Barenaked Ladies while we painted our entire apartment. Then we would sit out on our deck and talk and people watch. I started that year with a job I loved, great roommates and a cute football playing boyfriend and every time I hear this song I think of sharing the last dying embers of our summer talking about how amazing the fall would be....
James Blake is a recent discovery. I had him mixed up with the guy who wrote that terrible "You're Beautiful" song and when his name kept showing up on blogs I trusted I was so confused. I finally clicked play late one night on this track and was chastised. This song is full and beautiful and best enjoyed over crickets.
I don't think I could get through a playlist without a Ryan Adams song. I volunteered at a music festival today and was talking to this guy about artists we liked. I said Ryan Adams and he laughed and said, "yeah, my ex really loved him. That guy totally gets girls." Yes he does. This particular one is about a girl with brown eyes that are "pretty as hell" and I think it's one of his most heartbreaking.
I don't even remember where I heard this the first time but it stopped me dead. I was shocked when I discovered it was Keith Richards. It's such a sweet song and I love the melody-it's a got a real Motown feel to it. I have been putting this on late night mixes for years and I get so excited every single time I hear it.
Oh Florence and the Machine...you are so tied to a boy who broke my heart but so good I can't give you up even when it still stings a bit to listen. This is from a B-side of "Lungs" and it has some pretty terrific lyrics. I particularly love the lines "Falling's not the problem, when I'm falling I'm at peace, it's only when I hit the ground it causes all the grief."
Oh Nada Surf. I'm sorry I wrote you off as a lame novelty band after that "Popular"song. Turns out you guys are awesome. I fell in love with this song one late night in Boston watching them play it. In the dark.
Josh Ritter sang this one Wednesday night and maybe just maybe this is when I started to cry.
It was hard to pick a Broken Social Scene song since You Forgot It In People is such a dear little album to me. There was a summer many years ago where my friend Keith and I spent an inordinate amount of late night time together. It was perplexing to nearly everyone (including me initially) that we weren't dating, it just wasn't ever that kind of relationship. But we adored each other and I probably learned more about guys and relationships from him than I ever did from boys I sparked with. He's a daddy now but this album will always remind me of him and all the crazy fun we had together.
So there we go, ten tracks for summer nights. Late ones. Dark ones. Awesome ones.
We only did two rounds but I still have all the CD's and the artwork that people put put a lot of effort into. One of my very favorites came from my friend Jed, who I adore for both his flawless musical taste and relentlessly upbeat attitude. It was titled "Late Night Summer Listening in the Dark." It seemed hyper-specific but I am have come to realize that late night summer in the dark activities always require a soundtrack. And typically, you are either doing something super awesome (like eating ice cream in the park and talking until the wee hours) or something super introspective (like staring at the ceiling with your headphones on trying to figure out what to do with your life). I've had a nice amount of the former this particular summer but tonight it's definitely the latter and since this new computer has yet to get it's own LNSLITD playlist, I decided to put a few songs together and share them with you. I hope your late night listening is as satisfying as mine.
I've become straight up obsessed with Grace Potter and the Nocturnals since that Red Rocks show. Their music runs from big rockin' tracks to slow and sexy ones that are perfect for, well, nocturnals like me. I adore this one. The line "lately I feel like I'm fooling myself, either that or I'm fooling everyone else," shot me right through the heart the first time I heard it. Yes to that.
Late night summer activities usually make me feel like I'm 16. And they probably wouldn't love to hear this but Third Eye Blind does a great job of evoking teenage feelings. This is a pretty great make-out song and one thing you should definitely do at about midnight in July is make out.
When I was a sophomore in college I went down to school about a week early for some student government responsibilities. My roommate and I spent the evenings listening to the Barenaked Ladies while we painted our entire apartment. Then we would sit out on our deck and talk and people watch. I started that year with a job I loved, great roommates and a cute football playing boyfriend and every time I hear this song I think of sharing the last dying embers of our summer talking about how amazing the fall would be....
James Blake is a recent discovery. I had him mixed up with the guy who wrote that terrible "You're Beautiful" song and when his name kept showing up on blogs I trusted I was so confused. I finally clicked play late one night on this track and was chastised. This song is full and beautiful and best enjoyed over crickets.
I don't think I could get through a playlist without a Ryan Adams song. I volunteered at a music festival today and was talking to this guy about artists we liked. I said Ryan Adams and he laughed and said, "yeah, my ex really loved him. That guy totally gets girls." Yes he does. This particular one is about a girl with brown eyes that are "pretty as hell" and I think it's one of his most heartbreaking.
I don't even remember where I heard this the first time but it stopped me dead. I was shocked when I discovered it was Keith Richards. It's such a sweet song and I love the melody-it's a got a real Motown feel to it. I have been putting this on late night mixes for years and I get so excited every single time I hear it.
Oh Florence and the Machine...you are so tied to a boy who broke my heart but so good I can't give you up even when it still stings a bit to listen. This is from a B-side of "Lungs" and it has some pretty terrific lyrics. I particularly love the lines "Falling's not the problem, when I'm falling I'm at peace, it's only when I hit the ground it causes all the grief."
Oh Nada Surf. I'm sorry I wrote you off as a lame novelty band after that "Popular"song. Turns out you guys are awesome. I fell in love with this song one late night in Boston watching them play it. In the dark.
Josh Ritter sang this one Wednesday night and maybe just maybe this is when I started to cry.
It was hard to pick a Broken Social Scene song since You Forgot It In People is such a dear little album to me. There was a summer many years ago where my friend Keith and I spent an inordinate amount of late night time together. It was perplexing to nearly everyone (including me initially) that we weren't dating, it just wasn't ever that kind of relationship. But we adored each other and I probably learned more about guys and relationships from him than I ever did from boys I sparked with. He's a daddy now but this album will always remind me of him and all the crazy fun we had together.
So there we go, ten tracks for summer nights. Late ones. Dark ones. Awesome ones.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Light For My Lantern
These two weeks are probably going to be my two least favorite weeks of the next 18 months. I have to order every single scrap of apparel we will use at the Games next summer by the end of the month. That's every hat and scarf and sock for everyone from the basketball team to the volunteers. It's killing me.
So when my gracious friend Heather called with a +1 to the Josh Ritter/Blind Pilot show in Boulder last night, it seemed like a great way to blow off a little mid-week steam.
The show was in a beautiful old barn built in the early 1900's. You can hear pretty clearly outside so there were all kinds of people spread out on blankets, the night was warm and perfect and both bands seemed a bit awed by the surroundings.
The place felt just a bit magical and since Heather is friends with both band managers and Josh Ritter himself, things got even more unreal when I found myself sipping a ginger ale on the tour bus and discussing the finer point of puppeteering with the drummer at 11:30. On a Wednesday night. In Boulder.
The bus call was midnight to head to Tulsa so after big hugs from Josh we giggled our way back to the car feeling like a couple of teenagers. Running on four hours of sleep all day hasn't been my favorite but this summer and I are having so much fun together sometimes I do irresponsible things.
If you don't love these two artists you need to correct that. See below.
So when my gracious friend Heather called with a +1 to the Josh Ritter/Blind Pilot show in Boulder last night, it seemed like a great way to blow off a little mid-week steam.
The show was in a beautiful old barn built in the early 1900's. You can hear pretty clearly outside so there were all kinds of people spread out on blankets, the night was warm and perfect and both bands seemed a bit awed by the surroundings.
The place felt just a bit magical and since Heather is friends with both band managers and Josh Ritter himself, things got even more unreal when I found myself sipping a ginger ale on the tour bus and discussing the finer point of puppeteering with the drummer at 11:30. On a Wednesday night. In Boulder.
The bus call was midnight to head to Tulsa so after big hugs from Josh we giggled our way back to the car feeling like a couple of teenagers. Running on four hours of sleep all day hasn't been my favorite but this summer and I are having so much fun together sometimes I do irresponsible things.
If you don't love these two artists you need to correct that. See below.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
The Kids Are Alright
I got a chance to teach the teenage girls at church today and between that experience and being with the five year olds a few months ago, I'm pretty convinced that the key to getting young folks on your side is sparkly jewelry.
Earlier this week a woman from my congregation called to see if I would fill in for her with the 16-17 year old girls she teaches. I was thrilled. I really miss teaching at church-it's a calling I used to get a lot when I was in singles wards and it's always been something that helped keep important stuff rattling around in my brain for longer than just three hours on Sunday. And I like teenagers.
I should clarify-I like the idea of teenagers. Outside of my nephews and the odd outing with a married friend, my life rarely brings me in contact with anyone younger than about 23. So in theory I feel like I would get along with teens but then last night at about 11:30 as I was finishing up my lesson I was suddenly terrified. What if they just sit there and stare at me with the "I'm too cool for this" expressions that half the girls I grew going to church with were super good at? What if they played with their phones while I was trying to say something meaningful (which I am so guilty of doing in our big meetings)? But most terrifying to me-what if a single 34 year old woman is the personification of everything a nice teenage mormon girl is afraid of? Are they going to write me off as a sad spinster? I so rarely get stressed out these days about what other people will think of my life but suddenly the thought of standing up in front of a bunch of high school kids made me feel exactly like an insecure freshman.
So I did what any rational adult would do and I ran over to the grocery store and bought chocolate. And then this morning I made sure to wear something extra sassy and a pair of red high heels for good measure.
It turns out I only had three girls in my class and two of then were visitors. It also turns out that it's not just a theory, I really do like teenagers. The three of them were so darling and paid attention and were willing to participate. We had a nice lesson and then visited a little bit afterwards about their lives and they asked me questions about my job and very adorably mentioned their aunts and uncles who were older and not married and were really cool. It was such a sweet thing for them to pick up on. And they LOVED my earrings. Just like those little five year olds couldn't get enough of my ring a few months ago.
All afternoon I have been thinking about those girls and how being a parent of teenagers much be so challenging. I don't think any of the girls in my class were probably in line for Homecoming Queen. They were fairly shy and quiet and just a touch awkward. And I can imagine that you want to say all the thing to your daughter who doesn't get asked to the dance that adults said to me about college being better and teenage boys being sort of dumb and that it's better to be a good adult than a popular teenager. All of those things turned out to be 100% true and all of those things sounded 100% stupid and unhelpful when I was 16. But I'm awfully glad that there were plenty of people in my life at the time who said it anyway. I felt an enormous sense of responsibility today to use my forty-five minutes to be one of those voices for these girls.
I'll be stocking up on candy and jewelry for my next substitute experience.
Earlier this week a woman from my congregation called to see if I would fill in for her with the 16-17 year old girls she teaches. I was thrilled. I really miss teaching at church-it's a calling I used to get a lot when I was in singles wards and it's always been something that helped keep important stuff rattling around in my brain for longer than just three hours on Sunday. And I like teenagers.
I should clarify-I like the idea of teenagers. Outside of my nephews and the odd outing with a married friend, my life rarely brings me in contact with anyone younger than about 23. So in theory I feel like I would get along with teens but then last night at about 11:30 as I was finishing up my lesson I was suddenly terrified. What if they just sit there and stare at me with the "I'm too cool for this" expressions that half the girls I grew going to church with were super good at? What if they played with their phones while I was trying to say something meaningful (which I am so guilty of doing in our big meetings)? But most terrifying to me-what if a single 34 year old woman is the personification of everything a nice teenage mormon girl is afraid of? Are they going to write me off as a sad spinster? I so rarely get stressed out these days about what other people will think of my life but suddenly the thought of standing up in front of a bunch of high school kids made me feel exactly like an insecure freshman.
So I did what any rational adult would do and I ran over to the grocery store and bought chocolate. And then this morning I made sure to wear something extra sassy and a pair of red high heels for good measure.
It turns out I only had three girls in my class and two of then were visitors. It also turns out that it's not just a theory, I really do like teenagers. The three of them were so darling and paid attention and were willing to participate. We had a nice lesson and then visited a little bit afterwards about their lives and they asked me questions about my job and very adorably mentioned their aunts and uncles who were older and not married and were really cool. It was such a sweet thing for them to pick up on. And they LOVED my earrings. Just like those little five year olds couldn't get enough of my ring a few months ago.
All afternoon I have been thinking about those girls and how being a parent of teenagers much be so challenging. I don't think any of the girls in my class were probably in line for Homecoming Queen. They were fairly shy and quiet and just a touch awkward. And I can imagine that you want to say all the thing to your daughter who doesn't get asked to the dance that adults said to me about college being better and teenage boys being sort of dumb and that it's better to be a good adult than a popular teenager. All of those things turned out to be 100% true and all of those things sounded 100% stupid and unhelpful when I was 16. But I'm awfully glad that there were plenty of people in my life at the time who said it anyway. I felt an enormous sense of responsibility today to use my forty-five minutes to be one of those voices for these girls.
I'll be stocking up on candy and jewelry for my next substitute experience.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
That Old Moon
The moon is full tonight, we hiked a 14er today and then hung out in Breckenridge, I get to teach teenage girls at church tomorrow and this song is stuck on repeat.
Pretty solid Saturday night.
Pretty solid Saturday night.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Crazytown
Can we talk about how this is my new favorite piece of clothing ever?? It is this ridiculous floor length dress with bat wing sleeves and was the only article of clothing I could tolerate when I fried myself at the pool last weekend.
I bought it because it looked JUST like something a crazy 70 year old rich lady would wear while drinking mimosas by the swimming pool and sometimes, don't we all want to be that lady?
Also the dress is completely unthreatened if I want to wear big sparkly earrings with it.
I might be wearing it right now.
I bought it because it looked JUST like something a crazy 70 year old rich lady would wear while drinking mimosas by the swimming pool and sometimes, don't we all want to be that lady?
Also the dress is completely unthreatened if I want to wear big sparkly earrings with it.
I might be wearing it right now.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Fooling Myself
If you looked up the word "spoiled" in the dictionary I'm pretty sure there would be a photo of me for the week of July 4, 2011. Allow me to elaborate.
In my quest to have a very Colorado summer, I have been nearly desperate to get up to Morrison and see a show at the famous Red Rocks Park. So my friend Amanda and I made 4th of July plans earlier than I have ever made holiday plans in my entire life and bought tickets to see Toad the Wet Sprocket and Blues Traveler. Then two weeks before the 4th, Amanda got a rad job and moved to Indianapolis. Leaving me with two tickets and a bunch of friends who had already had things going on. So I threw it out on the internet and crossed my fingers that someone really fun had nothing to do on the best day of summer. I toyed with the idea of going up alone-I've been to shows by myself and it can actually be really fun-but somehow going to an iconic venue for the first time on the 4th of July solo just felt like a bummer.
I lucked out big time and my friend Ashley thought she was moving a week earlier and found herself with nothing to do so she took the ticket and we decided to celebrate her last week in Colorado with a bang. (Note-either I am driving people out of Colorado Springs or I need to make friends with fewer flight risks.)
I'll just gush for a moment about how spectacular Red Rocks-it's hard not to speak in hyperbole about it. You drive up this windy road and park and then you walk up about a billion stairs and then suddenly you realize you are seeing a concert quite literally IN a mountain. As in, there are rocks all around you and the band is performing to a backdrop of red rock.
Here we are at the top of the venue-see how it looks like you can see forever? That's because you can see forever.
We were having a hard time sitting still and then this happened
Those first 10 seconds made the hair on my arms stand up. I was right back to about 19 when our family friend's asked me to dog-sit for a week and I would spend every evening with the patio doors open blasting "Fear" and feeling like I was finally an adult. Which seems hilarious now because I was 19 and barely an adult but this album forever has the feeling of the first tastes of the world absolutely feeling like your oyster.
So this week was made, I didn't really need anything else to happen for it to be another pretty great summer week.
But then I happen to be down chatting with some guys in the office and they happened to mention that they might have this extra ticket to see the Avett Brothers and suddenly they are thrilled to get a cheerful designated driver and I'm beside myself to be hitting yet another show at Red Rocks.
They had a friend in town from Florida who had the ticket hookup and the whole evening turned out to be just kind of perfect. Or as Mark put it on the way home, "this was an error free evening, we didn't make a single mistake." The guys were the kind of smart-aleck gentle teasers that remind me of my brothers and because they were all on loan from wives, I got the play the snarky kid sister role that is really one of my best.
The tickets turned out to be VIP, it rained just enough to feel like an adventure but then stopped before it got cold or annoying, the guys managed to get set lists and photos with the opening band and the Avett Brothers did a John Denver cover which made me cry and miss my dad. Guys with kids don't get to a lot of rock shows so it was awfully fun to be with people that were just as outwardly giddy about being there as I always feel at a good concert.
The Avett Brothers melted our faces off as I knew they would but the real revelation of the evening for me was finally understanding all the fuss about Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. They are from Vermont so they played in New England quite a bit but I had never paid much attention. The five of them strutted on stage at precisely 7:30 and proceeded to bring the house down. Grace Potter herself is tall and beautiful with long blonde hair and legs that I didn't think existed outside a Victoria's Secret catalogue. And then she grabs a guitar and this unreal voice takes over and I instantly regretted never learning to play an instrument. Did I mention she rocks three inch heels through the whole set? And that she also plays the keyboard? I was transfixed. If I were a tall, blonde girl who could screech like that and play like that, these are the songs I would want to write and this is the kind of show I would want to put on.
This video pretty much sums it up-be sure to check out around 5:50 when the whole band gets on the drums together. Sick.
I don't even know how the rest of the summer expects to compete. I'm happy to let it try!
In my quest to have a very Colorado summer, I have been nearly desperate to get up to Morrison and see a show at the famous Red Rocks Park. So my friend Amanda and I made 4th of July plans earlier than I have ever made holiday plans in my entire life and bought tickets to see Toad the Wet Sprocket and Blues Traveler. Then two weeks before the 4th, Amanda got a rad job and moved to Indianapolis. Leaving me with two tickets and a bunch of friends who had already had things going on. So I threw it out on the internet and crossed my fingers that someone really fun had nothing to do on the best day of summer. I toyed with the idea of going up alone-I've been to shows by myself and it can actually be really fun-but somehow going to an iconic venue for the first time on the 4th of July solo just felt like a bummer.
I lucked out big time and my friend Ashley thought she was moving a week earlier and found herself with nothing to do so she took the ticket and we decided to celebrate her last week in Colorado with a bang. (Note-either I am driving people out of Colorado Springs or I need to make friends with fewer flight risks.)
I'll just gush for a moment about how spectacular Red Rocks-it's hard not to speak in hyperbole about it. You drive up this windy road and park and then you walk up about a billion stairs and then suddenly you realize you are seeing a concert quite literally IN a mountain. As in, there are rocks all around you and the band is performing to a backdrop of red rock.
Here we are at the top of the venue-see how it looks like you can see forever? That's because you can see forever.
We were having a hard time sitting still and then this happened
Those first 10 seconds made the hair on my arms stand up. I was right back to about 19 when our family friend's asked me to dog-sit for a week and I would spend every evening with the patio doors open blasting "Fear" and feeling like I was finally an adult. Which seems hilarious now because I was 19 and barely an adult but this album forever has the feeling of the first tastes of the world absolutely feeling like your oyster.
So this week was made, I didn't really need anything else to happen for it to be another pretty great summer week.
But then I happen to be down chatting with some guys in the office and they happened to mention that they might have this extra ticket to see the Avett Brothers and suddenly they are thrilled to get a cheerful designated driver and I'm beside myself to be hitting yet another show at Red Rocks.
They had a friend in town from Florida who had the ticket hookup and the whole evening turned out to be just kind of perfect. Or as Mark put it on the way home, "this was an error free evening, we didn't make a single mistake." The guys were the kind of smart-aleck gentle teasers that remind me of my brothers and because they were all on loan from wives, I got the play the snarky kid sister role that is really one of my best.
The tickets turned out to be VIP, it rained just enough to feel like an adventure but then stopped before it got cold or annoying, the guys managed to get set lists and photos with the opening band and the Avett Brothers did a John Denver cover which made me cry and miss my dad. Guys with kids don't get to a lot of rock shows so it was awfully fun to be with people that were just as outwardly giddy about being there as I always feel at a good concert.
The Avett Brothers melted our faces off as I knew they would but the real revelation of the evening for me was finally understanding all the fuss about Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. They are from Vermont so they played in New England quite a bit but I had never paid much attention. The five of them strutted on stage at precisely 7:30 and proceeded to bring the house down. Grace Potter herself is tall and beautiful with long blonde hair and legs that I didn't think existed outside a Victoria's Secret catalogue. And then she grabs a guitar and this unreal voice takes over and I instantly regretted never learning to play an instrument. Did I mention she rocks three inch heels through the whole set? And that she also plays the keyboard? I was transfixed. If I were a tall, blonde girl who could screech like that and play like that, these are the songs I would want to write and this is the kind of show I would want to put on.
This video pretty much sums it up-be sure to check out around 5:50 when the whole band gets on the drums together. Sick.
I don't even know how the rest of the summer expects to compete. I'm happy to let it try!
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Game Changer
Today the IOC announced that Pyeongchang, South Korea will be hosting the Winter Olympics in 2018. I distinctly remember sitting on my mom's bed folding laundry in the summer of 1995 when the IOC announced that Salt Lake would get the 2002 Games and thinking, "that is so cool, too bad I will likely be married with a kid by the time they get here."
I realize this sounds sort of dramatic but I've been in this fog all day thinking about how I had no idea how sitting there that morning separating whites and darks how much that announcement would end up affecting my life. I'll be 40 by the time these Korean Games roll around. Will I go? Will I be bringing kidlets and a nanny? Will something be different in seven years because this thing is happening in Asia and not Europe? Do I even want to go?
Did my whole life change direction today while I ate a turkey sandwich for dinner?
This is how exhausting it is to live in my brain my friends.
I realize this sounds sort of dramatic but I've been in this fog all day thinking about how I had no idea how sitting there that morning separating whites and darks how much that announcement would end up affecting my life. I'll be 40 by the time these Korean Games roll around. Will I go? Will I be bringing kidlets and a nanny? Will something be different in seven years because this thing is happening in Asia and not Europe? Do I even want to go?
Did my whole life change direction today while I ate a turkey sandwich for dinner?
This is how exhausting it is to live in my brain my friends.
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
He Takes a Whiskey Drink
I was planning to write a real post tonight but then the internet decided to circulate a video of They Might Be Giants covering the 90's hit "Tubthumping" and well, I've felt compelled to share it on every available web avenue. If you don't think I'm incredibly jealous of the AV Club staffers that got to be part of the chorus that day then you clearly don't know me at all. I promise this is worth 4 minutes and 54 seconds of your day.
They Might Be Giants covers Chumbawamba
They Might Be Giants covers Chumbawamba
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Soul Sister
I should be in bed but holiday weekends bring the night owl out something fierce. I slipped down a rabbit hole of music blog hopping a few hours ago and now it's midnight and I'm alone in my peaceful little apartment enjoying the fruits of my downloading labors.
My dear friend Heather moved to Oregon this weekend. She's off to pursue a graduate degree in writing which makes me incredibly excited for her and maybe a little bit wistful as well. I have a lot to say about dreams and the pursuit thereof that I will save for another time and just say how proud I am of her for doing something so brave and new. She's been a well-loved teacher of English for many a Colorado Springs teen and I have admired the whole process of watching her chase a new dream.
She had a going away slash moving party on Wednesday that included a real movie moment when the sprinklers came on during our lawn pizza feast and we all spilled wet and laughing into her empty apartment to sit on the wood floor and discuss whether or not this was the perfect excuse to play spin the bottle. We didn't but we did listen to music and talk and it was a lovely way to send her on her way.
But then the next night she wasn't gone yet and even though I had already spent a very full weekday evening playing kickball and chatting through a couple rounds of drinks at Tony's, she and my other Heather lured me out of the house and over to a really tiny club to hear some band they promised was worth reapplying makeup and leaving the house at almost 10 on a Thursday to catch.
There couldn't have been more than about 50 people there and it was nearly 11 before Seryn hit the stage so I was 100% unprepared for what we saw. There was a ukelele and a violin and multiple drums and a piano-esque thing and way more guitars than people. We sat in our seats for maybe five minutes before Heather just exploded onto the floor and that's where we stayed and danced and swayed while this band played their guts out for a tiny little audience made up mostly of people who didn't stop talking to each other. I am just terrible at writing about music but I'm pretty good at including a link you will want to click if you like things that make you want to hold hands with a bunch of people you care about and prompt you to tweet really cheesy things like, "the world is full of so many beautiful things there is no sense wasting time worrying about things that aren't." I honestly believe that art has power-music, writing, film, paintings-and that night was one of those little magical summer nights that made me glad I chose people over a good night's sleep. I simply can't imagine this band won't blow up here pretty quick and you won't be able to say I didn't warn you. Click it!
Paste at SXSW: [Video] Seryn :: Featured Videos
My dear friend Heather moved to Oregon this weekend. She's off to pursue a graduate degree in writing which makes me incredibly excited for her and maybe a little bit wistful as well. I have a lot to say about dreams and the pursuit thereof that I will save for another time and just say how proud I am of her for doing something so brave and new. She's been a well-loved teacher of English for many a Colorado Springs teen and I have admired the whole process of watching her chase a new dream.
She had a going away slash moving party on Wednesday that included a real movie moment when the sprinklers came on during our lawn pizza feast and we all spilled wet and laughing into her empty apartment to sit on the wood floor and discuss whether or not this was the perfect excuse to play spin the bottle. We didn't but we did listen to music and talk and it was a lovely way to send her on her way.
But then the next night she wasn't gone yet and even though I had already spent a very full weekday evening playing kickball and chatting through a couple rounds of drinks at Tony's, she and my other Heather lured me out of the house and over to a really tiny club to hear some band they promised was worth reapplying makeup and leaving the house at almost 10 on a Thursday to catch.
There couldn't have been more than about 50 people there and it was nearly 11 before Seryn hit the stage so I was 100% unprepared for what we saw. There was a ukelele and a violin and multiple drums and a piano-esque thing and way more guitars than people. We sat in our seats for maybe five minutes before Heather just exploded onto the floor and that's where we stayed and danced and swayed while this band played their guts out for a tiny little audience made up mostly of people who didn't stop talking to each other. I am just terrible at writing about music but I'm pretty good at including a link you will want to click if you like things that make you want to hold hands with a bunch of people you care about and prompt you to tweet really cheesy things like, "the world is full of so many beautiful things there is no sense wasting time worrying about things that aren't." I honestly believe that art has power-music, writing, film, paintings-and that night was one of those little magical summer nights that made me glad I chose people over a good night's sleep. I simply can't imagine this band won't blow up here pretty quick and you won't be able to say I didn't warn you. Click it!
Paste at SXSW: [Video] Seryn :: Featured Videos
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Note
Dear one year from now self,
You are probably stressed out right now and wondering when the next normal meal and full night's sleep are going to happen but please, PLEASE, do not be a jackass and tell a perfectly polite and capable volunteer to "chill out" when all he did was ask where he was supposed to park the car. Because maybe that guy ran a business longer than you have been alive and you couldn't do your big splashy event if he wasn't DONATING his time to help out.
Be nice. Be nice. Be nice.
-you currently volunteer self
You are probably stressed out right now and wondering when the next normal meal and full night's sleep are going to happen but please, PLEASE, do not be a jackass and tell a perfectly polite and capable volunteer to "chill out" when all he did was ask where he was supposed to park the car. Because maybe that guy ran a business longer than you have been alive and you couldn't do your big splashy event if he wasn't DONATING his time to help out.
Be nice. Be nice. Be nice.
-you currently volunteer self
Monday, June 27, 2011
Texas Forever
Christopher and I were exchanging shirts at the finish line on Saturday and when I looked over at him I almost fell over-Coach Taylor anyone??
I
I
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Michicant
For almost as many years as this blog has been alive, I'm made a June trek to Utah to do the Wasatch Back Relay with my family, my dear friend Corey and an assortment of other friends that changes slightly every year.
The race has grown exponentially every year and what felt sort of small and unique in 2007 is now a giant event full of noise and garbage and jerks who drive too fast up a dirt road THAT PEOPLE ARE RUNNING ON thank you very much. But every year I come home with a camera full of hysterical moments, a catch phrase or two I spend the week trying not to overuse on my coworkers, a sense of accomplishment and excitement about the next year. It's a little bittersweet this time because the race is the weekend before I have to start processing athletes for London and I have a feeling that starting two and a half months of a Gamestime schedule already tired is not my very best idea. My family is getting marrieder and parentier and I usually leave Salt Lake wondering when our gravy train of easy togetherness is going to end. It was actually sort of awful to watch Christopher and Tasha load up their little ones and drive to St. George on Sunday night. I don't begrudge any of my siblings the adventure time they need, time I have clearly taken over the last ten years, but they are spreading out all over the place and the odds of getting them all in one dose are diminishing. I was glad to spend a few extra days there before heading to the event in Eugene to see people and places that are dear to me.
This year there was one moment that stood out. I felt exceptionally healthy on all my legs this year-the advantage of coming down from the extreme altitude of Colorado to the more moderate Utah. Even so, the last leg is always sketchy. We'd slept only a few hours on wrestling mats in a high school gym and I had eaten a power bar, a couple of shot blocks and a Red Bull for breakfast. I was standing over near the start chute, waiting for my cute sister-in-law Kristen to come up over the ridge at the end of her particularly long and uphill climb. Suddenly I heard my brother's voice through the mega-phone we had brought along (note to anyone running this race-MEGAPHONES ARE SO AWESOME) saying, "hey everyone, my wife Kristen is just about to come in. She got her thyroid taken out three weeks ago and she was really worried about being able to do this race. Can you all help me welcome her in?" She came up over the hill and everyone started cheering like crazy. She looked a little confused at all the people yelling her name and I was trying to fight back tears as I took the slap bracelet from her and headed off on my run. Right as I put my headphones on, "Seasons of Love" from Rent came on and I rounded a corner and had a dazzling view of my four mile descent into Heber. The whole sequence was so overwhelming I started to cry. From my little brother's sweet gesture (we sure have some good husbands in my family) to Kristen running with us because her thyroid cancer was 100% treatable, to the heart-stopping beauty of where I was running-I just felt this overwhelming gratitude for the many, many blessings that I enjoy. There are things I'm struggling with and things I wish were different, just like everyone else. But gratitude diminishes selfishness and encourages reaching out and I want more of that in my life.
I had tears in my eyes most of the way down the hill. The van stopped about two miles later and they all did the little dance we'd made up in unison and I was sort of glad they were across the street and couldn't tell how totally cheesy emotional the whole thing made me.
There were hot showers and comfy beds later that day and I was grateful for those as well, but that moment is still one that is making my heart feel warm even a week after.
The race has grown exponentially every year and what felt sort of small and unique in 2007 is now a giant event full of noise and garbage and jerks who drive too fast up a dirt road THAT PEOPLE ARE RUNNING ON thank you very much. But every year I come home with a camera full of hysterical moments, a catch phrase or two I spend the week trying not to overuse on my coworkers, a sense of accomplishment and excitement about the next year. It's a little bittersweet this time because the race is the weekend before I have to start processing athletes for London and I have a feeling that starting two and a half months of a Gamestime schedule already tired is not my very best idea. My family is getting marrieder and parentier and I usually leave Salt Lake wondering when our gravy train of easy togetherness is going to end. It was actually sort of awful to watch Christopher and Tasha load up their little ones and drive to St. George on Sunday night. I don't begrudge any of my siblings the adventure time they need, time I have clearly taken over the last ten years, but they are spreading out all over the place and the odds of getting them all in one dose are diminishing. I was glad to spend a few extra days there before heading to the event in Eugene to see people and places that are dear to me.
This year there was one moment that stood out. I felt exceptionally healthy on all my legs this year-the advantage of coming down from the extreme altitude of Colorado to the more moderate Utah. Even so, the last leg is always sketchy. We'd slept only a few hours on wrestling mats in a high school gym and I had eaten a power bar, a couple of shot blocks and a Red Bull for breakfast. I was standing over near the start chute, waiting for my cute sister-in-law Kristen to come up over the ridge at the end of her particularly long and uphill climb. Suddenly I heard my brother's voice through the mega-phone we had brought along (note to anyone running this race-MEGAPHONES ARE SO AWESOME) saying, "hey everyone, my wife Kristen is just about to come in. She got her thyroid taken out three weeks ago and she was really worried about being able to do this race. Can you all help me welcome her in?" She came up over the hill and everyone started cheering like crazy. She looked a little confused at all the people yelling her name and I was trying to fight back tears as I took the slap bracelet from her and headed off on my run. Right as I put my headphones on, "Seasons of Love" from Rent came on and I rounded a corner and had a dazzling view of my four mile descent into Heber. The whole sequence was so overwhelming I started to cry. From my little brother's sweet gesture (we sure have some good husbands in my family) to Kristen running with us because her thyroid cancer was 100% treatable, to the heart-stopping beauty of where I was running-I just felt this overwhelming gratitude for the many, many blessings that I enjoy. There are things I'm struggling with and things I wish were different, just like everyone else. But gratitude diminishes selfishness and encourages reaching out and I want more of that in my life.
I had tears in my eyes most of the way down the hill. The van stopped about two miles later and they all did the little dance we'd made up in unison and I was sort of glad they were across the street and couldn't tell how totally cheesy emotional the whole thing made me.
There were hot showers and comfy beds later that day and I was grateful for those as well, but that moment is still one that is making my heart feel warm even a week after.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Turn Down the Lights
Finally home. June has been a terrific and productive month but also a physically and emotionally exhausting one. I"m happy to be back in my little apartment, sleeping in my own little bed, without any travel on the immediate horizon.
I have some posts I'm eager to write this weekend, but tonight I am digesting the new Bon Iver album while I sort of unpack. My early verdict is that it's quite wonderful. I also found this while I was reading some reviews and I might listen to it to death. It's a medley by Justin Vernon of two of my favorite Bonnie Raitt songs. Perfection for this dark, quiet Saturday night.
I have some posts I'm eager to write this weekend, but tonight I am digesting the new Bon Iver album while I sort of unpack. My early verdict is that it's quite wonderful. I also found this while I was reading some reviews and I might listen to it to death. It's a medley by Justin Vernon of two of my favorite Bonnie Raitt songs. Perfection for this dark, quiet Saturday night.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Gone Fishin'
Another Ragnar on the books. Great weekend, still a few friends in SLC to see this afternoon and tonight and then I head to Eugene, OR for a Track and Field event. And hopefully some blogging, my brain and heart are full these days.
Cute family eh?
Cute family eh?
Monday, June 13, 2011
Called Out
I was at happy hour tonight, talking to my friend Amanda, when the Chief of Communications for our company came over and said he was going to embarrass me a little. I informed him that was nearly impossible but go for it. He proceeds to explain that he was reading a Twitter conversation between the aforementioned Amanda and me last night and noticed she posted a link to my blog. He puts his hand on my shoulder and says, "I'm sorry he's married."
Mission accomplished!!! I think I turned eight shades of red. It did not help when his second in command piped up with, "oh yeah I read that one too."
It's a good thing I grew up in a family with three brothers whose mission in life in to tease, so good-natured ribbing is like electrolytes for me. And I really feel like my insightful posts about the length of my hair and two hour bike rides at lunch will really lend some weight to my credibility the next time I meet with them.
The internet-it's no joke kids.
Neither are The Black Keys. I can't stop listening to this album tonight while I get ready to pack for a hundred days tomorrow.
Mission accomplished!!! I think I turned eight shades of red. It did not help when his second in command piped up with, "oh yeah I read that one too."
It's a good thing I grew up in a family with three brothers whose mission in life in to tease, so good-natured ribbing is like electrolytes for me. And I really feel like my insightful posts about the length of my hair and two hour bike rides at lunch will really lend some weight to my credibility the next time I meet with them.
The internet-it's no joke kids.
Neither are The Black Keys. I can't stop listening to this album tonight while I get ready to pack for a hundred days tomorrow.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Merci
Well thank you very much internet for all your super kind words about that last post. I got all kinds of nice texts and emails which confirms my theory that really, the point of all this www to connect us in our regular lives.
Last week was super busy, I was in New York meeting with pretty much all the sponsors who give items to the athletes so that was exciting and productive. And now this week I have 2.5 days in the office before I take off to run the Wasatch Back for the fifth year, hang out with some friends and the fly to Eugene for the US Track and Field Nationals. I'm actually already tired thinking about it. But summer is off to a really good start and I'm excited to spend some warm days in Utah. I love and miss that place quite a bit.
I've been listening to quiet music tonight while I catch up on a few things. This new Bon Iver song is lovely and I'll be listening to it with my ridiculously huge headphones tonight to fall asleep.
Last week was super busy, I was in New York meeting with pretty much all the sponsors who give items to the athletes so that was exciting and productive. And now this week I have 2.5 days in the office before I take off to run the Wasatch Back for the fifth year, hang out with some friends and the fly to Eugene for the US Track and Field Nationals. I'm actually already tired thinking about it. But summer is off to a really good start and I'm excited to spend some warm days in Utah. I love and miss that place quite a bit.
I've been listening to quiet music tonight while I catch up on a few things. This new Bon Iver song is lovely and I'll be listening to it with my ridiculously huge headphones tonight to fall asleep.
Monday, June 06, 2011
Proof
Alright friends, I don't write about dudes on this blog very much. I think in five years I've only posted one photo of someone I was seeing and as I was taking it down I vowed I wouldn't do it again. I spend too much time here to have to go back and edit out things I don't want to have to see. However, I am a single lady and darn it if single people don't spend an inordinate amount of time thinking and talking and worrying and trying not to think and talk and worry about relationships. I can only imagine that married people find themselves with a lot of free time not having to do all the thinking and talking and worrying. So I'm blogging about a boy tonight, sorta, but don't get excited because this is not a love story.
I got an email I was dreading today. The one that said, "I'm married." I read it as I was leaving work and I thought, "ok, good, there it is. Done." I packed up my stuff and I went to the car and started driving to the Incline. And when I got in my car I just lost it. Big heaving sobs that I couldn't control. I was so disappointed in myself. I knew this was coming, I've had loads of time to get used to it. I worked like crazy the last year to get to a point where I could hear his name and feel so over it I was practically under it. You know, when you don't even have to sing along to Adele songs and pretend you are fine. Really and truly over it. So these tears? What business did they have sneaking up on me like this? I'm better than this. I texted my mother who said the right thing that was the wrong thing for gaining any sort of control over my emotions. I drove to the Incline. I turned on my iPod. Weird stuff that should have made me feel better made me feel worse. I spent the first 20 minutes trying to stay ahed of the kids behind me so they wouldn't wonder why that lady was crying on the trail. I was pulling out all the stops-remember this jerky thing he did and remember how he said this and remember how you are better than this?
And then in the middle of berating myself for all these nonsense tears something clicked and I was suddenly incredibly grateful for the depth of sadness I was feeling.
In a world full of love songs and romantic comedies and vampire novels and being raised in a culture where people feel the need to remind you that you ought to be married by now, you simply cannot reach the age of 34 still single and not be just a bit cynical about the whole thing. Because all you know is that sooner or later "you are so awesome!" fades into "you are so awesome, but". When well over half the people you know were married before they could legally rent a car, you have got to turn off the piece of yourself that would let your self worth get wrapped up in your relationship status. It does take some work and it's work I'll gladly do because no one wants to be the bitter man hater who can't appreciate how rich and satisfying her life is. I am genuinely happy for all the wonderful things that happen to the people I love. But it does come at a cost, and that is that after awhile, I simply have to put MY happiness eggs in other baskets. I can't want the fairy tale anymore. A very sweet boy once whispered to me, "you are so guarded," and when he was explaining to me not too much longer after that all the reasons this was not going to work, I couldn't help but say, "this is why I am guarded. Because I see this moment from that one." And again, I work my tail off to stay open and vulnerable and to not let the next guy take the heat from the last one. To hit the gym after a heartbreak instead of the freezer section. To meet new girlfriends and to send baby presents. But the walls go up a little higher, I feel like they have to. And I have to set other goals, ones I can actually control.
So. When someone I tried really hard to shut out, someone I wouldn't even speak to for an entire year and who I thought I had cleared out completely can blindside me and make me sob like I haven't in ages, it is in every way a huge relief that I have not managed to beat my heart into submission. It's still going to take charge and make me feel something that I couldn't control. Because guys, even at 34 and with more than a few scars, I still want the fairy tale. I've had too many tastes of it to think I'm dumb for believing it can happen. It's a fairy tale anchored in the reality that you marry a human and humans are messy and complicated. But I know the opposite of what I felt today exists and I appreciated the reminder that I'll keep putting myself through THIS for ten or twenty more years if I have to. And in the meantime, I will get on planes and I will make new friends and I will dance until the wee hours and I will flirt shamelessly with strangers and I will drag myself on blind dates. And I will not lecture myself or be disappointed when I have the audacity to be hurt.
I have always loved this old Steve Earle song and I listened to it about a dozen times in a row tonight. One fearless heart please.
I got an email I was dreading today. The one that said, "I'm married." I read it as I was leaving work and I thought, "ok, good, there it is. Done." I packed up my stuff and I went to the car and started driving to the Incline. And when I got in my car I just lost it. Big heaving sobs that I couldn't control. I was so disappointed in myself. I knew this was coming, I've had loads of time to get used to it. I worked like crazy the last year to get to a point where I could hear his name and feel so over it I was practically under it. You know, when you don't even have to sing along to Adele songs and pretend you are fine. Really and truly over it. So these tears? What business did they have sneaking up on me like this? I'm better than this. I texted my mother who said the right thing that was the wrong thing for gaining any sort of control over my emotions. I drove to the Incline. I turned on my iPod. Weird stuff that should have made me feel better made me feel worse. I spent the first 20 minutes trying to stay ahed of the kids behind me so they wouldn't wonder why that lady was crying on the trail. I was pulling out all the stops-remember this jerky thing he did and remember how he said this and remember how you are better than this?
And then in the middle of berating myself for all these nonsense tears something clicked and I was suddenly incredibly grateful for the depth of sadness I was feeling.
In a world full of love songs and romantic comedies and vampire novels and being raised in a culture where people feel the need to remind you that you ought to be married by now, you simply cannot reach the age of 34 still single and not be just a bit cynical about the whole thing. Because all you know is that sooner or later "you are so awesome!" fades into "you are so awesome, but". When well over half the people you know were married before they could legally rent a car, you have got to turn off the piece of yourself that would let your self worth get wrapped up in your relationship status. It does take some work and it's work I'll gladly do because no one wants to be the bitter man hater who can't appreciate how rich and satisfying her life is. I am genuinely happy for all the wonderful things that happen to the people I love. But it does come at a cost, and that is that after awhile, I simply have to put MY happiness eggs in other baskets. I can't want the fairy tale anymore. A very sweet boy once whispered to me, "you are so guarded," and when he was explaining to me not too much longer after that all the reasons this was not going to work, I couldn't help but say, "this is why I am guarded. Because I see this moment from that one." And again, I work my tail off to stay open and vulnerable and to not let the next guy take the heat from the last one. To hit the gym after a heartbreak instead of the freezer section. To meet new girlfriends and to send baby presents. But the walls go up a little higher, I feel like they have to. And I have to set other goals, ones I can actually control.
So. When someone I tried really hard to shut out, someone I wouldn't even speak to for an entire year and who I thought I had cleared out completely can blindside me and make me sob like I haven't in ages, it is in every way a huge relief that I have not managed to beat my heart into submission. It's still going to take charge and make me feel something that I couldn't control. Because guys, even at 34 and with more than a few scars, I still want the fairy tale. I've had too many tastes of it to think I'm dumb for believing it can happen. It's a fairy tale anchored in the reality that you marry a human and humans are messy and complicated. But I know the opposite of what I felt today exists and I appreciated the reminder that I'll keep putting myself through THIS for ten or twenty more years if I have to. And in the meantime, I will get on planes and I will make new friends and I will dance until the wee hours and I will flirt shamelessly with strangers and I will drag myself on blind dates. And I will not lecture myself or be disappointed when I have the audacity to be hurt.
I have always loved this old Steve Earle song and I listened to it about a dozen times in a row tonight. One fearless heart please.
Sunday, June 05, 2011
Glee
I think if you read my blog for about three consecutive posts, you realize that music is one of my favorite things. I've been lucky since I moved to Colorado to find some similarly minded friends who are willing to do things like go to last minute shows in Boulder on a Thursday night, or meet up in Denver mid-week to see someone great. My dear friend Heather who writes the super fabulous Fuel Friends blog has given me opportunities to sit in tiny spaces and and let excellent artists fill up my whole soul. It's been a solid almost 2 years of high quality musical experiences.
So I hope you will see the gravity of my claim that I may have had the best music weekend in a long, long time the last few days.
Last summer I was on a plane to New York, catching up on KCRW Song of the Day podcasts when a song by Fitz and the Tantrums exploded into my brain. I wanted to plug my iPod into the overhead speakers so the whole plane could hear what I was experiencing. At the time, they only had an EP out which I downloaded and memorized immediately.
So when my new friend Amanda told me last week that they were playing in Denver, we got tickets and I proceeded to act like Christmas was coming. The album is so high energy and the clips of shows I had seen on YouTube made me think we were in for a treat. We later found out that there were coming to Colorado Springs the next night but we figured the Denver show would be bigger anyway and it's always fun to go out up there.
We hit the Bluebird early on Friday night and carved out a little spot right up front. And from the MOMENT they hit the stage until the last note of the encore, they did not stop moving and dancing and whipping a very eclectic crowd into a complete frenzy. Michael Fitzpatrick might be one of the sexiest guys alive and he prances and struts and dances like a complete diva. And then Noelle Skaggs, who they call a backup singer but feels more like a second lead singer is a firecracker onstage. She flat out demands that you move. As in, she'll point and call you out if you don't. And then they have this rhythm section that is just ridiculous.
Amanda and I were having a hard time wiping the grins off our faces at the end when we managed to score a set list and a drumstick. We had been planning to get tickets to another show up in Denver Saturday night but she suggested we hit the FATT show again in the Springs. We drove home and got on the computer and bought tickets that night.
Our friend Devyn joined us last night and the three of us planted ourselves up front again. It was a much smaller venue and I wasn't really sure if this crowd could match the energy of a theater three times the size. I shouldn't have worried, again, they step out on stage and it's like they are throwing speed out into the audience or something. People were losing their minds. Three cute girls on the front row dancing their faces off never fails to draw attention and each of us got our little moment of teasing from the stage which is always a fun bonus.
This band doesn't just come out and play their songs, they create an experience. I have been to a million shows where a band comes out, plays their record, shuffles off, plays and encore and we go home. And because live is live I go, and I enjoy sharing something I love with a room full of people-I'm cool with that arrangement. But I really, really appreciated going to a SHOW. The energy was high, the music is tight, the band is clearly very passionate about what they are doing and they were so sincerely appreciative of the opportunity to perform. If I had my way in life, I would always be dancing. Always. I just can't hear a beat and not dance so when they ordered us to lose our minds during "Moneygrabber", I really did think my little heart was going to burst right open from sheer joy.
The whole band also comes out after the show to sign stuff and take photos so we hung around to get our show posters signed. With six band members it took awhile and with Devyn and I pausing for dance breaks every few minutes we ended up being some of the last people in the venue. We got to chat with all of them for awhile (and maybe swoon just a little bit, that Fitz is one handsome devil) and they were just as nice and sincere as they seemed onstage. The keyboardist was a bit taken with my friend Amanda and since they were leaving at 3 for Aspen and, we took him over to a nearby bar and had a couple of drinks (Diet Coke for me guys!). It was just one of those grateful to be alive kind of nights.
And here is one of my favorite Fitz and the Tantrums songs, playing on a web series called "Live from Daryl's House" which just went on my list of reasons I'm thankful for the internet.
So I hope you will see the gravity of my claim that I may have had the best music weekend in a long, long time the last few days.
Last summer I was on a plane to New York, catching up on KCRW Song of the Day podcasts when a song by Fitz and the Tantrums exploded into my brain. I wanted to plug my iPod into the overhead speakers so the whole plane could hear what I was experiencing. At the time, they only had an EP out which I downloaded and memorized immediately.
So when my new friend Amanda told me last week that they were playing in Denver, we got tickets and I proceeded to act like Christmas was coming. The album is so high energy and the clips of shows I had seen on YouTube made me think we were in for a treat. We later found out that there were coming to Colorado Springs the next night but we figured the Denver show would be bigger anyway and it's always fun to go out up there.
We hit the Bluebird early on Friday night and carved out a little spot right up front. And from the MOMENT they hit the stage until the last note of the encore, they did not stop moving and dancing and whipping a very eclectic crowd into a complete frenzy. Michael Fitzpatrick might be one of the sexiest guys alive and he prances and struts and dances like a complete diva. And then Noelle Skaggs, who they call a backup singer but feels more like a second lead singer is a firecracker onstage. She flat out demands that you move. As in, she'll point and call you out if you don't. And then they have this rhythm section that is just ridiculous.
Amanda and I were having a hard time wiping the grins off our faces at the end when we managed to score a set list and a drumstick. We had been planning to get tickets to another show up in Denver Saturday night but she suggested we hit the FATT show again in the Springs. We drove home and got on the computer and bought tickets that night.
Our friend Devyn joined us last night and the three of us planted ourselves up front again. It was a much smaller venue and I wasn't really sure if this crowd could match the energy of a theater three times the size. I shouldn't have worried, again, they step out on stage and it's like they are throwing speed out into the audience or something. People were losing their minds. Three cute girls on the front row dancing their faces off never fails to draw attention and each of us got our little moment of teasing from the stage which is always a fun bonus.
This band doesn't just come out and play their songs, they create an experience. I have been to a million shows where a band comes out, plays their record, shuffles off, plays and encore and we go home. And because live is live I go, and I enjoy sharing something I love with a room full of people-I'm cool with that arrangement. But I really, really appreciated going to a SHOW. The energy was high, the music is tight, the band is clearly very passionate about what they are doing and they were so sincerely appreciative of the opportunity to perform. If I had my way in life, I would always be dancing. Always. I just can't hear a beat and not dance so when they ordered us to lose our minds during "Moneygrabber", I really did think my little heart was going to burst right open from sheer joy.
The whole band also comes out after the show to sign stuff and take photos so we hung around to get our show posters signed. With six band members it took awhile and with Devyn and I pausing for dance breaks every few minutes we ended up being some of the last people in the venue. We got to chat with all of them for awhile (and maybe swoon just a little bit, that Fitz is one handsome devil) and they were just as nice and sincere as they seemed onstage. The keyboardist was a bit taken with my friend Amanda and since they were leaving at 3 for Aspen and, we took him over to a nearby bar and had a couple of drinks (Diet Coke for me guys!). It was just one of those grateful to be alive kind of nights.
And here is one of my favorite Fitz and the Tantrums songs, playing on a web series called "Live from Daryl's House" which just went on my list of reasons I'm thankful for the internet.
Saturday, June 04, 2011
Walk the Plank
Our trip to Aspen was really fun and involved good food and lots of time in the hot tub. And a gassy dog but that's another story. It also involved giving that weird Australian photo craze a try. Here are our attempts at planking. I think Amanda wins, really glad she didn't get run over.
(sidenote-HOW AWESOME IS ASPEN??? I am never leaving Colorado)
(sidenote-HOW AWESOME IS ASPEN??? I am never leaving Colorado)
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Tweet Tweet
In case you are still not sold on Twitter, this is one reason it is awesome.I sent a tweet from the Yeasayer show last night and they responded!
@Yeasayer replied to you:
@replikate Judd, Emilio, AMH, Ally or Molly???
Jun 02, 2:46 AM via TweetDeck
In reply to…
replikate Bass player looks like he straight fell out of Breakfast Club and it's pretty hot...@yeasayer
Jun 01, 11:45 PM via Mobile Web
I just really like the idea that you can talk to anyone you want on Twitter. It's making the world infinitely smaller. Another highlight of the evening? Turned out the kid dancing behind us was a fella I had talked to for a few hours after the David Bazan house show a few months ago. We had an oddly intense conversation about life and religion that night and it was super fun to run into him again.
YAY SUMMER YAY!
@Yeasayer replied to you:
@replikate Judd, Emilio, AMH, Ally or Molly???
Jun 02, 2:46 AM via TweetDeck
In reply to…
replikate Bass player looks like he straight fell out of Breakfast Club and it's pretty hot...@yeasayer
Jun 01, 11:45 PM via Mobile Web
I just really like the idea that you can talk to anyone you want on Twitter. It's making the world infinitely smaller. Another highlight of the evening? Turned out the kid dancing behind us was a fella I had talked to for a few hours after the David Bazan house show a few months ago. We had an oddly intense conversation about life and religion that night and it was super fun to run into him again.
YAY SUMMER YAY!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
SYTYCD
Sometimes if I have to leave the office in the middle of the day, the only parking option when I get back is the roof. And pretty much every time I get to my car after work, it's so empty and awesome up there that it just feels like someone should be dancing.
Well tonight, after I finished the Jack Quinn 5K and finally got my t-shirt, that person was me. I just couldn't hold it back anymore. I put my purse in the car, cranked up my headphones and I danced my face off right up until I realized that for sure there are five or six buildings that could definitely see me. But for a good ten minutes, I'm pretty sure Cat Deeley would have been really proud of me.
(You get it right? This thing is BEGGING for a performance.)
Well tonight, after I finished the Jack Quinn 5K and finally got my t-shirt, that person was me. I just couldn't hold it back anymore. I put my purse in the car, cranked up my headphones and I danced my face off right up until I realized that for sure there are five or six buildings that could definitely see me. But for a good ten minutes, I'm pretty sure Cat Deeley would have been really proud of me.
(You get it right? This thing is BEGGING for a performance.)
Friday, May 27, 2011
Motto
So I joined the rest of the internet pretty things junkies and starting a Pinterest account. It's basically internet bulletin boards you can fill with awesome things you find on the www. For someone who loved the web and sharing as much as I do, it's pretty dreamy.
Yesterday I was looking at things my friends had posted and found this
Sorry for the swear but this basically sums up my attitude for 2011. Don't say no when you can yes, try things you aren't sure about, meet more people, get on more planes, see things, learn stuff, relax harder.
To that end, this weekend is packed with hikes and rides and a wedding and what promises to be an insane 48 hours in Aspen with two girls, two boys and a dog. I hope every single one of you is doing something epic this weekend.
Here'sa Memorial Day mix my Twitter buddy from The Knocks posted today. 40 minutes of dance music!
Yesterday I was looking at things my friends had posted and found this
Sorry for the swear but this basically sums up my attitude for 2011. Don't say no when you can yes, try things you aren't sure about, meet more people, get on more planes, see things, learn stuff, relax harder.
To that end, this weekend is packed with hikes and rides and a wedding and what promises to be an insane 48 hours in Aspen with two girls, two boys and a dog. I hope every single one of you is doing something epic this weekend.
Here'sa Memorial Day mix my Twitter buddy from The Knocks posted today. 40 minutes of dance music!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Pig
All day I have been thinking about that children's book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad No Good Day. When your morning begins with an RV nearly running you off an overpass, you should just turn around and go back to bed, nothing good is coming of this day. It's been one of those days where pretty much everything just felt like "seriously?". And honestly, I am THIRTY FOUR YEARS OLD, how is it possible that I can still wake up with a giant zit that wasn't even on my radar last night. I want to go back in time and punch every single adult who ever told me rough skin was a teenage thing. To be fair, I also just kind of want to punch everyone today.
They are not my beans to spill but someone I love is going up against something scary tomorrow, maybe I just needed to squeeze out all of the bad karma I could today.
And with that, I'm taking a couple of Tylenol PMs, and listening to this until I pass out.
They are not my beans to spill but someone I love is going up against something scary tomorrow, maybe I just needed to squeeze out all of the bad karma I could today.
And with that, I'm taking a couple of Tylenol PMs, and listening to this until I pass out.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
All the Ladies
As I mentioned a few times in the last few posts, we went to see Bridesmaids on Saturday. I enjoyed it on several levels, the first being that it's crazy funny. I have had all sorts of thoughts about it the last few days that may or may not lead to a coherent blog post but here we go.
First of all, it makes me nuts to hear people call it "The Hangover" for women. Plenty of women enjoyed The Hangover AND Bridesmaids is a straight up funny movie whether or not you happen to have breasts. Even after devoting five years of my professional life to a women's footwear brand, I get really eye-rolly when I hear the words "for women" attached to something. When ESPN decided to launch ESPNW, you know, sports info "for women" my first thought was "will the Red Sox scores be cuter over there?" I'm a female but if I want to know how Rickie Fowler is holding up at the Crowne Plaza Invitational this weekend, I'm pretty sure my little girl brain can figure out how to read the leaderboard on "regular" ESPN. It's insulting and a little bit demeaning that the only way to describe something with women in it is to do it context of something male dominated. I'm sure the entertainment industry is a lot like the sports industry where I have enjoyed a career surrounded by strong, smart women and yet somehow it manages to feel like 1955 when wonder of wonder, some ladies get together and make a funny movie and they have no idea how on earth to spin it.
I read Tina Fey's "Bossypants" in one sitting last month. I consistently laugh my head off at Mindy Kaling from the Office's tweets. I watched the entire first season of Parks and Recreation today while I was home sick and found Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones to be the highlights of a pretty delightful show. And you guys know how I feel about Connie Britton's Tami Taylor character on Friday Night Lights. What thrills me to my toes about these women and these projects is that they aren't just good "for a girl". These are women who are standing toe to toe with a very male dominated industry and instead of using sexuality or crying "sexism!", they are just rocking at what they do and letting their work do the talking. One of the reasons I have such a gigantic girl crush on Tina Fey is that she strikes me as the kind of woman who would look at some jerk saying "you are just a girl" and say "suck it d-bag!". It's 2011 and even in the last year I've had men I work with call me sweetie and pat me on the head. I thank my lucky stars every single night for the opportunities I have and how wide open the world is to me compared to what it was for women just a generation before, but it's still a place where you are damned if you do damned if you don't no matter what you choose. Stay at home moms swipe at working moms but often feel restless and like they've lost a part of themselves, working moms feel enormous guilt and get their digs in at those SAHMs when they can. Ambitious single women get accused of choosing a career over a family but when husbands die or get sick or walk away, plenty of women who didn't get an education are forced into the self-improvement Mr. Right was supposed to make irrelevant. So i love seeing these funny and talented women who aren't apologizing for being women nor are they trying to make some statement for ALL women. They are just using their talents and being awesome, giving all the rest of us a big fat thumbs up to do the same.
My final two cents is that I loved this movie for being more about female friendships than it was about dudes saving the day. Hollywood gives us a lot of movies like "Bride Wars" where two women who are supposedly childhood best friends become enemies because they both want their weddings in the same venue. I read one review of that particular film that said the writers of that script either didn't actually KNOW any women or hated the ones they DID know. Female friendships are complicated for sure and girls can be bitchy and backstabbing and competitive but as I get older I see less and less Housewives of New Jersey behavior and far more taking care of each other. I've watched nearly every girl I've ever been close to get married in the last fifteen years and even though for the most part they've married great men, the need for female friendships never goes away. I've been a discreet ear during rough spots and a landing pad for weekends away. Even the healthiest marriages aren't perfect and loyal female friends fill an important role. So I appreciated that at the core of this film was a solid and realistic friendship.
Maybe that's a lot to take away from a silly movie. I've run across some fun old girlfriend photos while loading my computer. I miss these gals.
First of all, it makes me nuts to hear people call it "The Hangover" for women. Plenty of women enjoyed The Hangover AND Bridesmaids is a straight up funny movie whether or not you happen to have breasts. Even after devoting five years of my professional life to a women's footwear brand, I get really eye-rolly when I hear the words "for women" attached to something. When ESPN decided to launch ESPNW, you know, sports info "for women" my first thought was "will the Red Sox scores be cuter over there?" I'm a female but if I want to know how Rickie Fowler is holding up at the Crowne Plaza Invitational this weekend, I'm pretty sure my little girl brain can figure out how to read the leaderboard on "regular" ESPN. It's insulting and a little bit demeaning that the only way to describe something with women in it is to do it context of something male dominated. I'm sure the entertainment industry is a lot like the sports industry where I have enjoyed a career surrounded by strong, smart women and yet somehow it manages to feel like 1955 when wonder of wonder, some ladies get together and make a funny movie and they have no idea how on earth to spin it.
I read Tina Fey's "Bossypants" in one sitting last month. I consistently laugh my head off at Mindy Kaling from the Office's tweets. I watched the entire first season of Parks and Recreation today while I was home sick and found Amy Poehler and Rashida Jones to be the highlights of a pretty delightful show. And you guys know how I feel about Connie Britton's Tami Taylor character on Friday Night Lights. What thrills me to my toes about these women and these projects is that they aren't just good "for a girl". These are women who are standing toe to toe with a very male dominated industry and instead of using sexuality or crying "sexism!", they are just rocking at what they do and letting their work do the talking. One of the reasons I have such a gigantic girl crush on Tina Fey is that she strikes me as the kind of woman who would look at some jerk saying "you are just a girl" and say "suck it d-bag!". It's 2011 and even in the last year I've had men I work with call me sweetie and pat me on the head. I thank my lucky stars every single night for the opportunities I have and how wide open the world is to me compared to what it was for women just a generation before, but it's still a place where you are damned if you do damned if you don't no matter what you choose. Stay at home moms swipe at working moms but often feel restless and like they've lost a part of themselves, working moms feel enormous guilt and get their digs in at those SAHMs when they can. Ambitious single women get accused of choosing a career over a family but when husbands die or get sick or walk away, plenty of women who didn't get an education are forced into the self-improvement Mr. Right was supposed to make irrelevant. So i love seeing these funny and talented women who aren't apologizing for being women nor are they trying to make some statement for ALL women. They are just using their talents and being awesome, giving all the rest of us a big fat thumbs up to do the same.
My final two cents is that I loved this movie for being more about female friendships than it was about dudes saving the day. Hollywood gives us a lot of movies like "Bride Wars" where two women who are supposedly childhood best friends become enemies because they both want their weddings in the same venue. I read one review of that particular film that said the writers of that script either didn't actually KNOW any women or hated the ones they DID know. Female friendships are complicated for sure and girls can be bitchy and backstabbing and competitive but as I get older I see less and less Housewives of New Jersey behavior and far more taking care of each other. I've watched nearly every girl I've ever been close to get married in the last fifteen years and even though for the most part they've married great men, the need for female friendships never goes away. I've been a discreet ear during rough spots and a landing pad for weekends away. Even the healthiest marriages aren't perfect and loyal female friends fill an important role. So I appreciated that at the core of this film was a solid and realistic friendship.
Maybe that's a lot to take away from a silly movie. I've run across some fun old girlfriend photos while loading my computer. I miss these gals.
Blag
I have lots of reasons for enjoying blogging. One of my top five is getting texts like this one from thousands miles away:
That's me, blogging for a thinner America.
I love when you're blogging regularly. It's the perfect replacement for my morning apple fritter.
That's me, blogging for a thinner America.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tradition
It's sort of funny how really little things in our lives can bring us an enormous amount of satisfaction if we let them.
When I bought my first laptop probably eight or nine years ago, one of my very favorite things became to make CD's. Not just for other people but for road trips and holidays and different moods. I have playlists still hanging around with titles like "Summer Jam Cam" that I did for a friend and "Late Night Summer Listening in the Dark" that was clearly meant for a very specific moment.
Well I got a beautiful MacBook Air before I moved to Boston and the only thing those sexy little things are missing is a disk drive. So my CD making days kind of died. I would still use my old one occasionally for a "congrats on your baby!" mix here and there but my days of "saturday in July" or "Welcome to my brain" musical intros for boys I was falling for pretty much dried up.
So Saturday I was running around getting ready to go to the movies with the cute girls I had talked into getting dressed up and I kept skipping around looking for super peppy songs in my iTunes. And then I realized! New baby iMac can burn CD's!!! So I did a little happy dance and picked out 18 uppers and burned five copies to give to the ladies. It was really fun when later that night both Heather and Amanda were tweeting about how much they liked were enjoying their soundtracks.
Then last night, a friend sent out a great My Morning Jacket song I hadn't heard and it made me want to put together a playlist. I mentioned to him that I had been inspired and his reply of "I wouldn't say no to a copy" has got me sitting here tonight fiddling with the order and making a few substitutions before I send it off.
I know I could just zip the files and email it to him but there is still something so fun about getting a CD in the mail and listening to it in the order someone carefully thought out. My sister still does fall mixes and Coop does a Valentine's Day mix and they consistently rank as some of my very favorite compilations.
It's pretty simple but such a pleasure that I'm delighted to be back at it. And in celebration, I'll gladly send a copy of "Bridesmaid Day" and "Haunted" to the two people who first request them : )
EDIT: If you want a CD, I'm happy to send more than two. Tell me which playlist.
When I bought my first laptop probably eight or nine years ago, one of my very favorite things became to make CD's. Not just for other people but for road trips and holidays and different moods. I have playlists still hanging around with titles like "Summer Jam Cam" that I did for a friend and "Late Night Summer Listening in the Dark" that was clearly meant for a very specific moment.
Well I got a beautiful MacBook Air before I moved to Boston and the only thing those sexy little things are missing is a disk drive. So my CD making days kind of died. I would still use my old one occasionally for a "congrats on your baby!" mix here and there but my days of "saturday in July" or "Welcome to my brain" musical intros for boys I was falling for pretty much dried up.
So Saturday I was running around getting ready to go to the movies with the cute girls I had talked into getting dressed up and I kept skipping around looking for super peppy songs in my iTunes. And then I realized! New baby iMac can burn CD's!!! So I did a little happy dance and picked out 18 uppers and burned five copies to give to the ladies. It was really fun when later that night both Heather and Amanda were tweeting about how much they liked were enjoying their soundtracks.
Then last night, a friend sent out a great My Morning Jacket song I hadn't heard and it made me want to put together a playlist. I mentioned to him that I had been inspired and his reply of "I wouldn't say no to a copy" has got me sitting here tonight fiddling with the order and making a few substitutions before I send it off.
I know I could just zip the files and email it to him but there is still something so fun about getting a CD in the mail and listening to it in the order someone carefully thought out. My sister still does fall mixes and Coop does a Valentine's Day mix and they consistently rank as some of my very favorite compilations.
It's pretty simple but such a pleasure that I'm delighted to be back at it. And in celebration, I'll gladly send a copy of "Bridesmaid Day" and "Haunted" to the two people who first request them : )
EDIT: If you want a CD, I'm happy to send more than two. Tell me which playlist.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Bells
I was all set to write tonight and then two crazy days of bad sleep and site visit meetings in Houston have combined to turn my brain to utter mush.
But here's a little gem of a song I had totally forgotten about until I was working on a playlist tonight. Someone i once loved is getting married soon and I gave in to a bit of nostalgia thanks to this thing. I'll say this though, it's sure nice to reach a point where you truly do just wish the best for someone who broke you a little.
But here's a little gem of a song I had totally forgotten about until I was working on a playlist tonight. Someone i once loved is getting married soon and I gave in to a bit of nostalgia thanks to this thing. I'll say this though, it's sure nice to reach a point where you truly do just wish the best for someone who broke you a little.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Maid of Honor
I like days that involve costume changes. We got some girlies together to go see Bridesmaids so duh, perfect opportunity to get dressed up in silly dresses.
And an obligatory DC run afterwards
Then we ate Mexican food and raced over to catch Gregory Alan Isakov and the Haunted Wind Chimes. And now at midnight I am starting to pack for a quick trip to Houston tomorrow.
Busy bee.
And an obligatory DC run afterwards
Then we ate Mexican food and raced over to catch Gregory Alan Isakov and the Haunted Wind Chimes. And now at midnight I am starting to pack for a quick trip to Houston tomorrow.
Busy bee.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Copycats
I love it when the internet gives me something like this first thing on a freezing cold MAY morning.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Sometimes
Sometimes you are a grown up with a good job and a cute apartment and a very nice life and your sister-in-law posts something cute on your Facebook profile and you feel exactly like a nine year old at a sleep-over who wants to go home even though the party is totally fun.
Missing people is really the worst.
Missing people is really the worst.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Pro-V
I hope you will all indulge me in what is probably the shallowest thing I will ever post on this blog. I was reading some old posts from the early days of this thing and I think perhaps I am guilty of being boring lately. So I'm hoping to freshen up my writing a little bit, even if that means some nights I just really want to talk about my hair.
That's right. Hair.
I'm kind of a big proponent of being comfortable in your own skin-identifying the parts of yourself that are awesome and getting over the things that you can't change. I am also a big fan of taking good care of your body and believe that when you feel strong and healthy, you worry less about whether you look like Jillian Michaels. I made peace with my small breasts and curvy midsection a long time ago and although I am always trying to do better in the wellness area, I don't kill myself to achieve an impossible dream. That said, I seriously hate my hair.
I have long been trapped in family of good hair. My dad is sixty and still has his, my grandfather grew a lovely silver ponytail halfway down his back in his seventies, my mother has thick red hair that no box or stylist was ever able to help me copy. My brothers grew long, curly hair in high school and my two sisters always look like they stepped off a hair show runway. I even got a bunch of in-laws with lovely hair. I basically hate all of them.
I had long hair that I used to put in hot rollers EVERY SINGLE DAY of high school and it was always shiny and bouncy. And then the week before graduation I cut it all off thinking it would look cuter in my cap (it didn't) and for some reason, it would never. grow. again.
So for about 17 years now, I have lusted after long, shiny, healthy hair. I get good haircuts, I buy expensive products, I pick up every single magazine that promises better tresses. I watch Gossip Girl and get distracted by how wonderful all their hair looks. And then I suck it up and tell myself not everyone has big brown eyes with long ass lashes and shut up right now and count your blessings. But I'm a girl, and sometimes in my darkest "seriously, I'M still single" moments I wonder if it's because my hair is too short.
Well boys and girls, I'm here to tell you that sometimes you learn a life lesson through your hair trials. A few months ago I went to bed with wet hair because nephs were here and I didn't want to wake them with the hair dryer. Yes, every single day for most of my adult life, I blow dry my hair straight with a round brush and then get it even straighter with a flat iron. Nevermind the fact that puberty gave me naturally curly hair-it's more like naturally 80's permy, so I go straight. I got up the next morning and it was exactly the kinked mess I was expecting. I told Tasha I would have to wash it again and she looked at me like I had three heads. "No you don't, you curl it like that silly." So I did a trick Natalie taught me when she visited last summer and readers-MY HAIR HELD IT'S CURL FOR TWO DAYS. I tried it for a week. Wash, go to bed wet, curl in the morning. One whole week of good hair days.
I tried it for two weeks. I tried it for a month. Good hair days. Hair growing. Shiny hair. Happy hair. Hair with body. I went to get it cut and my stylist said, "wow, I can't believe how bouncy this is." I told her my story and she said, "you've seriously been blowing naturally curly hair straight every single day? You shouldn't do that." Turns out, my hair wants to do one thing-curl, and it wants to be left alone for the most part. If I let it go it's own way and try not to wreck it, it's paying me back by being the happy, healthy mane I've sort of been dreaming about.
Well you were warned, super shallow. But here's what I've been thinking about with all the spare time I have now that I don't blow dry my hair anymore-maybe sometimes we get really obsessed with something we want and the answer is A) under your nose and B) contingent on looking at the problem in a different way. Looking back, I kind of did the same thing everyday and expected magically better hair. Turns out I was probably the one keeping it down with all the heat and harsh brushing. I wasn't kidding-life lessons through hair. It can happen.
i haven't been taking many photos lately but you can sort of tell here.
I promise to come up with something terribly insightful tomorrow ; )
That's right. Hair.
I'm kind of a big proponent of being comfortable in your own skin-identifying the parts of yourself that are awesome and getting over the things that you can't change. I am also a big fan of taking good care of your body and believe that when you feel strong and healthy, you worry less about whether you look like Jillian Michaels. I made peace with my small breasts and curvy midsection a long time ago and although I am always trying to do better in the wellness area, I don't kill myself to achieve an impossible dream. That said, I seriously hate my hair.
I have long been trapped in family of good hair. My dad is sixty and still has his, my grandfather grew a lovely silver ponytail halfway down his back in his seventies, my mother has thick red hair that no box or stylist was ever able to help me copy. My brothers grew long, curly hair in high school and my two sisters always look like they stepped off a hair show runway. I even got a bunch of in-laws with lovely hair. I basically hate all of them.
I had long hair that I used to put in hot rollers EVERY SINGLE DAY of high school and it was always shiny and bouncy. And then the week before graduation I cut it all off thinking it would look cuter in my cap (it didn't) and for some reason, it would never. grow. again.
So for about 17 years now, I have lusted after long, shiny, healthy hair. I get good haircuts, I buy expensive products, I pick up every single magazine that promises better tresses. I watch Gossip Girl and get distracted by how wonderful all their hair looks. And then I suck it up and tell myself not everyone has big brown eyes with long ass lashes and shut up right now and count your blessings. But I'm a girl, and sometimes in my darkest "seriously, I'M still single" moments I wonder if it's because my hair is too short.
Well boys and girls, I'm here to tell you that sometimes you learn a life lesson through your hair trials. A few months ago I went to bed with wet hair because nephs were here and I didn't want to wake them with the hair dryer. Yes, every single day for most of my adult life, I blow dry my hair straight with a round brush and then get it even straighter with a flat iron. Nevermind the fact that puberty gave me naturally curly hair-it's more like naturally 80's permy, so I go straight. I got up the next morning and it was exactly the kinked mess I was expecting. I told Tasha I would have to wash it again and she looked at me like I had three heads. "No you don't, you curl it like that silly." So I did a trick Natalie taught me when she visited last summer and readers-MY HAIR HELD IT'S CURL FOR TWO DAYS. I tried it for a week. Wash, go to bed wet, curl in the morning. One whole week of good hair days.
I tried it for two weeks. I tried it for a month. Good hair days. Hair growing. Shiny hair. Happy hair. Hair with body. I went to get it cut and my stylist said, "wow, I can't believe how bouncy this is." I told her my story and she said, "you've seriously been blowing naturally curly hair straight every single day? You shouldn't do that." Turns out, my hair wants to do one thing-curl, and it wants to be left alone for the most part. If I let it go it's own way and try not to wreck it, it's paying me back by being the happy, healthy mane I've sort of been dreaming about.
Well you were warned, super shallow. But here's what I've been thinking about with all the spare time I have now that I don't blow dry my hair anymore-maybe sometimes we get really obsessed with something we want and the answer is A) under your nose and B) contingent on looking at the problem in a different way. Looking back, I kind of did the same thing everyday and expected magically better hair. Turns out I was probably the one keeping it down with all the heat and harsh brushing. I wasn't kidding-life lessons through hair. It can happen.
i haven't been taking many photos lately but you can sort of tell here.
I promise to come up with something terribly insightful tomorrow ; )
Monday, May 09, 2011
Found
I'm loading old photos I kept on discs once my laptop got full into my new baby. It's so much fun since the majority of these are about five years old. I found this one of my sister Emily and I that I just love. We're in HB, we're singing, I'm positive the windows are down in my little Jetta and I'm certain we're on PCH.
I'm really glad I have memories that included all of the above.
I'm really glad I have memories that included all of the above.
Sunday, May 08, 2011
Baby
I bought a new computer this weekend (!!!!) and am finally joining 2011 and getting internet at my house this week. Which means you can expect some more compelling content coming your way soon. Life has been busy and my heart has been busy doing a little healing and it has conspired to give me a little writers block. But the sun appears to be here to stay, there are some super fun things on the docket for May and June and almost nothing makes me as happy as staying up late, writing and listening to music. I haven't done much of that lately but i am RIGHT NOW and gosh, I sure love it.
I also love it when my friend Heather gets good musicians that she knows to come play in her clubhouse. Joe Pug was the guest of honor last night and for the 30 or so of us lucky enough to be there, it was a feast. I can pretty much tell you that when an upright base and a harmonica get involved, I'm paying attention. It was such a treat to have Dainon here too, we've been friends for a long time and traded an astonishing amount of music over the years but we've never been to a show together. He was teasing me after one of the songs about it being the track "you will post on your blog and get all effusive about." It's good to have someone around to give me a hard time when my brothers are all so far away. And then it's maybe a little bit of awesome when you hang around to help Heather put the chairs away and clean up the beer bottles and you end up in the kitchen eating pizza with the band.
And when there's too much to get rid of
And you get rid of me
Speak plainly to me, Diana
There's nothing you must be
And lastly, I love getting to know new people. There has been an influx of new hires at work and I'm suddenly finding myself with a group of young, single, fun folks who like to get out. So between happy hour that stretched to midnight, a faster-than-i-can-really-go-but-I-can't-look-like-a-pansy Incline trip and an afternoon of movies and playoff games today, it feels a little bit like college around these parts.
Summer, you have my attention.
I also love it when my friend Heather gets good musicians that she knows to come play in her clubhouse. Joe Pug was the guest of honor last night and for the 30 or so of us lucky enough to be there, it was a feast. I can pretty much tell you that when an upright base and a harmonica get involved, I'm paying attention. It was such a treat to have Dainon here too, we've been friends for a long time and traded an astonishing amount of music over the years but we've never been to a show together. He was teasing me after one of the songs about it being the track "you will post on your blog and get all effusive about." It's good to have someone around to give me a hard time when my brothers are all so far away. And then it's maybe a little bit of awesome when you hang around to help Heather put the chairs away and clean up the beer bottles and you end up in the kitchen eating pizza with the band.
And when there's too much to get rid of
And you get rid of me
Speak plainly to me, Diana
There's nothing you must be
And lastly, I love getting to know new people. There has been an influx of new hires at work and I'm suddenly finding myself with a group of young, single, fun folks who like to get out. So between happy hour that stretched to midnight, a faster-than-i-can-really-go-but-I-can't-look-like-a-pansy Incline trip and an afternoon of movies and playoff games today, it feels a little bit like college around these parts.
Summer, you have my attention.
Thursday, May 05, 2011
Tour de Springs
While I understand that adult brains probably romanticize a lot of our childhood memories, I have some pretty terrific fuzzy feelings about the years my family spent in our house on Pheasant Way. It was pretty much everything a kid could want in a house-a swimming pool, good climbing trees, a TIRE SWING, a garden, not one but two wooded areas perfect for fort building, a little stream in the backyard and a big, safe neighborhood we were allowed to run around in as much we wanted. And it was one of those great old neighborhoods with reasonably sized houses that didn't all look the same, shortcuts from one street to another, plenty of places to hide if the boys decided to chase us and a creepy dirt road that we were sure led to a crazy old farmer who hated kids (that rumor was never confirmed nor denied). I remember long, glorious summers playing outside as long as we possibly could and exploring every inch of that area. And of course, the key to summer freedom as a tween is-a bike! We. Loved. Our. Bikes. We liked to wash them, "work" on them (which consisted of turning them upside down and putting a little WD40 on the chain under Dad's supervision), do tricks in the long driveway. But mostly, we loved to ride them wherever the heck we wanted to go. A bike was a ticket to independence, a kind of "be home before dark" luxurious freedom I don't know if kids really get anymore.
And then high school came and it was more about cars than bikes and I have no idea what happened to my old banana seat cruiser that I loved so much.
I bought another bike when I moved to Huntington Beach and got that same feeling I had as a kid everytime we hopped on them to go down to the pier for ice cream or taco tuesday.
So I always knew I liked bikes. I bought a real live road bike when I lived in Boston but winters and traffic and frankly, being too miserable, kind of kept me from really riding much. My bike fanatic friend Matt took me out the weekend before I moved on a gorgeous ride that made me a little sad I hadn't gone more. He was pretty sure I'd find a person or two to ride with in Colorado.
The last year I've been lucky enough to find more than one or two people to ride with but my very favorite riding partner has been my coworker Todd. He was a National Team Freestyle Skier for Canada and then when he retired from competing, he took up cycling. He studied Kinesiology in college, coached for a long time, and is a certified trainer. And for whatever reason, he's decided that I'm a cause worth taking up. He started hassling me to come out on lunch rides with him when he heard I had a bike and after the first one, I was pretty well hooked. We get out at least once a week and now the that the weather is cooperating a little more, we're trying to step that up signifigantly.
After all of these years of running and spending time in the gym and always feeling like I want to be healthy but I'm just not an athlete, it has been SO FUN to find a sport that is more fun than work. Don't get me wrong, this town is nothing but hills and they are hard and everytime Todd yells, "one minute at full sprint, GO," I kind of want to punch him. But then we're flying downhill and there are three or four of outside on a perfect day when most people are eating at their desks and I feel exactly like I did when I was 11.
The bike is totally a ticket to freedom.
And then high school came and it was more about cars than bikes and I have no idea what happened to my old banana seat cruiser that I loved so much.
I bought another bike when I moved to Huntington Beach and got that same feeling I had as a kid everytime we hopped on them to go down to the pier for ice cream or taco tuesday.
So I always knew I liked bikes. I bought a real live road bike when I lived in Boston but winters and traffic and frankly, being too miserable, kind of kept me from really riding much. My bike fanatic friend Matt took me out the weekend before I moved on a gorgeous ride that made me a little sad I hadn't gone more. He was pretty sure I'd find a person or two to ride with in Colorado.
The last year I've been lucky enough to find more than one or two people to ride with but my very favorite riding partner has been my coworker Todd. He was a National Team Freestyle Skier for Canada and then when he retired from competing, he took up cycling. He studied Kinesiology in college, coached for a long time, and is a certified trainer. And for whatever reason, he's decided that I'm a cause worth taking up. He started hassling me to come out on lunch rides with him when he heard I had a bike and after the first one, I was pretty well hooked. We get out at least once a week and now the that the weather is cooperating a little more, we're trying to step that up signifigantly.
After all of these years of running and spending time in the gym and always feeling like I want to be healthy but I'm just not an athlete, it has been SO FUN to find a sport that is more fun than work. Don't get me wrong, this town is nothing but hills and they are hard and everytime Todd yells, "one minute at full sprint, GO," I kind of want to punch him. But then we're flying downhill and there are three or four of outside on a perfect day when most people are eating at their desks and I feel exactly like I did when I was 11.
The bike is totally a ticket to freedom.
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
We're walking, we're walking
Pandora must be reading my subconscious today.
I have a hard time getting over people. I think it's because I just really like people in general and I hate it when I lose one.
So this song sort of startled me today. I like the idea of having an, "alright, this is last call, all feeling gotta hit the road," moment.
This is the last song that I write while still in love with you
This is the last song that I write while you're even on my mind
'cause it's time to leave those feelings behind
Did you hear that heart? All clear please.
I have a hard time getting over people. I think it's because I just really like people in general and I hate it when I lose one.
So this song sort of startled me today. I like the idea of having an, "alright, this is last call, all feeling gotta hit the road," moment.
This is the last song that I write while still in love with you
This is the last song that I write while you're even on my mind
'cause it's time to leave those feelings behind
Did you hear that heart? All clear please.
Monday, May 02, 2011
Stuff
Well this is romantic.
Also, it's snowing again today so I'm just giving in and listening to depresso music. I had a dream about someone last night and it was one of those where you are glad it wasn't real when you wake up but also kind of sad it wasn't real when you wake up.
I hope the treadmill is excited to deal with that this evening.
Also, it's snowing again today so I'm just giving in and listening to depresso music. I had a dream about someone last night and it was one of those where you are glad it wasn't real when you wake up but also kind of sad it wasn't real when you wake up.
I hope the treadmill is excited to deal with that this evening.
Sunday, May 01, 2011
God Bless the USA
Osama Bin Laden dead.
Finally.
I'm so grateful for the military and all the people willing to risk their lives to that the rest of us can watch weddings and whine about gas prices in peace.
Remembering tonight all those people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. I hope their families are feeling some closure tonight.
I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands:
one Nation under God, indivisible,
With Liberty and Justice for all.
Finally.
I'm so grateful for the military and all the people willing to risk their lives to that the rest of us can watch weddings and whine about gas prices in peace.
Remembering tonight all those people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. I hope their families are feeling some closure tonight.
I pledge allegiance to the Flag
of the United States of America,
and to the Republic for which it stands:
one Nation under God, indivisible,
With Liberty and Justice for all.
Sleepyhead
I've been feeling drained all week and I guess my body decided to do something about it today. I woke up at 2:30! But I finally feel like a human again so I guess a little hibernation was in order.
It's the first day of May and Colorado has decided to usher it in with snow. Despite my multiple escapes to warm weather since November, I'm done with snow and cold and coats and gloves and the little Californian inside is restless. My friend Rudy posted this song this week and I've been listening to it on repeat, hoping the weather gods will hear me and grant my mountain home a good spring. I love the imagery on this video too-if you have never spent a summer near the beach, I can't recommend it enough. It actually IS as dreamy as it seems.
It's the first day of May and Colorado has decided to usher it in with snow. Despite my multiple escapes to warm weather since November, I'm done with snow and cold and coats and gloves and the little Californian inside is restless. My friend Rudy posted this song this week and I've been listening to it on repeat, hoping the weather gods will hear me and grant my mountain home a good spring. I love the imagery on this video too-if you have never spent a summer near the beach, I can't recommend it enough. It actually IS as dreamy as it seems.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Rodeo
Garrett is in Utah visiting cousin Morgan and I'm seeing a steady steam of photos that make me want to pack up my car and move in next door to one of these little rascals.
Weasels.
Weasels.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Fairy
I have been sort of "meh" about the royal wedding all week but today I found myself one hundred percent SUCKED IN.
It sort of started because duh, the wedding dress. I just wanted to see that and how she did her hair. And then I needed to see what her sister wore, and then there were all those hats, and cute kidlets and it's a slippery slope from there to recap blogs, YouTube clips and extended news magazine coverage.
Honestly though, what really got me today wasn't the breathtaking dress (I really did love it) or the crowds or fancy cars-it was all those tiny adorable moments between Kate and William, or William and Harry, or Kate and her Dad. At the center of all the fabulousness, it just seemed like a real sincere love story.
And the good news is, I 100% believe that every single couple gets to look at each other the way Kate and William did. Those little glances during the ceremony, the easiness of the way they interact-you don't have to marry the future King of England to feel that way. I've been Pippa Middleton close at the weddings of four of my siblings now and I've absolutely seen that same glow on mere commoners.
So maybe I'll fantasize a little bit tonight about designer gowns and balcony kisses but mostly I'll feel confident in the knowledge that today wasn't any more meaningful for the Windsors and Middletons than it will be for me and some dashing fellow someday : )
It sort of started because duh, the wedding dress. I just wanted to see that and how she did her hair. And then I needed to see what her sister wore, and then there were all those hats, and cute kidlets and it's a slippery slope from there to recap blogs, YouTube clips and extended news magazine coverage.
Honestly though, what really got me today wasn't the breathtaking dress (I really did love it) or the crowds or fancy cars-it was all those tiny adorable moments between Kate and William, or William and Harry, or Kate and her Dad. At the center of all the fabulousness, it just seemed like a real sincere love story.
And the good news is, I 100% believe that every single couple gets to look at each other the way Kate and William did. Those little glances during the ceremony, the easiness of the way they interact-you don't have to marry the future King of England to feel that way. I've been Pippa Middleton close at the weddings of four of my siblings now and I've absolutely seen that same glow on mere commoners.
So maybe I'll fantasize a little bit tonight about designer gowns and balcony kisses but mostly I'll feel confident in the knowledge that today wasn't any more meaningful for the Windsors and Middletons than it will be for me and some dashing fellow someday : )
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Bragtown
Several years ago I got a pretty fabulous opportunity to sit in a room with our little staff at RYKA and explain to Kelly Ripa why she should sign on as our spokeswoman. I think we were all just a little bit stunned when she heard us out and then said, "I'm in!". It still ranks as one of my all time favorite professional wins. I only stuck around a few months after Kelly's contract was finished up but had several chances to interact with her and found her to be 100% delightful.
RYKA took up a good portion of my 20's and I sure learned a lot there. I got to work with some super talented women over those years who were constantly pushing our parent company to invest in what they knew to be a little brand with a ton of potential. I watched a lot of those women then give up in frustration when that pushing didn't amount to much. So I was pretty surprised and delighted when I found out that THIS happened! A real live commercial! And a really cute one at that! It may be a few years later than I was hoping but I'm pretty thrilled to have laid the foundation for what I hope is a new life for a brand that sure means a lot to me.
RYKA took up a good portion of my 20's and I sure learned a lot there. I got to work with some super talented women over those years who were constantly pushing our parent company to invest in what they knew to be a little brand with a ton of potential. I watched a lot of those women then give up in frustration when that pushing didn't amount to much. So I was pretty surprised and delighted when I found out that THIS happened! A real live commercial! And a really cute one at that! It may be a few years later than I was hoping but I'm pretty thrilled to have laid the foundation for what I hope is a new life for a brand that sure means a lot to me.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Body Count
Proof positive that there was a weird but lucky star in the sky that evening of October 14, 1976 when I slipped into this world...
*I left my wallet at LAX last Sunday night. I called Lost and Found Monday morning and someone had turned it in, all cash, cards and gift certificates intact. My friend Beckie picked it up Friday and it's on it's way back. For those keeping track at home, that is the second time in 2011 that I have lost my ID and gotten it back before I had to replace it.
*Losing my wallet meant I had no cash to get out of the parking lot at midnight at DIA when I landed. An incredibly kind woman heard me explaining my plight to the flight attendant and loaned me as much as she had in her purse. It didn't turn out to be quite enough and the parking lot attendant had to take down all my information in order to bill me. It was late, I was tired and must have left my registration in the booth. I only realized this when I got an envelope in the mail from DIA with my registration inside.
*I always keep my parking card in the same spot in my car. Wednesday it wasn't there when I came to work. I spent fifteen minutes in a skirt searching my car that morning-nowhere to be found. I went to get it replaced and the only person who can replace cards was out for two days. Digging in my purse two days later, guess what I found? Literally right before I shelled out $15 for a new one.
See? Weird stuff but it all came back to me.
Lessons learned?
*People are awesome. The wallet turner inner, my kind wallet picker upper friend, the money loaning lady who is getting a check and some Olympic swag as we speak, the folks at DIA...people are good.
*Freaking out is useless. You cancel your cards, you mourn your sparkly wallet and you move on. Nothing is unfixable. Worrying accomplishes nothing. And I have this theory that the universe can sense when you are chilling out and it will reward you. You know, with your own items that at 34, you can't seem to keep track of.
And I'm taking that $15 I didn't spend on a new parking card and going to see Damien Jurado tomorrow night.
*I left my wallet at LAX last Sunday night. I called Lost and Found Monday morning and someone had turned it in, all cash, cards and gift certificates intact. My friend Beckie picked it up Friday and it's on it's way back. For those keeping track at home, that is the second time in 2011 that I have lost my ID and gotten it back before I had to replace it.
*Losing my wallet meant I had no cash to get out of the parking lot at midnight at DIA when I landed. An incredibly kind woman heard me explaining my plight to the flight attendant and loaned me as much as she had in her purse. It didn't turn out to be quite enough and the parking lot attendant had to take down all my information in order to bill me. It was late, I was tired and must have left my registration in the booth. I only realized this when I got an envelope in the mail from DIA with my registration inside.
*I always keep my parking card in the same spot in my car. Wednesday it wasn't there when I came to work. I spent fifteen minutes in a skirt searching my car that morning-nowhere to be found. I went to get it replaced and the only person who can replace cards was out for two days. Digging in my purse two days later, guess what I found? Literally right before I shelled out $15 for a new one.
See? Weird stuff but it all came back to me.
Lessons learned?
*People are awesome. The wallet turner inner, my kind wallet picker upper friend, the money loaning lady who is getting a check and some Olympic swag as we speak, the folks at DIA...people are good.
*Freaking out is useless. You cancel your cards, you mourn your sparkly wallet and you move on. Nothing is unfixable. Worrying accomplishes nothing. And I have this theory that the universe can sense when you are chilling out and it will reward you. You know, with your own items that at 34, you can't seem to keep track of.
And I'm taking that $15 I didn't spend on a new parking card and going to see Damien Jurado tomorrow night.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
He Lives
I love Easter. I love new beginnings and I love celebrating the Resurrection. I probably don't talk about it often enough but my relationship with God is pretty much the foundation of my life. This is my all-time favorite hymn and a version of it that I adore.
Happy Easter friends. I hope it's a lovely day for all.
Happy Easter friends. I hope it's a lovely day for all.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Fresh Starts
3/5 of my siblings are making brave and exciting changes in the next couple of months and I'm awfully excited for them. New jobs, new cities, new houses-watching all of them do interesting things with their lives is maybe one of my favorite parts of being in a family. It's kind of like you get to live vicariously through all the cool things they do. And I secretly also love it when they call to ask what I think and I get to encourage the hell out of their dreams.
Speaking of fresh starts, my pal Heather has posted her spring mix by the sam name over on "I Am Fuel, You Are Friends" and it's a must listen. I'm sort of a sucker for anything "ft. Timbaland" so allow me to present my favorite.
Speaking of fresh starts, my pal Heather has posted her spring mix by the sam name over on "I Am Fuel, You Are Friends" and it's a must listen. I'm sort of a sucker for anything "ft. Timbaland" so allow me to present my favorite.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Centered
I really like to observe people who love what they do. And I don't think I know anyone who loves being a mom more than my friend Jane. I went to college with Jane and her husband Dusty and then lost track of them for years until Facebook reconnected us. I started reading her blog and quickly fell in love with their family. One late night last spring Jane was kind enough to answer a somewhat nosy question I asked and explained to me about the dreams she had as a little girl of the family she would one day get to make. I will confess that I get a little bit exhausted by the mommy blogs out there with their endless "isn't our life perfect??" entries, but I keep coming back to Jane's because at the core of every post-she is a connection creator. She takes absolutely every opportunity she can to build and strengthen connections. The woman throws one hell of a party but it's always in the name of bringing people together. It's a quality I so admire and one I wish I was better at emulating in my own life.
I've been on poor Jane's case to submit a Dear Me letter ever since I started the project and she graciously found some time in between soccer/dance/golf/tennis/carpool/school and the other demands of four active kids and a husband busy running a transcontinental business to write one. I love it. It's so Jane and so wise. I think you'll love her too.
**btw dear readers...I KNOW there are lots of you lurking out there who should be writing letters. So get on it.
I've been on poor Jane's case to submit a Dear Me letter ever since I started the project and she graciously found some time in between soccer/dance/golf/tennis/carpool/school and the other demands of four active kids and a husband busy running a transcontinental business to write one. I love it. It's so Jane and so wise. I think you'll love her too.
**btw dear readers...I KNOW there are lots of you lurking out there who should be writing letters. So get on it.
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