As noted earlier, I attended the Josh Groban concert on Tuesday. It. Was. Unbelievable!!!!! I got my ticket from TicketMaster a few hours before the show, at face value. So I was already feeling pretty pleased about that (c-ya scalperz!), Then I got there and discovered that row 11 seat 3 was the front row on stage right! I need to say that again. I got a FRONT ROW SEAT on stage right! Josh would routinely walk over, almost close enough to touch. I think I'm spoiled forever now. I finally understand ticket snobs (JonnieB, sorry it took me so long!) I may never be content with the nosebleed section again. I'll probably have to wait another 20 years to attend my next concert. Oh, wait! Air Supply might be dead by then! (I've tried on 4 separate occasion to see them perform, from paid tickets where the concert was canceled, to free public concerts...again, canceled. So it's one of the items on my life manifesto to see them in concert. But that's another story.)
So back to Josh. Yes, we must return to Josh now. Sorry for the side-track Josh. I didn't know what to expect at a concert, really. Perhaps annoying people doing karaoke all night (nope) or people with lighters waving in the air (nada) The smell of marajuana (heck no! this wasn't the Grateful Dead, after all.) It was a great crowd. The show was really fun. Josh is so comfortable and at ease with his audience...rolling with whatever happens. Keeping us on our toes. Interacting with various audience members. Wowing us with his amazing vocals and piano/drum talents. Sharing his experiences touring other parts of the world. Encouraging us to reach out and make a difference. He's great. The song selection and light show were terrific.
I've been having camera issues (which is why this wasn't posted Tuesday night after the show), so as soon as I can get videos on here I will. Meanwhile, enjoy the views from my seat! ♥
My uncle sent me this, and I thought it was quite moving.
Group:Lifehouse Song: Everything Lyrics: Find Me Here Speak To Me I want to feel you I need to hear you You are the light That's leading me To the place where I find peace again.
You are the strength, that keeps me walking. You are the hope, that keeps me trusting. You are the light to my soul. You are my purpose...you're everything.
How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you? Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
You calm the storms, and you give me rest. You hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall. You steal my heart, and you take my breath away. Would you take me in? Take me deeper now?
How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you? Would you tell me how could it be any better than this? And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you? Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
Cause you're all I want, You're all I need You're everything,everything You're all I want your all I need You're everything, everything. You're all I want you're all I need. You're everything, everything You're all I want you're all I need, you're everything, everything.
And How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you? Would you tell me how could it be any better than this? How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you? Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you? Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
Tonight I'm going to the Josh Groban concert. Alone. Yes everybody, I confess I'm a fan of Josh Groban. By fan, I don't mean that I've purchased his albums or joined his fan club. But I have downloaded my favorite songs from iTunes, and even have a ringtone on my cell. So I guess that qualifies me as a fan.
I haven't been to a concert in TWENTY YEARS! My last concert was my freshman year of college. It was the group Boston, and they performed on campus. In fact, besides the Boston show, I've only been to one other concert -- Dan Fogleberg on a date that same semester.
So it's fair to say I'm a novice concert-goer. When I heard about the concert, I waited too long to see if I could find a friend to go with, and all the authorized ticket vendors sold out. The whole scalping industry has been revolutionized by the internet. People buy up all the tickets from the authorized vendors creating a false demand, and then they sell them online for WAY above face value. I wasn't about to pay hundreds of dollars to attend the show, so I spent some time researching to avoid getting scammed or making a dumb mistake.
My plan till today was to just go to the venue tonight and buy one at face value from someone who'd rather get that than nothing. As part of my research, I called the venue to ask some questions to help me ensure I got a good seat, and she told me something really useful:
It is customary practice for a concert to hold some seats back till the band has the stage set up, and then they release any extra seats to TicketMaster for sale. This usually happens the day before the concert. The person I spoke to at the Arena told me they did this yesterday, so there were now seats for sale from TicketMaster, which has been sold out for some time. So I called TicketMaster and bought my seat from the authorized source, and was delighted to obtain a GREAT seat! Face value, no second-hand vendor or legitimacy issues to worry about. Plus it feels really good to support the artist--not the scalper industry.
I opted to call Ticketmaster vs: buying it online so that the person could tell me if there were seats available in a specific section, vs. only seeing what the online computer system deemed "best available seat". My effort paid off--I'm right by the stage. Can't Believe it!
Don't know if camera's are allowed or not, but if they are, I'll post something about it tomorrow.
I know it's almost pathetic to go to a concert alone, but I'm cool with it. I'm using some of my birthday money to pay for it, and treating myself. After all, I'm worth it! :-)
Today was the first day of school for Bunch&Gator! It's a good thing too...because Bunch in particular was about to burst a blood vessel if it didn't happen soon. Or develop hemorrhoids. Or start sleeping on the front steps of the school! She's been putting her backpack on and wearing it around the house for a week. And for his part, Gator tried to pretend that he wasn't interested in school, but I'm onto him. He thinks he's running a good gag, but the truth is that an hour and a half before the bus was to pick them up, he was trying to get me to let him go out and wait for it. Not excited. Hhmmph!
They came home all glowing and happy. Gator swears his teacher is "THE BEST!" Bunch may disagree, but at least they're not fighting over it. They're both entitled to bragging rights. I greeted them with popsicles and had home-made oreo cookies baking in the oven. We ate them for Family Night.
Speaking of school...Doc started 2nd year last week, and let me tell you, they don't tiptoe into the shallow end. No way...they dive right into the deep end in Medical School. I forget what he looks like already. I have only vague memories of a rock hard six-pack chest that looks particularly fetching in blue jeans/no shirt. Dang! Should have taken his "waiting for the bus" picture. But he probably had a shirt on by then.
Anyway, I've included the traditional "first day of school waiting for the bus" pix of Bunch&Gator at least. Aren't they adorable?! I admit a certain bias for them...but can you blame me? ♥
Today was a big day. First, Doc had decided some time ago to run in the Park City Marathon. Having never done anything longer than a 5K, he opted to run the half marathon (so only 13.1 miles). Bunch&Gator and I wanted to show our lazy-bum support for his efforts, so we all got up at 5:30 am and headed to the race. Bunch & I were so tired after we dropped Doc off, we went to a parking lot and took a nap in the car while Gator watched his TMNT movie that he'd gotten for his birthday on the dvd player. We were waiting there at the finish line though, and here are photos of Doc as he rounded the last bend towards the end of the race, and then him crossing the finish line less than 2 hours later!
Today also happened to be our anniversary. I remember picking that date for our wedding because it seemed like the perfect, conflict-free date. I had NOTHING in August my whole life except my BFF's birthday. I felt bad getting married on her 21st birthday...and hope she's forgiven me all these years later. But other than that, nothing. School never started in August where I had lived. I didn't have a child born in August. There are no holidays in August. But seems like every year, more is happening specifically on August 25th than any other date. Last year was the first day of Medical School...a big brouhaha where the new students all take the Oath of Hippocrates and receive their new white doctor coats in a special commencement ceremony with a reception on the lawn following. We also had our big housewarming party BBQ that day.
This year, in addition to the anniversary and marathon, Gator was baptized. Now of course I don't have any digital photos of the event, because I brought my camera, but didn't use it. Maybe someone else will have one I can post. But nonetheless, it was a nice baptism. Gma gave a talk, I led the music, Doc baptized him and Gpa confirmed him. Uncles were witnesses, and Auntie K played really pretty music, and we had a good number of friends and family there in support. Gator enjoyed it.
After the baptismal ceremony, Doc and I turned the kids over to the quality care of Gma&Gpa, who took them to a fun restaurant called The Mayan. They have cliff divers and such. Meanwhile, Doc and I had a tasty dinner at The Red Iguana, and watched the movie The Ultimate Gift at home.
Maybe someday we'll have an un-scheduled August 25th...but I'm not gonna hold my breath. Happy Birthday JH!
This summer Bunch&Gator and I took a number of fun trips, but one of the highlights our visit to our old stomping grounds in Vermont.
After many adventures in standby travel including sold-out flights, the airport shutting down, canceled flights, going to an alternate-city, last-minute car rental, an all-night drive through dense fog and, we arrived at our destination in time to participate in the HARRY POTTER EVENTS with a witch and wizard we happen to be very fond of. The event started with a ride on the Hogwarts Express, followed by a sorting into houses, charms class, a game of quidditch on the pitch and refreshing butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks. Later, the two witches pulled a very late night to obtain the latest book at Borders when it went for sale. Bunch&Gator were the lucky recipients of two exceedingly fine wands from Olivander&Sons...each one part of a pair of unique pair...from our favorite wand maker. Fun experiences and memories to cherish.
Today is Gator's 8th Birthday! We're up at Gma & Gpa's house for our annual Bear Lake weekend, so it was extra fun for him to spend the day with all the wonderful cousins, aunties and uncles and Gparents who love him so. He has never really gotten into the whole speed thing on the SeaDoo's we rent...being all nervous and skittish in the past. I don't know what it is about 8, but suddenly today he was EVEL KNIEVEL SPEED DEMON BOY! He was 100% floored on the throttle. I could barely hang on. My life flashed before my eyes. I prayed to God, Allah and King Triton for my life. I attempted hail marys. I think the first one worked.
Here is the only pic I have of the whole weekend, because my camera battery died and I didn't have my charger. I won't ever forget to bring it with me anywhere again...feel bad that Gator's birthday weekend was the tuition I paid to learn that lesson. I'm hoping one of the aunties will have pics of our lake time that I can post later.
Gator, if you ever decide to read stuff without being forced, bribed, threatened or cajoled (winky wink wink), I love you bud! You're the best kiddo I could have ever requested. Happy Birthday!!
Just got back last night from an amazing vacation in California. I took Bunch&Gator and we flew to Long Beach, and in the 5 whole days we were there, packed in visits to Disneyland, Disney's California Adventure theme park, Knott's Berry Farm (the first amusement park in the USA and one of my favorite places on earth), Pirate's Dinner Adventure, Boomers, Goofy's Kitchen, Build-A-Bear, the 74th annual Seal Beach Sand Sculpture Competition, Kayaking in Naples, brunch at the Brentwood Country Club with a friend, Golden Spoon Yogurt, In & Out Burgers, and quality time with some of our favorite people in the world. It was a jam-packed get-away, but Bunch&Gator were super-troopers, and we had an unbelievable time together. The hero of the trip was our dear friend Alicia, whose hospitality and extreme generosity, coupled with her vast knowledge of all the fun things to see and do in the area, made every moment simply amazing.Below are select photos from our adventures. It was absolutely the vacation of a lifetime for the kids.
Katie G. Tagged Me! So, in honor of this, I am launching my new blog. Welcome. I'm Blue, and here's a little intro to me in the form of this meme.
Jobs I’ve had: I earned money various ways as a young child. Pulling out teeth for the fairy offered too little job security, so I moved on to more lucrative pursuits. Lemonade stands aside, like many of my generation, I had a bicycle paper route delivering about 200-300 papers every week. Ironically, I also collected used newspapers to raise money for our school paper drive. When I was nine, I started working in the school cafeteria. At age 10 I started to babysit, and have been working almost non-stop since that time in my life. But for tax purposes, here's a sample of jobs I've held:
Grocery stores, retail stores, restaurants (never fast food!) and a variety of Temp Agency jobs. These experiences taught me to work hard, and exposed me to many different kinds of people and opportunities, and helped me learn more about my interests and aptitudes.
Deseret Towers Cafeteria Hostess: Noted for it's significance insomuch as it's where my DH, whom I'll refer to on this blog as "Doc", first laid eyes on me. My table-wiping skills were simply mesmerizing. He saw me holding that rancid dishrag across the room and said to himself, "that's the woman for me".
Teaching: In college I worked as a TA. Recently I became a substitute teacher. I homeschooled my kids for a year, and have spent most of my adult life teaching kids and teens at church. Interestingly, I never considered how much teaching has been part of my life.
Web Developer. AKA: WebMaster, WebMistress, Web Designer. Your choice. I spent the majority of our years in Chicago doing web dev, working and teaching all members of the university community about the internet, creating their first account, and introducing them to this new technology that would change the world. Years after we left Chicago my old boss, whom I remained friends with, informed me that, though he quickly came to appreciate my skills, work ethic, dependability etc., the reason I got the job was because his boss made him hire me because he "thought I was hot and wanted me around". Sheesh!
Manager of the ID Center for University of Chicago. I switched gears for a couple years to manage the transition from the antiquated poloroid/laminated, quarterly-validation sticker ID card system, to a SmartCard system with digital pix, magnetic strip and cash stripe technology. A crazy, long-hours process, but it was a valuable experience that taught me a ton and I enjoyed it. Good times.
Which brings me to my present employment as a flight attendant. The best perks of any job I've had. It's been an amazing experience for me. (see guilty pleasure #1 below)
Finally, most rewarding work of my life though, is that of raising my darlin' kids. Bunch & Gator are simply beyond comparison. They provide a framework for every decision I make, and the experience of parenting them is the thing I'm most grateful for in my life.
Movies I can watch over and over again; Since I subscribe to the philosophy that life's too short to re-read or re-watch most books/shows, something has to REALLY resonate with me for me to sit through it more than once. So, a couple favorites have been:
The Scarlett Pimpernell with Anthony Andrews and Jane Seymour...if you haven't seen it, it's one I enjoyed a lot. Sink me!
There have been a couple times I wanted something to mostly listen to while I did a task (like ironing), in which I can't watch the screen much. So action movies are out. Doc gave me Ever After a long time ago and I enjoy it. I've also loved Anne of Green Gables since I was a child.
I've enjoyed some of the quality blockbuster movies, (the Harry Potters & Lord of the Rings types). Don't watch them over and over though.
Guilty pleasures:
#1 would have to be Travel. I'm sure I spend much more time traveling than a lot of people, but I have no idea if it's something I'd ever get tired of, because I haven't ever been sated. It's a guilty pleasure for me because it's not "real life"...and it's means being away from my community and commitments, including (during particularly guilty pleasure get-aways) Bunch, Gator and Doc. I love visiting friends, seeing places I haven't been, sleeping in hotels, eating out, driving rental cars, exploring and adventure. It's a beautiful world.
A day of reading...especially just-for-fun books. Like yesterday. I knew I'd need to just plow through it, so I waited till then to pick up the last Harry Potter book. I committed to taking breaks to feed the kids, and I did answer the phone twice, but from the moment I woke up till I finished it late last night, I didn't do anything but read. Good thing books like that don't come out too often.
Treats. They're awful. They don't do your body any good. They mess with your insulin levels, give you a false high followed by a hard crash, cause bloating, make you fat, make you gassy and probably take years off our lives. Darn they're awesome! Especially baked treats.
Places I have lived:
Provo, Utah--for the first couple weeks of my life.
Costa Mesa, CA--till I went to college
Provo, Utah--College years
Socorro, TX--When I was a missionary
Chicago, IL--Whilst Doc did his Ph.D.
Colchester, VT--Life after graduate school
Salt Lake City, UT--Present--whilst Doc gets his MD.
Shows I enjoy: The only time I've watched tv in the past 4 years has been on JetBlue when not working. During those times, I try to find the decorating and home/garden-type shows. At home we have rabbit ears on our set downstairs, and only get PBS and KBYU, which is fine for us.
What were the things I thought of when I first saw my husband?
The first time I met Doc, he was in my oldest friend CJ's dorm room the day after the dance she'd invited him to. Not being the type to scope out friend's dates, the encounter didn't dent my consciousness at that moment. Different story for Doc, because, as you know, he'd seen my superb table-wiping skills in the cafeteria we ate at (see #2 Jobs I've Had above). Poor CJ. It was all over for her and Doc (they'd had one date). If only she'd had her own rancid, dingy dishrag in hand when he first saw her, she might've had a hope.
The second time I saw Doc, was when I got off the elevator in the lobby of my dorm to meet him for our first date. Not having any memory of what he looked like (see meeting #1 above), I suavely meandered out, hoping he'd step forward to claim me, which, thankfully, he did. We went to the Folk Dance Christmas Around the World performance at the Marriott Center, and he had me home by 8:30 pm. I didn't know what to think of Doc yet.
The third time I saw Doc was for our 2nd date...which had me slightly worried because I was a complete loon at that point in my life, but knew enough to realize that if he asked me out twice in quick succession, it probably meant he was interested. This was a bad thing, because I didn't want an 18 year old boy to fall in love with me. How AWKWARD it would be, when I, an almost 19 year old who was mature far beyond her years, had to break his poor heart! I avoid awkward. So I did my best to be a silly, frivolous nincompoop, so that he'd lose interest. To this day I have no idea why it didn't work.
Our fourth meeting was our 3rd date. He asked me if I wanted to go to a movie with him. "Sure", I said, unimpressed by the lack of originality (I was a real git!) And then this good-hearted 18 year old boy, took the girl he was trying to impress to see Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the campus theater. It worked. I thought it was sweet and genuine of him. I started to be sweet and genuine in return. That night we ran into The Bumpler, a good friend of Doc's, on our way back to our dorm, and the three of us went and had a massive snowball fight. My first ever (I was a California girl all the way. They grew up in northern Illinois). It was wonderful. The rest is history. (Moral of the story: Never underestimate the power of a good snowball fight!)
Places I have been on Vacation (my favorite topic!)
London, England
Paris, France
Bermuda. I ♥ Bermuda!
Cozumel, Mexico
The islands of Oahu and Hawaii, Hawaii
Florida Keys
Puerto Rico, and particularly the island Culebra off the south-east coast.
I've been to almost all of the 50 states; still need to make it to Alaska, Oklahoma Arkansas, and the Dakota's...at least I don't remember being in these five states.
Fun cities: Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC, San Francisco, San Diego, Salt Lake City.
Favorite foods:
Really good grilled steak or chicken. I almost NEVER have grilled meat. Maybe once a year. But YUM! Whenever I do (like 2 weeks ago, my friend's fiancé made the most amazing steak for us!) I am reminded of how tasty meat is.
Baked goods. I loved the baked goods. Nearly any kind of baked good.
Pizza. Really great pizza. I'm still a teenager at heart I guess.
Ice Cream. I'm a sucker for ice cream. Especially home-made...oh torture! But I'm also a big fan of The Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt chain in California. I'm even a card-carrying member...I get some every time I visit. It's healthier than ice cream, so less guilt!
Smoothies. I ♥ smoothies! I aim to own a VitaMix before year's end, and will be using it to mix up delicious smoothies and soups and other healthy treats.
Delish salads. I like eating but loathe making salads. Any salad made by someone else is a favorite with me. A great salad has lots of toppings, and a good dressing. Poppyseed is a favorite. Yum!
Note: though I love all the foods above, I'm a fairly healthy eater these days. Developing discipline in my eating habits has been a conscious choice. Most of the time I eat simply, and try to use fresh ingredients. Which is why I want the VitaMix.
Websites I visit daily:
Blogs. I use Bloglines to subscribe toblogsIread (there are 30 of them), and any time they've been updated, Bloglines lets me know. It's free and so useful!
I've been pretty fortunate as an adult really. Growing up I was "Bruised up Blue". I had an adverse relationship to glass, and had to have stitches a number of times. I cut open my leg with a hoe, have the ubiquitous chin scar so many of us sport, and a crooked thumb from a fast-pitch ball my coach pitched at me during softball practice in High School. I missed so much school after a car accident when I was 16 that I wasn't eligible to graduated from High School (so I ended up dropping out and went to college). I've had a number of sprained ankles, torn ligaments, broken toes. I spent 18 hours in a decompression chamber after my first open-water dive in Bermuda. Memories!
Nicknames I have had: Ahh nicknames. Terms of derision and endearment! For therapy purposes, we'll be excluding all the monikers from my childhood:
Blue
Jeuls
JB
J-Sweetest
Hota (pronounced "Ho-tuh")
Hota Bay
J-squeebs
Spleebs
My nicknames deteriorate the more time passes, as you can see.
