loud noises

"You're not dressed very gangster."

With a skeptic look on my face, I glanced at Phil as I settled into the passenger's seat of his car. "Do you think I own anything that is gangster?" I asked. (I grew up in the suburbs of Des Moines, Iowa and now live in Lawrence, Kansas; a town best described as hipster).

"I've seen you wear one or two things," he replied.

I didn't end up changing so I was wearing my Gap shorts (What? it was really hot!) and pink cardigan to the Bone Thugs 'N' Harmony concert last night. If I wasn't going to come close to "gangster" why even try? "Polar opposite" seemed more hilarious anyway.

After dinner, we made our way to The Granada. Phil has been a "Bone" fan for awhile and had mentioned earlier in the week that he wanted to go. I didn't realize until the next day that he wanted me to go with him. He was going to buy tickets, so why not? I don't go to enough concerts and we had no plans anyway.

On Friday, Lawrence.com's Twitter account was giving away tickets. Thanks to Wikipedia, I was able to answer a trivia question and win two tickets. (I may be reviving my Twitter contest winning streak I started two years ago. I won tickets for a country concert at The Granada and Mat Kearney tickets at The Beaumont Club as well as some free food. Most recently I wont VIP seats at The Dole Institute's lecture with Bob Woodward; a lecture that was my perfect mix of geekdom. Politics AND Journalism. Swoon.)

Lonely Hearts Club opened and for not being much of a rap fan, I enjoyed their performance. They also had various other (local, I think) rappers including Steddy P w G-Train (I only know this because of The Granada's website, for serious).

By the time Bone Thugs 'n' Harmony started there was more smoke inside The Granada then I had experienced since Lawrence's smoking ban in '04. But when the performers themselves aren't abiding by city rules, I don't think you can expect to control the habits of 1,000 or so fans.

I don't think I moved through the whole first song. During the openers, it was impossible not to move a bit to the beat. But this? This was LOUD. Not only could I feel the speakers, there was enough sound for my ear drum to be pulsing continuously.

After three songs, Phil motioned and we moved from the front area of the venue and went all the way behind the bar, close to the doors. Phil was disappointed that the acoustics were so bad. It did not need to be that loud and the feedback was bad. I was glad it wasn't just me. We stayed for a few more minutes but Phil decided we didn't need to stay.

summer music

There's certain music that just IS summer for me. Dave Matthews, Kings of Leon, Kenny Chesney. 


And when the summer comes
The river swims at midnight
Shiver cold
Touch the bottom, you and I,
with muddy toes





You can hear the cries from the carnival rides,
The pinball bills, skee ball slides,
Watching the summer sun fall out of sight,
There's a warm wind coming in from off of the ocean
Making its way past the hotel wall to fill the streets







What a night for a dance, you know I'm a dancing machine.
With a fire in my bones, and the sweet taste of kerosene,
I get lost in the light, so high I don't wanna come down,
To face the loss of the good thing that I had found.

"the risk that I'm takin' "

This song came out last year but I heard it this morning for the first time in awhile and I remembered how amazing it was. It's simply, a breathtaking, beautiful song. And the video is refreshingly sweet. And, of course, Beyonce is gorgeous.

Happy Tears

I was in 9th grade when my emotional sensibilities kicked in. We watched "The Odyssey" in my English literature course and when Odysseus' wife, Penelope, realizes her husband has returned after 17 long years away, I wept for them. Thankfully, the lights were off in the classroom and my silent tears went mostly unnoticed by my classmates. That same year, I watched "City of Angels". And Nicolas Cage's previously unfelt pain was like my pain. He gave up everything for Meg Ryan and then she was gone. I set next to my friend since Kindergarten, Caroline, as we both tried to hide our tears. Apparently, we were saps.

But I didn't get it from any stranger: graduations, particularly important birthdays, high school dances, meaningful Christmas gifts, "Forever Young" by Rod Stewart; all produce tears from my mother's eyes. My sister and I used to make fun of her, now we embrace it. Especially since we're usually right there with her. My sister decided to make my mom a scrapbook of family photos for christmas. She started in October. I contributed scrapbooking materials, my sister's boyfriend picked out the book, and his son (my sister's semi-stepson) created his own page full of pictures and stickers. We decided weeks ago my mom would bawl like a baby when she opened it. A week or two before Christmas, she commented on this to her boyfriend's 5-year old son who responded, with alarm: "why will Cappy (Cathy) cry?". My sister told him our mom would be crying happy tears, not sad tears. But the tears came far before Christmas morning, when my mom eventually opened (and cried over) her scrapbook. Christmas Eve, she had my sister and I open identical presents. Small, silver bracelets that read"Sisters are different flowers from the same garden". A few glasses of wine in, and obviously, we were a little emotional about it.

A few times in the past couple months, I've found myself crying for no particular reason. Usually, in the car when I have nothing but my thoughts to keep me company or when an emotional song hits me, juuuust right.

Example:

• Laughed Until We Cried by Jason Aldean

More Jason Aldean music on iLike

But a lot of the time, I'm just thinking about all the good right now: my family, my high school friends, my college friends, my Lawrence friends, my coworkers, my job. Life isn't perfect, but I'm living it. Everyday, I'm doing what I want. I'm enjoying what I have. I'm dating someone and trying not to freak out or do that thing women do. I'm just glad I get to spend time with someone I am so grateful to have met this year who also happens to be an incredible person. Other than that, I don't want to push it.

So, there's all this good stuff? And I'm appreciating what I DO have, opposed to lamenting what I DON'T. I think that's what us humans would call happiness. And I'm thrilled to be there! May you always cry more happy tears!

In a perfect world

Briana: When we have our own event planning company, our hours won't start until 10 AM (because of all of the late night events we'll have of course) but we'll aim to be at the gym together by 8 AM to exercise and get coffee. (at least in my head :) )
And every night a certain someone will sing me this song:


In a perfect world. I think I'll work on it.

But right now, I took the day off from work so I could work on my paper due for class on Thursday. So, I should probably actually do some writing.

yeah, we're gonna let it slide

my absolute favorite songs. (i will probably continue to add to this list... and make a killer playlist)

slide - goo goo dolls (all time favorite EVER)*
wedding day - rosie thomas
hey there delilah - plain white t's
she ain't right - lee brice
wasted - carrie underwood
best of you - foo fighters*
the luckiest - ben folds
want to - sugarland*
arms of a woman - amos lee
hey jude -beatles*
i need you - tim mcgraw and faith hill
vindicated - dashboard confessional
criminal -fiona apple
unchained melody - elvis
i can't stop lovin' you - keith urban
colorblind - counting crows
wind beneath my wings - bette midler
tiny dancer - elton john (or tony danza.... ha)
cowboy take me away - dixie chicks
wonderwall - oasis*
turn me on - norah jones*
time of my life - green day*
tonight, tonight - smashing pumpkins
landslide - fleetwood mac*
i've got friends in low places - garth brooks
undone (the sweater song) - weezer
georgia on my mind - ray charles
don't stop believin' - journey*
should've been a cowboy - alan jackson*
you give me something - james morrison
dear joan - rob thomas
both sides now - joni mitchell

edited later to add:
mrs. robinson - simon & garfunkel

edited to * top 10 favorites

Things I Like

"Should've Been a Cowboy" by Alan Jackson (favorite country song ever)

Music that puts me in a good mood (Single Ladies and Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy)

Flash Mobs (see below)

Sending emails to friends KNOWING it will make them laugh

Most of my coworkers (seriously, they're awesome people)

Being challenged at work (I'm putting a positive spin on things today)

Coffee dates

Talking about weddings (it's an addiction)

Finding out new things about myself with a little help from my friends

Cranberry Facts (ex. did you know when they harvest cranberries from a bog, they flood the field and scoop the cranberries that rise to the top?! And another one: people with darker skin develop frostbite more easily)

Knowing what's right and what's easy and doing the right thing even if you have to tell a friend "no" (How's that for cryptic!? ha)

and last, but certainly not least: FRIDAYS

flashmob AND Single Ladies, all rolled into one:

Landslide and the Weekend

I'm kind of horrible with music. I LOVE it, but I'm not good at identifying bands or songs. Some bands, like Smashing Pumpkins, are a little bit more identifiable for me. So, I had the radio on after class tonight and was 90% sure I was listening to a SP song. And I recognized the song - I even knew the lyrics! But it wasn't connecting. And I figured out it was a cover of a song - it was "Landslide", originally by Fleetwood Mac (Dixie Chicks also did a popular version). I have since listened to all 3 versions on youtube (and read that Stevie Nicks wrote the song when she was like 23) but cannot figure out which version is THE BEST. I know the original should ALWAYS be considered the best, but Smashing Pumpkins and Dixie Chicks recorded some killer (albeit very different) versions. THOUGHTS?! (I may also be in the process of adding this song to my top 5 favorite songs of all times. This may sound official, but it's a floating list in my head. It will never be set!)

My list this weekend:
Friday happy hour with my coworkers
A movie with my roommate who is FINALLY back as of tomorrow (She was kind of on tour, an orchestra tour. She's a brilliant percussionist)
A college football game
The KC Renaissance Festival
Finalizing a topic for my class case study midterm
Finishing unpacking boxes from the move (ha, this has been on the list for WEEKS!)

Shuffle and Etsy and Christmas!

Fist, because I'm in a shuffle mood, the first 10 songs on my iPod today:
Middle of Nowhere by Hot Hot Heat
Paperback Writer by The Beatles
Want To by Sugarland
Chapter 26J The Second Task, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
The River is Wild by The Killers
Track 8 of some Jimmy Buffett album (I keep my iTunes immaculate, no?)
Secrets That We Keep by Sara Evans
Can I Stay (live) by Ray LaMontagne
Restless by Alison Kraus & Union Station
For Emily, Wherever I may Find Her (live) by Simon & Garfunkel

Loving Etsy right now. Lawrence is having an Arts Fest a week from Sunday and I plan to officially kick of the Christmas gift purchasing season, including visiting Hmmm... by Melanie who lives in Lawrence and makes FABULOUS purses! (Excited to do this so soon as previous years I've waited until I've been done with classes...ie TWO weeks before Christmas. Stresses. Me. Out.)
Then, I fully plan to go crazy with the online shopping. As much as I love Target, I am on a mission to find more unique gifts. I was thinking about splurging on some fabulous handpainted glasses by marywibis for my mom and sister; then I remembered that any given weekend that I am home, they break, on average, two glasses. Each.

Kelly

I got to see Kelly Clarkson this past Saturday and, thankfully, someone there put videos on youtube...

Kelly singing "Walking After Midnight"...amazing. (Obviously, this video isn't the greatest sound quality so it was MUCH BETTER live.)



"Cry", an absolutely heart-breaking song, love it (This video probably has the best sound quality.)


And, the encore.... "My Life Would Suck Without You" is amazingly more upbeat live, you can't help but jump and pump your fists in the air!


"Behind These Hazel Eyes", first time singing this song acoustically, an audience sing-a-long, obviously!

As if I didn't love Kings of Leon enough...

...they go and make a video like this. Beautiful.

Kings Of Leon - New Music - More Music Videos

Caleb Followill has a voice like sex. Loves.

Favorite quotes, lyrics from this week

From Australia (which is an epically, beautiful movie that I WISH I could have seen in theatres):
"Just because it is, doesn't mean it should be."

James Otto's new song, Since You Brought it Up



You call me up, the conversation goes, in the usual way,
Oh what ya doin’, a whole lot of nothin’,
Oh it’s been a long, long day.
And then you mention,
You got this bottle of wine
You’ve been saving’ for a while
Ya it’s just waitin’ to be opened
I can only almost hear you smile.

Chorus
Since you brought it up, why don’t you bring it over,
I’d love to see you standin’ in my door,
Your auburn hair fallin’ on your shoulders,
Come on baby are you waiting for ,
You got the wine, I’ve got all night,
We’re only getting’ older,
Since you brought it up, why don’t you bring it over?

(um, totally sexy, no?)


And a song courtesy of Pandora, by Michelle Branch, Something to Sleep To:
She's his yellow brick road
Leading him on
And letting him go as far
as she lets him go
Going down to nowhere

In my mind
Everything we did was right
Open your eyes, I'll still be by your side
How could I ever have been so blind?
You give me something to sleep to
at night

I Am Ready.

95% sure this is not the music video for this song, but the shots are completely beautiful.

Beyond Expecations

My friend Ashlee from high school (now in a love-hate relationship with law school in St. Louis) twittered the following video this morning. Amazing.



From this video, I remembered Paul Potts, who sings opera.



This video brings tears to my eyes every time I watch it (and makes me want to see an opera). Happy Easter :)

Use Somebody

I had kind of forgotten about Kings Of Leon since Christmas when I gave my sister the CD and meant to borrow it from her. I don't think she actually likes it, so my request will be "to borrow it" with the intention of never giving it back. I gave her my new earrings I liked so much and ordered myself another pair so it's only fair. And I wouldn't want the music to go to waste! But here's their newest video for "Use Somebody", a song that makes me want to make out with someone but breaks my heart at the same time.

Kings of Leon - Use Somebody

The Lunch Hour

So, I haven't posted a blog in 8 days. I feel bad about it. Why? I don't have that many followers. I don't blog for a living. But I wanted to have a more relevant blog this year. One of my early 2009 goals. (Not a new year's resolution, because my NYR was to have more fun.)

Yet, I have nothing to post about. I'm sitting here in my office over lunch with no inspirations. I could talk about my new office with a big, room high window that I loooove. But there's not much to say about it. Someone left so we all shift to better offices depending on seniority. I have this much seniority ----> l l. Yes, between those 2 lines. Not much. But enough for a window.

So, I'm looking out my window (even though the day is gray), and pondering blog topics. I've been thinking about trying to position this blog so it has a specific topic and it's more marketable (this is my PR degree kickin' in), but my interests are all over the place and I use this as more of an outlet for several things. I could write about my viewing of "Watchmen" this weekend, but I'm still absorbing the experience. Yes, I absorb movies. One thing I can say I did love about it was the music. I also decided "The Sound of Silence" is definitely on my list of top 5 favorite songs. I need to more thoroughly listen to my "Best of" Simon and Garfunkel CD.

See my problem? Work, movies, music. And I definitely can write about current events and politics when I get the inspiration. Never one thing. I guess that's what makes me the scatter-brain I am. Although, the only comments I get are on the most random blog entries. So, maybe I need to go with the "stream of conscious" posts more often?

Lazy Sunday and My Favorite Things

(Note: due to title, obligatory SNL skit posted below. Because it's awesome. And I figured out how to embed clips from Hulu.)

Sitting here in my sun-filled room, online shopping at J.Crew and enjoying the sounds of the adult alternative music channel on my cable box (channel 914, if anyone is curious). I think my favorite music since I was old enough to have favorite music was adult alternative. Which is funny, because as a 12-year old, I definitely was not an adult. Just proves that this particular music sub-genre is mis-named.

Favorites so far:
"Satellite" by DMB (on top 5 list of favorite songs)This song was on a mixed tape (yes, TAPE) a friend made me in like 8th or 9th grade. I think that's why I love it so much. I think she made this tape because I literally knew NOTHING about music at all. I still don't know much.
"I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz (also a strong contender for top 5 songs)
A song by Donavon Frankenreiter. Had never heard of him before, but am now listening to more on myspace. Kind of beachy, chillaxed, Jack Johnson kind of songs.
There was also an Adele song. 18 I think? I was *this* close to buying her cd at Target last week. I think I'll visit her myspace sometime soon.

"Slide" by Goo Goo Dolls is my number one favorite song. Dizzy Up the Girl is my favorite CD ever. Room for Squares by John Mayer may be a close 2nd for favorite CD. And, obviously, the Garden State soundtrack. I've tried to keep a list of top 5 favorite songs, cds, etc. but I always am looking to make edits months later. So, it's definitely not a permanent list.