H to the izzO, V to the izzA....

Wednesday's workout was a 4 mile run with an all Jay-Z mix. I did a shuffle of the MTV Unplugged Album and the Blueprint 3 album.

Jay-z-the-blueprint-3-deluxe-version-320kbps

That MTV album is super awesome and I highly recommend it. Jay-Z is someone that I never really got in to back in the day.... I was always into the old school gangster rap like Tupac and Bone and the "booty" rap stuff like Kilo and Raheem. Jay-Z fell in a completely different category of rap in my opinion. But since I've been with Eric, he has exposed me to alot of Jay-Z and I like his stuff. Eric says his "Black" album was his best but I haven't listened to that one much. Also, in case you've been living under a rock and didn't know about Jay-Z's best selling book that came out last year, you should check that out too. It's called Decoded.

Thursday night I did group fitness classes - BodyStep and BodyPump - so no music to report there.

I hope everyone has an awesome weekend. RTR!

9.7.11 Workout

I've decided that even if you're not a runner or gym rat that maybe posting my workouts and my music will inspire you. Either you'll get some cool workout ideas OR learn about some new music. Either way I like the idea of continuing to post them...it keeps me motivated!

Last night's workout was a hodgepodge of sorts. I normally do BodyPump on Tuesday night's but I was running late getting out of work and didn't make it for the start of class. But I was super energetic -thanks to all the hot coffee I'd had- so I ended up having an awesome workout. I warmed up with some intense cardio and then did a circuit type thing. Here's what I did:

About 25-30 minutes hard on the arc trainer at a max 20 incline and resistance between 25 and 35

Rowing machine super fast for 5 minutes

(Heart rate sky high right now)

Platform jumps (with 4 risers) - 3 sets of 10

Pushups til I couldn't do anymore

Lunges - "Pump style" for about 5 minutes

Tricep pushups off the bench

Tricep dips

BodyStep "Power Knees" in intervals with jogging basics in between (2 risers)

Knee Repeaters (2 risers)

Walking planks

All of that was in about 50 minutes to an hour. Kept moving super fast to keep my heart rate up! Booyah!

Music: I started out on an Alternative mix but then went Classic Rock for a while, then ended up in Pop. When I started getting tired I turned to one of my favorite workout playlists:

Come As You Are - Nirvana

Follow You Down - Gin Blossoms

Habit - Jump, Little Children

Piece of My Heart - Janis Joplin

Roll Me Away - Bob Segar

Hey Hey What Can I Do - Led Zeppelin

Pinball Wizard - Elton John

Scream - Michael Jackson

Who Knew - Pink

Won't Back Down - Eminem

Made In England - Elton John

Take if Off - Kesha

Monster - Kanye West

Sing For the Moment - Eminem

Tangerine - Led Zeppelin (Cool down / stretch)

Running/Workout Music

I've decided to start posting my run mixes on my blog. Sometimes I shuffle, sometimes I create playlists, sometimes I pick one artist for the whole run, sometimes I shuffle within one genre - it always depends on my mood. But I'm always looking for good workout mixes and I know other runners are too.

Tonight I did 4.2 miles mostly on hills. Would've liked to do more but there was a storm coming and it's getting dark much faster this time of year. I love late summer/early fall runs when a storm is brewing. It's windy and cool and the air feels electric. Plus there's always that thought that the bottom might fall out any minute so you run faster trying to get the run in and get back home. A few leaves have started falling and they were blowing and rustling around and there was an eerie, cloudy darkness. It was killer. I made it back just before the rain started!

Tonight was REALLY random! ha! But here it is....

Ryan Adams - Dance All Night

Rolling Stones - Sweet Virginia

Limp Bizkit - Rollin'

Live - Selling the Drama

Kid Rock - Bullgod

Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze

Beatles - Come Together

Michael Jackson - Smooth Criminal

Prince - Seven

Neil Diamond - Amazed

Lady Gaga - Hair

Elton John - All The Girls Love Alice

Billy Joel - You May Be Right

Hanson - A Minute Without You (don't laugh - I used to FREAKING LOVE Hanson and I always smile when they shuffle onto my iPod)

More than just sightseeing... NOLA ...off the beaten path...

So...Eric jokes that every time we go on vacation he sees the sights 3 steps at a time. Take 3 steps, Katie stops to take a picture, 3 more steps, another picture...and so on. Yes it's true. But on this trip I didn't do as much shooting as I had planned. I've been so stressed lately and I really just wanted to enjoy the time with Eric, enjoy the city, and NOT follow a schedule. So on this trip I spent one day wandering around taking pics, but the rest of the time I was too busy eating, drinking and socializing to really focus on it. Now that I'm home I wish I had taken more but...oh well...we'll be back soon. Last time we were in NOLA it was Eric's first time, and I felt all this pressure (that I put on myself mind you) to show him EVERYTHING and make sure he liked the city - because if he didn't we might have to rethink this whole relationship thing. ha. Anyhoo, the great thing about Eric is this: schedule or no schedule, taking it easy or rushing around, rain or shine, stressed out Katie or chilled out Katie, walkin' it or cabbin' it, luxury hotel or cheap crappy hotel...he is constant and calm and happy...and this has the most calming effect on me. This makes me look at life differently and take things in and not really care so much anymore about things that don't matter or things I can't change. But THAT, as I like to say, is another blog altogether!

Moving on. So I made the decision that, due to the fact that our last trip was successful and Eric pretty much had an idea of what NOLA had to offer, we would take it easy, make no plans, and go where the wind blew. If we slept late, oh well, if I got up and ran 3 miles, great, if I was hungover and couldn't move til noon, great too! ha! We did a little bit of it all.

I don't want to bore everyone with the day-to-day details of what we did while on the trip. I do, however, have to share about a couple of significant things ...things I hope you will check out next time you're in town!!!

First off, the last time we were in town we kept hearing about this great new restaurant called EAT. It's small, reasonably priced, casual/fine dining that is BYOB and set back far enough in the quarter that it's not a tourist trap. It attracts mostly locals or regular visitors that are "foodies" and want a new experience in the quarter. We went friday night and had an incredible meal. They were more than accommodating to my crazy dietary needs and didn't even bat an eye when I then broke down and had a bite (or 5) of Eric's dessert - which sent me straight back to the hotel in pain. But anyway. I could go on and on about the menu and creativity of the dishes, but I won't. Just check it out next time you're in town - at the corner of Dumaine and Dauphine. Oh...and they even put our Miller Lite tall boys on ice for us..cause that's how we roll yo! Who needs wine? Psh!

The Marigny. Ok I went into this a bit in my blog about last year's NOLA trip but I just want to reiterate that this is the ONLY way to experience music when you are there. Please review that blog and short explanation about the Marigny. And PLEASE, for the love of Pete, get off Bourbon, take a walk down Decatur, cross over Esplanade and experience all that Frenchman has to offer: Cafe Negril, Spotted Cat, Snug Harbor and d.b.a. are some faves. The vibe over there is very real and different. It's very NOLA...for lack of a better word. I love that the Spotted Cat stays packed, shoulder to shoulder, for a Swing band called the Cottonmouth Kings, when, unfortunately, you only pack a bar like that in Bham with outplayed cover bands. Love em but you know it's true. Quality little jazz bands don't pack bars around here like, say...Trotline does. Ha. So for folks like Eric and I who love discovering new music, supporting local musicians and songwriters, it's paradise for us!

Peaches Records! While standing in line for a fabulous, excellently priced LUNCH at K. Paul's, I was checking into Four Square and saw that "Kent" was "mayor" of K. Paul's (sorry if you don't know what 4 sq is...just keep reading). Anyway, I immediately asked the nice gentleman behind me in line, named Kent, with whom I'd been chatting if he was the Kent on 4 sq ...and it turns out they are one in the same! Kent had been telling me how he'd taken refuge in Birmingham during Katrina, how he loved the vibe downtown and the music scene here, and the food, and THE NICK! and Zydeco, and the people...it made me swoon because I love Birmingham for so many of the same reasons. We got to talking about music and vinyl and come to find out, Kent has "a little record store" on Decatur. So we decided we'd head over after lunch and check it out. Turns out, Kent's little record store has been in New Orleans since the 70's and is one of the few surviving, family owned record stores left. Check out this really cool article I found about it! And here's their FB page! We stayed in there way too long and Kent told us stories about music and artists from the area...even showed us a picture of Troy "Trombone" Shorty when he was about 4 years old playing in a street parade! He told me about how devastating Katrina was for them, how their store was trashed and their merchandise stolen (because when people don't have food and water what they REALLY need are CD's - ugh - tangent - sorry), and what it took for them to reopen finally after being closed for 2 years. It was such a neat experience. Go there. Please. Here are some of my favorite shots from Peaches!

Troy. Troy is an artist we met last time we were in town, selling his artwork in Jackson Square as many local artists do. From a $400 painting to a $20 painting, many reputable, well-known local artists sell their work on the square because it's a sure-fire way to meet customers who might not stroll into the fancy shmancy galleries on Royal street...those who might be too intimidated by the prices of some of the work in those galleries. These artists have a permit to sell their work on the street and usually are displaying said permit proudly. Look for it. Anyway...back to Troy. We saw Troy's work last year and loved it. It was colorful and cheerful and very much my taste. We had talked with him about custom painting something for our house and we were going to contact him when we got back...but we got busy and you know how that goes. So this time we promised ourselves we'd find him and definitely get a painting! He was there, same spot, and we immediately picked out a piece we loved. He held it for us while we went walking around and we came back to get it that afternoon. We got to talking ...as I tend to do with folks...I have an inquisitive nature..ha...anyway, we got to talking and he told us about Katrina and Rita and how he was affected, how he ended up in Texas and was working with kids in the foster care system. Troy began telling me about his work in a residential facility for kids. I know I know...goosebumps right!!! Everything he was saying was an exact depiction my experience working in the foster care system...he shared the same frustrations and disappointments..but also the same joys it brings. He went on to tell me he hoped to open a center for kids to learn about the arts. I hope he does. He seems like a fantastic person and I love his art. Check out his website and read his bio here! Also check out Troy's nephew, Ashton's art as well!

This may have been just an everyday thing for Troy, or for Kent at Peaches...talking and sharing stories ...but for us it was neat, and special, and gave us a great memory to take home from this trip. That's what I love about New Orleans...there's a story around every corner, behind every bar and in every little shop...and when you take the time to get away from the karaoke bars, daiquiri shops, strip clubs and pizza-by-the-slice joints, there's an amazing, unique culture waiting to be discovered. From the artists to the street musicians, the perfumery to the handmade toy shop ...the unique and different and quirky thrive there...there's no place like it and it's always abundant with stories to be told and memories to be made.

A couple more things...we also attended a food festival..OMG...on Royal street saturday. You can see pics of that as well as all the others I took in the FB albums. I made two albums: one for my 50D shots and one for my Point and Shoot shots. Check them out and comment PLEASE! Also, there's this little corner store we always like to go in called Unique Grocery. And even though homeless drunks hang around, it's pretty badass. It's at the corner of Iberville and Royal. There is always awesome old school Hip Hop playing in there. They have everything from pop-tarts to beer and right when you walk in they have these huge bins with tall boys iced down. 16 oz's for 1.50 and 25 oz's for 2.25. You can't beat that with a stick. So we buy tall boys and stick em in our koozies when we are walking around the quarter. It's AWESOME. While we were in there I had a homeless guy say to me... "you're a goddess...and that's coming from a drunk, homeless m***f***'er." LOL! Big shout out to Unique Grocery. It's quite unique!

Here are a few more favorites!

More artists....

(download)

Fun on Royal...this little boy was something else...

(download)

Around the square....

(download)

Genre-Tizing!!!!

Hello all...there's been so much going on lately but I'm trying hard not to do a general "update" blog where I cram everything into one post...so first I shall update everyone on my most recent project. If you're on twitter I sincerely apologize for all of the obnoxious tweeting on the subject but I tend to be a bit OCD, especially about my music, and this has consumed me this week! ha!

Let me say this first...to many of you this might sound like a totally ridiculous thing to blog about and if you find that to be the case, no biggie...move on. But I have lots of people in my life that are as obsessive about music as I am (ah hem Eric Craig) and spend hours upon hours organizing their own music ;) And there have been lots of friends (mostly through twitter) helping me with this so I wanted to sum it all up for them!

Okay sooooo.....I have alot of music in my itunes and usually when I download or import music, I make sure to alter the "info" tab so that everything is properly organized the way I want it. The one thing I don't usually think about is the genre. But lately I've realized it gets kinda daunting shuffling through my artists. Say, for instance, I am in a folk rock / singer songwriter kinda mood - I have to go from Indigo Girls, to Tracy Chapman to somewhere else...you get what I'm saying? I need all of the music of one genre properly labeled so that when I'm in the mood for that I can simply search by genre and then view all artists in that category. Now, let me say this, if you have an ipod touch or only use your iPhone for music then you wouldn't get my struggle because it's easier to jump around using that interface...but I have an old school 3rd gen iPod classic that holds a ton so moving from one artist to another takes a min.

Okay so alot of times the stuff you import comes in with a totally messed up genre label, or none at all, so alot of my music wasn't properly categorized in that way. Therefore, if I was in the mood to listen to hip hop, I was likely to end up with an Elvis song, or something totally off base, because of the way stuff had been imported. So last saturday I began going through all 813 artists in my itunes and placing them in the appropriate genres. I originally began with a strict 25 but ended up with 33. Initially I was checking the itunes store to see how they classify people but, Good LORD, they only use 23 broad categories and basically everyone gets put into Rock or Pop even if they are the furthest thing from it. For instance, iTunes puts Elvis, AC/DC, The Beach Boys, Marilyn Manson, and Bruce Springsteen all in the same category - um that ain't workin' for me! It's just too broad. I realized I had to narrow things a bit further so, it took me several days, but I finally came up with my final 33 genres. Everything had to go into one of them.

So I embark on placing everyone into a genre. Y'all have no idea how hard this was for me...take someone like Elvis -some of his stuff his blues, some R&B, some classic rock n' roll, some pop....what do you do? Or Jimmy Buffet - GOOD LORD. It's not country, it's not pop, it's not rock and roll. Hell, the man has managed to amass a catalog of music in which nearly every song is about a boat, a beach, the ocean, an island, sailing, harbours, docks, the coast, fruity drinks, or fish. That's some creative songwriting right there. TONS of songs, all essentially about the same thing, but sounding different. So where do you put Jimmy Buffett? iTunes calls him Rock, wikipedia calls him Singer/Songwriter...I gave him is own category.

So here are the Genres I came up with...I actually did alot of research online and discovered alot of descriptions of music that I hadn't thought of. I ended up with 33 but will allow myself to expand to 35 if I feel it is necessary to do so. I'm considering adding a Classic Pop category to avoid having "oldies" mixed in with current pop music. Both are Pop but from two totally different times. I just hate to "date" music....some people suggested an "80's" category, an "oldies" category or a "50's rock n roll" category... but even in those times, that music still had a genre and was defined as such. I did distinguish between R&B and Soul...placing current artists like Usher in R&B and putting Mo-Town artists, Marvin Gaye, Al Green, etc in Soul. My criteria for deciphering between some of the genres got tricky but I did the best I could. It actually sparked lots of good music conversation between myself, Eric and our good friend Blake!

Here they are:

Alt-Country / Americana

Alt-Pop

Alt-Rock

Alternative

Ambient / Trance

Blues

Buffett

Classic Rock

Classical

Comedy

Country

Dance / Electronica

Ethnic

Folk-Rock

Funk

Hard Rock

Hip Hop / Rap

Holiday

Indie

Jazz

Pop

R&B

Reggae

Rock

Singer / Songwriter

Soft Rock

Soul

Soundtrack

Southern Rock

Spoken Word

Sports

Theme Songs

Zydeco

The process of dividing out Rock into Alt-rock, Southern Rock, Classic Rock, Hard Rock and so forth was probably the hardest part of the whole process...but was necessary. I may not have gotten everything perfect although the definitions are all subjective...but I like the way each of the genres "flows" now and they all seem to have the right feel. I'm sure I'll continue to narrow things down but for now I'm happy with it. It only took me 7 days. LOL.

Now...you see what I've gone through doing this with roughly 8,000 songs... Eric has 24,000 - lord help me when he decides to start this process...

Have a great weekend y'all - enjoy this sunshine!

I'm a horrible blogger....

When I started the whole "30 Days of Blogging" thing it was my attempt to hold myself to blogging every day. It didn't happen. The 30 days have become more like 60 but here I am, trying to catch up. Life is so busy sometimes. Eric and I have been non-stop as usual. After our trip to NOLA, my best friend gave birth to a beautiful baby girl - Ansley Dean Miller! You can see pics here! She's perfect and Ryan and Lindsay are adjusting well to the new routine! After that Eric went out of town twice and I've been completely wrapped up in football and work! We went to Tuscaloosa for the Bama/Penn State game. I was thrilled that Eric went, but the weather sucked and, as most of you know, it wasn't much of a game. This weekend we are headed to Auburn for the Auburn/Clemson game. I am excited to see alot of friends...not so excited about people assuming I'm an Auburn fan. But hopefully it'll be a good game. So that's a night game...we prolly won't get home til 2 AM (at least) and then Eric catches a flight to Cleveland for work at 9am. Yeah...NO SLEEP. Then he'll be gone all week :( Other than all that stuff, it's just been the usual...work, gym, cook, clean, bed, repeat.

I have been running alot lately...not on purpose really, but my schedule has been so off that I haven't been able to make it to many of my classes at the gym. I have been working later than usual and then rushing home to squeeze in a run before dark. All the running plus the lack of cross training and rest has gutted my legs. I logged about 25-30 miles in about a week and a half. I'm in desperate need of a massage. I feel the beginnings of shin splints and my hamstrings are tight as hell. I'm stretching well but it's just alot of running. I used to get injuries all the time when I was running this much - that's why I started mixing in the classes and began doing other stuff.

Anyhoo, moving on.... lots has been on my mind so I'm going to try to share a few tidbits without getting too wordy...

1) I watched the VMA's for the first time in years and was absolutely APPALLED. Maybe it's because I work with teenagers, but I was disgusted by the monologue, references to drug use, sex, etc. I know when I was a teenager, adults were always griping about the evils of MTV...I think they were on to something. Teens and tweens are their target audience...if they weren't, Justin freaking Bieber wouldn't have performed!!! If that's their target audience, why do we have Chelsea Handler on there talking about... well if you watched you know how vulgar and disgusting she was. I saw Will Smith's son in the audience and I wanted to jump into the TV and put ear muffs on him. Kids idolize these people, repeat everything they say, dance like them, dress like them, talk like them...want to be just like them. The message they get from MTV is SEX, SEX, SEX, DRUGS, SEX, SEX, SEX, SEX, SEX.... and things like "everyone does it" "it's no big deal" "you're not cool if you don't"...they promote promiscuity and irresponsibility. I know it's NOT just MTV...it's in magazines and movies and everywhere we look. But I guess I was just shocked by how blatant and unapologetic it was on sunday night. Eric looked at me and asked when I became an "old lady". Call me an old lady but I guaran-DAMN-tee you that my kids won't be watching MTV or anything similar...I'll monitor all TV, video games, movies, etc. I'll ask questions and I'll be involved... If parents are involved and teach kids the difference between reality and the things they are seeing on MTV, I guess it's different. But it's the kids who don't have that parental involvement...who grow up on MTV and learn about morals, values and ethics based on what they see there. It's like the kids I work with who think they are going to grow up and be a rapper and life is going to be full of clubs, women, Cristal, weed, big houses, pimped out SUV's, etc.... Have I made my point? Promise? Okay I'll move on! Sorry for the rant.

2) I made a really killer Eggplant Parmesan dish the other night...I'm going to post the recipe soon. You can make it regular or gluten free and vegan!

3) Sarah Palin, Sharon Angle, Christine O'Donnell and Jan Brewer are IDIOTS. They give women in politics are horrible name. I wish I had time to elaborate on this but I don't right now. I WILL soon enough. Trust me.

4) With the anticipation of fall in the air, I have been craving all things pumpkin. I got a pound of Fresh Market's Pumpkin Spice coffee but I'm DYING for all of the fall flavored K Cups to come out. The stores keep saying it will be soon but I got confirmation that it won't be until the first week of october. That is not soon enough. I found the pumpkin spice k cups online so I ordered them...they should be here in a few days. CAN NOT WAIT!

5) I finally registered for the NCE (National Counselor Examination). I'm taking it on October 14th. For those of you that don't know, passing the NCE will allow me to go out on my own, perhaps in private practice, without having to work under another licensed therapist. I will finally get those beautiful letters behind my name... LPC... Licensed Professional Counselor! Ahhhh. After graduating with your masters in counseling you have to do 3 things to get your LPC 1)practice for 3,000 hours under a state license board approved supervisor, 2)pass the NCE and 3)get lots and lots of CEU's (continuing education units). When I first graduated it seemed like all of that would take FOREVER and I would never complete those 3,000 hours. But it has literally FLOWN by. And thank GOD they make you do all of that...I have learned SO much. I would never have been ready without the experiences I've gained in these 3+ years. I'm also so grateful that I learned to value non-profit, "in the trenches," work. That was really pushed hard in my masters program. I didn't understand it then, but I do now.

6) Can someone, perhaps a teacher or parent of a teen, help me out with this one...

WHAT is up with the rubber bands around the bottom of the pants? The kids say it's to show off your shoes but it looks so STUPID.

WHY in the heck is everyone obsessed with Niki Minaj? Where did she come from? Who is she? and why does everyone think she's so attractive?

7) I'm really REALLY excited about the holidays this year...I plan to see lots of family, do lots of cooking, and hang a ridiculous amount of twinkle lights on my house!

8) I have a new kid in my program that is obsessed with Justin Bieber...she's been through hell and back in 12 short years and has somehow managed to maintain her innocence and has a very child like quality about her. Furthermore, a professional adult involved in her case (I wish I could say who but I can't) told her that it was "inappropriate" for her to like Justin Bieber because "he's 16 and that would be statutory rape." I know...I know. Every freaking 12 year old in America and beyond is obsessed with Justin Bieber. It's no different than me and Joey from NKOTB, or young girls of the 50s and Elvis Presley. Why say something like that to a 12 year old? Why try to shame her for being a normal freaking kid? Anyhoo, I'm going to do my absolute BEST to get her tickets to his concert when he comes to bham...if anyone knows how I could do that please help me!

I suppose that's enough for today! I am off to work. Promise to catch up more tonight! Peace!

30 Days of Blogging - Day 16 - A Song That Makes You Cry

Lots of Indigo Girls songs come to mind... most notably Love Will Come to You, You and Me of the 10,000 Wars, Cordova and this one...

Three County Highway

I drive a three county highway
And every one of them town's . got a firework show
It's 4th of July and I'm just now getting home,
On the horizon I can see them all unfold
It's been a warm winter and a cold spring
Everywhere I've been has felt wrong to me
Everything I kept
What i never should have thrown away
I wanted you for all those yesterdays
I was wishing for you one Sunday morning
Walkin down the road in some debtor's town
From every church a hymn came blendin' in
and everyone of them wantin' to be found
Did you say it took a long time to find
a lot less man and less harm done?
Did you say it took a long time to find
a handsome one to keep you young?
One day I'm gonna make it up to you,
one day we're gonna laugh instead of cry.
One day I'm coming home to stay, it's true,
and baby, that's the last ticket I'm ever gonna buy.

It's been a warm winter and a cold spring,
everywhere I've been has felt wrong to me.
So put your head on my heart and lay down in the crook of my arm.
Everything's okay, I've been found once again,
I've been found again.

(Words and music by Amy Ray)

CC, Bahamas and other stuffs....

Well...lots to catch up on. I always feel so guilty when I don't blog on a regular basis but this summer has been nuts. Been traveling and going to shows and when I AM here I'm catching up at work or sleeping because I don't seem to get much of that these days! BUT....I have thoroughly enjoyed this summer so far and wouldn't trade a minute of it.

Okay so CC... if you haven't read my previous post, The Music Gods, please do. Anyhoo, The show was exactly what I expected. The table section was filled with socialites who could care less about the music, talked and sipped wine as expected. They sat the whole time, had no energy and ignored the band's pleas (along with mine) for them to get up. So basically the energy sucked and the setlist was composed of alot of crowd-pleasers but I can't complain because I knew that's what it would be. I still went nuts and soaked in every second of it cuz that's what I do. But after you've seen as many CC shows as I have, you start to compare and contrast because they are all different.. and some are just simply in a league of their own! You can view the pics by clicking HERE! I'm still living for Eric to experience a GA show with me. Who knows when that'll happen though. HOPEFULLY when the special guest is no longer freaking AUGUSTANA. OMG shoot me now if they tour with them ONE MORE TIME.

Moving on! Our trip to the bahamas was blissful. There was a teensy tropical depression named something that moved over us and brought some wind and rain. I was very upset because I had planned on getting alot of sun and the water was too rough for us to do alot of the water activities we had planned...BUT we still got to fish and snorkel and I got PLENTY of sun. It was in and out, but lord when it was out it was strong! Unfortunately, Eric got a bit sea sick when we were fishing. The water was rough and he hadn't been boating much in his life. Bless his heart. But he was a trooper. Puked off the side of the boat then grabbed his rod and went back at it! He even got back on the boat the next day in even rougher water. I heart him! But all in all it was awesome. We got to spend some quality time with mom and Greg and we ate some amazing food. The chef at the lodge cooked special for me the first two nights and then on the last 2 nights we cooked at the house because Greg had caught so much freaking fish. I just love it down there so much. Their place is so far from everything touristy and developed. It's untouched and beautiful. We saw sharks, sting rays, dolphins, star fish...the whole nine. We even tried to save a beached dolphin that was stuck up on a sand bar. You can see all the pics from the trip by clicking HERE! And visit the club's website here: www.deepwatercay.com!

What else? Oh we are going to New Orleans in a few weeks. Just the two of us. Just for a weekend trip. It's one of my favorite cities EVER and Eric has never been. I usually prefer to go in the spring or fall and I know it's going to be dreadfully hot and muggy right now, but we are going anyway. Once football season starts up there won't be much traveling going on except to Tuscaloosa or Auburn. Then the holidays will be here! So it's our last chance for the 2 of us to get away and I'm just dying to get back to NOLA!

One last thing...

Eric and I are coming up on the 1 year mark and I just want to say that this past year has been the best of my life. Every day I am more and more amazed by him and I feel so incredibly blessed to have him in my life. He is an amazing human being and I have absolutely no idea how I managed to find him. But I did! I'm so excited about embarking on another year with him...another football season, holidays, birthdays...all of it is better because of him!

Okay enough mushy stuff.

BTW ..Football is in the air people..can you feel it!?! 35 more days! GET READY!!! ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Music Gods...

The music gods have smiled on me this week. As most of you know I'm a bit of a music fanatic. I love all kinds of music, old music, new music, popular music, obscure stuff... But my greatest love is the music of Counting Crows. I have seen them somewhere in the range of 25 times. I would sit down and count but it'd take a while. I have met the band, gotten things signed, caught numerous guitar picks and sweat towels...all of that. It has become a needed fix every year. Their shows vary so much they all seem new. You can see them 3 shows in a row on the same tour (which I've done) and each show is dramatically different. Even the songs are performed differently. It's brilliant and creative and I love every second of it.

Now let me give you a little CC tour history lesson...

Back in the day they usually played General Admission (GA for short) shows. The theory behind this is A)ticket prices are reasonable and B)the biggest fans get the best seats because they will get there at the crack of dawn for a show that isn't starting until 8PM, just to make sure they will be on the front row when the doors open! I have done this SO many times. What also makes this experience so great is C)you get to hang out in the line all day meeting other CC junkies, sharing show stories, swapping bootlegs (which the band promotes and encourages) and generally soaking up "The CC Experience!" and D)you are guaranteed to be surrounded by other big fans when you get to your coveted front and center spot. What makes it even better is that these are the people you've been hanging out with all day so if, for instance, you have to pee in the middle of the show, these "fan friends" will hold your spot and allow you to push your way back up to the front! This too has happened to me a zillion times! They also still love you if you jump up and down and scream your head off because they are doing the same thing. PLUS...and here's the biggie...you don't have to put up with lame people who are just so-so fans who don't know many of the songs and constantly yell "PLAY MR. JONES" at the stage...to the point that you want to yank them up out of their seat and escort them out of the venue for being an idiot and not appreciating the music. Nor do you have to put up with the obnoxious concert goers who are there because they "liked that song back in high school" and thought it would be a good excuse to get some friends together, get drunk and go hear some live music. You don't have to put up with their loud talking through the entire show and their horrible yelling of the wrong lyrics when "that song" comes on.

Have I painted the picture here folks? Have I accurately described the GA experience and convinced you all that it's the best and most special way to experience the Counting Crows? Good. Moving on....

Okay...so then the band does what some people have labeled as "sell out" by signing some contract or tour agreement (I don't exactly understand). This did a couple of things... they were committed to a few "co-headlining" tours with bands like Live and Goo Goo Dolls where they played huge venues and each played an equal set length. Translation....no GA, high ticket prices, a short set, obnoxious fans...AND...having to suffer through setting next to the occasional Live or Goo Goo Dolls freak. This was a DARK and SCARY time for Counting Crows fans. I spent a fortune to see them because I would accept no less than the first 2 rows so I ended up forking out 200-300 bucks for a ticket AND I had to sit through an hour of Live or Goo Goo Dolls only to see a set that was over in the blink of an eye. Then somewhere in the mix Live Nation got in the picture. I am convinced that Live Nation has been sent by Satan to destroy all that we love about music. And in the words of one of my favorite music movie characters describing the changing of the music industry::: "they will ruin rock and roll and strangle everything we love about it.".....they are well on their way....

Now I don't understand how all of this tour crap works with the band, record label, Live Nation, promoters, sponsors, blah blah blah...but what I DO know is that the past couple of tours have been thrown together poorly, dates were added last minute, shows weren't well coordinated and some of the venue selections have been...how do I put it...ridiculous? No...odd? Just plain wrong. I don't know. But it doesn't fit the band or the vibe or the atmosphere that is a CC show. Not all of them but SOME. Such as ...and if you're on twitter you remember last summer...TUNICA. A FREAKING CASINO IN TUNICA. Complete with Paula Dean buffet, mullets and all. I won't get into all that. It was the closest option I had. The majority of the front row was composed of people who were comped tix in the casino or something...they could care less about the music SAT DOWN the entire time and even had the lead guitarist shaking his head and trying to engage them in the show. I won't go into that anymore. BUT I was not going to let that be my 2009 Counting Crows experience. Oh hell no. So I ended up with a ticket to a show in Myrtle Beach at the House of Blues which was...drum roll please...one of the ONLY GA shows on that tour. It was electric. It was magical. I was the first person there, I sat outside the door all day, I made friends, I listened to amazing blues music, I shared CC stories...and when the doors opened and we piled into that standing room only area in front of the stage, I was pushed and squeezed by the crowd, I was sweaty and tired...but it was perfect... and when the music started and I began to jump, I felt the entire crowd pushing against me, jumping with me...hands in the air...screaming the lyrics in unison. Not one stupid chair, not one stupid person sitting down. Everyone one around me FELT that show like I did. THAT...my friends...IS THE COUNTING CROWS EXPERIENCE. Myrtle Beach was...bleh...but the show def ranks in my top 3 CC shows of all time. You can't go wrong with HOB...EVER!

So we come to this summer. It's the same Live Nation song and dance...not a well coordinated tour, dates are being added last minute and it's the same freaking special guest as the last 3 summers -- I'm not referring here to Michael Franti who joined last summer and whom I ADORE, but Augustana who've I've seen more times than I'd like to admit and CAN NOT STAND....for numerous reasons. I should write a whole separate blog on why I hate Augustana. LOL. So anyway, I had been watching and there weren't any shows close by that I could feasibly attend and then, boom, one day they add a show at Chastain park in ATL on a doable date.

Now...I'm sorry for the many tangents but this is essential to this story. I saw CC once at Chastain and vowed to never see them there again. Any other band it's fine...but not MY FAVORITE BAND. Because...Chastain has this "table setup" which means in the area in front of the stage they have tables. And these table seats are held by season ticketholders. And these season ticketholders come to all the shows with their tablecloths, candles, bottles of wine, brie and crackers and TALK. They aren't there for the music...they are there for the social event. It's in an upper scale area of ATL and it's just the thing to do. You bring your snack and drinks and chat. I was able to get my hands on a ticket for a set in the first section behind the stupid tables and I paid 275 for it. But the energy sucked, the people around me didn't care....and the people at the tables in front of me were annoying. So much so that Adam, the lead singer, stopped in between songs and said something like "so are y'all just gonna sit there and eat and talk? Couldn't you do that at home? You don't want to stand up?" He then encouraged fans behind them to stand if they wanted to because this is a rock and roll show and not a picnic...or something to that effect! It was cool that he acknowledged how stupid it was but the show still ranked at the bottom of the list for me for that reason. Okay so then on the tour last summer, my friend and fellow CC fan, Kristin, saw them at Chastain (I didn't go cuz I have vowed not to) and I went on to the Myrtle Beach show. She called me all excited and said it wasn't the "table setup" ...she had gotten a front row ticket which was actually on the front row...they took out the tables and put rows of chairs in. She said the energy was amazing and the show was awesome. We both assumed this setup change was due to Adam's hatred of the tables and the people that come with them ;)

Okay back to present day...so I see that they have added a Chastain date...I kinda get excited because I JUST KNOW it's not going to be a table setup and I'm hoping it's going to be the way it was when Kristin saw them last year! So I called the venue and they directed me, of course, to the local Live Nation people putting on the event. Even though it's not a Live Nation venue...they do "rent it out" for the summer and have a concert series there. Again, I don't understand how it works but the Chastain people assured me they had no say-so or control in any of it...only fueling my belief that Live Nation is taking over the world and doing the Devil's work. So I get this peon (definition: "used colloquially to mean a person with little authority") desk guy with an attitude. I ask about the setup. He says it's a table setup. I tell him the story I just told you and that I JUST KNEW the band wouldn't want it that way. He assured me the band knew and approved it. How the hell, Mr. Peon, do you know what the band does and does not know? Are you the liaison between the Live Nation/Chastain people and the band's people...NO. Have you personally asked Adam Duritz what he prefers? NO. We argued for a minute and then he basically told me that I should be appreciative of the tables and the "valuable season ticket holders" because "their contributions are what make it possible for us to hold these events." Oh yes, Mr. Peon, I should be totally grateful. Screw you...I can see and have seen Counting Crows in numerous other venues and could give 2 shits about your stupid Chastain Park summer concert series.

Okay so my only other option was to drain my savings and go to a GA show in Atlantic City NJ. What would you do? Pay jacked up prices (200 or more) to get a decent seat at Chastain (but deal with the table people) or pay to fly to freaking New Jersey and pay 60 bucks for GA ticket ...plus hotel room cost, food, cabs, etc. I, of course, was willing to go with the Jersey plan because it meant a WAY better show. But my CC friend Kristin couldn't do that and Eric and I really couldn't afford to do it either so I bit the bullet and began looking on Stubhub.com for people selling tix to Chastain. Surprisingly, we found that one of those "valuable season ticket holders" had decided to put all 6 seats of their precious table up on Stubhub. Actually there were several tables that were being sold. Maybe they don't like CC, maybe they'll be golfing or at a tennis tourney..or maybe, just maybe, they remember Adam yelling at their ass and don't want to go back to see Counting Crows. But for whatever reason, they are selling their seats. The listing says "tables Row 2" which I'm assuming means the second row of tables. It was the closest option...200 bucks a seat....we bit the bullet and did it.

So the tickets come in the mail this week and looky looky what they say......

They say Table ROW 1...how did we end up with that? I don't know. Did they post it wrong on stubhub? Did they send us the wrong tix? I don't know but the tix are the real thing and stubhub has a guarantee anyway. So...all that to say...Even though we might be POSING as the "table people" ...we will not have wine and brie. We will have beer. And we will not be sitting. We will be standing. The the most important thing to remember about all of this...there will be NO table people in front of me. Only behind me. I WILL BE ON THE FRONT ROW! Table or no table, it's the front!

And just in case you were wondering..the tables each have 6 seats. Eric and I got 2 of them, my friend Kristin and another friend got 2 of them....I don't know who the other 2 people will be but they better be down with some jumping, screaming, and of course...Miller Lite! Wheee

The Music Gods have smiled on me indeed. Front row, 2 hour drive, a place to stay, and the fact that I don't have to buy beer at 6 bucks a pop!

A really overdue update....

So much has been going on lately with work, the social calendar, the house, etc. and it seems I can't keep up. I know I'm just stressing out...I know that my need for control and perfection make me feel as if everything is OOC right now. But man do I need a breather. Abby and I leave for NYC in NINE days and it can't get here fast enough. I've done a pretty good job of not over booking the trip and filling up the itinerary with a TON of stuff. Yes it's New York, yes I should see a show, yes I should do all that touristy stuff but we aren't going to. We are going to spend time with Joey, lay on the beach (Joey lives on Long Island) and shop. The only scheduled thing on the agenda is my hair appointment at the famous Devachan Salon!!! SO excited. The trip is really about seeing Joey...NYC is just an added perk. I was going to try to psycho stalk Rachel Maddow because I'm a huge fan, but I don't believe I'll be able to find her. Not that she's a super celebrity (rumor has it she rides the subway to the studio everyday) but other than knowing her exact schedule it would be like finding a needle in a haystack. I supposed I could cause a big stink outside 30 Rock (it worked in past attempts to meet Adam Duritz) but ...oooohhhhh that gives me another idea...ADAM. ADAM. LIVES. IN. NEW. YORK.... Damn...he's on tour. Boo..there will be no celebrity stalking for me on this trip.

Anyhoo...moving on. Work. Work has me very stressed out right now. I won't go into all that because, well, this blog is wide open and I'll just leave it at that. But let me just say that I love doing therapy and if this job has taught me anything it's just that. I love doing therapy. I love being in session. I'm good at it. I just wish I got to do more of it and less of some other stuff :/ I feel like alot of other stuff is on me right now.....I've realized it will never be in my future plans to have a supervisory role or administrative role of any sort...I love the work I do with my clients and I hate when that gets overshadowed by other crap. Frustrated is the word today. Just frustrated.

What else...OH...I have a sort of movie review. We finally watched Crazy Heart. What a disappointment. I'm glad I didn't waste one of my pre-oscar picks on that one. I agree that Jeff Bridges performance was powerful but the movie, overall, was horrible. Here are my reasons:

1) the characters weren't fully developed. It builds up as if something is going to be fully revealed or developed and then isn't. It seems hokey, too simplistic and unoriginal.

2) There is no depth into the relationship between "Bad" and "Jean". The script doesn't take you to a place that can help you understand why she would even consider a relationship with someone like him. It seems unrealistic, forced, melodramatic, not believable.

3) Isn't this the same story we've seen a million times...it's nothing but the Country & Western version of The Wrestler. Am I right or am I right?

4) More than anything it bored me. It was too simple, had very little depth, wasn't original, etc. etc. I think Jeff Bridges deserved finally getting the Oscar but I don't think he would have gotten it on the merit of this film alone. I feel his character was more developed than the others and it was played well...but the rest of the film just fell apart in my opinion.

Moving on. What else is new...oh the canoe trip! Lord help me. I have been canoeing at Limestone every year since I was about 16 or 17 and every single year it is my mission to conquer that damn "rooster tail" rapid. I've had alot of friends get injured pretty bad on that thing over the years but I have come out unscathed. I guess that's why I keep tempting fate. I had a few successful meetings with that rapid and felt I had finally found the trick to beating it. But this past sunday I learned otherwise... Eric and Mel decided they would not brave the big bad Rooster Tail this year because, frankly (and I don't blame them) their hands were more valuable to them then the adrenaline rush of the rapid. They chose, instead, to hike around it, carrying the canoe ...they report this wasn't an easy task although I'd take it over getting the shit beat out of me by a rock. I went down the rapid with Meagan instead. We lost, we flipped, I got stuck under the canoe, pinned up against some rocks with the water rushing 90 to nothing. It was scary. I managed to get the canoe off of me somehow but I'm beat up pretty bad. Bad to the point that I haven't worked out since saturday...y'all know it's bad when I voluntarily skip the gym. Other than the crash the trip was great. Got to spend some time with good friends and met some new ones too. Loved our crew this year and can't wait to do it again. I have definitely conceded defeat and will not be braving the big bad rooster tail anymore. I'm hanging up that mission for good. When I was younger I guess I didn't care how dangerous it was...I'm getting older..and wiser too. We took the disposable waterproof cameras as usual to document the trip but walmart no longer does 1 hour for 35mm film. The pics won't be back til next sat. I'll be in NYC so I suppose I'll get them posted sometime after I get back.

In music news...Eric and I have been taking in some really great shows lately. Truth & Salvage Co. was phenomenal. Really talented musicians and great vocals. Just a good sound overall. Check them out. Last weekend we finally saw Josh Ritter. What a killer show! I had a few faves of his but had no idea how much stuff he had released ...and he's so young. I love the diversity in his music. It's one of the things I love about CC too. There are acoustic ballads, heavier songs, songs that tell stories, simple ones, complex and deep ones.... And his energy...OMG. Ritter seems TRULY grateful and humbled to be where he is. He thanked the audience multiple times and kept saying "No...really...it means SO MUCH to me that you are here." He smiled the biggest, happiest smile throughout the whole show. For someone who really gets into the person behind the music, I was especially thrilled to have experienced Josh live. I'm that girl who just can't get into a band whose members are known to be assholes or drug addicts...or generally mean people. I like the story behind the band...I like the good guys who work hard and write good music and who TRY not to succumb to the music industry shenanigans. The ones who keep it pure. Josh seems like that kinda guy...and he seems really nice too! Very accessible, grateful and genuine. And for those of you who've heard Adam Duritz is an ass do not even try to argue my point...he's not an ass...I've met him several times!

I guess that's about it for now. I'm still bonding with the 50D although I've had ZERO time to go shoot anything. I've been waiting for a day to get out to some of my favorite spots but every time that chance has rolled around we've had torrential rain and lightening. I love being busy and having so many great things going on but it's just been non-stop and I'm seriously exhausted. And on that note...it's time to get ready for bed.

Night all...

All Things Me

no real theme or direction...just a place to get out my thoughts, rant and share the occasional recipe!

Filed under: music

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