My Favorite Pastime...

Ever year I get excited about who I might see in concert.

And ever year I see a lot of good concerts.

But this year? This year I saw everyone I never wanted to see.

Some were happy surprises (ZZ Top, The Prentenders, Hank Jr. with Skynyrd (you can't knock that!)).

Others should have stayed on the never list (Nickelback).

But this past Wednesday I topped them all. I totally outdid myself.

I saw Garth Brooks in concert.

Out of state even.

And I have to admit, the guy puts on a good show, even giving ol' Bob Seger a run for his money with a solo rendition of 'Turn the Page'.

After the show a colleague of mine (I've always wanted to say that) tried to get me started on my top ten concerts of all time list.

As far as I'm concerned, I could talk on that list for 2 days straight, until I passed out. But when asked this time around, I got nervous, stumbled over it, spit out various experiences that shouldn't have made the list, and forgot others that probably should have.

So I'm taking this opportunity to give my top 10 another go. Whether you want to know or not. And I'm not putting these in any order, one show will not overshadow another, and besides that would take to much time, as I would certainly over-think it.

So here we go:

1. Bon Jovi, Nashville, Valentines Day 2006. if you know me you know why. and this one actually does deserve the #1 spot.

2. The White Stripes at The End, Nashville, September 9th, 2001.

3. Lollapalooza 95, Cincinnati, July 1995...Pavement, The Jesus Lizard, Beck, Sonic Youth and of course, Hole.

4. Foo Fighters, Cincinnati, July 1997, complete with awful homemade 'I love you Dave' t-shirt.

5. Rocket form the Crypt, Los Angeles in 1999 AND 2001 in Nashville.

6. Tom Petty, Nashville, July 2005

7. The Pixies at The Ryman, sometime in 2004

8. John Mellencamp, Nashville in July 2005. Everyone should see Mellencamp in concert once, even if you've never been to Indiana.

9. Rancid, Nashville, July 2001. Totally worth getting beat up just to see Tim in person. Yummy. (Apparently July is a good month to see a show, I'm starting to see a trend forming here)

10. The Flaming Lips, Nashville, in a parking lot, when was that? Anyone?

So that's it, my current top ten, though 2008 is already shaping up quite nicely. More Foo Fighters, more Bon Jovi and maybe even a little Bruce Springsteen. Lets keep our fingers crossed, people.

List It

Lists. I like making them.

I make them about the to-dos.
I make them about the to-don'ts
I make them about the what-to-packs.
I make them about the what-to-gets.
I make them about the what-to-reads.
I make them about the what-I-wants.
I make them about the I-don't-likes.
I make them about the I-do-likes.
I make them about the birthdays.
I make them about the christmases.
I make them about the bills.

I make lists about what I make lists about.

You could say I'm a list expert, no? Hmmm, maybe not.
But yesterday I made a list here about being an expert mom.

You should probably put that read on your to-do list.

Bear with me, dear reader

I have grand ideas for this little blog, I love it so.

I remember a few months ago, I was telling a friend how I was going to start my own, and how I'd pour myself into it.

And he said "Are you ready to write everyday?" and I said "Well of course! It just comes naturally to me! That'll be no problem." I should have knocked on wood, because as is my customary style, I totally jinxed myself.

I'm still working out the kinks, you know, finding the time, and trying to save myself from the idea that i don't need to write an novel or have a revelation with each passing post. I'm my worst critic, and sometimes I let that get the best of me.

So bear with me, my legion of fans (ha.......), I promise you'll be seeing much more of me over here in the near future, in the meantime, you should be reading and re-reading my love letter to daddies everywhere over at musiccitymoms. And don't forget to read my plumbing saga either. This is important stuff, people.

happy halloween!

its not even dark yet, and we're already sick of candy...
check out my pre-hallows freak outs over at musiccitymoms.
you know you can never get enough of my self-depricating humor and panic.

If You're Looking for a Good Time....

Just go to the grocery store?

Its hard to get the grocery shopping done with 2 four year olds in tow. The pleas, the demands, the fights. Oh, the fights! So when I can, I try and do the shopping alone. It shaves at least an hour and a half off the time it takes to get it done, and that includes aimless wandering or half-hour debates with yourself in the beauty aisle over which face wash to buy (both things I am often guilty of).

I enjoy this time alone, probably because its the first time all day I've been able to hear myself think. But it never fails. The same thing happens to me every time I reach for the peanut butter or open the freezer door for waffles.

I get hit on.

Usually by guys stocking groceries. Most of them are normal, hard-working guys. But a handful of them? Definitely creepy weirdos. And of course, those are the ones that always try and talk to me. Once, the same guy kept showing up stocking in every aisle I moved to, and he was always stocking whatever I was looking for. Sure, that may have just been a coincidence, but the fact that he kept telling me to 'put that beautiful smile back on my face' wasn't. Whatever, guy - I'm not smiling because frankly, you're starting to freak me out.

Earlier this week, I got hit on by another customer. I'll admit, this one was kind of flattering, as he was pretty good looking, except for the fact that he was mostly just enamored with my rain boots.

I know its partly my fault. Being a procrastinator at heart, I always put off shopping until the weirdo witching hour starts. I mean, if I was alone all night, shelving groceries, I'd probably get sick of talking to canned corn and start talking at everyone that walked by too. But I don't know what's worse anymore, fighting over animal crackers with my kids or fighting off propositions from um, animals, in the cracker aisle.

I think I'm ready for the online grocery revolution. At least then I can just hand out rejection by deletion.