Just Another Day With Me

Maroon 5 Concert

I went to see Maroon 5 and OneRepublic in Dallas yesterday.  I had NO expectations about Maroon 5 and was going as  a OneRepublic fan and although I used to listen to them in 2003 and recently bought their "Hands All Over" CD which I loved, you just can't tell about how good a band will be until you see them live.   

So we get down there to Downtown Dallas.... find our seats (oh, we had excellent seats, since I bought the tickets last July).   And the first opening act was unimpressive and I never heard the name of the artist clearly... Rob something from Australia with bad acoustics.  

OneRepublic made me emotional (as expected) since I really did listen to them a lot in the last year and last winter.  Some of their songs are meaningful to me in a personal way and they just really hit me hard to hear them live again, but it was good.  

 

Then when Maroon 5 came out... Wow! Their energy level on stage was incredible, honestly I haven't watched many groups with that amount of energy!  Really enjoyed the show, haven't been to a concert that good in a while (besides Sting).   Seether was good! But Maroon 5 was awesome and their lyrics are just soo sexy, I really enjoyed the show.   

 

Englishman in New York

As I immerse my little mind in useless, pointless games on Facebook (Farmtown, Mafia Wars) I am slowly feeling a little better after the sour experience the "Lovely Bones" gave me.  So, in honor of my upcoming trip here is  one of my favorite songs by Sting.  I remember, when I drove to Houston from Northwest Kansas to see Sting over a working weekend.  It was in September of 2004. 

September of 2004 I pulled a thousand mile weekend to see Sting.  I went from the cooling air of Fall in the High Plains of Northwest Kansas (nearer to Denver than to any other metropolitan area)-closer to Nebraska than Oklahoma,  to drive to the Woodlands to see Sting in concert for the first time.  I was filled with excitement to see one of my all time favorite artists, a super star.  I drove to Oklahoma, picked up my brother and sister than we went on the eight hour journey to Houston, to go to the Cynthia Woods Pavillion to see "The Great One" and Annie Lennox.  It was about 90 degrees that day and it was an outdoor concert.  Wonderful, Sting.  I was so excited.  I remember when we got there, it was hours before the show started and Sting was doing the sound check.  So the first time I ever heard Sting was during the sound check.  In fact the first song I ever heard Sting sing any of live was Englishman in New York.  I remember walking with my sister and she said, that they always play music before the shows.  Then, Sting stopped the band.  Of course... I replied "yes, but they don't always stop the song"-  Oh, what a memory.  I loved it, worth all of the exhausting weekend to go see Sting.  So, when I got back to work on Monday, they knew they had a crazy person working for them.  I really loved that.

But this is in honor of my upcoming journey!  Although, I am not an Englishman, a journey to New York will certainly be foreign to me. 

 

 

U2 and Me Two

 Composing without composition.  So I'm sitting down here to write tonight.  Tonight, blogging feels like a chore.  I generally enjoy writing.  I didn't blog yesterday, lets just say that I was exhausted.  I went to see U2 and The Black Eyed Peas at the OU Stadium in Norman, OK.  It was easy parking because, although I have never been to the stadium, I know the town.  I was growing more excited throughout the day at the thought of seeing U2. 

 I have a long history of listening to U2, I bought my first U2 Cassette (not CD) when I was in HIgh School, it was Achtung Baby.   I have always loved the song Mysterious Ways, so it was super cool to hear it live, and I have a much greater appreciation for the band.  I loved the stage it was U2 360, it was a stage that was amazing,  even where I was sitting in row 44 I felt like I had a decent view.   Something else. 

The Black Eyed Peas, I remember buying their first CD back (or their first popular CD) back when I was living in Kansas, I bought it in McCook, Nebraska at the Super Walmart, and my little first grader loved it, funny he likes rap music.   But, right now I'm sitting here listening to Rob Thomas....  of course.   As much as I enjoyed the U2 concert, Rob Thomas was still the best show of 2009.

I'm kind of feeling a disappointment now that the shows are all over.  It seems that I've went to see almost all of the favorites of my teenage years and adult favorites in the last two  years.  I really don't have many that I'd like to see.  Three Days Grace would be ok, I suppose.  Right now I'd like to see Rob Thomas again and U2 was great.  I think I went away with a huge appreciation of "The Edge" the guitarist for U2, absolutely amazing live.. the sound.  Pure energy. 

So, Sunday night I arrived home at 1:30 am, to fall into bed and promptly go to sleep, to wake up at 7:15 to two sick little boys and a mind numbingly tiring day at work.  Not unhappy tired though.. there is a difference.  I kind of forgot to pack my lunch and was too tired to go to KFC.  So, I lived on Mountain Dew and a Little Debbies snack cake (bad habit from college that is resurfacing - this whole not eating thing).  After work it was to pay the phone bill then off to Walmart to get what I needed (don't ask me now, but somehow I think it was cookies) - and mayonaisse (eewww, hate mayo).  And last stop Arby's.  I love Arby's.. the best fast food hands down.   YUMMY -  I didn't run.  I came home collapsed only to have bizzarre chest pain on the right side of my chest all evening long.  I am here typing so I didn't die.  I also thought about going to the ER, but I thought that would require getting up and driving.  Nope... anyways, I'm still here so its good.   That pain that lasted well into the night, left me exhausted today. Oh, I didn't run yesterday either, I chose sleep, but my kids and husband chose harrassing me and trying to pester me while I slept....  but I got a couple of hours in.

Today, I was tired.  But, by the afternoon I felt that anxiety that is always lurking around at the edges of my soul begin to creep out and encompass my chest in with that tight panicky feeling.   So, I knew I needed to run.  I wanted a nap...  but, I rested for a while then went out to run, and I'm glad I did.  It was beautiful out,  the leaves are falling and it feels and smells like Fall.  Warm, and beautiful.  I'm glad I went, after a mile of running I can feel the anxiety and stress melt away, no matter how awful or stressed I feel, its like that is what helps let it go.   I can't describe it, other than its like a drug and if I don't "take it" it makes me have withdrawals and I begin to feel like, I guess I have felt most of my life. 

So, I've had no pop in the house for aweek.   Guess what I've taken to drinking now?  Kool-Aid.. yup, its not caffiene I need - its sugar.  High Fructose corn syrup, pure cane sugar... big difference as long as it tastes like Fruit Punch or Pink lemonade I'm good. 

Tomorrow is the super duper meeting at 7:30 am.  Can you see me roll my eyes??????  Really, seriously????  I hate morning meetings.  I'd rather stay after school when I am a NICE PERSON.  Except after school might cut into my running time then I'd get pissy.  

OH, update on my procrastinating daughter....  can we say 58 reading points?????? I am soooooooooo glad that she is "showing them" I didn't like the attitude I had from her teacher regarding her only having one book checked out.  She will have a years worth of reading points completed by next Monday.  How funny is that.   See what a little trip to Barnes and Noble did for her?   She's like her Mommy, adores the smell of new books... nothing smells better than a bookstore.  

Well thats all for now!  I actually am glad I blogged.   Not feeling so bad now, but I'm tired.

Charlie Brown and Chocolatinis

I actually began my day today in a very good mood.  But, its funny how that goes.  I'm not a huge fan of Monday anyways.  So, I spent the day working on a report for the boss.  Long, tedious data entry.  Oh, I might add much of the data entry should not have to be done by myself, it should be something that should be pulled directly from the system.  So, all day long.  

So, by the last hour of the day I finish this report (thank god).  I am getting ready to leave and I find out that a co-worker, actually both coworkers next door to me are having smart-boards installed.  Smartboards that were promised to all secondary folks last spring at the great "stimulus money" meeting.   So in four years I've never had anything bought for my classroom, teaching tools etc,  I don't have a bad setup to begin with, but when my students are using the old texts and the non-special ed kids have new texts it just isn't fair, now is it? Anyways, it just feels like once again I am left out.  The story of my life.  The person forgotten and not thought of when things get pushed through and it is something I honestly would use often.  I left crying and upset and downright frustrated and unhappy with this job.  This job that I'm in that doesn't have any room for growth.  I can teach, but I feel like I'm stalled out in this job.

So, I left, and I whipped my little car into the liquor store parking lot and proceeded on in.  Now, this is outside of my element.  I am not the liquor store visiting type person being raised by a very anti-alcohol mother.  As a kid we never had alcohol in the house, so I still feel like a "bad person" when I go into buy alcohol.  This was my biggest haul to date.  Since I am attempting to learn how to be a better cook, I needed red and white wine and cognac for some recipes, but then I decided that send my day ended like crap I needed the fixin's for chocolate martinis.   Yeah,  of course, I only like the good stuff, so out of there with Grey Goose and Godiva.   The white wine is for trial, since it is supposed to be a sweet white wine, we shall see how it tastes.  Plus we can lock it up with the guns.  Who needs a liquor cabinet?

After I went to Walmart to get what I needed for my soups that I will be cooking this week.  I arrived home and had to go run off my frustrations.  As much as on days like this that I'd like to curl up in bed and do nothing but feel sorry for myself I didn't.  I know I feel better if I go run.  So I went out for my four mile journey.  It gave me time to think  that well, my life isn't so bad and I doubt that the people who decided whether or not who got the smart boards probably couldn't run a mile in under 10 minutes, so I guess its not so bad.   I was happy this morning, well relatively for a Monday morning.  It could've been a great Monday, but I went to work like an idiot.  

The running was good,  it felt good to be outside and the weather was perfect, the air was cooler and dry.   I got home and began making my soup and it was wonderful, potato and leek soup, with creme,  ah it was good especially after I layerd swiss cheese on top of it.  It looked kind of greenish and gross but tasted quite nice.  Then I had a chocolate martini, which I must share the recipe.   Relaxed a little bit and played online. 

1 1/2 shots Godiva® chocolate liqueur
1 1/2 shots creme de cacao
1/2 shot vodka
2 1/2 shots half-and-half

 

A week from tonight, I'll be watching Rob Thomas in concert, I'm so excited, I think that should get me through the week.  I've only wanted to see him since 1997, so 12 years later I get to see the "Great One" - only one step down from Sting (and son) in music Idolness.   OK, well, maybe I'm overstating this, but I am excited! 

So, maybe I'll quit feeling sorry for myself, but I'll certainly bitch about it tomorrow.  I'm tired of feeling like Charlie Brown at work when I will go above and beyond what others do to improve myself.   Is it Fall Break yet?  Thanksgiving? Christmas?  Spring Break?  How about next Summer?