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"A Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao-Tzu |
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Today I resolve to take writing seriously, to keep going and never stop, to learn everything I can and make it as a writer. Dana McDowell 08/10/2017     |
August 30-Day Blogging Challenge - Concert Junkies Day 15 Day 2 of our New Orleans adventure, and we get the luxury of sleeping in for a bit. The first of three tours doesn't start until 11, with the City of the Dead tour. Excitement tingles through me at the thought of all the different tours. I know that New Orleans has a long and interesting history, and I can't wait to learn more. Together, we head out for the first tour. There's so much to learn, and our guide is a proverbial fountain of knowledge. One of the things I liked best was that they were knowledgeable about the voodoo religion. We spent time exploring a voodoo ritual shop, and asked all sorts of questions about the faith, as well as if voodoo dolls really work. We also learned all about Marie Laveau, and were taken to her grave in a delightfully old cemetery. After the tour, we head on over to Happy Hour at B.B. Kings Blues club. It feels so good to get out of the heat and get drinks and something to eat. While we eat, the music begins. Blues flow as smooth as the alcohol, and everyone seems to be grooving on the beat. While I'm not the biggest fan of blues, it does make for pleasant back ground music as we enjoy happy hour. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] After we've all had maybe a drink or two too many, we abandon the club and head off to our second date with the history of this fascinating city. This tour explores the French Quarter, which is featured so prominently in so many different vampire novels. Predominantly a ghost tour, we follow the guide around the Quarter to where various ghost sightings have occurred. Just as the first round of drinks begin to wear off, we're ushered into a haunted bar, where we giggled like a pack of fools as we took a few more drinks while hunting for paranormal activity. I'm not sure who screamed, but someone did when a loud booming knock startled us all. The guide was a brilliant story teller, and I have the feeling that more than one person will have a tough time falling to sleep tonight! The last tour of the day is the only one to happen after nightfall. This tour also centers around the French Quarter, which felt so much different after night fall. I kept expecting to turn around and see one of any number of vampires who make their home in the Quarter in many a novel. During this tour, we learned even more about the different haunted houses in the Quarter. By the time we were done, we stumbled back to the hotel and spent half the night awake, scared out of our wits about the thought of ghosts haunting our rooms. |
August 30-Day Blogging Challenge - Concert Junkies Day 14 Walking down the streets of New Orleans, I can't help a giddy thrill. As a young girl, I loved the Anne Rice vampire novels. And to this day, Lewis (Brad Pitt), from the movie Interview with the Vampire is still the hottest Brad. Let's just say I wouldn't mind if he bit me. Hotel Monteleone looks like something out of a movie, or from a different age. The architecture is stunning, and inside is full of old world charm. It is certainly the sort of place where you'd expect an elegant vampire to descend the stairs with a beautiful woman on his arm, one who you know won't see another sunrise. I might, or might not, have squealed like a little girl when Lyn told us we'd be staying in New Orleans an extra day to do the Vampire and Ghost tours. I hate to say it, but I'm looking forward to tomorrow far more than I am for tonight. Considering the city we're in, I expected something Gothic, with a deep base, and mystery. Not rap. Okay, okay, I know we couldn't do a month long music tour without dipping into rap at some point, but I do wish it would have been in a different city. When rap first came about, I liked it a lot. The songs all told stories, and that's always been my favorite kind of music. Gangster's Paradise is still one of my favorite songs. Then something happened. I'm not sure what. But it's like all the rappers got together and decided they just wanted to see who could cram the most offensive lyrics into a 3 minute song as possible. But even worse than that, they stopped telling stories. For a long time it was all about slapping a B, and killing cops, doing drugs, and getting shot. Worse than the cowboy losing his girl, his dog, and his truck. For the same reason. You hear one of those songs, you've heard them all. It's just depressing. Pulling up the new bands, I was pleasantly surprised. There's still cursing, but it looks like their getting away from just saying the f word 200 times in one song. And it looks like stories are starting to creep back into the music. Young Thug has a very interesting sounding voice. When I heard him sing, I didn't think he sounded like a singer. In a way, he reminds me of an uncle, singing to himself while he fixes a car. There's something homey about his voice that made me smile. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] . J. Cole used a lot more profanity, but if you can push past it, the song had depth to it. That's what's wrong with rap these days! It totally lacks depth. There aren't a lot of rap songs that you'd listen to and be moved to tears, or any other strong emotion. Anyway, I digress. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] This song did have some depth to it, even with the profanity. And I can handle profanity if it comes with an interesting story. Poor Jaden Smith. He's a kid who feels like he's trying too hard to live up to his dad. I think there will come a point when he realizes he really just wants to be an accountant. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mm163wWKL8 Earthgang. While I didn't love the music, I have to say this video made me laugh a lot. Without the video, the song wouldn't be good, but the video makes it great. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYfXONqXLTU Once we're all rapped out. I join Lyn and the others in the heated pool on the roof. Oh my goodness, but the view is breath taking. I take so many pictures, I start to worry I'll run out of space on my phone to hold them all. |
August 30-Day Blogging Challenge - Concert Junkies Day 13 Welcome to the Windy City, all will be well because we're staying at a Holiday Inn. *Laughs* I don't mind. It reminds me of road trips as a kid where we always stayed at Holiday Inns, Super 8s, and Hotel 6. While the beds aren't quite as squishy, and the pool not quite so elaborate, they're still a nice place to crash at the end of a long day of adventuring. After we got situated, I looked at the various brochures to see what we could do to occupy ourselves while we waited for the concert to start and something caught my eye. Since we've been doing a lot of exercise in previous cities, I suggest we take a Secret Food Tour. These tours are walking tours that allow visitors to a city to experience all the little hidden places tucked away in the city that they'd never find on their own. It's a walking tour, so we won't just be eating all day. Another aspect I really enjoy is that the tour also explores the unique architecture of the city. Once we roll ourselves back to the hotel after indulging on the best food Chicago has to offer, we get ready for the concert. I'm not too thrilled about the Smashing Pumpkins, but go along anyway only to be totally shocked! [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] I have no idea why, but I always thought the Smashing Pumpkins were a screaming heavy metal band. The type where you can't understand a word they're saying. I was pleasantly surprised to find out they weren't, and that I actually knew and enjoyed some of their songs. |
August 30-Day Blogging Challenge - Concert Junkies Day 12 Today we've migrated over to Alpharetta, GA, and I hope we don't get eaten by a stray alligator! Though, when we go to the hotel, it isn't the swamp I've always pictured Georgia as full of. Or maybe that's Louisiana. Anyway, Lyn is right, we've indulged way too much on this trip so far, so now it's time to work off a little bit of all that yummy. I take a peak at the weather, and almost back out. It's going to be in the 90s today with humidity levels hovering almost at 60%. But at least there will be a bit of a breeze, and a walk does sound like fun. I get into a pair of comfortable blue jean shorts, the ones I made into shorts from a pair of pants over the 4th of July this year, and a light green t-shirt. Then I spend at least ten minutes lathering up with sunscreen. The last thing I want to do is get a sunburn! After grabbing a big bottle of water in the hotel shop, we head out. Big Creek Greenway is a really neat idea, something I wish more cities would incorporate into their layouts. Greenways are linear parks designed to promote environmental conservation. They are strips of land that are deliberately left undeveloped, which differs greatly from normal parks. You won't find rolling hills of perfectly clipped grass in a green way. Instead, it is an area where plant and animal life can flourish. Usually, they do incorporate paths like in this greenway, so people can bike or walk, and enjoy a taste of nature even if they live in a big city. The city of Alpharetta isn't finished with their greenway yet, they have future plans to expand it. As we walk, we make a game of trying to spot different animals. It helps us keep our mind off the heat, while making each bend in the path all the more exciting for what we might find. Finally, we head back to the hotel for a quick dip in the pool to cool off. After the swim, I stretch out on a towel and just bake in the warm afternoon sun. Time drifts away from me like fluffy clouds in the sky, and I doze off. One of the others have to wake me up when its time to get ready for the concert. Five Finger Death Punch! Now that's a band I can get behind. While not one of my top favorites, they are the type of music I prefer. I can sing along with most of their songs, and the lyrics are always interesting and thought provoking. One of the songs I love is: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] The video is both heart breaking and thought provoking. It's refreshing to have a band actually stand for our men and women in the army instead of tearing them down. That's not a job I would ever want to do, and they get so little for doing it that they deserve our respect. |
August 30-Day Blogging Challenge - Concert Junkies Day 11 Here we are again in sunny California. Though it might be time for a new slogan. Welcome to Firestorm, CA? Welcome to the third circle of Hell, CA? To be honest, I'm not sure how there's anything left. The state has been on fire for my entire life, but these last couple years have been intense. As we fly into Bakersfield, we see the remnants of one of the recent fires. The Tarina Fire started on August 3rd. A grass fire in Kern County just east of Bakersfield, this fire ate through a total of 3,516 acres and that's just one of the 'small' fires. Thankfully it is 100% contained now, so we don't have to worry about it encroaching on the city while we're here. When we get into the hotel, I don't mind that it's the Hampton. While the fancy hotels are fun, I always feel a smidge out of place with my jeans, tennis shoes, and t-shirts. When we stay at the very high end hotels, I always imagine myself as a mongrel dog whose somehow managed to sneak back stage at a fancy pure breed dog show. After we're settled, I see if anyone wants to come with me to: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g32037-d2154125-Reviews-California... It's too bad we aren't here around Christmas time. Everyone says the light display is beyond beautiful. Still, even with out that it looks like a lot of fun. The concert tonight was not my favorite. Maybe if I was a love sick teenager...no. I didn't even like these kinds of songs when I was a love sick teenager. I don't know, they're just not that interesting to me. Mostly they remind me of the whiny country songs where the guy loses everything, except in these it's the guy hasn't gotten anything yet. He's a love sick puppy howling outside his lady-love's house trying to get him to fall for her. It's all too mushy by far. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vF3MB0U6DO8 |
August 30-Day Blogging Challenge - Concert Junkies Day 10 We've made it to the city of Boston, and our hotel is near the waterfront. I'm pleased with the arrangement because I've never seen the Pacific Ocean before. We can see the water from our rooms, but it'll still be a bit of a walk to get there. Thankfully, it is a straight shot to the ocean, just down D street all the way to the water. I have absolutely no sense of direction, so the straight path makes me happy. The walk down to the ocean is pleasant, and by the time we get close, we're all famished. We decide to stop at Legal Harborside. It's a bit pricey, but they have outdoor seating, and we can eat while watching the waves dance in the harbor. When we're finished eating, we take a stroll down the different fishing piers. Watching all the boats coming and going is so much fun. I take a ton of pictures. Once everyone's had their fill of the fishy ocean air, we head back to the hotel where we are treated to yet another amazing swimming pool. The pool was invaded by a small pack of children, and we all laugh and splash along with their games. Finally, we head off to the concert. Billy Joel! His music is great. The song We Didn't Start the Fire is as relevant today as it was back then. It's almost scary how many of the topics he lists are making a return visit. When: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] plays, I'm shocked. I sing along with all the words. It's always been one of my favorite songs, but I hadn't know Billy Joel sang it. The concert was wonderful, but by the time we make it back to the hotel, I'm ready to crash. I'm still fighting off the cold and sleep is all I want for a few hours. |
August 30-Day Blogging Challenge - Concert Junkies Day 9 Elvis, Elvis everywhere and not a one to kiss. *Laughs* I haven't see this many Elvis's since my last trip to Vegas. In fact, my husband and I got married in Las Vegas in 08. Not by Elvis, sadly, but we did get married in the city of Sin. Which was so much less stressful than setting up a traditional wedding. We were able to buy a wedding package that included makeup artists coming to the hotel, photographer, videographer, the venue, and the limo. For several years when we were younger, we'd go to Vegas with my in-laws for the national dart tournament, back when we were young and didn't have to spend all our tax return paying bills. Anyway, that's been my main experience with Elvis, the many many Vegas Elvis's wandering around the casinos and up and down the strip. It's always fun to see how well they're able to fit into the persona, and those who aren't even close. Tonight we will get to see the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Contest, where the best of the best dance off to see who will be crowned with the title of Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist. To be honest, I'm not sure if that's amazing or depressing. To spend so much time shaping yourself into someone else, practicing their art, instead of creating your own sound, voice, and style. But I suppose that it isn't all that different from cosplay. Where people craft amazing costumes from their favorite books, movies, comics, video games, and any number of other media forms. There are entire cons devoted to fan love, and maybe the Elvis shows are simply the forerunners to other forms of cosplay. Perhaps one of my all time favorite Elvis songs is [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] . Even though he is before my time, I've always thought that Elvis's dancing was a treat to watch. Half the time it looks like his skeleton has to be made out of pure cartilage, no way should solid bone be able to move that way. Tonight we'll be crashing in an RV, which isn't so bad after the whole wall of glass hotel. It's too bad we won't be here tomorrow for the Graceland Excursion. That would have been an interesting trip to take. Still, it's fun to take in the atmosphere, and spend the day wandering around and judging all the different flavors of Elvis. |
August 30-Day Blogging Challenge - Concert Junkies Day 8 We are sleeping in the House of Glass again tonight, and I feel the almost giddy urge to watch 13 Ghosts. All the hotel needs to fit into the movie are the rune etchings on the glass. Delight washes through me at being in San Diego, even with all the glass. This is where one of my favorite authors lives, Jonathan Maberry. I'm just sad we couldn't have come last Sunday, then we could have gone to one of his Writer's Coffee House meet ups. Something I do plan to do some day if I ever get the chance. The electric bikes are a blast to ride. Not as scary as a motorcycle, but a lot less strain on the body as the regular bike riding we did the other day. While still on the hot side in the 80s, the light cloud cover and breeze made the biking adventure a lot of fun. I hope we might get the chance to check out the San Diego Zoo while we're here. In Omaha, we have one of the best Zoos in the country, so I've always wanted to see how well it stacks up to San Diego. The lineup for tonight's show is extensive, featuring five different bands. I think I'd classify the music as classic rock, but I don't know for sure. When it comes to music genres, I'm usually at a loss, but it's still fun to guess and see how close I come. First up is Rick Derringer, whose music I am familiar with. I sing along with: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Following him is Badfinger: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Then we rocked out with Vanilla Fudge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3ChToIvLRM While I'd never heard the original version of Bang Bang, I recognize the song from the remix in Kill Bill. Joey Molland's music didn't really have that rock feel, which is why I hesitate to call the whole consert a classic rock show. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qorp1k1a8TM Last, but not least, we enjoyed Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels. They're another band I'm familiar with. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVbr37_yPeY After a concert that seemed to last the entire night, we stumble back to the hotel. I realize I'm not a teenager any more, and crawl into bed. |
August 30-Day Blogging Challenge - Concert Junkies Day 7 Going from camping in the woods to the decadent Omni Austin Hotel is enough to give a person whiplash. I'll admit, the walls of almost solid glass freaked me out just a smidge. I mean, they're cool to look at and everything, but for me it is a bit too much glass, and not enough walls. Maybe I watch too many disaster movies, but I keep imagining all that glass imploding into the building due to: Alien attack, sudden shift in climate, catastrophic winds, earth quake. Aside from the creepy windows, the Hotel is huge and beautiful. There's more than one little nook, coffee shop, and restaurant I'll be checking out. Even the pool is an odd, interesting shape. Once we're all settled in, we head out into Austen to check out the sights. First stop, Wild about Music. The store made me wish I'd brought along some more money. Those painted guitars were amazing. I spend a good five minutes loving on Jeffery, the black cat who runs the shop when the humans aren't looking. Any store that belongs to a cat gets five stars in my book. Even though I couldn't afford one of the guitars, I did buy a couple pairs of their cool music themed socks. I got the rainbow piano socks, and the black with music notes. Very comfy! After we were done with Wild About Music, I asked if anyone wanted to do the Austin in a Nutshell tour with me. (https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g30196-d11990374-Austin_in_a...). It is a two hour long tour via bike ride that will visit two major parks as well as a variety of different landmarks throughout the city. Once the tour is over, I make my way back to the Hotel for a dip in the pool. My legs are crying, it's been ages since I rode a bike, but there was something delightful about it as well. A great in between of walking and driving to see the city and experience everything without it going by too fast, or taking all day to get from place to place. Still, I need a bit of a nap before the concert tonight. All rested up, we head to the concert. The two bands we're seeing are ones I've never heard of, but since we are in Austin, TX I assume they're some flavor of country. Imagine my surprise when they start to play! I'm not 100% sure, but Erasure seems to be some form of techno-pop. Whereas Reed and Caroline are definitely techno all the way. It makes me grin a little, because of my own expectations and beliefs about Texas, I never expected to hear music like this in concert form here. Country yes, western, absolutely, maybe some rock, but not techno. Erasure had an interesting sound to them, which is why I'm still not sure what catigory they fall into, or if they just made their own: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Reed and Caroline were more traditionally techno: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] . All in all, it was a unique experience. |
August 30-Day Blogging Challenge - Concert Junkies Day 6 I can't help but laugh when we get to Jellystone Campground. When Lyn told us the name of our destination, it rang a faint bell of familiarity in my head, but I couldn't place it. then we arrived and I couldn't stop giggling. Yogi Bear, of course that's where I knew Jellystone from. I couldn't believe I didn't realize it sooner. Then again, there have been a number of years between me and those Saturday mornings, seated in front of the TV, eating dry Lucky Charms from a cup while I watched the Saturday morning cartoons. We spend part of the day exploring the campgrounds, and enjoying yet another swimming pool. I've swam more on this trip than I have in the last few years, and I'm loving every minute of it. The campground has an adorable little gift shop, and this is the first place we've stopped where I really regret not bringing the kiddos. I know Shane would have loved every inch of this place, and even Dante would have enjoyed walking around and seeing all the different characters. So far, my little one doesn't seem to have a fear of giant animal costumes. As the day progresses, a headache starts building in the back of my head and shoulders. It's accompanied by a nagging tickle in the back of my throat, and that itch in my nose which always heralds an oncoming cold. Are you kidding me? Couldn't this have waited until after the trip? Of course not, all that exposure to huge crowds of people I guess. I picked something up. Still, I wasn't about to miss any of the fun. While I was at the gift shop I grabbed some cold supplies. A 6 pack of the tiny tissue packets, a bag of honey cough drops, and some ibuprofen. That should be enough to keep me going. Finally we head off to see the band, another one I haven't heard of. I don't mind. Part of this trip is to expand my horizons musically, which would hardly happen if we only listened to music I knew. I was pleasantly surprised by Gordon Lightfoot. His music was a classic version of storytelling via song. Even though it sounded different from the music angle and the topics, it reminded me strongly of my childhood. My dad used to listen to the really old country, not the whiny country, but the story telling kind. Back when it was about the old west, gun singers, horse breakers, bandits. When each song was a novel in miniature, telling complex stories about what life was like in this country before it had been fully tamed. Gordon Lightfoot's music reminded me of those singers and their fascinating stories. One that I really enjoyed was: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] In it, Gordon relays the story of how the ship the Edmond Fitzgerald sank when the November storms came early. All in all, the concert was extremely enjoyable, in-spite of my muzzy head, stuffed nose, and mild nausea. Summer colds are the worst. |
August 30-Day Blogging Challenge - Concert Junkies Day 5 Ohio is getting closer to my part of the country. I point out the big nationwide building that is one of the main headquarters for where I work. It's pretty impressive, with a sky bridge connecting it to another one of our buildings. To tell the truth, I'm a smidgen jealous of that campus. They are attached to a whole shopping center, have more than one cafeteria, and a gym. In Lincoln, we have a break room with a water/ice machine, a sink, a microwave, and two whole vending machines. When I went to the Canton, I felt my inner child stomping up and down and shouting THAT'S NOT FAIR! Okay, enough whining for now, just had to get that off my chest. Yesterday we walked all over the place and with the time change and everything I'm pretty tuckered out. So this morning I chose to sleep in, luxuriating in the ability to do so without my kids getting me up at some ungodly hour. When I finally do pry myself out of bed, I shimmy into my swimsuit and head out to the pool for a refreshing dip followed by some relaxing lounge time. When the time comes for the concert, I'm beyond giddy, because not only have I heard of Maroon 5, they are MY cup of tea! I love their music. When [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] comes on, I sing along with every word. While it is a lot of fun experiencing new bands and new flavors of music, I can't help but enjoy a band I know whose music I love. |
August 30-Day Blogging Challenge - Concert Junkies Day 4 Getting up at 6 for a flight isn't too bad, way better than getting up at 3. Earlier this year, I had to fly at the last minute, and the only flights I could get left at 6. Not fun at all. Our new destination is Denver, CO. I smile as memories wash over me when we land. Though I've never flown here, it's always been a pass through point during road trips as a kid. My cousin used to live in Black Hawk, a tiny little town outside of Denver. There was an honest to God mountain in her back yard, an almost total vertical with trees growing off it. Her mom still lives there, and there's so much wildlife. She has a wrap around porch, and a ton of humming bird feeders. It is amazing to stand there while hundreds of the tiny birds swoop and fight and feed. I've never seen so many in one place before. The Embassy Suite is quite impressive. I make a note of the different lounge arrangements and think about taking my laptop down after the concert to get a little writing done while people watching. Inside the room, I have to take a few moments to gape at the assortments of soaps, lotions, and who knew what else they'd packed into the bathroom. I've never seen so many tiny bottles and boxes before in a hotel. I'm used to the three little bottles and a tiny sliver or two of soap. Not this shrine of bathing supplies. When we get all unpacked and sorted out, I look through the little booklet in our room and notice that they are offering a Denver Scavenger Hunt for 15 bucks. I ask the rest of the group if anyone is interested in going. https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductDetail-g33388-d11458631-Denver_Scav... It will take around 2 to 3 hours and requires a lot of walking, but it explores not only historical sites but the shopping district as well. It is a game you can download on your phone, and the game guides you through the city. After all that walking, I'm exhausted and ready to take a nap before the concert. It is so easy to fall onto the soft, soft bed and pass out for a couple of hours. By the time I wake up, I'm ready to go again. But, I am NOT wearing cowboy boots. I'd have blisters the size of pancakes if I did. Country is a huge territory when it comes to music. There are some flavors of country I love, and others I hate. I'm not a big fan of any of the dead dog/wife left country. It's boring. The four bands we're seeing tonight are all new to me. I'm not a country fan by nature, but my parents were so most of my experience with the genre is through their generation of music. So it was interesting to get a taste of the new flavor of country. We are treated to Luke Bryan first, and I have to say this song: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] made me tear up a little. It was such a good song, the lyrics spoke to the times, and to the heart that still exists in all of us. Even though it seems like everything we hear is bad news and awfulness, the truth is most people are good, and it was nice to get a reminder of that. Sam Hunt made me laugh. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] His music sounds more like pop than country. Like Sam, Morgan Wallen didn't sound like my parents country at all. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77qc4ZtufzM Instead, he sounded more like a frat boy who sings country. The last singer of the night was Jon Pardi. He sounded more traditionally country. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_XdFifULV8 Unfortunately, his was of the 'my girlfriend' left me type, so I wasn't too into his music. For a night of new country, it turned out to be a lot of fun. The walk back to the hotel at the end was refreshing, and I couldn't wait to get in a bit of writing time. I had a lot to write about! |
August 30-Day Blogging Challenge - Concert Junkies Day 3 This trip holds a lot of firsts for me in the way of traveling. My first time traveling alone. My first subway ride, and now my first train ride. I have to say, I like trains a lot more when they are above ground as opposed to under it. With the train above ground, I don't feel like it might stop for no reason, leaving us trapped under ground where the monsters will undoubtedly come to tear us to pieces. At least with a train above ground we'd have a chance to run. We get to Long Island and begin the exploration. The historical sites are interesting, but I want to go explore Jones beach. I didn't bring my swim suit, but I do want to peal off my socks and shoes and walk through the serf. Our next concert is in an out door amphitheater in Jones Beach State Park, so we are able to head right to the concert after we have a little fun on the beach. The weather is perfect, which is good since I don't thing going to a concert in the rain would be a lot of fun. The two bands are interesting to me because they both have a similar sound and come from a similar time period, but I found that I don't care much for Chicago, and I like Reo Speedwagon. Chicago played songs like: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] They were too...I don't know, they sound like the sort of songs a love sick boy might sing outside the window of a girl he likes. They're just a little too sugar and fluff for my taste. On the other hand, Reo Speedwagon had songs like: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] . While they both have a similar sound, Reo Speedwagon's songs just have that bit of an edge to them. I just like the stories the songs tell better, I guess. The emotion in their songs feels more genuine to me. It'll be a lot of fun to see how everyone else liked the two bands. After the concert is over, we all head back to the beach to get one last look at the ocean. I kick off my shoes and run through the sand, enjoying the freedom after spending so much time stuck in a crowd. Concerts are fun, but after a while they do get a little draining for an introvert like me. I need a little bit of me time to recharge, and the ocean is just the thing to refuel my battery. |
August 30-Day Blogging Challenge - Concert Junkies Day 2 The flight wasn't as bad as my last had been. At least this time I didn't have a squirming toddler on my lap. I kept my eyes glued out the window as the big Apple came into view. It was my first time on this side of the country and I ate up the sight of the massive city. Sooner than I expected, the plane swooped into a smooth landing, and we all piled out like a pack of excitable puppies. I made sure my walking shoes were tied, and followed Lyn out into the city to begin our latest adventure. I'm pretty excited about this one since I've at least heard about both of the bands we'll be watching tonight. While not my favorite flavor of music, Beonce and Jay-Z aren't bad. And they sing a lot of different songs together. I've always enjoyed it when bands collaborate to create a new sound to their music that neither made on their own. The only issue was getting to the venue. I didn't realize, and I really should have, that we'd have to take the subway part of the trip. The subway. The deep dark pit where everything from zombie rats to shapeshifting, soul sucking, demons stalked. Trust me, I know, I've read plenty of books where untold horrors stalk innocent victims in the pit known as the New York subway. One of the other groupies has to hold my hand to coax me down the stairs. Still I make a valiant attempt to argue in favor of going via cab, but they point out how much that would cost, plus we'd still be sitting in traffic long after the concert finished. After our harrowing journey through the underworld, where we were thankfully uneaten by anything, we made it to Manhattan. No we really had to tighten up our walking shoes, because we had to hoof it from here, and we were running a bit late! Met Life stadium was unbelievably big, and stuffed full of wildly excited people. It made our last destination seem downright tiny by comparison. The showmanship of this concert also struck me as huge and beyond impressive. For my second ever concert, I was not disappointed. My favorite song was: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] Their stage presence and performance was as good, if not better than the music. And by the time it was over it felt like both my eyes and my ears were ringing with a mix of the display, the music, and the roar of the crowd. Finally, it was over. We were swept up in the flow and surge of the crowd, it's pull so intense that we lost one of the members of our little band. It took almost forty minutes of searching once we were outside the stadium to reunite. Together again, we made our way to Lyn's beautiful town home. We all agreed we were still too wired to go straight to bed, so we lounged in the living room, drank hot coco, and shared stories until we couldn't keep our eyes open. |
August 30-Day Blogging Challenge - Concert Junkies Day 1 Excitement and apprehension thrummed through me as I made my way into the hotel. Not only was this my first vacation by myself, it would be the first concert I'd ever been too. Well, by myself wasn't quite right, was it? I'd signed up to be with a group for this musical adventure. A full month of travel, exploration, and music. Everyone back home thought I was crazy. Me, who'd never been to a single concert, was now going to travel for a month attending multiple shows? Why? Didn't I have anything better I could spend my time and money on. Perhaps, but the opportunity came at just the right time, and I knew it would give me an oppertunity to expand my horizens. Still, it was the first time I'd traveled alone, and the first time I would be away from my family for so long. At least it wasn't backpacking through Europe, or going to Africa, or Australia. It could have been worse, I figured. Anyway, I wanted to do something exciting after a life of normality. The kiddos would go between Paul and the grandparents, and I would have a whole month to recharge my batteries and explore a new outlet for my depleted creativity. A smile quirked my lips as I got into the hotel. Whoever designed it was deeply in love with circles. The rounded chairs, the art, all of it was rounded. It didn't take long for me to get signed in and find my room. I didn't bother unpacking my bags, first things first, I needed a dip in the pool. I wasn't the only one of our gang who'd decided to indulge. Someone else had gotten there before me and was splashing through water like a kid. With a laugh, I cannon balled into the water, adding my own splash to the fun. We passed the time in small talk, sharing why we'd decided to come on this adventure, and chatting about the bands we would see tonight. My inexperience glared forth when I didn't recognize either of them, but that was part of the adventure, exposure to new things. Others came and went, enjoying the water, lounging in the chairs to rest up before the concert and get a little sun. Finally, it was time to head out. Again my excitement flared high. My very first concert, I really hoped I wasn't disappointed. We entered the venue as a group, and chatted together while we waited for the rest of the crowd to come and settle. Before I knew it, the first band appeared: Jared & The Mill. Their music wasn't my type of music, but they weren't half bad. It was fun to watch the loop that formed between the band and the crowd as they seemed to feed off each other. It was something that didn't happen listening to recorded music, and was so different being a part of it instead of just watching online. My favorite song of theirs for the night was: [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] . I liked the deep thrum of the drums that seemed to vibrate my bones, and it mixed surprisingly well with the banjo, which I usually associate with country. I'm not sure what kind of music this is, but I doesn't feel like country. They were an interesting group to listen to, and I made a mental note to ask one of the others at the end what kind of music it was. The second band to play was more my style. Lydia reminded me a lot of Alanis Morissette, they had a similar flavor of music. One of my favorites of the night was: , each note felt rich with her emotion. [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] . The two lead singers of the band twined their voices together beautifully, like a pair of playful cats, twisting around each other. Overall, the whole experience left me both happy and drained. The concert played long into the night, and when it was over, we made our way back to the hotel for a bit of sleep before we headed off to our next destination. |
"A non-writing writer is a monster courting insantiy." ~ Franz Kafka ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Blog City Prompt: Where do you get your news? Huffington Post says an alarming number of people depend on social media for their news. I try to avoid the news. I'm not sure if this is true of all news stations, but here, it's like the news casters have schizophrenia. 'Tonight on the news: a whole bus load of kids goes over a cliff and explodes, followed by a kitten who can say 'I wuf you'.' It's like they design the news to jerk your emotions from one extreme to the other over and over again, and that's a roller coaster ride I'd rather not spend time on every night. The news I do get is the blips that run at the top of the hour on the radio when I'm driving. Most of the news stories that appear in social media are just click bait anyway, so I don't waste my time reading them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** 30-Day Blogging Challenge Prompt: Fun Fact Friday! On this day in 1866, the first recorded birth of sextuplets took place in Chicago, Illinois. Are there any instances of twins, triplets, or more in your family? In what ways do you think your life would be different if you were a twin (and if you are/were a twin, imagine how it'd be different if you weren't)? There are some twins on my mom's side of the family, but they were from the previous generation and died before I had a chance to meet them. My mom kept teasing me that the twin gene skips a generation, and since her gen didn't end up with twins, I would have a set. It didn't happen, but she still got a kick out of scaring all the kids that we were due to have twins sooner or later. My novel idea for NaNo is going to revolve around a set of twins. It started out as a dream. In the dream, it was in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. I was a guy who'd been captured by a band of total ass hats. They were forcing me to use my gift of far sight to find other groups for them to attack. I saw group after group falling to the dead and finally, I couldn't handle it anymore and told them I'd rather be dead than look again. When I woke, I wrote the dream down and began building off the idea. He is one half of a set of twins named Ben and Jerry. The names started out as a joke between their parents because their mother craved Ben and Jerry ice cream throughout the pregnancy. Somewhere along the line, the names stuck. They had a very strong twin bond, and Ben had a gift. He could 'go' and see what his brother was doing. It started out only happening when Jerry got hurt. Instead of feeling a ghost of the pain, or having a feeling that something was wrong, Ben was there with his brother. Not seeing through his eyes, but like he was a ghost sitting next to him. Over the years, he develops the skill until he can separate from his body and go looking anywhere. The skill of far seeing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
"Writing is a struggle against silence." ~ Carlos Fuentes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** 30-Day Blogging Challenge Prompt: The Wildcard Round! - What's been your favorite part of WDC's 17th Birthday Week? Your favorite activity, contest, event, person/place/thing/whatever? What are your thoughts on the celebration? I've had a lot of fun with the Lucky Bag activity. It's fun finding all sorts of stuff to stuff into the bag for some lucky person. Not to mention throwing a bunch of mud balls at them! I enjoy the WDC's birthday week every year. There are so many things to do, and everyone gets in on the action. I love seeing all the different activities, and all the new features that Story Master puts out every day of the week. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
"Once the grammar has been learned, writing is simply talking on paper and in time learning what not to say." ~ Beryl Bainbridge ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** 30-Day Blogging Challenge Prompt: War Chest Wednesday - If life really is a bowl of cherries...what fruit are you? If I were a fruit, I'd have to with the oh so...not...humble Dragon Fruit. This strange fruit doesn't look like fruit at all. It doesn't even look like a normal Earth type plant. It looks like the sort of plant you'd find in a fantasy novel that, when eaten, gives the eater strange powers. I've never tried Dragon Fruit, but I've seen it stump people in shows like Chopped, and it's always stuck in my mind as a neat, strange, alien sort of fruit. In a word, a perfect fruity representation of me. Well, that's many words, but you get my point.  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thoughts and Ramblings So today was supposed to be the first real day of my staycation, where all the kiddos are out of the house, and I have all day long to clean house without any little people under foot. I actually managed to get myself up out of bed at 4:48 planning to write until 7. Yeah, Dante sensed my intentions and decided that he needed to be awake. I put him back down, he slept for about 10 seconds. At around 5:30 I gave up and went to cuddle with him until it was time to get him and Shane ready to go. Once I dropped the kids off, I went to Target to get some supplies. Then my car decided that starting was totally overrated, and I had to wait for my mom to come save me. Finally get home around 12:30. Got the mountain of laundry folded, trash done, and then husband called to tell me I needed to walk up to the school to pick up Shane because the car was being...tricky. Get home, and I'm exhausted. 260 dollars later, and the car is not fixed yet. They replaced the starter, and tomorrow they need to fix some other part to make it work. Because of this, I have to walk Shane to school tomorrow, and I can't take Dante to daycare at all. Sigh. |
"A true piece of writing is a dangerous thing. It can change your life." ~ Tobias Wolff ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** 30-Day Blogging Challenge Prompt: Talk Tuesday! Let's continue the Birthday Week theme...imagine for a minute, as horrifying as it may sound, that there has never been such a culinary invention as cake. How terrible would that be, and what would everyone at your party gather around as they sang "Happy Birthday" to you? "Happy Birthday to youuu~" the small crowd sang to the bouncing five-year-old. Her soft brown hair was done up in two adorable little pig tails high on her head. Not quite high enough to ruin the space on top for the pointed pink hat with a big purple poof on top. Her dark eyes glittered with impatient delight, and each bounce shook the table, making the gifts on the other end do a little jig. "Jenna," her mother hissed. Too late. The big 5 candle flopped over and was snuffed out in a small mound of whip cream. Wax dribbled into the chocolate top of the pie, and Jenna began to sob. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ |
"Good writers define reality: bad ones merely restate it." ~ Edward Albee ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Blog City Prompt: Prompt: What is beauty to you? How would you describe beauty? Pretty is as pretty does. No matter how beautiful the face, if the personality behind the big, shining eyes, is vile, then the person is ugly to me. Whereas a person whose features might be homely, but whose heart is generous, will grow more beautiful. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** 30-Day Blogging Challenge Prompt: Motivational Monday - Longtime radio broadcaster Paul Harvey, born on this day in 1918, once said: "Ever since I made tomorrow my favorite day, I've been uncomfortable looking back." To what extent does this make sense for you? How comfortable are you with looking ahead as opposed to looking back? I tend to be a victim of the idea of 'tomorrow'. I'll do it...tomorrow. While I get the idea of people choosing to look ahead instead of dwelling in the past, it requires an ability to follow through that I seem to lack most of the time. Night time Dana: "I'm going to make a list, and get up at 4:30 to exercise, then I'll write until 7, then I'll play with the baby before work. Then I'll get home and get some cleaning done. Play and read and help my older son with his homework, and get a little more writing done before bed!" Morning Dana: Yeah....No. I need to work on Morning Dana. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thoughts and Ramblings Have you gone out of your way to make someone smile today? Do it! You'll find yourself smiling too. |
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