Nobody's Girl

It's no secret that I LOVE music.  As dramatic as it may seem, music is like a drug for me.  I crave it.  I need it.  If you've ever glanced at my iTunes library I'm sure you've noticed the range of music from classic rock, old-school country, alternative artists you've probably never heard of, pop, rock... even some Beiber and (gasp!) I finally broke down and bought a Taylor Swift song the other day.  And yeah, I feel like I lost a little street cred as I clicked the "buy" button on iTunes.  I like to find the songs and artists before they hit.  By the time any of my friends had heard the song "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People, I had been rocking out to it for months and was already burned out on it.  I don't even listen to the radio anymore because I find it so constrictive. 

Anyway, when I lived in Texas, my friend Hunter and I would go driving around and for about a month straight we watched a DVD of a band called Reckless Kelly.  Apparently as soon as I crossed into the Lone Star State, I was supposed to know who Reckless Kelly (and Robert Earl Keen) was.  They were unlike anything I had ever heard before!  They were country, but not really; rock, but not really.  It was my first taste of legit Red Dirt music.  In trying to find the words to describe this genre, I took to the all-knowing world of Wikipedia and found the following:

Some define Red Dirt music as "country with attitude."  Others say it's a state of mind as much as it is a sound - a sound that successfully closes the door between rock and country.

That sums it up pretty well; I just hope I can remember that answer for the next time someone asks me to describe Red Dirt music! 

Good lord I ramble a lot when I get on the topic of music.  My mind keeps wandering down all these different paths at the same time and I'm trying to stick with only the relevant points!  Bear with me.

So, in 2008 I was digging the Red Dirt scene and since Reckless Kelly was a band from Austin, it was only a matter of time before I went to see them live at the legendary Billy Bob's.  My friend Amanda from Arkansas came in for the weekend and we went with Hunter and his date.  Front row, right in front of the lead guitar player, David Abeytta.  And yeah, at the end of the show, we strummed his guitar.  Oh, get your heads out of the gutter - I meant literally.  He was wailing away, leaned over and told Amanda and me to go at it on the strings.  Aside from that, the show was awesome!!!  I loved every second of it and became a Reckless Kelly junkie.

When I moved back to Kentucky, I thought I'd have to drive west to get to see them again but their tour schedule brings to Nashville about once a year.  Score!  So, why is it that it's taken me this long to get to another concert?  A couple of year ago, I had tickets in hand but after a cahotic trip to California and back, we got sick and just weren't able to go.  Last year I couldn't find anyone who would go with me.  When I checked their schedule about a month ago and saw they were coming back to Nashville, I was not going to miss it again.

Finding someone to go with me was a little tricky but in the end I met up with my new friend Anna in Nashville at Exit/In.  I was surprised that the place wasn't full when we got there, but I was ok with it because we managed to get a spot right at the stage (hey, when you're 5' tall and the show is floor level, standing, that's like hitting a home run!). 

I need to take a moment and revel in the feeling of being right in front of the stage.  With every slam of the kick drum, there was a palpable woosh of air.  The breeze moved my clothes, washed across my skin in waves and the force of the sound bounced around in my chest.  In the loud, crowded space full of music and screams - I felt at peace.  For me, there's nothing like the sensation of feeling the pulsing of the music.  That was me, getting a hit of the drug I crave.  You can't get that feeling 10 rows back, or in your car, or anywhere except in front of a very large speaker cranked up to a deafening volume.  I know it's corny, or something silly like John Mayer would say, but it's the truth.

The opening act was a band I'd never heard of, Connor Christian and Southern Gothic.  Please don't be uninformed and visit their website as soon as you finish reading this blog!  There is a bundle of 9 free songs on their website and trust me, you need this band in your life.  They're from Atlanta and the lead singer's voice is gritty and raw and sexy and smooth all rolled into one package.  Their fiddle player is a chick from the Soviet Union (you can read more about her story here - it's pretty amazing).  What I liked was how versital this band was.  The lead singer played guitar and keyboard, the fiddle player also picked the mandolin and keyboard, the lead guitarist also played fiddle, mandolin, banjo and keyboard.  They each played all of these instruments well.  Thanks to one of the stage hands, I managed to get one of the set lists.  I bought one of their CD's at the show, downloaded the free tunes yesterday and last night went shopping on iTunes.  I'm sold.

Then Reckless Kelly came out and I immediately turned into a screaming idiot.  Their new album, Good Luck and True Love has a bunch of great songs on it.  "Save Me From Myself" is all about how things used to be back in the day.  I'm paraphrasing here, but basically Willie said something like "When I was a kid, we didn't wear seatbelts! We rode in the back of the truck! Every once in a while, somebody'd fall out and break their arm. That's tough shit and that's how we figured out to stay in the back of the truck. When I was a kid, we didn't wear helmets when we rode our bikes. We made jumps out of stacks of tires and a piece of plywood. The only 2 kinds of people that wore helmets were daredevils and pussies!"

The only thing that made me sad was that because there was a guest guitar player (Keith Stanley, who did a ridiculously long cover of Charlie Robinson's El Cerrito Place), Reckless Kelly didn't play "Crazy Eddie's Last Hurrah".  I felt a little empty inside because I didn't get to sing about pipe bombs and shooting a guy full of holes.  It's just not right to deprive me of that pleasure!  If you don't know the song, here is the video of it from their Reckless Kelly Was Here CD/DVD combo.

If you're looking for country music that's not most of the watered-down, pansy crap that is played on "country" radio then definitely check out these bands if you're not familiar with them.  It's real music, raw and just more than what the music industry wants to give you! 



Auld Lang Syne

When I think of New Year's Eve, I think of sequence, champagne and soft lighting that makes us all look amazing - basically everything that TV and movies have shown us NYE should be.  This year, my group of friends decided to act like the grown ups that they are.  We all showed up in pj's, kids were running amok (I may have been with them through most of that...) and a bottle of pink sparkling wine later I had turned into that girl.  You know the one I mean - the crying one, sobbing because as the kids started to fall asleep and all of the couples paired up I realized I'd be one sitting alone, trying to grin as if none of it bothered me.  Yes my friends, I was that girl and I just couldn't do it.

With much protest from the girls, I packed up some of the junk that I'd toted in only a few hours before and with tears in my eyes, I headed home.  And now here I sit, at 11:56 watching Water for Elephants and blogging about my pitiful existence!  Good Lord, just shoot me now. 

As if spending New Year's Even alone isn't bad enough, stores are already putting out Valentine's Day stock.  Valentine's Day... the bane of every unattached person's existence. 

So suffice it to say, it is now officially 2012 and I can't say I'm sad to see 2011 go.  In 2012 though, I will resolve to like myself more.  I was talking to the mother of one of my dear, tragically flawed friends and I told her last week that he needed to like himself more.  Why is that advise good enough for other people, but not good enough for me?  Why don't I feel like I deserve the same thing?  Now, I won't say that I'll be satisfied with everything, or that I won't have a case of the mean reds every once in a while (yeah, I watched Breakfast at Tiffany's the other night).  What I DO mean is that I won't skip on wearing a sleeveless shirt because I think my arms are too fat and I won't compare myself to other people... as much.  Maybe that is the key.  Maybe I have to like myself before someone else can.  Who knows...

Of course, as I'm now only 24 minutes into 2012, perhaps I can allow myself a few more hours of self-loathing. 

What Was I Thinkin'

I just finished Storm Born by Richelle Mead.  I must confess, I didn't love it.  I really like Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series (with the exception of Dimitri wearing a duster; truly NOT sexy) and this Dark Swan series was recommended to me by a friend.  I picked up the first three books from Barnes & Noble since they had a Nook bundle for ten bucks. 

As far as the heart of the book, I felt it was all pretty average.  The characters weren't well developed and I never got attached to any of them, which is odd for me.  The jumping between worlds was easy enough to follow, but then I had to keep up with which beings were hurt by iron, which were hurt by silver, which world they were in for what weapon to work as well as learn a whole host of terms for fairies, trolls, etc. 


Around page 42 or so (of the Nook bundle) Eugenie (worst name EVER for a modern-day heroine) & Kiyo (can I have a pronounciation guide please?  I'm from Kentucky for crying out loud!) have just met & they are back at his hotel ready to bump uglies. 
It cracks me up at the PSA's that authors throw into their books. She gets this hot scene all built up, clothes are flying, he's thrown her on the bed... but wait. Eugenie has to go through this diatribe about the fact that they had pause the public groping and stop to buy condoms.  Then she basically says that she isn't so stupid to have unprotected sex, even if she is on the pill.

Really? Is that really where your moral boundaries are? In 42 pages, she's cussed, drank, killed, is about to be ravished by a total stranger, but not using a rubber is where she draws the line. I'm not judging, I just thought it was a ridonkulous PSA thrown in there.  

However, later on in the story we find that Eugenia's son will play a MAJOR role in the future of both the mortal and fairy worlds.  Basically, lots of weird, creepy creatures come at her trying to procreate.  Eugenia makes a big point of saying she doesn't want ot have a son, but we never know WHY.  If she had made the decision not to have kids some time ago, what caused it?  If she felt like she couldn't have a child because of the prophecy, wouldn't she need time to process that fact and come to terms with it?  The fact that those issues weren't addressed left a big, gaping hole in the story.  Had the author addressed this issue, maybe there would have been more to Eugenia's character.

All in all, I wasn't really pleased with the book.  I'm not sying I will never read the rest of the series, but it isn't a priority for me right now. 

In The Meantime

I've started Richelle Mead's Dark Swan series. Barnes & Noble has the bundle of the first 3 books for $10. I'll let you know what I think after I finish the first book. In the meantime, I'm reading away what is left of my lunch hour on this gorgeous day!

Updated:  Ok, well I read a little more & here's what I'm wondering:  If a chick goes off into the Otherworld and isn't able to eat or drink anything that is given to her while she is there (never eat or drink something given to you by a fairy, remember what happened to Queen Tatania in A Midsummer Night's Dream?), why on earth would she only pack 2 Milkyway bars?  Couldn't she bring a bag of food with her?  Perhaps this will be answered later on in the book!

Make Me Wanna Die

I am obsessed with reading.  I remember being in probably the 5^th grade and my parents gave me a box set of the Chronicles of Narnia for Christmas and before the two-week Christmas break was over I told Mom I was out of books to read and needed more.  I read all of the usual books like Anne of Green Gables, Little House on the Prairie, Little Women, etc.  In high school, I loved English class and even my college English classes were a breeze.  Please don’t ask me to break down a sentence or find a dangling participle though!

As an adult, I find myself drawn to the YA (Young Adult) or UF (Urban Fantasy) genres of books.  Might I say that I think Urban Fantasy is a horrible description for that particular genre.  I know it makes sense, but I feel like I should be over with the Dungeons and Dragons dudes or LARPing!  Anyway, that is a tangent for another day.

My favorite author of all-time is JK Rowling; I love Jo’s story of how she got the idea for Harry on a train, how she was struggling as a single mother, her philanthropic work but most of all I love the world of Harry Potter that she created.  But again, JK Rowling is a story for another time.  My second favorite author of all-time (although she often takes that top spot, especially after I finish a new book) is Cassandra Clare.

I was first introduced to Cassandra Clare’s work two years ago when one of my girlfriends, Brandie, sent me a boxed set of The Mortal Instruments series.  I called Brandie when I got it and thanked her for the books while thinking in the back of my mind that angels and demons probably weren’t something I was going to be into.  I remember Brandie telling me “I know it’s not your usual style, but I promise you’ll like them!”  I read all 3 books in one long weekend.  Amazing!

*Spoiler Alert*
Do not read if you haven’t read Mortal Instruments or are not finished!

All I can say is that any author that can literally have me rooting for an incestuous relationship is a genius.  I know, if you haven’t read the series, you’re thinking I’m one sick puppy right about now, but rest assured she clears everything up.  However, there are times where you can’t help but thinking that maybe, even if they are related, they could make this work… Just trust me on this and read the books.  You won’t be sorry!

In all seriousness though, I truly believe that any writer who can inspire such strong feelings for something that society has drilled into our brains is wrong is brilliant.

**End Spoiler**

Now, Cassie Clare’s second trilogy, The Infernal Devices, is well under way and the second book, Clockwork Prince, was released last week.  I read it in 24 hours.  When I got to the last part of the book - you know the part I mean, when an author takes your heart, rips it out of your chest and lays it broken, bloody and barely beating out on her alter of her own making – I was sitting at the local Barnes and Noble desperately trying not to cry.  I was on my lunch hour and I admit to being an (over-) emotionally involved reader; I was actually sad the entire rest of the day over what I had read.  I had to go home and reread that emotional train wreck again just so I could shed the tears I had to hold back when I was reading in public.  I felt like I needed Adele’s album on repeat as I tried to mend the heartache caused by fictional characters.

A couple of months ago, I found out Cassandra Clare was going to be in Nashville for the Clockwork Prince book-signing tour.  I pre-ordered my copy of Clockwork Prince shortly thereafter and have been not-so-patiently waiting for the signing.  Last night, my friend Kim and I crossed state lines with a total of 6 books to be signed (I had to get some signed for gifts) and got to the Brentwood, TN Barnes and Noble store about an hour before it was scheduled to start.  We got great seats, or pieces of carpet rather, while others were scattered throughout the maze of bookshelves in the children’s section.  Kim and I figure there were probably between 100 – 150 people there, so it was a great turn out!

When Cassandra made her way through the masses, it resembled the parting of the Red Sea and the whole crowd cheered.  Her assistant, Vania, and the guy that plays Will in the book trailers were both with her.  Because we had such a big crowd she skipped over doing the reading, which did disappoint me a bit, but she quickly made up for it with her great Q and A session.

(Vania took tihs picture and we all thank her for posting on her FaceBook page!)

One of the questions she was asked, and I expect Ms. Clare gets this a lot, was who inspired her to write.  The story she told in response was great!  She said when she was a child, her father was an International Business professor and they moved around a lot.  I believe she said they were living in London when she was young, pre-teen, and she was reading Sherlock Holmes, but suddenly she had read the last book.  She went to her mother and asked for the next Sherlock Holmes book, but her mother said there weren’t any more.  Cassandra asked if they couldn’t just send him a letter to write some more; her young mind couldn’t comprehend the fact that there simply were no more Sherlock Holmes!  When her father explained that the author had died and there wouldn’t be anymore of these books, she said she was devastated and even felt like Sherlock and Watson, whom she had grown to love as friends, had also died.  Then, her father suggested that she write her own Sherlock Holmes books.  Cassandra said she quickly learned that writing made her feel like God!

I would like to take a moment to point out to Cassandra the irony in her running out of Sherlock Holmes books, because I know many of us who don’t ever want to run out of Shadowhunter books!

I loved the warmth that Cassandra gave off as she spoke to us.  It felt as though we were all enveloped in her world, as if her hand gestures weaved some magical spell and put us in a trance where we were hanging onto her every word.  In all actuality, her own words were the magic spell, creating a common interest for people of all ages, backgrounds and interests.  I’m not at all sure that authors know the kind of power they have, not over the characters they can animate like puppets on strings, but on their audience who become addicted to the written word like a moth drawn to a flame.

*Spoiler Alert!*

Do not read if you haven’t read Clockwork Prince!

Cassandra was wonderful at telling us about how Will was supposed to be when he was originally written.  In the books, Will is always lying about where he has been, about his drinking and frequenting the brothels but when she first wrote Will, that is how he really was.  She said that the publishers questioned her, noting if Will was this bad off at seventeen, would he really live, or be able, to redeem himself?  Something else that she pointed out is that we, as her audience, are too forgiving of Will.  His acts towards Tessa in the attic were atrocious and unforgivable for the Victorian time period.  Where as Jem, being a gentleman, he kissed her and he liked it, so he put a ring on it!  No, there’s nothing better than a Beyonce reference – and those were her words, not mine!

To the idiotic, selfish, inconsiderate chick who RUINED the book for the people at the signing that were waiting until they got their book last night to read it: How dare you wreck the biggest, most pivotal part of this book by opening your thoughtless trap and stating flat out that Tessa and Jem got engaged!

Yes, my friends, the mother of all spoilers (after Snape kills Dumbledore) was spouted off by a moron of a woman at the signing last night.  A gasp went through the crowd and all Cassandra Clare could do was laugh out of pure shock that the [insert antonym for dummy - I've ran out of words...] .  “I didn’t think you were going to be THAT specific” she said good-naturedly.  The poor girl sitting next to me, her mouth dropped open and she looked like someone had licked the red off her lollipop!  “I haven’t read it yet” she cried!  I felt so bad for the others that also hadn’t read the book or gotten to the ending yet.  Cassie handled the whole scenario with more grace than I would have because she just laughed as this punk spilled the beans.  Personally, I think that woman, and I use that term loosely, should be banned from any future signings and/or Q and A sessions.

I was so appalled that Kim had to even remind me what the dork’s question was in the first place.  The woman talked in circles as she was trying to be vague; she completely befuddled Cassandra and everyone as we tried to decipher what the question was.  After we recovered from her word vomit, it turns out she wanted to know why Jem and Tessa got engaged, but not Jase and Clary.  Apparently the fact that she can read books did not mean she was intelligent or else she would have figured out that there is a vast difference in courting back in the Victorian era versus today.  At the time Jem and Tessa were together, marriage was the appropriate and expected step.  As Cassie mentioned, thank goodness I’m not married to the first boy I kissed!  Or the second, or third, or twenty-third!  Hey, you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you meet your prince.  I’m still searching!
*End Spoiler*

I was very disappointed in the audience members that chose to get up while the Q and A session was still going on.  Not only was it disruptive but it was disrespectful to Cassandra Clare, Vania, Will (who stubbornly refused to take his shirt off the whole time) and the Barnes and Noble staff who had put in a lot of effort for the event.  It appeared to be adults who started this madness as well, which I think is deplorable.  If it were kids, I would just assume they either hadn’t been taught any manners growing up or that they were just so excited they couldn’t wait.  Still, it was very disappointing and I think because of this, the Q and A was cut short.

I had my hand raised to ask a question and I didn’t get called on, but I will throw it out here for you all.  My question was going to be this:  is there going to be a companion for the series that will be a compilation of all of the known runes and a family tree.  I feel like I am cramming for a test sometimes when I read The Infernal Devices and have to grab The Mortal Instruments for reference! 

One of the girls that we were in line with said that she had read there was to be a Codex, like what Tessa is reading throughout Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince.

While in the long line, Kim and I made friends with the people behind us.  They were obviously younger, but very nice and such well-read individuals!  We all exchanged book recommendations and after the Q and A, I think we have all decided to read, or reread as the case may be, A Tale of Two Cities.

When I finally got to speak to Cassandra, she was very nice!  I told her how much I appreciated her talking with us and realized that I had been saying some of the words wrong, like nephilim (it’s NEF-a-lum, not ne-FEEL-lium).  She said that there is a pronunciation guide for the narrators for the audio books and that she thinks it would be a good idea to get that out so the fans can see it.  I agree whole heartedly & if that happens, feel free to send gifts and flowers to me to show your gratitude.

All in all, it was a great time with a great author!  If you haven’t read Cassandra Clare’s work and don’t consider this a ringing endorsement, well, I don’t think there is much hope for you.  If you are looking for a great series, that is not Twilighty, and not as hard-core as the adult fantasy fiction, give this author a chance!  There is the eternal struggle between good and evil, love triangles, action and some really cool weapons.  Yes, even the guys will like it!

Lastly, if you read any of my blogs, you will notice they all have song names as titles.  I have no reason to believe Cassandra Clare was rocking out to The Pretty Reckless, yet I couldn’t help but feeling the same angst-ridden emotions clawing at the pit of my stomach when I read Will’s character and when I listen to that band.  If you need proof, here is the first verse, chorus and second verse to Make Me Wanna Die:

Take me - I'm alive,
Never was a girl with a wicked mind,
But everything looks better,
When the sun goes down.
I had everything: opportunities for eternity
And I could belong to the night.
Your eyes, your eyes,
I can see…in your eyes, your eyes.

You make me wanna die,
I'll never be good enough.
You make me wanna die
And everything you love
Will burn up in the light
Every time I look inside your eyes.
You make me wanna die.

Taste me, drink my soul,
Show me all the things, that I shouldn't know,
When there's a blue moon on the rise.
I had everything:
Opportunities for eternity
And I could belong to the night.
Your eyes, your eyes
I can see… in your eyes, your eyes
Everything…in your eyes, your eyes.

Thank you Vania for posting this picture of the money shot!


Addendum: The adorable Carson Nicely that plays Will in TID trailers is on FaceBook and Twitter.  Make sure to check him out!

Flightless Bird

Since I have fully recovered from staying up entirely too late on a work night, I have finally found time to give an account of the insanity that was the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn.


Spoiler alert: DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE, BUT PLAN TO.  If you haven't seen the movie and have no desire to do so, read away and enjoy!



This was the first time I had been to a midnight showing, mainly because all of my grown-up friends felt they were far too sophisticated (or smart?) for such frivolity on a Thursday night.  However, this time was different!  My friend Sunni, who I've known forever but we haven't hung out much before, and her mom and I had planned to get to the theater around 8:30 or so and of course that day the weather had changed from brisk, beautiful fall weather to full-on winter with temps in the 40's and colder.  I was NOT looking forward to standing outside.  On lunch I ran out and bought a bunch of hand warmers so that just in case we got stuck in a line that wrapped around the building we hopefully wouldn't turn into popsicles.


We started hearing rumors that the parking lot was full and people were already lining up so instead we got to the theater at 7:00.  Yes.  You read that right - a full FIVE hours before the show was to start.  Thankfully when we got there, there were only about 40 people in the lobby in front of us and we weren't out in the cold.  Sunni went to check out the theater, the number that was printed on our tickets.  I'm still not sure how we did it, but the manager let me go into and save seats for the other two. 


I should mention here that while I did see one theater employee in the women's bathroom mid-meltdown as she tried to change the paper towel roll, the manager was GREAT!  Not only did he let us save seats, he was really nice, came in to check on our theater and wasn't an uptight nut job on a power trip.  Kudos to that guy for making it fun for all of us.


Anyway, by the time Sunni and her mom got into the theater, we still had another 4 hours to kill.  Next time, we'll be bringing a deck of cards, something to watch a movie on, Nooks, etc.  Thank goodness I upgraded to the iPhone 4 because the battery on my old 3 phone would have died an hour into this black-hole of time.  I read a little, played a little, talked a little, at a little... and really, those 4 hours did not drag by.  Also, next time there is a high probability that I will be in jammy pants.  :)


Finally, the movie started...  Twilight, for me, is one of those guilty pleasures.  I don't want to like it, but I can't help myself.  I don't think Kristen Stewart can act her way out of a paper bag (and she wasn't always like that.  Did anyone see In the Land of Women?  I LOVED that movie and didn't think she was nearly as twitchy - nor did she make sounds like she was choking through the whole thing!).  I think Robert Pattinson's acting was better this time & I credit Reese Witherspoon for helping him improve his skills in Water for Elephants.  I thought the wigs were MUCH better in this movie and the make up was good (although RPatz did look like the contacts were bothering him in a couple of scenes).  Poor Nikki Reed - all I can figure is that she is so gorgeous in real life, the make up artists were trying to ugly her up.  She just seemed so unnatural to me... you know, more unnatural than the usual vampires.  LOL!


Sadly, Taylor Lautner keeps his shirt on through like 95% of the movie. 


If you were worried about letting the kiddos see the honeymoon scene, then don't be.  All the hype that was made about the headboard breaking was just that; hype.  It certainly didn't borderline on HBO, more like the CW after 7:00 pm.  The book was much more detailed than the movie ever thought about being, especially in that scene.


Question:  Why wasn't Edward sparkling in all that beachy sunlight?  Did they think the audience wouldn't notice glitter boy didn't look like he'd been bedazzled?


There was only one part of the movie that I really didn't care for and that was the wolves in the lumber yard when Jacob splits from the pack.  When we were kids, my brother had this He-Man castle that had a microphone on it that made your voice kind of have an echo effect.  I'm pretty sure the production team used the Castle Grayskull plastic microphone for the wolves voices.


The scene stealers in the movie were, as always, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone, Booboo Stewart and Billy Burke.  I was really glad to see Jasper get a lighter role than he had before. 


I laughed, gasped, hid my eyes and was grossed out through the movie.  The whole baby-removal scene was gag-worthy in the book and in the movie too although I think it was tamed down for the big screen.  It still weirds me out that Jacob imprints on Renesmee too and nothing you can say will change my mind about that.  I kind of hate myself for liking this story...


I think the whole basis of the story of the Twilight Saga is redonkulous


If you go see Breaking Dawn expecting to see an Oscar contender, you will be sorely let down.  But, if you go into it accepting it for what it is, a two-hour break from reality, then go and enjoy it!  As for me, I'll be buying a copy of the movie when it's released, probably checking out through one of those do-it-yourself lanes so no one sees me.  And of course I'll be getting tickets to the midnight showing of Part 2, mildly disgusted with myself.  :)

Season of the Witch

I thought it might be fun to blog about my trip to Salem, Massachusetts not only to share the experience with you all, but so I could remember it myself later on! 

First off, I flew up to Hartford, CT on Wednesday night & drove straight to the hotel in Springfield, MA.  Thursday I spent the whole day helping Chad at Equine Affaire, which basically meant I spent nearly 12 hours straight standing or walking.  After it was over, I crashed for the night.  Friday morning I left Springfield at about 9:30 & wound up taking mostly 2-lane roads the whole way to Salem to avoid the toll roads.

Let me say this – sight-seeing alone is not for the faint of heart.  If you can’t handle going to dinner or a movie alone, you probably won’t be able to handle vacations or day-trips by yourself.  This isn’t the first time I’ve done something like this, but going to New England in the fall has always been something I’ve wanted to do and I’ve been fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials for some time.  And as the saying goes, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

I made my way to downtown Salem and immediately headed for the water.  I had to see it before I did anything else.  I parked kind of out of the way down near the harbor a block or so down from the House of the Seven Gables.  There was a tour starting later so regrettably I left without seeing much of the property.

I walked a couple of blocks more to the Derby Warf.  Now, I don’t know how long the wharf really is, but it felt like it was half a mile and with the Atlantic on either side, it was frigid!  I wish the lighthouse had been bigger, more like what you traditionally imagine a lighthouse to be, but it was very neat to see something that had been built in 1871 & is still in use today.  On the walk back to the shore, I noticed many of the houses facing the harbor had balconies and widow’s walks.  I could imagine the women of the town looking fervently at the water waiting for the ships to bring their loved ones home. 

I crossed Derby Street through Orange Street and the houses were so closely set to one another.  You could literally sit in your house and peer through your neighbor’s windows without binoculars.  They could probably pass you a cup of sugar from house to house without having to go outside!

I turned off of Orange Street onto Essex and passed the Hawthorne Hotel.  It wasn’t as cold away from the waterfront but it was not warm by any stretch of the imagination.  I passed Crow Haven Corner, a witch shop and Remember Salem which is a shop dedicated to Harry Potter.  Had I not been to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter earlier this year, I probably would have spent a fortune in there!

I turned back around and walked to Washington Square and passed a wedding that was starting in the park.  I went on up to Brown Street where an imposing statue of Roger Conant stood outside of the Salem Witch Museum.  There was another tour starting in just a few minutes so I bought my ticket and got in line behind a bunch of tenth graders from Maine that had just read The Crucible.    The museum was actually a little trippy and full of wax figures.  Had I know that, I would’ve been a little less gung-ho to check it out. 

If you don’t know much about the Witch Trials then I’ll give you a brief run-down.  Back in 1692 in Puritanical Salem, 150 townspeople were accused of witchcraft.  Of those 150, 19 were put to death by hanging and one man was pressed to death.  It started out by young girls who were bored and not allowed to have any fun.  Once they started accusing people, other people hopped on board the witchcraft train.  The people that were convicted actually did not practice witchcraft, but it was a way for people to get back at those who had wronged them.  Giles Corey even testified against his own wife as the result of a marital spat.  Also, anyone who entered a plea (guilty or not guilty) had his or her property confiscated, so even if you claimed you were not guilty, the village took control of anything you owned.   So, say your neighbor had more than you and you were envious by claiming he was a witch was the easiest way to take away all he had amassed.  Finally the state stepped in and put an end to the hysteria and eventually the young girls that started the whole thing admitted to making the accusations for no real reason.

The Salem Witch Museum tells the more in-depth history of the trials and then goes into the evolution of witches from Pagan women who were proficient at using herbs for cures and midwives to the witches seen in pop culture and Wiccans that practice today.  I found it interesting that Satan and evil have no place in their religion.

Once I left that tour, I went back down to Essex and up a few more blocks to some souvenir shops and even went into Hex, a witch shop.  It was a little freaky at first, but there weren’t any dead bats or jars of eyeballs so I thought that was a positive sign.  Hey, when you’re in Salem, you’ve got to have a look around, right?

I went back to Crow Haven Corner as I had read that they would have a Witch Walk which was advertised as “Join true Salem Witches as you’re blessed in a magic circle, visit a graveyard, and learn the truth about spells, voodoo dolls, love potions, herbal charms, and even curses!”  Now, before you get all freaked out over it, they weren’t having the witch walk after Halloween.  Still, I was curious about it.  If you’re not curious about things you never learn anything new.  So, I didn’t get to do the witch walk, but I did meet with a psychic witch for a short reading and left with my own mojo bag.  There isn’t anything supernatural about it other than the fact that the witch said a prayer to God to bless the ingredients which are a couple of herbs and a quartz stone.  However, while I was in there looking at things to buy, a man came in to buy herbs for a spell he was doing!  I was completely enthralled by him but trying not to stare with my mouth gaping open, but I’m not sure I succeeded.  The guy didn’t look scary or menacing and was very nice to the guy working who waited on him.  It was a learning experience, that’s for sure!

I did a little more shopping when I was done at Crow Haven Corner but I had been out in the cold for nearly 5 hours, walking constantly again.  I was tired, cold and hungry and the car was several blocks away still.  So, I slowly made my way back to the waterfront and past the House of the Seven Gables again.

I was so surprised at how courteous the drivers in Salem were.  The pedestrians ALWAYS had the right-of-way and even when I was waiting for the light to turn so I could cross, more than once drivers stopped and waved me to go on.  The town was very clean and welcoming.   Also, I thought the town would be small, sort of preserved in its Puritanical state but that’s not the case at all.  It’s not hokey or fake, the town has grown around it’s gruesome past yet still preserved the history and memory of the witch hysteria. 

I’m very glad I had the chance to go check out Salem and would love to go back another time!

Bass Down Low

Last night was Acoustic Christmas that 107.5 The River puts on every year, but this is the first time I've won tickets.  Here was the line up:
Hot Chelle Rae
Miranda Cosgrove
The Ready Set
Dev (from Far East Movement)
Plain White T's
Natasha Bedingfield
Robyn
Jay Sean
Mike Posner


My would-be boyfriend Bruno Mars was on tap to perform but got sick and had to cancel.  That has put a damper on our relationship, but I suppose I can forgive him since he was sick.  They told us boyfriend Bruno would be back this summer for a make up show. 


The thing about Acoustic Christmas is that the only way in is to win tickets (unless you buy them from some d-bag who wins tickets just to sell them on Craig's List), but they give out more tickets than there are seats so that if you win and can't come, there won't be empty seats.  I totally get that, but it also means there is a chance you won't get in at all.  People had been in line since 6:00 Friday morning!  We didn't get there until around 5:30 (in the evening, obvs) and the doors were to open at 6:00.  IT. WAS. COLD.  Could have been worse, but I'm glad it wasn't!  Once we were finally in, we had balcony seats, which was 110% fine with me since after seeing Paramore at Nashville Auditorium, or should I say after seeing the back of some super tall dude's shirt while I watched the Paramore concert through camera and phone screens around me.  Anyway, each act did about 4 songs; the show started at 7:00 and we left about 12:30 am.


I am very big on artists sounding good LIVE, sans autotune, and their live performances being entertaining.  I'll give Taylor Swift props for playing guitar well and for writing her own material (even if I don't care for it, she is doing something many other artists don't do, or aren't able to do - songwriting is not for everyone!) but ol' girl can't sing.  Remember that infamous performance with Stevie Nicks?  YIKES!  So, that being said I was excited to see how everyone sounded in an acoustic setting without all the technology so many artists rely on.


Up first was Hot Chelle Rae, some local (to Nashville) guys and their song Bleed has been doing well at least in this region.  They sounded good live and put on a decent show.  It will be interesting to see how that band grows and develops their stage presence.


Second was Miranda Cosgrove.  While I am afflicted with the curse of being over the age of 17, and therefore unable to listen to copious amounts of songs that have the letter "U" instead of the actual word "You" in the title, I will say I was pleasantly surprised with her.  She sounded good (but did use a backing track on at least a couple of songs), had some back up dancers that were adorable and I liked her boots.  I don't know that she is one I will go see again, but I'm not really in her age demographic. 


When The Ready Set took the stage, I stood up and "woo'd" as any seasoned concert goer would do.  I love their song "Love Like Woe".  I was disappointed that they relied on backing tracks as much as they did but I will let it slide because I think their song is catchy as *$%~!


Dev, from The Far East Movement, was a pleasant surprise.  The "acoustic" band was a guy with a laptop, keyboard and who knows what else, and that was all.  Still, she was great. I loved her attitude, energy and songs.  I will definitely buy her album when it comes out!  Of course, she did "Like a G6" for us and the 808 bump made us put our hands up.


When the Plain White T's took the stage, they looked like they had robbed a bunch of Mennonites and stolen their clothes; except for the drummer.  He was dressed like a hobo on a train.  I'm pretty sure he had his lunch wrapped in a red bandanna and tied to a stick somewhere backstage.  Aesthetically pleasing, they were not (well, that one blond guy would still be cute, no matter what) but if you closed your eyes and listened it sounded a little like bits of musical manna from heaven falling on your ears.  Props to Plain White T's for embracing an acoustic show and playing it stripped down.  Would I see them again if the opportunity arose?  You betcha!  Musically they are an amazingly talented group.


If I could only use three words to describe Natasha Bedingfield they would be as follows: AH.  MAZ.  ING.  She was such a phenomenal vocalist that even as I type this, twelve hours after seeing her, I still have trouble finding the right words to describe her.  I had always liked her work, but she was never a stand-out artists to me until last night.  Now I am going to dig out her CD's I have and get them on my iPod.  I already downloaded her new song "Strip Me" from iTunes.  She had an acoustic guitar player, a percussionist on a thing she called a cajone (I had never seen one before but it was really cool!) and a back up singer.  No backing tracks, no laptops, no synths -  just one of the very best vocal performances I have ever witnessed.  Go see Natasha Bedingfield, you will not be disappointed!  She is definitely on my list of artists to see when she goes on tour.


I'm not sure what to say about Robyn.  I think I missed the whole allure of her, but so many others enjoyed her.  The world would be a very boring place if we all liked the same things.  So, I give her credit for being out there, doing her thing and getting such a great response from the audience.


Jay Sean... what to say?  He could have just stood up there and talked for his entire set and I would have been just as happy.  Everything sounds better with a British accent, doesn't it?  There was some delay getting him out on stage and I'm not sure what was going on but his band (aka - one acoustic guitar player and another guy at the keyboard, laptop, etc) was starting to lose my interested until he finally came out.  I think he relied unnecessarily on electronics.  When he sang by himself, he did an outstanding job but his vocal talents got lost with all the backing tracks and extras.  I would have liked to see a real acoustic show from Jay Sean because I think he would have rocked even harder.  He's got a new album coming out in 2011, so it will be exciting to see what's in store for him.


I think the artist that surprised me the most was Mike Posner.  By the time he came out on stage it was late and the crowd had really thinned out, so we went down to floor level and I got some good pictures.  Again, it wasn't an acoustic show but felt more like I was at a rock concert than any of the other performers.  Experiencing his show had me pumped up (which was nice for the drive back) and as soon as I got home I downloaded a few of his songs.  I really didn't expect to like his music at all, I mean, on the radio it's ok but has never been my favorite.  He kind of had that just-got-out-of-jail look to him, but I was pleasantly surprised with him and have officially been converted to a Posner fan!


Did I mention that I was crushed Bruno Mars wasn't there?  Oh well...


So, that is my Acoustic Christmas '10 recap!  Everyone who was able to attend should send a HUGE thanks to 107.5 The River for putting on such an amazing show as a gift to their listeners.  Also, support these artists!  Buy your music, don't download it illegally, and buy tickets to the concerts!  As Natasha Bedingfield put it so eloquently, once the artist puts out their music, it is ours now.  I believe we should treat the gift they have given us as a treasure.

Friends

Tonight Im a little reflective after attending the wedding of one of the most amazing women I've ever known.  When I was a kid and teenager, she was a constant fixture in my life.  Along with countless other kids, she gave me rides in her Mustangs, taught me how to toilet paper a house (and car), showed us the art of cramming 15 people in a telephone booth and a thousand other things that I find it humorous that I learned at church.  While I grew up and lost touch with her, I took it forgranted that my friend would always be around whenever I wanted to talk to her, obviously at my convenience. 


Today, as I watched this phenomenal woman get married (to a man that has sufficiently been threatened by no less than 50 gun-toting baptists) and heard talk of her moving away to start her new life with her husband, I selfishly feel sorry for myself for losing her.  Had I talked to her face-to-face in the last year?  Nope.  Without FaceBook & Words with Friends, I don't know that I would have communicated with her at all.  I always thought I could just see her whenver I wanted. 


I just wanted to take a quick minute to tell you all to not ignore your friends.  It takes two to make ANY relationship work - especially friendships.  If you love having someone in your life, make sure they know it and make time for them. 


Lastly, I'll leave you with the words of the song "Friends" that was played at the wedding:
Packing up the dreams God planted




In the fertile soil of you
Can't believe the hopes He's granted
Means a chapter in your life is through
But we'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone
'Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong


Chorus:
And friends are friends forever
If the Lord's the Lord of them
And a friend will not say never
'Cause the welcome will not end
Though it's hard to let you go
In the Father's hands we know
That a lifetime's not too long to live as friends.


With the faith and love God's given
Springing from the hope we know
We will pray the joy you'll live in
Is the strength that now you show
But we'll keep you close as always
It won't even seem you've gone
'Cause our hearts in big and small ways
Will keep the love that keeps us strong
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~


Congrats to Lesia - thank you for all you taught me along the way! <3

Alright With Me

It would seem that ever since I set this blog up, I've had absolutely nothing to blog about!  Go figure.  So... I thought I'd give you all a quick update just to say hi.  Lots of people have asked if I've heard anymore from crazy, weirdo baseball guy and the answer to that is (thankfully) no!  Kicking strange individuals off your MySpace/Facebook page is utterly liberating.  I highly recommend it.


Went to Ohio a couple of weeks ago with my friend Chad to help him out with a barrel racing clinic.  The days were long and nights were short but we survived both the 2-day one-way trip without wanting to kill each other. 


Oh, I've also decided that I'm never getting married.  What led to this life-changing decision you ask?  The fact that I watched my parents move in a new fridge and stove yesterday.  Hello insanity!  I'm pretty sure I don't ever want any part of that craziness.  No thank you!  But congrats to my girl TamiG on getting engaged and the fast-approaching wedding.  Much love to you sweets!


A random tidbit of nothingness: I to speak insurance companies all day at work and last week, when I realized I had said "E, as in Edward" 5 times in a row, I panicked slightly thinking I sounded like a huge Twilight geek (and yeah, I've already got my tickets for Eclipse this weekend... don't judge me!).  But today, I found someone worse than me.  Whatever claim number she was giving me apparently had the letters "E" and "J" next to each other and as she is reading the number she says "E, as in Edward. J, as in Jacob."  Hahahahahaha!  I was this close to asking her if she was a Twilight freak, but I refrained as I was actually trying to be professional.  Still, even I don't say "J, as in Jacob."  :)


Hopefully I'll have some exciting news about singing to share with you all soon, but it's best not to put the cart in front of the horse, right? 


I love comments like a fat kid loves cake... ok, like I love cake!

Sitting, Waiting, Wishing

I need more structure in my life.  Or maybe I need a personal assistant to keep me on track.  Could I interest anyone in that position?  It would require the following:


Making sure I get up before 7:00 - I have to be at work at 8:00, so you can see how the timing gets a little tricky on the days I can't find my keys (or fall asleep in the shower, or sleep walk over to my alarm & turn it off without realizing it).


Managing my finances - This shouldn't be a particulary hard job seeing as how I spend it as quickly as I make it, but it could probably be alloted out a little more appropriately.  Sometimes, the satellite bill should be paid before new shoes are bought, but my mind doesn't always comprehend that thought.


Motivating me to exercise - I'd prefer you to be like that drill seargent guy from Celebrity Fit Club that screams at the fatties.  If you could dangle a cupcake in front of my face (like that trick with a carrot in front of a donkey in the cartoons), I'm pretty sure that could get me interested in moving.


Making me practice singing & guitar - Alright, so singing isn't so much of an issue as the guitar.  The ability to give me guitar lessons is a plus.  Must be able to tolerate my constant whining about hurting fingers & exuberent gushing of pride when my fingers bleed (which will be followed by relentless quoting of one line of Bryan Adams' "Summer of '69").  I will feel badass - you should acknowledge my badassness.


Making me ride my horse - Not so much in practice, but making sure I actually GET to the barrel race.  Drill seargent Harvey attitude would probably be effective in this capacity as well.


The benefits to being my personal manager include, but are not limited to, continual witty commentary provided by yours truly, room & board (how do you feel about an air mattress?), and transportation as I will find you entirely too valuable to ever leave my side so I will take you everywhere.  No monitary compensation, 401K or health insurance is offered (because, well hey - you'll see my finances) but I'm sure my company will be reward enough.


I love comments like a fat kid loves cake (ok - so I love them like I love cake!) - so make sure to leave 'em!

Up On The Ridge

Bear with me as I let my inner music nerd lose for a few moments.  Last night I went to the church of country and bluegrass music: Ryman Auditorium.  I almost felt like I should take my shoes off for entering hallowed ground as I walked up the steps covered in thick carpet colored cranberry red.  The staircase looked like something that belongs in Gone With the Wind and once inside I passed glass cases filled with treasures.  Porter Wagoner's rhinestone suit, Dolly Parton's dress, outfits worn by Johnny and June and a Martin guitar played by a bluegrass legend were just a small selection of this country music time capsule.  I searched for the ghost of Minnie Pearl but only found her hat with the trademark price tag (Minnie held me once when I was a baby, I'm proud to say!).  The stained glass windows let in a rainbow of light and the entire building seemed to pulsate with history.  When I think of all the legends that have walked those steps, maybe even sat in the seat where I was, I couldn't help but get emotional.

I'd been dying to go to Ryman Auditorium for a while, but I wanted to find just the right person to see my first time there.  Call me biased, but I couldn't go see Hole at The Ryman.  It's just not right.  So, I was excited to actually win tickets to Dierks Bentley (from a Twitter contest no less).  With all due respect to Dierks, I'd never seen him live before and wondered if it would be any good... but then I saw that this was actually a bluegrass tour and part of the Del McCoury band was going to be with him.  Well, anything that Del McCoury's band plays is phenomenal so I was getting pretty excited.  When we saw Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton in February at the Grand Ole Opry, Del's band was playing and I nearly peed myself I was so excited!

A couple of the perks of winning the Ryman contest on Twitter was a hatch show print AND a meet and greet.  The entire experience was amazing!  I am beyond happy that my first concert at the Ryman was this show.  Hayes Carll opened the show and he wasn't really bluegrass; more like rockabilly.  I looked him up online and saw he was from Austin, Texas, which explains the red dirt sound he had.  Dierks was accompanied by the Travelin' McCourys and as I said before, they are mind-blowing (even Kristen who is not what you'd call a fan of bluegrass music was impressed at these guy's skills).  I was happy to see the great songwriter John Randall there too and learn that he'd been instrumental in this album.  As the show progressed, Chris Thile (formerly of Nickle Creek) and his new band, Punch Brothers, came out and rocked a few songs.  Chris reminds me a little of John Mayer in that when he's playing, it's like the entire room just fades away and he is alone with his mandolin.  It's intimate and you almost feel like you're intruding to watch.  But watch I did, as well as hoot and holler like a seasoned concert goer who was thoroughly enjoying herself.  Then, when I didn't think it could get any better, Del McCoury came out on stage and did a duet with Dierks.  I'm not lying, they did a bluegrass version of the U2 song "Pride (In the Name of Love)".  Never has a U2 song sounded so good.

In my own little way, I unleash my sentimental musical self on you as an inadequate way to say thank you to everyone involved with the Up On the Ridge tour and to every musical genius that has walked the halls of Ryman Auditorium.  Also, thanks to Lisaann at the Ryman for being so great at keeping in touch and giving me such an amazing opportunity.  I'm off to find a thesaurus as the word "amazing" has lost it's power due to my over-use in the last 24 hours.