So we're in the middle of the second month of a new year, and here I am realizing I haven't posted since September, and I wish I had a better excuse than laziness, but I don't. A lot happened since then, but also nothing happened. Things made me happy, things made me sad, things made me complacent, and things made me apprehensive. So I thought I would wrap up the final months of last year in pictures. It's really the best way.
He started the bike himself. He's a born rider
X-Files Re-watch. Forthcoming post!
Best moments are snuggling with this sleeping boy
She wasn't happy I was leaving for the night
Work retreat. Best date ever right here.
Halloween. I went for fun, wifey went for scary. See below.
A slight vacuum obsession. Could be worse.
A true act of love right here
Saying goodbye to the Paper Moon
This is typical. He strips down and destroys the house. Good thing I love him to pieces.
Planetarium time!
Took a trip to Mars
Participated in a campaign and got a kickass shirt out of it
Here's part 2! I have never been to so many concerts in one year, and have also never been so exhausted. But man has it been so much fun! So earlier this year when we started buying tickets for the concerts, we saw that some of the concerts were back to back. We shrugged it off and said we would handle it like champs. And we did, but that didn't mean we didn't pay for it the following days after. But we survived and have stories to tell of all the fun. So let's dive in:
Daughtry:
My second concert of a million up at good ole Usana. I know how to get there in my sleep now, as well as how early we really need to leave to make it on time. So there's that.
Daughtry was actually amazing, Chris' voice was spot on, whether the videos portray that or not. For some reason my phone would pick up the sound great at times and not so great at other times. But believe me when I say that he and his band sounded terrific. Being on the grass was so nice too. This time it wasn't cram packed, and we could actually sit and listen to the music and not feel like sardines. It's kind of one of my favorite ways to go to a concert. Nothing super eventful happened during the concert, other than some great music, and Jordan learning she loves them. Which means it was a success.
Goo Goo Dolls:
The Goo Goo Dolls brought their A-game and rocked it. We got to hear all their hits sans one in particular which left us really sad. Why couldn't they just play Give a Little Bit?? I'm not one for covers usually, but they did an amazing job and it rivals Supertramp's. I would have loved to have heard it live. Aside from that the concert really was great, they sounded perfect, and the night was just the right kind of cool.
Steve Miller Band:
The very next night after The Goo Goo Dolls we were back for more fun. And I just have to give a shout out to Jordan's dad, because he is awesome. He got the best seats for this concert, and we had an absolute blast. Steve Miller was so much fun, and his backup vocal dude was so damn fun to watch. He quickly became our favorite person. You will see him on the right in the videos, he was dancing all over the place and we loved it. Steve played all of the songs you'd hope to hear, even Serenade for Jordan. This being my first time seeing him live, I was so excited, and he didn't disappoint at all. And the night was only half way through!
Journey:
It's no secret that I don't like it when a band replaces their lead singer with someone and then tries to sell it as "he sounds just like blank blank, we promise!" This band (and one other) I hold dear to my heart and have had the hardest time coming to terms with not having the original lead singer. If you've been reading my blog since the beginning, or know me in person, you'll know that Steve Perry's Oh Sherrie is my all-time favorite song. Yes I realize it's not Journey that sings it, but Steve Perry solo. But still Steve Perry to me is and always will be the heart and soul of Journey, and his voice can never be replaced. This being said, new dude held his own. Looking back at the videos I recorded, he really does sound pretty good. Not spot on like some have said, but really close. And for that I have to eat a little crow. This was probably the funnest concert we've been to yet. I knew just about every song they played, and we danced and sang our little hearts out and I regret nothing. It was worth the hoarse voice the next morning and the very sore hips and feet. Totally worth it.
Don Felder (Formerly of The Eagles):
When we heard the Eagles were coming, we immediately looked at getting tickets and about died at the prices. We had to realize that we weren't going to be able to go, and it made us really sad. It's a goal to see them, and one day it'll happen, just not this time around. Well I feel like this concert made up for that a little. Don Felder was so good! He sang quite a few Eagles songs, and it made us really happy. He sounded great, and although he wasn't the original lead on the songs, he did his best, and I couldn't care less at the time. One Eagle is better than nothing. The other bonus for this concert was that we got seats for it, and they weren't half bad. Especially for buying the tickets through Groupon. We got a deal. Three great bands for $15. Can't complain there.
Foreigner:
So I learned after Foreigner was done playing that they too didn't have their original lead singer. I'm glad I found out after the concert. I don't know how much it would have changed my opinion or not, but I do know they were awesome. They rocked, and even brought out a local school choir for "I Wanna Know What Love Is" which was really neat. They played all the songs we hoped they would, and we had some serious fun. This was my first time seeing Foreigner and I was way too excited. I'm so glad I got the chance!
Styx:
So if you've read my past posts, you'll know how much heartache I've had over Styx in the past I believe 12 years. Styx is one of my all-time favorite bands, they're actually third in line after The Beatles and Travis. So with the fact that they don't have Dennis DeYoung anymore, I've had a hard time wanting to see them live. And honestly I wasn't thrilled to see them this time, and mainly went for Foreigner. So I was happy when I found myself enjoying them, and singing to all of the songs, and downright having a great time. I tried to ignore that Dennis wasn't there, and that new dude (whom I haven't bothered to learn his name) didn't sound like him at all, and instead just enjoy myself and the music of the band I really do love. We even wore old Styx concert shirts of mine to help with the fun. Honestly it was a good time, and they did great. They even played a couple songs I haven't heard live before, so that alone made me ecstatic.
The Wallflowers:
I have loved The Wallflowers since their first album came out. And it didn't hurt that Jakob Dylan was not only cute, but had a sexy voice to boot. It helped even more that his dad is Bob Dylan, but not much more. He can hold his own. So when I heard they were coming and not only coming, but the concert was free, I was down. I didn't know it was a goal to see them until I could. We decided to ride the train down so we didn't have to deal with parking, and conveniently it takes us right to where we need to be. We found what they called "Beer Garden" and got into the elite fenced off area to drink our beers (only in Utah would you find this), and settled in for a fun night. They sounded great and Jakob's voice was still as sexy as ever. It wasn't too packed at first in the Beer Garden, or anywhere else really, but toward the end of their playing it started to really fill in, and I started to get a little anxious. I don't do big crowds very well when I feel like I'm trapped. But regardless, it was still a lot of fun.
Train:
Train was the second half of the free concert, and by this time it was packed! I got the lucky opportunity to have obnoxious people next to me banging into me as they danced, and even making out while leaning on me. Not cool people. Have some respect while having your fun. Anyway, Train did great, they played all their hits, and toward the end we decided to leave Beer Garden and find Port-a-Potty Lane. It was a lot less crowded back there, so we finished out the concert in the back where we could actually move and dance a bit. It was really nice. I love that we were able to see two great bands for free, such a cool idea. We finished our night by walking several blocks to get pizza, missing the last trax pickup to the train, renting bikes to ride to the train, and nearly missing the train, but making it with two minutes to spare. Did I mention I did this all while in a dress? I love adventures like this, especially when they're unplanned.
Stay tuned for Part 3! Because we are not done yet. Here's what's left to see:
So I made this promise to myself and you readers to be better about writing this year, and I've not kept this promise. In fact I've been really bad about writing, and I really do want to do better. I've just had this sort of writer's block going on. So for now, I will share with you some of my excursions and fun I've had over the past little bit. It's not much, but it helps this introvert here to break out of her typical routine of TV on the couch. And that means something.
February:
Jordan and I decided that we would be each other's dates for Valentine's Day, and I must say it was the best date I've had in years. We saw The Lego Movie (no shame, it was Awesome!) and then Twigs for dinner after. We had many martinis (it's a martini bar) and then called it a night. Also I got to spend a night with my favorite family and see one of my besties Jennie while she was in town. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures from that night, because Jennie and I suck at taking pictures, but we did have an amazing night of chatting until the wee hours. Ma made a great dinner and joined us in the chatting, and I loved every minute of it. I even got to finally meet Jennie's youngest who is a character. Thanks again Ma for the invite!
March:
This month has been busy with fun. First Jordan and I went bowling with her cousin and friends up in O-town. Jordan decided at one point she needed some assistance in getting herself a strike. It worked my friends. It worked. The next day was Oscar day, and so we had a party. Obviously from the pic, we didn't have as many people, nor famous for that matter in our selfie, but we did manage to get one famous person in there, and that's all that matters.
March also brought the first birthday of my adorable nephew Aidan. He even took his first real steps on his birthday! He's still unsure about the walking in whole still, but he's getting more and more ready. For his birthday, I thought I would surprise his parents, by sketching Aidan for them to hang on the wall. It turned out pretty well. And I had a ton of fun drawing him. He's a pretty good subject.
March also consisted of me getting super sick with bronchitis. But I managed to make it to Les Mis at Hale Theatre with Jordan, and I'm so glad I did. It was amazing! They did a great job. Two Fridays ago I held a Frozen viewing for my sister, brother-in-law and mother at my place. And because I had already seen it, I volunteered to watch my nephew so they could enjoy the movie. It wasn't a hard thing to volunteer for, but man was I exhausted by the end. I love that cutie so much.
The month also brought the discovery of just how much Lily loves Cheetos. I know it's not good for her, and I only let her lick one, but it kind of started an addiction for her! I kept finding her digging into the bag if left unattended. Luckily no other Cheetos were licked. I also spent a night burning music for Jordan while enjoying an episode of Grey's Anatomy, drinking a cup of hot chocolate and cuddling Lily. It's called multi-tasking and I excel at it.
To end the month off right, Jordan and I decided it was time to make a trip up to Park City for pizza. Yes pizza. It's so good, and worth the trip up there. We also walked around Main Street for a bit and I found me a cute dress. We then went back to my place and watched a lot of Sex and the City, because that's how you end a girl's day. And then what did I have to do once I bought the dress? Buy shoes to go along. And then I kind of felt like Carrie Bradshaw for a minute and bought a few pairs. I will wear them all. I also fit in a viewing of Divergent with Erica, which was really good and followed the book pretty well (more on that in a future post).
All framed up and pretty
Reference Photo
Waiting for the play to start!
Aim was creepy photo with Hermione. Result is: Nailed it!
babysitting this guy is a workout, but hella fun
yes my feet are really that large, and no not that
wide normally, but sometimes they just fit better
Outfit complete
So there you have it, my life in a nutshell over the past couple months. Nothing super exciting, but me getting out and socializing is a big deal, so it's been good for me. And there will be lots more fun had coming up. Our summer is full of concerts, which will bring a slew of pictures and stories I'm sure.
So it's been almost a week since this happened. I'm kind of a procrastinator sometimes, but I did need to make it known that I spent my Sunday afternoon last weekend with one of my most favorite people and her father. We went to this little bar called The City Club up in Ogden. I didn't know this place existed until Jordan mentioned it to me, and being the giant Beatles fan I am, I felt mighty ashamed to not know about this place. It did make me feel better to find out that one of my other favorite people, Angie, who is also a giant Beatles fan, didn't know about it either. Anywho, I thought I would document my experience with a few pictures of the decor. Their drink list is pretty much the best too with drinks name after their songs. And as if it were meant to be, the entire time we were there they played Paul's solo work. The gods knew I'd be there me thinks.
Angie we will be going soon! You must experience this place as well, it's a necessary thing.
So last night the sister, brother-in-law and I decided to play a round of Jenga. My awesome friend Angie gave the game to me not too long ago, and so we thought we'd break it in. Unbeknownst to us, what we thought was Josh trying to end the game early, ended up being a major game of skill, as you will see in the pictures below. In the end we actually went as far as we could go without knocking it over. If we pulled any one block after the last move, it would come tumbling down. So Josh took it upon himself to do the honors, thus by the rules of the game, making me the winner! Tee hee. I don't remember who actually made the last legit move, it may have been Josh himself. But needless to say it was a nice change of pace for a night, and we may have enjoyed some root beer floats along the way.
This was where Josh thought he'd
end the game quickly.
This is where we realized this could be interesting.
