Howdy Howdy!
I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas holiday, we did!
Since then, we've been addicted to Guitar Hero III. My parents got us a PS2 for Christmas and we're like little kids all over again. The first night we hooked it up to play, I think we ended up spending over 3 hours on it!
We've had a nice little vacation so far - spending some time relaxing, visiting neighborhoods up north (to move into when our lease is up), and eating at some new restaurants. Tomorrow is Kurt's last day off...sniff sniff. I, on the other hand, don't go back to school until the 21st, so I have a lot of time off. I've got a hefty list of "to dos"...I'll keep busy!
Tonight, we're going out for our traditional steak house dinner @ Morton's. We haven't been to a true steak house here in Chicago yet, so we are looking forward to it (even if we are sick with a nasty cold...blah). After dinner, we're coming home for a change of clothes and then going to a concert @ the Metro. The Sea and Cake (a local band with big success) is opening for Spoon tonight...should be a great show! We won't get to see the ball drop, but we'll be having fun!
Ok...off I go...gotta get ready for our busy evening!
Take care and have a happy new year!
Monday, December 31, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
We're off....again!
Phew...we're off again...back to ohio. We'll be spending christmas time with our parents and then heading back home the day after for a well deserved "vacation."
We're not really going anywhere for our vacation...just exploring Chicago a bit more, eating at some fancy restaurants (for lunch, when it's cheaper ;o), seeing a concert for new year's eve (spoon and the sea and cake! yipee!), visiting some museums...who knows! We're very excited...this is our first extended time off that we've had since moving here so we plan to enjoy ourselves!
Well...I've got some more packing to do and another accounting article to read. Yes, you heard me right...I've got accounting reading (probably 75 pages worth), and two books to read for marketing (small books...but still...). SO, I'm trying to read a bit at a time to make sure it's all finished by next semester!
Take care and have a Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We're not really going anywhere for our vacation...just exploring Chicago a bit more, eating at some fancy restaurants (for lunch, when it's cheaper ;o), seeing a concert for new year's eve (spoon and the sea and cake! yipee!), visiting some museums...who knows! We're very excited...this is our first extended time off that we've had since moving here so we plan to enjoy ourselves!
Well...I've got some more packing to do and another accounting article to read. Yes, you heard me right...I've got accounting reading (probably 75 pages worth), and two books to read for marketing (small books...but still...). SO, I'm trying to read a bit at a time to make sure it's all finished by next semester!
Take care and have a Merry Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
very excited and very busy.
So my break thus far has consisted of cleaning, wrapping gifts, and laundry...sounds like fun, huh?
But my break will be even brighter this Friday! Sweeney Todd, the movie, comes out on Friday! AND, we're going!!! I got tickets for a movie theater down on the Magnificent Mile. Fun Times!!!
So, funny story time.
Shosta (our dog) has terrible car anxiety. She shakes the entire time that we are in the car and rarely sits down. Since our car trips last in upwards of 6 hours now, that's a long time to be shaking and panting. I decided to go to the vet to get some medicine to help her and the vet suggested trying it out before the trip. So...we did.
Sunday afternoon I gave Shosta a half pill and waited. The poor thing got sleepy, but still wanted to walk around. She tried to jump off of her chair and wobbled a little. Then when she tried to jump onto the couch, she didn't quite make it. Her eyes were glassy and weepy looking - she was squinting, as if saying "These lights are too bright..." Poor thing...we felt terrible doing it. I just keep reminding myself that the vet told me to try it out. She was a little bit more spunky Sunday night, but Monday seemed as if she had a "hangover"...sleeping most of the morning. What perked her up is our morning walk...thank goodness!
But my break will be even brighter this Friday! Sweeney Todd, the movie, comes out on Friday! AND, we're going!!! I got tickets for a movie theater down on the Magnificent Mile. Fun Times!!!
So, funny story time.
Shosta (our dog) has terrible car anxiety. She shakes the entire time that we are in the car and rarely sits down. Since our car trips last in upwards of 6 hours now, that's a long time to be shaking and panting. I decided to go to the vet to get some medicine to help her and the vet suggested trying it out before the trip. So...we did.
Sunday afternoon I gave Shosta a half pill and waited. The poor thing got sleepy, but still wanted to walk around. She tried to jump off of her chair and wobbled a little. Then when she tried to jump onto the couch, she didn't quite make it. Her eyes were glassy and weepy looking - she was squinting, as if saying "These lights are too bright..." Poor thing...we felt terrible doing it. I just keep reminding myself that the vet told me to try it out. She was a little bit more spunky Sunday night, but Monday seemed as if she had a "hangover"...sleeping most of the morning. What perked her up is our morning walk...thank goodness!
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Ahhhh....
Ahhh...it's finally break. Time to relax...sorta. I've got a little bit more shopping to do...thank goodness for the internet - I did most of my shopping there.
Finals are finished...not so sure about the marketing exam though. It was REALLY tough for everyone I talked to. The accounting was fine - I got a 95. I finished my econ class back in October and got an A. I won't find anything out about my Human Resources grade for probably a week.
Ok...I'm going to get my Christmas cards together and send them out!
Take care!
Finals are finished...not so sure about the marketing exam though. It was REALLY tough for everyone I talked to. The accounting was fine - I got a 95. I finished my econ class back in October and got an A. I won't find anything out about my Human Resources grade for probably a week.
Ok...I'm going to get my Christmas cards together and send them out!
Take care!
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Sunday, December 9, 2007
EXAMS!
Sigh...Exams are upon us (or at least me).
I have have 2 in class exams and 1 take-home paper/exam.
Tomorrow is my big Marketing Exam - slightly nervous because there's TONS of vocab. Yipee. AND, there's a break-even/elasticity section with tons of math. That shouldn't be TOO hard, but still nervous.
Tuesday is my most nerve racking exam - Accounting. We get to have a "Cheat Sheet" to help us out and I only have to get something like an 80 or 85 to get an A in the class. BUT...nonetheless, as always, I'm nervous ;o)
Wednesday is the day that my take home exam is due for Human Resources - the worst class in the world. Here's hoping that we don't have to stay for the entire 3 hours...
SOOOooo...we've been having a crazy winter thus far. Last Saturday we had snow, then at least a 1/4" of ice. On Tuesday and Wednesday we had something like 4 or 5" of snow. Then yesterday and today, we're getting more ice. On top of that, it's been super chilly. Thank goodness for my long down coat that I got from Lands End! It's VERY warm...I need it when I have to wait in the wind and snow for a freakin' train to come!!!
Poor Shosta has been having an interesting time with the weather. She LOVES to play in the snow, but her poor feet seem to be hurting. I've been keeping up with the walks even though it's about 15-20 degrees out in the morning. By the end of our walk, she's hobbling like a 90 year old lady and holds her front right and back left feet up in the air while I'm unlocking the door. I've been washing her feet off every time we come back in, which seems to help. Finally, I convinced her to wear her booties that we have. Of course, she puts up a fuss when I'm putting them on...and walks around like she's got something stuck up her butt. HOWEVER, I think she has finally realized the practicality of them. Once we get outside and walking, she doesn't even mind them at all! She climbs in the snow, walks everywhere, and doesn't end up hobbling. They are fleece with a little bit of vinyl on the bottom, so they do soak up the water. BUT, it's better than having her bare feet on the ice. We're trying to find some vinyl ones, but they've been sold out for a while at our pet stores nearby. These will do for now. At least she doesn't mind them as much now.
What a cutie she is. I've been keeping the heat down lower lately to save money (our place is crazy inefficient)...so she's been shivering "like a dog poopin' blades" (thanks for that analogy dad). To help keep her warm, I got the heating pad out, turned it on, and made her lay down on top of it. She seems to be enjoying the warmth, as she hasn't moved for something like an hour now. Unfortunately, with the heating pad on, I don't get to have our heater on (too many heating items on one circuit makes everything shut down because the electrical wiring is stupid here. bah)....so now I'm freezing. We'll have to trade back and forth ;o)
Alrighty...I should get to studying. Hope everyone is doing well! It's almost Christmas!
I have have 2 in class exams and 1 take-home paper/exam.
Tomorrow is my big Marketing Exam - slightly nervous because there's TONS of vocab. Yipee. AND, there's a break-even/elasticity section with tons of math. That shouldn't be TOO hard, but still nervous.
Tuesday is my most nerve racking exam - Accounting. We get to have a "Cheat Sheet" to help us out and I only have to get something like an 80 or 85 to get an A in the class. BUT...nonetheless, as always, I'm nervous ;o)
Wednesday is the day that my take home exam is due for Human Resources - the worst class in the world. Here's hoping that we don't have to stay for the entire 3 hours...
SOOOooo...we've been having a crazy winter thus far. Last Saturday we had snow, then at least a 1/4" of ice. On Tuesday and Wednesday we had something like 4 or 5" of snow. Then yesterday and today, we're getting more ice. On top of that, it's been super chilly. Thank goodness for my long down coat that I got from Lands End! It's VERY warm...I need it when I have to wait in the wind and snow for a freakin' train to come!!!
Poor Shosta has been having an interesting time with the weather. She LOVES to play in the snow, but her poor feet seem to be hurting. I've been keeping up with the walks even though it's about 15-20 degrees out in the morning. By the end of our walk, she's hobbling like a 90 year old lady and holds her front right and back left feet up in the air while I'm unlocking the door. I've been washing her feet off every time we come back in, which seems to help. Finally, I convinced her to wear her booties that we have. Of course, she puts up a fuss when I'm putting them on...and walks around like she's got something stuck up her butt. HOWEVER, I think she has finally realized the practicality of them. Once we get outside and walking, she doesn't even mind them at all! She climbs in the snow, walks everywhere, and doesn't end up hobbling. They are fleece with a little bit of vinyl on the bottom, so they do soak up the water. BUT, it's better than having her bare feet on the ice. We're trying to find some vinyl ones, but they've been sold out for a while at our pet stores nearby. These will do for now. At least she doesn't mind them as much now.
What a cutie she is. I've been keeping the heat down lower lately to save money (our place is crazy inefficient)...so she's been shivering "like a dog poopin' blades" (thanks for that analogy dad). To help keep her warm, I got the heating pad out, turned it on, and made her lay down on top of it. She seems to be enjoying the warmth, as she hasn't moved for something like an hour now. Unfortunately, with the heating pad on, I don't get to have our heater on (too many heating items on one circuit makes everything shut down because the electrical wiring is stupid here. bah)....so now I'm freezing. We'll have to trade back and forth ;o)
Alrighty...I should get to studying. Hope everyone is doing well! It's almost Christmas!
Thursday, December 6, 2007
My Goodness...it's been so long!
'Tis hard to believe that 2 weeks have passed since I last posted. I've been very busy, as you can probably tell by my lack of posting. Papers, exams looming, stupid projects - all sorts of stuff. I'm up late finishing up some studying and watching a replaying of the Hawaii v. Washington game. Sigh...I love college football.
So, it's the end of the semester next week. Truly feels weird to be 25% of the way through my graduate degree. I'm all set for next semester, just have to buy the books now.
Other than school..nothing much has been going on. Nasty weather here and there (I think we got around 4-5" of snow since yesterday afternoon), but nothing we can't survive. The car had some troubles, but we found a great mechanic who doesn't over-charge (hallelujah!). Hmmm...that's really it.
Ok...it's really late...I should get some sleep. I have a huge list of "To-do's" tomorrow. And TONS of human resources to get finished by next wendesday. yeah.
Ta ta...I hope to write more in the coming weeks...seeing as how school will be over soon!
So, it's the end of the semester next week. Truly feels weird to be 25% of the way through my graduate degree. I'm all set for next semester, just have to buy the books now.
Other than school..nothing much has been going on. Nasty weather here and there (I think we got around 4-5" of snow since yesterday afternoon), but nothing we can't survive. The car had some troubles, but we found a great mechanic who doesn't over-charge (hallelujah!). Hmmm...that's really it.
Ok...it's really late...I should get some sleep. I have a huge list of "To-do's" tomorrow. And TONS of human resources to get finished by next wendesday. yeah.
Ta ta...I hope to write more in the coming weeks...seeing as how school will be over soon!
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
We're off!
Phew...what a week.
First, an accounting test, then the new refrigerator, and now packing/getting ready to leave to go home.
Good news on the doggie front. Shosta's blood test came back just fine! They found that she has a cholesterol level that is on the high side of "normal" - we're not sure why since we don't really feed her any table scraps except some meat here and there. No matter - she's all better! I was so sick all weekend (literally) from worrying...but my baby dog is OK!
Had my 2nd accounting test on Monday...I think it went well. Hoping to hear back from my prof on my grade before we leave. We'll see about that...
Sigh...so...last Wednesday our refrigerator finally gave up it's ghost. We threw out TONS of food (two bags worth) and have been living out of a cooler ever since (with no signs of our landlord refunding us for the food lost...c'est la vie). FINALLY, yesterday the fridge came. I couldn't understand a word that the delivery men said, but it works - that's all I care about. It still has a slightly "plastic-y" smell despite washing it out with soap and water. I don't care. I don't have to try to find a can of pop at the bottom of a slew of ice anymore! Yay! My friend, Jeanette, and I agree that nearly a week waiting for a new refrigerator is TOO long...they could have had it delivered on the weekend (it probably would have cost more, which is why we think they had us wait until a weekday - bah) but I guess I shouldn't complain.
Today is a busy day. It's only 9:45 and I've already done laundry, baked pumpkin bread, moved the car, and started homework. My "TO DO" list is still pretty long...but I'm making headway. Hopefully I'll have everything ready to go by the time Kurt gets home...we're hoping to be leaving the city by 6. We'll see if that happens! VERY concerned about traffic...we've never left the city on a holiday - I'm sure it will be a living nightmare!
OK...gotta get back to work now...my list isn't getting any smaller!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
First, an accounting test, then the new refrigerator, and now packing/getting ready to leave to go home.
Good news on the doggie front. Shosta's blood test came back just fine! They found that she has a cholesterol level that is on the high side of "normal" - we're not sure why since we don't really feed her any table scraps except some meat here and there. No matter - she's all better! I was so sick all weekend (literally) from worrying...but my baby dog is OK!
Had my 2nd accounting test on Monday...I think it went well. Hoping to hear back from my prof on my grade before we leave. We'll see about that...
Sigh...so...last Wednesday our refrigerator finally gave up it's ghost. We threw out TONS of food (two bags worth) and have been living out of a cooler ever since (with no signs of our landlord refunding us for the food lost...c'est la vie). FINALLY, yesterday the fridge came. I couldn't understand a word that the delivery men said, but it works - that's all I care about. It still has a slightly "plastic-y" smell despite washing it out with soap and water. I don't care. I don't have to try to find a can of pop at the bottom of a slew of ice anymore! Yay! My friend, Jeanette, and I agree that nearly a week waiting for a new refrigerator is TOO long...they could have had it delivered on the weekend (it probably would have cost more, which is why we think they had us wait until a weekday - bah) but I guess I shouldn't complain.
Today is a busy day. It's only 9:45 and I've already done laundry, baked pumpkin bread, moved the car, and started homework. My "TO DO" list is still pretty long...but I'm making headway. Hopefully I'll have everything ready to go by the time Kurt gets home...we're hoping to be leaving the city by 6. We'll see if that happens! VERY concerned about traffic...we've never left the city on a holiday - I'm sure it will be a living nightmare!
OK...gotta get back to work now...my list isn't getting any smaller!
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Sniff sniff...
Michigan lost....sniff sniff. Word is that Lloyd Carr may be retiring (which I'm sad to hear), but that they might get the head coach from Louisiana State University (currently ranked #1). That might be good...
Took Razzle Dazzle to the vet today for her check up after having the liver medicine for a month. The doctor said she looked good and sounded good (from listening to her lungs/heart). They took some blood for tests and will find out the results on Monday. Her poo is all back to normal and she's just as energetic as ever. So the signs are good that she's OK. I'm still sick to my stomach and worried, but I'm hoping for the best.
Took Razzle Dazzle to the vet today for her check up after having the liver medicine for a month. The doctor said she looked good and sounded good (from listening to her lungs/heart). They took some blood for tests and will find out the results on Monday. Her poo is all back to normal and she's just as energetic as ever. So the signs are good that she's OK. I'm still sick to my stomach and worried, but I'm hoping for the best.
Friday, November 9, 2007
Cool link
One of the very cool things about being in Chicago is that they have "alternative craft shows." All hand made crafts that appeal to the indie set. I just found out that there's going to be an indoor show tomorrow at the concert venue that we're going to tonight! HA!
While looking on the websites for various artists, I came across this site. All proceeds from the sales go to Greyhound Rescue groups!
Check out Crafters for Critters!
While looking on the websites for various artists, I came across this site. All proceeds from the sales go to Greyhound Rescue groups!
Check out Crafters for Critters!
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Two Exciting Concerts!!!!...and some news.
Yipee! Two great concerts this weekend!
First, we're going to see the Police/reggae/pop rock inspired "Jae Alai Savant." We saw them open for Ted Leo and the Rx last summer in Columbus. They are based in Chicago, so we were hoping to get a chance to see them. Finally, we will!!! The concert is going to be at The Empty Bottle, a little dive bar in the Bucktown/Wicker Park/Logan Square area.
Saturday night, be still my heart, our MOST FAVORITE Columbus band is coming to Chicago!!!!! Miranda Sound will be at The Beat Kitchen, which is only a 5 minute walk away! Hallelujah! We have missed them so!
On a school-oriented note, I have officially switched to Performing Arts Management. I truly miss being with educated musicians. And, this is the concentration to be in if we are focusing on concert promotions (which I've decided to focus on). Furthermore, if I ever want to work at a symphony (which someday I would like to), this concentration will allow me to take grant writing, fund raising, and labor relations. Very cool. I'm excited to move into this concentration - it feels like it's where I belong.
Take care and enjoy your upcoming weekend!
First, we're going to see the Police/reggae/pop rock inspired "Jae Alai Savant." We saw them open for Ted Leo and the Rx last summer in Columbus. They are based in Chicago, so we were hoping to get a chance to see them. Finally, we will!!! The concert is going to be at The Empty Bottle, a little dive bar in the Bucktown/Wicker Park/Logan Square area.
Saturday night, be still my heart, our MOST FAVORITE Columbus band is coming to Chicago!!!!! Miranda Sound will be at The Beat Kitchen, which is only a 5 minute walk away! Hallelujah! We have missed them so!
On a school-oriented note, I have officially switched to Performing Arts Management. I truly miss being with educated musicians. And, this is the concentration to be in if we are focusing on concert promotions (which I've decided to focus on). Furthermore, if I ever want to work at a symphony (which someday I would like to), this concentration will allow me to take grant writing, fund raising, and labor relations. Very cool. I'm excited to move into this concentration - it feels like it's where I belong.
Take care and enjoy your upcoming weekend!
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Darn healthcare system
$11,000 for a CT scan? Seem ridiculous? Well...apparently Northwestern Memorial Hospital doesn't think so. Bah...we should all move to Canada.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Schedule- Check!
So...I was down to 14 hours for a second there ;o) I can't take the music supervision class because of a whole slew of prerequisites. So, tentatively, I'm going to take an online class of Fundraising (which is more performing arts oriented - not music business). Yes...I was up at 5:45. Ick. I went back to bed at 6:30 and got back up at about 7:30.
I've been told by a few people (including the Chair of the dept.) that if a person is interested in concert promotion (which I am), that they should be in performing arts. I have been missing the music world (meaning educated musicians) quite a bit, so I was actually thinking of switching over...but I'm not completely decided. If I do that, I can study concert promotions as well as slip in some non-profit classes that could help me market myself to non-profits, should an opportunity arise. Although I may be leaving the prospects of working at a record label behind, I know that I could always go back to that someday, possibly even a classical label. Who knows really...if you can't tell, I'm a bit indecisive ;o)
Ok...lots of marketing to read and Razzle needs a walk!
Take care!
I've been told by a few people (including the Chair of the dept.) that if a person is interested in concert promotion (which I am), that they should be in performing arts. I have been missing the music world (meaning educated musicians) quite a bit, so I was actually thinking of switching over...but I'm not completely decided. If I do that, I can study concert promotions as well as slip in some non-profit classes that could help me market myself to non-profits, should an opportunity arise. Although I may be leaving the prospects of working at a record label behind, I know that I could always go back to that someday, possibly even a classical label. Who knows really...if you can't tell, I'm a bit indecisive ;o)
Ok...lots of marketing to read and Razzle needs a walk!
Take care!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Busy bee...
Ok...so I've not been very good about posting our fantasy football scores...not that anyone cares ;o)
My job is officially over, which is actually pretty nice for the moment. I've been able to do homework in a timely manner (like the day after I get it) instead of saving it all for wednesdays (my usual day off) and the weekend. I've already got the itch to get a new job...but that's just me being crazy!
I'll be scheduling for spring semester next week, should be interesting. Scheduling begins at 6am Monday morning, so I'm getting up at 5:45. My accounting professor has been laughing at me for doing that, but I want to make sure that I get into the classes that I want! At this point in time, I'm going to ATTEMPT to take 17 credit hours. VERY SCARY! A full time load is considered 9 hours, so I'm almost DOUBLE full time ;o) I'm not really sure if it's going to work or not, but I'm going to try it for a few weeks. The classes that I'll be taking are:
Data and Statistical Analysis
Advanced Accounting
Marketing II
Applied Marketing: Music Business
Arts, Media and the Law
Music Supervision (Very cool class - all about advising, planning, editing music for movies)
Project Management Workshop (Saturday class for 5 weeks)
Tessitura Workshop (Software that all of the big symphonies and theatres use).
That's a lot...so if my life turns into a living nightmare, I'll probably drop the Music supervision and take it next fall (when they are also offering a music editing for movies).
I do have a little side project I forgot to mention. The head of the music bus. dept. asked me if I would transfer files and take care of "writing up" various jazz symphony pieces for him that he composed. My payment, in return, is a copy of Sibelius 5! So excited! We just got our new computer (with a massive monitor...it's crazy big), so I downloaded it and started to play around with it a bit (still some bugs I gotta work out). He's going to start sending me files soon to work on. Woohoo!
Well...I should probably end it...I've got LOADS of marketing to read and a headache the size of Texas.
Take care everyone!
My job is officially over, which is actually pretty nice for the moment. I've been able to do homework in a timely manner (like the day after I get it) instead of saving it all for wednesdays (my usual day off) and the weekend. I've already got the itch to get a new job...but that's just me being crazy!
I'll be scheduling for spring semester next week, should be interesting. Scheduling begins at 6am Monday morning, so I'm getting up at 5:45. My accounting professor has been laughing at me for doing that, but I want to make sure that I get into the classes that I want! At this point in time, I'm going to ATTEMPT to take 17 credit hours. VERY SCARY! A full time load is considered 9 hours, so I'm almost DOUBLE full time ;o) I'm not really sure if it's going to work or not, but I'm going to try it for a few weeks. The classes that I'll be taking are:
Data and Statistical Analysis
Advanced Accounting
Marketing II
Applied Marketing: Music Business
Arts, Media and the Law
Music Supervision (Very cool class - all about advising, planning, editing music for movies)
Project Management Workshop (Saturday class for 5 weeks)
Tessitura Workshop (Software that all of the big symphonies and theatres use).
That's a lot...so if my life turns into a living nightmare, I'll probably drop the Music supervision and take it next fall (when they are also offering a music editing for movies).
I do have a little side project I forgot to mention. The head of the music bus. dept. asked me if I would transfer files and take care of "writing up" various jazz symphony pieces for him that he composed. My payment, in return, is a copy of Sibelius 5! So excited! We just got our new computer (with a massive monitor...it's crazy big), so I downloaded it and started to play around with it a bit (still some bugs I gotta work out). He's going to start sending me files soon to work on. Woohoo!
Well...I should probably end it...I've got LOADS of marketing to read and a headache the size of Texas.
Take care everyone!
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Wicked!
Wicked = AMAZING!
Thank you Kurt!!!!
And HE even liked it...that means it's gotta be good ;o) We're already planning our next trip to see it!!!!!
Friday, October 26, 2007
Long time, no blog...
How-D to all! Long time, no blog....
OK...so Kurt and I were supposed to go to see Queens of the Stone Age tonight. We assumed, like so many other shows, that because there were 2 opening bands that they main act wouldn't go on until 9:30. Yeah...we were wrong...got there after the show was over. Big bummer.
ANYWHO...as a "dating/engagement" anniversary gift, Kurt surprised me with tickets to see "Wicked" tomorrow night! SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited! We played music from the show in our last Heisey Wind Ensemble concert, and I really dug it. It's been a LONG time since I've seen a broadway show, so I'm super hyped.
ALSO...on the broadway/movie front, the new revival of Sweeney Todd is touring (it comes to Chicago in April) AND there is going to be a Sweeney Todd movie directed by Tim Burton. Check out the link to the movie trailer. You can bet your sweet bippy that I'm going to be there on opening night for both the show AND the movie! (can you tell that sweeney todd is my fav. musical? ;o)
OK...it's really late...I decided to stay up late to finish an econ exam...but I still have one question left. Ick. So...now that my brain is fried, I'm hitting the hay...
take care!
OK...so Kurt and I were supposed to go to see Queens of the Stone Age tonight. We assumed, like so many other shows, that because there were 2 opening bands that they main act wouldn't go on until 9:30. Yeah...we were wrong...got there after the show was over. Big bummer.
ANYWHO...as a "dating/engagement" anniversary gift, Kurt surprised me with tickets to see "Wicked" tomorrow night! SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO excited! We played music from the show in our last Heisey Wind Ensemble concert, and I really dug it. It's been a LONG time since I've seen a broadway show, so I'm super hyped.
ALSO...on the broadway/movie front, the new revival of Sweeney Todd is touring (it comes to Chicago in April) AND there is going to be a Sweeney Todd movie directed by Tim Burton. Check out the link to the movie trailer. You can bet your sweet bippy that I'm going to be there on opening night for both the show AND the movie! (can you tell that sweeney todd is my fav. musical? ;o)
OK...it's really late...I decided to stay up late to finish an econ exam...but I still have one question left. Ick. So...now that my brain is fried, I'm hitting the hay...
take care!
Friday, October 19, 2007
GREAT NEWS!!!
Great news! Kurt's doctor reviewed the tests and determined that he does NOT have lymphoma!!!!!! Unfortunately they don't really know what's wrong yet...but I'm just glad that there's no cancer!!!
Also, an update on Shosta. She didn't end up having pancreatic problems, but her blood tests showed that she has some heightened enzymes in her liver, which may be a sign infection or possibly a disease. The vet gave me medicine to give her for the next month and then we will do some blood tests again. If it shows up as being fine, the we're in the clear. If not, then we will have to do some more tests. She seems fine, as spunky as ever, and doesn't show any signs of jaundice. SO, we are hoping that it was just an infection.
Ok...gotta run. TONS of homework right now. It's like they all waiting until mid term...how nice ;o)
Have a good weekend!
Also, an update on Shosta. She didn't end up having pancreatic problems, but her blood tests showed that she has some heightened enzymes in her liver, which may be a sign infection or possibly a disease. The vet gave me medicine to give her for the next month and then we will do some blood tests again. If it shows up as being fine, the we're in the clear. If not, then we will have to do some more tests. She seems fine, as spunky as ever, and doesn't show any signs of jaundice. SO, we are hoping that it was just an infection.
Ok...gotta run. TONS of homework right now. It's like they all waiting until mid term...how nice ;o)
Have a good weekend!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Prayers and thoughts...
OK...very rough couple of days. I hesitated in sharing all of this information, but figured it probably would be best to have as many people praying as possible.
I would ask for everyone's thoughts and prayers for Kurt (and our families) at this point in time. He is going to be having a CT scan on Monday to check for some problems with his lymphnodes. Because of his Crohn's disease, he is on an immunosupressent, which lowers his body's white blood cell count and ultimately keeps his body from fighting infections. At this point in time, he has a respiratory infection, but his doctor is concerned because many of his lymphnodes (on his left side) are sore and inflamed. Because of the medicine lowering his body's ability to fight, he is at a higher risk for diseases. Among other reasons for having the CT scan, he is concerned that there may be a risk of Kurt having lymphoma. We are both hoping that his concern will be unfounded when the results come back because he does have an infection. Nonetheless, the thought of Kurt having cancer is really throwing us for a loop. It still feels very surreal, but Kurt is dealing with it remarkably well. Me, on the other hand, not so well. We're assuming everything will be fine, but the thought of someone as young, kind, and loving as Kurt having to deal with this really tears my heart apart. I know there are many worse situations out there and that I should feel lucky that we've been safe this far, but it really does hit home when it's your husband that might be sick. Please PLEASE pray for us.
Further more, I had to take Shosta to the vet this morning because she has had some diarrhea and threw up several times this morning. They think she may have a mild case of pancreatitis, which means her pancreatic fluid is eating at her pancreas. They had to do some Xrays and blood tests (without me being there, I'm surprised she didn't bite someone's finger off) as well as get a hydrating fluid injection. I'm fasting her until tomorrow morning and then starting a strict diet. Of course, as all mother's feel when a child (in this case my dog) is ill, I am sick with guilt, wondering what I did/didn't do.
So, as my world seemingly crumbles around me (I know...being a bit over-dramatic I suppose), I ask that you pray for us all (including my doggie) and that we all make it through the next week in one piece. But please pray for Kurt most of all.
I would ask for everyone's thoughts and prayers for Kurt (and our families) at this point in time. He is going to be having a CT scan on Monday to check for some problems with his lymphnodes. Because of his Crohn's disease, he is on an immunosupressent, which lowers his body's white blood cell count and ultimately keeps his body from fighting infections. At this point in time, he has a respiratory infection, but his doctor is concerned because many of his lymphnodes (on his left side) are sore and inflamed. Because of the medicine lowering his body's ability to fight, he is at a higher risk for diseases. Among other reasons for having the CT scan, he is concerned that there may be a risk of Kurt having lymphoma. We are both hoping that his concern will be unfounded when the results come back because he does have an infection. Nonetheless, the thought of Kurt having cancer is really throwing us for a loop. It still feels very surreal, but Kurt is dealing with it remarkably well. Me, on the other hand, not so well. We're assuming everything will be fine, but the thought of someone as young, kind, and loving as Kurt having to deal with this really tears my heart apart. I know there are many worse situations out there and that I should feel lucky that we've been safe this far, but it really does hit home when it's your husband that might be sick. Please PLEASE pray for us.
Further more, I had to take Shosta to the vet this morning because she has had some diarrhea and threw up several times this morning. They think she may have a mild case of pancreatitis, which means her pancreatic fluid is eating at her pancreas. They had to do some Xrays and blood tests (without me being there, I'm surprised she didn't bite someone's finger off) as well as get a hydrating fluid injection. I'm fasting her until tomorrow morning and then starting a strict diet. Of course, as all mother's feel when a child (in this case my dog) is ill, I am sick with guilt, wondering what I did/didn't do.
So, as my world seemingly crumbles around me (I know...being a bit over-dramatic I suppose), I ask that you pray for us all (including my doggie) and that we all make it through the next week in one piece. But please pray for Kurt most of all.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Fantasy Football - Week 4 AND a load of concerts!
Krap def. Chewy Lizards, 55-53
Fudge Dragon's def. Nasty Minstrels, 94-84
Turd Blossoms def. Browns Rock, 96-70
Bengals def. Warriors, 88-40
Gray def. Steamers, 59-56
So I came back from the loss to Kurt - now I'm 3-1!
This week is FULL of concerts! 3, to be exact.
Tonight we have the Canadian prog. southern rock band Black Mountain. They are going to be performing at the Empty bottle. We've not been to this place yet, but I imagine it to be a dive bar. We'll see! Either way, it should be good - they are a pretty cool band.
Tomorrow night we are going to the Metro (for our first time, yipee) to see Voxtrot. They are an Austin based indie rock band and have a huge underground hype around them. We meant to see them at Lollapalooza (or was it Pitchfork), but the train system was being stupid that day and we missed 'em. I don't know them very well, but I'm still looking forward to the show.
Finally, on Saturday night, we are going to see Of Montreal at the Metro (again, yipee). This is the strangest band you will ever know. They all enjoy fancy make-up and costumes and play "happy sounding" disco-ish electronic music. But, when you listen to the words, it makes the music so much better. It can be very narcissistic or masochistic...depending on the song. We saw them at Pitchfork and it was such a great show. So, we decided to see them again.
Ok...so an economic paper is calling my name, I still have to make accounting flash cards for my exam next week, my human resources book is nagging me to open and look over it (tonight is my first HR class), and Shosta is reminding me of our morning walk (By standing on my leg as I type).
So...hope everyone has a great rest of their week and a nice weekend!
Fudge Dragon's def. Nasty Minstrels, 94-84
Turd Blossoms def. Browns Rock, 96-70
Bengals def. Warriors, 88-40
Gray def. Steamers, 59-56
So I came back from the loss to Kurt - now I'm 3-1!
This week is FULL of concerts! 3, to be exact.
Tonight we have the Canadian prog. southern rock band Black Mountain. They are going to be performing at the Empty bottle. We've not been to this place yet, but I imagine it to be a dive bar. We'll see! Either way, it should be good - they are a pretty cool band.
Tomorrow night we are going to the Metro (for our first time, yipee) to see Voxtrot. They are an Austin based indie rock band and have a huge underground hype around them. We meant to see them at Lollapalooza (or was it Pitchfork), but the train system was being stupid that day and we missed 'em. I don't know them very well, but I'm still looking forward to the show.
Finally, on Saturday night, we are going to see Of Montreal at the Metro (again, yipee). This is the strangest band you will ever know. They all enjoy fancy make-up and costumes and play "happy sounding" disco-ish electronic music. But, when you listen to the words, it makes the music so much better. It can be very narcissistic or masochistic...depending on the song. We saw them at Pitchfork and it was such a great show. So, we decided to see them again.
Ok...so an economic paper is calling my name, I still have to make accounting flash cards for my exam next week, my human resources book is nagging me to open and look over it (tonight is my first HR class), and Shosta is reminding me of our morning walk (By standing on my leg as I type).
So...hope everyone has a great rest of their week and a nice weekend!
Friday, September 28, 2007
Fantasy Football - Week 3
Alas, 2-0 I am no longer. Kurt came along and beat me. Sniff Sniff.
Ha...that's OK...it's all in fun and games.
But..since a few of my players aren't up to par, I decided to take 2 of Shosta's players and trade her two of mine. I feel terrible, though. I'm such a meanie taking my dog's players. See what you did to me, Mom? (Just teasing...but only slightly)
Ha...that's OK...it's all in fun and games.
But..since a few of my players aren't up to par, I decided to take 2 of Shosta's players and trade her two of mine. I feel terrible, though. I'm such a meanie taking my dog's players. See what you did to me, Mom? (Just teasing...but only slightly)
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Saturday, September 22, 2007
Sigh...The National
Sigh...as always, The National put on a fabulous show. I only wished it would have lasted longer! They are such a magical band live - they really put a lot of heart into their music. And Matt Berninger is a phenomenal singer/showman. He draws you in and allows you to feel all of the emotions he does when he's singing. Now we just have to wait another 6 months to a year to get our "National" fix again. Sigh.
We went to our first "indoor" show here in Chicago, so we were kinda excited to see what the venues were like here. The Vic (where we saw the show) is a pretty awesome place. It's a former theater turned concert venue, so you can go upstairs to the balcony and sit during the concert. Even though I would have liked to get up and dance, it was nice to not have to stand for hours before the show started. Although, from the time we left home to the time we got home, it was only 3 hours! The Vic is only a mile or so away! Woohoo!
Speaking of concerts, we justed added a few more to our plate. October is going to be a SUPER BUSY month of concerts. I think we have something like 8 or 9...WOW. There's no way that we would have been able to see all of those shows in C-bus. And, we are able to see some lesser known bands that probably wouldn't go to C-bus anyways. Ahhh...the joys of big-city living ;o)
Ok...I'm gonna end this...I've already written another one today...no need to inundate you with posts about concerts. Ha!
Take care!
We went to our first "indoor" show here in Chicago, so we were kinda excited to see what the venues were like here. The Vic (where we saw the show) is a pretty awesome place. It's a former theater turned concert venue, so you can go upstairs to the balcony and sit during the concert. Even though I would have liked to get up and dance, it was nice to not have to stand for hours before the show started. Although, from the time we left home to the time we got home, it was only 3 hours! The Vic is only a mile or so away! Woohoo!
Speaking of concerts, we justed added a few more to our plate. October is going to be a SUPER BUSY month of concerts. I think we have something like 8 or 9...WOW. There's no way that we would have been able to see all of those shows in C-bus. And, we are able to see some lesser known bands that probably wouldn't go to C-bus anyways. Ahhh...the joys of big-city living ;o)
Ok...I'm gonna end this...I've already written another one today...no need to inundate you with posts about concerts. Ha!
Take care!
Kurt is home - Yipee!!!
Kurt is home - YIPEE!!!!!!!
I picked Kurt up from the Rosemont El stop last night (it's the first stop outside of O'Hare Airport). I t was so nice to see him again ...we missed each other quite a lot, but we both did fine. I had a few nights where I was spooked, but Shosta took care of me ;o) She's a very alert dog, aware of just about anything going on. But, at night when we were getting ready for bed, she seemed super aware of any little noises. And she checked out the door and the closet before we went to sleep. It's nice to know I have a little guard dog when Kurt goes away.
We've had a relaxing day thus far...watching football ;o)
MICHIGAN BEAT PENN STATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Penn State was ranked 10th, so this was a HUGE win for my team!
Speaking of football....
Kurt's fantasy football team (Lakeview Turd Blossoms) plays my football team tomorrow (Roscoe Village Fudge Dragons). We've sent each other the hilarious "Smack" cards (dissing each other's team), but it doesn't really matter to us who wins ....
(but I'm gonna beat 'em good...)
OK...gotta go. We're going to see The National tonight at the Vic Theatre. This is our first indoor concert here in Chicago, so we are really looking forward to it! AND, they are one of our fav. bands (As if you couldn't tell from all of my other posts ;o).
Take care and have a good week!
We've had a relaxing day thus far...watching football ;o)
MICHIGAN BEAT PENN STATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Penn State was ranked 10th, so this was a HUGE win for my team!
Speaking of football....
Kurt's fantasy football team (Lakeview Turd Blossoms) plays my football team tomorrow (Roscoe Village Fudge Dragons). We've sent each other the hilarious "Smack" cards (dissing each other's team), but it doesn't really matter to us who wins ....
(but I'm gonna beat 'em good...)
OK...gotta go. We're going to see The National tonight at the Vic Theatre. This is our first indoor concert here in Chicago, so we are really looking forward to it! AND, they are one of our fav. bands (As if you couldn't tell from all of my other posts ;o).
Take care and have a good week!
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Fantasy Football Scores - Week 2
Woohoo!
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I'm ranked first in my division!
Congrats to Kurt who won his first game.
Steamers def. Browns Rock, 95-89
Fudge Dragon's def. Krap, 119-115
Turd Blossoms def. Nasty Minstrels, 107-89
Bengals def. Chewy Lizards, 45-34
Gray def. Warriors, 111-82
Kurt and I are scheduled to play this week...we'll see how it goes!
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I'm ranked first in my division!
Congrats to Kurt who won his first game.
Steamers def. Browns Rock, 95-89
Fudge Dragon's def. Krap, 119-115
Turd Blossoms def. Nasty Minstrels, 107-89
Bengals def. Chewy Lizards, 45-34
Gray def. Warriors, 111-82
Kurt and I are scheduled to play this week...we'll see how it goes!
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Denver....sniff sniff.
Welp...Kurt's off to Denver this week for a big "geek" conference. Actually, it's a conference for Sequel Server Database Programmers (same thing to me ;o).
Sniff sniff. As cheesy as this sounds to most people I meet, we've never been apart since being married - and we prefer it that way. Neither of us are looking forward to being separated, but I think he's looking forward to going to a big conference. And, it's all paid for by his company. His boss is going as well, so at least he'll have someone to hang out with on occasion. I don't think they are flying together or even staying in the same hotel, but I'm sure they'll meet up at some point.
So, Shosta and I are left to fend for ourselves ;o) Tis' O.K. though. I'm pretty sad, but I'll keep busy with school, work, and cleaning. Kurt and I will talk every night, I'm sure. And if anyone tries to mess with us (I highly doubt it ;o), Shosta will take care of them just fine. HA!
Moving on...
We've had a nice weekend thus far despite Kurt having a nasty cold. We went to the Renegade Craft Fair at the Division St. Festival yesterday. It's a bunch of mod/hipster crafters who make all sorts of cool stuff. If only I had a bunch of money - I would have bought one of everything! There were some amazing pieces of jewelry, but they were all at least $60 and I can't spend that kind of money on myself without feeling guilty ;o) So, WE bought a concert poster instead.
And, of course, we've been watching some football all weekend long ;o)
MICHIGAN BEAT NOTRE DAME 38-0!
Not that I'm excited or anything ;o) Ha ha.
Funny thing...
We've had some nice fall weather lately, but it's been getting down to mid 40's at night. And, since our apartment apparently does not have the ability to maintain a steady temperature (as was evident by the nasty heat in the summer), we've been FREEZING inside! Poor Shosta - it's only half the way through September and she's already shivering! Needless to say, we are preparing for a VERY cold winter. We don't have forced heat, so we heat the upstairs with in-wall heaters. They work pretty well (we used one last night), but it seems like they might be a fire hazard to us. Oh well. We know what to look for in the future. Good water pressure and central air/heat!
OK...gotta get to work.
Have a good week!
I'm sure I'll be posting more this week!
Sniff sniff. As cheesy as this sounds to most people I meet, we've never been apart since being married - and we prefer it that way. Neither of us are looking forward to being separated, but I think he's looking forward to going to a big conference. And, it's all paid for by his company. His boss is going as well, so at least he'll have someone to hang out with on occasion. I don't think they are flying together or even staying in the same hotel, but I'm sure they'll meet up at some point.
So, Shosta and I are left to fend for ourselves ;o) Tis' O.K. though. I'm pretty sad, but I'll keep busy with school, work, and cleaning. Kurt and I will talk every night, I'm sure. And if anyone tries to mess with us (I highly doubt it ;o), Shosta will take care of them just fine. HA!
Moving on...
We've had a nice weekend thus far despite Kurt having a nasty cold. We went to the Renegade Craft Fair at the Division St. Festival yesterday. It's a bunch of mod/hipster crafters who make all sorts of cool stuff. If only I had a bunch of money - I would have bought one of everything! There were some amazing pieces of jewelry, but they were all at least $60 and I can't spend that kind of money on myself without feeling guilty ;o) So, WE bought a concert poster instead.
And, of course, we've been watching some football all weekend long ;o)
MICHIGAN BEAT NOTRE DAME 38-0!
Not that I'm excited or anything ;o) Ha ha.
Funny thing...
We've had some nice fall weather lately, but it's been getting down to mid 40's at night. And, since our apartment apparently does not have the ability to maintain a steady temperature (as was evident by the nasty heat in the summer), we've been FREEZING inside! Poor Shosta - it's only half the way through September and she's already shivering! Needless to say, we are preparing for a VERY cold winter. We don't have forced heat, so we heat the upstairs with in-wall heaters. They work pretty well (we used one last night), but it seems like they might be a fire hazard to us. Oh well. We know what to look for in the future. Good water pressure and central air/heat!
OK...gotta get to work.
Have a good week!
I'm sure I'll be posting more this week!
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Fantasy Football Scores - Week 1
Howdy!
Our first week of fantasy football is over! We managed to draft our players fine since our internet decided to work again Saturday morning.
Here's this week's scores:
Fudge Dragon's def. Bengals, 102-88
Browns Rock def. Nasty Minstrels, 93-86
Krap def. Turd Blossoms, 95-71
Warriors def. Steamers, 69-68
Gray def. Chewy Lizards, 112-54
Woohoo! My team won!
Not bad for a chic ;o)
Our first week of fantasy football is over! We managed to draft our players fine since our internet decided to work again Saturday morning.
Here's this week's scores:
Fudge Dragon's def. Bengals, 102-88
Browns Rock def. Nasty Minstrels, 93-86
Krap def. Turd Blossoms, 95-71
Warriors def. Steamers, 69-68
Gray def. Chewy Lizards, 112-54
Woohoo! My team won!
Not bad for a chic ;o)
Saturday, September 8, 2007
New Additions to our League!
This just in....we have two new additions to our league!
Shosta's Chewy Lizards - Shostakovich (yes, I had to make a league for our dog, we didn't have enough teams to draft!)
Team Gray - Belinda
We're drafting soon! And, of course, our internet connection had to go on the fritzes. SO, we'll see how it goes.
Wish us luck!
Shosta's Chewy Lizards - Shostakovich (yes, I had to make a league for our dog, we didn't have enough teams to draft!)
Team Gray - Belinda
We're drafting soon! And, of course, our internet connection had to go on the fritzes. SO, we'll see how it goes.
Wish us luck!
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Fantasy Football!
We're Drafting Fantasy Football Saturday!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOO!!!!
Go Roscoe Village Fudge Dragons!!!!!
Our line up is...
Roscoe Village Fudge Dragons - Me
Lakeview Turd Blossoms - Kurt
Columbus Krap - John
Black Swamp Nasty Minstrels - Scott
Cleveland Browns Rock - Matt
Who Dey! Bengals - Mark
Cleveland Steamers - Justin
West Loop Warriors - Nate
(The "Poop" theme was not intentional!)
I'll keep everyone posted on our games!
Go Roscoe Village Fudge Dragons!!!!!
Our line up is...
Roscoe Village Fudge Dragons - Me
Lakeview Turd Blossoms - Kurt
Columbus Krap - John
Black Swamp Nasty Minstrels - Scott
Cleveland Browns Rock - Matt
Who Dey! Bengals - Mark
Cleveland Steamers - Justin
West Loop Warriors - Nate
(The "Poop" theme was not intentional!)
I'll keep everyone posted on our games!
SCHOOL!
So...my first couple of days of school have gone well...one more to go.
On Tuesday, I had my first Accounting class - good times. It's pretty easy thus far, but there's a lot of homework. I've been chiseling away at it a little bit every day.
Yesterday was my long day. Class from 3:30-9:30. My first one is call "The Music Industry Think Tank" and is taught by the Music Bus. concentration director. His name is Kimo Williams - very strong personality, but a lot of AMAZING experiences to back it up. He's even so highly thought of in the music industry that he gets to vote on the GRAMMY AWARDS! WOW! So, this class is going to beat me down...very difficult. There's not a lot of homework, but a lot of thinking. The purpose of the class is to state what we believe is wrong with the music industry, and be innovative and forward thinking enough to figure out how to fix it. Everyone must give 1 10 min. presentation to the class on an innovative aspect of the music ind. Kimo's Asst. (who is team-teaching with him - he already owns his own online music distribution co.) brought up an amazing website called lablogoteque that shows spontaneous music making by amazing bands. Since I'm fairly familiar with the site, I chimed in on the discussion about the "realness" that you feel when you watch, as opposed to modern music videos and their "fake-ness." SO, Kimo was like "OK...next week give your presentation on that website. I wanna hear all about it." HA! There were two other people already assigned for next week, so I offered to go on the 19th. Phew... We have to have a fancy presentation all set with handouts and everything. I'd rather have more than a week to work on it!
Anywho...in this class we are also writing (in small groups...of course my group has some dude who wore a shirt that said "Drink Responsibly - Jason's 21st Birthday" - classy) a treatise. His goal for this large group paper (30-ish pages) is for us to tell the music industry "Here's what you are doing wrong, and here's how we can fix it." He wants to get these published in all of the Music Industry magazines and journals. Then, he wants to take them to conventions and present them to RIAA people and all of the higher ups of the recording ind. Whoa... He's got some crazy connections, so I can imagine how awesome this is all going to be...not to mention an insane amount of work.
Moving on, and speaking of connections...My next class was the Music Industry Workshop, taught by Maurice White. Not the Earth Wind and Fire Maurice, but close.
This dude is AMAZING! He is friends with Clive Davis (big time record producer), his dad "broke" Earth Wind and Fire into the business, Aretha Franklin lived with their family while she was in her early stages, he's worked for MCA and a bunch of other labels, he's on the "in" with the CEO of Capitol Records, and so much more. The stories he had were jaw dropping. I can't wait to work more with him! He even gave us his personal cell phone number "If you need anything...even after we're done in this class." Very cool.
I tell ya what...6 hours of being a sponge...that's tough. By the time 8 rolled around, my brain was hurting. Thank goodness Maurice let us out at 9:00...I dunno if I could have taken any more.
So after class, Jeanette (A girl from all of my classes that lives literally a block away...crazy) and I rode the El home. Good to have a late night train buddy, just to stay safe.
So...going backwards a little bit. During the "Think Tank" class, as we introduced ourselves, I mentioned that I was a teacher, but still enjoy arranging music for bands/ensembles. Kimo was quite interested and asked if I used Finale of Sibelius. I mentioned that I used Finale, but had a demo of Sibelius that I've played around with and really liked. So, he then asked if I would transcribe some music for him if he gave me Sibelius for free (I've always wanted Sibelius - a fancy music notation software - but never saved up the money...it's $500+). I said sure! I assumed he was just joking around, but after class he came up to me and discussed it with me again. SO COOL! I emailed him at his request and he replied. Crazy - he said that he wanted to meet in October, but that in the meantime, I should try to find out how much Sibelius costs so he could get it to me in time to play around with it. CRAZY! He's buying me Sibelius so I can transcribe for him! That's a pretty good trade-off!
Funny thing...he has a Grad Asst. every semester...it's a pretty prestigious position because if he likes you he "will get you a job." Here I am, not his GA, but transcribing his musical arrangements! SO COOL!
So...one more class tomorrow (It's a 4 hour seminar) then my week is done. Next week I'll have all of the classes I mentioned, plus a Monday Night Marketing class...fun times!
On Tuesday, I had my first Accounting class - good times. It's pretty easy thus far, but there's a lot of homework. I've been chiseling away at it a little bit every day.
Yesterday was my long day. Class from 3:30-9:30. My first one is call "The Music Industry Think Tank" and is taught by the Music Bus. concentration director. His name is Kimo Williams - very strong personality, but a lot of AMAZING experiences to back it up. He's even so highly thought of in the music industry that he gets to vote on the GRAMMY AWARDS! WOW! So, this class is going to beat me down...very difficult. There's not a lot of homework, but a lot of thinking. The purpose of the class is to state what we believe is wrong with the music industry, and be innovative and forward thinking enough to figure out how to fix it. Everyone must give 1 10 min. presentation to the class on an innovative aspect of the music ind. Kimo's Asst. (who is team-teaching with him - he already owns his own online music distribution co.) brought up an amazing website called lablogoteque that shows spontaneous music making by amazing bands. Since I'm fairly familiar with the site, I chimed in on the discussion about the "realness" that you feel when you watch, as opposed to modern music videos and their "fake-ness." SO, Kimo was like "OK...next week give your presentation on that website. I wanna hear all about it." HA! There were two other people already assigned for next week, so I offered to go on the 19th. Phew... We have to have a fancy presentation all set with handouts and everything. I'd rather have more than a week to work on it!
Anywho...in this class we are also writing (in small groups...of course my group has some dude who wore a shirt that said "Drink Responsibly - Jason's 21st Birthday" - classy) a treatise. His goal for this large group paper (30-ish pages) is for us to tell the music industry "Here's what you are doing wrong, and here's how we can fix it." He wants to get these published in all of the Music Industry magazines and journals. Then, he wants to take them to conventions and present them to RIAA people and all of the higher ups of the recording ind. Whoa... He's got some crazy connections, so I can imagine how awesome this is all going to be...not to mention an insane amount of work.
Moving on, and speaking of connections...My next class was the Music Industry Workshop, taught by Maurice White. Not the Earth Wind and Fire Maurice, but close.
This dude is AMAZING! He is friends with Clive Davis (big time record producer), his dad "broke" Earth Wind and Fire into the business, Aretha Franklin lived with their family while she was in her early stages, he's worked for MCA and a bunch of other labels, he's on the "in" with the CEO of Capitol Records, and so much more. The stories he had were jaw dropping. I can't wait to work more with him! He even gave us his personal cell phone number "If you need anything...even after we're done in this class." Very cool.
I tell ya what...6 hours of being a sponge...that's tough. By the time 8 rolled around, my brain was hurting. Thank goodness Maurice let us out at 9:00...I dunno if I could have taken any more.
So after class, Jeanette (A girl from all of my classes that lives literally a block away...crazy) and I rode the El home. Good to have a late night train buddy, just to stay safe.
So...going backwards a little bit. During the "Think Tank" class, as we introduced ourselves, I mentioned that I was a teacher, but still enjoy arranging music for bands/ensembles. Kimo was quite interested and asked if I used Finale of Sibelius. I mentioned that I used Finale, but had a demo of Sibelius that I've played around with and really liked. So, he then asked if I would transcribe some music for him if he gave me Sibelius for free (I've always wanted Sibelius - a fancy music notation software - but never saved up the money...it's $500+). I said sure! I assumed he was just joking around, but after class he came up to me and discussed it with me again. SO COOL! I emailed him at his request and he replied. Crazy - he said that he wanted to meet in October, but that in the meantime, I should try to find out how much Sibelius costs so he could get it to me in time to play around with it. CRAZY! He's buying me Sibelius so I can transcribe for him! That's a pretty good trade-off!
Funny thing...he has a Grad Asst. every semester...it's a pretty prestigious position because if he likes you he "will get you a job." Here I am, not his GA, but transcribing his musical arrangements! SO COOL!
So...one more class tomorrow (It's a 4 hour seminar) then my week is done. Next week I'll have all of the classes I mentioned, plus a Monday Night Marketing class...fun times!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Howdy!
Hello to all!
Hope everything is going well for everyone and that you are all enjoying your labor-less day!
This past weekend we went back to Ohio to visit with family. We got to hang out with Kurt's Parents, Gramma Piotrowski, Max, Evyn (our niece and nephew), and Kyle (his sister) on Saturday. That was a nice afternoon. And, the kids got to meet Shosta - she was a bit nervous, but did fairly well.
Saturday night we went to Findlay to meet my parents at our favorite Chinese restaurant ever - Ming's Great Wall. Then we went to Meijer to go on a gluten free shopping binge. It's pretty strange that they have more gluten free products than Whole Foods! And EVERYTHING is cheaper in Ohio ;o)
Sunday all of my Mom's side of the family came over for our annual labor day party. It was nice to see everyone. Back in the day, I used to see my cousins quite a few times a year. Now, we're lucky if we see each other 2 times! Nonetheless, it was really great to see everyone and remember the good ol' days. My how we've all changed!
So...we left last night after the party and didn't get home until 11:30-ish central time. We were pooped! Poor Shosta had a rough weekend, so she's sacked out on the couch today. She didn't even TRY to pull me along for our normal morning walk. We didn't end up taking one (for reasons later explained), but she wasn't complaining! She slowly sauntered up the steps and headed right for the couch for a long snooze.
SO...we have a fantasy football league that we/I am in charge of. We were going to try to draft today because there are some games Thursday night, but I'm slightly stupid and can't figure out the site. We've spent the past 2 or 3 hours trying to figure out the darn thing (which is why we didn't go for our walk). Turns out, though, that there are tons of drafts today and we think the website might be down/inoperable/not cooperative. SO...we're going to draft next Saturday, our original plan. We're pretty excited to have a fantasy football league. We're certainly doing this all for fun, because we don't have the slightest clue about fantasy stuff. We just love football ;o) (Turns out not many women like football - all of Kurt's friends think it's cool that he's got a wife that watches it right along with him and can hold an intelligent conversation :O)
Well...tomorrow is the big day! I work from 10-2 and then have my first class from 3:30-6:30 - Accounting. I'm SOOOOOOO looking forward to it! I've been doing my homework (that he just told us we didn't need to do, oh well) and have read and studied the first chapter a lot. Yipee!
OK...enough for today. We've gotta do our weekly grocery shopping and we still need to eat lunch (we had a late breakfast after sleeping in). THEN, I need to go over all of my notes for class tomorrow.
Take care and enjoy our last few days of summer!!
Hope everything is going well for everyone and that you are all enjoying your labor-less day!
This past weekend we went back to Ohio to visit with family. We got to hang out with Kurt's Parents, Gramma Piotrowski, Max, Evyn (our niece and nephew), and Kyle (his sister) on Saturday. That was a nice afternoon. And, the kids got to meet Shosta - she was a bit nervous, but did fairly well.
Saturday night we went to Findlay to meet my parents at our favorite Chinese restaurant ever - Ming's Great Wall. Then we went to Meijer to go on a gluten free shopping binge. It's pretty strange that they have more gluten free products than Whole Foods! And EVERYTHING is cheaper in Ohio ;o)
Sunday all of my Mom's side of the family came over for our annual labor day party. It was nice to see everyone. Back in the day, I used to see my cousins quite a few times a year. Now, we're lucky if we see each other 2 times! Nonetheless, it was really great to see everyone and remember the good ol' days. My how we've all changed!
So...we left last night after the party and didn't get home until 11:30-ish central time. We were pooped! Poor Shosta had a rough weekend, so she's sacked out on the couch today. She didn't even TRY to pull me along for our normal morning walk. We didn't end up taking one (for reasons later explained), but she wasn't complaining! She slowly sauntered up the steps and headed right for the couch for a long snooze.
SO...we have a fantasy football league that we/I am in charge of. We were going to try to draft today because there are some games Thursday night, but I'm slightly stupid and can't figure out the site. We've spent the past 2 or 3 hours trying to figure out the darn thing (which is why we didn't go for our walk). Turns out, though, that there are tons of drafts today and we think the website might be down/inoperable/not cooperative. SO...we're going to draft next Saturday, our original plan. We're pretty excited to have a fantasy football league. We're certainly doing this all for fun, because we don't have the slightest clue about fantasy stuff. We just love football ;o) (Turns out not many women like football - all of Kurt's friends think it's cool that he's got a wife that watches it right along with him and can hold an intelligent conversation :O)
Well...tomorrow is the big day! I work from 10-2 and then have my first class from 3:30-6:30 - Accounting. I'm SOOOOOOO looking forward to it! I've been doing my homework (that he just told us we didn't need to do, oh well) and have read and studied the first chapter a lot. Yipee!
OK...enough for today. We've gotta do our weekly grocery shopping and we still need to eat lunch (we had a late breakfast after sleeping in). THEN, I need to go over all of my notes for class tomorrow.
Take care and enjoy our last few days of summer!!
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Orientation Update
'Ello to all.
I had orientation yesterday. For the most part, it was your typical "Welcome to the school" spiel. But I did get to schedule for classes. I've continued to play around with my schedule to see what I can add, but at this point in time, I've got 13 credit hours (9 is considered full time). It doesn't seem like much compared to undergrad (when I would take 18-22 hours), but grad classes are far more intense. Technically, they only suggest for us to take 10-11 hours our first semester, but I'm pushing the boundaries a bit :O)
We have a core list of classes we have to take (37 hours), then we have 9 hours (approx. 3 classes) in our concentration and 3 hours of workshops plus an internship. So, I took a look at the concentration classes that they offer and I want to take 8 of the classes. HA! I've got to figure out how to fit it all in - I'll probably end up taking some in the summer (if they offer them). Who knows...but I'm going to try to take them some way or another!
So, the classes I'm taking are (prepare to be bored to death ;o)
Economics for Arts Managers
Marketing Principles I
Basic Accounting for Arts Managers
The New Anatomy of the Record Industry
Music Industry Workshop
Human Resources
Intro to Arts Management
I'm looking forward to all of them - especially Accounting. At orientation, the Assoc. Chair of the Department (he's a cool, hip, old guy ;o) sat with us at our lunch. I was saying how excited I was to take accounting and everyone at the table looked at me in awe. Apparently no one likes that class ;o) HA! I can't wait to do financial statements and general ledger stuff. Yipee! I'm going to get my books early this week - we actually have homework to do for the first class before school even starts! Woohoo!!!
The only problem with my schedule is that working will be rough with my current job. Since it's only through October, I'm not too worried. But, nonetheless, it's going to be tough to get the 20+ hours that they are looking for. They don't open until 10 and the shifts that they schedule are usually 10:00-3:30. Some of my classes start at 3:30, so I'm not sure if they will be OK with me leaving early. And, on some days I'll have classes from 6:30 to 9:30, so I'll need time earlier in the day to prepare. Who knows. At least I don't have classes on Thursday - that will be easy to schedule. Like I've said many times, I'm hoping to get a campus job - they are super flexible (so I'm told by current grad. students), and I'll be able to go right from work to class (not a 40 minute commute in between). I may have to end up leaving my current job before October comes. I would feel bad doing that, but Kurt keeps reminding me that I need to think about myself more than them at this point in time. We'll see how it works out...
Take care!
I had orientation yesterday. For the most part, it was your typical "Welcome to the school" spiel. But I did get to schedule for classes. I've continued to play around with my schedule to see what I can add, but at this point in time, I've got 13 credit hours (9 is considered full time). It doesn't seem like much compared to undergrad (when I would take 18-22 hours), but grad classes are far more intense. Technically, they only suggest for us to take 10-11 hours our first semester, but I'm pushing the boundaries a bit :O)
We have a core list of classes we have to take (37 hours), then we have 9 hours (approx. 3 classes) in our concentration and 3 hours of workshops plus an internship. So, I took a look at the concentration classes that they offer and I want to take 8 of the classes. HA! I've got to figure out how to fit it all in - I'll probably end up taking some in the summer (if they offer them). Who knows...but I'm going to try to take them some way or another!
So, the classes I'm taking are (prepare to be bored to death ;o)
Economics for Arts Managers
Marketing Principles I
Basic Accounting for Arts Managers
The New Anatomy of the Record Industry
Music Industry Workshop
Human Resources
Intro to Arts Management
I'm looking forward to all of them - especially Accounting. At orientation, the Assoc. Chair of the Department (he's a cool, hip, old guy ;o) sat with us at our lunch. I was saying how excited I was to take accounting and everyone at the table looked at me in awe. Apparently no one likes that class ;o) HA! I can't wait to do financial statements and general ledger stuff. Yipee! I'm going to get my books early this week - we actually have homework to do for the first class before school even starts! Woohoo!!!
The only problem with my schedule is that working will be rough with my current job. Since it's only through October, I'm not too worried. But, nonetheless, it's going to be tough to get the 20+ hours that they are looking for. They don't open until 10 and the shifts that they schedule are usually 10:00-3:30. Some of my classes start at 3:30, so I'm not sure if they will be OK with me leaving early. And, on some days I'll have classes from 6:30 to 9:30, so I'll need time earlier in the day to prepare. Who knows. At least I don't have classes on Thursday - that will be easy to schedule. Like I've said many times, I'm hoping to get a campus job - they are super flexible (so I'm told by current grad. students), and I'll be able to go right from work to class (not a 40 minute commute in between). I may have to end up leaving my current job before October comes. I would feel bad doing that, but Kurt keeps reminding me that I need to think about myself more than them at this point in time. We'll see how it works out...
Take care!
Friday, August 24, 2007
Busy busy
Ok...so it's been a while since I last posted. Lots to talk about but only a certain amount of words - that way you don't get bored reading my novel ;o)
First of all, Kurt and I went to his nutritionist last weekend. Turns out he has a few infections (both passive and active) - not sure how long they have been around, but likely for a while. He takes a drug for Crohn's disease that keeps his body from attacking his infected intestine. In turn, the medication also keeps his body from attacking other infections. Thus, he ends up not being able to fight things and his body ends up becoming "toxic." SO...very strict diet ahead! We're starting Sunday night - no sugar (fruits OK though), no gluten, preferably no starch at all. SO, we can eat meat, oils of any kind (except peanut - no peanuts or soy), lots of butter (she kept saying to fry things in 4 sticks of butter...hmmm), veggies, and fruit. We're a bit nervous, but willing. And for those asking, yup, I'm going on the diet, too. I definitely want to support Kurt in this and I think by going on the diet with him, I will. And, never hurts to lose a few pounds ;o)
NEXT - My job is cool - dull at times when there are no phone calls, but cool. I've been working a lot this week - put in a 9.5 hour day yesterday with no break.
How 'bout that rain? Mom and Dad have been bailing out people for a couple of days now - sounds like it's finally calming down. Unfortunately, more rain is coming Saturday. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it won't happen.
We had some NASTY storms here in Chicago yesterday. I looked at the radar before I left work at 3:30 and it seemed close, but one of the guys I work with (who has an extra role in the filming of the next Batman movie being filmed here ;o) said "Oh...bout 45 min before it hits." HA! More like 2 min. I barely got out the door before I felt sprinkles - then all hell broke lose. I swear the rain was nearly horizontal and it felt awful! I got drenched - no umbrella was gonna keep me dry. I ran into a nook infront of a business, hoping it would stop. But it didn't. So, I kept walking (by that time, my moss green pants looked black because they were soaked) so I could get to the train. Took forever to get a train, and then it kept stalling - saying it would be a few minutes. Apparently there were some downed trees on the rails. Then, after about 25 min. on the train, at the next stop they told us to get off - that they could go no further. Well, this stop was 5 stops away from home, so I had to get on a few different buses. A trip that normally takes 35 min. (including 15 min. of walking to/from the stations) ended up taking over 1.5 hours! ICK! There are tons of downed trees around our neighborhood. And apparently tons of people close buy had no electricity until this morning. Luckily we've been fine.
Finally - Orientation tomorrow! Not too happy that I have to be there at 8:30 - means I have to leave at 7:30. Ick. I've gotten used to sleeping in until 8 or so...oh well.
I'm SO very excited - we get to make our schedules, meet with our concentration faculty, everything. Yipee.
OK...I'm stopping now.
Take care!
See everyone at Labor Day!!!!
First of all, Kurt and I went to his nutritionist last weekend. Turns out he has a few infections (both passive and active) - not sure how long they have been around, but likely for a while. He takes a drug for Crohn's disease that keeps his body from attacking his infected intestine. In turn, the medication also keeps his body from attacking other infections. Thus, he ends up not being able to fight things and his body ends up becoming "toxic." SO...very strict diet ahead! We're starting Sunday night - no sugar (fruits OK though), no gluten, preferably no starch at all. SO, we can eat meat, oils of any kind (except peanut - no peanuts or soy), lots of butter (she kept saying to fry things in 4 sticks of butter...hmmm), veggies, and fruit. We're a bit nervous, but willing. And for those asking, yup, I'm going on the diet, too. I definitely want to support Kurt in this and I think by going on the diet with him, I will. And, never hurts to lose a few pounds ;o)
NEXT - My job is cool - dull at times when there are no phone calls, but cool. I've been working a lot this week - put in a 9.5 hour day yesterday with no break.
How 'bout that rain? Mom and Dad have been bailing out people for a couple of days now - sounds like it's finally calming down. Unfortunately, more rain is coming Saturday. Let's keep our fingers crossed that it won't happen.
We had some NASTY storms here in Chicago yesterday. I looked at the radar before I left work at 3:30 and it seemed close, but one of the guys I work with (who has an extra role in the filming of the next Batman movie being filmed here ;o) said "Oh...bout 45 min before it hits." HA! More like 2 min. I barely got out the door before I felt sprinkles - then all hell broke lose. I swear the rain was nearly horizontal and it felt awful! I got drenched - no umbrella was gonna keep me dry. I ran into a nook infront of a business, hoping it would stop. But it didn't. So, I kept walking (by that time, my moss green pants looked black because they were soaked) so I could get to the train. Took forever to get a train, and then it kept stalling - saying it would be a few minutes. Apparently there were some downed trees on the rails. Then, after about 25 min. on the train, at the next stop they told us to get off - that they could go no further. Well, this stop was 5 stops away from home, so I had to get on a few different buses. A trip that normally takes 35 min. (including 15 min. of walking to/from the stations) ended up taking over 1.5 hours! ICK! There are tons of downed trees around our neighborhood. And apparently tons of people close buy had no electricity until this morning. Luckily we've been fine.
Finally - Orientation tomorrow! Not too happy that I have to be there at 8:30 - means I have to leave at 7:30. Ick. I've gotten used to sleeping in until 8 or so...oh well.
I'm SO very excited - we get to make our schedules, meet with our concentration faculty, everything. Yipee.
OK...I'm stopping now.
Take care!
See everyone at Labor Day!!!!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
New job!
I just got a job! Thank goodness - like I've been saying, the domestic life is not for me (but at least I tried ;o) ! I'll be selling season tickets for a theatre company in Old Town (a stylish/upscale neighborhood here in Chicago). It's only temporary (through the beginning of October sometime), since they stop selling them once the first production begins. BUT, I've been pretty bored, so I'm willing to take anything that doesn't require evening/weekend hours. And, I'll be working with ticketing software that will surely come in handy on down the line. What's nice is that I can do this and still hunt for a job on campus. Once the theatre thing is done, I'll hopefully have something all lined up at school. Sounds like a plan ;o)
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Another Busy Weekend...and my dog, the rock carrier
'Ello!
Busy weekend - Mom and Dad came to visit and traveled in on the Amtrak train. We took 'em to eat at Giordano's (true deep dish pizza), went on the Wendella at night (A boat ride that takes you down the Chicago river and onto the lake to see the amazing Chicago skyline), visited the Museum of Science and Industry, and took them on their very first trip to Trader Joe's (we had to do our grocery shopping at some point ;o). They had a good weekend, at least that's what they said - HA!
Next weekend will be a bit more relaxing (hopefully). Kurt (with me in tow) is going to a nutritionist to help with his recent Crohn's disease problems. We're hoping to find a remedy that doesn't involve more medicine! He's a little nervous that he might have to give up a lot of his favorite foods, but whatever will help works for me!
The next Saturday (Aug. 25th) is my Grad. School Orientation!!!! WOOHOO! I'm so excited to start school and finally have something to do other than domestic stuff - I'm not cut out to be a home-maker ;o)
I have had a few job interviews in the past week or so - last week I was offered 2 different jobs, but took neither. One required weekends and the other required evenings AND weekends AND only paid squat (it was at a non-profit theatre, which would have been cool, but I would like to have a life outside of school and work ;o) - bah. I had another interview yesterday for a theater production company (they put on Broadway shows in the city), but it's only temporary through October. We'll see about that one. If nothing works out, I'm not worried. Once school starts, I wanted to work down on campus anyways.
Funny story.
My dog - the rock carrier. So, today we were on our daily morning walk around our neighborhood. Shosta tends to pick up bottles, large seed pods that fall off of trees, sticks, and various trash (I try to discourage that, though ;o) as we walk around. Today, I accidentally kicked a rock - a BIG one. I stubbed my toe, so I stopped for a second to rub it a little. Then Shosta, for whatever crazy reason, tried to pick up this giant rock with her mouth. She scooted it around with her nose, scratched at it and moved it with her feet, and actually tried to bite it. Not really sure what she was thinking, but it was the funniest thing to watch. Eventually, she lifted it up a little bit, but couldn't really hold it long, so she let it drop. I found another rock that she could actually carry, kicked it in front of her, and away we went, rock in mouth.
Busy weekend - Mom and Dad came to visit and traveled in on the Amtrak train. We took 'em to eat at Giordano's (true deep dish pizza), went on the Wendella at night (A boat ride that takes you down the Chicago river and onto the lake to see the amazing Chicago skyline), visited the Museum of Science and Industry, and took them on their very first trip to Trader Joe's (we had to do our grocery shopping at some point ;o). They had a good weekend, at least that's what they said - HA!
Next weekend will be a bit more relaxing (hopefully). Kurt (with me in tow) is going to a nutritionist to help with his recent Crohn's disease problems. We're hoping to find a remedy that doesn't involve more medicine! He's a little nervous that he might have to give up a lot of his favorite foods, but whatever will help works for me!
The next Saturday (Aug. 25th) is my Grad. School Orientation!!!! WOOHOO! I'm so excited to start school and finally have something to do other than domestic stuff - I'm not cut out to be a home-maker ;o)
I have had a few job interviews in the past week or so - last week I was offered 2 different jobs, but took neither. One required weekends and the other required evenings AND weekends AND only paid squat (it was at a non-profit theatre, which would have been cool, but I would like to have a life outside of school and work ;o) - bah. I had another interview yesterday for a theater production company (they put on Broadway shows in the city), but it's only temporary through October. We'll see about that one. If nothing works out, I'm not worried. Once school starts, I wanted to work down on campus anyways.
Funny story.
My dog - the rock carrier. So, today we were on our daily morning walk around our neighborhood. Shosta tends to pick up bottles, large seed pods that fall off of trees, sticks, and various trash (I try to discourage that, though ;o) as we walk around. Today, I accidentally kicked a rock - a BIG one. I stubbed my toe, so I stopped for a second to rub it a little. Then Shosta, for whatever crazy reason, tried to pick up this giant rock with her mouth. She scooted it around with her nose, scratched at it and moved it with her feet, and actually tried to bite it. Not really sure what she was thinking, but it was the funniest thing to watch. Eventually, she lifted it up a little bit, but couldn't really hold it long, so she let it drop. I found another rock that she could actually carry, kicked it in front of her, and away we went, rock in mouth.
Thursday, August 9, 2007
New Concerts!
So excited - we've got a TON of concerts to go to in September and October. AND, I just got special pre-sale tickets to Interpol. That means I got to buy my tickets before they were open to the public. Now I don't have to wait online forever or worry that I won't get any tickets at all. Woohoo!
Here's our upcoming concerts - and there's a lot of good ones, too - National, Ted Leo, Of Montreal, etc. - Only in Chicago can we see them all :O)
Sept. 22nd - The National @ The Vic Theater
Oct. 3rd - Black Mountain @ The Empty Bottle
Oct. 4th - Voxtrot @ The Metro
Oct. 6th - Of Montreal @ The Metro
Oct. 11th - Interpol @ The Aragon Ballroom
Oct. 12th - Ted Leo and The RX @ The Metro
Oct. 14th - Pinback @ The Metro
We may not have fancy clothes, fancy cars, fancy computers or TV's, or a fancy place to live. But, by golly, we go to a LOT of great concerts! I'd rather have live music than Chanel :O)
Here's our upcoming concerts - and there's a lot of good ones, too - National, Ted Leo, Of Montreal, etc. - Only in Chicago can we see them all :O)
Sept. 22nd - The National @ The Vic Theater
Oct. 3rd - Black Mountain @ The Empty Bottle
Oct. 4th - Voxtrot @ The Metro
Oct. 6th - Of Montreal @ The Metro
Oct. 11th - Interpol @ The Aragon Ballroom
Oct. 12th - Ted Leo and The RX @ The Metro
Oct. 14th - Pinback @ The Metro
We may not have fancy clothes, fancy cars, fancy computers or TV's, or a fancy place to live. But, by golly, we go to a LOT of great concerts! I'd rather have live music than Chanel :O)
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Loads of Fun at Lollapalooza!
Howdy!
Well...Lollapalooza is officially over. PHEW, what a weekend! And SO much fun! The weather on Friday and today (Sunday) was a bit warm, but Saturday was PERFECT - low 80's and overcast. Luckily that was the day that we spent the most time there.
AND - the crowds were aplenty, but nothing near what we thought. The park is fairly expansive, so even though there were 100,000+ people there, it really didn't seem that extreme. We were able to see our "most important" bands up close, and the "not-so-important" bands from afar on our blanket. I didn't feel like tearing my hair out too often, which means it was a good time ;o)
Quick (ha) recap:
Friday:
Ted Leo and the Rx (above)- GREAT as always. This was our 3rd time seeing them and they were as energetic as ever. They played a few songs from their new CD, but a lot of their older tunes - which was great for those of us who have been fans for a while. Ted (the lead singer/guitarist) is such a vibrant performer who gives his all ever time. We were able to get up pretty close and get a good view, which is always nice! LOVE THEM LOVE THEM LOVE THEM!
The Polyphonic Spree - We've never seen them live - what a crazy show! Unfortunately due to the crowd, we weren't able to get up close, but they have massive screens to watch. As suggested by their name (Polyphonic), they are a band made up of 20+ members including: a ladies chorus of 9, various brass instruments (including a horn!), strings (with a harp that opened the show), various other wind and percussion (including timpani) instruments, and your typical rock band line-up (lead singer, bass, guitar, drumset). The music is very "Happy" and Love is definitely a theme. At times it was a bit dull, BUT the fact that they closed with the Nirvana tune "Lithium" was great!
M.I.A - We heard/watched as we ate. Very interesting. She's a Sri Lankan exile who has lived in England for most of her life. Her music combines rap, electronic, dance hall, and r&b. Very energetic and fairly entertaining, albeit a bit loud. (We were sitting pretty far from the show, but still needed to put our ear plugs in because it was so loud!)
Silversun Pickups - after eating dinner, we TRIED to see these guys, but had to sit and listen instead. They are a fairly respected pop/rock group, but they put them on a small stage near the main "boulevard." So, getting a spot to see them was impossible. But, we heard them pretty well and enjoyed.
We had intended to see the Black Keys and LCD Soundsystem, but I got a pretty nasty sunburn and wasn't feeling so well. So, we went home and rested up for Saturday - our big day!
Saturday:
Tapes 'n Tapes - AWESOME!!!!! And we were really close! We chose them over Pete Yorn; he's more of an inside/evening/intimate singer, and we knew that Tapes would put on a good show. This was the 2nd time we've seen them, and they had a very similar set list which included all of their great songs from their current album (The Loon), some new songs for their next album, and a few old ones. Considered to be "jangle rock," they are very unique when compared with current indie pop/rock. And, as before, they put on a great and VERY energetic, yet honest, show. Kurt and I were commenting on how they were very casual and how we appreciate that - they had a couple thousand people (or more) watching, yet they acted as if they were performing for friends. Good stuff.
Cold War Kids - Yet another popular indie rock band put on a small stage. Not a good idea. Yet again, we were forced to listen instead of watch. We heard most of the set, then went off for lunch. What we heard was pretty impressive. A lot of times, bands don't perform as well as their CD sounds - not so with these guys. Their music isn't uber-detailed, but they played it very well.
We had a break after these guys, so we grabbed an early dinner and found a nice spot to relax. We (unfortunately) were able to hear Motion City Soundtrack and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah while we hung out. Neither of them were what we wanted to hear, but it was impossible to ignore. We have issues with CYHSY - they plain suck. And they opened for our fav. band "The National" once in Columbus. It was a packed house that night, but 75% of the crowd left after Clap Your Hands was finished, leaving the place nearly empty for the headlining band. Argh. And they are the most ANNOYING sounding band. Anywho...you can tell we don't like them.
Moving on...
Hold Steady (Below)- Another great show where we were up close (annoying kids in front of us though...FYI - parents do NOT bring whining kids to Lollapallooza). We chose them over Regina Spector - yet another intimate performer not suitable for a festival. Anywho, this band is a cross between GOOD classic rock (strong rock with good melody/harmony) and talking. Yeah...that's right...the lead singer tends to "sing speak" more than actually he actually sings. BUT, what a super show! We had tickets to see them back when we were in Columbus, but had to sell them so we could come visit here. These guys are no spring chickens and have been in other indie bands, but came together 4 years ago to make great music. Very energetic and very entertaining!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - The crowd was massive, so we just looked on from afar. I enjoyed their previous album "Fever to tell," but not this album. So, when they played some old songs, it was pretty great. The newer ones, eh. From what I hear, Karen O (the lead singer) puts on quite a show with interesting costumes. But oh well...
Spoon (Above) - This is the second time we've seen Spoon at a festival. Last year at Pitchfork, we were unimpressed. They seemed lifeless and uninspired. Luckily, this year was the opposite. We didn't have the greatest spot to see (well...I didn't, Kurt can always see ;o), but it was still a great show. Spoon is heralded as one of indie music's star bands - considered to be "stripped" down pop rock with a nice groove. They were really quite impressive. Yet another band that performs as well as their album sounds. Super tight and super entertaining.
Interpol (Below)- Dark, smooth dance rock at it's best. We opted for a bench and the big screen for this, as the crowds were very big. We were both pretty wet from the rain (it started back during the Hold Steady), so we didn't mind sitting under the trees. Even though we didn't really see the show up close, the music was terrific. Even so, we decided to leave a little early to beat the crowds to the trains!
Sunday:
We went a little later yesterday than we had hoped because our landlord came over to look at the AC unit upstairs. It was burnt out, so we've been without air in the heat. BUT, he had a smaller unit that he installed for us instead and it WORKS! Yeah for AC! We used it last night and it really helped. Will probably just turn it on at night - don't want to run the electric bill sky high.
ANYWHO....
Yo La Tengo - We opted to listen rather than watch so we could get a seat for the next show. This band has been around for some 20 years, so they have a massive repertoire. Even so, they played quite a few songs from their latest album ("I am not afraid of you..."). Their psychedelic/jam rock fits well with a festival and was very enjoyable to listen to.
Modest Mouse (Above - Isaac Brock, Johnny Marr) - Yet another of my fav. bands for quite some time. In their most recent releases, they've gone a bit commercial/mainstream. Yet, they have still retained some of their artsy pop characteristics. As always, they put on a good show (this is our 3rd time seeing them) - very entertaining. AND, I had a pretty good view! Unfortunately, most of the crowd was made up of teenagers and young 20's people, so they were singing along to all of the songs. Sigh...I don't want to hear YOU sing - I want to hear Isaac sing! Even though their set included songs from their 2 latest releases, they did play a few from my fav. album - The Moon and Antarctica (try saying that 5 times fast).
We left a little before the end of their show to see....
TV on the Radio - WooHoo! This is our 2nd time seeing them, and we were pleased yet again. TV combines so many styles of music to make their eclectic pop that I wouldn't even know how to explain it - except that it rocks. Their music is very unique, unlike anyone else out there. The first time we saw them was at the Newport in Columbus - that's definitely one of my all time favorite shows. This time wasn't as great, but not because they didn't perform well. They did. But the crowd was pretty awful. TV has quite a few energetic tunes, so much of the crowd was jumping all around. There was a rather large (meaning tall/big boned) girl behind me, which made me nervous. I kept feeling elbow jabs, but I knew if I said something, she might harm me ;o) ANYWHO...still a great musical experience.
And, to close the evening...
Pearl Jam - The band is iconic in modern/mainstream american rock music. Their career has spanned nearly 20 years, and they still continue to put out great music. I've never been a huge fan, although I like much of their music. However, Kurt has been a fan for many many years. He recalls listening to them in his high school years, so this show brought back memories. Yet again, we opted for a far off seat as the entire population of the festival crowd was viewing the concert along with us. We were able to see a screen, so we enjoyed it as they played a lot of older tunes. Once they got into the newer stuff, we decided to head out.
Before we left, we got a few pictures and stopped to buy a T-shirt.
Overall, this was a super experience and if the lineup for next year's festival is just as good, we'll definitely go. The tickets were a bit pricey, but considering the experience, well worth it!
Well...Lollapalooza is officially over. PHEW, what a weekend! And SO much fun! The weather on Friday and today (Sunday) was a bit warm, but Saturday was PERFECT - low 80's and overcast. Luckily that was the day that we spent the most time there.
AND - the crowds were aplenty, but nothing near what we thought. The park is fairly expansive, so even though there were 100,000+ people there, it really didn't seem that extreme. We were able to see our "most important" bands up close, and the "not-so-important" bands from afar on our blanket. I didn't feel like tearing my hair out too often, which means it was a good time ;o)
Quick (ha) recap:
Friday:
Ted Leo and the Rx (above)- GREAT as always. This was our 3rd time seeing them and they were as energetic as ever. They played a few songs from their new CD, but a lot of their older tunes - which was great for those of us who have been fans for a while. Ted (the lead singer/guitarist) is such a vibrant performer who gives his all ever time. We were able to get up pretty close and get a good view, which is always nice! LOVE THEM LOVE THEM LOVE THEM!
The Polyphonic Spree - We've never seen them live - what a crazy show! Unfortunately due to the crowd, we weren't able to get up close, but they have massive screens to watch. As suggested by their name (Polyphonic), they are a band made up of 20+ members including: a ladies chorus of 9, various brass instruments (including a horn!), strings (with a harp that opened the show), various other wind and percussion (including timpani) instruments, and your typical rock band line-up (lead singer, bass, guitar, drumset). The music is very "Happy" and Love is definitely a theme. At times it was a bit dull, BUT the fact that they closed with the Nirvana tune "Lithium" was great!
M.I.A - We heard/watched as we ate. Very interesting. She's a Sri Lankan exile who has lived in England for most of her life. Her music combines rap, electronic, dance hall, and r&b. Very energetic and fairly entertaining, albeit a bit loud. (We were sitting pretty far from the show, but still needed to put our ear plugs in because it was so loud!)
Silversun Pickups - after eating dinner, we TRIED to see these guys, but had to sit and listen instead. They are a fairly respected pop/rock group, but they put them on a small stage near the main "boulevard." So, getting a spot to see them was impossible. But, we heard them pretty well and enjoyed.
We had intended to see the Black Keys and LCD Soundsystem, but I got a pretty nasty sunburn and wasn't feeling so well. So, we went home and rested up for Saturday - our big day!
Saturday:
Tapes 'n Tapes - AWESOME!!!!! And we were really close! We chose them over Pete Yorn; he's more of an inside/evening/intimate singer, and we knew that Tapes would put on a good show. This was the 2nd time we've seen them, and they had a very similar set list which included all of their great songs from their current album (The Loon), some new songs for their next album, and a few old ones. Considered to be "jangle rock," they are very unique when compared with current indie pop/rock. And, as before, they put on a great and VERY energetic, yet honest, show. Kurt and I were commenting on how they were very casual and how we appreciate that - they had a couple thousand people (or more) watching, yet they acted as if they were performing for friends. Good stuff.
Cold War Kids - Yet another popular indie rock band put on a small stage. Not a good idea. Yet again, we were forced to listen instead of watch. We heard most of the set, then went off for lunch. What we heard was pretty impressive. A lot of times, bands don't perform as well as their CD sounds - not so with these guys. Their music isn't uber-detailed, but they played it very well.
We had a break after these guys, so we grabbed an early dinner and found a nice spot to relax. We (unfortunately) were able to hear Motion City Soundtrack and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah while we hung out. Neither of them were what we wanted to hear, but it was impossible to ignore. We have issues with CYHSY - they plain suck. And they opened for our fav. band "The National" once in Columbus. It was a packed house that night, but 75% of the crowd left after Clap Your Hands was finished, leaving the place nearly empty for the headlining band. Argh. And they are the most ANNOYING sounding band. Anywho...you can tell we don't like them.
Moving on...
Hold Steady (Below)- Another great show where we were up close (annoying kids in front of us though...FYI - parents do NOT bring whining kids to Lollapallooza). We chose them over Regina Spector - yet another intimate performer not suitable for a festival. Anywho, this band is a cross between GOOD classic rock (strong rock with good melody/harmony) and talking. Yeah...that's right...the lead singer tends to "sing speak" more than actually he actually sings. BUT, what a super show! We had tickets to see them back when we were in Columbus, but had to sell them so we could come visit here. These guys are no spring chickens and have been in other indie bands, but came together 4 years ago to make great music. Very energetic and very entertaining!
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - The crowd was massive, so we just looked on from afar. I enjoyed their previous album "Fever to tell," but not this album. So, when they played some old songs, it was pretty great. The newer ones, eh. From what I hear, Karen O (the lead singer) puts on quite a show with interesting costumes. But oh well...
Spoon (Above) - This is the second time we've seen Spoon at a festival. Last year at Pitchfork, we were unimpressed. They seemed lifeless and uninspired. Luckily, this year was the opposite. We didn't have the greatest spot to see (well...I didn't, Kurt can always see ;o), but it was still a great show. Spoon is heralded as one of indie music's star bands - considered to be "stripped" down pop rock with a nice groove. They were really quite impressive. Yet another band that performs as well as their album sounds. Super tight and super entertaining.
Interpol (Below)- Dark, smooth dance rock at it's best. We opted for a bench and the big screen for this, as the crowds were very big. We were both pretty wet from the rain (it started back during the Hold Steady), so we didn't mind sitting under the trees. Even though we didn't really see the show up close, the music was terrific. Even so, we decided to leave a little early to beat the crowds to the trains!
Sunday:
We went a little later yesterday than we had hoped because our landlord came over to look at the AC unit upstairs. It was burnt out, so we've been without air in the heat. BUT, he had a smaller unit that he installed for us instead and it WORKS! Yeah for AC! We used it last night and it really helped. Will probably just turn it on at night - don't want to run the electric bill sky high.
ANYWHO....
Yo La Tengo - We opted to listen rather than watch so we could get a seat for the next show. This band has been around for some 20 years, so they have a massive repertoire. Even so, they played quite a few songs from their latest album ("I am not afraid of you..."). Their psychedelic/jam rock fits well with a festival and was very enjoyable to listen to.
Modest Mouse (Above - Isaac Brock, Johnny Marr) - Yet another of my fav. bands for quite some time. In their most recent releases, they've gone a bit commercial/mainstream. Yet, they have still retained some of their artsy pop characteristics. As always, they put on a good show (this is our 3rd time seeing them) - very entertaining. AND, I had a pretty good view! Unfortunately, most of the crowd was made up of teenagers and young 20's people, so they were singing along to all of the songs. Sigh...I don't want to hear YOU sing - I want to hear Isaac sing! Even though their set included songs from their 2 latest releases, they did play a few from my fav. album - The Moon and Antarctica (try saying that 5 times fast).
We left a little before the end of their show to see....
TV on the Radio - WooHoo! This is our 2nd time seeing them, and we were pleased yet again. TV combines so many styles of music to make their eclectic pop that I wouldn't even know how to explain it - except that it rocks. Their music is very unique, unlike anyone else out there. The first time we saw them was at the Newport in Columbus - that's definitely one of my all time favorite shows. This time wasn't as great, but not because they didn't perform well. They did. But the crowd was pretty awful. TV has quite a few energetic tunes, so much of the crowd was jumping all around. There was a rather large (meaning tall/big boned) girl behind me, which made me nervous. I kept feeling elbow jabs, but I knew if I said something, she might harm me ;o) ANYWHO...still a great musical experience.
And, to close the evening...
Pearl Jam - The band is iconic in modern/mainstream american rock music. Their career has spanned nearly 20 years, and they still continue to put out great music. I've never been a huge fan, although I like much of their music. However, Kurt has been a fan for many many years. He recalls listening to them in his high school years, so this show brought back memories. Yet again, we opted for a far off seat as the entire population of the festival crowd was viewing the concert along with us. We were able to see a screen, so we enjoyed it as they played a lot of older tunes. Once they got into the newer stuff, we decided to head out.
Before we left, we got a few pictures and stopped to buy a T-shirt.
Overall, this was a super experience and if the lineup for next year's festival is just as good, we'll definitely go. The tickets were a bit pricey, but considering the experience, well worth it!
Monday, July 30, 2007
Big weekend ahead!
We had a nice trip to Petoskey last week. We arrived back home in Chicago at 10:30pm (that's 11:30 to the rest of ya ;o). Friday was a long day of driving, but that's ok. Kurt drove us to Toledo to pick up Shosta (6.5 hours) from my parents and I drove to Chicago (4 hours). It was nice to drive again...I miss it. But, since Kurt takes the train to work, I can take the car out joy riding sometime - HA!
This coming weekend is LOLLAPALOOZA! We are both excited and dreading it at the same time. I think there's something like 100,000 people that go to this, so it's packed. Not exactly looking forward to that. BUT, we get to see SO many bands/artists, I'm sure it will be worth it.
Friday we're seeing: Chin up Chin up (local band), Ted Leo and the RX (East coast melodic punk - one of my fav. bands!), The Polyphonic Spree (Hippie - happy band made up of at least 20 people ;o), Silversun Pickups (Psychedelic pop rock), Black Keys (Duo of drum/guitar from Akron that's hit it big), LCD Soundsystem (Electronic pop/rock).
Saturday we're seeing: Tapes 'n Tapes (indie pop rock with an artsy flair), or Pete Yorn (laid back solo guitar - they are at the same time ;o(, Cold War Kids (indie pop rock), Regina Spektor (Solo piano, bit like cabaret) OR Hold Stead (Straight up "talk" rock - they, too, are at the same time), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (rock with a crazy chic lead singer), Spoon (Austin based, very tight indie rock), and Interpol (Rock, smooth and dark).
Sunday we're seeing: Kings of Leon (Tasteful southern rock), Yo La Tengo (psychedelic indie pop), Modest Mouse (artsy indie rock - one of my FAV bands for a LONG time ;o), TV on the Radio (Very melodic pop rock with an artsy feel), Pear Jam (Straight up jam rock - Kurt's pretty excited, he's been a fan since junior high ;o)
So as you can see, we've got a lot of great stuff to see this weekend! It's going to be pretty hot (Upper 80's lower 90's), but it is August. Hopefully the lake will give us a breeze.
Speaking of the Lake...ha ha...
On Saturday we took trip to the lake with Shosta. This is the dog with webbed feet (so we know somewhere in her family tree, there was a dog that swam) that HATES water. Actually, she did better than I thought. At first we waded in and she tried to get away. Then we picked her up and put her in some deeper water (up to her knees). She stayed! Then the we walked out some more, and the waves started to crash in on top of her. Not so good. SO, she pulled her way back to solid ground (you could see the claw marks in the sand). I decided that maybe if I went out further, she would see that it wasn't so bad. I called her name and she came running out as best as she could - it looked like she was jumping around! BUT, then a wave came over her, and she ran back again. We did this (me calling - her coming) a few times, but eventually she wanted no more of it. We took her to out and dried her off. And top it all off, we took her back and gave her a bath ;o)
I think we'll go to the lake with her again, just to see if it gets better with time. But, if she doesn't like it, oh well. She's never been like any other dog, so we're used to it ;o) HA!
This coming weekend is LOLLAPALOOZA! We are both excited and dreading it at the same time. I think there's something like 100,000 people that go to this, so it's packed. Not exactly looking forward to that. BUT, we get to see SO many bands/artists, I'm sure it will be worth it.
Friday we're seeing: Chin up Chin up (local band), Ted Leo and the RX (East coast melodic punk - one of my fav. bands!), The Polyphonic Spree (Hippie - happy band made up of at least 20 people ;o), Silversun Pickups (Psychedelic pop rock), Black Keys (Duo of drum/guitar from Akron that's hit it big), LCD Soundsystem (Electronic pop/rock).
Saturday we're seeing: Tapes 'n Tapes (indie pop rock with an artsy flair), or Pete Yorn (laid back solo guitar - they are at the same time ;o(, Cold War Kids (indie pop rock), Regina Spektor (Solo piano, bit like cabaret) OR Hold Stead (Straight up "talk" rock - they, too, are at the same time), Yeah Yeah Yeahs (rock with a crazy chic lead singer), Spoon (Austin based, very tight indie rock), and Interpol (Rock, smooth and dark).
Sunday we're seeing: Kings of Leon (Tasteful southern rock), Yo La Tengo (psychedelic indie pop), Modest Mouse (artsy indie rock - one of my FAV bands for a LONG time ;o), TV on the Radio (Very melodic pop rock with an artsy feel), Pear Jam (Straight up jam rock - Kurt's pretty excited, he's been a fan since junior high ;o)
So as you can see, we've got a lot of great stuff to see this weekend! It's going to be pretty hot (Upper 80's lower 90's), but it is August. Hopefully the lake will give us a breeze.
Speaking of the Lake...ha ha...
On Saturday we took trip to the lake with Shosta. This is the dog with webbed feet (so we know somewhere in her family tree, there was a dog that swam) that HATES water. Actually, she did better than I thought. At first we waded in and she tried to get away. Then we picked her up and put her in some deeper water (up to her knees). She stayed! Then the we walked out some more, and the waves started to crash in on top of her. Not so good. SO, she pulled her way back to solid ground (you could see the claw marks in the sand). I decided that maybe if I went out further, she would see that it wasn't so bad. I called her name and she came running out as best as she could - it looked like she was jumping around! BUT, then a wave came over her, and she ran back again. We did this (me calling - her coming) a few times, but eventually she wanted no more of it. We took her to out and dried her off. And top it all off, we took her back and gave her a bath ;o)
I think we'll go to the lake with her again, just to see if it gets better with time. But, if she doesn't like it, oh well. She's never been like any other dog, so we're used to it ;o) HA!
Sunday, July 22, 2007
A little get away...and a funny story
Hello! Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the beautiful weather! It sure is giving me fall fever, these chilly nights! Though, the fall feeling makes me miss marching band :o( Do you know, this is the first summer in 10 years that I haven't gone to a Drum Corps show? And this is the first summer in 20 years that Kurt hasn't been to one. We are both sad...the one we were hoping to go to is this Friday night, but we'll be in Petoskey...sniff sniff.
So, this week Kurt and I are going up to Petoskey, Michigan for his parent's anniversary get away. Scott and Kelly, Kyle, Evyn, and Max are going up too. We got a cabin for Marcia and Doug's 40th, and we're all going up to spend some time with family. Should be a good time, although the drive is a killer - 10 hours from Chicago, ICK! Luckily we're cutting it in half - driving to Toledo on Tuesday and then on up on Wednesday. But, Friday, we're doin' it all in one shot. Yipee...sigh. But at least I'll get to drive a bit ;o) I haven't driven a car since June 21st. Hope I remember!
HA! SO...I've been meaning to put this funny story on my blog for a while...it's a testament to the feisty-ness of our little Shostakovich.
So, we're walking Razzle Dazzle (as we like to call her - or at least I do ;o) down the street one night and we come to a corner. All of the sudden she breaks loose from her harness and runs around the corner ahead of us. Well, around that corner were two large huskies walking along quite peacefully. Shosta, being the little nasty dog she is, runs and jumps in between the two of them and starts to pick a fight. She came out the other side a few seconds later and, one would think, realized that she couldn't take two of 'em at once. But nope, she came out, turned around, and dove right back in! Luckily Kurt was there to grab her our of the mix before she did any harm (rather, they did any harm to her). We made our apologies and walked away scowling at and scolding her. Found out, it was actually mommy's fault - I hooked her leash to her dog tag loop, not her harness loop. Needless to say, I haven't done that again ;o)
It wasn't funny at the time, but looking back on it now, it was hilarious. For those of you that haven't met our little spunky dog, she's a 30 lbs. terrier mix that looks like a mini-lab. She's a small size for her weight (when I first got her over 4 years ago, she looked malnutritioned and weighed only 19 lbs.), but her legs and sides look like the body of a little doggy body builder ;o) She's all muscle. In fact, she's so strong that she pulls Kurt around at her every whim.
Anywho, it was so funny looking back because here's this tiny little dog picking a fight with 2 bigger dogs, both of which who are at least 2 times her size. She could have easily been had if the dogs were actually as feisty as she is. But, luckily they weren't. And this is why our little Razzle Dazzle does not play with other doggies ;o)
BUT, I must say, she's the most affectionate dog I have every met...at least to us and my parents - no one else ;o)
Funny thing...they say a dog and his/her owner have very similar personalities. What does that say about me? ;o)
So, this week Kurt and I are going up to Petoskey, Michigan for his parent's anniversary get away. Scott and Kelly, Kyle, Evyn, and Max are going up too. We got a cabin for Marcia and Doug's 40th, and we're all going up to spend some time with family. Should be a good time, although the drive is a killer - 10 hours from Chicago, ICK! Luckily we're cutting it in half - driving to Toledo on Tuesday and then on up on Wednesday. But, Friday, we're doin' it all in one shot. Yipee...sigh. But at least I'll get to drive a bit ;o) I haven't driven a car since June 21st. Hope I remember!
HA! SO...I've been meaning to put this funny story on my blog for a while...it's a testament to the feisty-ness of our little Shostakovich.
So, we're walking Razzle Dazzle (as we like to call her - or at least I do ;o) down the street one night and we come to a corner. All of the sudden she breaks loose from her harness and runs around the corner ahead of us. Well, around that corner were two large huskies walking along quite peacefully. Shosta, being the little nasty dog she is, runs and jumps in between the two of them and starts to pick a fight. She came out the other side a few seconds later and, one would think, realized that she couldn't take two of 'em at once. But nope, she came out, turned around, and dove right back in! Luckily Kurt was there to grab her our of the mix before she did any harm (rather, they did any harm to her). We made our apologies and walked away scowling at and scolding her. Found out, it was actually mommy's fault - I hooked her leash to her dog tag loop, not her harness loop. Needless to say, I haven't done that again ;o)
It wasn't funny at the time, but looking back on it now, it was hilarious. For those of you that haven't met our little spunky dog, she's a 30 lbs. terrier mix that looks like a mini-lab. She's a small size for her weight (when I first got her over 4 years ago, she looked malnutritioned and weighed only 19 lbs.), but her legs and sides look like the body of a little doggy body builder ;o) She's all muscle. In fact, she's so strong that she pulls Kurt around at her every whim.
Anywho, it was so funny looking back because here's this tiny little dog picking a fight with 2 bigger dogs, both of which who are at least 2 times her size. She could have easily been had if the dogs were actually as feisty as she is. But, luckily they weren't. And this is why our little Razzle Dazzle does not play with other doggies ;o)
BUT, I must say, she's the most affectionate dog I have every met...at least to us and my parents - no one else ;o)
Funny thing...they say a dog and his/her owner have very similar personalities. What does that say about me? ;o)
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Fun in the Rain!
Tonight Kurt and I went to see a great indie band called The Decemberists play with the Grant Park Orchestra (a summer festival orchestra that plays at Millennium park in Chicago). What a GREAT concert. It was jam packed, so we couldn't see a thing, but WOW! I haven't heard anything that amazing at a live concert! I wish more bands would play with an orchestra - it makes their music seem so much more anthem-like, fuller, and definitely more beautiful. The only problem - it was raining. We got caught in a nasty storm when we got off the train to head home. Our walk is approx. 8 or so minutes from the el to our place. But my sandals weren't co-operating - I kept sliding around. So, it took a little longer. Nothing like getting soaked ;o)
Anywho...to sum it all up...I now love the Decemberists because they play with orchestras ;o)
I'll put a picture of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion/Millennium park up sometime soon. It truly is a sight to behold. It's awesome. Kurt and I went there on vacation last year and were just awe-struck by it's beauty. Needless to say, I have tons of pictures of it somewhere (NO...I don't have a digital camera. I like my REAL camera with REAL pictures that look REAL nice...maybe someday, though ;o).
Take care!
Anywho...to sum it all up...I now love the Decemberists because they play with orchestras ;o)
I'll put a picture of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion/Millennium park up sometime soon. It truly is a sight to behold. It's awesome. Kurt and I went there on vacation last year and were just awe-struck by it's beauty. Needless to say, I have tons of pictures of it somewhere (NO...I don't have a digital camera. I like my REAL camera with REAL pictures that look REAL nice...maybe someday, though ;o).
Take care!
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