we were leaving the airport after picking up some people, and had to pull over to the side because the car that was following us didn't get through the traffic signal, and they didn't know where they were going.
next thing we see is a police car pull behind us with its lights flashing. i think "oh shit. they think we're terrorists pulled over near the airport."
the officer walks up to the car and he's holding a lasso in his hand. yes. a lasso.
one word flashes through my head: hogtie.
he leans over and says, "are you stopped because of the sheep?" we explain the reason we are stopped and he says, "ok. there's a sheep running loose somewhere around here. carry on."
this shit doesn't happen in chicago, i'll tell you what.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
the end of summer
on this past weekend, the last weekend before school began, we loaded the family into the car for a trip up to denver. the husband's work involves automotive dealings, and we had to attend a work-sponsored drag race event: the jet car nationals. if you are unfamiliar with jet cars, as i was, they are literally race cars that have jet engines sticking out of the back. as we were corporate guests, we had prime seats directly over the starting line looking down the drag.
there are no words to describe how loud these things were. even with earplugs, i wanted to hold my hands over my ears. i could feel the heat from the jets when they started. when they blasted their jets, i could actually feel the noise of it shaking the stands. this video can only give you the slightest idea of the noise.
the next day, we headed over to the lovely coors field to see the rockies play the cubs.
the girls hadn't been to a mlb game since we lived in atlanta, so they were pretty excited. we got there early enough that the girls got baseballs signed by the players.
it was a great game, and if you follow baseball, you know how this one ended. (sorry, james.)
we drove home after the game, 6 hours of cranky kids. yikes. the sunset over the rockies was beautiful though.
there are no words to describe how loud these things were. even with earplugs, i wanted to hold my hands over my ears. i could feel the heat from the jets when they started. when they blasted their jets, i could actually feel the noise of it shaking the stands. this video can only give you the slightest idea of the noise.
the next day, we headed over to the lovely coors field to see the rockies play the cubs.
the girls hadn't been to a mlb game since we lived in atlanta, so they were pretty excited. we got there early enough that the girls got baseballs signed by the players.
it was a great game, and if you follow baseball, you know how this one ended. (sorry, james.)
we drove home after the game, 6 hours of cranky kids. yikes. the sunset over the rockies was beautiful though.
Monday, August 06, 2007
ryan adams at red rocks 8.4.07
This past Friday, I hit the road yet again, this time with my husband in tow. (Thanks again to Chris and Mary for hangin' with the kiddos) It's about a 6 hour drive to Denver from Albuquerque, but you know me - when it comes to Ryan Adams or Glen Phillips I'm basically a sucker and willing to travel great distances.
I didn't find out until the morning of the show that the start time had been changed to 5:30 from 7 pm. DOH! We also hit sick traffic around Colorado Springs, so we didn't wind up getting to Red Rocks until around 7 pm. Luckily, it wasn't raining. Unluckily, you are expected to climb approximately 500 steps at the mile high elevation to get into the venue. *GASP WHEEZE* I actually saw some people stop to take smoke breaks on their way up the stairs. Seriously? Like that's gonna help with your oxygen intake?
We got into the venue and the Old 97's were on stage. Well, sorta. It was the Old 97's minus the beautiful and sweaty Rhett Miller. I sat on the corner of one of the steps near the stage, and out bounded Rhett. Apparently all the crap weather had caused his plane to be delayed coming into the airport. Plus, did I mention traffic sucked? Well, he played a few songs with the band, then their time was up. I have no idea why they didn't have Devotchka go on and let Old 97's later. Oh well.
Devotchka followed, and while they seem to be great musicians, their music was not my thing. The first 50 rows or so were packed, so we just went up to the very top of the amphitheatre where it was empty and enjoyed the music and the breeze. Well, until it stopped being a breeze and became a haughty wind. Lucinda Williams followed Devotchka. She's... alright. Her voice is very whiny, and all her songs sound so much alike. Not to mention how juvenile some of her lyrics are. She played a song called Honeybee - and I swear the lyrics were "You're my honeybee, I'm so glad you're mine" repeated ad nauseum. She also played, according to the venue worker I spoke to, 20 minutes longer than she was supposed to. You could see streams of people leaving to use the restroom. Snore.
Ryan Adams and the Cardinals took the stage at 11:05, and the crowd went batshit crazy.
Setlist:
Magnolia Mountain
Peaceful Valley
Easy Plateau
Goodnight Rose
Mockingbird
Let It Ride
Cold Roses -> What Sin -> Cold Roses
Beautiful Sorta
When The Stars Go Blue
I Taught Myself How To Grow Old
A Kiss Before I Go
--------------------
Dear John
Two
Please Do Not Let Me Go
Dear Chicago
Wild Flowers
I See Monsters
Ryan was, brace yourself, in an incredibly good mood. He actually said "It's really impossible to have a bad time in Colorado." His voice and the band both sounded incredible. I actually think his guitar playing has improved tremendously since the infamous wrist-breaking incident. He joked with the crowd, giving us a little TMI regarding his underwear situation, and even poked fun at himself, "If this wind picks up any more, you're gonna really see me storm off the stage, if you know what I mean..."
But really the star of the night was the venue. The stage is carved into a hollowed out stone face, and the seats rise up from the front, flanked on either side by tilting monoliths of red streaked stone. From our vantage point at the top of the venue, we could see the lights of Denver, and were even able to watch the moon rise over the stage, starting out as a red smudge on the edge of the horizon and growing to an eerie white glow behind the clouds.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: seeing Ryan Adams is a hit-or-miss proposition. But so far for me this year, he's batting a thousand. I will see him every chance I get, because when he is on, he will find the cracks in your soul and crawl inside.
I didn't find out until the morning of the show that the start time had been changed to 5:30 from 7 pm. DOH! We also hit sick traffic around Colorado Springs, so we didn't wind up getting to Red Rocks until around 7 pm. Luckily, it wasn't raining. Unluckily, you are expected to climb approximately 500 steps at the mile high elevation to get into the venue. *GASP WHEEZE* I actually saw some people stop to take smoke breaks on their way up the stairs. Seriously? Like that's gonna help with your oxygen intake?
We got into the venue and the Old 97's were on stage. Well, sorta. It was the Old 97's minus the beautiful and sweaty Rhett Miller. I sat on the corner of one of the steps near the stage, and out bounded Rhett. Apparently all the crap weather had caused his plane to be delayed coming into the airport. Plus, did I mention traffic sucked? Well, he played a few songs with the band, then their time was up. I have no idea why they didn't have Devotchka go on and let Old 97's later. Oh well.
Devotchka followed, and while they seem to be great musicians, their music was not my thing. The first 50 rows or so were packed, so we just went up to the very top of the amphitheatre where it was empty and enjoyed the music and the breeze. Well, until it stopped being a breeze and became a haughty wind. Lucinda Williams followed Devotchka. She's... alright. Her voice is very whiny, and all her songs sound so much alike. Not to mention how juvenile some of her lyrics are. She played a song called Honeybee - and I swear the lyrics were "You're my honeybee, I'm so glad you're mine" repeated ad nauseum. She also played, according to the venue worker I spoke to, 20 minutes longer than she was supposed to. You could see streams of people leaving to use the restroom. Snore.
Ryan Adams and the Cardinals took the stage at 11:05, and the crowd went batshit crazy.
Setlist:
Magnolia Mountain
Peaceful Valley
Easy Plateau
Goodnight Rose
Mockingbird
Let It Ride
Cold Roses -> What Sin -> Cold Roses
Beautiful Sorta
When The Stars Go Blue
I Taught Myself How To Grow Old
A Kiss Before I Go
--------------------
Dear John
Two
Please Do Not Let Me Go
Dear Chicago
Wild Flowers
I See Monsters
Ryan was, brace yourself, in an incredibly good mood. He actually said "It's really impossible to have a bad time in Colorado." His voice and the band both sounded incredible. I actually think his guitar playing has improved tremendously since the infamous wrist-breaking incident. He joked with the crowd, giving us a little TMI regarding his underwear situation, and even poked fun at himself, "If this wind picks up any more, you're gonna really see me storm off the stage, if you know what I mean..."
But really the star of the night was the venue. The stage is carved into a hollowed out stone face, and the seats rise up from the front, flanked on either side by tilting monoliths of red streaked stone. From our vantage point at the top of the venue, we could see the lights of Denver, and were even able to watch the moon rise over the stage, starting out as a red smudge on the edge of the horizon and growing to an eerie white glow behind the clouds.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: seeing Ryan Adams is a hit-or-miss proposition. But so far for me this year, he's batting a thousand. I will see him every chance I get, because when he is on, he will find the cracks in your soul and crawl inside.
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
best birthday ever? i think so.
This year, serendipity shined down upon me and scheduled a Toad the Wet Sprocket concert in Chicago on my birthday. What better excuse to make a trip back to Chicago. Best friends and favorite music? Can't beat it.
It was supposed to rain in Chicago, but there was no way it was going to rain on my birthday. In fact, I expressly forbade rain, and it went away as requested. First, my BFF James and I picked up Asshead from his job working the corner over in the Financial District. We headed to Stanley's for some 20-minute chicken. (Best in Chicago - if you ever visit, you must have some.)
Then we headed over to the zoo, where in theory, we were to act all cool and say "We're on the list". Yeah. Not on the list. Phone call. New list. Not on that one either. Another phone call. New list. And finally allowed into the park. So much for being cool.
I got to see all sorts of Chicago concert buddies at the show. It made me feel very loved. Glen opened for Toad, which was just brilliant, because who wouldn't love double the Glen?
I even overcame the adversity of stupid people standing in front of me, by going to the other side of the stage and standing in front of someone else. What?
Throughout the show, there was this crazy drunk girl, who kept talking during the songs, flailing her arms around and yelling how much she loved Toad. She actually accosted James and I before the show started, poking us in the arms and demanding to know how we knew Toad. Not in the carnal sense, but just in general if we knew their music. I conceded to being a casual listener to try to get her to leave us alone.
Then, near the end of the show, Glen and Dean wished me a Happy Birthday, and in the middle of Glen talking about me, drunk girl decides she is going to steal my thunder and yells out that she is the biggest Toad fan ever. Who am I to argue?
We took pictures with her afterwards, because it was important to document her idiocy. Oh, and Asshead ate her brain.
After getting James and Asshead's photos with Dean, Todd, and a very smarmy Glen,
we hustled to my favorite spot, Dublins for some food and merriment. Oh yeah, and my favorite hot waiter, Mattycakes.
The next day brought a Transformers movie, The Misbehavers from Four Rooms ("Police? Come right away! There's a dead whore in the room!"), and a drive up to Milwaukee. We even drove by a Cheese Castle, presumably occupied by a Cheese King. At Milwaukee, we met up with some more wonderful friends for a Glen Phillips solo show. It was a great show, filled with rarities, a discussion about the legalities of necrophilia in Wisconsin, and even a song by the ever-wonderful Dick Prall. We tried to get pictures with Glen and Dick, but we couldn't seem to get in synch with each other. Blink. Blink.
Awesomeness abounded.
It was supposed to rain in Chicago, but there was no way it was going to rain on my birthday. In fact, I expressly forbade rain, and it went away as requested. First, my BFF James and I picked up Asshead from his job working the corner over in the Financial District. We headed to Stanley's for some 20-minute chicken. (Best in Chicago - if you ever visit, you must have some.)
Then we headed over to the zoo, where in theory, we were to act all cool and say "We're on the list". Yeah. Not on the list. Phone call. New list. Not on that one either. Another phone call. New list. And finally allowed into the park. So much for being cool.
I got to see all sorts of Chicago concert buddies at the show. It made me feel very loved. Glen opened for Toad, which was just brilliant, because who wouldn't love double the Glen?
I even overcame the adversity of stupid people standing in front of me, by going to the other side of the stage and standing in front of someone else. What?
Throughout the show, there was this crazy drunk girl, who kept talking during the songs, flailing her arms around and yelling how much she loved Toad. She actually accosted James and I before the show started, poking us in the arms and demanding to know how we knew Toad. Not in the carnal sense, but just in general if we knew their music. I conceded to being a casual listener to try to get her to leave us alone.
Then, near the end of the show, Glen and Dean wished me a Happy Birthday, and in the middle of Glen talking about me, drunk girl decides she is going to steal my thunder and yells out that she is the biggest Toad fan ever. Who am I to argue?
We took pictures with her afterwards, because it was important to document her idiocy. Oh, and Asshead ate her brain.After getting James and Asshead's photos with Dean, Todd, and a very smarmy Glen,
we hustled to my favorite spot, Dublins for some food and merriment. Oh yeah, and my favorite hot waiter, Mattycakes.
The next day brought a Transformers movie, The Misbehavers from Four Rooms ("Police? Come right away! There's a dead whore in the room!"), and a drive up to Milwaukee. We even drove by a Cheese Castle, presumably occupied by a Cheese King. At Milwaukee, we met up with some more wonderful friends for a Glen Phillips solo show. It was a great show, filled with rarities, a discussion about the legalities of necrophilia in Wisconsin, and even a song by the ever-wonderful Dick Prall. We tried to get pictures with Glen and Dick, but we couldn't seem to get in synch with each other. Blink. Blink.
Awesomeness abounded.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
it's cold in here, and i wish it was hot
This weekend I drove to Austin for my second Ryan Adams concert of the year. (See review of first show here)
The drive was ridiculous - 12 hours each way. Yeah, I know. Next time I will fly. But it was totally worth it. It was a seated acoustic show, and totally different than the HOB show earlier this year.
Set list:
1. Please Do Not Let Me Go
2. Blue Sky Blues
3. Blue Hotel
4. The Sun Also Sets
5. Cold Roses
6. Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.
7. Easy Plateau
8. Elizabeth, You Were Born To Play That Part
9. Starlite Diner
10. Let It Ride
11. I Taught Myself How To Grow Old
12. Goodnight Rose
13. Dear Chicago
14. Goodnight Hollywood Blvd.
15. Nightbirds
**intermission so venue could sell more beer**
16. Dear John
17. Wildflowers
18. Off Broadway
19. Two
20. The End
21. Peaceful Valley
22. What Sin Replaces Love
23. Magnolia Mountain
24. I See Monsters
Ryan stayed seated for the entire show except for when he came to the microphone at the edge of the set to deliver a howling version of "Goodnight Hollywood Blvd."
Will I still go see Ryan every chance I get? Hell yes.
The drive was ridiculous - 12 hours each way. Yeah, I know. Next time I will fly. But it was totally worth it. It was a seated acoustic show, and totally different than the HOB show earlier this year.
Set list:
1. Please Do Not Let Me Go
2. Blue Sky Blues
3. Blue Hotel
4. The Sun Also Sets
5. Cold Roses
6. Oh My God, Whatever, Etc.
7. Easy Plateau
8. Elizabeth, You Were Born To Play That Part
9. Starlite Diner
10. Let It Ride
11. I Taught Myself How To Grow Old
12. Goodnight Rose
13. Dear Chicago
14. Goodnight Hollywood Blvd.
15. Nightbirds
**intermission so venue could sell more beer**
16. Dear John
17. Wildflowers
18. Off Broadway
19. Two
20. The End
21. Peaceful Valley
22. What Sin Replaces Love
23. Magnolia Mountain
24. I See Monsters
Ryan stayed seated for the entire show except for when he came to the microphone at the edge of the set to deliver a howling version of "Goodnight Hollywood Blvd."
Will I still go see Ryan every chance I get? Hell yes.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
5 awesome things for the week
yeah, it's only wednesday. so what?
1. the cupcake shop up the road has strawberries that are stuffed with cheesecake, then dipped in chocolate. yeah, i said it. cheesecake-stuffed chocolate-dipped strawberries.
2. the lady at the sandwich shop who wondered aloud if they would make her sandwich in a bowl, with no bread. nothing like carb-fear to ruin a genius sandwich.
3. my dyson. i vacuum every day now just to see what will go flying around its crazy cyclone.
4. making mix cds. it brings me joy to impose my musical taste on other people.
5. the incredibly fit, handsome, muscular man who jogs shirtless down my road every morning. thank you.
1. the cupcake shop up the road has strawberries that are stuffed with cheesecake, then dipped in chocolate. yeah, i said it. cheesecake-stuffed chocolate-dipped strawberries.
2. the lady at the sandwich shop who wondered aloud if they would make her sandwich in a bowl, with no bread. nothing like carb-fear to ruin a genius sandwich.
3. my dyson. i vacuum every day now just to see what will go flying around its crazy cyclone.
4. making mix cds. it brings me joy to impose my musical taste on other people.
5. the incredibly fit, handsome, muscular man who jogs shirtless down my road every morning. thank you.
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