Lois and Millie

Back in August, we were introduced to our neighbor across the street, Lois. She is an older woman, now a widow. We met her because she accidentally hit my car and came over to apologize. She cried and cried, saying over and over how badly she felt about the incident. Since then, she and I will chat when we see each other outside. Once, when my dad was in the hospital, she saw me outside and came to ask if something was going on, because she was seeing me come and go so much more. She hugged me when I told her the news and offered words of encouragement. She's a great lady.

This past Saturday, we got hit with a ton of snow. I shoveled our driveway and had plans to do Lois' driveway later, after Sam and I got a little shopping done. I was telling Sam this as we began to drive away, and at that exact moment we saw Lois coming out of her house, bundled up, with a shovel. Sam hopped out of the car and said "we're just gonna grab lunch and then we will do your driveway!"

Sweet little Lois says "Okay, then I will do Millie's!" We both laughed and told her no, that we would do both.

And we did. When we got back home, Sam and I each took a driveway and got it finished.

But it kept snowing. The driveways needed to be cleared again. So when Tom came to pick me up we once again did mine, plus Lois and Millie's driveways for a second time.

Tom and I ended up having to sleep at his friends house because of the snow. When we came back the next morning, driveways all covered again. Together, we did all three again.

Later, when I was at my parents house, Sam ventured out to do one last clean up. She did ours, noticed someone had plowed Lois', and did Millie's. And that's where a little seed was planted.

Millie, who neither of us had ever seen before, invited Sam inside. She is 94 years old. She doesn't drive, Lois drives her where she needs to go. we don't think she has any family around, as the only family member she mentioned to Sam was a daughter in law in Florida. She's sick- we don't know what's wrong, but she told Sam she is not well. But then she said this "in all the years I've lived here, no one has ever helped me. I can't believe two young girls are helping me". 

Oh my God. First of all, I feel incredibly guilty. This woman lives two doors down and I didn't even know she existed until now. I could have done this for her last year but I didn't know. Secondly, how has no one else helped her? Are we all that consumed with our own lives? Yes. We are.

Sam handled it beautifully, of course, as Sam always does. She immediately wrote down our house number, names, and phone numbers for Millie and encouraged her to call us if she ever needed anything. The poor sweet thing.

Millie forced Sam to take $20. When Sam told me this she immediately followed it up with "we have to give it back to her". I already have it placed back in a Christmas card, and it is now sitting in her mailbox, with the following message

Millie- no need to pay us. We are happy to help. Let's have a cup of tea sometime. Call if you need anything. Merry Christmas! Love, the gals at 1285.

I am extremely sore right now from all the shoveling. I can feel myself getting sick. But I will continue to find ways to help these little ladies. I don't have a grandma to help or care for, but now I have two. 

I am not telling you this so you can tell me how awesome Sam and I are or to say look at all the good things we did for these ladies. I'm telling you this because it was a giant eye opener for me to realize that people need other people. We can't just ignore our neighbors. An act as small as shoveling is a life saver for someone else. It never occurred to me how much it would mean to them. I simply cannot have two old women worrying about slipping or getting out of their driveway.

I have a feeling Lois and Millie are about to become a pretty signicifant part of our lives.
Or maybe not. Maybe the relationship won't get past doing simple task for one another. But ultimately, we are weaving a story, here. I am just lucky to be part of it.

Take a look around you and see if there is anyone who could use your help. It doesn't have to be a big deal- maybe they just need you to bring them a cup of tea or to give them a hug. Just notice people. For almost two years I did not notice Millie. And I would have never reached out to Lois had she not hit my car. It's sad to admit, but true. This whole experience with them as made me more aware of others around me. Obviously I can't, and you can't, help everyone. But we can do our part in helping others to make this world a better place, don't you think?

I will use the song I always use when I think of this topic. Have a blessed week.

 

Fall Out Boy

I am going to try to write this as best I can, but I'm not sure words can capture how I feel.

My brother has always been one of my best friends. As kids we were inseparable. As teens we fought, spent days/weeks not speaking, but at the end of the day, I loved him. I cared about him, and I admired him.

I have a very clear vision of the day he introduced me to Fall Out Boy. Their first album had just dropped. It was 2003. We were in our basement and we were both working on homework. We had this giant cd player/stereo in our basement that we used all the time. It was one of those that had several different slots for cd's , so we'd put a few in at a time and shuffle it. He put in Fall Out Boy and told me I should listen. Within seconds, I was absolutely hooked. I couldn't get enough. I'd play it in my car at all times, I knew every word to every song. I was obsessed.

Ever since that day in our basement, Fall Out Boy has held a special place in my heart. I remember another time my brother told me the reason he liked them- they were different, and they made music for kids who were, too. That made sense to me. I guess I always felt "different" because of my anxiety. I had a lot of friends, but I was also lonely. I think that's why I connected so well to their music. I got it. I knew what they were singing about. So did my brother. We didn't realize it at the time, but my brother and I bonded over that music because we both felt whole when we listened to it.

I think of my brother every single time I hear a Fall Out Boy song. Even their "new stuff" that he doesn't like as much because it's Top 40. It doesn't matter. I just need to hear their band name, a song, and I go back to that day in the basement.

I love Fall Out Boy because I love my brother, and they remind me of him. I love Fall Out Boy because they speak, loudly, for what they believe in.

Last night, my best friend Sam gave me the opportunity to live in their music for a night. She won tickets through a radio contest. We got to got to a private meet and greet during the day and even though Patrick Stump (lead singer) wasn't there, we got to meet the rest of the band. It was so surreal. To be standing next to the dudes that have been a major part of my life for 11 years.

We got to go to the concert in a suite. I've never done that, and this was the best concert to do it for. I enjoyed every moment of it. I felt my heart beating faster when Fall Out Boy took the stage, and through the whole concert I was just nodding my head, tapping my feet, and smiling. When they'd do an older tune I felt a rush of emotion through my body. When they sang a new song I found myself discovering new lyrics to fall in love with.

There was about 10-15 minutes of pure joy during the show, though. It was when things got a little quiet. The band covered Drake's "Hold On We're Going Home" and then went into their own song "What A Catch, Donnie", via piano which is my favorite version of the song, which is one of my favorite Fall Out Boy songs. Some of the lyrics include "I've got troubled thoughts and a self esteem to match". For the longest time, that simple phrase summed up my own emotions. Back then I had a really hard time describing what I was dealing with to people, and when I heard that song it was like -yes. That's how I feel. Also during this set they brought Brendan from Panic! At the Disco out to sing "20 Dollar Nose Bleed", a song that he guest vocals on in the original version. It was cool to see it live- they ended with the line "have you ever wanted to disappear". The lights went out, and the band quite literally disappeared. They reappeared on a smaller stage at the back of the arena (closer to us), where they performed two acoustic songs. The first was "Me and You", and the second was "Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy". That's when I lost it. That's a song from their first album, a song that I absolutely adore, probably my favorite song. I immediately reached for my phone to call my brother so he could hear it. I had to stop tears from falling because I was brought back to being 15 and in my basement. It was perfect.

The show was amazing, and I was truly in my element. I  couldn't help but notice how young the fans were. Everyone seemed to be between the ages of 15-19. At first, I had a hard time with that. These kids were babies when the band first came out. I couldn't imagine how they could possibly appreciate the music. But then I saw them singing along to the songs- every song, even the old ones. And I realized that Fall Out Boy is gaining a new generation of fans. That these teenagers are hearing them for the first time and googling, youtubing, buying the stuff on ITunes. That made me happy. Maybe I'm "too old" for Fall Out Boy. Maybe I've outgrown it. Maybe I don't need them anymore as much as I used to. But these kids do. And I'm happy that someone is there for them and that when they get lonely and sad and feel different, they can turn on Fall Out Boy and feel accepted. That's the point, after all. My brother taught me that.

Thank you to my brother for bringing this music into my life.

Thank you Sam for being an amazing best friend and winning these tickets so that I could have a beautiful night. Thank you 98.7 Amp Radio for this opportunity and for the wonderful suite.

And thank you Fall Out Boy for being in my life for the past 11 years and for making the music the world needs to hear.

A Little Bit of Summer Makes A Lot of History

It's September 2nd. The weather is going to cool down this week. Kids are going back to school. Football has started. Starbucks is selling Pumpkin Spice Latte's again.

Guys, summer is over.

Officially.

Now, I work full time, so I don't really get a "summer" in the sense that most people think of. I can't sleep in until 10 every day, walk over to the pool, hang out poolside all day, and come back and nap on the couch with a sunburn. Instead I wake up at 5, go to the gym, then work from 8-5, sometimes longer. But I had the weekends.

So I guess summer officially starts in June, right? If that's the case, then here are my summer memories.

JP and Sara visit: My cooky brother and lovely sister in law came the first weekend in June. It's always a blast with those two around. They, along with my sister and mom, came to visit me at work. We all cooked a lovely dinner together Friday night. On Saturday (also the day we got our cat!), they came over and partied with us, my friends Dave and Katie, Alex, and Krystin. We had an amazing time, drinking, laughing, and playing games. I honest had so much fun that night and with my brother. That Sunday was Father's Day and we enjoyed  a lovely meal out.

Lizz and Brett Visit: Sam's BFF from home and my sister from another mister came to visit us in June with her husband Brett. More laughs were shared. We played guitar (well, Brett played and we watched him and sang along), walked in the rain, played games. Those two absolutely crack me up. They need to come back again soon.

Kelly Clarkson Concert: Even though this day was a hot freaking mess, Sam and I still managed to have a really good time. Sure, we missed out and meet and greets and sure, our concert was cut due to insane rain storms, but we got to see our fave gal rocking the stage and we had fun. We were close to the stage, Kell Kell waved to us and sang with us. I'll never forget that night, and I think my clothes are still soaked from all the rain!

4th of July Weekend: Despite my credit card number being stolen this weekend, we had a damn good rocking time. Our friend Brenna came in for the weekend. We grilled, cooked, baked, drank, blasted music, played with sparklers, ran around, and just had an amazing time. So happy, so full of life and love.

Ellie Goulding/Bruno Mars Concert: I had been looking forward to this for MONTHS! They are two of my all time favorite artists and I had never seen either of them live before. We walked in just as Ellie took the stage and I was jammin. Her songs are absoutley amazing and that girl can perform. And Bruno was just out of this world. I was seriously in a different element when I was watching him. It felt like I was the only person in the room and I was moving like crazy. He was amazing. Honestly. this evening was probably the best night of my summer.

Up North Trip with my Girls: Ah, such an amazing, fun, laughter filled weekend. We absolutely had the BEST time. I made new friends, laughed till my belly hurt, rode 8 miles on a bike around the island, grilled brauts with Lauren, MADE A FIRE, sang along to Disney songs. It was the happiest I had been in a while. Loved it, loved it. LOVED IT. Wish I could go back!

Birthday: So yeah, I turned 26 this summer. My real birthday celebration was going up north with my friends. But on my actual birthday I was surrounded by family and friends. We had dinner, I got some amazing gifts. I was happy happy happy. My work friend Ashley had the Taylor Swift Vinyl sent to my office. My friends and family treated me like a princess.

Christine's Bridal Shower: Had so much fun spending the day with Christine and Paul's family members and watching how happy my BFF was to be surrounded by her family and friends, preparing for her big wedding day.

Tiger's Game with my Church Group: I got involved in the young adult group at my church, and the Tigers game was one of our activities. I got to bring Tom with me, and we had a lot of fun even though the Tigers lost. He even bought me a stuffed Paws to make up for the Tigers loss :)

Dream Cruise Night: Sam, Lauren, Chris, Tom, and I spent dream cruise evening grilling outside, chowing down on delicious foods, walking on Woodward, and playing ROCKBAND. We had a lovely time. It was so chill, so fun, so full of laughs.

Crashing A Bachelorette Party: Lauren took Sam and I with her to her friends party. We didn't know the bride to be, but we made ourselves at home on the party bust, turned up the jams and had an amazing night!

Summer Softball: I absolutely love my softball team. They are the best. We've been playing together for a while, and some players have left and we've adopted new ones, but we're a team, and we act like it. Some of those people are like siblings to me. Plus I have my sister and Dave playing, and my parents as our "coaches". We had a hell of a season and wound up in 2nd place overall. I can't wait until next year.

Losing 10 lbs: My weight was becoming a problem. A big, big problem It was affecting my physical health. My mental health was causing the weight gain. I was in a horrible spot, physically and mentally. Most don't even know how bad it was. So far me to say that I have lost 10 lbs this summer, and am well on my way to losing more, is a huge accomplishment and something that make me very, very happy. My lifestyle has changed. I am better. I am healthier.

Christine's Bachelorette Party: And finally, this past weekend packed away all the summer memories. Christine, Michelle and I headed across the state to Lake Michigan for the weekend. We had a very relaxing, lovely time, spending time on the beach, at the casino, chowing down, etc. I know it's what Christine needed to refuel before she does all the last minute wedding stuff, and I'm glad we could give her a quiet, relaxing weekend. So much fun!

 I had an amazing summer. I'd like to thank everyone who was on the list that made me giggle, made me forget my problems.  Especially my roommates who were with me for almost every summer moment (seriously. Almost every single one), who made me laugh hysterically every night, who helped me have a beautiful birthday and who listen to everything I carry on about. I also want to thank Tom, who was also there for me through everything and who got me the best birthday present I have ever gotten: a record player. I could not be more grateful.

And finally, I want to thank my parents who push me and support me every single day. I have the greatest parents in the world.

So long, sweet summer 2013. Thanks for the memories.

Weekend Recap

It was yet another busy, busy weekend for us girls. Seems to be a common theme with us- always on the go!

Friday night we did just kind of hang out, our usual crew, listening to music and chatting about life while sipping on beverages. It was a late night, but a fun and low key night.

Saturday morning I woke up at 6:30 AM to get ready for the Alzheimer's Walk in Downtown Detroit. I only got about 3 hours of sleep, so I had to peel my eyes open to be ready to hang out with coworkers and walk a mile. I drove down with my coworker and friend Lynn, and we met up with a couple other coworkers. The walk was cool, and I think I can speak for all of us when I say we felt good doing it. So many of our patients have Alzheimer's, and it was special for us to be an advocate for them through walking. The walk ended at Ford Field, and we were able to actually walk around on the field. A surreal feeling, when you're on the field you see how big it really is. I kept imagining how Taylor Swift must have felt at a sold out show there. Overwhelmed, I'm sure. My coworkers and I shared a lot of stories and laughs.

When I got home, Sam, Lauren and I went to our favorite breakfast place. Then I took a really deep nap (I woke up not knowing what day it was!), forced myself to work out, and came back to get ready. The three of us headed an hour up 75 to meet Lauren's friends for a bachelorette party. In a weird small world kind of way, one of our old college buddies/roommates, who we know as "Fitz" is also friends with the bride to be, so we reunited with her for the evening. It was a little awkward at first, considering Sam and I don't know the bachelorette, but we soon fit right in. The plan was to ride a party bus and go bar hopping. Honestly, the bus was the fun part of the evening. We blasted music and danced, laughing hysterically. We did stop at two bars- one was a low key bar full of dudes, and the other a more well known bar that was pretty much empty. But we had a great time. We got back to the house we were staying and all claimed a spot to crash for the night. I was with Fitz on the couch and the last thing I remember before drifting off into dreamland is her whispering "Hi, Megan" and me giggling.

The next morning Sam, Lauren and I headed out early so we could get back and enjoy a full Sunday. The second we swung open the car doors to head inside, we were met with our neighbor. She looked at me and told me she hit my car, which is almost always in the street. She was really upset, and rightfully so. The car was barely hit, it's a small dent, but she was most upset because we don't really know each other at all, so I think she felt badly that this is how we were meeting. She also just lost her husband a few months ago, and told me that he did everything for her so she's still learning how to do things on her own- driving included. I felt awful, the poor thing was crying and shaking as she kept apologizing to me. I assured her it was fine, I wasn't worried at all about the "damage", that it wasn't a big deal and that it happens- cuz it does- our next door neighbor also tapped my car once.

When I finally calmed her down, I headed back inside with every intent to take a small nap and then go work out. But plans changed, and we found ourselves driving to the brand new, Michigan's fist Cheesecake Factory. I have visited Cheesecake Factory in Nashville and Cleveland and always wondered why Michigan did not have one. We finally opened one a week ago in Novi. People were waiting for FIVE hours that first week! We got there and got a buzzer and were told the wait was about 70 minutes- which honestly, I didn't think was that bad. Especially because the restaurant is in a mall, so we could walk around and kill time, which we did. I got face wash from Lush (my new expensive obsession) and candles from Yankee candle. We headed back to Cheesecake's waiting area and were sitting for maybe 15-20 minutes when our buzzer went off. We were seated outside, which was fine by me since it was a gorgeous day. We were starving, since we waited so long and barely ate breakfast. It was now almost 2 pm. I ordered from their skinnylicious menu- chicken potstickers and white bean chicken chili. Both were delicious- I couldn't eat all the chili and had to bring half of it home. I also ordered a slice of wild blueberry cheesecake to go. I know, I shouldn't be eating cheesecake, but I wasn't about to go to Cheesecake Factory and NOT eat it! That's like, a sin.

When we got home I did take a little nap, and then went to the grocery store for a few things that I needed. I got back, had a chat with the girls, and then made cookies for my neighbor who hit my car, Lois. I also wrote her a little note, explaining she did not need to worry about the car and that she could stop by anytime. I walked over and handed her the cookies, to which she handed me two small loaves of zucchini bread and said she was about to come over and deliver it to me! Lois invited me to sit down and we chatted for a good 25-30 minutes, for the first time ever. It was so nice to get to know her, and I feel a little better about the whole situation and knowing that I have such a lovely neighbor. She said she watches our house a lot (not in a creepy way) to make sure we're all okay, especially if she knows we're out of town. It was very sweet conversation and I have decided I am adopting her as my grandmother.

After my heart to heart with Lois I came back home and watched the VMA's with the girls. My thoughts: I don't care about Lady GaGa anymore, Miley Cyrus should be locked up, Justin Timberlake is beyond incredible, Nsync reunion was the greatest thing I've ever seen, Jennifer Hudson's surprise appearance was my favorite moment, Bruno Mars singing Gorilla made my heart stop, and Katy Perry looks good. Oh, and Taylor Swift is the Queen Bee.

This is a new week full of activities. I have a Tigers game with my coworkers tonight, planning on making dinner and going to a movie with my roomies tomorrow, possibly Kelly Clarkson concert (if ticket prices go down) Wednesday, and Softball party Thursday. Busy busy! But I wouldn't have it any other way!

Weekend Recap

What a fabulous weekend I had!

Friday I got out of work a little early, ran home and changed, and then met up with the young adult group from my church to go to the Tigers game. We piled into cars and headed Downtown. The game wasn't that great (we lost, and played horribly) but we still had fun and I was in good company. I love going to games, the atmosphere is just fun and I love being downtown.

Saturday morning I got a really good workout in, stopped at the grocery store, and then headed home for an afternoon of relaxing. It was an absolutely beautiful day weather wise, plus the Woodward Dream Cruise was happening, so I was truly in my happy place just sitting outside, and then curling up for a nap with the windows open and hearing all the music and people down the street. Eventually, we had people over for grilling and drinks. We walked around a little bit, and played Rockband. (The best video game ever). We laughed, ate delicious food, and enjoyed a beautiful summer evening. I didn't go to bed until 4 am. Party like a rockstar!

Sunday I headed over to my parents house to check on my dad who had not been feeling well. Spent a little time with them, came back home and watched Dawson's Creek. I fell asleep at one point during the show, and when I finally opened my eyes and mustered up energy, I made dinner for Sam and I, our usual Sunday night ritual. (That will change when youth group starts back up again!) I made a salad  and a wrap (recipe coming in this week's weight loss Wednesday). After dinner I was craving something sweet, so I convinced Sam to walk to Downtown Birmingham and get frozen yogurt with me. My fro yo of choice? Chocolate/Vanilla twist, Reese's peanut butter cups, peanuts, and peanut butter sauce. I know that seems a bit much for someone on a diet, but hey. I burned it off in the 2.5 mile walk there and back. :)

After our frozen yogurt outing, Lauren was back home from the Tiger's game and we all collapsed into our usual seats and popped in Silver Linings Playbook. We couldn't make it through the whole movie, though. I had only gotten about 4 hours of sleep on Saturday. I needed my sleep!

So yes, a beautiful weekend. The weather was perfect, the company was glorious and I was giddy and happy. It's a new week, full of meetings and trainings. Let's get through it!

PS: 40 days until the wedding! I got my shoes, so next step is dress alterations which I am doing this week.

Ellie Goulding/Bruno Mars concert

When I parked my car this morning, I grabbed my iced coffee and purse and ran through the doors, past our lovely receptionist and right into my coworker Sue's office. I slammed my stuff down on the table and leaned myself against the wall with the biggest smile on my face, and all I could say was "SUE".

That, my friends, is my morning after reaction to the Ellie Goulding/Bruno Mars concert.

I told you few weeks ago about my love for these artists, and mentioned that I'd be seeing them live. The concert was even better than I could have imagined.

We got there JUST in time for Ellie. The usher took our tickets as she was singing her first song. Ellie's set was about 40 minutes long, and in those 40 minutes I heard some of my favorite songs from her, including "Figure 8", "Explosions", and "Only You". She played the drums in a few of the songs and shook her hair all over the place in beat with the music. She closed her set with three of her hits- "Anything Could Happen", "Need Your Love", and "Lights". The crowd went crazy for "Anything Could Happen". It was like suddenly everyone woke up and realized who was on the stage. I was already a fan of Ellie, but now I'm an even bigger fan and want to see her live again.

We had to wait about another 40 minutes for Bruno to hit the stage, but it was well worth the wait. I'll take you through most of the concert happenings, but I just want you to know ahead of time that this is one of those concerts where I was in a complete state of bliss for 99% of the time- just one minor moment of sadness, but that will be explained in a bit.

So he opened the show with "Moonshine" and I knew immediately we were in for a treat. Bruno and his band are so in sync with one another. There are no crazy gimmicks, set changes, or backup dancers- the boys just do their thing. They dance, sing, and play instruments, and it's pretty obvious within seconds of the show how passionate they are.

Bruno's next song was "Natalie", which, is one of my favorite songs from his new album, in fact it is tied for the favorite spot. It's an angry song, but it's so upbeat and catchy that I cannot help but love it. I was happy and could have gone home right then and there just because I got to hear that song live. I can't remember the last time I had that much fun screaming angry words outloud.

Now, since some of my tweets didn't go through last night, I am not sure the exact order of the rest of the concert but I'll do my darndest to explain it to ya'll. He sang "Treasure", his latest single, which is a fun throwback type song that I blast when I hear in the car, and last night I danced my tail off to it.

Bruno sang "Billionaire", which is really the song that put him on the map when he was a guest artist on the track with Travis  McCoy. I legit almost cried because the words in that song talk about how one day he'll be famous, playing in a different city every night. And now, fours years later, here he is, playing an arena show with hundreds of people singing the words to his song. He's come so far since Billionaire!

He then sang part of "The First Time", off his debut album, and that is when I REALLY started to flip. His voice was just. Incredible. He got really into the song and it was very...intimate.

He did "Marry You", and the crowd loved it. Most people know that song, it has become a popular wedding tune and was done well on Glee.

Then Bruno did my favorite song from the new album, If I Knew. He introduced it by saying it was influenced by Motown music. Which, if you give the song a listen, is pretty obvious. It's very old school. At the end of the song he mashed it with his 2010 hit "It Will Rain", from  the Twilight Soundtrack. The two songs mashed well together and I wasn't expecting to hear "It will Rain" so I was pretty pumped. His voice in these two songs in particular was absolutely killer.

So Bru Bru took a little break from singing to interact with a lucky girl in the front row. He chatted with her and challenged his bandmates to "swoon her". One of this bandmates, Phillip, who's been around since the beginning, said the something like "you should just runaway with us" which made Bruno go into a little bit of "Runaway", a song that is not featured on his albums. It is my favorite "unknown" Bruno Song. I screamed so loud because I was NOT expecting that. In fact, earlier that night, I was explaining to Lauren how I became a Bruno Mars fan, which is that one day I was bouncing around youtube and I randomly stumbled on "Runaway". I fell in love with the voice, and that's how my love for Bruno came about. So to hear just a teaser of that song was incredible. Then, of course, they went into a fan favorite "Runaway Baby". The band really gets into that song.  The dance moves were- wow.

Can't remember when exactly he sang "Show Me", a reggae type song, but he did, and even though it's not a hit, people loved it.

Bruno took his guitar at one point and started an acoustic version of "Nothin on You", which he is again a guest vocal on for rap singer B.O.B. I loved that he did this song, and everyone in the audience did too. I think everyone had kind of forgotten about that song until we heard it again!

Then Bru Bru came out with just him and the microphone. He teased his next song by saying "this is the hardest song I've ever written, and the hardest song I ever have to perform live". It was, of course, "When I Was Your Man". For personal reasons, I hate that song, and turn it every time I hear it on the radio, so I had a difficult time functioning during the live performance of it. I had to sit down and kind of buried my head in my hands. It was a bit of a downer for me, but I cannot deny that Bruno's voice was heartbreaking and chilling as he sang it. You could tell it was very difficult for him.

Bruno got a little break after that song as his keyboard player did a killer solo. The lights turned red, and my gut told me "Grenade" was about to happen. My gut was right. Crowd went crazy and Bruno performed it in a way I can't really describe. They changed the outro a bit to drag it out, so that he kept repeating "you won't do the same" again and again. It was....amazing.

Last song before the encore was another fan favorite, "Just The Way You Are". Bruno looked so happy to sing that tune, dedicating it to us in Detroit (and yes, I realize he does that with every city, but darn it, I felt special). It was a fun little sing a long with the crowd and the band.

The lights went out and the band left the stage, but of course we knew they'd be back to sing the hit "Locked Out of Heaven", which they did, and sprayed gold glitter flakes all over the arena floor. Everyone was dancing and jumping up and down.

I really thought the show was over, and all of the sudden a neon green gorilla flashed on the screen. I. LOST. IT. I knew what was coming- the very inappropriate yet absolutely amazing song, "Gorilla". I was shocked that he closed the show with that song but honestly what better way to say goodnight than to leave us with a song like that. Well, the children and their parents in the audience probably didn't appreciate it, but I sure did.

I walked out of that show with the biggest smile. It was honestly in my top five favorite concerts, and I say that a lot, but I mean it. It was an experience. A girl walking out next to me felt the same way. I heard her say to her friend "I only knew one song, and I've been to a million concerts, but that's the best concert I've ever seen". I mean COME ON. You don't say that about a concert where you only know ONE song! Just shows how incredible he is as a performer.

It's the best $40 I've spent in a long time. I really encourage you to see Bruno if he comes to your town- Sam said so last night and I agree- this is a show you go to, no doubt about it. You go. It's entertaining, it's good music.

Can you tell I had a good time? Because I had like, a really, really good time. It was one of those nights where I was so lost in the music I didn't even care that people were probably staring at me like I was a fool.  All I know is I was with my two best friends and had one of the best times I've had in a while.

I Don't Care, I love It.

I had yet another busy, beautiful weekend.

I suppose it all started Friday afternoon. I knew my brother and sister in law (Jonathon and Sara) were coming into town, and while I was at work I was anxiously waiting 5:00 to come so I could head over to see them. But instead, they came marching in my office along with my mom, my sister and my nephew at lunch time. What a treat! I loved being able to show off my family to my coworkers. We all went to lunch at the diner next to my office. So much fun. I was insanley jealous when they left, though, knowing that they were going to be hanging out the rest of the afternoon. It was difficult to make it through the rest of the day..

When I did make it out, I headed over to my parents house. My whole family (minus my brother in law who had a work event) came together to cook a nice dinner and spend time together. We oogled over our little Ryan and caught up on each other's lives. It was such a lovely evening.

Saturday I spent most of the day running around doing errands. Oh, and we got a cat. Yep. A little black and white cat has moved into our home. His name is Binx and although we've only had him 24 hours, I can tell you he's pretty chill. Here he is

Saturday evening, us gals hosted a little party. We had been talking about trying to coordinate a bunch of people to go out to the bar, and we figured it'd be easier to just have everyone over. So, the evening was spent with some of my best friends in the entire world plus my brother and sister in law. We laughed ridiculously hard and had a crazy dance party. The night didn't end until almost 3 am. I haven't had that much fun in a while, and it was so wonderful to have everyone together and laughing so hard like that. 

Today I woke up at 7 and after an hour of laying there, peeled myself out of bed to clean up post party. After packing away the bottles, washing dishes, and picking up trash, I laid back in bed and fell asleep until noon. It was glorious. 

I ran some more errands today, mostly to pick up father's day cards. Ran into my mom in the parking lot, which was funny. Then made my way to Macaroni Grill for an early family dinner. Sat myself in between JP and Sara since I knew that this would be the last time I would see them for a while. We once again laughed during dinner, and watched my little baby nephew from the other side of the table.

I didn't want to say goodbye to JP and Sara, but, unfortunately, I had to. I just love when they come into town and when the whole family is back together. We always have the best time.

I left dinner to have one last youth group meeting. We bbq'd for the kids and just chatted about college and summer and graduation parties. It was nice. I really am going to miss those seniors. They are good kids and I hope that they take the lessons they learned in youth group on with them to their future.

Before I go I'd like to say a few words about my daddio, in celebration of Father's Day:

I can only count three or four times my dad has yelled at me. But he doesn't let me get away with anything, either. He takes a gentle approach to teach me a lesson. My dad makes me laugh, and he's often the jokester among a group. He is patient. He's sweet. He works really hard. He would do just about anything for his family. He is the one we call when we have a question about cars or banking. He listens well. He will call me at work and pretend to be someone else, just to mess with me or make me laugh. He taught us how to swing a bat, catch a ball. He took in our friends. He stands back when necessary but jumps in when he's needed. He wants to see us succeed. He's proud. He's kind. He's sort of a dog whisperer.

I'm kind of an emotional person. And when I say kind of, I mean I cried the other day when we were talking about the song "His Eye Is On The Sparrow". My older sister, on the other hand, is the opposite. I think I've seen her cry twice in my life, and even as a teenager, she was pretty chill. So my dad probably thought "why does everyone complain about teenage girls? this is a piece of cake". And then, I became a teenager. And he probably thought "Dear. God. Help. Me". I was, and still can be, an emotional wreck. But my dad was always there for me and comforted me.  And he still does. This recent headache/dizziness/sinus infection I've been dealing with has worn me out and made me worry, and Dad (and mom) have stepped up to the plate to  help me and make sure I'm okay.

I've always been a daddy's girl. That guy has my heart. He will randomly ask about my friends from elementary school or high school, and he genuinely cares. He doesn't care when my mom and I tease him and call him curmudgeon (daddio has his cranky moments) and he still coaches our softball team.

To sum it up, everyone loves him. But no one more than me.

5 Things That Make Me Happy

I was tagged by one of my new blogger friends, Dee, to participate in the blog meme "5 Things That Make Me Happy".

I decided to share some of the more recent things in my life that make me happy. I hope they bring you a little sunshine, too. And, as a bonus, I asked some questions for you to answer in the comments!


1.  Sunday night movie night.

My roomies and I have a new little tradition every Sunday night: movie night! We take turns picking a movie and then the three of us settle down in our respected seats and watch together. So far we've watched: Now and Then, Friends With Benefits, Les Mis, Silver Linings Playbook, The Wedding Date, and The Help. Once Youth Group is over for the summer I plan on cooking dinner for them every Sunday night as well.  We've sort of made an unofficial pact that we'll keep our movie night tradition. Now when I'm out running errands I find myself browsing the $5 movie bin!

What movie should I pick next?

2.  Walgreens

Everyone keeps laughing at me, but the new Walgreens by my house is fan-freaking-tastic. It's like a magical wonderland. This is not your ordinary drugstore, kids. It has a fancy beauty counter, an amazing wine selection, fresh vegetables, deli sandwiches, and SUSHI. I mean COME ON. And the pharmacy area? They have kiosks. And a leather couch. It's my favorite place to pick up things I'll need for the week. I'm in love.

I've been leery on trying the sushi from Walgreens. Should I go for it? What's the coolest thing you've found at a drugstore?


3. The Voice

Following in American Idol's footsteps, The Voice is all about the ladies this year. The guys are getting kicked off, and fast. Last week's elimination show was icky, though. My favorite, Sarah, a gal with a powerhouse voice, was sent home. I wasn't happy, and neither was Adam Levine. But, there's still some super strong contestants left in the competition. Personally, I'm rooting for Michelle.

Do you watch The Voice? Do you have a favorite?


4.  Ruzzle

I try not to start playing silly games on facebook because I know I'll get addicted. But I fell into the Ruzzle hole and I can't get out. It's a lot like Boggle- you have a board with a bunch of letters and you have to find words. In essence it doesn't SOUND that fun, but trust me, it is. I go to sleep having dreams of letters and words.

What's your favorite game to play on facebook/your phone?


5. Cupcake Wine.
Let me just explain to you how I usually drink my wine. You know those little cases that carry four mini wine bottles? I can sniff those things out. But then a friend told me about Cupcake wine, and I tried it. It's my new love. No, it doesn't taste like a cupcake. Don't get too excited. But it is sweet, smooth, crisp, and delicious. I've tried the Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Moscato. All good, but I'd pick the Chardonnay. I want to try the Angel Food one. I'm sure I will. I promise I'm not an alcoholic, but I do enjoy a glass of wine.

What is your favorite brand of wine? If you don't drink wine, what is your alcoholic beverage of choice?

I Tag:
Daye By Daye
Bread and Butter
Writing Jewels
Shari Speaks
Still Write

Colorful weekend

Note: Thank you to all who read and commented on my last post. It was an issue that hit home, and I had to speak out about it. I don't stand for bullying. That's really what the Abercrombie issue is all about. I could care less what sizes they carry, but the bullying is not okay.

Friends...this was a beautiful and colorful weekend.

I am low on funds right now, so I made quite sure to not spend a penny during the week and saved up all my cash for the weekend.  I knew it was going to be a big weekend. Luckily we had already paid for most of the things we did, so I really didn't spend much. This is the life of a 20 something, ya'll.

Friday we celebrated Lauren's birthday. Lauren is one of my two roommates and also one of my best friends. I met her six years ago through a mutual friend at a party. We hit it off right away and soon she was hanging out with Sam and I all the time. We became so close, in fact, that Lauren and I lived together the next year, along with our friend Jess. We've remained friends and live together now, too, along with Sam. It's like everything came full circle. Lauren is the funniest person I know. She can talk to anyone, she isn't afraid to be herself, she says what's on her mind. She's brave, she takes charge. She cares about people and will drop anything to help her friends. She's in love with the game of golf and with Justin Timberlake.

The three of us (Sam, Lauren, and I) had dinner at Champps, and then we saw The Great Gatsby. I've been anxiously awaiting this movie to come out. It is one of my all time favorite books. I saw the original movie in high school. I wasn't quite sure what to expect with the 2013 release. I can't compare it with the book, because if I do that, it's not nearly as good. So I will say that as a movie on it's own, it's incredible. The camerawork and creativity in the costumes and set design is outstanding. The soundtrack is flawless. The actors were wonderful. It's captivating  Lauren and Sam did not know the story and the movie kept their interest for the entire 2.5 hours. It's worth seeing, that's for sure.

It was a fun night out with my gals. I am so happy to be living with my two best friends and creating such precious memories. There are many more to come.

Saturday morning came early. Sam and I were up at 5:30 to get ready for the Color Run. We did the color run last year on my birthday, so I sort of knew what to expect. Sam's friend Patrick picked us up and we made the trek to Ypsilanti. We were there in plenty of time, which is a blessing because we were closer to the starting line. 15,000 people participated in that 5k yesterday, and they were releasing us from the starting line in wave of 1,000. So it was a relief to be some of the first.

The Color Run advertises itself as the "Happiest 5k on the planet" and it really, truly is. If you're gonna do a 5k, choose the color run. As you run/walk the course, there are stations where volunteers throw colored corn starch on you. The goal is to get as colored as possible. Everyone has a smile on their face as they make their way through the color stations. Music is blaring. Little kids giggle and tag along their parents. It is so fun you forget that you're running 3 miles.

The best part about the color run is the finish line. When I crossed I made my way through the crowd and found my friends. We headed to the stage area where runners are gathered with extra color packets. After a countdown, everyone throws their color packets into the air, creating this incredible dusty rainbow. That is when you get the most colored. We stayed there for about an hour, going through the "Color blast" three times.

Here is a picture of myself, Sam, and our friend Julie, all colored.

When we decided we were colored enough, we headed home. Sam and I took turns showering to get the color off our skin and hair. It comes off pretty easily, although blue seems to be the toughest. I still have blue on my feet and legs. Then we settled in for some nice long naps.

That night, Sam, Lauren, our friend Krystin, and I headed downtown for the Tiger's game. We met up with some other friends there, as well. It was freezing. It's not supposed to be that cold in May, but we were huddled up under hoodies, fleece jackets, and blankets, and we were still freezing. The Tigers were not playing very well, but we had fun anyways. It was Sam's first Tigers game. We cheered for our boys and people watched. Made friends with a Steve Carrell look a like. Laughed a lot.

We left in inning 6, when the Tigers were down 4-1. We very, very quickly walked back to our car. When we got there I noticed that the parking lot attendant was the same was when we pulled in. She must have been freezing, sitting there in the dark and cold. I had some extra hand warmers in my pocket, so I gave them to her. I hope they did her some good.

This is Lauren, myself, and Sam at the game

After we left, we went to our favorite coney island to grab some food since our food/sleep schedule had been so off. Then we headed back home to sip on some wine and settle in. We laughed so hard, just making silly jokes and sharing stories and pictures. I laughed so hard my face hurt. My ears burned. Just thinking about it now makes me laugh again. I love those nights. I love these friends.

Today, of course, is Mother's Day. I know we should celebrate moms all year, but I like having a special day to spoil them. I've been blessed with a wonderful mother. Here's what I wrote earlier on facebook about her:

My mom is the first person I want to talk to when I have a bad day. She is full of wisdom and humor. She understands my anxieties and calms my fears. She loves her children ans grandson and each and every student that she has taught. She wants nothing but the best for all of us. She's a Notre Dame fanatic. She cares deeply. She is a friend to many, often a rock for those in need. She's her mothers daughter. She is passionate. She is the very best.

I meant every word of that. My mom is a 2nd grade teacher (and has been for many years). The love and passion she gives out to those students and families is absolutely beautiful. I have witnessed, again and again, people coming to her in need of support and my mom so willingly lending out that support. She is one of my best friends and an amazing woman.

To celebrate today, we had a family brunch at my sister's house. This is my sister's very first mother's day, and she hosted a lovely brunch. It's wonderful to witness my sister as a mother, learning about her little boy and growing each day. She already is a great mom, and I know she will only continue to be the best mom to little Ryan. He's one lucky dude.

And now, it is Sunday evening and for the first time all weekend I don't have anywhere I have to be until tomorrow morning. My bones hurt, my muscles ache, my cheeks are wind burnt, and my eyes are heavy. But my heart is full. I loved this weekend. I love the people in my life, and I love my life.