So, another year is coming to an end. I can't believe it's been 9 months (almost to the day!) since my last post. So much has happened - I almost can't even think about it! Therefore, we're going to break it down month-by-month to get you caught up. (Not that any of you were holding your breath waiting for the update, but it's a good way for me to reminisce on my year.)
March
I left you in March shortly after my amazing experience at the Maroon 5 concert and right before the mind-boggling, awe-inspiring, indescribable experience at my first P!NK concert. It was her "The Truth About Love" Tour and.... yeah, if you weren't lucky enough to see it - I'm sorry. Let's put it this way - a few days after my mom, sister, and I attended her concert - I bought tickets for my sister, brother-in-law, and I to go to the extended leg of the tour. (The concert was supposed to be in November, but because of a vocal rest it was postponed until January and we won't be able to go.... I'm super bummed... but I'm grateful I got to see it at least once. The concert was on Epix this weekend though so I'm hoping it'll be released on DVD.) She is just so talented. She can sing (duh), dance, do acrobatics, and she is just an amazing person all around. Lora, my sister, really enjoyed the fact that she didn't want to swear because she saw there were young children in the audience so she sang the edited versions of all of her songs.
April
April brought on a few big changes to my life - I decided to add another furry four-legged child and got a dog. One of my cousin's has a Shih Tzu whom she recently started breeding and though I wanted one of the puppies from her first litter - it just didn't work out with my living situation at the time; so, I decided to get one of the puppies from the second litter. I felt like this was the right time for me and had everything in line (or so I thought) so I told my cousin I would take one and then all hell broke loose. As I've mentioned before, I lived with my great-aunt and rented out her basement and though we discussed (thoroughly) about me getting one of the puppies, she changed her mind once the decision was final... so, I moved out. There was a lot of family drama and I realized that it would be best for me to have my own place anyway. So, in late April me and "the kids" moved to a studio apartment in Burnsville.
May
May was spent settling in to the new place and getting used to having a puppy in my life. The last time I had a puppy in my life was in 3rd grade when we got our Dakota. Of course back then my parents did all of the hard work - so taking care of Percy was definitely a new experience. Though I loved my pupper and enjoyed the challenge, it did make me realize I would never want kids - I like my sleep too much.
June
By the time June came around, I felt like we had a pretty good routine. I was liking my new apartment a lot (though I was NOT a fan of the management) and "the kids" were starting to get along a little better. (I think the cats realized the Percy wasn't going to go away anytime soon.) Of course during this time I was still working at AV and though I enjoyed my colleagues, I wasn't sure about my job. I really wanted to take the next step but wasn't sure I would have the opportunity and started looking for a new job.
July
In July, I was approached by my manager about an interim opportunity in Mankato for an assistant manager position. Of course it would just be temporary, but it sounded like a good way to get me to the next step. My manager advised that he thought it would be good for me - but would be a lot of hard work since I would be commuting. Still, I decided to risk it and apply; and, I got the job! Shortly after I started in mid-July, the other assistant stepped down which meant even longer hours as we were now down a manager. That meant that "the kids" were shipped to Mom and Dad's as I was working up to 20 hours a day when you include the commute. (It wasn't all work though, I did get the chance to attend The Package Tour with Dad on July 20th and took part of my first Color Run on July 14th. Both amazing experiences. I had so much fun with both and our seats at the concert were the best I've ever had. Nine rows from the floor!)
August and September were pretty much a blur. I spent both months commuting between Burnsville, Mankato, Olivia, and eventually Jackson as Mom and Dad moved to a new house at the end of September.
October
In October I was offered an official Assistant Manager position with Mankato, which was exciting and terrifying all at the same time. As I had just signed a lease in Burnsville in April, it was a hard decision but I finally decided to accept. That meant mid-to-end of October was spent finding a place to live (on top of working long hours...) October 19th I finally got a break though when Dad, Mom, Lora, Chris (my brother-in-law), and Bruce (a cousin) flew down to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico for a week-long vacation. Luckily I found a place shortly before we left so I could have a completely stress-free week.
November
As soon as we got back from Mexico it was off to pack up at Burnsville and prepare the apartment in Mankato. (I found a place through a friend of the family and let's just say it needed a little TLC.) I moved into the new apartment in mid-November and have been slowly working on it ever since. It also didn't help that I found out my pacemaker was conking out after 8 years and needed to be replaced. I had my pacemaker generator replaced two days before Thanksgiving - and though I had a great doctor and a lot of love and care from my family, recovery did not go as smoothly as expected. It kept me out of work a little longer than I was expecting and put a bit of a damper on getting the apartment together - but it's coming along nicely and I do like it a lot.
Now I'm just typing a quick update as I watch the Saints vs. Panthers game at Mom and Dad's in Jackson. I came home to pick up "the kids" as Mom and Dad were stuck watching them while I recuperated. I better get going though as it's been snowing all day and it's probably going to be a long drive home.
Wish me luck. Thanks for reading the update.
I promise I'll be back on before nine months have passed (cause I miss so much otherwise - plus, I have some big stuff coming up in January like NITRO CIRCUS LIVE!!!)
Talk to you then. Thanks again!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Sunday, December 8, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Maroon 5
So, I've been lucky enough to go to a decent amount of concerts in my life; and, one of my favorite parts about going to a concert is talking to your friends or family or whomever who attended the concert with and reliving the best moments. This past week, I went to my first Maroon 5 concert and because of certain circumstances - I went by myself. Though at first the idea of me going to a concert by myself scared the living beejeesus out of me, (worst part? Finding parking, of course!) I actually found it to be quite liberating! It's so nice to scream and holler and sing along and be that obnoxious fan without having to worry that your friends or family are completely losing all respect for you. The only bad thing... I didn't have anyone to talk to about best moments, what I enjoyed, etc. So - that's what this blog post is going to be about... so, if you don't care about concerts or hate Maroon 5 or just don't want to hear me talk about how cute, sexy, or adorable Adam Levine is (and was that night), you can wait until my next post.
Owl City
Though I've never been a huge Owl City fan, I will say that the song "Fireflies" is insanely addicting and one of those songs that I can listen to over and over and over and over again and not really get sick of it. I mean, when it starts I'm like, "Crap, this song again." but I realize as the song is ending that I've listened to it yet again. So, Owl City is the first act and it was really cool since the lead singer is from Minnesota (the whole group may be, I'm not sure... I just know the lead singer is from Owatonna, I'm pretty sure.) So yeah, having a hometown boy opening for Maroon 5 was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed when they performed "Fireflies" cause they actually had everyone hold up their phones so it looked like there were fireflies throughout the entire Xcel Energy Center. Very cool. I didn't really know a lot of the other songs - just "Shooting Star" and "Good Time", which is always fun to sing and dance to, but considering the band mostly stayed in the background where you didn't really see them, the lead singer was able to keep everyone entertained by running our the stage (which was shaped like an "M").
Neon Trees
The next opening act was Neon Trees. I have their first CD, but not their newest - though, I will say I love, love, love "Everybody Talks". So, I would say I enjoy their music, but didn't really consider myself a fan. I was definitely more excited to see them than Owl City, but thought they would just be an opening act where I would know a couple more of their songs. One thing I didn't realize before the concert was that the girl is actually their drummer (I've seen pics of the band, but none of their videos or them actually performing.) That girl, I think her name is Elaine, is SO kickass. I adore her! She has an amazing voice and goes absolutely insane on the drums. Total props and admiration. Love her! Love the group! Love, love, love everything about them. The set was amazing and they were able to take their hits (such as "Animal" and "Everybody Talks") and add little inflections while being true to the radio version. I must say, the entire group was awesome, but it was really Elaine and the lead singer (Tyler?) who kept the crowd entertained. Tyler's dancing = jealousy-inducing. Yeah, it's that awesome. They also did a cover of "Don't You Want Me" which just made everyone's night - or, at least, should have.
Both of the opening acts did 30 min. sets with a 30 min. break between to redress the stage. Then, 30 min. after Neon Trees it was time for...
Maroon 5!!!!
Yes, there was ear-shattering screaming; and, though I have found that a lot of people aren't fans (I really don't get why not... but people make fun of my taste in music all of the time), I have been a fan since "Songs About Jane". I will say, until recently (and yes, perhaps by watching "The Voice" and finding that Adam not only has some amazingly good looks, but also has a pretty awesome personality made a big difference) I didn't have them on the top of my Concerts I Must Attend list, I have always purchased their CDs and love almost all of their songs. So, even though my expectations were pretty high (1. Because I haven't been to a concert in awhile, and 2. Because Neon Trees KILLED it just 30 min. prior) I was pleasantly surprised for sure. First off, Adam was great at giving the fans what we wanted - after the first song he stripped of his black (pretty sure it was) leather jacket and that just left him in a black t-shirt and (again, pretty sure) leather pants. Then after a few songs he took a towel to wipe of the sweat and threw it to the first row. (I'm pretty sure when he did that I heard the entire Xcel Energy Center collectively give a daydreaming sigh...) Their set was really well done - they started out with "Payphone" and then did a nice mix of old vs. new, ballads vs. upbeat. Near the end of their set they even had a bridge from the main stage to a mini stage in the middle of the floor were Jimmy V. (the lead guitarist) and Adam did an acoustic version of "She Will Be Loved"... this was done after Adam advised everyone that he thought men who attended Maroon 5 concerts were the smartest people in the world. (I believe his exact words after having all 18+ year old girls to scream were, "Gentlemen, start your engines.") Overall, I felt like they did a great job of making it feel like they were having a ton of fun and we were just part of the party. They actually performed "Stereo Hearts", too, and Adam even did the rapping normally done by Travie McCoy. I had a blast. They did the usual sing-a-longs and introducing of the band but their whole stage layout and everything just felt fresh to me (maybe I just haven't been to a concert in too long of a time.... luckily, I'm going to another in about a week-and-a-half!) It was fun. I haven't really been to a concert where it's an actual band. I have been to boy band concerts, singer-songwriter concerts, and my last concert was B.B. King. I guess the closest would've been David Garrett, but that concert was in a much smaller venue.
P!NK
So, as I mentioned above, I have another concert coming up in about a week-and-a-half and this is a concert I've been looking forward to for over a decade. (Yes, literally. I'm completely serious.) I'm actually going to this one with my mom and my sister so I'll be able to relive my favorite memories with them, but I may still document them... so, I lied. If you actually made it through this post, you may want to skip my next one, too cause I'm assuming it's going to be about the P!NK concert... though, I do have a few things from my life to update - but since I'm on a relatively long stretch right now (work-wise) I'm going to head to bed for the night... so maybe my next post with be about another concert or maybe I'll give you all a treat (yes, sarcasm) and write before then... only time will tell!!!
Night all of you boring people who actually read this stuff! haha. Just kidding. I do appreciate the support.
Peace and love!
Owl City
Though I've never been a huge Owl City fan, I will say that the song "Fireflies" is insanely addicting and one of those songs that I can listen to over and over and over and over again and not really get sick of it. I mean, when it starts I'm like, "Crap, this song again." but I realize as the song is ending that I've listened to it yet again. So, Owl City is the first act and it was really cool since the lead singer is from Minnesota (the whole group may be, I'm not sure... I just know the lead singer is from Owatonna, I'm pretty sure.) So yeah, having a hometown boy opening for Maroon 5 was pretty awesome. I really enjoyed when they performed "Fireflies" cause they actually had everyone hold up their phones so it looked like there were fireflies throughout the entire Xcel Energy Center. Very cool. I didn't really know a lot of the other songs - just "Shooting Star" and "Good Time", which is always fun to sing and dance to, but considering the band mostly stayed in the background where you didn't really see them, the lead singer was able to keep everyone entertained by running our the stage (which was shaped like an "M").
Neon Trees
The next opening act was Neon Trees. I have their first CD, but not their newest - though, I will say I love, love, love "Everybody Talks". So, I would say I enjoy their music, but didn't really consider myself a fan. I was definitely more excited to see them than Owl City, but thought they would just be an opening act where I would know a couple more of their songs. One thing I didn't realize before the concert was that the girl is actually their drummer (I've seen pics of the band, but none of their videos or them actually performing.) That girl, I think her name is Elaine, is SO kickass. I adore her! She has an amazing voice and goes absolutely insane on the drums. Total props and admiration. Love her! Love the group! Love, love, love everything about them. The set was amazing and they were able to take their hits (such as "Animal" and "Everybody Talks") and add little inflections while being true to the radio version. I must say, the entire group was awesome, but it was really Elaine and the lead singer (Tyler?) who kept the crowd entertained. Tyler's dancing = jealousy-inducing. Yeah, it's that awesome. They also did a cover of "Don't You Want Me" which just made everyone's night - or, at least, should have.
Both of the opening acts did 30 min. sets with a 30 min. break between to redress the stage. Then, 30 min. after Neon Trees it was time for...
Maroon 5!!!!
Yes, there was ear-shattering screaming; and, though I have found that a lot of people aren't fans (I really don't get why not... but people make fun of my taste in music all of the time), I have been a fan since "Songs About Jane". I will say, until recently (and yes, perhaps by watching "The Voice" and finding that Adam not only has some amazingly good looks, but also has a pretty awesome personality made a big difference) I didn't have them on the top of my Concerts I Must Attend list, I have always purchased their CDs and love almost all of their songs. So, even though my expectations were pretty high (1. Because I haven't been to a concert in awhile, and 2. Because Neon Trees KILLED it just 30 min. prior) I was pleasantly surprised for sure. First off, Adam was great at giving the fans what we wanted - after the first song he stripped of his black (pretty sure it was) leather jacket and that just left him in a black t-shirt and (again, pretty sure) leather pants. Then after a few songs he took a towel to wipe of the sweat and threw it to the first row. (I'm pretty sure when he did that I heard the entire Xcel Energy Center collectively give a daydreaming sigh...) Their set was really well done - they started out with "Payphone" and then did a nice mix of old vs. new, ballads vs. upbeat. Near the end of their set they even had a bridge from the main stage to a mini stage in the middle of the floor were Jimmy V. (the lead guitarist) and Adam did an acoustic version of "She Will Be Loved"... this was done after Adam advised everyone that he thought men who attended Maroon 5 concerts were the smartest people in the world. (I believe his exact words after having all 18+ year old girls to scream were, "Gentlemen, start your engines.") Overall, I felt like they did a great job of making it feel like they were having a ton of fun and we were just part of the party. They actually performed "Stereo Hearts", too, and Adam even did the rapping normally done by Travie McCoy. I had a blast. They did the usual sing-a-longs and introducing of the band but their whole stage layout and everything just felt fresh to me (maybe I just haven't been to a concert in too long of a time.... luckily, I'm going to another in about a week-and-a-half!) It was fun. I haven't really been to a concert where it's an actual band. I have been to boy band concerts, singer-songwriter concerts, and my last concert was B.B. King. I guess the closest would've been David Garrett, but that concert was in a much smaller venue.
P!NK
So, as I mentioned above, I have another concert coming up in about a week-and-a-half and this is a concert I've been looking forward to for over a decade. (Yes, literally. I'm completely serious.) I'm actually going to this one with my mom and my sister so I'll be able to relive my favorite memories with them, but I may still document them... so, I lied. If you actually made it through this post, you may want to skip my next one, too cause I'm assuming it's going to be about the P!NK concert... though, I do have a few things from my life to update - but since I'm on a relatively long stretch right now (work-wise) I'm going to head to bed for the night... so maybe my next post with be about another concert or maybe I'll give you all a treat (yes, sarcasm) and write before then... only time will tell!!!
Night all of you boring people who actually read this stuff! haha. Just kidding. I do appreciate the support.
Peace and love!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Ahhh... New Year. Fresh Start?
Alright peeps,
Well, believe it or not - one of my 2013 Intentions was to blog more... so, having my first blog post on the 50th day of the year is pretty good, right? I guess it depends on who you ask. I am proud to say that this is my second Intention that I've started though, which considering my list is about is long as my leg, probably isn't great; but, I still have 10 1/2 more months to do the rest. If you're wondering, the other one I've actually started is to cook more food for myself instead of eating out or going the the drive-thru. That Intention has gone really, really well so far (if I may say so myself). A lot of my other Intentions are the same as they are every other year, but since I'm not in the mood to feel like a failure right now - I'll mention those when I actually start them.... if I start them. One new thing that I did start but didn't intend on was becoming a mentor. Yep, that's right - when I got the call, I was almost more freaked out than when I was told I was going to be a Godparent. I don't understand people trusting me to be in other people's lives! I'm just kidding. Honestly, the mentoring thing isn't a huge deal. Basically, someone asked me to mentor a Sophomore from my old college as he is looking to major in a business field. I got to meet him early February and it was awesome. He's such a bright kid. When I was in college I had a mentor during my Junior year and we didn't keep in touch. I'm hoping that doesn't happen with my mentee as I look forward to watching him succeed and getting his dream job. Also, being a part of the program has started me thinking about what I want to do and what truly is MY dream job.... I'll keep you guys updated.
On a completely different but sort of same topic, one of my best friends has recently gotten in contact with her birth mother. They've been sending letters back and forth and that is pretty awesome. Honestly, before now I haven't really thought about my birth family and whether or not I'd be interested in contacting them, but now... I don't know. I guess I still don't really feel a strong pull to get to know my birth family - but I guess I have thought about it a little. It's kind of cool that my friend gets to ask the questions she's had her whole life and actually getting the answers - but then again, I don't really have questions. I've been lucky enough to have a father, a mother, a sister, and now a brother... I guess I don't really feel like I missed out on anything. Not saying that my friend did miss out on anything, but I think maybe she felt like that a little bit... and I just don't. So, I guess it's not really something I'm interested in still... but if that changes... I'll keep you guys updated.
Other than that, not a whole lot has changed since my last post. I'm still having a hard time figuring out who and what I want in my life - but everyone goes through that, right? (Damn you, emotional growing pains!) I'm just trying to focus on my 2013 Intentions List and making it through one day at a time. Today was just trying to check something off, get out a little internal talk, and now I'm going to watch some more "One Tree Hill", do some laundry, feed my cats, and go to bed... next time hopefully I'll have something more worthwhile to say... I'll keep you updated.
Well, believe it or not - one of my 2013 Intentions was to blog more... so, having my first blog post on the 50th day of the year is pretty good, right? I guess it depends on who you ask. I am proud to say that this is my second Intention that I've started though, which considering my list is about is long as my leg, probably isn't great; but, I still have 10 1/2 more months to do the rest. If you're wondering, the other one I've actually started is to cook more food for myself instead of eating out or going the the drive-thru. That Intention has gone really, really well so far (if I may say so myself). A lot of my other Intentions are the same as they are every other year, but since I'm not in the mood to feel like a failure right now - I'll mention those when I actually start them.... if I start them. One new thing that I did start but didn't intend on was becoming a mentor. Yep, that's right - when I got the call, I was almost more freaked out than when I was told I was going to be a Godparent. I don't understand people trusting me to be in other people's lives! I'm just kidding. Honestly, the mentoring thing isn't a huge deal. Basically, someone asked me to mentor a Sophomore from my old college as he is looking to major in a business field. I got to meet him early February and it was awesome. He's such a bright kid. When I was in college I had a mentor during my Junior year and we didn't keep in touch. I'm hoping that doesn't happen with my mentee as I look forward to watching him succeed and getting his dream job. Also, being a part of the program has started me thinking about what I want to do and what truly is MY dream job.... I'll keep you guys updated.
On a completely different but sort of same topic, one of my best friends has recently gotten in contact with her birth mother. They've been sending letters back and forth and that is pretty awesome. Honestly, before now I haven't really thought about my birth family and whether or not I'd be interested in contacting them, but now... I don't know. I guess I still don't really feel a strong pull to get to know my birth family - but I guess I have thought about it a little. It's kind of cool that my friend gets to ask the questions she's had her whole life and actually getting the answers - but then again, I don't really have questions. I've been lucky enough to have a father, a mother, a sister, and now a brother... I guess I don't really feel like I missed out on anything. Not saying that my friend did miss out on anything, but I think maybe she felt like that a little bit... and I just don't. So, I guess it's not really something I'm interested in still... but if that changes... I'll keep you guys updated.
Other than that, not a whole lot has changed since my last post. I'm still having a hard time figuring out who and what I want in my life - but everyone goes through that, right? (Damn you, emotional growing pains!) I'm just trying to focus on my 2013 Intentions List and making it through one day at a time. Today was just trying to check something off, get out a little internal talk, and now I'm going to watch some more "One Tree Hill", do some laundry, feed my cats, and go to bed... next time hopefully I'll have something more worthwhile to say... I'll keep you updated.
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