good-music-pallooza

I know, I know. It's felt like centuries since I've updated. I told you I was bad at this. But I swear to keep up with it better now! Scout's honor!

So tonight, Brooke and I had dinner at Terri's place, and after we ate we got talking about concerts. And as it turns out, there is a whole slew of great ones coming up! And the mere thought of a good concert gets me uber-excited about life. (If you want to go to any of these, I plan on going to them all so hit me up!)

One of them is Keith Urban and Sugarland. The part about Sugarland I'm not dying to see. I'm not a huge fan of the lead singer. The thickness of her accent when she sings is sometimes over the top, and rumor has it she worships the devil, which makes me a little uneasy about her. (Ask Brooke about the devil worshipping thing). But Keith Urban more than makes up for that!

Another is (drum roll please!)........NO DOUBT. That's right, No Doubt is back together and comin to Charlotte. I about fell over when I heard it because not only are they awesome, but the band and their songs are in a good many of my childhood memories, and few things make me happier than getting nostalgic. Plus, Paramore is opening for them. HELLOOOO Paramore is so amazing. That is gonna be one hellagood (yes, pun intended) concert!

And the last one that gets me all giddy is Little Texas. Now, you may not know who Little Texas is right off that bat, unless like me, you listened to nothing but country music when you were a youngster. I literally listened to nothing else. I think it was because country was deemed as being a lot more PG than other genres of music and not as boring for a kid as classical. But for whatever reason, country music was my world. And Little Texas was one of the bands that graced my country phase.

Not only is it cool that they are touring, but they are coming to little ole Rock Hill. That's right - no BiLo Center in Greenville or Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Charlotte. They will be playing one street over from where I work in Downtown Rock Hill. The City of Rock Hill should be giving themselves major kudos right now for pulling off that caliber of a concert in our suburb (they are also bringing Marshall Tucker Band if you like them).

I'll leave you with my favorite song by Little Texas - "What Might Have Been". If you know ANYTHING by Little Texas, you know this song (or "God Bless Texas"). I honestly believe this is one of the greatest songs ever crafted. For your added entertainment, please note the hair of the band members, thus undeniably identifying the decade that this song came out in. ENJOY!

Little Texas More CMT Music More CMT Music Videos

"Just because it's low impact doesn't mean you won't get...high results"

I've been thinking a lot lately that I'm pretty tired of being lazy. I hate to exercise. And I love to eat. Bad combination. I have a gym membership, but I haven't been to the gym in about 6 months (maybe more). That's crazy, but honestly the only time I can go to the gym is right after work, and my gym is kinda far away, so it takes about 20 min to get there in the rush hour traffic. Then when I finally get there, I feel like since I've driven all the way out there I need to get a REALLY good workout in. So I work out for an hour - 1.5 hours, then drive 20 more minutes home. But I'm really sweaty and I HATE to feel gross, so I gotta take another shower. By the time all of that is done its 8pm and most of my night is totally wasted. Plus most days, work drains me so much that I just can't get the motivation to go. SO, there is my problem. I would love to have a treadmill or an elliptical machine in my house but a) there isn't enough room and b) i don't have that kind of money. But it would be nice because I could eliminate all that time spent driving to and from the gym, I can do it whenever the mood strikes me, and I can do it for a bit before I get my shower in the morning, thus eliminating the two showers per day thing.

So what did I do, you ask? I did a little research online about collapsible gym equipment (ya know the stuff they advertise can fold down and "fit under your bed"). Well all of the larger machines like that are pretty expensive, plus there isn't much selection. I guess anything that can fold down isn't, perhaps, the sturdiest of machines. But I did stumble upon one little contraption on the Sears website that looked promising.


It's called the Nordic Track Mini-Stepper. It got super great user reviews online, so I decided to give it a whirl. So I dragged Brooke out to the mall with me and purchased one. It was only about $60. I was super excited about my new purchase, so I busted it out of the box, slipped on my new balances and hopped on. All it is is the pedals off a stair master with resistance bands attached for your arms. It has a timer and it counts your calories and strides, so that's pretty cool. It looks like you would have problems falling off because of no handles, but it's actually very easy to keep your balance. And to make it more challenging, I vary my pace, and I constantly use the resistance bands to work different parts of my arms, and I twist from side to side to work my obliques. The day after my first try on it, I felt like I had had a run-in with Chris Brown (ha ha that was bad). But that's good because I knew it worked a lot of muscles and stuff.

I would definitely recommend it if you don't have the space (or money) to purchase a large piece of equipment. I've had it for about a week and a half and I've tried using it most days, so I'll let you guys know if I start to see any weight loss. I do need to get my diet in check, which I am going to start doing this week, so I probably won't start seeing results til after that. But I'll keep ya posted!

And so in the spirit of exercise, I will leave you with one of my favoritist videos EVER. It's an SNL digital short featuring Drew Barrymore, and it's where the title of my blog comes from. Enjoy!

"Honestly Mom, I swear I didn't know there was a sexy song on this CD when I bought it!"

I love love love the music/album posts, so I knew I wanted to do mine. My list is a compilation of 15 albums, artists, and/or particular songs. A lot of them are very old school, but that's what makes them fun. Without further ado, here is my life in music:


1) TLC - CrazySexyCool
First CD I ever bought after I finally got a CD player when I was in either 5th or 6th grade. My mom was in my room the first time I listened to it. I just bought it for "Waterfalls" and "Creep"...then Red Light Special came on and she kinda freaked out (if you don't know what that song is about...just know it contains the lyrics "i'll let you touch it if you'd like to go down" 'Nuff said.) Whoops?


2) Richard Marx
I love 80's music. I adore it. And Richard Marx is the culmination of my love for 80's music. His ballads move me. (Stop laughing!) I want "Now and Forever" to be played at my wedding. Seriously.

3) Space Jam Soundtrack
Did anyone actually see this movie? (Or if you did see it, did anyone actually like it?) I remember is listening to this cd over and over with my friends and everyone dancing awkwardly at the 7th grade dance to "I Believe I Can Fly."


4) Hanson - MMMbop
Come on....you can't say this wasn't a MAJOR part of your puberty years. (I wasn't a Taylor fan like most of my friends. I inexplicably preferred Isaac.)

5) Dixie Chicks
Their first two albums were sooo amazing. I still listen to "Fly" all the time, and I would listen to "Wide Open Spaces" if I hadn't worn it out so badly that it skips constantly. Boo.

6) Starship - "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now"
Just in case you didn't already know, this is my favorite song of all time. Again, goes back to my ridiculous love of 80's music. It's also on the sound track to the movie "Mannequin" which just adds to its awesomeness.

7) Michael Jackson - HIStory
He might be wacko, but Jacko is a musical genius. This album has every single hit that he had out. Thus it is fantastic (and very singalongable).

8) 98 Degrees - 98 Degrees and Rising
HOLY CRAP I LOVED THEM. I was not too big into Backstreet Boys or NSYNC, but man did I love these guys. My friend Melissa and I got 7th row seats to see them at our state fair one year, and it was amazing. (This one girl in the row in front of us had a sign that said "Nick show us your 'Hardest Thing!'" Ew.)

9) Waiting To Exhale Soundtrack
I never saw this movie, and probably never will. But I got this soundtrack when Whitney Houston was the bomb. And so is this soundtrack. Brandy, Toni Braxton....can't go wrong.

10) Damien Rice - O
I love the simplicity of his music and voice yet how powerful the songs are. The music on this CD just soothes me.

11) Dashboard Confessional
I remember the first time I heard Chris Carrabba's voice. I was in my friend/ex-bf Taylor's house with April and Amanda and he told us we had to hear this song called "Screaming Infidelities" by Dashboard Confessional. I loved it, but looking back, that is one of my lesser favorite DC songs. Such great music.

12) Jimmy Eat World - "Bleed American"
They are probably one of my alltime favorite bands. I remember seeing them in concert and everyone jumping up and down during "The Sweetness." My favorite song of theirs, "For Me This is Heaven" is unfortunately not on this album.

13) The Format
This band is a tad off beat but I love them. Just love them. I discovered them opening up for a Switchfoot concert (another fabulous band).


14) Sam & Ruby
Brooke is probably the only other person who knows this duo (she calls them Max & Ruby. like the kids cartoon. get it? ha.). I listen to their EP on repeat in the car. Check them out on MySpace.

15) Twilight Soundtrack
Ok, I listen to this CD way too darn much. I even like the Linkin Park song. And the Paramore songs are just great (like pretty much all of Paramore's songs). What can I say? I'm a Twi-hard through and through.

"Thank heavens I can finally pee standing up! My prayers have been answered!"

Earlier today, as I was scanning D-Listed (a celebrity gossip/other interesting random news website that I personally find a lot funnier than Perez Hilton), I saw an entry about a little device known as Go Girl. It looks like this:
What on earth could this odd pink device be used for, you ask? Is it a new age spitball launcher? A funky, fashion forward hat of sorts? A modern lounge chair for your dollhouse? No, friends, it is none of the above. This handy-dandy little booger is used to make it possible for a girl to pee standing up. Yes, you heard correctly - now females all over the world will no longer have to waste time crafting a toilet paper barrier between your butt and the toilet seat. No more will you have to dread going on camping trips, fearing leg cramps from having to squat over a bush. You can stand up right next to your boyfriend and pee standing up! Heck - you could probably even sneak in the boys restroom and use the urinals! As instructed on their website, simply plug your peehole with the Go Girl and whizz away! The funnel makes it possible to aim your pee wherever you wish - in the toilet, in the bushes, or on the foot of the unsuspecting person in the stall next to you.

..........

They can't be serious. Now, as someone who is a total germ-o-phobe, you'd think I'd love this product. (not having to sit down on the seat in the dirty public bathroom, and the website claims that the silicone funnel is "germ resistant") Not so. I can just picture the whole bacteria-filled nightmare of trying to use this contraption. First off, I don't see how without extensive practice, you wouldn't just pee all over your hand every single time, just trying to get it lined up with the opening. They say if that happens, you haven't created a "seal" between the funnel and yourself. Let's entertain the idea that you do create such a "seal" and pee successfully standing up or in whatever position you want to try out. Even if you didn't pee all over your hand...there will inevitably be pee IN the Go Girl. They say you can put it in a little baggie and stick it back in your purse for later use. WTF?! I'm not putting something I peed into in my purse...with my lipgloss, hairbrush, keys, phone, etc. Maybe it's because I'm so sensitive about germs...but this crap grosses me out.

"You are cordially invited to my Pity Party! Please RSVP by next Thursday!"

So I guess my title says it all. There will be b*tching. There will be moaning. You have been warned.

My job is driving me INSANE. Normally, I'm a very positive person - always trying to see the upside. But I'm telling you, right now, there is no seeing this cup as half full. It is slowly shredding the remaining threads of my nerves and sanity and I'm not sure what to do about it. I thought about applying for another job..but the company turned right around and filed for bankruptcy. Whew...glad I didn't go there. It just wares on you when you bust your rump every single day, only to be treated like an irresponsible child that has to be checked in with constantly. I come in early, stay late, skip lunch breaks to work, and at the current time, not only take on my job...but most of the job of my coworker who is out on maternity leave. Then to be treated as though non of that matters and that I am completely untrustworthy and must be carefully monitored. I feel as though I take on a great deal of responsibility at my job and are rarely shown any sort of appreciation. Only reprimanded when a unimportant task inevitably falls through the cracks. I just...am really sort of miserable there. I feel like it is draining the life out of me.

Thus there is a ripple effect. I guess I am just in one of those slumps right now, where everything just seems crappy. I feel like everywhere I turn, something is there to kick me in the shin and just weigh my heart down. Even something simple like the fact that my blogger won't show me you guys' updates on my dashboard makes me just depressed and annoyed.

And this is sort of stemming from Paige's last post. Valentine's Day and other holidays of the like seem to bring on a question that I used to not mind, but slowly is becoming my least favorite question and is likely to get you a dirty look or punched square in the nose. "When are you and Cory getting married?" Sheesh....your guess is as good as mine. I've been thinking its been on the horizon for a while now...only to have months pass by with nothing. The thing that makes me crazy is that we talk about it a great deal. But until recently, I never really realized that it's always like "when we get married, one day when we're married" but it's never had a concrete time on it. People are starting to look at me funny when I tell them we've been together over 4 years and that we aren't engaged. Don't get me wrong, I don't care what other people think about it, but I can't help that the questions have slowly begun to put tiny cracks in my confidence in our future. I'm ready, and I love him. He's my soulmate and I don't doubt that for a second. But my doubt is with him....what's stopping him? Does he not feel the same? We've been talking about it for so long, and I have been ready all this time. I'm starting to feel like I'm waiting for a bus that will never come. We're just doomed to have this akward coexistence that consists of taking turns driving to each others places each night and having him come over to use my washer and dryer. I just don't get it and it really takes a chunk out of my heart and self esteem.

Bah....I hate to sound all whiny and mopey. It's just how I'm feeling at the moment. Just pray for me.

that's amore

Geez. I'm really sorry that for the past week or so I've been M.I.A. (fly like paper get high like planes). I guess I sorta like going a while without checking blogs, because it means when I do get a chance...I get to read a whole bunch all at once!

So I loved seeing your posts with past boyfriends and crushes, so I thought I'd put together a little highlight reel of my own love life. (I can't include them all - I was quite boy crazy throughout school so we'd be here all night if I scrolled through every last one.)

Let's start at the beginning.


This is James. He was my very first boyfriend. We dated in 8th grade....if you can call it dating. We rarely hung out outside of school, and he moved to Mississippi while we were dating...and I didn't know about it til everyone else did. But I had a huge crush. I remember he asked me out while we were in line to have our school pictures made. I loved his sense of humor. (Obviously).


This is Jeffrey. I didn't date him...but I REALLY REALLY wanted to. He was the freaking love of my middle school (and some high school) life. He was in the band and I used to wander around at the football games during the band break just so I could have the chance of seeing him. He was a cutie, and what was even better is that although he was really popular and I wasn't, he always went out of his way to be nice to me and talk to me. Amazing guy.



This is Christopher (and his fiance Meagan). He was my first longterm boyfriend (dated for about a year in high school). He was gorgeous. But we butted heads sometimes. We also had a long distance relationship. And like most relationships of that kind...it didn't work out. But I think it was my first really mature relationship because we had to keep it together without seeing each other all the time. I have some good memories of my time with him.


This is Taylor (the one in the center with the crazy hair and big smile). He is one of my favoritest people on the friggin planet. We dated for a short month in 11th grade. We were super close friends, and flirted a great deal in history class, so we decided to give dating a shot. We realized quickly that we were friends and only friends. One of the most genuine people I've ever encountered. His enthusiasm for life inspires me.

The last on my exes list will not be shown (I think we all probably have one of these). I have to admit, although I am over him, and have been for quite some time, I'm afraid the wound he left in my heart will always sting when I see a picture of him or think about that time in my life. The twinge is full of dull pain, and mostly regret. A lot of regret. Regret for my actions while we were involved...I am not proud of the person I was when I was with him. I did some really crappy things and hurt several people all in the name of what I thought was love (I was told later that it was not love on his part and my heart was subsequently shattered). Regret for how things turned out...that he is the only ex of mine that I have nothing to do with, and probably never will. Regret that our relationship and its repercussions will always be somewhere in the back of my mind. I think that when I'm at low points and the devil wants to kick me when I'm down....he reminds me of all this.

But there is one thing I don't regret about my time with him. It was through him that I met Cory. And I can never regret what brought me to meet my soulmate. That despite every bad choice I made with him and all the hurt that we caused, I think it somehow strengthened my bond with Cory and helped me understand what it is to truly love someone, unconditionally and with a forgiving heart. And for that, I am truly thankful.

"i'll get a subway club and she'll get a knuckle sandwich."

Yesterday on my drive home from work, I decided I didn't really want any of the food I had in my house for dinner.  Not a thing.  And I didn't feel like going to the grocery store to get milk for my cereal or crackers for my cheese.  So, trying to stay in line with my pathetic attempt at a diet, I chose to go to Subway.  

It wasn't too crowded, but to my dismay it ended up being one of the longest trips to Subway I have ever had.  First off, two of the three guys working were trainees.  Therefore, had no earthly idea what they were doing.  The one that made my sandwich asked his trainee - "which bread is the parmesan oregano?"  "what goes on a subway club?" "which cheese is the american?"...you get the idea.  I always feel bad for the newbies, because I know it's difficult learning through doing.  But when you are really hungry, you can't help getting slight irritated because it takes 3 times as long to get your food.  On top of this, there was a lady that stormed in declaring that every sandwich in her to-go call-in order was wrong.  AND, there was a lady and her little girl in front of me that ordered like, 10 salads, and those take a while to make at Subway (plus, the other newbie was making them).  She wanted bacon bits on one...which they didn't have, so the poor guy was forced to hand-tear bacon slices into pieces.   UGH.  So, they seemed a bit relieved with my simple meat-cheese-lettuce-tomato order, and put my sandwich at the counter in front of the lady and her little girl.  So I go ahead of them to pay.  The little girl then proceeds to sing at the top of her lungs "YOU GOTTA WAIT YOUR TURN, YOU GOTTA WAIT YOUR TURN," all while staring at me and swinging her arms back and forth.  Holy.  Crap.  It took every ounce of strength I had not to give her a look that would make her soil her Pull-Ups.  And her mother just gave her that adoring look like "GOSH isn't my baby the cutest?!"  Just as I was finishing paying, the girl finally digressed into some song about the Cheetah Girls, still loud as ever.  Thank goodness.  Needless to say I was ready to be out of there.

Perhaps I overreacted, but it was one of those days already, so the situation in the restaurant did not help.  Do ya'll ever have days like that where something just irritates the living hell out of you and you just wanna hit someone...even a kid?  

Side Note:  The Oscar nominations came out yesterday, and I think it's a cryin shame that Clint Eastwood and Gran Torino got totally snubbed.  That was honestly one of the best movies I have ever seen, and everyone I've talked to about it feels the same way.  (Please, please go see it if you  haven't yet).  I just don't see how they could overlook that great of a movie.  Crappy.  However, woot on Heath Ledger being nominated for Best Supporting Actor!  Gosh I hope he wins!  And I really really really need to see Slumdog Millionaire.

Also, please go here to see some deliciously gorgeous pictures of the Twilight boys.  How much do you hate Kristen Stewart?  Scroll through the pics, but I particularly like the one that this link is to because it makes me laugh.  (is Edward giving Jacob a purple nurple?!?)

http://robertpattinson.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=205&pos=15