Sneak preview pictures from the show last night at the Paramount with Jack's Mannequin & The Fray! It was so awesome!! Stories and more pictures to come!
me and my concert buddy and fellow Jack's Mannequin fan, Chris. He totally reminds me of my friend J.Rob from back in Austin. . . so J.Rizz, if you're reading this, know that I felt like you were right there next to me rockin' out last night at the show! :D
So I recently joined a group on Facebook for my old Elementary School, Brentwood Elementary in Austin, TX. On the board, someone posted a link to a virtual tour of the school and it took me back in time a bit. I mean, things have obviously changed, but some things haven't and it was good to take a trip down memory lane. So then I thought, hmmm. I should invite my blog readers to join me on the trip. So here we go! Pull out your Capri Suns and Twizzlers, slip on your mismatched 80s shirts and let's do the time warp again!
This is the front of that grand old school. Yes, every morning I was there bright and early. Mom always had to drop us off super early cause she had to go to work early. So we sat there, all together on the benches in front of the school. Most of the time I just read or listened to my walkman. And what pray tell was playing on my walkman? Well. . . SWV of course!
What can I say, even back then I was a hopeless romantic. ;) Let's carry on. . .
Here's the old cafeteria. I'm pretty sure they changed out the fabric, but that stage still gives me the willies. I remember having to be part of a play on that stage and I was SO nervous! We did a play called HOW TO EAT LIKE A CHILD and it was seriously the funniest play ever. The best thing about it was that this one kid, Kyle Tweety, had this recurring part of playing prank phone calls and he totally hammed it up! It was awesome!
And in the end, I realized that it was actually really fun to act. Kinda wish I had stuck with it. . . but only kinda. ;)
Ah, this is where we sat to eat our breakfast pizza. . .which happens to be in the shape of a rectangle, not a triangle. Many a PBJ and Twinkie was swapped out here. I did enjoy lunchtime though cause I got to sit and laugh with all of my friends.
Now THIS... this was my haven. My utopia if you will! Surrounded by books! That was my favorite place to be! I would spend so much time there, reading so many books—The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush, Rikki Tikki Tembo, Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters, and of course, my favorite: Follow the Drinking Gourd. I also would continually check out books about the Titanic and about the Holocaust, craving information and imagining being in those situations. I loved my Librarian. . . she made story time so much fun! (see, now I sound like a kid again! ha!)
Then there was Gym class . . . the bane of my existence. You see, those uneven bars and those rope climbing excercises seem like all fun and games, UNLESS you're the chubby chick who is afraid of heights! I still remember having to hang upside down from those uneven bars as a kid, because it was part of my grade, and I was crying so hard that the teacher only made me stay up there for a minute. Yeah, I wasn't a fan of that. But I did love the balance beam and when they brought out the giant parachute tent looking thing and you would run under it and sit and then do it all over again and bounce balls off of it. So much fun. But I gotta admit, my MOST FAVORITE thing about Gym class was when they brought out the scooters and we got to scoot all around the gym to Kylie Minogue's LOCOMOTION! It was the bomb dot com!
Wait . . . you don't know that song? Well let me enlighten you. It's definitely a fun Gym class song!
go ahead, take a dance break and listen to it again!!! :D
Art class was another favorite! This was where I FIRST learned that grass was actually different shades of green and the sky was different shades of blue. I LOVED Art class. My favorite was Oil Pastels :D They rocked my world.
And then there was the Music room, where I first learned to play WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN and the beginning part of LEAN ON ME on keyboard. :D Though I must say, if I ever play it for you, you should watch my mouth cause as I play I'll be counting the notes using my fingers. So if I play Lean On Me, you'll see me go: one, one two three four, four three two one. One two three, three, three. Two two one, one. one, one two three four, four three two one. One two three. One, two, one. Ha ha hahahaha!
This classroom reminds me of my 5th grade teacher, Mrs. Pace's classroom. And that makes me happy. She was my favorite teacher and she really truly encouraged me to pursue my dreams at all cost. She had a LOVE for the English language and for books and imagination and it TOTALLY rubbed off on me. :D
And we can't forget this little area. During recess me and my friends would sit out on this back porch and make friendship bracelets while we watched the boys run around. We all talked about how we were each going to marry Drew Hanson, who was the cutest boy in the 5th grade class. We talked about how we hoped our other guy friends wouldn't get upset when we had to let them down gently. And we imagined how adorable our kids would be if one of us was lucky enough to marry Drew. For the record, I to this day, don't know where Drew is or what he's like. ha! But even back then I tried to get my flirt on at the playground. But I think he was really into Nora McMillan. . . so it was all for nothing. ;)
Well, thanks for taking this fun journey with me. I hope it made you feel a bit like a kid again. :D
The Jack's Mannequin / The Fray concert is coming up on Thursday!! It's a sold out show and I'm so glad I got my tickets early! Not gonna lie, I'm probably gonna have to take off of work early just to make it to a good spot in line. I'm hoping for front row!! So to kick off the week in blogland, I wanted to share with you one song from each band that is a favorite. Enjoy!
THE FRAY> YOU FOUND ME This song has been played over and over and over and over and (i think you get the point) over on my iPod. The song is so simple, but carries such a real tone and message about what it's like to be confused and disappointed when things are not going as WE have planned them to and we don't understand what God is up to. The real deal is that sometimes we get mad at God and we think it's not okay to express it, but it happens and it's something we all deal with from time to time. Here are the lyrics>
I found God on the corner of 1st and Amistad Where the West was all but won All alone, smoking his last cigarette I said, "Where you been?" He said, "Ask anything."
Where were you, when everything was falling apart? All my days were spent by the telephone that never rang And all I needed was a call that never came To the corner of 1st and Amistad
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded Why'd you have to wait? Where were you? Where were you? Just a little late, you found me, you found me.
But in the end everyone ends up alone Losing her, the only one who's ever known Who I am, who I'm not and who I wanna to be No way to know how long she will be next to me
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded Why'd you have to wait? Where were you? Where were you? Just a little late, you found me, you found me.
The early morning, the city breaks And I've been calling for years and years and years and years And you never left me no messages You never sent me no letters You got some kind of nerve taking all I'm worth
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me Lying on the floor Where were you? Where were you?
Lost and insecure, you found me, you found me Lying on the floor, surrounded, surrounded Why'd you have to wait? Where were you? Where were you? Just a little late, you found me, you found me.
JACK'S MANNEQUIN> SPINNING Okay so first of all, I must say that to pick just ONE of their songs as a favorite is impossible. But lately, this one has been stuck in my brain. Here are the lyrics>
I'm keeping quiet til there's no more sirens Lately it's hard to keep the hinges on with all the noise I'll find my words when there's no one talking The room is spinning, I have got no choice Be patient, I am getting to the point.
I can't remember when the earth turned slowly So I just waited with the lights turned out again I lost my place but I can't stop this story I've found my way, but until then I'm only spinning
I'm keeping quiet til the phone stops ringing Lately it's hard to disconnect, I just want something real I've found the words if I could just stop thinking The room is spinning, I have got no choice Be patient, I am getting to the point.
I can't remember when the earth turned slowly So I just waited with the lights turned out again I lost my place but I can't stop this story I've found my way, but until then I'm only spinning
Spin beneath the rooftop Hold on, wait until the room stops Spinning
I can't remember when the earth turned slowly So I just waited with the lights turned out again I lost my place but I can't stop this story I've found my way, but in the end We're only spinning
I keep forgetting when the earth turned slowly So I just waited til the lights come on again I lost my place but I can't stop this story I've found my way, but until then I'm only spinning
In my opinion, Andrew McMahon is one of the greatest songwriters ever. I take a lot of cues from his stylings when I write songs. I love how he weaves stories through eloquent lyrics.
I thought I'd share some funny stories from my life lately. I kid you not when I say that my life should be a blooper reel. . . or a gag reel. . . I'm surprised camera crews don't just follow me around and submit the footage to America's Funniest Home Videos. If Awkward Life Experiences was a show, I'd be the star. No lie.
So here are 3 stories to keep you laughing:
1. Meeting Johnny from Parachute. Okay so Parachute came to Easy Street Records to play an acoustic set. And as I'm looking around, debating whether or not to buy the new Iron and Wine CD, I notice Johnny from Parachute walking around the store. I also noticed the other guys, but they were engaged in conversation and I didn't want to butt in. So, as Johnny is walking towards the back room getting ready to go onstage, I TOTALLY geek out and I'm like this ridiculous annoying fangirl. I pick up the nearest record, which was Michael Jackson's Thriller and I go up to him and ask if he would mind signing it. And it was seriously one of those moments where you can imagine a hologram of yourself standing nearby you, watching and putting their face in their palm, shaking their head in embarrassment. Seriously. What a dork I was. I was trying to be funny, but my dorkiness emerged and I became "THAT GIRL" in a matter of seconds! And to make it worse, I followed it up with the WORST thing you could ever say to anyone who you are a fan of: "I'M SUCH A BIG FAN. I PROMISE I'M NOT SOME CRAZY PERSON." Which, automatically makes you sound like you're covering up that you are, in fact, out of your freaking mind. So they play their set and after taking photos with these amazing guys, I head home thinking. . . WHAT JUST HAPPENED?
2. Right On Target So I just got back from Target actually. I was buying some new headphones to use at home and work and I decided to look at the books while I was there. So, I'm standing there looking at the books on the main rack- you know, the one that faces out into the aisle? So I go to grab a book and I notice that there's a different book at the back, so I go to grab it. But as I go to grab it, I guess the books were sitting weird on the shelf, cause they ALL come tumbling down to my feet. So I'm standing there in the main aisle, my feet covered in books, and my face bright red, embarrassed for the bookslide. And all I could do was smile at the workers and shoppers standing nearby and staring at me and go, "Don't worry. I'm okay." So many weird looks and some laughs. Whaddaya do?
3. Soccer with Siah Last night I babysat for the Siers kids and the 3 youngest (Judah, Gwynnie, and Addy) all had to go to bed at 8 p.m., but the oldest (Josiah) didn't have to go to bed at 9 p.m. So I put the others down for bed, and me and Josiah, who we call Siah, were playing soccer out in the back yard. Now, something you should know. . . Josiah is a little boy. Like 9 or 10 years old-ish, I'm guessing. So we're playing, and the score is 4 to 13, with Josiah in the lead. . . Big time. So as we're playing, he goes, "Have you ever won in soccer?" And I'm like, "Well, I've never really played soccer." And he goes, "Well have you ever lost to a kid?" And I was like, "Oh many times."
So then we're finishing up the game and it's 5 to 16 with me still losing, he goes, "Here, I'll take it easy on you." And he LITERALLY just stands on the outside of the goal post and keeps telling me to make some goals. Which, I didn't quite do. I made like 3. Finally I had to put him to bed and he goes: "Look, we'll just say it was a tie. That way you don't lose." It was so funny and so humiliating all at the same time :D
One thing's for sure, I will never cease to entertain myself with all the random, awkward, hilarious antics that go on in my life
I had SO MUCH FUN at the Parachute & The Script concert! It was a rockin' good show. . . so good in fact that the next day, my voice was all hoarse and raspy from yelling and singing along. Love it! I got to share some good laughs with other fans in the crowd as well. It was so ridiculously hot and sweaty in the AC-less venue, that we were mapping out a game plan for how to dump massive amounts of water on anyone who got in a fight, and tell them to COOL IT! hahahahaha we're dorks, I know.
Here are some pics from the show:
AND, they're coming back to Seattle in November! I can't wait!
Last night's In-Store performance of Parachute was off the chain! The guys are so amazingly friendly and fun to talk to. I also got to meet some other Parachute fans and I'm so excited to have new friends :D
Things are starting to cool down here, which is nice. That 103 degrees yesterday was ridiculous. And when I got home, for some reason, I half expected it to be cooled down. Alas, it was still a sauna. But at least I got to sleep at a decent time.
FUNNY STORY BREAK: I went to grab lunch at Pagliacci Pizza today and I guess when I sat down, the chair slipped my gauchos down just a bit. So I'm walking down Mercer St. . . .which is a busy street. And I feel a breeze and I look down and I realize my pants are down and I'm totally like flashing my underoos at all the passersby. And here I was thinking they were all checking out my Cons. Whooops. I actually pantsed myself. Who knew? ;)
I get to see Parachute again tonight with The Script. I'm really looking forward to rocking out :D
This morning I turned on the TV to watch the news (a rare occasion indeed) and the forecaster guy (i'm pretty sure that's the technical term for his position) was all sorts of excited and was like:
"And today, we may actually break a record! If we top out at 101 degrees, then we will beat the record of 100 degrees in Seattle from 1981!"
And never have I wished so much that i could reach my arm through the tv screen and smack that guy in the face. Seriously? That record breaking 101 is no bigee for this Texas girl, EXCEPT for the fact that, living in Seattle, most places here don't have Central Air, including my house. So my room is a sauna. I actually have to get a cold compress on my head before I go to bed to help me sleep. My little tower fan is working as hard as it can, but this heat is ridiculous. I so wasn't prepared for this. Oh well. At least my boss got me a box fan for my office today, so the shades are drawn, I got the big box fan running and two little mini-me fans. It's so nice to not be drenched in sweat. :D
In other news, I'm pretty bummed that Rachelle Lefevre is going to be replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard for Eclipse. :( Eclipse is my FAVORITE one in the Twilight Saga, and I was really looking forward to seeing Victoria's character step up her game into uber-fierceness. BDH just seems too sweet and innocent for the role. Especially after seeing her in Lady in the Water and The Village and in the Spidey movie. I know she's probably gonna get a lot of backlash from other Twilight fans, and to a certain extent, I feel sorry for her. But let's get real. Rachelle Lafevre is a fiercely bad mamma jamma and she really brings it to the character. I hope BDH can bring it as well.
In otro otro news, I GET TO SEE PARACHUTE AT A MEET & GREET/ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE TODAY!! After work, I'm walking all 4 blocks to get to Easy Street Records to go see them and I'm so excited! They have an amazing sound and those guys are so funny! If you haven't checked out their website yet, you should. JUST CLICK HERE. I also get to go to their concert tomorrow night at The Crocodile and I can't wait! :D
Well my lappy toppy is in the shop. And it was funny, because Evan, the Genius Bar guy who helped me out was like, "Why did that other Mac Genius ask you to reschedule? That makes no sense. He should have just taken it in then and there." We were laughing so much at so many things, and we got to talk about macs and the upcoming stuff in September (which is when my apple care expires) and it made me smile.
I also got to have dinner with Cindy Jones, who is just such an amazing woman! She seriously refreshes me so much! I love being in her company. AND she made these pita pizza things that I've gotta get the recipe for! They were delish!
Okay well I will update again tomorrow and share some photos and such with you all! Peace!
I am a mexican chick, born in Germany, raised in Austin, TX, and now currently living in Seattle, WA. I'm funny, weird, and just plain quirky, but then again, there's a lot of us out there. :) My favorite color is baby blue, I love pop culture trivia, chocolate, decorating, designing stuff and singing off key in public ♥ Among other things, I love family, friends, COFFEE, finding the humor in the silliest things, laughing, talking about old memories & making new ones ♥ I do NOT like cigarette smoke, wearing skirts, anything outdoorsy, the 80's, very loud people in elevators, rapists, certain shades of pink ♥ I am a daddy's girl all the way! ♥ I'm comfortable with being me ♥ I love making a difference in peoples' lives, helping, loving, teaching and watching them get to know Jesus ♥ I love my neice and hope to have kids of my own someday. ♥ I love God and I love living my life for Him and learning along the way!
