Just another fabulous night with Todd Carey

This is a follow up to a post I did back in August after seeing Todd Carey play live for the first time. I was lucky enough to get to see him again tonight, and once again, he was fantastic!

When I found out I had a work meeting in Philadelphia, I decided to take a few extra days and originally planned to go to New York. However, when Todd announced his December tour and I saw this date in DC, I decided to take my extra days here. Todd and I tweeted back and forth after I posted that I got a ticket, and I was thrilled when he promised to play my favorite song...Photograph.

So, the weeks passed, and finally, I was headed East. I got to Philly on Wednesday, had my work stuff on Thursday and Friday, and then played in Philly on Saturday - checked out some Flyers hockey, which was fun...very different than the Sharks games I'm used to, but still good. No fights though, which was frankly, a little disappointing.

Anyway...this morning (Sunday) I boarded a train to DC. Before the concert, I actually had some other fun...toured the National Postal Museum and ran into an old friend from WVU in Union Station. We had fun catching up and then I came back to the hotel to rest up for the night.

My journey to The Red Palace - a very cool venue by the way - started fine. I got a cab, and despite the tone of the cab driver, we got on our way. About $4.00 in, I realized I'd left my ticket in the room. I nearly died. That is so unlike me! So, I asked him to take me back to the hotel, paid him, came back in, got the ticket, made a visit to the ATM and then got another cab. And oy. The second cab driver was seriously the slowest driver on the planet and took us down the world's worst road. I felt so car sick by the time I arrived that I had to get a Sprite to settle my stomach. But then they let us upstairs, and shortly thereafter, the music started.

The concert kicked off with Isaac Russell, someone I'd never heard of, but definitely enjoyed. Next came Josh Hoge (that's him in the photo to the left) and I'd heard a lot of his music and liked it, but hadn't seen him live. He was great! And funny! I will definitely see him again. Todd was the final act of the evening, and as usual, his music was great, and his stage presence fantastic. He played a couple of new tunes, a couple of really fun covers - including a crazy one of C-Lo's latest, and then played a number of old ones. But no Photograph. I was bummed, but figured it just didn't work with his set, and that was fine. It was all still so good!

Afterward, I went back and chatted with him for a long time at the merch booth, got a new picture taken, which yes, looks suspiciously like the last one, but whatever! When I told him I was bummed he didn't play Photograph, he offered to play it for me, and I honestly didn't think he was serious, but he said if I could hang out for a bit, he'd play it. I had absolutely no problem hanging out!

While he chatted with others, I met Josh and chatted with other Josh and Todd fans, and then the bartender said we had to go. I made my way back to Todd figuring Photograph wasn't going to happen, but I was incorrect. He said he'd do an abbreviated version for me, and I was more than good with that. He pulled out his acoustic and started to tune when Steph, the gal manning his merch table and probably more than that - she rocked too! - said she was already in trouble for not getting him out already. That's when he said, "Okay, let's go to the green room." So, we went to the green room, and he played Photograph for me, and OMG. It was freaking awesome, and I will never forget it.

Once again, Todd gave me a great night of music, and I only wish I could see him more often. As you might guess, I'm having a hard time getting to sleep. It's well after 1am here on the East coast, yet here I sit telling you all about my night of joy.

Todd, you completely rock!!

(Note: A few videos from the evening are posted here...enjoy!)

When I think of home...

Home is where the heart is.

There's no place like home.

Home sweet home.

Someone asked me today if I was going home for Thanksgiving and I told her no, that I was staying here. But then I got to thinking about it later in the day and realized that this IS home. I don't have another home to go to. I go to visit my parents, but neither of them live in the house, or even the town, I grew up in.

So then I started to wonder when it is that you stop "going home" and start just "visiting" your parents/family. It's probably different for everyone, but it seems like it happens when you really feel settled in whatever place it is that you live or when your parents no longer live in the house/town you grew up in.

I guess for me, it's both. My dad left my home town of Laramie several years ago and my mom hasn't lived there for years. Going to visit either of them doesn't mean going home. It means going to their new houses in Colorado. Every day when I leave work I say that I'm going home. Clearly, that's my home here in California; the one I pay rent for; the one where all my stuff is; and the one I can't imagine moving from.

This...is home.

What does home mean to you? Is it where you live? Is it where you grew up or where your family lives? Thinking about all of this reminded me of two of my all-time favorite songs...enjoy them below and let me know what home means to you...

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!

Destination: Usher

When I found out that Usher was coming to Oakland I got very excited as I'd always wanted to see him in concert. I asked a friend if he wanted to join me and he agreed readily - although he would like you to believe I twisted his arm and had to convince him to go, that's just simply untrue. Anyway...on with the story...

Our adventure began at the Hayward Wingstop. There was nothing inherently bizarre about it to start with...we ordered, sat down, watched a lot of people come and go then finally got our wings. After we'd started eating a girl strolled in, pulled a cell phone charger out of her bag, plugged it in and sat down at a table. And then the fun began. She started singing along - badly I might point out - with whatever music was playing, and then she started talking to someone on the phone. And wow. She was a treat. Here are some snippets of the conversation with her mother. Yeah. HER MOM!

"So are you gonna come and get me or what? I'm at the Wingstop. Because I got angry and left. I don't let him treat me like I'm one of his ho's."

Oh yeah. She also threw down the N word a couple of times...as in, "He's my N...and something something MFN..." 

Super Special. 

She left shortly after and we could only shake our heads. 

We then headed to BART to begin our actual journey to Oakland. That's where we saw this little guy...and a smaller friend of his darting underneath the tracks:

So yeah. Before we even left Hayward, we got the Wingstop Ho and the BART mini mouse. 

We got to Oakland without any real adventure on BART, but then we began our walk to the arena. Wow. The outfits, the attitude, the boys trying to pick up on the girls as they walked by, the pre-concert tailgating...it was all a treat. I was never so excited to get to my seat in my life. 

Side Note: The Oracle Arena in Oakland is the absolute worst place to see a concert. I don't know why I keep giving it a chance, but I think this was it for me. It's a horrible design and I'm certain if there was an earthquake or a fire, we would have died inside.

Anyway...the concert started right on time, 5 minutes early actually, with Miguel. I'd heard of him before the show but didn't really know anything by him. Wow. He was just not good. At all. I took one picture...enjoy.

The crowd was ridiculous...people sitting in seats that weren't theirs, someone actually smoking, people standing on the stairs, blocking aisles and generally being annoying. Seriously. We would have died had there been any sort of emergency. 

Next up was Trey Songz, and he was fantastic! I'd heard a number of his songs and liked him from those, but he proved a great performer who could actually sing! 

We really enjoyed him, but the crowd continued to annoy, drenching my friend in beer from behind. Not yay. Finally, an usher (not THE Usher, but an arena worker) cleared people out to prepare for the main event, but we were already a bit annoyed.

When Usher finally did arrive, he made quite an entrance, complete with theatrics and a flying platform. There's no question that he can sing and wow, can he dance, and when he did those things, he was great. He played most of my favorites and definitely knows how to put on a show. What I didn't bargain for though was the simulated sex scene on stage with the microphone stand and then a woman. I mean really. It was just so not necessary and it rather tainted the rest of the show. Overall he was good, but I was just disappointed that he had to resort to that when he could just sing and dance and be awesome. Anyway, I'm glad I finally got to see him, but I don't think that I need to do that again. 

Two more concerts this year and I can assure you they will be vastly different than this one: Lifehouse w/Kris Allen, then Todd Carey w/Josh Hoge. Until then...

Next stop? World Series.

THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!

 
THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!

THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT! 

THE GIANTS WIN THE PENNANT!

That's right. It actually happened. For the first time since 2002, the San Francisco Giants are headed to the World Series. There was a chance that they'd be playing the New York Yankees, but that dream ended yesterday and it's probably better for my brain. If I had to choose, my head might have actually exploded.

I only made it to four Giants games this year, but I watched many more on TV and suffered through the torture with thousands, probably millions, of other Giants fans. I was at the home opener in April and at the final regular season home game in October when they clinched the division. So much awesomeness!!

I love baseball. Always have. I've been a Yankee fan pretty much my whole life so seeing them lose yesterday was heart wrenching, but even I will admit that it's nice to see some different teams in the final series, especially when one of them is my other love, the Giants.

I was a pure American League fan until I moved to California, but I quickly glommed onto the Giants. It helped that one of my favorite players, Barry Bonds, played there, and for a while, I was mainly cheering for him; my heart was still in the AL. And then, I got hooked. I'm not exactly sure when it happened, but I'm a full-fledged Giants fan now, and I hope this trip to the World Series turns out better than the last. 

LET'S GO GIANTS!!!!!!

Are you brave?

I came across this article this morning:

What's the bravest thing you've ever done?

It's really a question posed by Real Simple, with its readers answering, and it got me thinking about how I might answer it. And honestly, I couldn't come up with anything.

I've never considered myself a brave person. It's not that I'm un-brave, I just don't think I do anything that takes real bravery. Sure, I drive on 880 in the Bay Area every day, and some would say that makes me brave. Some would say that moving to California by myself was brave. Some would say that just living here makes me brave, but when I read some of these answers, I knew I had nothing on these people.

...sold everything and moved to a new opportunity in Hawaii.

...left my first husband.

...skydive.

...zip-lining.

...get out of the World Trade Center alive on 9/11/01.

These things took REAL bravery. I can't honestly say I've done anything even close to them, and now I'm wondering if I've missed out on amazing opportunities. I'm certainly blessed to not have to sell everything and find a new opportunity, but what if the blessing is in the selling and exploring? How does the person feel that got out of the WTC all those years ago? Do they feel blessed? How many friends did they lose that day? I've had more than one friend leave a spouse, and they certainly displayed a lot of bravery in doing so. I'm pretty sure you couldn't pay me enough to skydive or zip-line, but if someone ever got me to do one of those things, I might be able to answer this question more adequately. 

But then I started thinking that maybe being brave isn't about doing something spectacular or life-changing. Maybe it's about just being alive and taking small chances here and there, not just sitting at home like a slug. Maybe it's as simple as saying hello to someone on the street that you don't know, buying breakfast for a homeless person, sitting next to someone on the train when there's an empty seat across the way or simply smiling at a cute boy across the room. I'm not saying I've done all of these things, but aren't these a tiny slice of bravery too?

Webster's defines brave as "having or showing courage", and I think there are a lot of ways that we all do this every day. It takes courage some days to just get out of bed and move. It takes courage to tell someone you love them; even more to tell them that you don't. It takes courage to tell someone you'll miss them when they're gone and even more to survive the days after they leave. And yeah, I guess it does take courage to get behind the wheel every day and face the crazy drivers on the road.

So, at the end of my discussions with myself, I guess I've realized that I'm actually a lot braver than I originally thought.

Who knew the doctor's office and pharmacy could be so entertaining?

While in San Francisco this week I was lucky enough to get my standard conference cold. Oh, the joy. Thankfully, my doctor was able to see me this afternoon and prescribe antibiotics and Codeine cough syrup. I'm definitely looking forward to sleeping through the night and getting exponentially better very soon. But of course, you know that's not why I'm writing...you know that nothing about me going to the doctor and the pharmacy could be that boring...

So, in a very unlike me fashion, I was 3 minutes late to the doctor's office and feeling a bit frantic in addition to dizzy and coughy and just basically icky. There were a few people in the office, and I began to write my name on the sign-in list as the nurse behind the counter talked loudly on the phone. While I was writing, she closed the glass causing a vase to fall - which I caught quickly. Clearly she closed the glass so no one could hear her call, but really, have you SEEN those glass windows? First of all, they don't completely close, and second of all, you can still hear everything a person is saying behind them. In this case, we heard the following:

"Scrotum? That's the name of the medicine? I've never heard of that. OH! No, I know what it is. [laughter] I thought you meant that was the name of the medicine. Okay..."

Others in the waiting room snickered, as did I, and then the conversation continued after she hung up...this little gem was offered to her fellow nurse or office worker:

"[laughter] Of course I know what a scrotum is. I've seen my husband's. And my dog's."

Seriously. I could NOT make this up. And yeah, I never expected to type that word once, much less twice...

While I continued to wait, I, and everyone else in the waiting room, got to hear a doctor basically ream out the same nurse for not calling on something. I felt really bad for her. I mean, we all make mistakes, but geez, it was completely unprofessional for this guy to be telling her about it when we could clearly all hear.

Finally, I got into the doctor's office and got my prescriptions, nothing extraordinary there, and then as I was leaving overheard the following:

"Okay, so you'll need to pee in the cup..."

I mean, is there no privacy in this place? Goodness.

I journeyed to the pharmacy where I turned in my prescriptions and waited. That's when I heard a song by The Outfield. Oh yes. The Outfield. 

Remember this one?

Wow. That took me WAY back. I strolled around the store as I listened then made my way back to the pharmacy to wait for my prescriptions. That's when the possibly inebriated, slightly scary man showed up. I'm not clear if he knew the guy behind the counter or not, but he walked up and did the fist bump thing with him, including saying "boom" and opening his hand after the bump. Wow. Then he proceeded to tell the guy his doctor had sent him an email telling him he'd taken care of everything as far as getting a prescription filled. Seemed normal enough, but the CVS guy couldn't find anything in the system, and the guy started to get agitated. He was seriously freaking out that the meds weren't there, and the poor guy told him he could call the doctor...even suggested that maybe they sent the prescription to another pharmacy. The guy was adamant that that just wasn't possible. The conversation went back and forth for five minutes or more until the poor CVS guy said he'd send the office a fax and see if they had any information. As the guy was ready to walk away he was muttering..."Yeah, it's supposed to be 90...it's gettin' bad..."

Special.

I finally got my meds and while waiting for the pharmacy consult, the gal who'd taken my info to start with turned to me and asked if I went to Westgate Church. Wow. Small tiny world.

By the time I got back to the car, I was exhausted from all the adventure and made my way home after getting some food. Now I'm full of chicken, taters and antibiotics and more than ready to get this day over with. I can only imagine what might happen tomorrow...

Happy Birthday Mr. Hawkins

In April of this year, when I was visiting my dear friend Tasha in Chicago, I got into a conversation with another friend, Mr. Hawkins, about my lack of passport ownership. Mr. Hawkins, being an actual world traveler couldn't believe I didn't have one and began his campaign to make me get one. I laughed. Ha ha. Very funny. Aren't you cute? Here's what happened next:

Ha ha. Very funny. Then:

Sucking Tasha into the campaign was just plain dirty. 

Uh huh. Okay. As Tasha's wedding celebration approached, I got this little gem:

Then it just went all crazy (read from the bottom of this one up):

So now there's the birthday threat...

and the throwing of the "go to London" gauntlet.

DIRTY POOL MY FRIENDS!!! 

And finally, in response to me saying something nice about Coldplay:

So.

Without further ado.

And just for you Mr. Hawkins.

On the day before your birthday.

And a little for you Ms. Alexander.

Here's what happened this afternoon:

I took something from here:

And something from here:

Completed this:

Signed my name in front of a witness...wrote a check...and got this confirmation:

And, in 4-6 weeks, I should get this:

Happy now?

Where were you?

I remember getting ready for work that morning, watching TV as I always did in the morning and the news breaking in to say a plane had hit one of the towers. I remember watching the footage and hearing the newscasters speculate as to how a plane might have done that. I remember not thinking much about it at all. And then I remember watching the second plane hit the other tower and realizing, along with the rest of the country, that something was very wrong. 

As I drove to work, I listened to the continuing news and felt a pit forming in my stomach. By the time I got to work I was completely unfocused. I remember seeing my boss in his office...he hadn't heard about it. I got into my office and put the CNN feed on my computer and learned about the attack at the Pentagon and the crash in Pennsylvania. And then I saw the towers start to fall and was completely stunned. People were starting to arrive at work by that time and everyone was in a bit of a daze.

Around noon, we were sent home, and I remember not wanting to go and actually arguing with my boss about it. He said I didn't have a choice so I reluctantly left. At that time they were very concerned about other targets, one of which was the Transamerica Building in San Francisco, just an hour north of us. They were also concerned about other airports and I guess they thought people wouldn't be able to work anyway, so it made sense to just send us all home.

I remember wondering what the next few days might be like and if there might be another attack closer to us. I went to the grocery store, and it was a very surreal experience. I felt like I should have food in case there was another attack. I talked to my parents while I was in the store, but I don't really remember much of the conversation. We were all in shock and happy we were all safe. The mood in the store was quiet, and while I can't really articulate it now, I do remember thinking it was just about the strangest thing I'd ever seen or felt.

I spent the rest of the day like most of the country did, watching the news, seeing the repeated images of the horror and then seeing the faces of the friends and families and neighbors of those who lost their lives. I'm sure none of us will soon forget the courage of the rescue personnel diving into the rubble and smoke and unknown to find life. It was the American spirit and human nature at its best, combating human nature at its worst. 

In the days and weeks that followed, as images continued to radiate from my TV screen, I was never more proud to be an American, and I was never more unnerved. It was unfathomable to me, still is, how individuals could so freely take lives. But all these years later, it is clear that what they really took, was a big chunk of our freedom. And I suppose that was their point. 

The most vivid memory I have of the terror attacks in 2001 actually came about a week after they happened. I had a meeting in Southern California and boarded a plane just a few days after they started flying again. It was a trip I'd taken many times in the past, but it was altogether different that day. The airport was eerie in its quietness, and there were very few people flying. Few words were spoken. When I boarded, the Southwest gate attended handed me a sticker that said "Thanks for flying". I got on the plane, got situated and leaned against the window where I fell asleep shortly after takeoff. What I will never forget is the feeling I got when I woke up, not far from Los Angeles.

I was overcome with emotion as we approached our destination. All I could think about was the folks on the planes that had been hijacked and what they must have thought when they realized they weren't headed in the right direction. I wondered if anyone had been sleeping and woke up and saw a tower, or the Pentagon and what they must have thought. I don't think I'll ever be that happy to see LAX again, but that day, it was the best thing I'd ever seen. As we landed, I wiped the tears from my eyes and thanked God for keeping me safe. I was wholly unprepared for that moment and will never, ever forget it. 

Since then I've flown hundreds of times and have never once felt that same emotion, I guess I never will. But even now, as I think back on that moment, I feel the tears in my eyes and am taken right back to it. 

It's clear now that nothing will ever be the same as it was prior to that day in September all those years ago. And I guess there's both good and bad in that.

(Memorable photo above by Thomas E. Franklin/The Bergen Record) 

Baseball, College Football, Hockey...what more could a girl want?

IT IS TIME!!!

These arrived at my house today, and I can't really articulate in words how excited I am for the hockey season to start. We were bitterly disappointed again last season, even though we did get further than the several years prior. We wanted more. Now, with new goalies, maybe we can get it. It feels like the Sharks are everywhere in the community these days...for some reason I think this is a sign of good things to come. I realize it makes no sense. I don't care. Seeing Sharks is good. All good.

Recent Sightings:

• Joe Pavelski in the Sharks store during the playoff run
• Patrick Marleau at dinner in Los Gatos in July
• Ryane Clowe at the same hair place a friend goes to (also in Los Gatos I believe)

And as if that weren't enough, college football kicked off last week and I was 3 for 4 on the first full Saturday of play. And honestly, I don't really feel too bad about the team that lost because they were playing the #1 ranked team in the country. Way to get 3 points SJSU!! More games are on tap this weekend and in the near future I'll get to see some of the boys play in person.

And oh by the way, way to bring it Boise State!!

There's just really nothing like college football for me. There is so much emotion tied up in it, especially when my two alma maters take the field. They can give me more heartache and joy than pretty much anything else. Let's Go Devils! Mountaineers! Cowboys! Spartans!

And lest you forget, we're in the final days of the major league baseball season and I'm finding myself hanging on every pitch on two different coasts. The Giants, as usual, are so close I can almost taste the playoff home run dog, but the gap just doesn't seem to be getting any smaller. And the Yankees never cease to cause me agita. While they are more likely to be in the playoffs than the Giants, there are no guarantees today. They don't have a magic number listed yet, and until they do, I take nothing for granted. It's fun though, and I look forward to seeing what happens in the next few weeks.

I know you thought all I did was go to concerts...well, there was only ONE of those in September, so I have to find some other way to spend my time and money. :-)

If only every Tuesday could be Todd Carey Tuesday...

Tonight I got to meet an amazing musician who I've been dying to see live for about two years. This was his first time playing San Francisco, and I am SO glad I was able to go. Believe me when I say, Todd Carey completely and totally ROCKS. If you have not heard his music, go listen now!!

I first met Todd via Facebook about two years ago. He saw that I was a fan of Matt Nathanson (no surprise to regular readers of this blog!) and thought I might like his music so he sent me a friend request...and after listening to about 8 seconds of one song, I accepted his request and bought his first album - Watching Waiting. I fell in love with his voice, his lyrics, his music...all of it. And I wore those songs out! And then I watched. And I waited. Hoping he would come to the Bay Area to share his music in person. But alas, my hopes were never realized.

Earlier this spring, Todd put out an EP, and started promoting a lot of live shows. I bought the EP as soon as it was available and fell in love once again. The new stuff was just as good, if not better, than the first, and I was really getting cranky that I hadn't yet seen him live. When he started posting shows online, I got excited...thinking that maybe, just maybe, he'd make an appearance in the Bay Area. And once again I watched...and I waited...

And I had a moment of excitement when he posted a show in Chicago, only to realize it was the day BEFORE I was scheduled to arrive for a friend's wedding festivities. I posted a note on his Facebook page saying how bummed I was to miss it and he kindly suggested I just change my ticket. Funny. But, I did look into it...too much money. Foiled. Then, I missed him by just a few days when I was in New York earlier this year. Not pleased.

BUT...

After I lamented via Facebook and Twitter about missing him in Chicago and New York (and about missing out on the super secret summer single, which, omg, I just realized I STILL didn't get!!), he messaged me that he would inDEED be coming to San Francisco later in the year, so I checked his list of dates and made a plan.

Cafe du Nord - August 31. YES.

I was kinda bummed when I realized he was the opener for two other artists because I knew that meant he wouldn't be playing a long set, but I didn't care. I was going to go no matter what. So, I asked a good friend to go with me, he agreed and off we went.

It's always nice for me to have an event in San Francisco after work because I get to leave early. That's just never a bad thing. I faced the evil San Mateo bridge, picked up my friend, and we made our way north where we began our evening with an excellent dinner at Chow. YUM-MY!! We then headed to the venue and waited for the doors to open. We were a little disappointed that the doorman didn't even look at our IDs and just slapped on the over 21 bracelet things, but we moved on, found a place to sit while we waited, watched and got ready for the event. At 8pm, pretty much on the nose, Todd came on stage and wow. He did not disappoint! I wanted more-more-MORE! Seriously.

So Stinking Good.

He played about six songs and had a great stage presence and good interaction with the audience. Cafe du Nord is one of the coolest places to see a live show because it's a very small venue and no matter where you stand you can see the stage - even if you're short like me! The only other time I was there I saw Train, and it really does spoil you from seeing shows in bigger venues. I really think every one I like should play there at least once so I can have the up close and personal experience with all of them too. Just a suggestion...

Anyway...my friend and I made our way to the merchandise table after Todd finished his set and waited for him to come back to greet fans. I'd read over and over how nice he was and didn't ever doubt that based on our online chatting. Let me just say that Todd scored HUGE points for recognizing me and knowing my name. Wow. I mean, the man has thousands of Facebook friends and thousands of people following him on Twitter. I was very impressed. We had a lovely chat and I can honestly say he is one of the nicest people you could ever hope to meet.

I truly hope he makes it back out this way soon for a headlining tour so we can see and hear more of him because he was absolutely outstanding. And as you all know, I do get to my fair share of of concerts, so I know of which I speak. We listened to the second act for a bit, but honestly, it was a bit of a letdown after Todd's set so we headed home after saying a final goodbye and wishing him well on the rest of his California tour.

Hands down one of the best nights I've had in a while: dinner with a great friend, a great evening of music and great conversation with a rising star. Todd Carey...so happy to finally see you play live and meet you in person. You were, in a word, AWESOME. Please come back soon!!!

PS: Videos being posted...find them on YouTube soon...

And then the drunk girl fell on me...

You just never know what you're going to find at a concert. Hopefully you'll find some great music and maybe a cute guy to sit next to who didn't happen to come with a cute girl - yeah, that's never actually happened to me. I'm just saying it might be something you HOPE happens. Maybe you'll find yourself shaking hands with the lead singer of your favorite band - yes, that did happen to me - or capturing a fun moment with film. What you hope you don't find is Drunky McDrunkerson suddenly appearing and attempting to sing and dance before falling on you. No. You hope to never find that.

I took in the Green River Ordinance / Switchfoot / Goo Goo Dolls show last night in Concord at the Sleep Train Pavilion. I'd never been there before and wow, it's WAY the heck out there. I thought the CSU East Bay Concord campus was far, but this is beyond that! FAR!

So things gets started and Green River Ordinance was great - my first time seeing them - and Switchfoot rocked our faces off like they always do - my 10th time seeing them. Seriously. Full on ROCK SHOW!!! No one was sitting next to me during GRO, but then a couple of teenage boys showed up for the 'foot, and they were perfectly nice - good, clean cut Switchfoot fans. And we watched. And we rocked. And then they left but returned for Goo Goo Dolls. And the Goo rocked - 3rd time seeing them - as they always do, and everything was going great. 

And then the drunk girl fell on me...

I'm not exactly sure where she came from, but my seat was on the end of the aisle in the front row of the section, and next to me, was a fairly big open space that led up the stairs. That's where she materialized, and at first, she was just taking some pictures or video and sort of swaying to the music. It seemed rather normal. 

And then...she fell...right into me, stepping on my foot in the process, dropping her camera, her big giant bag and whatever she was drinking - thankfully nothing spilled...probably because she already drank it all. So she crawled around on the ground trying to collect the crap that fell out of her bag and the kid next to me asked if he wanted me to get someone, and I told him we probably should, but then she popped back up like nothing happened and we both asked her if she's okay and she just smiles. And wow. She is DRUNK.

So we watched her as she took video of the stage and then, sort of leaned back and pointed the camera toward the sky and then the ground and back to the stage and wow. I can just imagine what her videos of the night must look like. And all along she's singing along - BADLY, and the teenagers and I are trying not to laugh because while it was totally sad that someone would let themselves get that drunk, it was also a little bit funny.

Between songs Drunky started whispering to me...something about being in love with someone for 11 years - maybe Johnny, the lead singer of the Goo, not sure - and how she'd been waiting forever for that night. And then she thrust her camera into my hands and leaned back against the rail like she wants me to take her picture. Yeah. I couldn't even figure out how to turn it on, but amazingly, she figured that out and so, I took a couple of pictures. She says, "I trust you. You're my girl." Oooookay. Sure. Why not? 

And then, I'm pretty sure she took some pictures of us sitting in the front row. That'll be fun for her later.

Her drunken videography, singing and swaying continued and more than once she dropped the camera. And oh yeah, she fell again too. Right into me. Again. At one point she just sat down, and I honestly couldn't believe no security folks came by during this whole episode. They'd been everywhere earlier in the night, but no. They were nowhere to be found.

When the concert ended, she dropped the bottles that probably contained her drinks of choice and wandered away. The kid sitting next to me was actually really nice, asking me if I was okay, and then I saw them pick up her containers and take them to her- and I think he actually took some video of Drunky, which I thought was hilarious. Before I left, I saw her in the bathroom and was thankful that she'd found her friends and that they didn't seem to be in the same shape she was. This girl could barely stand up, and while she did provide some entertainment, in the end, I just felt sad for her. 

I don't drink. I've never had anything alcoholic to drink. I'm not opposed to it, but I don't understand the excess of it. It seems perfectly fine to have a glass of wine or two, or maybe some sort of mixed drink or a beer, but I just don't get why you'd want to get so drunk that you don't even remember what you did. Or so drunk that you actually hurt yourself or someone else. I've seen numerous people in this state in my life and it's never made any sense. I get that people make stupid decisions, especially when they're young and think they're invincible, and maybe that's all this was. Maybe she woke up this morning with a wicked hangover and looked at her pictures and video and realized how bad off she was and vowed to never do it again. Maybe her friends told her what an idiot she was and how dangerous what she was doing was. Maybe she woke up thinking, "Hey. I wonder if that girl I fell on is okay?"

Maybe...

Sometimes, you just need a little Firefly...

Seriously...how was this only on for one season? And yet, we have 27 seasons of the Bachelor/Bachelorette and a myriad of other reality crap. Stupid.

In my own personal Saturday/Sunday Firefly marathon this weekend, I was reminded of some of the great lines these characters got to say. Did I miss any of your favorites? And what of your favorite episodes? I think my favorite is Jaynestown, followed closely by Trash. I should really watch more often...

From Captain Malcolm Reynolds (Mal), played by the oh-so-fantabulous Nathan Fillion - clearly, he got the bulk of the good lines:

"We have done the impossible and that makes us mighty."

"It's a real burden being right so often."

"You can't open the book of my life and jump in the middle."

"You're all kinds a pleasin'."

"The next time you decide to stab me in the back, have the guts to do it to my face."

"I must say, you're my kind a stupid."

"Life's just too damn short for ifs and maybes."

From Jayne Cobb, played by the excellent Adam Baldwin - he gets the second best lines to be sure:

"Time for some thrilling heroics."

"See Vera? Dress yourself up and you get taken out somewhere fun." (Vera, of course, being Jayne's gun)

"Not as deceiving as a low down dirty deceiver."

"I'm smellin' a lot of if comin' off this plan."

"If wishes were horses we'd all be eatin' steak."

Alan Tudyk's highly entertaining Wash (Hoban Washburne) - okay, maybe he gets the second best lines:

"Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal."

"Sleepiness is weakness of character."

"When do we get to go to the crappy town where I'm a hero?"

"You'd be planning and plotting and possibly scheming."

"We all know I'm the funny one."

Random quotes from random extra cast people:

"I cannot abide useless people."

"I shaved off my beard for you devil woman."

"I've been waiting for you to kiss me since I showed you my guns."

Shepherd Book, played by Ron Glass and his long gray hair:

"If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theatre."

"They'll be poems and songs. Just you wait."

Simon Tam, played by Sean Maher (and played as a kid by Zac Efron, just in case you were wondering...):

"You're like a trained ape. Without the training."








 

 
Inara, played by Morena Baccarin - whose hair looked MUCH better in this than on V:

"It's not embarrassing to be a virgin. It's simply a state of being."

"One can not always be one's self in the company of men."

Kaylee, the ship's mechanic, played by Jewel Staite:

"What's so damn important about being proper?"

"Sometimes a thing gets broke it can't be fixed."

River Tam, crazy freaky smart girl, played by Summer Glau:

"He looks better in red."

"No power in the 'verse can stop me."

"Also, I can kill you with my brain."

Zoe, played by Gina Torres, a Joss Whedon favorite - yeah, she didn't get many good/funny lines; very serious and really, just very awesome:

"Clear."