And on the 7th day, I returned...

Last Friday, November 11, I sent myself on a social media hiatus. I’d been thinking about doing it for a while but just hadn’t found the motivation or willpower to make it happen. When a friend announced he was going to take some time away from social media I decided to follow suit.

I’m not sure why I decided that Friday would be the day I shut myself off from the social media world but it seemed like a good time since I was headed out of town for four days. I thought getting on a plane and being forced to be out of touch for a few hours would be a good start and I was mostly right about that.

It was the two hours between saying goodbye to Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr and the plane actually taking off that were hard. Those little icons on my phone were very inviting but I resisted. I turned off all the notifications so I wouldn’t be able to see if anyone posted something on my wall or sent me a personal tweet. That definitely helped. It also helped that my wireless connection once I got to my mom’s house was pretty weak.

I spent my weekend in Colorado seeing my mom and her husband, my dad and his wife and my grandparents (91 and 92 years of age!). I had to laugh when my mom asked me if I saw something on Facebook and again when my dad asked if I saw his post on Facebook. Normally I probably would have been the first to comment on either of their posts but I missed them completely.

I took several pictures while I was there and it was weird to not immediately post them for all the world to see. One of my favorite things about social media is the ability to share my pictures and see the pictures of my friends, especially those friends I don’t get to see very often. I feel more connected and like that we can share our lives even though we’re not in the same room, city, state or even country sometimes.

Staying away became harder once I got home on Monday afternoon and had all kinds of free time on my hands. And yet, I resisted. And it felt good. I hadn’t made any plans as to how long I’d stay away. I figured I’d know when the time was right to go back, and as I write this, I know that tomorrow is the day. I will have been away six days by then and for whatever reason, that seems like enough.

But I had another reason to step away from the silliness that social media so often is. After returning Monday from Colorado I flew out Tuesday night to San Diego so I could attend a funeral.

My dear friend Robyn’s husband Brian passed away 10 days ago after a short battle with brain cancer and I guess that’s really what started to put everything into perspective for me. When you get that sort of news, that someone not even 45 years old is gone, you realize that nothing else really matters; nothing that is except friends and family and while I connect with all my friends and most of my family via Twitter and/or Facebook on a regular basis, it just seemed like the time to step back and really focus on life for a minute.

Death is something we know is coming for each of us, but we assume it will come when we’re 80 years old or older. We assume those that will go first are grandparents, older relatives and even our parents. We don’t think we’re going to lose someone in the prime of his or her life but it happens every single day and basically, it sucks.

I lost my aunt when she was in her early 50s, and that was completely unexpected and horrible and yes, it sucked. It still sucks because she should still be here with us. Brian was my age and had a wife and a nearly-4-year-old son and wow does it ever suck. I’ve been crying off and on for the last week and a half and can’t help but wonder how much longer I have to walk on this earth. I can't even imagine what Robyn is going through.

I’ve also been thinking about what’s really important and how I should be spending my time. And yes I’m going back to my social media outlets because I think connecting with people is incredibly important and I realized today that what I missed most about Twitter and Facebook was the interaction I have with people all over the country, some that I know personally and some that I’ve never met; some that I’m related to and some that I count as my closest friends.

So while I haven’t completely figured out everything in my life, I think I least get this part, and I hope I never take anyone in my life for granted. Life is too precious and our time together is too short. Never was that more evident to me than right now.

Labor Day Adventures or...Welcome to Crazy Town!

Ah Labor Day...a day off from work and 24 hours to do nothing. Or to do 412 things. One of those. Let me share, won't you?

I woke up somewhere around 3 am STARVING - my own fault since I hadn't eaten dinner the night before; there was no getting out of it. I had to have food. So, I schlepped down the stairs and started looking through my fridge and pantry to find exactly what I expected to find, a big fat nothing. Why I didn't open the freezer and dig into the cookie dough ice cream I will never know, but, I decided to make noodles. So yeah, at approximately 3:30 am I ate some bow tie pasta with salt and butter. And I had a Coke. Because that seemed like the smart thing to do at that hour. While I ate I watched my DVR recording of Drop Dead Diva, which kept me up until almost 4:30. It seemed ridiculous to stay up at that hour on a holiday so I came back upstairs and crawled in bed where I was still wide awake. I fell back asleep somewhere around 6 for a couple of hours - early morning nap? - and finally was awake for good around 8 am.

I spent the next 4ish hours sitting in bed doing absolutely nothing of importance online. I tweeted, I facebooked, I tumblr'd; I probably even emailed (yeah, I'm old school like that sometimes). It was all very exciting and a definite time waster, though I'm still not clear how I wasted 4 hours, but suddenly, it was almost 12:30 and I was meeting a friend around 1:15 so I got up and got myself ready to go. Half the day had been spent in a mostly slothful state and I was pleased.

I was happy to see the sunshine when I finally stepped out of my house and made my way to the light rail station, and I was definitely happy to see my friend when she pulled into the parking lot moments after I did. I had apparently read the light rail schedule incorrectly and we had to wait a little longer than planned, but we didn't care; we had a lot of terribly important things to discuss.

While we were waiting a lady asked us where a park was and we actually knew, so we gave her directions, which she proceeded to give to a young kid on a bike, but it was clear she wasn't sure, so we reiterated them to him. He thanked us and rode off and then the lady asked me about restaurants in the area and a few other things then drifted off to meet her own friend. We felt very helpful and useful and were ready to embark on our journey.

I was surprised how busy the light rail was for a holiday, but the ride to downtown San Jose was pretty uneventful. We journeyed to The Kebab Shack for a late lunch and found a perfect table outside while we waited for our food. That's when the children invaded. Two of them to be exact. They came from another table, and their parents just let them cross the sidewalk and wander into our territory. It was not cool. We thought both parents were ignoring them but then realized the dad was tending to yet a third child while the mom lollygagged somewhere. This went on for about ten minutes but then she finally corralled them back into her land and we were back at peace. That's when the wind shifted and we got a big whiff of the garbage bin sitting in the street. We very nearly hurled, but then it shifted again and it went away. It came back once more but it wasn't as bad so we endured. Then the car alarm came. And I'm not even sure where the car was, but I was ready to punch it in the face! It rang until it could ring no more, and then we let out our breath and enjoyed the 12 seconds of silence until it started ringing again. This happened four more times. Seriously. And then there was a hideously loud beeping from across the street that started up. It was like a battle of the annoying noises and we were about to lose our minds but somehow we managed to contain our rage and finish eating without incident.

Getting our movie tickets was easy and the guy inside the booth was actually entertaining so we entertained him right back. We're funny, my friend and I. At least we think so. We made a stop in the bathroom before procuring our popcorn and while it wasn't really a big deal, in the grand scheme of things, the paper towel dispenser actually played an entertaining role. My friend washed her hands first and realized that the main dispenser, in the most convenient part of the bathroom, wasn't working. She reached over to the inconvenient one in the corner and pulled her towels out. I followed suit having seen her, but then another girl tried the other one, to no avail naturally, and looked confused as she reached for the other one. We were like, "Really? You didn't see us both use that one? Really?" We left her there to fend for herself and made our way to the treat counter where we, surprisingly, procured treats without any drama.

We weren't expecting to see many people in the theatre, but there were actually quite a few, so we found some seats and got settled with our food and waited for things to start. Naturally a ridiculously loud popcorn chomper sat behind us, but he calmed down when the movie started. We were definitely entertained by 30 Minutes or Less. It was a little raunchy and a lot of crazy and we laughed a lot. From the pen gun, to the Satanic Hispanic to Sandra; it was absolutely fun.

We had to wait almost 25 minutes for the light rail to fetch us, but it wasn't too bad. Downtown San Jose is entertaining on a holiday Monday evening, and we didn't want for people to watch. From baggy jeans to big plugs in ears to the guy I'm pretty sure is stalking me on the light rail every day, it was an adventure. Okay, I don't really think the guy is stalking me but I have seriously seen him every day on the light rail since school started. He gets on at the same stop I do and is almost always on the same train to and from downtown. It's a little crazy.

Once we got on the light rail the fun continued. We sat in the back so we could see pretty much everything happening in the whole car and almost died laughing when a guy spied another guy and thought he knew him. He pretended to run into him then laughed, but the guy he bumped was not laughing. The bumper was like, "Hey, it's me." And then he realized it wasn't actually the person he thought it was. And he was embarrassed and came and sat in the furthest back seat. We died. I seriously thought there was going to be a brawl because I could only see part of the action - my friend filled me in on the rest after the fact. I was trying to figure out how we could get off the train so as not to get involved in any fisticuff action. Yep. I just wrote fisticuff.

From there we ventured back to my house and had a calm couple of hours watching a chick flick. We needed some mellow after our adventures. But then I got hungry and was determined to eat dinner so as not to have a repeat of the earlier happenings where I was starving in the middle of the night. So, we went to Outback. You KNOW how I hate Outback.

We got seated in one of those giant booths you could actually sleep in, and I was tempted to lay down for a minute, not because I was tired, but just because it was there. I refrained though and sat up like a grown person and read the menu as though I had no idea what was on it. Our waiter, let's call him Ephraim, since that was his name, was very peppy and energetic and it was bordering on annoying, but we just went with it since we were being rather silly and had a lot of our own energy to burn. He took our drink orders and promised us bread. Oh the bread. Keep that in mind. It will be important later. We got our drinks and our bread and placed the rest of our order and moved on.

Every time Ephraim came to our table he had even more energy than the last time and it was a little bit creepy at times how excited he was to talk to us. At one point he even told me how he ate his shrimp like me, saving the last bite until the end and how after I'd ordered it he decided that's what he was going to eat when he closed up. Sure. Okay. TMI? Maybe a little. He also told us that he'd watched a lot of people eating and pretended to hide behind the booth behind us and pop up like he was spying. What? I believe he thought he was funny, but it became creepier by the second and we were trying not to laugh. He was nice, and our orders were right, but it was too much. TOO MUCH I SAY!

Because I am a frequent Outbacker I do know a few of the peeps that work there, and when I saw my friend Andrew on the other side of the restaurant I tried to get his attention but I failed miserably. When he finally wandered to our side Ephraim (EPHRAIM!) was at our table telling us one of his tales and I couldn't actually see around him to get Andrew's attention. When Ephraim finally left, Andrew was gone too and I was bothered. But Andrew came back and I called him over and as he leaned into the booth to hug me I managed to knock over what was left of my ginormous iced tea. Still not quite sure how that happened, but Andrew was kind enough to clean it up while only slightly mocking me. He took the bread that got destroyed by the tea and said he'd bring us more with a new glass of tea for me, which he did in just a couple of minutes. He also told me I was cut off if I spilled that one then sat down and chatted with us for a bit. Clearly this bothered Ephraim because he came right back over and tried to jump into our conversation. Jealous much?

Andrew got back to work and Ephraim went back to his normal self, I guess, and I drank more of my tea and ate a little bread then settled into a complete coma. We got the bill, put our cards in the holder and waited for Ephraim to swing back by, which of course he did very soon after. He got things taken care of but we sat and chatted a while longer, laughing at our day and how crazy things turn when we're together. We decided we were ready to go, but I wanted to take the remaining bread with me since I'd only eaten one piece, but Ephraim was nowhere to be found and so, we waited. When he finally stopped by and I asked him for a bag he was like, "No, I'm just going to throw this bread away." And I was thinking, "What? But I actually want it." Then he added, "I'll get you a fresh loaf; this one's all dry." Well okay. That was nice. So we let him take the supposedly dry bread and waited again. And waited. And then we waited some more. And finally, after almost 15 minutes and no bread, we left. I should have just put the partially eaten loaf in my purse and gone with it.

Andrew told us goodbye as we left and we just shook our heads as we got to the car. I don't live in Campbell. I live in CrazyTown! And I didn't even have time to tell you about the table behind us and their crazy dining situation...maybe I'll share that later...but for now, I think I've shared quite enough.

Hope you had a great day off...we sure did!!

Summer, concerts and my personal plea to Matt Nathanson...

It's been over a month since my last concert and honestly, I'm starting to feel a little shaky. I've had at least one concert per month since 2011 started, and it's been amazing. I am a lucky girl to get to see so much of the music I love played live.

I was worried July would pass me by and I'd have no concert to attend but thankfully Ernie Halter and Curtis Peoples came through for me and I'll close out July with their sweet sounds. And then the real fun begins...this is why I have a job. 

August

I'm starting August with the Beach Boys, then moving on to Michael Buble. I've never seen either of them live and am really looking forward to both. A little over a week after those I get to see the Goo Goo Dolls for the fourth time, and they're joined by Parachute (third time seeing them) and Michelle Branch (another first). That should be a fun show and a good way to end the August set of concerts.

September

September is crazy. I'm starting things off with Hanson. Yes, the Mmm Bop kids. I seriously can't wait, as I've always wanted to see them live. Three days later it's Hall and Oates, another first; then the next week brings me to the Matt Nathanson/Train/Maroon 5 tour and Alpha Rev - a band I've been dying to see since I first heard their voices. I've seen Matt and Train numerous times and neither have ever disappointed me, but it will also be a first for Maroon 5. All in all, that would be a good month of shows, but wait, there's more! I'm closing out the month with none other than Smokey Robinson. It is YAY!

October

Yep. I already have a concert booked in October, and I'm terribly excited about it. The band is Yellowcard and again, I've wanted to see them for several years so I'm very happy that they're finally playing a show I can get to.

Nothing set for November or December, but I have faith that someone I love will schedule something in my vicinity. Because let's face it, no one would want to leave me hanging for two months without a concert. That would just be wrong. 

I'm talking to you Todd Carey, Nathan Angelo, Third Day, Switchfoot, David Cook, Ryan Star, and yes, even you Matt Nathanson. 

[Here comes my personal plea...]

Because even though I know you will rock as the opener for the Train/Maroon 5 show, your solo concerts are epic and I need one. The entire Bay Area needs one. So just give it to us. We love you the most and we need to see you and your 12-string gracing a local stage for a 2-3 hour performance. We don't ask for much. And also, I need a new photo with you...not that these aren't awesome, but you know, we just need a new one.

Until then...enjoy whatever music you're listening to. And just because I haven't done it in a while, here's a sampling of what's in my Current Faves playlist on iTunes...I'm nothing if not diverse.

ROCK ON.

I shoulda stayed at work...

After working for 10 hours I decided to head home. I had plans, things to buy, things to watch, Sharks players to cheer for...instead, I got this:


The charm I set out to purchase at Tiffany can only be purchased at the New York stores or online. Of course, online takes 5 days, which is why I didn't order it online in the first place. Bothered.


I stopped at Arby's to get a sandwich on the way home and it was seriously the slowest experience ever, thought not completely horrible. The onion rings I got on the side on the other hand smelled so strong that I almost had to roll down my window before I got home.


As I arrived at the major intersection near my house I discovered that the traffic signal was out. I also discovered that no one understands how a 4-way stop is supposed to work. I'm honestly surprised there wasn't a single accident while I was watching the chaos unfold.


When I got home, ready to eat my sandwich and watch the NHL Awards in the hopes of seeing Logan Couture winning the Calder trophy I discovered that all my clocks were flashing, which of course means that there was a power outage at some point. It looked like my DVR was recording though, so I turned on my TV, navigated to the show and pushed play. And it started, but there was no sound. I stopped the recording and turned the TV off, waited a few minutes and turned it back on to discover that there was no sound anywhere, on any channel, thus rendering my recording of the awards show useless.


I turned the TV right back off, took a bite of my sandwich and opened the Twitter app on my phone to see if the awards had gone my way. Alas, they had not. So many kinds of not yay! Although I can't say I was that surprised because the NHL absolutely hates the San Jose Sharks. I don't know what possessed me to think they'd actually give the award to our very deserving rookie. 


BITE ME.


So let's recap, shall we?


Tiffany? FAIL


Arby's? MEH


Traffic Light? FAIL


Power? FAIL


NHL? FAIL!!!!!


I shoulda stayed at work...

Anti-blog no more...

It occurred to me recently that my original title for this blog "carrie's anti-blog" was completely outdated since clearly, I'm anything BUT anti-blog. Therefore, I have changed the name. Because I'm grown and I can. Now I have a blog called it is yay (that's what you're reading now in case you were confused), a tumblr called it is yay and a website that I rarely update called it is yay.

In case you were confused, it is, in fact, yay.

That's all for now. I'm preparing to write a review of Matt Nathanson's new album Modern Love (much like the blog I did a while back about his last album Some Mad Hope) later this week after I memorize all the words and mix it fully into my life. If you haven't heard it you should get yourself to iTunes or Amazon and check it out RIGHT NOW! You won't be disappointed.

Anyway...it's 11pm, so I'm going to bed. That is also yay.

Catch you soon...