Concerts

For some reason I was thinking about the concerts that I have been to in my life.  I thought you all would care who is in my top 10.


#10  Janet Jackson.  I don't really like her music but the show was really good.  Tracy, Chrissy, and I went in 2001 and saw her at Rupp Arena.

#9  Milli Vanilli (I need not explain that one)
#8  Garth Brooks circa 1997.  I'm not a Country Music fan but that was a lot of fun.  Me, Dawn, Susan, and Gene saw him at Freedom Hall
#7  Eminem and Ludacris.  I  think in Indianapolis.  Went with Kisha, The Ex, and Erica.   Good show but we did too much drinking
#6  The Villebillies in Daytona, FL.  I was recently engaged to The Ex and went with my buddy Steve (who has now passed), The Ex, Jen and Kisha.  Best part of the trip was when Steve popped some bottles to celebrate our engagement.  It was fun traveling to Florida to watch a local band.  I'm glad I have those memories with an old friend that's no longer with us.
#5  Smashing Pumpkins with my Dad in '95.  I was young enough to find it awesome when Billy Corgan cussed the audience out for throwing things on stage.  I spent the entire show watching the bass player and wanting to be as cool as her.
#4  Michael Jackson in the early 80s it was my first real concert.  All I remember is his silver glove.  My Dad bought tickets for me and let my mom take me.  I thought he was being nice but now I know he just wanted to avoid seeing MJ.
 #3 The Black Crowes.  Outdoor music festival at Churchill Downs.  Me, The Ex, my Dad, Step mom, and Damian (one of my boys from way back).  Best part of this day was me writing "FU" on my dad's arm with a permanent marker (I couldn't get the rest of the word out before he stopped me, but FU was good enough to embarrass him, so my job was done).  He doesn't cuss...tatooing him with a curse word was the best.  The show rocked (oh yeah and this was at Hullabalou 2010)

Look closely at his shoulder and you might be able to see my FU.  Try not to envy his cool yellow tank.

#2  Big Boi at Forecastle Festival in 2012.  I'm not a huge rap music fan but I love Outkast and this was one of the hypest shows I've ever been to.  It was outdoors, I was with some great people (hey Baby S, Man, Renee, Pedro, Chad and Robin!), and there was a bunch of stinky hippies there.  Everyone was getting along and feelin' it!  I drank PBR for the first time (because that's all they sold).  It was a blast.  Here's some pics I have from that night

Me and The Ex

Me and Baby S

Me Breaking it down for Big Boi (and there's Chad in the background!)

#1  Pearl Jam.  While the shows are nothing but good music (no lights and theatrics) the music is enough.  I saw them in '94 and The Ex surprised me with tix in 2003.  I went with my Dad's girlfriend as a teenager and then it was me and The Ex as an adult.  What's weird is that I felt totally the same at both shows.  My age didn't make me feel any differently to the music.

Some others that didn't make the top 10 but that were shows I've been to, The Police (definitely could have been in the top 10 but I didn't have a place, Jason Aldean (spent the show not in my seats but drinking beer), Kenny Chesney and Sugarland (I really don't like country), Christina Aguilera (with Kisha, lots of fun), Aerosmith, Jewel (two times), Art Alexakis, and some others that I can't think of right now.

Shows I would like to see:

Pearl Jam (again)

I used to want to see Madonna but not so much anymore

Outkast

Grace Potter

Mumford & Sons (I don't love their music but I heard they put on a good show)

No Doubt

Florence + The Machine

Lazy!

Yesterday I got up around 8:00, drank some coffee and went back to sleep.  I got up again at 10:30 and brushed my teeth, then I walked into the laundry room to get my workout clothes on.  Between practicing good oral hygiene and looking for clothes I was exhausted.  I decided I instead of leg day at the Y I needed to go back to bed.  I slept on and off (ate lunch) and got up again around 2:45.  I took a shower and that made me REALLY sleepy so I laid down again until 3:25 (we had to be at my niece's 1st birthday party by 4:00).  We went to my sister's, celebrated with cake and ice cream.  We came home.  I pretended to have enough energy to watch TV in the living room but then I went to my bedroom to watch the UK game and read.  I read about 2 pages and turned the light off.  Guess what I did then?  That's right, I went back to sleep.

Right now it is 8:30am and I typing from my bed.  I need to get up and get the energy to get the kids and I ready for church.  This is going to take a lot out of me because you need the energy from a crack rock to bath and feed them.  I don't have much crack laying around so bathes and food is going to be tough today.  Did you read the above paragraph?  Obviously, I don't have it in me.  Mh1 doesn't really feel like going to church.  This almost gave me a reason to decide that we're not going.  Plus, they are wrapping up a marriage series called, "3 ways to Destroy your Marriage".  The Ex and I aren't getting along right now (the nick name might be applicable for real), listening to people rub it in your face about what you know you are doing wrong and what you know your spouse should be doing but isn't, isn't the best way to spend a morning when you already feel like I do.  I tell you all of this because I have told you how awesome he is- I don't like people who live on the internets fakely proclaiming how great their life is without any mention of real problems.  Everyone has problems and my marriage isn't excluded.

On a lighter note, last week after a terrible day, I came home to find a package on the front porch.  I hadn't ordered anything.  I opened the bag and inside were 2 pair of pants from Ny&Co.  This made me cry because a few days prior to that I complimented my BFF Amber on her cute red pants.  What did she do after that?  Get online and order some for me.  She's the best.  Girls love surprises.  When I called to thank her, I couldn't talk because I was crying so hard.  What a weirdo.  It really did make a bad day good.  The problem (or not problem) with the pants is that they are too big.  I want to take them back today and take back some work out clothes that I bought a while back.  But guess what that takes? Yep- energy.  So, I don't know if I'm going to make it out.

I'll leave you with these deep thoughts:
-Life is a series of choices, if you decide to be in a foul mood, you will be.
-Love is not only a feeling. love is also an action.

Memory

I just thought of another thing that mothers forget to tell you before you're a mother- you forget everything.  For instance, I remember mh1's first steps (we were in my living room and she was toddling between me and my Aunt Trish).  I can't remember mh2 except for she was a fat little monkey that didn't walk until she was like 14 months old.  mh3 just started walking like 2 years ago and I can't remember it at all.  I realize that God has created our brains to forget the hard parts of motherhood but what about the good parts?  I want to remember things.  I need ginka biloba or whatever that memory pill is.

My advice to new mothers, write EVERYTHING down.  Don't just write the dates of stuff.  When is not important, how is what is important.  Blog or get a journal.  Do something because it goes by so fast and it's so hard to remember it all.

Random info:
-I am reading a book called The Rook.  Pretty good (I found interest in it after getting on Goodreads.com  if you are a reader check out that site)
-After getting off Facebook I have so much less traffic on here
-I just downloaded some new songs from iTunes (my favorite so far being Hell on Heels by Pistol Annies)
-The kids favorite songs right now are Call me Maybe, Gangnam Style, and This Girl is on Fire
-I want to do a Harlem Shake video with my class
-I still haven't gotten up the rope
-The Ex fixed our furnace for less than $30 and you don't really realize how much comfort you take for granted until you sleep in a house with no heat
-I need to give props to my baby sister.  She doesn't realize how great she is and how much I look up to her.  I love her so much.

Boys who fight

My dad told me I need to write more.  I told him I didn't have anything to write about.  He said find something to write about everyday.  I said while I admit I'm a narcissist I am not enough of one to write about my life everyday.  So, I truly haven't had anything interesting to write about, but I finally thought of something yesterday.

I recently joined the gym at Derby City Mixed Martial Arts.  The Ex has been doing Jiu-jitsu there for over 3 years.  I always thought I wanted to join but the cost, plus lack of childcare at the gym, left me to do my workouts at the Y.  When The Ex started, the gym was a room full of mats next to a room with a cage and some punching bags for boxing.  Now they have expanded their area and are offering more classes like, kids jiu-jitsu, yoga, and BOOT CAMP!  My workout buddy Jennifer (we've been going as hard as the Y will allow for about 3 years together) signed her son up for kid's jiu-jitsu.  While she was there someone talked her into taking the Boot Camp class.  She kept telling me to look into signing up.  I wasn't really convinced to do it.  I knew that I needed a change in my workout routine but I didn't realize how much of a change was needed until about 3 weeks ago.  One morning at about 5:30am I was at the Y getting my workout in when I saw Clay (Jennifer's husband) and he showed me a video he took of Jennifer at DCMMA.  Keep in mind that are fitness levels are similar (she is thinner and she can run further that I can).  What I saw on the video was MY workout partner climbing a freaking rope.  I saw that on a Thursday and I was in Boot Camp on the following Monday.  I've been going for two weeks.  It's a HARD workout everyday (Monday-Thursday), and after 2 weeks, I feel stronger already.  I have yet to climb the rope, but I have gotten to the point where I can hang on it with my feet locked in.

Since I've joined, I have taken a jiu-jitsu class and a boxing class (in addition to the boot camp classes).  What I notice most about the men teaching the classes- they are extraordinarily calm.  You would think that people that can break your neck with a few moves, choke you unconscious in seconds or punch your head off would be a little more excitable.  Really they're patient and calm.  I have determined this to be the case because they are confident in the bodies and they desire to get along with others.  They know what they are capable of, yet only want to use their knowledge and freakish skills to compete or teach.  They seem to be soft spoken yet you realize their confidence immediately upon meeting them.

The Ex and I took boxing on Saturday.  We were partners and worked on very basic combos like jab-cross and jab-jab-cross.  I realized immediately that I did not like to have my husband practicing punches on my face.  (And, it wasn't even directly on my face, we were also working on covering our faces to protect from punches).  But it really wasn't fun, I need someone else to punch me in the face.  We jumped rope for 9 minutes to warm up and that was fun, but once the punches to the face came- I was ready to go home.  It didn't hurt, but it felt totally unnatural to have your man practicing jabs at your expense.

This week my goal is to continue getting stronger while limiting the amount of think time I give myself.  What I mean is that if I don't climb the rope or get a pull up, I won't go home and be mad at myself and think about what a loser I am.  I have no idea why I mentally punish myself like that.  Eventually I want to climb a rope like so: