Sunday, February 21, 2010

Catching Up is Hard to Do

The most difficult thing about procrastination is that it eventually does catch up to you. The things you put off just don't get done until you stop procrastinating. Unfortunately, I am highly skilled at very few things and I have turned delaying the inevitable into an art form.

So, I figured it was probably about time to stop dilly dallying around with this blog and play catch up on the last few concerts I've attended. Seriously, it's been so long since I posted about a show, that I will have to go back an see where I left off! LOL So, it looks as if I left off back on December 8 with Winter Wonder Slam. Wow, I am definitely behind!!!

I had tickets to see Dashboard Confessional with New Found Glory (actually, I think it was the other way around)in early November and the show ended up being cancelled. I used the refunded ticket money for Winter Wonder Slam. So, when they rebooked an acoustic show for December I was a tad disappointed about not being about to go since I really couldn't justify the expense and I was pretty much out of stamina anyway. Fast forward to January when I get a message from Lauralee telling me that Dashboard is doing a free show in Ogden! I planned to go. When the 15th came around, I was not feeling all that wonderful, so I spent the better part of the day debating about whether or not I should make the short trek to Ogden. I finally talked myself into going. I left later than I thought I should have, which turned out to be plenty early enough, and headed out to Ogden around 3:15 or so. I found the place without too much trouble. They were setting up when I arrived, so I talked to guys opening the show, and hung around and just watched. I took pics of some of the Christmassy things that were still up in the area, and some of the sights of the street.




I didn't bring my pro camera because I wasn't sure it would be allowed, and it was so bitter cold I just didn't want to leave it in the car for hours. I probably could have brought it as the gal standing behind me had hers and no one seemed to care. But I'm kind of glad I didn't have to carry it around, as I usually bring all the gear along with it. LOL When sound check came around, I was there watching, and was going to try and get a drummer shot, since they are so hard to do in the dark during a show with a point and shoot. I was told it wasn't time for pics yet, so I put it away. But I did get this one shot before I was asked:

Then I was asked to stand back by the sound booth so I didn't make them nervous. LOL So I watched sound check and tried not to freeze to death. Did I mention that it was bitter cold?! And I forgot my hand warmers. :(

From a few people stopping and looking here and there, the crowd had grown quite large. I managed to stick up for a few people who had to move their cars and successfully save their spots. While we were waiting I was able to have some great conversations with people. I rather hoped I'd hear from them again sometime. After what seemed to be an eternally long wait, it was finally time for the show to start.


About halfway through the opening act, the crowd to was urged to get closer, and that's when the pushing just got totally insane. The barricade was shorter than normal, and hit me mid chest, so breathing wasn't the easiest thing to do. It went on like that most of the night. I really did enjoy Dashboard's set, and the local opener was fun, but it was not at all comfortable. The highlight for me was hearing Dashboard play Stolen as I just love that song. Oh, and getting the setlist made my night!!



When the concert was over, I had the option of heading to a bar to an afterparty, but since I was freezing, very sore and tired, fairly broke, and not really all that comfortable in bars anyway, I decided to head for home. I might have gone had I known someone and felt a little better. I hope it was a good time for all.

I think the Dashboard concert was preparation for the Brand New concert on Jan. 29.

But that is for another blog. Next... Collective Soul, John Allred, John from The Staples, and The Ivy League. One down, three to go. :) Good times!

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Tis the Season

for weird dreams?

I had another strange dream. I do not plan to turn this blog into Melanie's dream blog, but since I don't often remember them, I thought I'd make a note.

Last night or more like late this morning, I remembered having a weird dream and that it involved Sherwood. Once the I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I began to recall some of the details.

I was at a venue to see Sherwood. Vedera was there. I don't remember them performing, but Kristen was at the back at a merch table. The venue was a lot like "In the Venue" only it was different. It seemed bigger and smaller at the same time. I think because there was only one level instead of two. I recall Sherwood performing and me being front and center at the barricade. It was crowded but not pushy (this is a dream after all.) The stage went across the whole venue, and Nate goes to the far end and I can barely see him and he gets off the stage and sings at the far end to the crowd on the floor. I know the song, but I don't really hear any music - I just know it's playing. Nate gets back on the stage, and I decide to go to the far side of the stage and decide to watch from there. Even I don't know why I am leaving and walking to the side of the stage. Then I am at the merch table. I'm talking to the guys at the merch table, I think, but I can't recall seeing who I'm actually talking to or remember much of the conversation. At one point they are talking about songs they want to do at shows, and they mention a number of them and sing little bits. On at least one song, they get rather silly with it (singing it bad on purpose, etc.) I keep telling them I want to hear Alive, but they don't sing it. Then I remember wanting to talk to Kristen at Vedera's table, but they have packed up and left already. Then the dream switches to outdoors. I see Nate outside, and there is a flatbed trailer with a mattress on it. He tells me that he found the mattress, and it wasn't that great to sleep on. I see that it looks somewhat unevenly worn and tell him it doesn't look too comfortable. Then I am walking down the street. I am in San Franciso, but it really doesn't look like San Francisco. It just looks like a generic city. I am supposed to meet someone. A guy comes up behind me and tells me that his friend would like to borrow my comforter. I tell him that I would, but I am from out of town and there would be no way to exchange it. He says okay and walks on. It's only then that I even notice that I have something like a comforter (more like a small fuzzy dark colored blanket) around me. I keep walking across the street at an intersection. I recall thinking I should use my cell phone to call someone, but I don't think I ever make the call. I walk into a cafe of some sort and vaguely recall something about ordering in bulk. I see a bulk order of whole bananas on the side. At that point, I decide I've had enough and wake up.

The last part of the dream is still rather sketchy and missing lots of detail that I know was in the dream when I was experiencing it. I am not good at remembering dreams, and when I do it is usually just before I wake anyway. It is also quite unusual for me to dream about bands or artists, and more often than not when I do have a dream about a band it is usually in relationship to some concern I have (like getting to the show on time.)

This time around, I think I'll blame it on Sudafed. LOL It does really weird things to my brain. Of course, it wore off long before the dream, but it does interfere with my sleep sometimes. OH, and now I'm hungry, which pretty much explains the cafe. LOL

Soon, I promise, I will post some details (the ones I can remember) about my last few concert ventures. I've just been procrastinating. There are a few things I do well. Procrastination is one of them.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Concepts

Sometimes I write poetry. It goes in spurts. It can take a real concerted effort to finish writing something, and I'm probably not the best at finishing things up.
But I am determined to try and at least write down "concepts" as they come to me so I have something to work with when I feel like really writing.

Anyway, this is something I jotted down at the "concept" level. It's probably how I feel far too often, so I'm pretty sure I am not alone on it. Or maybe I am...

Drowning in this world
Starving for God
Dieting when I should be feasting
Sinking when I should be reaching
For the life preserver I've been tossed
I keep trying to swim on my own
I am overwhelmed
The ocean's too big for me
But not for God

Sunday, February 07, 2010

Dreaming the "Bearable"


Photo courtesy of: http://www.Copyright-free-photos.org.uk

I woke up at 8 something or other still pretty groggy and not at all rested. My alarm was set for 9:17 a.m., so I still had another hour to sleep, so I took advantage.

I don't normally remember dreams, although when I'm not sound out crazy dreams are the norm. I blame this on Robert. ;) He daily posts of his vivid dreams.

I'm not clear on why I was in the park, but my husband is studying bears. He has some sort of conflict with his employer over something he's doing and gets fired. He still keeps studying bears. Someone puts out an announcement to look for this guy who is studying bears and using a fishing net. I never do see the net or figure out what that is about. Occasionally I get a glimpse of someone (never actually see a face) working on some sort of test.
I can relate it to being my husband, but he really doesn't look like him at least not from a distance. Occasionally, I see a bear and people reacting to a bear. The bear seems to look mean, but I don't see a lot of facial details again.

Then I see my husband in the parking lot and the guys looking for him are being distracted by an angry bear. So I tell him to get in the car and we have a conversation about it. I tell him that if he keeps studying bears he should alternate cars becaue they'll get suspicious if the see the same car there all of the time. I tell him I plan to get a hotel room so I can change clothes before I go to school.

We leave, and I don't know what happens to my husband after that as he's not in the dream anymore. I stop by my old Jr. High School as I know there is a hotel there. I figure out where the office is and talk to the girl at the desk. She tells me it's $129 a night which I think is kind of high, but go along. My daughter is with me (she doesn't look like my daughter, but I never see any detail to what she really looks like.) It takes a while, and she argues with the person getting the room ready over some sort of cup. Then we go upstairs to our room no. 133. The room is very small, The mattress takes up a good portion of the room, it's mostly clean, but there is a bathtub at the wall, but no toilet. At first I just feel ripped off, but get mad that I can't go to the bathroom. I finally go downstairs and tell them off. I tell them I got the room to change clothes and go poop and there is no toilet and how overpriced they are.

They seem surprised. There is a guy laying on a bed like he is injured and in the hospital when they walk up to look with me. Finally they offer to credit me. The receipt has all kinds of nonsensical notations on it.

As I am starting to leave the first gal at the desk talks to me and asks me about something and wants to know if I am unhappy with her. She says that she got fired. We talk and she is an old friend, Becky. She wants to get her GED. I say, "You haven't done that yet girl"

We finish our conversation and I drift in and out of consciousness as the alarm goes off.

Pretty strange dream.

When I recall a dream, it is not unusual for someone to look totally different, so I know who they are, but really never remember any facial details or recognize any facial details that look like the person I'm dreaming about. I wonder if that's normal? Sometimes I have delusions that I am normal, whatever that means. I'm probably not.