The Stay Classy Tour

Friday night I left work knowing that I was headed for yet another concert on Saturday. I love Saturday shows because I don't have to worry about taking off work. I am not as fond of the fact that a good majority of people have the day off as well, so it's not unusual for people to show up pretty early in the day. Such things are rather unpredictable around here, though. Sometimes people begin to show up at 10 a.m., sometimes not until a 1/2 before the doors open. I figured that I needed sleep and hoped that 2 p.m. wouldn't be too late in the day. That mean that I needed to leave around 1 p.m. So, I tried to get some sleep, but it wasn't to be. Mollie, the dog, was sick, and I ended up having to take her out a lot, and clean up after her before I could leave. I barely made it out the door in time. LOL


The line up for the evening was The Graduate, Rookie of the Year, My American Heart, Play Radio Play, and Secondhand Serenade. It was the first time I'd ever been to that particular venue (the Murry Theater) and I had absolutely not trouble finding it at all, which was a good thing. I had no idea where to park, so I just parked really far out at a small strip mall across the street. It wasn't busy at all. Just as I was crossing the street, I saw the guys from Secondhand Serenade (didn't know who was who at the time, so they might have been from another band as well) head over for the Mexican Restaurant, Alfredo's. I didn't bug them. I just got a chuckle out of one of the guys having to be told not to run out in front of oncoming traffic. I think his name must have been Luke since someone yelled it out to him. ;)

I walked around to the front of the building and found my place in line, and then went back around to see if My American Heart was there yet so I could say "hello" to Jake (the drummer.) They hadn't arrived yet. I did talk to a couple of guys in Rookie of the Year, though. They were very nice. I asked which band they were with as am rarely 100% positive if I haven't seen someone before, and was pleased to find out that I had it right after all. I passed on "hellos" to them from Stephanie, chatted for a sec. and they got back into line. I probably drove those around me a little crazy with my usual chattiness.

After a little bit, Jon from Secondhand Serenade came out one of the doors, and a bunch of the girls went crazy. He headed for the corner and two girls broke from the line and ran after him. A few others in the front decided that since he was accomodating them, they'd head over and get a pic with him as well. They all kept him busy a while. I went across the street and got something from my car, and walked past him and decided not to ask for a photo at that time. I did ask him if he could tell Jake I said hello, though as I walked past and just before he went in. For a good 1/2 some girls in line were quite giddy. Ah... to be young. LOL I guess I never did understand that entirely. I love to meet artists (as most people can probably tell), but the screaming, weak in the knees giddiness has never really been my style, not even when I was much younger.

Anyway, after all that commotion, things were really not so exciting, just very hot. I forgot my hat and sunscreen, so I am definitely burnt, but not as bad as I probably could have been. Anyway, they finally split the line from will call/hard copy tickets, and I was the first person in the will call line. One of the stage guys (I think he also does some security) that I recognized commented that I was always first in line and gave me a big hug. That was kinda cool. I like hugs. LOL
And finally, I hear a very quiet, "You can go in now", and I got checked in and headed for the stage.. at the front of the stage to the left (facing the stage.) The gal next to me was shorter, so I had good visibility for the most part. It was definitely loud.

The first band up was a band from Seattle. They were less than stellar. I kinda liked the drums (lead singer played) but they weren't always 100% together. It was kinda fun to watch. Some people to the left of me booed. I can't make myself do that.

I am trying to recall the exact order, but I think Rookie of the Year played next. I liked their set a lot, except for a sprinkling of "F" bombs here and there, I really liked them. Someone said they didn't think it was Rookie of the Year, but I thought I recognized at least one of them, so I spent half the night confused as to who I was watching. So now the order of players is totally jumbled in my mind as are the pranks. Maybe the photos will help?

Oh, and did I happen to mention it was the last night of the tour? I'm not sure I've been to many "last night of the tour" shows, although I've seen video. That means it was prank night. It was definitely wild and crazy. For The Graduate's set, they brought out van seats and all of the bands came and sat down in the middle of the stage. For Play Radio Play, they brought the 4 trailer tires and set them on the stage. Then they closed the theater curtains at one point. Dan explained that he was pretty much instigating a lot of pranks on the tour, so he was pretty much expecting it. LOL during one set they dismantled the drummer's drumset and one of the guys in a drumset behind him picked up where he couldn't play. There were lots of moments where someone from one band would come out and sing and/or play another's part. Spiderman made an appearance or two, a good number of the people from backstage came out swinging tee's - I think they were wet. Jon of Secondhand Serenade came out with a few others dancing once or twice. And for Secondhand Serenade, they apparently posted Jon's cell number on an overhead screen. I am still wondering if it was really his number, but I overheard someone saying something about his voice mail being full, so maybe it was. If so, he'll likely have to change his number. I was laughing and thinking that if they need to get him an urgent message the joke may be on the jokesters. ;)





Anyway, there was never a dull moment, and with the exception of the first band, the music was good. I would have liked to have heard Play Radio Play vocals a bit more, but it was still good.

At the end of Secondhand Serenade's encore, the drummer threw his drumsticks into the crowd. I was waiting for a setlist one of the stage guys promised me, and not really into getting a drumstick. Next thing I know something smacks me upside the head, and it really hurt. I looked over at the girl next to me and she is holding a drumstick. I put two and two together. I touched the side of my head and there was a really large goose egg. I didn't really expect that. I was o.k. but kinda disoriented a little. I already had the setlist when the very nice stage guy came to make sure I got what he had promised me. I told him what happened and asked if there was ice somewhere. He told me to go back to the merch booth and someone would meet me there in 5 minutes. I really was back there, but couldn't figure out which one was their's at first, and I never did meet anyone. I said some hello to Dan (was supposed to get a pic, but I saw Jake and Dan left), so I talked to Jake a bit, got my pic with him, and then over to get pics with Rookie of the Year (I never got the drummer or keyboardist even though I talked to them. I was being shooed out.) I still was trying to find ice. Finally I told this guy trying to get me to leave that I was hit in the head and I needed ice. He brought me a cup of ice. I'm not sure how I was supposed to use it in that form. He finally brought me kitchen napkins, so I left and went into the lobby and sat down to put ice in the napkins. Again someone tried to shoo me out, so I tried to tell him what I was doing, but it was very uncomfortable. So finally, I got the ice in the napkins and just sat on the ground in front of the venue and put ice on my head. Sigh.... they are really good people (I'm glad I know that) but their first aid policy sucks big time. I really wanted to cry, then figured it was just me being overtired. I was o.k., but still somewhat disoriented and I didn't know if it was the hit on the head, being overly tired, thirsty and hungry, or a combination (although I suspected the latter.)
I did have a major headache. LOL

I finally felt like it had been long enough that I could possibly drive home, so I went across the street. I noticed that Alberto's was still open, and not just the drive up, so I went in and ordered. The gal at the counter was super sweet. :) We chatted a bit, and I chatted with some teens who had been to the show. When I was about halfway done eating I started feeling a little better. Two of the guys from Rookie of the year came in and ordered and I tried not to bother them. I said something to one of the guys, but he didn't hear me, so I figured it was just as well. The kids, however, got autographs. The guys were really nice and obliged, of course. Then the guys tried to get us to come see them when they came back in Oct/Nov and were joking a little, and I said when you come back, I can get a pic with you, and he said, "you want a pic now" so I went real quick to my car while the kids got a pic, and I got a pic with them outside Alberto's.




Then I finished my meal, drove home, looked at a few pics and uploaded a few that didn't need editing, and then tried to get some sleep.

It was a long night, but a great show.

Love, peace and remember to duck for errant drumsticks,

-Melanie

Being "Warped" in Boise

I originally posted this on a private family site on Aug. 11, but thought why reinvent the wheel. LOL I will add notes and photos, too. I neglected to mention that when Lauralee and I arrived at the hotel at 5 mins. to 6 one of the first things we did was figure out our World Wide Moment photos. We took a pic of each other, simultaneously. It seemed appropriate. Here is my pic of Lauralee:

On with the show...




"Thursday night, I left for Warped Tour in Boise. Initially, I had a room at the Hampton Inn in Nampa, ID booked. IT sits practically in the venue parking lot - at least they are adjacent. I found out Brittany and Ann were going to the Boise Warped tour and asked if they had a room yet. Ann said, "no", so I offered to share mine. Then a friend I meet here at concerts a lot said she was planning to go, so there were four of us. When Ann and Brittany got to the hotel around 9:15 p.m., Ann tells me they are picking Kara up at 11:16 at the airport, and that she is staying in the room with us. Needless to say, we didn't sleep a whole lot. We also terrorized Wal Mart at least three times. LOL Mostly just with silliness. Lauralee (the friend I went with from UT) and I had gone to Wal Mart earlier, and the gal at the front couldn't seem to figure out that Lauralee's Glaceau vitamin water, and the smart water were both on the receipt and from the same company. Yea.. now we're water thieves. Sigh...

SO, we did finally sleep a little. In the morning we ran into John Warne in the hotel lobby. He went to do his laundry and we "accosted" him later in the laundry room. Brittany was too chicken, and I wasn't going to bother him, so Ann did. LOL We all followed, of course. He said it was o.k. I left my Smart Water and he caught me later to make sure I had it. Lauralee was working at the show for ecogreen (which got her in free, basically) and Kara was working for RK's merch table and she took the road manager a cup of coffee with messages from Relient K boardies written all over the cup. I was trying to figure out how she would get a cup of hot coffee into the venue, but apparently one of the crew she knew arranged it. She also was able to be on the side of the stage when RK played. I was front and center, but left because I had a photo pass. The stage was extremely tall, so photos were difficult. Then instead of the usual 3 songs to shoot, I was only told I could shoot for 2 songs. But I was able to take pics from the side of the stage. I really didn't think I had much, but I ended up with some decent photos after all. When RK was done, Matty came over to where I was and gave me a big hug. Then he was mobbed by 50 other people all wanting hugs. It was kinda silly. Afterwards, I went to the Kia tent for a Relient K signing, and I had some things for them. I found a really adorable Spiderman pj set - 12 mos, and Jon is a big marvel comics fan who has a 6 month old son. He loved it. We were able to hang around a little after the signing, and Matty showed me his iPhone and scrabble game. The graphics are really amazing.
Really bad pic at the Kia tent, but it was fun:


Then I met Fred of The Color Fred really briefly, hung out at the RK merch tent, watched a few other bands, and left a little early after hearing about a song and a half of Reel Big Fish. They weren't bad, but I was beat. Ann and Brittany were back at the hotel since Ann wasn't feeling well. So, I left early so as to be able to say goodbye to them. The hotel was booked, but Ann managed to get one due to a cancellation so we stayed at the Hampton again. I was lucky enough to get Motel 6 in Twin Falls to cancel my reservation at 8 p.m. at no charge. I think it ended up cheaper in the long run. The only downside was that it was a smoking room, so I just bought some claritin to be safe. WE all went to get food. They all ended up at Taco Del Mar, except Brittany who went to Walmart to get something to eat. I went to a sandwich shop. Two of the guys from All Time Low came in and we chatted a bit.

Ann, Brittany & Kara left really early (like 4:30 a.m.) since they were headed for Warped Tour at the Gorge in WA. Lauralee and I slept in a little bit longer, had breakfast in the lobby, then headed for home. We stopped at Jack in the Box at Twin Falls for lunch, and I took her to Perrine bridge to see the Gorge and to Centennial Park to see the snake river a little closer, and the waterfall there.



Then we made it home around 6:10 p.m. It may take me a bit to recover. IT was fun, though. The only downside is that my 50 mm lens came apart. Those things are great low light lenses, but they are too darned fragile!

I think my "mini tour" is over for now. I saw The Fold on the 21st of July and the 22nd, then on 23-26 I was at the Gorge in WA for Creation NW, on the 30th to see Switchfoot in Rock Springs, WY (not really as far away as it might sound), to USANA in West Valley to see James Taylor on the 2nd, and Warped Tour on the 8th. Jerome of Switchfoot said I had my own "mini tour" and I said, "Yea, I don't know how you guys do it!"

Anyway, it's kept me pretty busy and in trouble of late. I'm tired though. LOL "

Now for my addendums:

I don't mention the "Pizza Party". Not sure how I left that one out. LOL Kara and Brittany bought frozen pizza at Wal Mart, and I bought the Dreyer's fruit popsicles. Almost all of the popsicles had multiple sticks. It was really odd. The other thing I didn't mention was that I got into a conversation with a guy from a band called "Allura" in the elevator, and when he got off on the second floor, I started to follow him out. I was on the 4th floor. Pretty embarassing. hahaha
And, I knew All Time Low's merch guy. He's a good guy, even if I keep wanting to call him Alex instead of Andrew, which is pretty funny since the lead singer of All Time Low is Alex.

Anyway, Ann put together a video here for our pizza party:


It's what happens when you put a bunch of silly RK fans in a hotel on the same night.
Did we really sleep at all?

Girls just wanna have fun:


Yes, I did see other bands besides Relient K:

The Bird and The Bee Sides

Long ago, in a time far away, I preordered a copy of The Bird and The Bee Sides. The purpose of preordering is two-fold: 1. Support the band; 2. Get the cd the day it comes out without worries that it won't be in the local store. So, I pre-ordered The Bird and the Bee Sides, Revelation by Third Day and Kutless' new cd.

Then I waited... and waited...

Finally it was the middle of July, and I went to Musichristian.com to look at my account. It said it was processing. Then I saw a pop up (normally they are blocked) telling me that if I preordered that all cd's would ship the day of the last release date - not until well into August. Now I wanted to listen to The Bird & The Bee Sides (hereinafter referred to as TB&TBS - abbreviations are the American way, after all) on my trip to Creation NW, so I asked to have my order split. I was assured that was quite doable for a $2 fee. It didn't arrive in time, but I did receive an e-mail saying that it was shipping on July 22. At least I would have it for the trip up for the Boise Warped Tour.

I was wrong again.

What I failed to notice was that the shipment didn't mention WHICH cd, and the notice was for Revelation not TB&TBS. So on July 29, Revelation came. No TB&TBS in sight. I did get the invoice and $2 shipping fee for splitting the order, though.
So, once again I wrote to MusiChristian.com. I threatened to cancel and buy it at Wal Mart. They apologized, said it was being shipped expedited at no extra charge and I was given a $5 coupon code. I just wanted my cd.

So, I waited some more. Finally, well into August, I get an e-mail saying my order shipped. So for less than a week, I have finally been able to listen to TB&TBS.

Today, I went to church, and as is my habit, I stopped at the P.O. Box to check my mail on the return trip. In my P.O. Box was a bubble envelope from The Effect Radio.
I had given them a small donation out of appreciation and because it was obvious they care about the music and artists there, and they were very hospitable to me when I went to see the Fold at the end of July. I opted to not receive any "gift" with my donation. So imagine my surprise to get a cd from them in the mail. I open it up wondering what they sent and you'll never guess what it was. Oh... you figured it out? TB&TBS. So now the woman who couldn't get one copy, now has two.

And I couldn't stop laughing hysterically the rest of the way home.

Have a blessed Sunday,
Melanie

Habitat for Humanity

Well, I hemmed and hawed, and went back and forth on whether of not to enter a contest to help Third Day, Switchfoot, Jars of Clay, Robert Randolph, et al. build a home on the Music Builds Tour, but finally decided to go for it because I believe in the concept that Habitat represents, and support it as a charity. If I win (unlikely) that would be great, but if not, at least I can help out a worthwhile cause. So, if you, like me - believe that helping people to get into a home of their own with some investment of their own time (taking ownership I would call it) and would like to help me and Habitat, please consider going to my myspace page at
http://www.myspace.com/woman4life then finding the Habitat Widget and click on donate. Even $5 helps. And if you can't do that now, consider making a contribution later even after the contest is over.

Thanks. :)

--Melanie

O.K. I tried adding the widget here, and it looks like it worked! The contest said to or through the 15th, which is today.

Kicking and Screaming isn't just an MXPX song lyric

O.K. So, that song is now reminding me of how I feel about the fact that I got a call tonight telling me I had to go back to work tomorrow. I work seasonally. I said, tomorrow?!! That isn't much notice. She said I was supposed to come back today. (Not really, since I only got called this evening (and the only message was this morning at 9 something. I don't see anything else on my caller id.) Anyway, I thought I'd be off except possibly a couple of weeks or so in Oct./Nov. and then not called back until Jan/Feb. I am not a happy camper. I was hoping to redeem my trashed domicle. Sigh..
c'est la vie.

Hopefully I can make a dent in the photo editing/saving scenario tonight and get a few things done in the kitchen.

Love, peace, and unhappy camping,

--Melanie

P.S. On the bright side - At least I got my hair cut today. :)

Another story - Creation NW or bust

My plan for Creation NW was to arrive about 10:30 a.m. on July 23, set up my tent and get to the line at the gate as soon as possible. It's usually too hot to wait in my tent anyway. From the Motel 6 in Ontario, OR to The Gorge is approximately a 6 hour drive providing I don't stop or get lost. Both scenarios were unlikely. I did stop a few times, and I did get lost. I wasn't hopelessly lost, actually, I just wasn't clear on a turnoff or two. Fortunatley I passed one and just had to turn around. The other wasn't totally clear and for once I picked the right direction. LOL I probably only had about 5-1/2 to 6 hours of sleep, so by the time I arrived (which was closer to noon) I was ready for a break. It took a while to get my tent spot and to get set up, but I finally made my way to the gate to wait, wait and wait some more. I was pretty close to the front. A lot of people were hanging around in chairs by the gate and didn't seem to concerned about their position. I suppose if you aren't headed for the main stage it wasn't such a big concern. I was headed for the main stage. I took my place at the gate and waited to meet Bri. We had hoped to hang out for the whole Creation fest, but she ended up getting a job. The funny thing about jobs is that they rather expect you to show up. LOL Still, she was able to come and meet me there and to see one of her favorites - Hawk Nelson. We had a decent time visiting with one another and hanging out. Finally the time for the gate to open became nearer. I was at the front of the line. At Creation, everyone goes through security and the gates, and lines up in front of a line of security guys holding tape. The goal is to make the long trek down the hill towards the main stage without anyone running, pushing, shoving, etc. (nice goal - easier said than done.) I was at the coveted front... but I would still have to make a run for it once we reached the stage area. They always tell people not to run. I try, but people always to, and I always have to try and keep up. This year the crowd was pretty pushy going down the hill. I lost my water bottle, and I didn't dare stoop to pick it up. At last we made it down the hill, and the race for prime real estate for the night commenced. I found a decent spot on the barricade to the right. Bri and I were separated. Most of the rest of the night we ended up just texting one another here and there. Flyleaf was set to play first and they really were everything I had hoped and then some. I enjoyed their set immensely. For a real contrast, Leeland played next and as always was definitley worth hearing. Leeland and a wonderful voice and heart for worship. Hawk Nelson (who Bri come to see most) was a lot of fun as always. Once Hawk Nelson's set was over, Bri ended up leaving to meet up with them, and had a great time. I stayed in the crazy crowd. LOL I was really rather sad that we didn't get to actually say goodbye in person. Texting isn't the same. Finally Kutless played and put on an awesome concert. Night one ended, I picked up a little bit of trash along the way and I headed off for some much needed sleep.

The hurrieder I go the behinder I get?

I've been going like crazy lately and I have so much that has happened that has just been amazing. I am really far behind trying to get all the photos gone through, edited and posted and I was trying to wait on blogging until they were up. Instead I decided just to go ahead and finish my own "minitour" blogs and add pics later.

So, this picks up after my trip to Twin Falls to see the Fold.

The trip to Boise went rather well. I listened to A Current Affair's cd and Ever Stays Red's ep on the drive up. I arrived at the venue fairly early and only a few people were there. I don't really recall who arrived when exactly. I just looked around and tried to figure out where the venue entrance would be and parked my car. Eventually I did figure it out. Then I just set about to kill an enormous amount of time. I really didn't have anywhere else I wanted to go. The venue wasn't in a part of town I was familiar with, so I wasn't too keen on the idea of getting lost. LOL I had plenty of snacks and drinks in the car, so I snacked, had a drink here and there, read, did crossword puzzles (I picked up a cw book at Barnes & Nobles in Twin Falls) and talked with anyone who would chat back to me. Eventually a lot of the volunteers began to arrive and I tried as best I could to help them gain entry. Sometimes I'm a good traffic director. I've gotten rather used to it since I oft times show up so early. LOL

I was able to Dan a little before the show. He said he would make sure I could get my camera in and didn't think it would be a problem. (I didn't expect it to be.) A little before the doors opened, I was let into the show, which was nice since I could use the bathroom that way ahead of time. ;) I talked to Zach for a little bit from Ever Stays Red, and just waited some more. Of course, the details are a little fuzzy since I waited so long to jot all of this down.

At any rate, the show finally did start and everyone played well. The Fold played, Hey Rebekah again, and Beside You Now and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Afterwards, I just hung about a bit and waited to get a pic with everyone. Dan was trying to get pics of me and a couple of other gals with the whole band, but it just didn't end up happening. Sometimes trying to get band guys together all at the same time can be rather like coralling children. LOL I waited around after the show quite a while to get a pic with Ever Stays Red, and watched everyone loading up. I offered to help, but I think they were just focused on what they were doing so I tried to stay out of the way. At one point, Ever Stays Red and The Fold started competing to see who could load out the fastest. It was pretty funny, actually. I'm still not sure who technically won. I think the Fold might have won by a hair, but does it count if they had to go back and redo a couple of things? LOL It was nearly a photo finish. ;) Anyway, afterwards, I asked about the pic, and they decided to do a group photo. Dan and Keith were already in the van, so they weren't with the group. Mike (the Fold's drummer) offered to take the photo so Aaron was the only one from The Fold in the pic. Mike had us all laughing. He would start to take the photo only to turn the camera on himself to take a silly close up of his face. He did this about 5 times. Then he finally took the photo and the result is posted in the "short version" of this trip below.

Then I got into my car and headed out to Ontario, OR to the Motel 6 there. It's a great hotel, really. It has wonderful service, a pool, and is clean and Motel 6 really reasonable prices. I would stay there again anytime. Anyway, I got there rather late, showered and went to sleep as quickly as I could as I had to head out really early for Creation NW. But that's another story. ...

Peace out,
Melanie

World Wide Moment is imminent!!!

People from all over the world are set to take a pic at the exact same moment in less than 24 hours from now. Check it out!!

http://worldwidemoment.org

Just take a photo where you are Aug. 8:08:08 Beijing, China time. In mountain time that is Aug. 7, 6:08 p.m. (later today) Pacific time is an hour earlier. Central time an hour later. Eastern time is two hours later.

There is a counter on the World Wide Moment web site, and a link here:
http://timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html?year=2008&month=8&day=8&hour=8&min=8&sec=0&p1=33&p2=179
for time conversions if needed.

Rockabye Sweet Baby James

Last night I had the great pleasure of seeing James Taylor live. I was really struck with just how good his vocals still were, and he had one of the best groups of musicians backing him up that I've seen. It was definitely impressive. It was fun to see him actually jump at the end of songs, and he really has a bit of an engaging personality onstage.

He basically held up the set list just before the 20 minute intermission and I snapped a pic. It even turned out. LOL He did quite a few covers, as well as
some old James Taylor favorites like You've Got a Friend, Fire and Rain, Sweet Baby James, Shower the People You Love with Love, Going to Carolina. Some of the jazzier numbers were simply amazing.




The ticket said no cameras, but I took mine anyway just in case. I took a few snaps of the outside of the venue just to have something. I went up and asked at the gate if cameras were allowed, and was told that point and shoots were O.K. I was ecstatic.

But as with all good things, it came to an end. I chatted with anyone who would listen to kill time, got a ride up the "hill" to the parking lot, chatted with some folks who were parked nearby and waiting for traffic to die down as well, and finally hit the road home -- satisfied.

Peace out,
Melanie

Backyard photography

Pics from my backyard Sunday afternoon:

A new poem

Hmmm.... this was inspired by someone. I don't think I'll say who that is. ;) It's not exactly about them, just something they said inspired it.

Oh master of words
You wield your art
Like a sword
you go for the heart
or perhaps the jugular is your goal

Sit in judgment now
on your golden throne
like a king
Truth is yours alone
or maybe your truth is an illusion

Oh master of song
Your weapon thrusts deep
like a knife
You cut 'til they weep
or perchance until the blade cuts both ways.

Another work in progress

I started this on the road out from the venue in Twin Falls. It was really dark, I felt really alone, and I wasn't sure if I was even going the right way. I think it was a somewhat metaphorical situation, so I started writing a verse, and then added another one later waiting at Creation. I think I was waiting for one of the main stage bands to set up or something. Then I added the last part at the hotel in Orlando, OR on the way home.

Anyway, nothing earthshattering...

The road is dark
I've lost my way
This street looks familiar
But they all look the same.

Where am I going?
Which turn should I take
Am I on the right path
Will it be a mistake?

This pit I've created
Void of all light
I'm stuck at the bottom
No hope in sight.

Can I climb out, is there any escape?

Anyway, hope to finish this eventually. Sometimes I'm good at starting these things. Finishing is tougher. LOL

I have a few ideas. Just wanted to write this down somewhere.

On the Road Again

There is an old song entitled, "On the Road Again" by a band called, "Canned Heat" that I pretty much associate with travelling. So, I suppose it is apt that the title of this blog reflects the amount of travelling I would be soon embarking on.

Initially, the plan was to head for Creation NW on July 22, stay the night in Ontario, Oregon - arrive by about 10:30 a.m. to The Gorge in Washington state, spend 4 days and drive home.

Then I read on The Fold's myspace that they were going to be in Boise, so I figured I'd just go to a concert along the way. Then they added Twin Falls to their tour list, and I decided to leave a day early. I hoped and prayed I'd have a chance to furlough from work first so I wouldn't use all of my annual leave. My prayer was answered.

Monday, I headed out for Twin Falls. The drive to Twin Falls is only about 3-1/2 hours so I didn't have to be in a huge hurry to leave. Still, I left a little later than originally planned. I think I've finally come to the conclusion that things happen for a reason and God's timing always works out. I still beat the band to the venue even thought it took me a bit to find the right street. The venue was called The River (it is a church) and there is a radio station on the premises called, "The Effect." I finally stopped at a gas station and asked for clarification on the directions and bought something for lunch. As it turned out, the gal who made my sandwich went to that church sometimes. She also didn't know about the show, so I invited her. I wonder if she came. LOL

Not long after I arrived one of the bands showed up. I think it was Ever Stays Red. Then I just did what I could to kill time. I read a little bit, walked around, took photos of clouds (inspired by Brett and Jacob, of course - now I'm obsessed with taking cloud photos. LOL), got sprinkled on, watched lightening and chatted with some of the grounds crew, etc. I had something to give to Dan, so I asked one of the guys from Ever Stays Red to give it to him, and he invited me in instead. So, I basically hung around, used the restroom (yes!!), talked to a few people and watched soundcheck. It was a long soundcheck. I really like watching soundchecks because they are all so unique. Everyone has their own way. Usually there is some humor involved along the way. I guess there has to be. ;)

After sound check, I talked to Dan a little and the band went to eat.
I just killed time as best I could. I found I could have my camera at some point and went to my car. I didn't think I'd get back in, but I was let back in again.
I can't even remember much about what I did to kill time, but just about the time doors were supposed to open I went and paid to get in. Dan was nice enough to offer to put me on the guest list, but I figured that I should pay to get in since I had it planned anyway.

The show was awesome. :) I got to hear "Hey Rebekah" and "Beside You Now" live for the first time, so that made my night. We won't tell anyone, but Dan started Beside You Now in the wrong key, but he corrected it well and quickly. I doubt most people noticed. I still think it sounded good - I just noticed a key change. In fact, I wasn't positive about the key thing being unintentional until Dan mentioned it. I just wrote it off in my mind. LOL

I was also impressed with Ever Stays Red. I bought their cd and I love it. :) I had seen them twice before and knew they were good, but never really have kept up with their music.

A Classic Affair's set was a lot of fun. I was concerned that I wouldn't like them because the sound check sounded a little screamy, but there was a lot of singing and Jordan has an awesome voice, so I ended up liking them after all. And they were really some of the nicest guys.

The only downside to the show were a couple of teen boys who thought that body slamming was the way to enjoy the concert. The problem with this is that most of the people in the front were smaller than they were, there were stairs and no barricade. No barricade means no way to stay upright, and I was a little annoyed at being thrown almost onto the stage several times. I would chide them (and do the up and down not side to side signs) and they would quit only to start it up again later.
There really was no security up front to speak of. But I survived it.

After the show, I bought two cd's from The Effect (Until June and Edison Glass), a hoodie and tee from The Fold. The hoodie is really nice, btw. It's very comfortable and warm. Then I bought Ever Stays Red's cd, and a photo from A Classic Affair. I had a pic taken with A Classic Affair and chatted with anyone who would listen.

I made no night time plans for Twin Falls, so I basically procrastinated. I thought about sleeping at a rest stop between Twin Falls and Boise, but it was bugging me that I couldn't picture where they were. I didn't want to spend a lot on a hotel (I just spent a bunch. LOL) so I just hung around and procrastinated. I ended up carrying some merch stuff out to the van, etc. Brian from The Effect was going to give the guys a tour of the station and interview so he invited me for the tour, so I waited around for that.

The tour of the station was really interesting. Brian and his wife were really very nice and by the end of the night, a few of the band guys were calling him "Bri guy". So I guess he has that nickhname now if he didn't before. The interviews were really fun to watch. Brian would do a little "pre interview" and then actually record the real thing. The interview was with The Classic Crime and The Fold. I don't know where Ever Stays Red was. They were probably the smart ones out getting some sleep.

Even when things were all wrapped up, I wasn't sure what I was going to do. I finally ended up on Blue Lakes Road (even though I went the wrong direction) which is a street I knew. I stopped at the Super 8 Motel and asked the price and they said they'd give me the AAA rate of $65 (which was all inclusive) so I took the deal.
The room was nice, actually. I set my alarm early so I could have breakfast. About the only thing I could have was a cinnamon roll and apples, but it was a freebie, so I'm not complaining. :)

I came back to my room, showered, dressed and checked out. Then I did a little shopping around Twin Falls. I stopped at Barnes and Nobles and when I was leaving I saw Ever Stays Red's van driving out of town. LOL I thought that was a funny coincidence. I debated whether to go down to Centennial Park and the waterfall, but decided it would have been more fun if I wasn't alone and just headed out to Boise.

I was just a tad tired, and was grateful that it was only about an hour and a half or so. And I was on the road once again.

Books to write...

I really have books of things to write. And I promised at least one person I'd write them. The "books" will be illustrated.

I spent the last week on my own tour. I mentioned my itinerary to Jerome (of Switchfoot) and he said it was like touring. I agreed, and added that I didn't know how they did it.

Monday July 21 I was in Twin Falls to see The Fold, Ever Stays Red and A Current Affair. Then I followed them the next night to Boise on my way to Creation Northwest. I took 2 days driving home, staying at a Motel 6 in Ontario, OR about halfway and was home one day before heading for Switchfoot's show in Wyoming. I ended up with food poisoning or something. I think I'm starting to feel human again, maybe. I'm afraid to try real food yet.

So, this has delayed my blogging efforts greatly. For those that want the really short version: this is it. More to follow...

Heartsick

I was really getting excited looking through all of my photos from Creation - good and bad ones, and I put in the last SD card to find it's empty. That means that I am missing an SD card somewhere with pics on it. What seems to be missing are my pics from Switchfoot (probably not the greatest being as the lighting was dark and my point and shoot doesn't do the best at that), my pics from The Afters, some of which I was sure turned out well, my pics of Pillar and pics from the Boise concert with The Fold. I had pics of me with Mike the drummer, a group photo of me with Ever Stays Red, A Classic Affair, and Aaron of the Fold taken by the drummer, Mike. He also took a bunch of close ups of his face and had me totally cracking up. I remember sitting in my tent and looking at the pics and laughing. Now I want to cry.

Please pray that it will turn up somewhere. I know it's a really big longshot, but God is a God of miracles, I believe that. I don't know where to turn on this one. I would even offer a reward. Those pics mean a lot to me. I am really hoping it was turned in to lost and found and the powers that be thought it valuable enough to forward to the main office. IT was certainly more valuable to me than the camera it was taken with. :(

I'm open to any ideas. Just hoping it isn't in a trash can somewhere.

Book Review No. 2

Scientific Facts in the Bible by Ray Comfort.
100 Reasons to Believe the Bible is Supernatural in Origin

I ran across this book last time I put in a book order at Amazon.com because I thought it would be a fun, quick read, and in that sense I was definitely not disappointed with Ray Comfort's book.

Scientific Facts in the Bible is divided into topics by chapters. A lot of what is contained in the book are the citations of others, some I recognized, although many I did not. The design and layout make this book ideal to read when you just have small snippets of time. I found it an excellent book to read on my breaks at work.

As an in depth treatise on the topic of scientific facts in the Bible, the book does only a fair job. I doubt that it would convince a hard core, well educated athiest, for instance. There are some flaws in a few of the examples, but others were really good and thought provoking. There is a chapter of citations from men in history that didn't really fit in with the "science" theme, but I found them interesting just the same.

Overall, I found reading this book somewhat encouraging. I don't think I would use it to "prove" anything, but I can see using some of the examples and citations as a kick of point for further study.

The end of the book basically is written as an invitation. We're all invited. I wonder what your RSVP will say. :)

Concert Shoes

I think I've come up with a new product. We really need someone to make some good concert shoes. I have the criteria and if anyone wants to help me design them, then perhaps we can convince some shoe company to make them for us. I'm thinking that Van's would be a good choice since they sponsor Warped Tour, right? LOL The "Van's concert shoe." ;)

Today I went to the mall. My mission was to find a pair of shoes with good toe support, good heel support and that weren't too ugly.

I gave a lot of thought as to what goes into a good concert shoe. The first thing that a concert shoe needs is support. You need support for the toes to stand up on you toes to look over the barricade or over someone's head. You need support for running to run to the front of the stage, and you need support for standing long hours for some of the festivals, and ga shows, and support is needed for jumping to your favorite tunes.

I was thinking about getting some New Balance shoes similar to the ones I have already. I just figure that the support isn't quite what it used to be now that they are a couple of years old. I looked at Journey, then Foot Locker, then Famous Footwear, and back to Foot Locker. There was a cute, black shoe that was on the wall as a performance shoe. I figured that must mean for running or something. I guess I was incorrect. The toes seemed stiff enough and the heal felt cushiony. After I tried them on, I asked what they were designed for, running? The reply came back that they were for dance/casual. I thought that stinks... but they felt good, so I figured they just might work so I bought them and walked around the mall looking for a few other items on my list. After I while I noticed my heals were not comfy anymore. So,now I had a predicament... the shoes don't really do what I want, so I thought rather than taking them back after I wore them all over the mall I thought perhaps some supports would work. SO now I have an expensive pair of shock absorber inserts. I still wish there was for of an arch support for this flat footed girl to wear. LOL

We'll see if after 4 days at Creation I am still standing.

--Melanie

Yes! Yes! Yes!

Tickets for Receipt #******* are being shipped as follows: Fri Aug 8 2008 01:00 PM EDT Warped Tour Idaho Center US Priority Mail

Woo Hoo! :) I was wondering when the ticket was going to ship. Now I just have to wait for my Coldplay and Third Day/Switchfoot/Jars of Clay tickets. I wonder if I should get a ticket for Kelly Clarkson. I said I was going to try and slow down a little and the arenas are so costly with ticketmonster (oh, did I say that) handling ticketing. I think she is best up close, so I might get up in the morning and see what I pull up and how much it will set me back.

I keep hoping/praying Relient K will come here with This Providence. Yea, I know it's a huge long shot -- improbable, but not necessarily impossible. I remember telling Jon that This Providence and The Fold would love to open for Relient K when I was at Creation last year. Now This Providence has at least a few shows opening for them. I will so totally miss Sean (of TP), though. I was supposed to bring him (well, the whole band, but it was most appealing to Sean) a spaghetti dinner or potroast or something next time This Providence came here. Of course, when we made these plans Sean was hungry. LOL They haven't been here since. :( Sean is an extremely nice guy. We talked about books, CC music that his mom and I like, food, music and other things. And he always makes me laugh. When This Providence comes here, I usually laugh so hard it hurts. Sean was a big part of that. I hope our paths will definitely cross again, band or no band!!

Anyway, I am procrastinating, which is what I do best. Hey, if one could get a job procrastinating, I would have finally found a job I can do really well. LOL

Speaking of jobs, I just turned in my badge and left work at 11:30 p.m. I had some time awards amounting to an hour and a half that I was able to use to leave early.
They were supposed to furlough on Wed., but I'm heading for Idaho to see The Fold, and to Creation NW on Monday, so I am on leave until they furlough, and then I'm off until the next time they call (sometimes for a few weeks in Nov., and then for the next season in Jan/Feb.) As for Creation, one of the people I was supposed to meet there (the main person actually) is not going to be there after all. She got a new job that won't let her off work to go. I guess if a place hires you to work, it's kinda nice if you show up. I was looking forward to meeting up with Bri and her mom again. We had a blast at Jimmy Eat World and Paramore in Pocatello. We WILL meet again. LOL

Anyway, next week, The Fold and Creation, followed by Switchfoot in Rock Springs, WY on the 30th, working at the Fernando Ortega concert at Wolf Mountain on Aug. 2; James Taylor on Aug. 4, Warped Tour on Aug 8 (leaving on Aug. 7 around 2 p.m. or earlier if possible) and then Bob Dylan on August 31. There have been a lot of shows this month, and I had to miss a few (like Dear and the Headlights.) I will have to miss two more while I am at Creation, and two that I love dearly - Ernie Halter and We Shot the Moon. The real killer is that WSTM is going to be 15 mins or so from my place and I'll be out of state. C'est la vie. Jonathan - I WILL see you next time somehow (not that he reads my blogs.) LOL

So, I'm going to be keeping busy, and hopefully have some time to catch up on my house when I get back.

Peace out,
Melanie

P.S. I have to write a book review before I leave, and I just started reading a book called Emergence by Steven Johnson. Just barely started, though.

P.S.S. DON'T FORGET!! (Caps for emphasis) World Wide Moment, August 8, 2008 8:08 a.m. Beijing time. Everyone taking a snapshot at exactly the same moment in time!!! It will be really fun and interesting. In mountain time the moment is August 7, 2008 at 6:08 p.m. For info. go here: http://www.worldwidemoment.org

The Amazing Wandering MInd

Just to prove that I have not yet lost all of my hearing completely, I was at the computer terminal responding to someone's blog when I heard the familiar boom.. then a pause, then a "boom, boom, boom crackle." I recognize that noise! (I still have a little memory left as well..) It was the sound of fireworks.

My adult onset ADD was screaming, "oooo... shiny things" and I headed out to the front porch to see what I could see. The last year the trees across the street had become tall enough to block a lot of the view, but tonight I could see most of the colorful sparkles and "oooh and aahhhhh" as one should when viewing fireworks. I called to my semi-comatose husband on the couch and asked if he wanted to see them. He joined me for a short while then had enough and went back inside. Shortly after, the trees became a barrier and I made a short walk down the street where I could once again see the sparkling display.

July is fireworks month in Utah. First there is the 4th of July, followed by a state holiday on July 24. When I first moved here, folks would tell me that the 24th was the bigger event. I'd have to say that it was clearly a toss up. Since first relocating to UT, things have changed, though. I don't think they last quite as long as a few years ago, although UT really does know how to put on a fireworks show. However, when I first arrived here in 1999, most of the cities had impressive displays on both of the holidays. Now they tend to alternate weekends with their celebrations. Still there are plenty of fireworks to go around.

At any rate, I thought about a lot of things while watching the fireworks. Who would have thought that watching fireworks would set off a regular chain-reaction of thoughts in my mind. Of course my first thought was, "Ooooo.. pretty." From that my mind wandered over to circuses - you know the Roman circuses -- entertainment for the masses to keep them from focusing on peripheral things and not real life issues. Keep people happy by entertaining them and how I was happily enjoying them regardless of their "value."

Then I inevitably compared it to previous years, and started wondering if shrinking budgets and price increases would force the displays to be ever smaller. I thought about how much we take things for granted, even fireworks after noticing cars going up and down my street seeming to take no notice whatsoever. What if we were to become a third world country and there were no fireworks anymore?

Then for no explanable reason I thought about being old and losing brain cells. I wanted to remember some of these ideas and let's face it, I don't remember things like I used to. It struck me that when you are young you learn so much, so fast, but you have no life experience. Then when you have the actual experience, you start to forget. I think God does that to keep us older folks humble?

And interspersed with all of those thoughts, I thought it would be nice if I had some good photos of fireworks. I read an article on taking fireworks photos. Maybe next year I will set up my tripod and see what I can capture. One can get some pretty cool shots just with a point and shoot and a little luck and timing. I didn't get my camera, though. I would have probably missed them all.

So this is how my mind wanders, and why I have decided, that I probably have adult onset ADD (is there such a thing?)

So tonight, I didn't stop to smell the roses, but I did stop and marvel at fireworks and the ramblings of the human mind. And... don't neglect the important things.

Hope you had a great day!

--Mealnie

Book Review

I've discovered that it can be really difficult to review a book when you've met the author and love the person and love the book just a little less.

Push My Life into a Duffle Bag has a good storyline, especially for those who have a heart for people from a less than wonderful environment. John Roger Schofield does a great job of developing the characters in the story written from the viewpoint of abused child who grows up to be an angry young man and his struggle with and through that anger. In fact, one thing the book does extremely well is give you the sense that this is indeed someone's personal memoirs.

The first few chapters of the book were extremely hard for me to get through primarily because of the graphic sexual descriptions. For the most part, they really were unnecessary to the story. It is possible to get the same points across without being quite so graphic and the human part of the interplay took so much of a backseat that it almost got lost. If one shies away from such things and dislike profanity, then this is probably not the best book to read. For a good example of something that can be a little "steamy" and still not be quite as graphic, the Song of Solomon might work. I am not suggesting that the story excise the less than pretty parts, but perhaps it could have relayed them in such a way as to not to cause young men to want a cold shower afterwards. LOL

The best and worst characteristics (outside of the nearly pornographic descriptions) are actually the same. John is quite good at adjectives and descriptiveness in the scenes he portrays through a lot of the book, but at times it is almost too much, as though he picked up the dictionary just to toss a few words in there. I found the use of the word "Forsooth" throughout the book to be both endearing and a bit of a distraction. It was endearing because I know John seems to love the word, and it made me think of him: however, as far as the story goes, it really didn't make sense. Most people really don't talk that way, and John is unique. ;) I also found that he used the word, "myriad" a lot. It is hard to know whether or not it really stuck out to me because I know the name of his band is "The Myriad" or if I would have noticed it anyway. I do tend to try not to overuse the same word when writing, so that sort of thing will jump out at me sometimes.

The other downside to the book is that the time line seemed a little confusing in some parts of the book. Maybe a chart would have helped. He does backtrack a bit in parts of the story.

Overall, the book is interesting, and I'd really love to see it rewritten a little less graphically, and perhaps with a little more editing on finer points. And if "forsooth" stays in the story, perhaps an explanation of why the character keeps using it since it isn't a word most people use routinely.

To it's credit, Push My Life into a Duffle Bag has a good message in the end, but I am not sure it makes up for it's graphic nature, and in fact, it seems somewhat a contradiction.

Peace out,
Melanie

(oh... peace out I stole from Mac Powell of Third Day, just because I like the way it sounds, and peace is good.) :)

Sharing is a Good Thing

I hope you enjoy this. I do. :)

32 Years

I was working on photos so that I could add a few to my last blog, and it hit me that it is after midnight, and officially the 4th of July. For some it is a very patriotic time, a time to enjoy the fireworks, and celebrate all things American. For some, it is just a day off work: a time for fishing, camping, kicking back at home or doing whatever one does on their time off work. For others it's just another day because they don't live here anyway. LOL

But for me, it is my wedding anniversary. I was married on the "bicentennial", July 4, 1976.

Where has the time gone?

Today it has been 32 years since my husband and I said our vows at Ancil Hoffman Park in Carmichael next to the American River with a small group of family and friends. My sister, Valerie, made my dress - yellow with white and pink flowers and my veil. The reception was at my dad's place. (I will insert photos here, as I am able, and if I am able.)

It was before the world of all things digital. The internet wasn't even a concept in my mind back then and wouldn't be something I actually had access to for another 13 years. Cell phones were nonexistent. Gasoline was well under a dollar a gallon. Oh, we did have color television - no HDTV, though. I remember laughing at the concept of paying for television broadcasts even if it was commercial free. The commercial free thing didn't last too long. LOL

But I have been married 32 years. It has gone by so quickly, in the blink of an eye. Moments may drag, but the years have flown. We have survived job losses, my husband going back to college, auto accidents, raising three children, buying and owning our first home, moving to another state and buying our second home, my daughter's wedding, and all of the challenges life has tossed our way.

I have endured his sometimes reclusiveness, he has survived my outbursts (and I don't mean of energy.) I love people, he likes to be alone sometimes. I like digital photography, he likes film. LOL On occasion we have been worst enemies, but more often we are best friends... when we get to talk. LOL

Relationships are like that. They aren't neat and tidy. We are two sinful individuals who have somehow also been molded into one entity. He knows me and puts up with me, and vice versa. We are committed (in more ways than one.) ;)

I can't imagine being without him.

Happy Anniversary.

My Warped and Wacky Weekend

The problem with long, fun-filled days is trying to remember and recount every detail and not bore everyone to tears. :) The other is trying to decide where to begin. This tale begins on a Friday night, the night before Warped Tour, or more accurately, extremely early on Saturday morning when I finally got off work at 1 a.m. I still had to head for my daughter's place to feed her dogs and check up on them, finish getting my camera gear ready, run to Wal Mart and pick up a memory card to replace the one that went bad the night before. All those goals were accomplished, but by then it was close to 4 a.m. I finally was able to hit the sack and try to catch some zzzzzzz's. It took a while for me to drift off. At 6:30 a.m. my daughter and husband returned from Phoenix and I was awake, sort of. I took care of some business with my daughter, and went back to sleep for a couple of hours as best I could. So much for my plan to actually get enough rest first.

My intent was to set out by 8:30 am. By the time I actually got out the door, it was past 9:30. I also wanted to get a Coldplay ticket which went on sale at 10 a.m. and a ticket to see Bob Dylan, which also went on sale at 10 a.m. When it rains, it pours. I had convinced my beloved mother to take care of the Coldplay ticket for me. She was to call me if the seat wasn't in the first 10 rows so I could decide what to do. I had pulled up row 21 in the presale, and had hoped to do better with this one. So, the natural thing for me to do was to forget my cell phone. I turned around and went back to get it and got out the door at about 10 mins. to 10. I figured the line would be huge. I was worried about missing someone I really wanted to see. As it turned out, I ended up with Row 24. My mom pulled up row 21, and I decided just to get a cheap seat. They were out. We tried again, Row 24 came up. I took it. At that time, I was already well on the road to the Salt Lake Fairgrounds for some hot summer fun. Through the graciousness of friends, I was able to get a photo pass for Warped Tour, so I was pretty excited about it and definitely happy to finally be there.

I don't recall exactly what time I finally arrived at my destination, but it was probably around 10:30 a.m. The line was getting longer by the minute -- no, make that by the second. I ran into someone I always see at concerts right away, and he told me he was considering paying $5 to bump the line. It sounded good to me. I was ready for it. We chatted and I headed up to the press table to get my photo pass. It all went really smoothly. I was supposed to have a photo only band, but they forgot to cross of the "press" part, so I had a photo/press pass. I was told that I didn't have to go through the line. As it turned out, I wasn't even searched, so it went really quickly. In the end that was a huge blessing and relief as Relient K was playing first. I was really surprised that they were playing so early, but apparently this year at Warped the play order was determined by drawing and RK drew early.

My first stop, of course, was to the big red balloon to find out the schedule. I discovered that on too little sleep, remembering any of it was more than a challenge. I took a photo to help me remember, but then it was too bright to read it most of the time. LOL Then I headed for the Main Stage to see my favorite band, Relient K. When I arrived I went up to security so I could try and find out what I was supposed to do. She looked up what was on my wristband and said I could go backstage if I wanted to, so I did. I'm trying to remember who I saw first, but I think it was Warne. Eventually I was able to have a nice conversation with everyone. I probably seem kinda weird and chatty, but to me it's like running into someone you know that you only see once every 6 months or so and trying to fit everything you want to say in 30 seconds or less and you can't remember half of it. LOL

Finally it was time for the show to start and I went around to the barricade. I was nervous about getting anything good in the bright sun, and shade combo that is Warped. At the end of the three songs I went back to the front of the barricade. I asked security if I could still use the camera from the pit, or if I had to use a different one, and was basically told, "I don't know." So I just said if there's a problem let me know and I'll stop and swap cameras, so I was able to keep taking pics with my DSLR. I had a secured a spot in the front before the show and told someone I was there and I would try to get back which I did. My friend, Lauralee, was pretty much dead center, but I couldn't make it that far and was situated to the right of the stage near the piano. At one point Thiessen seemed to notice me in the crowd, and he said later that he did see me there. I guess I am like most people and it's nice to be recognized. LOL It's also nice when you are told that you weren't imagining things. ;)





Relient K's set was longer than I expected, but as always, it just seemed too short. They played Sadie Hawkins Dance, which I wasn't expecting and it was very well received indeed. I headed off to find something to drink and another show. If I remember correctly the next show I wanted to see was "We the Kings". I stopped at a few merch booths first, purchased a Relient K tee, preordered a cd from The Maine (which reminds me, I need to take care of that online with a code), etc. and hunted for the stage. I cannot recall the exact order of things at this point, but I saw, "The Maine", couldn't find the stage for We The Kings and missed half of their set. I was looking for the stage for the Color Fred and found it just as they started, and took pics from the barricade for the first three songs, and then stood to the side and watched the rest. I really enjoyed Fred's set a lot, and the sound for that set was probably the best for some reason.


After seeing The Maine, We the Kings and The Color Fred, I did a major search for the Kia tent to see RK again. I was pretty much next to the last person in line, and I squeaked in. I wanted to get something autographed and send it to April. (Now I need to write her!!!) All I could get was this huge, weird poster, but I got it signed. I stuck around for a photo. The gal wanted me to go outside, and I thought she meant without a photo, so I said something to her and ended up staying and she didn't make me leave. When I left, there was a photo line, and I felt bad because I kinda bumped it. That wasn't my intent. LOL I hated leaving the Kia tent, though, because it was cool in there.

After bugging RK some more, I headed back out into the hot sun, bought a smoothie and started looking for the stage with Between the Trees. Along the way I discovered a band called 1997 on the Friday Says stage and loved them. I stayed for their set. I finished my smoothie and headed out again. Along the way I took pics of a band on the Smart Punk stage because the gal with the painted stand up bass was just way too interesting not to take a few snaps. And somewhere in that stretch of time I believe I saw the Aggrolites, and took a few photos. They were a bit of fun and talented. At some point in time I ran into my friend Lauralee, and she was getting ready to go to the Myspace Tent for an acoustic set with Between the Trees. I definitely wanted to see that, so I joined her. I took quite a few photos during the set, and really enjoyed it quite a lot. I had a pic taken with two of the guys after the set (only the lead singer really played, though) and went to their merch booth to meet the whole band. At 6:35, I went to see Between the Trees again, but the sequence of the day's events escapes me completely. Somewhere in the rest of the day, I managed to watch a good part of Cobra Starship's set and take pics behind the barricade, and some other bands here and there. I talked to one guy quite a while about music. He loved RK and missed their show, but we liked a lot of the same things. Now, I know the order is completely jumbled, because he headed off to see Gym Class Heroes which was one of the last bands to play. I stopped to inquire about a hat. I ended up at Family Force 5 instead of GCH, but they looked like just to much fun not to photograph them. At that point no one really seemed to care about any photo time limits and I just took pics. I didn't get anything spectacular that I know of, but a few passable shots. Afterwards I went back to the "hat" venue and played "Let's Make a Deal" on the hat because I couldn't find which pocket the rest of my money was in. I paid $13 instead of $15 and promised I would give the guy $2 if I saw him in Boise. He's like, yea (just go away so I can leave.) LOL

Then I headed for my car, which looked rather lonely out there in the dirt, the gas station and 44 ozs. of heavenly Sprite; and finally home sweet home.

Now I just have to sort through the pics and see if I have anything. I did get a few good pics of Ethan Luck and Jon Schneck, but the rest I have yet to determine.

Now I'm just waiting to see what August has in store.

Peace out,

--Melanie

My new favorite concert photo

Most of the pics I took of Relient K are passable, a few good, most passe. However this one turned out exactly like I wanted. I didn't even have to edit it at all.
I am so rarely happy with the pics I take, that this is exciting to me. LOL Plus, it's kinda nice that it's someone I actually like. :)

This is incredible... I had to share

Nothing earthshattering to report, I just thought this took amazing skill and patience. :) With the exception of a couple of the accessories, it is all done with legos.

The Smyrna Band

Sunday, I was blessed to hear The Smyrna Band at church. I think some of their engagements fell through and we were lucky enough to pick up some of the slack. They played a little during the worship Sunday morning and came back for a show on Sunday night. I'm not good at genres (there are too many and some barely distinguishable from others anymore), so I guess I would describe their music as sort of a countryish southern acoustic rock? ;) At any rate, they had great, tight, harmonies which I always love no matter what the genre. If you know what genre that is, let me know. LOL

http://www.thesmyrnaband.com/

After the service, I had a lot of fun visiting with Ron's wife/Tim's mom. I was pretty chatty Sunday. That's not so unusual, either. I waited around to talk to Dallas because he was having a little bit of a problem with the lack of humidity around here and had a bit of a dry cough as a result. I had meant to bring him some Throat Coat tea, and walked off without it. ;( So, I figured I'd at least tell him about it. I didn't want to interrupt, but as it turned out, the band, my pastor, his wife, myself and a few others stayed for a long conversation involving corny jokes, strange but true tales, ridiculous commercials, and Motown and other music.

I'm just starting to work on pics. I didn't want to take away from worship, and I didn't have a lot of memory card space left, so I didn't take all that many photos which is definitely unusual for me. I just started to go through them and edit as needed.

Reading slowly, but surely, new books, etc.

O.K. So I went to Barnes & Noble on Saturday and picked up a book I'd ordered called, "God's Debris." I was suprised that it wasn't really huge. LOL While I was there an author had his book, "Circle of Doors" at the table. That author is Ranse Parker. We chatted a bit and he rather convinced me to give the book a try, so now I have an autographed copy. It's supposed to be somewhat of a mystery-type storyline. It will be something different.

So, that can be added to my list of books to read this summer. I have my work cut out for me.

In the meantime, I am in the midst of reading "Push My Life Into a Duffle Bag" by John Roger Schofield. I'm curious to see where it goes also. There is really a lot more vulgarity and sexual content than I am really comfortable with, but I want to give the book a fair review when I'm finished, so I'm plugging away.

In other things, I am working, taking care of dogs (not just my own at the moment which is going to be a real challenge), going to church, preparing for Warped Tour on Saturday (and The Spill Canvas concert on Monday.)

Church was a lot of fun yesterday even though I was operating on about 3 hours of sleep. When I arrived there was a band, "The Smyrna Band" (and no, they are not from Georgia.) LOL The had some great vocal harmonies, and I came back later in the evening to hear them play a whole set. I took pics, and just basically enjoyed it, and the fact that worship was involved made it that much better. Afterwards, I hung around to tell one of the guys something (about throat coat tea because it's really dry here and it was causing him to cough a little) and got sucked into this huge joke telling/story telling fest. Laughter does the heart good like medicine. (I think that is a bad paraphrase of a proverb.)

Anyway, I will post a little more with some pics later.

Hope all are well, and have a great day!!