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

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.

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

Current Events

So much has happened lately, and yet not much of anything. I'm really not sure where to begin relating current events in my life (or maybe it would put you to sleep anyway), but I will give it my best effort.

I'm going to start with the most recent event which happened probably less than an hour ago on my way home from work. I was navigating my way through the usual construction mess in the dark as I do every evening after work. I noticed a car on the right that was about to "overtake" me and then saw something in the road, probably slightly illuminated by his lights. He was difficult to see, and at first it almost looked a bit unreal, but there in the road, was a deer - a mere fawn by the looks of it. He stood there for a sec. and for a minute I thought the UHP officer to my right would make contact in a most unfortunate way. Fortunately the deer turned and ran. Now I've lived here for nearly 9 years, and I have worked at my current job for 5 years, and this is the first time I've seen a deer on the road here. I would have more expected it just a little further north on the freeway, and I'm not at all surprised that there are deer about, but it isn't really the usual thing to see them so close to the general population. :) If it were only daylight and I didn't have to drive. But the photo is still etched in my mind.

Shortly after the deer incident, the UHP put on his yellow lights, and crossed over in front of me, eventually turning all his lights on and pulling into the left lane. I thought the way the road looked, I should probably do the same, but then quickly realized I had it backwards. He was stopping for an accident. I could see past the emergency vehicles and flairs to a car almost turned completely sideways, and I could see a young lady in the driver's seat sitting and writing (probably filling out paperwork for the police report.) I hope everyone was o.k. It brought back memories - and not necessarily all of my favorite ones. LOL

I started physical therapy last Wednesday, and my third visit will be tomorrow. I was told that I could do some therapy in the pool if I wanted, so I'm looking forward to that. I love the water. I have this stuff called theraband that I use for a couple of exercises. It is comprised of a strip of stretchy material that looks and smells much like a thick ballon and is about 4-5 inches wide with a knot tied at each end. The smell caught my attention as I was typing.

Work is coming along well, for the most part. I am working on a different document now (I am a data transcriber) and it is one of the longer, slower documents. At the end of the night, my rates amounted to about 11.2 docs per hour. I thought I was going along at a pretty good clip, too. LOL Not long ago we met an important deadline and the entire section was being rewarded with a nacho dinner. We bring the food, we get no extra time. I'm still trying to figure out how this was a reward. LOL By the time I heated up the beans I brought in the microwave, got my food and ate, I used up my lunch break and 2nd break, so it made for a very long night. My last thoughts before leaving were, "Is it Friday yet?"

And for those who are wondering what my concert plans might be for the near future, I do have them. The next show I have plans for is the Warped Tour in Boise. I know for certain that I am not missing Relient K for anything. I am still trying to sort through what bands I want to see, but other than RK, the two I most want to see are probably Between the Trees and The Color Fred. Fingers crossed (and prayer to be said) that they will not be playing on opposite sides of the venue at the same time, as is often the luck of the draw with Warped. LOL It's a week from Saturday, so I'm getting a little excitedd about it. :) Two days later I am going to see The Spill Canvas. They are having a bowling party before the show for Aids awareness, so I've signed up to attend. I have'nt been bowling in years, and I wonder with my wrists as they are (too much keyboarding) if I can pick up the ball. LOL Please.. no video. LOL On July 19, I am seriously mulling over the idea of driving to Henderson, NV to see The Fold. I haven't seen them in about a year, and that's just waayyy too long! Although, there is some possibility they may come closer before then, and if that happens I will be a happy gas saver. At the end of July, my travels will take me near George, WA to the Gorge and Creation NW. Usually when I go I have a plan. This year, there are so many bands I want to see on both stages that it will be tricky. I'm especially looking forward to The Myriad, Esterlyn, Switchfoot and Ruth among others. On July 30, I am most likely going to head for Rock Springs, WY to see Switchfoot. The show is free with the entry to the fair. Free is good, since gasoline is far from it. I hadn't really thought about going until I decided to look up the distance and discovered it was only 2-1/2 hrs. from my place. In August, I have a ticket for row 6 for James Taylor, and will be at the Warped Tour in Boise. Unfortunately, I have had to cut back on a few shows simply can't afford all that benzene. Still, I have plans to visit my daughter in Sept. and catch Third Day, Jars of Clay, and Switchfoot all at the same concert. I have a meet/greet for Switchfoot, so I'm pretty excited about it. I met Jon in CA and was quite impressed.

In other news, I am trying to help promote The Worldwide Moment and will probably blog about that in the next day or two. If you haven't checked it out, I urge you to check it out and get involved. http://worldwidemoment.org

On myspace:
http://www.myspace.com/worldwidemoment

On facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=22582875002&ref=mf

And just I promised here is the link to hear my lyrics put to music by the lovely J.S. James. If you would like to hear the song Jennifer created out of my lyrics (with a few small alterations), check it out here:
http://www.myspace.com/jenniferscottjames
Doesn't she have a pretty voice?

And so another novella is brought to a close.

Peace out,

--Melanie

Help Wanted

I have a big favor to ask. I want to enter the Warped Tour photo contest, so I was wanting some feedback before I enter the pics. I posted 9 or 10 pics from Warped Tour 2007 in my Flickr account. On Flickr, I am wmn4lif

I would really appreciate feedback, especially rating the pics 1, 2 & 3 for your favorite, 2nd favorite, etc.

Thanks!

--Melanie

NOTE: These are the photos I ended up entering:

I inadvertantly posted the Warped Tour blogs in the wrong order. :( The one on the top, and the one in the middle need to trade places. But since I know of no good way to make that happen, I will just warn you. LOL

Enjoy a few more Warped Tour pics

Sherwood, The Fold, Sound the Alarm, Allred

Tooth and Nail Tour photos