Were You There The Night Lights Lit Up The Canyon Club?

I got up this morning and my roommate gave me the Calendar section of the LA Times, just like she does every morning. On the front page is an article about Prince wowing the crowd at The Coachella Music Festival. I put it into my purse to read later. I got into the car to drive to work and Mark and Brian were talking about Prince at Coachella and how quick the clips ended up on YouTube. My co-workers were all a buzz when I came in this morning about the same topic. All this talk about Prince wowing the crowd at one of the largest, most trend-setting music festivals got me to think about where he came from. When did he go from club musician in Minneapolis to mega star in the California desert?

Someday Lights fans will ask the same question. They will wonder when, where and how did the band go from the garage to being the best band out there. These questions can be answered for Lights fans today. When did it happen: Friday April 25, 2008. The location: The Canyon Club, Agoura Hills California. How did they do it: By putting on the most amazing show The Canyon Club has seen in a long time.

This was a night where everything just seemed right on target, starting with the venue! Nestled at the foot of Agoura Hills, The Canyon Club is known in the Valley as one of the premier places to play. Not just any band plays there. It holds more people than your average bar and with its warm atmosphere and friendly bar staff; people love to go there to see shows.

The next element was the crowd that came out Friday! They were primed and ready for a great show! All week long they were seeing MySpace bulletins and getting emails and phone calls from friends telling them how awesome this show was going to be! Wanting to see if the band would deliver on that promise, people turned out! The place was packed! All the tables were full and there was hardly room to breathe on the dance floor let alone move!

So we have a great venue and a pumped up crowd. Sounds like just another Lights show, right? Oh no, my friends! The band made sure that wasn't the case. From the first note of "Escape", the band came out playing like their lives depended on it. All through out the show, the guys played like a cohesive unit, every harmony dead on, every queue hit, not a note out of place!

This was the first show that put the members of the band in a spotlight all their own. Each of the three solos was special in its own way as every member of the band is talented. New member Michael showed what a powerful drummer he is. Keyboardist Jeff got the chance to come forward and show what a great keyboardist he is, something that doesn't always come through while playing in the background.

However, the solo that stuck out to me was from lead guitarist Jonny. I have always known he was talented but was never quite sure if he was serious. Did he want to just hang out and have a good time playing or did he want to make a bid at being the next Eddie Van Halen? By the sounds of his playing Friday, he is more than serious. Melodic and purposeful with incredible fretwork, Jonny's playing Friday brought to my mind a young Neal Schon back when he played with Santana. Jonny is just a little older than Neal was at the time so the possibilities are there for him to become so much more! That starts with the awesome solo he played Friday!

From start to finish, the band kept the energy high! The crowd was whipped into a frenzy early as the rockin music had them dancing and screaming and they stayed that way all night! Every crowd member has a favorite and with a 110 minute show, I would bet they were all played. From the powerful opener "Escape" to the fun closer "Oh Sherri", the fans sang along to every song. Some crowd members were there when Steve Perry sang them and then passed along there love of Journey to their kids. Both generations of fans came out to hear Lights recreate perfectly the songs they love so well, In fact during "Don't Stop Believin" the crowd was so loud I could clearly hear them and I was standing in front of the speaker!

Each band member did their best to make sure the crowd was having a great time and it didn't seem to difficult because the band themselves were having a blast!! Jonny and Juan played to the front rows and left all the ladies smiling while Michael entertained not only by keeping the beat but by twirling and throwing up his drumsticks like a pro. Casey and Jeff had smiles on their faces all night and their having a good time translated into the crowd having a good time.

So what was the difference between this Lights show and any other? The great venue, great crowd, amazing music are all staples of a Lights show and what fans expect. What was different was the guys obvious commitment to kicking things up a notch. They performed Friday night like a band that wants to take this to the next level, whatever and wherever that might be. From the looks and sounds of the show Friday night, they aren't going to stop at being just a good club band or a great tribute band. They want to be the best band out there, any time, any place. And when Lights fans think back to the show that started this to happening, they will all think of that Friday night at the Canyon Club. The lucky fans will be the ones able to say "I was there".

Not Just The Lakers Go "Back To Back"

Back to back shows. It is the true test for any band! Can they keep the energy up for two nights in a row, especially when one of them is a weeknight? Will the crowds turn out? Lights and their fans found that out this past weekend as the guys played shows Thursday and Friday nights.
The weekend started a night early this week, on Thursday night. For one weekend every April, Long Beach is turned into race fan central. It is this weekend that the city hosts its Grand Prix, which is kicked off by a downtown block party. In the middle of this party sits a parking lot. It is bordered by bars, apartment buildings and a well attended Hooters. It is dingy and on most days, it is full with the vehicles people paid good money to park there. For the Long Beach Grand Prix Kick Off, with a stage, some amps and great music, Lights transfixed Long Beach Grand Prix fans and turned the parking lot into a rock and roll party!

The party started before the guys officially hit the stage! During sound check, I noticed people congregating against the back wall. I wandered over to a couple who were walking their dog and stopped to listen. It turned out they lived in the apartment building close by and thought they heard Journey playing. So they came over to check it out! Same for the officers cruising by to make sure all was well. They liked what they were hearing so they stopped the car and got out for a listen. Turns out a couple of them are Journey fans and really liked what they were hearing. On the opposite end of the lot, three guys coming out of Hooters wandered over and asked what was going on. When told this was a band that plays Journey, one said, "Are they going to play Don't Stop Believing"?

When Lights hit the stage, they delivered what everyone wanted; giving the Long Beach race fans a great show! Juan, Jeff, Jonny and Casey were great as usual but it was new drummer Michael Thompson that really impressed me! With only one show with Lights under his belt, Michael did an amazing job of keeping the beat and helped the band get everyone moving and grooving! There were a lot of hands in the air, heads bopping up and down, people dancing! Walking around the crowd, I saw nothing but smiles! From "Anyway You Want It" to "Escape", by the looks on the faces in the ever-growing crowd, the band played the favorites of every one there! Yes, the band played "Don't Stop Believing" and had not only the man that was waiting for it but everyone else dancing and jumping up and down!

Playing a show outside is both a challenge and a benefit and the Lights guys rose to the occasion! The benefit of being outside is that people walking by can't help but hear the music and see the crowd having fun. Most of the people stuck around for a least a few songs if not the whole show! The music got people to stop to check out what was going on and energy of the crowd kept them around. I think the band turned Long Beach race fans into Lights fans!

No less than twenty-four hours later, the band was back in the familiar confines of the club, playing a show at the Quiet Cannon in Montebello! While the place was different, the show was no less energetic! Just like the race fans in Long Beach, the crowd in Montebello was smiling, dancing and having a great time! This was the bands second time at the club and the crowd was treated to all of their Journey favorites as well as the many talents of front man Juan Del Castillo. Juan had the crowd in hysterics with his Joe Pesci impression! Who knew he was quite the impressionist? Another highlight of the night was the song "Just The Same Way", which spotlights another multi-talented band member, Jeff! Swapping lead vocals with Juan, the song shows that Jeff isn't just a great keyboardist, he can sing as well!

So, there you have it! Back to back shows are no problem for this band! Fans from Long Beach to Montebello found out that a great time is what you can expect at a Lights show, no matter the situation. It doesn't matter whether the show is in a parking lot or in a club, on a weeknight or weekend, Lights deliver great music, high energy and a lot of fun!

What Makes A Good Band Great?

Whether they are seeing a band in a small club, a dive bar or a 15,000-seat arena, music fans hope for the same thing: magic! They are looking for the one night something different happens. They know they will hear the top 10 hits, the song that broke the band, the song that makes all the fans scream and throw their lighters, now cell phones, in the air. What they want to hear is the song that will make the night unforgettable. That one song that will have all the people that were there talking about it for a long time and those that were not there wondering why they picked that show to miss. Lights fans were treated to that experience at The OC Tavern. It started as a fun night and the fans were treated to all their Journey favorites! 'Wheel In The Sky', 'Just The Same Way' and the eternally popular 'Don't Stop Believin'.

Little did everyone know, the band saved the best for last. When they left the stage after another great performance, the crowd was left screaming for more! What would they come out and play? Escape? Patiently? Imagine the surprise when from behind the stage the crowd heard Juan singing the opening line of 'Oh Sherrie'! I feel it is safe to say the last thing expected was a Steve Perry solo tune but that is what we got. From the pounding bass line to the vocal harmonies, the band nailed it! Juan perfectly conveyed the heartache in the song and the band backed him up perfectly! The crowd was stunned but by the end of the first verse, I was seeing smiles and people singing along! Before this, the night was clicking along as usual! High energy, great music, good crowd! Another good Lights show, another fun crowd at the OC Tavern. After the encore, the night was no longer 'just another Lights show'. It became the first night the band played 'Oh Sherrie' and they played it well!

Something that makes the night special. These are the moments music fans wait for and I have seen many of them! Springsteen with his 'Devil In A Blue Dress' medley, U2 covering 'A Change Is Gonna Come', Bon Jovi opening at Giant's Stadium with Neil Young's 'Rockin In The Free World' to name a few. These are the experiences that make live music the magic that it can be. Lights proved Saturday at the OC Tavern that they can take a club show and turn it into something special. In my opinion, that is one of the things that make a good band great!

Not The Same Easter

It’s 10AM on Easter morning and I am sitting like I do every morning, blogging and drinking coffee. Instead of hymns in a church, I am sitting on the floor of my room listening to Matchbox 20 on my IPod. I am not thinking of the signifigance of the day, not even thinking of chocolate bunnies or marshmallow peeps. No, I am thinking of how I need to get to work by noon and how crazy things are going to be at PetSmart today. While I should be thinking of Christ rising after dying for my sins, I am thinking about keeping my back from hurting while crawling around playing with dogs all day! Sheesh, I am not even an "Easter/Christmas" Christian anymore! That’s sad!

Two years ago, this day would be the culmination of almost a month of preparation for the production I was in at Rocky Peak. "Jerusalem AD" was the recreation of the week leading up to the crucifixion and reserection of Jesus. It was musical, dramatic and the most incredible thing I have ever been a part of. We would do 2 performances a night for about a week and a half. Then after the last performance of 12 or so, as a member of the choir, I would spend Easter Weekend singing in 4-5 services. It was magical, wondrous, and while exhausting, uplifting and fullfilling.
As with much in life, things change. These changes led to our wonderful Worship Arts Pastor leaving for bigger and better things. That change led to the department being revamped and the choir being disbanded. It was that final change that led me to fall away. Yes, I know the church isn’t about one department, one ministry, or even the people. It’s about God. But that church no longer felt like home or felt comfortable. So I told myself I was looking for a church. I did...for awhile. But I didn’t put that much effort into it. Now it’s two years later and I am sitting at home on Easter blogging.

My question is can you life a decent life and still be a Christian? Sure the bible says to fellowship with other believers which points to the value of going to Church. But isn’t God everywhere? Wouldn’t He rather you live life being kind to others, not living in sin, trying to do the best you can than sit in the Church one Sunday a year and then live like you don’t care?

For my sake, I sure hope so because my heart is just not into Easter this year. Quite frankly, it snuck up on me. I think it’s because I don’t want to be a hippocrate. I am not going to send Easter greetings since I am not feeling it and I certainly am not going to buy into the commercialism of the whole thing either. So I am just going to go to work and play with the dogs of people that are going to church and hopefully, are getting the message. For me, maybe next year.

Matchbox Rocks Staples

The year was 1996 and I was sharing a house with Ronda and her family! I was temping at Disney with no permanent job prospects in sight. I was in the kitchen deep in my usual routine of coffee and Mark and Brian. I remember Brian going on about this song that he couldn’t get out of his head. A song called "Push". They played it and it stuck in my head all day as well. I had to hear more from this band so I went to Target and got the CD. I was excited to find that every single, solitary song was amazing! It was just what I needed to escape from the craziness and uncertainty of my life. Very few people had heard of the band and I couldn’t understand why! I remember telling everyone I could to check them out! This CD was the most incredible music I had heard in a long time! It was the only CD in my player for months! Just as I thought music was doomed to grunge hell, here comes the most melodic, well written rock in years! The CD was "Yourself Or Someone Like You". The band? Matchbox 20!

I was thinking back to that morning last Sunday while sitting in my seat at Staples waiting for MB20 to come on stage! In that crowd of thousands, I felt a little pride in knowing I was there from the beginning. Oddly enough in the 11 years I have been a fan, I had never seen the band live. I sat thre wondering if their immense talent translated into an energetic, entertaining live show. It would have to as, truthfully, my heart wasn’t into being there. I had just come off a 7 hour drive from up North and I was dead tired.

The lights go down, a countdown clock above the stage starts counting down and at 0, the band comes on to the drumbeat of "How Far We’ve Come", an amazing opening to what was 2 solid hours of music! Rob said that the doors of the arena would be locked and for all of to forget what was going on outside and focus on the music. Easy to do because I can not thing of a song I wanted them to play that they didn’t. Songs like "Hang" and "The Difference", two of my favorites, were pleasant surprises! A highlight of the show was when, in the middle of "Bright Lights", the band seamlessly went right into "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window", with guitarist Kyle and Paul taking turns on vocals! Amazing! I would be lying if I said that I didn’t jump up and down like a fool when Rob dedicated "Long Day" to "all of you that have been there since the beginning". That’s me! WAHOO! :) Rob is a funny and very endearing frontman! Incredibly talented and not hard on the eyes! One of the best songwriters of the last decade! But I must admit, as great of a time I had been having, I was a little worried during the encore. My favorite song hadn’t been played even though it was their breakout hit. Would they leave it out? Of course not! "Push" was the last song of the night and I left with a huge smile on my face!

Talented, energetic, awesome! I loved this show and can’t wait until their new album!

On The Road With Lights

There is comfort in becoming familiar with your favorite band. You see them play in familiar places among familiar faces. You become familiar with the set list and know what songs they are going to play before they do. If you are lucky enough to follow a great band, this familiarity leads to an expectation that every time you walk into a club to see them you are going to hear great music and have a good night.

While comfort in anything is not necessarily bad, it is interesting to see what happens when the familiar becomes unfamiliar. What would happen if you shook things up and added an unknown element to what is known. What would happen if you took the band you know and love, have them travel 450 miles up the state and ask them to play for a crowd that has never seen them play? Would they still be as great as they are at home among the faithful crowds they always play for? Would they be able to deliver the same high-energy show? On Friday, Lights were put to that very test. The band traveled up to Chico, California, a small college town about an hour north of Sacramento to play at LaSalle’s. I decided to go up there to see if what was wonderful in L.A. would be equally as wonderful elsewhere.

The excitement in the air was noticeable the minute I was close enough to hear a local radio station. KFM had been promoting the show all week and hearing the band talked about on the radio is something that is unfamiliar to me but very cool! The excitement continued to build when the crowd started to filter into LaSalle’s. People seem to have an attitude of "ok, we hear you are good, prove it". Journey, a San Francisco based band, have a very devoted following in Northern California. Claudia, a Journey fan, had spent the weekend before in San Francisco seeing a local Journey tribute band that was "good " and came to LaSalle’s to see if Lights could compare. Raymond, a Journey fan from the days when Greg Rollie was the singer, was skeptical as well. While I listened to the chatter going on around me, I smiled knowing what a great show this crowd was in for. Being familiar with the band gave me an advantage over the locals: I knew the band was definitely up to the challenge of quieting the skeptics!

I was not wrong. By the time the band hit the stage the excitement was off the charts! It was the first night of spring break and Chico was ready to party, leaving it to Lights to provide the soundtrack. What a soundtrack! Venturing away from the great opener "Escape", the band got the party started with "Wheel in the Sky" This was followed by the one-two punch of "Anyway You Want It" and "Stone In Love" and before long the floor in front of the band was packed wall to wall with people, dancing and singing at the top of their lungs! In fact, the crowd sung louder than the band at many points, even during the ballads "Mother, Father" and "Open Arms".
It became evident that the band loved the crowd right back! They looked relaxed and were clearly having as much fun as the crowd! Charismatic front man Juan cranked up the mojo to 11 and the women in the front row loved it! One got even closer than the front row! During "Lovin, Touchin, Squeezin", lucky contest winner Jessica sang Journey on the radio for the chance to come up on stage and have Juan sing that to her personally! The rest of the band kicked it up a few notches as well. Jonny’s guitar solos were blistering and of course every girl in the first couple of rows thought he was playing just to them. Berto steadly kept the beat and played with a fire I have not seen before. Casey? The energy of the crowd fired him up to the point that he broke a string! A first in Lights history! Even Jon, filling in on boards for Jeff, got in some licks that just added something special. All five guys really looked like they were having a blast and threw the energy given to them by the crowd right back out to them.

By the time the band came back for their second set, the energy level was at a fever pitch! During "Don’t Stop Believing" people were up on each others shoulders and a couple of them were crowd surfing! No one wanted the night to end and when it looked like it might, the crowd started chanting for "Wheel in the Sky". Maybe everyone was so excited, they did not realize it was the song the band opened with 2 hours earlier. Always a band for the fans, the guys obliged and played the song again, this time with the volume of the crowd turned up to 15! It was an amazing end to what was hands down the best Lights show I have ever seen!

After the show, I stood and took in the atmosphere. The crowd was smiling and buzzing! I wondered if they knew, like I did, that they had just witnessed something special. Sure, the Chico fans have no other shows to compare this one to but did they know just how good that show was? I did want to know what they thought. So I went back to ask those two people I had talked to before the show. Remember Claudia, the skeptical fan who was comparing Journey tribute bands? She ran up to me after the show, shouting "Oh My God!" She was amazed! She was not old enough to have seen Journey with Steve Perry. However, she closed her eyes during the Lights show and feels she knows what it was like to see Journey back in the day. Raymond, the long time Journey fan, was so impressed he left during the second set to go home to get his two young sons so that they could stand outside the door to hear what their dad was raving about. He said that he wanted his sons to get "as close to the classic Journey" as they could and that "Lights were it"! He even asked the band to pose for pictures with him and his family! Jessica, the contest winner was still giggling with her girlfriends over Juan singing to her when I saw her hour and a half after the fact! The Barista at the Starbucks across the street was talking about the show the next morning, stating he went out on his break to listen and wished he had taken off to go over to hear from the inside! Lights certainly made an impression on those that were there and left the crowd talking in excited anticipation about when the band would be back.

What happens when you take the familiar and add the unfamiliar? Would it be as good as you expect it to be or even better? Would the newbies know just what they are witnessing? In the case of Lights and the town of Chico, you have one amazing band and one great night that was well worth the 7-hour drive. The people at LaSalle’s have found their new favorite band and hopefully will become as familiar with them as I am. That is definitely a good thing!

The Makings Of A Great Night!

In L.A., there are many bands out there. On any given weekend, in any given bar or club, there will be a band playing, people dancing, drinks pouring. But what makes that same experience unique? Is it the alcohol? Is it the bar itself or the staff?

I think the band is the variable that can make all the difference in whether it's another Saturday at your local dive or a night that it is special Well, let's see: there are bands that practice, have the music thing down pat and are happy just to play. Then there are bands that use the live show to really connect with their audience. When both those elements combine, the shows are exciting, the air is electric and every member of the crowd feels like the band is playing just to them. The band and the audience connect and both feel like they are part of the experience. When you have a band that cares about its audience and is on its game, the night is interactive, exciting and you want to experience it again and again.

It is the previous sentence that perfectly describes the band Lights! Lights are five excellent musicians with a passion not only for the legacy of Journey and for music in general but also for their audience. While their talent speaks for itself, it's the rapport these musicians have with their audience that keeps the die-hards coming back for more and bringing their friends! The fun they have onstage with each other spills out into the audience and we can't help but have fun too! The cool thing is they are great off stage as well! None of the guys seem to take any of this for granted and can be seen hanging out after the show, talking to people, thanking them for coming out! They are nice guys as well as talented musicians and this translates into a good night all around. It's easy to support a band that appreciates their audience and Lights is a band that truly is thankful for where they are and who got them there!

So what do you have to lose? Check the calendar on the front of this page, pick a night and join in the fun! Whether it's your first show or your 20th, you will have fun, hear amazing music and get to hang out with a bunch of great people! That sounds like the makings of a great night!

Crime Doesn't Pay

There are mornings that go smoothly. You hit little traffic, no one in the drive thru at Starbucks, your 9AM that you aren't ready for is cancelled, GREAT mornings!

That was yesterday! This is today. A morning that was f'd up from the start. It started with the timer on the coffee pot not going off at 6! When I finally stumbled downstairs to hit it manually, the filter plugged up and I ended up with coffee overflowing all over the kitchen. That's when I should have just gone back to bed. But no, I continue on to the Chatsworth Courthouse where I have to show proof of registration on my car! Yes, I got a fix it ticket about 5 months ago and today is the last day I have to take care of it. So the website says Courthouse opens at 8:30. I leave my house at 8:30 since I live across the street. I figure i'll get there when it opens so I won't have to wait in some ridiculously long line. HAHAHA! I get there and there is a sign on the door that says Courthouse opens at 8! Damn! Of course, at 8:35 the line is insane! I didn't have time to wait as I have a meeting at 10! But I wait....and wait....Blackberry with NO signal....45 freakin minutes. I finally get up to the window at 9:20 and i'm told I have a court appearance scheduled for 1:30!! WTF??? All I did was go online to extend the date of my ticket! Well, in doing that I scheduled a court appearance by mistake! Shit! Can't they just delete it, look at my registration and send me on my merry way? Of course not! If I don't keep the 1:30p appointment, there will be a bench warrant for my arrest! OMG!! I am now so upset I am ready to cry. The clerk calls a supervisor to tell me basically what she told me and while I wait another FIFTEEN minutes, I call my roommate to talk me off the ledge! If I would have had a gun ....well, lets just say I understand the term "going postal"! Tempers, frustration and weapons don't mix, that's why I won't come near anything that can do bodily harm to another! I also know the Superior Court isn't the place to go ballistic especially when no one I know can afford to bail me out of jail!

Finally the supervisor comes over and calmly explains what the clerk told me, I ask him if kicking and screaming would get me anywhere, and he said "only somewhere that requires handcuffs". I resisted the urge to make the comment that was at the forefront of my mind, the product of years of hanging out with musicians and chuckled. I knew when I was beat and thanked him! While outside calling my boss to tell her not only would I miss the meeting but had little hope of making it into the office at all, the supervisor came out and asked me to come with him! I was hoping he wasn't going to show me where handcuffs were required .....it is Chatsworth after all! Nope, nothing lewd! He was taking me down to the courtroom and in 10 minutes, had my ticket dismissed! I went upstairs, waited another 30 minutes to pay $10 and I was done!
Lessons learned during one of the most frustrating mornings in my recent memory: 1) Temper gets you NO where and 2) PAY REGISTRATION ON TIME!!!

It's noon! So far, I've been at work and there is no drama. I am going straight home from here, hug my dogs, watch Lost and wake up tomorrow, Friday, looking forward to a weekend at home! Yippee!

Damn You, Jon Bon Jovi!

The news spread like wildfire among my friends. Jon Bon Jovi states he isn't taking the band on the road this summer due to the economy! Crap! That means no trip to NY for me and the girls. No hours spent lost on the turnpike, no swearing at non english speaking front desk clerks who can't give us directions. No expensive air fare bought, no running up the credit card bill so high it takes me the two years between tours to pay it off!

It isn't the shows i'll miss. Those will be primarily the same shows I see here in my backyard (FOUR times this tour). Nope, it isn't drooling over Richie and laughing at Jon i'll miss nor is it seeing my favorite band in their hometown!

What I am going to miss is the chance we take every 3 years to get together: friends that met over Bon Jovi and stayed friends for years, some of us friends for decades! We are from Northern Cali, Southern Cali, Chicago, Georgia, NJ, NY! We travel together or just meet up when we are there! We all met online while discussing our fave band on Captain Crash and stayed friends despite the sites demise! Jovi brought us together but we have stayed friends despite distance and the craziness of life! We may not see each other or talk much between tours but once that band announces those NJ shows, it's business as usual! We all know that despite protests to the contrary ("I hate this trip...this is my last time, I swear"), we all will meet up every 2-3 years in NJ!

Now I hear there isn't going to be Giant's Stadium shows this summer! I'm not upset about not going into debt or taking vacation time I haven't accrued yet. I am upset about missing the chance to catch up with my friends! Wonder if Jon thinks of the true impact to the fans while going down the elevator from his multi-million dollar Manhattan penthouse apartment that's bigger than my house! I doubt it!

250 Million Reasons To Spend 5 Bucks!

It has become a part of corporate culture and is a part of what binds employees together! It carries with it the promise of retirement, travel, kids education, whatever the recipients desire. It is the department lotto pool and I have definite ideas of how I would spend my cut.

This is the exciting time, when there is actually a possibility of being a multi-millionare! It is the time where you actually start thinking of what you would do, who's life you would help change. The fun part of playing the lottery is the dreaming, the scheaming.

I would do the usual: pay off debt, buy a new car, maybe finally get an IPod. I would then travel to experience what I have always wanted to experience: learn to surf on Kanapali Beach in Hawaii, learn to ski in Aspen, climb the harbor bridge in Sydney, go to the Hockey Hall Of Fame in Toronto and the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in Cleveland, stay in Manhattan and see a play on Broadway.

What excites me though is not material stuff. What's exciting to me is helping people out. I would help my musician friends follow their dreams. I would pay the bills for a year so they could take a year off devote time to music, to songwriting and not to working the nine to five. I would donate not only money but time to my two favorite organizations: Special Olympics and Pet Orphans! I would give friends and family what they need: bills paid, homes and cars bought, whatever! That to me is as exciting as the propect of following Bon Jovi to every city they play....ok, almost as exciting!

Yep, tonight I have part of 50 chances to win part of 270 million dollars. All it takes is one. One chance to make my dreams and some of the dreams of my friends and family come true. That is exciting!

I Can't Believe I Am Watching Idol!!

I am convinced this show is sent straight from Hell.....and yet tonight I find myself watching. Of course I am talking about the show that is helping dumb down America...American Idol! I am watching this and feel like a trader to all my talented musician friends who can't catch a break while this damn show is manufacturing pop stars! I have hours of far more superiour Television on the DVR...shows that talented people actually wrote....shit, I still have the last episode of "Heroes" and two hours of "Chuck" to watch! And here I am watching the show that I swear will eventually kill music as we know it! Why? Because my roommate and I almost fell over when on "Access Hollywood" they showed some gourgous dude who's a contestant! Crap! I can be bought, it's sad! Money, a pretty face...I have all kinds of prices!

1 hour in and it isn't that bad. They did show some guy auditioning with a Jovi song and these guys are actually quite good. And there is a rocker or two. After all, this crap show did produce "Daughtry" although America prefered that Taylor Hicks. Who? Exactly! I should probably tune in to see the cutie while I can because chances are he won't stick around, regardless of if he wins this thing or not!

Thoughts On Love And Valentine's Day

I woke up today to start the day with an outpouring of love like many of my friends did. I was greeted by a "knock" at my door (actually a scratch) which was followed by an outpouring of "kisses" (actually licks). There is no doubt in my mind that this love is unconditional and given freely without any expectation in return. Its not given because Hallmark says it should be. In fact, it is given every time I walk through the door and every time I ask for it. It is often given when I don't ask for but need it more than anything. I give him all the love I have in the world and would give more if humanly possible. Should this love be viewed as any different because it comes from my amazing Rottweiler, Thor and not from a spouse or boyfriend?

It is so easy for a single person to view Valentine's Day with bitterness, scorn, unhappiness. It is common for us singles to look down on the day as a overly commercial "Hallmark" holiday. I have been there many ...most....years and started down that road to cynicisim this year. However, in keeping with my new found positive outlook, I decided this year to not dwell on what I don't have, but what I do. Yes, I don't have a boyfriend but that doesn't mean I am not surrounded by love!

I have two dogs that love me more that anything except empty water bottles and trash digging! I have amazing friends that love me in spite of all they know about me! So I don't have a boyfriend....right now! I am choosing today to celebrate the possiblity of love and the fact that it is all around even us single people. We just need to get out of the rut of being jaded and bitter and open our eyes to it in all it's forms. That way, when the right guy comes along, we will know it. I am sure in my case he will be walking a dog while listening to Bon Jovi on his Ipod and drinking a latte. A girl can dream, can't she?

An Invite To THE Mansion!

My friends and their band have an opportunity that doesn't come around that often. In fact, for most of us it doesn't come around at all. It's an opportunity that has sparked some interesting discussions between friends of both sexes. My friends have been asked to play the Playboy Mansion. Yep, Hef's place! Half naked women, The Grotto, pajamas. My first reaction when I heard was "How cool? Not a lot of people can say they have been to "the mansion", yet alone perform there". I didn't think, initially, about all the mansion is perceived to represent: the sex, the objectifying of women, the debauchery. It wasn't until some of us started talking that I realized that my reaction was not really in the norm among my female friends. Oh....did I tell you the date of my friends big gig? Valentine's Day.

Women in our circle of friends say "Hell no, not on Valentine's Day, not at all". The guys say "What can I do to go? Carry equiptment? Whatever it takes". This started me to think: Why is the Playboy Mansion threatning to us as women? Is it what happens there or the woman that work there?

I was asked if given the opportunity, which thankfully I wasn't, would I go? As a person who loves new experiences, especially those that are unique, I would! But then after thinking about it I wondered how I would feel once I got there. Me....the born again Christian who is slipping off the virtuous wagon! The overweight woman who wouldn't fit into a bunny costume if she didn't eat for a year, that's me! What would someone like me be doing at the mansion?
That's when it dawned on me: the bunnies at the mansion are like standing in front of one of those mirrors at the fair. You know the ones, the mirrors that distort how we look, make us look humongous when we aren't. That to me is what I think of when I compare myself to a Playboy Bunny! They are young, fit, gourgous....all the things I am not! But should that be a reflection of me? I could be things that they aren't: smart and funny. That's not to say that the bunnies are dumb, that would be falling into the stereotype! But women, bunnies or not, need to be so much more than boobs and a tight outfit. Sure, you might have a great view but what happens when the view gets old, literally and figuratively?

In my opinion, women need to get over being about what they look like, myself included! We need to feel comfortable with who we are, what we are and to stop comparing ourselves to an unobtainable ideal, be it supermodel, actress, playboy bunny! If I had a boyfriend that wanted to go to the mansion, I would say GO! Have that experience that not many have, look and drool all you want as long as that is all you are doing! As long as he comes home and appreciates me and all I am, I am ok with that! Just as long as this experience isn't taking place on Valentines Day!

Lights Make The Party Happen At Paladinos!

Shan and I go to Paladinos quite often. We have both always have friends in bands and it's a right of passage of sorts for a rock/tribute band to play there. In the Valley it's legendary. If you are in a band or know someone who is, there is a 99% chance you have been to Paladinos. It is a place with character but it is not the lounge at the Four Seasons or even the Canyon Club. It's a dive. Bar, pool tables, stage. Not much else. You walk into the door and you know marriages have been made and broken at that place, most likely in the bathrooms or parking lot! Shan and I get ready for a night there, find ourselves in nothing more than what we would wear to a hockey game and say "it's just Paladinos", Rockers and those that love them, though, can't stay away from the place.

Saturday night when walking out of Paladinos I felt different than any other night I had been there. I felt that I had just heard, just witnessed something special. Sure a few bands played, sure I have friends in one of them but this night the closing band blew the doors off the place and the dive rocker bar felt more like an electrified arena. The band? Lights: The Premier Tribute To Journey.

Lights consists of Berto Zepeda (drums), Casey McNerney (bass), Jeff Vincent (keyboards, vocals), Jonny Papa (lead guitar, vocals),and Juan Del Castillo (Lead Vocals). Five very talented musicians who love the music of Journey. No costumes or wigs. No tux jacket for Juan a la Steve Perry and Jonny doesn't wear an afro to look like Neal Schon. By definition, Lights are a tribute band, But this is one band who's talent exceeds that definition.

On Saturday night at Paladino's that talent combined with energy off the charts created a show that had the band and crowd rockin! With Jonny's blazing guitar and Juan's soaring vocals, the band opened with "Escape" and that got the crowd going in a hurry! One of my favorite drum riffs is at the end of the bridge of that song and Berto nailed it! He and Casey are the backbeat of the band and they do it well!

The energy level stayed high as the band played songs from all Journey eras. The classic Journey is represented with hits like "Lights", "Lovin Touchin Squeezin" and the crowd pleasing "Any Way You Want It" "Just The Same Way" is a personal favorite, highlighting the vocal talent of Jeff and Juan! Journey's mega-popular "Escape" is not forgotten with songs like "Stone In Love" and "Who's Cryin Now", and of course, "Don't Stop Believin", which as the closer had the crowd to a man singing at the top of their lungs! The "Raised On Radio" era gave us "Be Good To Yourself" and "Ask The Lonely" and its these songs that highlight what to me is the strength of "Lights". They all sing and do it well! One of the drawing points of Journey is their harmonies and the guys in "Lights" nail that time and time again! You can have a band of good musicans, and a band of good singers. To have five guys that can play and sing, that's amazing! That is Journey and it is Lights!

I know that those of you that know me (and know me well) are waiting for the verdict on the guitarist. You know there is one! :) Here is the thing: what's scary about Jonny is that he is 24 years old and can only get better! He is a very good guitarist now and sounds better with every show! I am not throwing that praise around lightly since this guitar girl's love of the instrument and player started with Neil Schon back in '79!(Sure I was only 1, but still....LOL) Honestly, from the rockin "Separate Ways" to the melodic "Only The Young", Jonny gets it! He rocks!

You can have great music and a bummer show if the crowd isn't into it. Not the case Saturday. What made this particular show was the crowd. The band views Paladino's as their "home turf" and the fans never disappoint them there! When Lights play, the crowd gets bigger by the end of the night, not smaller. Newbies, longtimers, friends, family! The crowd was mixed with fans that saw Journey on the Escape tour, fans that have parents that are Journey fans and those that became familar after watching "The Sopranos". Everyone was on their feet and singing along with every song from the opening note of "Escape" to the final note of "Party's Over"!

It is a rare night when the band and audience connect as one. For this band and their fans, this was the night! I walked out of the club Sunday morning feeling like I witnessed something special, something more than "just Paladinos". This could be the start of something big for these guys and the skys the limit! I envision looking back at this show and saying " remember THAT night at Paladinos...." :) If you want to get in on the ground floor of something special go to http://www.lightsband.com/ to see where/when they are playing next or keep an eye on my page. You won't be disappointed!
:)

First Day Of Rest Of Life....AGAIN!!!

I have been feeling funky lately and couldn't figure out why! Not necessarily feeling down or wallowing in self-pity but just thinking that I am not good at my job, not going to ever "get a man", going to live the rest of my life as "the dog lady". Last night, I discovered that if I don't change those thoughts, that is exactly what will happen!

I am cleaning out my DVR and come across an Oprah episode I hadn't watched. On this show, the discussion was on "The Secret" and how to actually put it into practice. "The Secret", "The Law of Attraction", "Power Of Positive Thinking", this is the theory that your thoughts genererate energy and that they create the actions you take. It isn't a new theory, it's been around for centuries. Yet when a easy read book was written a year or so ago and Oprah gave it her stamp of approval, it became part of the current cultural landscape. The theory that thoughts are energy and like energy attracts the same now has a name, a book and a celebrity endorsement!

It is much easier to get caught up in the negative thinking! Some of us are just wired to automatically think positive but a lot of us aren't! At the very least, thinking positive improves your mood and the moods of those around you because you can't be bitchy if you are thinking positive! Logically then, your actions follow your thoughts. If you are thinking that you are worthy of a good man, then you aren't likely to be truckin around in your baggy college sweatshirt and raggy sweats! If you are thinking you are good at your job, your confidence and abilities will reflect that, it's just logical!

Before you roll your eyes, let me tell you what happened to me last August. I decided that I was absolutely miserable at the customer service job I had at 21st Century and decided I wanted to be in a new job by Labor Day. So I posted my resume on Monster and kept thinking about that Labor Day deadline. Within a week and a half i got a call from a sound company wanting to schedule an interview the next day. I went to the interview and walked out of there thinking "this job is mine". That was at 11AM. At 4:15 that afternoon I had my job offer. Not only was I out of the miserable job I had, but I was back in the Entertainment Industry where I always wanted to be. The start date of the new job? September 4th, day after Labor Day!

Today is the first day of the rest of my life and my new outlook on life. A positive outlook. I am making my lists, affirmations, and vision board. There is no harm in trying this and I have already experienced it's power once. We all deserve nothing better than the best and I am going to set out today to get it!

Almost Better Than A U2 Show Itself!!

Britney and her meltdown, evil paprazzi, pregnant 15 year old stars of kids TV shows, celebs either driving drunk or slamming races/sexual orientations not their own, writers striking for what the public perceives to be only four cents, there is little wonder the Entertainment Industry tends to be looked down on lately. I used to look for opportunities to tell people I work in Entertainment but stopped when their reactions moved from amazement to pity. Last night I experienced something so amazing, so visually and aurally stunning that I wanted to shout it from the aisles that I work in the industry that would produce such a piece of cinematic art.

U2-3D is more than just a concert film, it's a film experience! For 1 1/2 hours you are transported from the theatre to the front row of a packed stadium! From the opening shots of people running to get into the stadium, to the closing shot of the bands heartfelt thank you to the audience, this film is a close to a U2 concert experience as you will get without mortgaging your house for tickets. In fact, it's better! Filmed in Argentina among what has to be at least 100, 000 people, the film captures the visual artistry of a U2 show! The camera shots from both the audience angle and stage put the viewer right in the front row. The 3-D and Imax elements don't put the band in the viewers lap, but they put the viewer in the audience or onstage. You forget you are watching a film.The incredible 5.1 surround sound (shout out to my pals at DTS....you guys outdid yourselves) is clear and highlights the musically amazing talents of the band.

What is so special about U2 is their heart and passion, not only for their music but for the world in general. What is so incredible about a U2 live show is that the heart and passion of the band spill over into the audience and creates this energy that transcends the stadium and just uplifts the souls and hearts of everyone there! This film captures that feeling for all involved: band, audience, viewer! I almost lept out of my seat a few times to dance, scream, cheer! I know on "Sometimes You Can't Make It", I started to tear up! This film does not leave out the most important part of U2: the heart of the music!

Because I work in the industry, I am jaded. It takes a lot to get me this excited and passionate about a film or music project. To have both mediums combined into this incredible experience is awesome! If you are a longtime U2 fan, a casual listener or fan of film or music, get yourself to this movie! You won't regret it!

Frustration1

When I took this job last September, I thought I was the luckiest person on earth. I posted my resume on Monster, got a call from this company in a week, had the interview the next day and the job a few hours later! I thought it was going to be the job I always wanted, simular to the one I had at Health Net but in the always exciting world of Entertainment Technology. I couldn't believe it!

I finally feel like I am getting the hang of this job but this week has been a tough one. The boss is in Ireland and I am the one "in charge" sort of. Well, on top of little mistakes and things not getting done quick enough to peoples satisfaction, I found out that I have been sending out the wrong type of contract for months! Crap!

I know I am have a tendency to be too hard on myself but is that what this is? I have to keep in mind I have only been at this 4 months. I had two days, just two, to learn a job that is extremely detailed and while not complicated, a little difficult. I do not have a legal background and I am drafting contracts. I don't have a technological background but have to explain our Surround Sound Technology to potential licensees. But my boss, who was just promoted to director on her 30th birthday, must have seen something on my resume right? If that's the case than why am I magnifying every little mistake and gripe from my Market Managers to the point where I am losing sleep?

I think more than anything, I hate feeling stupid in any aspect of my life and worse, I don't like thinking other people think i'm an idiot. I know I am intellegent but this job isn't making me feel like it! Reviews are coming up, i'll see what happens then. But I don't like thinking that I am going to come in and get fired, which I am sure I won't, but I hate feeling like it!

I need a drink! Tequila shots anyone!

Here's To You, Mrs. Robinson!

You hear it all the time, especially after you hit 40. "Age is just a number" or "You are only as old as you feel". Is it really?

I was confronted with this question at the most unlikely but yet likely place, a bar! There I was in the bar, out to support my friends band, when suddenly I was surround by the breed known as "The Cougar". The Cougar, the cultural phenomenon of a older woman out for a much younger guy! Teased hair, shirts cut down to there with silicone to spare and that look in their eye. A little inebriated, out to have fun, they spotted their prey and went all out! Their target? The lucky guitarist was the man! Cute, talented, all of 24 years old! They were all over him like he was the last man on the planet. It didn't seem to be the first time for this experience on either side of the conquest! A cute, 24-year old guitarist, are you kidding me? A Cougars dream to be sure and all parties involved were workin it with all they had!

I found myself rolling my eyes! This is the stuff I tease my girlfriend about! She's been waiving her Cougar flag loud and proud for a couple of years! I didn't want any part of it! What would I have in common with a young guy? I am not a gamer or thin, hot blonde, two of the only things I thought the under 35 male was interested in. It dawned on me that those assumptions about the young guy are just as bad as someone assuming that I am dull and boring because I am over 40!

So, while the entertainment value in observing the guitar player and the Cougars was off the charts (bordering on voyerism, actually) it begs the question: Why the hell not? Who said we have to act our age in place of having fun? Who says having fun is immature, irresponsible? Because I believe that age is just a number, am I a cougar? Do I have to have a label? Why does having a personal connection with someone have to fit within an age bracket?

Look, I have never really hung out with guys my own age and most my friends are younger! It seems the 40+ guys are either married with kids or divorced with them. They have mortgages, bills, companies they own, responsibilities. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a responsible guy of any age, one that has goals, is self-motivated, knows who he is! However, give me someone who has some of those qualities but with a carefree attitude! Someone who isn't weighted down with the weight of bad experiences! Someone who can be impulsive and still responsible! I don't want the dude sitting around, playing video games and watching pay-per-view in lieu of working. I want someone fun to hang with, who can still laugh at life, who is young enough not to be jaded or bitter.To this Cougar, that is the appeal of the younger guy! Well, that and it's been said they have stamina and energy to burn! All that Red Bull! :)

Before you flame me, I know that there are exceptions to every rule. Yes, I do know that there arguments to be made on both sides of this equation. I am just saying that it's worth exploring! Besides, it has been acceptable since the beginning of time for men to go for younger women.

With that in mind, I say sisters, go for it!! The double standard has to stop! If you are lucky to find a connection with anyone on any level, why let a little thing like age be a deal breaker just because society frowns on it? Lucky for us, Dr. Phil and Demi Moore have stamped the Cougar phenomenon with their approval so its more acceptable than ever! Cher has been in the Cougar Hall of Fame for decades! If younger guys, are your thing, follow their lead: Go for it!

Crazy Dog Lady?

Am I turning into one of those stereotypical single women who hide behind the love of animals instead of getting out there and risking the hurt and rejection of men? I pondered this possibility while spending my Christmas Eve shovling dog poop out of kennels! Don't get me wrong! I really love working with the animals and cleaning kennels is just part of the job! But do I love them too much? Am I hiding behind the unconditional love of my dogs?

I bought few presents this year. I am working two jobs to get out of debt and I am not going to jepordize that by buying gifts out of a feeling of obligation. I did however, fill stockings and buy gifts for my dogs! I got extreme joy of watching them tear paper off the box of dog bones I bought AND WRAPPED for them! My heart soared when they licked my face in appreciation for the stockings stuffed with toys, empty water bottles, balls of paper, bones....all their favorite things!

Its crazy, I know, to treat dogs like they are your children. But if anything good comes out of my job at PetSmart (other than the paycheck) it will be the verification that I am by far not the only person that does this. We have dogs checking in with bottles of Evian and more swag than I have seen any toddler have! I just need to make sure that I will eventually spend Christmas with beings that are human. They just need to love my boys as much I do

What's The Deal With Spin Class??

Two things I need to make clear before I start this: 1) I am not a genius...shocking as that might be and 2) I love to bike ride. I have been known to drive down to Hermosa, rent a bike and ride from Hermosa to Dockweiler to Redondo and back to Hermosa....about 17 miles round trip!
It was with that last fact in mind that I thought I would try a spin class at my new gym. The website says that spin class takes the outside bicycling experience and brings it inside! Perfect! I knew it would be missing the beauty of the beach, the salt air, cool breezes and shirtless hardbodies playing vollyball but I figured it was right up my alley! A workout that I could get behind and not dread!

My hopes were dashed when I walked into the class 5 minutes late and hopped on a bike! I planned to talk to the instructor to get a feel of what goes on in a spin class but a last minute meeting with my boss eliminated that possibility. So there I was on the bike and ready to go. Imagine my surprize when I couldn't even move the pedals! Uhhh.....is this what spin class is all about?? Everyone around me was moving....what was going on? I stood up and mustered every ounce of strength I had to move those pedals. JT was singing that he was bringing sexy back in the background and this must be how it did it! Rock hard abs come from spin class! Wahooo....abs here I come.

But after what seemed like an hour but must have been 30 seconds my knees burned so bad I thought they were going to pop out of their socket. Forget abs or bringing sexy back! This wasn't like my experience in the South Bay, this was torture. I got off the bike and went to a regular bike and spinned on my own for a half hour.

This is where the " I am not a genius" part comes in. On the way home I was talking to my friend Selena and she mentioned that I probably just had a bike wheresomeone ratcheted up the tension to about 50! I didn't know in spin class you could adjust it! DUH!

I am going to try spin class again....someday.........soon! JT needs someone to help him bring sexy back and it might as well be me!

You Say Bitch Like It's A Bad Thing

How funny is it that for the first time in the many times i've been called a bitch I'm actually excited about claiming the title. That is because it was given to me by the awesome Dave Grohl, member of one of my fave bands, The Foo Fighters!

I went to Paladino's last night to see my friends in Lights play a set that was great dispite tech problems. I heard rumblings that Dave was in the house but didn't see him. Shan and I walk outside to leave and who is standing there talking to Casey (from Lights)? Dave Grohl! I politely wait for a break and say hi to Dave and tell him how great the Foo's were opening for the Police this summer at Dodger Stadium! He was nice, said thank you. I then turn to Casey, jokingly, and said "yeah...you guys aren't that bad either". Dave busts up laughing and says "This one's a bitch....what a bitch"! The whole crowd there was laughing. I told Dave "nah....Casey knows I love `em" (which I do...Lights are AWESOME).

So that's my latest celebrity sighting. At a whole in the wall like Paladinos! Man, I love LA!!!

I've Seen The Future and It's Name Is Bruce Springsteen

The band is not trendy or young but neither is the building they are performing in. However, it's not trendiness that is going to make this night magical and the band knows it. The band also know that this run-down building close to downtown L.A. holds memories for their fans as it is the building they have played the most in L.A. Shunning the glistening and cold mega corporate arenas, the band opts to play there this tour, in a building that most definately has its best days behind it. But included in the buildings glory days are memories of the band and marathon shows, shows that symbolize all that is right with music. Most of those shows involved Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band and its that feeling that Bruce and the band want to bring back to the LA Sports Arena. And they did.

Make no mistake, the LA Sports Arena is a dump! The floor is concrete, the seats are peeling vynal and bolted to the floor! No huge video scoreboard or LED light display showing the company sponsering the place. No corporate sponsers at all! The only ad anywhere is one for an inner city check cashing place! There are reasons Bruce demanded to play here and they are reasons that are rooted in everything Springsteen stands for! No corporate greed represented by cavernous arenas with sparkly luxury boxes that suck the sound quality right out of the building. The seats may have had springs poking you in the butt at the Sports Arena but the sound was amazing! And the building has an odd character and history! A definite history for Bruce fans! Fans still talk about his multi-night stand there during "The River" tour! This specific fan remembers her first Bruce show there during the "Tunnel of Love" tour! At first I couldn't imagine why the savior of Rock and Roll would play in such a dump, such a forgotten building. Now I get it!

I have seen Bruce and The E-Street Band many times before but not like I saw them last night! They were on fire! This was a band that still could rock and roll after 30+ years! They were in their element! There was an electric feeling in the air that is typical at most Bruce shows and the great sound only magnified the mojo! The crowd could feel they were a part of something special and so could the band. Was it a perfect show? No, of course not! A band with a catalog so huge is sure to leave out a fave or two. I would have LOVED to hear "Jungleland" or Thunder Road. But the one-two opening punch of "Radio Nowhere" into "No Surrender" was exhilarating! Almost as exciting was "Born To Run" into "Dancing In The Dark"! The new stuff shone and surpizes such as "Thundercrack" rocked!

I am at an age now where I wax nostalgic about "the good ole days" in music. I truly long for the days when music was about the talent of the musicans and not exclusively the talent of the producer. The days when touring and giging made an artist, not some crappy reality TV show. The days when there was actually music on Music Television. Those days are long over, for the most part. Bruce and The E-Street Band releasing a relevant album, one that harks back to the bands own glory days, that gives me hope! And hearing that band, in that building, on that night like so many others before it....well....it was "Magic"!

Back On The Weight Loss Bandwagon!

This is my year to get the rest of this weight off! I could stand proud at losing 100 pounds but I'm not! I am not going to be happy until I get down to a healthy 140! The road to this goal starts NOW! Actually it started Sunday! I was THRILLED to find out in the year and a 1/2 since my surgery, the very same year I have been messing around and slacking off BIG TIME, I have only gained SEVEN pounds! SEVEN!!!

This last year saw this emotional overeater go through some trying times. I started 3 new jobs, I found out my father died 3 weeks after it happened because my stepmonster is a witch, I found out 2 immediate family members are in trouble with the law, my sister had a cancer scare and that was on top of little life trials like car trouble, the "bad guys" coming after the late credit card payments and just life being as it is! I had every reason to put back on 100 pounds but only gained SEVEN!!! WAHHHOOOOO!

This isn't to say I am perfect. I'm not and won't ever be! I have an eating disorder and will have it for the rest of my life. But I am making huge progress in learning how to manage it. If I do go to McDonalds I get one cheeseburger and a small fry not Super Size Value Big Mac Meal with a shake (sidebar........must rent "Super Size Me" if you haven't seen it...I need to see it again). My binge of choice is whole wheat mini-crackers from Trader Joes with fat free cheese and little cherry tomatoes, not an entire bag of Oreos. I have learned that two apple martinis on an empty stomach will make me so sick, I wish I could die and two beers make me wake up with the headache I used to get after drinking Kamikazi's all night! Alcohol is not my friend anymore! I can be just as crazy without its help as a lot of people are with it plus I can remember all the crap everyone else did under it's influence and blackmail them the next day!

This is my year to continue making progress. This last year and 1/2 was just a little side trip on the journey to good health and a rockin body! It was a trip I needed to take to learn the lessons I have learned. I learned that stress and no sleep trigger my trips through the drive-through. I have learned exercise, as much as I rather be on the couch watching The Food Network, is a wonderful replacement for binge eating. Most of all I have learned I have what it takes to get this done and I deserve it!

The Bow Wow Hilton

I AM NOT CRAZY!!! Where and when did I discover this? The minute I got hired at the PetSmart PetsHotel! That's right! A hotel for dogs and cats! You may call it a kennel, I call it the Bow Wow Hilton!

Whe you walk into the PetsHotel, you walk into a true hotel lobby complete with fireplace, comfy chair, magazines on the table. At the PetsHotel, you are greeted just like any other hotel guest....after, of course, we talk to your "baby", Fido! We give the "guests" treats, playtimes anything to make their stay at our hotel comfy! It is amazing!

I love working here! It is here that I realized I am far and away not the only human who treats their dogs like one of the family! Heck, some of these dogs check into the facility for a weekend with more crap than I take to New York for a week!

It's great to work with dogs! Playing with them in "doggie day camp" is just like being the noontime aid on the playground. I will never forget Joey, the chihuahua who "policed" the daycamp! He would sit on my lap, always on the lookout for any shinanagans, and the minute a disagreement or scuffle would break out, he would jump down, break it up with a bark that clearly laid down the law and then came right back to his post on my lap. Then there is little Chloe, an adorable Bichon. She's the playground cutie pie, always popular with the fellas, cute and she knows it! Our wonderful "rat pack" of puggles and beagles, Sox, Jaxson, Buttons and Bubba Joe are the little rascals in dog form: mischevious and playful! It is so fun to watch this group and all the others in action! I swear, doggie day camp is no different than the ones with humans! CRAZY!!

I love this job! It is a gift to have a part-time job working with dogs!

Procrastinator's Lament

FIRST DAY PART ONE-JULY 30

I am the world's worst procrastinator! I know it! I am sitting here on my bed with the XM 70's Soul station on, blogging while my world goes to heck in a hand basket! It's the morning after I woke up at 3AM realizing that my life is dwindling away and I haven't accomplished anything! Oh, sure...I am having a great time but I don't have the career I want, don't have a relationship...don't have much outside of the love of some awesome friends! I can't procrastinate while wallowing in denial anymore!

Today I am going to do 3 things: I am going to go to the gym before work and ride the bike for 20 mins (while reading "The Secret"), develop a budget and review my resume. Tomorrow I am going to take that resume and send it online to every entertainment job I can find that I am even remotely qualified for. I am going to sign up for the job search functions on every studio website in town and soon, I am going to have my job in entertainment while I am out of debt and on my way to my goal weight! Better yet, I AM going to have that job at either Warner Bros Records or Universal Music Group! Why not go for the dream job?! After that I am going to start on my novel, the one I have been procrastinating writing my whole life and actively post on that online dating site!

I can't be a overweight customer service rep who's financially inept the rest of my life. I know I am cut out for more. I just have to quit being afraid of success and let it happen...help make it happen. That starts today.

FIRST DAY PART TWO-AUGUST 7

Yahoo! I finally finished my resume and I'm going to send it off to Warner Bros. in answer to the perfect job posting! All I know is that I can hardly stand my job! What makes people think that because I work for the company they aren't happy with they can treat me like crap? I am sure these are perfectly respectable humans who aren't happy that their 16 year old caused their auto insurance to skyrocket! Fact of the matter is I don't give a shit and I am doing something about it! So I am sending the resume off and hopefully when I get back from camping/Newport Jazz Fest I will be on my way to a new job! One that doesn't require me being abused by my fellow man...or woman!

SUCCESS WITH "THE SECRET"-AUGUST 28

There has been a book out for a few months called "The Secret". It took the wisdom of Norman Vincent Peal and the marketing power of Oprah and became a phenomenon. What it is in a nutshell is the power of positive thinking. What you think comes back to you.

I'll admit I have had the book for months and haven't given it more than a passing flip through. It just seemed to require more effort than I was willing to put into figuring it all out. But something must have sinked into my subconsciousness while flipping pages in that book. I started telling myself on the way to work that the day was going to go by quick, the customers were going to be nice, it wasn't going to be busy and you know what? All those things happened!
So I tried this concept on a slightly bigger scale. I told myself and the universe that I would have a job like the one I had at HealthNet and I would have it by Labor Day. I posted my resume on Monster and answered ads entertainment and non-entertainment alike. Within a week and a half I had my first interview and when walking out of that office, I said "this job is mine". Five hours later, I had a offer.

I am now the Liscense Administrator for DTS, Digital Entertainment. It is a job very simular to the one I had at HealthNet. Pay is slightly higher and the benefits are wonderful. Even more wonderful is I start next Tuesday, the day after Labor Day, something I also threw out to the universe. With the last day of my work week at 21st being on Wednesday, I knew I could get a 5 day holiday weekend if I asked to start 9/4! SCORE!

"The Secret". I have the book in my bag and I am actually going to read it! This thing really works! Next stop, MegaMillions!

A Dogs Life

Michael Vick, pro football player is indicted for funding a dogfighting ring. DMX, platinum selling rapper has his compound out in the Arizona desert raided and abused dogs were found along with the charred remains of dogs that were killed. I am sure these high-profile animal abuse stories aren't the only ones, just the only ones involving millionare assholes who have no regard for another life or most likely, even the law.

Just when I thought I wouldn't be able to watch the news again, along comes a story of the most unlikely dog lover! I don't know about you but I would not take someone nicknamed "the queen of mean" to be a dog lover. But there it was, right on Yahoo news: Leona Helmsley leaves dog 12 million dollars! Finally, a news story about a dog that made me smile! 12 Gs left to a dog named Trouble! Imagine the trouble he could get into with 12 million bucks! He could pee on the carpet every day and have it replaced! He could shred the couch and replace it with a custom couch made out of Milk Bones! Speaking of Milk Bones, does a dog with 12 mil eat canned food or steak tartar every night?

Personally, I would love to see Trouble turn his life around and use his new found fortune for good. He could become an advocate for misunderstood pit bulls and Rottweilers everywhere! He could fund ads to let people know the joy and benefit of the uncondtional love of a dog. Trouble could use his money to assure no-kill animal shelters everywhere never run out of money or that they soon cease to exist because dogs and cats will have homes. Maybe he could educate animal owners to the responsibility of spaying and neutering. The possibilities are endless.

I am hopeful but realistic. I do expect the money to go to Trouble's head and he will shortly be seen in US Weekly stepping out with Paris's chihauaua or Tori Spelling's pug! It's a dogs life, after all

Roughing It LA Style!

I am of the belief that there are two kinds of camping: "real" and "wussy". Wussy campers load up all the comforts of home and head out in an RV. They sleep inside, watch TV, cook on a real stove. "Real" campers sleep in tents, have no idea what's going on in the world as they have no TV or radio and cook either on a little tiny propane stove or open flame. I am a real camper! I have no problem getting dirty, leaving the world behind, cooking on a fire and needing quarters to heat up the water in the communal shower that's down the trail!

My friends and I spent days on a beach in Ventura County. It was wonderful days of relaxing, cool breezes, enjoying each others company, fresh air and just being away from the daily grind. We hung out at the beach during the day and played Rumikub and roasted marshmallows at night. Yes my friends I was feeling like a true camper out in the wild, roughing it!

That is until I woke up my first morning and had an "lightbulb" moment! I realized that I had a car and that the Starbucks at Trancas (Malibu) wasn't that far, maybe 15 minutes up PCH! So this big, bad rough camper girl went for it! There I was, at the Starbuck in one of the most pretentious cities, checking email on the Blackberry, using a "real" bathroom and drinking her latte like it was the last drop of coffee on earth. I was back to civilization! It felt good! But so did getting back to the campsite and leaving reality behind again!

I think i'll add another category of camper: the hybrid camper. One who likes to rough it as long as she can have the occasional latte and access to the Blackberry!

Random Good Morning Thoughts

Rolled out of bed, down to the coffee pot which was auto-set to brew at 7:30, turned on GMA, and Lordy be, it's John Mayer and Eric Clapton! GOOD MORNING to me!
Thoughts while watching:

--God, that's an amazing amount of people up early in NYC on what is probably a muggy AM! Part of me wishes I was there, a HUGE part of me is grateful for TV and YouTube!

--Eric is a huge inspiration to John! What is that like, playing with your idol and you are only 29??? Geez! Eric is looking over at John like a proud dad! How cool must it be for him to know he's inspired guitarists everywhere!

-- Is watching/listening to John play witnessing the birth of the new Clapton?

--Funny how I never considered myself a blues girl but both my fave guitarists (Mayer and Sambora) are HUGE Clapton fans! Hummmm......

--KILLER guitar solo from John during "Crossroads"......WOW!

--If this music thing doesn't pan out for Mr. Mayer, Ambercrombie could use a new model!

--John rocks the bedhead! It's hot!

--Thank God he used the brain he has and dumped JS!

--Man I have to get this weight off before the "Stalker Cruise".

--At least I gave temporary thought to the music....

Off to the OC fair! Happy Friday, everyone! Hope yours got off to as good of start as mine did!
:)

Lessons In Dating Learned At The Dog Park

I was at the dog park the other day with my two favorite dogs I don't own, Molly and Bentley. M and B are two of the most awesome, gorgeous Golden Retrievers you will ever meet. While watching them relate and play at the park with their fellow dogs (and humans) something dawned on me: Dating should be as simple for humans as it is for dogs.

Maybe there is something to this butt sniffing thing. With dogs, they sniff once or twice and if there is no interest, they move on! They inherently grasp the concept of "they just aren't that into you" and it only takes a minute! With humans it takes days, months, years! Why do we hold vigil with Blackberry in hand, thinking he'll call.....email...text! Dogs don't! Yet, they never seem to manage to find ways to breed, if they are able.

I think that's the secret to dating. One sniff...or date...and that's it! One and done! Wish it was that simple, or isn't it? We will see because I am going to quit threatening to do it and jump right into online dating! I have a couple of free accounts and some of them are actually generating interest so keep an eye on this space and i'll let you know how it goes! Maybe my dark haired, hysterically funny, brilliant, civic minded, borderline geeky but wickedly talented guitar player is out there on Yahoo personals. Stranger things have happened! Just check YouTube for verification of that!

:)

Musical Friendship

I have these friends. They aren't friends in the "lets hang out and have coffee" sense but they are my friends through the music they make, the music that has been the soundtrack for my life for the last 21 years.

When Bon Jovi broke onto the music scene in 1986, I was out of my mom's house, getting my first apartment and trying to make my way in the "real world". Their first album "Slippery When Wet" became a hiding place from all that was scary about that real world. I would put that album on and hide behind the good time, nothing is wrong with the world feeling in their music. Their music has been my solace ever since! In the 21 years we have been friends we have gone through successes and failures together (their successes are a little more immense than mine but it is what it is). They have gone through girlfriends and marriages, I have gone through roommates and friends. They have toured the world, I have toured Southern California trying to find the perfect place to live (Chatsworth is the winner). Through it all I could always depend on them to be there and took pride in the feeling that I would always be there for them. Or would I?

A funny thing happened on that "Lost Highway". Something that I never thought would happen. While waiting to see how Richie Sambora's tabloid romance would shake out and how far into Country the band was going to go, I found a new soundtrack. One that is bluesier, funkier, newer! It is a sound I haven't heard before. It's a sound played from the heart, not the wallet and it has me completely addicted! To top it off, it comes complete with tabloid romance all it's own so my US Weekly subscription wouldn't go to waste! A new musician discovery! Cute, young! A funny, smart, environmentally conscience blogger! ANOTHER FREAKIN GUITAR PLAYER!! Yikes! I swear...crack couldn't be more deadly to me than a cute, funny guitar player!!

While I was diving in, finding all there is to know about my new musician I let my friends sit on the sidelines. While catching up on 8 CD's/EPs and various live shows, the release date for the new Bon Jovi came and went with barely a notice from me! I switched up my MySpace page to say "hey, look at this new thing I found"! My mornings were spent Googling to see if this was the hour John and Jessica TRULY broke up for good. Who has time to watch all those Bon Jovi appearences that are stacking up on the TiVo? Not me! I am in the discovery phase, that time in a new crush where it's all new, interesting, unknown. The fun part!

Maybe this has less to do with the new musician discovery and more to do with the fact that I was afraid this was it for me and my friends Bon Jovi! Maybe I was in denial about them "going country". What if they did and I would have to disown them! What if this ment that the band "sold out" for the cash and stopped being true to themselves? I felt guilty! I am deserting my friends! They have always been there for me, why am I bailing on them? I have more than one real friend, I can have more than one musical friend! So I finally bought "Lost Highway" (three weeks after release date...**sigh**....never waited that long before). I put it in at the beach and listened. To my extreme relief, it isn't country at all! It is the same Bon Jovi I have loved for 21 years! Catchy rock with hooks that reel you in and not let go! YIPPEE!

In full honesty I must admit that I only listened to it once all the way through and then put "Continuum" back in where it's been since June 10th! Here's the thing: Bon Jovi music is like my favorite warm blanket. I may not use it all the time but I do like knowing you can pull it out whenever you need it. I like knowing I can depend on the comfort that their music has always provided and will continue to do so.

I no longer worry about deserting my musical friends. I have always felt that the mark of a true friend is if you can pick up where you left off after not speaking for a while and the friendship sustains you as much as it always did! When you can do that, you know you have a true friend. Bon Jovi are and always will be my true musical friends.

Going Green

From the time I got my drivers liscense to now, my favorite stress release has been a drive to the beach. I would drive with all the windows down, stereo blaring, talking to myself and God. Sometimes I wouldn't even get out of the car. Just being at the beach restores my soul and helps me get back to that place in my head where I am glad to be alive.

I went on a drive like that today. I wasn't stressed out for me, I was stressed out for the beach, the mountains, the earth in general! They may not be here much longer! I believe that global warming is a reality and WE ALL need to chip in and start doing something...ANYTHING...to stop this problem from getting worse!

I watched more hours of Live Earth last weekend that I thought possible but I am glad I did! It made me more aware of the enviornmental crisis than I was before! The situation was always in the back of my mind. I have had "Inconvienent Truth" saved on TiVo for months but God forbid I give up watching "E News" or "Access Hollywood" to educate myself! I think that I haven't done anything up to now because I have an "all or nothing" mentality. I do. If I can't do it all, why bother! I think many of us have that view of this crisis. We think that it's too overwhelming or that we are too deep into it for anything we do to make a difference. That isn't true!

The great thing about helping to stall the enviornmental crisis is that you don't have to do it all. You don't have to go out in your $30,000 Prius with your canvas bag to buy your $20 lightbulb and then come home and unplug your phone charger, while powering down your laptop and getting rid of all your bottled water! Well...........doing all that would be awesome but pick one or two and stick with it for awhile! I bet it will spur you on to do more! I bought the canvas bag at my Trader Joe's and I keep it in my car to use! I bought one for my roommate, too! I take my own mug to Starbucks. I am not ready to give up bottled water (I live in L.A., after all) but I reuse the one bottle for a week by filling it up from the Arrowhead dispenser at work (they don't care....already asked). Next payday, going to buy a couple of the lightbulbs. I figure if I use them in the lights we use themost, like the bedroom and the porchlights we leave on at night, it would save not only energy but money on the electric bill as well!

I have always felt incredibly blessed to live in Southern California and the main reason for that was the beauty of the outdoors! We have some of the most amazing mountains, beaches and deserts all within a couple hours drive of my house! To think that may all be gone in my lifetime, not my grandkids lifetime but mine, is incredibly sad! Isn't preserving that beauty worth a $8 lightbulb? I think I can sacrifice a couple of latte's and buy some lightbulbs to keep my stress releasing beach spot!

Pirate Karioke

They say if you face a fear you can make it disappear! It's true and in Catalina I proved it by doing something I am deathly afraid of: singing by myself in public! I know I can sing but have only sang in groups...large ones! I have auditioned solo and a cappella but needed a week to recover from the massive amounts of Xanax needed to do so! It's silly! The interesting irony about the fear is that I have this burning desire to do it all the while breaking out in a cold sweat just thinking about it! So I asked the pro singers I know how to get over myself! The resounding advice was Karioke. Just sing in front of people by yourself until it's not a big deal! What a better place to do this than on a island where you can leave the scene of the crime and all it's witnesses behind!

That is exactly what I did! I hung out in a bar with the frat boys dressed as pirates and looked fear straight in the eye! It wasn't going to stop me! Besides, if I sucked, I wasn't in a place where I knew anyone! Perfect! So, I fought the fear, stayed sober and in the two hours I had to wait (by myself by the way) I just visualized rocking the song! What did I sing? John Mayer's "Body Is A Wonderland"? Ha ha...no way! If I had the talent to do a Mayer tune, it wouldn't be that one! Bon Jovi's "Living On A Prayer"? Nope, frat boys took care of that one early in the night! I sang a great rendition of Bonnie Raitt's "Something To Talk About"! I know it was great because the DJ told me "Great Job" and the frat boy making goo goo eyes at me throughout the tune slipped me his phone # as I stepped down off the podium (he was way under this cougar's hardline rule of 30 being the bottom line...damn). Phone # was a bonus! The feeling I got after doing this was amazing! In that little bar I proved to myself that I can push fear to the side and do what I want to do! I can't wait to do this again! I am going to grab anyone crazy enough to do this and head out this weekend to sing in some other dive bar! Wahoo!

There is something really freeing about tapping into my inner Pat Benetar! It got me to thinking that since I have done what scares me the most, what else is there to conqure? Dating......yikes! I know for sure that the only way to make a fear disappear is to face it head on and deal with it! Dating can't be scarier than singing and shaking your money maker in a bar full of drunken frat boy pirates but I am hoping it can be more fun!
:)

CATALINA!!!

Wahooo! Tomorrow we are off to Catalina Island for the 4th! I can't wait! 4 days of nothing but bike riding, margaritas and lounging on the beach! I am going to write the intellegent and wildly funny novel that I will be publiclly appalled that is categorized as "chick lit" while I am secretly negotiating the movie rights with Nora Ephron so she can turn it to the next "Chick flick". (something about older woman falling for younger rock star..go figure!). Then I am going to read the last 3 weeks Us, Star , Entertainment Weekly and In Touch! After that, I'll take a spin around the island in a golf cart looking for that funny, intellegent, hot single musician who will love me for my wit and my mind, not my.....never mind! If he's a hot single musician who's interested in me, WHO CARES WHY!!!

There might be time for bonding w/my roommate who I have been just passing lately while we take turns in the bathroom. There might be time to take stock in how life has been treating me so far this year and where I want it to take me the next few months. There might be time to thank God for the blessings that happen in my life everyday and will continue to happen! There WILL be time to thank God and our troops for continuing to fight the good fight in the name of democracy and freedom! It's is 4th of July, after all!

Whew! I have a lot to do over the next 4 days! And it starts today with laundry, packing and going to work! Relaxation starts tomorrow! WAHOO!

Happy 4th everyone!
:)

The Hollywood Hills Are Alive!

I love....no, make that LOVE living in LA! There are so many things unique to this town I don't know where to start! One of my favorites happens every summer! It brings young and old, straight and gay, musically inclined and not together for one evening under the stars. I am talking about the "Sound of Music Sing A Long" at the Hollywood Bowl!

I pride myself on not only being a dyed in the wool rocker but a music lover in general. This is definately in the "general" category. It is too much fun to resist! The "Sound Of Music Sing A Long" is hard to describe but imagine taking Rocky Horror and placing it in the Swiss Alps. Replace Tim Curry with Julie Andrews. Take that whole thing and place it in a drive-in that holds 16,000 people and you kind of get the idea! The film is shown on a huge screen stretched across the Bowl stage and the musical numbers have subtitles so everyone sings along! There are props they give us, like edelweiss and no one is shy about using them! There is an air of "Mystery Science Theatre" as people shout out comments that are for the most part hysterical! Hissing at the baroness, sighing at cute little Gretel! My favorite though comes courtesy (this year) of my friend Terri. At the end of the movie before the captain sings "Edelweiss" a hush falls over the Bowl. It is then that she yells in her best hockey yelling voice "sing a song about flowers". I almost died laughing!

My fave moment came courtesy of the boys dressed as nuns. As I was walking back from the bathroom they came up and offered me forgiveness for the cleavage my top was showing! HEY! That dude on Oprah says always walk out of the house dressed like you are going to meet your dream man! So I did! I just didn't know he'd be a nun....or gay! Doesn't matter, i'll take the complement wherever I can get it since one of the nuns said if he left the convent and turned straight he'd do me! ROTFL!!!

This night is so fun! We are going to make it a tradition. Next year we are all going to enter the costume contest. Look out!

You Say Stalker...I Say Fan...Potato, Potahto

For the last two + years, I have been dabbling with unrequited love. It was the most enlightning, exciting, frustrating, crazy, excruciatingly painful learning experience I have ever been through! I learned more about me within that experience than I ever thought I could. And for that, I wouldn't change a thing about it. I am, however, glad it is over! While I am taking time to recover, reconnect and pull myself together, I find myself in familar territory! I have retreated to the comfort and safety of the celebrity musician crush!

Celebrity musician crushes are easy! No miserable first date! Instead of exploring each other while dolled up in ridcously high shoes at a restaraunt you wouldn't normally be caught dead in, engaging in less than intellegent conversation, you explore on your own in your jammies! Just you, your crush and Google! Google doesn't judge, care about your weight or lead you to wonder "I wonder what he thinks of me". There is comfort in it being one sided for the most part. The celeb "loves the fans" and you are free to explore that love unconditionally within the anonimity of him not knowing you from adam. That's fine because this way, you control the amount of love that goes out. You decide if the love goes out at all! If you aren't happy that the crush can't make up his mind about the Pop Tart he's with, not with, with, not with, you can roll your eyes in indignation without having to hear the lame defense of why the intellegent, talented musician is dating the "actress". It doesn't matter! You, in all your internet surfing, US magazine reading glory know for sure BOTH reasons why he's dating her! You can sit on your bed, laptop at the ready and laugh knowing that you are smart, funny and yours are REAL!! She maybe a celeb but you have those 4 things ALL OVER her! See...celeb crushes can be as catty as the real ones!

Celebrity musician crushes are pure fantasy and after being rejected face to face, the fantasy is a welcome diversion to my reality! In my fantasy, the guy is turned on by the fact that I am smart and funny, not because I worship him or have a huge rack! In my fantasy, the crush plays guitar just for me, not for every girl in the bar (or arena). In the fantasy, the crush is a communicator supreme who listens as well as he speaks. He doesn't call me to talk at me for hours on end, not letting me get a word in edgewise!

This latest celeb musician crush came at me from completely out of the blue! Totally unexpected but entirely welcome! It's new, exciting, fun! Just like the beginning of a real relationship! However, like a real relationship, this one hasn't disappointed me or broken my heart. I doubt it will.

I am not crazy single girl! I am just welcoming the reminder God has sent to remind me that life is fun, exciting, cool! I have 9 toes grounded in reality while I am dipping the one in the sublime fantasy world of the celeb musician crush. Don't worry! I am starting to look for the real thing! I haven't retreated that far deep. The cool thing is, thanks to the latest celeb musician crush, I will have an awesome soundtrack to play in the background of any romance, real or fantasy, that comes my way!

Random Thoughts While Waiting in Jail In Vegas

*I wish I got into John Mayer early enough to see him at Mandalay Bay. I wish I had the body to get his attention and the guts to kidnap him and take him to that bar where people hang half-naked from trapezes. You have your Vegas wish, I have mine. Mine doesn't involve millions of dollars unless John and I are rolling around naked in it! Thank God what happens in Vegas.....

*I am not a fan of change or am I? I am a fan of change the noun. Especially when it is pouring out of a slot machine into a metal tray, making that "ching ching ching" sound that hit you between the eyes when you walked into any casino! The change I am not a fan of is the verb. The change that results in taking away something cool like the "ching ching ching" sound and what causes it! Slot machines in Vegas now dispense paper slips that you take to a machine to cash in for paper money. No more buckets of coins so heavy you can't carry them to the cashier, no more trips to the cashier for that matter. No more grubby, yucky hands from scooping up all those quarters and putting them in the bucket. No more having two buckets full of quarters, swearing you would stop after you went through one and leaving w/only half. No more "ching ching ching". No more of one of the things that makes Vegas charming. Change sucks.

*Most of Vegas is about getting you into the casino to spend your money. Except the bathrooms. In the bathrooms, you can stand for hours waiting for the automatic toilet to flush, then wait forever for the automatic soap to dispense before waiting endlessly for the faucet to turn on. And just when you think you might get out of there before Steve Jobs develops the chip to implant in our brains to make cel phones obsolete, you wait forever for the automated paper towel to dispense. I swear, the random cactus in the parking lot was looking like a better bathroom option than this! I know it's probably more sanitary to have all the fixtures do our work for us, but this is ridiculous!

*I am not cool! Oh, I try to be! I listen to cool music, watch all the cool TV, read up on what's trendy. How cool I truly I am became glaringly apparent this weekend in Vegas when I got excited over two things: seeing Donny Osmond and the fact that the Star Wars slot machines are about the coolest thing ever invented! Sure, I could have seen sweating, grinding pretty boys from Austrailia strip while putting $$ in their g-strings. I could have attended any number of Cirque Du Solei shows. No......Terri and I almost spontaneously combust over seeing that Donny is town. In my defense, it was cool to like Donny....when I was 7! In his defense, he put on a great show! Not sure it should cost more to see him in a Vegas lounge than it does to see John Mayer at the Hollywood Bowl but it is what it is. And what it is is a good time! I will say I may have been a tad bit embarassed to "stage door stalk" him but it did make me feel young as at my advanced age, I was easily among the youngest there. It was made worthwhile when Donny wished me happy birthday and asked with a wink if it was the 29th! And they do call it Puppy Love!

*The Star Wars slot machines rocked my world. They play the music, R2 talks to you and when you get three characters in a row, an appropriate film clip plays on the bar line! When you get the bonus, the Death Star spins and it's the coolest! Laugh all you non-believers but I trusted the Force and turned my $5 into $40!

*There are no more $5 buffets in Vegas. There are, however, $5.95 lattes and 24 hour Starbucks right out the door of the elevator in the hotel. A even trade-off if you ask me!

*Johnny Reznick was playing in the car everytime we got into it this weekend. Not literally but that would have been a wish equal to the one involving Mr. Mayer. Nope...this was on the radio. Wish LA radio was like this!

For these reasons and many more, I LOVE Vegas! Can't wait to go back in August....to see Donny....*sigh*! I am learning to embrace my inner geek! :)

Could I Possibly Have A New Fave Guitarist?!?

Could I have a new fave guitarist! Move over, Sambora! It is possible that after 21 years I have a new favorite! He's funny, he's smart, he's sensitive, he's wickedly and amazingly talented! AND HE LOVES DOGS! Forget guitarist, could he possibly be the perfect guy?

Shan calls me two days before the John Mayer show at the Bowl and says "I just got a call! We are invited to the meet and greet". I must admit, I was excited as it was going to be a cool experience but not excited in a "OMG...I LOVE John Mayer" kind of way!

That certainly changed AFTER the fact! This was by far and away one of the COOLEST things that have happened to me! 5 people and their plus one got the call and they were all nice people! John was a sweetheart! Looking back I kind of feel bad because it seems like we were the only two talking but once someone asked him about his dog it was on! He seemed fine with chatting while signing so we talked about how he did in Vegas, the upcoming Police show and our dogs. He said he was happy to have the kinda of dog that "doesn't eat raw metal" (Golden Retriever) and I got a plug in for the misunderstood Rottweiler! I won't bore you with every syllable that was spoken but you can believe I remember them. He signed for everyone, took pictures and was amazingly nice!

Then he went out and put on one of the most amazing shows I have seen! Since all I have heard from him is basically the (overplayed) singles, I had no idea what an amazing guitar player he is! And that ability was on full force at the Bowl! Mayer plays with such emotion and feeling that you wonder, at 30, where he is drawing it from! The place was filled with blues loving wine sippers who love John's work with BB King as well as the soda drinking female squealers who only wanted John to tell them how their bodies are a wonderland. That might be John's biggest strength: that he can produce music that appeals to both of those factions!

From the meet and greet, to the awesome seats, to the glorious atmosphere that is a summer show at the Bowl, to the amazing music it was a WONDERFUL night! Thanks a million to my friend Shan who made it happen! You ROCK

Marking Territory

It is two weeks since St. Patricks Day and I have been struggling to figure out how I feel about what happened that night at the bar. This morning, as I was walking Codi, the sweet girl dog I am sitting for, it hit me! As Cody lifted her leg on the bush in the neighbors yard and peed, I realized just like that bush, territory had been marked on St. Pattys Day at Oh Gradys. Only it wasn't with lifting a leg, it was with lifting a finger.

"The Girlfriend" walked into the bar on St. Pattys and asked if I wanted to see her "Valentine's Day gift. Before I could say "not really" she shoved a ring in my face. To add to the humor of the situation, she then proceeded to try and convince someone that the ring didn't mean anything. What I am not sure is who she was trying to convince, herself or me.

What upset me was not the actual ring or her not so subtle intent in flashing it at me. What upset me was that I was forced to face the reality that the ring obviously meant something to the giver of the ring and that is what has me thinking about this "friendship" I have with him. Sure this isn't the first time and most likely won't be the last. But a heavy dose of reality can be a good thing if you finally get out of denial and see something for what it really is.

Sure he and I are friends and fairly good ones at that. We support each other in our dreams. But we aren't the sharing deep dark secrets type of friends. If we were, I wouldn't have found out about "the girlfriend" from people who saw them out in the parking lot doing God knows what on the night of my birthday. I certainly wouldn't have found out about a ring a month after it was given by "the girlfriend' flashing it in my face. My female intuition tells me that he gets the emotional support from me and the physical support from her. Maybe, maybe not! But is that all I want from this "friendship"?

This ring has made me face up to the fact that ok...fine...yes, I haven't really gotten over him and ....sigh...I was holding on to that romantic notion that someday it will hit him that we are meant for each other. We aren't...and he isn't! He isn't going to have that lightning flash moment where he realizes that the girl he's been waiting for was right under his nose all along. Well....he might but that girl isn't going to be me.

They say the truth will set you free and it has in this case. I feel liberated and free to go on looking for the man that will adore me and worship me like I did Band Boy. I am free to look for a man who isn't a control freak. I am free to spend weekends doing something other than sitting in that bar trying to impress upon Band Boy that I could be the adoring girlfriend. I am free to not drop what I am doing to reply to his emails. I am free to set boundaries in my friendship with Band Boy without worrying that he will think of me as something other than the good friend I am.

Yes, the truth will set you free when you finally face up to it. And much to the joy of my friends who are tired of seeing me struggle with this, I am free at last!