OMGoodness

Seriously, Kimberly? No posting for the last 6 weeks? Yikes!

If I'm being honest, there really isn't much going on in our lives that I feel needs to be documented (or that anyone would want to read about). Also, life is steadily crazy that I haven't had time to catch up on my recorded shows, let alone blogging.

But Doodlebug is sleeping, my baking is done for the day (but I just remembered I need to buy candy for our ward's Trunk-or-Treat tonight), and I don't need to pick The Lime up for another hour. So how about an update?

I'm six months late in announcing I am back in the workforce, if you can really call it that. I wake up in the 2 o'clock hour every morning to go fold and deliver newspapers. I'm crazy, I know. But I needed something that would allow me to stay home with Doodlebug, volunteer in The Lime's classroom, attend mutual every week, etc. It's definitely a different world in the middle of the night but I'm grateful for the opportunity to help my family financially while still being a full-time mom.

The Lime is winding down his season of Fall Ball. Although he's on a Farm team, I don't think there are any T-ball teams so he has some kiddos playing with him that have never played before. It's been really fun to see all the progress the team has made but I'm especially fond of cheering The Lime on. He's been on fire and would love to move up to AA in the spring but we're still talking about it.

LaVor works his tail off at work and then comes home and does the exact same thing. He ripped out our summer garden and has all the fall/winter product planted. We're going to have endless amounts of broccoli, kale, lettuce, beets, carrots, herbs, and more. We can hardly wait!

Doodlebug is a little firecracker, that kid. He cries a lot, just like he has his whole life, because he knows nobody wants to listen to that sound so we give in. But the kid is almost three and a half. This crap has gotta stop. Throwing large rocks at his brother's head is not okay and it will result in consequences. But then he does stuff like slaps my bum while singing, "Spanky spanky spank your butt, doo daa, doo daa" and I have to just eat him up. He's so funny! Soooo funny! He had all three of us laughing hysterically in the car last weekend with his creative facial expressions.

He loves riding his scooter to The Lime's school every morning and usually eats it at least once. He and The Lime race and he gets a little too wobbly, ends up flying through the air (or rolling) and crashes to the ground. But he's a tough cookie and gets up and continues on. Big, brave, tough boys is what we like to call them.

I suppose I should write down how amazing the Coldplay concert was! I drove to my sister's on 10/4, ran inside to brush my teeth, and then we got back in the car to drive to the concert. Someone recommended to her that we take public transportation rather than forking out $50 to park at the stadium. It was a brilliant idea so we followed his directions only to find that the trains weren't running as frequently at 8:00 at night. After debating on whether or not we should wait for the train or start walking, we decided to start walking. It ended up being over 3 miles but we did it because we wanted to see Coldplay, gosh darnit.

I should back up and inform you that when I bought our tickets a year prior, I purchased two sets. When we went to the concert last year, the gentleman sitting behind us told us he paid double what we did for tickets because he waited until the last minute. So when I bought this year's tickets, I thought I could make a buck or two. Nope, I didn't. In fact, I was out hundreds of dollars. I ended up not being able to sell the extra tickets which, financially, sucked BUT it meant my sister and I got to sit on the field! Good golly, was that a neat experience.

We arrived to the stadium during their second song and it was a magical two hours of singing, dancing, laughing, and crying. They put on an electric show. So much so, you can just feel the love and joy everyone around you is experiencing. I'm certain the band is tired from touring but I can't wait until they come back.

The most current news is that we have a mouse somewhere in this house and it's literally driving my crazy. I'm a paranoid wreck that can't keep my eyes off the ground, looking for evidence of where the little bugger might be. In the 11+ years we've been married, this is the first mouse we've dealt with. And while I know it won't be the last, I can hope.

And just like that, I've come to the end of my free time.

I certainly hope the next two months are a little more blog worthy than the last two.

Coldplay

It's taken me almost a week to write this because I was mourning the fact that it was all over.

Back in January, my sister bought tickets for the two of us and two of my former co-workers. September seemed so stinkin' far away yet it arrived before we knew it.

Our other sister didn't feel like she knew the band well enough to attend the concert but we met for lunch in Walnut Creek and browsed a few adorable shops. Before we decided on where to go for lunch, my sister looked up some local restaurants on Yelp and one of them had a photo of these delicious looking doughnuts. That happened to be the restaurant we settled on. Just as we were finishing up our main course, I said I kept smelling the doughnuts but couldn't find anyone who had them. For some reason, that set us all off and what started as laughter quickly turned into hysterics, which then turned into crying and trying to catch our breath. I can only imagine what we looked like and it makes me laugh out loud reminiscing about it. Turns out, I wasn't smelling the doughnuts but my sister's hand sanitizer.  The doughnuts turned out to be AMAZING and I'm anxiously awaiting a day when I can attempt to re-create them.

My sister had to hurry back home to pick her girls up from dance before it was time for us to get ready to the show.  After some wardrobe disputes, we were on our way to meet the other two ladies.  The husband of one of them agreed to drop us off and pick us up which was a HUGE relief since parking was $50!  Yikes!  Ironically, before the show ended, Chris Martin thanked everyone for coming despite how difficult it must have been to find something to wear, the high ticket costs, and high vendor prices.

We arrived at Levi's Stadium around 6:30 and snapped a few photos on the way to our seats.

A Santa Clara police officer took this one - he didn't even know who was playing :)

The stadium was PACKED and the lines to get food were outrageous (we hadn't eaten since lunch and I was starving). Thankfully, there were indoor concession stands right next to our section and my sister and I shared chicken strips & french fries for my 1st course.

We didn't recognize the first act until she (Bishop Briggs) sang her last song (she reminded me of a young Björk). I didn't recognize the second act (Alessia Cara) at all but finally heard one of her songs on the radio yesterday.

The excitement and anticipation were almost too much to handle. My sister and I kept looking at each other and squealing because we were just about to burst. Finally, just after 9:00, the stadium went dark, music came through the speakers, and our wristbands lit up. The show was starting!

The waiting for eight months was absolutely, positively worth it. Even when I didn't know a few of the songs they played (their new ones), my body couldn't help but dance to the beat. Every second was as entertaining as could be and I'd see the same show night after night if I could. It was amazing.

So many memories go with so many of their songs. Like how when LaVor and I broke up, "The Scientist" had just been released. Or how I got in a fight with my dad and can picture LaVor and I driving down 580 as we listened to "Fix You" and I thought of how Chris wrote the song for Gwyneth when her dad passed away. Or how "Kingdom Comes" reminds me of our wedding.

What really got me was when they played "Everglow". Several months ago, I came across either a blog post or Instagram post of a mother whose little girl suddenly passed away last year. The mom wrote a specific blog post about Coldplay's song and how they still find Marjorie's everglow all around them. I certainly thought of her as the band played the song.

I've decided Chris Martin and I would make great friends. I just wanted to squeeze his cheeks, he was so adorable throughout the night! Very funny, down to earth, and seemed like someone you'd just want to hang out with.

This was my third time seeing them and it seems to get better each time. I can only imagine how exciting it will be when I get to see them again!

Oh My My Oh Hey Hey

A few months back, I heard on the radio that The Lumineers were coming back to the area and I was thrilled! My initial plan was to make it a Sisters Night but when LaVor bought the tickets for him and me, it turned into a date night.

Between the purchasing of tickets and the actual concert, the move happened. Because we didn't feel like driving that much in one night, we opted to make a weekend out of it.

Except that The Lime had an ongoing cold that reached another peak the night before we were to leave. Nobody had gotten sleep for two days and The Lime was hacking up a lung for 24 hours. I decided to pack our things, just in case, but as the day went along, I was losing my mind. I ended up calling LaVor and told him just to sell the tickets because there was no way I was making The Lime travel in the condition he was in. But when The Lime kept asking me when we were leaving, I knew we had to go.

So we did.

And I'm glad we did because it was so fun!

I had never been to the Greek Theatre before and it was neat to be in such an old venue (but I kept waiting for an earthquake to hit). We got there just as Sawmill Joe was closing. I have no clue who the other band was that preformed so I used that time to stand in line for the restroom.

We sat at the very top...where all the pot smoke ended up

When I got back to my seat, LaVor thought he spotted his cousin and her husband. Sure enough, it was them and they ended up coming over and watching the rest of the show with us. I loved spending the time with LaVor but it's always nice to have other people around to chat with.

The Lumineers did an excellent job and it was fun to sing along and dance around. I was waiting and waiting for them to play my "favorite song". They finished the show, nothing. Did their encore, nothing. They went out into the audience for a couple of songs, just like Coldplay, but still no song. Then they announced they'd go back to the stage and play one more song. I held my breath and crossed my fingers. When I heard, "Lovely girl won't you stay..." I shrieked with delight.

They finished the show with my favorite.

With a quick stop by In-N-Out on the way home, we arrived just after midnight, quickly shoved the food down our throats, and called it a night with a happy heart and belly.

Irish Punk

A week from today is St. Patrick's Day and I already have an idea of what I'll wear, including my shade of green nail polish. Now if only my mom passed on her "Kiss Me! I'm Irish!" pin, I'd be all set.

With the weather changing, I've noticed an abundance of concerts coming up. And it just so happens that a lot of the bands coming are some of our favorites. In fact, Flogging Molly was in Oakland last night. On Friday, while at work, I was reading the notes a hygienist made in a patient's chart. "Going to see Flogging Molly this weekend - Irish Punk" it read. When the patient came to my desk to schedule his next appointment, I squealed with delight, "I would love to go to the show!" I offered to be his date, since his wife wasn't too keen on going and he was going to be the fifth wheel. He didn't give me an answer, so I'm assuming it was a "no".

I first heard of Flogging Molly (my co-worker kept saying Fogging Molly) while driving across the Bay Bridge on my way to school in 2004. I was listening to Alice @ 97.3 and No Name did a segment on Fridays where he'd play a favorite song by a band that Alice normally didn't play. Seven Deadly Sins blasted through my speakers and I was hooked.

Fast forward to April 2005, when LaVor and I go see Fever Pitch in the theater. If you've seen the movie, you'll remember the Red Sox opening day scene and the song that goes along with it. When I first heard it, it sounded like Flogging Molly but not exact. With LaVor's help, I found out it was Dropkick Murphys (coming to the area April 15 & 16).

That brings us to our trip to the East coast during the summer of 2009. We were so excited to visit Boston and experience a Red Sox game. "Tessie", the song from the movie, is played each time the Red Sox win, and they won the night we went. This is a great article about the traditional music played at games.  (The Lime just turned this song on on our iPad and said, "Baseball!")

And here we are today, actually yesterday, when we were watching Boston's Finest, a new reality show that follows several officers from BPD (I just love the accents!). And who sings the theme song? You've got it! Dropkick Murphys.

So remember, if you go to one of these bands' shows and you're the fifth wheel, I'd be happy to be your date.

Biggest Post of the YEAR!

I can't believe I've waited 2.5 weeks to post this!  (Actually, I can.  Videos take f.o.r.e.v.e.r. to upload and I have a ton.)

Let's starts months and months ago, when we found out Coldplay was coming to town for not just one, but TWO, shows!  Yes...that's how much the Bay Area loves them!  My sister and I figured that just doubled our chances of winning tickets from radio stations.  We were always THIS close to winning but never got the golden ticket.  Until her birthday, when her sweetheart gave her a ticket to the concert!  She was so excited and I was so excited for her because their concerts are a real "experience"!

Fast forward to April 26, the night before the concert.  My sister called me and said, "Alex isn't going to the concert with me.  Want to come?"  What kind of sister would I be to not accept that kind of invitation?!  Of course I want to go!  And so...we did.

Our seats weren't together but during the opening acts, we sat in her area and then hung out in the lobby while I charged my camera battery (which saved me!).  I also saw a girl that I blog stalk, who came from out-of-state.  It makes me wonder if people blog stalk me and then see me out in public?

I could write a novel about the evening but I think I'll just point out some of the highlights:

-We were given wristbands when we first walked into the concert.  Very confused at first but blown away when we found out what they did.
-The guy I sat next to was alone, too, which made it awkward when people thought we were on a date.
-Thankfully he was nice and sang along with me, the entire time.
-The young boys that were sitting next to my sister asked where I was.  Funny how I never had "it" when I was younger but now that I'm 28 with a 2 year old, and married, boys notice me.
-As I was driving to my sister's house, I was thinking about a song and how it would be fun to go to that band's concert.  I could imagine the crowd singing this song, all in unison, and it gave me chills.  It's somewhat of a spiritual experience that has often brought me to tears at concerts; everyone united, not worrying about what the person next to you believes or what their profession is or what they eat or don't eat.  On the way home, my sister and I heard "that" song and sang our little hearts out.
-Coldplay is AMAZING, which wasn't a shocker.  Just like the last time, I'm in love with the way Chris Martin (and the whole band for that matter) interacts with the crowd.  All of them were so gracious that everyone attended the concert that night, with the economy being what it is.  They're just splendid fellows!
-The drunk guys walking next to us, back to the parking garage, singing "Girl You Know It's True!"

Taken by "the boys", after the 1st opening act.

They were on!  Now tell us what they do!

Wristbands lit up like Christmas lights!  Magical!

The show is over!  Wah!  Our ears were ringing like crazy!

An amazing night with an amazing band and an amazing sister!

Last Fun Thing We Did

Before we left for our trip, our blog was lacking pizazz. After this post, we'll be back at our starting point.

After the trip and the walk, we had one more thing to do...go see Coldplay!

We haven't been to a concert since Bridge School but this was way better, in my humble opinion.

Chris Martin has a great personality; very funny and cute. I couldn't get over how talented all of the band members were. They all played many different instruments throughout the night.

If it weren't for the crazy time we had getting out of the parking lot and crazy drive home (because of the driver) and 4 hours of sleep I got that night, I would have considered the night perfect. Oh yeah, and they didn't play "our" song...then it really would have been perfect.



(I love LaVor's "Sit down!" in this one)

Bridge School Benefit Concert

Last night was the 22nd Annual Bridge School Benefit Concert, held at the Shoreline Amphitheatre.

This was the second year that we had the opportunity to attend. Unfortunately, our camera was considered "professional" so we had to rely on my cell phone. I apologize in advance.

My favorites were Sarah McLachlan, Norah Jones & Jack Johnson. But the other Artists that performed were Band of Horses, Cat Powers, Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie & Neil Young.

(Tilt your head to the right for these next two)





Things I enjoyed:
Music
Company
Weather
Snacks
Little girls in front of us dancing


Things I didn't enjoy:
Everyone talking about Obama...it felt like the Democratic Convention
Weed being blown in our direction
Security Guard accusing us of smoking weed
Blanket getting damp
Nasty feet of woman sitting behind us, resting on our blanket