St. Patrick and Kid Rock

It always amazes me how things change from year to year. Last year on St.Patrick's day I was outside in a short sleeved shirt playing bean bags and drinking all afternoon. I also got up the next day and went to the gym, growning up?! This year I got a NWS alert for a blizzard warning on my phone. I also was not up and at 'em going to work out, either! So to put that in perspective, last year on St. Paddy's day it was nearly 70 degrees. Today, I'd be surprised if we hit 20. Also, on Wednesday the 13th it was -5 on my way to work, a year ago on 3/13 it was 71 degrees. Again, why do I live here?!

This year for St. Paddy's day weekend I was in Fargo, ND. I thought we had snow, they easily have twice the amount we do on the ground, ugh! BUT! I got to see Kid Rock and Bob Seger in concert. Let me tell you, it was AWESOME!! I'm not really sure it's set in yet that I've actually been to a Kid Rock concert, but I know when I hear one of his or Bob's songs come on the radio, it will!! I had checked out Kid Rock's two newest CDs to get ready for this concert knowing that his style of music has changed in the last 10-12 years and found myself enjoying many of his new songs. I mean, there is nothing worse than going to a concert and not knowing any of the artist's songs because they're all new. I was pleasently surprised when a majority of what he played was his old stuff. It was great. I even got back from a bathroom/beer run just in time to rock out to his infamous Bawaitaba. I joked with people that "he doens't play "Bawitaba" music anymore"....oops, I was wrong! He also played his other oldies but goodies like "Cowboy", "Picture", "Forever", and so many more!! I was also glad that I had listend to his new CDs to prepare myself for the night because it was fun knowing his new songs.

 I had forgotten how many GOOD songs Bob Seger has. Holy cow did have some hits! It was obvious by looking at the crowd that a majority of them were there for him more than they were Kid Rock. I talked to a lady while I was in line for beer that was a middle school principal. She said that if Kid Rock played "All Summer Long" while she was out there she would need to be checked into detox the next day due to drinking her sorrows away for missing the only Kid Rock song she knew/liked. I told her she needs to get his new CDs to listen to, because if my 63 year old dad listen sto and likea them, it was okay for her to, too =) At any rate, she did not miss him perform that song. In fact, we all got a very exciting surprise when the encore was Kid and Bob together for four songs, one of which included "All Summer Long". They also sang "Night Moves" together, which was awesome, and Kid Rock's "Fovever". It was so funny seeing Bob Seger not only rap, but cuss and say the F bomb several times! As Matthew said, they both looked like they were really  having a great time while they were performing. They both had smiles from ear the ear during every song. It was worth every penny.

This concert easily made it into my top 3. I have been to numerous concerts in my life, some big, some small, some at county fairs, some at big venues, some in the middle of corn fields. I don't always remember every one I've seen in concert when the topic is brought up, but this is for sure one that I will remember for the rest of my life. And for those of you wondering, Journey is my #1 concert of all time!

So that was my St.Paddy's day weekend. I also drank more beer this weekend then I think I've drank in the previous month total. I was surprised that the (3) green beers I drank tonight tasted as good as they did. Then again, I hadn't been thinking about the fact that I have to go to work tomorrow, so that could have something to do with it!

On that note, I am less than excited about having to go to work tomorrow. In fact, on that note, I think I will get a head start on my beauty sleep.

Jesus....Music.

“And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast. 1Peter 5:10

I saw this verse on someone else’s blog this morning and thought it to be very appropriate for my life as of late. Last week I battled one of my “flare ups”, for lack of a better terminology, of SAD (seasonal affective disorder). I get these about twice a year, and I never really know exactly what the trigger is or how long it will last. I have so many ups and downs that I generally stop thriving just to survive for a week. The weeks when this happens feel like an eternity. It’s exhausting, to say the least. I had a major downer this past summer, which happened to make its appearance at the same time as my summer vacation. On top of that I had a major sinus infection and allergies going on, which was in no way any help in the matter. I will probably go to my grave feeling incredibly terrible about ruining that time for the other people I was with. Anyways….back to the bible verse I found this morning and what I meant to write about..

Generally when I am having a bad day, if I am sad, angry, stressed, feeling any sort of emotion out the ordinary for me, I turn to Christian music. I put in one of my various mixed CDs, turn on the KLOVE radio station, or find something on Pandora to listen to. Nine times out of ten this works to calm me down and bring me back to reality. That being said, I have had my Pandora on a Jars of Clay station since about 9 o clock this morning, precisely the time when my day went to crap. Today has been one of those “I should’ve stayed in bed” days. But I have been powering through it and am in much better spirits than I was about six hours ago. I was so angry that I was shaking; all job related, which hasn’t happened more than a couple of times in the nine (holy cow, it’s almost been a year already!!) months that I have worked here.

I am definitely not the most perfect Christian out there, but I am proud to be one, and I am not afraid to admit that. I don’t go to church every Sunday, I don’t read the Bible often, I probably break more than one of the 10 commandments on a regular basis (I have a bit of a potty mouth, especially when I’m upset), and I don’t always live by the “golden rule”. I do pray daily, I forgive those that hurt me (well…99% of the time), I go to church way more often than Christmas and Easter, and I try to live the best I know how. Also, I am not afraid to die. This is something that surprises a lot of people. I know a lot of people are very afraid to leave this Earth. Not me. In fact, I look forward to the day when I get to leave this Earth and live my life of eternity in the most amazing place in the world. Obviously, I am a firm believer in heaven. Now, I’m not saying that I am “excited” to die, because I am young and I have a lot of life to live, a lot of things to see and people to meet!

To sum it all up, a little bit of Christian music can go along ways in my world. I’m glad I stumbled upon that bible verse today, because I needed that reminder that although He may let me suffer for a little while, it’s never too long. Besides, what fun would life be without any struggles to make you appreciate everything you have a bit more?

Fresh Start

I created this blog becuase when I went to blog in my previous one I decided that it was too depressing to carry on. I used to blog quite regularly but for some reason got out of doing so. This is my attempt at getting back into it. My hope is to blog once or twice a week about whatever is going on in my little mind, or my boring life!

I'm not sure what to start with in this first "new blog" post. Maybe I will start with some of my favorite things.

 I am a mommy's girl through and through. In fact as I type this I am very down and out because my parents were here for the weekend and when they leave I get sad. I talk to my mom daily either through email, texts, or phone calls. Sometimes we talk mutlipe times a day and send several emails. She is my rock, and probably my best friend. I also have my dad wrapped arond my little finger. My little brother is amazing, and my sister is pretty great too (whether or not she always belives it is another story for another day). So, my family is probably my number one most favorite thing.

Reading books, I LOVE to read books. In fact, I should be reading right now instead of watching The Bachelor and typing this =) I do not discriminate against genres but I do not get into smutty romance novels!

Being outside. I love to be outside in the spring/summer/fall. I will go for walks/runs, I will go camping, I will sit outside in my lawn chair and read, I will sit outside in my lawn chair and drink, I love going to the pool and catching some rays. I just LOVE being outside when it's nice out.

Cleaning and organizing. I get this from my mother, who is always cleaning and organizing and getting rid of things. I regularly clean out all closests in my apartment, I'm always doing laundry, cleaning, getting rid of things in my cupboards and re organizing them. I just love to know where things are!! That and I'm afraid of becoming a hoarder :)

Sleeping. I love to sleep. The problem is, I have grown up, and I cannot sleep like I used to. I wake up at the crack of 6 AM no matter what day of the week it is, and I consider 8 AM "sleeping in". If I want to take a nap it lasts all of 15 minutes. So, although I can't sleep like I used to, I sure enjoy it!

Eating. I do love food. Which is why I have a hard time "dieting". I love all kinds of food. The way I eat I should weigh a good 250.

Exercising. Because I love food so much, I exercise. If I didn't, I would weigh the 250 I mentioned. I enjoy going to the gym and also enjoy excercising at home, outside, and by playing organized sports (I play co-ed city league volleyball and women's softball). I don't just excercise because I like to eat, I actually enjoy it. Someday I want to run a 5k, and I think I am starting to get on the right track  for the training to do so.

There are many other things I enjoy, but those are the main few. Maybe I will write another blog sometime with my "Top 100 things you should knwo about me". I do have some quirky traits and odd "favorites"

But for now, I will conclude my first "new" blog post. Thanks for reading, come again!