Now I... Had the Time of My Life...

Last night I experienced the thing I've been looking forward to for most of my adult life. I saw John Mayer play live at the Staples Center. I have a well documented love/lust/obsession for him and never thought in a million years that I could afford a ticket to his concert and have the time or freedom to go. I should explain that I have never been a concert girl. There are very few artists I have been willing to shell out my hard earned single mother dollars for, but I can say without doubt that seeing John Mayer was beyond worth it!



Another bonus, in my ever increasing social networking circle, I've become friendly with another blogger and fellow John Mayer fanatic Nanette. She and her friend had tickets to the show as well (on the floor thank you very much) and so we met up before the show to further extend the frenzy and I also had the opportunity to pull out my John Mayer tweet for an appreciative audience. (It really never gets old.)

I don't have any really good pictures of my concert going experience because my seats were up so high that I could have probably shaken hands with the sweet Lord Jesus himself had I been so inclined. I had never been to the Staples Center before, and I over thought spending the money for the tickets so much that by the time I actually bought them the only seats left were in the nosebleed section. I did not take into account my insane fear of heights and as we walked further and further up the stairs to our seats, I started to experience vertigo and heart palpitations, a small percentage of which I'm sure had nothing to do with my close proximity to John and everything to do with me being scared I was going to end up plunging to my death. I stuck it out though and even sent him a tweet letting him know where I was so that he could turn towards and sing to me accordingly during the show. More on that later, but behold my AWESOME view! See that tiny little dot? That's John Mayer!



The opening act was Michael Franti and Spearhead who were absolutely fabulous! I knew I had heard the name before and it wasn't until they were done and wrapping up that they played their hit single, "Say Hey" that I realized who they were! He came into the audience and sang a few songs and even pulled a bunch of people on stage to rock out with him. It was a very good show, I am downloading more of his music as we speak!!

When we finally got the magic moment, I told myself that it would probably be really hard to see him due to our seats not looking at the stage directly, and I shouldn't expect anything other than hearing some awesome music played live by my love and soulmate. When the lights went down and the screams started, I admit to fully fangirling the freak out and screaming my lungs out as he started to play "Heartbreak Warfare." From that moment on, it was like everyone in the Staples Center disappeared and he was only playing for me. There were times I sang along and there were times where I was just quiet and soaking it all in. It was an amazing and indescribable experience to have been a fan for so long and then to see him actually playing the songs I loved right in front of me. I think I teared up during "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" because it took me back to a time when I would lie on my floor and listen to this song endlessly on repeat and wish he was there singing right there next to me.

During a break between songs, John addressed the people sitting in the nosebleed sections on either side of the stage, remarking how awesome we all were for buying the tickets despite the fact we wouldn't be able to see the stage directly. His actual words were, "you the people in section 333, you're what makes this awesome." Now as I mentioned I sent him a tweet saying wave to section 332 because that was my ticket location. I was about to start pouting that he didn't mention my section but then I looked up and behind me and saw that I was sitting RIGHT under the number 333. Cosmic connection much?

The show ended with John doing an encore performance of "Gravity" and this ridiculously mesmerizing guitar solo in which at one point he actually slung the guitar over his shoulder onto the floor and lay down to play it with out missing a single note. It was fanfreakingtastic. I think I shrieked at one point and bounced up and down in my seat. It was such an epic show, I'm thrilled I had the chance to go and even more of a fan of John's than I ever was before.

Say what you want about his douchebaggery tendencies, he is an extremely talented musician and puts on a hell of a show. I will definitely go without meals in order to get the best seats possible the next time he plays in town. Oh and yes, I still love him and the only reason I woke up in my own bed this morning and not in his is that he's got a show in San Jose tonight and I didn't want to wreck his concentration. San Jose deserves a great show too you know!

Ten Things

March has been slightly emo for me. I'm working through it and hoping that though March came in like a lion and pretty much mauled me to death, it will go out like a lamb that I can pet and love and hug on. (Seriously that is the most random analogy, but I hope you get the point)

One of my blogging friends, Devon wrote an awesome post about the Dove campaign and how it isn't as positive as one may think. Her outcome was to write 10 things that make her feel good about herself and she encouraged her readers to do the same. Instead of putting mine in the comments, I'm going to blatantly steal borrow her idea and create my own post.

Ten Things That Make Me Feel Good About Myself:

1. I have an awesomely winning smile. Sometimes when I catch my reflection in the mirror and I'm not smiling, I give myself a little smirk and am instantly cheered up by my pearly whites.

2. I'm a great mom. I work really hard at being a great mom and even if I don't get it right everyday, I know that my little girl is the most wonderful, magical, and precious thing in my life and her fabulousness is merely an extension of mine.

3. Hot shoes. Even if the outfit is less than stellar, hot shoes can make all the difference.

4. My hair. I am loving my hair right now, it's kind of long and straight. Very Cher circa half breed.

5. My eye makeup application skills. I am wicked awesome at giving myself doe eyes.

6. My sense of humor and embrace of the ridiculous. If you can't laugh at yourself you might as well crawl into a hole and die because you kind of suck.

7. Losing 22lbs in almost 4 months. I'm halfway to my weight loss goal and feeling good! (Look out Halle in the orange bikini!)

8. All of my amazing friends. Anytime I need reassurance or guidance or wisdom or a sympathetic ear, I am amazingly blessed to have an awesome assortment of friends both real and Interwebzian that I can reach out to either via phone or email who continuously validate what friendship really is.

9. My mom because she pushes me to better and refuses to believe that I am nothing less than amazing.

10. Books. The sheer joy I can get from reading a book is something I never want to end. I will read as long as my eyes hold out!

Book #55 - Looking for Alaska by John Green

I know that I tend towards the hyperbole when I find a book I like. This review is no exception. John Green is the most amazing writer, ever!

I kind of have a slight crush on him and wish that when I was a teenager there were books like his around for me to read because I was riveted by this story.

This incredible story is told in the point of view of one Miles "Pudge" Halter who moves from a life of non existence in a his public Florida high school to the small community of his father's alma mater boarding school Culver Creek in Alabama. There he meets Chip "The Colonel" Martin, and Alaska Young who become his best friends and family away from home. The story sets the reader up for this epic prank, and I spent the first half of the book in anticipation of what would occur.
What does occur and it's aftermath I was not expecting. In fact I wished that I had a freezer nearby to stick this book in because it made me uncomfortable and twitchy. I love when books can do that! John Green's writing is simply brilliant. I can see why this book won the Printz award, the writing, the prose, the absolutely hysterical dialogue between Pudge and The Colonel, Pudge and Alaska, and the group dynamic in general has me wishing I could go back to high school.

I can't talk about this book too much more because I know I'll give away all the good stuff, just trust me when I say read it. The Printz Award is totally a BFD, and this was John Green's debut novel. As it turns out I have two more books by John Green to read (thanks to my book sensei) and I cannot wait to further my burgeoning crush on this awesome author!

Book #54 - Without You by Anthony Rapp

Before I review, I should preface that I am the hugest fan of the musical RENT...but I've never seen it performed live. I've seen the movie, the filmed version of the last show on Broadway, and have the entire soundtrack memorized and listen to it at least weekly. Yeah, I'm totally hardcore. After reading this incredibly written memoir by one of the original cast members Anthony Rapp, I feel like I have to see this show before I die. If you hear about it playing in the Southern California area, please let me know because I am all over it!

I don't normally read too many nonfiction books, but this memoir reads like a novel. It is poignant, touching, and engaging. In addition to giving an inside look at the meteoric rise of the show from it's start as a workshop to becoming one of the longest running musicals on Broadway, it also journeys us through the tragic and untimely death of the show's creator Jonathan Larson, and the long and heartbreaking illness and eventual passing of Anthony's mother Mary.

I cried during so many moments in this book. Especially the portions dealing with Jonathan's death. It seems like such a tragic waste of immense talent, especially since he never lived to see the show become one of the longest running Broadway shows ever. It makes me want to cry again just thinking about it.

I was so engrossed in this story, I couldn't put it down at times and even though the book isn't completely about RENT, and covers Rapp's relationships, struggles with sexuality, relationships with his family, and other aspects of his career. (Like for instance, he was in Adventures in Babysitting which is one of my favorite 80s movies ever, AND Dazed and Confused which I am not ashamed to admit I can recite by heart!)

Admittedly, I did blush like a schoolgirl during some of the uh, sexier aspects of the book, only because in the course of my reading it I felt like I knew Anthony like he was a member of my family so to read about him doing...you know, stuff was awkward for me, but I think it gave the book another dimension to see his struggle with his sexuality as well his family's reaction to it.
I think the book is great even if you aren't a fan of the show, and it doesn't have a lot of tidbits about the cast (even though I would have loved to know some inside gossip on how Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel got together since I'm slightly obsessed with them.) Anthony's writing is open hearted, honest, and really true to the person he is. It gave me such inspiration for my own writing since my story is autobiographical and I would want it to touch someone the way Anthony's story touched me.

Now to completely geek out...Vive la Vie Boheme!

Mission: Deheiferization Update

February was the month without cupcakes. Or Animal Fries. Or anything resembling fast food or takeout.

I ate salads, whole grains, fresh vegetables, fruits, and a lot of oatmeal.

I drank a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day. I had some sparkling wine towards the end of the month but water was definitely my main beverage all month.

Can 28 days of good eating overcome a lifetime of bad habits? I'm not sure but I'm feeling better and looking forward to cooking as opposed to dreading it like usual.

I still miss cupcakes and animal fries, but 14 lbs gone makes a much louder statement.

Sugar detox...done. Month long food tracking also done. $10 more in my 101 account.

Whoo! And might I add, Hoo!!

Proud Mom Alert

Looking back over my last few posts and I realize that I haven't mentioned the Princess at all in a while. Please indulge me while I share a few little tidbits of raising my beautiful little girl who may be slowly becoming my mini me. :-)

Yesterday while driving in the car I sneezed about 8 times in succession. The princess continued to say "Bless You" after each sneeze until I stopped. Then she said, "Mom, you know why I keep saying 'bless you'?" "Why?" I answered back. "Because you keep sneezing." Priceless.

The princess has been taking karate lessons the last couple of months and has made it to junior purple belt! She's very focused on her lessons and takes it very seriously...there's no joking about karate in our household. Here she is after she received her belt:

It's really a sin to be this cute!

The two of us clowning around having dinner:

It was Crazy Hair Day at school. I basically just teased and teased and teased until it looked like this. If I had a clip I would have totally had her rock a poof like Snooki from Jersey Shore.


















Awww, I love her.

And the winner is....

How excited am I that so many people entered my blog-o-versary giveaway?

The answer would be WAY excited! Thank you all for entering!

After putting the number of entries into a random selector, the winner is Emily! Congratulations Emily! You win a $25 Visa giftcard and a copy of The Help by Kathryn Stockett!

But wait...there's more!

Since this contest put me at over 50 followers, I decided to throw in another winner, just for kicks!

Leah also wins a book of her choice either from the ones I've reviewed this year or just one that she wants to read. Isn't that awesome?

Ladies please email me with your addresses so I can send you your goodies!


Thanks again for entering everyone, and for all of your awesome comments on my blog. It makes me happy to know that people are reading and enjoying all of randomness and I will definitely keep on rambling in the future!