Haven't posted on here in forever, yadda yadda yadda. Haven't felt like it...

Moving on...

So last night, Mike and I grabbed dinner at Panera. Had a nice chat over our meal. Went back out to get into the car and drive home. I saw a bill on the ground and picked it up, thinking, "Ooh, a dollar... NICE!"

But it wasn't $1. It was a ONE HUNDRED DOLLAR BILL!

Shaking, bill still in my hand, I got into the driver's seat. Showed it to Mike. There was nobody else in the parking lot and the parking lot we were in was only for Panera, so it had to have been a Panera customer who dropped it.

"What should I do?" I asked Mike, already knowing the answer.

"You can't keep it," he said. "You should take it in and leave it with them in case somebody comes back for it."

I sat there for a moment, turning it over and over in my hand. Thinking about the things I could buy with it. But the money wasn't mine, and even though I found it, I didn't feel it was mine to keep. If it had been a $1 or a $10 bill, I would have kept it. But $100 is the amount of money somebody might come back for, so I had to take it back into the place and leave it in case they did.

I went back inside and asked for the manager. Not that I didn't trust the person behind the counter, but somehow a manager seemed most trustworthy to me, and if I was going to do the right thing and take the money back, I wanted it to be done right. I asked if they had a lost and found. The manager said no, why, did I lose something. I said, "No, I found something." And held up the $100 bill.

The place was practically empty as it was getting close to closing time, and a number of folks who worked there saw what was going on and started commenting. "You should keep it!" multiple people said to me.

"I can't. It's not mine to keep. Besides what if somebody comes back for it!"

The manager said he didn't really have any place to safely keep it. Did I want to put it in the donation box that is bolted to the counter near the cash registers that collects money for a hunger charity? That seemed like a logical thing to do if he couldn't keep the money in case the person who lost it came back. So that is what I did.

I left there feeling great for having done that, even though the folks in the place were still telling me I should have kept it. "Major karma points for me!" I said, laughing as I left.

So I made a nice deposit in the karma bank last night.

If you found $100 in a parking lot with nobody else around, what would you do? Honestly? Do you think I did the right thing? (I think I did, but am curious to hear what others think.)

In late May, I blogged about how getting on the scale was a huge mistake. I hereby eat those words. I've been regularly weighing myself since, and I've lost almost 15 pounds since that day. (I'm at 14 lost since then.) I ran into my next-door neighbor earlier, who noticed immediately and commented on it (I hadn't seen her in a while since they had been away for much of July). I can totally fit into all of my old clothes, even the smallest pants and jeans. The few pairs of pants that didn't fit back then do fit now. I haven't been this slim since 2003.

My goal these days is to maybe lose a few more pounds. If I don't, so be it.... my original goal was to get back into my skinniest jeans, and I reached that goal a few weeks ago. Now I'm just exercising to get into better shape, not to lose weight. I've been walking a lot lately (4-5 times a week for an hour or so per outing) and feeling pretty great. It took me a year to get to this point, but I feel better for not having caved in and done all kinds of fad diets. I have changed my eating habits long-term, which is what I had hoped to do.

Within the past few months, Mike and I have been eating a lot more organic foods and staying away from anything processed (in other words, shopping the perimeter of the store -- not the inside aisles). We've gotten into the habit of going to Whole Foods as much as possible and we love it. I get excited when we go there (it's about 20 minutes away from our house).

Perhaps the biggest change we made was one that was suggested to Mike by a friend of his: eating for our blood types. Without going into too much detail (you can read a lot about it at the link I just included), we've both been following the diet for a while now (me since early June, Mike since early May). We've both noticed huge differences in our overall health and energy levels, and we've both lost weight on the diet (I attribute the last 14 pounds that came off to that diet, although I didn't go on it to lose weight -- I went on it to help my overall health).

I lost that weight without counting calories... the only thing I pay attention to is what is on my beneficial list, what is on my neutral list, and what is on my avoid list. (Obviously, I don't eat crazy huge portions, but I don't walk around hungry ever.) I have cut out virtually of my "avoid" items (although there are a few things that I am finishing up that I had in the house -- wasn't going to throw away good food). I still have to decide how much meat I want to reintroduce into my diet (I've been primarily vegetarian for about 15 years now).

I cannot recommend this way of eating highly enough. As I said, both Mike and I have noticed huge improvements in how we feel (not that either of us felt bad when we started, but I have way more energy, I sleep better, my allergies have gotten MUCH better, etc.), and his brother and some friends of his also have noticed huge improvements as well. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't seen it work for others and experienced it myself. If you are looking to lose weight and/or deal with health problems, this might be a really, really smart thing to try. I intend to keep eating like this for the rest of my life! This isn't a fad diet and you won't feel deprived of good things (even though a number of foods I liked were on the list of things I had to "avoid," the only thing I find myself missing actively is peanut butter). Consider it a lifestyle and health-style change!

If you try it, let me know how you like it and how it has worked for you. It's one of the best decisions I've made in a long time.

Beautiful blog of mine, why do I ignore you so? It's sad, really, how much I just put you off until another day. But life's been getting in the way lately, and as the old saying goes, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Been making lots of lemonade lately. It's been keeping me very busy. Squeezing lemons takes a lot of time.

Last night's stellar concert experience, though, not only begged to be chronicled here -- it demanded it. Screamed it at me, saying in no uncertain terms, "You must blog me." So here I am. It's gonna be a long one, so... so... there.

Before I get into the good stuff, let me start by saying that I'm not a die-hard Springsteen fan. I really like his music a lot, but even though I'm a Jersey girl now later in life, I wasn't one growing up. I wasn't raised here (although I have actually lived here longer than I've lived anywhere else in my life), and I think that that often (although not always, of course) accounts for some of the rabidness his fans in NJ possess... if you are from here and you like Bruce, you don't just like Bruce... you LOVE him.

But I like his music a great deal, have come to appreciate his prowess as a songwriter, as well as the E. Street Band's glory. Sure, I'd heard everything on the radio that everyone else in the country heard growing up, so I wasn't unschooled in the Boss entirely. However, I didn't experience Bruce live until I lived here, at which point it seemed it had to be done -- to see Bruce in his own backyard. I became a believer (but not a crazy rabid fan) after some stadium and arena shows, as well as some solo Bruce adventures live.

I mention all of this as background, to set the scene. I knew that I would be attending a concert with Giants Stadium packed to the gills with die-hard fans. Even the folks up in the rafters in the nosebleed seats REALLY wanted to be there with a desire that bordered on crazy. Going to a Springsteen show in New Jersey... I can't say I've ever had such concert experiences when I've seen other bands in their hometown areas when the situations have presented themselves, except for perhaps seeing The Tragically Hip up in Canada. There's this electricity, this palpable excitement, this conviviality and focus on the music, this rush... you can feel it. It's hard to explain, really, without going off into very elusive, indescribable territory. It gets into your gut. It feels better than good. Viscerally sublime. It is Bruce. In Jersey. Those goosebumps down your arms when the music starts? Yeah, you feel it too.

Among the folks who travel these highways and byways criss-crossing the Garden State, Bruce is considered by many to be a god. I hesitate to put any musicians on a pedestal such as that one, but others have done it for me by their sheer devotion to the man. There were a stadium full of believers, ready to worship, last night.

Traffic getting there was a nightmare. We left plenty of time, and we still walked into the venue late enough as to be too close for comfort (we thought). Perhaps Bruce heard of the overturned truck that closed the Turnpike up near the stadium and pushed the showtime back accordingly... I'm not sure. The concert-goers seemed oddly content to wait. And wait we did. Bruce and the band didn't hit the stage until 9:30. And there was no opener. There was a lot of waiting going on.

We ended up, with an insane fluke of Ticketmaster luck (never to be repeated if we tried our hardest), with 8th row seats on the floor. Facing the stage, we were off to the right, but on the left side of that section, so the angle wasn't too severe. In front of us was a standing-room VIP and general admission section that wasn't very wide and butted up against some lower-level catwalks that Bruce would traverse at different times throughout the night. We also happened to be on the side where the backstage entrance was, so we were in prime star-sighting land, which also passed the time while we waited for the show to start.

The first sighting was Gary Dell'Abate, producer of The Howard Stern Show. Mike knows him, but didn't go talk to him -- perhaps preferring to let him enjoy his family outing. Shouts of his nickname "Baba Booey" were hollered when people did see him, and some folks did go up and talk to him. Then I heard someone in front of us say "Weeds." Mike and I love that show. Yes, Mary Louise Parker was there, standing right in the VIP section with her "are they on again" dude, Jeffrey Dean Morgan (who many folks around us mistakenly thought was Robert Downey, Jr., they do resemble each other a bit). Standing with them and chatting with them was Tim Robbins. Off to the other side was a former American Idol contestant, Constantine Maroulis (how Mike and I recognized him puzzled both of us because we have never watched an episode of that show EVER in our lives). I took some photos for proof (of everyone except Constantine and Baba Booey - LOL):

Here is Tim Robbins:

And here is Jeffrey Dean Morgan & Mary Louise Parker:

It was almost impossible to get a photo of Mary Louise Parker, simply because people were usually in the way and I refused to walk up there to take a picture. Taking it from far away seemed fine, but I wasn't going to walk closer like other people were doing. I don't roll that way, I guess. They're there to enjoy a concert. Getting in their face to take photos or whatnot just seemed intrusive and wrong to me (although one might argue that taking photos from far away is also intrusive in another way, but I still say it's less so).

After we'd amused ourselves watching some famous folks do nothing more exciting than chat with each other, we were finally graced by the presence of Bruce and band. It was 9:30 and the place was ready to party. I couldn't even tell you all of the songs they played -- I'm not one of those people who knows all of the song titles by a long shot, although I did recognize the vast majority of the tunes. I knew they were playing long sets, but we got, and I'm not kidding here, almost 3 hours and 30 minutes of concert. They were done playing at almost 1 a.m.! Now, usually venues of any size beyond like small clubs and bars have union rules for the workers which institutes a curfew. If the band plays later than a set curfew time, they incur overtime costs for said union workers. Makes sense. Well, obviously Bruce was ready to eat a pretty hefty overtime bill (I would guess the curfew there to be 11 or 11:30), or he's so revered in these parts that he got a free pass (the latter I sincerely doubt to be the case).

It was a blur of fist-pumping, booty-shaking, chills-inducing crowd singalong goodness. Bruce was all over the stage, sweating profusely in the very hot, humid summer night (it was in the 80s even when the sun went down). I know they played Born To Run, Rosalita (the final song), Jungleland, Bobby Jean, Cadillac Ranch, Blinded By The Light, The Rising, Badlands, Radio Nowhere... tons more that my still reeling brain is forgetting (a full set list follows, compliments of Backstreets.com):

July 31 / E. Rutherford, NJ / Giants Stadium
Setlist:
Summertime Blues
Tenth Avenue Freeze-out
Radio Nowhere
Prove It All Night
Two Hearts
The Promised Land
Spirit in the Night
Light of Day
Brilliant Disguise
Pretty Flamingo
Blinded by the Light
Cadillac Ranch
Candy's Room
Night
Because the Night
She's the One
Livin' in the Future
Mary's Place
Incident on 57th Street
The Rising
Last to Die
Long Walk Home
Badlands
* * *
Jungleland
Born to Run
Bobby Jean
Dancing in the Dark
American Land
Jersey Girl
Rosalita

And as per usual, I played rock photographer. I took photos of both the action on stage and the huge video screen in front of us. Not my best work, but I didn't want to do more than set my ISO and have the shutter speed be the only thing I would tweak (if I got into full manual mode, I miss too much of the show trying to get my settings right). Setting the camera on auto at a nighttime outdoor show never works in my experience. I think I got some fun stuff... See what you think:

Ever seen Bruce? What was it like? Ever seen him in Jersey?

Yes, I've been remiss in posting here. I know that. Don't feel particularly guilty about it either, so you won't be seeing any public apologies here for said lapse, no sirree, Bob. (Who IS Bob in that last sentence? I have no idea where that saying comes from, but when one says "no sirree," "Bob" always seems to follow, right?)

Been so busy with work. Been actually using my free time to do things like relax, read a book, watch TV, etc. Once one gets into the habit of actually using one's free time (albeit pretty limited, but still) for endeavors such as those, well, blogging doesn't really even OCCUR to me. I don't get these little, "Hmmmm, you should be blogging thoughts." Which made me contemplate just letting my blog go away. This line of thinking lasted maybe a week tops. But then I realized I would miss it. So it's staying. Although I'm kinda thinking I may be the only one reading this since I haven't posted in so long... Not that there's anything wrong with that...

So... busy girl, busy girl. Saw some great shows (Rush, Petty/Winwood, Eddie Izzard) and have more coming (Ricky Gervais, Styx/Boston, Bruce Springsteen [7th row, bay-bee... still don't know how we lucked into those tickets on the evil Ticketmaster, either]), Mark Knopfler... Mostly just trying to keep my head above the day job water. And stuff...

Hello, hello! Am back home after a week away... visited my parents and worked from their house while Mike took some vacation time off. We also spent a day up in Toronto while we were out that way, and it was a rather whirlwind whoosh north of the border capped off by a visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Which was actually really, really cool. I didn't even try to catch up with any digi pals up that way geographically because a) we were in town for like 24 hours, and b) said 24 hours were an early anniversary getaway and the time we were spending together was meant to be just the two of us. Maybe next time we'll be up there a wee bit longer!

Working from my parents' house does have its perks -- in between work tasks, I did manage to take a jaunt or two with mom to do some shopping... As my own boss, as long as I get the work done, I do allow myself the occasional fun and frivolity during the work day. Heck, I always work through lunch, so it all evens out in the wash. Also went to the cemetery to visit my grandparents and left them a lovely geranium plant. And I didn't cry this time. I felt sad, but there were no tears. Still miss them every single day, though, and it's hard to visit that neck of the woods without feeling their absence more profoundly/deeply.

Besides that, not much else is shaking around here. Mike and I are going to see Tom Petty and Steve Winwood tomorrow night -- feels like we bought those tickets EONS ago.

And I'm a busy bee house cleaning this week as my brother and his posse are visiting this weekend. Had to put away some of the fragile items in my living room. My nephews are respectful of things and if you tell them not to touch stuff they won't, but accidents can happen, so I put anything of sentimental value that was the least bit breakable in a box out in the garage... My house is officially nephew-proofed. Can't wait to see everyone!

Today is the 20-year anniversary of the day I met my husband, Mike. An auspicious occasion, to be sure, although neither one of us knew at the time how much of one it would be for both of us long-term, per se. I was dating someone else and we were just friends for a number of years before I broke up with the other guy and Mike and I started dating in 1991. But today... today is special. Because we met. And because we liked each other enough to be friends and hang out and do stuff together as friends. Until we became more.

Here's to 20 years... almost half my life. I'm so glad I met you, Mike! And thanks for letting me make various.... errr... mix tapes from your CDs.

So I've been in this funk for a few weeks now, and don't know when it will pass. Just a lot going on, a lot on my mind, a lot weighing me down, keeping me anxious and off-kilter a bit...

Just a little while ago, I made what may be a huge mistake. Well, huge in my own mind. I stepped on the scale for the first time in five years. I don't know what prompted this. Even as I was doing it, fully clothed no less, I thought to myself, "Self, this might not be such a great idea." Because as you know, I've been losing weight. Heck, I can get into my skinniest jeans without having to lie down on the bed to zip them up and am close to being able to wear them out in public without embarrassing myself with muffin top and visible panty lines... So perhaps I was feeling unduly empowered by this fact. I almost half-thought to myself, "Self, you may be getting closer to that weight that you want to be than you thought you were." I was feeling pretty darn good, really.

So, onto the scale I stepped. First of all, I should not have stepped onto the scale with blue jeans on, right? Those have to weigh at least a pound, right? (Okay, maybe not, but I'm trying to make myself feel better here!) My t-shirt isn't heavy and neither are my socks or undergarments, but those jeans have to make me able to take a pound off at least, right? (Ha, I just weighed my jeans, which are heavier fabric, on my postal scale and they weighed almost 2 pounds... )

Well, let's just say that I'm still a good 20 pounds from my lightest weight based on what the scale told me and subtracting a pound or two for clothes. What had me utterly and completely perplexed is how it's possible to almost fit into my skinniest jeans and still be that far from my goal? I pondered this inconsistency as I clomped back downstairs, feeling the need to blog and unload a bit... When suddenly it hit me... my skinniest jeans were actually BIG on me at one point. I was quite close to being, if not already, a size smaller than that, I think.

By my best guesstimate, I've probably lost about 20 pounds already, possibly 25, just based on the difference in how my clothes fit. Which means I, at my heaviest, weighed a lot more than I thought I did because I weigh a lot more now than I expected to... OY! No wonder I stayed away from the scale for five years! And it's not like I ever got THAT huge... I just got uncomfortable in my own skin and knew it was time to do something about it, you know?

I guess I thought I was doing so well because I've gotten a number of comments recently from people who hadn't seen me in a while telling me it was really obvious I'd lost weight. My mother-in-law, who hadn't seen me since Christmas, noticed immediately and complimented me on it. This past weekend, I went into the guest room closet, pulled out all of the spring and summer clothes that haven't fit me for about four years, and tried them all on. Virtually everything fit... some of it was too big (stuff I couldn't quite squeeze into as I started losing weight last summer) and I had to put those things away again! Only three pairs of capris didn't fit me because they were small, but I wasn't expecting them to yet anyway.

I'm starting to feel like I am looking good. I'm happy with what I see in the mirror, but still want to lose a bit more. But to have the scale tell me what it did was such a downer. I'm wondering if I was too thin before I started gaining weight, because another 20 pounds to go seems like I'd be just skinnier than a toothpick. I don't know what to think anymore.

Feeling lumpier than I thought I was, frankly. Not a good place to be, mentally-speaking.

So the lovely and talented Becky tagged me to list seven random, unusual facts about myself, and who am I not to play along?

1) I can recite all of the dialogue and all of the lyrics to the movie "The Music Man." So can my brother. To the annoyance of those around us.

2) I was in the color guard in high school and I can still twirl a flag quite well all these years later.

3) I never go barefoot around the house. I always wear socks.

4) I wanted to marry Simon LeBon of Duran Duran when I was 15.

5) I often find myself quietly clicking my teeth together while I'm working on the computer.

6) I consider myself mostly a vegetarian, but I do eat ham and bacon.

7) I used to play the clarinet in grade school and middle school.

Now I have to tag seven people... I will tag....

Melissa
Melinda
Jessica
Cathy
Michelle
Erin
Robyn

And I have to go leave comments for all of them now so they know I tagged them!

You know, I'm a pretty private person. Yeah, I know, I'm sure this comment caused a chuckle or guffaw of disbelief among those of you who just read it. Crazy. Me, private? I'm sure your next thought was, "Well, then why are you blogging, you freak?" Yeah, confuses the crap out of me too, really. I was just sitting here, feeling like blogging, yet feeling simultaneously like I had nothing to say or having a ton to say that I would never share in a public forum. And I... I don't know... I wonder sometimes why I blog. Sometimes the things I want to babble about are so personal that I haven't told anybody about them.

It's times like that that I wish I had a gorgeous journal that I scribbled my innermost thoughts in each night. But I don't have one. I've never been a journal person, which is quite odd, given my love of writing. I wish now that I had kept one over the years.

So I'm left with lots to say, but no place to say it. At least not here. Not being secretive in the least. Just not things I'm cool with putting out there on the worldwide web. And so I sit here, with so much, but nothing, to say.

Private person who is a blogger. See? I told you - it's a dichotomy.

I title my post that way simply because I realized I feel like blogging and I have nothing to say. So my fear, and a very real one it is, my pretties, is that this post will, well, suck. Because I have nothing to say. I'm sure you see where I'm going with this.

I have cookies baking as I type. They are for a crop I'm attending tomorrow with my pals Melissa and Robin. Prior to said crop, we are going to the Memories Expo to walk around, look at stuff, and possibly acquire more things for our respective craft stashes. I'm going with minimal cash on purpose so I don't spend much. Smart, eh? I thought so. I am looking forward to an afternoon and evening of chit-chat, scrapping, and just hanging out with some fun people. And there will be food. The aforementioned cookies, plus I got all kinds of bad-for-us-yet-oh-so-tasty snacks, such as Cheetos and M'n'M's. Melissa is going to make pasta for dinner. I think my diet is going to be severely blown tomorrow, but you have to do that on occasion, I think.

So I got to meet my friend Jenn's month-old baby, Samantha, and she is just the cutest thing ever! I forgot my camera, so I have no photos to share. But she is simply adorable and I was reminded yet again how thoroughly entertaining babies are. Good times, good times.

So my good pal Cathy has her Crowded House show this Sunday, and I'm alternating between vast excitement over hearing about her adventure and extreme jealousy because she is going to see them. Yeah, I know, that is completely stupid (the jealousy part), because, really, I saw them THREE TIMES last week. I should be happy. That should be enough, right? What can I say -- I'm greedy when it comes to live shows by my favorite bands. I want to see them a lot. There is nothing better than a great concert (well, okay, maybe there are a few things better, but you get my drift).

I already got reports back from pals of mine on the DC and Boston shows, and it was great fun reading about the experiences. DC feedback came from someone I befriended recently when I posted a comment on her blog (fellow paper crafter and Neil fan) named Jenn, and the Boston report was filed by my pal who is a writer at the daily paper there (met her through work and we bonded over Neil). So, needless to say, I anxiously await Cathy's email on Monday with her feedback on the show. Actually, she commented about being excited about my reports on last week's shows here in the middle of her vlog. Hearing my name mentioned made me smile, and I actually laughed out loud when I saw her pull out the totebag I had Neil sign for her.

Well, that's all that's new here. I'm off to check on the cookies and do some editing on my books. Yes, I'm working on both of them... Happy Weekend to you and to you a good evening (or other day part, depending on when you read this...).

You know, I had the best intentions of posting on here last week. But Mike was kind enough to share his cold germs with me, and I came down with a doozy of a head cold. Still fighting it off this week, although my voice is slowly coming back. What is it about the warmer weather that makes being sick that much worse?

Before I wax poetic about my recent concert-going, I wanted to answer two reader questions:

1) Sharon asked about one of the Facebook photos that appeared in the left column here... She was wondering if I'm as tall as I am, how tall is Mike, because he was a LOT taller than me in that particular photo. Well, Sharon, I was sitting down in that photo, as you thought I might be. Mike is 5'8" and I'm 6'2". So I'm pretty much always taller than Mike unless I'm seated or on a lower step than he is.

2) Also from Sharon (inquisitive she is!), she was wondering about the changes I made to my eating to lose weight. Well, last summer, I cut out real Coke entirely. I now drink Diet or Coke Zero in order to get my caffeine fix. I stopped snacking almost entirely and only eat at meals. I limit dessert to a few times a week and not all of the time like I used to. And I cut my portion sizes a bit. Beyond that, I have nothing specific that I did. I exercise a little bit more, but mostly just tweaked my eating habits. I've never been one for formalized diets -- I don't like being told that I can't have something -- it makes me want it more. I find that I do best if I make a change to my eating in ways that will continue and not just be temporary fixes. I think this is why I've continued to lose weight without even really trying to do so over the past three to four months. I would still like to lose a bit more, but I'm almost back down to my skinniest jeans, which is pretty amazing, really. I try not to deny myself things that I like -- I just eat a lot less of them overall.

Most importantly, I had to get to a place where I was ready to do all of this. My mindset had to be right. I couldn't just do it half-heartedly, and when I was ready, I was ready. It's as simple as that. I could have lost the weight a lot faster if I'd gotten all crazy about it, but I think losing it slowly and adopting new habits going forward is a much healthier way to do it.

So last week, before I got really sick with this cold of mine, I went to a few shows by a band you've heard me talk about on more than one occasion here: Crowded House. Yes, I was one (and not the only one, I might add -- I recognized some of the same people each night in the audience) who went to all three shows. It was great fun, most especially because we got to hear NEW MUSIC that they are working through for a forthcoming album. I love being privy to the creative process, and hearing how these songs will develop will be fascinating to me. Will they remain much as I heard them, or will they change drastically? Won't know for a while yet... I will say that I really did love the new stuff I heard, and there is the makings of an amazing album among them, I feel. Here's a brief recap... a bit late...

MONDAY NIGHT - A.K.A. The Sauna...

So Monday night, Mike and I met a friend of ours at the show, who was there with a friend of his. This worked out well as they had already staked a claim on a spot to stand, so we could join them there. About five rows back from the stage. All three shows were opened by a Kiwi named Don McGlashan, who used to be a member of a band that I saw on tour with The Tragically Hip before called The Mutton Birds. He played a handful of lovely songs, just him, an acoustic guitar, and sometimes a euphonium (looks like a mini tuba), an odd choice for rock music, to be sure, but it made for some lovely sounds on stage.

The Crowded House set was awesome, until about halfway through when I started to feel really icky from the heat generated by the packed-in audience. I tapped Mike on the shoulder and told him I had to walk out. I think he realized as soon as I said that I had to get out of there how lousy I was feeling -- it's not like I would willingly give up my close-to-the-front spot without a really good reason. Well, considering I felt like I was either going to pass out or be sick, I figured I needed some air. We went down to the lobby and Mike got me some water. As soon as I cooled off, I felt better. We stood in the back of the venue, where it was much cooler, for the rest of the show. Neil (yes, as in Finn) asked for requests, and people were throwing paper onstage with the songs they wanted to hear scribbled on it. Alas, being way in the back, there was no way I could take part in that. No huge surprises on the set list that night.

TUESDAY NIGHT - A.K.A. Krista almost falls over again, but not from the heat...

The front seemed slightly less crowded, and I was determined (and wearing fewer layers!) to stay up front through the whole set. Mike and I got water before we found a place to stand, and we basically planted ourselves in what could be considered approximately the third row for the duration. Completely different set list than the first night, a more relaxed band, and I wasn't overcome by the heat, so it was overall a much better show for those reasons. And when they played "Love You Till The Day I Die," well, I almost did fall over from pure happiness. Don't think I've heard that song live in years and years and years... So very, very good.

WEDNESDAY NIGHT - A.K.A. The Kids Are Alright...

Got there early as I knew there was going to be a special guest, only to find the doors weren't even opening until 8 p.m. So we had to stand out front for a half hour. Ugh. Hate when that happens! We managed to get a spot in almost the exact same place we'd been the night before, so we were close to the front.

After the stage was prepped, Neil came bounding out alone, and the room erupted. He introduced the "special gusest" - the PS22 Chorus (from Staten Island) – a big group of 5th graders and their choir director. He explained how a friend had sent him a link to their performance of a CH song online and how it had touched and amazed him, so he invited them to perform for us that evening. The place went BALLISTIC. Seriously insane. So the choir comes out and lines up – probably close to 60 kids... maybe more (didn’t count them). They sang two songs, then broke out their version of Crowded House's “Private Universe.” I could see some of the band standing side-stage – Matt was in my line of sight and the smiles on his face were PRICELESS. Just absolutely priceless. The crowd went nuts for the kids. I had chills the entire time!! Then the band came out and did “Throw Your Arms Around Me” with them. The band and the choir were feeding off of each other and it was just joyous to behold. And then the band did “Private Universe” with them. Just... I can’t describe how amazing it was to watch. It was like a room full of smiles... everyone was beaming – the crowd, the band, the chorus. SO COOL! Here's a link to some video I shot of it:

And here's a still photo I took (didn't zoom, so you can see I really was standing very close to the front):

Then the choir left the stage and the band broke into their own set. Overall, it was tighter than the previous two nights. And, maybe it was the choir kicking things off, but the mood the entire evening was buoyant and celebratory and AMAZING. Like at one point, I felt like I was just part of this amazingly awesome musical experience. So hard to explain. There were several wonderful music surprises: She Goes On, Catherine Wheels, and Fingers of Love. Some guy from the audience who sang with them at one of the shows last year joined them onstage and played guitar and sang on Better Be Home Soon. He was actually quite good. Just some random fan who asked to come up.

I had written my request in advance and had Mike throw it on stage for me (Love This Life) and it landed right near Neil’s guitar pedals as they came back out for the first encore. He never picked it up, but he kept stepping on it as he played. There were about 10 of us up front calling for Love This Life and at one point, Neil goes, “You guys keep asking for the hard ones!” I said to Mike later, “How hard is that song?” I think that was shorthand for, “Gee, don’t remember the lyrics...” Oh well, it didn’t really matter. I was still on cloud nine the entire show.

They played almost a full half hour longer than the other two nights – partly because they went on early with the choir and partly because they just played longer at the end. And as we walked out, everyone was handed a collectible poster for the 3-night stand, which I’m totally framing for my office wall.

Good, good, good stuff.

Saturday night, while in the throes of my rotten cold, Mike and I went to see Bryan Adams do an acoustic set at a concert hall in the city. The only reason I could justify going while sick was because I knew I'd be able to sit through the whole show, and indeed I did. He played lots of hits, plus some stuff from his album which comes out later this month. Really enjoyed hearing his stuff all stripped down -- just him and an acoustic guitar. At the heart of it, he's actually quite a good songwriter, which I think can get lost sometimes in the '80s production. The bare bones set-up really did showcase his songwriting very nicely.

Mike and I are huge fans of satellite radio: I've really fallen in love with listening to the radio all over again. It's been like a rediscovered a first love. Back when I was a teenager, I'd listen to the radio for hours on end. I'd flip between stations, eager to hear something new, something different. I don't remember ever being disappointed. This was back before the days of rigid playlists and what I like to call repetitious radio: hearing the same song every two hours like clockwork. Radio back then had a more renegade feeling, I think, an exciting, you-never-knew-what-song-you'd-hear-next sort of freewheeling sensibility. Maybe I just didn't know any better at the time, but I felt like I was getting new music I wanted to hear on a regular basis.

Before we got satellite radio (and we've had it for years now), I had gotten to the point where I didn't really enjoy turning the radio on any longer. Sure, I listened sometimes because I felt like I had to keep tabs on who was doing what, to keep an idea of trends in my mind for my job, but I can't say I found it fun. Rather, it was an exercise to be done for work. For someone who has been a major music fan for as long as I can remember, that was downright depressing to me. But satellite radio changed all of that.

I find it has filled a void in my music-loving soul. I love to put on my favorite CDs or turn on iTunes on shuffle on my computer as much as the next person, but there is something wonderful about having someone else doing the programming for you. Currently, there are two companies offering satellite radio services -- XM and Sirius -- and both have many, many channels as part of their service -- and they'll be merging eventually. There are multiple channels that appeal to me, and I love the sense of freedom in the programming, so vastly different from the too-tight playlists found on commercial stations. I hear several songs back to back that I'd never imagine I would, yet they work perfectly well to my ears.

Since it's a paid service, I don't have to be bothered that much commercials on the stations I love. I can flip among them and just hear music -- as much new music as I could possibly want, old favorites, things I'd never in a million years hear on current commercial radio stations. And, as a publicist who works with many developing artists, I find that the opportunity to hear music that wouldn't be heard otherwise to be one of the best parts of satellite radio. It is giving many hugely talented artists a place to be played, as they should be. It gives people a chance to hear them and to fall in love with their music, which is perhaps the best part of all.

Remember those shiny plastic balls we used to play with when we were little? You know the ones – they’re about the size of a basketball, they cost a few dollars, and the grocery store always seemed to have a big display of them in the summertime. You bounce them and they make that wonderful “poing” sort of sound. There would be all different colors available, but one year I got one that was multi-colored – yellow, blue, green, purple. I’d play with it in the driveway for hours.

Well, recently, I was listening to a CD, and in the midst of one of the songs, I remembered that plastic ball. I know, the two seem completely unrelated. But the music was giving me this wonderful “buzz” that comes from discovering something really great, and it took me back to being a kid in the driveway again. I’d bounce that ball, and, in the moment when it was highest in the sky, the colors would swirl and shift and almost seem to come alive as the sun caught it. This many years later, sitting in my office, I realized why I like what I do so much.

Music, when it clicks for me, brings me the same unfettered joy that the best toys do when you’re little. When music moves me, it shifts and swirls, higher and higher, sparkling in the sky. As music fans first and foremost, we all get that moment of magic when we hear something we really love. Not many things in this world can duplicate that childlike buzz of discovery great new music can bring.

Do you ever lose track of how much room you take up? Your body, I mean. Being so tall, it's not like I walk around, day in and day out, thinking to myself, "Wow, I am so tall." I forget. I forget that my inseam is a good 8 inches longer than average. I forget that my torso is longer than most people's until I try on clothes and things which are not supposed to be belly shirts are too short on me. I forget how long my arms and legs really are until I hit them on something (I am a complete klutz).

Yes, I lose track of how much space I take up. This concept relates to both things I wanted to mention today.

The first happened Wednesday night. Mike and I went to see Joe Jackson at a theater in the city. AMAZING show -- it was the third time I'd seen Joe live and he does not disappoint. And he didn't even play my fave song of his ("Real Men") but that was okay because the rest of it was SO GOOD! So I was minding my own business. Waiting for Joe to go on. And I felt a tap tap tap on my shoulder. I turned around and this extremely short woman behind me asked me to not sit on my coat because she couldn't see over me.

I was like, "What?" I said to her I wasn't sitting on my coat and that I was very tall. I scrunched down as far as I could, but that quickly became uncomfortable during the show, so I sat normally for the second half of it. Frankly, it was her bad luck ending up behind me and I tried not to feel too badly about it. I often end up with one of the five people taller than me at a show directly in front of me, so I know what that is like. But my jeans were in direct contact with the upholstery on the chair, so there was no added height from a bunched-up coat under my butt. I walk around usually pretty much oblivious to my height, until someone reminds me about how tall I actually am. Do you ever lose track of your size too?

The other thing related to losing track of my size is part of the healthy eating kick I've been on since last summer. I realized when I looked at myself in the mirror earlier this week that the jeans I'd been able to finally squeeze into earlier this year were really baggy on me. So I tried on a size down and they are even a little bit big on me! Oh my gosh... how did this happen? I've just been going about my business and not paying any attention to weight loss AT ALL the past few months.

Yesterday, I was feeling especially brave and I tried on the size smaller than that, and, while I could get them buttoned and zipped without having to lie down on the bed, they were tight enough that I probably wouldn't walk out of the house with them like that. But just the fact that I could put on pants that I came nowhere near fitting into not that long ago was an amazing discovery for me. I'm not sure what the point is here, other than I'm pretty darn proud of myself and my progress, even as unmonitored as it has been of late. I should be able to get into those skinniest jeans (and they are indeed the smallest size I own and we're talking SINGLE DIGIT SIZE) in the very not-too-distant future. That's a big difference from where I was last July.

Apparently not only do I forget how tall I am, I also wasn't realizing how skinny I'd become until I tried those jeans on.

Just a quick update on me...

My studio at ScrapbookGraphics closed yesterday. I haven't designed anything new in a while, and it made the most sense for it to close since I'm not sure how quickly I'll get back into a design groove again. I'll really miss it... being there and working with that stellar array of designers and Maya was a dream come true for me.

I will continue to have my designs available for purchase at Altered Art Chicks, so you can always get your Krista design fix there.

I know that is the burning question on everybody's mind today... the one everyone is pondering as they have lunch, take a break from work, or drive to the store. Well, I'm here to fill you in and keep you informed. All two of you who even stop in to find out (my own fault for not writing more, I know).

Two weeks ago, I was sick sick sick as a dog (however sick dogs may be... never quite understood that saying, but it's apropos so I use it). Last week, I was away for work for two days and swamped the other three. Friday night, we went to see REO Speedwagon, Styx and Def Leppard in Atlantic City (saw the sets by the first two and heard half of the last one while we were standing backstage talking to Tommy from Styx). I spent the weekend cleaning my house top to bottom, and a friend of mine from my school days was in town to visit last night with her family. Tomorrow, my parents come to visit for a long weekend.

So it's been a bit topsy-turvy here -- lots going on, lots to get done, not much time to do anything other than work, clean, sleep, or get better (when I was sick).

Lots of shows and events coming up... it's going to be a busy rest-of-April. We're going to see Asia next week, a show for work on Friday night by a band called Miggs, and then on the following Sunday we're going to see Kids In The Hall, which will rock my funny bone.

Then, the last week in April we're going to three (count 'em - THREE) Crowded House shows. Ah yeah! Ok, I'm sure that seems excessive. But I have to get my Neil Finn fix, plus they are planning to roll out some new music and "try it out" live on those of us lucky enough to be there, so who am I to say no? I truly believe the set lists will vary quite a bit from night to night, so I expect to be dazzled by the volume of tunes I'll bear witness to in a live setting over those three nights. It had to be done. I was only going to go to one night, but then my computer bought tickets for us to the other two nights of its own accord. Yeah, I'll blame my computer for it. That'll be my story.

Howdy folks! Yeah, I know, you thought I fell off of the planet, didn't you? While it was busy doing its thing, rotating every 24 hours and revolving around the sun once a year, I did not fight the gravitational pull and go flying off the Earth. Didn't happen. Would have been quite the story for some science magazine if I had, huh? Anyway, now that I have put your fears at bay, I know you will rest easier now.

I have, however, been a busy bee. Day job work, of course, has been keeping me hopping. And as much as I wanted the design muse to pay me a visit, it hasn't happened. Instead, the writing muse has taken up residence and shows no signs of going away... So... every scrap of every spare moment I've had, I've been writing. Working on my book. I've written 156 pages since mid-November. Nearly 78,000 words. And I'm not even close to being done. It doesn't sound like a lot for the amount of time that has passed, but I didn't write at all in December and hardly any in February. And it's been so off and on that I'd say I've spent about a month within that time actually working on it, some days more than others. Some days not much at all.

When I get an idea, I don't know what the end result is going to be. I probably do everything completely backwards, but so far (I'm writing my second book), it has worked for me. I write whichever parts I feel like (I started writing this book in what is the equivalent of chapter four, then went back later and wrote the chapters prior to that) when I feel like writing them. If I get stuck, I move on to another part. I leave myself notes in ALL CAPS to go back and write bits in later, along with my thoughts about what needs to go into that slot. For me, it's like I have the germ of an idea and I need to just let it fly and see where it goes. I didn't even come up with a key part of the story until earlier this week!

Which brings me to a public announcement of what may be supreme idiocy: I don't plot my story in advance. I don't do any sort of outline. For this one, I had a very short list of factual statements I knew would be truths in this fictional world I created, but beyond that, I just took off and started writing. I usually have an idea of what sorts of people the characters will be, but I often find myself getting to the point where they start writing themselves and saying things that I don't expect in the midst of dialog. That is when the muse is really working, really cranking, to the point that it feels like my fingers on the keyboard are just a conduit to get the story out of my brain... sometimes in ways I couldn't have imagined when I started. It's hard to explain and I don't feel I'm doing a good job of it. But sometimes, it writes itself and I have no idea where it's coming from!

I'm not sure if this is a weird way of writing or not. The writing seminars and things I've gone to -- the authors always say organizing yourself beforehand is important. But for me, I find it much easier and better to just fly by the seat of my pants. Does that mean they're right and I'm wrong? I don't think so (although considering the advice was coming from published authors, maybe they are... I just haven't shopped my already-written book around yet, so who knows if it sucks or is good -- we'll see what Robin says when she finishes it... I haven't gotten feedback on it in a few years and she was lucky enough to snag a copy yesterday).

In keeping with the vein I mentioned above of the story writing itself and not expecting how it unfolds, this second book is turning out a LOT racier than the first one. I'm not sure what that means, or if the different characters dictated it, or what. I certainly didn't set out to write it the way it has shaped up, so I wonder where that came from or why it is that way. Am I weird for not knowing? I'm trying to decide if I keep it that way or tone it down. I probably won't even make that decision until I'm done with it. Maybe not even until after I've had a few people read it for me. We'll see, I guess.

In the meantime, I have day job work calling and a big argument scene for my book buffeting around in my brain, just dying for the end of my regular work day so I can actually spew it out into the Word document that houses my creation thus far. (And yes, I've got it backed up about five different places.)

So pardon my infrequent comings and goings here. The muse has moved in, and I'm going to hang with her as long as she'll stay. I hope it is for a while and I can actually finish my first draft in the next month or so.

Both Robin and Melinda tagged me on this one via email... so here goes:

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:37 a.m.
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the movies? I don't even remember. Seriously. Neither one of us likes to go out to the movies though -- we'd rather watch stuff on DVD at home.
4. What is your favorite TV show? Right now, it's Lost. But I change on this frequently.
5. What do you eat for breakfast? I don't eat breakfast usually.
6. What is your middle name? Marie
7. What food do you dislike? cauliflower
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Robert Plant & Alison Krauss "Raising Sand"
9. What kind of car do you drive? Ford Explorer
10. Favorite sandwich? ham & cheddar on rye
11. Favorite item of clothing? my Styx t-shirt I got when I saw them live last time... the artwork on the front looks like a tattoo.
12. Person dead or alive that you would like to have a conversation with? my grandparents, both of them. I have so much to share with them since they passed away last year.
13. If you could go anywhere in the world for a vacation, where would you go? Scotland for a return trip, but there are so many other places I want to go: London, Paris, Italy, Germany, Vancouver... the list is long.
14. What color is your bathroom? the one upstairs is in blues and terra cotta; the one downstairs is in blues and pale yellow.
18. Favorite Sport to watch? football
19. Farthest place you are sending this? I don't know... I have not figured out who I am tagging yet.
20. Who do you expect to send this back to you? Not sure, see answer to #19.
21. Person you expect to send it back first? Not sure, see answer to #19.
22. Favorite saying? "and such" (which my husband started saying a while back all of the time and now everyone else is too)
24. Are you a morning person or a night person? I'm a late afternoon/early evening person!
25. What is your shoe size? 11
26. Favorite food for Dinner? a big chef salad.
27. What did you want to be when you were little? A writer
28. What are you doing today? day job work and emails.
29. What is your favorite candy? pretty much anything chocolate
30. What is your favorite flower? blue hydrangea, calla lilies, lavender (for scent)
31. What day are you looking forward to most on your calendar? a few weekends from now when my parents visit. OH! And the next Altered Art Chicks meeting, because we haven't all gotten together since JANUARY!
32. What are you listening to right now? the sound of my furnace, the dog across the street barking incessantly (shut up already!), the quiet hum of one of my external hard drives.
33. What was the last thing you ate ? potato chips with my sandwich for lunch
34. Do you wish on stars? sometimes
35. Do you believe in Angels? Yes
36. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? periwinkle blue
37. What is your pet peeve? rude people, unsafe drivers, people who have an unnecessary sense of entitlement about something
38. Last person you spoke to on the phone? my husband Mike
39. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes -- both of them rock!!
40. Favorite soft drink? Cherry Coke Zero
41. Favorite restaurant? Rock 'n' Joes
42. Siblings? 1
43. Favorite day of the year? Christmas
44. Favorite day of the Week? Saturday
45. Spring or Fall: Fall
46. Hugs or kisses? both please!
47. Chocolate or vanilla? chocolate
48. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? this doesn't really apply since I'm posting on my blog but I hope whoever I tag plays along.
49. What is under your bed? out-of-season clothes, shoes, and heaven knows what else... extra bedding, I think.
50. Who is the friend you've had longest? Susie -- since sixth grade (since I fell out of touch with Colleen from 1st grade)
51. What did you do last night? watched TV with Mike, did some Sudoku puzzles
52. Favorite smell? the smell of wood smoke on a crisp fall or winter evening, lavender, my husband (really!)
53. What are you afraid of? losing people I love.
54. How many keys on your key ring? 3
55. How many years at your current job? almost 8.
56. Favorite city to visit? Toronto
57. How many towns have you lived in? 9
58. Do you make friends easily? Close friends - not really (although sometimes I just click with someone).

Okay, now I get to tag some folks... I think rather than get specific, I'll tag my lovely and talented readers. If you play along, either link me back to your blog in the comments or reply in the comments directly with your answers! Can't wait to read yours!

You know, I've been doing laundry for a long time now. I always thought I was pretty good at it -- I mean, as good as a person can be with laundry. But lately, I've been questioning my abilities. I'm starting to think I'm so-so (dare I say merely mediocre?) at this clothes-washing thing.

Pretty much, if it's a clothing item, it gets washed in cold. I've been this way for as long as I can remember -- don't forget, I'm very tall and I can't afford my pants or my sleeves to shrink up at all, so I wash in cold. A lot of my stuff, I hang-dry, because, as I said, I cannot afford shrinkage or I walk around looking like none of my clothes fit.

I remember in high school, man, it was hard to find clothes for tall people like me. I wanted so desperately to have cool clothes (thank GOD cropped pants were in then is all I can say), and so often, I was reduced to pulling my jeans out of the washing machine, standing on the bottom hems and tugging the waistband up as hard as I could, trying to eke out a few more millimeters in length. It worked, sorta. Either that, or I really did look like I was waiting for a flood and I just don't remember. The "pulled" jeans would be hung on a laundry line in the basement to dry. I still hang-dry my jeans and pants today, although I've found it a lot easier to locate long hem lengths as I've gotten older, so I no longer have to do the "pulling routine."

Back to my current laundry problems. There is nothing wrong with my clothes, since I hang dry a lot of them. But lately, I think either Mike is growing longer arms, or I've gotten bad at doing his laundry. At least three shirts have shrunk in the last few months. I dry anything I put in the dryer on the low/delicates setting, so it's not like my dryer is that hot. And like I said earlier, I wash everything in cold water. I cannot for the life of me figure out why this is happening all of a sudden. Is the man like Stretch Armstrong? Or are some of his shirts suddenly developing a shrinking mind of their own? I have no clue. I've stopped drying those particular shirts in the dryer and have done a modified "pulling" routine on the sleeves (using both hands, with no standing on the garment necessary). Then I hang-dry them.

Poor Mike must think I'm doing something funny to his clothes all of a sudden. Either that, or I'm married to Stretch Armstrong after all. But only in the arms.

As I sat here a few moments ago, eating a Yoplait Light Very Cherry yogurt, I realized that, since going on my healthy eating kick last summer (still losing weight slowly!), that I've quite happily found a bunch of newly-discovered things that really make my tastebuds happy... and there are some things which are long-time faves that I've been jonesing for a lot lately. In honor of that, I did a wee bit of searching for some images online to illustrate, and voila... I hereby present you with:

THINGS THAT MAKE MY MOUTH HAPPY!

What makes your mouth happy? What's your most favorite thing to eat (or drink) lately?

My mom asked me on the phone yesterday if I had done anything crafty or any designing lately. And I told her that I hadn't. And then I went on to tell her that I was okay with that.

So after we got off the phone, I started thinking about it more. Being okay with not doing anything lately. I think I got a bit burned out with my design schedule the past few years, and I just need to take a little break, really. But the Type A Personality side of me kept kicking me in the head and telling me that I need to do stuff. Design stuff. Create stuff.

To be honest, I like it better when the Design Muse does that. Gets me going and doing because I want to. Not because I feel I have to. Not because I have to fill every moment of every day with work. But because my mojo is flowing and I WANT to.

It's been hard to get to the "it's okay" point. I've been having a lot of guilt feelings for sitting on the couch in the evening and taking some "me" time... watching TV, reading books or magazines, doing a Sudoku puzzle or five. Yes, I've been doing those things when I would normally be chained to my laptop, and it has felt gloriously wonderful. But gloriously wonderful with an asterisk, because there was a lot of guilt I was putting on myself too. I felt like I should be designing (read: working). Because that was the rut I'd gotten into over the past three years. So if I was doing something besides that, well, I should feel guilty, shouldn't I? So I did. Workaholic much?

But lately, say in the past week or two, I've lost the guilt. I've shed it like an old skin I no longer need. I've been okay with, even comfortable with, enjoying my evenings and weekends however I want to spend them. And, really, isn't that the way it should be? I spend enough of my day doing work!

So I'll design again when I feel like it. I know I will. But in the meantime, the guilt-free "me" time is really delicious. I needed this more than I realized. And I'm finally able to enjoy it: sans guilt. Hooray!

That's me (slacker), with relation to this blog. Just haven't been inspired to type anything here, and rather than babble aimlessly, mindlessly and other -essly words, I just have opted not to stop in. I know, I decided long ago I don't have to make excuses when I don't post here. It's my blog and I post whenever I feel like it. But just now realizing that I only posted nine times in January and only four times in February, well, I'm feeling slightly slacker-esque. In a "I don't feel guilty about it, just noticing a trend" sort of way.

We've been doing a lot of organizing and house cleaning and stuff at home of late. My living room actually looks so nice, sans the piles of stuff that had decided to move in there. I feel like I've been living an episode of "Mission Organization," that show on HGTV, lately. Self-induced and not to say that a lot of my stuff wasn't already really organized. No, actually, my endeavors the past month and a half have been re-organization. Putting stuff into places that make more sense. Getting rid of stuff I no longer need or use. I always get like this around this time of year, and I embrace it fully, because whatever I do now will have to get me through until this time next year.

I've been doing a LOT of reading lately. Which is a total favorite thing of mine to do, but I've managed to read all kinds of goodies (most of them pretty fluffy and lightweight, but this time of year, that's what I crave): this, this, this, this this, and the one I couldn't put down, High Crimes.

Yeah, click through to that last one. I'm a moutaineering/Everest junkie who has never done, nor harbors any secret desire to do, anything remotely like mountain climbing. I like to watch educational shows about and read books about this topic in the comfort and warmth of my home. I've been into this for years -- and I think my friends probably think I'm a little bit nuts for liking this stuff when I don't actually DO it. I'm more of an armchair mountaineer, really. I have to read "Into Thin Air" every year when it's cold outside -- it's my own little thing that I do when the temps start a'droppin' and the snow starts a'fallin'.

Well, imagine my complete and utter shock to find out that my music soulmate, Cathy Z, is also more than just a little bit obsessed with Everest and mountain climbing like I am. She too harbors no plans to EVER climb. After we both freaked out mightily (and decided we had to be separated at birth) for having this quite odd fascination in common (as if Neil Finn and scrapbooking weren't already enough) -- because, truly, I've never met another person with whom I can discuss this topic and who loves it like I do -- well, I sat back and wondered if any of my readers were into mountains too.

Anyone?

This is my Valentine. Isn't he cute? I'm so glad he's my husband!

I hope everyone has a great Valentine's Day! Any big plans? Mike and I are going to wait until Saturday night to go out to dinner.

My blog reader Lynn (yes, Lynn, we have the same middle name!) thinks I like tags! She is right. She tagged me, and who am I to not play along? Thus...

Here we go:

*You must post the rules before you give your answers.
*You must list one fact about yourself for each letter of your middle name.
*Each fact must begin with that letter.
*If you don't have a middle name, just use your maiden name.
*After you've been tagged, you need to update your blog with your middle name and answers.
*At the end of your post, you need to tag one person for each letter of your middle name. (Be sure to leave them a comment telling them they've been tagged and need to read your blog for details).

M - Music publicity = my day job.
A - Apple (with peanut butter) = what I had for lunch today.
R - ReZoned = a show on HGTV that I LOVE LOVE LOVE!
I - Industrious = I am nothing if not a very hard worker.
E - eBay = I cleaned out my bookshelves and have sold a TON of books on eBay the past three weeks.

Ok, now I have to tag five people:

1) Melissa
2) Robin
3) Melinda
4) Amy K
5) Jessica

Also, Robin sent me a link for the Sawyer Nickname Generator over the weekend. Mike and I had fun playing with it. I tried it twice and it gave me "Einstein" the first time and "Picasso" the second time. And when Mike did it, it gave him "Freebird." Rock 'n' roll! C'mon, if you watch "Lost," you have to try it. So much fun!

I've been tagged! My buddy Robin tagged me, so here we go!

1. Name your two favorite scrapbooking topics:
My family and myself.

2. Where are the two best places you’ve been to?
Scotland and Toronto.

3. Name two things you do every day:
Kiss my husband and tell him I love him, and check my email (although lately on weekends, I don't respond to emails).

4. Tell us two things that pretty much everyone knows about you:
I'm totally into all kinds of music. I am very tall.

5. Tell us two things that everyone DOESN’T know about you:
One, I spent a summer living in New York City in 1988 when I was still in college. It was for an internship program with the American Society of Magazine Editors. I interned at the trade magazine Engineering News Record. It was during that summer that I met my husband!

Two, I was in a sorority in college. For some reason, this surprises most everyone who meets me now!

6. Tell us two things that got you into the hobby of scrapping:
I did my first scrapbook (totally paper) after we went to Scotland in 1999. I wanted to document the trip. In January 2005, Melissa showed me a book on digital scrapbooking and that was it -- I've been hooked ever since.

7. Tell us two things that you want to accomplish in the next six months:
I want to practice photography and get better with working in manual settings. I'd like to finish writing my second book and really work on getting an agent to shop both books around for me.

8. Name your two favorite scrapping tools:
PhotoShop CS3 and my Crop-a-dile.

9. Name your two favorite sources of scrapping inspiration:
My friends and magazines like Somerset Studio, Cloth Paper Scissors, Scrapbooks Etc., Simple Scrapbooks, etc.

10. How has your scrapping changed since you started?
Well, when I started paper scrapping, there weren't many scrapbooking products out there. I really had to be extremely creative and make-do with what I could find and use things in interesting ways. I think my scrapping since going digi has become much more freestyle and artful.

11. What scrapbooking project have you yet to try but would love to?
Making a book that is just for me. I've made books for my mom and others, but I want to create something that is for me and me alone!

I will tag: Cathy Z, Becky, Erin, and Dara (Dara, you can do yours in the comments section if ya wanna!).

Ok, hands up who watched the Super Bowl last night???? Wow, what a game. I'm not a Giants fan usually -- actually I'm very odd in that I LOVE to watch football but do not have a favorite team. Doesn't really matter who is playing - I just like to watch it. All season, I was cheering for Brady and the Patriots since he was my quarterback in the fantasy football league I participated in. He kept scoring me crazy amounts of points, but I still came in sixth place out of ten (after winning first place last year - go figure!). Anyway, once fantasy football was over, my allegiance to him and that team was severed. And when the Giants made it to the final game, well, I had to root for the home team!

I've heard a few people say they thought the game was boring until the fourth quarter, but I disagree. Watching the Patriots not get it together and not gel and watching Brady's detached playing was interesting... it's almost like he wasn't in the game or something. And watching the Giants dismantle the Pats' offense was pretty exciting to me. I think the Giants played to win, played a better game overall, and they deserved to win the game, so I'm glad they did. I'm still trying to figure out how Tyree caught that pass... he just really wanted to hold onto that ball and anything he could do to maintain his grip on the ball (including using his helmet to keep it in his hand), he did it. And I'm convinced that they have Bradshaw training by pulling an entire train behind him because that guy would keep going and squeeze out every inch he could out of a play -- he would not go down without a fight.

I'll miss football now, until it returns next season.

The reason for my subject line today is because I woke up to a furnace that had stopped working! Yeah, it was 59 degrees in my house when I called the repair guys... who got here less than an hour after I called. Is that service or is that service? Turned out an outlet on it was wired wrong and tripped the entire furnace off, so they rewired it and it's toasty warm again in my house. Seriously, when I told Mike I was really cold this morning when I got out of bed, I didn't think anything of it because I'm always chilly when I wake up. But I couldn't seem to get warm, and that prompted me to think that a) I was getting sick or b) something was up with the heat. Good thing it was the latter, AND that it didn't cost me an arm and a leg to have it fixed, because I will have to have a plumber out sometime in the next month to do some much-needed work and I don't have money for both items!

We're off to a Devils hockey game tonight - first time checking out the new Prudential Center (aka The Rock) in Newark. Really looking forward to it! The best part? We don't have to drive! I can walk to the train station, take the train to Newark, meet Mike there, and we can walk together to the Arena. Can't beat that! And I get a good amount of exercise -- even better!

For those of you anxiously awaiting the news regarding what I had for lunch yesterday, I am here to put those questions to rest. I had a salad. It was like a chef salad, actually, with stuff like chick peas and carrots and little bit of ham on top. Very tasty. I may have the same thing again today. Yeah, I'm all about variety here. Ha!

Speaking of lunch, the word takes me back... way back... to the time I was working on Sister Hazel's big album, "Somewhere More Familiar." You know, the one with that song "All For You" on it. Ah, good times, good times. Anyway, while out with them on a press day... or maybe it was when I was out in LA with them for a week, we decided that we wanted to see if we could make an everyday sort of word into a catch-phrase word that everybody was saying. So we (I forget whose idea it was all these years later -- I want to say the guitarist Ryan picked the word, but I could be wrong) came up with the idea to use the word "lunch" to mean something really cool, awesome, or good in general. So saying, "You are so lunch" was a big compliment. We used it heavily for a while, but it never did catch on beyond our small group. I wonder if they'd even remember if I threw that out there in conversation these days, since I am working with them again. Might have to try next time I see them...

Somewhere in my collection, I have a photo of some of the guys in Sister Hazel with Alex and Eddie Van Halen. They were... gosh, I don't even remember where we were that they were too. We were doing some TV thing, I think, although I don't remember what. I do remember a talent producer walking us over to their trailer and introducing the Sister Hazel guys to them. I have photos of all of them together (somewhere... although I haven't seen them lately, come to think of it). And there was a mirror behind them, so you can see me in the photo, too, with the camera up to my eye. So I indirectly have a photo of myself with the Van Halen boys.

And this little walk down memory lane is brought to you compliments of the word "lunch." Because you, you wonderful reader you, are indeed SO lunch!

I have the best intentions with my blog. I compose blog posts in my head all of the time. Then I just don't post them. I'm not sure why that is. Am I feeling like I don't want to share? Am I lazy? Busy? I dunno. I don't think intentions count for much, really. I think maybe my January funk is just leaving me with this "not really caring" attitude. Unfortunately, the blog falls into the stuff I'm not really caring about lately.

Well, let me rephrase that. I care about it. I just don't seem to care if I post to it or not, if that difference makes any sense at all. Well, that and the fact that my life has been less-than-interesting lately. I just feel stupid telling people what I am having for lunch, which, so far, seems to be the highlight of my day.

Well, that and hearing some tracks from the forthcoming album from one of long-time clients, about which I am not allowed to talk or share them. They are really, REALLY good and I have been totally loving every email I get with a new song attached because who doesn't love new great music, right? So that's probably more exciting than my lunch.

Which, in case you are wondering, is going to be:

salad
a bowl of cereal
an apple with peanut butter on it

You see the level of excitement we're talking about here? I'm hungry, so I need to decide. But all of them sound yummy right now. So I keep putting it off because I can't decide and it's already 2 p.m. So I really should eat lunch already.

Oh, the dilemmas I face.

Yes, we had a blast at the show last night. Nothing like a good rock show to get you really pumped up about life in general and clearing away the blue funk specifically -- you know, the one that has been plaguing me for much of January.

Yes, I did play rock photographer. And I took 265 photos. Only 19 of which I deem worthy of sharing, and even of those, I am shamed by the amount of graininess I let happen with the digital zoom (have to stop using that). However, as I said to Tommy when I sent him a link to the photos, it's all about capturing the moments, and I think these photos do so quite well, if I do say so myself:

I hope to be a force to be reckoned with when I actually get a digi SLR camera and can shoot this kind of stuff properly.

Or something like that.

You know, I haven't felt much like blogging lately. Obviously, since I haven't posted here in a bit. I seem to be going through my typical January funk, so rather than complain and moan and just be a downer, I've kept to myself and complained and moaned in my own head. The really stupid thing is I don't have anything to moan and complain about, really. Things are okay right now in my world.

My efforts to spend more time off of my computer have allowed me the luxury of really delving into some of the awesome books I got for Christmas - here is a mere sampling as my mom went a bit craft-book nuts on me (thanks Mom!): Journal Revolution, Paper Transformed, and the visual gloriousness that is In This House. And I finally got my very own copies of Cathy Z's books: Clean & Simple Scrapbooking and Clean & Simple Scrapbooking: The Sequel.

The latter two have been especially fun reads since Cathy is a pal of mine (and I was soundly berated for paying for them when she said she could have sent me copies, but I didn't buy them -- they were gifts!). So I've been swimming in inspiration lately. Basking in it. Hoping it will rub off on me sometime soon.

I've also been on the organizational streak I mentioned previously and my office is extremely tidy and everything has a place. The back of the garage is ship shape. Everything I brought back from my grandparents' house has a new home here (either on display or in storage, depending on what it is). I like feeling as though my surroundings are tidy. Easier said than keeping it that way, however. Still, the areas I wanted to focus on this month in the house are looking really good, which makes me happy.

Besides that, there is not much of anything new. Two Styx shows -- tonight and tomorrow night. The Mettlers will be rocking. It will also be nice to see our pal Tommy Shaw again. I may go all rock photographer. I love taking photos at rock shows and pretending I know what I'm doing and really trying to frame shots well and anticipate what might happen on stage. Of course, I usually find myself frustrated by trying to take photos from too far away and not having my camera on the right settings. I do a lot of trial and error shooting at shows, and often get blur due to the lighting and not having a tripod with me. But it's still fun and I'll probably take pictures. If I get any good ones, I'll post them here.

You know, most of the time when I post anymore, I select the "other slices of life" category or "music musings." Rarely do I select scrap stuff... Hmmmm... I'm not sure what that means. Except maybe that this blog is shifting toward becoming less of a promotional place for my designing and more toward just being "my place" online. It's all good, whatever it means.

There isn't a whole lot new in Mettler land. Mike got back from Vegas and the Consumer Electronics Show last Thursday night, so I've been happy to have him home after he was away for six days. While he was gone, I secretly made a 2008 calendar for his office desk. I'd made him one last year for his desk and ran out of time to make him another one before Christmas, so he got it belatedly. He was thrilled. I love the way it turned out. In typical Krista fashion, I failed to take a photo of it before he took it into the office. Suffice it to say, it turned out really cool. I digitally designed 4x4 squares with the dates on them and a photo of us (which, of course, I quirked up by merging backgrounds with the photos in a very funky way), which I then mounted onto an 8x8 piece of patterned cardstock (the Old World Stack from Die Cuts With A View -- probably my favorite collection of scrapping paper ANYWHERE!). I used the chipboard frame I built for last year's calendar over again, and punched two holes in top of each page, put eyelets on the holes so they'd be sturdy, and fed the holes into jump rings so that you could flip the pages easily. It turned out really well and he has a year of pictures of the two of us together on his desk!

In very exciting healthy living news, I have officially dropped another size and can fit into three pairs of jeans I had stashed in the guest room closet (for when I could fit into them again!). This means I now have three "new" old pairs of jeans that I can put into rotation. This is very exciting, particularly coming on the heels of the holiday indulgences in which I partook. I still have a lot further to go, but I feel really good for making some progress during a time of year that is typically a weight-gaining and not a weight-losing time. I've also gotten less apt to deny myself a small treat on occasion because I think, even though it will take a little longer to lose the weight, that I do better when I don't feel like I can't have something. Instead I want to be able to not have something because I don't want it at that time or don't feel like eating it... if that makes any sense in the least.

And finally, I want to share with you a very whimsical thing my now on-again CT member Muka did recently. I just love the way she does things in such a vibrant, quirky way!

(full credits here)

I think it's a nice reminder that we all need to laugh more! It's good for you!

A friend of mine who doesn't blog sent this to me via email, and I had to do it on the ol' blog because it's just too much fun! And I put forth that any readers who want to try their hand at it, please do so (I'm officially tagging you now!) and post a link back to it in the comments so I can see it!

The rules:

1. Put your iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.

2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.

3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY?" YOU SAY?
Shark Attack (Split Enz)

Hmmm, awfully violent of me. I won't have many people asking my opinion if I do that.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Lullaby (Gigolo Aunts)

Does that mean I see myself as soft and quiet? Not quite accurate, that.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY?
Ruff Stuff (Gomez)

That sounds awfully kinky of me...

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
Locked Out (Crowded House)

In some ways, this is quite true... given the way some things have been going lately...

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
We're Hardcore (Gordon Downie)

Well, I'll take this as the song is meant -- that I'm not a dabbler or a hobbyist -- I go after things full-throttle if I really want them.

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
You Will Rise Again (Spottiswoode & His Enemies)

Nice, looks like I can't be beaten down, eh? Always get back up, dust myself off, and go for it once more.

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
Throw Your Arms Around Me (Crowded House, covering Hunters & Collectors)

Very loving and jolly. I'll take it. They must really like me.

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Now I Know (The Thorns)

Or in this case, don't know, since the title isn't very illuminating, now, is it?

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OFTEN?
Love You Till The Day I Die (Crowded House)

True of those I love, most especially my husband.

WHAT IS 2 + 2?
Crying Like A Church On Monday (New Radicals)

Uh, I knew I bad at math, but this makes no sense.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
The Most Beautiful Girl In The Room (Flight of the Conchords)

Kind of sweet, no? My friends are truly beautiful people, all of them. Of course, I can't exactly apply this to my hubby, my true best friend, who is not a girl.

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE/LOVE?
I Feel You (DePeche Mode)

Excellent!!! True on so many levels.

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
I Wanted To Tell You (Matthew Sweet)

Ha ha, this cracks me up, since I'm BLOGGING this and telling you all about my life on here.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
U.F.O. (Holly McNarland)

Not sure quite what that means. Zipping around through space in an unidentified manner...

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE/LOVE?
Better Be Home Soon (Crowded House)

Awwww... I do very much like the part of the day when Mike gets home, after all! And it can never come quickly enough for me.

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
You (Candlebox)

Interesting. Although I did already get married (duh!) and we danced to "Have A Little Faith In Me" by John Hiatt. Don't think that song has made it on my iTunes yet though.

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Don't Dream It's Over (Crowded House)

Ok, that's kind of funny...

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
4th of July (U2)

I'm all for a good parade (with lots of bagpipes), a cookout, some fireworks, and red, white & blue!

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?
Rexall (Dave Navarro)

No idea what that means.

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Homespun (Grant Lee Buffalo)

Don't tell anyone, it's a secret...

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Marching Mystery (Dougie Maclean)

Hmmmm, I must have very mysterious friends... who march!

Yeah, yeah, I know... I talk about Neil Finn way too much. If you are a long-time blog reader, you'll probably remember the private Crowded House show I went to back in July, right? Or maybe not. Which is why I'm kind enough to link to the post about it for reference. The TV show they were taping that night is FINALLY airing this month. I don't know the exact date yet. But it's airing as part of The Artist's Den series on a channel called Ovation TV. And I'm crushed because I don't get this channel. So I'm looking for someone, anyone out there who has DirecTV who would be willing to tape it for me when it airs. I'll pay for the cost of tape and shipping, of course. Anyone reading this get DirecTV? Bueller, anyone?

In the meantime, I've been way too giddy for the past ten minutes watching the clip they have online from the show. You can see the back of my head a few times!!! Short of freeze-framing, I can't show you where I am because the glimpses are split-second, but I am there, bright red shirt and all. Without further ado, here is what has me so turbo-charged right now -- I am beyond excited to finally see the footage from this show!

Over at Altered Art Chicks, we thought it would be fun to ring in the new year with some cool news and some hot new products, so read on (and check out the SALE PRICING!).

Altered Art Chicks is proud to announce the arrival of an amazingly talented artist to the Emporium... Michelle Thompson (a.k.a. eMpTy Designs) of Scrapability/Scrap Rants fame has joined us as a quick page creator! She's taking our digi designs and making some amazing altered-to-the-max digi quick pages!

We're offering two sets at the launch and they are both too terrific for words. They're on sale for $5.95 per set for one week only ($2 off the regular price)!

Check out the freestyle, quirky coolness that Michelle has created:

Just think of how easy these could make your altered life. Pair one of the sets with a Mootsie chipboard book from the emporium, pop in some photos and journaling, print out the pages, stick them in the book, and you've got a quick and easy gift or keepsake!

Sale price is good for a week, so stop over and grab them both NOW!

Yeah, I know, I disappeared for the duration of the holidays. Basically, we went to visit my in-laws and my parents and I barely turned my computer on because I was on vacation. This was remarkably wonderful for my mental health and overall well-being to just disconnect and do wild and crazy stuff like read some books, do some Sudoku puzzles, and watch TV and not be a slave to my computer like I usually am. So, in the interest of playing catch-up, I'm going to pull out my trusty go-to thang and do a numbered list:

1) Mike's suitcase had a mind of its own: when we flew to visit my in-laws, Mike's suitcase, which held ALL of his clothes for the trip, went to Mexico City. We did not go anywhere NEAR Mexico City. Almost 70 hours later, he had his bag back. But it made for an interesting trip and some clothes-borrowing in the interim.

2) The holidays overall were very emotional for me this year. The last time I saw my Grandma was on New Year's Eve 2006, so on New Year's Eve 2007, I was a bit melancholic. Add to that the fact that my mom and I spent a few hours at my grandparents' house that day going through a bunch of stuff, and, well, I was a bit of a wreck. I found some more things I wanted to bring back with me, but that doesn't bring my grandparents back at all. It's nice to have some more of their things to have around my house and remind me of them all the time (not that I need reminding, but it does bring me comfort). The most fun find and the thing I most wanted to find? Letters my grandparents had written to each other years ago. I can't wait to go through them at my leisure after my mom peruses them.

3) It's been hard re-engaging my brain and getting back to work. I was regretting my lack of computer time yesterday when I had SO many emails waiting for me, but I got through those and am plowing through work like I had no time off at all. It was hard to turn on my computer yesterday morning, though!

4) I've been bitten by the organization bug, as always seems to happen this time of year, and I am eager to organize my house. Actually, reorganize would be more accurate, because I keep my stuff pretty organized much of the time. This will be more of a rearranging and purging thing, and finding spots for the stuff we brought back with us from my grandparents' house. I would dearly love to organize the front of the garage while I'm in this mode, but it's WAY too cold out to consider it. Will have to wait till spring to do that.

5) Scores at my grandparents' house: One of the coolest things I found? A 1950 Hopalong Cassidy thermos, in REALLY good condition. That is getting displayed in my living room! I love vintage stuff like that! So awesome. I could probably get a decent amount of money for it on eBay, but I'm keeping it. I also came back with my grandma's measuring cups and spoons, rolling pin, sugar bowl, napkin holder, a record cabinet that was always in their living room, a ton of old photos, the quilt that was on their bed for years, a huge afghan my grandma made, two lamps, two sconces, my grandpa's money clip and cuff links, things my mom and aunts had made when they were younger, old report cards, some Christmas decorations, and a few other odds and ends.

6) I have taken custody of ALL of the family photos and paper-related family history items (y'know, stuff like my great grandmother's elementary school graduation program, etc.) from the house and plan, over the next year, to scan them all in and make copies for my aunts, mom, brother and cousins so everyone has a copy of them. It's going to be a big project, but I figure if I do a chunk each week, it won't overwhelm me too much. It's the genealogist in me that wants to preserve this stuff, so I am excited to sit down and go through it all and put it into order.

7) New Year's was celebrated in grand style at my parents' house: we played Scrabble, watched the movie "Dick" (a tradition started a few years ago -- it's HYSTERICAL!), and we watched the Pink Panther movie with Steve Martin in it too (Pink Panther movies are a long-time family favorite). So we did a lot of laughing that evening, turned the TV over to watch the ball drop at midnight, then turned the DVD player back on to finish watching Pink Panther. Good times.

I think that's about it for now. I always seem to get really moody and introspective in January, and I'm sure this year will be no different. I get into this post-holiday blues mode, and sit here wishing I lived closer to my family... I'm just warning you that it's sure to show up any day now, so if I get cranky, that's why.

Happy New Year and tell me how your holidays were!!!