16 September 2007

ACL is AWESOME!

Our last day at ACL was FANtastic. We started the day at Ryan Shaw (where we also left a chair to stake out a spot), then popped over to The Broken West. They announced they were going to be signing autographs over at the Waterloo Records tent. So we ran over there and got the CDs and got in the line and while we were there we also were able to catch Robert Earl Keene.

The guys from Broken West were really sweet. After Robert Earl Keene, we took a look at all the people coming in and decided to pass on Lucinda Williams. Instead we went back over to the stage where we had left our chair. While we were waiting for My Morning Jacket, we had to listen to Common. Didn't like that one bit. Really disappointed that Rodrigo y Gabriela weren't there because we would have been listening to them.

The best part of My Morning Jacket was that Andrew Bird sat in with them! HG had to leave right after so she took the chairs and I moved up front for Dylan. I shared my blanket with a jetski couple from Florida while we waited for Dylan to begin.

He doesn't sing the way he used to. In fact, it took some time for me to figure out what the song was. But it was a great set. Definitely worth waiting all day in the crowd.

Thank you ACL. See you next year!

ACL Update

I have spent two days so far at ACL and the last day is today. We have been having a fantastic time!

We started out seeing Pete Yorn (with Minibar, of course). Walked past Peter Bjorn & John on our way to the Crowded House stage. Sat and listened to Blonde Redhead while waiting for Crowded House to begin. Met up with the Minibar crew just before CH started. Decided against walking back to the stage where Pete had played to see Spoon so stayed put and heard LCD Soundsystem, Queens Of The Stone Age, and Kaiser Chiefs.

The lead singer of the Kaiser Chiefs climbed up the scaffolding and injured himself when he jumped down, spent the whole set hopping on one foot. It was so PUNK!

Headed out before The Killers cuz Handicap Girl was exhausted. She'd had a Vicodin and fairly slept through the Chiefs.

Day Two was a bit more low key. Got there in time for Steve Earle, then planted ourselves for the remainder of the day for maximum band-age with minimum move-age. Saw Blue October, Andrew Bird, Arctic Monkeys, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, and Arcade Fire. Really bummed that I missed Damien Rice, but he was playing on the stage where Pete had played on Friday and there were just TOO MANY people to wade through.

Today we hope to see: Ryan Shaw, The Broken West, Robert Earl Keen, Lucinda Williams, My Morning Jacket & Bob Dylan. Well, at least I plan to see all of those. Handicap Girl has a slightly diferent agenda. But we will be in touch by cell (if we can get a signal!)

More to come - including pics, hopefully.

13 September 2007

Austin City Limits

I'm so excited! My trip to ACL is finally here! So many bands to see. Time with my family. It should be really fun.

I will try to post during the trip. Don't quite know what the internet access availability will be.

Bands I am hoping to see include: Pete Yorn (with Minibar naturally), Peter Bjorn & John, Crowded House, Spoon, Kaiser Chiefs, The Killers, Steve Earle, Andrew Bird, Damien Rice, Arcade Fire, Ryan Shaw, The Broken West, The Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Wilco or My Morning Jacket (they are on at the same time), and Bob Dylan.

I have my map and my schedule so I am all set.

Yay!

10 September 2007

Diet Update

Everyone who knows me knows that I have struggled with my weight for my entire life. Largely due to a medical condition I have had since childhood and the lifelong treatments, my growth was stunted and my metabolism and liver suffered damage. On top of that is my genetic pre-disposition to be overweight. So it's not been easy to try and lose weight.

When I turned 40, I decided that I would stop depriving myself and instead decided to focus on improving my health. I started walking regularly and I also started cutting back on all things fried.

I also threw out my scale, only getting weighed once in awhile - at the doctor's office or at the studio nurse. I hadn't gotten weighed since being laid off in January, but this weekend I weighed myself on my new roommate's digital scale.

I have lost 25 pounds since last November. That is approximately 2 pounds per month. I am very proud of myself and just had to toot my own horn by posting it in my blog.

The great part is that it hasn't been that hard because my friends and family are so supportive. My softball coach invited me to join his "good health pool" which I did. I tied for 1st last month and split the jackpot! My walking buddy called and said she missed walking with me after work (since the layoff) and could we try it and meet on weekends or a couple evenings a week. A co-worker shared her before pics with me, told me how hard it was for her to lose weight, but how she persisted and had managed to keep it off.

So thanks to all of you and to my determination, I have this small victory. Onward!