I'm Grateful for Memorial Day Weekend

This is my first post to contribute to Maxabella loves weekly grateful posts.  Follow the link in her name to read other grateful posts or to post your own.

It is the last Saturday of the month and also happens to be Memorial day weekend.  Woohoo a three day weekend.  This weekend I have a lot to be Grateful for.

1) I'm grateful for 50% Goodwill saturdays.  Every last saturday of the month is a 50% off sale at Goodwill where I live.

2) I'm grateful that Foster the People's first CD came out this week called Torches.

3) I'm grateful that I have three days off this week.

4) I'm grateful to see my family from out of town this weekend.

5) I'm also grateful for having more time to ride my bike this weekend.

Beth Ann

Waiting

This week has required a lot of waiting.  I've been looking for a different job for the last year.  Every once and a while I'll get an interview but not too often. Well this week I had an interview and then an email from a different place asking about a phone interview.  So I gave them my availability and my contact information and they never called.  It's been four days.  The first two days I went straight home after work and waited in case they called.  Then yesterday I had to go to the laundry mat so I just went. Now today and Tuesday are the days I'll hear back about the regular interview for a second interview from the other place.  So I'm back at home waiting by the phone. 

I would just go and do stuff and say they have me cell phone number, which they do.  But what if they just call the home phone and not my cell phone and then I don't get home until after they are gone for the day.  That's it there goes my chance.  So I've been being extra careful by waiting at home.

Everything else has been going pretty good.  The interview stuff kept me busier during the week so I'm a little tired today.  It's also been gloomy outside for the last three days so I think that makes me sleepy too.

What are you waiting for?

Beth Ann

Foster the People-Torches

It finally happened.  After weeks of waiting Foster the People's first album is available at the itunes store.  It hit itunes on Monday but I was swamped and wasn't able to buy it until yesterday.  On first listen I was uncertain how I felt about it until I came to the last four songs.  That pulled it all together for me so if you do buy it and have already listened to the three songs that were available before I would recommend listening to the last two songs first and then starting the album from the begining.  It just is more fluid that way.  I don't know if it's because they released three really awesome songs before the full album or what.  I just really liked it better that way.

iTunes also offers a free song from the album on their main new music page.  I have been anticipating this album for atleast two months now and am so happy that its finally out.  There are a couple of songs on the album that are super happy and make me think of maybe a happy song you'd hear on Sesame Street, like puppets should be singing the songs.  There is also a lot of love and feelings in the words to the songs which I find really sweet and kind of romantic. 

The last song on the CD is my absolute favorite.  It's called Broken Jaw and it is a long epic song with high and low parts and then a little bit of a dance and drum beat in the middle.  It perfectly demonstrates their abilities as a band.  I've uploaded the Youtube video of the song to the left of this paragraph.  The picture it sits on is the cover of the album which is a super cute band of misfits with their torches.

 There are also other ways to get the album besides iTune which can be found on this page of their Web site.

I highly recommend this album to anyone who's listening.

What music has blown you away lately?

Beth Ann

Renewed Interest in GLEE

So I started watching Glee when it first came out but I drifted off for a while.  There were other shows on and I just completely lost interest.  Then one night, a couple of months ago, there was nothing else on so I ended up watching the first episode that had Gwenyth Paltrow and I was hooked.  Man she was hilarious on the show and I loved the songs that they chose for that episode.  I just think Holly Holiday was such a cool character.

I also was drawn in to the story line of Kurt switching schools because of being bullied.  I thought it was really interesting seeing him at more of an all boys prep school while secretly hoping he'd go back to the old glee club.  I also loved when the girls left the Cheerios.  I love all different kinds of clothes so it was really cool for me to see them reflect their personalities in their clothes instead of the constant cheer leading outfits. 

To top it all off they've incorporated some awesome dancing in the episodes which I can't quite seem to get enough of.  And they've made Britany's character so quirky and funny that I watch half the time just to see her incredible dance moves, what clothes she'll wear, and what her wild story line will be this week. I've got a You Tube clip below of her Fondue for Two show.

So if you haven't watched it or you used to watch it and stopped maybe you should give it a second chance.  I know I'm happy that I did. 

What show did you leave and then come back to?

Beth Ann

Sorry

I'm so sorry it's been so land since my last post.  I've been super busy lately.  I did laundry on Monday and then had a cleaning frenzy on Tuesday and now I'm just sleepy. Allergies are starting to wear me down this spring.

You all are in my thoughts and I will post an appropriately longer post super soon.

Beth Ann

I love a good story

I've been all about the good stories lately.  I've really gotten into reading other people's blogs.  I've read the Rob Lowe autobiography, finished a Dresden files book, and have moved on to Fleetwood, My life and Adventures in Fleetwood Mac.

I've been circling around this story for a long time and forgetting about it.  I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Fleetwood Mac.  I'd also always heard that there was difficulties in the band because of relationships between the male and female band members. To the point that partners were exchanged a bit and that there might be some scandal and hurt feelings there.

I haven't gotten far enough into it yet to find out about all that.  I probably wouldn't have even been interested in reading about them except they were the band featured for the songs on Glee a couple of weeks ago.  I've always wanted to read about them but at the same time had a tendency to forget that I wanted to read about them right after.

Yesterday I caught myself finishing a book and thinking it may be time for Fleetwood Mac's story.  So I rode my bicycle to the library to see if there were any Fleetwood Mac biographies there.  What do yo know there was and now I'm happily immersing myself in a book about the band that's story I've always wanted to read about.  It's funny how that happens.

A copy of the book can be found at Amazon.com

What have you always wanted to read but kept forgetting about?

Beth Ann

Florence and the Machine-Dog Days Are Over

The world has been greatly lacking happy get up and dance music.  You'll find a song here and there that really makes you want to dance around the house but they seem to be few and far between.  One of those songs for me is Florence and the Machines- Dog Days.

This song made me run out and watch Eat, Pray, Love the movie because the song was used in the movies trailer.  It is the ultimate girl dance around the house song.  I can't sit still if I hear it come over the radio.  It's not even just a sway about and enjoy the song type or a nod your head to the music type.  This is the kind of song that you should be jumping around the room to.  It has the ability to fill you with energy that you didn't even think that you had.

It can work as a motivational work out song or a happily cleaning the house song.  Either way it is awesome and I think the world is a better place for having songs like these in it.

What's your favorite dance around the room song?

Beth Ann

Rob Lowe- Stories I Only Tell My Friends

It's Mother's Day weekend and my boyfriends mother wants Rob Lowe's autobiography, that just came out, for her mothers day present.  I pick it up for my boyfriend and have already read a good review of it in Entertainment Weekly.  I have a couple of hours before he gets off work and figure it wouldn't hurt to read a little bit of the book before he gets home. 

Well now it is Mother's Day and I am halfway through the book and am pretty certain that I'll have to buy myself a copy.  I only have three hours before we see his mom and am doubtful that it'll be enough time to enjoy it without rushing through it. 

I'm totally surprised by this book.  I thought it would be interesting and have some great stories but it's more than that.  I've been watching him weekly on Parks and Recreation and I can hear his voice in my head as I'm reading the words.  He is a wonderfully descriptive writer and can easily convey his thoughts and feelings about situations in a way that you can see what he's saying.  He's very self aware.  I don't know if he's always been that way or if it comes with age. 

I would highly recommend this book.  At numerous times I've laughed out loud at it and his description of situations.  I'm also in awe of the stories of famous people that he has met and his tenacity to try and become an actor at such a young age.  He has great drive and determination.  He's also gotten lucky by different life situations such as his mom moving them to Malibu where he lived a couple houses down from Charlie Sheen, Martin Sheen, Emilio Eseves, and Chris and Sean Penn.  It seems odd hearing him talk of famous people that he went to middle school with that weren't famous at the time.  It makes you think that location has a lot to do with your opportunities and successes in life.

I'm really enjoying the book and will continue to purchase a copy for myself to read and then offer up to my family to read. I definetly recommend it.

You can find the book at the following Amazon.com link.

What wonderful books have you read lately?

Beth Ann

Adele-Rolling in the Deep

I read rave reviews of Adele's singing ability in Entertainment Weekly for months before I actually heard her sing something.  I didn't even realize that I was listening to her sing the first time I heard one of her songs.  It's used in the Trailer for a movie and the next day the song was stuck in my head most of the day.  Then a couple of weeks later I heard the song on the radio and they said it's by Adele.  I did not imagine that.  Her voice is just so full and rich.  It makes me think of an older black soul singer. 

I was really surprised when I found out that it was her.  Entertainment Weekly was right she just has an incredible voice.  There's no manipulation or over the topness to it.  The pure and untainted sound of her singing is just so full and alive.  I love it.  I have not bought her CD yet but definitely have it on my imaginary wish list. 

I do feel a bit guilty though.  I read an article about her saying that the songs on her albums are based on relationship break ups.  I hate to think that she has to go through emotional pain to produce new albums.  I'll still enjoy her music though.

What lady singer's voice can you not go with out hearing?

Beth Ann

Community Garden

The neighborhood that I live in is starting a community garden.  This is the first year which I'm sure will be quit a learning experience.  So far the garden has gotten a grant and there is money for the plants a sign and probably some benches.  But as usual the people may be the problem.  It appears there have been individuals that believe that they should have their own spot in the garden that belongs only to them.  I could be wrong but I am pretty sure that this defeats the purpose of just about anything with "community"  in the title.

These pictures are of the garden so far.

Why is there always someone out there that believes they deserve more then everyone else?

Beth Ann

P.S. A garden usually has an abundance of veggies.  I really don't think that anyone will be going with out any at harvest time.  What's the issue with sharing?

Jury Duty

I ended up having Jury Duty for the first time a couple of weeks ago.  It was weird I've never had to do it before so I wasn't certain what to expect.  It all started the night before my first day of jury duty.  You have to either call a phone number or check a Web site the day before you have jury duty to make sure that you have to show up.  My paper said that I was in Group 6 and they were on the list of people that had to report for duty. So I get there on Tuesday and have to go up to the fourth floor.  It's just a big room full of people and chairs.  There are two TV's both turned to HGTV some sort of home channel.  And there are vending machines, one had free coffee in it.  Other than that you just in a room waiting to be called.


Here's a picture of the courthouse:

It took an hour and a half to be called.  Then we were taken down to the court room and people were called up to sit in the jury box.  I was called as number 6 in the first round.  They asked a bunch of questions and removed people from the box to replace them with other people for hours with small breaks in between.  

We did get a lunch break that was an hour to and hour and a half long. At this time I got a sandwich from Irving Market and read a book in the park across the street from the courthouse.

Then the trial started.  We continued with close to that same schedule for two days.  Then on the third day we all showed up and were sent home because the prosecutor was in the hospital.  So the next day we showed up and were called back into the court room only to reschedule the trial and go home. Then a week later we were back in the courtroom for a day with really long breaks and finally we made it to the end of the trial and it was time to and discuss the case and decide if the guy was guitly or not. Which we were not allowed to talk about the trial with anyone up until that point.  But we had two extra jurors for alternates and they drew random numbers for two jurors to send home. 

I ended up being one of the two sent home.  I never got to discuss the case with the other jurors.  I wasn't able to find out what the verdict was.  I can't even find any information in the papers or online about whether or not the guy got a guilty verdict.

It was a really disappointing and frustrating experience after missing work and putting all that time into being a juror for nothing.

Does anyone else have any jury duty stories?

Beth Ann