Worth the Wait?

So the question of the past few days seems to be, "How was Nelly?" And I must admit, that's a good question. I must also apologize 'cause I have been s to the wamped since last week ... did 14 parent-teacher-student conferences yesterday and staring down the barrel of report cards to be written ... nothing fun about that ... but back to the excitement that was my life just 48 hours ago.

The ridiculously short version, for those of you with better things to do ... House Party '08 was awesome! Watching Nelly perform was all that I hoped it would be and more. One regret: wearing stiletto heels for five hours!

The "slightly" longer version ... I had it in my mind all week - since I won my tickets - that the House Party started at 8:00 pm. About 5:00 on Saturday evening, I decided to double-check the tickets and realized that the concert actually started at 7:00 pm. A quick and frantic call to Tammy put the wheels in motion and we both did our best to get showered, dressed, and looking ghetto-fabulous ... all in less than an hour ... while tending to our precious little ones!

BTW, we both looked SASSY! And I was rockin' the skinny jean ... thanks to my fashionista friend, Liza, who took me shopping :)

Our lame attempt at being gangsta :)

Okay, so back to the story ... there's much more to tell ...

The drive downtown was uneventful - so much so that I don't even really remember it. Oh, I do remember eating a handful of edamame and a granola bar ... we'll call that dinner.

Tammy's hubby hooked us up with some free parking at his office building. As we readied ourselves - checking to make sure we had ID, the tickets, lip gloss - I asked Tammy, "Which shoes should I wear? The comfy silver ballet slippers or the Steve Madden metallic stiletto?" Her response, the one question I could only answer by wearing the heels, "Which makes you feel sexier?" A decision I would come to regret.

To make sure we'd be able to get back in the building should the partying continue past the pumpkin hour, we tracked down a security guy ... guessing he hasn't carried on many conversations with two hotties 'cause he was not all that helpful, he was wearing a blazer meant for a man three times his size, and he mouth hung open in between responses.

Just outside the garage - and not entirely sure how to get to the theater - we stood waiting to cross the busy street. Which led us to a chance encounter with a 92.5 Insider. First, she complimented my shoes. She said something like, "Those are really great shoes." And I said, "Great but not comfortable." Major foreshadowing! And then she asked, "Are you going to the House Party?" And then she walked with us to the Paramount Theatre - lucky for us because I am not entirely convinced we would've found it on our own. She also had a little "inside" dish to share on the way ... like the fact that my decision to get floor tickets - clearly putting me closer to the stage - would also mean standing the entire time ... and that Nelly's performance wouldn't begin until 10:30.

Once inside, we were greeted by some random guys, who we totally blew-off ... only to discover later that they opened the show - had connections - and I can't fight the nagging feeling that perhaps they had the connections to get us backstage passes ... if only we hadn't ignored them!

We made our way to the stage in time to see the opening and a great performance by the Sugar Hill Gang ... some o-l-d guys ... most famous for a song called "Rapper's Delight" ... it starts with "i said a hip hop the hippie the hippie to the hip hip hop, a you don't stop the rock it to the bang bang boogie say up jumped the boogie to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat" ... you've heard it before, right? Their performance totally made me smile in the same way I can't help but grin when I see an old couple holding hands. We also stood fairly close to the stage and met two "old-schoolers" - he knew every lyric and she wasn't going to take no crap!

After just an hour of standing on those darn heels, we left our place near the front of the stage to make a trip to the little girls' room. Back in the lobby, I bought a very expensive and very disgusting vodka and pineapple juice ... and we found a place to sit for most of Kardinal Offishall's performance. We took our place back amongst the crowd near the stage and watched for a song or two. First of all, his name is stupid. Neither his reggae hip-hop style, nor his one recognizable song, Dangerous, were a highlight of the evening.

The party really got started when Ton-Loc took the stage. His voice, his swagger, his well-known songs and lyrics ... I laughed, I sang along, I cheered, ... I thoroughly enjoyed this part of the evening. And I was happy to witness one of Ton's famous $100 Rap Showdowns ... now I have an even better mental image of my pal B-dog's attempt to win said contest.

Ton-Loc ended his performance at 9:40 and DJ Mayhem took over spinning and mixing and scratching some decent songs. But the entire crowd was feeling impatient; we were more than ready for the headlining act ... my boy, Nelly! 50 very long minutes later - at 10:30, Nelly and his crew finally took the stage. And he was very much WORTH THE WAIT! He was wearing dark wash jeans, a gray Polo shirt - yummy arms bulging through the sleeves, a navy blue STL hat, diamond stud earrings (the carat amount I don't even dare to guess), serious bling on both wrists, and the perfect sunglasses. He looked seriously HOT ... and I couldn't stop screaming and jumping up and down. He sang everything I expected ... Hot in Herre, Country Grammar, Over and Over, Air Force Ones, Ride Wit Me, ... and some new stuff - I especially liked his duet with Avery Storm ... and his St. Lunatics had a little rap-off that was off-the-hook! Loved it, loved it, loved it! My boy, Nelly, did not disappoint!

Cameras were not allowed inside the House Party. Tammy did try to take a few shots with the camera on her phone, but the quality was pretty iffy ... so I borrowed a few images from the 92.5 website. (I hope that's okay.)

Our night ended with a trip through the BK drive-thru ... the combination of skipping dinner and shaking our little mommy booties for like 5 hours really took its toll on our appetite ... a Whopper Jr. and some fries later, and we had regained our composure :)

A huge thank you to my friend Tammy for going along with me and making the night even more fun!

Again, I apologize for withholding this post for a few days ... based on some of the comments and emails and facebook wall writings, I fear I nearly incited a blog-riot :) I hope it was worth the wait!

Can you say .... N E L L Y ? !

See that hottie over there? On Saturday night, I am going to be breathing the same air as him ... seeing him perform LIVE ... shaking my tiny butt (no apple bottom here) all night long! And my friend Tammy will be there to witness the whole thing :)

Woo Hoo! I won, I won, I won! After calling - and hearing lots of busy tones - for the past three weeks, today I was caller 25. And I have the very distinct pleasure of seeing my boy, Nelly, next Saturday at the 92.5 House Party! I sounded like a very excited teenage girl on the radio, and the DJ thought I was hilarious ... when I get excited, I get funny :) To say I am excited would be a complete understatement. I mean, seriously, if you know me at all, you know that I am slightly obsessed with this hip-hop artist ... partly because "I'm from the 'Lou and I'm proud!" but also because I find his music delightful (doubt anyone else has ever used that word to describe Nelly's songs). I know it's not typical music for the 30+ SAHM-crowd but I just can't resist, and I am not even going to try! This mama likes to shake it :)

I also have to give serious props to my darling husband. He called all day - every hour - on Thursday and Friday. And he even went to a local mall parking lot after work on Friday to try to "Spin-and-Win" me a pair of tickets. All because he knows how much this means to me ... isn't he the sweetest? (I tried to get CPV to pose for a photo like Nelly's - thought that would be a nice addition to this post - but he declined ... something about not wanting to make Nelly look weak!)

Happy Halloween

No "lion" we had a great Halloween! And Natalie made the cutest, sweetest little lioness :) Thanks to my wonderful SILs for the hand-me-down costume! I got all "super crafty" - which means I dug the hot glue gun out of the drawer - and added little pink bows - one to each ear and another on the tail.

She started out the day indulging me when I asked, "Natalie, what does a lion say?" But her adorable "ooooaaaaarrr" quickly faded ... sometimes she doesn't like to show-off her skillz, and that's all right. But I bet she'll be roaring all day tomorrow ... now that the costume is put away!

And you think your life sucks ...

If life suckiness were a contest, which would be lots of fun, I have to tell you that in the past few weeks, my friend Laurie would've won the gold medal, the cheesy trophy, the bronzed piece of dog poop ... whatever the Life Sucks Contest organizers decided was an appropriate prize.

This isn't my story, but I feel compelled to tell it, and I hope to get most of the details right. Laurie hasn't been bitten by the blog bug yet, so if I don't tell this story, it won't get told to the masses ... besides my life hasn't been anywhere near this interesting as of late ... or sucky for that matter :) You should also know that this post is based on a series of phone conversations ... some tear-filled, others peppered with laughter - 'cause sometimes life sucks so bad you cry and when it gets worse, you can't help but laugh :)

A little background ... Laurie's husband, I'll call him PIMP 'cause he'll love that, took a new job in Chicago, which meant a move from the Lone Star State to the Windy City. A move they are excited about, despite the vast difference in weather conditions, primarily because it means that Laurie will get to be a full-time SAHM, and well, what's more delightful than that? The move also meant deciding to be separated for a month. With PIMP heading up to Chi-town to start his new job and enjoy a few weeks of bachelorhood, no doubt ... well, not literally, but you know what I mean! While Laurie and her darling 15-month old son staying behind to tie-up loose ends ... like selling the house, packing an entire house worth of stuff, ... you know, minor details.

Not surprisingly, Laurie handled the month of single parenthood like a rock star, and even managed to get packing down during naptimes ... impressive! And so the month was challenging but manageable, especially with a light at the end of the tunnel. Soon enough they would be together again as a family, in a new town, on a new adventure ... but this story takes a turn of misadventure.

Scratching the surface of suckiness ... the movers took 15 hours to load the truck, twice as long as estimated, which sucks because they were paid hourly ... ouch! The house didn't go to closing as expected because of an issue with the appraisal. Not devastating but an end left untied.

These are things you could deal with, right? I mean things like this happen during a move. But you have to admit, it sucks. And it gets worse ...

So the movers came on Sunday, and by Sunday night, Laurie and Benjamin were "homeless" but staying with friends in Texas until Tuesday when they were schedule to depart on a flight bound for Chicago. On Monday, Benjamin got the stomach flu. Do I need to get graphic here in order for you to fully appreciate the suckiness of his situation? Well, Benjamin puked all over Laurie's friend's house, had constant d-word (yuck!), and felt too crummy to sleep well. That's a tough combination even in the comfort of your own home, but when you're a guest in someone's house ... let's agree, that sucks!

In addition to the inconvenience of having your son puke all over someone else's house, Laurie was also facing a trip to the airport, through security, and on a plane to Chicago. A trip that had been her light at the end of the tunnel, they would finally be reunited with her husband and his daddy, had become a mommy's worst case scenario. A 15-month old puking, pooping machine confined in the cabin of an aircraft ... could she possibly pack enough plastic bags and changes of clothes? Should she even attempt such a feat? When we spoke on the phone, I could tell she was struggling to make a decision ... flying with a sick munchkin wasn't an appealing option, but the thought of staying in Texas - and away from her PIMP - until she could get booked on another flight was pushing her over the edge. She asked, "Would you take Natalie if it was you?" Without hesitation, I assured her that given the circumstances, I would risk the flight if the puking had stopped for at least 4 hours. The pooping could be dealt with ... and hopefully no one would get close enough to risk getting the stomach flu germs from her little man. And so, they did make the flight and at least their family was back together again.

But, the suckiness continued. The moving company was in an accident before the truck even got out of Texas, which delayed their boxes by two days. This especially sucks because Laurie and the PIMP and Benjamin are in their new place with a chair, an inflatable mattress, and a pack-n-play ... and a washing machine that isn't working. Oh, and the puking started again Wednesday morning. Benjamin managed to puke on the one piece of furniture in the house. Not to mention, their supply of clean clothing is dwindling to just about nothing.

I am sincerely hoping this is the end of Laurie's sucky-streak. I've said, "It can't get any worse," and been wrong too many times in this little tale. But for those of you who know Laurie and her family, they are alive and in Chicago ... and hoping for a puke-free day of unpacking tomorrow!

House Party

Every hour on the hour - between 7 am and 7 pm - I am neglecting my daughter, forgetting my responsibilities as a mommy, wife, friend, ... to call and try to win tickets to the 92.5 House Party 2008. My boy, Nelly, as I affectionately refer to him, is going to be here in Seattle on November 8th, and I must see him ... if even from afar. And you can't BUY tickets. They must be WON.

Caller 25. I just want to be caller 25. I've tried at 8, 9, and 10 this morning ... nothing but busy signals :( And yesterday when I was at the peak of discouragement, feeling like I was going to give up ... I was caller 21 at 11am ... so close! It totally sucked me right back into calling 13 times a day, listening to the awful busy tone, ... and when it actually rings, my heart rate goes off the charts. I want these tickets so badly!

Deb - Just to clarify, Nelly is my NKOTB ... are you feeling my pain?

Update: A huge thanks to my sweet hubby who is doubling my efforts by calling to win tickets . And he is having far better luck than I am today. He's been caller 5 and caller 12; you go, CPV!

Pumpkin Patch: Flashback

Last year at this time, Natalie was just three and a half months old. But the fall traditions took root ...

We made an effort to find a pumpkin patch, but the weather was crummy, our nursing schedule left us with very limited time for an outing, and we didn't think to get directions. So we drove around on some beautiful country roads and ended up stopping at a road-side market with a darling pumpkin display.

Natalie looked so cute in her Halloween onesie and too-big hat. We leaned her against a bail of hay and a few perfectly round pumpkins. She took her time considering this new scenery and then delighted us with her perfect baby grins. We picked a tiny pumpkin and called it a day.

Today's experience was very different, and yet in some ways not that much has changed. First of all, we actually went to a Pumpkin Patch, a local farm called Jubilee. And the weather was gorgeous; blue skies, sunshine and temperatures in the low 60's. I am willing to bet this type of weather for our future trips to the pumpkin patch will be rarity at best.

Most of the time, Natalie was very serious. She has this adorable way of taking in what's around her ... observing and considering and studying. And her smiles were accompanied with babbles and signs and requests. She sat atop a John Deere tractor; her grampy will be so proud! She walked and tripped through the rows of pumpkins. She squatted - with a determined look on her face - and tried to pick up pumpkins weighing at least as much as she does. She got ridiculously dirty, ate some dirt, and drooled on a few gourds, too. She said, "neigh, neigh" as the horse-drawn wagon passed by. She entertained a small crowd while dancing to the music of two acoustic guitar playing musicians. And she did get hungry; we shared a banana and a little apple cider.

Just as Natalie is bigger this year than last, so is her pumpkin. The one Chad searched many rows to find. It's round - my shape preference - and smattered with a little unripe greenness and has a perfectly trimmed stem.

What a beautiful day we spent together during our

2nd Annual Trip to the Pumpkin Patch :)

Pumpkin Patch Spy Photos

It was another gorgeous day here in the NW. Seriously, I am beginning to fear for our reputation because the skies have been blue and rain-free for so many days :)

And what did we do to enjoy this particular beautiful day? We visited a local pumpkin patch and took lots and lots of photos of our sweet NHV. We also took these two pics - unbeknownst to the subjects ... for your blog-viewing pleasure.

Pumpkin wrestling, the only way to settle

a "hey-that's-my-pumpkin" dispute!

And, well, that's definitely one way to make

sure no one else takes your pumpkin.