michelmoba babbles on...

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T10:22:00.002-05:00

what a difference one year had made!

Last year I was 4.5 mths preggie, after stopping by at Barb's we hung out ALL NIGHT LONG at Tom & Jessica's (and I was prob the only SOBER one by midnite), and tonight I had my beautiful baby girl with me at Jim & Carol's. Surprise, Surprise - the little miss is WIDE AWAKE and in happy spirits all night long!

me with Barb & Diane, my best new years ladies (and we really missed you Reenie)

barb & andy (awwwwwwww)

the Human Jungle Gym

and here is the solution to the 3 year old energy drink!

I hope this year brings as many blessing to all as 2010 did to me!

merry xmas 2010

2010-12-25T22:44:00.001-05:00

this has been a blessed year....a happy & healthy from my family to yours!

Santa Baby

2010-12-23T11:34:00.001-05:00

this outfit is just too cute to wear once.....

everything is ommm-nummmm-nummmm yummy

so mommy roped you into this photo shoot, too?

loookie, i'm playing peek-a-boo (sort of)

my serious face

serious faces dont last long!

urban boundries is gonna save my fingers

2010-12-16T12:24:00.000-05:00

i've been looking ALL OVER TOWN for the perfect glove / mitten (after seeing them on Amie last year). Everyplace I see them in the stores, they just dont seem warm enough. I've finally found them with thinsulate - at URBAN BOUNDRIES.com Sweet! Time to place an order so my fingers can stop freezing (brrrrrrr)

Halloween themed b-day party

2010-10-16T23:14:00.000-04:00

today was the first (of many) BIRTHDAY PARTIES that Saralynn will attend

the birthday celebration was for the daughters of my friend, Patty's (their birthday's are a week apart) at the NJ Childrens Museum.

What a fun place (even though my Little Girl slept thru 3/4 of it)! Here are some things we all enjoyed....

Randy & Saralynn riding the coast guard cutter

riding the ambulance

being a newscaster

sliding down the slide

ok, these are just goofy pics

yup, just plain silly fun

but by the end of the day, my little girl threw in the witches hat & took a nap

best birthday present!

2010-10-10T22:10:00.001-04:00

did I ever tell you that I have THE BEST NEPHEW IN THE WORLD????
I just didnt get a phone call from him...I got this:

my best shopping excursion EVER

2010-10-06T23:07:00.004-04:00

I clip coupons...there, I said it & i don't care. Anyone who know me, knows that I am always looking for a bargain. Well, today's savings at Shoprite was the macdaddy of all supermarket savings....$84 off in paper coupons! That will show anyone that it's worth it on a sunday to clip away for 5 minutes :)

now the fact that I need to spend an add'l .04 cents to get $10 off is a bit annoying. I sure hope I don't forget over the next 3 weeks & blow this offer.

cute girl with a catchy dance

2010-09-14T13:59:00.006-04:00

...needless to say, I hope my daughter has as much fun in dancing school as this little girl does!

Rosh Hashanah (5771)

2010-09-08T23:27:00.001-04:00

L'Shanah Tova Tikatevu!

Nothing is sweeter than spending the holidays with your family - well, maybe if dunked in honey....but that is what apples are for :)

Auntie Fern & Emma

Emma, Matthew & Shaun

Esther & Mom

Artie & Esther

happy & healthy from our family to yours!

Sex & the City 2

2010-05-29T19:09:00.002-04:00

i cant say the movie was as WOW as the first, but I still enjoyed it (and got a bit emotional during the struggle that Charlotte had with Sophia). Sherri topped the first SATC movie with her making cosmo's in the theatre.....this time she brought COSMO CUPCAKES (yup, vodka soaked cupcakes with grenadine and tripple sec in the frosting). Not sure if you can see it, but on top there are vodka soaked cherry & lime on top!

day in the park

2010-05-19T18:59:00.002-04:00

this past weekend me, Randy, Irene, Brian and my little girl took a walk in the park

even though it was only mid may - it felt like summer
(me & Reenie)

there was a crafts fair going on & of course Randy had to try out the swings

but the oddest thing I saw was this woman rowing her husband in the lake. I'm used to seeing the man row - not the lady!

Saralynn Ruth has arrived!

2010-05-10T13:40:00.001-04:00

we are so proud to announce the arrival of our little baby girl on friday afternoon

SARALYNN RUTH

BORN: May 7th (1:40pm)
WEIGHT: 6 lbs, 11.9oz

HEIGHT: 20 inches

Contractions started around 7pm on Thursday evening. Quickly they went from a mild "PERIOD CRAMP" to "OUT OF THIS WORLD INSANE PAIN". I began timing them.....anywhere from 7-12 min apart and lasting about a minute. I called Dr Gallo around 11pm and he confirmed that until the contractions were around 5 min apart there was no need to head to the hospital....but around 5am I honestly was not sure how I was going to wait that long! At 9am I had it...I was climbing the roof with each contraction (and they were still approx 7-8 min apart) and called Dr Gallo letting him know we were heading to the hospital.

We arrived by 10am and I had a contraction literally in front of the the admin desk & doubled over in pain. I was a mess! I was examined quickly and Dr Gallo confirmed that I was already 3cm dilated & 90% effaced - and so he admitted me & told me if i wanted one, I could get an epidural. He didn't have to ask twice :)

About a 1/2 hour after the epidural was administered (and let me tell you, i was then feeling F-I-N-E) and told I was already 5cm dilated, Dr Gallo noticed that MECONIUM was causing fetal distress on the baby, and so he needed to perform an emergency c-section. Within a 20 min i was prepped and Saralynn was born. I was told it was a blessing that I had the c-section, because during delivery Dr Gallo noticed that the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck.
After delivery I was in recovery for approx 3 hours due to very low heart rate & then I was brought up to the 3rd floor and given my room. All is perfect with my little family :)

When we say flooding, we mean it!

2010-03-27T17:30:00.001-04:00

About a week ago we had that HORRIBLE rainstorm that lasted the entire weekend & brought 50+ mph winds. Well, it was common knowledge that the Passic River crested & many, many roads flooded over, including the entrance to the Willowbrook Mall. Well, just this past weekend, the river crested AGAIN & the road flooded AGAIN...and when I say flooded, I'm not kidding!

Happy St Patrick's Day!

2010-03-17T13:06:00.001-04:00

An appropriate toast for this St. Patrick's Day:

"A son is a son till he takes him a wife,
a daughter is a daughter all of her life."

nothing hits the spot like a Green Tea Frappachino!

BLIZZ-A-CANE

2010-02-26T13:10:00.003-05:00

hopefully this is the last snowstorm of the season, which hubby dubbed the BLIZZ-A-CANE. After all the time we spend hanging up icicles out our front window....check out what nature decided to leave me this morning:

so exactly HOW MUCH SNOW did I get? Well, I use the measuring technique of checking out what has been dumped on top of the BBQ (my guess - about 2'):

i do think my backyard looked kind of pretty before it was attacked with my "reindeer in training" puppydog.....don't you think so?

but alas, my king of the mansion NEEDED to go out to explore:

and when he was done, he gave me these puppy dog eyes that said "ok, I'm done...can you please dry me off & make me soup?"

and while my pup was in the backyard PLAYING, my hubby was out front CLEANING OFF off our driveway & walkway with the snowblower. Here he is just breaking thru to the street:

once I saw him get to this stage, I knew it was time to start making the Soup & Grilled Cheese sandwiches!

High Tea for Valentine's Day

2010-02-15T10:29:00.000-05:00

had a WONDERFUL brunch yesterday with Randy and my parents....at the HighSocieTea House in NJ

Happy 3rd b-day Todd!

2010-02-01T13:48:00.000-05:00

this past weekend was my nephew's THIRD birthday.....man~oh~man how time flies!

Sherri had a cute little party for Todd & his classmates to run around at their school & then it was CUPCAKE TIME (yumm-o)

so what do you think of your cupcake Todd?

mmmmm-mmmmm (what could be wrong with a double chocolate cupcake?)

happy new years 2010

2010-01-01T11:13:00.010-05:00

As always, we had a lot of fun last night - normally we head to Barb & Andy's for the early part & then over to Tom & Jessica's for the drunken part. This year we just headed to T&J....and weren't dissapointed!

i love these guys!

scary thing is that some of the "kids" are now old enough to legally drink!

not even trying to explain this one (Randy, Tom & Howie)

yes, we really had a great night!

time to bring out the SNOWBLOWER

2009-12-19T22:38:00.004-05:00

i LOVE having a snowblower! WHY? cuz I HATE shoveling!

Guitar Hero x'mas light house

2009-12-17T21:54:00.001-05:00

A few years ago the TRANS SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA decorated home was all the rage - well, welcome to 2009 and the year of Guitar Hero!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS - 2009

2009-12-15T19:08:00.003-05:00

welcome to our home!available space means a place to decorate!

whether it's on top of a piano, or

the back door, which should be as festive as the front door!

the front window is definitely more twinkly in person

chewie LOVES our tree!

this year we added some lights to the sad little side tree
HO-HO-HO...and a Happy Chanukkah to all!

first SNOW of the season

2009-12-05T15:31:00.002-05:00

it might not be sticking, but me & Mr Snowman thinks it's pretty!

ok, it's an hour later...and it's sticking...and it's even prettier!

Mona Lisa - café au lait

2009-12-01T13:09:00.000-05:00

what's so special about this drawing of the Mona Lisa on the streets of Sydney, Australia?

well, for one thing - it is comprised entirely of cups of coffee
...... 3,604 cups of coffee to be exact!

THANKSGIVING 2009

2009-11-28T07:25:00.007-05:00

the "First Annual Lighting of the Turkey" - so how perfect did it come out?

this perfect (and YES, it tasted even better then it looks!)
the dinner menu was pretty traditional, but I decided (thanks to my friend Joanne this summer) to attempt making my OWN ICE CREAM CAKE. I couldnt decide which flavors to use - so I used all. The bottom layer was an OREO CRUNCH layered with CHOCOLATE & COOKIE DOUGH ice cream...
then another layer of OREO CRUNCH topped with MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP & VANILLA. So how did it look?
this AMAZING!
so how did it taste?

this AMAZING!
by the time coffee was finished and all were stuffed, my littlest member of the family, Mocha, decided to wake up & join us to see if she could get some action. What a little sneak!

Happy 5 yr Anniversary

2009-11-07T16:47:00.009-05:00

time sure does fly!
Today was my 5 year anniversay...and the one thing I really wanted to do was to FINALLY open the cake topper that has been sitting in my freezer all this time.

click on this video to watch us open the box and see what a FIVE YEAR OLD CAKE looks like!

And as you can see, amazingly enough, it was PERFECT!
Randy even tasted it....no way jose was I going to try that!

WE HAVE NEWS......

2009-10-31T21:17:00.000-04:00

so what is the big news?????

we're having A BABY!

i LOVE the shirt my hubby made for me to wear to tell my sister the great news today!

Oh, I'm 14 weeks & 4 days preggie :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2009

2009-10-31T21:03:00.000-04:00

Whoever LOVES being dressed up as "PLEX" say "CHEESE"

Todd trick-or-treating at the very first store of the day so what was the score? yippeeee......TWIZZLERS! Todd hanging with his buddy Aiden during the Paradeand now that the parade is over, so is Todd...g'night PLEX!

the grass is always greener....

2009-10-21T12:07:00.001-04:00

Just keep reminding yourself that.
Everytime you think "why does this seem to always happen to meeeeeeeeeeee",
remember that there are a lot worse things happening to someone else.
Nope, still doesn's make it THAT much easier.....but it's true.
{{SIGH}}

Todd decorates Pumpkins

2009-10-16T09:05:00.000-04:00

Look how talented my nephew is!

wonder if his mommy & daddy helped out just a bit?

Piano Stairs

2009-10-14T09:23:00.005-04:00

I would DEFINITELY take the stairs up from the subway a lot more often if this was an option!

Odenplan, Stockholm

Rosh Hashanah 2009 (5770)

2009-09-20T10:01:00.003-04:00

L'Shanah Tova Tikatevu!

from my family (derek, randy & me).......to yours!
me & Sherri
Todd & the cockateil, Chico (who can sing the Rocky theme!)
oh yes he can...and sherri gave him just a nudge of guidance and off he went into the Battle Hymn of the Republic!
mmmmmmm.....ROSH HASHANAH HOMEBREW!

Donna & Brian

the ladies (and HANK)

even my puppy gets a little something special on Rosh Hashanah (as long as he's good)

Todd starts school!

2009-09-09T22:29:00.001-04:00

off the little man goes - not sure exactly who is taking who to school, but someone seems really excited to get there!

and let me tell you - Todd is ready!

NY Renassaise Faire

2009-09-08T22:16:00.001-04:00

Welcome Lords & Ladies to the NY Renaissance Faire

Enjoy the day...and remember, what happens at ye olde Renaissance Faire, stays at ye olde Renaissance Faire!

nothing more fun than a day of Turkey Legs, a mug of Meade and watching mudpit fights and tomatoes being thrown at jesters....
oh, and a frozen chocolate dipped Pumpkin Cheesecake on a stick isn't too bad either...everything is better on a stick!

perfect ending to a perfect day....

see thee next year at Sterling Forest!

Happy Birthday Andy!

2009-08-30T17:27:00.005-04:00

just when i thought i went to my last "40th BIRTHDAY PARTY", I forgot that we have another crop of birthdays around the corner!
with that amount of candles, a blow torch SEEMED like a good idea....
and a big piece of cake also seems like a good idea....
and a cake covered smooch also seemed like a good idea!

Reenie, Barb, Diane & me

yup, the entire night was a lot of fun!

Why can't Starbucks get it right?

2009-08-28T10:04:00.002-04:00

sometimes i just don't understand why the barista's at Starbucks have such a hard time with getting my drink order correct. After everything i went thru in the past (which you can click HERE to read) with my Starbucks by my office (who btw, now just ask me if I want "my ususal"), I just wish there was a way not to get eyeroll from every other location when I order a GRANDE DECAF SUGARFREE HAZELNUT SOY ICED COFFEE.

they write it on the cups...i just don't get the difficulty!

Here is Amie with not just one frappachino, but a mug full of coffee:

Here i am way back in college - the reason i know what I'm talking about is cuz I USED TO WORK AT STARBUCKS!
....and I love their coffee drinks!

weekend trip down to DC, MD and VA

2009-08-25T20:06:00.001-04:00

this past weekend, Randy & I went to visit Amie & Jeff in MD. One of the places they took us to was The Great Falls, which has awesome views on both the Maryland and Virginia sides.

Here are some cool pics on the VA side

Randy & me

Amie & me
yup, just me :) georgous views!

Next time we are in town, Amie is taking us to the MD side, which also has some awesome hiking trails

one of the days we headed into downtown DC and walked along the Mall. Here we are in front of the Washington Monument. After we visited that, we went into the Holocaust Museum. I was expecting to really be emotional (and it was), but I really enjoyed visiting that museum. Besides the Permanent Holocaust Exhibit, I really enjoyed The Power of Nazi Propaganda Exhibit. I was amazed how many original hand drawn posters they were able to gather (and each one had a miniature right next to it with translation)

oh, no visit would be complete w/o Ames & I looking silly in our 3-D glasses while watching Coraline!

I'm lovin' all pools this summer!

2009-08-09T14:21:00.007-04:00

LIFE JUST DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THEN THIS!

R.I.P John Hughes!

2009-08-06T23:32:00.001-04:00

back in HIGH SCHOOL i watched john hughes movies religiously. I could prob quote 3/4 of them line for line verbatim! Here are a few of my favourites:

Home Alone (1990)
Uncle Buck (1989)
She's Having a Baby (1988)
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Pretty in Pink (1986)
Weird Science (1985)
European Vacation (1985)

The Breakfast Club (1985)
Sixteen Candles (1984)

National Lampoon's Vacation (1983)

Mr. Mom (1983)
Class Reunion (1982)

Depeche Mode - MSG

2009-08-05T10:09:00.003-04:00

can't really say that I LOVED the show last night....i thought I was a big fan back in high school & i did download a few yrs ago Singles '81-'85 and Singles '86-'98, but alas - even tho their sound stayed their same....they added A LOT of new songs into their repertiore. I think i really only knew 5 songs out of the entire set list. I'm glad that I payed less then face for our sec 131 tix! MSG Aug 4, 2009 setlist
1. In Chains
2. Wrong
3. Hole To Feed
4. Walking In My Shoes
5. It's No Good
6. A Question Of Time
7. Precious
8. Fly On The Windscreen
9. Jezebel
10. A Question of Lust
11. Miles Away
12. Policy Of Truth
13. In Your Room
14. I Feel You (holy moly was there a girl going NUTS over this song!)
15. Enjoy The Silence
16. Never Let Me Down Again
Encore:
17. Stripped
18. Master And Servant
19. Strangelove
20. Personal Jesus
21. Waiting For The Night

RANDY IS SMOKIN'.....

2009-07-28T22:04:00.003-04:00

Last weekend when we were at Byran & Donna's home they made this AMAZING BBQ pork with an Orion Smoker. We loved it soooooooooooooo much, 2 days ago Randy bought one & so we had a BBQ this sunday & on the menu was BBQ RIBS!

how yummy are these rubbed ribs - and look how CLEAN this smoker is - never will look like that again!

FIRE!!!!!!!!!

OK EVERYONE - DIG IN!
so this is how YUMMY those ribs were!

MOROCCAN NIGHT OUT

2009-07-19T20:49:00.001-04:00

REALLY FUN GIRLS NIGHT OUT THIS PAST FRIDAY NIGHT....BARB, REENIE & ME HEADED TO PARSIPANNY, NJ TO TRY OUT THIS MOROCCAN RESTAURANT CALLED MARAKESH

THE DECOR WAS AWESOME!
AND SO WAS THE BELLYDANCER WHO GOT EVERYONE UP & DANCING AFTER DINNER!

Summer 2009

2009-07-13T21:57:00.000-04:00

relaxing this summer has been wonderful - i'm loving all my friends with their awesome POOLS & BBQ's. Here is how I spent a very lazy saturday afternoon:

did I mention that Donna has 2 adorable HUGE puppies?
Joanne, Donna & me - perfect ending w/ margarita's to a perfect day!

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-06T09:45:00.002-04:00

hope everyone had a great weekend - I sure did. We threw a party on Saturday & had perfect weather with a really nice turnout (and hopefully once Sherri sends me her pics I can post them here with everyone else's faces!)

every year I take this same pose with my lovely ladies...and every year we get BETTER LOOKING!

(Barbara w/Maddie, Reenie & me)
whats a backyard without a pool? (though I do miss my adult size one...this one seemed to make the kiddies happy)

GO FISH PLAYERS

2009-07-02T19:01:00.001-04:00

so i get on the evening express bus home the night before my 4 day holiday weekend & for once I have to admit I'm not THAT tired, but I do hate if I can hear chit chat above my iPod. Well, right behind me I can hear two rows of teenage girls playing cards, passing boxes of Pop Rocks & drinking soda.

UGGGHHH! Immediately, I'm annoyed.

After about 3 minutes of fuming, I turn around to tell them to keep the volume down & this is what I see:

I see the cutest bunch of 12 year old girls playing GO FISH. I cant help smiling & my annoyance is gone. I even start chit-chatting with them (which is prob pissing off other riders, but I'm sure they have pissed me off in the past so I guess payback is a b*tch!). Lastly, I give them a quick rundown on how to play SPADES & then ask them if they will pose for a pic for me (which they did)

Turtleback Zoo w/Todd

2009-06-26T19:01:00.002-04:00

Today I had a summer friday - so Sherri, myself & Todd ventured to the Turtleback Zoo. I'm not exactly sure what the symbolism with peacocks are, but the second I walk thru the front gate - check out what was there to great me. I just pray the symbolism is good!

Todd must be a HUGE fan of Meerkat Manor, cuz he needed to join the prairie dog's habitat as closely as possible!
and i've never seen so many parakeets flying free in one place in my entire life. Being fed birdseed on a peanut butter stick is really the life!
and the goats & sheep know exactly how to suck up to little kids....they got them eating right out of their hands!

R.I.P - Farrah Fawcett, Michael Jackson & Ed McMahon

2009-06-25T23:38:00.002-04:00

this was a sad week in the celebrity world - we lost THREE powerhouses:

Ed McMahon (3/26/23 - 6/23/09

Michael Jackson ( 8/29/58 - 6/25/09)

and

Farrah Fawcett (2/2/47 - 6/25/09)

Back in the early 80's I was still in junior high school, but I thought Farrah Fawcett Majors was the luckiest woman in the world. She was a movie star (for all I know LOGAN'S RUN was the movie that got me hooked on SciFi), was married to the Six Million Dollar Man {sigh}, and had absolutely GORGEOUS hair! Here I am with my version (back in 1981) of the "Farrah Flip"

Coffee on the Express Bus

2009-06-18T09:10:00.001-04:00

if you're gonna bring your own coffee on the express bus (which is a NO-NO according to my "what you can & cannot do on the express bus" manual), DON'T DRINK IT OVER SOMEONE'S HEAD! And definately DO NOT OPEN IT so you can blow on it cuz it's too hot....jeeez!

update on ankle

2009-06-03T20:26:00.002-04:00

well, the ankle wasn't broken (thank goodness!), but it was sprained pretty bad - so I was fitted with a walking brace that I will have to wear for the next two weeks.

Walking cross town to my office is gonna be a pain!

...oh, and here I am 15 years ago in the same damn cast (although in a prettier color) on the same damn ankle! Back then I was so happy to wear the brace since I was stuck in a hip - toe cast for 6 LONG MONTHS!

Sprained Ankle & a Peacock

2009-06-01T09:44:00.001-04:00

so this past weekend I went to help my parents with their garage sale. Considering it was a nice summery day - I wore Capri's & my flip-flops. Went we started to line stuff up out my parents garage, I noticed a jump rope that was mine from when I was about 10 y/o.

I HAD to play with it...unfortunately, I'm not very good at jumping rope anymore....

...and especially not good when I'm wearing wedged flip-flops!

so here I am leaving the hospital after getting my ankle splinted - and who is there to great me, but a PEACOCK! Totally wasn't expecting that!!!!

CEREAL on the EXPRESS BUS

2009-05-28T16:24:00.001-04:00

Today I was just blown away when I noticed the lady sitting directly across from me EATING CEREAL WITH MILK on the 8:05am express bus!

I never even thought of putting "NO EATING FOOD IN LIQUID" in my "DONT YOU DARE DO THAT ON THE EXPRESS BUS" manual. It's going right under "NO STINKY SANDWICHES ALLOWED"

(btw: "stinky sandwiches" would be best described as a Whitefish Sandwich on a Bagel with Onions & Tomatoes. Super Yummy, but not on an enclosed capsule w/poor ventilation)

i met Dave Matthews!

2009-05-04T20:23:00.005-04:00

today was a pretty damn good day for Shannon & myself. Around 3pm, Shannon got a message that Dave was filming his new video in Bryant Park (which is a block away from our office). Doesn't matter that it's drizzling out, we throw on our jackets & case the park. The band is nowhere to be found. Back to work we go. About an hour later Shannon gets ANOTHER message that the band is back in the Park. This time it takes us about 5 minutes to think it over...but we throw our jackets back on - and off to the park we go. I'm SOOOOOOOO GLAD we did, cuz look who we ran into:

I have to tell you that I was a bit nervous to go up to Dave, cuz I didnt want to seem like a groupie stalker. He wasnt surrounded by a ton of people, just a few - and he looked at us & smiled...so I went over & said hi.....and boy am I glad - he was the NICEST GUY! Didnt make either Shannon or myself feel goofy about coming over. Even offered to take our picture (which I'm so glad Shannon had her cell on her, cuz mine was dead).

Yup, today was a damn awesome day!

HIGH ROCK CHALLENGE

2009-04-27T13:11:00.003-04:00

This past Saturday Randy & I competed in the annual HIGH ROCK CHALLENGE, which is a 10k run thru the S.I. Greenbelt. Along the way - all kinds of "obstacles" are thrown at us, such as: scaling up a rock mountain, climbing over a cargo net, pulling ourselves up a rope hill on a dolly, shimming along a 2 ft high drainage with rushing water, all while running along a muddy terrain (and let me tell you as the day progressed, it got muddier!)

Here we are at the starting line (team # 37) w/o a clue what we were getting ourselves into:

a little over 2 1/2 hrs later we arrived at the finish line & were BEYOND EXHAUSTED...but were damn proud of ourselves that we finished the course!
...and a minute later my legs called it quits & sitting in the shade seemed like a better plan :) I found out a few hrs later that the organizer added AN EXTRA 1.3 MILES TO THE COURSE, just to make it a bit more challenging (thx matt!)
click on the video below to get a glimpse of what we went thru. It was A LOT of fun, but man-oh-man was it tough!

High Rock Challenge

guitar for dummies...

2009-04-24T09:02:00.006-04:00

...so NOW i know why all the guys brought guitars up to camp...and btw: BASS PLAYERS are HOT!

Watch Learning Guitar to Get Laid and more funny videos on CollegeHumor

derek's little piggie didn't go to market

2009-04-21T20:08:00.004-04:00

so this is what happens when you decide to battle a deli slicer....and the deli slicer doesnt take any sh*t from you!

DO-RE-ME Dance, Antwerpen Central Station

2009-04-20T13:00:00.000-04:00

Here is another cool train station group dance (like the T-MOBILE one in Liverpool or the GRAND CENTRAL STATION one)...this one took place in Antwerpen Central Station, Belgium to the Sound of Music's song, DO-RE-ME

click on the "HQ" button to watch it in High Def

DMB - MSG opening night

2009-04-15T09:40:00.010-04:00

Last nights show was a MUST ATTEND! Orig 04.14.09 was going to be the release of Dave Matthews's new album "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King", but that has been pushed off until June. In the meantime, the start of the 2009 tour began & Dave and the boys played, danced & sang their hearts out (and so did I). The energy was insane in the Garden ....I couldn't believe that every seat was taken - and I mean every single seat behind the stage!!!
Here is the set list (the ones in yellow I caught on tape)...unfor my battery died mid song of Sweet Melissa, or I would def I have taped WHY I AM, which is my new fav song:

- Don't Drink the Water
- Cornbread
- Funny the Way It Is (new!)
- Raven
- You Might Die Trying
- Spaceman (new!)
- Dancing Nancies
- Pig
- Sweet Melissa (w/Gregg Allman)
- Recently
- So Damn Lucky
- #27
- Why I Am (new!)
- Ants Marching
- #41
- Two Step
------encore----------
- Sister
- Tripping Billies

(view from my seat)

In Like a LION....

2009-03-02T08:56:00.002-05:00

Guess how annoyed I am that it started to snow again less then an hour after I finish shoveling!...VERY!

how friends communicate

2009-02-05T01:14:00.003-05:00

when shopping is done, what's next?

How about checking our work emails?

No prob...us talented folk can do that while relaxing on my comfy couch (and reading a magazine at the same time no less!)

Thanks for the visit Amie!

Happy 2nd B-day Todd!

2009-02-01T12:19:00.005-05:00

Time really really does fly...my awesome nephew just turned TWO this week - his birthday party was on Saturday at one of those funzone places where there are a million balls to climb in, rope thingy things to climb on, and jungle gymy things to climb thru...
...and slidy things to slip on down...
not only did Todd get a YO GABBA GABBA cake to share with all his friends, but he got his very own BROBEE cake too!
something tells me Todd likes his own cake....mmmhmmm!

Superbowl XLIII

2009-01-30T10:19:00.004-05:00

Truthfully, I dont care that much who wins - I really just watch the game for the commericals...so this year I will be glued to the set cuz MILLER BEER bought up 30 ONE SECOND slots instead of 1 THIRTY SECOND slot.

(click HERE for a sneak peak)

Anderson Cooper Messes Up - wonder what the distraction was?

2009-01-27T09:31:00.004-05:00

T-Mobile Dance / Frozen Grand Central

2009-01-24T19:11:00.005-05:00

if only this T-MOBILE DANCE happend while I was waiting for a bus at the Port Authority instead of in the UK at the Liverpool Street Station!

KUDOS T-MOBILE!

now this isn't to say that there have not been other massive productions staged in arenas such as the UK train station. Almost a year ago, ImprovEverywhere staged a FROZEN GRAND CENTAL event that was very cool. I just wish I viewed it in person instead of on youtube!

SAVE G-ROCK

2009-01-22T09:34:00.000-05:00

There is now a protest set up for this saturday (Jan 24th) to try & save my fav radio station:

oh, and in the meantime, PLEASE sign the petition:

http://www.petitiononline.com/grock/petition.html

R.I.P. G-ROCK

2009-01-20T10:35:00.003-05:00

sad, sad day in my world of internet radio. The BEST RADIO STATION to listen to while at work via the internet (106.3 FM central NJ) changed it's format yesterday at noon to....iccccccck: TOP 40

why, why, why, why would they do that?
anyone who lives in that area can already tune into Z100 and WPLJ which already play the TOP 40 format.
I was only able to tune into the station on the radio while I was driving down the GSP, which was maybe once or twice a mth....BUT, I listened EVERY DAY/ALL DAY M-F via the internet at work!
G-ROCK was perfect. Period. Every song they played I liked. Every one. All the DJ's had a great sense of humor, the station had awesome tix giveaways (I won D2 tix there last summer & was trying my darnedest to win DMB tix to the upcoming IZOD show this weekend while I was home). And to top it off....they had a killer RETRO REQUEST HOUR (btwn 12-1pm) every day that played rockin music from the 80's. I cant tell you how many times I clicked in & requested old motley crue, or frankie goes to hollywood or old bon jovi!
I was so upset when I switched over at 10:01am this morning (I'm a diehard Elvis Duran & the morning zoo fan that I listen to from 6:30am-10am & I was off yesterday due to the MLK holiday) - I called GROCK's main line to complain to the program director.

Fond Farewell G-ROCK! I'll miss you!

Mocha routes for Arsenal

2009-01-19T21:10:00.006-05:00

Today was MLK day & so Derek was home from school - but that doesnt mean that Mocha is letting him slack off on his studies one bit!

what a smart(a$$) kittycat!

baby, it's COLD outside

2009-01-18T19:44:00.006-05:00

There is something about it snowing overnight so you need to shovel in the morning just so that it can snow again in the evening.

Chewie knows it!

I know it too...but i have to say, it sure is pretty looking before we clean it up!

on a super lazy note: I sure do love that tomorrow is a federal holiday, and for once in my career of being an accountant - I can actually take the day off!

US Airways crashes into the Hudson River

2009-01-15T17:16:00.002-05:00

Well, today we had a scary incident happen - a commercial airliner with 155 passengers & crew members (US AIRWAYS, flight 1549 ) crashed approx 6 minutes after taking off from LaGuardia Airport (on route to Charlotte, NC) into the Hudson River. After streaming the news all afternoon - I think the main reason was due to a flock of geese. OH GEEEZ! The VERY GOOD NEWS is that there were NO FATALITIES. In fact, most people didn't even get wet! Huge kudos to the pilot thinking quickly & landing the plane safely...yes in the water, but safely netherless.....oh, and a HUGE THANK YOU to NY Waterway for being first to the scene & helping passengers get off the wing quickly & safely!
What a day I've had - first I had a 3 hr commute into work due to the middle tube being shut in the Lincoln Tunnel. When I heard all of the sirens going off around 3:30pm today, I knew something bad was happening.

I heart Starbucks again

2009-01-13T13:14:00.007-05:00

Well, it's official.....I get a high when I have the last say. I have been talking to myself for the last 24 hrs like a crazy person. I replayed the conversation over & over in my head & couldnt shake it. The more I replayed the memory, the madder I got.

Today I too upset from what happened yesterday so I skipped my morning drink, but showed up at lunchtime to speak to the manager and clear the air once & for all. She told me that she reprimanded the girl (who turns out...is a shift supervisor) who took her apron off & walked off the bar. She also told me that the barista told everyone that not just me, but that she (the manager) also made those racial slurs in front of customer.

???HUH....That girl has some nerve!!!!!

I asked the manager for the name of the barista & her name, went back to my office & called Starbucks HQ & filed my own report. CRAZY, BUT I FEEL SO MUCH BETTER NOW!

oh, here I am during my Starbucks stint - circa 1995

& here I am with Annmarie (who I just recently found due to Facebook) circa 1996

we might have been good baristas...but BOY OH BOY did we drink A LOT of coffee back then!

upset with Starbucks

2009-01-12T09:04:00.011-05:00

I've loved STARBUCKS since I started working there back in college. I was so proud of being a Barista & Supervisor. The one thing that impressed me about that company was the training they provided. Before I was left alone on the bar to make drinks, I was given a full month of on the job training, as well as training of the history of the company. Let me tell you - back then I mastered the art of foaming milk! You could ask any employee in my store how to make any drink - and they could recite it back to you {SNAP} "just like this".
Not anymore!
I'm one of those people that find a drink they like.....and order it to death. About a year ago my bro-in-law ordered a Cinnamon Dolce Latte (aka CDL), hated it & passed it on to me. It was pure love. That would be my cold weather drink! Knowing from my experience working at Starbucks that you can order your drink anyway you like - I tweak the normal order of "GRANDE CDL" to my obnoxious version of "GRANDE DECAF SKINNY CDL WITH LITTLE WHIP AND TOPPING". Why order the whip & topping if I'm getting it with sugar free syrup & skim milk? Every barista that takes my order rolls their eyes at me (which I pretend to ignore), but the truth is....if you eliminate the whipped cream & topping, you might as well skip the drink.

On friday a cashier took my order, called it correctly to the barista who proceeded to give it to me w/o the whip or topping. At $4.84, I check my drink before I leave - so I took the lid off, noticed what was missing & asked for the whip & topping. The girl then proceeded to give an exaggerated eye roll, squirted 3" of whipped cream (ie: 2" over the rim so no way would the lid go back on) and sprinkled an enormous amount of topping on top. Then handed it to me & said "the lid wont go on". I said "sorry, I need to walk to my office - can you make the lid fit?" She then said, "then drink the top off". Was she crazy? Did she really think I was going to slurp 2" of whipped cream so she can fit a lid? Um....no. My reply was, "Sorry - would you mind making the drink over so the lid can fit?" No point in getting nasty to her (and if you know me, you know I sometimes take pleasure in getting nasty). I order the same drink every day, at the same place, so just like every other barista here - she will learn that my order is a bit annoying.

What she did next I didnt expect. SHE WALKED AWAY and TOOK OFF HER APRON! HUH??????

After about 2 minutes of standing by the bar watching others get their drinks - I asked the other barista (who was working next to the barista who just walked away the entire time) if my drink was there & he said "which one". I told him & he said "oh - it's at the end of the line". I asked him where the girl went & he said "guess she went on a break". WHAT? It's not even 9am in midtown manhattan during rush hour - who goes on break then?!?!

I then walked over to the cashier while I was waiting (who happened to be the manager) and asked why the barista walked away when I asked her to redo my drink. She apologized, picked my cup up from the end & told the other barista to make it a priority.

Today I show up at 8:45am & order the same drink & have a different cashier tell me the drink was on the house due to the incident on Friday (which if you know me, then you know I get high when i get something for nothing), but then proceed to burst my bubble by asking me IN FRONT OF AN LINE OF CUSTOMERS, "did you say to the white manager on Friday that the little black girl made my drink wrong & you wanted her fired?" OH-MY-G-D!

How dare someone even ask me that in public - I was mortified. I asked if she was the manager on duty (which she was), so I answered "no - I didn't play the race card & I'm embarrassed that you would ask me that".

{{SIGH}} I loved Starbucks!

Todd going for a stroll

2009-01-05T17:53:00.005-05:00

anyone need a babysitter?

I know a 23 1/2 mth old who is willing to accept pmt in yogurt melts. Diaper changing assistance is a plus!

HAPPY NEW YEAR

2009-01-01T11:35:00.000-05:00

Diane, me, Barb & Reenie toasting in the New Year (cosmo style)

Sydney Harbour - welcoming 2009

"Every New Year people make resolutions to change aspects of themselves they believe are negative. A majority of people revert back to how they were before and feel like failures. This year I challenge you to a new resolution. I challenge you to just be yourself." - Aisha Elderwyn

YO-YO-YO...SHERRI, NEIL & TODD

2008-12-26T21:55:00.006-05:00

YO! YO! YO!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Wishing You a Very Happy Holiday,

and a Bountiful Yew Year!

(PS: this is one very YO-LA-TENGO family)

Foamy's Letter to Santa

2008-12-25T09:28:00.002-05:00

WARNING - this video contains harsh language

http://www.illwillpress.com/XMESS3.html

first snowfall of the season

2008-12-20T10:47:00.000-05:00

yesterday the northeast got hit with a snowstorm....nothing catrostophic, but a few inches - which is all it takes for everyone to freak out. Considering the fact that about 70% are driving SUV's nowadays - i dont really see the big deal.

Here is my commute home from my bus stop - I go up this block
and then turn onto my block.

By the time I got off the bus (and detoured to shoprite to pick up a few extra items for tonight's chanukkah party) - it was already dark. I think it would have been nice if the plows would have come down the streets by then, considering it was about 8 hrs since the snow began falling.

Trans Siberian Ochestra - IZOD

2008-12-14T19:58:00.006-05:00

if you've never heard this band before - i encourage you to buy tix if they come to your town & GO!

what is Trans Siberian Orchestra's music like?

well, take Christmas songs, add in some heavy metal flair (yup - black leather pants with an unbuttoned white shirt & blond hair flipping...very David St. Hubbins), toss in Tommy Lee drum stick clicks before each song and some synchronized POLYPHONIC SPREE female hair flipping, while dressed like Lita Ford all while a Laser Floyd show is going on.

Cheesy? Ya betcha - and I loved every minute of it!

Here is a sample call MAD RUSSIAN'S CHRISTMAS:

But what REALLY made me go "WOW" - was the pyrotechics, and not just a little (OH-NO), we're talking they went ALL OUT circa 1984! Check out this clip I took of PRELUDE TO MADNESS:

Unfor, my memory card was full by the finale - but it was a treat....Steven Tyler joined the band on stage & performed DREAM ON & SWEET EMOTION (I havent seen him live since back in 1988 @ GIANTS STADIUM when AEROSMITH headlined with G&R / DEEP PURPLE)!

PS: if you CLICK HERE you will go back to a year ago when I first heard thier music laid out with Christmas Lights...this is Wizards of Winter at their finest!

my twinkling lights

2008-12-09T21:57:00.000-05:00

aka: freezing your tail outside on sunday in 18 degree weather on a 20 foot ladder...

...the end results sure are pretty!

my decorating weekend

2008-12-08T20:50:00.008-05:00

So this weekend Randy & I went nuts finishing up our chanukkah/x'mas decorating

Kitchen Window

Dining Room Buffet

Living Room Piano

Living Room Fireplace

(stockings: Mich, FOG, Derek, Randy)

then we headed outside for the lights - when randy wasnt looking I climbed up...and DAMN is it high up here!

hurry & take the pic....I'm FREEZING!
even the squirrels found something to do - they investigated our leftover pumpkins:
and when they couldnt take it with them - they helped themselves to it from the inside out!
check back later for pics of the front window & all the twinkling lights (and let me tell you - they are PRETTY!!!!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HONEY

2008-12-07T09:20:00.001-05:00

happy birthday to you,

happy birthday dear RANDYYYYY,

happy birthday to you!

ok, granted we did let the candles melt down quite far before we let you blow them out!

Here is Mr. & Mrs. HOME DEPOT saying "happy birthday" to you too!

Look out Abercrombie

2008-12-07T08:44:00.002-05:00

there's a new 23 m/o wonderkid in town...and this model's name is TODD JACOB!

Beyonce's SINGLE LADIES

2008-12-06T09:10:00.004-05:00

I'm not sure what makes me keep watching this video:
1) wondering if JANE FONDA was hired as choreographer? Oh Boy, does this video remind me that I need to head TO THE GYM & WORK OUT!
2) makes me think "COOL, ANOTHER 'WHITE CHICKS' DANCE-OFF" !
3) makes me go "UH-HUHHHHHH" for my two friends who know who I'm taking about ;)
4) reminds me of the WANNABES from "SCHOOL DAZE".
....whatever it is - I watched this video 5 times in a row!

I'm so proud!

2008-11-30T13:45:00.005-05:00

awwwwwwwww - Todd knows how to work the Dance Dance Revolution game....that's MY nephew!

click HERE to see his aunt michy killing DDR on her birthday two yrs ago. Ummmmm, and when I say killing it - i mean I really suxed against this 18 y/o that was on the expert level while I was on the beginner's level.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2008

2008-11-27T23:57:00.003-05:00

From My Family to Yours!

Bunny with Yodel on his Head

2008-11-25T14:51:00.007-05:00

well, the bunny strikes again....and this time with a YODEL.

Why?

no fricken clue......but I can tell you that he has a name - it's Oolong! So which one do YOU like better?

The Bunny with Pancake on his Head or the Carrot Eating Hamster?

Amie's Wedding aka: my very needed St John Vacation

2008-11-20T21:48:00.001-05:00

so we arrived on St John last thursday - it was kind of an ordeal, since you have to fly directly into St Thomas & then take a water taxi over to the island. Worked out just fine...and the next day Randy & I went on an AMAZING snorkeling trip. First to visit the BATHS on Virgin Gorda, BVI and the to swim in the CAVES along Normand Island, BVI

that night Amie thru a rehersal dinner BBQ - gotta give lots of smooches

the wedding was beyond beautiful. Amie & Jeff said their vows 5 feet from the Ocean just at dusk. When the final "I DO's" were said, the sun went down

nothing is more beautiful then the sunset along a beach with a loved one

then the partying started as you can see - the sun from the day before attacked my back a bit (yes, my bathsuit criss-crosses along the back)
the happy newlywed couple, Amie & Jeff

next day I spent either hanging out with the Iguana's at the pool....
or being lazy in the ocean on a raft......

DUUUUUUUUUDE!

2008-11-02T07:49:00.010-05:00

On All Hallow's Eve Todd popped in the DVD "THE BIG LEBOWSKI" and voila...he somehow channeled Jeff Bridges during the night and became THE DUDE on Halloween!

....scary similarities!

strolin in da' boken...

Lebowski: What do you do for recreation?

The Dude: Oh, the usual - I bowl, I drive around, ya know - the occasional acid flashback.

doesnt everyone dress up at work for Halloween?

2008-10-31T10:20:00.003-04:00

WELL, I DO!!!!

ok, so I got home about 6pm & it was almost dark...this is how randy set up the front of our house so that the trick ~or~ treaters wouldn't be left out (since no one was home):
and this what I walked into once I opened the front door:

TWO observations from the express bus

2008-10-30T20:17:00.000-04:00

1) gas has come down in price...it's now $2.39 by me

2) gas stations are already setting up x'mas tree buying stations. It's not even halloween yet, I think this is a bit early!

what do you do after mall shopping for 7 hrs with a toddler?

2008-10-27T09:10:00.004-04:00

you find one of those coin operated riding toys!

Aunt Michy RULES...

...in case you dont have kids, that's ARTHUR driving Todd around in his school bus!

broadway + whitesnake = ROCK OF AGES

2008-10-25T10:04:00.007-04:00

For my b-day, my sis got me tix to see the show ROCK OF AGES, so last night we went. I cant seem to get off my mexican kick, so the first stop was for a super yummy dinner (and close to the theatre district if you are heading to a show) at a place called TOLACHE & I totally recommend. We ordered the homemade guac, taco's & quesadilla's - and shared it all since it's all tapas size. MMMMMMMMMmmmmmm!

Then off to see the broadway show ROCK OF AGES - OMG it was so much fun (in a high school senior sing kind of way). Like I said - a lot of fun! It takes place during the late 1980's along the sunset strip & if you loved 80's hair metal music music like we did (ie: poison, whitesnake, winger, bon jovi, night ranger, warrent, extreme, etc)...then I PROMISE YOU that you wont be dissapointed. One of the coolest things was that the narrator totally reminded us of this guy we used to be good friends with way back when - ERNESTO. He had the most out there personality & was so much fun to hang with.

The final song was Journey's "Dont Stop Beleiving" - and they had the entire audience on their feet singing (kind of like the Mama Mia finale). Well, at least everyone that graduated high school back in the late 80's! The kid next to me was about 15 y/o and I dont even think he was born when any of these songs came out. What a waste of a perfectly good tix. Oh, right now the lead is played by Constantine Maroulis (from American Idol), who is sooooooooo damn cute in person!

I'm gonna make a suggestion at my work on monday - wonder if my meeting will turn out anything like this:

Legend of Sleepy Hollow

2008-10-20T23:20:00.010-04:00

this weekend Randy & I took a drive up to Sleepy Hollow, NY to visit the grave of Washington Irving - who happens to be buried in the graveyard of the Old Dutch Church

so, is it weird to get such a pretty picture (with amazing foliage) at a place like this? I think not!
once the sun went down we headed to the Phillipsburg Manor, where there were having the Legends of Sleepy Hollow tour

a-MAIZE-ing

2008-10-13T23:43:00.009-04:00

this weekend Randy took me to a corn maze at STONY HILL FARMS - it was soooooooooo much fun. As you can see, since there is a major election coming up next month - they carved VOTE '08, an elephant & a donkey into the corn maze

when we got there, it was about 5pm...so there was plenty of daylight
Randy even climbed the 8 ft bridge to get a good look of where were should be heading (this view is the back 1/4 of the maze)
good thing, cuz by 6:30 - it was DARK!
like.......REALLY DARK!
but with our flashlights & our maps - we made it out (we actaully did the maze twice...the first time it took us an hour cuz it was still daylight. The second time it took us over two hours cuz we kept getting lost in the dark)

happy birthday...to ME!

2008-10-10T12:13:00.003-04:00

Last weekend was amazing - my parents, Randy & Sherri threw me a surprise b-day party one week before the actual date. The way they got me there was that they sent me an invite to Linda's surprise 60th b-day party...which was the same rouse as my bridal shower. And just as before - I bought a really nice gift for the person I thought I was going to their party!

As you can see - the theme is Mardi Gras....and the cake was AMAZING (one layer of white chocolate raspberry mousse & the other layer was a mocha mousse)
and so were the decorations - here is amie & me
sherri had every glass inscribed with "HURRICANE MICHELLE" - how cool is that?!?!?
barbara, irene, me & joanne - check out the banner that randy had made up for me behind us
my hubby is amazing...btwn the surprise & the decorations - hands down this was THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!

Ugh.....UGGS!

2008-10-01T14:50:00.004-04:00

This pic was taken over a week ago on my way home from work. Granted it was a few days after the official first day of Autumn...so it is fine to switch from capri's to long pants....but UGGS!

Are you kidding me?Someone needs to put a policy in place that if you are so un-tan that you make an albino look sunburned - maybe you shouldn't be wearing your UGGS in 78 degree weather with your shorts!

What the heck is going on with NYC fashion!?!?!?

Happy Birthday Barbara

2008-09-22T00:01:00.000-04:00

DEAR BAR-BY,

LOVE, MICHY

Sesame Street "C is for COOKIE"

2008-09-13T23:59:00.001-04:00

I know there are a lot of pervy sesame street skits out there on youtube...and truthfully I was gonna post one that cracked me up, but then I saw this & started singing along. I also realized how good some of their skits were way back when

oh screw it - here is the pervy one......do NOT open this in front of any kids!

The Magic Garden

2008-09-13T19:16:00.000-04:00

Here is a perfect little 4 minute summary of my FAVOURITE show from back in the 1970's:

I loved when Carol & Paula said "...and hi to michelle..."

The Electric Company

2008-09-13T19:13:00.003-04:00

HEY YOU GUUUUUUUUUUUUYS!
If you can't sing along to this, then you weren't a child watching PBS (which was channel 13 for me) btwn 1971-1977

and YES....you did recognize from the opening credits: Morgan Freeman, Rita Moreno & Mel Brooks. Little piece of trivia: Gene Wilder was the voice of "LETTERMAN".

3-2-1.....CONTACT!

2008-09-13T19:11:00.003-04:00

did ANYONE watching this while it was on PBS realize it was a science show? I didnt, I was already in junior high & I just thought it was cool!

Electra Woman & Dyna Girl

2008-09-13T19:08:00.001-04:00

ok, so it didn't have any educational value....but in 1976 when sherri & I were both grammar school kids, this show had EVERYTHING young girls could ask for.

It was the only time that the 2 of us were quiet for a solid 30 minutes!

DMB @ MSG - Stand Up for a Cure

2008-09-11T23:31:00.006-04:00

So I waited until 24 hrs before to decide I wanted to go to last night's show (truthfully, I thought the concert was in OCT, so I had more time). Any decent seat was actually $255, so I was happy when a WH'r told me he'd sell me his extra for $79. I did save on all the fees...but I can tell you that row L in section 341 is prob THE WORST SEAT IN THE ARENA. I think the 400 level seats were better.

So what is wrong with the seat?

Well how much time do you have?

First off.....there are only 2 rows behind me, so that tells you how seriously in nosebleed land I was. Top that off with a down slanted overhang from the 400 level which covered rows D-N, so the acoustics are horrible. Sounds like you are in a cave. All that was still do-able to me cuz seriously, the show was 100% sold out. People really wanted to be here & so did I.

Unfortunately, I've grown out of love of 21 year old boys who feel the need to smoke & drink so much that they cant stand up, and then continue to smoke & drink even more. By the second song - the entire row in front of me had whipped off the shirts from their hairless bodies & were doing this stupid a$$ skinheaded mosh dancing with their beer mugs so that everyone in the row in front & behind them got to wear their beer. Then came the puking & the falling ontop of each other since they couldnt stand. And this was just the boys. What about the girls? Ughhhhh - there is so much "I LOVE YOU DAVE" I can take when its screamed 500 + 1 times during in each song. Did I mention that acousticly I was in a cave...so their pitchy-ness was inflated tenfold?

After 5 or 6 songs I was ready to throw in the towel & walk out of my first dave show.

In fact - I did just that....sort of!

I walked down 2 escalator flights & then decided I should probably stop off at the bathroom first. Well - BAMMMM, the music took over me & I walked back into the arena. Walked straight down the first aisle I saw (which turned out to be section 96) and that was where I ended up dancing for the next 90 minutes.

Had the best time EVER!

Oh....here is a cool thing. There was this young indian guy on the aisle who after a few songs asked me if Dave always plays such long songs. I looked at him confused & said "hahahaha - what is this, your first show?" And he said "YES". HOLY CRAP - I was hanging with a DMB virgin! How cool is that? I remember my first DMB experience (and that was like 15 yrs ago), so I was really happy for him.

I did miss the opening act, which was Ingrid Michaelson. You can catch a glimpse of her singing with Dave below to SPOON. I was told she was pretty good & even closed her set with a rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow". I wasnt there, so I'm not sure - but I bet she added a small dedication to LeRoi.

Here is the set list:

*Don’t Drink the Water

*Proudest Monkey

*Satellite

*So Damn Lucky

*Corn Bread

*Burning Down The House (crazy fun version of the Talking Heads song...click on title to watch a great version)

*Spoon (click to see video w/Ingrid Michaelson). I've been told the first time Dave did this song he dueted with Alanis Morrisette, which must have been AMAZING!

*Stay Or Leave

*Eh Hee

*Water Into Wine

*#41

*Louisiana Bayou

*Sledgehammer (I'm sorry...I never liked this song and even w/Dave singing it...ehhhhh)

*Crash Into Me

*Two Step

*Anyone Seen The Bridge

*Too Much Intro

*Ants Marching

Encore:

*Too Much

*All Along The Watchtower *