a suggestion

everyone (i hope) has those songs that just hit them...ya know, gives them goosebumps. 

i couldn't tell you specifically what song, but i remember on multiple occasions running errands with my dad on the weekends in the summer while growing up. windows down, always. he would have a certain song on, one that i probably at the time hated...or still do. regardless, these songs weren't played all the time but when they were there was something that i would always notice. goosebumps. my dad would literally get goosebumps at a certain part of the song.

i, i have absolutely inherited that trait. thankfully. 

songs that give you goosebumps can change your mood in a second. they change your perspective of the day, or at least the morning, afternoon or night. they are far and few between but when they are heard...i assure you goosebumps never felt so great. 

now, this brings me to another point. are you a lyrics person or are you a music (in the literal sense) person? if you HAD to pick, what would it be?....think about it, don't worry you don't need to tell me, and honestly... i don't want you too. it's a personal thing really, a preference. keep it that way. 

anyway, the song's that give me goosebumps, well, they have both the lyrics and the sound. (sorry!) i'm not a writer, a poet or even an artist. i enjoy singing, i have a blog and i work hard...that's about it. but what i do know is that songs that have a build in both volume (crescendo) and emotion ("pre-chorus", "pre-hook", "b-section", "lift") give me goosebumps. i almost always save these songs for the car and right from the beginning...i 
turn up the volume, sit back and wait for it. wait for the goosebumps, which crazy 
enough...happen every. single. time. pretty cool right? i think so too. 

my suggestion would be go listen to that song that gives you goosebumps. turn the volume
up and wait for it. it won't disappoint. i assure you.

and just because i'm sure you are all wondering what gives me goosebumps...The Great Escape. P!nk. (don't  knock it until you try it my friends)

CLICK HERE TO ENJOY.
2:50 minutes in is that "pre-hook" i spoke of. 

tradition

what makes Christmas special? What about Easter? Or, is it just that third Wednesday of every month? 
easy for me to answer that one.... it has to be tradition. tradition makes ordinary holidays, or events, extraordinary... special even. 

what is special about tradition itself is that it doesn't need to be grand mom's 100 year old recipe for that big dinner or your dad's old record on repeat that makes something special. tradition is something that can be created, started, and molded into what you desire it to be at any moment. sure, there is something more special or unique about that little something you have always done that makes that day different, or allows you to always recall it as your favorite memory. however, it is through evolution of time, relationships and season that traditions can be born again.

fairly exciting right?

when i think about traditions i am immediately drawn to being a child and waiting. i think about Christmas ...the absolute epitome for tradition. i recall Christmas morning and having to wait until 8:30 am. no matter the age my brother would wake at dawn, a time of which he would rarely see...well ever any other day of the year. it is tradition that he sit, he wait and we watch the clock. at 8:30 am we were simply allowed downstairs however only able to look, not touch. no touching until coffee was made. no. matter. what.  So as A Christmas Story played on the background (another tradition in itself) we would wait...
as i recall the holidays i think of a more recent tradition. thanksgiving muddling season. yep, you've got it.   Old Fashions. Beam, Cherries, Oranges, Sugar and...a muddler. thanksgiving day of course brings thanksgiving night, which ultimately always, brings Old Fashions AND A Christmas Vacation. A perfect holiday tradition if you ask me.
so what about tradition on non holidays? easy. growing up Tuesday nights were a tradition in itself. it was Me, Dad and the baby brother. More so me and dad. It was dinner (sloppy joes), it was Hangin' With Mr. Cooper, then warm baths, followed by freezing exits, Full House and a do-nut, or whatever dessert special was in store. Tuesdays were tradition. always will be. 

everyone has traditions that are special to them. some more valuable than others. some more grand than the one the year before however no matter the motive or action, it is what the tradition brings to a persons spirit, or memory that is important. being able to create new traditions excites me to be whoever i'll be as the years go on. so sure as a wife i'd love to start a few and as a mom i know i'll have plenty but i can only hope that each is as special as the one before, but never as valuable as the next. 

Some Hopeful Tradition Ideas:
Christmas Eve Surprise Box. Include: new pajamas, Christmas movie, popcorn, mugs, hot chocolate, marshmallows, Christmas book.

Making a cup of tea before work for your loved one every Friday. Even if you have different schedules.

A Christmas cookie exchange or an ornament exchange among long distance friends.

First day of school picture. EVERY year.

house a home.

what makes a house a home? is it a family? is it a warm cooked meal? what about a pet? or, is it simply just your mom and all that she brings with her?

so, what makes a house a home when you are far away from a family, don't always have a warm cooked meal and well, the whole pet thing, just didn't work out...

simple. making a house a home should be about comfort. it is about relaxation and that quiet peace. sure the meaning of home may change over the years, as it may go from the place you played for hours outside on the block, to the place you never wanted to be during high school, and then the perfect welcome mat from a long semester at college, however the real meaning of home never changes.

so, now what?
what happens when your house, is no longer your home?

simple. you make your own home. and this, this is just what i have done. i have found that when feeling rather "domestic" i take comfort in the fact that i make the place i spend most of my time as peaceful as possible. this of course in my world means candles, fluffy pillows, decorative accent rugs and towels alike. ya see, no one wants to leave an office after hours of work and go "home" to a place where they cannot feel well... at home.

so, after years of different houses and plenty of places to call home... i find comfort in the fact that i have made my own. no family, no pet, and no mom around... just a little decor here and there, a big comfy bed and a full fridge. not too bad.

so, it's simple. a house is home if you make it feel like home. 

tick.

everyone has that something that makes them tick. something that makes them take a deep breath, relax their neck muscles and sigh. for some it is working out (yeah i wish). for some it is reading or sitting on the beach, and hell, for some it is both. i do find though, for most it is music. 

music moves people in ways that are difficult to describe. my profession is built on it. thousands of people's livelihoods are in one way or another. i mean, this isn't just a hobby or a thrill of sorts. nope, this is for some, the bread and butter of life. 

it is after watching a sold out crowd for a great gig that i sit and ponder this whole phenom if you will. you have those that are moved, touched, and brought to their knees with a beat and you of course have those that make it their life in the literal sense. i am a very moderate mix of the two. music or entertainment is my life because it a. pays the bills, b. is the product of hours of brainstorming and anxiety that has brought me across state lines afar, and c. the very thing that makes me tick to balance it all. 

what i mean by that is that there is nothing more in my current state that i appreciate more than watching and "enjoying the moment" of a sold out crowd for a performer that i happen to be a fan of. it's a buzz that is addicting...intoxicating even. i mean, it has to be after spending 15 hours in an office running around and being pulled in 5 different directions all at the same moment just to ensure a "smooth" event day. i mean seriously, what does an actual "smooth" event day really look like? hell if i know...

however, all of this brings me to that balance i spoke of previously. life is about balance. this is a sensitive topic for some. ya see, there are plenty that drown themselves in work, long days and stretching themselves thin. and for what? passion? 

see for me passion is tough. it's touchy if you will. what is passion and how do you balance the what makes you tick vs what needs to be your bread and butter? for me i have found it is a healthy marriage of taking what i do and, enjoying the moment. enjoying the sold out gigs, the artist interactions and the pats on the back a good review or cover story may get you. and as for what makes me tick, it's gotta be the thing that makes it all go around after a long day that will allow you to close the car door, take a deep breath, relax your neck muscles, sigh and finally crank on that perfect jam to put it all to a close.

a sex and the city post of sorts...

Is chivalry dead? seriously, is it? when is the last time that you had the car door opened for you, or were complimented on your outfit and you felt like it was genuine? what about the last time that you were told that your laugh lights up a room or that "you, complete me." sure, good ole Jerry McGuire may have been a stretch, but honestly, can you remember? can you remember feeling legitimately wanted? (take a minute and let that sink in... i'm talking wanted. core shaking, gut twisting wanted. .... sexy right?)

if so, good for you, if not.... uh... welcome to the party i guess?

ya see, i am not a crazed fan of being given things on a silver platter or being complimented at exhaustion. hell, i don't really even prefer being showered with gifts or flowers but i am in favor of subtle compliments, the flirtatious and sincere kind. i am in favor of being given appreciation, the kind that is real. but then again, who isn't? men and women alike i'm sure.

ok, go ahead, you can call me naive if you'd like... but uh, what does a girl gotta do?

now please don't get me wrong... this is nothing more than an observation, a thought process, and an effort to propose a question.

i realize that you can't court someone forever and that it may get a little "old"... wait, did i just say that? did i seriously just give all of the men out there who don't flirt, compliment or thank their lucky stars for the blessings they have beside them and give them an excuse? ...i think i did. shame, shame on me.

so sure not every day is going to be a proposal, and not every dinner date is going to be as memorable as the first. however, all of the days in between should be special in one way or another. flirting with your wife of 25 years, or you girlfriend of 6 months should really be no different. and honestly, the longer the relationship the better it should be. chivalry is being replaced by comfort, and when too comfortable relationships suffer and one may feel unsatisfied. i mean, who doesn't want a spark? who doesn't want a sexy email or text followed in a week or two by a "when was the last time you've been taken out on a date? be ready by 7. xo".

sure, to us ladies it seems like a no brainer, however we'll be the first to tell you it doesn't matter.  confusing right!? i know, i apologize on behalf of all the women out there! but uh, news flash, it does... and for perspective that's like the "i'm fine" answer men dread when asking their sweetheart "hey, what's wrong?"

nice try.  you haven't fooled anyone.

sexy.

true.

more true.

a memory

when a memory can make you tear up, it says a lot about the origin of that thought. when something can make you cry or shiver with just a mental glimpse, it means that the person or idea behind that glimpse has touched your life in a very strong way. i think it speaks very strongly about how that idea or emotion has molded you into the person you are today. everyone has an abundance of thoughts, experiences or memories that have made them into the person they are today, simply put, it is what life is all about. when i take just a second and think of a few that come right to mind, i can, at the drop of a hat think about specific things that automatically trigger a very specific emotion. they are the following (among others of course):

memory: driving solo out of my driveway windows down, with a license. emotion: complete independence.
memory: giving a simple poem as a gift to my grandmother on christmas. emotion: pure happiness.
memory: walking out that room and falling to the floor of a bathroom. emotion: heaving absence.
memory: driving through wood line night roads listening to YES with my dad. emotion: peace
memory: watching a mother search for life in the movement of the thumb of her dying son. emotion: raw sadness.
memory: walking the SC campus post graduation. emotion: yearning pride. 
memory: driving to the airport for departure. emotion: pure discontent. 
memory: hot chocolate and gingersnaps perfectly prepared after school. emotion: thankful excitement. 

there are highs and there are lows in every ones lives. there are memories that bring emotions both happy and incredibly sad.  slightly "stream of consciousness-like" if you will. it is how we take those memories and use them to be stronger, better and more positive when given difficult tasks in days ahead. it is life and how we manage it/them that is important. 

ya see, i have always thought it was interesting that you never really know when you are making a memory. you never really realize that the outfit you wore that day, or the way you wore your hair, or what the weather was like, or how the starts twinkled that night would forever be part of a memory that was in the making, right then and there. it is what makes making new memories exciting, and what also allows us to have hope in a better day and bigger tomorrow. so when that thought you have makes you tear up, there is promise in the idea that another origin of impression may be just around the corner.

a pointless vent, enjoy

living in different states has taught me a thing or two about regional TV coverage. if you don't mind me saying, there is nothing worse than getting all geared up for an Eagles, Gamecock, Flyers or Phillies game, sitting my fat ass on the couch, turning on the TV and finding that the Redskins are playing the Cowboys or that the Rays are playing who the eff cares. and don't even get me started on who the god damn FSU Seminoles or Gators are playing. #theybothsuck

and yet, just another reason why i love golf. these guys have gotten it right... first 4 hours on Golf Channel, and last 4 hour on national coverage. good job boys. nomads like myself appreciate your efforts.

now, i could avoid this dilemma by paying for NFL, MLB, College Football, and NHL packages (hello $300 cable bill) or, i could continue to complain, suck it up and make some stew. which, is exactly what i have done today. wish me luck... 1 hour in, 5 more to go. (i don't even like stew?)