Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay

Okay so I was getting better about writing, and I know I slacked over the past week or so, but with good reason!  I was on vacation (a MUCH NEEDED) vacation down in Ft. Myers, Florida.  We were there for a week, and I had gone with one of my best friends, her mother, and her best friend.  

I was going to write about the vacation and tell you all how wonderful it was and EVERYTHING we did (blah, blah, blah) but what fun would that be?  (And it would be seriously, ridiculously long.)  I actually noticed I learned more than the fact that I actually do burn, Florida has some crazy thunderstorms, and it is a beautiful place.  I'll keep that part short and sweet. 

We went to Ft. Myers Beach and Captiva Beach.  We spent a lot of time at the pools at the resort.  (There was a beach right there as well.)  

We ate at some really great restaurants: Hemingway's (THE BEST,) Mucky Ducks, University Grill, California Pizza Kitchen, and Wahoo Willie's.

We had our fair share of drinks; the bartender at the resort bar loved me and gave me free shots of Jameson everytime I was there.  We even found a place where we could play darts.

Let me tell you:  I did realize that I really needed the vacation to just get away for a week and completely not worry about everything that goes on at home with family and friends, the job hunt, and school.  It was a nice break to start to really put things into perspective and decide exactly how I'd like the next year of my life to go.  I just needed time to think, without my thoughts constantly being disturbed.  It was also the first time I went on a vacation and actually teared up a bit when it was time to leave.  


I've been beginning to notice there are A LOT of people that I would prefer to not associate myself with in this area.  People are heading down the wrong paths and just losing themselves in the mix of everything that could possibly be wrong for them.  At this point, I don't have much to lose, but I have everything to gain and I'm not willing to compromise that over making stupid choices, hanging out with the wrong people, or being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  I won't let people and the influences around me drag me down.  I know I'm much smarter than that.


Also: I really have the desire and the drive to succeed. 

I don't want to disappoint myself and have a life where I've accomplished nothing.  That actually scares the crap out of me.   

I really don't want to live in my hometown forever.  I'm over it.  Besides a couple of people, I really wouldn't miss anything about the place.  That was made obvious to myself while I was away.   


I could have stayed on vacation down there for AT LEAST another week.  Sad, but true.  Now it is over and done, and its back to reality.  I am glad I got to relax my mind though and figure some things out.  Time to make it all happen now :-)




(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding

Right Through You

Well.  I must say I have realized that no matter what you say, do, or believe, some people never change for the better.  In fact, as time always tells, their true colors actually show themselves before you know it.  There are quite a few things I've realized about one person in particular (that male I was blogged about previously) that aren't good qualities at all, and that nobody should even care to deal with.

People aren't going to change, even if they know what they are doing is wrong.

They may say you mean a lot to them, but they sure as hell don't show it.  (Really, because they only care about themselves.)

They don't hang out with you because they know that they can't actually "get anything out of you," such as money, drinks, cigarettes, etc.  So clearly you must be of no use anymore.

They're ditching their best friends: important, relevant people, and also really significant events, (not me, their boys) for things that 99% of people would consider completely meaningless because they "forgot," or some other ridiculous excuse like they forgot the date, or their phone was dead or lost.

So, making up excuses has become "the norm."  What is up with that?  I don't get why people go through the trouble of making up excuses when it becomes harder and harder to keep their story straight.  Why don't people just flat out say, "No, I don't feel like doing that."  I swear, it would make so many lives much easier.

Which leads me to my next point: don't bother lying!  Why lie?  When you lie, you always get caught.  Then you look like a freaking scumbag.  Well, it may be too late for that, anyway. 

I know one thing for sure: NO more time needs to be wasted on people like that.  It's ridiculous.  

Stupid me for ever thinking that people change.  

Stupid me for giving people the benefit of the doubt to people when they have let you down time and time again.  

Stupid me for ever thinking that you can trust people who have broken your trust before.  

Stupid, stupid, STUPID me for letting this drag out for as long as it has.  

Anyway, I have really come to grips with the reality of this situation and the fact that this guy does not deserve anything from me.  In fact, I'm not so sure he really deserves anything from anyone until he starts realizing how selfish he is and stops screwing so many people over.  Be a real guy, a real friend.  It is truly unbelievable that people can be one person, (a VERY likable, wonderful person) when you first meet them, and then as you get to know them, completely show you a person you never,imagined them being. 

What a disappointment. 

Right Through You - Alanis Morissette

Plunger

Soooooo yesterday, we went to see Umphrey's McGee in Rochester, New York.  I love going to Umphrey's shows; I always get incredibly pumped up and have an amazing time!! 

Well, we left earlier (which ended up being later than we wanted to leave) and stopped at the outlet mall that is on the way to Rochester.  We actually weren't there long, and I didn't plan on doing much shopping.  It was a pretty quick stop because we knew which stores we wanted to go into to and exactly what we were looking for.

We got to Rochester around 5:30.  The show was at Party in the Park, an event they hold every Thursday in Rochester.  I was surprised because I thought that the venue and what not was going to actually be bigger than it was.  It was nice because we were able to get extremely close to the stage, exactly where I like to be :-) 

They had a band named Cornmeal, also from Chicago, open for them.  They were actually pretty good and I was impressed!  It was kind of like a combination between bluegrass and a jam band.  In my opinion, I really thought that the show stealer in Cornmeal was the girl, Allie Kral, who played the fiddle.  Holy shit did she kick ass!!   I loved it, and I would see them again if given the opportunity!!

Umphrey's came on soon after, and they started the show with Plunger, which I certainly couldn't argue with because I love that song and I think it is a great show opener.  It is high energy and definitely gets the crowd pumped up for whatever may follow. They certainly weren't lacking in the jam department, ranging from some heavy sounds into some serious "let's get down" funk, which was incredible!!

Some other highlights included an instrumental jam version of I Heard It Through the Grapevine, and other favorites such as Cemetery Walk and Andy's Last Beer.  Utopian Fir was great, and the crowd started to go insane when they did a "Super Marios Brother" tease in the middle of the song. 

I must say, my favorite moment was probably when they went from Alex's House and then ended the set with a cover of 'Baba O'Riley,' originally by the who.  It was fantastic!!  And remember the fiddler Allie I told you about from Cornmeal?  She joined UM onstage during this and totally rocked her part.  It was amazing.  I thought she was talented before playing with her own band - well shit you should have seen her fiddle during Baba O'Riley because she jammed the hell out!

So at that point, they went off stage and everyone was prepared for the encore.  Well What an encore because some people may have argued that it was actually another set!!  (I wasn't going to complain about that AT ALL.)  Everyone was still ecstatic after their first set ended, so it only seemed appropriate that they played on and jammed as long as they did.  They played Push the Pigs to Jimmy Stewart WITH the lyrics and ended the show with Cemetery Walk II.  I didn't want it to end!! How sad, but I was super glad we made the trek to go see them :-)

After the show we ventured down to an old favorite eating spot, Henrietta Hots.  We each ordered the infamous garbage plates and must have refilled our drinks several times.  Soon after we got on the road and headed home!!  What a great day!!

UM is going to be in Big Flats, NY on Sunday and in Buffalo, NY on Thursday.  Ironically enough I can't make either show, so I'm extremely interested to see what the set lists look like.  I have been waiting to hear them play In the Kitchen and Bright Lights live, to no avail.  So I will be somewhat disappointed if I miss that!!  And once again, for anyone who cares, here was their set list below:


Party in the Park: Rochester, New York - July 8, 2010

Set One:
Plunger
Visions of Parin
Plunger
The Linear
I Heard It Through the Grapevine
Andy's Last Beer
Cemetery Walk
Utopian Fir
Alex's House
Baba O'Riley

Encore (yes, encore, not second set)
Push the Pig
"Jimmy Stewart"
The Crooked One
Anchor Drops
The Crooked One
Cemetery Walk II

Also:  Want to see the some video footage of the Baba O'Riley cover?  Check it Out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R45S0UMLpgo

Hello

Okay so I did it.  I called him.  I knew I would.  

After I finished my previous post, I did a few random things and then picked up my phone without hesitation.  Except that time, I actually pressed the send button.

I'm actually glad I called.  We chatted for a few minutes and just caught up on the things that we missed out on in each others lives in the past few weeks (basically the same shit we're always going though) and told each other silly stories we knew that the other would find amusing.  It was pretty much like no time had passed at all.  

There always seems to be a few people in your life that happens with, when you can just pick up where you left off with no gaps left in between.

I don't really know what kind of satisfaction I got out of it, whether it was just to get that nagging feeling off of my chest that was telling me to reach out, or to avoid that awkward hello and that intense stare we give each other whenever time goes by and we see each other again.  Either way, I knew once I hung up the phone, I did feel a lot better.  In the grand scheme of things, I suppose that's all that matters. 

Hello - T.I.

Missing You

Have you ever found yourself missing someone and you can't exactly figure out why?  

A person that you spent most of your time with, but you suddenly haven't talked to or seen them in over a month?

One of those people that you constantly cross that fine line between friendship and being "more than friends" all of the time, even though you know they're not necessarily good for you?  (You know you'd be better off as friends and sometimes wished you had never crossed that line time and time again.)

Have you stared at your phone and dialed their number, only to never actually press the send button over and over again?

You could talk to them about almost anything and would never think twice about calling, so why is it so hard to place the call now?


Ughhh.  I don't understand it.  I hate missing people.  I hate having this feeling.  

Part of me wants to just pick up the phone and make that call so I could get this burning feeling out of my system.  The other part of me thinks that there is clearly a reason we haven't talked in over a month.  But what if there isn't a reason?  What if that person is sitting there thinking the exact same things as me?  I guess I just don't know why things like this that are so simple, end up becoming such difficult decisions.


I don't want to miss you.  I hate missing you, but I hate not seeing you.  Ugh.  Maybe this feeling will pass...


Missing you - John Waite

Sample in a Jar

Okay so I'm writing about this a little late, but on Tuesday, I had the pleasure of going to my first Phish show. ((FINALLY!!!))  Our day started out pretty slow; we kind of took our time doing the things we needed to get done before we left, so we ended up getting on the road pretty late.  I went with my girls Ashley and Lindsay, which was a great idea!  Lindsay decided to come at the last second, and I couldn't have been happier that she decided to come along!  Well...we hit the road on the thruway since the show was in Canandaigua which is about 45 minutes away from where we live.  

We definitely left late.  As we got onto the main road where the show was, it was wayyyy backed up with traffic.  I think this made all of our anxiety go through the roof because we were cutting it close to showtime, which was 7:00.  We didn't want to miss a thing.  I knew I had never been late to a show, and this wasn't going to be my first.  Lindsay did her best to cut through parking lots and side roads to cut off some of the traffic we were sitting in, which ended up being a good thing because it probably saved us about 30 minutes overall!  In a panic, we paid $10 to park in a lot right across from the venue, and grabbed a few beers to chug as we ran to the gates.  Luckily, as we were running, a security guard told us not to worry and that Phish wasn't actually going on until 7:30, despite what our tickets and any event site on the internet said.  We cut it close; at this point it was about 7:20!!