got a feelin' 21 is gonna be a good year...

KARA TURNED 21!!!!!! my little sister. can i believe it? NO. no, i can't believe it. and she's out with her friends this very minute bar-hopping in Portsmouth. as i sit here, sick with worry.

anyways. we had a lot of fun yesterday, the 29th, which was her birthday. i came home early and there were donuts and iced coffee waiting for me! very good donuts. from Congdon's, in Wells, Maine. um, they were delish! actually, i had an apple fritter. as those are one of my favorite things ever invented.

we hung around the house some. Kara opened up a few presents. here's what i got Kara for her birthday:

- Rooney ticket. (Rooney tickets make great presents, as the concert we went to in December was also Kara's Christmas present!!)

- i put this picture in a frame:




that's one of my favorite pictures of Kara and I. here's the story behind it:

my mom was getting mad because the huge container of all my old dance costumes was getting in the way and she asked me to clear it out. what happened instead? kara and i ended up playing dress up all night and taking pictures. yep, the night ended with drawn on eyeliner moustaches. i was a french painter and kara was a cowboy. every time we see that picture we both burst out laughing. OMG it was SUCH a fun night.

- i made her an anklet and a pair of earrings

- bought her Hannah Montana nail polish set which included nail decals and a guitar-shaped nail polish carry case. YEP - nail polish carry case.

- i made her an eye mask. like, to wear to sleep. YEP! i MADE IT! i went to the fabric store, picked out some great silk fabric. traced a pattern. and constructed one! and um, it came out totally great. like, really really great. every time i looked at it i couldn't believe i pulled it off.


i think kara made out pretty well. i was so excited to give her all my presents.

ANYWAYS. we saw Inception. i REALLY liked it. Leonardo was so super smokin hottt. holy man it was hard to breathe.

OVERALL - i had absolutely no idea what the movie was about going into it, but i had it figured out pretty early on. and i was right! but, i still thought it was really good.

OMG I LOOVVEEDDD LOVED LOVED the fight scene between Joseph Gordon Leavitt and the other guy in the hallway when they were fighting up the walls and it was like there was no gravity. ohhhh i loved that scene so much. i actually wanted to clap after. for realz.

i thought the whole movie, especially that scene, was like a ballet. it was very fluid and sharp.

i thought it was a very well done film. excellent sound. excellent score as always, by Hans Zimmer. excellent Leo, also as always. ohhh Leo. i just can't figure out why we're not married yet.

after the movie we went for dinner at Margarita's. had some delish mexican food. i only had one margarita. my mom had two. and kara had three. now, i have no idea how kara had three margaritas and was still able to stand up afterwards.

now, Margarita's is a kind of special place, because it is where i first remembered my dream about Tony where we were doing tequila shots. my FIRST Crash Kings dream. it was really when i realized my love for Tony AND the red plaid shirt. i was with Andrew and i saw the tequila list and was looking at it and said,

JUILE: Wait a sec... I think I just had a dream where I was doing tequila shots...
ANDREW: Oh yeah?
JULIE: Yeah..... I was doing tequila shots with..... Tony....
ANDREW: Tony??
JULIE: The lead singer of Crash Kings!
ANDREW: Crash Kings???
JULIE: The band I saw open for Rooney in December!!

momentous.

anyways, after that we came home and had cake and opened more presents. i felt really sick, actually. i think from the one margarita. so, i actually can't imagine doing tequila shots because i would probably vom instantly.

but, it was a fun night. i love birthdays a lot.

TODAY!! was fun, although i still felt sick most of the day. i was also REALLY REALLY SUPER SUPER bumming because i checked my bank account and realized that i absolutely do not have enough money to go see River City Extension. or, i guess the real part is that i don't have money to drive to New Jersey. it'd be like a total of 11.5 hours of driving. and in really, really, thinking very hard about it, it's probably not totally smart to drive there and back again in one night.

and i'll definitely see them in Boston next week, so it's not like it'll be a while.

ALSO - it's not like they haven't stood me up before. because, i paid $5 to see them in Portland, and they were a no show. although they have long since made up for it just by being awesome. and the tweets from james, the blog comment from nick, and the emails, facebook friend request and facebook wall note from joe.

MAN that band is so awesome. AWWWWWWW i can't wait to see them!!

crap. i just checked my bank account again to 1) really, really make sure that i can't go and 2) see if any money had magically appeared. not yet.

DAMN. why doesn't money just magically appear in my bank account when i wish it??? it doesn't make sense. also - i just got paid on tuesday and again, i have no money. what's the deal?? i guess i spent money for Kara's birthday. phone bill was due. wasn't expecting to have to take Ruby Tuesday to the vet. and i needed to buy the new Solobob song on iTunes. although, that was only 99 cents. YOU should buy it! it's called Fantastic 15. and it's by Solobob. aka: Robert Schwartzman.

so, moving on:

i never saw the bat again!! nope. tuesday night was pretty scary, though. when i went to bed, i shut off allll the lights in my living room and kitchen and then shut my bedroom door with me and Ruby inside. and i opened three windows and screens so the bat could fly out if he was still inside. maybe he left on his own, i don't know.

wednesday night wasn't as scary, but i was still on edge. and i didn't see the bat again.

OH! but one more thing about River City Extension! i had a DREAM about them last night!! the dream was that i was at Starland Ballroom, but it was on a rooftop. like, an open air venue on a rooftop. still in New Jersey, though. and i had gotten there like, 2 days early. it was a good dream.

but back to the bat: so, i took Ruby Tuesday to the vet on wednesday morning. she howled the whole ride in the car, but she was such a good girl in the vet!!! she was purring and exploring the room! she was so cute!!! omg i love her so much. and she got a rabies booster and they said she looked perfectly healthy!!! and even though her last rabies shot had expired a few months ago, since she had had the shot before, she was still covered.

so THAT was the biggest relief ever. then we came home, i gave her some turkey and treats. and then called my mom to let her know that everything was okay. and then i was supposed to call the doctor about ME. and my possible exposure to rabies.

BUT FIRST: i bought my non-refundable Crash Kings ticket for next week. there was only one night that i hadn't bought the ticket for yet, and i figured, "i better do it before i call the doctor, that way, if i have to go get crazy shots, i can say, 'but these tickets are non-refundable! i have to go!!'"

great plan, eh?!?

and then i called the doctor, explained the sitch, and she said that as long as the vet said that Ruby was still covered, and i had no contact with the bat - i was fine :)

and that's the story about how i maybe was exposed to rabies, but was fine in the end.

and now watch, 6 months later, i'll die from rabies. because turns out, the bat actually did bite me in my sleep. whatever. as long as Ruby is fine.

anyways. so, still in maine. not sure what the plan is for saturday. MAN. okay i'm really sad about not going to see RCE today. i was so, so, sososo, so, sooo, soo, so excited.

BUT - i'm seeing them FOR SURE next week. like - for sure. there's no way i'm missing them when they are in Boston. because really, the experience of seeing River City Extension outweighs the cost of everything. because they're so incredible.

i kind of can't believe i've only seen then once. it feels like more. and it was when they were the opener of three bands.

the LAST time i fell in love with an opener of three bands was with Crash Kings!

anyways. i just have to accept that i have no money. and i can't drive to new jersey today. and really, WHO can ever afford all the tolls on the Garden State Parkway?? i mean, come on!

i should really go to bed. although, i slept like, 12 hours last night. and then had to take an hour nap today because i was so tired. i've had a hard week. between being so excited from events last weekend, being so excited for kara's birthday, and being so scared about that bat - i haven't gotten much sleep this week.


ya know what? i want to get married. maybe not today. maybe not tomorrow. maybe not this year or next, or next or next or next year, but i want it. maybe i won't get married to you. although, maybe i will, who knows. but, i want it. and i feel like everyone is getting married. and we're getting 'save the date' everything. and i want it too. i want to plan a wedding. and i want it to be mine. and so there. that's that.


(really that stemmed from my not being able to stop thinking about how gorgeous Leo was in Inception. and then thinking for serious about why we're not married.)

hm. and i was going to talk about something else... and now i can't remember what it was.

also - i want that tattoo.

also - does anyone else think that 'Saving Grace' and '1985' sound alike? i admit - sometimes, if i miss the very beginning of the intro, i can't tell which is which. that's for real.

ok. i think maybe it's time for me to go to bed.

i'm hoping that someone will take me to see The Kids Are Alright. because i really want to see that. i think Kara maybe mentioned it.

OKAY. i'm going to bed now for real. have a great night! a great day!!

IF YOU'RE going to New Jersey for the River City Extension show, make sure you say hello to the band for me. And make sure to rock. And have fun.

GOODNIGHT!


<3

a few more things to talk about because i'm too scared to go to sleep!!!

➠ ha, look at that funny arrow

➠ guess what?!!? COURTNEY is coming to see Crash Kings with us in Burlington next week!! Courtney rules! She said she finally listened to Crash Kings and could understand what all the fuss was about :)! I'm so excited! CK lovin' spreads like the SARS virus.

➠ so, it's nighttime, and i'm in my apartment. and i'm practically falling asleep. but i'm too scared to actually close my eyes. Ruby is having no problem with it:




that was taken just a few moments ago. Poor little girl, she has no idea she's going to the vet in the morning!! awww you have no idea how bad i feel!! and today I had to take a baby to the doctor's and he got shots. He only cried for a few seconds and then got over it. I'm more worried about Ruby, though. I guess it's different when it's your own baby :) She's been very cuddly tonight and I like it.

➠ anyways. no bat sighting yet. i haven't fully barricaded myself in my bedroom yet. i've been slowly turning off lights. i just keep picturing the very first second i opened my eyes this morning and saw a bat flying around. MAN talk about being caught off guard.

➠ i'm also creating fake symptoms of rabies to psych me up. great, huh? yep. i was trying to swallow one of my vitamins tonight and it took a few tries and i was like, "OH MY GOD I CAN'T SWALLOW I'VE GOT RABIES!!!!"

➠ and then my mom got really mad at me on the phone for being so concerned about missing my concerts if i have rabies. if i die of rabies, i'm going to be SUCH a drama queen about it.

➠ also, if i miss these concerts - Crash Kings are playing my funeral. YEP. because maybe Tony would like to be outside sippin' on sunshine in the afterlife, but i would like to be at a Crash Kings concert. best heaven ever.

➠ also, i was thinking about this. because i am always thinking of you guys. BUT - i predict that if i have to get all the rabies shots - it will make for the best blogging ever!!!!! i'll call it, BLOG SHOTS. brillz! because, i was reading about it, and first you have to take these pills, and then have a shot, then go back on like, the 3rd, 5th, and 2 week mark after for shots. basically like a shot a day for like two weeks. that's great material.

➠ BLOG SHOTS. i love it.

➠ so, we all know that i love Tony, but i think he kind of ruined 'Come Away' for me. because every time i've heard it since, all i can think of is him being angry and stopping in the middle of the song. he was ready to walk off stage. maybe i'll tell him my troubles and he'll dedicate a special version to me.

➠ OK, here's the real important thing. the rest of this was just filler. the celery portion of the blog.


✮ WHAT SHOULD WE DO FOR BLOG READER APPRECIATION WEEK?!!? It was around this time, last year. Blog Reader Appreciation Week. And every day we had a different event! But this year - I want to hear FROM YOU!!!! What would YOU like to do for Blog Reader Appreciation Week? I'm thinking it could be in a few weeks. Or, maybe just one day? Or maybe a whole week - whatever! YOU DECIDE!!!

✮ Do you want a party? Prizes? An online toast? Hmm, let's get creative with this. What could be awesome?? ANYTHING you want! Just tell me, and I'll do my blog best to make it happen.

✮ YOU read this blog, how do YOU want to be appreciated?? I feel appreciated whenever I get comments. And when I can see on my blog tracking that a lot of people have viewed the blog.

✮ So, start brainstorming. Maybe think about it for a little while. And then let me know! Either by commenting, or by email!!

✮ Ok great. Notice how this portion was bullet pointed with stars and not arrows. Stars make it seem more fancy, because it was the most important part! Duh!


Well. Folks, I'm exhausted. Like, so tired. I think I have to go to sleep.

Ok. I'm forcing myself.


✮ Goodnight!!!!

the dark night

um, okay, let me tell you about my night last night.

- i was SO proud of myself for going to bed early. i was in bed by 2:30am!!!
- (i tried to watch A Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but the DVD was too scratched, so instead i watched 2012 on instant netflix. umm...pretty lame movie. although, the natural disasters were great. i was bummed it was so hopeful at the end. although, i did shed a tear during the big tsunami in india part.)
- so, i fall asleep around 2:30. i had my alarm set for 9:10am. i definitely needed to be at work by 11am, but it might change to 10:30am, depending on circumstances. so - i wanted to be responsible and prepared.

- i am suddenly awakened at 4am by Ruby Tuesday jumping on my bed.
- i open my eyes and the first thing i see is something huge flying above my head
- OH MY GOD
- i quickly scramble out of bed and barricade myself in the bathroom
- i think, "holy crap there is a bat in my apartment right now."
- so, i have a freak out sesh.
- i hear all the commotion has now moved to the kitchen, so i sloowwllyy walk out.
- then, forgetting that my dad isn't there, i start calling out for him.
- and then, i remember that he went to maine earlier in the day. CRAP. now i really have no idea what to do.
- so, i get dressed. why? i don't know. i suppose in case the bat turns into a hottie vampire, i won't be in my pajamas.
- then i hear the bat start screeching and squealing in the kitchen
- so, i creep out and start calling for Ruby. i don't want her to be near it
- she sees me in the kitchen doorway and starts meowing and walks about halfway to me, but then turns around to go see the bat on the floor again.
- i think she wants me to follow her. but, hell no, i stay put.
- then i remember that my boss is staying over tonight, so i call her on the phone.
- she says that she is deathly afraid of bats, but that she knows it's just as scared as i am

- basically, it was just nice to have someone to talk to and help me calm down through it all
- while we were on the phone, Ruby came running out of the kitchen, slid across the floor, the bat was LOOSE.

- THEN, in a quick turn of events, there was lots of screeching from the bat and then SILENCE.

- i hung up the phone and slowly walked into the kitchen, expecting to see a torn up bat on my floor.

- but, no. there was no bat anywhere. and Ruby Tuesday was on the floor in front of the fridge.

- SOOOOO, i think the bat escaped under or behind the fridge. but when my boss boss went to look for it today, he moved the fridge and found nothing.

- so, where's the bat? i don't know.

- am i dreading going upstairs in the dark tonight? YOU FREAKING BET I AM.

- unless however, by then the bat has turned into a hottie vampire. a nice Alexander Skarsgard or Robert Pattinson, perhaps?


so, i was awake with the bat frenzy from 4am until 5:20am and by then, it was starting to get light outside. so, i turned on all the lights in my apartment and hoped the bat would get sleepy. because i was sleepy too.

and i was so worried because Ruby had been playing/maybe torturing the bat while it was under the table. and she was really, really hot when i finally picked her up. so, i was worried she had a fever because she had been bitten and was now infected with rabies.

and then i thought back to the past few days, and she's been kind of throwing up a lot. so then i was like, OH MY GOD RUBY HAS HAD RABIES ALL THESE DAYS AND I DON'T KNOW IT!!!!!!

but then i looked up the symptoms of cat rabies, and it didn't really sound like it.

BECAUSE, i don't know how long the bat has been living in my apartment. maybe just last night, but maybe also other nights. i hadn't been there for a few nights, maybe my dad slept through other bat incidents? and Ruby had been bitten?

OH MAN, all these things were running through my head. and i was really nervous to get back into bed.

BUT I DID. because i knew i had a busy day today and was working alllll day.

i managed to get Ruby to sleep right next to me and we both fell asleep around 6:30, i think.

and she was still sleeping when i woke up at 9:10. and she slept right through all my "snoozes" until 10am.

i think she was just hot from all the excitement. but, maybe she has a little stomach bug? i don't know.

anyways, so i wasn't too worried about getting ready for work because it was daylight.

and i went to work from 10:15am and i'm working until 10pm tonight.

i called the local vet this afternoon and told her the sitch....

JULIE: Hi, I had a bat in my apartment last night and my cat was playing with it. She's a little overdue on her rabies shot...
VET: Okay, so she needs her rabies vaccine.
JULIE: Yep.
VET: Can you come in tomorrow morning?
JULIE: Yep.
VET: 8:45?
JULIE: Yep!

and i hung up that phone and almost burst into relief tears. i was so worried that they wouldn't be able to see her for a few days, or something.

people at work are telling me that i should call the doctor and tell them that the bat was in my bedroom. apparently sometimes you don't even know if you get bit by a bat, because their teeth are so small.

but, they're also telling me that although bats are a major rabies carrier, the fact that my bat was a carrier is pretty rare.

AS LONG AS RUBY IS OKAY, i'll be okay. (but i might still call a doctor, i don't know.)

I SWEAR TO GOD, if i can't go see Crash Kings next week because i have rabies - i will be so pissed off.

because a) that severely limits my chances of making out with any of the guys, as rabies is transmitted by saliva, and i wouldn't do that to a Crash King.

but, i don't think i was bitten by a rabid bat.

UGH. all day that's all i can think about. the stupid bat.

everyone's like, 'just throw a towel over it and carry it outside.'

UM, YEAH RIGHT. like i'm actually going to pick up the bat and carry it outside? and then people were like, 'well, then trap it under a pot and leave it there until Randy comes in.' Randy is the executive director. he was totally fine with this idea, as apparently he's had a lot of experience with bats. but even the pot idea involves going close to the bat.

so then finally, Randy was like, 'well, shut off all your lights, open your windows and screens, and hopefully the bat will fly out.'

PLAN FOR TONIGHT:
- barricade me and Ruby in my bedroom, sealing up all the cracks.
- only exit when absolutely needed.

YEP! that's the stellar plan!


anyways. i'm dreading it to the max. i think it's worse than when we had bed bugs. and lice.

and i have absolutely no idea how the bat got in. NO IDEA. apparently they can fit through holes 1/4 inch in diameter. LAME. that's really lame, bats. you should stay outside.

i mean, i was sleeping when it came in, so there were no lights on in the house. why else would it come in, unless it had already gotten in?

ah well. i'll be more at ease after Ruby's vet appointment tomorrow.

in other news?

i'm still beaming over my exciting weekend. can't stop thinking about the awesome.


OK, so sometimes (like right now) i think that my life is a huge coincidence. or, maybe fate. i don't know. but like, i was just reading my horoscope for today, and it includes the phrase,"rabidly jealous." really? really, horocope? today of all days to use the word 'rabidly?' you chose to use it the day after a bat was loose in my apartment?

and then another horoscope for today reads:

It's your day to flirt with danger and successfully manage to come out ahead. If there's anything you've been waiting to act on because at first it seemed too risky, take a new lease on your adventurous side and remain confident while meeting obstacles head on. Look for friends to come to your aid in troubling times.

do i think they're talking about the bat? yep.

is it coincidence that they used the word 'rabidly?' or is it fate because i'll get rabies?

i don't know. ok let's stop talking about bats.

i'm really excited to eat food tonight. i'm super hungry. i thought i was working at 11, but instead i worked at 10:15, so i didn't have time to eat before. and then we had cake and ice cream in staff meeting. but that's it. and some coffee.

i'm going to have leftover chicken parm tonight. i'm happy because 1) it was good and 2) i can just reheat it up, which means less time in the open, more time barracaded in my bedroom.


so, the other day i super burnt my ear on my hair straightener. like, it hurt really bad. and then it alllll scabbed over and today, the scab got caught on my earring and pulled off, which hurt a lot. BUT THEN, you should have seen all the blood!! holy crap! i couldn't believe it! it bled for so long.

good, story? right?!

in better news than that: i've found my new house!!! yep, $12,000 a month. 4 bedrooms. 3.5 baths. rooftop gazebo. overlooking the Venice canals in Los Angeles!! on Via Dolce. sound good? good! who wants to live with me?!

ok. i guess i have some work to do before i go home. maybe i should do that.

awww i can't believe i have to take Ruby Tuesday to the vet!! she's gonna HATE it!! awww she hates being in the car soo much! i'll give her turkey when we get home. and treats. awww i love her soo much!!!!!

OK. now i guess i should go do work.

hope everyone has a great night. wish me luck with all my batty endeavors.


goodnight!

'cause i would never leave you high and dry...

OHHHHHH MAN. The new Crash Kings video has PREMIERED!!!!!!

It's their new single, 'You Got Me.'


If you want to see some freaking hotties, please click here to watch the video.


This is the video that took Tony allll the way to Ann Arbor, when we were there together :)

Um. Okay. So the theme of this video is, "girls, girls, naked girls, girls who are obsessed with us, BUT THEN, all the hott girls turn into monsters." Tony says he wrote this song after all the times he's been played and used by girls whilst living in Los Angeles.

REALLY love the black and white part of Tony on the little piano.

There are some great bro shots, especially at the beginning. Mike and Tony, just chillin together with some strippers. If it weren't for the strippers, it might actually be a good photo. I would post a screencap...but, ya know, the strippers....

Video was directed by David Arquette!! very cool.

I definitely like this video a lot better than the Mountain Man one. the real one. the blue one. not the one where they're skiing and there's nudity. LOOOOVEE THAT ONE.

anyways, just wanted to post this for everyone because i am really excited about it.

my dad and i are going out for italian food tonight! i'm excited.


you may now continue having a great day!!!!


<3

Julie Dyes Things Hott Pink and Other Adventures (including, Rooney, Hanson, Crash Kings, and the Mysterious Case of the Double Clavinet.)

HI FRIENDS!!!

I'm back! With pictures! Great ones!

I was finally able to sleep last night after my day of epic awesome. All the excitement finally wore me out.

Back in Lebanon now. At work. So lame compared to my weekend. It's kind of strange coming back to work after having so much fun. It's like, I have to switch back to a responsible person.

Like, Friday night at the Rooney concert I was dancing and clapping and singing and having such a freaking blast, and I thought for a moment, 'Hey, just this morning I was dealing with babies and teenagers and doctors appointments and all this important boring work stuff. I TOTALLY DESERVE THIS.'

ANYWAYS - let's get to the goods.

I'm taking you back to when Kerianne and I saw Crash Kings in Chicago. Remember I pointed out Tony's shirt and said it reminded me of the one I had just bought? That I was going to dye hott pink?

Yeah. Here's the shirt:




And remember I don't like that above photo because he looks like a classically trained clavinetist.

And, here is the shirt I bought at Earthfest on 22 May:



Don't they kind of have the same idea going on? I don't know. They remind me of each other.

SO, I planned to dye my shirt hott pink because I wasn't crazy about white/gray color. And you can never have too many hott pink things - that's a fact. So, I bought the dye, but was nervous to do it because I was afraid I would ruin the screenprinted design on the front. Or, the white lines would immediately turn hott pink and be faded.

BUT - I was attempting it anyways, in hopes that it would turn out awesome enough to wear to the show in Portsmouth on Saturday. Here is the process:






In my efforts to dye as many things as I could find, I came up with some elastic and a facecloth.


AAANNNDDDDDDD..........





ROCKED IT!!!!!! Ohhhh it came out so super awesome. I was so amazed. I think it looks 100% better. And Jason and Mike really liked it, so that was great. Jason especially. Love that man.


Great dyeing adventure. So happy with the way it came out. And I wore it with a gray skirt and black leggings. If you're thinking, "wow, Julie must have looked incredibly cute," YOU'RE RIGHT. :)


So now, let's go back to Friday, when Kara and I drove to Cape Cod, MA to see Rooney and Hanson.

Let's skip the part where it took us 4 hours to get there because of traffic, but we had a totally hott dance party in the tunnel on 93 south. YEP. that part rocked.

So, we get to the place and pick up our tickets. Get to our seats. It's a weird place. A round theater. And we actually have SEATS. And the stage is in the center of the whole place, but, it revolves. Yep. It was weird.

And apparently they have a really strict camera policy. Which I didn't know about. IT WAS SO LAME. They would go around telling people to put their cameras away. And this happened A LOT. Did it happen to me? Nope! I was super stealth :)




ROONEY!!!!

Take THAT no camera policy! I did keep the flash off, which is why it's blurry a little. And that's the only Rooney pic I got!! There were HARDLY ANY Rooney fans there, so we really had to represent. They started off not-facing us, but when the stage revolved to our section, I stood up and danced, and then more people followed.

Um, and they ROCKED. Like, a lot. They always do! Robert was just wearing a sweatshirt and jeans, which I thought was awesome. Probably because it was super down pouring and kind of chilly. Which was weird because the last time we saw Rooney it was also down pouring. That was the night I first saw Crash Kings! And before they played 'Raincoat' Tony said, "this song is appropriate for tonight!" or something like that.

Anyways, so, you'll notice that there is no Matt Winter. Who played bass in Rooney right from the beginning up until last February. Instead - there is Brandon. Or, Brando. He's on the far left.

Taylor Locke got a haircut, which I DEFINITELY approved of. He was smokin. They played some old favorites and some new ones. Not my fave off the new record, but it was okay. I was just so excited to see them at all.

So then Robert says to come find them out at the merch table to say hi. So, we go outside to find them! There's already 1 million people there and lots of obnoxious security guards. So, we decide to wait a little bit and see if it clears out. In the meantime, we checked out the merch, went to the ATM, and bought things! I got a GREAT new t-shirt. Navy blue with a yellow lighthouse design and just under the lighthouse beam of light it says ROONEY. It's great, especially for an aspiring lighthouse keeper as myself. Kara got a nice and cozy black hoodie. It's great.

AND THEN, probably the best thing that could have happened, happened. It started to rain really, really hard. Like, out of the blue, torrential downpour. And the people SCATTERED to find shelter. The line to meet the band shrunk by a lot and it was now super easy to get to them.

Kara was super interested in meeting Brando, because he kind of sounded like the perfect boyfriend... 21, 6' 4", bass player, and totally cute. So, we went over to see him. First we both told him how great it was to meet him, congratulations on being an awesome new Rooney bassist, and just generally how much he rocked. He was pretty excited about this.

Then! Kara told him that she had just started playing bass and was really loving it. And he seemed SUPER excited about this! They talked bass player shop for a minute and then Kara asked to take a picture....




I REALLY hope she's not mad at me for posting this, but I think it's a totally great picture.

So then, we walk over to see Robert. I tell Kara,

JULIE: I think I might go in for a Robert hug.
KARA: Whoa, really?
JULIE: Yep. I've had a lot of practice with Mike, and I think I'm gonna do it.


We go up to him and some girl hands him her cell phone. He takes it and says,

ROBERT: Hi, this is Robert from Rooney. Um, why aren't you here at the show?! We missed you, but hope to see you next time we're around...

Things like that. Yep. He was leaving a fan a voicemail. LOVED IT.

Anyways, so then that girl leaves and he turns to us!

ROBERT: Hey!
JULIE AND KARA: HEY!!
ROBERT: (holds out his hand for a handshake) Great to see you!
JULIE: (opens arms for a hug) Can I get a hug instead?
ROBERT: Definitely, bring it in!!

And then I hugged Robert Schwartzman. Yes, the Robert Schwartzman. I've loved him for a long time. I've loved Rooney for a long time. And I was finally getting the hug. And it was great.

Then we told him how great they were, how excited we were to see them, how much we loved the new record, etc. He seemed SO happy and gracious to hear all this, and especially to know that there were people who came just to see them play.

So then we're departing and Kara asks for a picture. I have three words to describe this picture:


NEW COUPLE ALERT!!!!!




Kara and Roberto.

Then, we were saying our goodbyes, and Robert holds up his hand for a goodbye high-five. So, um, duh, I reach out and we high five, but then, he grabs my hand and holds it for a minute afterwards. I mean, not a real minute. But maybe like, 4 seconds. SO GREAT. A hug and hand hold from Rob. Ohhhhh yeah I loved it a lot. I don't really remember what happened next. It was kind of daze-worthy.

Oh yeah, but eventually we made it back to our seats for HANSON!!!!! My middle school girl personal came through and I got totally into it. And yes, I did the "round and around and around and around" hand motions for 'Where's the Love' and I was not ashamed. They rocked!




Zac on drums, Issac on guitar.




Issac, Zac and Taylor. HOTTIES. Like, super hotties.



Acoustic-trio portion of the show. Ohhhh they were soo good. And the screaming!!! OH MAN. You should have heard the girls screaming for them. INSANE. And it's insane that they've been doing this for about 12 years and they still have so many superfans. I love it! I think it's so great. They're so much more than your typical "boy band." They can actually play their instruments really well. They can all sing. They write great songs. GO HANSON!!!

I was actually happy that they didn't play my favorite song, 'Georgia,' because I wouldn't have been able to get it on video with all the camera policing. Even I'm not that stealth.

After the show, Kara had to go to work in the bakery. She slept in the car, while I drove from Hyannis, MA to Wells, ME. Vacation spot to vacation spot. We arrived around 2am and worked until about 6am. LOOONNGGGGGGG AND TIRING NIGHT. But, that Schwartzman Hug got me through. For realz. That, plus the fact that I was seeing Crash Kings the next day. I can stay awake forever on excitement.

Finally got to bed around 6:45am Saturday morning, making my total awake time exactly 24 hours. :)


AND THEN SATURDAY HAPPENED. Did it? I still can't believe it happened. But no, it was for real.


And now.... for the Mysterious Case of the Double Clavinet...




If you look to the left of this picture, on top of the wooden box partially hidden behind the speaker, you'll see a clavinet. Then, if you look to the right side of the photo, you'll see Tony's clavinet with the whammy bar. It's on top of a bright red keyboard, which I hadn't seen before. I was excited about the red keyboard, until it never worked. Ever. Then it became lame.

Anyways - I was so excited that Tony had finally gotten a new clavinet! I was dying to hear the story.

And then as I'm talking with his mom and glancing up at the stage every now and then, I see that they are setting up the other clavinet with Blues Travelers set. And I thought, 'really? Blues Traveler has a clavinet in their band too??' I mean, anyone can buy a clavinet, it's not like they're some rare instrument (unless it's the whammy bar infused version). But seeing two clavinets in one day?!?! After never having even heard of it a few months ago??!! Really?!

YEP!!! It belonged to Blues Traveler. What are the odds?!?!? I mean, seriously! Two bands playing in Portsmouth, NH would both have a clav?? I thought it was weird. Even weirder that the clav for Blues Traveler worked just fine. For some reason the sound guys made it work for them, but not for Tony. Ohhhh bummer.

So, the clav belonged to Blues Traveler - CASE CLOSED!!!!


Here are the pictures from the Crash Kings show. Or rather, the time when they were on stage trying to get their instruments to work...

They still rocked it, duh. Because they just rock everything...




ALSO - PLEASE NOTE THE LACK OF MIKE'S ORANGE AMP. Why didn't he have it!?! Where was it!?!? He had it in Missouri the day before! This made me think that maybe they weren't using their normal equipment?? Besides their instruments?

Tony and Mike's mom told us that their flight from Missouri to Boston had been canceled, so they had to take a later flight, which kind of messed up their travel plans and everything. Maybe everything couldn't come?

Well now, Jason's not even playing on his normal drum set. Usually his is white. Hm. I don't know, but now I'm thinking this maybe has something to do with all the sound problems.





Oh, hi Michael.







When they were actually PLAYING music, oh, it was awesome.




Yep, and then I talked to their mom for almost an hour.

So, it was still super exciting to see Crash Kings. I OMGCAN'TWAIT to see them three times next week!!!!!

But I'm really excited for Kerianne to see them ON TUESDAY!!!! IN CHICAGO!!!!!! Because seeing them once just is never enough. My mom even said that if she didn't have such a busy week at work next week, she'd come to the show in Boston. She also said that if the show in Burlington wasn't on a Thursday, she'd go to that one. YEP. Mom's converted. Superfan. Loves it!

So, my friend in Kansas City went to see them on Friday and took a TON of great pictures. Even Crash Kings themselves commented on how great her pictures were. YEP. They sure did! So, there's just one picture that is totally my favorite and I have to show you.

PLEASE enjoy!



Who knew Tony was a great dancer?! And LOOK at that smile. WHAT A GREAT PICTURE!!!!! Although I'd take any kind of Tony, happy Tony is better to watch than angry Tony.

AHHH that smile! It's so great.


Ok. It's almost 1am. Monday morning. I'm working tonight, Monday night, Tuesday night, and Wednesday night before I have Thursday, Friday and Saturday OFF!!!!! For Kara's 21st Birthday/River City Extension in NJ!!!! Ohhhh I'm super excited about that too!

Alright friends, hope everyone is having a great start to their week!

HEEEYYYY!!!! Happy 26th of July!!! The 26th of July Movement started back in 1953 and is named after the failed attack on the Moncada Barracks in Santiago de Cuba. It was the start of the Cuban Revolution.

AND WITH THAT, goodnight :)

sweetsweet dreams.


J.