Fists Flying

Saturday night we went to a hardcore/metal show in Philly...



...that would be me...at 2 am, sweaty, adrenalin pumping, ears bleeding, sore throat and loving every minute damn of it.

Sometimes, after life's frustrations, its best to just jump in the pit and let it all out....

Thanksgiving Vacation Day 1...Pies & Police Reports

Today is day one of my FIVE day Thanksgiving vacation AKA Pie Day. Every year my Mom and I spend the day together in the kitchen baking pies and prepping for the big meal. This year we MAY have (and by MAY I mean most definitely) went a little overboard. Our list includes but is not limited to (the day isn't over yet!);

• 4 Pumpkin Pies
• 1 Cherry Pie with crumb topping
• 1 Peach Pie with crumb topping
• 1 Apple Cobbler (homemade biscuit topping)
• 2 Loaves Cranberry Bread
• 1 Loaf Pumpkin Bread
• Stuffing
• Green Bean Casserole

Did I mention all this is for only six people? And we haven't even gotten to the good part...

As Mom and I were baking this morning the phone rang and it was the police department from a local city asking about my brothers car. The police officer stated that it was found running on the side of the road at 4:30AM. It gave us a little scare but we were able to contact my brother who is away on business to find out that he was alright. Turns out that his car was stolen from his place of business last night and stripped to the frame. And by frame I mean this;







I guess old CRX's are in high demand.

Well that's all for now. I am leaving in a few to take my brothers into the city to experience South Street and see a rock show at the TLA.

See you all on Thanksgiving Vacation Day 2....

Love Buzz

I'm pretty annoyed this morning and I really don't have anything to write. Instead I have a little piece of happiness to share.

listen here.

See? I'm happy already!

Weekend Plans

Happy Friday & hells yeah, I only have a four hour work day today!

My plans? Well I am going over to mama dukes house after work to lay by the pool. Possibly convincing her to go see The Proposal with me?





I'm sorry but Ryan Reynolds naked - yes please!


Tomorrow hubs and I are taking little brother to Fuzzstock. We're pretty much gonna stand outside in the heat all day and watch some awesome bands and look at some talented art by Jared Polin and other artists. Oh yeah...its free!

If you are in the tri-state area - COME OUT!

What are your plans for the weekend?

Standing in my own way

I'd like to share the lyrics to this song with you...

Project 86
"Me Against Me"

I will not forget the day when the sides were chosen

Me against me against...me

Clothing so drenched with sweat and the teeth they were clenched

Who can I trust when I...

Grabbed hold my enemy's neck and choked 'till he ceased

Blistered with disbelief I awake dead

And when I awoke I couldn't believe it was me

All the time it was me

So many times we smile in pride

Putting such faith in what we've accomplished

But minutes ago we were (minutes ago we were)

Slitting our wrists, running for sympathy


WOW! What a realization - all the time it was ME!

How many times do we stand in our own way of getting things accomplished? Struggling and fighting, whining and complaining…

I know that I’ve been stubborn to come to a compromise in my relationship. I’ve procrastinated at work, I’ve made excuses for my mistakes and pushed blame onto God. By doing all of those things I am standing in my own way of success and happiness.

One thing I’ve learned is that sometimes you need to take a step aside to allow yourselves to move forward…

From my Inbox

You all know how much I love music...all music. Well hubs is not the same way, he cannot stand some genres at all, especially - Reggae. Well I discovered an awesome reggae/punk/heavy metal band called Skindred. He loathes Skindred...but sometimes I catch him singing or humming one of their tunes and then this morning I got this email -

congratulations!!! thank you hunny...I'm officially a Skindred FAN! I listened to trouble 10 times in a row this morning and figured out how to play most of the song on guitar! now i can't wait to get home a break out the axe and try it out!

My reply - OMG…you are too much. And that’s why I love you.

Here is Trouble by Skindred -

Metallica January 2009

How does one begin to explain the greatness of a Metallica concert? I could never do it justice but I am going to try...and with minimal exclamation marks as possible!!!

Saturday night we arrived at the Wachovia Center just in time to see my favorite metal band Machine Head slay the stage. I think I was the only one there wearing a MH shirt, but I came and represented. They brought the energy as always. The lead guitarist Phil even came on stage wearing a Philadelphia Flyers shirt!



If I can remember correctly this was their set list:

1. Clenching the Fists of Dissent
2. Imperium
3. Beautiful Mourning
4. Hallowed be thy Name (Iron Maiden cover)
5. Halo
6. Davidian

The set list was great but of course I was a little disappointed because the set was so short but I guess that's what happens when you are making way for Metallica to take stage...

I was expecting the usual older, grungy, drunken metalhead headbanger that makes up most of the fan base but I was pleasantly was surprised because the crowd was made up of mostly kids, middle school aged I would say. A lot of kids out with Dad too. I think that is so neat, the bonding of two generations especially at a Metallica concert.

Every time I see a band for a second or third time I think "how are they going to top the last tour". Well let me tell you...they TOPPED it in a BIG way. They opened up the night with a laser light/fire show. (we had this on camera but now its missing, sorry!) The stadium was simply blown away.

The stage setup was the round as usual but the neat thing they did this time was the giant coffins that held all of the lighting equipment. The coffins came down and rotated at all different angles which was a really cool effect, especially because there were camera men hanging from them!

Metallica played for over two straight hours, this was the set list;

1. That Was Just Your Life
2. The End Of The Line
3. Creeping Death
4. Ride the Lightning
5. One
6. Broken, Beat And Scarred
7. Cyanide
8. Sad But True
9. The Unforgiven
10. All Nightmare Long
11. The Day That Never Comes
12. Master Of Puppets
13. Blackened
14. Nothing Else Matters
15. Enter Sandman
16. Last Caress (Misfits cover)
17. Whiplash
18. Seek and Destroy

Here is video of ONE...if you have never heard this song I strongly suggest you download it.

(The video cuts out just as the flames from the center of the speakers start flaring up in green, orange and red. That's what we get for not putting the larger memory in the camera!)

Towards the end of the show James (who was sporting a hawk) stops the show. He asks for the house lights to be turned on, and he starts saying that today was a special girls birthday. Her daddy isn't always around, he goes on tour a lot. So for her seventh birthday she got to come out to work with daddy. So out comes this little girl, Marcella and the entire arena sang Happy Birthday Marcella. I almost had tears in my eyes, it was so sweet.

This led to the last song, Seek and Destroy, they played it with the lights on as a ton of huge black Metallica beach balls just dropped from the ceiling like it was New Years Eve. Awesome! All the kids were up on stage kicking the balls around, it was so funny! Here is a picture and a short video...

Yes, it is definitely safe to say that Metallica has once again outdone themselves. I am so fortunate to have been able to see this legendary band not once, not twice but three times! If you ever get the chance, GO! You don't have to be a metal head to enjoy this show...

My love affair with music

I want to share with you all my love affair with music. Music has always been apart of my life. I have a huge appreciation for music and not just one genre; all of it. Music has gotten me through very low points in my life and also the best times of my life. Almost every memory of mine involves music of some sort.


I can remember my first concert, I was probably six years old when my Mom, Dad and the church youth group went into Philly to see Michael W. Smith and D.C. Talk. The band was about to come on stage, the lights went down and the arena started going crazy and I started...crying. I was terrified!


Only a few years later my Dad was taking me to my first heavy metal show; White Snake and Guardian. I was no longer terrified like my first time, I felt alive. I kept inching up closer and closer to the stage wanting to see more. Soon enough I found out what a mosh pit was. Still I wasn't terrified, I wanted more. I felt the adrenaline and and I loved it.

I can remember going to Creation. A seven day Christian music and arts festival with my parents and the church. The coolest moment was seeing my favorite band at the time, D.C. Talk come roaring down to the stage...on motorcycles. I was amazed! These moments started to shape who I was.


I learned of Amy Grant and all I wanted was to be just like her. I was that typical 10 year old girl singing "Baby Baby" into her hairbrush. Even my mother fell in love with Amy. She would play "El Shaddai" on the piano while I sang along. Eventually I started playing piano too, although I never practiced enough to be as good as Mom.



One of my greatest memories of music is dancing with my grandfather to Frank Sinatra. I had no idea how to dance, I still can't do it to save my life. But with pop-pop all I had to do was step right up onto his shoes and all of the sudden I was in the 50's on the dance floor with Frank himself.


As I got into my teenage years I started to become depressed. The one constant in my life was music. It got me through the toughest years of my life. It was the one bright spot for me. It gave me a voice to say what I couldn't say aloud.

I even remember an old hymn that got me through the death of my great grandmother. I believe it was called "In the garden". There is a specific line in that hymn. It goes like this; "And he walks with me and he talks with me and he tells me I am his own". This was so meaningful to me. I can just close my eyes and remember my walks with Nana in the garden. And I can just picture Nana walking through the heavenly gardens with god.

There are so many talented musicians and bands out there. Over the years I have gone through many 'favorites'. When I was 21 my favorite was Korn. It's heavy and the music spoke about very personal things to me. Although I don't favor that band anymore, I still feel a certain connection to the lead vocalist Jonathan Davis. I admire him for being able to come out and say what he has said and just put everything out there. At any rate, on my 21st birthday I was getting all dolled up to go out bar hopping with my bf and friend Ryan. When Ryan showed up he gave me my gift. It was a Korn t-shirt. Awesome! Inside my card was 4 tickets to see Korn play in Baltimore, MD that night. F*#$ing Awesome! That was the first of three Korn concerts.

Gosh, How lucky am I? I have probably been to 50 or more concerts in my 24 years. I have seen everything from Metallica to REO Speedwagon. I have kissed to Etta James, I have toked to Bob Marley, I have cried to Josh Groban, I have jumped in the pit to Machine Head, I have danced on my grandfathers shoes to Frank Sinatra, I sang along to Amy Grant and screamed along with Rage Against the Machine. I have praised to Third Day, I have boogied to the Sugar Hill Gang and drank to AC/DC.

I am truly blessed to have music in my life.

And if I claim to be a wiseman, well it surely means that I don't know

Have you ever turned on the radio and heard an old song that you just LOVE but have almost forgotten about? I had that moment this weekend. I forgot how awesome this song is! Take a listen...



How do you love that hair!?! he-he-he!

If you like something a little heavier, like I do, than check out The Showdown. They do an awesome cover.

Just feeling this song today

Just sitting here working with my headphones on...feeling this song today...wanted to share it with you.

Got the chance to see these guys live last month.

Enjoy...