feasting.moderation.forbidden.

The one with the Pumpkins.

oh... the concert that almost wasn't.

It was around 7:05 that I broke out my phone and almost twittered...'guess where I am NOT going.'  I just couldn't bear to do it.  I am one that still holds out hope in the most hopeless situations.

I waited in the car for an hour and a half.  Jason was stuck in a meeting that would not let out and that he could not leave.  We raced downtown and got there at 7:30 an hour after we were supposed to be there to wait in line.

The line was out of control.  Seriously, it stretched from Hard Rock all the way to the entrance of Universal Studios.  It did not look good.  We stuck it out though.  Stuck it out through about 45 minutes of solid non stop rain.  To say that we were drenched would be an understatement.  All around us people were audibly questioning whether Billy was worth it.

So, was he?

They went on exactly when they were supposed to.  No opening band.  One of the girls behind me had a Beatles moment and started to cry.  Billy swayed back and forth with his guitar like a mermaid from outer space.  (he was wearing what looked like a long skinny skirt made of flaps of foil)  I will admit when they played today I got goosebumps.  When they played mayonnaise I took  a time machine back to high school and was in Brian's garage watching ping pong tournaments.

 I am not a fan of jam sessions and never have been.  So, at the end of the set when they decided to just jam out for 30 minutes, I was not thrilled.  The encore was performed partially with kazoos, also not a fan favorite.  All in all though, it was worth the rain.       

One and pretty much the only real memory I have of Jason in high school was crossing his path after math every day.  I remember that he was always wearing a red Smashing Pumpkins shirt. 

A big part of the reason I love going to shows is to watch people enjoy the music and enjoy the feelings that the music brings them.  I mean, I once high fived a random dude while being pushed around on the floor at a Saves the Day show, because at that moment, we just needed to high five!

When we go to shows there is a general group of us that are always together, we all like the same bands, or we just go because one of us does.  I think there may have been a couple high fives last night along with arm pumps and drums being played on eachothers backs.  Some of the guys had seen them before but not with eachother. 

My favorite thing about the show was experiencing a band that all meant something to each of us at a time that we meant nothing to each other.  I love knowing that while we were all off doing different things, there was something that we were doing that was the same. (you know, us and the 2490 other people there last night)

I hope your Friday night was dry and filled with music.

~smb

Oh and I did not kiss Billy or rub his bald head or do other things to him that were suggested to me by friends...

The one with the ships (revisited).

NOOOOO, NOT THE SHIPS AGAIN!

Yes, I am bringing back the ships.

I live in Central Florida.  We have had a week of tropical storm.  School started this week, but students only went to school on Monday and Thursday.  Businesses have been vacant this week, well except for mine, and everything is just a little nutty here.  It is extremely soggy and I broke my second umbrella in a weeks time.  It is just miserable, but alot of people have it much worse than we do. 

Oh, the picture.  Lets get back to the picture.

I don't know if you can see it from this imagine, but the small boat actually has a motor on it and it is going back toward land.  I didn't really look at this before, I was looking more at the negative aspects of the painting. 

I found out that at my old job it could just be a matter of weeks before everything shuts down.  Hours have been drastically reduced and employees are going on unemployment. 

In my job interview my current boss told me... now, it may not seem better at first (he was referring to pay) but after a while I think you will see that it will be better and that we will take  care of you.

My new job is my motor boat.  My current boss could look back on that interview and give me a great big 'I TOLD YOU SO'.

I told you so can be horrible, or it can be great.  I think it is great today.

~smb

The one with three moments of the past.

Three things happened today that made me travel back in time to the days of my youth.

1.  They got my order wrong at chick-fil-a.  It was ok though, instead of a grilled chicken sandwich on a wheat bun, they gave me the original sandwich complete with three pickles.  The second I bit into it I was back at the Lake Square Mall eating a sandwich after piano lessons.  I love when food can bring you back.

2.  I was mysteriously bitten by an insect while at my house.  I have several welts filled caused by insect venom.  I looked down at my arms a few minutes after the initial 'wow, something bit me' to find each bite had a 'T' marked into them.  When I was little my mom told me to keep insect bites from itching you should use your nail to mark a cross on them.  She never said that Jesus would take the itch away, but it was implied.  Crazy Cuban myth or not, it totally works and I have always done it.

3.  Tonight we are going to see Smashing Pumpkins.  Well, hopefully, the tickets are free, and we are on the list, but you still have to stand in line in hopes you will get in.  Anyway... the first time I ever heard of the band was at my cousin's house.  Jess was telling me about some boy that she liked and how stupid she felt because he asked her if she liked smashing pumpkins.  Her response was... 'you mean on Halloween?'  (you know because crazy kids run around smashing pumpkins on Halloween) she was mortified and asked me if I had ever heard of them.  I told her that I thought I had, but didn't know exactly what it meant either... I didn't know they were  a band.

I suppose you are wondering what I am going to do about the card.  I am meeting with someone tomorrow to talk it out.  That sounds incredibly lame, but I am still a wreck over it and I need some guidance. 

I hope that there is at least one moment this weekend that takes you back...

~smb

The one with weddings.

The last few weeks time travel has come up in conversation between a co-worker and I more than once.  I don't think I have ever wished for a time machine more than I do right now.  I am honestly sick with anxiety and for once can pin it down to an exact event that is causing it.  It comes in waves, today the wave of tears, upset stomach, and shooting pain through my heart will not stop washing over me.

Two well, three of my closest friends are getting married on the same day.  One of the wedding involves two close friends.  I have known that this could be an issue for two weeks.  Today I found out that it is a definite issue.  It is happening.  That alone is hard. 

Lets make it more complex.  One of the brides is one of my oldest and dearest friends.  The other is a very close friend and her fiance' is one of Jason's best friends. 

Add some more complexity?  Sure.  Our couple has asked Jason and I to be in the wedding.  We of course accepted.

That isn't hard enough?  I received a letter in the mail.  My dear friend has a way of always sending me the perfect card.  Today was no exception.  It is a simple card with a picture of a dress on it and it says,'bridesmaid'.  Inside it said, 'will you be mine'. 

The weddings are both evening weddings.  One will take place in St. Augustine the other in Orlando.  My heart hurts so much.  I really can't think of a harder situation to be in regarding a wedding.

I wish that one of them was family, just so that I could say... oh I have to go with family.  That is another hard thing though.  They are both, all three actually, like family.

I just don't know what to do.

Ugh.  Let me know if you see a time machine lying around so that I can take it to and from weddings.  Maybe not even a time machine, maybe just some sort of portal, like one you use at the bank drive through.

~serena

The one with the pool.

I have been very antsy to do something wild.  Ok, you know that I am the exact opposite of wild, so I have been very antsy to do something wild, for me.  A few weeks ago I was trying to think of something wild I could do.  I asked J if he would take me to a nude beach.  He thought I was crazy.  When he realized that I was serious we started brainstorming who we would ask to accompany us on my dream to be wild.

I told him I could definitely do it, no problem... but inside I was questioning myself.  

After last night, I think that I can definitely do it.

If you would have walked around the 29th floor of a certain building in downtown Orlando you would have startled six midnight swimmers.  Three had no problem shedding their undergarments, the other three, well, we egged each other on and we all did it.  It may seem to you that nighttime skinny dipping is no big deal, but it was a huge deal for me.  To set the scene a little more it was extremely bright, it may as well have been during the day.  You could see everything unless someone was covering up.  There were four guys and two of us girls.  We went from all of us in the pool spread out to all of us squished in the hot tub. 

So, I can honestly say that I think that I can go to a nude beach and all would be well.  The best part about it was that it was planned.  It wasn't a liquid induced rash decision, we all decided that we would do over dinner.  We went to the apartment, grabbed some towels, discarded some clothing and went for it.  I still can't believe no one caught us.  We were up there for a few hours.  I have another friend that lives in that building and I was terrified that he would stumble upon us. 

That was that.  I, Serena, went skinny dipping for the first time at age 28 with my husband and 4 of our close friends.  I think that we are a little closer now.  I think this is one story that my unborn not even planned child will one day hope that I don't tell his/her significant other.  I say that but right now I think I am going to call my mom to tell her what I did!

Have a naked weekend.

~smb

the one where you should be careful what you say.

**please note, this entry was supposed to be posted 7/21/08.  I am not really sure why it was not.

Its not every day that you get to witness someone's life change, or is it. 

People say to be careful what you say, because it may come back to haunt you. 

A few years ago we invited a bunch of people over to say goodbye to Nicole before she left for Amsterdam.  I invited one of Jason's good friends because he just moved back into the country after a musical journey through Canada.  I introduced Josh to our friends and he seemed to have a good time.  He mentioned that he had board games in his car.  I told him he should get together with Whitney, she always has board games in her car.

That was it.  That was all I said.  It caught his attention.  A few months later after we all hung out again he asked her on  a date.  Last night I stood beside her as he asked her to be his bride.

So, be careful what you say to people.  You may just get someone married.

Happy engagement Whit.

~smb

ps.  somehow Whitney did not know this story until last night on the drive home.