Mumford & Me

Yesterday was the first concert I have ever attended that was sponsored by mustaches.  (And might I say, well done mustachios, well done.)

Tickets and Mustaches we scored at the Gates

Don and I went to see the first Gentlemen of the Road Stopover, in Portland.  Since we knew there were going to be 12,000+ people at this event, and had little desire to be smooshed into a crowd of 12,000 sweating bodies in August, we elected to arrive a little late.  So at 2:30 we arrived by train (that's right, train) at the festival on the Eastern Prom.  (There was NO parking in Portland's east end, so we parked by the Civic Center and walked to the Narrow Gauge Railway where they were offering free train rides up the hill to the concert.  Score!)  Since we were late there wasn't much of a line to get in.  Having read all the info released prior to the show about what to bring, and what not to bring we thought we were all set.  Wrong.  Apparently even UNOPENED brand new bottles of water were not allowed.  So we had to dump our water at the gate and were told to refill when we got inside.  Stupid.  Seriously stupid.  Especially since there was ONE water refill station for the said 12,000+ people at the show.  Uggggh.  Fortunately we settled ourselves near the Beer tent where they were selling expensive, yet delicious, beer and water.  We stayed hydrated.

Portland Stopover



The Gentlemen

There were two stages at the bottom of the hill and since we sat at the very top of the hill we had an AMAZING view of the harbor and both stages.  The people singing on the stages looked like ants, but you could hear them just fine, and that was really all that mattered.  While our spots at the back may not have given us great views of the performers, we still were able to see and we were in the shade and there were less people, and we were near the beer, so really, it all worked out.

View from our spot-yup, we were FAR away!

There were so many people, you can't even see half of them in these pictures, it was crazy!

The music was really good.  I hadn't heard any of the bands before, aside from the headlining Mumford & Sons and the last minute addition Dropkick Murphys.  I was pretty confident that the bands would all be of a similar style and they were, which made it really enjoyable.  Despite being quite far from the stages, it was really nice to listen to and watch.  It was a long afternoon, but with the help of some beer and people watching, even Don agreed that it passed pretty quickly.

The Dropkick Murphys went on stage for a couple of songs right before Mumford & Sons and they were REALLY good.  Unfortunately their sound was a little on the quiet side, so it was kind of hard to hear.  Fortunately we were planning on seeing them after Mumford & Sons at the State Theater, so we weren't too upset.

Dropkick Murphys (my camera was on SUPER zoom here!)

Then Mumford & Sons took the stage and they were really, really good.  Really good.  They played a lot from their current cd and several from the new one that comes out next month.  (Can't wait for that one, judging by the songs they played for us at the show it's going to be amazing!)  Great sound, great performers, great crowd, just great!  They were really happy to be playing in Portland and were planning on spending several days in the city, which I think is pretty cool for a pretty big time band like that.  They really wanted everyone there to support the city and go out and enjoy it after the show.  (Good news for Portland since there were 12,000 people hanging onto their every word!)

MUMFORD!!!

They were so good!

A Blurry picture of us while Mumford & Sons were performing.  Not very flattering...

After Mumford's encore, they invited all the other bands that had performed to come up and sing with them for one last song.  (Spoiler:  It was The Band's The Weight)  Pretty damn cool!  Then there were fireworks over the water, again, damn cool.  We had actually just walked out of the venue when they started the fireworks, so we saw them from the street, and there were a whole bunch of kids running around the neighborhood loving the fireworks and loving that there wasn't any traffic, that was pretty sweet to watch too.  :)

We beelined it down Congress Street in search of food.  (Like water, food involved outrageously long lines and we weren't allowed to bring ANYTHING in to snack on.  So we went without.  Stupid Rule.)  We snagged a couple of sandwiches at Bingas quickly and were able to get out of there just as they were filling up with starving concert goers.

By this point, we were exhausted.  We are not partiers by nature and the long day of events left us pretty much exhausted by 10:30.  BUT, we had tickets to the Dropkick Murphys show that started at 10:30.  So off we went!  The Murphys didn't actually go onstage until nearly 11:30.  And I'll admit it, Don and I were practically asleep in our seats.  Yup, we're old fuddy-duddys.  Once they started playing we both perked up and enjoyed the first half of their set.  They are so good, and so energetic.  And it's not often you can say you saw someone totally rock out on the banjo...but last night, I did!

Unfortunately, we couldn't make it through the whole show.  We were both exhausted, I had a POUNDING headache, and we had an hour long drive home to look forward to.  Reluctantly we left the show and dragged our exhausted butts home.  I think we were both asleep within 3 minutes of our heads hitting the pillows....zzzzzzz.

What an amazing day though!  The bands were great and I just couldn't get over how perfect the Eastern Prom worked for the concert!  I REALLY hope Portland takes a hint and plans more shows like that!  And despite learning that we are perhaps not the type to live up the night life to its fullest, I had a really great day with my husband celebrating our anniversary a few days early.  Seven years of marriage, seven hours of music...nice.

And I got a fake mustache.  Sweet....

Anniversary Celebration!!

(and yes we were near the port-a-potties, fortunately there was plenty of cigarette and weed smoke to cover the smell...and give us a slight buzz....)

And Out Goes July...

Man, I've been a lazy blogger this month.  Good thing I can blame it on the beautiful weather and all the fun things I've been doing this month!  Here are a few updates from the month of July:

Work:  This week will be the first week of what I hope is my permanent schedule. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Portland at my new job, and then Thursday and Saturday nights at the Restaurant.  I'm really looking forward to this change as it puts me home with my little guy all day Thursdays-Sundays.  The chopped up schedule we were doing wasn't working.  And while this does mean that I will now be working about 36 hours a week, I can't tell you how happy I am that I can still be home with my little guy four days a week.  Not sure I could get a better arrangement if I tried.

School:  I bought a backpack.  That's right a new backpack.  I'm ready to go.  Well, once I buy a gazillion dollars worth of books.  Blah!  Must they be so expensive??  I got my bill for the semester and after my loans are applied I only owe the school $23.  Not too shabby.  I'm really excited to get back to school, but pretty terrified at the prospect of working 36 hours and being a full time student...and a full time mom!  Worse case scenario I'll just back off a bit at one of my jobs, but hopefully getting back into school will be like riding a bike and things will be easier than I'm expecting.  Fingers and toes are crossed.

Pets:  Well, we are still missing Scout the cat.  She's been gone well over two weeks now, and I'm not very optimistic.  She was a wonderful cat and I really hope she makes her way back here, but I'm beginning to think it's rather unlikely.  The other cat, Leonard, seems to be adjusting well; Scout was a bit of a pig so Leonard has been kind of amazed at the amount of food he's able to eat without Scout devouring every bite before he can get a mouthful.  He'll be tubby before I know it!  And, perhaps the best news of the month, a good friend of mine saw Ivy at a local pet store and stopped to talk to her new owner.  I can't believe how fortunate I am that I'm able to get a follow up report on her adoption!  Her new home is with an older lady, so there won't be any kids around, who is a volunteer at AWS.  She fell in love with Ivy while she was at the shelter and brought her home.  Ivy was very well behaved with this new owner and I am so relieved to know that she will be well taken care of.  And yes, I will probably be poking my head in at this local pet shop every now and again on the off chance that she is there on a shopping spree. :)

Ben:  I have the best kid ever.  Seriously.  He's amazing.  He's smart and friendly and talkative and becoming quite the little comedian.  It has been amazing to watch his imagination take off!  A few days ago, while playing on my bed, he told me that there were sharks coming.  Apparently, these sharks were going to get Papa's boat (my dad has a lobster boat) and he needed to save Papa.  He proudly announced that he had caught two sharks and that Papa was ok now.  How awesome is that!  He's been a trooper with me going back to work, and while I know he loves the extra time he has been spending with his grandmother and with Ms. Holly, I also notice how much more he enjoys our days together at home.  What used to be regular days have become Mom and Ben special days, and I think we are both loving it.

August:  Is going to rock.  It's going to kick off with MUMFORD & SONS in Portland followed by THE DROPKICK MURPHYS!  Yahoooo!  I'm so excited for this once in a lifetime event!  Seriously, they are only doing 4 of these shows in the US.  And I'm going to one!  Then it's our 7 Year Wedding Anniversary!  (The Copper or Wool Anniversary.  Phew.  Pretty romantic if you ask me.)  After that a birthday party for a friend of mine who is turning....well, I'm not going to say...she might read this...  :)  And after that.....MY SISTER COMES HOME!!!!  I haven't seen her in a year and a half.  I'm SO EXCITED to see her.  SO EXCITED.  Like jumping up and down excited.  We've got a bunch of stuff to do while she's home, but she has made a point to schedule a lot of time with Ben and I and I am so excited for her to get to know him and for him to get to know her.  Yay for family time.  Like I said...August is going to ROCK!

And that is my update Blog!  Phew!  I need to keep up with my blog so I don't have to do this all at once!

Because I wanted to be an Astronaut

There just aren't enough hours in a day for me to keep up with my blogging!

A few days ago, Sally Ride, the first female American astronaut, passed away.  Maybe you've heard of her.  Maybe you haven't.  I probably wouldn't have heard of her, except that between the ages of seven and ten, I wanted to be an astronaut.  I was given a photo of her and told that she was the first woman in space.  That's all I knew about her.  Seriously.  But that was enough.  Coupled with my love of the movie "Space Camp" about a group of kids at Space Camp who actually ended up in space, (FYI: All Star cast on that one!  Yikes!  Bet those actors are still haunted by that...) I was pretty sure I was going to be an astronaut.

I know for a fact my mom completely supported me on that.  Likely she thought space a nice alternative to having me underfoot all the time.  Like many childhood dreams, this one fizzled out.  I'm a book girl, not a science girl.  But, when I heard about the passing of Sally Ride, I was a little saddened about never making it to space.  I read a few articles about her and all the amazing things she has done within the space program and through her own company, Sally Ride Science, to encourage young girls to study science and math.  What an inspiration! Here are a few nice things I found while reading about her today:

Sally lived her life to the fullest, with boundless energy, curiosity, intelligence, passion, commitment, and love. Her integrity was absolute; her spirit was immeasurable; her approach to life was fearless.
Sally was a physicist, the first American woman to fly in space, a science writer, and the President and CEO of Sally Ride Science. She had the rare ability to understand the essence of things and to inspire those around her to join her pursuits.     -Sally Ride Science, Company Statement


Sally was a very private person who found herself a very public persona. It was a role in which she was never fully comfortable. I was privileged to be a part of her life and be in a position to support her as she became the first American woman to fly in space.
While she never enjoyed being a celebrity, she recognized that it gave her the opportunity to encourage children, particularly young girls, to reach their full potential. Sally Ride, the astronaut and the person, allowed many young girls across the world to believe they could achieve anything if they studied and worked hard. I think she would be pleased with that legacy.   -Steve Hawley, Former NASA astronaut, ex-husband (married to Ride from 1982 to 1987)



Sally Ride broke barriers with grace and professionalism — and literally changed the face of America's space program. The nation has lost one of its finest leaders, teachers and explorers. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sally's family and the many she inspired. She will be missed, but her star will always shine brightly.     -Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator


And while I never made it to space, or Space Camp, or even into the field of Science, I still wanted to take a minute to remember Ms. Ride for being an inspiration to me, before I knew what inspirations were.

This is the same picture I had of her when I was a kid!

A Bit of a Funk

I'm not having a great week.  And it's only Tuesday.

We had an excellent weekend, but thanks to a few irresponsible moves by my teenage stepson, the highlights were overshadowed by some pretty unfortunate events, one of them being that my indoor cat ran away and hasn't been seen since.  I called the shelter today and left my contact information, but she hasn't been dropped off there.  I've heard lots of stories about cats running away for weeks before making their way home, so I'm not giving up hope quite yet, but I'm also not terribly optimistic.

I'm also still not fully adjusted to working in Portland part-time.  It's proving to be a lot harder for me to be away from Ben than I thought.  I really like my job though, I'm just having a hard time getting into a rhythm due to the chopped up way my weeks have been shaping up, and I know it's rough for Ben too, which makes me feel even worse about the situation.

Hopefully having the day off tomorrow will help.  If the weather cooperates I'd like to take Ben berry picking.  Berries and whipped cream is one of his favorite snacks and I'd love to spend some one-on-one with him.  Unfortunately, I also have a mountain of paperwork to do too, but I think that's just going to have to wait until Thursday.  If I'm going to get my week straightened out and on the right track, I think I need a little time with Ben.  I hope he's up for spending some time with Mom!

Cheese Face!

(It's pretty much impossible not to miss this guy!)

Read It: The Night Circus

I'm beat.  Working two jobs that operate on two different schedules is leaving me exhausted.  But I'm loving it, so I guess I just need to start going to bed a little earlier.  Now if only Ben would sleep in a little later....

I'm writing tonight to announce that I finished The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern.  It was excellent!!!  Wonderful storyline, wonderful characters, wonderful concept, and AMAZING description.  A really great read, a book that really just paints beautiful pictures, which is even more impressive a feat when the majority of the book takes place in a Circus that is designed to be only black and white.  If you're looking for something fun for the summer that is a bit more thought provoking than Fifty Shades, I suggest you pick up a copy!

I would like to write more, but I seem to be losing my ability to type as a result of being so damn tired.  Bed for me!  After I fold the laundry...and rinse the dishes....and pack my bags for the weekend.

Zzzzzzzzzzzzz

The Ride Home

On Tuesday I spent my whole morning working hard to learn my new job.  I spent the afternoon diligently working as well.  But, when 4:30 rolled around, I started getting anxious.  Not because the next day was my day off, not because the next day was the Fourth of July, but because I missed my kid.

At five o'clock I flew out the door, tried to find the quickest way out of Portland (still looking) and headed home.  I really wanted to see my kid.

When I made the turn onto the Dole's Ridge Road (about 12 minutes from home) I found myself getting impatient.  My speed kept creeping up until I was way over the speed limit.  I tried to keep it in check, but I missed my kid.

As I turned onto the New Dam Road (about 5 minutes from home) I felt such frustration that I wasn't there yet.  I just wanted my kid.  I thought to myself, "Does this ever go away?  This longing for your child when you haven't seen them all day?"  But I quickly realized, I don't think I ever want it to go away.  Missing your kid so much it hurts really isn't fun.  But having such a wonderful kid to miss so much makes me a very lucky lady. 

My Garden Rocks!

I'm just going to take a little minute here and brag about how AMAZING my garden looks this year.  This year I started my own seeds in the house in the beginning of May.  I got them in the ground on Mother's Day, which is about a month ahead of last years schedule.  And I think it has made a HUGE difference!

Zucchini Blossoms!

Cucumbers, Zucchini and Herbs with a little baby lettuce in the way back

These are the tomatoes in the front with Strawberries, Green Beans and Peas in the background.

Blossoms on the Peas

Baby Green Beans!

These pictures were actually ones from last weekend, I've had a bunch of zucchini flowers and the cucumbers have had blossoms too.  The green beans will be big enough to start eating probably once the sun comes out again, and today I saw some peas on the vine big enough to eat too!  And it's not even July yet!!!

These plants are all doing awesome this year and I definitely learned my lesson about starting seeds very early!  If I'm lucky I might even get to plant a second run of a few things, like Beans and lettuce.  We'll see!

And here's a few shots of Ben and his cousin Summer playing in the lake last weekend:



Yay for warm weather!!!