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[djande01]

Getting to Know Myself

1. Who was the last person you held hands with?

Probably my boyfriend, Kevin.  I don’t see him as often as I would like, but I would venture to guess it was him.

2. Are you loud, outgoing, or shy?

I would say I’m definitely not loud.  I guess it depends on what day you catch me on. Some days I can be outgoing, some days I can be shy.

3. Who are you looking forward to seeing?

My nieces, nephew, and boyfriend. Always.

4. Are you easy to get along with?

I would say you get what you put in with me.  I don’t have time for people who aren’t serious about keeping in touch with me.

5. Have you ever given up on someone, but then gone back to him or her?

Yes.  I had a best friend who was very parasitic.  She would constantly put me down and after about 5 years of putting up with that throughout junior high and high school, I finally cut her off. Then we met up a few years later in college, and it turns out that was a bad idea, so I run into her and talk to her, but never let it get past that.

6. If you were drunk, would the person you like take care of you?

He always takes care of me, drunk or not.  And I would do the same for him.

7. Do you think you’ll be in a relationship two months from now?

After about 7 years, I would certainly hope so!

8. Who from the opposite gender is on your mind?

Keev.

9. Does talking about sex make you uncomfortable?

Depends on who I’m talking about it with.  Sex is a natural (favorite) part of life, but I certainly won’t talk to my parents about it!

10. Who was the last person you had a deep conversation with?

My best friend, Danielle, probably.

11. What does your most recent text say?

“I think I’m going to skip yoga again. I really need it, but I also really need it to not take up an hour and 15.”

12. How do you feel about abortion?

I personally would never do it unless carrying a fetus would cause harm to myself, or if the baby wouldn’t survive anyways.  Just because those are my personal opinions doesn’t mean that this is how everyone feels though.  I don’t feel it’s my place for anyone whether they should or shouldn’t.  But I can certainly tell you, in most instances, it’s not an easy decision for a person to make.

13. Do you like big crowds of people?

In concerts, yes. Otherwise, definitely not.

14. Do you believe in luck and miracles?

I have a friend who would totally call me out on my answer to this.  I am a bit superstitious, but I do not believe in miracles.

15. What good thing happened this summer?

This summer hasn’t started yet, but I think some good things will certainly happen.

16. Would you kiss the last person you kissed again?

Over and over.

17. Do you think there is life on other planets?

I don’t know certainly, but if it can happen here, why wouldn’t it be able to happen somewhere else?

18. Do you still talk to your first crush?

He lives in the same town as I do, but I haven’t seen or talked to him in over a year. 

19. Do you like bubble baths?

Sometimes, yes.

20. Do you like your neighbors?

Yes. They are nice.

21. What are your bad habits?

I overthink and tend to be non-committal.

22. Where would you like to travel?

Everywhere.

23. Do you have trust issues?

Not so much anymore.

24. Favorite part of your daily routine?

Meditation.  I never regret when I do it, I always regret when I don’t.

25. What body part are you most uncomfortable with?

I have a bit of a belly.

26. What do you do when you wake up?

Make food.

27. Do you wish your skin was lighter or darker?

I wish I was a little bit darker.  I am very porcelain complected.

28. Who are you most comfortable around?

My boyfriend and my best friend.

29. Have any of your ex’s told you they regret breaking up?

Yes, one.  I acknowledged that our relationship was fully superficial and didn’t work.  Not something I was willing to try again.

30. Do you ever want to get married?

Yes.

31. Is your hair long enough for a ponytail?

Yes.

32. Which celebrities would you like having a threesome with?

Threesomes aren’t really my thing.  It changes day-to-day over who I would take a hall pass for.  I think today, and for most days for the past couple weeks, I’d take a hall pass for David Shaw from The Revivalists.

33. Spell your name with your chin.

dreeebaz (Deena)

34.What are your favorite stores to shop in?

Gordman’s.  Sadly, they’re closing.

35. Would you rather live without TV or music?

TV would be easiest.  I only really watch about an hour of TV a day (first thing in the morning).  I really don’t have time to watch much TV.

36. Have you ever liked someone and never told them?

I think there were a couple guys, when I was a shy, awkward teenager that I liked, but they never actually heard it from me.  Only in high school though.

37. What do you say during awkward silences?

Nothing.  I’d walk away.  I hate awkward silences, but I also hate pointless conversation.

38. Do you think age matters in relationships?

Now that I’m almost 30, I don’t think age matters as much anymore, but my boyfriend is 6 months older than me, so it’s really a non-issue.

39. Do you play sports?

I like playing volleyball and basketball, but never played them in high school.  I did take a volleyball class in college, which was pretty awesome.  Dance was my thing in high school.

40. Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?

In most cases, yes, but that person best not press their luck.

41. If you’re being extremely quiet, what does it mean?

Either I’m tired, or over it.

42. Do you smile at strangers?

Yes.

43. Trip to outer space or bottom of the ocean?

I’d like to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground, thank you.

44. Do you want a roommate?

Sometimes, I think it would be nice to have a roommate, but I’m past that phase.

45. What are you paranoid about?

The future.

46. What was the meanest thing someone ever said to you?

I try to let go of those things, because they don’t really change the way I see myself.  I did have some people say nice things to my face and talk behind my back, and I cut those people off very quickly. I don’t have time for drama.

47. The nicest thing?

Is it bad I don’t know?  I really don’t pay attention to outside chatter.  I get compliments a lot, but nothing really sticks out as the NICEST THING EVER.  I have this strong sense of self that no one can really mess with, good or bad.

48. Have you done something recently you hope no one finds out about?

Other than my parents finding out about the speeding ticket I got down south. No...lol

49. What language do you want to learn?

I’d like to get better at Spanish, and I’d like to learn German (cool-sounding), French (romantic), Italian (romantic), and Russian (complicated).

[djande01]

The Story That No One Knows

**Disclaimer: No one has heard this before.  I have been holding onto this for a few months and it may be uneasy for any family members that come upon it.**

For anyone that knows me, they will know that music is a huge part of my life. For the few people that know me well, they would know that I tend to fixate on a favorite artist or song.  

6 months ago, I was on my way to celebrate my mom’s birthday with her in Peoria.  We were riding, and all of a sudden, I think “I wonder what happened to Spacehog...”  I find the video for their song, “In The Meantime” on YouTube, and start listening.  Several times throughout listening, I think “this is an amazing song in every way.”  So, after the first time I listened, I listened again and again....over and over and over.  

We even went to one of our favorite restaurants in Peoria, and I found it on the jukebox and played it again.  I couldn’t get over how, all of a sudden, this song was amazing to me, and how I considered it to be completely underrated.

I listened to it several more times on the way home.  And, I overheard my mom saying that she hadn’t heard from her mom all day so she would like to stop by her apartment before going home.  So we stopped by her apartment.  My mom thought that maybe she had been sleeping a lot that day, so she wanted to go in first to make sure she was fully decent.  My mom walked through the door, and I remember her freaking out.  My grandmother had passed out on the floor, had puked at some point, and had been laying there, quite possibly all day.  I remember trying to keep my cool as much as I could, and called the ambulance, maintaining my composure.  

After I was off the phone, I sat in the hallway and cried. Making sure my mom didn’t see me.  I remember her being picked up by the ambulance and taken to the hospital, and on the way there, I wanted to listen to that damn song one more time, which I did.  

I listened to the words a bit closer than I had been, and even looked them up.  There really isn’t any sort of interpretation of the words out there, but, what they convey to me is the journey of waiting to go to heaven (if there is one).  I mean what exactly happens “in the meantime”?  We wait on Earth until it’s our time.  I am not one to say, but I think if there is quite possibly a “God”, he/she/it speaks to me through music.  And music is my religion.  I think there is a reason why that song resonated to me on that particular day.  Because he/she/it knew that someone I loved would be taken away from me very soon, and I would need it.

And here is that damned song, which I can no longer skip over anymore, because in some odd way, it reminds me that my Grandma is alright.

https://youtu.be/TDkhl-CgETg

[djande01]

Today’s Music List...

(Apology ahead of time:  I have about 3 beers in me, because I like beer about as much as I like music.)  Lord knows I couldn’t make it through today on my own....I apologize for the number of Revivalist songs in my list. This is my new feel-good music.

1. BTBD-The Revivalists

2. Monster-The Revivalists

3.Fade Away-The Revivalists

4. Hard To Handle-Otis Redding

5. Nimble Bastard-Incubus

6. Appreciate Me I & II-The Revivalists

7. Don’t Get Caught Up-The Revivalists

I am SO stoked for Incubus’ new CD.  Back in about 2007 or 2008, they ousted Red Hot Chili Peppers as my favorite band of all time.  All it took was one live show.  Which turned into 3...which turned into me liking almost every song that they have released.  I even have the chorus to the song “Dig” tattooed on my back.  I was a bit disappointed by their “If Not Now, When?” CD, which isn’t bad, but doesn’t seem like the Incubus I know.  From what I’ve heard, they are back as they were, and this makes me very happy.  

It’s been 4 days since I’ve seen The Revivalists live, and I decided to download the entire discography 3 days ago.  I have been missing out.  Every little bit of it is just as good, if not better than the last songs.  Listening to all of this has made me think that I really should just listen to everything that comes out of every band that I like, because I just knew of the 2 songs that I really liked (”Keep Going” and “Wish I Knew You”).  I just enjoyed those 2 songs so much, that I ignored everything else.  And that was a huge mistake.  

I have 2 weeks until I see Bastille and Mondo Cozmo live, which I’m really excited about, but I’m still riding off the high of The Revivalists’ show.  Maybe that’s the problem with picking so many shows so frequently.  The Revivalists have my full attention right now, because it was a very personal show.  David Shaw turned it into a VERY personal show, by coming into the crowd repeatedly.  You can tell when someone appreciates their opportunities when they do things like that.  Not only that, but it makes the show that much more enjoyable for everyone else.  I know it’s something that I won’t quickly forget, for sure.  

I really wish I had something more noteworthy to write about.  My life is really boring, had it not been for these concerts that I make it a point to go to.  I was going to say I really wish that there was something I could do within my power to change this, but there really is, if I have the courage to take the steps to get there.  I have an end point in mind, but it’s just psyching myself up to get there.   There are so many days that I go through an entire workday and think “this can’t be all there is to it, can it?”.  I really hate that this is how I’m thinking of my life at only 28 years old.  There are things I can do about it.  Ugh.  I guess I’ll be complacent until my debts are paid, and then I can move on with my life.  Hopefully, I’m not middle-aged until this happens.  Sorry for the pity-party.  

[djande01]

Effort Vs. Surrender

I’ve started some of the preliminary readings for going through my yoga teacher training (Slow progress is better than no progress...). One of the concepts that is discussed in “Bringing Yoga to Life” is Effort Vs. Surrender.  I don’t know if I exactly trust the universe with my fate.  Part of the reason I am a self-confessed agnostic atheist is that it puts all responsibility for everything that happens in my life on my shoulders, which is where it belongs.  That being said, I need to get to work.

I have worked on being more mindful of where my head is and what I’m focused on throughout the day, and I spent a great majority of my afternoon, staring at spreadsheets.  Under normal circumstances, I don’t have a problem with number-crunching, but I’m more of a creative type, and today, I just wasn’t having it.  If this is what is the extent of what I have to do in my time at my place of employment, I’m not sure if this is what I want my future to entail.  Yes, it is a means of paying bills, but if I’m going to spend the majority of my time doing something, I want it to be doing something I find to be worthwhile.

Luckily, every couple weeks or so, I get a glimpse of what my life could involve, if I just followed a very different path; one set by myself, in order to get where I want to be.  I saw The Revivalists play live (twice) this past Friday.  I swear this is about as happy as I’ve ever been.  To me, concerts are just such an organic experience.  This one was as organic as it gets.  I even touched David Shaw’s hand.  Bar none, one of the greatest moments (biggest connection with a stranger) of my life. 

Music is seriously my purpose of life.  If I didn’t have good music, I don’t know where my life would be.  I’d be a much sadder person.  I need to find a way to make this a bigger aspect of my life.  Or I’ll always be questioning if there is more to life than crunching numbers for an insurance company.  I am more than just a drone.  I am more than the projects handed to me, or the insurance policies I approve.  I am a person, with a soul, that searches constantly for fulfillment.  I am jealous of the people out there that say that they are doing exactly what they want to be doing.  I’m not there.  I wish I was. *sigh*

[djande01]

The Game-Changer

As indicated a couple posts back, yoga is very quickly becoming a large part of my life.  I decided about 3 yoga classes in, that I would start training to become a yoga teacher, which, the beginning of this journey begins in a little over one week (YAY!)

Last Tuesday night, I stayed after class and chatted up with my yoga teacher.  I told him that the majority of most days, I’m exhausted, and then, when it’s time to go to bed, I feel restless and unable to fall asleep.  He then pointed me in the direction of meditation, Rod Stryker, specifically.  He provided me a CD with about 6 different meditation sequences, all with their own separate goals, and told me that a meditation sequence called “Relax Into Greatness” is really beneficial for sleep.

I have to admit, meditation really doesn’t come easy to me, unless I’m guided.  I’m a very busy-minded person for most of the day, and a lot of times, feel like there aren’t enough hours, but there are many people out there that swear by it.  In Tim Ferriss’ recent book Tools Of Titans, he indicated that 80% of the people that he interviewed do some sort of mindfulness training/meditation on a daily basis.  So, there must be some method to this madness, and it has to be working on a large scale.  

About a month ago, 2 of my best friends and I decided to go to a Sound Meditation class, which was a glorified adult nap time, essentially, where you just lay down and listen to very neutral sounds, such as chimes, gongs, etc.  It was very hard to relax without the guidance.  In fact, I felt like the majority of the time, I was just staring up at the ceiling, waiting for it to get over.  Not something specifically geared toward a beginner...

So Sunday night, before bed, I turned on Rod Stryker’s Relax Into Greatness, and I seriously felt as if it were a game changer.  I felt like I dozed off during it, and when I woke back up (mind you, the sequence is only a half-hour), I felt like I had slept for at least a couple hours, and for the majority of it, I felt weightless.  I have done this sequence every night since, and highly recommend it.  I also have been trying to do one of the other sequences in the morning, before I start work.  Great, relaxing way to start your day.  During the introduction on the CD I received, it indicates that you should stick to one for a solid month and determine if it’s working for your personal preferences.  For the morning ones, I’ve been choosing them at random, trying to get to all of them.  After I can decide if I gravitate toward one over the others, then I will begin one month of a specific program.  

To check it out, go to https://www.parayoga.com/rod-stryker/the-four-desires/

*Disclaimer: I am unpaid and non-biased.  I am willing to try anything like this that may make improvements on my life, if any suggestions are out there.

[djande01]

The Myth of the Us Vs. Them Mentality

Disclaimer:  I have a hard time not apologizing for what I’m about to post.  These are strictly my opinions, and sometimes I have to remind myself that it’s okay for me to have them.  This blog has served somewhat well to convey thoughts that have been weighing heavy in my head. So....here goes.

For some reason, I have thought very heavily about the last 20 years, and the changes that have occurred within that time frame.  I grew up in a very rural central IL town.  When I was very little (from birth to 5th grade), About 95% of my neighbors were elderly men who once worked as coal miners in my little town. Many of them with a last name ending in “ich”, indicating European decent (some of which were children of immigrants).  I don’t remember my childhood that vividly, but what I do remember, is that many of my neighbors had a vested interest in my growth as a human being.  I learned something from each and every one of them, and, as many of them have passed by now, I still think about them.  

Then, in 5th grade, I moved to the house I’m currently residing in.  Since then, I don’t have much, if any, relationship with my neighbors.  Everyone pretty much keeps to themselves.  I kept to myself a lot after I moved to college.  It seemed like everyone in my town knew everyone else’s business, which made me go to the opposite extreme and just stay cooped up in my dorm.  This wasn’t out of a lack of interest in other people.  I spent much of this time genuinely caring about other people, but had gotten hurt, and felt slightly jaded.  

As I look at current events, I feel like the silent majority really does care, but there are a few out there that have this mentality that “If I win, then someone has to lose.” or “In order for me to win, you MUST lose.”  After thinking the exact way for way longer than I would like to admit (mainly because of said hurt), I believe wholeheartedly that this is a myth.  I believe that my success or my failure depends solely on me, and has no contingency on whether or not anyone else succeeds or fails (except for the people that depend on me, which, for right now, is none).  I believe there is enough abundance in this society for each person to have what they need, and maybe even what they want.  

I guarantee this is a lesson from my Croatian/Slavic neighbors who were genuinely interested in my success as a human being, regardless of the fact that it didn’t have any bearing on how successful they were.  Because, you know what? We are in this existence TOGETHER.  In a society that feels the need to tear each other down, why don’t we try and build each other up? When you succeed, I will cry happy tears for you. When you fail, even if I’m not going through the exact same thing, I will feel your pain from a genuine place...my heart.  I have never been the type of person to be able to verbalize empathy very well, but please know, I will have your back if you have mine.  

[djande01]

Felt the need to document how I feel....

I am actually at a loss when it comes to describing how I feel about today.  Until about 5:30 today, I felt incredibly stressed out.  After leaving work yesterday, feeling as if I left myself at a good stopping place, being mostly caught up, and being in a great mood, today was the epitome of chaos.  

First of all, my alarm wasn’t set for the right time, and I ended up waking up 20 minutes late.  Although I’m grateful for the extra sleep, it caused some minor panic.  Then, I go to work, and about an hour or two into my shift, I feel like all hell broke loose.  I’m getting a constant stream of emails about things that were already on my to-do list for the day, but I had not completed at that point in time.  This doesn’t stop for the majority of the day.  I almost decided to work through my lunch, but decided it would be best to walk away for a few minutes, which, at times, I have to give myself permission to do so.

I had made a conscious decision at the beginning of the year to make an effort to go to yoga class Tuesday and Thursday nights, as well as some Saturday mornings.  At this point in the day, early afternoon, I am pissed because I felt like I had so much work to do that I should skip my yoga class and stay over at work.  It took a quick reminder from my mama that it was okay for me to leave and that I deserved to go to yoga.  In fact, I practically owed it to myself.  My inner peace had been completely drained.

So, I make the decision to leave work on time, and head home to get ready for yoga.  By the time I get home, I have 16 new messages on Facebook regarding a vacation that is in the works, but due to the overload of information provided, I instantly feel overwhelmed as soon as I walk in the house.  This vacation has provided some stress to plan, and I’m not even the one planning it.  I’m essentially the type of person, that doesn’t care about little details, or about what houses are being looked at for the place to stay.  I could stay in a treehouse for all I care, and I’d be perfectly content.  This shouldn’t cause me stress, but given the fact that I spent the entire day getting an overload of information, I was ready to be done.  I left for yoga actually pissed off, which is a very rare thing.  I’m never actually mad over anything.  There is nothing that is worth my inner peace, but I guess some people have breaking points.

I walk in the yoga studio, and see it more crowded than the last time I went.  So I take my seated position in the back of the room, and instantly feel peace.  I went through the entire session, making no modifications to make anything easier on myself, and had a major breakthrough tonight.  Yes, some of the things that I endured not only in the session, but also throughout the day were difficult, but I’m tough.  I never once thought during the session that I would go easy on myself, because doing so would be hindering my potential, and I wouldn’t be as elated as I feel right now.  Yes, sometimes, our bodies and our minds need breaks, and it’s up to you to know when is that point, but we never know what we can endure until we try.  My inner peace was restored in a matter of an hour and 15 minutes.  AND, I touched my toes for the first time in years! After the major shit-storm of a day that I had, it ended on a VERY high note.  It will be a long time before I contemplate skipping yoga again.  I feel like this is the key to unlocking my personal happiness, which, I’ve been taught is okay to give up for the sake of others.  I’m fighting this really hard.  Why is anyone else’s happiness more important than my own.  I think that a lot of people are taught that it’s our jobs to make other people happy.  I’ve got news for you: IT’S NOT.  I could go into this more in depth, but that’s another blog for another time.  That one will also be a self-lesson, because it’s incredibly difficult for me to potentially disappoint/upset others. I physically hurt when I do so.  Anywho, I’m out, before this goes into another tangent.

Have a nice night!!!

[djande01]

This is me!  A few things about me...

1) I graduated with a Psychology degree.  I feel like having this background has made me hyper-aware of my own emotions as well as giving me the ability to read even the most difficult people (more than likely though, I won’t make it fully aware that I know what you’re thinking; body language/facial expressions are a dead giveaway.)

2)  I wear my heart on my sleeve.  Although I am aware of my own emotions, I have difficulty hiding the way I’m feeling from others.

3)  I LOOOOVVVVVEEE music.  I am happiest when I’m playing music (although this also frustrates me...) or listening to music.  Music itself creates its own world.

4)  Along with #3, I feel that watching live music is one of the best, most organic experiences a person can have with a complete stranger.  This is one of my favorite ways to spend time with my best friend.

5) My favorite band of all time is Incubus.  I even have the chorus of their song “Dig” tattooed on my back.  This is one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard, and hope that this song will possibly be the song I dance to my future husband with for our first dance.

6)  Right now, a few other favorite bands are Borns, Joseph, and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats.  The latter two I just saw in concert.  Such wonderful musicians.  It’s very rare that I find albums that I can listen to every single song off of.  Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats Self-Titled Album and Borns’ Dopamine albums are two of those....and I discovered them within one year of each other.

7) The first album that I could listen to from start to finish was “A Crow Left of the Murder” by Incubus.  To this day, I think this is one of the greatest albums ever.

8) I keep random lists of things....like the person I would most like to have a beer with is Nathaniel Rateliff, and the person I would most like to do tequila shots with is Garrett Borns (I would die a happy person if the latter were to happen at some point).

9)  A little something personal about me....I’m absolutely in love with my boyfriend.  I’ve dated my boyfriend, Kevin, for a little over 6 years.  We’ve been long-distance for a little over 3 of those years.  Believe it or not, we’ve managed this a lot better than many people would think.  It’s not really that hard when you know where you stand with a person.  We are the opposite in most ways, but we are common in the fact that we respect each other, love each other, and make our time together be about having the most fun as possible. Our disagreements become futile when we don’t see each other all the time.  We make our time together as happy as possible, doing things we enjoy.  We have no time to be sad or angry because we are too busy enjoying whatever minutes we have together.  I love him with my whole heart. He is the most amusing, most wonderful human being I have ever met.

[djande01]

CT Snowball 2016

https://www.instagram.com/p/BN0uUSOjk2a_wKl5igDkZSxs-8tvOGYrhaFqsM0/?taken-by=djande01

https://www.instagram.com/p/BN0iab7jAOReQtQ7JySiauzFzZ69cPTDBgsjo80/?taken-by=djande01

https://www.instagram.com/p/BN24Dipjp33WU8MszVFJ2i7Ry6_jkfGPL7OoAs0/?taken-by=djande01

Last night, Jeremy David Baker, Joseph and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats performed at Expo Gardens.  I would have to say that this was one of the best shows I’ve seen in a while.  Each artist was close enough to being the same type of music to justify them all playing together, but provided just enough variety.

Jeremy David Baker, who is a local artist, kept things intimate by being the only person onstage, playing acoustic and singing.  He also disclosed that he wasn’t feeling well.  Despite this, he was WONDERFUL.  He reminded me very much of Johnny Cash.  I could have watched him play an entire set on his own.  This guy has so much talent, I wouldn’t be surprised if he weren’t “underground” for much longer.

Joseph also played last night.  I have heard some of their music on the radio, and thought “this is the band with the chick singer”.  Much to my surprise, 3 girls walked out, and later stated that they are sisters, two of which are twins.  These girls are SO talented.  They harmonize in a way that I would think only sisters can, and much of their music showcases that; almost ethereal or angelic.  They each take turns singing lead, and each are just as talented as the others.  I actually had a chance to meet Meeghan after their set was over, where I bought both of their CDs.  Meeghan was so down-to-earth and nice.  She even signed one of the CDs.  The best way I would describe Joseph’s music is a mix between Fleetwood Mac and the Dixie Chicks.

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats then played, and sounded very much like their albums sound.  Their music is so upbeat and happy that you really can’t help but dance to it, which was the whole reason I intended to go to the concert in the first place.  They definitely did not disappoint.  My best friend and I danced the entire time, along with many other people at the show.  They have nostalgic big-band style mixed with Elvis Presley swag.  Unfortunately, as with the other bands, I had difficulty understanding what they were saying when they weren’t singing.  They played phenomenally, and even had trumpet and saxophone players.  I’m always impressed when bands have these types of musicians as part of their lineup, as they bring a different element to the music that isn’t really seen in music nowadays.  I would say that the band is a mix between Elvis and Johnny Cash, but in that equation, there is an entire element that is missing.  There is no real way to describe Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats.  They aren’t entirely country and they aren’t entirely rock.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Nathaniel Rateliff were responsible for creating an entirely new genre of rock music.  

Final Thoughts: Any of the 3 artists that played last night would definitely be worth watching again.  I would definitely make an effort to see any or all of the three again.

Side note:  Nathaniel Rateliff is at the top of my list of people I have to have a beer with.  I think my life would be complete if this were to happen.

[djande01]

Haven’t taken the time to figure out what song this is, but these girls are SO good!!! I predict they’ll be headlining sometime in the near future. 

UPDATE: This song is called “Planets” and it can be found on Joseph’s “I’m Alone, No You’re Not” album.

[djande01]

Getting It Back Together...

Lately, I’ve been on this kick of writing things down in my own handwriting and letting shit happen.  Every night, I write in my journal (kind of stream of consciousness writing) just to get my thoughts out in the open.  I also include writing down my intentions for the next day, which are essentially promises that I make to myself that I consciously try and uphold the next day.  Some of them are complete failures (still struggling with water consumption...), but others have proven to be pretty successful. One intention that I made last week was to write my first blog entry, which I didn’t uphold to myself...until today. So here I am.  

All it took was one day for me to realize my dreams are much bigger than where I am right now.

I have decided that I am going to take a path of self-improvement, including a possible change in career, which is certainly not going to happen overnight, but will take baby steps, which may even take years for me to accomplish.  I’ve always been the type of person that goes for instant gratification.  I lose patience very easily, and give up...a self-saboteur of sorts.  I was lifting weights for 3 months straight, and gave up because I wasn’t seeing the type of results that I was wanting to see.  That 3 months was a wash.  Now, I’m doing yoga, eating the things that I want to eat (which are usually healthy things, but sometimes a girl has to stray).  And I’m hyper aware of my emotions.  If I feel myself getting angry or uneasy, which is rare, I look up breathing exercises.  All of these things are baby steps to the person that I want to become.  

My problem has been I have always had WAY too many interests and not enough time.

I consider myself to be pretty well-rounded in my hobbies and interests, and have always thought that money (however little) could be made in any or all of my hobbies, but the thought of taking the chance to do some of these things full-time, and the risks that would come along with it, scare the shit out of me.  My hobbies are as follows (and each of them are just as equal as the others): beer, essential oils, exercise, music (playing and listening), painting. I also just realized I alphabetized them..completely accidental..and weird.The idea that sparked, and was somewhat life-changing, was last week or the week before. It really has been in front of me all along, and I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.  My best friend and I have been making a habit of going to concerts, at least one every few months.  And we always talk about wanting to go to more, which prompted me to ask her “What is keeping us from opening up our own venue?”  I have always loved music, but have not had enough skill in voice or playing to justify my writing my own music and playing it.  Plus, I’m really the type of person who likes to fly under the radar when it comes to everything.  So, Danielle and I have been taking this idea and running with it...coming up with ideas, figuring out who has skills that could help us get this dream project off the ground, etc.  We both have this very real vision of what is supposed to happen with this, and the fact that it would be a passion project would mean that we’ll make it the absolute best that it can be.  My philosophy on work is that if you’re doing something you love, it really isn’t a job, is it?  I actually envision myself putting a lot of time, heart, and effort into making it an awesome place.  And I’m really excited about the start of it.  It will definitely be hardcore baby steps, but it will definitely be worth it.

So what will this be?

Some of the things I post here will be journal entries, or stream-of-consciousness writing.  I may have reviews of music that I have found or listened to.  I may also include reviews of concerts that I’m going to (the first one may be up tomorrow, as I’m seeing Joseph and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats tonight!!!!)  I may include playlists, etc. For the most part, I intend to keep this all things music, but there may be some stuff about exercise, or painting or essential oils as well.  I never know what I’m thinking about on any given day...

“The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking.  It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.”  -Albert Einstein

[djande01]

"Nothing is impossible. The word itself says I'm possible!" -Audrey Hepburn

[djande01]