Ever drop food on the floor and wonder if you should pick it up and eat it? Do you go by the 5 second rule? Do you factor in the last time you actually mopped the floor? Are you more picky if it’s your child eating said food (be honest)? Here’s a flow chart that all of us can use. I found it via a link in a newsletter from NTEN. Note that all bets are off when bacon is involved.
I think I might be aging out of some of the rock shows I attend. I find myself increasingly annoyed by the lead singers who insist on barking out orders to me during their set. I’m never loud enough. I sit in my seat too much. And I need to sing their songs to them. (Wait. Didn’t I just pay $40 to hear you sing your songs?)
My husband and I enjoyed a rare evening out on Valentine’s Day. Not because it was Valentine’s Day, and we were celebrating our love. No, the Breaking Benjamin concert just happened to coincide with the holiday.
While Three Days Grace actually headlined the show, we went for Breaking Benjamin and Flyleaf. It was the third time we’ve seen Breaking Benjamin. The first time I saw them, I was 20 weeks pregnant with my first son. I find each time I see them in concert, I like them more. I always love a band that sounds even better live than they do on their albums. I only wish they were on the stage longer. Ben Burnley’s voice is strong and commanding and can go from sweet to maniacal in a matter of seconds. He got the crowd involved, but he focused on playing rock music. Flyleaf was pretty good too. I love that Lacey Mosley came out in a lacy white dress over jeans and screamed her guts out. I guess that’s why Three Days Grace was so annoying to me.
Don’t get me wrong, Three Days Grace sounded pretty good. I knew most of their songs since they get a lot of airplay on the radio. They just went through every rock show cliche there is. There was lots of crowd singing because “If you don’t know this song, I don’t know where you’ve been.” There was a competition to see which side of the Cumberland County Civic Center could sing the loudest melodies, which were repeated after Adam Grontier in a progression of ahs and ohs. There was fire. At one point, Adam Grontier appeared on a platform in the middle of the civic center. There was even a rotating drum set.
Anyone remember Motley Crue’s Dr. Feelgood tour? That’s what it reminded me of. Then I realized that I was about 14 or 15 when I went to that concert. (What were my parents thinking?) Most of the people around me on Sunday were probably closer to that age than to mine. Not that I think thirty-somethings should stay at home and stick to listening to music on the iPod or anything. My husband and I were singing louder than most of the crowd while Breaking Benjamin was on. (We were probably a few of the only ones who could sing along to their sweet version of Aerosmith’s “Dream On” as well.) It just seems like we’re not quite in the target audience of some of the bands these days.
I don’t hate everything about you. My house is a home. And I have no interest in starting a riot. However, we did note that our 14 month old would probably find the song “Let’s Start a Riot” both catchy and inspirational.
Here are a few bad pics I took with my cell phone. Note the safe distance from the floor where all the crowd surfing was happening.
Flyleaf at the Cumberland County Civic Center, 2/14/10
Breaking Benjamin at the Cumberland County Civic Center, 2/10/10
I hate it when people set up their blog and leave the default test post up for others to see. So, while I figure out the set up of this blog, I thought I’d post the OK Go video for the song “This Too Shall Pass.” OK Go is known for their crazy creative videos, and this one delivers. It was shot live and features the Notre Dame marching band. (The only thing that would make it better is if it featured the Syracuse University marching band, my alma mater. You can’t have everything, I suppose.)
Originally, I was going to name this blog This Too Shall Pass. As in, the kids won’t give you ten minutes to write a quick blog post. This too shall pass. The dogs are howling outside as the baby cries, and you’re handling raw meat in the kitchen. This too shall pass. Your four year old is pointing out every character flaw. This too shall pass. Alas, many other people and organizations seem to like this phrase and are already using it. I guess it wasn’t too creative. Much like my parents who named me Jennifer. (Not their fault. I don’t think they realized how very popular it really was at the time. I’m thinking there will be a few Abigails out there in about 25 years complaining about the same thing.)
Anyway, the blog is called Another Jennifer because that is what I am. That won’t pass, but I can embrace it and hope the co-workers I’ve been working with for more than three years can finally learn that I don’t work in HR. (That’s the other Jen.)
Here’s where I would embed the video for This Too Shall Pass. However, both WordPress and OK Go have made it impossible to embed directly into the post. (Insert explicative here.) Instead, I’ll have to leave you with a link. Hopefully you’ll follow it (and this blog, eventually). It’s worth the trip.
OK Go – This Too Shall Pass from OK Go on Vimeo.
another jennifer 