http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/04/09/ashley-judd-slaps-media-in-the-face-for-speculation-over-her-puffy-appearance.html
I read this about Ashley. The drug she was on for a month, probably some form of Prednisone, I was on for FIVE YEARS! It sucks! The drug distorts your face and gives you "Moon Face." It's a real term. And it sucks. I understand about what she's saying and the judgement that happens. I was at one of my lowest weights after Transplant, yet, my face looked awful! I'm actually really embarrassed by some of the pictures from back then, even though, I should have been happy for feeling better. Most transplant patients don't ever get off of the steroids they are on. I just luckily had a doctor that agreed with me that I didn't need them any more. On top of the "Moon Face," when a woman is on steroids long term, longer than the 30 days Ashley was on them, her hair starts falling out. That's even worse! A lot of women feel identified by their hair! Especially women, like me, who are performers! At the time, I was in college and studying vocal performance.
Here's the thing, the drug does the same to men! Yet, I rarely hear anything about male transplant patients feeling judged. When George Lopez, the comedian got his Kidney from his now Ex-Wife, I never heard anyone say, "Oh, he looks so fat!" or "He looks AWFUL!" They said, "That's so amazing! He got a kidney from his wife!" That also goes for Steven "Kojo" Cojocaru, the Fashion reporter on Entertainment Tonight. So, look at this how you want, but women are judged daily, and feel the pressure. No wonder most women's self esteems are crap!
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
Breaking the McDonald's Habbit
I think I may have finally done it! I don't crave Fast Food 24 hours a day! How, you may ask. Well, let's start from the very beginning!
I was brought up on fast food, especially McDonald's. Whenever I said I was hungry when I was little, my parents would just pull over and buy me a Happy Meal. It was a lot easier and quicker than driving home and making a meal. This went on for years and years! Before any function, they would just stop and get me fast food! It wasn't that my parents couldn't cook. They definitely were both great cooks! My dad even ran a restaurant for years. This action was more out of convenience. It was also cheap! The Happy Meal averaged around $2 back then.
Then, in high school, I formed an addiction to the Whopper Jr. I would eat Whopper Jr.'s three or four times a week! I had so many after school activities, and Burger King was across the street from my high school! There were other options in that shopping center, like Subway and Taco Bell, but I always chose Burger King. Now, this whole time, I was very active. I was on the Dance team, did gymnastics, and did the show choir for a while, but I never seemed to loose weight. I maintained at most.
I went on to college. Now, college is a completely differently animal for all of those who move away from home and live in a dorm. Dorm dwellers are not usually known for their healthy eating! Most are actually known to gain the "Freshman Fifteen." When I was a Freshman, I was taking Dance classes to cover my General Education PE credits. So, I don't know if I ever really gained the "Freshman Fifteen." What did happen by second semester was, I started loosing weight! Here's the thing, I was still eating Burger King, Subway, Taco Bell, and other Fast Foods on a regular basis. On the weekends, the Cafeterias weren't open as much, and we were expected to eat in the Commons/Union Building. These meals were also built into our meal plan for the year. I know at this time in our lives, we were supposed to become more aware of what we are eating, or what we are putting into our bodies. But let's face it, most dorm dwelling Freshman don't!
Between my Freshman and Sophomore year, and started Peritoneal Dialysis. At the time, my body was getting sicker from the lack of Kidney function, and I went on the Transplant waiting list. When I was that sick, it was hard to not turn to the comfort foods. Well, for me, that is definitely Fast Food! When I went back to school, I was a dorm dweller yet again for my sophomore year! The process starts over again! Trying to find healthy foods in the cafeteria was especially hard for me at the time! Not only was I lactose intolerant, and my reactions were getting worse. I was on a Potassium restricted diet! What healthy food does not have Potassium in it?! It was so hard giving up my all of my favorite foods! Potatoes and Tomatoes are both Potassium rich and both are my favorite foods! Some how, I survived that year! (The diet restrictions were only going to get worse from there!)
Well, my Junior year, I became an apartment dweller with three roommates. The eating got a little better, but I still ate Fast Food a lot! Then, in the beginning of November, I got the call for a Kidney. After that, give give you lists upon lists of diet restrictions/ a.k.a. proper ways of actually eating. Who knew that there was a no sodium/low sodium diet? Well, I found out what that was pretty quickly!
I still was absolutely in love with Fast Food. I craved it! I wanted french fries, burgers, and tacos 24 hours a day!
Then, it happened. I got a job at McDonald's! I loved it! All of the McDonald's food I could ever or never want at my fingertips! And the experiments! Big Macs with extra Mac Sauce and Bacon! French Fries dipped in Mac Sauce! Triple or Quadruple Cheeseburgers! Endless apple pies! Chicken Nuggets in every McDonald's sauce imaginable! And it was awesome! I NEVER GOT SICK OF THE FOOD! I wanted MORE! The funny thing is, I didn't gain 100lbs either. That was probably from how hard I was working at McDonald's! Mopping a restaurant from front to back is a great amount of exercise! I'm sure you can visualize my arteries clogging just from reading my last paragraph! But I didn't keel over and die of a heart attack, surprisingly!
I worked there for almost two years. I actually enjoyed the job most of the time. When I finally moved on, I worked at a Walmart that had a McDonald's in the store, and I would eat there often during my lunch breaks.
The cravings have gone on for years! I wanted Fast Food all of the time! On average, I would probably eat out at least four or five times a week, and most of that was Fast Food.
Then, the movie "Supersize Me" came out. I watched this movie, and afterward, I wanted to go get McDonald's! It just made me want it more!!! Here's the thing about that movie. The man went from being a Vegan to eating McDonald's every day. Of course he was going to get sick! Anyone who goes from extreme to another will get sick! He also interviewed the man who had eaten a Big Mac for everyday of his life over years and years. This man was SKINNY! He had also had blood work done, and things like his cholesterol numbers where just fine! This documentary did not detour me at all!
I also feel that he is creating a false premiss of going from one extreme to another. McDonald's is more of that slippery slope. You eat it one day, it tastes good. Then, you think, it's quick, I can eat it again. It it tastes awesome! In fact, I personally think, it tastes better every time I eat it! Then, you start craving it. I would crave McDonald's so bad, it didn't matter if I was really hungry, I would pull over and get it. I would be watching T.V. and see a commercial, and I would stop everything to run out and buy a cheeseburger or Chicken McNuggets! I've even sent my boyfriend out on late night runs for McDonald's or Taco Bell!
Another factor for Fast Food is that is is so CHEAP! Who can't afford to dig up a dollar for a burger or taco? Most Fast Food places have some kind of "Dollar Menu" or "Value Menu." I may not have had the money to go get a steak at Applebees or something other casual dinning restaurant, but I sure could afford to spend the dollar on a burger!
These habits have continued for years. It's all just started to change in the last six months to a year. One thing that happened that was not in my control is, these companies keep changing their french fry recipes! McDonald's is one of the only companies that haven't. Burger King actually did this around 1997. I hated the new fries. They tasted like they were bathed in salt water! I actually still liked their onion rings and continued eating there.
The latest change in french fries came from Wendy's. I loved their old fries! The ones that came out in 2010 are the "Natural-Cut" french fries with a "sprinkle of sea salt."
http://www.wendys.com/food/Product.jsp?family=7&product=18
They have the word "Natural" in their description, so, they must be better for you, right? Actually, this product is still coated in a chemical preservative. That's what gives them their "sprinkle of sea salt" flavor. Also, according to this article: http://yumkid.com/whats-so-natural-about-wendys-natural-cut-french-fries, they are covered in dextrose. Basically, using the word "Natural" is a gimmick to make people feel better about buying them, but it's really not a good thing. The world Natural is referring to the way the potato is cut and has nothing to do with the actual healthiness of the food.
Please, Wendy's, go back to your old french fries! At least they tasted good! Especially dipped in a Frosty!!! Instead of french fries at Wendy's, I now order a side salad instead. Thanks Wendy's for pushing me in the right direction by ruining your fries!
What other kinds of chemicals do Fast Food companies use in their recipes? There has to be something that creates the "addiction" to the food! A lot of the companies are promoting adds that claim, their foods come from real farms, real fields, that it is all real food. It IS real food. The question is, what is done to it in the process before it is sold and eaten?
Here's some things I did to help me stop eating as much fast food.
1. I bring my lunch to work every day. This really helps me out a lot! When I have a lunch to eat, I don't need to run out and buy one! Sometimes, I have to talk myself into eating what I've brought. I think to myself, "Well, that doesn't sound as good as it did when I packed the lunch!" I just try to remind myself, it's here, so, I should eat it. It works most of the time!
2. My boyfriend and I make a dinner plan. We find, if we have a plan, we try to stick to it. It actually helps out the budget too. If you know, you are having Taco Tuesday or having an amazing meal at home, you train yourself to think about that food. Then, you aren't thinking, "I don't know what I'm making for dinner tonight, so, we better go out!" The other thing about having a dinner/meal plan for the week is, if you know you are going out to eat on Saturday night, then you are going to plan for it. A lot of times, we'll even pick where we are going to eat when the meal plan is made. If I'm craving Chinese that week, I can say on Sunday, when we make our meal plan, "Saturday, I want to eat at a Chinese restaurant," and go from there. Then, I get to satisfy my craving that night!
3. Creating a food budget: This is a hard one! I don't always stick to this, but it's been getting easier. If I haven't budgeted for that extra five to ten dollars to go out to eat for lunch, I can usually talk myself out of going. I do budget to eat out on Thursday night, because I go straight from work to a rehearsal. That's five to ten dollars I have to remember to budget for once a week. We also have a grocerie budget. If I go buy the groceries, even with a list, I usually blow the budget. But If I send my boyfriend to go buy the groceries, with a list, he is usually really good about sticking to exactly what's on the list. We include going out to eat for our Date Night once a week in our Entertainment budget, but it is still budgeted for. I just have to constantly remind myself how much eating out adds up in the end.
4. I remind myself of how many calories I can blow through in a Fast Food meal! This is new for me. I'm really working on this! There are healthy choices when you go out to eat, but I'm not going to choose them! I know this. I'm being completely honest with myself! When I go to McDonald's, I want the Big Mac with extra Mac Sauce and extra Pickles, the Fries, and the gigantic Drink filled with sugar that goes with it! It's the same way with any other Fast Food joint. I want the unhealthiest crap on the menu most of the time! Not going to these places is the only way to circumvent this issue for me.
Over the break from my choir, I rarely ate out at all. The break was around five weeks long. I ate out a few times here and there, but most of the time, I chose to cook things at home, or we went out to places that weren't fast food. They say it takes 16 days to break or create a habit. I know I have been without McDonald's for longer than that! I think it's weird to not have the feeling of wanting Fast Food all of the time. I'm going to try to keep this up!
I was brought up on fast food, especially McDonald's. Whenever I said I was hungry when I was little, my parents would just pull over and buy me a Happy Meal. It was a lot easier and quicker than driving home and making a meal. This went on for years and years! Before any function, they would just stop and get me fast food! It wasn't that my parents couldn't cook. They definitely were both great cooks! My dad even ran a restaurant for years. This action was more out of convenience. It was also cheap! The Happy Meal averaged around $2 back then.
Then, in high school, I formed an addiction to the Whopper Jr. I would eat Whopper Jr.'s three or four times a week! I had so many after school activities, and Burger King was across the street from my high school! There were other options in that shopping center, like Subway and Taco Bell, but I always chose Burger King. Now, this whole time, I was very active. I was on the Dance team, did gymnastics, and did the show choir for a while, but I never seemed to loose weight. I maintained at most.
I went on to college. Now, college is a completely differently animal for all of those who move away from home and live in a dorm. Dorm dwellers are not usually known for their healthy eating! Most are actually known to gain the "Freshman Fifteen." When I was a Freshman, I was taking Dance classes to cover my General Education PE credits. So, I don't know if I ever really gained the "Freshman Fifteen." What did happen by second semester was, I started loosing weight! Here's the thing, I was still eating Burger King, Subway, Taco Bell, and other Fast Foods on a regular basis. On the weekends, the Cafeterias weren't open as much, and we were expected to eat in the Commons/Union Building. These meals were also built into our meal plan for the year. I know at this time in our lives, we were supposed to become more aware of what we are eating, or what we are putting into our bodies. But let's face it, most dorm dwelling Freshman don't!
Between my Freshman and Sophomore year, and started Peritoneal Dialysis. At the time, my body was getting sicker from the lack of Kidney function, and I went on the Transplant waiting list. When I was that sick, it was hard to not turn to the comfort foods. Well, for me, that is definitely Fast Food! When I went back to school, I was a dorm dweller yet again for my sophomore year! The process starts over again! Trying to find healthy foods in the cafeteria was especially hard for me at the time! Not only was I lactose intolerant, and my reactions were getting worse. I was on a Potassium restricted diet! What healthy food does not have Potassium in it?! It was so hard giving up my all of my favorite foods! Potatoes and Tomatoes are both Potassium rich and both are my favorite foods! Some how, I survived that year! (The diet restrictions were only going to get worse from there!)
Well, my Junior year, I became an apartment dweller with three roommates. The eating got a little better, but I still ate Fast Food a lot! Then, in the beginning of November, I got the call for a Kidney. After that, give give you lists upon lists of diet restrictions/ a.k.a. proper ways of actually eating. Who knew that there was a no sodium/low sodium diet? Well, I found out what that was pretty quickly!
I still was absolutely in love with Fast Food. I craved it! I wanted french fries, burgers, and tacos 24 hours a day!
Then, it happened. I got a job at McDonald's! I loved it! All of the McDonald's food I could ever or never want at my fingertips! And the experiments! Big Macs with extra Mac Sauce and Bacon! French Fries dipped in Mac Sauce! Triple or Quadruple Cheeseburgers! Endless apple pies! Chicken Nuggets in every McDonald's sauce imaginable! And it was awesome! I NEVER GOT SICK OF THE FOOD! I wanted MORE! The funny thing is, I didn't gain 100lbs either. That was probably from how hard I was working at McDonald's! Mopping a restaurant from front to back is a great amount of exercise! I'm sure you can visualize my arteries clogging just from reading my last paragraph! But I didn't keel over and die of a heart attack, surprisingly!
I worked there for almost two years. I actually enjoyed the job most of the time. When I finally moved on, I worked at a Walmart that had a McDonald's in the store, and I would eat there often during my lunch breaks.
The cravings have gone on for years! I wanted Fast Food all of the time! On average, I would probably eat out at least four or five times a week, and most of that was Fast Food.
Then, the movie "Supersize Me" came out. I watched this movie, and afterward, I wanted to go get McDonald's! It just made me want it more!!! Here's the thing about that movie. The man went from being a Vegan to eating McDonald's every day. Of course he was going to get sick! Anyone who goes from extreme to another will get sick! He also interviewed the man who had eaten a Big Mac for everyday of his life over years and years. This man was SKINNY! He had also had blood work done, and things like his cholesterol numbers where just fine! This documentary did not detour me at all!
I also feel that he is creating a false premiss of going from one extreme to another. McDonald's is more of that slippery slope. You eat it one day, it tastes good. Then, you think, it's quick, I can eat it again. It it tastes awesome! In fact, I personally think, it tastes better every time I eat it! Then, you start craving it. I would crave McDonald's so bad, it didn't matter if I was really hungry, I would pull over and get it. I would be watching T.V. and see a commercial, and I would stop everything to run out and buy a cheeseburger or Chicken McNuggets! I've even sent my boyfriend out on late night runs for McDonald's or Taco Bell!
Another factor for Fast Food is that is is so CHEAP! Who can't afford to dig up a dollar for a burger or taco? Most Fast Food places have some kind of "Dollar Menu" or "Value Menu." I may not have had the money to go get a steak at Applebees or something other casual dinning restaurant, but I sure could afford to spend the dollar on a burger!
These habits have continued for years. It's all just started to change in the last six months to a year. One thing that happened that was not in my control is, these companies keep changing their french fry recipes! McDonald's is one of the only companies that haven't. Burger King actually did this around 1997. I hated the new fries. They tasted like they were bathed in salt water! I actually still liked their onion rings and continued eating there.
The latest change in french fries came from Wendy's. I loved their old fries! The ones that came out in 2010 are the "Natural-Cut" french fries with a "sprinkle of sea salt."
http://www.wendys.com/food/Product.jsp?family=7&product=18
They have the word "Natural" in their description, so, they must be better for you, right? Actually, this product is still coated in a chemical preservative. That's what gives them their "sprinkle of sea salt" flavor. Also, according to this article: http://yumkid.com/whats-so-natural-about-wendys-natural-cut-french-fries, they are covered in dextrose. Basically, using the word "Natural" is a gimmick to make people feel better about buying them, but it's really not a good thing. The world Natural is referring to the way the potato is cut and has nothing to do with the actual healthiness of the food.
Please, Wendy's, go back to your old french fries! At least they tasted good! Especially dipped in a Frosty!!! Instead of french fries at Wendy's, I now order a side salad instead. Thanks Wendy's for pushing me in the right direction by ruining your fries!
What other kinds of chemicals do Fast Food companies use in their recipes? There has to be something that creates the "addiction" to the food! A lot of the companies are promoting adds that claim, their foods come from real farms, real fields, that it is all real food. It IS real food. The question is, what is done to it in the process before it is sold and eaten?
Here's some things I did to help me stop eating as much fast food.
1. I bring my lunch to work every day. This really helps me out a lot! When I have a lunch to eat, I don't need to run out and buy one! Sometimes, I have to talk myself into eating what I've brought. I think to myself, "Well, that doesn't sound as good as it did when I packed the lunch!" I just try to remind myself, it's here, so, I should eat it. It works most of the time!
2. My boyfriend and I make a dinner plan. We find, if we have a plan, we try to stick to it. It actually helps out the budget too. If you know, you are having Taco Tuesday or having an amazing meal at home, you train yourself to think about that food. Then, you aren't thinking, "I don't know what I'm making for dinner tonight, so, we better go out!" The other thing about having a dinner/meal plan for the week is, if you know you are going out to eat on Saturday night, then you are going to plan for it. A lot of times, we'll even pick where we are going to eat when the meal plan is made. If I'm craving Chinese that week, I can say on Sunday, when we make our meal plan, "Saturday, I want to eat at a Chinese restaurant," and go from there. Then, I get to satisfy my craving that night!
3. Creating a food budget: This is a hard one! I don't always stick to this, but it's been getting easier. If I haven't budgeted for that extra five to ten dollars to go out to eat for lunch, I can usually talk myself out of going. I do budget to eat out on Thursday night, because I go straight from work to a rehearsal. That's five to ten dollars I have to remember to budget for once a week. We also have a grocerie budget. If I go buy the groceries, even with a list, I usually blow the budget. But If I send my boyfriend to go buy the groceries, with a list, he is usually really good about sticking to exactly what's on the list. We include going out to eat for our Date Night once a week in our Entertainment budget, but it is still budgeted for. I just have to constantly remind myself how much eating out adds up in the end.
4. I remind myself of how many calories I can blow through in a Fast Food meal! This is new for me. I'm really working on this! There are healthy choices when you go out to eat, but I'm not going to choose them! I know this. I'm being completely honest with myself! When I go to McDonald's, I want the Big Mac with extra Mac Sauce and extra Pickles, the Fries, and the gigantic Drink filled with sugar that goes with it! It's the same way with any other Fast Food joint. I want the unhealthiest crap on the menu most of the time! Not going to these places is the only way to circumvent this issue for me.
Over the break from my choir, I rarely ate out at all. The break was around five weeks long. I ate out a few times here and there, but most of the time, I chose to cook things at home, or we went out to places that weren't fast food. They say it takes 16 days to break or create a habit. I know I have been without McDonald's for longer than that! I think it's weird to not have the feeling of wanting Fast Food all of the time. I'm going to try to keep this up!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
New Years Goals: Yes, I have them!
This year started a little rough. Not terrible, just rough! I've decided, I better make some my New Years Goals public for the World to see! That way, I can also publicly update what's going on with them, and keep myself on track!
Goal #1: Get Healthier
I've been having a really hard time with not just my weight, but with my blood sugar and diabetes. I had started loosing weight after a medicine change in August. The medicine brought me down ten pounds! Yeah! But it hasn't brought me down any more since before Thanksgiving. Now, one might think, Oh, the Holidays will do that to ya! But actually, I worked really hard during the Holidays not to over eat. So, starting New Years Eve, I decided I was going to start doing a regular exercise regimen. I worked REALLY hard on the regimen the first two weeks of the year and GAINED WEIGHT! It was super frustrating! Now, I'm working on the regimen, but trying not to over due it.
The next issue is; changing my eating habits. I've gotten to a point where, I don't eat fast food out very often any more. (This is probably why my pizza blog is suffering!) When I do eat out, I'm trying to make better decisions on what to eat. I always take my lunch to work. I do eat out before my choir rehearsals on Thursday nights. My choir has been on break since our Christmas Show and just restarting again, so, I haven't even been eating out on Thursday nights. Now that we've restarted, I'm going to have to make healthier choices those nights. Ian is really good about making an eating schedule for the week. So, we know what nights we are and aren't eating out. I love to cook! I also love my own cooking! This is part of the problem, too. Maybe I need to start measuring everything I eat. I'm not that Obsessive Compulsive about things though. I think that would almost stress me out more, and I would eat more! I've been working harder on making foods that will either, A. Freeze Well or B. Not have an extreme amount of left overs. I don't do well with left overs. Ian ends up eating most of them. I seem to fail miserably at making too much food!
Another issue is; I'm hungry ALL THE TIME. I'm serious, within less than two hours of having a full meal, I'm starving, as in stomach growling and hunger pains starving! (This is not even the psychological, I think I'm hungry therefore I am.) I'm trying to decide, what is the best way to set a feeding schedule for me. And if one more person says to me, "Eat more fiber! It will make you feel full!" It doesn't. I've tried. Fiber one bars, broccoli, all of that good stuff; I'm still hungry within the two hour time period! Maybe I need to go to a schedule of eating something every two hours on the dot!
For this goal, I'll need to make a meal plan, have healthy snacks on hand, and make a work out/exercise schedule. This might take me a while, but I'm going to work on this!
The choir I direct, the Indy Adult Show Choir, is moving full speed ahead! As we are starting our third year in existence, there are some things I want to accomplish with the choir publicly and personally. I want us to become more well known in the Greater Indianapolis Area. I have a few ideas to get this accomplished, but right now, I've already got a show booked for the Sunrise Retirement Center in Carmel. At least that's a start! I also need to work on getting more things accomplished before attending rehearsals, such as choreography and doing actual score study. I see this choir going somewhere in the next year, and I need to work hard for that to happen!
Another issue is; I'm hungry ALL THE TIME. I'm serious, within less than two hours of having a full meal, I'm starving, as in stomach growling and hunger pains starving! (This is not even the psychological, I think I'm hungry therefore I am.) I'm trying to decide, what is the best way to set a feeding schedule for me. And if one more person says to me, "Eat more fiber! It will make you feel full!" It doesn't. I've tried. Fiber one bars, broccoli, all of that good stuff; I'm still hungry within the two hour time period! Maybe I need to go to a schedule of eating something every two hours on the dot!
For this goal, I'll need to make a meal plan, have healthy snacks on hand, and make a work out/exercise schedule. This might take me a while, but I'm going to work on this!
Goal #2: Work on things for my Choir!
Goal #3: Get my financial situation in control!
College, health expenses, and some bad habits in the last 14 years have put me in some deep debt. I've been working very hard for the last couple years to start getting out of it! Last year, my goal was to not to bounce a check or overdraw my bank account for a whole year. I accomplished that! I got my car paid off last year. Now, I want to get one of my two credit cards paid off this year. I'm just going to keep chipping away at that. It's doable, it just seems really hard! I would like to be at the point where I can actually start saving money! I have been saving a little into an emergency fund, but I mean really saving money! Debt just seems so overwhelming!
Those are my three main huge goals I want to work on in 2012! I'm definitely behind because it's already February, but there posted! I've already started working really hard on a few of them, like getting healthy and working on things for my choir. I may need encouragement to get through the year on some things!
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Randome Email Forwards...
These are some forwards I've received over the years. I thought I would share some good ones before deleting them. I'm don't usually forward things on via email, because that's annoying, but I'll share them this way!
John Madden was in San Diego to announce a football game one weekend when he noticed a special telephone near the Charger bench. He asked Rivers what it was used for and was told it was a hotline to God. John asked if he could use it. Rivers replied, "Sure, but it will cost you $200."John scratched his head, then thought, what the heck, I could use some help picking games. He pulled out his wallet and paid $200. John's picks were perfect that week. The next week John was in New England when he noticed that same kind of phone on the Patriots bench. He asked what the telephone was for and Tom Brady told him, "It's a hotline to God. If you want to use it, it willcost you $500." Recalling last week, John pulled out his wallet and made the call. John's picks were perfect again that week.
The next weekend John was in Indianapolis when he noticed the same kind of telephone by the Colts bench. He asked Peyton Manning , "Is that the hotline to God?" Peyton said, "Yes, and if you want to use it, it will cost you 35 cents." John looked incredulously at Manning and said, "Wait a second, I just paid $200 in San Diego and $500 in New England to use the same phone to God! Why do the Colts only charge 35 cents?" Peyton looked at John and replied, "Because in Indianapolis , it's a local call."
GO COLTS !
Little bit of history of IN
I'll bet you didn't know...... learn it all over
again.
Tomato juice was first served at a French Lick Hotel in 1925.
The first tomato juice factory was also in French Lick, IN.
The world's largest orchid species collection is found at Ball
State University in Muncie , Indiana .
The first regulated speed limit on Indiana roads was initiated
in 1921. 20 - 25mph!!
Averages of 400 funnel clouds are sighted each year in Indiana .
The city of Gary , Indiana , was built on fill brought from the
bottom Of Lake Michigan through suction pipes.
There are only two Adams fireplaces in the United States . One is
in the White House and the other in the Diner Home in Indiana .
Josie Orr, wife of former Indiana Governor Robert Orr, flew
bombers and cargo planes during World War II.
The Indianapolis Methodis! t Hospi tal is the largest Hospital in
the Midwest .
One of the first complete bathrooms in Indianapolis was in the
home of Hoosier poet, James Whitcomb Riley.
The career of Dorothy Lamoure (famous for the Crosby-Hope Road
Movies) was launched in Indianapolis .
Aviatrix Amelia Earhart was once a Professor at Purdue
University.
Crown Hill Cemetery ( Indianapolis ) is the largest cemetery in
the U.S. ..
The library in Fort Wayne , Allen County, Indiana houses one of
the largest genealogy libraries in America .
Wabash , Indiana was the first electrified city in the U.S.
Pendleton , Indiana was the site of the first hanging of a white
man for killing Indians.
The Courthouse roof in Greensburg , Indiana has a tree growing
from it..
The world's first transistor radio was made in Indianapolis .
Clark Gable and wife Carole Lombard (a Hoosier) honeymooned at
Lake Barbee near Warsaw , Indiana . She was from Fort Wayne .
The American Beauty Rose was developed at Richmond , Indiana .
Elkhart , Indiana is the band instrument capitol of the World.
Frank Sinatra first sang with the Tommy Dorsey band at the Lyric
Theater in Indianapolis .
Purdue Alumnus, Earl Butz, served as the Secretary of Agriculture.
U.S. 231 is the longest highway in Indiana (231miles).
Johnny Appleseed is buried at Fort Wayne , Indiana .
The singing McGuire Sisters spent their childhood summers at the Church of God Campground in Anderson , Indiana .
The main station of the Underground Railroad was in Fountain County, Indiana.
There are 154 acres of sculpture gardens and trails at the
Indianapolis Museum of Art.
La Porte County is the only county in America having 2
functioning Courthouses. I think we can add Vanderburgh County in with that
also.
Nancy Hanks Lincoln is buried in Posey County , Indiana .
Crawfordsville , Indiana ( Montgomery County ) is the only site in
the World where crinoids are found. (What is a crinoid, you ask? A
form of deep-water marine life that looks something like a starfish.)
Museum housing 3500 artifacts of pioneer heritage now exists on
that Site.
St. Meinrad Arch abbey is located in Spencer County and is one
of only 2 arch abbeys in the U.S. And seven in the world. (Abbey
Press is an Operation of the arch abbey.)
A Buzz Bomb (German - WWII), believed to be the only one on
public Display in the nation, can be found on the Putnam County
Courthouse Lawn in Greencastle.
Roberta Turpin Willett was born in Indiana .
Red Skelton was born in Vincennes , Indiana .
May West was from Bedford , Indiana . (As was Claude Akins)
Forrest Tucker (actor) was from Pendleton , Indiana .
You can't ship wine to Indiana . (So how does it get here???????)
Bob Greise is from Evansville , Indiana . (Purdue boy)
Toni Tennille (of The Captain and Tennille) is from Indiana .
Oprah Winfrey built her residence in Indiana .
Florence Henderson is from Indiana .
John Mellancamp is a Hoosier and resides in Bloomington .
The much sought-after Hoosier Cabinets are an Indiana product.
90% of the world's popcorn is grown in Indiana.
The Jackson Five are from Indiana as well as 'SuperFan' Russ
McLeod.
Wilbur Wright was born near Winchester Indiana.
The birthplace of the automobile, the pneumatic rubber tire, the Aluminum casting process, stainless steel and the first
push-button C ar radio was in Kokomo, Indiana.
Musical Terms Email
NEW MUSICAL TERMS
In order to keep you abreast of the ever-developing world of musical terminology, we provide herewith the latest additions to the esteemed Harvard Dictionary of Music:
ALLREGRETTO: When you're 16 measures into the piece and realize you took too fast a tempo
ANGUS DEI: To play with a divinely beefy tone
A PATELLA: Accompanied by knee-slapping
APPOLOGGIATURA: A composition that you regret playing
APPROXIMATURA: A series of notes not intended by the composer, yet played with an "I meant to do that" attitude
APPROXIMENTO: A musical entrance that is somewhere in the vicinity of the correct pitch
CACOPHANY: A composition incorporating many people with chest colds
CORAL SYMPHONY: A large, multi-movement work from Beethoven's Caribbean Period
DILL PICCOLINI: An exceedingly small wind instrument that plays only sour notes
FERMANTRA: A note held over and over and over and over and . . .
FERMOOTA: A note of dubious value held for indefinite length
FIDDLER CRABS: Grumpy string players
FLUTE FLIES: Those tiny mosquitos that bother musicians on outdoor gigs
FRUGALHORN: A sensible and inexpensive brass instrument
GAUL BLATTER: A French horn player
GREGORIAN CHAMP: The title bestowed upon the monk who can hold a note the longest
GROUND HOG: Someone who takes control of the repeated bassline and won't let anyone else play it
PLACEBO DOMINGO: A faux tenor
SCHMALZANDO: A sudden burst of music from the Guy Lombardo band
THE RIGHT OF STRINGS: Manifesto of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Violists
SPRITZICATO: An indication to string instruments to produce a bright and bubbly sound
TEMPO TANTRUM: What an elementary school orchestra is having when it's not following the conductor
TROUBLE CLEF: Any clef one can't read: e.g., alto clef for pianists
VESUVIOSO: An indication to build up to a fiery conclusion
VIBRATTO: Child prodigy son of the concertmaster
Things Kids Say Email:
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY? (written by kids) You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
-- Alan, age 10
No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with .
-- Kristen, age 10
WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED? Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
-- Camille, age 10
HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
-- Derrick, age 8
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids.
-- Lori, age 8
WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
Dates are for having fun, and pe ople should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)
On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that Usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
-- Martin, age 10
WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
-- Craig, age 9
WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they're rich.
-- Pam, age 7
The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
- - Curt, age 7
The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
-- Howard, a ge 8< B>
IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
-- Anita, age 9 (bless you child)
HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
- - Kelvin, age 8
And the #1 Favorite is........
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck.
-- Ricky, age 10,,
John Madden was in San Diego to announce a football game one weekend when he noticed a special telephone near the Charger bench. He asked Rivers what it was used for and was told it was a hotline to God. John asked if he could use it. Rivers replied, "Sure, but it will cost you $200."John scratched his head, then thought, what the heck, I could use some help picking games. He pulled out his wallet and paid $200. John's picks were perfect that week. The next week John was in New England when he noticed that same kind of phone on the Patriots bench. He asked what the telephone was for and Tom Brady told him, "It's a hotline to God. If you want to use it, it willcost you $500." Recalling last week, John pulled out his wallet and made the call. John's picks were perfect again that week.
The next weekend John was in Indianapolis when he noticed the same kind of telephone by the Colts bench. He asked Peyton Manning , "Is that the hotline to God?" Peyton said, "Yes, and if you want to use it, it will cost you 35 cents." John looked incredulously at Manning and said, "Wait a second, I just paid $200 in San Diego and $500 in New England to use the same phone to God! Why do the Colts only charge 35 cents?" Peyton looked at John and replied, "Because in Indianapolis , it's a local call."
GO COLTS !
Little bit of history of IN
I'll bet you didn't know...... learn it all over
again.
Tomato juice was first served at a French Lick Hotel in 1925.
The first tomato juice factory was also in French Lick, IN.
The world's largest orchid species collection is found at Ball
State University in Muncie , Indiana .
The first regulated speed limit on Indiana roads was initiated
in 1921. 20 - 25mph!!
Averages of 400 funnel clouds are sighted each year in Indiana .
The city of Gary , Indiana , was built on fill brought from the
bottom Of Lake Michigan through suction pipes.
There are only two Adams fireplaces in the United States . One is
in the White House and the other in the Diner Home in Indiana .
Josie Orr, wife of former Indiana Governor Robert Orr, flew
bombers and cargo planes during World War II.
The Indianapolis Methodis! t Hospi tal is the largest Hospital in
the Midwest .
One of the first complete bathrooms in Indianapolis was in the
home of Hoosier poet, James Whitcomb Riley.
The career of Dorothy Lamoure (famous for the Crosby-Hope Road
Movies) was launched in Indianapolis .
Aviatrix Amelia Earhart was once a Professor at Purdue
University.
Crown Hill Cemetery ( Indianapolis ) is the largest cemetery in
the U.S. ..
The library in Fort Wayne , Allen County, Indiana houses one of
the largest genealogy libraries in America .
Wabash , Indiana was the first electrified city in the U.S.
Pendleton , Indiana was the site of the first hanging of a white
man for killing Indians.
The Courthouse roof in Greensburg , Indiana has a tree growing
from it..
The world's first transistor radio was made in Indianapolis .
Clark Gable and wife Carole Lombard (a Hoosier) honeymooned at
Lake Barbee near Warsaw , Indiana . She was from Fort Wayne .
The American Beauty Rose was developed at Richmond , Indiana .
Elkhart , Indiana is the band instrument capitol of the World.
Frank Sinatra first sang with the Tommy Dorsey band at the Lyric
Theater in Indianapolis .
Purdue Alumnus, Earl Butz, served as the Secretary of Agriculture.
U.S. 231 is the longest highway in Indiana (231miles).
Johnny Appleseed is buried at Fort Wayne , Indiana .
The singing McGuire Sisters spent their childhood summers at the Church of God Campground in Anderson , Indiana .
The main station of the Underground Railroad was in Fountain County, Indiana.
There are 154 acres of sculpture gardens and trails at the
Indianapolis Museum of Art.
La Porte County is the only county in America having 2
functioning Courthouses. I think we can add Vanderburgh County in with that
also.
Nancy Hanks Lincoln is buried in Posey County , Indiana .
Crawfordsville , Indiana ( Montgomery County ) is the only site in
the World where crinoids are found. (What is a crinoid, you ask? A
form of deep-water marine life that looks something like a starfish.)
Museum housing 3500 artifacts of pioneer heritage now exists on
that Site.
St. Meinrad Arch abbey is located in Spencer County and is one
of only 2 arch abbeys in the U.S. And seven in the world. (Abbey
Press is an Operation of the arch abbey.)
A Buzz Bomb (German - WWII), believed to be the only one on
public Display in the nation, can be found on the Putnam County
Courthouse Lawn in Greencastle.
Roberta Turpin Willett was born in Indiana .
Red Skelton was born in Vincennes , Indiana .
May West was from Bedford , Indiana . (As was Claude Akins)
Forrest Tucker (actor) was from Pendleton , Indiana .
You can't ship wine to Indiana . (So how does it get here???????)
Bob Greise is from Evansville , Indiana . (Purdue boy)
Toni Tennille (of The Captain and Tennille) is from Indiana .
Oprah Winfrey built her residence in Indiana .
Florence Henderson is from Indiana .
John Mellancamp is a Hoosier and resides in Bloomington .
The much sought-after Hoosier Cabinets are an Indiana product.
90% of the world's popcorn is grown in Indiana.
The Jackson Five are from Indiana as well as 'SuperFan' Russ
McLeod.
Wilbur Wright was born near Winchester Indiana.
The birthplace of the automobile, the pneumatic rubber tire, the Aluminum casting process, stainless steel and the first
push-button C ar radio was in Kokomo, Indiana.
Musical Terms Email
NEW MUSICAL TERMS
In order to keep you abreast of the ever-developing world of musical terminology, we provide herewith the latest additions to the esteemed Harvard Dictionary of Music:
ALLREGRETTO: When you're 16 measures into the piece and realize you took too fast a tempo
ANGUS DEI: To play with a divinely beefy tone
A PATELLA: Accompanied by knee-slapping
APPOLOGGIATURA: A composition that you regret playing
APPROXIMATURA: A series of notes not intended by the composer, yet played with an "I meant to do that" attitude
APPROXIMENTO: A musical entrance that is somewhere in the vicinity of the correct pitch
CACOPHANY: A composition incorporating many people with chest colds
CORAL SYMPHONY: A large, multi-movement work from Beethoven's Caribbean Period
DILL PICCOLINI: An exceedingly small wind instrument that plays only sour notes
FERMANTRA: A note held over and over and over and over and . . .
FERMOOTA: A note of dubious value held for indefinite length
FIDDLER CRABS: Grumpy string players
FLUTE FLIES: Those tiny mosquitos that bother musicians on outdoor gigs
FRUGALHORN: A sensible and inexpensive brass instrument
GAUL BLATTER: A French horn player
GREGORIAN CHAMP: The title bestowed upon the monk who can hold a note the longest
GROUND HOG: Someone who takes control of the repeated bassline and won't let anyone else play it
PLACEBO DOMINGO: A faux tenor
SCHMALZANDO: A sudden burst of music from the Guy Lombardo band
THE RIGHT OF STRINGS: Manifesto of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Violists
SPRITZICATO: An indication to string instruments to produce a bright and bubbly sound
TEMPO TANTRUM: What an elementary school orchestra is having when it's not following the conductor
TROUBLE CLEF: Any clef one can't read: e.g., alto clef for pianists
VESUVIOSO: An indication to build up to a fiery conclusion
VIBRATTO: Child prodigy son of the concertmaster
Things Kids Say Email:
HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY? (written by kids) You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
-- Alan, age 10
No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with .
-- Kristen, age 10
WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED? Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
-- Camille, age 10
HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?
You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
-- Derrick, age 8
WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?
Both don't want any more kids.
-- Lori, age 8
WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?
Dates are for having fun, and pe ople should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)
On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that Usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
-- Martin, age 10
WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?
I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
-- Craig, age 9
WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?
When they're rich.
-- Pam, age 7
The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
- - Curt, age 7
The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
-- Howard, a ge 8< B>
IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?
It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
-- Anita, age 9 (bless you child)
HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?
There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
- - Kelvin, age 8
And the #1 Favorite is........
HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?
Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a dump truck.
-- Ricky, age 10,,
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Another Birthday
Another year has passed. I'm another year older. In this year, I felt like not a lot has changed. I'm still with my boyfriend of a year and now six months. I still have the same job that I've had for almost 8 years. (8 Years sounds crazy! Has it really been that long?!) I've been working with my choir, the Indy Adult Show Choir, for an entire year. (http://www.indyadultshowchoir.weebly.com/)
Have I learned much in this year? Maybe. There are things I've been working on that I'm getting to be more successful with those things. I've also learned more about dealing with drama or avoiding drama in many ways.
I've just decided, I'm going on to bigger and better things! I hope the next year proves this!
Have I learned much in this year? Maybe. There are things I've been working on that I'm getting to be more successful with those things. I've also learned more about dealing with drama or avoiding drama in many ways.
I've just decided, I'm going on to bigger and better things! I hope the next year proves this!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Cake
If you didn't know already, I'm a little obsessed with Cake. Not the band, even though I love them dearly, but the actual confection! I love the taste, the spongy texture, the frosting (especially buttercream), to bake it, to decorate it, to stare at other people's decorated confections and decide what techniques they used. I just love every thing about cake! I've spent hours decorating cakes for friends and coworkers, making sure they look beautiful or cool and are appropriate for the occasion. I do this purely for a hobby. I don't ever plan on being a professional cake decorator. I have a friend in town that is AMAZING and award winning that I refer people to when they need a cake for any occasion. I have a niece who also does some AWESOME work in the Utah area. I check out cakewrecks.com on a regular basis to see what people who are "professionals" screw up, or their Sunday Sweets, in which they display cakes that are very beautifully done! (My local friend previously mentioned had a cake on Sunday Sweets just a few weeks ago!)
I'm also obsessed with the most important cake of all cakes, The Wedding Cake! I spend hours on TheKnot.com looking through the Wedding Cakes. Every thing from contemporary and modern to classic looking wedding cakes, I love them all!
This weekend, I'm going to make a horse cake for my boyfriend's niece. We'll see how that turns out!
I think there should be cake at every occasion! But that's just me!
I'm also obsessed with the most important cake of all cakes, The Wedding Cake! I spend hours on TheKnot.com looking through the Wedding Cakes. Every thing from contemporary and modern to classic looking wedding cakes, I love them all!
This weekend, I'm going to make a horse cake for my boyfriend's niece. We'll see how that turns out!
I think there should be cake at every occasion! But that's just me!
My Thoughts On the Indiana State Fair Stage Collapse
If you didn't know, I worked for Live Nation at Verizon Wireless Music Center in Noblesville, for four years. I worked in Merchandising, renting out Lawn Chairs, selling Blankets and ponchos, and selling ticket upgrades. This blog is not to say anything about the people that got injured or died in the State Fair Stage Collapse that happened on the evening on April the 13th. In fact, if my friends didn't happen to get married that day, said friends and we would have been at that concert! My heart's thoughts and prayers still go out to those people and those families that are still dealing with the happenings of that day.
I've experienced numerous storms at the venue in my four years working as an employee of Live Nation. I remember at Pearl Jam a couple years ago, the tornado sirens were going off on top of the main structure or the Pavilion. No body was moving! When I asked manager what was going on, she told me, the storm warning was for the other end of the county, to not worry! It wasn't raining. It was getting a little cloudy, but it didn't look that bad. I was having a small panic attack, because tornado sirens scare the crap out of me! That happens when you live in a trailer for the first eleven years of your life! That next gust of wind could be the one that blows your house down!
Then, there was the Eric Clapton concert a couple years ago. A HUGE electrical storm was coming in. Mr. Clapton was supposed to play until eleven o'clock. Storm warnings were starting to come. We were all radioed at our stations that Mr. Clapton and his camp had decided they would end early to get people out of the dangerous area. So, Clapton played until 10:30pm. He probably only got one "famous" or popular song in, which was "Beautiful Tonight." Then, he ended his set. People would not leave!!! I was in the Lawn chair "Shack" which is literally a shack on the hill. People kept coming in the shack. We told people, "Please LEAVE! Go to your cars! It's much safer there!" They wouldn't! It took us an extra hour to get people out of the venue that night!
This is when I came to the conclusion: Concert goers don't listen!
Maybe not all concert goers, but good bulks of them come to the shows and drink. They get billigerent. They don't listen to the people that work at the venues. We would say, "Please go to your cars! An electrical storm is coming, and your car is the safest place to be!" The concert goers would refuse and laugh in your face. This is when the job would become frustrating! Then, we would be called to our office to sit out the storm. A couple of my coworkers thought they were cool and would ignore our managers directions to come to the office. Those co-workers would let concert attendees hide in the lawn chair shack with them during the storm. I'm positive that's a lawsuit waiting to happen. What would they do if a strong wind came in and knocked that shack down? But like I said, these girls thought they were cool hanging out with those people in the shack. Another part of this is; sometimes, we would get radioed what was going to happen before it was announced. So, we would start instructing nearby concert goers on what we had been told by radio. They wouldn't listen. It's a lot quicker to radio an entire staff than getting to a stage to announce something.
VWMC was my fun summer job that made me a little extra cash. This year, I didn't even try to go back. Snotty twenty-somethings ruined the happy feelings I got from going to that job. On top of that, there were a lot of repeat concerts every year, and most of them were country!
When you work at an out door concert venue, there isn't a safe place during storms. All of the concerts at this venue were "Rain or Shine." I had been to one concert before I worked there that got rescheduled. That concert was a Christina Aguilera concert, and the reason it got cancelled was due to a report of a tornado touch down in a near by area! It did get rescheduled.
As a person who actually understands how venue management works, thanks to my degree program (Music Business with a focus in marketing and arts administration), it was really hard being low on the toadem pole, so to speak, and working with children that had no clue about life. They didn't care about the customers, and they didn't care how they acted in front of them. That became embarassing!
The first three years, I LOVED working at VWMC. I have no hard feelings against the venue or the management team. VWMC is ran like a well oiled machine. It has too be, since it can hold up to about 25,000 concert goers. That's a lot of people! Sometimes, those 25,000 people don't always cooperate!
I wasn't there and don't know what actually happened at the State Fair that night. I'm really sorry for those families and friends that have lost love ones. I know this was a shocking tragedy for all that were involved or even for many in the state of Indiana. I just hope and pray that eventually, those families who are still suffering get some resolve and/or closure in their lives. I know this can take many years for this to happen.
I've experienced numerous storms at the venue in my four years working as an employee of Live Nation. I remember at Pearl Jam a couple years ago, the tornado sirens were going off on top of the main structure or the Pavilion. No body was moving! When I asked manager what was going on, she told me, the storm warning was for the other end of the county, to not worry! It wasn't raining. It was getting a little cloudy, but it didn't look that bad. I was having a small panic attack, because tornado sirens scare the crap out of me! That happens when you live in a trailer for the first eleven years of your life! That next gust of wind could be the one that blows your house down!
Then, there was the Eric Clapton concert a couple years ago. A HUGE electrical storm was coming in. Mr. Clapton was supposed to play until eleven o'clock. Storm warnings were starting to come. We were all radioed at our stations that Mr. Clapton and his camp had decided they would end early to get people out of the dangerous area. So, Clapton played until 10:30pm. He probably only got one "famous" or popular song in, which was "Beautiful Tonight." Then, he ended his set. People would not leave!!! I was in the Lawn chair "Shack" which is literally a shack on the hill. People kept coming in the shack. We told people, "Please LEAVE! Go to your cars! It's much safer there!" They wouldn't! It took us an extra hour to get people out of the venue that night!
This is when I came to the conclusion: Concert goers don't listen!
Maybe not all concert goers, but good bulks of them come to the shows and drink. They get billigerent. They don't listen to the people that work at the venues. We would say, "Please go to your cars! An electrical storm is coming, and your car is the safest place to be!" The concert goers would refuse and laugh in your face. This is when the job would become frustrating! Then, we would be called to our office to sit out the storm. A couple of my coworkers thought they were cool and would ignore our managers directions to come to the office. Those co-workers would let concert attendees hide in the lawn chair shack with them during the storm. I'm positive that's a lawsuit waiting to happen. What would they do if a strong wind came in and knocked that shack down? But like I said, these girls thought they were cool hanging out with those people in the shack. Another part of this is; sometimes, we would get radioed what was going to happen before it was announced. So, we would start instructing nearby concert goers on what we had been told by radio. They wouldn't listen. It's a lot quicker to radio an entire staff than getting to a stage to announce something.
VWMC was my fun summer job that made me a little extra cash. This year, I didn't even try to go back. Snotty twenty-somethings ruined the happy feelings I got from going to that job. On top of that, there were a lot of repeat concerts every year, and most of them were country!
When you work at an out door concert venue, there isn't a safe place during storms. All of the concerts at this venue were "Rain or Shine." I had been to one concert before I worked there that got rescheduled. That concert was a Christina Aguilera concert, and the reason it got cancelled was due to a report of a tornado touch down in a near by area! It did get rescheduled.
As a person who actually understands how venue management works, thanks to my degree program (Music Business with a focus in marketing and arts administration), it was really hard being low on the toadem pole, so to speak, and working with children that had no clue about life. They didn't care about the customers, and they didn't care how they acted in front of them. That became embarassing!
The first three years, I LOVED working at VWMC. I have no hard feelings against the venue or the management team. VWMC is ran like a well oiled machine. It has too be, since it can hold up to about 25,000 concert goers. That's a lot of people! Sometimes, those 25,000 people don't always cooperate!
I wasn't there and don't know what actually happened at the State Fair that night. I'm really sorry for those families and friends that have lost love ones. I know this was a shocking tragedy for all that were involved or even for many in the state of Indiana. I just hope and pray that eventually, those families who are still suffering get some resolve and/or closure in their lives. I know this can take many years for this to happen.
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