New Thing #10--Start the New Year off with a bang…err, a plunge!

We had a New Year’s Eve party Friday night. Bunch of friends in fancy-dress, tons of food & drink, & loud, good times were had by all.

See? Schmancy!

I dragged my exhausted, kinda drunk arse across my filthy, disgusting, shame-of-a-kitchen-floor at about 4am. Brushed my teeth (having to change toothbrushes in the middle due to a toothbrush flinging accident), peeled off my insanely torn tights & passed the hell out, pausing ever-so-briefly to think of the thing I would be doing the next da--well, no. In the next 9 hours.

Yesterday afternoon we woke to a balmy 65. Friday night it was in the 30s. Hello, Rhode Island! I changed out of my pajamas into a bathing suit, a sweatshirt, yoga pants & my Birkenstocks. We stumbled outside, grasping our towels, camera & a couple clementines. Once in the car, I laughed, thinking of how hard it was to decide what to wear on a 65-degree first of January, particularly when you’ll be jumping into the ocean in a matter of minutes.


That’s right--we did the North Kingstown Polar Bear Plunge! Which means that I get to post pictures of myself in my bathing suit. Yay! :/

Unfortunately the time on the website was wrong, so when we arrived at the beach at 1:40 we were actually 10 minutes late, not 20 minutes early. People were wet, wrapped in towels or bathrobes, dressed in crazy outfits. And not a soul was in the water. Crap!! But we were there & we had told a few people that we were doing it, so sonavabitch, we were doing it.

The benefit to being late was that we could have someone take pictures for us. I should have showed him how to use the zoom, but the fact that he was kind enough to document the event for us was great enough. Thank you, stranger dude, for taking the following photos!

Stripped of our sweats & ready to make the dash.


My feet were so cold & I started to trip. I thought of catching myself but decided to let myself go down, as the tide was out & as we ran the water just was not getting deep enough. I couldn't do it anymore! Luckily stranger-dude got this shot of me going under!

D kept going & finally went under as I was starting to make my quick retreat back to the shore. It should be noted that I wasn't wearing my contacts or glasses at this point so not only was I disoriented by the cold & laughter, I couldn't see a damn thing!

An awful picture of me immediately post-plunge.

A much better shot of D post-plunge.

I took all upcoming shots.

A couple groups of people went in after we did. This guy just made his girlfriend go under, which was pretty funny. "You didn't do it unless you go under!" I liked their hats.

D being a reluctant interviewee for the local newspaper.

Snow on the beach!

We did it!

As someone who often has trouble getting into the water on a hot summer day, I was dreading the water temperature. But it really wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Freezing & startling, yes. My feet were instantly numb, & my knees down were pretty numb for about 15 minutes afterwards, but all in all it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The fact that the air was so warm really helped matters. And while the cold seawater did wonders for the headache that was starting to sprout it made me really tired, which is strange. D was AWAKE & I could have used a nap. And a coffee, which I got & drank the heck outta.

It was a fun, crazy way to kick off the New Year with Derrick, & a great way to reaffirm my clam handling ways. But damn, were we spoiled with the temperature. I’m sure next year’s Polar Bear Plunge will punish us.

Thanks to my lovely Derrick for being my eternal fun-stuff wingman!

Happy New Year! Here's to a lovely 2011!

New Thing #9--Crash a Wedding!

Hey, I forgot about something!

On October 9^th--which also happened to be the day before our first anniversary--D had his 10 year high school reunion (wow we're old!). Our friend Lisa was there, & while on a trip to the restroom we lamented the fact that no one was dancing. We really wanted to dance, but didn't want to be the only ones. On our way back to the room the reunion was being held in we passed a wedding. Aaaaw maaaaaaaaaaaan! They were playing fun, danceable music & EVERYONE was dancing!

Hmmmmm.....

Lisa & I shared a knowing look, but walked back into the danceless reunion to let the idea marinate.

After a couple false starts the moment of truth came. The plan was, well, maybe if two cute girls were to explain their predicament to those two middle-aged men it wouldn't be a big deal. So we sidled on up, found that they were deep in conversation & figured screw it. We're doing this!

So we danced our way to the dance floor & did our thing. In my head the song was 'Whoomp, There It Is,” but I know that wasn't it. We were careful at first to not make eye contact with anyone, but that quickly went down the drain when my hand whacked into the best man's hand. Oops! So we figured, live it up, have fun & avoid the bride. If we do come across the bride, we would tell her how beautiful she looked & how awesome the wedding was & go from there.

We probably only danced for about 6 minutes or so until “Sweet Caroline” came on. We decided to make our exit because that is a song that everyone sings to each other & our guttsiness (or mine, at least) was waning.

We slipped out the door, laughing, shared a high-five & reentered the reunion as secret wedding crashers. Or beginners, at least :)

New Thing #8--Passion fruit!

Passion fruit is one of those things I either love or hate. Well, I should say the flavor of passion fruit. I love the scent of it in lotions & shampoos & all that, but sometimes I have something--usually a beverage--that is just not my thang. Like an iced passion fruit white tea I had once. Gag! It was so perfumey that I wanted to hurl. But the other day I saw some almost ripe passion fruits at the grocery store & decided to get back on track with my clam handling via trying a real, live(err...) passion fruit.


I waited a few days for the passion fruit to ripen completely, which you tell by the wrinkliness of the skin. Once it looks like what I assume a very old man’s…well, you know where I’m going with that. Once it’s crazy wrinkly, it’s ripe! Yay weird nature. So, Sunday morning after a delicious & leisurely autumny breakfast with my husband (yup, still kinda weird) I prepared to cut into my passion fruit.

Pay no attention to the pile of apples in the corner. I had leftover from the muffins I made earlier that morning

So I cut into the fruit. Well, I tried to, that is. As you can see here, the leathery skin would not yield to my usually sharp knife & went from looking like an old man’s junk to an old lady’s junk. Mmmm, appetizing. Or, for my less twisted readers out there, I guess it kinda looks like a giant, mutated coffee bean, huh?


Once I finally hacked it open I let out an involuntary sad groan. Just what I expected. A viscous, snot-colored custard-like yuck (I actually just gagged writing that sentence). And embedded in this marvel of fruit were dark seeds.



It was at this point that I realized that I didn’t really know how to eat a passion fruit. Can you eat it all? Do you suck off the infection-yellow substance & spit out the seeds? *Seinfeld voice* What’s the deal with passion fruit?

So D--being my wingman--hopped online to make sure that the entire inside was edible(yup) & it was time to “indulge.” I was actually really hesitant. I’d seen pictures of passion fruit in the past, but seeing what was going on inside of that thing was somehow not what I expected & kinda threw me. I’m a big texture/mouth-feel sort of person & by the looks of it the passion fruit taste-test was not going to be pleasant.

Disclaimer: In the upcoming photos you will see my new-found commitment to this blog. You get to see me in all of my awake-for-three-lazy-hours, red-faced, pajama-wearing glory. Glamour! Hotness!! Beauty Queen!!!

But I put on my big girl face & stuck my cute ceramic spoon in. Upon doing this I found that the whatnot going on inside of this thing wasn’t as custardy or springy as I feared, which was a relief. It was more of a thick, juicy substance. Yay!


Down the hatch!
It was initially a weird taste which almost instantaneously turned yummier. A little tart, a little sweet . Overall the flavor was nice & tropical. And the texture was no problem! Well, aside from the seeds. The seeds were a little too crunchy, which I at first appreciated when paired with the other part of the passion fruit. But then I was just grossed out by them. Seeds, get outta my passion fruit!

And here are some pictures of D, who is vastly more photogenic than I am pre-shower & who makes the best faces ever & always!! These may be better than the photos of him trying Guinness while at the Storehouse Brewery in Dublin, which is saying a lot.


Verdict: I liked it well enough. I’m not sure that I’d get one again, mainly because of the seeds, but I did really enjoy the flavor of an actual passion fruit. And D? Well, I think the photos speak for themselves, don’t they?

New Thing #8--Backstage at a big concert (& finally being completely covered in magical confetti)

On July 24th I, along with Derrick, my parents & my cousin Marissa, traveled to Holyoke, Massachusetts to see my brother’s band Fang Island open for the (duh duh duh!) Flaming Lips! Not only were we pumped to see Marc’s band again, but we were really excited to see the Lips. I’ve wanted to see them for a few years, especially once I learned what sorta shows they put on.

Leading up to the date only fueled the fire. Marc texted me a few pictures while out on the road, which only made me anticipate the coming show even more.

The day finally came, & holy crap was it hot. And humid. We arrived in Holyoke (side note: I also learned that Holyoke is apparently the birthplace of volleyball)It's hard to tell, but this sign proves the volleyball invention claim.

& went to grab a bite to eat. Turns out we had just missed a rainstorm. Once we got to the outdoor venue we found that the grass was majorly waterlogged & muddy. In spots it smelled uncannily like a farm. Unfortunately there were no cute animals to make a visual for the olfactory wonder. The extreme heat & humidity, paired with the fact that it had rained & the added bonus of everything being muddy made everyone sweaty. So, so, so sweaty. I have seriously never sweated so much in my life, particularly while standing still. It was disgusting. DISGUSTING!

Anyway.

We ended up meeting up with some friends there, & we all stood around & watched Fang Island play. They were awesome! It makes a big sister proud to see her brother up on stage, blowing everyone away with his drumming(dork). This was my third time seeing them, but my first time seeing them while in a group of people who largely had never heard of Fang Island, but who instantly loved them. Overhearing people talk about the band was great, & I *may* have told (or, you know, demanded) people to buy the album. Enjoy some pictures of Fang Island.

Despite the daylight, my pictures from Fang Island's set kinda suck. It was a no-camera venue, but I sneaked mine in & was trying not to draw the attention of the 3 dudes ten feet away who were taking other people's cameras away while the sun was still out. But there you have it! Here is a picture of the gigantic disco bawls that I need to have in my house someday:


Yay Fang Island! Dayum, why you sound so goood?

After their awesome set was done the roadies for the Lips came out to finish setting up the stage. One thing that I thought was cool & unusual was that the guys IN the Flaming Lips

also helped set up. For anyone that’s been to a major concert (ie everybody ever), you know how rare it is to even catch a glimpse of the band during the actual show. Hell, they were even walking around, interacting with fans from afar & watching Fang Island play from the side of the stage. Very cool, I thought. Wayne Coyne, the lead singer, came out at one point to a) tell us that he was going to try to go as far back as possible when he was in his space bubble, so to pack in , b) that they were going to be out a little later than planned because it might rain & people were still coming in & c) let us know that if there was more rain or a thunderstorm they might have to stop playing for a little, but that they would definitely come back onstage as long as no signs pointed to imminent death for them. Again, cool. It was clear that they are just sorta "normal" people & that they treated everyone else with respect. No “I’m famous, bow to me” crap, ya know?

Once they started to play I was in my happy place. All of the members were birthed out of a psychedelic naked hippie’s vagina & the band started to play an amazing song as Wayne Coyne edged to the crowd in his space bubble. Best ever!

We were essentially in the front row, most of the time. It was craziness. Loud awesome music, a guy in a hamster ball walking on the crowd, confetti, gigantic balloons, more confetti, people dancing in orange costumes, confetti guns, a guy in a bear suit, people in butterfly & catfish costumes, giant laser hands, disco balls…oh MAMA!
Enjoy the following:

On the left you can see the blur that is my brother, Marc.


One of my favorites of the night, Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips.


Wayne on the shoulders of a guy in a bear suit. In talking about it later with my Dad, I found out that he somehow thought I was in the bear suit. What?? :)




My brother was onstage during the show & we exchanged many looks & gestures (wholesome ones!). About halfway through the show I saw that my DAD was with him, what?? A few minutes passed & I saw that Marc's/our friend Sweaty was up there too. What the hell. This was about the point that I was motioning to Marc to take us up there & in true brotherly form he pretended to not know what I was saying. So, I had D text Marc, & minutes later Marc was motioning to me for us to meet him by the side of the stage. YES!!

So, Marissa, Derrick & I pushed our way through the crowd, leaving some of our friends (don't worry, they came onstage later). We met Marc by the side of the stage, who told me to get Mom & he then took us all backstage. Awesome! We followed him up the steep ramp to the stage & behind the backdrop. As we were walking you could peek out in spots & see the band playing & the crowd undulating.This shot is a complete & utter mess, but it is the first one I took as I set foot on stage, so it's here for sentimentality's sake.

Then we got to “our” spot, stage right, we joined the dancers, Sweaty, Dad & some of the dudes of Fang Island.

What an awesome vantage point! It was so fun to be backstage, having a big dorky fan moment with friends & family. We danced & sang along, got free water & sips of beer, got to check out all the guitars & we had an awesome view of both the band & the crowd. We got covered in confetti (I ruined my new shirt with the appetizing combination of copious amounts of sweat and orange confetti), showered with laser beams reflected in disco balls & got to witness one of the top three live shows of my life ten to fifteen feet from the band. Seriously off the hook, as Buster Bluth would say.Electrocution just waiting to happen.

My dreamland. I wish big moments in life were automatically showered with metric tons of confetti.

After the show we got to hang out backstage as we waited for my Dad to finishing talking to the drummer, for D & Marissa (it was the day before her 16th birthday!) to meet & talk to Wayne Coyne, for Marc to get his stuff together (he was coming home for two days in between shows) & while he got M & D’s stuff signed by both bands. We got to use the air conditioned (aka HEAVEN) trailers for relief & to visit the bathroom. We got to eat pretzels & watermelon while shooting the shit with old friends & new friends. It was really awesome (up to the point where the euphoria wore off & I was insanely full of pain & super sleepy & I got cranky…& then had to wait for what felt like 5 hours for Marc to be ready, hehe).
Wayne & Derrick.

Wayne & Marissa the birthday girl.

The aftermath.


Backstage story time, post watermelon!

But anyway. Being backstage for a show like the Flaming Lips was the best thing ever. We really got the best of both worlds; we got to be in the crowd for when he space bubbled his way over us & we were showered with confetti & got to hit giant balloons, & then we got to go onstage & watch the second half of the show…& still get covered in confetti. Thanks, Marc!! You’re fun & stuff :)

And thanks Dad, for being the best dad ever & biting the bullet for your son by riding home like this:(I'll remove it if you want.)

Unofficial new thing--While we were onstage I witnessed my first seizure--insanity! It happened quite quickly. I saw Marc’s bandmate carrying one of the dancers in orange (who are people who bought a ticket to the show & just get chosen to be onstage dancing the whole time) behind us. I honestly just sort of assumed she blacked out from a substance or fainted from being hot, especially in that polyester get-up she was wearing. As he passed me I noticed that she was seizing, & he was covering her eyes because there were strobe lights flashing. A bunch of people rushed to her aid while someone went to get the paramedics.

This actually happened just as the Lips were playing their last song, & when they finished some of the band members ran over to her to see what was happening. What I thought was really nice was that the lead singer went back onstage & told the crowd that one of the dancers had had a bad reaction to the strobe lights, & asked that everyone try to keep it down while she ‘recovers,” & that the band would be back in a few minutes for an encore when they knew that she was doing alright. How nice is that, & it worked! It was totally surreal, really, being in such a huge group of people that was honestly almost silent.

In talking to Mike, Marc’s bandmate, I found out that that was the third time in four shows that one of the dancers had a seizure & the second time that the person landed right in his arms. What luck, huh? Later, when D was in the trailer, he heard Wayne reassuringly & nicely talking to the girl (who was ok) & heard him say that seizures do happen at their shows from time to time but, oddly enough, he finds that they happen almost every night when they play in New England & Scotland. How weird is that?

So, all in all, I loved being onstage & backstage for a show like the Flaming Lips, & I love the chain of events that brought me there. To many more! And Marc, thanks again! Someday I'll be onstage while you play to thousands :)

Disclaimer: I wrote this ages ago & decided to finally slap it up on the blog to get the ball rolling again. Outdated, but whatever! Also, I had my old camera with me and it was difficult to take good pictures in the dark with strobe lights & the like, so I apologize for the mediocre photo quality. Plus, I was concentrating more on having an awesome time than awesome pictures. Deal with it!
Here is a video of Fang Island. I have more videos of Fang Island & the Flaming Lips that I'd like to post, so keep your eyes peeled!