Things I'm Enjoying

I've been a lazy blogger so I thought I'd give you all a little update on the things I've been enjoying lately.

1. All things automatic. Thanks to some awesome couponing tips from this lady I acquired THREE of those nifty motion activated air fresheners by Glade and an automatic soap pump for practically nothing. The soap pump, made by Dial, is especially nice. I feel a little cleaner and it dispenses the right about of soap. Nothing goes to waste but you get enough soap to feel like it's getting the job done.

2. Netflix. Oh, boy. Brian has a far better entry up on our recent love affair with Netflix. Netflix is pretty awesome. I've watched classic movies, documentaries, Season 3 of Heroes (you all know how much I love Sylar), and lots of other things. We have gotten a few DVDs in the mail but we mostly stream through the XBox. The mailed DVDs are easy to receive and return and they arrive super fast. Netflix's website is easy to use and if you stream, the wait time between requesting the program and it starting is next to nothing. I am impressed.

3. Nutella. I used to laugh at people who eat Nutella. Who puts chocolate on bread aside from the Von Trapp kids? I decided to try some and wow. This stuff is seriously yummy. It tastes light and sweet but not too sweet. In fact, since I started eating Nutella I've noticed my sweet tooth has diminished some. I dig this stuff so much I entered a contest to win a year's supply. The last time I won any thing it was a year's supply of Juicy Fruit so I figured maybe that's how my luck works.

4. Farmer's markets. Today was the final day for my local farmer's market so I definitely paid it a visit. I bought some beautiful peppers and a head of lettuce that was fresh, locally grown, and inexpensive. Over the summer, I have tried to do more to support local commerce and farmer's markets are a great way to do this. I can't wait until they come back next year. In fact, I plan on renting space to sell my cupcakes next year!

5. Morrison Hotel. I've been a huge fan of The Doors for many years but Morrison Hotel has never been a favorite until recently. I put it in a few weekends ago and I couldn't figure out why I have not liked it. It's a fabulous record and I'm glad I warmed up to it---20 years later.

Privacy, Please: More Oversharing Stories

I have previously expressed my feelings on posting childrens' pictures on Facebook and general oversharing online. To recap, I don't like it. There are too many freaks out there so I think you have to be careful with what information you give out online, especially where children are concerned since they have no control over what their parents post.

Today on Facebook I was reminded yet again how stupid people can be at times. This is the question Walgreens Pharmacy posed to their fans on Facebook:

"Who can't believe their little boy or girl is all grown up and heading to school this fall?"

Something like "I can't believe how fast they grow!" would suffice here. Instead, this question was answered by 122 people who all told us how old their kids are, what grade they will be going in to, and of course the posters' full names and pictures were there for all of the people on Walgreens' Facebook page to see. Maybe I'm paranoid or I've read one too many stories about someone being killed for their baby, but I'm lost on why people overshare so much info, especially about their kids.

Thoughts?

Weezer in Concert: A Non-Fan Look

Last Saturday, Brian and I saw Weezer in concert. I have always liked a few of their songs and while they have never really annoyed me, I don't consider myself a big fan. I went to the show because Brian has been dragged to many concerts by me. In fact, he had to stand in an alley in the middle of Detroit at 1 AM so I could get my picture taken with one of my favorite bands. The least I could do is sweat with some nerds and watch Rivers Cuomo stand like a statue on stage, right? Well, much to my surprise I enjoyed myself and here's why:

1. The audience. At a concert, the behavior of the audience is very important. A bad crowd can ruin any show. Weezer's audience consisted of kids between the ages of 5 and 60, and all appeared to be sober. The seats were assigned so no one was pushing to get in front of me, no one spilled beer on my shoes, nor did anyone make out with their significant other while pressed up against me. The only time I had to get out of the way quickly was when the singer decided to visit the audience. The nerds wanted to touch their king so I moved.

2. No dilly-dallying. I have now seen several shows at the great Ohio State fair and they all run in a timely manner. I think it is because the grounds have to close at a certain time so whatever band is performing has to get on with it. I like it that I don't have to wait an hour (or more!) for the main act after the opening act has left the stage. I also like getting out at a reasonable time. I know. I'm old. But I would have appreciated these factors just as much at 22 as I do now at 32.

3. Showmanship. Weezer put on a great show. They looked like they were having fun. The singer spent a lot of time in the audience and not just in the first few rows. He went all the way to the back of the concert hall and posed for pictures, signed autographs, and sang along with fans. Beachballs were being tossed around, a little girl got to go on stage with the band for her 9th birthday, and even the sign language interpreter got some love. I did not expect much of a show. I envisioned Rivers standing at his microphone all night, barely moving. I was pleasantly surprised.

4. The music. Not only did Weezer put on a great show, they sounded great, too. I'm not familiar with their entire catalog and I am sure they did not make everyone happy but they seemed to select a good assortment of songs from their records. I knew every song, thanks to Brian and my time listening to them in high school. They even threw in a MGMT cover and made fun of Lady Gaga.

5. Rivers Cuomo. It's no secret that I like my men nerdy. If you know me, then you know I prefer Spock to Kirk and I married a guy who gets way too excited over Hot Wheels. Needless to say, I found myself swooning over the Weezer frontman a few times during the show. The thick glasses. The bad clothes. He has it all.

A Clean Sweep: An argument in two or more parts

Disclaimer: I love my husband, Brian. I also do what I can do not to be a nag. That said, let's discuss the cleaning arrangement around here. I thought you'd all like this argument since many of you seem to enjoy listening to us argue every Thursday.

Shared Duties

Brian does some things around the house and I do other things. He really gets into vacuuming and doing the dishes. He also prefers to do his own laundry and he takes care of our Florida room because he has pretty much taken that room over for his Hot Wheels.

Since I'm a teacher and I get a summer vacation, I don't ask him to do as much around the house since I'm home and he works all day. During the school year, however, I expect him to pick up the slack. I think this is fair. There are some exceptions to this and he needs to clean more. Today was one of those days.

Guests

The house was not in too bad of a state but we had friends coming over for dinner so some things needed to be done in a short amount of time. I was cleaning the kitchen (which entailed washing and drying dishes, mopping and sweeping the floor, cleaning the table off, and a few other tasks) and he was cleaning the living room. Cleaning the living room meant vacuuming, putting remote controls away, and throwing away a pop can or two. A dog, not sure which one, also took the liberty of vomiting on the floor so Brian also cleaned that. Despite the throw up, I think I had more to do. I was slightly annoyed to find blankets on the chair and some other things that needed to either be thrown away or put some place else. His response?

"It doesn't bother me."

And it doesn't bother me either if we were just cleaning for ourselves. Today, though, we're cleaning because we're having company and I'm sure they don't want to move our stuff around. Am I being unreasonable to ask that a room be cleaned entirely? Is it that hard? Considering that I'm the only one who scrubs our TOILETS on a weekly basis, I think he can manage to stick some blankets in the closet. I also want to point out that he frequently does half-jobs when he cleans. Examples: He dries the dishes but doesn't dry small utensils like measuring cups. You're drying the dishes anyway, just dry everything! He will also vacuum but he skips the steps. Do those not have fur and dirt on them as well?

I've made my case

Your turn, Brian. Defend your lazy cleaning ways!

Cosmetic Review: Avon gave me the blues

The Product: Avon Nailwear Pro in Vintage Blue
Price: $2.99

Avon makes great nail polish. They have a wide variety of colors and finishes, the color lasts, and is inexpensive. This nail polish, however, was a huge disappointment because of the color. Let's take a look at what Avon has advertised. The color (Vintage Blue) I purchased is circled in red.

It might be difficult to tell but Avon shows a silvery-blue shade that appears to have a metallic finish. This is what I got:

I got something that looks like blue sidewalk chalk. There is no metallic finish. In addition to not looking like the ad, this color goes on thick and streaky. As your resident Avon lady, let me say that Avon's products are excellent and the pictures are usually very accurate. This just isn't one of those times. Buy Avon nail polish but pass on this shade. Buy Avon's Nailwear Pro in Jade instead. When I wore that shade I was actually stopped by women in stores who were full of compliments. Take a look at Jade but keep in mind that the picture really doesn't do it justice.

What are some of your favorite nail polishes? Which ones should we avoid?

And the winner is...

Erica won the Avon In Bloom perfume giveaway! Congrats!

Later on this week I will be giving away lipstick so be sure to check back.

7 Rules for the Concert Attendee

A few weeks ago I was excited to learn that the Scorpions and Cinderella were coming to my town. I like the Scorpions but I have always been a big Cinderella fan. A days ago, the Scorpions' singer, Klaus Meine got sick and had to cancel. The tickets were refunded but those cool guys in Cinderella played a free show. American Dog and The Ordinance opened for them, both native Ohioan bands. The Ordinance had some equipment issues but their singer kept going, finding microphones where he could and stayed energetic. American Dog had a stronger set with their country rock sound and many people in the audience seemed to be familiar with them.

Cinderella played a full set of their hits. Every song was spot on. Tom Keifer's vocal chord surgeries have paid off. They looked good, sounded good, but the night wasn't perfect. Why, you ask? The audience! It is time to learn the basics of concert attendance.

1. Smoke on the Water. I have no issue with cigarette smoke. Despite having allergies and asthma, it does not bother me that much. What does bother me is being in tight quarters and nearly taking a cigarette in my eye, arm, leg, or any other exposed body part. Be aware of your surroundings and the people you're sharing them with. My neighbors at the concert, for the record, were very courteous smokers. They attempted to blow their smoke up and not in my face. They also kept their cigs away from my skin. The lady in front of me, however, was nearly getting burned all night.

2. Know your audience. Crowd surfing is not status quo at a Cinderella concert and because of that fact I don't feel sorry for the guy who landed on his face when he got dropped on his face. Crowd surfing was okay at a Pearl Jam show---in 1994 but not here.

3. Hold your liquor. I, personally, have never understood the point of getting drunk at concerts. Tickets are normally expensive so why would you want to drink so much that you don't even remember the show? Just drink yourself into a stupor at home. It will be cheaper and you won't get your ass kicked by 1,000 people. But I digress. If you insist on drinking, don't get so drunk that you are infringing on other peoples' experience.

4. Be on time. Don't show up in the middle of the opening act and feel entitled to shove your way to the front. Not everyone can be in the front row so just deal with it. You wouldn't sit in someone's lap at a theatre just because they got better seats than you so why do this at a concert? Again, you're just going to end up getting your ass kicked.

5. Don't talk to strangers. I enjoyed talking to the lady last night about the time she saw Cinderella when she was 19 and the lady at the Tesla concert who who has seen them 100 times. I did not enjoy the guy who kept talking to me last night though. He was with his girlfriend and she was getting annoyed. I was also getting annoyed. If you're there with your girl or guy, don't make conversation with the opposite sex unless your partner is involved in that conversation. You're going to end up starting a fight.

6. Stay together. If you've gone to a concert with friends or family, stay together. Last night one woman was frantically trying to get to the front row to talk to her grandson. This did not go over so well. Don't expect special treatment just because your grandson, especially a near-adult grandson, is there and you are looking for him.

7. A final word. Let me just describe two girls from last night's concert: they were totally trashed, jumping up and down non-stop, spilling beer on their neighbors, nearly headbutting the people behind them while they were flailing around, sitting on the barricade resulting in being yelled at by the bouncers and nearly falling over, constantly talking to their neighbors, and asking for lighters. Several people had to yell at them. This was all before the opening acts even got to the stage. If you can avoid behaving this way, you'll be okay.

What are your rules for concerts? Share with us your crazy concert stories!