T-Minus 1.5 Days

Early Thursday morning, the fam, parentals and I shall be making our way to gorgeous Yellowstone National Park! I had been several times when I was younger, but probably all before age 12...which, of course, means I don't remember much except for maybe seeing a buffalo out the window and my parents threatening my brother that if he touched the hot pot water then his finger will turn purple and fall off. (And did he touch it? He most certainly did!...and then held his finger for dear life the rest of the day, terrified. Haha.) So yes, I do have a few treasured memories here and there, but I'm pretty darn excited to see everything now with my "adult" eyes and really being able to understand more about the unique geography, formations and all that geothermal shenanigans.

Bring on the wildlife so I can squeal with joy! Bring on that rotten egg smell from the awesome geysers! Bring on smashed penny machines so I can get a souvenir! Bring on being in the car with my parents for 8 hours!...wait, no, I take that one back.

A few faves I found online...these are seriously incredible!

iHave iPhone

The day has finally arrived where I have become a proud owner of an up-to-date piece of technology! I have never had the latest and greatest cellphone in all my years of cellphone ownership. (Which began my SOPHOMORE YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL!! None of this crap about being a 13-yr-old with a cellphone. Phh!...though I totally was allowed to take my parent's pager with me sometimes in my late elementary years. Hahaha! My hell, do I sound old?!)

Before ranting and raving about my new iPhone 4, let's take a looksy at my old phones that shall forever be remembered and have a special lump in my throat...I mean, heart. 

 

This is the closest picture I could find of what resembled my "brick," as I referred to it as. I don't recall the brand of phone it was but I assure you it was actually more horrible than this. Did my have cool silver buttons? Nay. It was an all black coffin of a phone complete with the stump of an antennae (with a pull out antennae inside for extra awesomeness) and flip out thingy to speak into. This bad boy kept me company many times in multimedia class where I'd play "Snake" on it's green glowing screen. Mind you, the snake did not have features back then...it was a rod. And I loved it.

Sometime shortly after enduring the "brick" for a year or so, I got to upgrade to a silver LG phone that remained in my care throughout my senior year up until 2009!!!! Did I ever get on that Nokia bandwagon everyone else did or the Cricket phase? Nay again. I wasn't that cool. It was only at the grace of my parentals that I even got the silver LG phone. (Family plan, you know...all matching phones. Presh.) What brought me to the maroon phone fabulousness that I've had up until last Thursday, was a watery ride of Splash Mountain in Disneyland 2009. My silver phone that I thought was protected in an outside pocket of my purse, was not...it took on a bucket a water and drown. RIP. However, my maroon companion quickly became my favorite and a very nice phone to have over the years. But finally, it just came time to ween myself off of the parentals' fam plan and share with the hubby.

So hello AT&T, and hello beautiful sleek white iPhone 4!!! I shall love you forever and you shall be mine. BFFFs fo' life.

My lovely background looks like this! Adore!!!

Hubster

 

Happy Father's Day to this guy.  

Can't keep my paws off him!

....especially in his new grilling apron, compliments of wifey.

xoxo

Confession

(Let's go for two posts in one day!)
Jake bought me a pair of black glittery TOMS. Before becoming a Toms owner, I thought they were one of the most hideous fashion trends and would refer to them as orphan shoes...actually, I still do. They straight up look up like something for a poverty-stricken Asian child or a polygamist. Granola! Even when Jake gave them to me he could tell by the look on my face that I wasn't leaping for joy. But, they were comfy and I didn't want to hurt Jake's feeling after he had been so thoughtful, and they are "trendy," so my feet and I made the decision to keep my orphan shoes knowing I'd risk looking homeless when I wore them. My only comfort was knowing they wouldn't look as horrible as Crocs. Gag! But now after wearing my Toms a few times? I LOVE THEM!! I proudly announce I have changed my ways and will now accept Toms as superior shoes...or at least only my black glitter ones. It's like wearing slippers all day. They are so darn comfy! And the best part is they don't even even become a sweaty shoe during the day like most slip-on shoes can be. I don't know how they do it...it's a mystery. I refuse to think I look granola in these babies. They are snazzy! Blingin' orphan here...now I just need one of those pointy rice paddy hats.

Groovin'

Ah, music. Oh, how I adore you! Pandora...you are my favorite. No, seriously. You are wondrous and my first born child may have to be named after you as a tribute to your greatness. You know my likes and we rarely quarrel, but when we do have a disagreement because you play a song by Beyonce or Adele because you're retarded and thought it should be thumbs up, I correct your wrongs and you instantly show kindness by replacing it with Florence or Imogen Heap to brighten my day. You don't even put up a fight. It's like you know me. We are so BFF's for life...at least as long as you're free. During my recent music journeys over the past few months, I've come across these little tunes of yumminess that I now want to share:

"My Body" - Young the Giant
This one is so flippin' catchy! When the chorus kicks in, I instantly have the urge to start bouncing around with my arms up in the air doing the Numa Numa dance...and that may or may not have been done already in my kitchen one evening while Jake just starred at me. (He loves those moments.) But my body didn't quit...I want more!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQYpF2pCkLI&ob=av2e

"Gold on the Ceiling" - The Black Keys
This is a recent find, and what an "ahhhhhh!" status it is! It's sassy, bluesy, rocky, and actually goes great to the Boot Scootin Boogy dance moves when I picture it in my mind. Saddle up partner! I think The Black Keys may be a new band I'll have to start paying attention to...which I admit I've only discovered them because of my Twilight Soundtracks. See what good things come from Twilight! They just need to feature Taylor Lautner in their videos...all of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yCIDkFI7ew

"Somebody That I Used to Know" - Gotye
Most random hippie song! What the fuss...the little xylophone thingy?! Ooh my heavens, it's so strange that I'm in love with it. Chinese sound? Cowboy sound? How about both. I confident I've added to at least 1 million views out of the "mind-bottling" 242 million. How can Cheyenne say this was one of her top 3 worst songs ever?! 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UVNT4wvIGY

"Dance Yrself Clean" - LCD Soundsystem
First off, this song is 9 minutes long. YES!!! Just know as soon as it starts you will most likely think WTF, but I promise if you can get through the first 3 minutes of the song, the rest is "golden" (a new word I've been introduced to), or as a fellow YouTuber phrased it best on his comment, "you will lose your shit." It goes from granola to hot babe in Nike high tops and you won't even see it coming!...unless you watch it fifty times like I have. Robots? David Bowie? I don't know but it's just awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoA0cTC228M

"Son's Gonna Rise" - Citizen Cope
Now that's what I'm talking about! This is one that I would be be loudly woo-whooing to if I got to see this performed live. House of Blues with this song? Gahhh! Loves the minor blues tune and the Santana-like guitar that kicks in. Best line in the song, "Got this woman in the backseat, she my wifey"...at least that's what it sounds like and therefore my favey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZUfh5mbjjrw

Flash Forward (not the TV show)

Hello again blog world! I realize I have been away far too long and decided to do a quick post on what's been going on in the Jones household...well, at least some of things that have been going on...nevermind that giant cluster cuss of a mountain we've seemed to have stumbled upon that insists on sticking around for months to come and also insists on eating up all the money in our wallets. It's like an irritating, annoying house guest who has clearly overstayed their welcome and isn't getting the hint that they're seriously the worst person to ever touch foot on God's green earth, which is my reason for not wanting to spread posts of joy on here when there. is. no. joy...ok, breeeeath! On the positive, non-suicidal side of my current schizo split personality, here is some joy to spread! (I picture myself in a Tinkerbell tutu frolicking in a flowered meadow gleefully tossing handfuls of sparkles and rainbows for no other reason than just being damn happy and I look awesome...let me frolic!)

- Jake officially completed his first year of nursing school and finished off with an impressive 3.6 GPA! I say "impressive" considering one of his achievements from the year included being the official butt-cheek-spreader-holder-person for a whopping 15+ minutes on some old person while the ole' chap had some work done down under...and I don't mean in Australia. That alone deserves passing grades! Bless his little heart...and bless that old person's bum.

- Gage is finishing up his second grade year this week and had a dance festival today where his grade level performed to "Eye of the Tiger." Nothing makes a parent beam with more pride than seeing their wee youngling practice punching and kickboxing moves to "Dun! Dun-dun-dun! Dun-dun-dun! Dun-dun-duuuuun." What a thrill of the fight...his air jump rope is spot on.

- Father Lieber celebrated his big 60th birthday this year at the beginning of the month. As much as we would've loved to plan a Roast for him like they do on Comedy Central to celebrate his momentous occasion (which is really code for "a justified occasion to make fun of said person and reveal their most embarrassing moments"), it just didn't happen and instead resorted to buying him a giant foil balloon that said "Oh no! The big 6-0!" Those clever balloon phrase people. Happy Birthday dad!

- Jake, Gage and I spent Easter weekend in "exotic" Carson City, Nevada to visit Jake's parents and grandparents, the later whom I've never met. Our time was spent time adapting to the local culture by practicing BB gun shooting in the backyard, visiting an old mining town where some of the people didn't realize Halloween already passed so the saloon girl and Wyatt Earp costumes were sooo yesterday, Grandma Jones purchasing a coon skin hat for Gage so he can look like a bona fide nomad who now needs a slingshot in hand and a couple teeth blacked out, and listening to Jake's grandpa talk about his heroic WWII days and "those damn Germans"...and then hear the stories again because of his early onset of Alzheimer's. Good thing it wasn't disclosed I am one of those damn Germans. Poor grand pappy may have suffered a heart attack.

- Jake and I celebrated our first anniversary on May 20th!!! We spent a night up in our beloved Park City and enjoyed a most anticipated delicious steak dinner date at Prime Steak House. I knew it 'twas fate that we were to dine there the moment I stepped out on to Main Street and 311 was playing in the air. Bliss. Besides dinner, other Park City events included some shopping at the outlets and the World Market (which I was uber impressed with!), a dozen red roses waiting for me in our hotel room along with a gift and bottle of bubbley chilled in the fridge, a delicious pizza lunch date the next day, and some other events typical of an anniversary that I'm not allowed to disclothes...I mean disclose. Hooray for year one!

- Jake and I purchased a grill for our anniversary (thanks to the $ generosity of my parentals) and put it to good use instantly. I think Jake feels more complete as a man now having a grill around...he's been deprived ever since we moved into our home in October. Now that he has his other half (no, not me...I said grill, not girl), he's fixing to invite the whole neighborhood over for grilled feasts. If you'd like an invite, please put your name on the waiting list and you will be contacted at a later date. In the meantime, we just need to get Jake a more manly grilling apron since he's currently been using my 1950s style black and white polka dot Susie Homemaker dress apron. I hope that accurately depicted the image. He is precious in it.

- In my excitement for warm weather a few weeks back, I purchased bundles of colorful flowers to plant in a planter box I had Jake custom made for our front porch. I am quite fond of my botanic masterpiece that I so skillfully planned and secretly think that our neighbor who "just happened" to purchase a potted flower assortment shortly after only did so because she saw my wonderous floral gem. Well, hers wasn't custom made...so there! Oh, and our front dirt-patch area now has bushes. Uhh-dorable. Grow little planties, grow!

 And this concludes my updates. End Tinkerbell frolicking sequence.

Excitable One!

Next Saturday, Jake and I will be excitedly making our way to one of my favorite getaway spots...LAS VEGAS!! I have been waiting for this adventure for quite some time (2 years, to be exact), and now that March has finally arrived, I'm extremely anxious and excited...so excited that I obviously feel the need to brag blog about it.

As most of you know (or should know), I've been a long-time fan of the greatest band ever, 311!!! Every other year on March 11, they hold a huge concert that dedicated fans from all over the country (and even the world!) flock to--this day is officially known as 311 Day. What's unique about 311 Day is that it's not an ordinary concert where typically the headlining band only plays an hour and half, if you're lucky. No, no...my beloved 311 plays record-long setlists, which in recent years spanned 5 hours and has now evolved into a 2-day event for 2012!!! Cover songs and rarities can also be expected, which make the crowd go wild. Typically the concert has been held in New Orleans but for 2010 and 2012 it's been held in Vegas, this year being at MGM which seats 16,800 people! WOW. The last 311 Day concert at Mandalay Bay was mine and Jake's first (only because I drag him to all my concerts...what a good, willing hubby!), and to say the energy was over-the-top and the fans were roaring so loud that you could barely hear yourself sing is an understatement. The entire arena was jam-packed and the sight was absolutely incredible to see. Here are some pics from 2010 to show off the awesomeness of it all...

Inside Mandalay Bay Events Center

I feel bad that Chad, the drummer, got left out of this shot

Great pic of Tim Mahoney on guitar...we walked past him in the casino. What?!

My amazing Nick Hexum!

Photo found online from different angle.

Another one online....SA * Chad * Tim * Nick * P-Nut

I can't wait to see my band next weekend!!!