Startin' the year off right with Dark Star Orchestra

Finally coming out of hybernation......went to the first show of the year for us last weekend. Decided at the last minute Saturday that we were going to see Dark Star Orchestra!! That turned out to be a great decision!!

Ryan and I were both itching to get out and shake our booties!! We're long overdue!!

I love this guy!!

Ah yes...the coctails...we're just getting started here!!

Trying really hard to keep those eyes open!!

Sad, but this is about the best photo of the band that I got the whole night. I never really wandered up to the front. Only for a few minutes on the last song. We were all having way too much fun in the back to even consider leaving and missing something fun!!

Miss Lori Culbertson needed a ride to Indy to meet up with her husband Bryan who was already down there, so she road with us. We had a great time hanging out with the Culbertson's....even made it to Steak and Shake after the show!!

Bryan and Screech must have been discussing some serious matters.....

I think we may have gone into this one in hopes of getting a nice little family pic, but I blew it!!!

BFF's hiding in the corner

Do you think I'm having fun? Just wanted to make sure incase you couldn't tell by this photo!!

I love this picture!! It just kind of sums up how the whole night was....we had a blast!!

Always happy to catch up with old friends, hang out with new friends and introduce them all as we go....the family gets bigger all the time!!

Little Nashville Opry Fire

It was a little less than a year ago when I took what turns out to be my last trip to The Little Nashville Opry. This photo was taken just after Ryan and I saw Loretta Lynn last year in November. On the wall behind us, you see lots and lots of old album covers. All of which came from artists who have performed there over the years.

I am so sad that the Opry burned down last weekend. I have been seeing concerts there for nearly half my life. My first show there was Tanya Tucker, I think. In high school, when I was dating Matt Kinslow, we used to go down there all the time to see country artists perform. I just can't believe it's gone now.

I really hope Nashville Indiana can stand strong in the economy through this. It's really sad for all the business owners in that area. It would be such a shame if any of them had to shut down because of lost business due to the fire.

I am reallly upset that there has been news regarding the owners not paying taxes too!! That just makes the whole thing seem a little suspicious to me. The news has said that they owe nearly 70,000.00 in back taxes. No taxes have been paid on the property since 2005.

The real kicker here is the fact that the owner has had some unexplained trouble with fire in the past. According to one news report, his home burned to the ground in the mid 80's and it happened again in just the last few years. No cause was ever determined for either of those fires. I fear that will be the case for the Opry as well. I really do hope someone is able to find the cause AND I hope that the owners are NOT responsible.

I am so thankful that Ryan and I took a trip down south last fall and visited the Opry one last time. We already knew the night was special because we were actually getting the chance to see Loretta Lynn, but we had no idea how special it really was until last Saturday night.

RIP John Bonham

Nearly 30 years ago today, one of the greastest drummers of all time passed away. John Bonham was the drummer for Led Zeppelin. He died at the age of 32 on September 25th, 1980. I am very thankful for the contributions he made to music. I grew up listening to all kinds of music. Led Zeppelin included. I can remember singing D'yer Maker (pronounced with an English accent as "Jamaica") with my Dad when I was little. It wasn't until later in life that I realized that this song was much more than just a little catchy tune. Dad taught me that it was the first introduction a lot of people had to reggae music.

Led Zeppelin's music has always been in my life. When I hear them now, I find myself remeniscing and becoming very nostalgic about my Dad. Sometimes it's hard to believe a lot of the music is older than I am.

So, today I am thankful for John Bonham and his music, and I pray he is at peace.

Spring Hookahville 2009

Ryan and I went to Spring Hookahville over Memorial Day weekend and had a blast as usual!! A lot of our close friends were there and there was a fantastic lineup this spring. Good friends and good music....we were in heaven.

We took off early Saturday morning driving East towards a beautiful sunrise.(Ignore the bugs)

The music started pretty early...I think around noon, so by the time we got our tent set up, there was plenty of live music to entertain us.

This was a group called Toubab Krewe who played a lot of percussion. It was great to dance to!!The fella with the popped collar kinda rubbed me the wrong way...or at least his collar positioning preference did, but the guy in the back in the purple shirt was tons of fun!!

He was extremely energetic and semed to play the most dominant sounding drums of the bunch. He really caught my attention for some reason. (Maybe it's the hair)

Saturday night was a blast!! I didn't take many pictures while Ekoostik Hookah was on stage. Why? I have no idea....I'm usually juggling my camera and my drinks all night long. Guess I was just having too much fun!!

They have a small stage where the late night bands play after Ekoostik Hookah is done with their final set for the night. We got to see the band Oakhurst play late night on Saturday. They are a really good bluegrass band. It is always lots of fun to go see all the drunk people dancing at about two in the morning. I'm not sayin I'm never the drunk one....but the later it gets, the more they come out!! :-)

Ryan was stoked Sunday because one of his favorite bands, Secret Chiefs 3, was playing. We were really surprised to see them on the line up this year. They were a great addition to the music of Hookahville!!

I wasn't familiar with Sectret Chiefs 3 before Hookahville this year, but I was pleasantly purprised. They came out in navy blue monk outfits...except for the bass player. I'm not sure what that was all about. Maybe he hasn't gone through all the hazing to earn the uniform or something...who knows. I just know that I really enjoyed them. They played a lot harder music than Hookah, which I don't have any problem with, but like I said before I think it was a really good musical match for Hookahville. They do a really good job of keeping things interesting around there.

One of the great things about Hookahville is that the entertainment is all over the place...not just on the stage....I have no idea who these guys are, but they were lots of fun!!

Les Claypool, the bassist from Primus, was one of the main attractions for people this year. I think having his name on the bill probably brought in an extra 800 to 1000 people. The attendance was higher than it had been in years. I was happy for the band.This is Les.

His band was all wearing creepy dead president masks.

It's good to see a crowd this size at Hookahville!!

Les also came out in a pig mask and an Elvis mask, which I failed to get pictures of.

As the night prgressed, so did our drunkeness. Ryan officially put on the beer goggles. I bet EVERYONE was looking good to him that night!!

his is Dave Katz singing LONER.

As the night went on, I got a little more courage and began to push my way to the front. Usually I try to get there early and just stand my ground until the band starts, but we were hanging out towards the back of the crowd for awhile. I knew eventually Eric would be out from behind his drum kit singing us the encore song, so I had good motivation!!

Cliff hung out behind the keyboard while Dave sang a couple songs. He kept the base going with one hand, and the keys going with the other. AND he was wearing ski goggles.................?The Muffins Middle is the best place to be for photos. This is a great pic of John Mullins AKA Muffins.

This is just before Eric started singing for us....also about the time I started screaming like a little girl :-)

When the hat came off, the party really got started!!!

This is one of my favorite pictures of Eric.Watch out for the hair...it can be used as a weapon!!!

This is Ryan and I just before we finished packing up to go home on Monday. It was a long fun-filled weekend. I can't wait to do it again in the fall!!! Ony 3 months till fall Hookahville!!!

Last Day in Jamaica

Again, this will mainly just be pictures and a little info so I can catch up on life on this blog!!!

Artwork by Rohan.

This is Rohan with the painting we bought from him.

We ate at 3 Dives for our last dinner in Jamaica.....delicious!!!

Ashley and I on the cliffs at 3 Dives.

Matt and Liz.

Nick and Ashley.

Jerk chicken, callilou, and peas and rice.

That's Jamaica!!!

After dinner we went to the Sea Star where John Mullins was staying. He played a couple songs including Rocky Racoon with a little help from yours truly!!!

Liz, me and Ashley.
Ashley, Liz and I with our cabbie. I think his name was George.

We went to the Twenty Three Seven Bar one last time.....I have no idea who this guy is.

Liz and I just HAD to dance on a table before we left Negril!!Headin back to the airport.These are the herbs and spices and sauces we brought home with us!!!