RIP Kirk

It is with great sadness that I take the time to post this short blog.

Recently I posted about a band Ryan and I went to see in Indy called Splitlip Rayfield. I briefly explained the lead singer's battle with throat cancer.

I knew it would probably be the last time I saw him, but I had no idea the end was so near.

On February 22, Kirk Rundstrom lost his battle. I am so thankful he made the choice to go out on the road one last time before he passed away. That had to take a huge amount of courage and strength, both physically and emotionally. The last few shows of the tour were actually cancelled due to his rapid deterioration. We had the pleasure of his presence in Indy only 3 weeks ago, and now he's gone.

Kirk leaves behind two little girls Ellie and Mollie, and his wife Lisa. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Kirk was only 37 years old.

I pray he is at peace................

Golden Gate Suicides

Here's a couple interesting fact that you may not have known. At least I didn't, until recenly.

1. There are twice as many suicides in the US as there homicides every year.

2. The Golden Gate Bridge is the most popular (lack of better term) place on earth to kill yourself.

I read an article recently that really caught my attention. It is about a man who video taped the Golden Gate Bridge for one year and caught 24 suicides on tape. He and his crew had a couple different angles they filmed from at about a half mile away. The recording was not made public due to the chance of increasing suicides in that area. Some people might have mistaken it for a way to catch some fame even after their lives had ended....especially if they were contemplating these thoughts already.

Each time the camera crews saw someone go lift themselves over the rails, they called bridge security, and in a few cases, they were able to prevent the deaths of some of these people. One woman was actually stopped from commiting suicide on two different occasions.

This footage has now been put together for a movie/documentation called "The Bridge."

The photographer, or filmer, Eric Steel stated that seeing the footage from 9/11, which happened only a mile or so from his home was part of his inspiration for this film. Do any of you remember the footage that was taken off the air of the people jumping from the Twin Towers during the terrorist attack? As Steel mentioned in one interview, that footage was banned from TV shortly after it originally aired. It was already a hard thing to accept, but for the general public, seeing suicides happening live on TV could have been even more disturbing. For Steel, it was just one more heart wrenching reason to bring awareness to this subjuect. He is quoted in one article as saying the imagery of those people jumping was "indelibly written," and he believes the people jumping from the bridge are "trying to escape their own emotional inferno." Those are the parrallels that he described with his investigation of the brige and 9/11.

The film has been mixed with interviews from family members, witnesses, and friend of those who took their own lives at the bridge. One mother of a suicide victim said she found a great sense of closure after requesting to view her own daughter's death. She said " I needed to know she died instantly, and that the coast guard got her body from the water showing that it wasn't grossly disfigured. This was my daughter, and I needed to know the end wasn't nearly as horrible as it could have been."

Quoting Bizarre magazine "The end product isn't gory or sick. It's shocking." I'm not sure that I would agree if I ever decided to watch such a film. For some reason, I do find it intriguing. On average, a suicide occurs every two weeks at The Golden Gate Bridge. That seems like an astounding number to me.

"It's definitely not a movie everyone's going to understand in the same wasy'" says Steel. "It's meant to be provocative. It's meant to challenge you mentally and visually. Obviously there are people who'll find it difficult and have a hard time with it. I knew that going in. The goal was always to create awareness about these issues, and to make people think harder about the world we live in and our civic responsibilities and how much we care. I never set out to make a film that told people what to think. I set out to make a film to make people question what we believe. And I believe that's what I've done."

I found it a little disturbing that I was so intigued by the whole thing. I honestly think what intrigues me the most is what is actually going through these peoples' heads as they make the decision to take their own life. Why is that thought there, and what can be, or could've been done to prevent it.

In the article I found, it shows a picture of a sign with a phone at the end of the bridge for crisis couseling. It's sign says "Crisis Counseling....there is hope...make the call." I wonder how many calls they actually get on that hotline. It's sad that there is even a need for something like that anywhere.

So, my question to all of you is.....would you ever watch this film, or anything like it? And how do you feel about these people being filmed without their knowledge.

There is a lot of criticism being thrown Steel's way right now. I don't know if he's in the right by trying to make people more aware of what's really going on out there, or if he will encourage those people who already have suicidal thoughts to go out in a big way....maybe in hopes of being caught on film. It seems sick to think that may encourage someone, but if they feel they've lost everything else already, what do they have to lose now?

Here's a link to one article about the movie

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A9gnMigj9eRFUisAwyGjzbkF;_ylu=X3oDMTA4NDgyNWN0BHNlYwNwcm9m/SIG=12gcofpcb/EXP=1172719267/**http://www.indiewire.com/movies/2006/10/borderline_eric.html

Addicted to Norah Jones

Ryan bought me a CD for Christmas that I haven't been able to pull out of my CD player for nearly two months now. It's called The Little Willies. It's a bar-band style group who Norah Jones joined for their debut CD in 2006. They do several old cover songs from people such as Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Fred Rose. There are also a few original songs...one which is very comical..talking about finding Lou Reed cow tipping. I have totally fallen in love with this CD.

After my long term Norah Jones addiction, I decided it was time to break down and spend the money on myself to buy her new CD...and it's fantastic!!! Norah's voice is so sweet and soothing. I absolutely love everything I've ever heard her do. Plus, she plays the piano like it's a part of her. I really appreciate a talented piano player that can come into the mainstream music world and have her own sound. She doesn't try to sound like anything that would fall in the category of "top 40" music...but she's been stuck in the top 40 for years. An original sound is always such a breath of fresh air.

Anyone who is not familiar with her music should definitely take the time to become familiar with it. You will not be wasting your time.

There is a song on her new album that really caught my attention. It reminded me of how I felt during the really hard times that Michael and I went through. Her lyrics are very raw emotionally. Sometimes they can pull your heart right out of your chest............

"Wake Me Up"

by Norah Jones

Wake me up when it's over

Wake me up when it's done

When he's gone away and taken everything

Wake me up

Wake me up when the skies are clearing

When the water is still'cause

I will not watch the ships sail away so

Please say you will

If it were any other day

This wouldn't get the best of me

But today I'm not so strong

So lay me down with a sad song

And when it stops then you know

I've beenGone too long

But don't shake me awake

Don't bend me or I will break

Come find me somewhere between my dreams

With the sun on my face

I will still feel it later on

But for now I'd rather be asleep

Happy Birthday Andrea!!!!

HAPPY

42ND

BIRTHDAY

ANDREA!!!!!

WE ALL LOVE YOU!!!

I could't resist this picture.....

I thinkAndrea may have posted it

somewhere before...

Brings back some great memories...........

We were so cute :-)

Medical humor

This is just a little note I recevied from a good friend that I work with....it is so true!!!

Did you hear about the nurse who died and went straight to hell? It took her two weeks to realize she wasn't at work!

You know you work in the medical field if... you would like to meet the inventor of the call light some night in a dark alley.

You know the smell of different diarrhea to identify it.

You've been telling stories in a restaurant and made someone at another table "sick".

You've told a confused patient that your name was that of your coworker and to holler if they need help.

You get excited over the most painful injuries in ER because they're cool to look at.

Your bladder can expand to the size of a winnebago's water tank.

You find yourself checking out other customer's veins in grocery waiting lines.

You avoid unhealthy looking shoppers in the mall for fear that they will drop near you and you'll have to do CPR on your day off.

Your finger has gone places you never thought possible.

You have seen more penises than any prostitute.

If you are not in the medical field and have been sent this by a friend who is, it's
just to help you understand our mind set and questionable mental status/sanity. Most of the time we function in spite of this sick sense of humor, fairly normally and very responsibly. Scary, huh?????

They're here.........................

OK family...here's your chance...not that some of you would venture out this late, but my favorite band...Ekoostik Hookah will be in Lafayette next Friday March 2nd. It starts at 10:00, and will probably be over around twoish. (That looks like a word Dr Suess would've used) Anyway, this is a description better than I could ever come up with myself...so I borrowed it:

One of the most original and energetic acts around today, ekoostik hookah is the nucleus of a family drawn to its lucid, improvisational treatment of psychedelic rock ’n’ roll, blues, funk, jazz and bluegrass layered with rich harmonies. Born early in 1991 in a smoky basement bar, the band has been continually evolving, cultivating a sound that has perked the ears of contemporaries and attracted fans who travel miles to hear them play. Now, 16 years later, the band is fresh from the recording studio and preparing for the updated release of their debut album from 1996. (That is the recording session that Ryan and I got to go to in Atlanta this fall)

So, anyway...I know I'm not alone (Kelly) in counting the days 'til I get to see my boys again!!! AND...I'm going with Kelly on Saturday to see them again in Columbus Ohio!!! Woooo Hoooooooo!!!!!! It's gonna be a great weekend!!!!

New Blogger in Town

Ok family......We have a new blogger joining us. her name is Kelly...she's one of my great friends that I have met through Ekoostik Hookah.

I guarantee that you have all seen her in pictures from different shows we have been to together. Stop by to see her blog...let her know we're all out here.


http://williska.blogspot.com/

OK, I'm asking myself as I type......is this really blog-worthy?? Yes...it sure is.....

Why are we all so interested in the fall of the rock star? Maybe because we have nothing that interesting going on in our lives.

Personally, I think if she wanted to shave her head....let her....who cares. But apparently, she wasn't too happy with herself, because she was spotted in this horrid wig the very next day.

Does this mean she's crazy?? I don't know. Is it a cry for help like some people have said...or is it a young star just getting attention. You know, I've heard it more than once..."any publicity is good publicity." Is that what she's thinking, or is she thinking at all?

She reminds me of Sinead O'conner. Too bad she can't sing like Sinead............

Any thoughts????

Beads and Boobs

As many of you may know, today is Fat Tuesday, or "Marti Gras" in French. I don't know the exact origin of this day other than the fact that it is the last day before Ash Wednesday when people start Lent.

So, being a Catholic hospital, it is not at all rare to see employees with the ashes on their forehead on Ash Wednesday. However, until today, I had never known the hospital to recognize Fat Tuesday.

I'm not sure if any of the other departments did anything, but our mammography techs decided to put a little fun in their day and give beads away to every person who showed their boobs today. It was pretty funny. Some of the older patients that I didn't think would find it humerous were actually the most fun out of everyone today. One lady, probably in her 70's, walked out to her husband in the waiting room with three strands of beads around her neck, and said "Look, Honey, it's just like Marti Gras, except I only got three strands this time!" We all lost it....it was so funny to hear this older couple joking around about her boobs. I don't remember his exact response, but he seemed very proud and mentioned she might earn more beads if she was good tonight!!! OMG!!!

Split Lip Rayfield

With all the talk of snow and stuff, I totally forgot to post my latest concert photos.

Ryan and I went to see a band called Split Lip Rayfield last week. It was a very bittersweet show due to the fact that the lead singer (Kirk Rundstrom) is terminally ill. You can see it in his eyes in the photos I took of him.

This is Matt and Liz...a couple of our fellow Hookahheads.....................

Split Lip is what some may call a "speedgrass" band. Basically, they play bluegrass.....they just play it really fast. I really enjoy their music, although it's not something I listen to on a daily basis, it's great music to dance to!!

This is me and my friend Tish.....bet you would never guess that red is her favorite color, huh?
The show was at Birdy's in Indy. It's a small venue, but those are my favorite. I like it when I can look right into the singers' eyes, or even talk to the band when the show's over. It seems so much more personal that way...almost like they're playing in your garage or something :-)

Can you tell Ryan and Clint miss eachother???

Kirk was diagnosed with throat cancer in January 2006. At that time, the band wasn't touring. After hearing his prognosis of two to six months to live (he's still proving 'em wrong), the singer decided to get the band back on tour and basically tour until he's not physically able anymore. I'm afraid it's getting to that point for him. They stopped the show a little early so he could get back to the hotel to rest. He also sang most of his songs while sitting on a stool. That's not like him. The whole band is the kind of guys to jump all over the place all night long. So, it was kinda hard to see him like that. Like I said before, very bittersweet.

I am very thankful to be able to share a part of what Kirk loves the most, and that is playing music. I am also thankful that he has chosen to share his last few months on this earth traveling and sharing his talents with those who may have never even met him, but love him just the same.

Here's little miss Liz in her POO hat...how sweet!!!

Ryan, Matt, and Clint

This bass was really awesome...it's made out of a gas tank from something, and it's only got one string. it sounded surprisingly wonderful!!!!

It was also a great night because we were able to meet up with Clint and a couple other friends. Greggie and Tish (who you saw in the superbowl pics), and our friends Matt and Liz, that follow Ekoostik Hookah with us, met us down there, and we all had a blast dancing and singin all night long.

Let's hear it!!!

So, let's hear what everyone did while they were snowed in.....

Ryan and I hung out on the couch a lot. He planned ahead and rented some movies, so the TV kept us entertained for awhile. We played dice, and bowling dice (good game by the way)

We ate a lot!!! Wal-mart was out of bread when Ryan went Monday night, so I made some bread in my bread machine....I love that thing!! Then I made some cookies. Then I made a Reece's Jell-o no-bake dessert. We ate big meals both nights along with all the junkfood...... And Ryan, bless his little heart, he made home made dog biscuits.....check him out.......

Jerry's lickin' his lips for those treats his daddy made for him :-)

That's really about it. We just enjoyed two days at home. We cuddled on the couch with the puppies...the doxies don't like the snow. In fact, Delilah won't go outside without her little designer dog coat......she's not spoiled or anything!!!!

We were really lazy...except for the few time we shoveled and played in the snow with Riley (our foster dog-she LOVES the snow)

Evolution of 2007 blizzard

Did everyone survive all the snow??? I got home just in time Monday night. Here is the evolution of the blizzard in relation to my car..............





When I got home at midnight, the car and sidewalk were clear.....





The first picture was taken at 1:45 AM. We knew we woulnd't be working the next day, so we stayed up all night!!


The 2nd pic was taken at about 4:30 am......didn't look too bad yet......



This picture was taken at about 5:30 am.....the wind was blowing so hard, you couldn't even see my car!!!!

I got another car pic just before bed at 6:00 am


This one is Tuesday afternoon at about 3:00 pm....we obviously hadn't made the effort to start shoveling yet!!!



It was still blowing pretty hard at about 8:30 Tuesday night, but we did manage a path for the dogs at least. It had blown over by the time the camera came back out..........



And this is the last of the evolutionary pictures I took.............This was Wednesday night at 10:00 pm........................dang it.......I know I have to get out of that tomorrow!!!!

If you didn't notice............our trash can is almost completely buried.......that drift touches my front window!!!!

VEGAS BABY!!!

JEN'S IN VEGAS BABY!!!!!

I WONDER WHAT SHE'S DOING RIGHT NOW?!?!?

I WISH I WAS THERE!!!!

Grateful Dead-Man Smart, Woman Smarter

I found this great video on YouTube of The Grateful Dead playing Women Are Smarter. I thought Jen would appreciate it...it's one of her favorite songs, you know:-)

Thankful for Friends, Furnace, and Funds

It's colder now than it has been all year...not just outside, but in my house too!!!!

AHHHHH!!! When Ryan and I got home last night, the house was about 50 degrees. It still felt a lot better than it did outside, but man, that's cold!!!

We knew there was nothing we could do last night, so we dug out the dog's sweaters and got them all bundled up. We pulled the space heater out of the garage and turned it up full blast, got in our comfy pants from Grammy, and curled up on the couch with all four dogs under the blankets with us. It wasn't bad, really.

A little while before we went to bed, we moved the heater to our bedroom and closed the door. By the time we went to bed, our room was nice and toasty. We piled the blankets on, and let all the dogs sleep in our room. Normally we don't do that. Jerry is the only one who sleeps in our room most of the time, but it was just too cold everywhere else. They were all good puppies. They didn't wake us up or make any messes or chew anything up....actually, I was a little surprised.

By the time we got up this morning, the house was about 45 degrees. It was so hard to get out of bed. We called our friend Russ (he was in the Super Bowl pictures) because he worked in heating and cooling before he started his electrician's apprenticeship. We got lucky because he had the day off due to the weather. He was at our house within a half hour of the time we called him. That's quicker than any repairman EVER!!!

Turns out the motor died. I had been warned that the motor was on it's last leg the last time I had the furnace worked on. So I guess it was just a matter of time. Luckily, since Russ is a good friend of ours, we had no labor fees....we'll probably buy him a case of beer. The motor only cost a little over a hundred bucks, so that was a lot better than I thought it was gonna be. The great thing is....I actually have the money for a change.

It's so nice to be able to take care of those little emergencies right when they happen instead of having to wait for the next paycheck. I'm so thankful that I have been able to get back on my feet financially after all this divorce crap. Had this happened two years ago, I would have either borrowed the money and been in more debt to someone, or I would've just dealt with it and lived with space heaters for the rest of the winter. I don't have to live like that anymore, and I love it!!

So, today, I am thankful for my friends, my furnace, and my funds.........

I think everyone who knows me has an understanding of how important music is in my life. I also think that certain types of personalities are more drawn to certain types of music. You can learn a lot about someone by just knowing a little about their musical taste.

I came across this on a website called slashdot:news for nerds....I found it interesting, and I think I could've told anyone this a long time ago.....who needs the scientists to figure this out for us??

Click on the high lighted link to read the entire article....

Jeremy Dean writes "Once past saying 'hello' and 'how are you?' to someone you've just met, what is next? How do we make friends and get to know other people? Psychologists have talked about the importance of body language, physical appearance and clothing but they've not been so keen on what we actually talk about. A recent study put participants in same-sex and opposite-sex pairings and told them to get to know each other over 6 weeks (Rentfrow & Gosling, 2006). Analysing the results, they found the most popular topic of conversation was music. What is it about music that's so useful when we first meet someone and what kind of information can we extract from the music another person likes? "

COLTS WIN!!! COLTS WIN!!!!

Oh yeah Baby!!!!

COLTS WIN!!!! COLTS WIN!!!!!

Did anyone else think they were going to have a heart attack during that game?!?!? It was just insane!!! I couldn't even sit down for most of it.

After that first kick-off return, I thought we'd all be hanging our heads in shame, but boy, was I wrong!!! I think that was probably the most exciting game I've ever watched.

Ryan and I went to hang out with some friends for the game. We had a great time, and I even managed to get through the entire game without getting called in to work. They called me shortly after the game, so I think they were just being nice to me.

We had a pretty small crowd over at Greggie and Tish's house, but it was great company. Even little four month old Finnegan got excited.....every time the Colts did something good, we screamed like a bunch of banshees, and Finnegan would get real excited and scream right along with us. His ten year old sister, Darby did 29 cart wheels after the game....one for every point we scored. Watching her wore me out nearly as much as watching the game...I wish I still had that kind of energy!!!

Anyway, wasn't it awesome to see Tony Dungy holding that trophy?!?! I am so happy for him and our team. I think Tony is such a great guy and an inspiration to everyone. If only more people in the media would have the guts to say "We did it the Lord's way." I was in tears for an hour after the game watching and listening to him. We are very lucky to have him representing our state, and the city of Indianapolis.

Darby giving Uncle Boe some noogies.........He deserves it!!!

Here's the gang....minus myself. Back: Greggie, Finnegan, Tish and Boe Front: Ryan, Darby, Holly, and Russ

Russell and Holly....Aren't they sweet???

Did anyone else notice the strange erotic silhouette that Prince presented to us all during halftime? It seems like we can't get through Super Bowl without some kind of weirdness

:-)

Hugs and Smiles

WHAT CAN I SAY? I LOVE MY DOXIES!!!!!

Dark Star Orchestra ROCKS!!!!

Well, Jenny beat me to the blog, but I too was at the Dark Star show on Wednesday, and I want to share my thoughts like I always do :-)

Unfortunately, I forgot my camera, so I have zero pictures of this great night. Oh well, my memory will have to serve me until I go to the next show WITH my camera!!

Like Jen said, she, Chad, Aaron and myself all went together...kind of a little family get-together...and no better place for those of us who were there!!! We all hung out at Aaron's for a little while before the show........ Just out of curiosity....are Jen and I the only ones who have been to Aaron's? It is a total bachelor pad!!!! Cd's hanging from the ceiling with duct tape acting as targets for the boys and their pellet guns....of course, Chad got in on that for a minute before we left....Jen just turned her head towards me so she wouldn't get hit with any wild pellets in the air. And, um, I have a great idea for whoever gets Aaron's name for Christmas next year....get the boy some toilet cleaner...would ya????

Anyway, we got to the show just before it started and roamed around for a few minutes. I really liked The Music Mill. I had never been there before. The acoustics in that place were amazing...the whole show sounded great!! It's a fairly small venue compared to some I've been to, but I like that aspect of it.

I lost track of the times I got chills listening to the guy that sings Jerry Garcia's lead vocals. He sounds so similar to Jerry that you can close your eyes, and it's almost like you're in a time warp or something, and all of a sudden, Jerry is right there in front of you. They even look a lot alike. The guy who sings Bob Weir's vocals sounds very similar as well. In fact, it was kind of weird to hear Bob's voice and look up to see this other guy that looks nothing like Bob, but sounds just like him. I loved every minute of it!!!

My friend Julie was there with some of Chad and Jen's friends.....geez it's a small world...so we hung out in the same area and danced with them most of the night. I was so sore from dancing when I woke up Thursday, but it was totally worth it!!!

I was very happy to hear a couple of my favorite songs. I got to hear "Ramble on Rose" and "Uncle John's Band" which are two of few Dead songs I can play on the guitar. They also sang "Run for the Roses" which is actually a Jerry Garcia Band song. I was especially excited to hear this because I was recently given a copy of a show from 1960-something that is Jerry Garcia performing at the Oregon State Prison, and it includes that song. I've played it over and over again since I got the CD. I do that sometimes...in fact, I can't even play "Son of a Preacher Man" on my Dusty Springfield CD anymore....I think I wore it out.

So, overall, the night was fantastic!!! I got to hang out with some of the family, some of my friends, and dance the night away with my favorite music....it doesn't get much better than that!!!