Monday, January 28, 2008

Friends in Low Places...

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The ABOVE picture is from where our seats were and how close to the stage we were. Taken before the concert started.

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Garth Brooks and his wife, Trisha Yearwood, singing "In Another's Eyes"

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I had the incredible pleasure of seeing Garth Brooks in concert this weekend and it was mind blowing...

The seats all cost the same price and we got incredibly lucky and had first row seats directly to the left of the stage so we were able to see everything. At one point his wife, Trisha Yearwood, was standing directly underneath us (picture included) and turned and waved to us. The pictures attached are from my sister's point and shoot. My point and shoot does not do well in low light and I SHOULD have brought out the big gun with all the lenses because still photography was encouraged and, of course, I did not know that!

I went to Los Angeles with my sister Diane, her friends Erin and Bobbi, my nephew Steven and all three of Erin's kids (Thanks Josh for the late night Denny's meal...you DID NOT have to do that but it was really appreciated!) to the concert.

We had a wonderful Chinese meal downtown LA (even WONG TONG soup Diane!)before the concert and the whole night was amazing!

I have been sick for the last couple of weeks (feeling like I was 60,000 feet in the air with all kinds of pressure in my head) and was told by the doctor the day of the concert that my eustacion (sp?)tubes were blocked...needless to say this concerned me knowing that I was going to be sitting close to the stage at the Staples Center.

Years ago, I had the pleasure of seeing Garth Brooks at the Naval Base here in San Diego and I remember standing next to a gi-normous speaker watching it vibrate and I remember that it was so loud I could barely hear for days afterward.

When we walked out of his concert this last friday, the girls I was with were saying that the concert was like a religious experience...and then I realized that it actually was for me...you see...my ears (for the first time in over two weeks) were clear and I could hear again. I was healed!!!

Now...I can only surmise that maybe me singing at the top of my lungs for two hours straight (thank you Bobbi for NOT saying anything about how horrid my singing truly is!) might have helped to get rid of the blockage in my ears...but I would rather believe that Garth Brooks is capable of some incredible things...

Garth Brooks came out of semi-retirement and put on 5 concerts in two days and sang at least 2 hours at each concert-and he did it all for charity. Staples Center donated the venue. He was helping the southern CA fire victims fund and also donating the money to help firefighting efforts for the future. He was hoping that at least 10 million was raised.

Can you imagine how powerful that is??? That he can stay out of the limelight for almost ten years...and then sell out five complete shows (over 100,000 people) and give all the money for a good cause-just think if he did this all over the country...maybe a concert or ten in New York for the homeless-

I can not say enough about his generosity to the people of southern CA.

And to boot (no pun intended)...it was...hands down the BEST concert I have ever been to. EVERY person in the place knew the words to all of his songs and it was a great big sing along. His wife, Trisha Yearwood came on stage and sang two songs with him and you could tell the tremendous connection between the two of them...

If you EVER have the chance to see Garth in concert...go for it...he is such a refreshing change from the artists of today-and remember to get an extra ticket just for me because I would go again and again!!!

Youtube video of his most popular song ever!!!



This is the last 6-7 minutes of the concert and what he says at the end is so cool and you can hear his voice crack! (I am posting this mostly for my memories but please enjoy it!!) I did not take these but borrowed them from youtube!


Enjoy!

Friday, January 18, 2008

What we did over Christmas break

This is a little late posting but I was playing with my blog trying to get larger images so I thought I would share these with you. One of Cassi's presents was orchestra level tickets to the musical "High School Musical" and so her and I went to dinner at Horton Plaza, got Starbucks and walked over to the Civic Center to see the musical. It was a great show and I totally recommend it if you have a girl 2-20 years old! This is the stage that I WAS NOT ALLOWED to take pictures of.
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Of Course...I tried to take one or two pictures without a flash and hidden from all the ushers and this next picture is the only one that turned out...it is the curtain going down after the encore. I think it turned out great!

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On our way to the show we stopped at the Sweet Factory at Horton Plaza and picked up some candy for the show and I snapped a few more pictures of all the colors...I love the M&M's!!!

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Here's Cassi rocking her peace sign, High School Musical tshirt and Starbucks!

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The next day we drove with our friends Christi and Alyssa to Los Angeles to go to The American Girl store. Cassi received her doll Nikki for Christmas and needed to buy her all of the essentials (jacket, dress, shoes, hairbrush, etc). There was a photo studio at the store and they took pictures of the girls and put them on the cover of the magazine. While Cassi and I were waiting in the waiting room...we took this picture of her...and of course...it was WAY better than the one they took...but then...she never takes a bad picture!!!

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Does this picture remind you of the Prospector in Toy Story??? Me too!!! It's like they are waiting to be bought and loved!!!

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The next three pictures were taken at the tea we went to at the store. The food was cute and theme related.

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Nikki enjoying her tea...

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And this is how cute the room was. I would love a ceiling light fixture like this one!!! It is so fun!

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The store sells "Itty Bitty Twins" and this set totally reminded me of my twin sister Diane and I. We totally looked like this, our Mom did our hair this way, and we looked nothing like twins!

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The mall was still decorated for Christmas and amazing!

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I thought this bra was totally cool with the cat eyes and got this one picture before I got informed I could not take pictures in Victoria Secret!

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This tree is larger than the tree at Rockefeller Plaza.

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Cassiandme and my new "grandchild" Nikki

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Cassi and her friend Alysa and their dolls...Nikki and Molly.

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So there's some of what we did on our Christmas break. I have been sick with a sore throat and now a crazy head cold that makes me feel like I am 60,000 feet in the air with enormous pressure in my head and I am dreadfully tired all the time so I apologize for not posting more often!

and...

GO CHARGERS!!!!!

Enjoy!!

Lean like a "Charger" Go Bolts!!!

Because you just can not go anywhere in San Diego without the blue and gold representing right now and in honor of the mayor declaring today San Diego Chargers day...my niece Amanda sent this to me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx03Fj22Iq8

Enjoy!!!

Sunday, January 13, 2008

Go Chargers!!!!

Was that not a great game?????

On to New England...

Tuesday, January 08, 2008

teddy bears and moustaches...


I was looking back at old images of Cassi wondering if I had the retouching knowledge "back then" that I do now...would there be images I would have retouched and cropped differently.

So I came across this adorable shot of her from preschool (2003-When I had just bought my first digital camera) and didn't know a thing about photoshop. As much as this is a memory of the day she got to take her bear to school for the "teddy bear parade". The first thing I would do now had I taken this picture today is to bring this image into photoshop and retouch any imperfections....
had I done this....

I would have erased away something that reminds me far more about her childhood than the parade...

her chocolate milk moustache!


She LOVED her chocolate milk and her face was always a mess when she drank it...
so...

even though I thank god on a daily basis for photoshop and the double chins it can remove off my face...

I think I will think twice before using some of the tools I learned in photoshop and leave those imperfections to remind me of the reality of her childhood-not some fixed gaussian blurred representation of it...


God I love that face!!!!!
Enjoy!

after midnight...

Sooo...it's after midnight again and I can't think of anything better to be doing than going through random folders of pictures playing with images. This was taken in June right after I received a new lens. These poor pathetic guinea pigs are the best live subjects ever for me!!!

This is taken right outside my front door on the ground. Cassi came outside while I was taking these and wanted to know why her mother would embarrass her by laying on the cold concrete taking pictures of her pets...I explained to her that her lack of enthusiasm to have her picture taken causes her Mom to do weird things...

Does this picture TOTALLY belong on the cover of one of those calendars you find at the 99 cent store and you wonder what freak spent the time and energy to photograph 12 different guinea pigs???

yup...it does me too!!!!

(ok Geri...your turn to post on your blog!!!!)

Enjoy!!