Thursday, March 18, 2010

I Just Wanna Live While I'm Alive

Last night, Tom, Scottie too hottie, Fay and I trucked out the Palace to see Bon Jovi in concert. Now, I love Bon Jovi. I have seen them at least 5 times in Saratoga at SPAC even flying home in the summer of 2005 especially to see them with 9 of my closest family and friends. They just rock! I never get tired of screaming along to "Born To Be My Baby" and "Livin' on a Prayer." I do the head banging, fist pumping, dancing whenever I hear Bon Jovi.

After our 1 1/2 hour trip to get 50 miles in rush hour traffic on St. Patrick's Day, we headed in to grab some food, played a quick game of Comcast trivia and listened to the opening act Dashboard Confessional which wasn't half bad. We however, did not, buy souvenirs. T-shirts were $45 - are you kidding me? That's more than what we payed for fairly good seats. I am not paying $45 for a t-shirt unless it is Juicy Couture or Ed Hardy. FFS!

The people watching was almost better than Greenwish Village. We had a man dressed head to toe like Wyatt Earp. He obviously liked Bon Jovi's Young Guns phase. We saw women with tie dyed jeans (1982 called - come home in the Hot Tub Time Machine), shredded one shoulder shirts (hello, I did not think we were here to watch Flashdance), mullets, feathered bangs and lots of middle-aged women in 1987 concert t-shirts trying to relive their youth. It was awesome!

Once the concert started, it was a non-stop frenzy of 2 1/2 hours, 24 songs from the years! The piece de resistance came during the encore when Kid Rock came out to sing Wanted Dead or Alive with Bon Jovi!

I've been everywhere
(Ohh, yea)
Still I'm standin' tall
I've seen a million faces
And I've rocked them all
'Cause I'm a cowboy
On a steel horse I ride
I'm wanted(Wanted)
Dead or alive

I sprang to life as Tom said, this is the most awake you have been all night. Screaming ensued, more fist pumping and head banging and when the song was finally over, I sunk into my chair spent.

It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I'm alive!

What a fun night!

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

What the F?

I am back on my favorite rant, the lack of customer service in our society. Here are 3 new examples of just how truly stupid people are:

My Mom and I were in Bath and Body Works the day after Christmas and I was shopping for these fluffy, awesome lounge socks. When we got to the store, the signs said 75% percent off. I veered to bins leaving browsers in my wake. I grabbed my 3 pairs of socks and rushed to the registers. When they ring up, they were only 50% off. When I inquire, the cashier says the signs are wrong. I calmly say (ask my Mom, I was truly nice to start out) "well I think we should get the 75% off price since that is what they are advertised at." She said, "Ma'am, no need to cop an attitude." That is when I lost it! First of all, do not call me Ma'am. I am not 80! You want to see attitude b*tch, well you are going to get the mother of attitudes now you little twit. I wanted to snap my fingers in a "Z" formation and say you haven't seen anything yet, but I controlled myself.

After I got the 75% off and all the surrounding shoppers did as well ( I staged a coup), I spoke with the manager and let her know that her cashier needed some customer service training.

A couple of weeks ago, Tom, Tracey and I were at Red Lobster for dinner. I got the pick 2 - lobster alfredo and salmon. The salmon was horrible - so fishy, I could not even eat it. As the waitress took my plate away, she inquired about why I did not eat the salmon. I told her it was awful, fishy and unpalatable. She said "Salmon is fishy. Have you ever had salmon before?" I looked at her dumbstruck. Is she for real? Yes, I have had salmon you dumb ass! I have had salmon at some of the best West Coast restaurants in the country and I know how great salmon should taste. I am not your typical middle/lower class customer, you tool! Now, take this plate away before I throw this salmon at you!

Next up, the recent Delta Debacle. They cancelled my flight for no reason (they could not tell me why) and wanted to get me home 3 hours after my birthday party started. They would not pay another airline to get me home, they would not connect me through different cities, they were unhelpful for 45 minutes. Finally after a bunch of F word expletives and the phrase "your airline is a piece of shit" I called AMEX after hours who lo and behold was able to get me home only 4 hours after I was supposed to get home. The results of my nasty gram to Delta are not it, but I am going to make them pay!

I always say that I think 95% of the population is stupid, which makes it hard for us 5% that actually have a clue. What ever happened to the customer is always right? I guarantee you I am the wrong customer to mess with!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

It's Time to Go Old School

During the Oscars the other night, they did a tribute to John Hughes who recently died. It got me thinking about some of my favorite old school movies. They showed clips from The Breakfast Club which was a favorite movie of mine when I was in high school. I loved Judd Nelson. The bad boy who fell in love with the middle class good girl. I so wanted to be Molly Ringwald!

Then they talked about 16 Candles. Another Molly Ringwald movie. I did not have a crazy foreign exchange student like the Donger. I had cool foreign friends like Axel and Mauricio. No one forgot my 16th birthday. If they had, they would not have lived to see the next day. I had the huge party with over 70 people, the multi-layer cake with a staircase, a DJ and all the rest of the works. I was even styling with my very fashionable blue, white and orange parachute pants. I was even a fashionista back then!

As I was flipping through the channels today, I came across the movie Reality Bites. We were obsessed with this movie in college. Molly and I watched this movie time and time again. We thought their slacker college lives were cool because ours were crazed. As we shuttled from class to practice to play practice to our RA duties, there was never a dull moment. One of our first weeks as RAs, we were on rounds together when we heard noises coming from the scary Butler basement. We screamed, ran back to our rooms and got the billy club that Molly's Mom had given her for protection. The adventures continued as we dealt with unruly residents and their male visitors, a guy living in the attic, a streaker running around campus and residents who were hiding their microwaves during room checks while leaving their bongs lying about.

Movies bring back memories like looking at a photo album. You never know what phrase will spark a story!

Monday, March 8, 2010

False Advertising

Friday night, Tom and I went to see the movie Brooklyn's Finest. We went in part because it takes place in NY and I love movies that take place in NY. We went to see it partly because it looks ghetto and I am on a ghetto kick and have been since 2002 when we started hanging out in LBC (Long Beach Central) and avoiding CPT (Comptom). We also went because the trailer plays Rihanna's song "Run This Town Tonight" which is my favorite song of the moment.

After the movie, I felt cheated. It was ghetto, but it was Training Day Part 2. Why didn't they just name it that? I mean Ethan Hawke was in both of these movies. You saw none of NY beyond a 15 block section of the projects and Rihanna's song was not even played in the movie. Not even in the credits! What false advertising!

That got me thinking about false advertising and how people/companies will say and do shady things to trick you. Like Target this weekend. I asked where the shorts section was and pointed to 1 rack. Since when is one rack a section? Good grief! That is barely more shorts than what my closet holds!

Don't even get me started on Delta. When the Northwest - Delta merger was announced, they vowed that our Platinum benefits would not change. I have to tell you, that is a crock! My complaint rate is even higher now than before, if that is even possible. I must be topping 95% at this point! They have a private line dedicated to dealing with me instead of a private line because I am a frequent flier! I have yet to give out one of my 'Service Award' coupons they gave me to recognize outstanding service.

Maybe it is my no bullshit attitude, but tell it like it is. I can take it. If you told me I was off to Training Day 2, I probably still would have went but I would have had different expectations. The same with the shorts and with Delta. The truth always comes out - don't try pulling the wool over my eyes!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Where to Next?

The other night, I was cleaning out my file cabinet. I know, how much fun can one person have?But I came across my Travel folder, where I have clippings of places that I want to visit. I've had some great experiences and have been all over the world but my list of places to go is still long. First up, the Greek Isles. I want to eating flaming cheese in Santorini and ride a Vespa all over the island.

I want to go to Italy. I want to pretend I am a fashionista in Milan, chat with the Pope when I am in Rome, ride down the real canals in Venice (I have been to the one in the Ventian in Las Vegas, but I imagine it is a little different) and I want to explore Florence. I want to go to the walled city where Bella saves Edward to the 2nd Twilight book and I want to drink wine and eat bread in Tuscany.

Germany is on the list. I love German Park in Ann Arbor and I really want to go to a real Oktoberfest eating bratwurst's in a beer hall. I want to see Auschwitz and Berlin to understand world history.

I want to eat tapas through Spain. Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, a few cities where I can see Gaudi's work and practice my bad Spanish.

I want to go on Safari in Africa. I want to sleep in a luxurious tent lodge where the animals roam free. I envision it being a little like Survivor, yet a lot cleaner.

Other places - Rio - I need to sing at the top of my lungs the song Copacabana on Copacabana Beach. I want to drive from San Francisco to Monterrey to Carmel to Big Sur in a convertible, big sunglasses and a flowing scarf. I want to spend some time in Champagne and Burgundy France staying at quaint Bed and Breakfast's. I want to Montreal (again) and Quebec City - I mean, Canada is our neighbor, I should stop and say hi!

I love vacations. I love the planning, the scouring over the guide books and planning our sightseeing schedule to be in the right neighborhoods at the right times with minimal back tracking. I like to take private tours where someone drives me around to what I want to see. I do not like bus tours, but I like segway, bike and walking tours. I like to find unique things to do (parasailing, biking down a volcano, riding in a submarines, taking a rickshaw through Old Delhi). I don't like to dilly dally, when I am sightseeing, I mean business! I love tall buildings and observation towers - if the city has one, I am there!

I want to be Rachael Ray or Samantha Brown and get paid to travel to interesting places!

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

I'm Bored

My mother always used to yell at me when I said "I'm Bored" as a child. Well I turn 36 next week and I can tell you that I still suffer from boredom. It is an incurable disease that has flared up violently this week. My niece, KellieLynn was suffering from it this weekend and I could relate. It sucks. It makes you feel crappy and I want it to go away. Why am I bored? Because I am doing the same thing day in and day out - get up, work, some sort of event in the evening and then bed. Where is the adventure? Where is the drama? Where is the new experience?

Over the years, my boredom has fed my obsessions. It made me join the Jaycees 12 years ago and keeps me traveling all over the world. It made me spend hours making cakes for my co-workers as I frosted my way through 4 cake decorating classes. It made me read the entire 12 books in the Gossip Girl series in 1 month as I waited for winter to end. I started this blog cause I was bored last August. It makes me do "crazy" things in my quest to escape boredom.

So what am I going to do this time to cure my boredom? I have no freakin' clue. Maybe I should try to do 2 new things per week. Watch out Tom, this could get interesting.

Not sure what it will be but I think I the following could help:

1) Sunshine - I am sick of the Michigan gloom. How can we have day after day of no sunshine? Who dropped a massive cloud of the state?

2) Flipflops - they just make everything better. Maybe I can crank up the heat and run around the house in them.

3) A Mental Health Day to figure our my next conquest.

Now to just figure out when I have time!

Monday, March 1, 2010

It's The Start of My Birthday Season!

One day for your birthday is not enough. How are you supposed to pack a ton of fun into 1 day while you are still expected to work? I mean I have too many friends, it is not possible. Anyone who says it is, is either delusional or has no friends. Looking back over the my birthdays the good ones involve family, friends and multiple parties per birthday season. Yes, it is a birthday season, similar to a debutante season for rich teenagers. So what are some elements of a great birthday season you ask? Well, I will be happy to tell you (in no particular order):

1) Crab Legs from Real Seafood - a must to recognize that your birthday is occurring. They are the best meal at the restaurant and are free on your birthday (just don't forget your license!)

2) Multiple parties - there is the big one with the whole fruit loop troop, the one with close friends, the one with friends who don't hang in the fruit loop troop and then one with your significant other. All are critical to a successful and blissful birthday season!

3) Acknowledgement on your birthday at work - who wants to sit there 9 hours of your precious 24 hours of birthday and have no one know. The decorated cube, the coffee celebration and a lunch date are all essential for a happy day!

4) Multiple phone calls, e-mails and Facebook messages with well greetings - everyone feels special when people contact them to say hey, we are glad you exist!

5) Cake - No day is complete without cake, need I say more?

6) Presents - Not to be greedy, but it is all cool to unwrap pretty packages and try to guess what is in them. Bad presents beware - you will be dealt with summarily!

7) Fun - Who wants a crappy birthday? I don't and everyone will hear about if I do!

Only 9 days till my birthday, yeah birthdays!