As a small drip of water pooled and finally fell from my nose, and my body was screaming for warmth, i silently prayed that this discomfort would all be worth it. It had rained for almost an hour at this point. We had no shelter, no blanket, no warmth. Little did i know that the rain would continue to fall for at least another two hours, breaking only for the last few songs of the set. And in the end? More than worth it. So, so much more!
In my opinion, the Kings of Leon are one of the most underrated, overrated bands out there. And I'll admit, i fell into the pop music snare of lies. I originally heard of these Nash-vegas based boys while perusing bands on purevolume.com. I enjoyed the few songs they had posted, one of which was 'Use Somebody,' and came back to their site a few times but they never became a regular play on my computer. Then i started hearing 'Use Somebody' on the radio. 'Sweet,' I thought, 'One of those no-name bands i happened upon has made it big. Good for them.' And then the song began to haunt me. It was EVERYWHERE. KOL became the overplayed, overrated boys that fell off my radar.
Then I stumbled upon their complete album, 'Only by the Night,' and their old albums. Pandora's box was opened. Thier raw, dangerous, southern, soulful rock snared me and i've been hooked ever since.
And last night, the long awaited live KOL concert experience became real for me. I will always stand by the statement that music is better live. Or at least your know the real musicians/performers when you see them live. And KOL delivered. Clouds of red smoke advanced on the lower crowd as operatic music announced the start of the show. The boys came on stage and there was no mistaking the distorted bass in the opening strains of 'Crawl.' My heart raced and my face may have melted as they played my absolute favorite song. Great start guys, you know the way to my heart :) They followed with 'Slow Night, So Long' and 'Taper Jean Girl.' Evidently they'd gotten all of my stalker mail requests for songs! Just kidding...sort of.
What's that? You've never heard of these songs? Because, you too, were turned off to KOL after them being overplayed and the only songs you know are 'Use Somebody' and 'Sex on Fire'? AH...dear friend. let me guide you on a musical journey. That for KOL includes so much more than just those few songs!!!
They played songs from all over their library. 'The Bucket,' 'Four Kicks,' 'Knocked Up,' 'Revelry,' and 'Molly's Chambers' were just some of these gems. Some bands stick only to their popular songs or their new album songs, but not so for KOL. They rocked. and i do mean ROCKED. If i hadn't been freezing, tired, shivering, sopping wet, I would have been dancing my face off.
So, if you are of the opinion that these boys are way overrated and overplayed, check out their other music and then let me know what you think. the beauty of music and opinion is that everyone has their own. what moves them. what makes them.
If you need more recommendations on great KOL tunes let me know.
always,
the future mrs. jared followill
6.26.2010
a little less talk and a lot more action
why am i nervous?
scared of the new
my confidence
out the door
forced awkwardness
cringe...
stop talking
just do
here goes nothing..
scared of the new
my confidence
out the door
forced awkwardness
cringe...
stop talking
just do
here goes nothing..
6.11.2010
i'm not drowning...
Sara Barellis is my girl. I saw her in concert before her hit 'love song' came out and i knew it was meant to be. we would be friends....i'm sure of it ;) This song, like so many others, has cut deep for me. Not for any man in particular at the moment. But too often in my life i've let myself feel like i'm drowning. In reality i just needed to learn that i am strong and able. i am woman, hear me roar ;) And the past 7 months have taught me that. and so much more. though i'm in a bluesy, dark music phase, a little pop crept in for the moment. ejoy.
King of Anything
Sara Bareilles
Keep drinking coffee,
Stare me down across the table
While I look outside
So many things I'd say if only I were able
But I just keep quiet and count the cars that pass by
You've got opinions man
We're all entitled to 'em
But I never asked
So let me thank you for your time
And try not to waste any more of mine
Get out of here fast.
I hate to break it to you babe
But I'm not drowning
There's no one here to save
Who cares if you disagree
You are not me
Who made you king of anything
So you dare tell me who to be
Who died and made you king of anything
You sound so innocent
All full of good intent
Swear you know best
But you expect me to
Jump up on board with you
And ride off into your delusional sunset
I'm not the one who's lost
With no direction, oh
But you'll never see
You're so busy making maps
With my name on them in all caps
You got the talking down
Just not the listening.
Who cares if you disagree
You are not me
Who made you king of anything
So you dare tell me who to be
Who died and made you king of anything
All my life I've tried
To make everybody happy while I
Just hurt and hide
Waiting for someone to tell me it's my turn to decide
Who cares if you disagree
You are not me
Who made you king of anything
So you dare tell me who to be
Who died and made you king of anything
Lemme hold your crown, babe...
Love it. Oh, did i tell you i'm getting into soccer? there's good reason...trust me ;)
always,
amanda
6.04.2010
a little X confusion.
do you ever doubt your decisions? look back at life and regret mistakes you've made? wonder just how different your life would be if that situation had changed? no? never? okay...me neither... lets talk hypothetically then.
okay. here we go. i had a dream a few nights ago. about an X. One where we were laying on a recliner (??) and just talking. and suddenly i blurted out how sorry i was for hurting him, and that i've always loved him, and that i still care for him. [whoa] and he looked at me, smiled, and said it was all okay, he forgave me, and then he kissed me. [double whoa] So then we got out of the recliner and went tell our families, who weren't necessarily pleased, but they expressed that they were happy that we were happy. And then it gets fuzzy and i wake up.
i lay there dazed for a while. part of my mind thinking it was somewhat real. what just happened? what prompted that?? i can honestly say i hadn't thought much about this X as of late, so to have him appear in my dream, to such a great degree was incredibly strange. And though i do still care for him, and hope nothing but the best for him, i know that those are not the words i would say to him if given the chance. To make things even stranger, when i logged on to facebook, the first thing on my newsfeed was a friends photo album. so of course i checked out the photos. and suddenly, there he was, smiling with this friend. (whom he didn't exaclty get along with while we dated...even more strange) needless to say my head was spinning. and for a few moments i let my mind run. is there a reason why these thoughts have com flooding back? how might my life be different if i would/wouldn't have made certain decisions? did i let the greatest thing that ever happened to me pass me by?
and then my rational mind kicked in...we all know mine runs a little slower. there were reasons for our breakup. there have been years between us that have made us vastly different people. i learned so very much about myself from that relationship/breakup that i would never wish to unlearn. I AM ME because of what happened in that situation. though it was a strange day in my brain, it made me realize again that without the trials and tribulations in my life, i would not be the person i am today. and i love me :) i have faults, i am strange, i am different. but i am a good person. and i have good people!!
i also have a new adventure that i started tonight. i'll keep you posted with details, but this could get interesting...
always,
amanda
okay. here we go. i had a dream a few nights ago. about an X. One where we were laying on a recliner (??) and just talking. and suddenly i blurted out how sorry i was for hurting him, and that i've always loved him, and that i still care for him. [whoa] and he looked at me, smiled, and said it was all okay, he forgave me, and then he kissed me. [double whoa] So then we got out of the recliner and went tell our families, who weren't necessarily pleased, but they expressed that they were happy that we were happy. And then it gets fuzzy and i wake up.
i lay there dazed for a while. part of my mind thinking it was somewhat real. what just happened? what prompted that?? i can honestly say i hadn't thought much about this X as of late, so to have him appear in my dream, to such a great degree was incredibly strange. And though i do still care for him, and hope nothing but the best for him, i know that those are not the words i would say to him if given the chance. To make things even stranger, when i logged on to facebook, the first thing on my newsfeed was a friends photo album. so of course i checked out the photos. and suddenly, there he was, smiling with this friend. (whom he didn't exaclty get along with while we dated...even more strange) needless to say my head was spinning. and for a few moments i let my mind run. is there a reason why these thoughts have com flooding back? how might my life be different if i would/wouldn't have made certain decisions? did i let the greatest thing that ever happened to me pass me by?
and then my rational mind kicked in...we all know mine runs a little slower. there were reasons for our breakup. there have been years between us that have made us vastly different people. i learned so very much about myself from that relationship/breakup that i would never wish to unlearn. I AM ME because of what happened in that situation. though it was a strange day in my brain, it made me realize again that without the trials and tribulations in my life, i would not be the person i am today. and i love me :) i have faults, i am strange, i am different. but i am a good person. and i have good people!!
i also have a new adventure that i started tonight. i'll keep you posted with details, but this could get interesting...
always,
amanda
5.06.2010
and so it goes...
do you ever have one of those days? when the sky is dark, the world around you is cold, nothing seems to go right, and you take it out on your blog? yep, that was me. after so many months of things going so right in my life i had a day. and, being myself, i reacted. okay...overreacted, to the situation. i didn't think it through and take in the possibilities. after about an hour of frustration i had let it go. and today. it's even more gone. i think we all have a right to those moments, hours, days. but as long as we don't dwell, and that we realize how minute our problems seem in the big picture, i think that's okay. i know that's okay. it's being human. it's having emotions.
there is so much good in my life that it even pains me now to read my last post. here's what i'm looking forward to in the next few months:
- E's (little bro) graduation from HIGH SCHOOL
- maybe running bolderBOULDER...if the ankle cooperates
- party at the moontower! our neighborhood's dazed and confused theme party
- a busy, fun summer of work
- plenty of Rockies games, especially when the CUBS come in late july :)
- Fort Collins BrewFest!!!
- Kings of Leon in july...sooooo pumped
- The Avett Brothers at RED ROCKS...even more pumped!
- spending summer in colorado...hiking, biking, everything active :)
- New Belgium Days :)
just thinking about the fun makes me smile!
I also finished the 5 seasons of LOST on DVD. I think i'll wait to post my full feelings on that when the series finale is over. I also just sped through the first season of glee. as cheesey as it can be, i love it :) it makes me want to sing on a regular basis again. haven't done that since junior year of college! it's been too long. except, of course, if you count singing in the shower or in my car.
so that's it. life is good. i am loved. and i love :) and really isn't that what it's all about??
love.love.love
always,
amanda
Listen to: 'Our Lives' Rob Blackledge
www.myspace.com/robblackledge
there is so much good in my life that it even pains me now to read my last post. here's what i'm looking forward to in the next few months:
- E's (little bro) graduation from HIGH SCHOOL
- maybe running bolderBOULDER...if the ankle cooperates
- party at the moontower! our neighborhood's dazed and confused theme party
- a busy, fun summer of work
- plenty of Rockies games, especially when the CUBS come in late july :)
- Fort Collins BrewFest!!!
- Kings of Leon in july...sooooo pumped
- The Avett Brothers at RED ROCKS...even more pumped!
- spending summer in colorado...hiking, biking, everything active :)
- New Belgium Days :)
just thinking about the fun makes me smile!
I also finished the 5 seasons of LOST on DVD. I think i'll wait to post my full feelings on that when the series finale is over. I also just sped through the first season of glee. as cheesey as it can be, i love it :) it makes me want to sing on a regular basis again. haven't done that since junior year of college! it's been too long. except, of course, if you count singing in the shower or in my car.
so that's it. life is good. i am loved. and i love :) and really isn't that what it's all about??
love.love.love
always,
amanda
Listen to: 'Our Lives' Rob Blackledge
www.myspace.com/robblackledge
4.28.2010
i hope you prove me wrong...
i came to colorado thinking it would make my life okay. that everything would just fall into place perfectly and i would be surrounded in happiness. and for the first few months, i was right. everything was falling just how i'd wanted it. nothing out of place.
and then suddenly. thread by thread, it unravels. reality is setting in. life cannot always be perfect.
and i want to scream a little.
why can't it go right?
it all seemed so clandestined.
so perfect.
i had started painting a picture,
with more optimism than in the past.
and i want to keep the image,
without it fading to grey.
but frustration,
and disbelief crowd my thoughts.
a test it may be.
of my patience.
of my optimistic endurance.
today i will allow myself to wallow.
but tomorrow,
tomorrow i start new.
this isn't the end of the road.
only a few speed bumps along the way.
i cherish my people :) who have reassured me of my unique place in this world. who have stood beside me and made my life so worth living. who have loved me in the hardest of times. i am blessed in so many ways. life will not always be perfect. things will not always go my way. but it is these set backs and disappointments that are growing me. i'm learning, daily, what it means to be me. on my own. and when i really think about it. i love, love, love that. disappointments aside i am one lucky girl. and now, after that rant, i can't help but smile.
thank you for listening. i feel much better....
always,
amanda
and then suddenly. thread by thread, it unravels. reality is setting in. life cannot always be perfect.
and i want to scream a little.
why can't it go right?
it all seemed so clandestined.
so perfect.
i had started painting a picture,
with more optimism than in the past.
and i want to keep the image,
without it fading to grey.
but frustration,
and disbelief crowd my thoughts.
a test it may be.
of my patience.
of my optimistic endurance.
today i will allow myself to wallow.
but tomorrow,
tomorrow i start new.
this isn't the end of the road.
only a few speed bumps along the way.
i cherish my people :) who have reassured me of my unique place in this world. who have stood beside me and made my life so worth living. who have loved me in the hardest of times. i am blessed in so many ways. life will not always be perfect. things will not always go my way. but it is these set backs and disappointments that are growing me. i'm learning, daily, what it means to be me. on my own. and when i really think about it. i love, love, love that. disappointments aside i am one lucky girl. and now, after that rant, i can't help but smile.
thank you for listening. i feel much better....
always,
amanda
4.10.2010
what do you love?
I ♥ my Chacos
I ♥ chocolate milk.
I ♥ my sisters and brother.
I ♥ 'my boys' dave, matt, rob, andy, raphael and jon.
I ♥ my god-dog, penny lane. and her sister layle mae.
I ♥ tv shows on dvd.
I ♥ big comfy beds.
I ♥ cheese of all kinds.
I ♥ the mountains!
I ♥ hiking said mountains :)
I ♥ to read.
I ♥ driving with the windows down and the music up.
I ♥ being barefoot.
I ♥ john krasinski.
I ♥ kickball!
I ♥ singing in the shower.
I ♥ live music. preferrably outdoors!
I ♥ doing laundry.
I ♥ the sun.
I ♥ wearing skirts and high heels. but t-shirts and jeans just the same :)
I ♥ a good beer.
there you go. i few things i LOVE :)
always,
amanda
I ♥ chocolate milk.
I ♥ my sisters and brother.
I ♥ 'my boys' dave, matt, rob, andy, raphael and jon.
I ♥ my god-dog, penny lane. and her sister layle mae.
I ♥ tv shows on dvd.
I ♥ big comfy beds.
I ♥ cheese of all kinds.
I ♥ the mountains!
I ♥ hiking said mountains :)
I ♥ to read.
I ♥ driving with the windows down and the music up.
I ♥ being barefoot.
I ♥ john krasinski.
I ♥ kickball!
I ♥ singing in the shower.
I ♥ live music. preferrably outdoors!
I ♥ doing laundry.
I ♥ the sun.
I ♥ wearing skirts and high heels. but t-shirts and jeans just the same :)
I ♥ a good beer.
there you go. i few things i LOVE :)
always,
amanda
4.01.2010
taking the time to fly
I remember hearing this song for the first time my senior year of high school. I was on a church trip to chicago with my senior class and i immediately connected with the song. I literally played it over and over for the next year or so until it became a song i knew by heart. I've lost touch with the song for quite a few years now, but tonight, while i was in the shower, it came on the radio. And my heart started to beat faster, the tune started humming in my throat and soon i was belting every single word like i was back in high school. It was freeing, it was fun, it was being 17 again. This truly is my song. I know that i was always 'born to fly.' I've never been able to sit still for very long. I don't like to be patient and wait things out. I like action. I like adventure.
I spread my wings a few short months ago and they took me to Colorado. Where will my wings take me next? Who knows, but i'm ready to fly :) Really though, how do you keep you feet on the ground, when you were born to fly???
Born to Fly Sara Evans
I've been telling my dreams to the scarecrow
About the places that I'd like to see
I say, 'friend do you think I'll ever get there?'
Oh, but he just stands there smilin' back at me
So I confessed my sins to the preacher
About the love I've been prayin' to find
Is there a brown-eyed boy in my future, yeah
And he says, 'girl, you've got nothin' but time.'
But how do you wait for heaven?
And who has that much time?
And how do you keep your feet on the ground
When you know that you were born,
You were born to fly
My daddy he is grounded like the oak tree
My momma she is steady as the sun
Oh, you know I love my folks
But I keep starin' down the road
Just lookin' for my one chance to run
Hey, cause I will soar away like a blackbird
I will blow in the wind like a seed
I will plant my heart in the garden of my dreams
And I will grow up where I wander wild and free
Oh, How do you wait for heaven?
And who has that much time?
And how do you keep your feet on the ground
When you know, that you were born?
You were born, yeah, you were born to fly
Here's to soaring :)
always,
amanda
I spread my wings a few short months ago and they took me to Colorado. Where will my wings take me next? Who knows, but i'm ready to fly :) Really though, how do you keep you feet on the ground, when you were born to fly???
Born to Fly Sara Evans
I've been telling my dreams to the scarecrow
About the places that I'd like to see
I say, 'friend do you think I'll ever get there?'
Oh, but he just stands there smilin' back at me
So I confessed my sins to the preacher
About the love I've been prayin' to find
Is there a brown-eyed boy in my future, yeah
And he says, 'girl, you've got nothin' but time.'
But how do you wait for heaven?
And who has that much time?
And how do you keep your feet on the ground
When you know that you were born,
You were born to fly
My daddy he is grounded like the oak tree
My momma she is steady as the sun
Oh, you know I love my folks
But I keep starin' down the road
Just lookin' for my one chance to run
Hey, cause I will soar away like a blackbird
I will blow in the wind like a seed
I will plant my heart in the garden of my dreams
And I will grow up where I wander wild and free
Oh, How do you wait for heaven?
And who has that much time?
And how do you keep your feet on the ground
When you know, that you were born?
You were born, yeah, you were born to fly
Here's to soaring :)
always,
amanda
3.28.2010
just the beginning
another new journey? snowboarding :) i went for my second run this weekend. I had my moments of frustration, thats for sure. But what outweighed them by far, were the moments of bliss... Finally feeling like i could handle toeside, going down a whole run without falling, breathing in that beautiful mountain air, thought provoking conversation, spending a great weekend with great people :) As it is almost the end of the season, it is highly unlikely i'll get a chance to go out again this year, but i'm confident that next season will be mine. i'll be an entirely different boarder by this time next year! FIRE UP!
life is good. life is a blessing. life is a journey to behold.
always,
amanda
life is good. life is a blessing. life is a journey to behold.
always,
amanda
3.24.2010
getting lost, gladly
So I've started an interesting journey. In anticipation of the series finale in 7 weeks, I've begun the daunting task of watching each of the Lost seasons previous. So far, in a week, I've made it to episode three of season two. It helped that i spent most of Sunday watching! Though i did take a break to hike into the reservior :)
I had seen sporatic episodes and most of the first season previously so i've essentially 'caught up with' what i had known before. Now i'm onto a new adventure :) I'll keep you posted, or at least report at the end what my thoughts on the series are. So far, I like it!
I'm also making my second attempt at snowboarding this weekend. I'm a little nervous but overall excited! I'll let you know how that goes ;)
all we are, we are. and every day is the start of something beautiful!
always,
amanda
I had seen sporatic episodes and most of the first season previously so i've essentially 'caught up with' what i had known before. Now i'm onto a new adventure :) I'll keep you posted, or at least report at the end what my thoughts on the series are. So far, I like it!
I'm also making my second attempt at snowboarding this weekend. I'm a little nervous but overall excited! I'll let you know how that goes ;)
all we are, we are. and every day is the start of something beautiful!
always,
amanda
3.13.2010
realization
i am a thinker. my mind goes a thousand miles a minute. sometimes it drives me crazy but sometimes it has a certain soothing quality. in situations of confrontation it is usally better for me to collect my thoughts and cool down before i pose my view on the issue. in school it wasn't always easy for me to participate in class because i needed to soak in and digest the information before i felt ready to regurgitate my outlook.
yesterday, on my drive home, i had a realization. if i died today, i'd die happy. a little morbid for the drive home, i agree. but there i was, windows rolled down, paulo nutini singing me a sweet song, warm mountain air breezing through my little car, and it was bliss. i thought about my life, my family, my friends. and it was a wonderful moment. i felt fulfilled.
i thought about what i've done in my life:
i'm a college graduate.
i have an incredibly loving, caring, supportive, hilarious, forgiving, family.
i have friends who daily provide me with love and laughter and so much joy.
i have a job that i love. everyone there feels like family. i've also had a career (feels weird saying that after only being graduated 4 years) that has had it's ups and downs but i feel successful.
i live in the flippin' mountains! everytime i see them i have to take a deep breath and just appreciate them. They are new everyday.
i've taken a leap of faith moving out here. just the fact that i followed one of my lifelong dreams has brought such fulfillment.
i've lived a life of love. or at least put forth my best effort to :) i haven't found that life altering, can't live without, stop you in your tracks love. but i'm okay with that :) i don't believe i've lived less of a life without it. i've loved people. many people. and i believe many have loved me. and that's all i need.
i've seen and experienced things some people only dream of. i've never been out of the country but i've seen so much of our own that i don't mind.
i've been snowboarding :)
then i thought of the things i haven't experienced:
world travel.
relief work in a third world country.
being a wife.
being a mother.
owning a dog.
hiking a 14er :)
that life altering, can't live without, stop you in your tracks love.
becoming a songwriter.
and as i thought of these things i realized i was satisfied with a life without them. sure i'd love to see all those things happen in my life, but i'm not going to define my life by them. death is a reality for everyone. and some people focus so much on the life that people 'didn't get to live.' but its a life they weren't supposed to. it's harder to focus on the life that they did live. i've lost people in my life. some of old age, some quite young. and at the time, when you are faced with a death it's so hard to focus on anything but pain and sorrow. if i die today, or tomorrow, i hope that i'm remembered for the life i lived. because i'm happy with it!
Time-out. things are getting really morbid now. I don't for any reason believe i am going to die soon. these are all just realizations and thoughts that have been running through my mind in the past day.
Time-in. After all these thoughts yesterday, i spent an evening with myself. a date perhaps. Myself and I had a great work out and made a tasty dinner. I gave myself a pedicure and then cuddled up with the puppies and watched a great movie. i fell asleep with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. Is it incredibly selfish of me that i did not spent my evening at a soup kitchen or spreading the word on world hunger? some may say yes. but believe that sometimes you have to be a little selfish. to do things to make yourself happy. you won't always find it in someone else. or in things. true joy is inside yourself. find it. love it. savor it.
i may not be able to change the whole world but i can make it smile :)
always,
amanda
yesterday, on my drive home, i had a realization. if i died today, i'd die happy. a little morbid for the drive home, i agree. but there i was, windows rolled down, paulo nutini singing me a sweet song, warm mountain air breezing through my little car, and it was bliss. i thought about my life, my family, my friends. and it was a wonderful moment. i felt fulfilled.
i thought about what i've done in my life:
i'm a college graduate.
i have an incredibly loving, caring, supportive, hilarious, forgiving, family.
i have friends who daily provide me with love and laughter and so much joy.
i have a job that i love. everyone there feels like family. i've also had a career (feels weird saying that after only being graduated 4 years) that has had it's ups and downs but i feel successful.
i live in the flippin' mountains! everytime i see them i have to take a deep breath and just appreciate them. They are new everyday.
i've taken a leap of faith moving out here. just the fact that i followed one of my lifelong dreams has brought such fulfillment.
i've lived a life of love. or at least put forth my best effort to :) i haven't found that life altering, can't live without, stop you in your tracks love. but i'm okay with that :) i don't believe i've lived less of a life without it. i've loved people. many people. and i believe many have loved me. and that's all i need.
i've seen and experienced things some people only dream of. i've never been out of the country but i've seen so much of our own that i don't mind.
i've been snowboarding :)
then i thought of the things i haven't experienced:
world travel.
relief work in a third world country.
being a wife.
being a mother.
owning a dog.
hiking a 14er :)
that life altering, can't live without, stop you in your tracks love.
becoming a songwriter.
and as i thought of these things i realized i was satisfied with a life without them. sure i'd love to see all those things happen in my life, but i'm not going to define my life by them. death is a reality for everyone. and some people focus so much on the life that people 'didn't get to live.' but its a life they weren't supposed to. it's harder to focus on the life that they did live. i've lost people in my life. some of old age, some quite young. and at the time, when you are faced with a death it's so hard to focus on anything but pain and sorrow. if i die today, or tomorrow, i hope that i'm remembered for the life i lived. because i'm happy with it!
Time-out. things are getting really morbid now. I don't for any reason believe i am going to die soon. these are all just realizations and thoughts that have been running through my mind in the past day.
Time-in. After all these thoughts yesterday, i spent an evening with myself. a date perhaps. Myself and I had a great work out and made a tasty dinner. I gave myself a pedicure and then cuddled up with the puppies and watched a great movie. i fell asleep with a smile on my face and joy in my heart. Is it incredibly selfish of me that i did not spent my evening at a soup kitchen or spreading the word on world hunger? some may say yes. but believe that sometimes you have to be a little selfish. to do things to make yourself happy. you won't always find it in someone else. or in things. true joy is inside yourself. find it. love it. savor it.
i may not be able to change the whole world but i can make it smile :)
always,
amanda
3.06.2010
sometimes i say too much, but i can't say it enough...
If you haven't heard about The Alternate Routes, newsflash, they're awesome:) I've loved their music for a few years now but have recently stumbled upon them again. They are wonderful, lyical, and musically amazing :) Definitely one of my top ten favorite bands. Now if only they would tour this year...
www.myspace.com/alternateroutes
Listening to their music takes me back to VEISHEA 2007 when they played on the stage outside Friley. We spent the afternoon listening and lounging in the grass with bare feet and not a care in the world. Bliss :) Today as i sit and listen i can't help but anticipate the summer a little more. When i can wear a swim suit instead of a pant suit, and trade in my pumps for a sweet pair of flip flops. I can't wait to experience my favorite season in my current favorite state! My plan is to fill my days with plenty of hiking, camping, outdoor concert going, tubing, and pretty much anything outside! Everyday is a new adventure :) the start of something beautiful...
www.myspace.com/alternateroutes
Listening to their music takes me back to VEISHEA 2007 when they played on the stage outside Friley. We spent the afternoon listening and lounging in the grass with bare feet and not a care in the world. Bliss :) Today as i sit and listen i can't help but anticipate the summer a little more. When i can wear a swim suit instead of a pant suit, and trade in my pumps for a sweet pair of flip flops. I can't wait to experience my favorite season in my current favorite state! My plan is to fill my days with plenty of hiking, camping, outdoor concert going, tubing, and pretty much anything outside! Everyday is a new adventure :) the start of something beautiful...
always,
amanda
2.26.2010
music to my ears
So really it's been almost a year since i've posted a music playlist so its about time i get a new one out! Some of these songs aren't so new...some a brand spanking... All are songs i love for various reasons.
Early 2010 Playlist
Crazy About You - Whiskeytown
Get Loose - Rob Blackledge
Buttons - The Weeks
40 Dogs - Bob Schneider
Crawl - Kings of Leon
When In Rome - Nickel Creek
Barlights - fun.
You Don't Have to Believe Me - Eric Hutchinson
Twentysomething - Jaime Cullum
The Underdog - Spoon
Bloodline - Matt Morris
Sympathize - Amos Lee
Fools Rush In - Ingrid Michaelson
Us - Regina Spektor
I and Love and You (entire album) - The Avett Brothers
enjoy :)
always,
amanda
Early 2010 Playlist
Crazy About You - Whiskeytown
Get Loose - Rob Blackledge
Buttons - The Weeks
40 Dogs - Bob Schneider
Crawl - Kings of Leon
When In Rome - Nickel Creek
Barlights - fun.
You Don't Have to Believe Me - Eric Hutchinson
Twentysomething - Jaime Cullum
The Underdog - Spoon
Bloodline - Matt Morris
Sympathize - Amos Lee
Fools Rush In - Ingrid Michaelson
Us - Regina Spektor
I and Love and You (entire album) - The Avett Brothers
enjoy :)
always,
amanda
2.09.2010
many, many thanks
for everything that makes me who i am today i have to give thanks. so here's a list.
i'm thankful for....
-roommates who so graciously have provided this vagabond with a warm welcome and a roof to cover my head. and for their friendship, amazing cooking abilities (i'm spoiled!), and every ounce of graciousness they have shown me. k & k, thank you thank you thank you!
-the friendships with neighbors that i have established and developed since coming out here. t & m, for always letting me come over and just chill and all the GREAT times we've had in just a few months. looking forward to many many more! k & e, for all the hockey, for welcoming me fom the beginning, for the folly pack!, and for coming out with such enthusiasm for my party.
-the blessing of a job that i LOVE. i came out here thinking i'd be working some menial job for a while before i found the right place, but instead the right place came right away! I am daily grateful for the people who work for me and the people i work for! I've learned so much in just a few months and i'm loving every minute.
-my parents. who may not always love my decisions [:)] but have never stopped loving and supporting me the whole way. I love you guys more than you know!
-my sisters. without them i don't make sense. they are daily inspriations and two of the most beautiful women (inside and out) that i've ever known.
-my brother. who i can hardly believe will graduate high school this year! I am proud of all that he has accomplished in the last year. He is an inspiration to me as well and is an incredibly intelligent young man. I have the best family :)
-the rest of my family!!! aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. i am so blessed to have such a big, yet close, family who supports and loves each other so much.
-my friends, far and near. some of which i've lost touch with but all have made an impact on the me i am today. J&E, i don't think i could have gotten through college (and beyond!) without you. you two are such great women and i can't wait to have a great reunion when old and even more fun :) NjoR, we've been through it all. literally born a week apart and have been friends ever since. You have become this incredible woman, mother, wife and i love it! So looking forward to our reunion sometime soon :)
-my other friends i've made since coming to colorado. i keep meeting all these great people and it constantly makes me smile :) i look forward to developing and growing these friendships!
-my car. Cobi, you've gotten me further than most any other car has so far. You keep me warm and safe and for that, i am grateful.
-my education. i loved most every minute i spent at ISU. i recieved so much more than a degree in those 4 years...
-music. cheesy i know, but without it i wouldn't know what to make of the world. it soothes me, it moves me, it amazes me.
-my freedom. and for those daily fighting to keep it.
-nature. unending beauty. i am surrounded by such wonders. how can i be anything but thankful?
-life. i'm thankful for the opportunity to live it. to experience all that i have.
okay, i'll stop there but i felt i need to get that off my chest!
I would not be the person i am today without the people I have in my life. Each morning i wake up thankful. for what i have, for who have, for who i am.
Today....i am 26. and i love that. I've got a lot of living left to do. watch out world...here i come!
always,
amanda
i'm thankful for....
-roommates who so graciously have provided this vagabond with a warm welcome and a roof to cover my head. and for their friendship, amazing cooking abilities (i'm spoiled!), and every ounce of graciousness they have shown me. k & k, thank you thank you thank you!
-the friendships with neighbors that i have established and developed since coming out here. t & m, for always letting me come over and just chill and all the GREAT times we've had in just a few months. looking forward to many many more! k & e, for all the hockey, for welcoming me fom the beginning, for the folly pack!, and for coming out with such enthusiasm for my party.
-the blessing of a job that i LOVE. i came out here thinking i'd be working some menial job for a while before i found the right place, but instead the right place came right away! I am daily grateful for the people who work for me and the people i work for! I've learned so much in just a few months and i'm loving every minute.
-my parents. who may not always love my decisions [:)] but have never stopped loving and supporting me the whole way. I love you guys more than you know!
-my sisters. without them i don't make sense. they are daily inspriations and two of the most beautiful women (inside and out) that i've ever known.
-my brother. who i can hardly believe will graduate high school this year! I am proud of all that he has accomplished in the last year. He is an inspiration to me as well and is an incredibly intelligent young man. I have the best family :)
-the rest of my family!!! aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. i am so blessed to have such a big, yet close, family who supports and loves each other so much.
-my friends, far and near. some of which i've lost touch with but all have made an impact on the me i am today. J&E, i don't think i could have gotten through college (and beyond!) without you. you two are such great women and i can't wait to have a great reunion when old and even more fun :) NjoR, we've been through it all. literally born a week apart and have been friends ever since. You have become this incredible woman, mother, wife and i love it! So looking forward to our reunion sometime soon :)
-my other friends i've made since coming to colorado. i keep meeting all these great people and it constantly makes me smile :) i look forward to developing and growing these friendships!
-my car. Cobi, you've gotten me further than most any other car has so far. You keep me warm and safe and for that, i am grateful.
-my education. i loved most every minute i spent at ISU. i recieved so much more than a degree in those 4 years...
-music. cheesy i know, but without it i wouldn't know what to make of the world. it soothes me, it moves me, it amazes me.
-my freedom. and for those daily fighting to keep it.
-nature. unending beauty. i am surrounded by such wonders. how can i be anything but thankful?
-life. i'm thankful for the opportunity to live it. to experience all that i have.
okay, i'll stop there but i felt i need to get that off my chest!
I would not be the person i am today without the people I have in my life. Each morning i wake up thankful. for what i have, for who have, for who i am.
Today....i am 26. and i love that. I've got a lot of living left to do. watch out world...here i come!
always,
amanda
2.08.2010
beauty in the unexpected
currently i love my life. i am surrounded (literally and figuratively) by an amazing group of people i am blessed to call my friends and family. i am living in one of the most beautiful places in the country. i have a job i enjoy, where i get to work with a great group of people. i am daily thankful for the little things that make my life great.
in the past i'd always lived in the 'long' term. oh sure, there were days when i made quick decisions that changed the course of my life in big or small ways. but mostly i had an overall mental plan and it was in years. now? i'm living on much shorter terms. and i love it. i'm enjoying life for this moment in time. my entire world may change in a year, (heck, a year ago i'd never thought i'd be living in colorado) in a month, in a week. to me, it's exciting. i don't know what tomorrow holds. next year i may be living in bolivia or fiji or kansas. but you'd better believe that i'm going to enjoy every moment of whatever comes. i realize not every day will be great. in fact, i'm sure there will be days of struggle. but i also know that i will come out of those days a better, stronger person. wonderful :) here's to a year of appreciation, love, and JOY :) wherever, whenever, whatever happens.
right now, in this moment...i'm happy.
always,
amanda
in the past i'd always lived in the 'long' term. oh sure, there were days when i made quick decisions that changed the course of my life in big or small ways. but mostly i had an overall mental plan and it was in years. now? i'm living on much shorter terms. and i love it. i'm enjoying life for this moment in time. my entire world may change in a year, (heck, a year ago i'd never thought i'd be living in colorado) in a month, in a week. to me, it's exciting. i don't know what tomorrow holds. next year i may be living in bolivia or fiji or kansas. but you'd better believe that i'm going to enjoy every moment of whatever comes. i realize not every day will be great. in fact, i'm sure there will be days of struggle. but i also know that i will come out of those days a better, stronger person. wonderful :) here's to a year of appreciation, love, and JOY :) wherever, whenever, whatever happens.
right now, in this moment...i'm happy.
always,
amanda
1.31.2010
this beer's for you...
I have to admit, the first time i tasted beer, i was mortified. This was what all these kids around me were ingesting for a good time?! No thank you! You can keep your keystone light friend. i'll take a diet coke. Over the many years since then, my palate slowly developed to a point where i could 'tolerate' beer. Mostly the light beers that really tasted bland and watery. (Fun fact: Did you know that the main ingredient in beer is water? now you know...) And when it was required of me to drink said beers, it was usually in situations that involved red cups and ping pong balls, and i'd take large gulps and swallow fast in order that the beer was in my mouth for the shortest amount of time possible.
Then my world was shaken just a little bit when i was introduced to the microbrew. I tasted 'dinkey wheat' at old main and admitted that the flavors definitely brought a new dimension to my world of beer, but it still wasn't going to become my drink of choice. I'll have a malibu and diet, thanks.
THEN I MOVED TO COLORADO. Where i walked into a whole new ballgame. You see, here in Fort Collins we have not one, not three, but SIX breweries. So people here are self-proclaimed beer snobs. I had some catching up to do! My first flavorful taste was a Two Below from New Belgium Brewing. It hit me. There's something different about this stuff. Next up were some ODell's beers; Isolation Ale, Cutthroat Porter, Easy Street. Then Coopersmiths Poudre Pale Ale and Horsetooth Stout. Each new beer i've tasted has heightened my growing admiration for beer. Of course, I've now developed favorites, but i've opened this awesome can of worms and am looking forward to many future samplings of great, great beers.
I also took a journey back to my early beer days when i recently toured the Coors Brewery in Golden, CO. P and I were the last ones in the door for the day and proceeded into 45 minutes of listening about the beer brewing process from a little hand-held machine. It was semi-awkward standing in a room with about 20 strangers, all listening to the same words from the same man (and woman who would periodically just whisper 'Coors' inbetween his words). You were pretty much silent the whole time, just watching other peoples reactions and reading about the brewing process. I think P and I had the most fun as every once and a while when the music started to build (near the fresh beer room!) or when the guy got really excited, we'd have our own little reaction of feigned excitement. All in all it was FUN :) I learned a lot about the process and more random little trivia about the coors brand. But the best part was the samples! The Coors Light really did taste so much better and colder. We established that this may have been because they kept subliminally building our excitement for that cold beer at the end of the tour but it could be that beer just tastes better at the brewery. (whether or not it's just in your head)
Now I get to look forward to the New Belguim tour again with the little sis in a few weeks!
But right now i think i'll go have a nice cold Isolation...mmmm :)
always,
amanda
Then my world was shaken just a little bit when i was introduced to the microbrew. I tasted 'dinkey wheat' at old main and admitted that the flavors definitely brought a new dimension to my world of beer, but it still wasn't going to become my drink of choice. I'll have a malibu and diet, thanks.
THEN I MOVED TO COLORADO. Where i walked into a whole new ballgame. You see, here in Fort Collins we have not one, not three, but SIX breweries. So people here are self-proclaimed beer snobs. I had some catching up to do! My first flavorful taste was a Two Below from New Belgium Brewing. It hit me. There's something different about this stuff. Next up were some ODell's beers; Isolation Ale, Cutthroat Porter, Easy Street. Then Coopersmiths Poudre Pale Ale and Horsetooth Stout. Each new beer i've tasted has heightened my growing admiration for beer. Of course, I've now developed favorites, but i've opened this awesome can of worms and am looking forward to many future samplings of great, great beers.
I also took a journey back to my early beer days when i recently toured the Coors Brewery in Golden, CO. P and I were the last ones in the door for the day and proceeded into 45 minutes of listening about the beer brewing process from a little hand-held machine. It was semi-awkward standing in a room with about 20 strangers, all listening to the same words from the same man (and woman who would periodically just whisper 'Coors' inbetween his words). You were pretty much silent the whole time, just watching other peoples reactions and reading about the brewing process. I think P and I had the most fun as every once and a while when the music started to build (near the fresh beer room!) or when the guy got really excited, we'd have our own little reaction of feigned excitement. All in all it was FUN :) I learned a lot about the process and more random little trivia about the coors brand. But the best part was the samples! The Coors Light really did taste so much better and colder. We established that this may have been because they kept subliminally building our excitement for that cold beer at the end of the tour but it could be that beer just tastes better at the brewery. (whether or not it's just in your head)
Now I get to look forward to the New Belguim tour again with the little sis in a few weeks!
But right now i think i'll go have a nice cold Isolation...mmmm :)
always,
amanda
1.29.2010
a moment that moved me...
I've been quite lax in my blogging as of late and it seems that every time I do, I am apologizing for not doing so more often. But that will not happen today. I will not apologize for not setting aside time to blog, because I wouldn't trade a second of the many things I've experienced instead of blogging for anything. Maybe someday I'll retro-post and tell you about all those wonderful things, but for now I've got more important things to share.
If you know me well, you know that one of my passions in life is 'words.' Many have informed me that this is too vague a passion, but I cannot narrow it to one certain aspect of 'words' without leaving behind other parts. So I stand strong on my vague passion. It's mine. Find your own...
I'm also a little bit in love. It's only been a few months but i've never been happier or felt more myself. That's right, the great state of Colorado has stolen my heart, and I hope the honeymoon phase never ends.
Love. The reason i began this blog way back when. To explore the vast, exciting, overwhleming, diverse world of love. Where I will always be an amateur. But always game for exploring :) I've looked back lately at my early posts and can only smile. Ah, the things you learn through the years...
To bring this all back to why I was originally posting, it's a combination of love and words. And a little about my love for words. A few days ago, my roommate purchased the most recent Avett Brothers album, which he confessed he had not been able stop listening to. As I pushed play, I was curious. Was this going to be life changing? At first I was unsure. Track #1 seemed lethargic with the first few strains and didn't catch my ear immediately. But then I looked down and saw what I thought was the 'thanks' portion of the album cover. I love to read this stuff so i grabbed it and cuddled up on the couch, the melody perking my ears more and more as the song went on. In mere moments I was enthralled by the passage written. It was not of thanks, but of love. And I was floored. By words. By truths. By the way it made my heart twinge and rejoice simultaneously. And this is what I share with you today. Not my words. Words from another. That left me amazed and intrigued. Mull over the words, savor them, enjoy them, love them. Just soak them up. And don't forget to breathe a few times in the middle. (i kinda forgot that part) There is one spot in the middle i left out (marked by [---------]) which they go on to describe the making of the album but in order to get that full experience I urge you to actually purchase the album for yourself. The impact is even better with the music :) So here goes...Enjoy!
The words 'I' and 'Love' and 'You' are the watermark of humanity. Strung together they convey our deepest sense of humility; of power, of truth. It is our most common sentiment, even as the feeling of it is so infinitely uncommon; each to proclaim these three words with his or her very own heart and midset of reason (or lack thereof); a proclamation completely and perfectly new each time it is offered. Uttered daily and nightly by millions, the words are said in an unending array of circumstances; whispered to the newborn in the arms of a new mother; shared between best friends on the playground; in the form of sympathy said by a girl to a boy as the respect continues, but the realtionship does not. It is said too loudly by parents to embarassed children in the company of their friends and by grown children - to their fading parents in hospital beds. The words are thought in the company of the photograph and said in the company of the gravestone. It is how we end our phone calls and our letters...the words at the bottom of the page that trump all of those above it, a way to gracefully finish a message, however important or trivial, with the most meaningful gift of all: the communication of love. And yet the words themselves have been the victims of triviality, a ready replacement for lesser situations among near strangers, burst forth casually as 'love ya.' Truly? To what degree? Why, how much, and for how long? These are questions befitting the stature of love, though not the everyday banter of vague aquaintance. The words have also been twisted by the dark nature of deciet; to say 'I love you' with a dramatic measure of synthetic emotion; a snare set by those who prey upon humanity, driven to whatever selfish end, to gain access to another's body, or their money, or their opportunity. In this realm the proclamation is disgraced by one seeking to gain rather than to give. In any case, and by whatever inspiration, these words are woven deeply into the fibers of our existence. Our longing to hear them from the right place is maddeningly and simultaneously our finest strength and our most gentle weakness. [--------] Perhaps the inability to say these heaviest of words is as much a part of life as the lighthearted candor of those who say them without any dificulty at all. And so it ends with the phrase whispered to and by those of us most defeated and most elated...I and Love and You.
I kind of feel it should end with and 'Amen.' So be it...
We may not all be in love. But love is in us all. For people, for a state :), for the world, for nature. Take a deep breath and remember what you love and who loves you.
Have a great day all. Full of love, real love :)
always,
amanda
If you know me well, you know that one of my passions in life is 'words.' Many have informed me that this is too vague a passion, but I cannot narrow it to one certain aspect of 'words' without leaving behind other parts. So I stand strong on my vague passion. It's mine. Find your own...
I'm also a little bit in love. It's only been a few months but i've never been happier or felt more myself. That's right, the great state of Colorado has stolen my heart, and I hope the honeymoon phase never ends.
Love. The reason i began this blog way back when. To explore the vast, exciting, overwhleming, diverse world of love. Where I will always be an amateur. But always game for exploring :) I've looked back lately at my early posts and can only smile. Ah, the things you learn through the years...
To bring this all back to why I was originally posting, it's a combination of love and words. And a little about my love for words. A few days ago, my roommate purchased the most recent Avett Brothers album, which he confessed he had not been able stop listening to. As I pushed play, I was curious. Was this going to be life changing? At first I was unsure. Track #1 seemed lethargic with the first few strains and didn't catch my ear immediately. But then I looked down and saw what I thought was the 'thanks' portion of the album cover. I love to read this stuff so i grabbed it and cuddled up on the couch, the melody perking my ears more and more as the song went on. In mere moments I was enthralled by the passage written. It was not of thanks, but of love. And I was floored. By words. By truths. By the way it made my heart twinge and rejoice simultaneously. And this is what I share with you today. Not my words. Words from another. That left me amazed and intrigued. Mull over the words, savor them, enjoy them, love them. Just soak them up. And don't forget to breathe a few times in the middle. (i kinda forgot that part) There is one spot in the middle i left out (marked by [---------]) which they go on to describe the making of the album but in order to get that full experience I urge you to actually purchase the album for yourself. The impact is even better with the music :) So here goes...Enjoy!
The words 'I' and 'Love' and 'You' are the watermark of humanity. Strung together they convey our deepest sense of humility; of power, of truth. It is our most common sentiment, even as the feeling of it is so infinitely uncommon; each to proclaim these three words with his or her very own heart and midset of reason (or lack thereof); a proclamation completely and perfectly new each time it is offered. Uttered daily and nightly by millions, the words are said in an unending array of circumstances; whispered to the newborn in the arms of a new mother; shared between best friends on the playground; in the form of sympathy said by a girl to a boy as the respect continues, but the realtionship does not. It is said too loudly by parents to embarassed children in the company of their friends and by grown children - to their fading parents in hospital beds. The words are thought in the company of the photograph and said in the company of the gravestone. It is how we end our phone calls and our letters...the words at the bottom of the page that trump all of those above it, a way to gracefully finish a message, however important or trivial, with the most meaningful gift of all: the communication of love. And yet the words themselves have been the victims of triviality, a ready replacement for lesser situations among near strangers, burst forth casually as 'love ya.' Truly? To what degree? Why, how much, and for how long? These are questions befitting the stature of love, though not the everyday banter of vague aquaintance. The words have also been twisted by the dark nature of deciet; to say 'I love you' with a dramatic measure of synthetic emotion; a snare set by those who prey upon humanity, driven to whatever selfish end, to gain access to another's body, or their money, or their opportunity. In this realm the proclamation is disgraced by one seeking to gain rather than to give. In any case, and by whatever inspiration, these words are woven deeply into the fibers of our existence. Our longing to hear them from the right place is maddeningly and simultaneously our finest strength and our most gentle weakness. [--------] Perhaps the inability to say these heaviest of words is as much a part of life as the lighthearted candor of those who say them without any dificulty at all. And so it ends with the phrase whispered to and by those of us most defeated and most elated...I and Love and You.
I kind of feel it should end with and 'Amen.' So be it...
We may not all be in love. But love is in us all. For people, for a state :), for the world, for nature. Take a deep breath and remember what you love and who loves you.
Have a great day all. Full of love, real love :)
always,
amanda
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