Trans-Siberian Orchestra 12/20/08 - Columbus, Ohio

As I expected, Trans-Siberian Orchestra was nothing short of spectacular last night! And, our seats were killer - second row, floor, center stage! Here's a shot of Alex Skolnick (of Testament) with Chris Caffrey (of Savatage) up close and personal.


There were some changes in line-up, but none that seriously affected the show. It was about 2-1/2 hours of straight rocking Christmas cheer. TSO never ceases to put on a fabulous show for the entire audience. They even played a couple new songs which was a treat. The light show was also superb as usual.


This was TSO's 10th anniversary. It was our 6th year in attendance, but certainly not our last. The only "downer" to the evening were the terrible roads on the way home. An hour drive turned into a very long 3 hour + adventure. But, in the end, it was worth it to see this show. Thank you Trans-Siberian Orchestra for officially getting us into the Christmas spirit once again. God bless us...everyone!

Love & Holiday Cheer!
Christiana

Merry Christmas!

This is by far my favorite time of the year. I love everything about the Christmas/holiday season. So, before the government tries to make it illegal to say so, I wish you ALL a very Merry Christmas! Ho Ho Ho!!

That being said, one of my favorite Christmas traditions has become the attending of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra show. If you have not yet experienced this, GO! Don't miss another year. This will be, I believe, our 6th year in a row. And, I am excited to report, we have our BEST seats yet - 2nd row, floor, center stage. I can hardly wait! Mike & I are going this Sunday, 12/20, in Columbus.

Here's a picture of the one and only Alex Skolnick (yes, of Testament fame) at the 11/15/07 TSO show in Dayton:

Seriously, don't miss this show. It gets me 100% in the Christmas spirit every year. There is not a bad seat in the house. Even if you have nose bleeds, you get the full picture of the amazing laser and lights show. I prefer to sit close because I like to watch the musicians faces as they interact with one another. Don't miss Trans-Siberian Orchestra. This is truly an amazing show for ALL ages!

Again, Merry Christmas my dear friends.

*Chica Claus*

* LET THE MUSIC PLAY *

I ‘came of age’ during a time that was sooooo fun! Really since I hit junior high school my life became engulfed with the music I listen to. It became more than just a hobby, but rather an obsession. As a matter of fact, music blessed me with my most dear friends. After all, one didn’t hang out with people who didn’t like one’s music. For me, it was all about the rock n’ roll baby! I love classic rock, big-hair rock/metal, heavy metal, power metal, Goth rock, Industrial…you name it, and it’s affected my life. Metal heads are very misunderstood. My best friend and I are proud metal heads and we were also honor students who went on to get college degrees and hold respectable full time jobs. But, our music has stayed the same. We catch the occasional concert still but not as many as once upon a time. From the age of 15 when I saw my first concert and throughout my 20’s I spent countless hours at concert venues, bars, clubs, etc. I’ve seen some amazing shows, met some cool musicians, and had a blast in general. Heck, it was my love for Iced Earth that crossed my & my husbands’ paths. Music really has shaped my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now don’t get me wrong, if you listen to country, rap, easy listening…I’ll still be your friend…but I sure won’t want to ride in your car as often… (My car…my stereo…) :-P

(And for the record, my friends and I hung out watching all the local bands nearly every day of the week for years, but we were NOT the type of groupies who tried to hook up with the guys...we truly were there for the music!)

\m/ - ^ - \m/

Holy Basset Hound, Batman!!

As you all know, I am indeed an English Springer Spaniel Magnet. But, I have TWO babies in my house. Mike & I are blessed to own our first Basset Hound. She's something else to say the least!

Darth (our Springer) was our first pup chosen at the pet store that dreary March afternoon...3/18/03. We tried about every puppy in 2 different stores to get a playmate for Darth. Mike wanted a bulldog real bad, but Darth hated it when we tried them in the pen together. I always liked the big droopy heads of basset hounds and since Mike was insisting the Springer would be "his boy" (yeah right...) he suggested the basset for me. Leia was so little, only about 6 pounds, and just 8 weeks old. She was the cutest! And, Darth and she started to play and drag each other by the ears immediately...so we knew our little family had been formed.

In no time at all, Leia had decided that she was superior to Darth and that she could just push him around whenever she wanted. Darth STILL doesn't know he's bigger than Leia. Leia is a Daddy's girl. After all, she's just like Mike...grumpy, ornary, mean...you get the drift. ;-) But one of Leia's favorite things to do is give her Daddy hugs...but the catch is, right when you give her a hug, she gets all wound up and starts to go crazy. See:

All in all though, owning a basset hound is pretty simple. They are LAZY. The hardest part is making her go out to go potty. Then the next hardest part is making her come in. Gotta love that big ole' (now 62 pound) basset hound girl. Just give her a bonie, and she'll eat til she can't eat no más!

Oh, and did I mention she's a MORNING dog?!?!!! Go figure! Since Leia joined our family 3+ years ago, sleeping in....well, not so much... She likes to wake everyone up so she can go back to sleep for the rest of the day. She will find the smalled ray of sunshine peeking in the house and position herself in the sun with her long ear over her eyes. She's a funny little beast girl, our Mimi...akaLei-Lei, Lei-mas, etc.

In honor of Father's Day

This past Sunday was indeed Father's Day. That used to be a very special day for me. I always liked to do something to let my dad know how much I loved and appreciated him. One year Cindi and I took our dads to the track (harness racing.) We had so much fun. And now, Father's Day is just memories for me. So, I'll share a couple things about my Dad. His favorite painting is entitled "Twilight In The Wilderness" by Frederic Edwin Church. We used to take museum days when I was on summer vacations and we'd always go to the Cleveland Museum of Art and look for Twighlight in the Wilderness. Just staring at the beautiful colors of this painting in person made it easy to escape to this serene wilderness setting mentally. It was quite serene.


And he also enjoyed reading Robert Frost poetry. In highschool, I had to memorize and recite a long poem and I chose Quandary by Frost. My dad stayed up LATE with me helping me to memorize it...of course slightly last minute which was how I rolled ;-)

Quandary

Never have I been glad or sad

That there was such a thing as bad.

There had to be, I understood,

For there to have been any good.

It was by having been contrasted

That good and bad so long had lasted.

That's why discrimination reigns.

That's why we need a lot of brains

If only to discriminate

'Twixt what to love and what to hate.

To quote the oracle at Delphi,

Love thy neighbor as thyself, aye,

And hate him as thyself thou hatest.

There quandary is at its greatest.

We learned from the forbidden fruit

For brains there is no substitute.

'Unless it's sweetbreads, ' you suggest

With innuendo I detest.

You drive me to confess in ink:

Once I was fool enough to think

That brains and sweetbreads were the same,

Till I was caught and put to shame,

First by a butcher, then a cook,

Then by a scientific book.

But ' twas by making sweetbreads do

I passed with such a high I.Q.

I miss you Daddy, every day!!

Bad Hair Day? I WIN!!!

Where oh where to begin...

Ok, so you know when you think you're having a bad hair day? Well, I have the grand daddy of them all today! I went to my hair stylist last night for my regular appointment and decided to do a little something different for summer. I have had my hair just dark brown with blonde highlights for a while now. I decided to let her add bright (primary) red highlights (1 per side) for a little something different. Now, I work in an office and can't be too extreme but I thought even a bright red was ok seeing as red is a natural hair color. Well, my stylist then mentioned that I should add a pop of color to the underside of my hair for when I put my hair up. I thought, sure, a little red pop underneath would be cool. Well, here's what I got...(these photos should explain why I'm going back in for another hair appointment tonight RIGHT after work.

WAIT! Don't adjust your computer monitors...your eyes are not deceiving you...my hair has fuchsia highlights with green underneath. ...Makes one want to just ask, 'WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!?!?!!!!!!"

Sincerely,

Rainbow Bright. UGH!!

HOLY SPRINGER SPANIEL!!!

Any of you who know me also know that I have some sort of power radiating from within which attracts English Springer Spaniels to the point of obsession. Ever since my beloved Sota came into my life in 1997, my life forever changed.

I will never not be a Mommy to an English Springer Spaniel. Unfortunately, my black & white Springer named Sota passed on 3 years ago. But, at that time, we adopted a new little liver & white Springer named Darth (along with a female Basset Hound named Leia.)

We like to also call Darth by a plethera of names such as "Mister Darth-mas" or "Sir Darth's A Lot" or "Bubba" or "Darthie Darth Darth" or simply "Darth-mas" and sometimes "Mister Whiskers." I imagine I was a Springer in a former life...something must explain it. Just ask my husband Mike or my best friend Cindi and they'll tell you...Darth only has his "dog smile" when Mommy is around. Both Cindi and Mike claim "the smile" disappears the second I am out of Darth's sight. I have yet to see this for myself, but I'm not calling them liars. ;-)

Now that you may have a better understanding for this breed, on to a funny little story for today's chuckle. Darth gets all upset when we get laundry out of the dryer and dump it on the bed. He knows I don't like him to get up and walk all over the clean laundry when I am trying to get it all turned right side out and put away. So, he'll try to jump in the smallest opening on the bed (mind you he's 52 pounds) and he just sneaks up there and tries to lay real still as if we won't notice he's there. So, Mike started polietely tormenting Darth to see what all he could get away with. Now...it's turned into "their thing." Every week when we are laying the laundry from the dryer onto the bed, Darth sneaks up to lay down, and Mike places a sock across Darth's head. Darth just lays there and takes it. It's as if the sock on his head is 'payment' for being allowed on the bed during laundry time. It's flippin' hilarious! See for yourself:

As more funny Springer Stories come to mind, I'll share them here so stay tuned...

http://www.springerrescue.org/

Sponsor - March for Babies!

I hope that you will all consider donating even the smallest amount to this wonderful cause. This photo is Julia, my friend Rhonda's little niece who most unfortunately had a very short time on this earth. Please help to give what you can, even $5, $10, or more...it ALL helps.

Cost of Living

Ok, so for any of you that may be job hunting and are also open to the possibility of relocation for that next career advancing move, this is for you...


1. I live in quaint little Dayton, Ohio. Here's the city skyline:

2. This is Los Angeles, CA. Here's a portion of the city skyline:

NOTE: LA is much larger AND more expensive than Dayton, Ohio.

2. This is New York, NY. Here's a portion of the city skyline:

NOTE: NYC is much larger AND more expensive than Dayton, Ohio.

-------------

That being said, the majority of potential Fashion jobs I have to considerare located in either NYC or LA. This being said, to relocate in today's housing market from the Midwest to either of these locations would take the minimum of a 50% raise in salary. The cost of living in these areas is between 50% aned 100% higher than that in Ohio. (Refer to: http://swz.salary.com/costoflivingwizard/layoutscripts/coll_start.asp ) I can't even consider a major relocation because that would mean leaving my husband and the dogs behind until we could sell our house while I live off somewhere else in a hotel for months or even years. What is one to do?!?!! And why do these big city companies think that Midwestern folks are cheap and will accept job offers at 10% above their present midwestern salary to move to a big location where in all actuality the $$ situation would put one at a significantly lower standard of living than one has presently. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR...and if that means you want a hard dedicated worker...then give up the monies homies!

Hey Turkey!!

I had the MOST delicious turkey sandwich...so good that I am feeling the need to blog about it. I went to City Barbeque yesterday and had the most scrumptious turkey sandwich I've ever tasted.

You Ohioans who haven't experienced this place have GOT to check it out. I know they are in Toledo, Columbus, Dayton, and Cincinnati. The Mac n Cheese is also to die for. But man, this turkey was the most moist flavorful turkey. For those of you who love the big turkey legs you get at the Renassance Faires, well, the flavor is similar but even more moist and tender. *sigh* That's really all there is to tell...you gotta experience it for yourself!

(http://cityqbbq.com/)

Have a great day my friends!!

Chica Pants

"You'll Shoot Your Eye Out"

I am beyond frustration! I am a Textile/Color/Product Development Specialist with more than a decade of experience in the Fashion Industry. One would be inclined to believe that would make one a viable candidate for many positions. I haven't been able to figure out for the life of me why next to no one in specifically the apparel market will even entertain the idea that I may be a perfect candidate for their organization. I have the necessary skills, experience, and vision to be a positive addition to these companies, but time and again I hear the same ole thing..."You are perfect for this position...BUT...we need someone in the Apparel Industry." UGH! It's a lot like the "You'll Shoot Your Eye Out" line from 'A Christmas Story.'

Just call me Ralphie!

WELCOME TO MY MIND

Hello Friends ~

I just thought I'd join the blogging age. (Cindi did dang it so I gotta...) :-P

Anyway, I really don't have a ton of reasons for setting up this blog besides it's here for when I need to rant. So, if you want to submit yourself to my *mega coolness*, just check me out here.



Well... since I'm here and writing anyway, I will start off officially by sharing that today, 3/28/08 is the 6 year anniversary of my father's passing. I miss him more than I can even begin to write. Today pretty much sucks is my point. For all of you who still have your father in their life...do me a personal favor and be sure to call and tell him that you love him. I'd give anything to have the chance to say that to my dad even just one more time.


*Peace out!*
-C-