new music friday... uh, sunday, better late than never

i sincerely apologize for the delay... i have been sick and plus, getting the man and his daughter all settled it has been a long weekend...

anywho... new music friday is a concert review... i saw my first Umphrey's McGee concert on 4/27/06.

Now, a bit of background here... umphrey's is taking the jamband scene by force... i have listened to them, but never seen them live... what i have heard is ok, but not rocking my world, so before i made any "i like them, i don't like them" decisions, i needed to see them live.

now, more background... i left work early on thursday, and had friday scheduled off... got into it with my ex-hubby thursday, to the point that he made me cry, and i wasn't feeling well anyway, so, to be honest, i just didn't really wanna go, but knew i had to... robbie was counting on me, plus i was gonna get to meet up with some truephans, which was gonna be cool... the show was 1.5 hours away... and all i knew was that i was not feeling well, my man was at home waiting for me, and we were finishing up his move on friday, so i knew i had a long 36 or so hours ahead of me...

so, come home for some debate on whether i should go or not... have lunch with mom and my guy and then off to robb's... we make our way to champaign and find a bar to meet up with the truephans... then head to the venue...

the opening act was supposed to start at 9pm, started at 940... umphrey's didn't go on until 1040... left champaign at 215am... long long long nite... the show was good, first set on the floor, danced... but by the time the 2nd. set came along i was so damned tired, and so friggin sick, it just didn't matter anymore... so, here is the set list and some pics... Umphrey's McGee


04.27.06
Canopy ClubUrbana, Illinois
Set One
Morning Song > Hurt Bird Bath, #5 > Got Your Milk (Right Here), Ringo > "Jimmy Stewart" > Ringo, Walletsworth
Set Two
Der Bluten Kat > Wife Soup > "Jimmy Stewart"^ > Wife Soup, Liquid, Higgins
Encore
#50 Ways to Leave Your Lover > The Bottom Half
Notes
Kick the Cat opened^ with Chris Clemente replacing Ryan on bass, Chris Siebold replacing Brendan on guitar, Vijay Tellis-Nayak joining Joel on keys, and with Tom Hipskind joining Andy on percussion# with Pearl Necklace intro

((hugs))

**repost from my myspace- i actually witnessed this yesterday, and it was great to be the person giving the hug**
The Energy Of An Embrace
Hugs

The need to touch and be touched is established early in our lives, as we develop and grow in the omnipresent embrace of our mother's womb. Once we are born, separated from that sanctuary of connectivity, we begin to crave the physical embrace of our parents. As we age, we become more independent. Yet during times of triumph or trouble and during those moments when we are in need of reassurance, we can't help but long for a hug.

Because a hug requires two active participants, each individual taking part in the embrace experiences the pleasure of being embraced and the joy that comes from hugging someone. As both individuals wrap their arms around one another, their energy blends together, and they experience a tangible feeling of togetherness that lingers long after physical contact has been broken. A heart hug is when you put your left arm over someone's shoulder and your right arm around their waist. As they do the same to you, your hearts become aligned with one another other and loving, comforting energy flows between the two of you to flood your souls with feelings of love, caring, and compassion.

A hug is a pleasurable way to share your feelings with someone who is important to you. Depending on your relationship with the other person and the kind of message you wish to send to them, a hug can communicate love, friendship, romance, congratulations, support, greeting, and any other sentiment you wish to convey. A hug communicates to others that you are there for them in a positive way. In an instant, a hug can reestablish a bond between long lost friends and comfort those in pain. The next time you hug someone, focus all of your energy into the embrace. You will create a profound connection that infuses your feelings and sentiments into a single beautiful gesture.

new music friday

today's new music is courtesy of paul, again... David Gilmour - On an Island. This disc is has a typical floyd feel to it... it's nice and mellow and was just what i needed when paul brought it to me.... some of my friends that have heard it were a bit disappointed, but i thoroughly enjoyed the disc... if you like gilmour or pink floyd, check it out

The Importance of Napping

Brief Respite

In the modern world, we're often compelled to be as productive as possible during as many hours of the day as we can be. While this can lead to great feats of accomplishment, we may become exhausted and find ourselves craving rest and rejuvenation. We may feel like taking a nap but feel guilty about indulging in even ten minutes of rest. This need for personal downtime, which many people experience in the early afternoon, isn't a sign of laziness nor is it necessarily related to how much sleep you had the night before. There was even a time when taking a nap was considered a natural part of everyone's day.

Napping is a pleasurable yet brief period of sleep when our minds and bodies can take a break. Though judged by many to be a pastime for children or the elderly, napping can benefit people of all ages. The desire to nap is a trait shared by many mammals, and napping is still an important part of the day in some countries. Snoozing for a half-hour can be an enjoyable way to promote physical well-being, and naps have been known to improve your mood and memory. A 20-minute nap can sharpen your senses and revitalize you, while a ten minute nap can leave you feeling more cheerful. Falling into a light sleep during the daytime can feel meditative. The thoughts you have as you are taking a nap and the dreams you experience may offer you insights about your life that you may not have at night when you are in a deep sleep.

In order to fully enjoy the benefits of napping, you may need to give yourself permission to nap. Feeling guilty about snoozing or worrying about your to-do list won't do you much good when you are trying to take a nap because your thoughts or feelings will keep you awake. Try to nap at the same time each day, and use an alarm clock to ensure that you don't sleep for too long. If you go to an office, try crawl under your desk for a nap. Learning to nap and enjoy its restorative benefits can help you wake up restored, rejuvenated, and ready for the rest of your day.

what's this emotion? oh yeah, i remember you....

so, i'm standing at the part time job the other nite talking to amber... she was in tears after having spent a week with her fella... amber and her man have been dating about 3 weeks longer than i have been dating mine...

amber was so upset, but it wasn't a bad upset, it was a good upset, because she had just spent all this time with him and didn't want to leave him, but it was time to go to work... i felt for her, i really did, because i know exactly what she is feeling...

the sense of joy that comes from being in a relationship that is truly loving is amazing... the fact that i can go thru that with amber is great, cuz we are both going thru a lot of the same emotions, and we can both share and grow in our relationships and we have someone to talk to that understands...

all i know, is it is nice to be in love and be able to share that with a friend that is also in love....

ahhhh... love... yeah, i said it... it's been a while, but boy, it sure is nice to have it back in my life...

happy as can be!!!

**this is a post from my myspace, so i apologize if you read both blogs**

every day it gets harder and harder to contain my happiness... something came over me today, like a wave, washing over me.... he had just left to go home, and i was standing here talking to my daughter, and it hit me just how friggin happy i am...

yes, it's early, yes, there is so much room for things to change, but if you knew what we had to go thru to get here... i think you would understand how happy i am....

to you... thank you for being in my life and putting me in this constant state of happiness

new music friday

today's new music is courtesy of jason... Johnny Cash - American Recordings... the original man in black.... johnny is the man... talk about a poet... i remember when i was a kid, johnny woulda just been lumped in that "country" music category... but as i have gotten older, i have come to appreciate his music and his musicianship... these are great discs and the lyrics are amazing... some make you laugh, some make you cry, some make you shake your head and smile... check it out...

new music friday

happy friday to all... today's new music is courtesy of "b" from our message board (www.truephans.com) I put a "feeler" out for some suggestions for new music, and "b" actually writes music reviews for some of the jam band websites and also has been in relix magazine. I am interested in the band Galactic, as everything I have heard from them i have liked, and this disc, all kooked out! is by the drummer of galactic. It is jazzy with some funk.. horns, drums... it's a great jazz disc!! check it out and get all kooked out!!

btw - kooked is my new word for the week!

quandry...

i'm in one...

my heart is telling me to do one thing, my head is telling me to do another...

i'm between a rock and a hardplace

surrender box

**I thought this was really neat... maybe something I should try doing**

A Place For Worries
Surrender Box

There are times when our minds become too full. Our to-do lists, worries, plans, and dreams may be so crowded together in our heads that we don't have room to think. We may believe that we are somehow taking care of our desires and concerns by keeping them at the forefront of our minds. In maintaining our mental hold on every detail, however, we may actually delay the realization of our dreams and the resolution of our worries because we won't let them go. At times such as these, we may want to use a surrender box.

A surrender box allows us to let go of our worries and desires so the universe can take care of them for us. We write down what we want or need to happen and then place the note into a box. By writing and placing our thoughts in the box, we are taking action and letting the universe know we need help and are willing to surrender our feelings. We give ourselves permission to not concern ourselves with that problem any longer and trust that the universe is taking care of it. You may even want to decorate your box and place it in a special place. Your surrender box is a sacred container for your worries. Not only do you free up space in your mind by letting go of our worries and desires and dropping them into your surrender box, but you are giving your burden over to a higher power. Once we drop our worries and desires into the surrender box, we free our minds so we can be fully present in each moment.

Surrendering our worries and concerns and placing them in the hands of the universe doesn't mean that we've given up or have been defeated. Instead, we are releasing the realization of our desires and the resolution of our worries and no longer concerning ourselves with their outcomes. It's always fun to go back and pull the slips of paper out of the box once your requests have been granted. And it's amazing how quickly problems go away and dreams come true when we finally let go and allow a higher power to help us.