On My God, I'm on Pinterest!

No, I don't mean I'm using Pinterest...I mean...some of my projects are on Pinterest because other people have seen them, liked them, and pinned them!!!!

Really, that's kind of awesome.

I wasn't checking Pinterest for myself. I was actually on Yahoo, trying to find something I thought I had written on my blog. With the keywords I used, I came across a couple of my projects. :)

the Easter bunny basket
the Doctor Who clock: here and here
my fall wreath
Who knows what else might be out there on Pinterest of mine! :)

Wow, just wow. In a weird kind of way, this really makes my day!

Dance-Off With the Star Wars Stars 2013

Here is this year's "Dance Off With the Star Wars Stars," which just started yesterday. This year, it ends with a surprise.

It's Official

I took Dixie back to the vet this morning. She's dropped weight again, is lethargic, has a loss of appetite, and isn't going the bathroom very much. The diagnosis is that she's dehydrated, probably has another infections somewhere, has pancreatitus, her kidney functions are off, and may even have a mass of some kind where the vet couldn't feel it, either deep in her gut or even in her head. It's all age related, and I was told to stop giving her the steroids. They don't go along well with the pancreatitus.

The vet wanted to keep her over the weekend, pump her full of fluids and run a bunch more tests on her, but what it boils down to is Dixie's age. If they could get further into what's wrong with her, then maybe they could buy her some more time. Maybe being the optimum word. And they don't know how long some time could be.

I decided to bring her home with me instead. They gave her a good dose of fluids and some more antibiotics, but that's just to make her comfortable. The real question is when will we know that it's time to let her go.

She perked up a little yesterday after we got home. I knew being home would make her happy, that's part of the reason why I couldn't leave her there for the weekend.

But I know I have to do this. Dixie's always been a serious little girl, but happy and "talked" to me a lot. She was always able to tell me whatever she needed me to know. But she no longer talks like that anymore. She doesn't headbutt any more, and she doesn't come hang out with me in the bathroom when I take a shower at night like she used to do. I had a little girl melt down yesterday when I got home with her. I'm sure Shane is expecting me to be a basket case when the time comes to take Dixie to the vet one last time.

I love her like she's human. This is going to hurt something serious.

As a way to try and get my mind off things, my husband made sure we went out today for lunch and a little sight-seeing here in Norfolk. We parked the car at one of the Park and Ride lots in Norfolk and rode the Tide from one end to the other. It's about 25 minutes one way for the full route. It's been up and running for maybe 1 1/2 years and we just haven't gotten around to riding it yet. At the almost end, we stopped for lunch at Machismo Burrito, another place we haven't been before.

We walked two blocks to Machismo on York Street, we crossed over Boteourte Street. I don't think I've ever been there before, because I would have noticed the road is cobblestone. It's old but I'm sure it's not original. But it was very interesting to see.

After lunch, we rode the Tide to the last westbound stop, it changed directions, and we rode it all the way back eastbound to Newtown Road. The nice thing about this trip was we saw Norfolk from a different point of view, and realized that this light rail thing could be a little bit of an advantage for us if we wanted to go to a hockey game (as far as parking is concerned), and we saw a couple of restaurants we didn't know about to try.

Advice to The People That Do The Hiring for Their Companies

When you call someone to tell them they DIDN'T get the job they wanted with you, after numerous interviews and phone calls, think about this: don't tell your unwanted candidate, "Our hiring group just didn't like any of the candidates, so we are going to keep looking for other people." And don't end the call with, "And you have a GREAT weekend!"

You've just ruined my day. You don't know how badly I needed that job. You even dragged out my wait to hear back from you on the status of that job by a week longer than promised, so I'm already antsy. Now, I'm not going to have a great weekend.

A better way to phrase this would have been, "Thank you for your time. We've made our decision and right now, we feel that another candidate will be a better choice for us."

In fact, if I had gotten the job, it would have been a great weekend, because I need something good to happen in my life in the worst fucking way possible right now.

What I Did Tonight

• I started some chili for a chili cook off at my husband's work for tomorrow.
• Went to my husband's American Legion Riders meeting and got a certificate of appreciation for the photos I take of their rides, from the outgoing director.
• Killed a spider that was sitting on my sewing box.
• Re-hemmed and patched another pair of my jeans.
• Decided that my cat has to go back to the vet again.
• Finally got around to making that oilcloth coin purse I mentioned a week ago.

I was really bummed out by how the coin purse didn't turn out for me. The oilcloth print was pretty but my sewing machine didn't care much for it. Then, after fighting with it to turn it right side out, I realized I didn't sew the mouth correctly and the clasp that came with it was now too big.

Oh well, time to move onto something else. I really need to finish that Dolce and Gabbanna knock off purse I'm still tinkering with here.

One More Chemo Cap to Send: "Patty's Stripes"

This is actually a cap pattern that I came up with myself last week. Since it's for my mom again, I'll call this one "Patty's Stripes."

Materials:
I used three different colors: a slight off white (color A), a beige (color B), and a rust color (color C) that was actually left over from my Doctor Who scarf last year.

For my stripe pattern, I worked this color sequence: A, A, B, C, C, B, A, A, B, C, C, etc.

Any number of colors will work here, but you don't want to use your cheapest yarns for the chemo caps, otherwise they will be itchy. Use something soft.

Crochet hook: H

Directions:
CH 2 (or 3) always counts as 1 DC.

Start this hat with a magic circle of 1 chain and 5 SC. Secure the ends with a slip stitch.

Row 1: Chain 2,  work 11 DC in ring. Secure with a slip stitch, and turn the hat around.

Row 2: Chain 2, work 1 DC in the same stitch. Work 2 DC in each stitch around. Secure with a slip stitch, and turn the hat around.
Row 3: Chain 2, work 2 DC in the same stitch. Alternate 2 DC/1 DC around. Secure with a slip stitch, and turn the hat around.
Row 4: Chain 2, work 2 DC in the same stitch. Alternate 1 DC/1 DC and 1 chain around. Secure with a slip stitch, and turn the hat around.
Row 5: Chain 2, work 2 DC in the same stitch. Alternate 1 DC/1 DC/1 DC and 1 chain around. Work your DC with the chain into the space of the previous row's chains. Secure with a slip stitch, and turn the hat around.

Row 6: Chain 3 and alternate 1 DC/1 DC and 1 chain around. Work your DC with the chain into the space of the previous row's chains. Secure with a slip stitch.

Row 7: Chain 2 and work 1 DC in each stitch around. Secure with a slip stitch, and turn the hat around.

Row 8: repeat row 6

Row 9: repeat row 6

Row 10: repeat row 7

Row 11: repeat row 6

Row 12: repeat row 6

Row 13: repeat row 7

Row 14: repeat row 6

Row 15: repeat row 6

Row 16: Chain 1 and work 1 SC in each stitch across. Fasten off the yarn.

My First Concert Review

The crew was getting the stage set up. Photo by AmyLynn98.

That's right, I'm breaking some new ground here tonight...my first review of a concert. But just so you know, this is not the first concert I've ever seen. Just thought I should clarify that. :)

As a military wife, I had the opportunity to see Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band perform earlier this evening in Portsmouth. This was the first time the Lt. Dan Band has ever been to Hampton Roads, and this was in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the Flagship, the Navy's newspaper out here.

Photo by AmyLynn98.

"It was 1997 when Gary Sinise and Kimo Williams first met and worked together on the Steppenwolf Theatre production of Tennessee Williams A Streetcar Named Desire. Williams was hired by director Terry Kinney to compose the score for the play and Sinise, a co founder of Steppenwolf along with Terry Kinney, was playing the role of Stanley Kowalski. It was during the technical rehearsals for the play that Gary and Kimo began to discuss their love for music and after learning of Gary's talents on the bass, Kimo invited him to his home for a jam session. Over the next few years, whenever possible, these two pals would play together with other Chicago area musicians and in 2003, as Gary began what has turned out to be an extraordinary commitment to the USO, it became clear that those early jam sessions had laid the foundation for what would become The Lieutenant Dan Band."

Photo by AmyLynn98.

Photo by AmyLynn98.

Photo by AmyLynn98.

Photo by AmyLynn98.

Free tickets, general admission, free parking, easier in and out of the Pavillion than I was expecting, easier in and out than the amphitheater in Virginia Beach, perfect weather...this couldn't have been any better. Bob, my "date" for the evening, a 60+ year old retired Marine (since my husband was out sick that night), and I sat in the sixth row from the stage, about six or seven seats in from the end.

I have to say, this was a really good concert with quality music. The Lt. Dan Band is a cover band with 12 current members, covering stuff from the early 80's up through the present, even going back as far as the Big Band era. The singers kept a really good, recognizable speed for all the songs they performed. I personally hate it when a musician covers a song either too slow or too fast. That was not the case here.

However, they did try to make sure it was a show for all ages, so a few minor words in some of the songs were changed, such as changing "sex" to "love" in a Bruno Mars cover, and changing "shit" to "stuff" in an Adele cover. That seemed a little unnecessary to me, but whatever, not a huge deal.

This was when he came down into the audience.
Photo by AmyLynn98.

Normally, when you think of an actor that becomes a musician, you kind of wonder why because they just don't perform as well as they act.

That is not the case with Gary Sinise. Gary plays the electric bass. He was on stage ALL NIGHT LONG and played during every song. He was a sweaty man at the end of the show, which was a full two hours. While he wasn't singing into a mic (and there was one set up for him), he sang along with almost every song. Although, I have to admit, most of us in the audience were singing along as well, right along with him.

Gary Sinise is comfortable to watch on stage, picking at his bass. He's up there, dancing and moving, getting the crowd going, clapping, jamming. He interacts with his fellow bandmates. He doesn't act like it's all about him. All of his bandmates are excellent performers, there's no slouches here. We're talking quality music, all the way around.

He should be a musician first and an actor first. He plays to the crowd, purposely giving the audience the chance to take photos of him, right on the edge of the stage. At one point, he came down into the audience, mingling with people, dancing and singing. At this point, no one was watching the other performers on stage, of course. And let me just say, this man looks GOOD! Gary Sinise is a good looking man as well as a great actor, so it was actually kind of awe-inspiring to see him in this light. But oh, why couldn't he have taken off the hat?? It would have been nice to fully see his face.

Photo by AmyLynn98.

< /drooling>

Here is the set list, for about as complete as I could get it:
--Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars
--Domino by Jessie J--This one was just cute because of the lyrics, "I'm seeing Hollywood stars, you strum me like a guitar," so the singer, Molly Callinan was singing that part to Gary with her arm around him. Loved that little touch. For this part of her performance, Molly was dead on, but for most of the night, her movements seemed so choreographed and just not natural movement. It's like the music stopped moving her on it's own.
--Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B by the Andrews Sisters
--All Night Long by Lionel Richie
--Walk Away by Kelly Clarkson
--Crazy in Love by Beyonce
--Everything She Does by the Police
--Smooth by Santana--This one was a bit much. While the vocals and the music were great, Jeff Vezain's butt shaking and attempt at one-person salsa dancing had a lot of the older ladies shrieking and swooning.
--Teenage Wasteland by The Who
--The Devil Went Down to Georgia by the Charlie Daniels Band
--This was a bit of a break in the music here, for Gary to address the audience to talk about why he started the band, got involved with the USO, and the love he had for a brother-in-law, who had served in the military.
--Hero by Mariah Carey
--Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears For Fears--This was one of their best performances, I thought, but I am a child of the 80's, especially where the music is concerned.
--These Days by Rascal Flatts
--The Rising by Bruce Springsteen--This was another really good performance.
--Rolling in the Deep by Adele
--Ants Marching by Dave Matthews Band--This song was THEIR BEST PERFORMANCE, IMHO.
--(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman by Aretha Franklin--They brought a random guy up on stage to have two of the female singers sing this to him, and it was corny and funny and cheesy, and Brad milked it for all he could.
--Long Train Running (Without Love) by the Doobie Brothers
--Small Town Girl by Journey--Okay, this was also THEIR BEST PERFORMANCE.
--a freestyle kind of jazzy song that they played when Gary came down into the audience
--2 country songs I didn't recognize at all so I didn't record them.
--Proud to be An American by Lee Greenwood

I only took short snippets of the songs because I didn't want to fill my card in my camera with full length videos.

Locked Out of Heaven by Bruno Mars, sang by Molly Callinan, video by AmyLynn98.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears, sang by Dan Myers, video by AmyLynn98.

Ants Marching by Dave Matthews Band, sang by Jeff Vezain, violin by Dan Myers, video by AmyLynn98.

This was posted on You Tube as the finale of the night, Proud to be An American

With all that was said and done, I don't know that the Lt. Dan Band will ever return to the Pavillion in Portsmouth. With a capacity of 6,500 people, this was a free concert and should have FILLED the Pavillion. It wasn't full. It looked to be at about half capacity. If they ever come back, they should come perform at one of the park's at Norfolk Naval Station. It could still have the same number of attendees but it would look fuller out there.