Still I Find Why...

Bullet for My Valentine and All That Remains at Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ with Jenna, Tommy, and Judy.

One of the main reasons that I'd gone to Rock on the Range in Columbus back in May was to see All That Remains. They've been around for a few years, but just haven't been in our area in a long time. The ROTR set was really short, but I thought they were great. This time around, they were even better. So much energy, even with a stand-in drummer, and the bassist looked way more comfortable on stage this time around. Even Judy liked them!

I'd seen Bullet twice at Taste of Chaos shows last year, and been disappointed both times. I really like their music, but for some reason, I just can't get into them live. Their sets tend to bore me, between playing songs other than what I want to hear, and putting too many like songs one after another. Unfortunately, I felt the same way at this show, and was getting really tired by the end.

...One Ear Against the Ground...

Rise Against and Rancid at Roseland Ballroom, NYC, with Tommy and Jenna. It was actually supposed to be Tommy, Judy, Dave & I, but Dave suddenly had a double-header to play, and Judy had a baby shower or something to attend. We were able to sell Tommy's extra ticket for almost face-value outside the parking garage, and I just gave Dave's to Jenna for free. I had been in the hospital for vertigo a few days before, and still wasn't feeling well, so Tommy had to drive. Rancid was awesome, but I don't know much of their music. Rise Against was high-energy and great, as always, but by the end of the main set, I just couldn't stand up anymore. We left before they even did any encore.

You Are My Sunshine

For Mom's 56th birthday, we gave her a gift certificate for a massage and facial with a friend at a local spa. When it came time to make the appointment, she decided to invite me along. In the car on the way over, I thanked her for inviting me, and said, "But I didn't expect this when we bought the gift certificate. I thought you would take your best friend." She looked at me with a smile and said, "I am."