Review of Heart in Concert at Musikfest

Every August in Bethlehem, Pa  they shut down the main part of the city for 2 weeks and fill it with music.  Hence the name Musikfest.  The first time I was there was because of a guy I nicknamed Poncho Man.  Poncho Man was very different than any customer I had come through my line at the supermarket.  I would always compliment him on his ponchos he'd wear because no one else in the stuck up town I lived wore anything interesting like that.  He was a man of the world and would tell me of trips he had been on.  He probably got a kick out me being so wided eyed at his stories that he invited me to Musikfest.  It was love at first sight.  In one tent we danced to reggae music in a mile long congo line.  On another stage, I listened to a celtic band that I still love 11 years later.  And the only big name playing that week was James Taylor's brother.  Every August I would think about Musikfest but never went.  Poncho Man and I lost touch and was forgotten.  I heard last year Clay Aiken was there so I made it my goal to go this year.  A week before I thought, "Hmm, I better see who is at Musikfest this year."  My jaw dropped when I saw my favorite band was headlining.  With a week to go, and our anniversary coming up, my loving husband scored major brownie points by buying us tickets.  We didn't get the greatest seats, but just to be there was awesome.  You know who Heart is right?  "These Dreams," "Alone," "What About Love?"  Ok, so I those are not my favorites, but I'm trying to establish a connection here.  Heart premiered in 1975 with Dreamboat Annie-one of the greatest albums ever made.  Ann Wilson is the rocker girl with the amazing voice and her sister Nancy is the genius musician. No, I'm not going into all the other musicians they've had through the years, but you can post about it if you have the time.  So, now going into their fifties, they still got it.  Ann can still belt her voice like old times and Nancy is jumping and rocking out on her guitar.  They were amazing.  They played Magic Man, Straight On, Love Alive, Bebe Le Strange, Even it Up, Tom Petty's "You Wreck Me," a Who song (Rain on Me?), 2 Led Zepplin covers, Alone, These Dreams, Crazy on You, Barracuda, Lost Angel (from new album).  This was a first for me to go to a concert that I could scream at the end of a song because I had loved it for so many years.  My husband is not so much a classic rock fan, and he was impressed.  It was strange for people to be singing right along and not miss a beat--just like me.  Oh yeah, and Poncho Man was there... sitting just a few rows up.

Dude, I'm on iTunes

One of the first audio dramas that I worked on, Avatar (as part of the Dome series from Lucky Shot Productions) is now available on iTunes!  It is under the Spoken Word category, and is listed under the artist The Dome.  Rock on!

I found a job!

Yes, I was sceptical about my job search.  I had to broaden my expectations in order to find one.  My biggest gripe about my 20s is that I never learned a skill.  I don't have time/money for college and I don't know what I would've taken if I did go.  English literature and Medieval history can only take one so far.  I was waiting for my career to find me.  I just can't believe it did.  Someone was crazy enough to hire and train me as a dental assistant.  Now this will take some time, but it's paid training! And I get a raise once I'm x-ray certified.  What I had to broaden were my time limits.  I'm going from working 12 hours near by to 20 in a town that's 30 minutes away.  I've never been away from my daughter that long.  She will have her grandpa to watch her, but it breaks my heart to see her guarding the door so I won't leave.  Well why not save your pennies and stay home as others have told me.  We tried and it didn't work.  We live modestly already: I clip my coupons, my children wear hand me downs, we live in a townhouse, I don't have a maid (alas!) and we really can't cut it.  So within these circumstances, I am excited about learning something that will make me look desirable to employers.  In my own childish mind, what am I the most excited about all this?  It just so happens that the dentist's daughter-in-law is the assistant to Elmo. Yes, the Elmo on Sesame Street.  She is good friends with the man behind Elmo and he comes to the dental office sometimes to sign autographs.  How cool is that?  Wouldn't you say that's an in to have my children appear on Sesame Street?  OK I'm thinking too far ahead--but you have to have goals, right?

What a Difference Three Weeks Make

Madeleine's broken arm a week later:

 

 

Madeleine's arm after three weeks:

 

Dr. Flynn, Madeleine's Doctor



Madeleine went to CHOP's King of Prussia office Monday where her cast and pins were removed.  From the last X-ray three weeks ago to Monday's X-ray, we were shown how her arm grew a new bone and everything was just about healed.  Thank goodness Daddy came to hold her down while they split the cast-it would have taken 3 of me. I have to personally thank Dr. Flynn-chief of orthopaedic surgery-at CHOP for taking care of my baby girl.  I can't promise I won't get some gray hairs from the whole experience but we've finally come full circle.  

What <em>can't</em> you find off the coast of New Jersey?

We had a nice family outing to Wildwood, NJ yesterday.  The last time I was there I was 16.  At that time in history, I didn't care about water quality, burning hot sand and biting sand flies.  Why?  Because I didn't have little ones whining for 3/4 of a mile that the sand was burning their feet or flies were attacking them.  I wish I could say that was all there was to complain about.  There is a treasure of sorts that you can find along the beach and I wish I could say it was seashells.  One woman was holding up a piece of glass she had found in the water.  I saw (toilet)paper and candy wrappers.  Last year in Ocean City, NJ I found a plastic glove and plastic wrap.  Yum.  In Wildwood, the water seemed very murky which worried me.  The EPA has shut down 20,000 beaches in the U.S. due to contamination since last year.   All in all, the kids had a great time. There was a breeze and the water felt great considering it was almost 100 degrees.  When I'm there I never want to go home.  I wish I could wake up and spend all day there and be a total beach bum if there wasn't something called responsibility that beckons me.  I look forward to a time when mankind can enjoy the beach without having to worry about pollution.  They will all be pristine just as God intentioned.