The World Begins Again

It's time to give my poor neglected blog its yearly update. I'm hoping this will serve as a reminder of all the good that happened this past year, rather than focusing on my failures.

What did you do in 2018 that you’d never done before?

Lots of things, actually. Jump off a high dive was one. Starting a podcast was another. The podcast itself is still in the works, but you can actually listen to three episodes of "The Love & Light Podcast" in your favorite listening app. Look for the cute lightbulb, designed by my friend Todd Anderson.

Love & LIght Podcast

Did you keep your new years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I'm not sure I did, but I decided I was going to do a couch-to-5K program (which started January 22nd). I did that, and then I decided to train for a 10K and then a half-marathon, Amazingly enough, I did it! For someone who has NEVER been athletic, it's pretty amazing that my body did that, although I really felt like I was going to die after that first workout!
I have made more goals, including a full marathon. Eeek!!

Did anyone close to you give birth?

My cousin Heather had a sweet baby boy, whom I have yet to meet.

Did anyone close to you die?

Not particularly close, thankfully. I have several friends currently fighting cancer, but they are still fighting. I am truly surrounded by amazingly strong women.

What countries did you visit?

I should really just change this question to states, but (not) soon enough I will be venturing overseas. This year, I went to California, Nevada, Arizona, and (briefly) through Wyoming.

What would you like to have in 2019 that you lacked in 2018?

Total repeat and still true: confidence and organization

What date from 2018 will remain etched upon your memory?

October 27. That was the day of the Halloween Half; we also took family pictures, and I had a delightful evening with my friend Julia watching Lea Michelle & Darren Criss.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Half-Marathon. For sure.

What was your biggest failure?

Editing issues. It took me forever to get people their pictures, and I felt terrible about it.

Did you suffer illness or injury?

Not really (thank you, Jesus). I did get in a car accident and had a mild concussion, but that's about it.

What was the best thing you bought?

VIP pass to see Mat Kearney. I adore him.

Whose behavior merited celebration?

This is always a weird question; I should probably delete it. But I'm gonna be selfish and say that MINE did, because I really worked on my attitude and behavior this year, and I made a lot of positive changes. I was really hurt by some words spoken by people who barely know me, but I worked my way through it, and I'm stronger on the other side.

Where did most of your money go?

Bills. Car (including repairs from the accident and a small fortune in gas). Food. Concerts/Shows. Gifts. Airline Tickets. Bath & Body Works. Ulta. Amazon. (Not necessarily in that order)

What did you get really, really, really excited about?

A trip to California for the Don't Keep Your Day Job workshop with Cathy Heller. I've become a bit obsessed with her, and that was a really great event. The hotel in Hollywood, though, was another story .  .  .

What song will always remind you of 2018?

"Let Your Colors Shine" by Cathy Heller. It's not a great song, but it's fun and it reminds me of her awesome podcast and it makes me happy.

My album of the year is "Delta" by Mumford & Sons. PEOPLE. If you haven't listened to it, you need to. It's incredible, and it honestly might be enough to knock U2 out of my top spot. IT'S THAT GOOD. Honorable mentions to the Hamilton Soundtrack and to "Beautiful Trauma" by Pink.

My top 10 SONGS of 2018 (or, the songs that have meant the most to me this year)

10. "Electric Blue" by Icehouse

9. "Kings & Queens" by Mat Kearney

8. "A Million Dreams" by Pink (Greatest Showman)

7.  "It's Quiet Uptown" (Hamilton Soundtrack)

6. "I Will Be Released" by John Nolan

5. "A Little Respect" by Erasure

4. "Heart of a Hero" by Cathy Heller

3. "Whatever You Want" by Pink

2. "Beloved" by Mumford & Sons

1. "Slip Away" by Mumford & Sons

And the concert list for this year: 

Mat Kearney {with Allison} (The Complex, SLC, 2.25.18)
Bon Jovi {with Mach & Wow} (Vivint Smarthome Arena, SLC, 3.16.18)
OMD {with Allison} (The Complex, SLC, 3.21.18)
Pink {with Gina & Lori} (Vivint Smarthome Arena, SLC, 5.9.19)
U2 {with Dom} (T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, 5.11.18)
Erasure {with Allison} (Kingsbury Hall, SLC, 8.12.18)
LM/DC {with Julia} (Eccles Theatre, SLC, 10.27.18)
Air Supply {with Mandi} (Eccles Theatre, SLC, 11.16.18)

They weren't concerts, but I also saw Hamilton and Phantom of the Opera at Eccles Theatre. And nothing at USANA. Huh.

I should really add my top Podcasts of the year, since that's become a thing:
10. Heavyweight
9. The Sisterhood Podcast
8. Baconsale
7. Happier with Gretchen Rubin
6. The Life Coach School/Better than Happy (tied)
5. Cold
4. Do It Scared/Goal Digger (tied)
3. Life on the Rocks, Please
2. Awesome with Alison
1. Don't Keep Your Day Job

Compared to this time last year, are you:

   Happier or sadder? Happier in general, though I'm fighting with the S.A.D.

   Thinner or fatter? Thinner! Not where I want to be, but I still lost 50lbs!

   Richer or poorer?  Poorer, seeing as I'm not very employed at the moment.

What do you wish you’d done more of?  

Spending quality time with my Benji.

What do you wish you’d done less of?  

Staying up too late, saying yes when I really want to say no (like to the Float Committee).

How will you be spending Christmas? 

Honestly, I'm not sure. Allen worked all the holidays this year, so it was kind-of a mess.

Did you fall in love in 2018?

Not really, but I am appreciating my husband more.

Who were your best friends?

Peggy, Heather. My sisters.

What thing did you do that was meaningful to others?

I spent LOTS of time taking and editing pictures this year (and several of these sessions were free of charge); I hope they are meaningful to others, or what the hell am I doing?
And I hope the Days of '47 Float meant something to someone. All it meant to me was pain and obedience.

What were your favorite TV programs?

I have watched very little TV this year. The only series I binged was "Godless" on Netflix. Everything else has been super hit-and-miss.

Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No. There is someone I really loved in the past, but I think I see him more clearly now, and what he says doesn't matter.

What was the best book you read in 2018?

I did not read as much as I wanted to this year. I did finish the Livre de Mormon in around 5 days (procrastinate much?). The best novel I read was "Lethal White" by Robert Galbraith. I also read "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brene' Brown, "Girl, Wash Your Face" by Rachel Hollis, "Start With Why" by Simon Sinek, and some others. I should keep better track of that.

What was your greatest musical discovery?

OMD put on a GREAT show! I had very low expectations, so maybe that helped. But it was awesome.

What did you want and get?

To start a podcast. It's started, but still struggling. Mostly just me, but also because Peggy is so dang busy!

What did you want but did NOT get?

A Kindle. Good grief--this has been on my list for like 6 years now. Also a new laptop.

What was your favorite film of this year?

A Quiet Place was fantastic. So was Mission: Impossible Fallout. I also enjoyed Black Panther, Aquaman, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and Ready Player One

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I went to "Rewire Choir" at Daniel Blomberg's home, I went to a fundraiser for a friend with cancer, and we probably went out to dinner. And I turned 39.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

More sleep. 

What kept you sane?

Friends. Good people at work and church and in my life.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Patrick Wilson is back at #1, though I got to take a picture with David Tennant at FanX. Jason Momoa is steadily climbing the charts, though.

What political issue stirred you the most?

Probably the Kavanaugh Hearings, and the bravery of Christine Blasey-Ford. The royal wedding (Harry & Meghan), and the boys who got stranded in a cave in Thailand . . . WOW. 

Who did you miss?

Lots of people. I have not seen enough of Shannah Leigh.

Who was the best new person you met this year?

My friend Lana, who is in my choir (the Salt Lake Singers). She's a total soul sister.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2018.

You have more power than you think you do.

Quote that sums up your year:

“People may call what happens at midlife “a crisis,” but it’s not. It’s an unraveling—a time when you feel a desperate pull to live the life you want to live, not the one you’re “supposed” to live. The unraveling is a time when you are challenged by the universe to let go of who you think you are supposed to be and to embrace who you are.” 
― Brené Brown, The Gifts of Imperfection

So there it is . . . my yearly contribution to this blog and a reminder of the good and bad of this time in my life. I want to know how your year went as well! Please comment or shoot me a DM (slide on in, baby!). Let's make 2019 a great one, eh?

LOVE YOU!!!

Running to Stand Still

Several people have asked me for a concert report. While Rolling Stone did a great job with their review, I wanted to tell you about my Mother's Day.

My concert buddy Allison and I flew to Seattle on Saturday May 13th, and we stayed with my dear friend Jason.

Airplane Selfie!

I love the window seat. 

Me & Jason on his roof. Words cannot tell you how amazing this man is.

We stayed at Jason's lovely home on Saturday night, and we got up early on Sunday for a Mother's Day brunch and ate lots of pastries.

Allison & I with the troll (and a random dude playing the ukelele)

Allison, Justin & Jason outside the "Silence-Heart-Nest" hippie restaurant

A delightful pain-au-chocolat

I had received an email from Century Link field a few days before I left, in which they told me they do not allow regular purses. They have to be clear. I debated on just stuffing my pockets, but luckily Jason had some leftover plastic bags from buying curtains. So I did a little arts-and-crafts project and made myself this super-classy crossbody bag. I literally braided some twine to make a strap and just kept everything else in the bag.

Amazing, right?! (Preview of young Barack on the right)

After my little project, we thought about going to Pike Place, but got caught in traffic and couldn't find anywhere to park. So we just went to Century Link,

As close as we got

After having paid $50 to park (gah!!!), we tried to find the General Admission (GA) line around 2pm. It was already around the building, so I'm glad we got there when we did. Allison had to go find a restroom, so I just started chatting with the guy in line in front of me. I noticed he was wearing a Joshua Tree hat, which he could only have gotten at the opening night of the tour in Vancouver. We started talking, and he has been to 50 concerts over the last 30 years (his first U2 show being during the original Joshua Tree tour). 

Simon (a.k.a., @BadAcrobat, a.k.a. Dad)

As we kept talking, the people around us started listening and joining in on the conversation, and we all realized that we needed to stick with Simon. He knew exactly where to stand and what he was doing, despite never having been to this venue. So we all started talking to each other and getting to know each other a little, sharing our cheesy popcorn and chatting. And I kinda started calling Simon Dad, because he kept looking back to make sure we were all with him. Simon is originally British, but lives in Alaska. The couple ahead of us were a French girl (Lisa) and her latino boyfriend; I don't remember his name, but he looked exactly like a young Barack Obama. Seriously. The couple behind us were Chaveli and Bryan, who were from the Philippines. How cool is it that people from all over the world met each other at a concert and became fast friends?! I love it. 

When the line started moving, we had to make our way into a Disneyland-type line, when we found out that it was Chaveli's birthday!

Moo.

At this point, I got to skip out of the line to use the restroom for a minute. It was pretty nice to wash my cheesy fingers, and my little group remembered me so I could get back in line.

We finally made our way onto the field around 5:45pm, and I decided I needed a group picture. I have no idea who the guy on the left is, but whatever.

L-R: Some random dude, Young Barack, Lisa, Simon, Bryan, Chaveli, Me & Allison

I also had to sneak a better picture of Barack.

It was throwing me off a little bit.

Lisa and Young Barack

So we waited for another hour or so, until Mumford & Sons came out onto the stage. they stayed on the main stage, so I was a little doubtful as to our positioning, and a little sad I didn't get a better view. But they still sounded fantastic.

This is what the stage looked like in the light. It was probably 30-40 feet tall,
judging by the very small, very talented Brits on stage.

 I was a little disappointed that the people around me weren't as excited as I was for Mumford & Sons; I'm also sad they didn't play more than they did. But I'm a total fangirl, and I know that people usually don't go to concerts fo the opening act. Even so--WHAT AN OPENING ACT. Here's their setlist:

Snake Eyes

Little Lion Man

Below My Feet

Lover of the Light

Tompkins Square Park

Believe

The Wolf

They played for about 45 minutes, and I knew I wasn't going to make it until the end of the concert, so I made my way out of the pit and up to the restroom. It wasn't bad going out, but coming back in was another story. I picked up some Fish & Chips (mediocre) and a beer (I bought a beer!) and trying to get back into our fabulous spot right by the stage with food in hand was, uh, not pretty. I have a whole diatribe on concert ettiquette, and I knew I was that annoying person, but I really was there earlier! I kept apoligizing and admitting what an a**hole I was for trying to get in front of people. But I did what I had to do, and I had to get back to my friends! 

I finally made it, and delivered the beer to Simon as a thank you for getting us to where he did. (Chaveli asked him how he got a beer, and he said that it magically appeared over his shoulder!). I'm not sure if buying a beer on a Sunday is considered a good deed, but I'll leave that up to you to judge. I probably should have bought Bryan a beer, considering that he bought me a lemonade earlier, but I barely made it through the crowd with one!

Anyway, after Mumford & Sons was done, we had to wait for another hour or so for the sun to set. And when the boys walked out onto that stage, literally 15 feet in front of me, I was jumping up and down! Simon really came through for us.

The Edge is so freaking adorable.

Seriously?! How amazing is this lineup?!

Bono . . . still sounding fantastic

Adam . . . who only looks better and better with age

I wish I had a better camera, but my curtain-bag crossbody would only hold so much. And I try to not take too many pictures, because I want to BE THERE and enjoy it. But the views were so incredible I had to take a ton! Plus, Allison's phone had died, so I had to get pictures for her too.

They stayed on the B-stage (right in front of us) for a few songs:

Sunday Bloody Sunday

New Year's Day

A Sort of Homecoming

Bad

Pride (In The Name of Love)

 Then the screen turned on and they made their way back to the main stage to play though the entire Joshua Tree album (in order):

Where the Streets Have No Name

I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For

With or Without You

Bullet the Blue Sky

Running to Stand Still

Red Hill Mining Town

In God's Country

Trip Through Your Wires

One Tree Hill

Exit

Mothers of the Disappeared

Each song was accompanied by an original mini-film (with a very American flair) on the giant screen. Some were really cool; some were a little weird, like the one of Edge's wife, Miss Mysterious Ways herself,  wearing a stars-and-stripes bikini top and jeans while throwing a lasso . . . but the screen was incredible. Apparently it's 8K (top-of-the-line TVs these days are 4K, so I'm just saying). I can't remember which images went with which songs, but I'll do my best.

Where the Streets have No Name

In God's Country

Red Hill Mining Town, featuring a Salvation Army brass band

This shows you the scale of the screen

I think this was Trip Through Your Wires 

One Tree Hill

Not sure which song, but a cool visual of the screen

On Mothers of the Disappeared, they had Eddie Vedder and Mumford & Sons come out to join them. Now that's a supergroup I could get behind! (Who am I kidding? I love supergroups.)

That was the end of the main set, but (of course) they came back for an encore. They played a few more songs on the main stage, accompanied again by amazing (if political) videos:

Beautiful Day

Elevation

Ultraviolet (Light My Way)

One

Miss Sarajevo

I love how Ultraviolet became a girl-power moment, changing HIStory into HERstory, and they showed faces of amazing women, like Rosa Parks, Marie Curie, Patti Smith, Angela Merkel, and Lena Dunham. (I'm sorry--I can't even type that with a straight face, but she was one of the chosen few).

Bono has always been political, so you have to expect that at a U2 concert. What I did not expect was to be close enough to see the whites of his eyes. They came back out to the B-stage to finish out the show.

 They played a new song (the only song less than 15 years old) from the upcoming "Songs of Experience" album, called The Little Things That Give You Away. I really liked it, and apparently that's where they ended the show in Vancouver. But they gave us one more to send us out on a serious high: I Will Follow.

(Side note: Simon posted in the atU2 forum on Twitter after the Vancouver show that they should end the concert with I Will Follow. Coincidence? Maybe. But he was unbelievably stoked about it!)

Here's my favorite picture of the night:

Bono and Adam stuck in a moment, with the Edge (larger than life) looking on

I love this picture, because it really encapsulates what I love about this band. They are brothers. They know how lucky they are to make so much money doing what they love. They use their celebrity for good causes. They have fun and live every day to the fullest. These guys are well into their fifties, and have literally been doing this exact same thing since they were teenagers in the 70's, still going strong after 40+ years. 

Are they the greatest band in the world? Probably not. Are they the most amazing musicians? Not really. But I adore them. Their lyrics mean something and the music is heartwrenching, and they just figured it all out together, becoming unbelievably successful through hard work and perserverance. It's so cool to see. And their music speaks to people all over the world--even to just a few people who would have otherwise never met. 

*sigh*

That's about it. We drove Simon back to the bay to catch the Bainbridge Ferry, and went back to Jason's for the night. We slept for a few hours, then got up early to catch our flight home (and there were plenty of people in the airport, and even on the parking shuttle at SLC also wearing their JT30 gear). It was an amazing couple of days, and I'll never forget it. Some say I'm crazy, but this was definitely money and time well spent. I hope you have something you are as passionate about, and that it brings you as much joy as this did for me.