It's Not Easy Being A Girl

They say the truth hurts, but I'm here to tell you that beauty hurts more.

Not natural beauty, of course--but the kind of beauty that we ladies pay good money for and for which we subject our bodies to various torturous devices and garments.  Here's my list of things that women use that are seriously painful, but we do them anyway... all in an effort to look pretty.  Feel free to add any that I may have missed in the Comment section!

High Heels

I've written before about high heels that have ruined my night, and I stand by my theory that high heels were created by a misogynistic sadist whose quest to torture women just happened to produce something that also makes our legs and asses look fantastic.

"Comfortable high heels" is a total oxymoron, yet when special occasions arise we wedge our poor hooves into unnatural positions, crunch our toes into narrow leather restraints, and put undue pressure on our lower backs... all because.... well, why do we do it?  Because it's expected of us, sure.  Because legs look stumpy when you're wearing flats, definitely.  Some women want to look taller, but as a 5'7" "giant" that was never the case for me.

The older I get, the less inclined I am to suffer for fashion.  When I shoe shop I become a bit of an old lady, uttering previously-unheard of  phrases like, "That heel is too skinny for me," and "Does this come in Wide?"  I'm seriously one step away from throwing in the towel and getting a pair of these beauties:

False Eyelashes

Long, lush lashes are something that we all strive to achieve.  There's a multi-million dollar industry built on the fact that women will smear everything from beeswax to bat crap on their eyelashes in order to make them darker and longer.  On special occasions I've been known to rock some false eyelashes, and while I love how they look, I do NOT love the process of applying them.  You have to put glue on them, you see, and then get them in just the right place on your eyelid, which isn't easy.  Then you have to hold them there until they dry, and you can almost guarantee that they will start to come off at some point... which is a weird look.

But you cannot deny that for certain occasions, nothing but long black eyelashes will do:

Spanx

It's a well-documented fact that I own several pairs of Spanx (and other corset-y, suck-you-in undergarments), but the truth of the matter is that Spanx suck!  They don't make you look thinner, they just smooth out your lumps and fat rolls and relocate them to other, weirder places. Sure, they can make your lumpy cottage cheese ass look less lumpy and cottage cheesy, but they will not eliminate the junk in your trunk.  Only diet and exercise will do that... and we all know how I feel about those. 

Hair Extensions

Since I'm not a Hollywood celebrity I have very limited experience with hair extensions, however recently Mala tried hers on me and I have to tell you... they may look amazing, but they hurt like a mofo!  The clip-on kind (like Mala has) are little comb/clip things that fasten onto your hair at the roots, and when all is said and done you're left with a very heavy head of hair that once belonged to a cash-strapped Indian woman and is now clipped painfully to your scalp.  Every movement of your head reminds you that they are there; and they're not just heavy... they hurt.

The permanent extensions are even more expensive and even more painful, from what I've heard, so every time you see an actress go from short to long seemingly overnight, know that they're lugging around a few pounds of paid-for locks that are probably hurting their skulls with every nod and shake of their heads.  Jennifer Aniston, who is known for her gorgeous head of hair, admits to being "addicted" to hair extensions and to losing a lot of her real mane as a result of using the extensions so much.



Clearly, I'll put up with a lot in order to look as fabulous as I can on special occasions. Between the above examples of vanity and the fact that girls are well known to be terrible bitches throughout adolescence, I can say without hyperbole that it's not easy being a girl!

What do you think?  What did I miss?

Musical (and Muse-ical) Monday

Hey there! How does this Monday morning find you? I hope you're all feeling groovy and ready to rock this week out like I am! If not, never fear; I've got a cure for what ails ya'. I've got a cool song and video to implant in your head for at least a day, along with my typical random blatherings to (hopefully) entertain you.

No need to thank me; I did it all for the nookie.

My weekend was pretty sweet. On Saturday morning Mala and I dumped our kids with my darling husband and went for pedicures at a local shi-shi salon, complete with Pina Coladas and plenty of chit-chat about Twilight versus (the way cooler, IMO) True Blood, then we had lunch and took the kids to the lake to burn off what remained of their moxie. It was supremely relaxing and a great belated celebration for Mala's birthday!

On Sunday we did a family clean-out of the toy situation, which felt GOOD. Seriously, taking out two trash bags full of broken toys, Happy Meal junk, and irreparably-sticky doo-dads felt better to me than a week of foot rubs. We also put away three big boxes of toys that the boys don't play with anymore; we are saving them up for Jim's brothers, who both have plans to procreate with their wives within the next year or so.

DAMN, it felt good to be a gangsta to clean out the crap!


On to the fun Monday morning pick-u-ups!

I have been humming the song Bulletproof by La Roux for weeks now, and imagine my delight when I found that the video is cool enough to be OOBH-worthy! It's as if someone morphed Tilda Swinton with Jimmy Neutron, added a dollop of David Bowie, and dropped the resulting hipster into a 1980's electronica meets MC Escher landscape.

Exhibit A:

It rocks, which is sayin' something because all singer Elly Jackson does in the video is walk. Yet, she looks way cool doing it. Check it out:

Pretty neat, huh? I dig it. Good luck getting that song out of your head.

The world has a new Ugliest Dog! Congratulations to Princess Abby, the inbred Chihuahua who won that dubious honor this weekend.



Awww, she's... well, she's... I'm sure she's very sweet. She's also a good reminder to take Bob Barker's advice. No, not the advice that he no doubt gives about not sleeping with the Price Is Right models without having a gag order signed in advance, this advice:

The Price is WRONG, bitch!

That's it for now, cuties. It's shaping up to be a busy week in Bev-land, but never fear. I'll be around. Have a happy day!

Don't believe your eyes!

Well, helllooooooooooooooo. Today I'd like to talk about this:



Yesterday Cary made a post about what fast food looks like in advertising versus what it looks like in real life. The general consensus among the commenters was that most fast food looks like somebody sat on it and/or it may contain a talon of some sort. Caveat emptor, yo. Coincidentally, my lovely sister sent me an email over the weekend containing some unretouched photos of Madonna during her latest modeling job for Louis Vuitton. Like the mangled Filet O'Hoki sandwich, Madonna also looks like someone sat on her.

Don't get me wrong; the woman is in her fifties and looks pretty amazing! However, anyone could look great if they spent a gazillion dollars on face lifts, chemical peels, injectable fillers and whatnot, not to mention make-up. I'm sure I'd be able to stomp on the groin of Father Time as well if it weren't for the fact that I am poor and don't have my picture taken for a living.

Anyhoodle, see for yourself.

Before:

Madonna needs the Precious.

After:


Haute Couture never looked so haute.

Wouldn't it be nice if we all had a Photoshop expert to fine-tune all of our photos? Since we're on the subject, yesterday I was perusing one of my favorite time-wasting sites, Photoshop Disasters, and came across this little number:

Kimora looks... well, wow. Nice legs, Stretch.

With beach season upon us I have been hearing more and more of my friends (myself included) complaining about our bodies. Hey, we all put on weight at certain times in our lives. Some of us, like myself, have never been skinny and most likely never will be skinny. I own my curves (and my back fat, sadly) and as a grown-ass woman I've come to terms with what I look like in this lifetime.

I know you've heard this before, but it bears repeating: don't let the magazines fool you, nobody is perfect. Even skinny people have cellulite and thigh dimples once they reach a certain age. As long as you are healthy and eat well most of the time, let the number on the scale be just that, a number.

Anyone can be hot and sexy, at any size.

For what it's worth, I think you look fantastic, so rock it out, my lovelies!

*MUAH*

Speaking of Playboy

I have a confession to make, but those of you who know me won't be shocked by it at all. You see, despite the fact that I routinely ridicule friends like Mala for watching all of those horrid VH-1 and MTV reality shows (Tool Academy & Rock of Love Bus? Really?) I have been watching E!'s The Girls Next Door since episode one. It started off innocently enough - I was home sick one weekday and bored out of my skull, so I started perusing Comcast's On Demand options and came across the whole first season. I turned it on because hey, I like attractive naked people as much as the next girl, and I was oddly fascinated with three women who were (allegedly) porking senior citizen Hugh Hefner.

I was hooked. After all, watching this frothy concoction of T+A is the ultimate escapism. Their lifestyle could not be further from my own reality on the spectrum of normalcy. For one thing, they share a man. I would be jealous if the man I loved had two other beautiful girlfriends, and the idea that we'd hang out like sisters in a sorority house simply boggles my mind. For another thing, their whole lives are spent lounging around wearing skimpy pink outfits, dressing up their little dogs, and attending swanky parties where everyone tells them how gorgeous they are and take their photos for the media.

Yeah, that doesn't happen to me. I don't even have a dog anymore, and when I did I certainly never dressed him up in costumes. Much.

For the record, my favorite Girl was always Bridget, who was the oldest of the bunch and seemed to be the smartest. Also, her looks just seem much more natural than the other two; she's a natural (albeit enhanced) blonde, has a very curvy figure (oh how I envy her teeny tiny waist), and I am not 100% sure, but I think her breasts are even real. Maybe. At any rate, they're spectacular.

Mostly I like her best because she is educated and reasonably intelligent, seemed to be there for the "right" reasons (i.e. she never had designs of making notorious bachelor HH settle down with her, seemed up-front about the fact that it was just too good a gig to pass up, etc.), and she was the peace-maker among the group. Bridget was the glue that held idiot Kendra and power-hungry Holly together.



Now the girls have all gone their separate ways and there's a new batch of bimbos inhabiting Hugh's love shack. I watched the first episode of the new season the other day while living my own glamorous life -- folding laundry in sweatpants while my kids begged for Fudgsicles -- and wasn't all that impressed with the new crop. For one thing, two of them are twins who apparently share a brain, and not a highly-functioning one at that. They do everything together, dress identically, and finish each other's sentences. I have absolutely no hope or desire to learn which one is Kristina and which one is Karissa.

The "new Holly" seems like a nice enough girl, but frankly... she bores me. Also, she looks exactly like the twins, so sometimes I can't tell who is who is who anymore. Would it kill Hugh to have a hot brunette girlfriend? Sheesh!

So, we'll see how the season goes. If I watch it, I'm not sure yet. I've never gone out of my way to watch it, I don't Tivo it or anything like that, but it's hard to miss it when you're flipping channels on the weekends. I used to feel like watching it was like popping a couple of Xanex and taking a little mental vacation, but the first episode just kind of irked me for some reason. We'll see.

Personally, I would like it better if Hugh had chosen a more substantive girlfriend. Maybe someone like November playmate Marge Simpson, for example?



Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

Anyway, there it is. Don't judge me; I'm way ahead of you on that one. ;)

The burning means it's working!

Recently I started a new skin care regimen, and judging by the rash that's appeared on my neck, I don't think it's gonna work out. A few weeks ago I was chatting with a new acquaintance at a kid's birthday party and he (yes, he -- don't judge!) started telling me about this product he is using that is helping to fade his crow's feet and fine lines. Of course you all know that I plan to fight aging tooth & nail, so I perked up and took notes. I was sitting right next to him, and his skin DID look fantastic!

Laurie ran right out and bought it and reported that her skin felt soft and lovely. She was kind enough to give me the little travel sized samples that came with her kit, so I gave it a try. Incidentally, even my husband thought I was crazy when he saw the product in the bathroom. His exact words were, "Why are you using an acne product? You don't have acne!" When I told him about my fine lines he actually snorted.

I'm really glad I didn't purchase the whole kit without trying it because it immediately started causing problems. It burned! It left me with red splotches on each cheek! My face felt dry even after applying the lotion! And now, weeks after I started using it, I'm breaking out in a rash and I'm itching in weird places like my hairline, neck, and ears.

Fuck this noise! Now I think I need to go get a professional facial. This itching is ridonk!

I've been faithfully rubbing the lotion on its skin since I was 18 years old. In fact, I remember the day I started because it was one of those blustery, sub-zero winter days in Burlington, VT, and my face felt tight and dry as I slid into my seat in French class one day. I had become friendly with a girl who sat next to me, and as I dug through my bag for my lip balm I remember kvetching about how dry my skin felt. This girl was tiny and had some sort of indistinguishable foreign accent, and she proceeded to school me on how I needed to moisturize. I remember her little fingers grazing her own flawless cheeks, her eyes wide and intense, as she told me how moisturizer is basically the fountain of youth and an essential ingredient to being a hot babe.

Clearly, she was very convincing. Strangely enough, I never saw her again after that one class, and I don't even remember her name, but I think about her almost every time I buy moisturizer. Life is so odd. It's quite possible that she was an angel, but I can't back that up.

So, I'm back in the market for a fantastic line-reducing skincare line. Suggestions welcome. Guys, no facial jokes or I shall find you and pummel you with a rubber chicken.

Let's see, what else is new? I stumbled across something very dirty last night involving our friend Colin Farrell. VERY DIRTY. So that was a fun way to spend 13 minutes. (Do I need to tell you that it's NSFW? Because it SO is. In fact I'd say it's NSFA - not safe for anywhere. Yes, that means it's pron. Proceed with caution!)

Tell 'em Bev sent you. Enjoy, my delightful little pervs, and don't say I never gave you anything!

XOXO

Estrogen-Fest

Guys, you've been warned. I'm gonna get straight-up girlified on yo' asses today.

On Saturday my friend Laurie and I did a surprise day of beauty for our friend Jill, who just turned 40. Her husband was having a party for her, so we wanted her to look extra sessy for her big night.

We started off with some delicious Italian food and a Spider-tini. Um, ew, what? Yeah - Jill's first glass came with a noticeable chip out of the rim, so back it went just in case the glass was, you know, IN her drink. The fresh drink came out, and just as she was about to take a sip she noticed a teeeeeeeny tiny dead spider nestled in the frothy goodness of her beverage. YUCK! Back it went, and Laurie and I nodded knowingly to each other, thinking, "Hey, free round!"

Except not. Hrumph!

After lunch, we swung by the store to pick up some vino to enjoy at the salon while Jill got gussied up.

BEFORE:

AFTER:


Then it was back to Laurie's extensive closet to get Jill pushed up, sucked in, and outfitted. I even helped myself to an outfit while I was there, and Laurie did my make-up.

Laurie confessed that she thinks I'm "conservative" with my cleavage showing (Hahahahahaha, right?!) and with my make-up. Huh. So I put myself in her hands, and this was the result. Oh, and it was - no lie - 100 humid degrees in her bathroom so I was literally a HOT MESS by the time we got in the car.

We went to Jill's party, and it was fun. Jill was having a good time for sure, and she rocked her new look! We had some tequila drinks and I managed to keep from getting too silly (read: keep my Laurie's clothes on), and we had a good time reconnecting with some friends we hadn't seen in a while. Sadly, no one got naked, and to my knowledge, nothing got broken. BOO.

I will be eating nothing but lettuce and water for the next few days to make up for all the wine, pasta, jalapeno Doritos, and miscellaneous crap that I consumed all weekend. Lettuce, water, and maybe sugar-free gum for dessert. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Week in Review

What have we learned this week? Let's review.

1. The desire to have "Rock Star Hair" is contagious. Mala texted me this AM begging for direction in that department, which I felt wholly unqualified to offer her. I mean, I'm no hair genius, I just have a good hairdresser I've been stalking following for several years now as she searches out the perfect salon. Yes, for real. I have followed her to 4 different salons over the past 5 years. I am exceedingly loyal. Or, I fear change. Whatever, I'm going with loyal.

So, I told Mala to go all J-Lo up in here. For real - she can pull off the JLo 'do. She's got a tan, and the same thick hair that can be either straight or curly (bitch), and I just think she can totally work the caramel highlights.


Right? So, it may not be Rock Star hair, but it's certainly Pop Star/Diva hair. She's going in on Monday; and yes, I've already started pressuring her to post "after" pics on her blog.

2. Courtney, PorkStar, Samsmama, and Stacie are incorrigible. Somehow this week I managed to earn the nickname "Muffin Sweat." Don't ask me how. I can assure you that my muffin is most certainly NOT sweaty! In fact, that is one of the main reasons that I studiously avoid exercise; who wants a sweaty muff? Not I.

3. Samsmama's "tater" smells like "freshly-baked apricot muffins".

4. My hilarious Facebook comments are not everybody's cup o' tea. Thankfully, approx. 185 other people still enjoy them, so I have decided not to change a thing. Huzzah!

5. I did not need a crown to get my toof fixed. YAY! My dentist drilled it and filled it and now I can go back to pretending that the Friendly-Fire Tackle of '09 never happened.

6. Sleeping is awesome, and I am hooked. Now that I've had a taste of what being "well-rested" feels like, I want it all the time. I'm addicted.

7. Sunshine on my shoulders really does make me happy.

8. I talk on the phone a lot more than I thought I did. I just had to upgrade my cell plan AGAIN. Now, instead of splitting 700 minutes/month with my (also chatty) husband, we need to split 1400. Wow. When did THAT happen?

That's all I got. I was aiming for 10, but apparently I didn't learn 10 things this week after all.

Btw, this is my 198th post, and my 1 year Blogaversary is right around the corner. I am hoping to do something fun for the Big 200, unless I get lazy, which is always a distinct possibility. I'll keep you posted.

Don't get the wrong idea!

My post the other day about Frump Town, USA and my reluctance to become a middle-aged she-thing got me thinking. Some of my lovely readers mentioned feeling frumpy because they were reading the blog in their sweatpants with their hair up in a pony tail and their kids running around covered in various sticky substances. Well, I just want to clear some stuff up, lest you get the wrong idea about dear ol' Bev.

I am not glamorous or stylish in any way. I don't want to give off the impression that I am, since I value honesty above all things and besides, we might someday meet and I don't want you saying, "Jesus, Bev is a total hag in person!" So, let me paint you a picture of what the REAL Bev is all about, for those of you who I haven't had the pleasure of meeting me in "real" life. Yet. :)

1. I rotate the same work clothes all week long; I probably only have about 6 work outfits and I just mix and match the same tired crap all week long. Thank GOD I only work 4 days/week.

2. As I mentioned in comments, upon getting home for the night after work, I immediately discard the binding work duds and put on the raggedy scraps of flannel that make up my "comfy clothes." Favorites include green Life is Good flannel pants with giant daisies on them, blue plaid pj bottoms, and stretched-out black yoga pants that don't stay up very well, so I'm always tugging at them.

3. I do wear make-up, but not a lot. I will put on a touch of foundation for special occasions/going out, but most days it's just blush & mascara.

4. I don't even blow dry my hair unless I'm going out to be SOCIAL. The work asswipes get me with air-dried, frizzed out moptop hair. Hey, but at least I'm clean. They can suck it.

5. I only wear my contacts at work and for social stuff, so on days off I can be found with my Tina Fey glasses on, usually sliding down my nose because my little son keeps grabbing them and they're all stretched out now.

So, as you can see, while I go out of my way to look presentable around my friends and, to a lesser extent, my coworkers, when left to my own devices I live squarely in the middle of Frump Town, USA, and I'm totally ok with that. I just want to keep my residency part-time and not go all out into Zero Estrogen territory, ya know?



I had every intention of posting a couple of pics to illustrate my point, but it seems that I only uploaded relatively decent pics of myself to Photosucket, so I can't access the truly bad pics of myself until I get home. But, when not dressed up, I look a little something like this. ------>


End of public service announcement....

Mom jeans?

I've been on a new jeans kick lately. What can I say, the stores are moving denim out to make room for Spring stuff, and I've been finding some good sales. So, I've bought about 3 pairs over the last few weeks, and one pair is... well, questionable.

Don't get me wrong - I love them. I'm actually wearing them right now. But, they're kind of trouser-style, a little bit 70's, a little bit country, a little bit rock n' roll. Not really, but they are wide legged with those fake girly pockets in front. They meet my requirements: they make my ass look decent and don't cause muffin-top, they're dark wash and comfortable. BUT. I'm a little concerned that they're mom jeans.

You know the kind. High waisted. Small pockets. Tapered legs. :::shudder:::



"Give her something that says, 'I'm not a woman anymore. I'm a mom!'"

A friend of mine recently confided in me that she thinks ALL jeans look like mom jeans on us, simply because we're in our 30's and are, in fact, moms. I heartily disagree. I mean, really. I have LOVED my thirties so far; my twenties were great, and I can truly say I've enjoyed every decade of my life thus far, but so far the 30's are rockin' the hizzouse. I love my kids, my husband is still wicked fun to be with, and I've made some great friends. I'm still young(ish) and hip(ish), damn it!

So, you be the judge. Are these mom jeans?



Give it to me straight. I can take it! (I think. Sort of. Maybe. Ugh.)

(what's so) Fabulous (about it) Friday!

Yesterday I poked through Macy's and was sorely disappointed by their Spring selection. Apparently I need to be wearing a lot of rayon and tie-dye this season, which I'm not really down with. Ok, so I love some subtle tie-dye; what can I say? I was one of those pseudo-hippie (read: I wasn't a real hippie because it was the late 90's and, well, I've always showered) chicks in college who smoked a lot of pot and wore peasant tops and cargo pants that were far too big for me. I've changed a lot. Well, that's my story & I'm stickin' with it. I still like peasant tops. And cargo pants. And... nevermind.

Anyway. I didn't find anything worth buying, but my friend found a nice top on the clearance rack, and when we got to the register, it had been marked down to $4.99. WTF? I never find deals like that! Never! Of course, this friend is one of these effortlessly awesome looking people who always looks put-together and stylish, whereas I'm walking around with baby snot on my shoulder and mismatched socks.

So, I don't have anything to share for Fabulous Friday, except that if you shop the racks at Macy's, you could get a top for next to nada. What can I say? I told you this would be a short-lived Friday thing!

Lame post. Sorry. I'll do better later, I promise. ;)

Fabulous Friday!

Ok, so I'm not that much of a girly-girl, but I do wear some make-up and occasionally even style my hair. I enjoy a good spa treatment, but it's not like I can afford (or have time) to be running to a salon every week. And don't even get me started on my wardrobe... let's just say that there are a few odds & ends in my closet that I've been wearing since...oh, 1994. At least. But, I try. I spend too much time and hard-earned money at Macy's. I cruise sales. What money I don't spend on booze and books rarely makes it to the mall, but I do my best to not look embarrassingly out of vogue.

Anyway, I discovered a little drug store gem that I have to tell you about, since I have dubbed today "Fabulous Friday." If I can, I'll do it every Friday, but since I rarely shop for new stuff, it will probably be a short-lived program. ;)

If you ever wear lipstick, you HAVE to try this:
Maybelline Superstay Lipcolor.

This is the SHIT. It goes on in liquid form & you're supposed to let it dry for 2 minutes, and then it has a gloss stick on the other end to make it shiney. It feels good on, and it lasts forever. I've eaten in it. I've drank (copious amounts) in it. I've slept in it.

I swear, one night I went out with the girls and wore this stuff, and I reapplied once between restaurant and bar just to brighten the color a bit. I partied it up that night, brushed my teeth when I got home, stumbled to bed, and when I woke up I was startled beyond belief to see that I was still wearing lipstick. It was quite a sight considering how crappy I felt!

Anyway, there you have it. You're $8 away from feeling just a little bit more fabulous. You're welcome. :)

Oh, and by the way,

The people at Spanx are lie-tellers.

After wriggling into the scuba suit I ordered from them in an effort to NOT look like I never exercise, I was sorely disappointed to discover that instead of sucking in the flab, it simply made it smoother.

I've bought control garments that redistributed the fat so you have unholy bulges and rolls in places that God never intended women to have bulges and rolls, but this was not the same. $82 later and I looked like a much tauter chubby chick instead of Cindy Crawford circa 1985, as I had hoped.

Mothereffers forced me back to the gym, which is where I'm heading right now. Bastards.

The Sisterhood of the Traveling...wine

On Friday night I caught up with some friends, both old and new, to have a little vino and good conversation. What a delightful surprise to meet new people that I like so well! I was starting to feel like I would never make any new friends, when all of a sudden this year I've had a "friend renaissance," as my pal Lisa calls it. :) It's so nice to find like-minded moms who I can hang out with, drink good wine with, and feel like I've known them for years within a few short hours.

I think we've agreed to do this on the regulah. Mala - you need to come next time. Oh, and the Vina Alamosa was a big hit, so thanks for the recommendation!

Oh-we-oh - We look just like Buddy Holly....

Woohooo! On Tuesday night (why a Tuesday? What are we, college kids?!), Mala and I went down to beautiful Lowell, MA to see one of my favorite bands, Weezer. We had a great time, and they put on a phenomenal show for us! This was the first night of their first tour in three years, but if they were rusty, we sure didn't notice!

We started off by checking into the Doubletree, home of the warm chocolate cookie upon check-in. After making friends with the maintenance guys (shout out to Rafael, my new best bud!) because our TV didn't work despite many attempts to "Fonzie" it into submission, we inhaled a few glasses of wine and took off to start our night.
Here are our "before" pictures. Don't we look angelic? LOL!







Then we had a couple of drinks at the restaurant.

Mine was pretty nasty. It tasted like watermelon-scented dry erase markers. So, I only had two. :)

Mala wasn't so nuts about her glass of wine, either...

But, being the trooper that she is, she managed to choke it down.

After dinner, we wandered over to the arena and, after a quick cavity search, were admitted to the floor. The show started with Angels & Airwaves. They were ok.

Then, Weezer came out and blew the doors off! They were terrific! They played a lot of their older stuff and some from the new (red) album, and Mala and I were able to get right up front for the best view EVER! The crowd was surprisingly polite; there was no pushing or jostling for position, and we were able to stand quite comfortably and see everything perfectly. Hence, I took a lot of pictures. Because, you know, it's what I do. :)







For the first encore, they did something really cool. Apparently they had run a radio contest for the chance for young musicians to perform on stage with them. They brought out about 30 kids with their various musical instruments (including an overly-eager New Hampshirite who played the didgeridoo!) and played a couple of tunes, including Beverly Hills. It sounded terrible... but was super fun to watch!

Then they did a real encore after they ditched the amateurs.

A good time was had by all!


Oh, one more thing. A little tip for ya. Never try to turn off the hotel TV in the dark when you're more than half asleep. Just don't. There's a good chance you'll purchase a $14 movie (possibly even a porno) while fumbling with the unfamiliar remote buttons because you are too tired to turn on the light after you fall asleep. Yeah, that would suck. Not that I'd know firsthand, or anything.