Life Moves Pretty Fast...

"You come over to say hello in the brightest of the lights, 
I'm so impressed, you look your best, without an ounce of trying, 
I make light of a picture, and you're leaving with your friends, 
And I've no doubt I'll never see you again... 
Cause you may deceive me... but you made me try to make believe in 
That there's something more, we can't ignore, but nothing we can do..." 

So much has happened. It's insane that at times I have nothing to share and nothing to say and then other times I feel so full of randomness to spread that I can barely keep track of it all.

First of all, and most importantly... I have completely hot pink hair now. Yes. Photos soon. Also, tomorrow is tattoo day. Number 8. :)

Also, I have dyed Jennifer's hair blue...

Taken with my new lens that I bought for the 100 Monkeys tour. 10 days until the first show and the new Liquid Zoo album! Excited doesn't begin to cover it.

If you want to hear a preview of the album this Sunday be sure to head over to www.fender.com/100Monkeys - also, you should head over there since two of my live photos of 100 Monkeys are posted on the Fender site!!!

This is a beyond exciting moment for me. While my photos gained a lot of exposure from the Las Vegas radio station Mix 94.1 back in May, this is a huge mention and the completion of a personal goal of mine. (See the photos posted by Mix 94.1 here)

Another big something for this week is that I was interviewed by Hell Yeah! 100 Monkeys. It was pretty cool... you can read that here.

Here's two new photos that I've taken with the new lens. :)

One last thing before I go -- I have a new book coming out this fall. It will be all photos shot on the road between June 28th (first date of 100 Monkeys tour...) and August 28th (the last day of the 100 Monkeys tour...). While I'm not going to all 40-some-odd dates, I am going to a fair chunk of them and I wanted to showcase a point of view that is rarely seen. The loose and working title is "A Van With A View"... though, that might change. We'll see... ;)

I can't believe I'm about to make my 2nd book! Insane. This one will be available through direct order and will ship a helluva lot faster than the last one.

Thanks for reading this ramble...

[Worthy Title About Nothing]

"Feeling better now that we're through, 
Feeling better cuz I'm over you, 
I learned my lesson; it left a scar,
Now I see how you really are..." 

I suppose there'a been a lot of changes happening to me lately... some I am not ready to admit... some I can't hold inside for a moment longer.

When you're six and you've got your favorite long sleeved winter shirt... you love it... you want to live in it... you never want to wash it and you want to wear it to school every day... when you're seven you go back to that shirt that you loved so much the previous year -- you still love it just as much -- you're super excited to put it on and this year it doesn't quite fit the same as it did last year. Though it's a little small and a tad uncomfortable - you're not ready to give it up yet... so you wear it. Another year passes and you're eight now... the shirt no longer fits and though it's hard and it hurts - you give it up.

I'm seven right now. I know what's coming... but for right now, I'd like to wear my slightly-uncomfortable shirt and pretend like it still fits.

I feel like I'm starting to outgrow a lot of things in my life. It's painful to watch.

I also feel like a lot of things are starting to outgrow *me*.

Yesterday I cleaned the bathroom - I maaay have used too much bleach. I got a swimming headache afterwards, but that wasn't the strangest thing... What was really weird is that I got insanely hyper. More so than I had been since I was a teenager. I couldn't calm down at all. It was a little strange. I didn't know what to do with all of my energy. Crazy.

I'm insanely bored.

...

I think I'm getting excited for the Monkey tour. I think. 19 days or something like that until I go to see them. I am completely unprepared. I have nothing planned and no tickets bought... I don't know what I'm going to wear or who I'm seeing where. I do have a couple photoshoots planned, so that makes me happy-time... but other than that, nothing is really settled... though... I am really looking forward to going back to Kansas City for the show there!!

Insane how excited I am for that. :) Very excited. I haven't seen KC or my people there since September when I left... I am forcing my mama to come to the show with me... it looks like it may be my only time with her while I'm there...

Also excited for the California leg of the tour... but that's something I'll talk about later and closer to all of this...

Bored.

Bored.

I'm a bore.

Again, Again... Tour Is Coming.

"You got a lot, a lot of nerve, 

Coming here, 

When I'm still with him

And I can't have you, 

It isn't fair..."

Nine days until tour starts... this will be the third full week that I've been on tour with the boys. I'm already dreading the goodbye. It's never pleasant... I guess I'll get to that when I get to that.

Moving on... I believe that I'm nearing my 33rd show when we get to Atlanta, which means that the last date of tour, San Antonio, will be my 40th show. Funny how things work out like that, isn't it?

I have a few photoshoots scheduled for the tour stops as well... which, I'm stoked for! I can't wait to change it up a bit with the Monkey photos. It'll be nice to shoot something other than them while on tour.

For those not in the know, on the Houston date Jennifer and I will officially be considering Houston our home. Dropping our things off at the new place we'll be staying at and then heading to the show... Finally... Finally I am moving to Texas.

And then there's New Years... I am half looking forward to it, half dreading it and wishing that it didn't exist... only for reasons I can't really talk about... the crap that's in my head... but one thing that will be a plus from the day is that it's me and Jennifer's 11th friendaversary. 11 years she will have put up with my bullshit. Can you believe it? Let's get drunk.

My Least Favorite Things About Tour, by Jodie Platz

-Fangirls and Twihards that are aggressive.
-People who are nice to your face who talk behind your back. (I like consistency.)
-Line jumpers.
-People who hold spots all day long for their ten friends.
-People who scream when the cars pull up... or for this tours case: bus.
-People who molest the band.
-People who scream "JASSSSSSPERRRRRR!!!"
-People who bang on their windows and force me to put myself between them and the band...
-When there's nowhere around the venue to pee.
-When there are four opening acts and they all suck.
-When I get lost and can't find the venue... Oh wait, Micky has a Tom Tom! Wheeee!!
-Being hungry but feeling so anxious I can't eat.
-Sweating my makeup off.
-People who try to get in front of me by using the line, "I'm a photographer..." *shifty eyes, deadpan*
-Saying goodbye.

My Most Favorite Things About Tour, by Jodie Platz

-Seeing people's face light up when they see the band for the first time.
-Seeing people get converted from TwiHards to Monkey Junkies. (No matter how much I hate the word "Monkey Junkie" and no matter how much I DO NOT consider myself one...)
-Being on the road constantly.
-Rest stops/truck stops.
-Sleeping in the van while it's driving... peaceful.
-CHIPS!
-Taking the roaddog along for the ride.
-A new city every day.
-Getting dressed in the van and not giving a shit if the creeper two cars over is stealing a peek.
-The moment the boys take the stage.
-Being as drenched with sweat as they are because everything they're giving I'm giving back to them.
-High fives.
-Getting the venue before the band and helping them know where to park/eat/shop.
-The rush I get when my improv is chosen.
-Interaction.
-Seeing new venues. 
-Being dubbed a "road warrior" because I'm hardcore and don't get hotels each night. (RARELY get hotels... ever. Maybe one night each tour.)
-Saying goodbye... 

Yes, saying goodbye is on both lists... because while saying it is so hard, not saying it is even harder and I've always been masochistic... but... those goodbye hugs are better than any hugs in the world. They're perfect enough to try to make it last until the next time around.

Picture of the Day:

xx

Finally Saying Something Here

"Tomorrow will be violent, so do not drink & forget..."


Wow, it's nearly been a month since I've updated this blog. I do strongly apologize for my absence; I used to be so amazing at keeping this thing up to date, but honestly, I haven't been online much at all.

Let's see.

What's been new lately...?

It's been an obscene amount of days since I've seen the boys, but fortunately for me, I'm leaving 2 weeks from today to go see them in Hermosa Beach, CA. Now, now... I promise to not drink all the whiskey in Los Angeles before heading to the show like I did last time.

Actually, I really just cannot drink at Monkey shows anymore. Bad idea. Only done that twice, but those are two times that... yeah...

Now, while I miss all the boys, I actually did get to see Jay about 2 weeks ago up in Seattle. :) That's all I'm going to say about that.

Picture's worth a thousand, or so they say:

I colorsplashed me this time because in the photo of us from Nashville I colorsplashed him. :)

Of course, now I'm gonna need another pic with the boys... just saying... new look for me, new photo of us. :) I've managed to squeeze myself into pants 4 sizes smaller than the last time I saw these boys. I cut my hair & dyed it a color I quite literally had never been before: red.

The new me...

Many have asked me and I have answered few on how I felt about Eclipse and the Airbender film...

Alright, well, I'll just be honest then.

I absolutely adored Eclipse; as it's been said, it was by far the best in the series. However, I was of course disappointed with a few minimal things... nothing to really bitch about, but the overall experience of the entire thing was quite amazing. I am beyond proud of Jackson for this one. I was proud of him immensely for Twilight and New Moon, so how do I keep having room to grow even more proud of him? I suppose we should ask him how he manages to grow even more talented.

Actually one of the things I love most about Jackson is his ability to surprise me. That's a deep and long topic that I'm not going to discuss with any of you.

Airbender? I was heavily looking forward to seeing it, almost more so than Eclipse, actually. But it ended up Eclipse being the one that I loved more. Unfortunately it disappointed me, which saddens me.

It wasn't terrible, mostly I just wish that I hadn't paid for the "3D" when there was none to be found. Sokka made me chuckle on more than one time. Actually, the first time they meet Appa and he gets smacked with his tail and Jackson exclaims, "he tried to eat me!" I couldn't catch my breath because I was laughing so hard. I replied to him, "with his *tail*...?!" It was definitely a moment. Unfortunately no one else in the theater thought that it was that funny.

I was very impressed with Aang, (Noah Ringer) quite a power puncher for this being his first role.

The other day when they were sending Eclipse stars out to random theaters, Jennifer and I went to AMC and got to see Gil Birmingham who plays Jacob's father in the series and while we were at the theater we got to meet the person who trained Noah Ringer at the martial arts studio which impressed me a helluva lot more than meeting an Eclipse star. (Sorry, Gil.)

Alright, I think I've said more than enough today.

Picture of the Day:

Whalebone

"Twenty-five years and my life is still trying to get up that great big hill of hope..." 

Yes, yes, yes! New 100 Monkeys tour dates! :) www.100MonkeysMusic.com to check them out.

Fuck yes.

So... after such excitement this morning, Jennifer and I were talking and discussing and we found out something pretty interesting about ourselves that I never thought about before.

Jennifer and I have never been to Florida or California together.
When Jennifer went to California she didn't see the ocean.
When I went to Florida I didn't see the ocean.
Therefore, Jennifer has only seen the ocean from Florida and I have only seen the ocean from California.

Fucking interesting and awesomely backwards ironic, eh? :) Made me happy.

Of course that will change...

You know... another funny thing... back in February when I went to LA to the Hermosa Beach show with Willow, I know that we were fuckclose to the ocean - I could *feel* it and *smell* the difference in the air, yet we didn't see the ocean when we were there together.

So much to see... so much to do... plans. are. set.

You know... today makes 48 days since I've seen the boys. All I needed was a date to look forward to... a time to know WHEN I would see them again. I am glad that I have new dates to look forward to.

Annnnnnd... I am so fucking READY to put my new camera to use! Should be good. :) Good, good times.

Picture of the Day:

Someone @'d that at me a while ago. :) Made me so fucking happy... they said it reminded them of me. There are worse things in life than that reminding someone of me.

*happy*

xx

I Want To Pick Peaches Off A Cherry Tree

"Yours is the first face that I saw, I think I was blind before I met you, 
Now I don't know where I am, I don't know where I been,
But I know where I want to go, so I thought I would let you know, 
These things take forever, I especially am slow, 
But I realize that I need you and I wondered if I could come home..." 

I reckon y'all will always be able to tell when I'm blogging from my computer and when I'm blogging from my iPhone... iPhone doesn't come with pretty icons and lyrics-a-dozen. ;)

Ten days until I head to Nashville to see 100 Monkeys. You know... Nashville is a very special place where Monkeys are concerned...

(It's where I first met Jackson, if you didn't get that by the photo...)

So very much has changed since November. It's quite mind-blowing actually... the distance that myself and these boys have come...

I won't go into all the changes, of course, but I will say that I will forever live by the words, "be careful what you wish for..." that's the motto to my life and has been since August 2009.

I eventually plan on getting that tattooed on the inside of my left arm... when the time is right. Not a moment sooner.

This photo sort of makes me laugh now... I still love it and cherish it, still smile at it... not like I used to back when it was first taken (now there are other photos I have that make me smile bigger than I ever thought imaginable...) but wow... yeah.

I already have plans for my birthday, can you believe that? I'm not even 25.5 yet and I have plans to turn 26. Of course, nothing set in stone... but surprisingly, none of it revolves around presents.

I guess it makes sense to plan out my life throughout the year... it's a pretty full year. Oh and by the way... so far, 25 has been the best year of my life. ;) I guess we'll see how the next 8 months or so plan out though before we go calling it "the best year ever". Gonna end with a bang, though. I assure you of that.

Picture of the Day:

Tulsa, OK... "Wings On Fire"

j.action & j.rad.









Rock on.

Gimme Stitches

"My faith ain't been no friend to me, 
And the way I've sinned, it hanging off of me, 
And I'm sorry, you can't take me anywhere,
Pretty soon we're almost there baby one more night,
It's been a long, long drive, 
And I'm way, way tired, 
I don't need no backup plan, 
I said I don't want nobody, 
Nobody don't want me, 
I'm so sad, so lonely, 
But I'm always landing on my feet..." 

I don't know what's wrong with me why I haven't updated my blog yet since I've been back from seeing the boys.

I actually learned something new... that apparently I have a lot of readers on my blog. I refuse to put a hit counter on here though, or a tracker... because then I'll just become obsessed with the numbers. To all who read and never comment: thanks for reading -- I hope that I'm not too boring, I hope that I provide you some sort of entertainment. That's all I've been my whole life; an entertainer. ;)

Des Moines is a short drive from Kansas City. Three hours. The time passed by fairly quickly, however, in my last blog I explained that I wasn't feeling anything. Willow and I figured out why I wasn't -- that's not something I'm at liberty to discuss here on the public medium. Those close to me may ask me why.

We arrived in Des Moines and followed the directions that I got from Google Maps to the "venue"... except the venue wasn't there... Turns out the venue has the wrong zip code posted for their address on their website, and so consequentially, the Monkeys website.

After being lost for 2 hours we finally found the venue. Fuckers.

Talking to The Bens later (and bitching that there are about fifty 4th streets in Des Moines...) they said they got lost as well but it wasn't as bad as Minneapolis. Dude.

We weren't first in line... six people before us... but it was fine that we weren't first - the girls before us had never been to a show, so I kinda took a backseat, plus I got to talk to the boys before the show and I don't think I would have been able to do that if I was first in line. (Except Jerad... didn't get to see BFF before the show.)

When talking to The Bens, Jennifer asked Johnson if they would play "Twenty To One" since they didn't get to in Vegas. He said they were going to but you know, "Vegas was Vegas..." Later on we heard them soundchecking the song and got very excited.

Even though Jennifer and I were 7th & 8th in line we still got front row. (Which surprised me for what a small stage it was...) I was right in front of the keyboards and right by the speaker. (Never been in front of the keyboards before, always in front of the guitar... *shifty eyes* Can't tell you why...)

The opening band was good and eccentric. Everyone else just stood around with their phones in their hand or their arms folded. No smiles. Not enjoying the music or anything. Jennifer and I were at least grooving to the music...

The boys came on and I adored the look that Jerad gave me when he saw me. :) Like he was actually happy and surprised to see me there. He kept looking at me throughout the whole show... my guess is anticipating when I'd request my high five. XD He's such a good BFF.

Jennifer nudged me and said, "get your high five," and I told her it wasn't time yet. After that song I put my hand up and I said, "high five time!" And he smiled huge and smacked my hand the hardest he ever has... it was like he was saving up all that awesome to give to me. ;)

So... if you're a reader of my blog you may have read the post where I put up this photo of Jay:

In my post I said that I had titled the picture, "why do you never wear a tie when I see you" and I said that he should wear a tie in Des Moines because I think he looks so handsome in them...

Well...

Jackson wore a tie.

I really wish you all could have seen the look on my face. O_O I'm pretty sure he saw it and grinned. LOL

My next mission? I noticed that Jackson switched his Spencer bracelet over to his right wrist. Well, my friends and I think that the bracelet should be worn on the left wrist... so hey, Jay... move your bracelet back to your left wrist. ;)

My 10th show was definitely a success. The venue had a curfew so the boys had to cut their set short. Jackson broke his pick after rocking out too hard to "Reaper"... and then he gave it to me. :) I had to look for it though since he tossed it to me instead of putting it in my hand... and it didn't help that the pick was, you know... half the size of a regular pick... and CLEAR.

After the show the boys were so nice to stick around and do a few photos for us... Jennifer's photo is better than mine... I made the boys laugh. :) Meanwhile, she couldn't get my camera to work, so they all had to stand there smiling for a while in mine. :(

My photo with the boys:

Jenn's photo with the boys:

I am glad that I made them laugh... but I must say that I'm very jealous of her photo. She went to Johnson's side and then I couldn't get Jerad in the frame so I said to him, "Jerad. Scoot." And this was the end result. XD

As we were leaving I told the boys that I would see them in St. Louis... Jerad was the last one I told, I held up my hand for a high five and said, "One more for the road..." he smacked my hand and smiled. I said, "I'll see you in St. Louis," he said, "Perfect."

Adore it.

I didn't get to give him his special gift in Des Moines. (It wasn't the right time.) So I'm going to give it to him at the meet and greet on Sunday. (May have another something special for another certain boy...)

I set up my Facebook Photography page per request of Twitter followers. You can join that here.

2 days until the next Monkey show. :)

My desktop. :) I need to make a new wallpaper from the Des Moines show photos... but my little countdown in the right corner underneath the calender? Yep. Epic.

"Only two days until awesome high fives!"




I'm not even going to have time to change the calender again before going to Louisville Monday. So, so stoked for that show. And that's when I get my new phone too! YAY!

Here's a few favorites from the show in Des Moines. Enjoy, bbs.

I posted more than I had planned to... ;) Perhaps I'm feeling generous today. Am loading up photos to my photography site today as well. Don't forget to fan the Facebook page!

Rock on,

Jodie

...Just To Hear About Your Day

"She's got both hands in her pockets, 
And she won't look at you, won't look at you..."

Thank you so much for the support that I received for my last blog, both on here and on Twitter in @'s and DM's. I cannot believe such an amazing group of people took the time to care about me. It goes beyond what my words can express to you. Thank you.

Also thank you and a quick shout out to Lorelei for making me aware that 100 Monkeys had answered THREE of my questions in the new Portrait Magazine article!

Willow called me this morning to inform me that the article had posted and that they answered a question from me... we had a moment gabbing and somehow I missed the fact that they answered THREE of my questions. (I submitted three because I just really wanted ONE of them to get answered! I had no idea they would use all three.)

Here's my questions and the answers they gave:

(Question from Jodie) 

We all know that you do your "Monkey Switcharoo" at each show and you've said that some people play some instruments perhaps not "better", but differently, adding to the song in which they're playing. My question is do you favor any instruments over others and since you swap instruments after nearly every song live, do you ever blank on what you're playing/about to play or does the Monkey Switcharoo keep you on your toes for performances? 

I've definitely reached for one instrument onstage and found it already in someone else's hands. Wait, which song that I play that on? It definitely keeps you on your toes. Some of us are stronger on certain instruments in certain ways, but it's all about the best arrangement for the particular song.

(Question from Jodie) 

Is the 100 city tour going the way that you imagined it? Is it harder/easier, more fun/more draining than you imagined it would be? 

It's very fun, challenging, and rewarding. It's tiring, but there's nothing like rolling into a new city and loading gear into a new venue, for a new crowd you haven't even met yet.

(Question from Jodie) 

Where are you looking forward to going most on the tour? 

Every place we are going. Seriously, every place is different and has it's little quirks, and it's a pleasure to experience all of them.

Pretty neat that they took the time to answer my questions. (I really wish on the last question they said, "Kansas City, duh!" XD Kidding, kidding...)

Moving onto something else for a bit, will come back to talk about something Monkey at the end of this blog...

A while ago (several weeks, possibly a month or even more -- time is a strange thing for me. I can't really keep track of it...) my Mama said that she was getting "new" furniture from some of our family. (They were retiring and selling their things.) So then she asked if I wanted her futon couch and futon chair. Of course I said YES! (With an exclamation point at the end, just like that...)

So then it snowed and stuff, got really cold and gross and we couldn't ever get everything moved... Finally this week I went and helped her get her new furniture and yesterday I moved my new furniture into my place. The chair was no problem but the futon couch was a fucking bitch.

We didn't take it apart because it's an even bigger bitch to put together so Jennifer and I are hauling it up the stairs and I'm yelling at her, "you have to lift! Lift it!" When two people who live downstairs came out and helped us get it up the stairs and around a lame corner into our apartment. Even with four people it was hard, I have no idea how Jennifer and I would have gotten it upstairs with just us.

So then Jennifer leaves (she was almost an hour late to work) and I'm sitting here with all this random furniture in my place, out of order, leaning half on all my shit... so I couldn't stand that, put on some Lady Gaga and moved the entire room around. It wasn't so bad, not that hard... I could lift the massive futon couch around the living room all by myself with no trouble.

I love rearranging my furniture. I cannot come home to the same thing everyday for forever. (As far as furniture goes, I much like coming home to the same, say, people and dog...) The TV, my guitar and amp are now on the opposite side of the room, the futon couch now sits where the TV used to... blah blah blah... I'll take pics of it all here in a bit. :) If you care.

I need to hang my photos. The only thing on the walls are Christmas lights... I need to nest and settle. I guess we're going to be here for a while... *heavy sigh*

So...

Tomorrow I'm going to see the Monkeys. It will be my 10th show. I'm not sure what it is, but something is wrong with me -- usually by now I am massive amounts of excited to see "my boys" but in all honesty, it doesn't even feel like I'm going.

I really can't explain it.

The countdown on my desktop says "Tomorrow is Monkeys!", I am aware that tomorrow I will be in Des Moines for the boys, but for whatever strange reason, my mind isn't comprehending this. I talked in a previous blog about things "hitting me" but this isn't even like - I mean I literally am not GETTING that tomorrow I'm going.

I'm numb.

Being numb is a very scary thing...

Poor Willow has been trying to help me with this all day long, no one understands me like she does... poor thing. She's been trying so hard and I'm still just NOT. GETTING. IT.

So much so that I have not gotten anything ready for tomorrow: I haven't waxed my eyebrows, picked out an outfit, done laundry, written cards, bought duct tape or even my traditional lighter... Nothing. Nothing...

Now I'm scared that this is some giant sign from the universe about something... I don't want to listen.

I should not have been this honest on here knowing who all reads this... but, for whatever reason, I can't bring myself to delete it...

Let's just quit this crazy talk and get some dessert.

Picture of the Day:

I've mentioned it to Willow and Jennifer, but now it's time to tell y'all - tomorrow's concert will be shot entirely in black and white. :)


[I'm still hoping Jay gets the memo and wears a tie tomorrow. Just cuz.]

Whenever I Want You All I Have To Do Is Dream

"And all this time oblivious, 
To what you made so obvious, 
I can't believe I never noticed my heart before..." 


Last night was a good night. :) First off, Jennifer brought home Cabin Fever 2, which we had been trying to watch for several days now... I loved the first one - Jennifer isn't into all the gore and stuff... but Cabin Fever 2? 


Oh let me see here. I have so much to say about this film. 


First of all, in the description for it, it says that it picks up right where Cabin Fever left off, which it does... it also says that Rider Strong is in it... which, errm... 


The movie was shot back in Spring 2007, but shelved and held up forever in post... (Read the IMDb if you care to know why...) 


Anyhow, I was really looking forward to seeing a sequel where one of the leads from the first actually stayed in the movie, however... (*SPOILER*, but the movie sucked and you shouldn't see it anyway, so keep reading...) Rider Strong literally gets killed DIRECTLY after the opening credits. Srs. I was so disappointed... 


Not to mention that the "special effects" and makeup in this thing were horrendous. Beyond fixable. I literally could have made a better gore movie with my digital camera. True story.  I hated it. We so wasted a dollar on it when we could have just rented Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs again. 


After that mess of a movie, we decided to watch the St. Rocke show that I got on DVD from a very lovely Twitter follower. :D It was my first time seeing the show in it's entirety since actually being in LA. 


*breathless sigh* 


I wish there were a way for me to put into words how much it meant to me that she sent me this DVD... All of the moments I loved while at the show were on the DVD... Not to mention a few things that I missed while at the actual concert, like the cutest little giggle from a certain Monkeys mouth as he took my hand. 


While we were in the midst of watching the Monkey DVD they released their next slew of dates. :) Much to my surprise and approval, of course! Annnnnd... KANSAS CITY!!! EEEP! It was a perfect moment. Also, happy to see them going back to Tulsa. :) Tulsa was my favorite show thus far on the tour... and it was my first for this tour... I had to talk Jennifer into going back to Tulsa, but it wasn't that hard. Yaay! 


Also!! They're playing the Beaumont Club! I *knew* this is where they would play and I kept checking their official site, KNOWING this is where the Monkeys would play. There are many "pros" to playing this club, but I'd like to keep my advantage, so I'm not going to name them here. I'm happy that the boys will be on home turf. Now instead of driving 3-8 hours to see them... I have to drive 15 minutes.


Talked to Willow today for 2 hours. :) I love doing that... when we get on the phone we're always on it for like, fuckever... I digress... (see what I did there?!) I'm officially STOKED to go to Louisville. Totes. Stoked. Of the released dates for Monkey boys I'm planning on attending 6 of the posted shows. (Not counting Dallas. Cuz then that would make 9... meanwhile, I've been to 9 Monkey shows... so that would mean that by the time Dallas is over I will have been to 18 Monkey shows. O_O ...if they don't add anymore that I can get to... my god. *rubs plastic Jesus*) 


We had planned on going to Ohio, but shit happens... Detroit was supposed to be my 15th show... now... Kansas City is my 15th show. Gaaah, that worked out perfectly. Remember how I was just saying that shit happens for a reason?!?! ...Well?! *holds out hands at example before you* 


Alright, enough about those boys... swiftly moving on. 


After we watched St. Rocke I suggested we watch something on Netflix... I wanted to watch something scary and I was naming off the horrors it listed and casually mentioned Interview With A Vampire, to which Jennifer replies that she's never seen it before... we tried to watch it then and Netflix was apparently having a bad day and didn't wish to accommodate us with that particular movie... 


I then suggested Nightmare On Elm Street (the first one) and she said that she had never seen that one either! Oh, well snap!! So we watched it, she got scared... 


I saw it for the first time when I was in 6th grade. I had asked my parents waay back in the day (when I lived with my father) if I could see it and they vehemently disapproved. (I lived on Elm street for the majority of my childhood... yeaaaah, kinda glad they didn't let me see it. I would have cried.)  But of course when I moved in with my Mama I immediately wanted to see it... It was very scary the first time that I saw it... but watching it back last night? I didn't jump or flinch... 


However! 


I'm very fucking stoked to see the new re-make! Just saw the new released trailer. Looks badass. I can't wait! 


Picture of the Day:

It's been a while since I put up a photo of any of the boys, and this one has a purpose... love this pic, by the way... props to the chick who took it. 


When I saved it I titled this picture "why do you never wear a tie when I see you" because out of the 9 shows that I've been to, Jackson has never worn a tie... meanwhile, I think he looks beyond handsome and so sexy in ties. *nudge, nudge, hint hint... Des Moines.*


(Now I'll stand there with my mouth agape if he wears a tie in Des Moines... You know I will.)

10x10

"I am a little bit of loneliness, a little bit of disregard, 
Handful of complaints but I can't help the fact that everyone can see these scars..." 

Jennifer and I have been watching a lot of movies lately... first we watched The Stepfather, which had a slow start, was pretty good but had a fail ending. Next we watched Burn After Reading and on the way home after renting it I said to her, "Yay Coen Brothers!" She said, "what?" And I said, "they also directed Fargo..." (We had just watched Fargo the day before) She replied with the heaviest of sighs.

I loved Burn After Reading. I thought it was fucking hilarious. I dare say that I liked it almost more than Fargo... which is classic. My Mama and I can have an entire conversation in Minnesota speak and Fargo quotes. It's quite fantastic. :)

Then we went back and rented Labor Pains with Lindsay Lohan... It was something that sounded like it had a good plot and then the downfall was going to be Lindsay Lohan... well, turns out it's got quite a few "name" actors in it and it wasn't terrible! I definitely laughed, only rolled my eyes like once, which is more than I can say for like, Twilight. So yeah, not going to buy the DVD or anything, but it wasn't bad!

Last night we watched The Proposal... completely predictable, but still funny... errrm... mostly that would be Betty White and her badass self and Ryan Reynolds and his hot self. Sandra Bullock... I don't really know what to think of her. Still. After all these years. To me she kinda seems like one step above Jennifer Aniston - like she just plays the same rolls over and over and always plays each roll the same. She was better in this movie than in others, though. I'll give her that.

I said to Jennifer while we were watching The Proposal, "And the trend for tonight is 'lying to keep your job'." (Labor Pains) We always seem to watch movies in a row that have to do with the other somehow... themes like cheating, cheesy music, certain actors... etc...

Saw the new Timberlake and Timbaland video for "Carry Out" yesterday. I definitely expected something more amazing from them. I was highly disappointed. Justin looked like he stepped out of the Like I Love You era and his part of the video seemed to be straight out of his video for My Love. It was tired, played and unoriginal. Lame. Sick song, lame video... but then I guess who cares about music videos these days now that there's no "music television"...?

You're probably wondering what the title is about for todays post... or you've just accepted the fact that I'm completely random and you've gotten over it.

10 days until my 10th Monkey show! 10x10

I'm beyond stoked. I am addicted now for sure... I don't know how I went from August to November without seeing them... well, I have one idea. Not sure how I made it from November until January without seeing them -- that one for sure... Managed to survive this long between shows, I suppose. It's been 15 days since I've seen them -- going to be another ten... jeez, that's nearly a month. O_O

Ooh! I got Jerad his present! ...I have to make it... Nowhere had exactly what I was looking for so fuck that, I'm just going to make it. *nods once* ...I also may have gotten Jay a lil something... Still have to get a few other things for the other boys. :)

I'm going to my Mama's house today to help her build a website for her wife's practice... I'm also going to make her get a Twitter while I'm over there. Will be fun.

Picture of the Day:

Have I mentioned of late how much I love her? I don't think I have. I love her and her sloppy kisses.

Rings Of Smoke Through The Trees

"Well I'm drawn in the smoke, 
And I'm starting to choke, 
As I put on my coat, 
With this lighter I hold, 
Oh it's the flame that's delivering another fine dose, 
Of that sweet, sweet smoke..." 

Today would be what all couples call "Valentine's Day". As I posted on my Facebook status earlier today: "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? If you are single on Valentine's Day, do you need to acknowledge it's existence?" 


It is something to think about, isn't it? Today is just February 14th for me. You know what else? Up until about 10 minutes ago, I thought today was Saturday. Apparently Saturday fell off the map. Today is Sunday. Plan your life accordingly.


"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it may be necessary from time to time to give a stupid or misinformed beholder a black eye." - Miss Piggy

I used to want to be Miss Piggy so badly. I adored her relationship with Kermit, although I really felt like she loved him waay more than he ever loved her back. Pity. She's a catch. ;) [[Fun fact about Jodie; for my 7th birthday party I had so many helium balloons that I went around pretending I was Gonzo from The Muppet Movie. #winatlife]]

Kermit: "Gonzo! What are you doing?" 
Gonzo: "About seven knots!" 

I think I'm dehydrated. 2 days ago I drank half a gallon of water and 3 cups of juice... yesterday I drank another half gallon of water and after having to pee every ten minutes I decided I was done drinking, even though I was still thirsty.

Now I'm sitting here... thirsty. Again.

My dreams have been very lucid lately. Every morning for the past several years I've always woken up with a song in my head... don't know how, don't know where it comes from -- it's not like it's the same song that I heard the day before or anything like that, sometimes it'll be a song that I haven't heard for years and it'll just pop into my head in my sleep... anyways, for the past few days I've meant to Twitter the song that I wake up with, but I can never find my phone with my eyes closed...

Perhaps I'll try and remember to do that tomorrow morning.

Back to my dreams... about a week ago I guess it was, I had a dream in which I lost a tooth. I texted my friends and said, "in true Reaper form, last night I had a dream where I lost my teeth..." 

Now, for those who know me or know me well, know that I take excellent care of my teeth, that I've had extensive dental work done in order to correct my massive overbite as a child.

This is a picture of me from 1992 with my facemask, this was post hyrax, pre-braces... I had a massive overbite and in order for them to correct this before puberty, I had to have extensive dental work done. I had spacers for my hyrax before I even entered kindergarten.

The hyrax stretched across the roof of my mouth and it had a tiny key that my dad had to crank three times each night before I went to bed - this stretched the roof of my mouth wider. (With an overbite, you bottom jaw goes over your top teeth, making you look like a pit bull instead of your bottom fitting inside the top like it should... the hyrax was making the roof of my mouth wider than my bottom jaw. Had they waited until puberty hit I would have had to have some of my bottom jaw removed in order for it to fit correctly.)

After that I had the facemask (pictured above) and that pulled my front teeth forward, pushing my bottom jaw backwards. I was lucky that I didn't have to wear it during school -- I only had to wear it 6 weeks and then I slept in it for 6 weeks... It wasn't so bad, actually. I didn't mind it much.

Next was standard braces. I didn't need a full set; top four teeth, bottom four teeth... I can't remember how long I wore those for but I do remember always picking out fun colors for my rubber bands. (When I would have dance recitals I would put pink and black bands on there since those were my dance team colors. ^_^)

When I got into a car wreck in 2002, I nearly went through the windshield, I got completely smashed up, broke three fingers, was carted away on a stretcher and had to go through rehabilitation in order to move my neck correctly; but the only thing I cared about seconds after the wreck was if all my teeth were still intact. I literally checked them before I even noticed I had broken anything.

So for me to have this dream that I lose my teeth... it's... graphic. What one could consider a "worst nightmare" situation. Dream Moods says that losing your teeth is a sign of fear or anxiety. Also since teeth are a sign of power, it could be the feeling of losing your control and power over a situation... since this dream happened right after my return from LA - it definitely makes sense. All my worries... all my anxieties... most of which cannot be quelled for another 16 days.

Picture of the Day:

Speaking In Tongues

"To the center of your heart, oh Cleopatra is the only one you love..." 

I have learned so much today. :) I learned that I am not only old, but I am also very young in comparison. Funny. Swiftly moving on...

17 days until I see Monkeys again... I was so spoiled in Vegas/LA... I had just seen them two weeks before in Tulsa and then I went to Vegas... few days later turned around and went to LA... now I am "forced" to wait it out 17 days until I can see them again. Then again... it could always be worse. They are fucking addictive. I should alert them of such.

I've been writing down my improv ideas so that I don't catch Jay too off guard again. ;) All of the ones I've written down thus far are G and PG... of course I just know that at the next show I'm at they'll ask for an improv and Jay will look at me and be like, "from anyone but you." XD

Oops...?

I'm pretty stoked for these 17 days to pass... I have a kick ass gift to give to my BFF.

I reckon I do have something pretty big to tell y'all... of course I've been cry, cry, crying for a new DSLR for the longest time... every time I almost buy a new one, something happens and I can no longer afford it... my Canon 780is point and shoot has been getting me by for a while now... and we all know when I went through my Nikon D60 phase... and then the downfall that was the discontinue of it... :(

So now I'll try to tell you something without telling you anything... I've been hired to do a big photography job, something that I *need* a DSLR for and I seriously cannot ask to borrow my Mama's again without her killing me... so I've been back to my DSLR research... and... well... I have decided.

I was going to get the Nikon D5000, but after I held others, shot with others, looked at features and specs... I have decided on the Canon XSi.

Yep. Canon. Here I was going "Oh how badly I want a Nikon... please, please, please!" And then I shot with both of them and easily was swayed back over to Canon... Heh. Funny. Hoping to get the new camera by the end of March... of course, those damn Monkeys... *shakes head, smiling* (You know I love my Mnkys.)

Do you ever write something knowing that someone will read it...? I mean, someone in particular...? I feel that way a lot lately.

I need a new computer. Hardcore.

Need, need, need... I'm almost sick of that word. Can't imagine how y'all feel hearing it from me.

I waaant a new tattoo... Hopefully in May... that's bad when there's so much going on that I have to plan out tattoos and extracurricular activities like that... May... so close, yet so fucking far.

The other day Jennifer and I were at the mall when she mentioned that I needed new jeans... yes. Yes, I do. I finally had to retire my poor pathetic skinny jeans (after wearing them about three times after they SHOULD have been retired...) after Nashville. So I've been stuck with icky boot leg jeans, which do not flatter me... I know that bigger girls should always be conscious of what they're wearing, and trust me when I say that no one is more conscious of that than I am -- but skinny jeans actually look better on me than anything else.

I hate when big girls wear clothes that they swim in -- listen, I get it; you're fat... that doesn't mean that you can't be attractive, sexy, desirable... with a figure and a shape! Trust!

So we go into this store and Jenn mentions that they have layaway... I say, "what? Nowhere has layaway anymore..." and so she goes up and asks the sales person and apparently they were having a special for layaway, too... I was like, "DUDE!" So I picked out four pairs of skinny jeans to try on... the first one was the size I usually get and they didn't fit. (Too small.) I was like, "Oh shit. No, no, no... please tell me I didn't get fatter..." #iwouldcry

Next I tried on this pair of really cute ones that were a size smaller than what I usually wear, but it was all they had - and they fit! Yay! #winatlife So I definitely had to get those... didn't like the third pair; too dark. And the fourth pair had like rips and tears in them... too cool for school... had to get those... both of the jeans were a size smaller than what I normally get! :) Don't know what was up with the first pair I tried on, but fuck em.

I haven't even been consciously trying to lose weight, but I reckon all the travel and the Mnkys has something to do with it... never have time to eat; always run, run, running. (Running to terminals, running to hug friends, running away from Twilight fans... etc...) Of course now I am consciously trying to lose weight... 17 days.

Pic of the Day:

On The Way To LA; The Airport Blog

"She's gone to Arizona, with my money, with my money..." 

I am in Arizona. I found it funny as all hell when I realized where my layover was (you know, 10 minutes before we landed...) and I started singing "Arizona" in my head.

Yesterday was hectic. I won tickets to the Monkeys show from Saint Rocke, the venue that's holding the Monkey show tonight. Willow and I are beyond stoked for that! I was beyond stoked for all the @ mentions I got congratulating me! Y'all are seriously waay too good to me. I think I'll keep you around.

Last night I didn't get any sleep before getting ready for my 6a flight. And still with no sleep and all that time to prepare, I left late for the airport, didn't get to the airport until about 525a had to literally RUN to get my boarding pass and then I had to RUN to airport security, threw my stuff on the conveyer belt, hurry hurry, rush rush and then POP onto the plane... I was so thirsty and out of breath at the end of it.

They had to spend a very long time de-icing our plane... not a whole bunch of fun, that is.

I'm super stoked to finally get to LA and see Willow. She's never been out this far West before and this is only her 2nd plane trip, this is also the first Monkeys show that we get to see just by ourselves! So this is a bunch of firsts!

This will by my 2nd time out to LA; I spent an entire week there in May of 2008 recording my album that never happened. (You can read about that experience here in the one year recap... or head back to the May 2008 blogs here on my journal and read it as it happened.) I just went back and re-read that post I wrote and I said that I would probably start recording again at the beginning of the year. Wow, well, it's February 2010 now, definitely the beginning of the year and while I do have some studio time planned, I really am having such a wonderful time focusing on Monkeys and my photography right now.

Funny how life changes.

Funny how nothing... will ever... stay the same.

I've wanted the same dream since I was 6 years old; to be a recording artist. While that's still a dream of mine I have yet to fully accomplish -- (I have 60 songs recorded to date, over 20 notebooks full of lyrics, etc... so that's why I say "fully" accomplish - I have partly accomplished my dream.) I am not ready to give up the dream yet. I can, however, be brave and courageous and put it on hold while I pursue other dreams of mine. (A person is allowed to have more than one dream, you know...?)

I am hoping that LA will be as fabulous as Willow wants it to be. I know that I put so much into my first trip to LA, that I expected so much out of it -- and really, it's quite as fabulous as they say it is, if you're into that sort of thing... ;) But it's definitely a love it or hate it kind of thing. Guess we'll find out soon enough!

Willow's on her way to LA as I type this. :) We both arrive at noon... insane. I love how that worked out. (Technically I land 6 minutes ahead of her, but that's a good thing, hopefully I can quickly get to her gate in time to greet her as she gets off the plane.)

I do love LAX; I was super impressed with it the last time I was there. They have "experienced flyer" lanes so you don't get stuck behind the family of six that has never flown anywhere before. I hopped into the lane right behind the business guys, easily keeping up with them. Love it.

Jennifer says that I travel well. :) I think that's one of the highest compliments that you can give me. I love traveling and yes, I'm pretty good at it. I'm the most experienced traveler out of my family.

Anyhow, about an hour or so till I have to board... gonna check out all the shit I've been missing from being so busy.

The show tonight is being streamed live - so check it out here! Look for Willow and I and if anyone can record the stream from their computer to send to me, I'll worship the ground you walk on like you're a Guitar God. ;) [[And I usually only save that kind of worshiping for certain people!]]

Rock on,

Jodie