One Amazing Year

I'm about to get sentimental on you...

One year ago today was the first time I ever met Jackson.

Now, for so many of my friends (including my best friend Jennifer) today marks the first time that they ever saw 100 Monkeys live. I had already seen 100 Monkeys twice in August, however, Jackson wasn't there for those shows -- thus, November 7, 2009 was the first time that I ever met Jackson and the first time that I ever saw 100 Monkeys as a full band.

My how far I've come in a year.

I just went back into my blog from a year ago to see what all I had said about Jackson and my first full 100 Monkeys experience and I actually used the same icon that I did a year ago... without trying. :) Funny, it just seemed so appropriate for today.

I tried (and failed) to meet Jay three times before I was actually successful, which... we all know, waiting for something makes it that much sweeter in the end. November 7, 2009 was a great day. I won't say it was the best day of my life - but at that moment it ranked pretty high on the list. I still hold it amongst the memories I love. It seems so long ago, in a sense... and yet, I at times can't believe that it's only been a year.

I really don't think there's any amount of words that can sum up how much it means to me. I only have a few that really hit it on the head:

Be careful what you wish for...

November 2009, Nashville

January 2010, Tulsa

March 2010, Des Moines

March 2010, STL

April 2010, Nashville

June 2010, Seattle

July 2010, Arizona

October 2010, Baton Rouge

Of course those aren't all the photos that I have with him -- I have to keep some things private and just for myself.

I can't and won't even begin to tell you how far I've/we've come in the last year. I suppose it is unfortunate that a year ago I could say and spill anything I wanted and it didn't matter because no one cared to listen and now, now I keep everything to myself... for many different reasons... but yeah. I don't mind though - it makes all of those moments and memories a hundred times more special. 

I will say this, however; I do not take one moment with him (or any of those boys, for that matter) for granted. I appreciate it and them more than I am sure they even know and more than you all could ever comprehend. 

I can't believe it's only been a year... another one of these "year" blogs will be coming at the end of the southern tour... so be prepared for that. It's already being written in my head. 

Thanks to the four of you who read this. :)

This Life... It Is A-Changing

The ADD is really killing me today. I came here to get online and get some work on my official site done... of course that didn't happen. I did manage to write, what I think, is a pretty rocking blog -- you can find that entry below this one if you haven't already checked it out.

Someone @'d me on Twitter and said that they got sucked into reading my blog, so I decided I would skim back a little bit and see what all I had written... I used to update for nogoddamnreason, but now it seems like I only update when I have seen the boys. This blog was never intended to just be about the boys... hell, I started this blog long, long ago.

So I was reading back a bit and then I clicked on my archive... I saw my Duct Tape post & giggled my ass off, remembering things that I had long since forgotten, that being from January and only my 4th 100 Monkeys show. (I am now at 26...)

It was pretty adorable to read about giving him duct tape for the first time (when now it's a staple & *expected*) and to read about him using my lighter as a slide for the first time... when now... oh god... well, I still love, adore and appreciate every time that he uses my lighter as a slide (if I am there to see it, or not...) but to read about my reaction to the FIRST time? Pretty sweet. :)

I then decided to click back to November and read about the first time meeting Jackson.

Crazy.

So crazy.

I can't believe how much my writing has changed. If I were to re-write that blog today, I wouldn't have put HALF of those details in there... and also, you can tell I was being respectful (& sogoddamnnew) because I kept calling him "Jackson Rathbone", "Jackson Rathbone". That. Is. Crazy. I don't even call him Jackson now! He never answers me when I call him Jackson! (Learned that one the hard way back in Tulsa...) I suppose there are some times when his name just *NEEDS* two syllables... Jack-son! (That's more of a scolding, if you ask me...) but no, no, no, no... he is J a y.

Alright, time to zip my lips on the comparisons... Oh... one more thing, though... I still talk about Jerad the same. :D

From the 4th show, Tulsa. January.

From the 26th show, San Francisco. July.

Both blue... hah. Awesome.

I just got very nostalgic right now. Great. Now I miss him... *grumbles and walks away* ...just what I needed...

xx

Jodie

New Tricks

"Maybe I should have saved those leftover dreams, 
Funny but here's that rainy day..." 

I guess it's been a while since I've blogged... and I know I *still* haven't done my Birmingham or Memphis blog; I guess that one day it will just be like a surprise for you. Someday you'll wake up and it'll be here...

I'm at the beginning of a headache. I can't tell if it's going to be a migraine yet or not...

I pulled out a good chunk of my eyelashes today. I really have a problem with that... :-/

Jennifer and I finally got the second season of Grey's Anatomy on DVD. :) That made me happy. Only took me 2 days to watch it all. Now, of course, I am ready for the third season...

Funny thing, actually...

We walked into FYE to go buy Grey's and right inside the door is the Twilight merchandise. I did a once over and they were having a sale (50% off Twilight merchandise, so I was going to look for the Jasper doll.) The employee said, "Can I help you find anything?" I said "Jasper" and that turned into a hugeeeee conversation/debate about the books and movies and the "neglected" characters.

She talked our fucking ears off! Rambling on and on and on about all sorts of Twilight related things. I was polite and listened, though I wanted to just say, "Yeaaaaaah... I'm not *THAT* into Twilight, just kinda wanted the Jasper doll so I could like, make it dance and put it in my van..." I listened to the TwiHard for a bit and then her customers got impatient. She was definitely the most interesting person that I met that day, however. (And she was an Emmett girl.)

It's hard for me to fall asleep. The night time is the hardest, which... I don't understand, but it is. I lay in bed last night - lights off, TV off, mind ON. Just as I would start to fall asleep I would sit straight up and gasp for air. I clench my fists, I clench my jaw... I don't know what to call this. I also don't know how to make it stop.

I got some Worry Dolls the other day we were out; they haven't helped.

I feel like I'm a disappointment to everyone I meet. I haven't made my parents proud, I haven't made my "fans" proud, I haven't made my friends proud. I can't even edit and keep up with my sites. I don't know what to do. The ADD is getting worse; the anxiety is getting worse. The addictions are getting worse. The only thing I'm getting better at is hiding it and lying about it.

Picture of the Day:

And It's Been So Long Since I've Seen The Ocean

"One more day up in the canyon, 
And it's one more night in Hollywood, 
If you think you might come to California, 
I think you should..." 

I know I should be finishing my Birmingham blog instead of starting this one... but Birmingham is proving very hard for me to write. There's so much that happened that day, there's so much that I think of when I think of Birmingham -- however, none of that will be included in the write up blog for the show. No personal stories will be shared from that day.

Sorry to disappoint.

Yesterday Jennifer had the entire day off... we were supposed to take my new camera out for a spin at the park... but then it rained... hard. Also, Megan wasn't feeling well so we had to reschedule our lil get together.

I really keep thinking I would like to do something different with my hair. I honestly don't know what. Suggestions? With pictures?

Ahh, let's face it. I have nothing to talk about today. Here's some pictures.

My bracelets.

Jennifer's bracelets.

If I haven't mentioned it here -- I'm in love with my camera.

Rock on,

Jodie

Back To Where We Started - Nashville

"What are you gonna do with all your Southern style..."

I was looking forward to leaving for this weeklong trip to see 100 Monkeys & Co. for so long I can't even tell you. This was the culmination of... well... of everything.

I left the boys last in Tulsa... each goodbye getting harder and harder... the time between seeing them this time was the longest it's ever been -- 26 days, to which Jerad replied that was far "too long".

I concur.

Jennifer and I (plus our road dog, Isabella) drove from Kansas City down to Nashville where we met up with Willow, Jessie and Kasey. (Willow & Jessie hopped aboard the Rock Van with us to make the trip through Legacy...)

I instantly loved the venue when we arrived... it had a badass wall of artists... not sure if they were just random artists or artists who had played there. (I like to believe it was the latter.)

We got there fuckearly and walked around a little bit... finding a great parking space behind the venue. (The boys ended up parking right by us so after the show there were hordes of *clears throat* ...people... surrounding our van and theirs. Scary shit.)

As you may (or may not) know by now, I have a pretty extreme sleeping disorder... I rarely sleep, sometimes by choice, most times it's just because my mind will not shut down... I used to be able to fall asleep with Benadryl but now even prescription sleeping pills don't really do it for me...

I digress... *Willow*

Blah, blah, I fell asleep in the van... I was like a "school sleep", where you're not really sleeping and you're not really awake... but it was the first sleep I had gotten in two or three days, so I was happy to have anything.

I awoke to the boys Twittering... quite a bit that day, actually... which made me anticipate their arrival even more... I colored photos and sent them back via Twitter to them. (@hello_jodie) ...and then, all the sudden when I wasn't looking I saw the Monkey van in the rear view mirror, quickly followed by the Scion.

*insert beaming face of joy here*

I said hellos and I missed you's, did the hug thing & gave them a present... I didn't really get to say anything to Jerad and he always peaces out so quickly after load in (damn you, best friend) ...so I asked Jake if he would go get him since I had a special gift to give him...

Several minutes later Jerad came out and gave me a hug and my high five. (Which I missed sooo hard in those 26 days!) ...My dog was barking at the window (she hates strangers... and men. LOL) and he goes, "who is that?" I said that it was my dog and he asked if he could pet her.

...Now, what I should have said was, "do you not see this vicious dog attacking the window...?" But instead I said, "she's not nice; she'll bite you."

His response verbatim?

"YES."

So... Jerad willingly got mauled by my dog.

It was awesome.

I don't normally share stories, but that one was just too awesome and I knew that it would make y'all laugh. I want you all to picture Jerad getting attacked by a 3lb teacup Chihuahua.

This Chihuahua:

Epic.

Some photos from the show:

After the show I got to say to them what I had been waiting so long to say, "I'll see you tomorrow..." such a simple sentence, yet it meant so much to me... and thus our week began.

Next stop? Birmingham, Alabama.

Preview?

Fuckawesome, Jerad. (Check out the blur from his hands? Too much rock, my friend.)

Rock on. Please take the time to comment. :)

Jodie