Skynyrd

I just got back from one of my "see before i die" concerts... Lynyrd Skynyrd!! (Me, Dad, Andrew & Matthew went for dad's Father's Day present. Meredith and Mom are still at Nanny's.) omg it was just as awesome as id been hoping. ever since andrew and matthew saw skynyrd play with hank williams when i was studying abroad (almost 4 years ago), i've been aching for the day when i could see them too. that band really hits home for me...those songs are like a part of my family's past generations...southern and real. "simple man" says it all.

the concert definitely lived up to the hype i had dreamed about in my mind. the crowd was filled with the best redneck country boys in the US of A. and the tattooed ladies mmm hmm. not to mention, we had the best seats on the lawn. we could see the concert stage perfectly, and had front seats to 2 different arrests! one was in between .38 and bret, and the other was while everyone was getting ancy waiting for skynyrd. the 2nd arrest was definitely the most entertaining. a real redneck brawl. just another family out for a lovely evening together to see skynyrd: a mom, dad, son (who'd just turned 21 today) daughter, bf, cousin, aunt, and a few other assorted family members were sitting/smoking/drinking/dancing in front of us. somebody sitting near them said something, and the dad got really possessive of his wife and starting trying to fight this guy. so, the bf of the daughter walked up to the belligerent dad to calm him down. well, instead of taming the fight, the dad bucked at the bf, so the bf sucker punched the dad in the face. the next thing you know, they're both swinging and tackled each other on the ground. it was chaos. the police got there (along with a crowd of people) in minutes. the dad was put in handcuffs, and the mom got mad and started swinging at police, so mama got put in handcuffs too. bf that started the whole fight had dipped...no where to be seen (smart guy, andrew comments). all this time, the 21 yr old son has been passed out drunk on the blanket, oblivious to everything going on around him. the police kinda stumble upon him, and he's so out of it that he can't respond to the yelling and flashlights in his face. bad news bears. out comes medic and they have to stand him up and walk him out. skynyrd, you didn't disappoint.

for the encore, people started screaming "FREEBIRD!!" and they actually got their wish! who'd a thunk it?? like something out of a movie...all the lighters and "freebird" was quite a moment for me.

Happy Father's Day, Dad! It's because of you that we know about these bands/songs so we can share these times together.

Where'd ya go?

Dang it. I become the blogger that i never wanted to be... the one who starts out strong and then goes MIA for weeks. Sorry.

Every day since my last post (over 2 weeks ago) ive been thinking about what to write about. the only theme that's been going on in my life lately is change. the end of an era. a good one; bittersweet, really. it's been almost 2 years since i started my first big girl job. ive had time to get my feet wet in the corporate world, and id say ive got the swing of things pretty much down. just use the right buzzwords and you're golden. in one way, it seems like yesterday that i was running around charlotte on the "amazing race scavenger hunt" with all the 300+ college hires... in another way, it feels like forever.

we've come to the 2 year mark in my rotation program with work. this means that a few people are going to get their MBAs, some are getting new jobs, and others are waiting on their boyfriends to finish law school. ive been feeling nostalgic about the time me and my friends at work have had together. it's an experience we'll never have again. 1st job, single, free to be and do whatever. i know im living the best years of my life. but yet i feel ancy when another friend gets engaged or people move to new jobs. every time i feel myself getting anxious about trying to move my present quickly to the future i think i want, i just have to slow down and take it all in. and when i really think about it, i am happy and completely smitten. i love living in this little yellow house. i love coming home and not having to do the dishes bc i just don't feel like it. and as much as i can get caught up with what everyone else is doing, it feels really good to just enjoy the moment. sometimes i look up at the sky and smile, thanking God for blessing me to be in this very moment and season of life. i know things can't stay like this forever. just this week things are starting to change at work and people are starting to move away. but i will try to slow down and cherish these times. even when ive had the worst day at work (today) and feel so upset about things (having to move cubes to another building, away from all of my cubemates), i know better things are yet to come.

i'd just gotten done moving all my stuff into my new cube with andrew and max's help. i felt like the pits. even so, i met my new cubemate, mark, and introduced him to andrew. he was so genuinely happy to meet me and excited that he'd have a new neighbor. it's amazing what a smile can do. almost instantly i felt better. i introduced him to Andrew and explained how this was Andrew's very first week! mark kept calling him "big man" and asking questions about everything, wishing him the best.

"every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."