The good... the bad.

We have some really great things in the works for the band lately:
We are working with a crew to shoot our first music video, we just booked a show for October at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay and we're planning a Northern California show weekend in December.
All of these things have me stoked beyond belief just a week after I was completely frustrated with the stagnancy of the Las Vegas scene.
I had booked a couple shows at a local club to help out some bands, the club and try to make a couple bucks. The two shows and one event that I had booked, promoted and planned weren't too great. The bands barely brought anyone and I had myself designed, printed and dropped off fliers but still the attendance was sad. I was frustrated with the amount of time and effort I put into it to have such a poor turnout.
It's amazing to me how completely different the scene is here compared to Sacramento, especially in the way bands book and promote their shows.
I don't want to start the laundry list of things I would change about the scene but I'm glad I have an awesome partner in Brian who can listen to me gripe, console me and tries his best to make things better.

Weekend Redux: Camping in Paradise...

 We took our first camping trip this weekend. Our destination was Zion National Park in Utah. It was AMAZING! I can't sum it up in words so here are some pictures. 

This is Lauren admiring the rocks.

This is my favorite picture of the whole trip. 

This was a cool little lizard Brian caught on our hike. He let it go of course. 

We found all these cute little tree frogs on our way down the canyon. It was getting dark and we had to watch the trail closely as to not step on them. We saved as many little guys as we could.

Random Awesomeness: Custom Bad-Ass Trike

My dad made this awesome Trike for Hayden. Although it seems like we will be having more fun on it!

Yup that just happened...

I felt like caca yesterday. I was throwing up, shaky, and not in a good way at all. I still had to drop off and pick up Hayden from school on top of working as much as I could. I also had to try and get stuff together for a camping trip this weekend. Not just any camping trip. Our first camping trip together so there's more stress attached to it then usual.
I hate feeling useless when I'm sick and on top of feeling like crap I was cranky.
So days like that don't make my "fixing me" program very useful.
Hayden was such a sweetheart though. When I picked him up from school I was stuck in the traffic of rude parents who think their Mercedes are more important than my Honda and like to blatantly cut me off, in a school zone, while I have a giant BIPOLAR sticker on the back of my car window (these people are obviously not very bright). And while stuck there with a door window that doesn't work I had to vomit and I had nothing to vomit into so I did it on the floor. Luckily my stomach was empty and it was just stomach acid. I know I know TMI, but the funny of it was Hayden's response. "Mom. You. Just. Threw Up. In. The. Car." He sounded like he was 15 and I responded with. "Yup, that just happened."
He then promised to take care of me, get me water, let me rest and cuddle with the skull blanket. My heart melted.

Cracked Out

He says "I ate skittles and now I'm cracked out!" I captured this after about five minutes of him doing laps around the kitchen island.
Cracked out is a funny saying he picked up from his mom. Me and my colorful language!

Superhero

Hayden found this mask at the grocery store this weekend and HAD to have it. So I caved and spent a whole $7 on it. He ran around most of the weekend pretending to be a super-hero and using a pirate sword to open and close his invisible secret lair. He fought off Evil King Cow who has a spaceship and Evil King Chicken who steals eggs.

We attended his Open House on Thursday and was finally able to talk to his teacher. She said he's doing well and has settled into a routine now being able to focus. Aside from completely losing a necessary folder, he does well with turning in his homework and class work.
So we rewarded him with a used video game and a dinner out which for him is just french fries and chocolate milk.

Skull Shopping

It's my favorite time of year to go shopping. Skull shopping that is. All the major stores have their Halloween decor out and ready for me to scoop up.
I got an awesome rug, two skull candles, a skull mirror, and a skull bowl all for around $20 in the last few days.
World Market has some great skull stuff as does Target.  But the best selection I've found lately has been at Ross.
I used to hate Ross. It's messy, unorganized and I would have to spend hours trying to rummage through crap before I would find a single gem. Lately however the selection has grown and I have mastered the secrets of the local Ross.

Weekend Redux: With Pics

This weekend consisted of catching up on my tv shows (Sons of Anarchy), mastering Madden '11 so I can try to keep up with Brian, more video games, a 2 day headache, going out on Saturday night with my guy friends to some bars downtown, football on Sunday, crazy thunderstorms and my dad teaching Brian how to change brake pads which he did a great job on!

 Hayden in pure gamer form.

 The crazy clouds that brought some crazy rain this weekend. I loved the rain and the crazy lightning.

 Saw these on Fremont Street in a mini-mart. Where exactly would you wear these? 

I mean, they aren't really for hiking.

  The awesome El Cortez Cabana Suites right behind Fremont Street. 

I had never seen this beautiful building before.

 This is the side of the El Cortez cabana building. I think it's an awesome shot.

Routine

Since Hayden started school his routine has gone to shit. He used to go to daycare all day and come home happy and ready to play video games or go to the pool. Now he goes to daycare until 12:15-12:30pm when I have to drive all the way across town on my lunch break to pick him up and then drive him to school. Although it is costing me a lot in gas we get to spend about fifteen minutes together each day just him and I talking, hanging out and eating candy before I have to drop him off.
We have pretty amazing talks and that kid, I love him so much. He says the most profound things.
Brian picks him up from school and spends time with him (mostly playing video games) for a couple hours before I get home from work.
In his new daily routine there's no room for a nap. NAPS ARE A MUST HAVE for our well being. The first week of school  included lots of temper tantrums, lots of kid on mom violence that resulted in lots of time-outs.
Now, the second week we're trying to fix the problem with earlier bed times. This poses difficult for two musicians who need to attend band practice that usually doesn't get out till 9:30pm but on non-practice nights we're doing it!
He's thrown less tantrums but we need a few more days before we evaluate the results.
Last night he crashed out a little later then scheduled but when I saw him on my bed I couldn't help but laugh. He looks like a graceful ballerina.

Weekend Redux: LAH-ZEE Weekend

This was Hayden having fun with Brian at my dad's house on Sunday.

May you sing like no one is listening

Welcome back to the stone age

I don't have a functional printer to print out or upload pictures from my digital camera.
My Mac G4 is over nine years old now and full of obsolete programs and honestly we only use it for burning cds.
Since my neighbors moved who were supplying me with free wireless internet I no longer have internet. Since I have no more wireless internet I no longer have Netflix. That in itself is killing me.
So once again I feel like I'm back in the stone age.
I started booking shows and events at a local club to try and make some extra dough to pay bills but it looks like I need to start a "Get me out of the stone age" fund with a quickness.
I use my iphone for everything, and I mean everything! It consoles my son with games like Stupid Zombies when he's freaked out about shots. It helps me decide what I'm gonna make for dinner. It even helps me book shows out of town via text messages and facebook. Seriously if it wasn't for my iphone I think my forehead would jut out and I would start killing animals to wear their hides as clothing.