Dogs can't have sugar

Last night we had cereal for dinner. It was a late night after practice and we didn't really have time to make anything.
As we ate Barley watched begging.
Brian offered him a small bite of cinnamon toast crunch and Hayden said: "DAD! Dogs can't have sugar. Didn't you go to high school?"

Sizzling Summer Wishlist

My summer has been jammed pack with lots of work for my day job and little time for my life time outside of family togetherness. It has been a super hot summer here in Vegas and the sky is filled with smoke most days because of the Carpenter 1 fire. So we've been spending most of our family togetherness time inside, playing video games.

Now that the smoke has cleared a bit I would like to actually enjoy my Summer and it's almost payday. I've really been digging the bright colors this year. 

Links: 1. Strappy Ankle Wedges. 2. Guadalupe Heels. 3. Abstract High-Low Dress 4. Han Solo Muscle Shirt 5.Open back skater dress. 6. Ombre petal tank 7. Heart/Love necklace 8.Color-block maxi 9. Teal dress 10. Jeepers Peepers

What do you do when it's 111 degrees in the desert?

'Tis the season of unbearable heat in Las Vegas. All I feel like doing is lazing about in my comfortably air conditioned house watching hours of b-rated goodies via Netflix and playing video games with my son.
The evidence of my indoor summers is all over my lack of vitamin d tinted skin.
However, we have spent a good amount of time in our neighborhood pool and Hayden has the cutest little tan.
Our summer survival kit currently consists of :
Baby sunblock for Hayden and my face
Frozen grapes
Lots of diet iced tea and water
dinners of salads and sandwiches

With today being the 4th of July we have a plan for a bbq with friends, pool time, and fancy drinks.

Hope you all have a safe but fun 4th!

Motherhood and Metal

I use the word Metal lightly. I picture air quotes every time I use it in reference to our music.

This is my mental image of "Metal"

We walk a fine line of being too hard and being not hard enough depending on the company.
We often get stereotyped as only liking metal even by our close friends.
Just because we play hard music though, doesn't mean that's all we listen to or like.
Brian and I have pretty eclectic tastes in music. We are able to share new music with each other on the regular.

Music has been an essential part of our lives. We met on our way to a Crystal Method concert. Our first conversations were of bands we liked and cd's we wanted to swap. Then after being together for only five months we ended up in a band together and now our second band is celebrating it's tenth year.

Our son is growing up in a much more musical household than we did. He sings more than he talks. He hears us singing certain songs and will get them stuck in his head all day.

I ran across this awesome interview with Brody Dalle about her view on motherhood and it speaks volumes very similar to my own.

From the same site I found this article called Music Of Motherhood.

One of my favorite lines
"Facing the motherhood music means looking at ourselves honestly and openly, and embracing, exploring, and navigating the wide-range of motherhood experiences life casts our way."

My soundtrack is much different from my mother's. I've recently been able to see the lessons and the strengths she taught me that for so long I didn't give her credit for.

Each of us has a different soundtrack defining us but it's in our similarities and sharing of experiences that joins us.

How has being a parent changed you?

School of Hard Rocks: The weirdest road trip

Being a band that can play an out-of-town show successfully is a hard task. Especially when the town you're playing is Hollywood. We had played the Whisky A Go Go back in 2004 and had an amazing experience.
We played in Anaheim in 2009 and had a great experience as well. In 2010 we played in Sacramento which was our best out of town show ever.

In the last nine years things seem to have changed a lot on the Sunset strip.
We had a weird but fun experience last weekend playing at The Roxy in Hollywood. The travel and hanging out with our band mates and friends who joined us was the best. We had a great time riding in a van together and chatting.

When we got to Hollywood the atmosphere was so different. The people at our hotel were rude, the waitress at the Rainbow Bar was super rude, and the crowd at the Roxy was mixed. They had booked us on a show with a bunch of bands who were way younger and radio pop. We're hard rock/metal and their crowd, I'm sure was scared of us.

What's funny though, we're not hard metal wearing corpse paint and leather spikes, but we're hard enough to scare some twelve year old Paramore fans.

We played, we drank, we went back to the hotel.

On our way home the van time was cool. Although we were totally grossed out by a lady in her twenties driving next to us who was picking her nose AND ATE HER BOOGERS. Two of them. After she looked at them.

Overall the experience was a learning one. We have been playing some pretty great shows here at home and the last few have been phenomenal sometimes it takes a road-trip to clear your senses and appreciate the scene at home.

After months of planning, booking, promoting and four hours traveling it's over now and we can say we played the Roxy.

We're gonna focus on new songs, better shows, and a music video now.

June in the Desert

I knew while we soaked up the cold gray May of the Pacific Northwest that our home in the desert would soon be scorching hot and as soon as that plane landed we were hit by the wave of dry heat.
This is what June brings in Vegas;

• Facebook posts of car thermostats that break 120 degrees.
• Hot leather car seats that burn legs wearing shorts or dresses.
• Lots of iced coffees, popsicles and smoothies.
• Late afternoons and weekends in the pool.
• Really awesome shows to play and to see.

We have a busy June planned. We play tomorrow night at the Las Vegas Country Saloon with Fear Factory and next Friday we take a day trip to play the Roxy in Hollywood.  If you're in Southern California and want to see us click here for $12 tickets.  Make sure you say you're coming to see .bipolar.

We're working hard to promote the show and get the word out which sometimes feels like a full time job. 

There's a great bunch of shows coming to town this Summer. 

Some free shows on Fremont street and shows at my favorite venue the Cosmo pool. 

We will be travelling a bit this Summer too. Getting away from the heat sometimes is the best way of dealing with it. 

I hope everyone has great Summer plans. 

Daydream Believer and loss

On Monday May 20th Brian's mother Peggy passed away after a battle with numerous types of Cancer.  Brian was on the phone with his sister talking about the complications she was having that morning when it happened.
He was devastated. She had recently had a heart attack and we had planned on coming up that following Friday to see her.
Hayden really didn't understand and we weren't ready to explain.
We flew in to Washington to be with his family on Wednesday. It was the earliest we could leave.
I tried my best to help with what needed to be done but most was already handled.
Being there with him and his family was the first time I had experienced a loved ones death so closely.

His sister and brother-in-law carried the brunt of the planning and organizing and did a great job.
His father was strong and caring the perfect example of a good father comforting his children in a hard time.
Walking into the house Hayden immediately asked where Grandma was. I had to take him aside and explain as best I could.
"Honey, Daddy's mom, your Grandma passed away and that's why we're here. Everyone is sad and misses her so we need to be extremely good and nice."
His eyes got big and he gave me a hug, "Ok Mommy. I will be super good and hug Daddy a lot."
He was and he did.
As she was struggling with cancer for a while she left behind plans and things she knew would aide her family in the hurt and struggle of losing her. One of those items was a journal.

The service was Saturday at a local LDS church. It was a nice service and full of wonderful memories. Here's the memorial video the family put together.




After the service we all got together on Brian's brother's bus to hang out and talk away our tears.

The day after we wanted to do something different and give his dad some time to rest. We decided to visit Portland.
We headed to the Saturday Market (even though it was Sunday). It was cloudy and rained a little but otherwise the day was peaceful. We browsed through lots of art and crafts. We also stopped to take some goofy pictures.

Then we headed down to Mississippi St. where I found an awesome shop called Flutter. They had the most amazing Rose perfume ever among a bunch of other really cool items.

We then went on a walk through the beautiful neighborhoods and admired all the green beautiful plants we don't get a lot of in Vegas.

It was a well spent day.

We returned to his family and spent a few more hours.  Just like any family gathering it wouldn't be complete without some drama, but thats life.

We spent some good times with his family overall. Hayden had an good time with his cousins and will miss them all so much. Every time he makes a wish it's to see his cousins. "Hey Dad its 1:11 make a wish. I wish to see my cousins and get to play with them a lot." This happens daily.

We got back yesterday but bittersweetly are very glad to be home.

We will dearly miss Peggy.  Our hearts still ache but our minds know she is at rest now.

I've been waking up with random songs in my head (none from the video) and over coffee this morning Brian and I thought they had to be coming from her watching over us somehow. This morning it was Daydream Believer by the Monkees.