I Am Torrid!

Last month, Torrid gave some fashion bloggers a peek behind their curtain. And, I was there. Lucky me!

Torrid offered up a preview of their spring/summer fashions - awesome, bright, denim are just a few of the words to describe what's to come. Florals on tops, denim, jackets. Stripes on dresses - maxi and not-so maxi. Prints, whites, colors!

Fashionistas from near and far were given unprecedented access to designers, buyers and even the CEO! Who does that?! Questions, comments, likes, dislikes were all bandied about in an effort to understand Torrid customers. Most of the discussions stemmed from personal preferences - 3/4 length sleeves, ruched sleeves, cork heels. Some topics - 5" heels in particular - brought about consensus from all. 

The most fascinating person I met was Liz, SVP of Product. Her passion for denim was palpable! She shared her vast knowledge of denim, which comes from years of experience working in the industry for some big names in the world of jeans. Liz and the Torrid team fit test the jeans - every size, every style. Isn't that cool? AND, we learned that each pair of jeans is hand destructed. Catch that? Each pair of jeans is hand destructed! So rad! Certainly makes me appreciate each pair of jeans more.

I was also quite fascinated by the bra guy (totally spaced on his name! - Yikes! UPDATE 04.09.13 ~ Vince! His name is Vince!). Yes. A bra guy. He had a plane to catch, so his presentation was brief. But, boy, did he give us a lot of info! He showed us the new lace demi-bra (GET. ONE. NOW!). Some of the fashionistas did not believe a bra with two hooks could be supportive. Oh, it's supportive! And, lacy and pretty and comfortable and GET. ONE. NOW! Let me say this - it's crazy how two hooks makes me feel even sexier in a bra than lace does.

One of my favorite activities of the day was the photo shoot. What an incredible sight ~ a conference room filled with clothes! Jeans hanging on the wall to the left; shoes, bras and accessories displayed on tables; tees, tops, jackets and such on racks. Kinda heavenly. 

::SIDE BAR:: I am in my mid-40's. I also stand 6'2" without shoes. I've learned to live with too-short jeans and cuffs. It's just a fact of my fashion life. At the event, one of the fashionistas in attendance was seriously rockin' Torrid's rose print jeans. I admired from afar, having already written off sporting a pair of my own if for no other reason than the jeans were too young for me. ::end SIDE BAR::

The first outfit I picked out was pretty much the same thing I wore to the event ~ tee + blazer. I put it back on the rack and grabbed one of the fabulous Lords of Liverpool lyric tees. Super soft material, slightly oversized and quite eye-catching, I couldn't resist. With a Bowie lyric to boot! I knew this shirt would join the other 2 tees already in my closet.

I was ready to go! But was stopped by Torrid team member, Nicole. She wanted me to try on their oh-so-popular Stiletto jeans. I told Nicole that I had tried them on but, alas, they were too short. The zipper detail at the ankle (well, it was on my calf) prevented cuffing. So, Nicole brought over the rose print denim. I put 'em on, great fit, a bit short, but able to be cuffed. I confessed that I was much too old to wear the jeans. She did that you're-kidding-me-right head tilt thing and was persuaded to keep them on for my photo shoot.

By the time my photo shoot and interview were finished, I was in love with the jeans. After the event, I sat in my car and ordered a pair online!

I met some fun and lovely and fashionable ladies ~ what a great group of gals to share the day! WE are Torrid :)

Thank you, Torrid, for including me in such an incredible event! 

Check out the video...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ipo8vk7GXR4&feature=youtu.be

Summer Concert Dance Card

In terms of music, my summer is packed with concerts. And if the first 3 shows are any indication, my summer is going to pretty epic.

Thanks to a Goldstar email offer, I got a last-minute ticket to The Dukes of September ~ Michael McDonald (the Doobie Bros.), Donald Fagen (Steely Dan) and Boz Scaggs. On the Jimmy Fallon show, they covered one of my favorite songs "I'll Be Good To You" by the Brothers Johnson. That was enough to sell me. Their set was a mix of covers - rock, blues, R&B - and several of their individual hits. My thoughts:

• Michael McDonald should sing background vocals on every song to be recorded. He is THAT awesome.
• Donald Fagen is incredibly electric to watch onstage. During Kid Charlemagne, he really came alive and his presence was so commanding. He's absolutely brilliant.
• I expected Boz Scaggs to sing Lowdown and Lido Shuffle. He did Lowdown. He did not do Lido Shuffle. How does Boz Scaggs NOT DO LIDO SHUFFLE?! Pfft. He DID sing my favorite Boz song - Miss Sun - so I cut him some slack. Later, he did this insane cover of a Teddy Pendergrass song Love TKO. All was forgiven.
• I would love love LOVE to be a back-up singer for this group.

Friday night had me driving out to the middle of nowhere to catch an amazing double-bill ~ Squeeze and the B52s. As much as I love San Diego, the surrounding areas scare the crap outta me. This Harrah's Rincon Casino is an oasis in the midst of a stark, depressing town. After winding roads, no stop lights and a thisclose to three hour drive, I arrived. 

The B52s were awesome! Start to finish, it was a dance party ~ 52 Girls, Mesopotamia, PLANET EFFING CLAIRE, Whammy Kiss (which I've NEVER seen performed live). The crowd was loving it! Sadly, the casino told people the B52s were up after Squeeze, so loads of people missed the set. We were singing and dancing. It was a great time.

Saturday night, I saw the same double-bill, but closer to home. The Greek is one of my favorite venues - outdoors, great seats, good vibe but the stacked, ripoff parking is horrible. This time, Squeeze opened the show. I LOVE these guys ~ Glenn was jovial and chatty, Chris was happy and dance-y, Stephen, Simon and JB were their usual exuberant, fun selves. They played 3 new songs - Tommy, Top of the Form and Honey Trap. Just like R. Kelly says, after the show, it was the after-party. It was crowded, chock full o'people who were somebody. Or, not. I loved watching these people push their way through for face-time with the bands. Knowing everyone in the room wants face-time, too, some people just did not move on, choosing to hold tight to the moment. A girl with a beach ball asked Cindy Wilson to sign it, but the pen didn't work. The girl asked this guy with a stack of CDs and LPs if she could borrow his pen for Cindy to sign. Dude said no. Really, dude? Whoa. Girl was stunned. Cindy grabbed a pen, signed the beach ball and the girl left happy. SO interesting watching the interrupted conversations, the calculating movements, the eyes darting, stopping, dismissing. A guy leaned over to me "So, who do you know?" I stuck out my hand, introduced myself. "I know you." Luckily, he walked away as Glenn came over to say hello. I said my hellos to all, collected hugs, had lovely chats then decided I'd had enough. I collected one more hug, said my goodbyes and limped up the hill to my car with a smile on my face, lovely words in my ears and a heart full of love.

I doubt any other concert this summer will be as up-close and personal. And, I don't care.

NEXT!

"Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music."

It's Leap Blog Day!

Today is Leap Blog Day ~ hooray! I have invited the very funny and very lovely Kelly from Southern Fried Children to leap from her blog to mine. So, after you read her guest post, click on over and give her blog some love. And, without further ado, please welcome Kelly!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

(Thank you, Rissa – for allowing me to guest on your blog. One of my favorite things about you is your passion for music. So I knew I had to write something musical for you. I took it old school!)

Soundtrack

There became a pattern to my afternoons: Off the school bus, rush down the block, stop abruptly at the end of the driveway, tear open the mailbox. Stare dejectedly. It hadn’t come.

Days went by and if I asked my mother once I asked her a thousand times, “When do you think it will be here?”

“They said four to six weeks, honey. It’s been 10 days.”

I had seen the advertisement during Saturday morning cartoons. I was already in a musical mood, rocking out to Josie & the Pussycats, and when the commercial came on, the sound stopped me dead in my tracks.

Donna Summer.

If ever a white bread, seven year old Southern kid could will herself into the super glam, mega-afro’d, stunning Queen of Disco, it was me. Only twenty years and unfortunate genetics separated who I was on the outside, and who I longed to be on the inside.

I ran all the way to the kitchen, repeating the number.

800-555-7878

800-555-7878

Digging through the junk drawer, looking for a pencil. There’s never a pencil in here! And finally, scribbling the number on an envelope with the tiny stub of a purple crayon.

800-555-7878

“Mom! Please can I order it? Please? I saved money from my birthday and I’ll do extra chores and wash your car! Anything you want! Please?”

My mother was not a fan of disco. She had been, at one time, until my father made her trade in her Bee Gee albums and platforms for George Jones and a giant belt buckle. The final straw had been an incident involving a too-tight feathered headband and momentary loss of consciousness. Still, she acquiesced.

I don’t know that I have ever before or ever since anticipated something as much as the arrival of that 12 x 12 inch cardboard sleeve full of vinyl magic.

Finally, it arrived.

It was a Saturday morning when the mailman came to the door and I heard the words – “C.O.D.” I ran to my room and carefully opened my jewelry box and extracted the $12.99 plus shipping and handling, and ran back to the door. I handed over the cash, sweaty from my palms, and took delivery of the package.

It was the first piece of mail I’d ever received with just my name on it.

It was the first album I had ever purchased with my own money.

I raced back to my room, carefully unwrapped it, and marveled at the most singularly awesome piece of cover work I’d ever seen.

I don’t know how long I stared at the cover. I would revisit it time and again, wondering – what did it mean? Looking at those static bodies, all big boobs and leisure suits, knowing that if I stared long enough, they’d start moving. How can you look like that and not move your body? How can you listen to something by a band called ‘Natural Juices’ and not want to shake it?

I pulled the album from the sleeve and blew gently across the surface. I was careful to hold it only on the sides, like my dad had shown me. Onto the record player, the switch flipped, and it began to spin. Slowly, carefully, tentatively, with a wildly beating heart and shaking hands, I lowered the needle.

FRIDAY! Ba da da dum, da dum! – thank God it’s FRIDAY!

It was amazing, it was perfect, it was disco.

Whale Watching 1.14.12

Spent Saturday morning whale watching off the coast of Ventura (north of Los Angeles). We were chasing 3 grey whales (likely 2 males and 1 female) while a huge pod of dolphins (well over 100!) chased us. It was a fantastic day.

Leap Blog Day!

Check it ~ Leap Blog Day!

Short version: visit site, sign up, select a guest blogger from the list, wait for someone to select you, write, yay!

Get and give some blog traffic.

Get and give some blog love.

The You're Awesome Holiday Letter - by Slackmistress

One of my most favoritist people on the planet is the Slackmistress. She is uber cool and lovely and nice and funny and a fantastic writer. Below is her post from yesterday ~ the "You're Awesome" Holiday Letter! What a great idea, huh? Yeah, that's why I'm sharing it with y'all :)

The You're Awesome Holiday Letter

Every year instead of getting gifts that are probably awesome but just add to our "stuff" I send out a "you're awesome" letter. To friends, family, or random people on the Internet. Sure, it's not commercialized and it doesn't kill the environment and you can't unwrap it and force a fake smile ("IT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED!") and it's not a Lexus with a shiny bow.

But it's free, it's easy, and it just takes a little bit of time to make someone's day.

So pretty much not what the holidays are about. But I encourage you to do it anyway.

NaBloPoMo 11.24 - Thanksgiving Toast

Thanksgiving Toast...

for those who hurt me I thank you for the lessons you taught me about friendship, loss and love. I thank you for the lessons I've yet to learn, in particular the ones about strength, forgiveness and the lessons that move me forward.

for those who I have hurt I'm sorry for intentional and unintentional hurts. I know my actions came from a weak place...my hope is strength and love have taken root in that space.

for those who helped me I thank you for love and support and guidance. Thank you to my mentoring communities. An abundance of thanks to my friends for listening, hearing, knowing, accepting and helping me through Life's rough patches.

for those who I have helped I thank you for the opportunity to participate in your life. I'm happy to have helped - knowingly or not.

Who haven't I thanked enough in my life? My parents, without a doubt. My siblings. Myself.

Many thanks to those of you who choose to or happened to read this blog. I appreciate you taking time to do so. Also, thank you if you've felt compelled to comment.

I wish you & yours a wonderful day filled with love and joy and blessings and good food!

@TriLisaKay

Vague messages started to appear in my Twitter timeline. More messages trickled in later this evening ~ friends tweeted of being speechless and sad, angry and wanting to punch things, how bothersome things now seemed trite. It wasn't tough to figure out my Twitter friends had lost one of their friends.

Then I got a Twitter DM from K:

Lisa passed away either last night or this morning :(

The friend my friends lost had been one of mine. I had recently reconnected with Lisa, a fact she mentioned to K the night before, saying she was pleased I'd been wondering how she was. That warms my heart.

Speechless. Sad. Angry. Want to punch things. Bothersome things now seem trite. All of these are true.

Lisa was truly one of the good guys. She will be deeply missed. Loving thoughts of comfort and understanding to her family and friends.

Lisa was training for a race. The fundraising page will remain open. You don't have to donate; but it would be really cool if you'd visit the page and read of her struggles and victories.

THIS is why I mentor

from Mustard on 06.21.11 at our Mentoring Closing Session

30-Day Song Challenge - Day 7

a song that reminds you of an event ~ Spirit of 76 by the Alarm

reminds me of PhillyRocks 2009...a benefit concert for the Love Hope Strength Foundation (http://lovehopestrength.org/). It was a gorgeous night filled with phenomenal people, now friends, and awesome music. Cy Curnin, Glenn Tilbrook, Mike Peters, Nick Harper, Robin Wilson, James Stevenson...Shannon, Tracey, Tracy, Steve, Warren, Bill, Bob, Alex, Lily and Scot...this is for you oh my friends, oh my friends, oh my friends...

NaBloPoMo 1.2 - The Gentleman

The Gentleman of Sophistication & Refinement

We met at an English Beat concert (surprise, surprise). The Princess and I were making our way toward the stage at the Canyon Club. We ended up standing near this tall guy.

"I just want to apologize to you right now. This is my favorite band and I'll be singing off key and dancing and yelling. So, if I hit you or make your ears bleed, I'm sorry."

We danced and sang that night and he snapped pics of me and The Princess. It was such fun!

And so began a lovely friendship.

Since then, The Gentleman and I have enjoyed tons of shows ~ Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings, Prince, the Specials, Rockin' the Colonies tour, two Regeneration tours and, of course, more English Beat shows. We'd spend Sunday mornings with That Girl drinking bottomless mimosas at Saddle Ranch then wile away the afternoons inside Universal Studios. We bought a Map to the Stars Homes and set out to cross all the names off the list. We spent a day at California Adventure riding two rides, drinking and waiting in line to get pics with Disney characters.

I often tell The Gentleman he and That Girl saved my life. I keep saying it because it keeps being true! These 2 got me out of my house, got me doing things again. The 3 of us pal'd around, explored our city and had tons of fun! We're camera whores, every adventure is well documented on Facebook, myspace and/or Flickr.

He is witty, snarky, funny and a good friend.

To The Gentleman of Sophistication and Refinement ~ thank you :) xo

NaBloPoMo 1.1 - Friends

The January theme for National Blog Posting Month is Friends.

I have 31 days to write about my friends. ::rubbing hands together:: This should be good!

Stay tuned...

Summer Tour 2010 - It's the End of the Party

Tough to walk away last night. People were milling about and it was bittersweet. Just as I was getting to know them all - Grace, Peter, John, the others. I stood there, longing to be smack-dab in the middle of them, it - the chatter, the drinks, the smoke, the laughter. I wanted to grab it all, wrap myself up so tight in the memories of my new friends...then just stay there, warm and remembering.

I said goodbye to everyone a dozen times in the hopes someone had one wish left to bestow upon me. This was not to be. Accepted, reluctantly. My wishes were used for two weeks of fucking awesome! Guess being greedy just wouldn't be right...

There was no backstage room; the guys all stayed on their buses or on the side street. I had wanted to talk with Chris again, couldn't find him. He's a slick guy, disappearing just as you notice he's around. A car was waiting to take him away. Fans were waiting to take him away, too. I just stood there, staring. Why in the world am I so intimidated and scared? Well, other than the fact that he is Chris effing Difford. It took me a few minutes to work up the nerve. I popped my head in the driver's side door - "Chris, hope you feel better. Thank you so very much for the past two weeks. It was wonderful and fun and true joy and everything." Mind you, I'm saying this like running a sprint, words tumbling out before I could think. He smiled and said some very nice things. I closed the car door, walked away all warm and happy, smiling and bummed that it took me until the end to talk with him. Oh well...

Memories of conversations had and overheard roll around in my head making it difficult to write this...I'm actually tearing up, so emotional. (Crybaby!) I will sit with these memories. I will let them trip and fall, spin and stumble around up there...then smile as they spill out to keep me company on my drive home. Eight hours is a long time.

"Do it now you know there's never a next time..."

NaBloPoMo 7.31 Summer Tour 2010 - Northern CA

Woke up in a delightful bed in a great hotel room ~ thank you Cypress Hotel, Cupertino. Yet, I am feeling incredibly lonely. This laptop is a blessing and a curse as I can't stay away from it...seeking some sort of contact via Facebook or Twitter. Someone, anyone to reach out to. I don't know how these bands do it...



Today is my last day of Summer Tour 2010. I do not want it to end! :::stomping feet::: No no no! It has been such an incredible experience ~ the places, the music, the experiences, the people. I am so amazed that this is me. Ten years ago, I would never have embarked on an adventure like this - too introverted, too hyper-aware, too scared. These past two weeks have showed me Me. I wrangled media for Dave, reaching out to interviewers, keeping them entertained while waiting, put myself out there first, no waiting for someone to (hopefully) approach me.

Like their tshirts say, I quite like Squeeze. I'd met Glenn a year ago and reintroduced myself. He's such a delight on stage and off. John, bassist, is nice as well yet seems to disappear quickly. Simon, drummer, is a kick! He's boisterous and fun and funny and is quite the charmer. Stephen, keyboards, is...well...all sorts of things. I crushed a bit. :::shoulder shrug::: And then there's Chris. I finally worked up nerve to talk to him last night. Such a drag I didn't do it sooner. I have to admit to feeling scared of him. So, I looked for him on Twitter, sent a tweet and then gave myself permission to talk to him. I dunno. Weird. Whatever. He was nice to me though I think he wasn't feeling well.

I think I'll flip video tonight's show. Warned Candy I'm likely to cry during Goodbye Girl. Told Glenn "Tomorrow, my hourglass will have no more grains of sand..." He laughed that big lovely laugh (it's one of his lyrics - ha).

I am certainly going to miss all of this...

NaBloPoMo 7.26 - Summer Tour 2010: Denver

07.26.10
Las Vegas NV

Sitting in my hotel room, reliving last night, I decided to not blog about it. I mean, who the hell do I think I am?! I’m just me, so I settled on keeping part of this story to myself and my journal.

About 30 minutes ago, I read my friend Melanie’s latest blog in which she asked herself the same question: Who the hell do I think I am? Well, that’s been answered. Here we go:

I left Minneapolis to spend four days in Denver. This will be the longest stay in one place on my Summer Tour. Other than the show on Sunday, I was so excited to spend time with three good friends – Ruthie, Marc and Steve. I hadn’t spent much time in Denver when I was there as Miss Tall in 1997, so having time to see the city was exciting.

Ruthie and I met in the tall club, likely at an Orange County 2^nd Friday Night dance. We really came to know each other at the TCI convention in Clearwater Beach FL in 1997. She is such a sweet, witty and wise lady. I’ve always enjoyed her stories and company and her great laugh. Graciously, Ruthie was my airport shuttle and Denver tour guide. We lunched at this FAB restaurant called Encore on Colfax . Wow! The food menu wasn’t lengthy; but everything on the menu was such an interesting pairing/combination: seared scallops with watermelon/tomato/corn/fennel relish on mixed greens; fig & pig pizza (fig paste, prosciutto, gorgonzola); mac n cheese with English peas and toasted almonds. Such a delightfully different menu. So delightful, in fact, I went back the next day! Anyway, it was great to catch up with Ruthie…

Saturday afternoon was my Marco time! We met three years ago when he invited the BFFs to his time share in Puerto Vallarta. We got on great, had a great week in PV. The two of us spent a lot of time sitting on the patio or balcony, talking about music and life and everything in between. We became very good friends and stayed in touch. So, when he picked me up, we fell right into our easy chatter like no time had passed at all. I love friendships like that. We headed over to an area called the Highlands, to a bar called Lola. I was digging the vibe. It was eclectic and the crowd was age and ethnically diverse. I’d never seen so many inter-racial couples in one place! Honestly, did not think Denver would be so diverse. Marc and I abandoned Lola for the quieter Forest Room 5. This was a strange place – cuckoo clocks on the walls, a close-captioned Western showing on the wall above the bar, wood stumps for barstools, huge wood slabs (for lack of a better word/description) was the bar. Then, I spotted the Hendrick’s gin and all was less strange.

Sunday afternoon had me back at Encore restaurant with Steve and Chrissy. I’d heard so much about Chrissy that I just knew I knew her. And, it was an easy friendship from the get-go. The two of them walked into the hotel lobby and we hugged. Friends. Done. She is so lovely! And the two of them together are so fantastic. We caught up on life and chatted about John Mayer and Michael Jackson. Steve is out in SoCal often so we plan to get together again soon. Chrissy and I will make our own plans sans Steve.

Sunday night was the 2^nd show of Summer Tour 2010. The Ogden is a great theater – huge, open venue with a balcony and split levels. In terms of layout, I would compare it to the Wiltern. Squeeze had their merchandise set up in the lobby, sharing space with the bar. This left a corner inside the theater for the Beat stuff. Candy and I were elated – we’d be able to SEE the show, not just hear it, like at the zoo. We were so ridiculously giddy! When Squeeze came on to do sound check, the two of us stopped arranging the merch to sing ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ as loud as our out-of-tune voices could get.

While waiting, two people came into the venue.

“Hi. Aren’t you Shannon? Love Hope Strength…?” I’m sure she gets that a lot. Shannon is the Executive Director of the Love Hope Strength Foundation which provides support for cancer-care centers around the world.
“I am.”
“Hi – I’m Rissa…met you last year at the PhillyRocks event.”

Shannon and Jeremy were there for the LHS ‘Get on the List’ bone marrow donor drive. (Sidebar: it’s easy, it’s painless and it’s FREE to get on the list at concerts around the country this summer. Do it!). That table was set up on the other side of the venue, we said our “See you laters” and got on with our business.

The Squeeze set was most excellent! With each song, Candy or I would squeal “Ohh, I LOVE this song!” then start singing and dancing. “Goodbye Girl” is the one that makes us pause to relive the memories each of us has associated with the song. I love watching Stephen on the keyboards – he’s so energetic and looks mighty fine in a well-tailored suit. When he breaks out the iPad for “Pulling Mussels” it’s so awesome! Technology, meet the 80s. Fantastic, I say.

After the show, Shannon invited me to join her and Jeremy for a drink at a bar across from my hotel two blocks away. After saying my goodbyes, I walked down to meet them at the Irish Snug. However, they were nowhere to be found. Uh…okay. I’m looking both ways, ready to run across Colfax Avenue to my hotel when I hear yelling. “RISSA! RISSA! OVER HERE!”

I make my through the bar to the outside patio and am greeted by Shannon, Jeremy, Simon (Squeeze drummer) and…Glenn Tilbrook. My stomach did flips worthy of Olympic competition 10s! I’m fairly certain my face did not betray my giddiness. Glenn stood up, kissed my cheek, hugged me and said “It’s nice to see you again.” Naturally, I would like to think he would remember me from September 2009 in Philadelphia. The likelihood of that is unlikely. He probably remembered me from staring at him during sound check at the zoo three nights prior! No matter. I was just hugged by Glenn Tilbrook.

Let me just say this – it is awesome to see movie stars and celebrities when out and about. However, musicians and songwriters bring out the 12 year-old girl in me. I identify so much with music and lyrics; every important or life-changing or defining moment is associated with a song or three. So, meeting any of these brilliant musicians/songwriters is a huge deal for me.

We were joined by Stephen and Ray, keyboardists for Squeeze and the English Beat, respectively. I enjoyed chatting up Stephen, talking about walking in L.A., flying in a helicopter over the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and franchising Hot Chick-a-Latte. He is adorable! (And the British accent does not hurt at all)

I moved back into conversation with Shannon and Glenn, talking about last year’s Mt. Kilimanjaro climb, the upcoming trek to Mt. Fuji, how to get the LHS/Get on the List word out at the rest of the shows and the closing of the Rocky Stairs at the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a two-year, $1.5 billion renovation. I must admit, a few times my mind shut-down and all I could think was “That is Glenn Tilbrook. Glenn. Tilbrook.”

Our night was cut short by the tour manager’s mildly scolding “The bus is leaving.” I was sad. I didn’t want it to end! We said our goodbyes to Shannon and Jeremy. Stephen and Glenn hugged me and said “See you in Vegas.” Simon chimed in “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?” We shall see…

With that, I bid you a good-night from Las Vegas.

NaBloPoMo 7.23

Aww, man! I missed a couple of NaBloPoMo days. Could back date...nah, I won't :(



It is Day Two of Summer Tour 2010 and I'm in Minneapolis MN today. This little inn where I'm staying is nice - clean rooms, shuttle service to airport & local attractions, free breakfast, indoor pool, free wi-fi. Dig it.


Day One started yesterday at 4:00 a.m. I do not wear that well at all. The flight from LAX to Denver wasn't so bad. Well, loud talking dude was annoying...but the flight itself was uneventful. I changed planes in Denver, a nice airport with several Caribou Coffee stops in Terminal C, clean bathrooms and, judging by the crowded recharge stations, free wi-fi.


While waiting, I realized the plane I was about to board originated in another city. Crap. It's been my experience that changing planes usually meant I would not be in an exit row with leg room. And, this was to be my experience once again. Short people in the exit rows, all the way across. Grr. They were all smiles and laughing. I consoled myself with two Screwdrivers.


Within seconds of walking into my hotel room, I get a text: Sound check @ 5. I showered, dressed and went to the lobby to hail a cab.

Let me interject right here: the Apple Valley MN AmericInn has the best customer service. There for less than 24 hours, these girls were awesome! I wrote to the general manager so he would know he done good.

OK...back to the lobby, looking for a cab. "Where are you going?" "To the zoo." "You don't need a cab, we'll take you in the shuttle." Well, alright! I was shuttled to the zoo, given a business card with the phone number highlighted and told to call before 11 p.m. to get a ride back. No problem, the show would be over by 10:30.

The sound check was fun! I loved watching the guys roam about, joking and chatting up Dave. I couldn't help but smile like a damn fool - here's *me* in an empty venue watching two legendary bands sound check. I was afraid to move, afraid to draw attention to myself for fear someone would figure out I didn't belong or something then kick me the hell out. It didn't happen, luckily.

Both sets were great. The crowd was on their feet dancing and singing along to both bands' classic hits. After selling EB shirts through the first few songs, I ran down to watch some of Squeeze's set. Perfect timing as one of the songs was Goodbye Girl - which I love love love! The rest of their set, I was back at the merch table awaiting the rush, so I only heard Pulling Mussells, Tempted and Up the Junction.

During the encore, I called the AmericInn for the shuttle service. Turns out, the shuttle was stuck on the highway behind an accident with guests going to the airport and I was out of luck. I asked Melissa if I could get a number for a taxi service. She didn't hesitate - I'll call the cab for you, give them your cell. Thank you! She called me right back to say the cab would be at the zoo in 20 minutes.

I made my way through the zoo to the front entrance. Within 5 minutes, the cab company calls to say it's on its way. The only problem? Was I to meet it at the zoo entrance or on the street? I called the company and saw the cab approach as I talked. At the same time, two too buzzed guys spotted the cab.
"Taxi! Taxi!" One of the guys yelled.
"Whoa, guy - that's mine."
"No it's not."
"If it's Airport Cab company, it's mine."
"Fuck you."
"Have a good night."
I get into the cab, with the 2 guys right on my heels.
"Dude, can you call us a cab? We need a cab."
"Where you going?"
"To the near the airport." The cab driver looked at me. In a low voice he says "It's past where you are..."
"Hey," I say "He can drop me off first then take you guys, if you care to share." They scrambled in.
"Thank you! You're not scared of us?"

We had a nice chat about the show and music and stuff in the ten minutes it took to get me back. I hand the cab driver money, but one guy told him not to take it. "We got it. You didn't have to share the cab with us. Thank you." I smiled and saved myself $11.

I am now in Denver. Lunch tomorrow with Ruthie. Drinks, dinner and whatever with Marco tomorrow. Lunch on Sunday with Esteban. I'm a happy girl!

I love vacation!

NaBloPoMo 7.17

For the second time this year, my favorite band played my hometown. I was so stoked to see the English Beat and spend time with friends from home. Thanks to Facebook, I have reconnected with people (a few from as far back as elementary school!) who have become good friends.

I am a huge English Beat fan, go to a lot of shows and I know the band. Their shows give me two hours of happy ~ I'm singing and I'm dancing and I'm having a good time. At the same time, I am totally aware of those around me. At 6'2", I know I'm the last person you want standing in front of you at a show. I care and I don't. I care, so I hit the floor before the end of the opening act, find my spot and stick to it. You can curse me and fill in around me. I care, so I don't flail about when I dance, I don't jump up and down or side to side, I don't flip my head and hair all around, and I care so I don't try to push my way to the front of the stage to jump on it, touch Dave or steal water and a set list.

On the other hand, I don't care because, hell, I want to see the band just like you do. I want to enjoy myself, too; I want to dance around and enjoy the show just as much as you do. I don't care that you complain to your friends, in that stage whisper voice, that I'm too tall or that I'm too tall *and* wearing heels. You can wish aloud all you want that I would move; believe me when I say I wish the same for you. When you start pushing? That's when I care.

Look, I know that everyone wants to stand at the very front of the stage. I get it! But, when you start pushing me or hitting, bumping and jabbing me, I am not moving. I will ignore you once or twice. After that, I will likely push back, bump you back or jab you back.

Last night, seconds after the band ended, some douche pushed me. "Don't push me." He pushed me again, harder. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" I pushed him. He pushed me again. Joe and Jason, on instinct, stepped between me and the guy. "Why you gotta get all violent?" he said to me. "You pushed me!" I yelled. He yelled right back "Just because you're bigger than me doesn't mean you can bully me and push me around!" Security stepped in, pulled the guy away. Another security guy had me around the waist, which I didn't even know about. He asked if I was okay, let me go with my friends. I was shaking. That incident had me shaken and rattled, which doesn't happen often.

I tried to shake it off, forget about it. But the guy's words really hit me. It was okay for him to push me...but me pushing back, sticking up for myself makes me a bully and violent? It brought up feelings from elementary school...the assumption that, because of my size, I was a bully or violent or mean. That wasn't the case at all. It was at times of self-defense when those words were thrown at me. Is that how I was viewed by others? That's not who I am. So, I became passive and introverted, a doormat. Pretty tough lesson to learn in 3rd and 4th grade.

Anyway, I feel okay today. It has absolutely nothing to do with me - I recognize that; it struck and stuck and I had to work it out. That guy was a total dick. And a total idiot - he pushed a girl who pushes back *and* has friends who have her back.

Hell yeah!

NaBloPoMo 7.13

I love getting mail. Birthday cards from my grandparents & godparents in San Pedro (with money) and my Aunt Alice in Baltimore started it all. It gave me a tremendous thrill to see my name on the envelope. The thrill continues even now when I get a card or invitation or postcard or letter. I remember when I went to Girl Scout camp, I made my parents promise to send me letters. Hearing my name at mail call or finding a letter on my sleeping bag was so exciting!

As a teenager, I was completely enthralled with Tiger Beat magazine. In my humble 15-year old opinion, Tiger Beat had the best pictures and stories of the heartthrobs of the time. I would wake up early Saturday morning, allowance in hand, ready to hit Stater Bros. with my mom. While she would grocery shop, I would be at the magazine stand, reading the latest teen magazines. Tiger Beat would be tucked under my arm, saving it until I was safe & secure in my bedroom where I could dream about going on a date with Scott Baio or being serenaded by Rick Springfield. One section that was of particular interest to me was the Classified page. There, kids could list ads looking for pen-pals. I always read the ads, but for some reason, I never replied to one. *Light bulb* Submit your own, Rissa! So, I did.

A couple of months later, I started getting letters: Hi, saw your ad in Tiger Beat - I like Rick Springfield, too! I love Loverboy! I love rollerskating, too! It was such a thrill to get letters from all over the country. I wrote back to each and every person.

One of the first to reply to my reply was Kristin from Iowa. We were pen-pals throughout high school - sending letters, birthday gifts, photos, even phone calls on occasion. After high school, I think we lost touch for a bit but reconnected after Kristin married and became pregnant. She moved out of Iowa and we once again lost touch. We briefly reconnected when she moved out to southern California. That was...oh, geez...late 80s/early 90s...and we hadn't been in touch since.

Over the weekend, while spending quality time with Insomnia, I got to reminiscing. I used Facebook search...and found a girl that could possibly be the same Kristin. So, I sent her an email ~ hey, this is random and weird...my name is Rissa...I had a pen pal...are you her? Two days later - voila! - OMFG! That IS me! Friend request me!

Kristin & I have been messaging and commenting back and forth, catching up. Her family is beautiful; she looks fantastic and her life is good! It's one time I'm not cursing Insomnia.

My other pen-pal from that Tiger Beat ad, Shari, lives in Kansas. We're still in touch. I've even been out to visit her & her family a couple of times. It wasn't awkward or weird or anything; we had fun and talked like old friends. Which, we were.

Crap...this went all over the place, didn't it?! Ha! Can't really wrap it up how I intended...so, I'll just stop.

The end.

NaBloPoMo 7.11 - Do Something!

For the past few weeks, I have been emailing a girl who came across my blog via NaBloPoMo. She asked several pointed questions about my compulsive hoarding; and I answered as honestly as possible. The last email she sent was interesting: No offense or anything but why don't you stop talking about it and DO something. No offense taken.

I talk about it because it is a huge part of me, my life. I talk about it because I need help to DO something. I talk about it because I can't be the only one struggling with hoarding. I talk about it because I need the support and encouragement and understanding. I talk about because if I don't, I will live with it, add to it and ignore it. If I don't talk about it and I live with it, add to it and ignore it, it will consume me. And I refuse to let that happen! I am bigger than this. I am better than this. I know I can't do this on my own. I have tried; and though progress is being made, it isn't enough.

DO something?! I am! I struggle every single day over throwing away a receipt, a magazine, mail, anything, everything. I threw out two boxes of junk mail and magazines yesterday. Damn, that was a lot. Small steps...but they keep moving me forward.

I've decided to do it 'their' way - throw that shit out. 'They' say it's so easy. 'They' say if there's no need for it, no use for it, throw that shit out. If you say so. Next weekend, that is exactly what I'm going to do.

I will need help. A couple of people who will keep me on task, tell me those green capris are not coming back in-style, the red shoes are too beat up to keep; a couple of people willing to help me out.

So...there...I have asked for help.

And it did kill me a little bit inside.

NaBloPoMo 7.6

Almost 2 years ago, I came across a message on Myspace - Beginners Creative Writing class! I clicked through to find the 8-week workshop was taught by world-renown author and groupie, Pamela Des Barres. Wanting (and perhaps needing) an adventure, I sent an email to her. "I have never written anything other than class assignments and journal entries. I enjoy writing, though...is it okay to join your group?"

It was the start of a wonderful part of my life. These writing classes have been a tremendous experience - my writing has improved, my creativity has as well, I've developed friendships with amazing, talented and inspiring women who will, undoubtedly, be part of my life forever.

Thank you, Miss Pamela, for bringing this awesome group of women together. And, thank you to Miss P and her dolls for saving me.