Sherri Ross

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I love you.

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I love you.

I love you in the morning
and in the afternoon,
I love you in the evening
and underneath the moon.

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I love you.

Go on. You know you want to. Sing that to someone you love today. I promise it will make them smile. Or at laugh at you. Uncontrollably. That’s ok, too.

Those were the words uttered to me late last night. In the dark. Underneath the stars. By Bret Michaels. And 10,000 other people. Yeah, baby. Liz, Matt, Ashley and I saw Cinderella and Poison last night at Verizon Music Center (formerly known as Oak Mountain Amphitheatre). That was a concert! I saw Motley Crue with Liz and Mia last year, but felt like last night’s concert surpassed it. Liz, on the other hand, guffawed when I announced my opinion. lol. She agreed that it was a good concert, but thought Motley kicked tushy! Either way, I had a great time last night. We met up with Liz and Matt before the show at their hotel room right next to the amphitheatre and were able to walk over to the concert after catching up and getting into “concert mode”. We weren’t much interested in the openers, so we meandered over right after Cinderella took the stage (flashback: “Cinderelli, Cinderelli,” chanted the little mice). Cinderella put on a good show, altough the lead singer did apologize for not singing his “ass off” for us. He damaged his voice right before the tour started, but didn’t want to cancel it, so I guess he’s been tearing it up at every stop. He sounded great, but didn’t scream as much as he used to (he’s also older now) and he let the backup singers handle a lot of the vocals. I did catch him holding his back whenever he leaned over and thought that was something I’d never seen at a rock show before. lol. Poor thing. He sounded pretty much like he used to 20 years ago, although with the short hair and makeup, he now looks more like a drag queen than an 80’s rock star. Remember that mouth? I remember watching the video for ‘Nobody’s Fool’ and thinking his lips were amazing the way they puckered up like a baby’s all on their own. Different from Steven Tyler, but along the same lines.

Our seats were in the 3rd tier (what do you expect for $13?), but only five rows up, so not terrible. The crowd around us was pretty tame and stayed in their seats for all the openers – including Cinderella. Liz turned to me before Poison came on stage and said, “I know I paid for the seat, but I’m not using it when they come on stage!” in reference to the seated fans around us. Ovbiously everyone felt the same because when Bret Michaels emerged from the fire display, the entire crowd was on its feet. Now this was only my second rock show and I haven’t listened to Poison in YEARS, but they put on a great 20th Anniversary show with all the faves, a few covers and some new tunes off their upcoming album. Like any good rock group, they saved the best for last, but sang hits through the entire show. Bret Michaels hasn’t aged a bit from the camera’s angle. We only saw him up close on the large projection screens on either side of the stage, but other than a smidge of a belly, he looks exactly the same. C.C. Deville (or however you spell it) looks just he did on that MTV reality show he was on. It was a killer show! Liz and I danced and sang the entire time, while Matt and Ashley got a kick out of watching us lose our minds (and voices). Ashley, who never really got into Poison, had a good time picking out the songs she did know, but mainly watched all the fans go berserk. Add in the drunks trying to walk (fall) down the stairs next to us and it was a very entertaining night. Thank you to Liz and Matt for coming! Mia, you were missed.

American Idol tryouts are here on Monday. There are thousands of people already lined up in downtown Birmingham trying to get a wristband for a guaranteed audition on Monday. It’s Mayhem in the Magic City! We are the Magic City, right? I can’t remember. I’m still sort of new here. I know we’re the Steel City (we love some metal!), but yes, I think we’re the Magic City, too. Not positive why. Need to look that one up. Anywho, lots of talent down there in the street of Birmingham today. I had someone at work ask me yesterday if I was auditioning. I would (snort!) if I was young enough. It seems the raised the age right after I missed the cutoff. Drats! If Mandisa can do it…..

Good luck to all of the hopefuls out there! I think I’m American Idoled out though…

(yes, I’m fully aware that isn’t a word, but as popular as AI is now, I think I should propose it to Merriam Webster for inclusion in next year’s dictionary. Whatcha think?)

Useless tip for the day: “Pepto Bismol turns your stool and your tongue black.” This from my doctor on Monday when discussing the effects of antibiotics on your body. Huh. Who could have guessed? And what does this have to do with antibiotics?

I’m starting a diet on Monday. Not a “no carbs” or “no fats” diet. Just a “watch what I eat and how much” diet. Like I should have been doing my entire life. And yes, I know I probably shouldn’t put it all out here like this because if it doesn’t work then everyone knows I failed. But that’s good. That’s what I want. ACCOUNTABILITY. Hehehe…I remember that being a huge campaign point for our Governor, Bob Riley, during his last campaign. As I was saying, I need to lose some weight. I’m well aware of this fact. Here’s a news flash: People who are overweight KNOW they’re overweight…they don’t need family members and/or friends telling them this. WE KNOW! Doctors…well, they’re going to tell you because it’s their job. I understand and appreciate that. The rest of you…hush. We’re not blind and can see and feel that we’re heavier than we were or should be. (I’m speaking collectively for overweight people now because someone died and made me Queen Bee) Do you think our clothes just magically expand with us? No. We feel it there, too. So no worries all you concerned parents, siblings and friends….we got the 411. I’m going on a diet Monday. A few of us gals at work and friends of ours have joined forces and we’re taking the pounds off. We’re going to help each other and watch each other and try to get the other ones to eat bad stuff. lol. Why? Because there’s a prize at stake. A gift certificate to The Galleria. A big fat one. The winner gets it. So, if you see me out in public and I’m eating something really bad, come over and slap me. I give you permission now. But if I’ve been drinking, leave me alone because I need the bread.

Wish me luck! If I win the gift certificate, you might get a Christmas present this year. Finally.

Hootie and the Blowfish tonight. Seriously…The blowfish?? Hootie? Where do they come up with these names? I know I could probably Google it and find out, but still. It’s just odd. We’re mainly going to see Better Than Ezra, the opener, but Hootie will be good, too. And my peeps from work, Josh and Dean, will be there so it should be good times. Dean was there last night, somewhere, with his son, but I didn’t see them. Nor did I see Chris and Jen. 🙁 Hope they all had a great time, too!

I’m sitting on the bed. In case you were wondering. I woke up about 7:30 (on a Saturday!!!) and have been piddling around all morning. Today is a great day. I have nothing planned until tonight and can do anything or nothing until then. I rarely have Saturdays like this anymore and am so grateful for the ones I do get. I’m sure you all are the same way. Our days and weeks get planned months in advance sometimes, so much so that when we get a rare “free” day, we’re beside ourselves with joy. My dog is curled up behind me sleeping. She’s adorable when she’s asleep. lol.

That’s all from Highland Avenue right now. More as the crime rises….

Kidding.

Maybe.

Today is song lyric day (as is every day). Gotta love The Cure. I’m also humming “Say It Isn’t So” by Hall & Oates. Remember that song? Not exactly sure why I’m playing it over and over in my head, but there must be a reason. Right?

I saw the John Corbett Band last night. It was wonderful to see Dana, Kelly, Jen, Denise and of course, the man of the hour. Ok ladies, he is just as hot in person as he is on TV. Even more so, actually. Ashley, thank you for indulging me last night and letting me be a screaming fool. I know that wasn’t your cup of tea and you were tired, but you were a great sport. Note: John is a much better actor than a singer, in my opinion. He is a great musician, but his voice just isn’t what I would consider “recording material.” But, that’s just my humble opinion. It was still a great show and his band was phenomenal…especially the lead guitar player. He was a former Stray Cat or something and they did a few of those kinds of tunes and really rocked the place. The rest of the set was country music covers or originals. All in all, a great show and even better was getting my picture taken with him and his autorgraph after the show. Thanks, John!

Here’s a small video I took of him on stage. I took one of him singing too, but my camera isn’t designed to handle sound systems. You can hear Dana screaming in the background. ‘Atta girl!

What else is going on? Poison. Tonight. Poison and Cinderella. That should be “Nothing but a Good Time.” Tee hee…I do crack myself up sometimes. Just sometimes. Not often. Ash, on the other hand, is constantly cracking herself up. Just watch her sometime. It’s quite amusing. Cutest thing you’ve ever seen!

News you can use: I’m starting to get hooked on talk radio in the morning and afternoon drives. Mostly CNN on XM. It’s Robin & Company in the mornings and Situation Room w/ Wolf Blitzer in the afternoons. It’s amazing how much I do not know. Just basic stuff that most people do know about the war and stuff. Yes, I’m finally waking up after a 30 year nap. Better late than never, right? Like I heard today that North Korea is *possibly* going to test a nuclear weapon underground soon. How do we know that? Because our intelligence imagery analysts (soon to be Ashley!) caught some suspicous stuff going on over there. All of a sudden all this wiring and these cables were sitting out…where they hadn’t been before. Hmmmmmm….

Thanks to Tomma for sending out the new airline guide for carry-on items. You can find it here:
http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/2006/press_release_08132006.shtm

Here’s your flashback for the day:

“As your body grows bigger
Your mind grows flowered
It’s great to learn
‘Cause knowledge is power!

Not together, of course.

First off, the JonBenet murder suspect who confessed. Wow. Ten years after the murder. I’m definitely glad that the family will hopefully have closure finally, but of course I’m saddened that her mother isn’t here to see it. It’s kind of the same way with Natalee Holloway now…I just want her family to have closure. Your thoughts?

Justin Timberlake’s new song “Sexy Back” is driving me crazy…in a good way. Seriously. I am not a huge JT fan, but this song rocks. I had no idea it was him at first – I thought it was a chick singing. But, if you listen closely, you can hear his voice underneath all the synthesized layers. This one’s going to be the dance hit of the summer. Check it out if you haven’t already heard it. “I’m bringin’ sexy baaaaaaaaaaaaack.”

I’m digging the new Chocolate phone from Verizon/LG. I love the commercials. Anytime you see a pool of chocolate thumping, you know it’s got to be good stuff in there. Coincidentally, I have Verizon and I have the “New Every 2” plan where you get a new phone every two years. My two years aren’t up until Februrary. As much as I like that new phone (it’s part phone and part MP3 player), I’m not paying $359 for it right now. That’s highway robbery! It’s not made of gold! (Sidenote: Have you heard about those though? The new gold D&G phones that are all the rage among stars?) Anyway, I might check it out when February comes a rolling’ around, but not until then. Sheesh…do they think people are made of money? It’s a cell phone, fer cryin’ out loud! I did notice that they are selling them for $75 after rebates, but I believe that’s only for new customers. I don’t know. I just know that when I looked into it, as a Verizon customer, their web site kindly told me I could “pay full price for it right now.” Ha! Snort! You wish. (Although I have wondered, since seeing the commercial, if it really does come wrapped in a chocolate bar wrapper as shown? I would dig that in a big way. For about 5 seconds until I ripped that puppy off.)

What else is going on in my mind today? Oh! I know. SNL. Well, the Natalie Portman rap on SNL. It’s been out a while, but it’s still oh-so-funny stuff. It can be a bit harsh though, so if you’re easily offended don’t go watching it. You can find it on the SNL web site. Not for the kiddies or work though, so be careful. It’s hilarious to see seemingly quiet, shy Natalie let loose one time. I also love Lazy Sunday and actually downloaded that one from iTunes when it first came out. “The Chroni-what?-cles of Narnia!” Good stuff.

My dear friend who knows I can’t stand the movie “Groundhog Day” has decided to send me a quote a day from the movie until one of us dies. I’m killing myself tomorrow.

Your resminiscent song for the day:

“Dance your cares away
Worry’s for another day
Let the music play
Down at Fraggle Rock.

Work your cares away
Dancing’s for another day
Let the Fraggles play
We’re Gobo, Mokey, Wembley, Boober, Red.

Dance your cares away
Worry’s for another day
Let the music play
Down at Fraggle Rock.”

Discuss amongst yourselves.

Hi everyone!

Welcome to my new place in space. (Yes, I’m aware that’s probably the cheesiest saying in blog history and that a lot of people have uttered those same exact words).

This is my new home and I plan on moving in and moving in FAST. I hate (read: LOATHE) the new format and layout of MSN Spaces so I quit. I’m turning in my notice and jumping ship. I know that’s a bit sudden (and harsh), but hey, if you’re gonna go changing things on me without telling me and not give me the opportunity to keep my old look then I’m leaving (and have every right).

As for my new blog title, it’s a Blue Merle song. A) I love Blue Merle and B) it’s a great song. Although they are a pretty mellow band, it’s a very “up” song and so sweet. Check them out at http://www.bluemerle.com. If you go to the Downloads section, you can get the song (and all their others). Let me know what you think.

A random item for you to reminisce about. Feel free to sing along:

“Picture Pages, Picture Pages
Time to get your Picture Pages
Time to get your crayons and your pencils…

You can play with Picture Pages
FIll your day with Picture Pages
‘Till Bill Cosby does another Picture Page with you!”

Changing subjects:

What does everyone think of adding new planets to the solar system? Interesting stuff. Even more interesting is that they never had the term “planet” defined before now.

Scary stuff today: A plane from London was diverted to Boston while heading to D.C. Seems a lady went crazy onboard.

A tidbit that you might not have known for those who have XM radio in your cars: You can listen to it online for free as part of your subscription. Go to www.xmradio.com and click on “Listen Now.” It’s kind of like the Yahoo Launchcast player, but much better (since they switched to commercials, limited stations and all around POOP!).

Life has been good. I don’t think I’ve congratulated her on here, but CONGRATS to Liz on her engagement to Matt!!! I am so very happy for you both and wish you a long, loving life together. I was able to spend some time with them this past weekend and it’s oh-so-obvious they are deeply in love.

For those who don’t know, I’m going to therapy for my fear of flying. It’s quite interesting trying to find the “root” of the problem. It has been helpful so far. I’m learning breathing techniques and trying to desensitize myself. I know I could just get liquored up or doped up, but I really, really want to be in control of my motor skills should I need them (thanks, Lee!). My doctor’s specialty is phobias, so we shall see. So far, so good. I have to fly to AZ in October, so that will be the first real “test.” Agghhh!!

A request: Could my friend Jen help me snazz my space up a bit? I would like to know how or where to get templates for my blog besides the ones they have pre-defined. Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated! Yours always looks so nice – colors, fonts, layout, everything.

Hugs to Blakeman. Hope he’s no longer in pain and recovering nicely!!

Fun stuff coming up:

Tomorrow night is John Corbett & his band at Workplay. Dana is coming up and we’re joining her and Kelly at the concert. For those of you who don’t know him, he’s “Aidan” from Sex & the City and that dude from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” and the T.V. show “Northern Exposure.” I believe he was the radio jockey on there.

Friday night we’re seeing Poison and Cinderella with Liz and Matt. Hope to see Jen and Chris there, too!

Saturday night is Hootie & The Blowfish, but I’m going for the opener – Better than Ezra. Love ’em (especially the new stuff) and missed them at the Crawfish Boil this year.

Tuesday night is the Broadway show Mamma Mia in Hunstville. WOO HOO!!

Next weekend is the annual girls’ beach trip and I’m stoked beyond belief after missing last year’s. Watch out, FL!

September holds The Counting Crows & The Goo Goo Dolls, a bachelorette party in Atlanta, Shakira, Sidewalk Film Festival (at which I’m volunteering), and Bonnie Raitt with Keb Mo’. Good stuff! Come see me at Sidewalk – it’s a GREAT festival!

Changing subjects:

I’m starting to get into Johnny Cash. I know, I know..where have I been? Of course I have been checking out more since the movie, but XM plays him a lot and I am loving it. Another new surprise for me – Bob Dylan. I always thought you couldn’t understand him, but actually can in his songs. Thank you, XM!

That’s all for now. More as life moves, taking me with it.