Birthday

So, the day after I saw Bucky Covington and Keith Anderson in concert (which was the day before my birthday), I invited a few friends back to the fair and we went saw Little Big Town. Of course, this time we sat in the back on bleachers instead of paying for better seats. I think that the only reason Chris and Rebecca attended the concert was to appease me and celebrate my birthday (it was the following day). Of course, we did wander around the fair a bit first and Rebecca actually bought tickets for us to go on rides. I never go on rides at the fair. At theme parks? Yes. At the fair? No. Anyways, they wanted to go on the swings, so I joined them (you know, the ride where swings fly around and around high up in the air). We also rode the ferris wheel, hoping to get stuck on the top to get a good view (though Chris wanted to literally get stuck on the top which reminded me of Mighty Joe Young), and we went through one of the funky house things where the floor moves and stuff.

Little Big Town was awesome, even if I didn't know a lot of their songs. I quickly learned a bunch of the choruses and sang along with all of the songs that I didn't know. The best part was when they played Good Lord Willing which is a song off of their extended album to be released in the fall. They had only played it one time in front of other people before that.

After the concert, we stopped by the 4H barn because my friend Anthony was dj-ing their dance. It was nice to see him since it had been so long, but we didn't really get a chance to chat because he suddenly had "fans," well, little kids making song requests.

We got home from the fair, we were upstairs hanging out with my mom, and I saw Rebecca and Chris both holding their cell phones. Suddenly both friends and mom began to sing Happy Birthday. I guess it was midnight.

On Sunday, we went to Albany to eat at the Barnsider restaurant. The filet mignon was so good. As was the surprise birthday cake that my family brought. Last time we went (Michelle had gotten her new job), I had a mudslide that was chock full of alcohol (it tasted too alcohol-y whereas it tasted like ice cream in Barbados). This time, I had an ameretto sour since it was the first drink I liked when I was 21. Now, I turned 24 on the 24th and had a lot of fun with my family and friends. (And yes, I still read YA novels.)

The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle

So my sister absolutely adores The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi. She has read it, like, a thousand times (hyperbole). Anyways, my sister suggested that I read this book and as it is shorter than the other books that I was thinking about reading, I chose to read it first. Also, Avi will be a great author choice for the A-Z Challenge.

Charlotte Doyle is a thirteen year old girl who sets sail on the Seahawk to return to her family in America (she's been at a finishing school in England). During her trip, her father asks her to write a journal describing everything that happens. Upon her arrival in Providence, he will read her journal and check for any spelling errors. When the Seahawk sets sail on June 16, 1832, Charlotte is the only passenger accompanying Captain Jaggery and his crew. Charlotte soon becomes friends with Captain Jaggery, as well as Zachariah, a member of the crew. When the Captain asks Charlotte to be his eyes and ears around the ship in order to learn if and when the crew plans to revolt, Charlotte has to decide where her allegiances lie.

An excerpt - the first two lines of the book:
"Not every thirteen-year-old girl is accused of murder, brought to trial, and found guilty. But I was such a girl, and my story is worth relating even if it did happen years ago."

This book has a great coming of age story. Charlotte becomes a new person aboard the ship, and she also makes for a great heroine. I would recommend this book to all ages.


A-Z Challenge
completed - *Avi - The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle*
currently reading after receiving it for my birthday - *Twilight - Stephenie Meyer*

fair-weather friends

So, last night I saw Blake Shelton in concert at the fair... and well, Miranda Lambert had a few days off so she came to visit him (they're dating). She sang with him on "Home" (as she does on the CD) and "Ol' Red," as well as singing one of her own songs (I think it was "Gunpowder and Lead" - I remember singing along with the chorus but I don't have her album yet so I'm not sure). It was great since she wasn't supposed to be there but, since she was visiting, she was included. Before she came out, Blake said that it was his favorite part of the concert so I though it might happen during the song, then it did and oh my God. Blake and Miranda are so in love. And he is so tall, and she is so short, that when he was playing guitar on a stool and she stood next to him, they were the same height. They are so cute together. A side note - after the first song ("The More I Drink"), Blake threw his pick and no one noticed it go behind the people taking photos and a girl stepped on it. I kept my eye on it and after a few songs, I finally went over and asked the girl to move her foot since I'd "dropped something" and I pocketed the pick.

Here's some links to posted pics from the concert on forums...
http://www.mirandalambert.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=21395
(5th pic - Blake sitting and looking aggravated - he challenged a stagehand to perform after the guy supposedly said it was so easy.Well, the guy rocked the house with Steve Miller Band's "The Joker" fused into Shaggy's "Angel" which eased into Sublime's "Smoke Two Joints" and back to Shaggy. Blake practically kicked him offstage when he finished since he took up so much time and everyone screamed and sang along to The Joker and Angel.)

http://bsersfanclub.com/PHPBB/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14041
(4th pic - a sitting/standing pic so you actually see what I mean about their heights)
Tonight I saw Keith Anderson and Bucky Covington in concert. I may not be as lucky as my sister in how life will just work out, but I'm lucky in some things. Such as, the fact that my mother bought Keith's CD a few days ago since we were coming for Bucky. Such as, she opened it for us to listen on the way to the concert. Such as, I took the insert to read the lyrics as we listened. Such as, I decided to take the insert with me to the concert for the hell of it. Such as, Mom remembered to bring the camera today. Such as, I got there early and was given a pass for a meet and greet with Keith and got his autograph on the CD insert as well as a photo with him. He put on a great concert and was actually quite funny when describing Podunk (re: read his song lyrics and imagine the driving down main street explained...). I LOVED the song "Somebody Needs a Hug" and bought his second CD while there because it's new and that song's on it (it was pre-autographed and only $10).

I swear to you that Bucky Covington is full of Mexican jumping beans. He did not stop moving which made a good picture difficult. I took a lot of pictures as soon as I saw his eyes at one point. I just wanted to take a picture that captured his eyes as piercing blue as I had seen them. When he sang a slow song, he finally stopped moving so much. On "I'll Walk," he actually sat on the edge of the stage directly in front of me (3rd row seats) so I got some good pics, but I was fiddling with the phone and camera so I didn't get a picture showing that he was sitting (I don't think I did anyway). It was also cool on one of the songs because his twin brother Rocky came out from behind his drumset and sang a verse (he's also full of jumping beans). It was funny when Bucky introduced the band and they did their solos because Rocky was given the theme music to, well, Rocky, and came out punching. The last member of the band that Bucky "forgot" to introduce was Keith Anderson who came out to sing on the last song. I ended up buying a Bucky t-shirt for $20.

I may be going to see Little Big Town tomorrow night. I didn't buy tickets, but I can see them in the grandstand free with the price of fair admission. Oh, and Mom and Dad saw the Beach Boys the night before Blake was there. Yes, these people and groups are all performing at our local county fair.

Blake Shelton's pick that he used at the concert; Keith Anderson's autograph, picture with me, and a pre-autographed copy of his second CD; and a Bucky Covington t-shirt... not bad for almost birthday souvenirs!

Wicked and Son of a Witch

Gregory Maguire's Son of a Witch follows the same path as Wicked did before it. They are both set in Oz and take place in the various areas (cities? states?) around the Emerald City. The difference?

Wicked
Wicked follows the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West. Beginning years before Dorothy comes to Oz, Wicked explains the other side of the story. Though Elphaba travels with a young boy for much of the story, she does not know why he is with her or how exactly he came to be. Her belief is that he may be her son, but she has no memory of a period of her life, no memory of having a child or even being pregnant. (If you know the name of the second book, the idea of the child is not a surprise, so it is not much of a spoiler.)

Son of a Witch
The second book, Son of a Witch, chronicles the life of Elphaba's "son." Liir follows Dorothy as he begins searching for a childhood friend. Although the voice of the story remains constant with the first book, the storyline fails to compare. The first book left few, if any, questions unanswered, but this book left many questions with potential answers. Liir became confused about things towards the end of the book and he gave his opinion on what he thought may have happened, but there was no certainty. Technically, a character in a book will commonly misconceive situations so I don't really know if his idea is what happened. Liir's theory could leave possibility for a third book in the series if not for the final line in the book. (I won't reveal this line, but needless to say, it deserved to be the last line and was a great conclusion for the two books.)

A-Z Challenge
completed - *Macguire, Gregory - Son of a Witch*
currently reading upon Michelle's avid (enthusiastic?) recommendation - *Avi - The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle*

summer haiku

Catching up on a random blog which asked for a summer haiku back on May 26th. Although I'm not telling her my haiku, I thought one up on the spot and decided to post. It's silly, but here it is.

today is too hot
the summer has come at last
gotta love AC

A-Z Challenge

Since I have free time for the first time this summer and I've been reading, I'm going to do the A-Z Challenge... of course, I'm reading book series(es?) so the author part will be limited, but I'm going to try to remember what I've read in last few weeks to put on here, and then add as I continue to read. The only problem is that technically, I don't know if books are supposed to count in both sections or if I'm to read 52 books to finish the challenge... hmmm...

Books
F - Forever in Blue: The Fourth Summer of of the Sisterhood (Brashares)
G - Girls in Pants: The Third Summer of the Sisterhood (Brashares)
S - The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Bradshares)
W - Wicked (Maguire)

Authors
B - Brashares (The Second Summer of the Sisterhood)
M - Maguire (*Son of a Witch* - currently reading)