A Few More Stories I Enjoyed

I really could understand Matt’s post about the song “All Cried Out” It is so true that you can listen to a hundred songs after a break up and then hear one and it just snaps you out of the depression.

http://mattyb82.blogspot.com/2006/02/all-cried-out-song-lyrics.html

I was really excited when I read Colleen’s blog about the message boards about Grey’s Anatomy. I love this show but never knew there was a message board to talk to other fans.

http://colleendugan.blogspot.com/2006/02/48-greys-anatomy-since-first-episode-i.html

Reading Cheryl’s blog about her trip to Hong Kong was cool. As someone who has never traveled to another country it was neat for me to see photos from someone who has.

http://cheryllovesdmb.livejournal.com/6975.html?view=3135#t3135

Meeting Betty

#49

The tour manager came and said it was time to go upstairs. I shot my friend the biggest grin and followed the line up the stairs. When we got up there they said to just wait there and they would go get the band. I couldn’t believe I was actually going to get to meet the guys from Pray for the Soul of Betty. I had talked with a couple of them at a previous show, but this was different. This was a time for just the people from the area who had been promoting them to get to talk with them face to face. After a few minutes, they appeared from around the corner.

I walked up to Joao, the guitarist. He seemed to be really shy so I just said hello and got my picture taken with him. He signed something for me and then had to move onto the next person.

I turned around and Hamboussi, the drummer, was standing right there. I had talked to him for a quite a while outside before the venue opened the doors. He recognized me and said hello. A few girls came over to get pictures and signatures so I just smiled at him and he smiled back.

Next I walked up to Constantine, the lead singer. He gave me a hug and posed for a picture. I told him it was great to meet him and I couldn’t want to see the show. He thanked me for coming and all I did to support and promote them. A lot of the girls were swarming him so I left it at that.

There was only one member left, Taylor, the bassist, easily my favorite member. I walked up and said hi. He gave me a huge hug. He is such an amazing guy. He just treats you like you are the only person in the room when you are talking to him and that nothing else matters. I got my picture with him and talked for a couple minutes.

I noticed that Hamboussi was standing all by himself so I walked over and started talking about his drum solo during the show. I had heard it was amazing. He said it is really cool and he was very excited for all of us to hear it. I told him I couldn’t wait. We talked for a couple more minutes, before someone else came up to him.

I went back over to Taylor and said I had to get one more hug before I left. He just smiled and said of course and pulled me into the biggest bear hug I have ever had. As all the guys were leaving the room they all thanked us for all that we did and said they hoped we would enjoy the show.

I managed to get back to my friend who was saving me my spot in the front, and got ready for the show to start. The show was absolutely amazing! I didn’t think it could have been any better than the last time I had seen them but I was wrong. They played quite a few of the old songs from the CD, which of course they jammed on. They also played a few new songs they had written. They were all amazing. One was a song that Taylor had written for his wife, and sung to her at their wedding, it was a beautiful song. I think that 90% of the people there, myself included, had tears in their eyes when it was over. They also did some covers of STP, Led Zeppelin, and even Bob Marley. They did an amazing job on all of them. Throughout the show I kept making eye contact with Taylor and we would smile at each other. He has such an amazing way of connecting with fans while performing.

Piercings

Body piercing has become a huge thing among teens these days. It used to be parents had to fight with their kids about whether they were old enough to pierce their ears, but kids no longer want to stop at ears. They want to pierce their tongue, nose, navel etc. I have just 7 piercings and they are all in my ears. I don’t understand how people can have well over 20 piercings and the majority is in their face. I think that a couple piercings is ok, but when you look at someone and all you can see is all the metal in their face I think it is very unattractive. It has moved beyond the face now, people are piercings all areas of their body. It’s almost like it’s become a competition of who can have the most piercings.

I have yet to figure out what possesses people to do this. At first I think it was that people were trying to stand out and be “individuals”, but now it is so popular that they just blend in with the rest of the world.

The Betty Boards

#48

http://prayforthesoulofbetty.net/phpBB2/index.php

As I have talked about in previous posts I am part of a web community on the message boards of the band Pray for The Soul of Betty. What started out as a simple message board has certainly turned into more of a community and family.

The site was originally started for fans to check out what was going on with the band, and sometimes chat when you caught someone else online. However since the band has become more popular the site has become one big chat room. The message boards have actually had to move sites 3 times, because the volume of posts was too much for the old boards and the site would crash almost once a day. Everyone who is a member tends to visit the same threads numerous times a day and sometimes a conversation will get started and they will be there for hours.

The members of the band post as often as they can, and some nights will also end up staying on for hours having full conversations with the fans that are on. It is funny to see the amount of online members jump when one of the guys log on and start chatting.

The boards have also become a place to vent any issues you are having. There is a whole section made for threads that are not about the band. People will post on there to just say I had a bad day at work and vent, or to talk about the latest news, or just to say can you pray for my family member they are having surgery tomorrow. There are also threads in that section dedicated to certain TV shows and every week the fans of the shows will go to the thread and discuss the latest episode.

I personally go to the boards more times in a day than I sometimes believe. It has become just like checking my email to me. I want to go on and see what people have been posting in the threads I always visit. When I first started going to the boards I was just a lurker. I would read what people had to say but I would never post, now I post at least 5-10 times a day.

Being An Aunt

#41

I always knew I loved kids, but my love for children grew so much more the day I became an aunt. My nephew Dylan was born January 28, 1999. He was the first grandchild and great grandchild of the family, so he was immediately spoiled. We didn’t get to meet him till he was almost 3 weeks old, because at the time my brother and sister in law were living in Virginia. He was so adorable, and I loved him more than I could ever have imagined I would.

The whole family was ecstatic when my brother told us they would be moving to Massachusetts. We were all very excited to have them living close again. I was getting ready for class one morning, when my brother called to tell me I was going to be an aunt again. This time we were at the hospital shortly after Emily was born on May 14, 2001.

My dad made it a rule that we had to see the kids at least once a month, so I have so many great memories with them, and I love spending time with them. However now that I have moved away I don’t get to see them very often, so when I do see them I cherish that time even more.

My family has a few traditions that we do each year. My dad always makes Christmas cookies with the kids.

We also go camping as a family every summer.

They grow up so fast. I can’t believe that Dylan is in 1st grade, and Emily will be starting school this fall.

More Stories I Enjoyed

I enjoyed reading Mikes story titled “Bye Betty”. It reminded me of a time when my high school mascot was changed for not being “politically correct”.

http://del1lnrm.livejournal.com/4748.html

Laura’s story about dinner with friends was really touching. I lost touch with all my friends from high school. After reading her story it has made me miss them and start thinking of ways to get back in touch with them.

http://poprhet.blogspot.com/2006/02/39-dinner-club.html

I really enjoyed reading Jackie’s story about “The Ghetto” since she is talking about where I live. It was fun to read about the people and events from her eyes. We talk about it all the time, but it was still cool to read it.

http://junebuggirl7.blogspot.com/2006/02/ghetto.html

The Bettys

#39

The Bettys are a group of fans of the band Pray for the Soul of Betty. Although each member started out as just a fan, the group has become more like a family. They come from all over the world. There are members from every state as well as places like Australia, England, the Philippines, China, and many other countries.

There is a message board on the bands website that they talk through almost every day. There is, like with any family, drama. People don’t agree with someone posts and it begins an argument among a few or many of the members. However with the help of the moderators of the boards, this stuff is usually put to a stop before too many people get involved, or it becomes too nasty.

Most of the fans found the band when the lead singer, Constantine Maroulis, was on the reality show American Idol. Some fans had first discovered the band when they saw Constantine, while he was in the touring Broadway show, RENT. There is also a group of fans that had seen the band before either of those things when they were doing shows at small clubs around the country.

The members of the group try to meet up with other local members as much as they can. There are always little parties or gatherings going on all over the country with local members. There is currently a big get together planned in Las Vegas in March. There are people flying in from all over to meet up with some of the other members they have been talking to for months.

The members of this group became members for many different reasons, but have remained members to show their love and support for the band. Whenever the band has a show the Bettys instantly go into promotion mode, or as they call it Street Teaming. They get flyers and posters and start hanging them up all over the city that the show will be in. They also contact local radio stations to try to get them to play the CD. There has been success and the bands songs are being played on radio stations all over the country.

The group is constantly growing, with each new show there is at least one new fan. There are a lot of people who go to the shows strictly because they were a fan of Constantine’s while he was on American Idol, but most of them leave the show a fan of the band.

I myself am a member of this group. I can’t imagine ever not being part of it. I am involved because the band has really changed a lot of things in my life. I know that sounds corny and cliché, but it is true. The bands music has gotten me through some really rough times. Also the friendships I have made through the band are like any other I have ever had. I feel a bond with some of them that I haven’t felt with anyone in a long time.

Car Crash

#36

It was a typical weekday on 12-A, the busiest strip of road in West Lebanon. The road is lined on both sides by various shopping plazas and restaurants. There is always a ton of traffic entering and exiting the main road. Accidents occur here everyday; it is what has become expected. Every few years the town talks about widening the road and adding more lanes, but it never happens. The days and weeks go by with accident after accident; today wasn’t going to be any different.

The two girls were driving down the road, chatting away to one another. The truck in front of them decided at the last minute to pull into one of the plazas. He put on his directional and slowed down. The only problem was the car behind him didn’t see him do this. The driver had turned to check her blind spot, because the lanes were going to be merging and she wanted to get over to the other lane. By the time she had turned back, even though it had only been a 3 second glance, it was too late. The car slammed into the back of the truck.

Due to the fact that the truck was a lot higher than the car all the damage was on the car. It had actually hit the underneath of the truck and the front end was completely smashed in. There was fluid leaking all over the road. The two cars pulled into the parking lot of the plaza and waited for the cops to arrive.

The man driving the truck was extremely upset. He had gotten out of his truck and started yelling at the two young girls, acting as if it was because they were young that the accident happened. The driver just stood there staring at him. She was worried about what her parents were going to think when they got home, and on top of that how they were going to get home. Her dad was out of town, and her mother didn’t drive.

Just then a van pulled over to where they were standing. The woman got out and walked over to them. She hugged the younger girl. It was obvious they knew each other somehow. She stood around with them while they talked with the officer and exchanged insurance information. As it turns out the woman was the younger girl’s 4^th grade teacher. They all piled into her van and drove off. Lucky for them she came along. Guess that is an example of being in the right place at the right time.

Groups I Would Want to Research

#32

1. Any Sorority or Fraternity

I would be interested in learning about what it is like to be in a sorority or fraternity; because this is one part of the “college experience” I have not been part of. I would be interested to find out of it is like the stereotypes or if it is like a family as people tell you.

2. The war in Iraq

My friend’s brother just got home from the war. I would be very interested to sit down with him and just talk to him about his experiences. I think it would be good to hear about the war from someone who was over there, and not just what the news is telling us.

3. My grandfather

I am interested in learning more about my grandfather. He died before I was born so I never knew him. I would love to sit down with various family members and learn more about him through the stories they could tell me.

Interview

#31

As I discussed in an earlier post my brother is involved in podcasting. I get bits and pieces of information from him, but am curious to learn more. If I were to sit down and talk to him about it. Some of the questions I might ask him would be.

1. What made you start podcasting?
2. Did you ever think when you started, that it would become this big a part of your life?
3. What are some of your favorite things about doing podcasting?
4. Least favorite things?
5. What have been some of your favorite experiences that have happened that were a result of podcasting?
6. Do you think you will ever stop podcasting?
7. Define podcasting in your own words.

Some more stories I enjoyed

Jackie’s story about her nephew is so true. The day I became an aunt was one of the greatest days of my life. There is nothing better at making you forget your problems then to be around kids who you love more than anything!

http://junebuggirl7.blogspot.com/2006/02/cutest-little-boy.html

Kailyn’s story about her baby blanket was great to read. I also had a blanket that I used to sleep with every night. I got it when I was in the hospital as a child. I was so upset when I had to throw it away because it was in a bunch of pieces.

http://cubbyoliver05.blogspot.com/2006/02/pick-something-concrete-blog-23-kailyn.html

Laura’s descriptive piece about her desk is done well. The description she uses makes it possible to envision it.

http://poprhet.blogspot.com/2006/02/25-personal-snapshot-my-desk.html

Podcasting

#29

A little over a year ago my brother got into podcasting. A lot of people hear that and ask what podcasting is. Podcasting is defined by Wikipedia (an online dictionary) as: the distribution of audio files, such as radio programmes, over the internet using RSS syndication for listening on mobile devices and personal computers. A podcast is a web feed of audio or video files placed on the Internet for anyone to subscribe to, and also the content of that feed. Podcasters' websites also may offer direct download of their files, but the subscription feed of automatically delivered new content is what distinguishes a podcast from a simple download or real-time streaming .

Podcasting was started back in 2000. One of the founders of it was Adam Curry, the old MTV VJ from the 80s. He is actually nicknamed the Podfather.

Although this started out as a cool new hobby it has turned into much more for my brother. He has two shows now; Accident Hash http://accidenthash.podshow.com/ and U-Turn Café http://u-turncafe.podshow.com/. He plays nothing but music from independent artists on both of his shows. He is now under contract and gets paid for his shows.

Accident Hash was his original one and had a mix of music. He mainly played heavy loud music on the show. Many of his listeners were commenting on how much they liked the mellower music when he would play it, which is why he started the U-Turn Café.

He gets his music from a website called Podsafe music. The site is designed so that artists can submit their music to be played on podcasts and podcasters can find new music to play. This site is especially good for my brother considering the type of music he plays is all artists that would want their music on a site like this.

Both of his shows have become a huge success. He has people from all over the world listening to his shows. I was visiting his house one night, and he got a phone call from a listener in Ireland. They were on the phone for over an hour.

Not only has he made friends through his listeners but also with other podcasters. Over the summer they had a huge podcasting convention in California. It was really cool for him to get to meet these people he had been talking with through the computer for months.

So if you are reading this and you are a music lover you should check out either of his podcasts. I would definitely recommend them to you if you are not a fan of radio music and need something new to listen to.

Another Amazing Night

#21

The tour manager came and said it was time to go upstairs. I shot my friend the biggest grin and followed the line up the stairs. When we got up there they said to just wait there and they would go get the band. I couldn’t believe I was actually going to get to meet the guys from Pray for the Soul of Betty. I had talked with a couple of them at a previous show, but this was different. This was a time for just the people from the area who had been promoting them to get to talk with them face to face. After a few minutes, they appeared from around the corner.

I walked up to Joao, the guitarist. He seemed to be really shy so I just said hello and got my picture taken with him. He signed something for me and then had to move onto the next person.

I turned around and Hamboussi, the drummer, was standing right there. I had talked to him for a quite a while outside before the venue opened the doors. He recognized me and said hello. A few girls came over to get pictures and signatures so I just smiled at him and he smiled back.

Next I walked up to Constantine, the lead singer. He gave me a hug and posed for a picture. I told him it was great to meet him and I couldn’t want to see the show. He thanked me for coming and all I did to support and promote them. A lot of the girls were swarming him so I left it at that.

There was only one member left, Taylor, the bassist, easily my favorite member. I walked up and said hi. He gave me a huge hug. He is such an amazing guy. He just treats you like you are the only person in the room when you are talking to him and that nothing else matters. I got my picture with him and talked for a couple minutes.

I noticed that Hamboussi was standing all by himself so I walked over and started talking about his drum solo during the show. I had heard it was amazing. He said it is really cool and he was very excited for all of us to hear it. I told him I couldn’t wait. We talked for a couple more minutes, before someone else came up to him.

I went back over to Taylor and said I had to get one more hug before I left. He just smiled and said of course and pulled me into the biggest bear hug I have ever had. As all the guys were leaving the room they all thanked us for all that we did and said they hoped we would enjoy the show.

I managed to get back to my friend who was saving me my spot in the front, and got ready for the show to start. The show was absolutely amazing! I didn’t think it could have been any better than the last time I had seen them but I was wrong. They played quite a few of the old songs from the CD, which of course they jammed on. They also played a few new songs they had written. They were all amazing. One was a song that Taylor had written for his wife, and sung to her at their wedding, it was a beautiful song. I think that 90% of the people there, myself included, had tears in their eyes when it was over. They also did some covers of STP, Led Zeppelin, and even Bob Marley. They did an amazing job on all of them. Throughout the show I kept making eye contact with Taylor and we would smile at each other. He has such an amazing way of connecting with fans while performing.

My corner in the office

#25

My corner of the office is like most things I own, a bit of a cluttered mess. Although I know where everything is, anyone else looking at it would wonder how I find anything. There is a bookshelf with numerous books and old VHS tapes that are never watched, since DVD’s were introduced. Another set of shelves contains more VHS tapes, and a bunch of miscellaneous stuff that has been thrown there, when there was no where else to put it. The desk has the normal desktop stuff; computer monitor and keyboard, calendar, bills to be paid, blank CDs, stapler, tape, etc. There is a pile of photos from a recent night of hanging out with friends, which may or may not make into a photo album.

The wall in front of the desk is covered with numerous photos of important people, mainly children, in my life. There are photos of children of ex co-workers of mine, who I became close with. There is a family photo of my brother, sister-in-law, niece, and nephew. School pictures of my niece, nephew, and a friend's two children. Above the photos is a poster with a lighthouse picture and a saying; “Possibilities, The only way to discover the limits of the possible is to go beyond them into the impossible”. Along the wall there are different knick knacks with lighthouses on them.

There is music playing from my computer, as there always is when I am in here. You can hear the slamming of doors, from other tenants in the building, but beyond that it is pretty quiet around here right now.

My Best Friend

#26

I get asked all the time, “How can you live with your sister?”

My response is always the same, “She is my best friend.”

I have a very unique relationship with my sister. All of our friends don’t understand how two people who are so very different can get along so well. Yes we have our fights every now and again, as all siblings do, but for the most part we get along. We really are complete opposites though, she is a neat freak, and tries to always look at the positive in any situation. My room and car are always a complete mess, and I tend to always think the worst in a situation.

One year she asked Santa for a baby brother or sister for Christmas, and well let’s just say Santa delivered, since I was born in September the following year. I have been told when I was born she instantly became a mother hen, and every time I would cry she would tell our mother, as if she couldn’t hear me screaming. She never really grew out of that either, she is the first person to stand up for me when someone treats me in a way she doesn’t agree with.

When she left for college I was a wreck I had no idea how I was going to stand being at home without her. It was very hard to get used to but I eventually learned to deal with it and we were constantly writing letters back and forth. She took some time off after her junior year for financial reasons and it was so good to have her back home. However I knew having her back home for a while was going to make it that much harder to say goodbye. When she did decide to go back I was also headed off to school so it made that goodbye a little easier as I was also leaving home. The worst had to be July of 2004 when she moved out of the house and into her first apartment, because this time all of her belongings were gone not just her. We talked on the phone and/or computer every night and I went to visit her as much as I could.

A little over a year ago when I decided to go back to school after 4 years off, she was the first to tell me how happy and proud she was to see me going back. When I was accepted at UNH, she asked me if I wanted to move in with her. Of course my answer was yes. I was so excited to not have to move back into a dorm, and to be able to live off campus with her. Everyone told us we were crazy and that we would never be able to live with each other. We always laughed, because we had grown up together so we had always lived together. It has worked out great. Some of her neatness is rubbing off on me and I will catch myself being anal retentive about something in the apartment and I just laugh to myself.

I don’t know where our paths are going to take us next, but I know no matter what she will always be my best friend and the person I love more than anyone in this world.

The story that Mike wrote about his time as a camp counselor really hit me. It reminded me of my time at summer camp and then being a counselor. It was always a ton of fun to work with the kids and meet people from different parts of the area. I never worked anywhere with people from other countries, but I am sure it would be fun. Thanks for bringing back an old memory that made me smile.

http://del1lnrm.livejournal.com/2231.html

Jackie’s story about moving from Ohio to New Hampshire was really great to read. To hear how what she thought was the worst thing ended up changing her life around was really cool.

http://junebuggirl7.blogspot.com/2006/01/moving-away-to-new-life.html

The story that Colleen wrote about her dad made me think about my dad. He used to make my friends and I French toast whenever I had a friend spend the night. My dad and I are extremely close and it made me miss those mornings and him.

http://colleendugan.blogspot.com/2006/02/16-welcome-home-it-was-one-of-first.html

Cass

Cassandra Chapman was born November 27, 1976 in Maryland. Her family then moved to Ascutney, VT and after a few years to New Hampshire, where she has lived since.

She attended Wagner College in Staten Island for 2 years. She then transferred to the University of Vermont where she received her bachelors degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She is currently pursuing her masters in speech and language pathology at the University of New Hampshire.

Her dream is to someday have a clinic for children who have autism. She first discovered her love and talent of working with people with various disabilities when she was in seventh grade and befriended a classmate who had down syndrome. She has been working with people with disabilities ever since. She has an amazing gift and is told on a daily basis how amazing she is for what she does.

She is my sister so I have known her my whole life. She is the person I look up to and strive to be more like. We are extremely close and I consider her my best friend.

#19

Possible Future Stories

Random Thoughts that could become a story….

1. moving to my first aparmtnet
2. meeting my college roommate
3. numerous stories about my niece and nephew
4. driving to boston to meet a bunch of women I had never met
5. deciding to go back to college
6. meeting the members of my favorite band
7. my trip to New Jersey to visit a friend
8. the new friends I have made living here in Portsmouth
9. stories from my last job at home

Hero

I had never had something happen in my life that would make me look at someone and be able to call them a hero. This all changed a few years ago when my grandparents’ house caught on fire. It was a Monday night and I had just sat down with a friend and my sister to watch the latest episode of the bachelor. The phone rang and my parents answered. My father yelled up to us to say they were leaving. I asked where they were going and he said to Grammy and Grampa’s their house is on fire. I jumped up and said well we are coming to.

The drive to my grandparents felt like it took an hour even though they only live about 5 minutes away. We had to take the back way there because they had the main road they lived on all blocked off with fire trucks. There were flames shooting out of the apartment directly above theirs and there was a crowd of people standing outside the car repair shop across the street. I immediately saw my parents and went over.

“Where are Grammy and Grampa?” I asked with a panicked voice.

“They are inside the shop. Mike is the one who saw the fire and busted in their door to get them out of bed. They were both sound asleep and had no idea there was a fire,” my mother answered.

I rushed into the shop and hugged both my grandparents. I was so thankful to the guy who owned the shop for saving them. If he hadn’t have noticed the fire and rushed to save them, who knows what would have happened. After I made sure my grandparents were both alright I went over to Mike.

“I just wanted to say thank you for saving my grandparents life.”

He looked at me and smiled. “It was nothing. They are my neighbors and have never been anything but sweet to me.”

Once the fire had been put out, we went in to check out how much damage there was. My grandparents’ apartment had some water and smoke damage, but for the most part things looked good. They were told they should be able to be back in the apartment in a few days. The next day the house caught on fire again, there had been some ambers in the attic that were just smoldering. The apartment was completely ruined this time. It was sad to see all the memories burned because this had been where they had lived the entire time they were married, but we were just thankful to their neighbor for saving their lives. Ever since then I have considered him a hero.

#14

Surgery

When I was two and a half I had the first and only major surgery of my life. I had a double hernia that had popped out and needed to be removed by surgery. My parents were both worried to have their little baby going in for such a major surgery at such a young age but had no choice.

I had popped the hernias out while throwing a tantrum. My parents were giving me a bath and they were getting ready to rinse the shampoo from my hair. I started crying and screaming. I was worried that the soap was going to get into my eyes and it would hurt. My parents were holding a washcloth over my eyes trying to tell me that it would be fine and that I couldn’t get out of the bathtub with soapy hair. I didn’t care I did not want them to rinse the shampoo out. I don’t know how long I fought with them, but finally they managed to get the shampoo out and get me to bed.

The next morning my mother got me up to change my diaper and noticed two very strange bumps on my abdomen. She called my father in to look at them because she was worried and had no idea what they might be. He immediately said I needed to go the hospital. They brought me to the hospital and discovered that I had a double hernia.

The day of my surgery they got me all ready and gave me my favorite doll at the time. A little baby dressed all in pink and her name was Tubbles. I took the doctors hand and walked down the hall. I was about half way down the hall and I turned around and waved goodbye to my parents and said “I’ll see you soon” My parents were so worried but just smiled and waved back to me because they didn’t want me to be scared.

The day I was supposed to get out of the hospital they needed to give me a popsicle that contained medicine before I could leave. The only flavor they had left was orange, and I hate orange. However I gave in and ate it, I think I had learned my lesson about throwing tantrums. My dad is still freaked out to this day when giving kids a bath.

#15