Another Mindless Post - Sort Of!

So ... while I was working my nether regions off this past weekend, Amanda was out doing one of the things she loves best - attending a couple of Mindless Self Indulgence concerts in the area. As part of their continued IF tour, they were playing in both Providence and New Haven this past weekend and with the band that close of course she had to go!!

Because I'm a pushover, I got her the tickets as part of her Christmas present but I told her that there was no way that I was going this time as I had to work, there was a snowball's chance in a warm climate that I would be able to get the time off, and -frankly - I figured she'd have a better time without her mother tagging along even though I have been deemed to be "epic", "awesome", and "amazing" (just to name a few adjectives) on the MSI forum that Amanda frequents. Apparently the child speaks well of me to her friends!

Anyhow, my greatness aside (!) ... there were two bands opening for MSI at these shows ... Leathermouth featuring Frank Iero of My Chemical Romance fame and Tub Ring who hail from Chicago. Amanda was more excited to see Tub Ring perform as she had heard that Curtis RX, a member of the band Creature Feature (whom I did a post on awhile back) was going to be playing guitar with the band as a guest. Excitement abounded!

Bright and early on the morning of the first concert in Providence, Amanda and Robert took up a place in line outside of Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel and even though they were there at 7:00 a.m. for a 7:00 p.m. show, there were already four people ahead of them in line. Amanda sent me a text that they were "MCR fan-girls" and were apparently there to see Frankie while not giving two hoots about MSI or the other band. Throughout the day Amanda kept in touch with me via text to let me know that she hadn't frozen yet, that she and Robert were taking turns popping into the nearby Dunkin Donuts shop to warm up, and that Steve Righ? of MSI fame had walked by and talked to her a little bit.

Finally it was time for the concert to start and Tub Ring took to the stage first followed by Leathermouth, whom Amanda didn't really care for, and then her favorite - Mindless Self Indulgence. Naturally Amanda and Robert stayed after the concert to chat with the band members (MSI is really good about that sort of thing) and Amanda had a chance to talk with Curtis RX; she told him that it was nice to see him on the East Coast and asked when the new album was coming out. Artist that she is, she also mentioned to him that she was trying to draw a comic based on one of Creature Feature's songs and he thought that was great and for her to send it off to him at MySpace when it was done.

The next concert was being held at Toad's Place in New Haven on the Yale campus and Amanda and Robert met up with some of the other members of the Nation of Crackers, the MSI forum to which she belongs and who think I am all that and a bag of chips (for reasons that I won't go into here). For this concert they didn't get into line until 11:00 and there were only about six or seven fans in front of them. As a note here, it's important to point out that one has to get to a concert ridiculously early if one hopes to be really close to the barrier and/or stage as what's the point of going if you can't be potentially crushed in the front of the crowd?!

When Tub Ring took to the stage to open the night this time, Amanda and Robert were right in front of Curtis' side of the stage and about 15 minutes in, Curtis spoke to Amanda from the stage and said, "Hi, I already broke a string!" At the end of their set Amanda yelled out "I have part of the comic finished" and he told her to meet him at the merch ('merchandise' for those not familiar with the lingo) stand in five minutes.

Of course she did and they had a chance to talk about comics and future concerts and Amanda getting a job so that she could pay for their next CD and concert tickets on her own (yay!). I guess they even talked about the weather when Curtis told her that he wasn't used to the cold being that he was from California so she told him that she was a Californian herself (born in Long Beach). Apparently they had a nice chat and she sent me a text all excited that she had made a new friend.

Being that she was so close to the front of the stage, Amanda had the chance to take some pretty good pictures so she asked if I would put them together in a slideshow for her and post it on my blog. After all, she reminded me, this blog is supposed to be about her, too, and this is exciting stuff for a 16-year old so how could I not write about it?!? Well, when she put it that way, I guess that I couldn't so without further ado may I present to you Tub Ring (whose music isn't too bad!) featuring Curtis RX of Creature Feature! -


Maybe the kid could have a future in concert photography if the whole art thing doesn't work out?!? Considering the video doesn't show Amanda's pictures off to their best, if you'd like to check out the pictures in a "better" setting then be sure to go check out Delirious Photography - Amanda's photo-page on MySpace!

New York, New York - At Last, At Last!

Two weeks ago Amy, my friend and co-worker at American Ambulance, and I rented a lovely little red Jeep Liberty from Enterprise, piled three teenage girls in the back, and made the 2-1/2 hour trek to New York City from Norwich. For weeks Amanda, Cate, and Darci had been looking forward to our trip to the city and the Mindless Self Indulgence concert at Terminal 5. To say that it was all they seemed to talk about would be a drastic understatement! They were excited while Amy and I were probably borderline crazy but no matter what we were all looking forward to a good time.

I hadn't driven down to the city since my friend MizCyn had come out to visit in the Spring of 2002 but I was up to the challenge and actually looking forward to it. Amy had brought along her handy-dandy GPS and stuck it on the front windshield so we had no fear of taking a wrong turn or missing the closest Dunkin Donuts should the need arise for coffee! Bigify the picture to see what I mean!

The drive down was uneventful and we made good time arriving in Manhattan just a little after noon. I had planned out our garage destination using a convenient online system with Icon Parking and - except for the usual Manhattan traffic clogging up the roadways - we had no problems finding our garage with the hotel directly across from it.

After checking in at the hotel and our fantastic experience with Willie the desk clerk, we hiked a couple of blocks down to Times Square where lunch was in order. I had kind of wanted to go to the Hard Rock Cafe but everyone else wanted Planet Hollywood so that's where we went. I've been to the Hard Rock before and there's one here at Foxwoods Casino so no big deal; I was up for something new! Our waiter, Angel, was almost as friendly as Willie and made our lunch experience very pleasant indeed. So far we were batting 1,000 with the friendliness of New Yorkers!

Following lunch we made our way back to the hotel where the girls wanted to get ready for the concert early so that they could go sit outside of the venue in line with all of the other MSI fans in order to get a good spot in the pit. Amy and I decided that we would get them settled there and then head up to Columbus Circle in search of a David Off store and cigars for Dennis, the paramedic who so graciously allows me to use some of his pictures from time to time. The venue and Columbus Circle were quite close and we kept in touch with the girls via cell phone so everyone was happy.

Following the acquisition of a couple of fine cigars, Amy and I caught the subway back to the venue and made our way up to the VIP area with Cate who opted out of being in the middle of the pit with a lot of other crazed people. I'd have to say that was a smart move on her part as she's a tiny thing and surely would have been crushed in the sea of humanity that was writhing below us! I kept in touch with Amanda via cell phone text messages to make sure that she and Darci were doing okay in between attending to my designated videographer duties.

The concert was everything the girls hoped it would be and after getting the chance to meet up with the band members afterwards we caught a taxi back to our hotel and then walked to an all-night pizza joint for a very late supper before calling it a night.

The next morning we moved the car to another garage closer to the theater district (for a reduced price) and then we hailed another cab to take us out to Battery Park so that Cate could get a glimpse of the Statute of Liberty and Ellis Island. By that time Amy had gotten really good at hailing taxis and caught a nice mini-van for our trip. Sadly it wasn't Ben Bailey and The Cash Cab but our driver was very nice nonetheless!

Our drive down the West Side Highway took us directly past Ground Zero and the site of the former World Trade Towers. As we crossed under the white foot bridge that was seen in so many pictures following 9/11 and I looked towards the construction site where those two magnificent towers once stood, it's hard to describe how I felt. A tingling sensation started in my feet and traveled all the way to the top of my head leaving me feeling cold and numb in its wake. I had no desire whatsoever to snap a picture of the cranes that worked diligently at the site of the memorial that will eventually take the place of the two buildings that once towered over lower Manhattan. I was filled with an overwhelming sense of dismay that human beings could have done such a thing to each other as I wiped away a tear and looked the other way. Amy later told me that what she felt was angry but I didn't feel that - just an overwhelming sadness. I'm in no hurry to go back there again.

Arriving at Battery Park we walked around a bit while lines and lines of tourists circled all around Castle Clinton and the pathways lining the park awaiting their turn to board one of the ferries heading out to Liberty and Ellis Islands. The day had become hot and humid and a haze hung over the harbor making it hard to see either island from the shore but Cate was glad to have gotten a view of Lady Liberty standing with her torch held high. While we were there I took the opportunity to show Amanda a name inscribed on one of the granite walls of the World War II Memorial that faces out to sea and honors those soldiers, sailors, and airmen who died in the Atlantic Ocean. The first time I saw the name William E. Orlomoski inscribed on this stone I was quite surprised as there is no way that there's an Orlomoski somewhere who isn't related. It's not exactly what one would call a common name! Pvt Orlomoski was a member of the Air Corps and hailed from Illinois where I know my father's father came from but beyond that, I'm still not sure who this veteran was who died defending our nation during World War II. Someday I hope to find out.

After one last look at a skyline that was definitely missing something we jumped into another taxi to make our way back up to the theater district as it was getting close to curtain time for Mary Poppins. Amy had really lucked out on scoring tickets for the show and even though we were at the very top of the balcony in the very back row we had a good view of the stage and the girls absolutely loved the play. It was Cate's very first Broadway show and she was absolutely enthralled; Amanda had seen Beauty and the Beast on Broadway years earlier when her father and I were still married and we took the girls down to see it so this was her second Broadway show but she enjoyed jit every bit as much as Cate did.

The play more closely follows the book rather than the Disney movie that many are familiar with and that I remembered going to see at the drive-in with my parents years and years and years ago when it first came out but the cast was fantastic and the sets were beautiful and eye-poppingly colorful. The highlight of the play had to be when the character of Burt tap-danced to "Step In Time" up the side of the stage wall, across the top upside down, and then down the other side! Cables or no cables there is no way I'd have ever done such a thing were I in his tap shoes! Nor would I have flown out into the audience and up into the ceiling like Mary Poppins herself did at the end of the play!

One thing I wanted to point out about this particular picture is that I did not use a flash when I took it (no flash photography is allowed in the theater) and you might notice that there are quite a few orbs floating around in it. Somehow it didn't surprise me when they showed up as The New Amsterdam Theater was originally built in 1903 and is the oldest surviving Broadway venue. It was the home of the original Ziegfield Follies so no doubt has seen many an actor and actress come and go. Renovations began on the theater in 1993 and it officially reopened in 1997 with Disney's The Lion King which played there until 2006 when it moved to another theater and Mary Poppins opened. Disney spared no expense in renovating the theater and it is absolutely gorgeous. Were I a Broadway ghost it would be the place I'd choose to haunt!

After the play we retrieved our rental car and pointed it north out of the city and back to Connecticut. In the backseat were three very tired but happy teens who had just had the chance to do more in two days than a lot of people do in an entire summer. In the front were two adults we were quite happy to have survived a weekend in New York with three teenagers and were heading home with their sanity intact! All in all, a fine time was had by all!

Believe it or not, this slideshow is still just part of the pictures I took! See now why it took me so long to get this post together?!? I gotta start going easier on that shutter button!

... And The Band Played On

Due to my work schedule, assorted things to do around the house, and the 294 unread posts that were sitting in my Google Reader when I finally got around to opening it yesterday (ouch!), I have yet to get the chance to do a post about last Friday's Mindless Self Indulgence concert at Terminal 5 in New York City. Truth be told, I am also still somewhat worn out from last Friday's concert but there is no rest for the wicked - or for the parents of teenage daughters it seems - as tonight I will be attending yet another Mindless Self Indulgence concert - this time in Hartford at the Webster Hall Theater along with Jason, Amy, and Cate as well as Amanda and Darci.

No doubt it's going to be déjà vu all over again as I'm sure that the Long Beach, California band Julien-K will kick off the night's musical festivities as they did in New York. The band touts themselves as "Alternative - Electronica - Club" as their musical genres on their MySpace page but, honestly, I'm not so sure about the Electronica part. Now had they described themselves as "Alternative - Loud - Leather Clad" I think it would be more appropriate! I had to wear ear plugs with these guys and have the sneaky feeling I shall need them again tonight!

The next band to take the stage may very well be a local band like it was in New York City. Hopefully they can't possibly sound any worse than the New York local band who played at Terminal 5 - What What Where . That group was absolutely, positively horrible with the lead singer sounding more like a bag of wailing cats than any sort of vocal talent. To give credit where credit is due, their music is marginally better on their MySpace page and they did put their all into the concert but it was a very painful all! Honestly, they couldn't have gotten off the stage fast enough. Oh, and before I get lambasted by hostile fans who tell me I don't know what the blanketdy-blank-blank I'm talking about, I wasn't the only one who shared that opinion - I was with four other people who thought so and have read numerous reviews of the concert that said the same thing. So there!

Now, if the show goes according to Friday night's schedule, the next band to hit the stage will be The Birthday Massacre who were quite good and a definite crowd favorite. I suspect Amanda likes them because of their keytarist! The band originated in London, Ontario, Canada under the name Imagica but changed their name in July of 2002 shortly after relocating to Toronto and changing a band member or two. Their lead singer, Chibi, is very animated and the crowd just loves her. The only problem with this band is that the pit goes absolutely crazy with fans slamming into each other and forming what are known as "circle pits". These areas of the crowd make a mosh pit at a Metallica concert look a tea party with the Queen and are usually started by members of the crowd running wildly in a circle slamming into each other in response to the speed of the music and the beat.

Trust me, these things are pretty scary looking and I was very glad that Amanda and Darci were nowhere near one. People could - and do - get hurt even though audience members will typically try to pull dancers that have fallen over out of the way of serious injury as quickly as possible.

After all of that, Mindless Self Indulgence will finally take to the stage and the crowd will really go wild. There probably won't be any circle pits during their performance as their type of music doesn't inspire them but there will be plenty of crowd-surfing, singing along, and fist-pumping. Jimmy Urine, lead singer of MSI, is nothing if not a showman and again, I am somewhat reminded of Fee Waybill of The Tubes concerts that I used to go to when I was much, much younger!

Kitty will play her heart out on the drums, Steve will wander around the stage with his guitar making faces and acting strange, LynZ will do that incredible back-bend of hers, and Jimmy - well, Jimmy will wear you out just watching him!

Is it any wonder that I haven't recovered from Friday's concert? I'm going to be 50 in just a little over two months - this is no sort of activity for a card-carrying member of the AARP and respectable grandmother! Yet there I will be - once again - not crowd-surfing, not slamming into other bodies in a circle pit, not pumping my fist in the air but probably singing along because of course I know all the words - you would, too, if you lived with Amanda!

Even though the concert will be loud and no doubt the concert hall will be hot, probably the worst part will be Thursday morning when myself, Amy, and Jason all have to crawl into work while the three teenagers who are the ones who really, really, really need to see MSI again less than a week since they saw them last will no doubt sleep in! Doesn't sound quite fair, does it?

Let's hope that these kids realize and appreciate the sacrifices that we adults are making for them and their favorite band but somehow I think that's going to get lost in the excitement of the whole evening. I'm sure, though, that we can manage to remind them later ... Several times ... Repeatedly ... Ad nauseum!

Wish me luck folks, I'm going in again!

Amanda's Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat or Why I Was Wearing a Mask!

Sometimes it's not easy being a parent ... especially the parent of a teenage daughter who is a major fan of Mindless Self Indulgence, the band that has described their musical sound as being "industrial, jungle punk"; the band whose lead singer, Jimmy Urine (short for Euringer) wears outfits that look like these two here when on stage; the band who encourages their fans to dress up just as strangely when attending their concerts; the band who is performing two concerts in the local area very soon and which Amanda will be attending and heaven forbid she not wear something so outrageous that it will make Jimmy proud!

This is what Amanda wore when she met Jimmy for the very first time at last summer's Projekt Revolution concert in Hartford -

- but you can bet your last dollar that normal looking ensemble of t-shirt and jeans will not be what she's wearing when she attends her next MSI concert at the end of this month. Oh no - far from it!

Check out the video below to see part of what she'll be wearing and to see what I was up to with that bandanna and spray can! It definitely wasn't bug spray!

Like I said - sometimes it's not easy being a parent but why not have fun with it while you can?!?

Another "Mindless" Birthday

Approximately seven years ago there was a band that was in need of a new bassist as the one they had decided to leave to become an astronaut (or was that start a family?). To that end the band held auditions in New York City where a young woman who had moved to the city from Connecticut to study art was told about the chance to try out for the band and decided to go for it. Even though her previous experience as a bassist was to simply "bang on the E string the entire time" and she had never heard of the band she was going to audition for prior to listening to a CD given to her by their manager, the young woman decided she simply had to audition to become part of the band. But what to do? How to win them over when she knew she really wasn't a very good bassist?

Not quite panicking yet, she called up a friend of hers who was a fabulous bass player to teach her the basics with the first lesson being "this is tablature" - something every guitarist knows! When she got a phone call and was given three songs to learn and an audition date, sheer terror did kick in and she came to the conclusion that there was "no way she was going to get into this band on bass talent alone" so she was going to have to do something more. At the audition the band had her play the three songs she was given through and then again a second time but she knew the audition really wasn't going very well (especially considering the guitarist wouldn't even look at her). It was time to do something to show them that even if she wasn't a very good bassist at that point, she was definitely a fantastic performer.

Knowing that there was a spot in the song Tornado where the bass dropped out completely for ten seconds, the young woman decided to pull out the stops - along with a film canister filled with Bacardi 151 rum she had stashed in her bra and matches that were hidden in her hair. When the short break in the song began she took the shot in her mouth, lit the match on the strike pad she had glued on her bass, and blew fire all over the room almost setting the entire place and the lead singer on fire! Everyone stopped what they were doing, dropped everything, looked at her with shock and delight, and it was at that moment when Lindsey, the artist from Connecticut, became Lyn-Z, the new bassist for the New York-based band Mindless Self Indulgence!

The reason I tell you this story today is to give you some background on the picture above that Amanda drew in honor of Lyn-Z's birthday - which is today. It just didn't seem right to post the picture of her holding flaming matches without giving you the reason why! You've got to admire a woman who knows what she wants and then goes out and gets it against the odds, a woman who might not have the skills of other bassists but who certainly has performing down to an art. To this day Lyn-Z has no delusions of grandeur about her place in the world of musicians but she has always had the courage to put herself out there while having a good time and a great sense of humor during the learning process. And fans of the band love her which is what really matters.

If you'd like to see a colorized version of the above picture that Amanda did, you can check it out by clicking here and if you'd like to watch the YouTube videos where Lyn-Z tells the story of her audition with Mindless Self Indulgence, you can find them here and here - though I should warn you that the language is not for those with delicate ears!

Lyn-Z - wherever you may be (Amanda tells me the band is touring in the southwest), best wishes for a very happy birthday and a fantastic year! May all your wishes come true no matter how out there they are and we're looking forward to seeing you perform in Hartford in July!

"Let Me Call You Sweetheart"

So - you're a teenager, your mom is going to California for a week, and you're going down to New Jersey to stay with your best friend - what do you do next?? Go to a concert! Better yet - go to two concerts!!

Actually, that's not exactly the truth. Amanda's plans for the concerts came into fruition long before my plans to go to California - which actually evolved around Amanda's plans to go to New Jersey. After all, bands tend to book concerts a lot further in advance than I would ever book a vacation and heaven forbid Amanda's favorite band, Mindless Self Indulgence, play a venue even close to somewhere nearby and she not be there!


This time around MSI was playing at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia followed by Bamboozle at the Meadowlands in New Jersey and Amanda and her friend Darci had been looking forward to both concerts the better part of forever (in teenage time). The last time Amanda had seen the band was at Projekt Revolution in August and in that time they'd put out a new album, If, and grown quite a bit in popularity.

Amanda had become even more of a fan than she was before, if that was at all possible, and she was a nervous wreck as to whether or not LynZ, MSI's bassist, might remember who she was from when she met her backstage in Hartford. She called me several times in California wondering what she should say.

Turns out that she didn't have to say anything as LynZ recognized and remembered her right away and all of that fretting was for naught as nervousness turned into exuberance and excitement and a myriad of teenage emotions that I have probably long forgotten over the years but am sure I would remember in a New York minute if the bassist from my favorite band remembered me by my first name! I've never had the opportunity to hang around with the members of my favorite band (hmm, do I even have a favorite band?) and talk to them like they were normal people but I would imagine that it was pretty darned exciting for Amanda - so darned exciting that she talked about it non-stop from just outside of Philadelphia to the other side of New York City on our way back to Connecticut on Tuesday night!

After MSI's set at Bamboozle, Amanda had the chance to talk to LynZ as well as get pictures taken with Kitty, the band's drummer, and also with Jimmy - lead singer and performer extraordinaire. Regular readers will remember Jimmy from my posts of last year's trip to Projekt Revolution as well as the excitement of JimJamz, the plushie doll Amanda made for Jimmy, making his own stage debut. Jimmy immediately remembered Amanda as "the plushie girl" and later referred to her as "sweetheart" and gave her a big kiss, something she was totally thrilled about. As for this picture, no - Amanda isn't wearing a scarf and Jimmy isn't constipated! It just looks that way on both counts! Regardless she sure looks happy, though, doesn't she? She might have looked happier had the security guard not been rushing them along and she could've gotten a better picture but for now, any picture with the flamboyant lead singer of your favorite band is better than NO picture with the flamboyant lead singer of your favorite band! Oh, and for the record, Jimmy still has JimJamz on the tour bus!

Of course, I can't leave out the other member of the band, Steve Righ? who is the guitarist and occasional back-up vocalist. Again, regular readers might remember the saga of the pantless plushie that Amanda had made in Steve's likeness and who eventually became fully clothed last November. She was finally able to proudly present the panted plushie personally and Steve was quite taken with the little guy (but not the pins she had used to hold his pants up with!).

All in all, Amanda and Darci had a fantastic time and they are now looking forward to July when MSI will be performing in nearby Hartford, a concert we will be attending along with Jason, Amy, Cate, and Amy's mom. I'm sure it's going to be a great time and I can guarantee you that there will be a post or two that comes out of it! At least!

Mindless Matters

Okay, folks, here's a little quiz for you:

What do you get when you combine Chantal Claret, lead singer, frontwoman, and composer for the New York-based band Morningwood, and Jimmy Euringer, lead singer, frontman, and composer for the New York-based band Mindless Self Indulgence? - which just happens to be Amanda's favorite band for those who either forgot or are new to this blog!

Think about it for a couple of moments and I'll wait ...

No, the answer isn't a lot of pink, purple, and hair products ...

Give up? The answer is a happily married couple!

According to the MSI forums and message boards, Jimmy and Chantal exchanged vows in a friend's backyard in California recently. Isn't love grand and don't they look happy together?

Hopefully the rest of Mindless Self Indulgence's fans will be just as happy about the news as Amanda was and wish them a long and happy marriage!

With bassist Lyn-Z having married Gerard this past summer and Jimmy and Chantal now tying the knot I guess that just leaves drummer Kitty and guitarist Steve to take the plunge with their long-time significant others, 'Righ??

Shipoopi, Stew, & Stuff

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After a rather busy day yesterday, it's been nice to have a Sunday to just relax a bit and sit on the couch. I think I could rather get used to having Sundays off though I guess I'd best not, I only have this afternoon off as I've got plans for later on.

I spent most of yesterday cleaning the house and cooking as we had invited Jason, Amy, & Cate over dinner. That would be the Jason, Amy, & Cate who are related to the phenomenal Lyn-Z of Mindless Self Indulgence fame who is married to the one and only Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance fame. Normally I wouldn't even mention that but I figure with Google dropping my Page Rank faster than the stocks crashed on Wall Street in 1929, I could go for some shameless self-promotion and drop names!

Truth be told Jason, Amy, & Cate don't need to be related to any one at all for me to want to invite them over for dinner as they are three fantastic people and I truly enjoy their company. It's good for Amanda to have Jason come over and pick on her unmercifully and then break out into a pretty decent rendition of "Shipoopi", originally made famous in Meredith Wilson's "The Music Man" but maybe more widely known in this video -


It was actually quite entertaining to have dinner and a show of sorts! Since the first time I met Jason at American Ambulance he's been making me laugh and last night was no exception! Poor Amy and Cate were getting quite the work-out with the eye-rolling but I could see they were holding back the snickers themselves! Cate is one lucky girl to have a father who has such a good sense of humor.

For dinner I made homemade beef stew in a bread-bowl that turned out to be quite tasty, in my own humble opinion, followed by apple crisp using a slightly different recipe than the last batch I made. In this one I added some chopped pecans to the topping and drizzled it with butter prior to baking it. Yum! Considering that it was a cold November day yesterday, it was the perfect meal - again in my own humble opinion! And one of the best parts is that there's plenty of leftover stew because I always make way too much and there isn't much better than reheated beef stew - yet again in my own humble opinion!

Unfortunately Amy wasn't feeling too well as she's battling the nasty cold that seems to be going around and around and around out here so they didn't stay for too long after dinner - just long enough to watch the latest episode of "House" that we had on DVR and then VH1's "Best Week Ever", though if you ask me if that was the best they could come up with for this week then NO ONE had a best week! Normally the show is pretty funny but this week - not so funny.

Later this evening Amanda and I will head over to the Mohegan Sun Casino for a concert by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra - which thankfully wasn't canceled for any reason! We went to see them last year for the first time after Christmas at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts and they were excellent (you can read about it in my post here if you'd like) so I'm expecting no less of a spectacular show this evening. Add on the fact that it's less than 5 minutes down the road and what more could you possibly want? Well, I would like Jamie to be there with us as I'm sure she would absolutely love the show, too, but alas she won't be here until next month. Maybe next year if we're lucky?

Anyhow, I'm sure it will be a nice evening out with good head-banging classical music and pyrotechnics and maybe even a stop at Ben & Jerry's for some ice cream! Sure beats the heck out of being at work! Oh, and speaking of work, if you'd like a small glimpse into what I do (or is that say?) for a living, click on this link to WTIC-Fox 61 News and then scroll down to "EMS Shortage" on 11/8. That voice you hear as the ambulance rolls out of the bay is mine (cringe!). Ah, fleeting fame!

The Pantless Plushie Saga Continues

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I'm sure you all remember poor pantless plushie Steve Righ, right?

Despite the fact that she made an attempt towards getting the poor guy some pants made this weekend, Amanda still has yet to clothe the poor little fella and with the colder temperatures of November now upon us, I'm guessing this is what Steve thinks about the whole thing ...

Doesn't look too happy, does he? (Gee, I wonder if this is how other pantless plush animals feel?). When Amanda did this drawing the other day I asked her if it was inspired by Steve's disgust in still not having any pants upon his plushie but she just smiled. I tell ya, the kid has procrastination down to an art! Maybe someday soon poor plushie Steve will get some pants but in the meantime it gives Mo the chance to sing "Pantless plushies in a pile" and make me laugh. Hmm, I wonder if Mindless Self Indulgence might be able to make that into a song??

Introducing LynZ - The Plushie Version!

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Regular readers of my blog (and thank you, whoever you may be!), will certainly remember this picture of Amanda and LynZ, bassist for Mindless Self Indulgence, that was taken at the Projekt Revolution concert in Hartford this past August. Meeting LynZ was one of the highlights of Amanda's whole summer and since then she has wanted to make a plushie doll in her likeness.

We bought the supplies quite awhile ago but as Amanda seems to have inherited my fine sense of procrastination, it took her awhile before she finally set about the project. Of course, I should mention that she had been working on a Steve, Righ? plushie doll that still remains pant-less at this time so I guess it wasn't as if she hadn't been doing something ... it just wasn't making Steve any pants!

At any rate with all pants - or lack thereof - aside, Amanda finally started on the plushie of LynZ this weekend and it turned out to be the toughest plushie she's made so far as LynZ has a lot of detail that her other dolls didn't. The hardest part was making her hair as LynZ has beautiful long black hair in real life and, of course the doll, needed the same.

On top of that, she needed fishnets, black knee-hi socks, black boots, a plaid skirt, a black undershirt, and a maroon vest - whew! Oh and let's not forget the tattoos on her arm! Amanda still needs to draw the tattoos that cover LynZ's left arm but she said she needs to find a good picture before she can do it as she wants it to be as accurate as possible so, for right now, plushie LynZ only sports the one tattoo on her right arm.

Because Amanda was totally stumped when it came to making a vest and the socks and boots seemed to give her a little bit of trouble, too, I got to dust off my sewing skills and help out with this project a little bit. Not that I am any great seamstress but it was kind of fun to try to figure out how to make these things minus a pattern. After all, it's been many, many years since I took a sewing class back in my sophomore year of high school! I think I did a'ight for someone with no craft skills at all!

Finally, anyone who is familiar with MSI at all knows that one of the things LynZ is known for is her flexibility as witnessed in the picture below -

I swear, it makes my back hurt just to look at her doing that as I can barely bend forward - never mind backwards! Pretty amazing, eh? But, because it's LynZ's signature move, Amanda had to make sure that the LynZ plushie was capable of the same so we put her to the test ...

Not bad, eh? Now we just have to get her a little bass guitar and she'll be all set! Well, once she gets her left arm inked also!

Next up? Well, either Steve gets pants, Kitty gets her other arm and legs sewn on, or Amanda by-passes both to start on a Gerard plushie. Seems an Art-Munkey's work is never done!

Building a Better "Steve", Righ?

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Amanda and I just got back from a quick trip to the local hobby shop where she needed to pick up more supplies to make a couple more of her rock-star plushie dolls. Even though she recently found out that JimJamZ was tossed into the crowd following the last Projekt Revoultion concert in Colorado (she likes to think that some devoted Mindless Self Indulgence fan has him enshrined next to all of his or her other Jimmy memorabilia) she still wants to make plushie dolls for the rest of the band. I'm not sure when she would plan on delivering said plushie dolls as MSI doesn't have any concerts in the area anytime soon but still ... it gives her another project and actually gets her off the computer for a little while!

She needed to get all orange for Steve's hair and clothing so this should be interesting, to say the least! I will be sure to post pictures once little Steev is completed so stay tuned for that!

Oh, and just a quick update on the poll results from last week - only two people voted for me to leave my blog the way it is while 14 others voted for Amanda to do some artwork for a redesign. She's working on it diligently and hopes to have it done by the end of the week at which time I can forward it on to my super-cool blog designer Se7en and see what sort of magic he can produce. I'm sure it will look great once it all gets done!

Happy Birthday to Jimmy & a Poll For My Readers

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Well, well, well ... come to find out that along with such blogging greats as Sandee from Comedy+, Callie Ann from Scrappin' with Life, Jen from Mommy 911, and Kai from The Buzz Queen there is another September birthday to celebrate that belongs to the one and only Little Jimmy Urine of Mindless Self Indulgence fame. I'm pretty sure I don't need to remind you who he is if you've been to my blog at all this week!

I wasn't aware of this great event until I received a text message from Amanda earlier in the day just prior to stepping into the dentist's office so it was too late to send the guy a card even if I had an address, which I don't! Of course it was unthinkable that Amanda let the 37th birthday of this alternative music icon, who really needs to eat a sandwich or two and buy some suspenders!, go by without rendering some sort of artwork to post on the Mindless Self Indulgence My Space page ...

Happy Birthday to Jimmy!

Actually, that's a pretty good rendering of the man complete with fairy wings ... and, uhm, if you aren't familiar with MSI, which I'm going to guess a good majority of you aren't, please don't ask about the wings because I'm not quite sure myself just yet. Give me some time, though, and I'm sure I'll know more about the band then I ever wanted or needed to! Living with a teenager you sort of end up getting these things through osmosis!

Speaking of getting things (nice segue, eh?) ... I have been asking my somewhat talented daughter to do some artwork for me now for months as I have wanted to update my blog's appearance a bit and change the design. I asked my fantastic blog designer, Se7en of Blogs Gone Wild!, if he would be able to use Amanda's artwork to make the changes for me and he assured me that it would be quite doable. Problem is, I can't seem to motivate Amanda to produce said artwork.

Now, you would think that after my having taken her to the Projekt Revolution concert where she glomped me, after having gone out in the middle of night to procure the last Harry Potter book for her, after having opened up her Cafe Press shop for her that the kid would have come across with some artwork for her dear old Mom but apparently she "hasn't been inspired" to do it.

Obviously I am doing something wrong so I am now appealing to you, my readers, in the form of a poll which you will find below. Feel fee to vote as many times as you like, I haven't placed any restrictions on it, and let Amanda know what you would like to see done here. I've even give you a spot to write in your own answer if you don't like the two I've provided.

I had thought maybe it might be a nice birthday present but ... I doubt that's inspiring enough either so let's see how she responds to some blog pressure!

Polling closes Saturday at midnight!

My Romantic Self Indulgence

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Amanda's chant for yesterday was "this is a good day! this is a good day!" and anyone who read yesterday's post about her plushie doll JimJamZ making his stage debut can figure out one reason why (and what kid wouldn't be thrilled that the doll she made was "performing" on stage with one of her favorite bands?) There was another reason, though, to which I was sworn to secrecy but since it has hit the Internet full-force, I think I can write about it now.

In addition to the excited phone call I got from Amanda at work yesterday, I also received a call from Amy, the person who was responsible for Amanda and I having such a fantastic time at Projekt Revolution. For those who might not remember, Amy is the sister of LynZ who is the extremely flexible bassist for Mindless Self Indulgence, the band that the aforementioned JimJamZ was sharing the stage with. In this picture JimJamZ hangs back while LynZ performs. For more photos, check out my post JimJamZ Goes on Tour With Mindless Self Indulgence.

JimJamZ watches LynZ play

Anyhow ... to try to make a long story short, it had been rumored on most of the My Chemical Romance message boards and elsewhere on the internet that LynZ was dating Gerard Way, lead singer of MCR. Someone had posted a single picture and speculation was running rampant amongst MCR fans as to just what was going on. Due to having an inside track, Amanda and I knew the truth of the matter but we were keeping it quiet out of respect for both Gerard and LynZ, who we met backstage at Projekt Revolution. In my post about the concert I wanted to write about what a happy couple they were but I didn't think it was my place to go public with their relationship. I figured when they were ready to announce it to the world, they would.

Which brings me back to Amy's phone call yesterday ... she told me that LynZ had called her earlier that morning to tell her that she and Gerard had gotten married but she swore me to secrecy, with the exception of Amanda, as she wasn't sure if LynZ had gotten the chance to talk to their mother yet and she sure didn't want her mom hearing it on Entertainment Tonight or some such thing. Not that I was likely to call my good friend Matt Lauer at The Today Show and fill him in as Matt usually has his cell phone off in the afternoons but still ... it was exciting news that I couldn't wait to get home and share with Amanda.

The Happy Couple

Of course when I got home Amanda was all excited about seeing JimJamZ on stage with Jimmy so I was thinking that the news of Gerard and LynZ might not sink in right away through the excitement of "I made that doll!" When she finished telling me all about the messages and pictures I said, "I talked to Amy today" and Amanda immediately stopped and said "It's bad news, right?" "No, but it's about Gerard and LynZ - they got married." Dead silence ... "Uhm, Amanda? Amanda? You going to breath anytime soon?" I was beginning to think I was going to have to call 911 for one of my own ambulances when she finally broke out into a big delighted smile and happy squee. "This is a good day!"

For those of you who might have popped by via a Google search let me just say that yes, Gerard and LynZ are honestly and truly married. They had a short ceremony after the very last show on the Projekt Revolution tour at the Coors Amphitheater in Englewood, Colorado on Monday. It was performed backstage by an ordained minister who is also a staff member of Live Nation, the concert promoter, and was attended by members of all the other bands. The bride wore a black and white baseball jersey while the groom wore a jean jacket over a t-shirt sporting a colorful unicorn and the name "Lyn-Z" (see picture above of LynZ wearing the same shirt).

Now tell me Ray (in the Pink Floyd shirt) doesn't look happy??

In my overly romantic and true-love-conquers-all opinion, I think it is just the sweetest thing ever and I wish them many, many years of happiness together. As a matter of fact, I'd like to see them be as happy as Amy and Jason (Gerard's new in-laws) whom I believe to be one of the most fantastic couples I know! Of course, Gerard has a long, long ways to go to be even close to the son-in-law that I'm sure Jason is - rock star or not! Having such fantastic daughters as she does, I'm sure LynZ's mom is not impressed easily!

As for those who keep wanting to post stupid comments on the message boards about how Gerard has changed, this was too soon, and this is the end for the band as well as all the other crap that I've seen, all I can say is STOP IT! When two people find love it's a good thing and there have been lots of band members who married members of other bands that have proved it's not the end for either band. If you're a true My Chem fan then you're going to stop crying over someone that chances are real good you never could have had anyway, you're going to wish Gerard and LynZ much happiness, and then you're going to find something else to talk about. I mean come on, just because Gerard and Mikey got married doesn't mean it's the end of My Chemical Romance or their music. Besides, look on the bright side - Bob Bryar might still be single!

Gerard and LynZ - if you ever read this (which I doubt) many congratulations; Jason and Amy (and I know you do you read this!) when are we getting together for Guitar Hero???

Wordless Wednesday

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Why is this grown man holding a doll? See the post below this one to find out!

JimJamZ Goes on Tour with Mindless Self Indulgence

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Last week I posted about Amanda and I going to the Projekt Revolution concert at the Dodge Music Center in Hartford where she had the opportunity to meet Jimmy, Steve, and LynZ of Mindless Self Indulgence. I'm sure that anyone who has stopped by in the past week remembers this picture of Amanda with Jimmy, lead singer, and the plushie doll she made for him. I mean, come on, how could you forget that blue hair??

This week the saga continues just a bit ... I was sitting at work earlier, training the new guy, while watching the minutes on the clock tick by at what had to be the world's slowest rate when I got a call on my cell phone. "Home" it said so I knew it had to be Amanda - well, either that or a burglar had decided to give me a quick call to tell me that he had found absolutely nothing of value in my house and was leaving me $40 on the kitchen counter to buy some groceries for God's sake!

• "Hello?"
• "Mom?"
• "Yeah ..."
• "Oh my God I just got home and checked my Deviant Art account and I had two messages that Jimmy had the plushie I gave him on the stage with him!"
• "Uhm, I just went deaf in my left ear, hold on while I switch the phone over to the other ear."

What followed then was a barrage of squee's and excited babbling that was barely decipherable yet could be heard clear across the room by my coworkers. Obviously she was excited. I am the Mistress of Understatement, am I not??

By the time I got home from work, photo evidence of little JimJamZ, as Amanda calls him, appearing on stage was available in the form of the following pictures posted from Mindless Self Indulgence performances at two Projekt Revolution concerts (Colorado and either Chicago or Indiana, unsure which).




Needless to say Amanda is totally excited and I guess I can't say that I blame her at all. I guess you could say that Jimmy really liked JimJamZ!

Amanda is now hard at work creating plushies for the rest of the band members. Now I'll never get that artwork she promised me!! Guess I need to be some sort of rock star to get some attention around here ... time to break out Guitar Hero and start practicing again! Right?