All that jazz

I'm daring to venture down to the Campustown area tonight, since my cousin will be playing jazz piano (keyboard) at Caffe Paradiso. His name is Nick and he's a senior at U of I, actually doing his student teaching in Spanish Ed right now (Centennial). Click HERE for his My Space page, where you can hear some of his stuff. I have to say I'm a sucker for the standards like "Autumn Leaves" and "Moonlight Serenade," but I know writes music, as well.

I've only heard him play live once before, at his parents' house a few Thanksgivings ago. He played the keyboard while his dad was on vibes. What a cool sound! They've been performing together for years and were so good that my dad yelled from upstairs, "What CD is that?" Tonight he'll be playing alone from 7-8, then joined by a drummer. I'm really psyched...and find it a huge compliment that he invited me. : ) Maybe I should leave the beret and bongos at home and just try to blend into the crowd. I am, after all, a bit older and a whole lot less hip. But I'm a proud and enthusiastic fan, and isn't that really what any performer wishes for in the audience? I'm looking forward to hanging out at a coffeehouse, too - never been to Caffe Paradiso but it looks fantastic.

...like it's 1999

I feel like I've just joined the rest of the 21st century! Tonight I became a Netflix member, after years of avoiding the trend in favor of free movies from the library or cheap Family Video rentals. We bought a Memorex streaming Blu-Ray from Woot a few weeks ago, and finally got things set up. I would still be outside looking in if it weren't for a 6-month membership I received as a birthday gift. : ) Now that I'm here, I wonder what took so long!! The selection is pretty overwhelming, and we've already downloaded and watched Fathead tonight. Holy crap, Arrested Development is available instantly!!

Honestly, I'm a bit afraid of the pressure I'll put on myself to watch tons of movies and "get my money's worth." I spend enough time in front of the TV, and I certainly don't want to spend even more time staring at the screen while the real world passes me by. Still...I love movies and so far Netflix seems pretty amazing.

On my DVD cue so far:

Nurse Jackie Season 2

The Fighter

I Love You, Phillip Morris

Conviction

The Town

I usually try to use a witty title to sum up a blog entry...but there's nothing witty about what's been running through my mind for the past several days. We heard yesterday that 21 year-old Bradley Bunte had passed away from his injuries suffered on Friday evening. He'd been on life support after he was hit by two vehicles while crossing University Avenue against the light. The accident is under investigation but no tickets have been issued, as it seems to be the most tragic of situations that happened in a split second. His family is adamant that this was NOT related to Unofficial celebrations that evening.

Brad's parents issued a statement through the University (where Brad was a junior in journalism, and a writer for the Daily Illini) that was published Sunday in the News-Gazette. It was profound and heartbreaking, and BRAVE. Read it HERE. Their eloquence and the kindness they showed toward others involved in the accident bowled me over. I can't even imagine their pain, or how life has instantly (and forever) changed for that family...and for those who were driving the vehicles in the accident. It's horrific on every level.

We can all give examples of people who were taken "too soon." When I was about 12, a 3rd grader at my school died of leukemia. Her name was Amy. We barely understood death at that age, but kids recognize a senseless loss. A brilliant classmate died violently my senior year and his grave is not far from my grandmother's. She died at 82 after a long, happy life - he was murdered at 18. In January one of my close friends from high school was killed when she was thrown from a snowmobile. The helmet didn't save her. I still can't fully accept that one.

My heart goes out to Brad's family and friends, and to the drivers that night. I'm so, so sorry. It feels insufficient and awkward to say as a stranger, but I really mean it. And I know I'm not the only person in this big small town who may not have known Brad, but who grieves for you still.

Bowl 4 Kids' Sake 2011...in the books

Thanks so much to EVERYONE who donated to and participated in Bowl 4 Kids' Sake 2011 this weekend. I was really proud to be a member of Team Illini Radio Group, and to raise $155 - 100% of which goes DIRECTLY to Big Brothers, Big Sisters. I'm also kinda proud that I bowled 165 and 157. : )

Pictured are Sarah Addison (emcee), me, Jamie (a last minute guest addition to the team), Nicole Beals from WIXY, and Dug from 92.5 The Chief. We rocked lane 15 at Western Bowl in Champaign Saturday night, but folks from Central Illinois bowled Friday - Sunday and raised a whole lot of money for BBBS. If I get the official total, I'll pass it on.

HUGE props to this woman - I hate that I don't remember her name. She was bowling on lane 16 and won the 50/50 raffle, worth several hundred dollars...and IMMEDIATELY gave it back to Big Brothers, Big Sisters. If you know who she is, please comment on this blog or email me (michelle@mix945.com) so I can give her the recognition she deserves. Of course people who do such kind things usually don't want to be recognized, you know? Pictured with her is Ryan, a board member of BBBS and our Promotions Director with the Illini Radio Group.

Dug is either pointing out that I'm eating an oatmeal cookie from my Great Harvest Bread Company door prize...or the new hair I'm rocking from BJ Grand Salon. Either way, I'm not having it.

Those bottles aren't ALL mine!

Thanks again to everyone...I hope to be part of this great event in 2012!

One's enough

I have a fantastic group of friends that gets together each month. The eight of us share delicious meals, many drinks, and the unique camaraderie of women ranging from 29-51. It's something very special that I treasure. We started as a book club but that got in the way. : ) Only 3 of us would actually read the books and it was an effort that got in the way of our fun. It's much better to hang out, eat, drink, play games, paint pottery, gossip, and laugh.

We had a soup-n-salad party last night. The highlight was re-watching a music video they'd made for my recent birthday ("Bad Romance"). LOL! While we were standing around chatting in the kitchen (what you always seem to do at a good party), I noticed that my friend Denise - the host - had a list of resolutions for 2011 on the fridge. TWENTY-SEVEN resolutions. She's that kind of person, and I believe she'll achieve most if not all. They ranged from walking 500 miles to crocheting a blanket for her soon-to-be-born baby. If she could do both at the same time, she probably would.

Her list got me thinking about MY resolutions, for 2011 and in general. My generic ones every year seem to be (1) stop biting my nails, (2) work out more and really be serious about it, and (3) something deep and meaningful that varies. Every year since I was a teenager, the nails have come first...and every year, I have failed. Or not even bothered to try. I wrote the other day about how I was going to get a manicure at BJ GRAND SALON, with the hope of finally finding a solution to halt my addiction. (it's so gross) I've decided that while I admire my friend's commitment to achieve so many things, this is the ONE resolution that I will finally check off my list.

Lisa did a wonderful job of trimming and filing and cleaning up my ugly, stubby little nails. They could be a lot worse, but they were pretty raggedy and awful. She made them surprisingly smooth and round and nearly unoffensive. THEN....she applied shellac, a product that is seemingly revolutionary and magical. We chose a color that's close to clear since my nails are short and not ready for prime time. It dries under a little UV light in seconds, and after that it's like a shiny coat of concrete. Seriously, practically nothing will mar or remove this stuff, and it lasts for 14 days (when Lisa removes it). The hair stylists wear by it and swear by its durability. It's awesome for busy women who can't baby their nails. I'm going bowling tonight (Bowl 4 Kids' Sake - click HERE to donate to Big Brothers Big Sisters) and there are no worries. Best of all, it's so hard that I can't chew. My nails are so shiny and smooth that all I want to do is touch them and stare. After two weeks, they'll have grown a little and I will be 14 days on my way to my resolution...but I'll have Lisa put on more shellac. I don't trust myself and shaking my bad habit will take a while.

Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, and it's a chance to refocus and officially declare this my goal. Of course I think a better Lenten gesture would be to DO something positive (e.g. volunteer) rather than give up a vice. Okay, perhaps I could try TWO resolutions...

Officially uninvolved

So tomorrow is "Unofficial." This drinkfest has several entries on the Urban Dictionary website, including such statements:

"The holiday began when students realized St. Patrick's Day was falling during Spring Break and they would not be able to celebrate it...has been said that more drinking occurs on Unofficial at UofI than occurs at many other schools during the entire year...begins at 8am...campus police guard the large lecture halls...created by local bar owners to make money...hundreds of citations and arrests..." and so on.

Some accuse advertising firms (hired by bar owners) of posing as students on Facebook, where over 23,000 people have RSVP'ed "yes" to the yearly event. Since 1996, it's exploded sorta like the green goo on "You Can't Do That on Television" - landing on Campustown and the heads of our community.

Most students - from here and from schools all over the midwest who are coming to OUR town for this monstrous party - seem to echo the sentiments of Ina Abraham (Senior, Business), quoted on the Daily Illini's Facebook page:

"I think it's a uniting factor. Everyone's super excited, it's such a happy day, everyone knows about it, professors don't assign as much homework...it's definitely a day when everyone is in a lighter mood. Especially for seniors, since it's our last one too, so it's like, go big or go home."

But junior John Moreland feels differently:

"I think it's the epitome of irresponsibility. It's unfortunate that students put on a really bad rap here because of that. I know that people outside of the University don't look at it as something that's good, and I'm disappointed that a lot of students participate in this activity and put on a bad example of students at the U of I."

I'm not going to be righteous. I went to Southern and actually experienced Halloween when it was legit and absolutely unreal. I've done plenty of drinking and I'm far from a teetotaler now. But I take issue with the biggest box store in town SELLING T-SHIRTS for tomorrow!! It's a dash of business genius with a whole lotta reprehensible greed (no surprise there).

The whole thing is reckless and dangerous - something I didn't fully realize or frankly care about when I was an undergrad standing outside Gatbsy's in Carbondale. That's pretty typical of a college partier. None of it surprises me, but now that I'm years (YEARS) older than the big banged co-ed I used to be, I worry. I worry about the kids (many underage) who will drink outrageous amounts of alcohol from dawn til pass out...who'll do some really stupid things...who could get hurt or worse.

It's doubtful that a college student is reading this, but if by some chance you ARE young and you ARE going to make a sloppy mess of yourself tomorrow, PLEASE try to be careful. Click HERE to read the official Unofficial rules and do your best to avoid tickets or citations. When your head and stomach tell you to stop, STOP. Drink lots of water and a Gatorade Saturday morning, and be thankful that you made it safely through the adventure.

Treating myself

I'm doing something a little different for ME today - going to BJ Grand Salon and getting a manicure, pedicure, AND facial!! Wow. I've never been the kind of girl who indulges herself in things like that, but it's a big year for me and I decided I deserve it. Besides, it's been a LONG winter and maybe this'll shake me out of my "is it still February?" (thank God, no) funk. So I called them up at 355-0505 and they were cool enough to get me in as soon as they could.

I'm nervous about the manicure in particular...because I bite my nails and with only brief successes I've been unable to break the habit. Nail biting is actually called "onychophagia!" I don't feel like I'm excessively nervous or compulsive, but like most people I've done it as long as I can remember. (I suppose that makes it compulsive) I talked to Renata at BJ Grand Salon and she said, "I think we can help you with that." Maybe paying attention to my hands - rather than hiding them - will mark a turning point AT LAST??

As for the pedicure, no one should be subjected to my feet this time of year. Ohhh, but they NEED some relief and pampering after a winter in boots and thick, sweaty socks. I'm looking forward to that indulgence more than anything today. I'll have to tell you more about the facial once it's done - I've NEVER had one!! Something tells me this will be really fun, though, and something I could get very, very used to.