Over The River...

There is something so life-renewing about spending the evening in New York City.

While I will eternally consider myself a Jersey Girl (thank you Tom Waits and Bruce), I have spent quite a lot of time in NYC.  First as a kid, when mom would take me to Broadway shows, then later as a early teenager sneaking into the city for nothing more exciting than to walk the streets and be intoxicated by the dynamic which surrounds you.

Later, there was school, work and living in the city. But the one thing which drew me into New York more than anything else was the music. The venues, both large and small offered an overflowing bounty of sounds from every genre. It still does.

Last night I was able to spend another night in the city with the end game seeing a new band. But as always, getting there is half the fun.

An easy drive over the George Washington Bridge, as well as non-existent traffic down the west side, put me in one fine mood. And the view of the sun going down over Jersey as you ride parallel to the Hudson River, always puts a smile on my face.

Getting across town can get pretty dicey sometimes, especially when the POTUS is in town. Thankfully, I missed him by one day and, even getting from one river to the river on the other side of the island, was smooth. Finding a parking space not too far from the venue was even smoother.

Meeting up with the rest of the crew, a great dive bar with $3 beers was the first destination. And the great thing about this place is they don't serve food, but you can order some in. So that's what we did...ordered delivery from a Korean restaurant, and drank our $3 beers. For those not from the area, a $3 beer in NYC is something like the T-Rex....extinct. Double that is the going rate...I know it sounds crazy, unless you've paid $17 bucks for a Cosmopolitan or fancy Martini. That's when a $6 beer seems like a bargain. But I digress.

With the temperature as close to perfect as you can get, the walk from the bar to the venue, Webster Hall, was easy and enjoyable. Now it was time to breathe in new music. Worthwhile...definitely, but more about that later.

Heading back to Jersey was pretty easy as well. Passed through the Meadowlands before the traffic from the Springsteen concert at the stadium let out. I hear Bruce was rockin' it pretty good last night too.

All in all, a good night. When it includes music, they usually are.

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On The Road Again: Next Stop Danville

To say I'm looking forward to this weekend is an understatement of global proportions.

It's been a while since I've gone on a 'girl's night out' road trip. And this trip gets the team back on the road... together. AKA Mona and Sylvia (a private joke where the names have been changed to protect our relatives). Pack up the car with the a bag of essentials, some snacks, booze and this time around...instead of a boombox, an Iphone and speakers. Nice.

So, along with spending what is for us, an unusually large block of time together, I am also looking forward to meeting some people with whom I have a new type of friendship...an online one, cultivated through mutual interests. It is one of those interests which is the reason for the road trip. A rock concert...yes indeed.

Now my friend, the drum-mamma and I are veterans of the rock and roll concert scene. It was music that first formed the bond between these two Jersey Girls back when Springsteen's band was just him and the boys. No retreat, no surrender.


The who, what and where of the show have previously been mentioned in tweets and in blogs, but those facts are not what is important. The events will play out in days to come on both this blog and the music blog. I shudder to think of the possible things I will be writing about.

But this Saturday, four people coming from three directions will arrive at an unfamiliar destination, wildly contemplating whether the evening will live up to expectations. With the chance to share the night with similarly crazy people all feeling the fire of rock and roll in their hearts..I think we've got a good shot.

Fill up the tank drum-mamma...you know us Jersey Girls don't pump gas.

Road Trip...maybe one for the ages.

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Exploring A Bad Attitude: Oh, What The Hell.

Except for a five year hiatus, I have been a Jersey Girl my whole life.  While yes, the term "girl" may be a bit misleading, it still gives definition to the implied attitude.  I used to think that almost all women growing up in the "Garden State" were the same as me in terms of temperament, however lately I fear...maybe not so much.

It could be that age has induced a strange combination of either knowing too much or too little, losing the small amount of patience I once had, and no longer having the enjoyment I once did of playing along with idiots.  In any case, I now find myself on a regular basis, debating whether or not to totally dismiss people or shove my joyful disposition down someone's throat. I don't think that makes me a bad person.

It does however make me wonder, if the end of the world does not occur on December 21, 2012, how will the tone of my personality change in years to come?  Seriously, I don't see it getting better. 


I'll continue to explore the possibilities, but for now I take comfort in the fact that "Happy Hour" is now the politically correct "Attitude Adjustment Hour."  A cocktail to adjust my attitude...I love this country. Make mine a double.  Cheers.