Crystal

"I've failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed." -Michael Jordan

Moved from GJ comment here to be added.

Layout by scotchsour

This post is gonna be a bit all over the place, but that's just me, filtering out my thoughts.

I finally nabbed every concert I wanted tickets for, they're all listed below.

8/6 - Linkin Park at Journal Pavilion (can't tell you how stoked I was that they re-scheduled)
9/9 - Maroon 5 at Journal Pavilion (i already saw them last year in Vegas at the Palm's, had to see them again)
10/14 - New Kids On The Block at Tingley Coliseum

I'm SO stoked I get to see NKOTB. Make fun of me if you want I don't care. I didn't get to see them when they came here 17 years ago. Wow, I just dated myself didn't I? Anyway, mom and dad didn't find it reasonable to send a 10 year old to a concert even with parental supervision, LAME!

Anyway off the subject of the concert tickets. Going into August and I've only been camping ONCE this year. Last year I was going almost every other weekend. These gas prices are killin' me. I'm saving more on gas now that I got the Lexus but the down side to that is I can't put regular unleaded in the tank, it has to be premium, so obviously paying over 4.00 a gallon doesn't thrill me, but as I mentioned, I'm only filling it once every two weeks so compared to the Mustang which I was filling up every week. I think me and my usual gang of friends are all planning another camping trip this year in about two weeks or so, all 12 of us went last year to Heron Lake and had a blast, so I'm thinking this time we might just head down to Fenton Lake, it's so much closer. I still have my airline credit from my trip to Vegas I was supposed to take a few weeks ago that we ended up cancelling (since grandma was on her last couple of days). So I think Mom, Dad + I are gonna re-schedule for September, God knows we all need any break we can get.

Hawaii is coming up in October, we leave the day of my 28th birthday actually. Normally I don't get too excited about going because well, I go 3 times a year, I'm used to it. But I'm actually pretty excited about this trip. This year has been anything but easy and this trip couldn't be coming at a better time. I know we're staying at the Westin Ka'anapali Ocean Resort Villas for our 4 days in Maui, which is what I requested so I'm glad Jodi was able get it for me, I still have no idea where I'm staying on the big island, I had originally requested The Islands at Mauna Lani and I think, I think that's what Jodi got for us but she never really confirmed with with me if we have it or not. That doesn't sit too well with me, we're going the week before the Iron Man triathlon and the last thing I want is for her to stick me in some dump (not that she would but just sayin'). I get my bonus in a couple of weeks so I'm thinking I'm gonna use some of that money to buy my inter-island ticket and pay for the car rental and book some tours. I think I'm gonna do the waterfall hike Steve and I took a few years back (where he proposed to me), not that it carries any sentiment to me anymore but it was such a gorgeous hike I think my parents deserve to experience it. I'm also trying to talk my mom into doing a zipline tour with my dad and I, although I really do think that's a lost cause. I also have to book our luau and snorkel tour. Busy, busy, busy. I still find it a little weird that we leave the day of my birthday and return the day of my brother's death anniversary.

I've been speaking with the usual suspects (aka Melanie, Mikey, Rickey, Chris, and Kat) about doing another Vegas trip this year. I had SO much fun last year that we all kinda agreed it would be amazing to do another one. So I've been checking air fares and calling around to see who will honor a travel agent rate at the time we go. We stayed at the Venetian last year and because we waited til the last minute to book it I think we ended up paying something like 550 per night, I just called them yesterday and they gave me a rate of 167 per night before taxes in the same suite we had last year, so I'm thinking that'll be a go. I don't think we'll be doing a Picasso's dinner repeat this year, our food was amazing (and it better have been at 160 per person!!) but I think everyone's opting to want to see a show instead, so we were thinking maybe something like O at the Bellagio, which I have yet to see, or maybe Zumanity at NYNY. I also think everyone's wanting to do a different club other than Pure this year, not that there was anything wrong with Pure, we all had a blast, but I think everyone's wanting to try maybe Tao. Us girls also thought maybe on an extra night we'd go see Thunder from Down Under, the guys can head off to a strip joint or whatever. But I'm excited, I think once we all get our shit in order and figure out that everyone can get off it'll all fall into place.

So I've decided I think I'm gonna stop going to my therapy appointments. I've been going since my brother died and I kinda stopped going when Steve and I moved into the house, and after I moved out I started going back again. But I feel like I'm right where I wanna be, and I don't really feel like paying her so she can sit and listen about how my day was and whether or not I've got a date for the evening is really necessary. So I'm gonna cancel my next appointment and keep on doin' my thing.