Saturday 9: So Much to Say

Thanks to Kelly for recommending The Dave Matthews Band. (Hear it here.) 

1) The lyrics refer to a baby's "one year of crying." When was the last time you cried ... felt weepy ... or at least teared up? I cry regularly -- I think I'm making up for never crying when I was younger. I always thought Mom was so strange because she cried when she was happy, sad, stressed, looking through photos, watching movies, reading books... but I believe I'm destined to be the same way. I re-read Rainbow Rowell's Eleanor & Park last week (I'm still working on a major blog post focused on Rainbow's works -- she's an amazing author) and it made me cry, just like it did the first three times I read it.

2) Let's lighten it up a little. When was the last time you laughed really hard? A couple of days ago when J attack-tickled me. I am ridiculously ticklish and I scream and laugh and flail about and can't breathe if someone tickles me. I was being a grumpybutt and he risked his physical well-being to make me smile like the lovely husband he is. Haha! ♥

3) Do you have "so much to say" that hasn't been said yet? Tell us if you owe someone a phone call, note, email or text. Always. Sometimes I feel like I fail as a friend because I don't return every phone call/note/email/text that I receive. It isn't because I'm lazy and it isn't because I'm not appreciative -- it's simply because I forget to return the favor for a while (I am incredibly easily distracted), and then I remember it, and then I feel bad because I feel too much time has passed to return it. I'll eventually get some things mailed out and some phone calls placed, though.

4) Earlier this summer, Dave took a bike ride before a show and his tire blew out. He didn't have a cell phone with him and was afraid of missing that night's performance. Fortunately two fans -- driving to see Dave Matthews Band in concert -- recognized him by the side of the road and gave him a ride to the show. Share a recent act of kindness you either did, or received. I've been on the receiving end of a lot of kindness. I've had my phone returned to me, unscathed, after leaving it at a restaurant for a couple of hours. I've had my purse returned to me, unpilfered, after it fell off of my car and into a busy parking lot. Back when J & I were dating and driving an hour every day to meet up with each other, I got a flat tire in the middle of that hour-long drive (in the middle of nowhere) and a complete stranger fixed it for me so that I could meet J at the nearest tire store. I've returned a couple of forgotten phones to people when I noticed they'd been left behind at restaurants or at stores, but that's about it.

5) Before he hit it big, Dave Matthews was a bartender. What job did you have right before the one you have now? I had a job at Lane Bryant, and I loved it. If the pay wasn't so terrible (I was part-time, sure, but I was part-time management and I was barely clearing minimum wage) or if I was working strictly to keep from being bored, I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Working there wasn't like working, it was like hanging out with friends and getting paid to do so. The girls I worked with were the best. I'm so sad that our Lane Bryant closed!

6) The Dave Matthews Band recorded an album live at the Red Rocks Amphitheater, in the mountains near Denver. Is there a trip to the mountains in your future? Nah, I doubt it.

7) Do you suffer from hay fever or allergies? I live in a river valley. Pollen allergies are an unfortunate part of life. Certain times of the year, everything is coated in a yellowy-green hue. It's really gross, but I'm sure it keeps the folks at Mucinex happy.

8) What's in your pocket right now? A receipt for my cherry limeade from Sonic!

9) American Express promotes "Small Business Saturday," and encourages us to shop at local, independent retailers. Is there a shop, boutique or restaurant in your town that you're particularly fond of? Yes! We support local book stores and restaurants whenever we can!

Montagu's Burgers, where they doodle on your plates (& make a kick-ass burger)!

Coldwater Books!

Rivertown Coffee. Love the lattes and the atmosphere.