A Tale of Two Concerts....

It was brought to my attention recently, that i attend concerts all the time. I guess i didnt really realize it until last night, when i did a tally. In just the past 2 years i have seen the Dixie Chicks, John Legend, Robin Thicke, Martin Sexton, Maroon 5, Erykah Badu (twice), Kanye West, Etta James, Tony Lucca, Jay Z, India Arie, Neeyo, Justin Timberlake, Franky Beverly and Maze, the Roots, Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte and Alicia Keys. I have always thought my musical likes were very versatile, especially considering that list, but it wasn't until last weekend's concerts i attended that i realized just how much. First up, my Thursday night concert:

Yes, that's right... Jimmy Buffett. The guy is a legend and the concert was great. I truly enjoyed being wasted away in Margaritaville... a place i visit often. It was unreal, over 20 thousand people showed up with their hula skirts, tropical shirts and parrot hats. Well, i can check that off of my "things to do before you die" list.

Next concert, Saturday Night:

Montel Jordan.... THIS IS HOW WE DO IT!! Before he sang his signature song, his introduction went like this. " I am going to need your energy for this next song. When i am 65 years old, and singing in Vegas, i will STILL have to sing this song. Yes, I will have to sing this song, at every concert, for the rest of my life." Sorry Montel...at least people are still listening....

Up next:
Sisters with Voices, and yes they sure do! If you watched the recent BET Awards, you would have seen the medley that Alicia Keys did with many of the old R&B girl groups of the past, which included, SWV, Xscape and TLC. SWV was fabulous in concert. Seriously, Cocoa (the lead singer) had one of the most incredible voices I have ever heard. I never noticed before, but Cocoa is definitely the "Beyonce" of the group. She was the only one that sang lead, but with a voice like that, i see why. It totally brought me back to the 90's. I wanted to run home and make a mix tape! So now i ask, what special person made you "Weak" back in the day??

Girls Trip 2008: ARUBA

My mother always told me that when it comes to marriage, you should start out the way you want to hold out... meaning, don't do things in the beginning of your marriage that you don't expect to keep up for the rest of your life. The one thing that i insisted upon before i got married (that i got my hubby to agree to) was an annual girls trip; a vacation that i would take with my girlfriends every year, to relax, shop, gossip....you know, all the things that men don't like to do...

I think i got this "request" pushed through because of three major reasons: 1)Ken loves me and knows how much i miss my friends since i relocated to Chicago, 2) because i work in the hospitality industry, i can travel to great places and make them affordable, and 3) let's face it, just because you're happily married, doesn't mean you don't need a little bit of a break from each other once and a while...

So Terri and I packed up and headed to Aruba for 5 days and 4 nights of sun, fun, relaxation at the all new Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino. It was also Terri's birthday, so we had plenty of cause to celebrate. We spent most of our days laying out on the beach, dipping in and out of the ocean to cool ourselves, and sipping cocktails. The water is so cool and still there, you can literally take drinks into the ocean without fear of them being knocked around because of waves. We spent our evenings dining at the very tasty restaurants on the resort, and finding all the hot spots where the tourists don't visit, to really get a feel for the people who lived on the island... which is our favorite part about traveling.

Although this trip was meant to be extremely laid back and lazy, Terri (always the adventurer) convinced me to do some snorkeling. We took a private boat with just us and the captain, and snorkeled for 3 hours. I am so glad that i went, because it was truly amazing. I liked it so much, that i am getting my own snorkeling gear... i fear i have a new obsession...
When Ken came to pick me up from the airport, he looked at me and laughed. "You look really tanned and really tired" he said. I replied, "Well i guess i did it right then." The best part about a fabulous girls weekend with a fabulous friend, is coming home to a fabulous husband that made it all possible.

Girls Trip 2009?: COSTA RICA!!!

Pause for the cause....

On Tuesday, i attended a charity event at my hotel for NBA player, Antoine Walker's 8 Foundation. 8 Foundation focuses on helping inner city children in Chicago, mainly those of single parent households. The event was sponsored by one of my clients, so of course i was in attendance. I haven't had the best experience with professional athletes, i find them to be arrogant and annoying....probably because i have never been a groupie and i just don't think that the fact that you can play a sport really well gives you the right to be an asshole....but Antoine was very kind, down to earth and pleasant. It was a great night, and a fun way to come together for a great cause...