Ha ha, they got me wrong in some ways, but try it for yourselves.

You Are an Iced Coffee

At your best, you are: energetic, modern, and athletic At your worst, you are: too hyper and annoying You drink coffee when: you're out with friends Your caffeine addiction level: medium

Well, I was giddy yesterday (at first) when I talked to my girlfriend Sharon over the phone.  I can't believe it's been a year since I went to LA and spent the weekend with Sharon, Christy & Roberta at the Biltmore.  Awesome time and I've been having girlfriend withdrawals lately, lol.  So, I mention to Sharon that Roberta and I had talked about that she and Christy need to come visit us (Roberta lives near Reno, NV and I'm here in Portland, OR and they're both in the LA area) and she jumped all over it.  She was like, okay and all of sudden, I got excited.  She said she would drive and pick up Christy and Roberta in Sacramento.  I was like, when would you come, in the summer and then she dropped the bombshell that her mom is dying! I swear, I got all teary-eyed.  Sharon and I practically grew up together (well from junior high on) and I know her mom pretty well.  The woman is a sweetheart and I adore her.  My heart was breaking for Sharon that I couldn't be out there to comfort her.  Hell, I can't even afford to fly out there for the funeral.  It's depressing but I think I was able to give her comfort and encouragement.  At least I could offer her my prayers which is pretty heavy duty stuff so I don't feel too bad.  Anyway, of course, Sharon can't make plans while the state of her mom's health is in limbo and I don't expect her to.  It was like happy news got overshadowed by bad.  But if I don't think about the bad news, I'm giddy that my girlfriends are coming to see me! We would probably stay in a hotel in downtown Portland or even in Seattle a couple of nights which would be so much fun.  And I wouldn't have to pay for airfare which is a big load off of my mind.  Anyway, it's not for sure obviously, but I'm still holding out hope.

And then there's the news that Amie (rock2rooney) is coming out August 31-September 3.  I'm so frickin excited about that.  I swear I needed something like that to look forward to.  My life is a series of fighting my depression over finances and I need something happy in it.  Although I am very thankful for my hubby and two kids.  They are wonderful.  But still, a girl's gotta have her girlfriends.  Ames wants to go to Astoria and that's fine with me.  We'll have fun wherever we go or whatever we do.

So then, comes today which is one of my low days.  Tax Day! I swear, usually this day comes and goes barely noticed by me since I always file in early February because we always are getting a refund.  Uh, not this year! We no longer own a house so there goes those write-offs plus Doug was claiming like a deduction of 8 so we could get as much back from his check as possible.  And believe me, we needed that money but if I had known we would have to owe, I would have had the IRS take out less.  I had to work until 3:40 today and then I finished up my taxes at work and got them to the post office a little after 4:00 pm which was stressful, too.  I pared it down so we only owed Federal $1,400 and Oregon (state) $912, but still that hurt! I could only afford to send them each a check for $50 and honestly I can't even afford that but now I have to endure monthly payments and I can't be late on those! I keep telling myself this too shall pass, but it's so hard sometimes when you were struggling before and now something like this happens and now it's more of a struggle.  The good news is that our attorney is trying to get us out of our Chapter 13 where we've been paying the court $150 out of one of my checks each month for the past year into a Chapter 7 which would mean we wouldn't have any payments and we could afford to pay the IRS.  She is attempting to work on that now and I don't know how long it will take, but I pray it will be soon!

I'm just so tired of constantly being concerned with lack of money but I have no one to blame but myself.  This is my life story.  I've had struggles since I was on my own.  It's amazing that a girl who came from parents who are very responsible with money is like this.  A savings account? What's that.  *sigh* I know God doesn't condemn me so I need to stop it but it's hard sometimes.

The good news is that in spite of it all, I've lost 6 pounds.  It's taken me 3 weeks but it's still an accomplishment.  I get so tired of not fitting into my clothes.  They are still pretty tight on me but in another 5 pounds, they will be loser and I'll feel better about myself.  There's nothing worse that being depressed about the way you look and finances. 

Oh and I submitted one of my stories to a publisher online and she seemed interested.  That's pretty exciting.  There's no money involved (as far as I know), but recognition is always nice.  Once of these days, I would like to submit some of my stories to "real" publishers.  I just haven't had the motivation to do it quite yet, but someday.

But in spite of it all, I am blessed and thankful for what I do have.  It's just so nice to vent!

Opening song "Larger Than Life":

I attended the Backstreet Boys Seattle Show Saturday, September 6, 2008 at the Marymoor Amphitheater in Redmond, Washington


This is going to be a looonnng story, so sit back and relax and go along for the ride. OK, so this all started when I won Unbreakable tour tickets many months ago (I think it was November or December of last year). I kept waiting for BSB to post tour dates in Florida because I promised my friend, Amie that I would fly out there to see them with her. Well, they never ending up going to Florida, so then I hoped they’d come to Portland but that never happened either. I saw on their schedule that they were performing in Seattle about a month ago and I considered going, however, it’s over 3 hours from me and I didn’t want to drive out there if they were coming into Portland.

Well, it’s 2:22 am and I have to get to bed but I just got home from the BSB Seattle show I’m still so excited! I had to start writing down what occurred tonight so I’d remember it all. Whatever I don’t finish tonight, I’ll finish tomorrow.
 

I e-mailed BSB’s management company, Ground Ctrl more than once inquiring if BSB was going to do a show near me and if not, I wanted to go to the Seattle show, but I never received an answer. So, anyway, last Wednesday, I get an e-mail from BSB’s fan club, i.e., Ground Ctrl that they were releasing Seattle seats to the fan club. I clicked on the Ground Ctrl link and voila! There was there phone number so I thought I would call. The first time I called, I got a voice mail so I left a message, then decided to call back and leave a message under a different category and thankfully, Matt answered. I knew Matt had been the one to e-mail me a few months ago a couple of times to see if I wanted to use my tickets for their European, Australian, etc. legs of the tour and I said no, that I was waiting for them to come to the US. Anyway, I asked about the Seattle show, if I could get tickets for that and he looked up my name and said no problem. I asked if BSB was doing any more shows, i.e., coming to Portland and he said, no, that this was the end of their tour. So, I said, yeah, I definitely want the tickets to Seattle, but what if I don’t make it? He said, no problem, I could use them for their next tour. I asked where the tickets would be and he said in either at the box office or Ground Ctrl’s booth. I asked if I could meet the boys and he said he didn’t know if a meet and greet was going to be set up. Oh and I asked where the seats would be and he said he didn’t know, but probably where BSB’s family members would sit so that lead me to believe it would be in the first three rows and I got all giddy.

I e-mailed Ground Ctrl the next day to confirm that my tickets would be at the show and they e-mailed me back to say that Matt confirmed my tickets would be there so I was relieved. I asked them if there would be a meet and greet and they e-mailed back that unfortunately there was not one scheduled for the show, boo hoo.

Oh and for some reason I thought the show was on Friday and thought it was be difficult to leave work at 3pm and drive through traffic to Seattle but I was going to try. I asked my Aunt and she said she would get back to me but I got the feeling she wasn’t thrilled since she wasn’t a fan so I asked another friend of mine, Laura to go and she was all excited. She was a fan. I stated that if my Aunt didn’t want to go, then we would go. Well, my Aunt couldn’t go although she said she would have, so Laura and I started checking out motel rooms online. It took us a couple of days of research. We were both broke but didn’t want to stay in a dive so we read a lot of reviews and tried to find rooms with two beds available and there weren’t a lot. So, then I found out the show was on Saturday which was much better but it turned out that Laura couldn’t go in the end so that left me with no one to go with me. I asked my Aunt and she couldn’t go on Saturday and my nephew wasn’t a fan and the three girlfriends I had that were fans, all lived out of state. *le sigh* So, then I decided to ask my son, Noah and he was all excited and wanted to go. He’s 13 and I figured, I went to my first concert at 14 and it’s BSB after all, so it was harmless.

On Saturday, we left at about 1:45 to head out. We made a couple of stops and then got on the road. I bought a clock for my old van because the other one fell off and Noah set it for me. The day couldn’t have been more perfect weather-wise. 71 degrees and blue skies all the way! I was in heaven, lol. We munched on snacks and listened to BSB CDs (Unbreakable, Never Gone, Black & Blue and The Hits Number One) the entire way. The drive was fine but since Noah had set the clock to one hour ahead of what it actually was, I was freaking out. I thought it was 5 to 7:00 when we arrived. We got to the Will Call booth and saw that it wasn’t open so I looked at my watch and realized that it was only 5 to 6:00! I was so relieved. I thought I had allowed myself enough time, lol. So, it was a good thing we were early because we still needed to go the bathroom and eat. It took a few minutes of waiting at the Will Call booth to get up to the front but not too bad. I heard some girls say they had been there since 8:00 that morning waiting! And others said they had gotten there at 3pm. I think most of them had purchased their tickets from the fan club. I heard someone say that it was too bad they didn’t have a meet and greet (I thought the same thing!) or even an after party like they had had in Canada a few nights previously. But then another girl said they she had heard that even at those after parties, it was difficult to get near BSB. Huh. That’s interesting. I can see that though. Oh and as I was standing, there, I saw BSB’s bus drive up and I was surprised that they had gotten there so late.

So, I got my tickets and Noah and I headed towards the entrance. BTW, the Marymoor Amphitheater is gorgeous. Lots of green grass and nice scenery surrounding a stage. And I was surprised that more people weren’t there, but then again, it was a smaller venue than BSB is using to playing at. I liked it outdoors and small. I looked at my tickets and I was shocked and dismayed that we were in Row H. Row H?!! Come on! I’m Unbreakable ticket winner for god’s sake. But I started thinking about it and I think if I had had them reserve my tickets weeks ago, I would have gotten better seats. But being so last minute, that’s probably all they could give me after the rest of the seats had sold. However, the seats weren’t bad. We were front and center and fairly close. A lot closer than the lawn so I was pretty happy.

So, Noah and I saw where our seats were and then went to get something to eat. He had macaroni and cheese and I had a German sausage type hot dog, which was fabulous by the way. We sat on the picnic benches and ate and it was very pleasant outside.

We went back to our seats at around 6:30. As we were waiting, there were major screams and a million girls running to the plastic fence set up around the perimeter. Cameras snapped and the screaming continued so I mosied over there and looked through the fence slats but I didn’t see anything. A girl next to me said to her friend, “Was that Nick? I think that was Nick. Oh, I didn’t get a picture…” Then a security guard came by and said, “Get off my fence” so I went back to my seat.

So, this continued up until the time the main act came on the stage. Periodically screams would erupt and cameras flashed. I had mixed feelings. The inner fan inner me wanted to go running over there every time and sneak a peak and the responsible, older mother wanted to say with her son and set an example. Noah, however, was all about me going over there if I wanted to. He’s such a sweetie. I stayed put along with other “mellow” fans but many seats were empty. I guess BSB was walking around or something. Anyway, at about 7:05, Girlicious erupted onto the stage and I mean erupted! All of a sudden, the music blared and they were out there. I didn’t realize they were the opening act and I was like, is that the Pussycat Dolls but I saw that there were only four of them so I knew it wasn’t them and then I recognized the girls from the TV show, “Pussycat Dolls Presents Girlicious.” It was a reality show, which I had gotten sucked into a few months ago. Anyway, I was kind of excited to see the girls in person and they were they hot! OMG, I’d never see so many flat stomachs and long hair – they were gorgeous. Their outfits were cute and Nicole and Natalie had “Nic” and “Nat” emblazoned on their outfits. The other two girls might have, too, but I didn’t see it.

They were pretty good actually. The music isn’t to my taste but I had heard “Stupid Shit” and their last song, which I can’t remember the name of before so that was nice. They really can perform and sing. It was still light outside and the crowd wasn’t as fired up as I knew they would be in awhile when BSB got on stage, of course. They sang five songs and were very affectionate when they spoke of BSB. I’m sure the guys hadn’t minded having these hotties on tour with them, lol. I video-taped part of one of their songs, I think it was called, “Here I Am.” They said it was about their life on a reality TV show and what they had to deal with. I’ve posted this vid as well. After they left the stage, there was a half an hour break before BSB was going to perform. I had noticed these two guys walking past us earlier to get to their seats and I deduced that they were probably gay partners. One of them leaned over and said to me, “Can I ask you a rude question?” I was like, “Sure.” Very hesitantly, lol. He then asked me how much I paid for my tickets. I said nothing, that I was one of the Unbreakable ticket winners. He told me they got their tickets free, too. I told them that I saw on the fan club that tickets were selling for $64 for the seats and $40 something for the lawn. They told me that they heard people were selling them for $200! I was glad I didn’t have to pay that, lol. And then they told me that one of the guys’ uncle (I think) was one of the guitarists. I thought that was interesting. They also said that they had just met the Backstreet Boys and Aaron. I was all ears when they said that. I was like, really? How? They told me that they were back talking to Dory (I thought that was the name) and he introduced him to the boys and they even got to see inside their tour buses. I was so jealous! I was like, wow, that’s so cool. I asked how long ago and they said just an hour and a half ago. I then asked what they talked to them about and he said, it was mostly about how awesome Dory was and about their Canada tour. Apparently, BSB had some problems in Canada and so they got here late. That explained why I saw their buses pull up at 6:00 earlier. I said, well, I guess they didn’t have a sound check. I think that was the gist of what BSB talked about. The two guys were from LA and had been to other concerts. They were really nice and I would have liked to hang out with them. In fact, I might have suggested it if I were with a girlfriend or something. The older gentleman was from Israel and I don’t know where the other guy was from. Oh and they told me that because it was the last show, BSB was planning some fun things like shooting each other will silly string. It made me happy that I was at their last show. Anyway, a little while later, some girls came up and told the guys they were in their seats and they were, so the guys got up and moved. I was bummed.

I've so neglected my journal lately, sorry for that.

I went to see the movie "Juno" today expecting it to be okay but I was floored by how much I loved it.  I usually don't like the Academy Award nominees so like I said, I wasn't expecting to like this movie as much as I did.  It was such a nice surprise to be, well, surprised! From beginning to end, I loved the artistic and edginess of it.  Ellen Page was fantastic.  That girl is a really good actress and she played this role so well.  I loved her character, so much so that I wanted to be her friend.  Her sarcastic wit and humor was hilarious.  She made the movie.  Allison Janney and the man who played her dad were awesome, too.  I've always been a fan of Jennifer Garner so it was nice to see her, too.  Jason Bateman looked so hot in this.  I was like, Shazam, he hasn't aged and I want to jump him, lol.  The music was so appropriate and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the songs were written for the movie because they fit so well.  I loved the last scene with Ellen and Michael Cera sitting down, playing their guitars and singing.  It was just so sweet.  Anyway, I highly recommend this movie.  It incorporates humor, drama and real life into two hours and I was entertained throughout the entire movie.  I doubt it will win an academy award, but I will be rooting for it to come Oscar night. 

OK, so, my fellow LJ friend and I decided to start a fan fiction journal.   It's for members only and for reading our fics only at first, but we may accept entries at a later time.  Come check it out and let us know what you think.  We'd love some members.  :)

http://community.livejournal.com/fcff/

OK, so I guess this was good thing for me to win since BSB is my favorite band.  I was giddy when I got notified that I've won two tickets to any one Backstreet Boys concert between January and December, 2008.  I'm going to do my best to get my butt out to Florida to see them in Orlando with my friend, Amie rock2rooney.  It's gonna be awesome.  I can't wait for them to post their tour dates.  Can they make me wait any longer? lol.  I want to know now! And it was awesome to see my name on their website.  I'm Cindy B.  Hee hee, I was on Cloud 9.  Anyway, just thought I'd share.  

Congratulations to the Winners of the UNBREAKABLE Ticket! The Grand Prize Winner of the UNBREAKABLE Ticket Contest is Steffie G! Congratulations, Steffie G! As the Grand Prize Winner of the "Unbreakable Ticket Ultimate Tour Promotion" she has won two tickets to any number of ticketed, live concert performances of the Backstreet Boys between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2008! The Backstreet Boys want to thank Steffie and all the members of the Weird World Fan Club for their love and support! But that's not all... The 10 runner-up winners of the "Unbreakable Ticket Ultimate Show Promotion" are (PLEASE NOTE: ALL of the winners have already been contacted with official notice): Amanda C Melinda Katherine S Cindy B Jennifer C Coralyn D Cathy G Adriana S Nhia T Angelique L These lucky Backstreet Boys fans have each won TWO (2) tickets to any ONE (1) ticketed live concert performance of the Backstreet Boys between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2008. The Backstreet Boys want to thank all of their amazing fans for their love and support! Also, be sure to mark your calendars so you don't miss their other upcoming TV appearances: Friday, 11/2/07 - Tonight Show with Jay Leno Tuesday, 11/6/07 - Jimmy Kimmel Live! See you all soon! -The Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys.com, the Official Backstreet Boys Website The Weird World, the Official Backstreet Boys Fan Club Questions?: merchandise@musictoday.com You are receiving this message because you registered with Backstreet Boys and/or you are a member of the Backstreet Boys fan club. To unsubscribe from the Backstreet Boys mailing list, click here. privacy statement | user agreement | terms & conditions © 2007 Backstreet Boys This e-mail was sent by: Musictoday, LLC. 5391 Three Notched Rd, Crozet, VA 22932.

If you happen to like the Backstreet Boys and want to read some fan fiction about them, check out my fan fic website, www.unfoldingsouls.com.  And if you just want to read romantic/erotic fiction, I have a site for that, www.trappingsoflove.com.

OK, enough plugging for one day.  Can you tell I'm bored at work? lol.

 Movie Meme:

1. Name a movie you have seen more than 10 times.
I have several but Princess Bride and Sleepless in Seattle are two

2. Name a movie you've seen multiple times in the theater.
Grease when it came out in 1977 or 78. I think my girlfriend and I saw it 7 times, lol.

3. Name an actor who would make you more inclined to see a movie.
Well, Nick Carter but unfortunately he doesn't act much, but Hugh Jackman or Dane Cook would be a couple more

4. Name an actor who would make you less likely to see a movie.
For me, Gilbert Gotfried maybe, I don't know

5. Name a movie you can and do quote from.
Princess Bride, My Cousin Vinny

6. Name a movie musical in which you know all of the lyrics to all of the songs.
Grease

7. Name a movie you have been known to sing along with.
Grease

8. Name a movie you would recommend everyone see.
3:10 to Yuma

9. Name a movie you own.
Too many to mention but I just bought Knocked Up

10. Name an actor who launched his/her entertainment career in another medium but who has surprised you with his/her acting chops.
Nick Carter

11. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in?
A lot when I was a kid

12. Name a movie you keep meaning to see but you just haven’t gotten around to yet.
The Number 23

13. Ever walked out of a movie?
Wild Hogs

14. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.
3:10 to Yuma, but there are others

15. Popcorn?
Most the time yes.

16. How often do you go to the movies?
Once a week usually

17. What’s the last movie you saw in the theater?
Good Luck Chuck - I loved it

18. What’s your favorite/preferred genre of movie?
Romantic comedy

19. What’s the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
Wow, you're dating me, lol. Bambi or some Disney movie probably

20. What movie do you wish you had never seen?
Internal Affairs. That was the movie Doug (my husband) and I saw on our first date and we both hated it. We wanted to walk out but we're too embarrassed since it was our first date and didn't know what the other one was thinking.

21. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
Hmm, I'm not sure. I don't like a lot of weird movies. Maybe the remake of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

22. What is the scariest movie you’ve seen?
Jaws and Alien. I don't see many scary movies.

23. What is the funniest film you have ever seen?
There's more than one. I liked Ace Ventura: Pet Detective and Knocked Up and there are others