American Country Awards

Turns out that when baseball is over...I have nothing to blog about for Fan Friday. Other than country music here and there. Today, we talk about the American Country Awards. I got to go see the awards show out in Vegas in person last Tuesday! You might have missed them though A) because it's still a small awards show B) because the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was on C) you were watching Sons of Anarchy finding out the latest death.

Liiiiiike a month ago, I got an e-mail from a ticket website that I had still been registered to from my DWTS/SYTYCD obsession days. I still get updates, but usually ignore them. This one came across my e-mail for pit passes to the show and didn't have to think twice about it. I would be there. I put the word out there and everyone was busy, but coming in with the last minute save...my friend Holley decided to go. And to be honest...I don't think I would have been able to go had it not been for her spotting me some extra dineroooo. Thanks!

We took off to Vegas Monday night after work, get there around 1 am and crash at the hotel. Wake up Tuesday morning, go out to lunch...freeze our butts off, then get to the show. So many people there! We got there about 2.5 hours before it started and did a lot of standing around. We weren't supposed to take our phones in, but of course I was a sneaky snake and got mine in. Oops. I hope I don't get sued because of this post. Since there was a lot of waiting, Holley and I snuck some picture before the show...and then I got in trouble for it. But they didn't take my phone so that was good.

Arm Candy! Right pit bracelet. Yeah yeah!

What's up super great lighting?!!

We had to leave the pit area because "we were part of the opening act" but I don't think that worked out. It was supposed to be a flash mob thing...not so much. A minute or two into the show's opening Brad Paisley and Luke Bryan came out to take their seats. OMG, I lost it.  My heart was racing and I was about to cry. Luke Bryan was about 15 feet away from me and I couldn't focus on anything but him the entire time. #creeperstatus. It was still the beginning of the show so I didn't pull out my phone to snap a picture of him because I had already gotten a warning and didn't want to get kicked out. Halfway through the show Luke and Brad wend backstage and Lady A came out to take their seats. I love Lady A, so to be so close to them was great. That night I learned that all country male artists have hot wives. Good for them! 

Danica Patrick and Trace Adkins were the hosts, there were a bunch of cool acts like Lady A, Darius Rucker, Sheryl Crow, Justin Moore, Randy Houser, Jake Owen, Leann Rimes, Florida Georgia Line, Brad Paisley, plus some more I can't think of right now. I felt super cool having previously seen 90% of those acts in concert. I felt like a real fan! 

I got bold and started snapping some pics towards the end of the show...although not very good ones. I got one of Luke, and another of FGL's performance. I also snapped a quick one of Trace and Danica. 

Luke Bryan. Such a beautiful man.

FGL Performance

Trace Adkins & Danica Patrick

The show kind of had an awkward ending, at least it was in studio. Everyone started flooding the exits trying to get out. Still sooo crowded! We took off to the hotel room and crashed. Even though we only stood, it was pretty exhausting. But a lot of fun! Would I do it again? Sure, if it was on a weekend. It was a mission and a half doing a crazy trip like that in the middle of the week while dealing with work and having to be awake for so long. Had I not been so close to Luke or Lady A, I might have called this show a bust...at least for me. But in the end, it all worked out!

Have a great weekend all!

The Plan

Back in May of 2013 I graduated college. Good times. 

Except I still went back to school in the Fall to take some education courses that I didn't take as part of my undergrad, but still needed as a pre-requisite for the teaching credential program. Welp, after long hours of homework, observations, and tutoring...I'm done :] To be perfectly honest, this last semester had been the hardest I've ever worked in school, and am totally expecting straight A's as a result. Yeah yeah! The coursework wasn't difficult, just a lot of assignments. Blah. Either way, I'm done!

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At this point, I've checked off a bachelors degree, taking these education courses, and passing my CBEST off the pre-requisite checklist for the program application. 

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What's left: Passing the multiple subject CSETS, getting my fingerprints done, getting CPR certified, collecting letters of recommendation, finding out if I have/need to get a TB shot, and if I decide on the middle level program...figuring out what subject I'd like to teach and take that respective CSET. All this needs to be done within the next two and a half months. Yay for pressure! 

I just spent my last free weekend laying in bed watching mindless tv, because as of today...I start working on getting what's left of that checklist completed. I will spend the next month studying for the CSET because I take it mid-January, and am volunteering in a classroom once a week so I can try and earn a sincere letter of recommendation for an experienced teacher. CPR classes are scheduled for the second week of January, and if my budget allows, I should be getting my fingerprints done by the end of this month. Man. I'm stressing myself just thinking about all of it! But it can get done because plenty of people have done it before me! I'm gonna not have a life for another 3-ish months...bur you know what?

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Anyways, not sure what the point of this post is...maybe just kind of an update, and obviously some hills gifs because I'm totally missing that show right now. Is anyone else's schedule just as crazy? Are you working towards anything with a deadline? What do you do to keep from overwhelming yourself? Ahhhhhhhhh.

Happy Monday :]

#SmilesForSophia

Today’s post isn’t about baseball. Or booze. Or school. Or food. It’s about a little girl who needs your help. I hope my readers will take the time to read her story. Why? Because it’s about a kid in the hospital. I hope that tugs at your heart stings a little and makes you think good thoughts for the family/pray. It’s about a financial burden. I hope it makes you dig in your pockets. It’s about internet friends. I hope you identify with this as a blog reader/blogger.

I’m not really sure how to begin today’s post. I guess I should first tell you about the girl above. Her name is Sophia Rivera, the daughter of two friends who live in Northern California. These two friends started as internet friends…people I met in a Yankees MySpace group back in like 2007. Over the years, many of us in that group kept in contact, even during the Facebook transition that left MySpace in the dust. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I met them and their kids Tony & Sophia in real life at a Yankees v. Angels game. Sophia is a little diva princess, who looks fabulous in pink. My day would brighten up a little each time I read about Sophia’s crazy antics. 

Doing my best to summarize…about a week ago, Sophia wasn’t acting herself, complaining about not being able to see, and bumping into stuff. She was taken to the hospital and after CT scans and MRI’s her family learned that she had about 6 tumors in her brain and some along her spine. Tumors…in a 4 year old. There was one tumor up against her optic nerve that caused some vision loss, and another that was blocking spinal fluid to her brain. She had surgery Tuesday of this week, and they removed most of the largest tumor that was blocking fluid from entering her spinal cord. There is still no official diagnosis for the tumor but it's been narrowed it down to a kind of aggressive tumor called a Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor. The reason the diagnosis is not official is because they don't have the exact name for it yet. Treatments will have Sophia fighting this for at least 9 months. She will receive an early round of chemotherapy which may help in shrinking the tumors enough to decrease the amount of radiation she will need. If this does not show any immediate sign of improvement, radiation will proceed as planned. This is all intense stuff…stuff a 4 year old should not be dealing with. There is a journal being updated with information as they get it. It's got more details than this paragraph if you're interested in reading...CaringBridge for Sophia.

Her parents are not going to be working, and a fundraiser has been started to relieve some of their financial burden. This clickable hyperlink will take you to the fundraising site to donate to the family. Please keep them in your thoughts, and if possible, a donation would be greatly appreciated. Even if it’s just a little, it absolutely helps. Your donation can be anonymous, and you can hide the amount of the contribution. At the very least share this post for more eyes to see and possibly more donations for this family. It help out some very deserving individuals, friends of mine, including one of the cutest little girls out there.