Stadium concerts! And then a little culture...

One of my 2014 goals is to see 14 concerts. I am well on my way to beating this number! Earlier in the year, several of my best friends and I went to see P!nk. I didn't really know her music -- I tend to listen to indie stuff rather than anything popular -- but she put on an amazing show and I recognized several of her songs!

For my second stadium concert of the year, I got a text from one of my best friends, asking if I were interested in a free ticket to see Miley Cyrus.  This is definitely not a concert I would have paid to go to, but free?  Definitely!

First: we were meeting at a bar ahead of time.  I got there a bit early, and my friend was running late, so I sat at the bar and watched basketball, nursing a beer.  The guy next to me tried to pick me up.  So funny!  I told him I was way too old for him, but he kept trying.  I think he was in his early 20s.  I am 35.  Finally my friend got there, we joined her other friends who were already there, and had dinner.

The concert was pretty amazing in terms of the lighting, props, etc.  However, it was approximately 80% simulated masturbation.  I thought that was pretty sad, as Miley Cyrus's voice sounded pretty good.  If only she'd focus on the music instead of pretending she's in a porn movie...  I couldn't believe how many young children were there.  This is not Hannah Montana!

And now I sound like a prude...which I don't think that I am, but this was out of control.  Guess how much a hoodie (with a semi-pornographic photo of Miley on the front) cost?

$105!!!!!

And people were buying them!!!

Anyway, here are some pictures:

A few days later, I went to a concert put on by Brett Dennen, who is one of my favorite singers ever.  Check him out!  Pictures aren't good, but the music was.  I can't wait to get to see him again!

My office is not far from the art museum, so sometimes I sneak out of work and go for an hour or so.  My former neighbor called me this week to see if I wanted to see her daughter's work -- her daughter had been selected as one of the high school kids to display their art on the walls of the museum!  Here is her self-portrait:

 We had a great time catching up over lunch at the museum:

I used to run with her every Monday morning before work, so it was great to reconnect!

I'm missing a lot here on the blog, but so much has been going on.  There is life after leaving an abusive spouse!  More than I ever could have imagined.  Again, I am going to try to keep up more with what's going on in my life, with or without the parrots.

Speaking of the parrots, all of them are learning new tricks!  I'm going to have a friend over to videotape some of them because it's really quite fun.

I hope that everyone who reads this is doing well, too.  I am so looking forward to spring!  I've been able to ride my bike to work the past two days, and that has definitely improved my mood.  Heading to the trails for a long run tomorrow.  Life is good.  More soon, promise!

XOXOXOXO

Melange

Yet more random things that have been my life during the three months (!) I have not posted on the blog:

I have a GREAT coworker.  Actually, I have many great coworkers.  Peter is just one of them.  He lives in the same part of town as I do, and he's got eagle eyes.  Many times, I'll be out biking or running, and I hear my name called -- it's either Peter or his family yelling hello to me.  I love it!

His daughter is a great young lady.  They came out to watch me run in the marathon a few years ago.  When school in canceled, sometimes she comes in to work and helps us out with our filing, or other tasks that a 9 year old can do.  She came in a few weeks ago, and gave me this beautiful purple bracelet:

One of my closest new friends is an amazing lady who is very creative and busy.  She has created an organization that gets together food bloggers (they let me come even though I don't have a food blog, and very rarely parrot blog) on a theme.  Last month, for February, our theme was aphrodisiac foods. She made this delicious heart-shaped cake:

 I made a pasta salad that incorporated cherries, almonds, and spinach:

At home alone on a Sunday one week, a good friend called and asked if I wanted to go to the art museum with her.  Of course!  This was my favorite part of the special exhibit.  Fish!

My coworker and good friend won an award for being a Corporate Trailblazer in our city.  This was the food I ate; it was so delicious and some of the best stuff I have ever tasted.  I think the main dish was cheese-filled crepes.  I wonder if I can make something so amazing?

I may have mentioned that my dad and I have season basketball tickets to our local NCAA basketball team.  They didn't do very well this season, but we went to every home game and had a great time together.  My mom was also able to make many of the games.

Here is a picture from their first league tournament game.  We had very low expectations, but they pulled out a win!

And then, shocking us all, they kept on winning, until they won the tournament and, with that, a berth to the NCAA tournament!!!  It's unlikely they'll advance, but what a wonderful end to the season.  (I hope they don't jack up the prices too high for season tickets next year since my parents and I will be getting them again!)

At the art museum

I go to my city's art museum on a semi-regular basis.  I love art, and now that I've started painting after my separation/divorce, I like to look for inspiration.  Sometimes I go alone, but sometimes I go with friends.  One of the great things about my new single life is getting to spend more time with friends.

My good friend and I went to a wonderful new restaurant, just a couple of blocks from my apartment.  I had a homemade veggie burger:

Then, on to the art museum.  They were having a special exhibition, where floral artists are assigned pieces in the collection, and they create an arrangement inspired by the art.  Super fun!

Unfortunately, this was not one of the pieces that had art inspired by it, but: parrot in the museum!

This one made me laugh!  It's in my dad's favorite part of the art museum: self-taught art.

Part of the permanent exhibit: metal birds!  I did buy an outside metal ornament that had a bird on it.  Once it's installed in my garden, I will post it.

Not wanting to jinx things, but I have put in an offer on a house!  It's so fabulous, but if I don't get this house, I'll find another.  This house has so much character -- stained glass windows, built-ins, a fabulous staircase, double door entry (for parrot safety), laundry not in the basement.  The parrots and are tired of living in an apartment, and we are excited to be in our own place where we can be as loud as we'd like again!

The weather has improved, which means I've been bicycle commuting most days.  I had to stop to take pictures of mergansers ("mohawk-ducks" as my good friend Sheila says.)  Unfortunately, all of my closer pictures were fuzzy, and the mergansers all dispersed while I got my camera ready.  You'll just have to take my word that they're not mallards.

Tomorrow, I am running my last long run before my May ultramarathon.  I'm hoping the weather will cooperate!  Last week, during my long run, it started snowing!  In April!  Then, another friend and I (she's running with me tomorrow morning) are going for pedicures.  They will be well-deserved, for sure.  And, the salon is close enough so we can walk and, therefore, drink wine.  So exciting!