I'm not wearing any pants

A couple of weeks ago, Lindsay over at Rock and Roll Mama was giving away a copy of Stephanie Kuehnert's I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone. Readers had to leave a comment on this post stating the name of your all time favorite band. On Friday, August 15th she would use the random number generator to pick a winner. That's it. Easy-peasy. I left my comment—The Beatles (with Pink Floyd coming in a close second) and mentioned that I should win since the drawing would be held on my birthday.

Well, apparently the little gnomes that run the random number generator felt the same way because my number was picked! This morning when I checked the mail there was a package from the USPS leaning up against the house. My book had arrived!

As soon as I had the package in my hand I knew I had to blog about winning. And aren't all posts better when accompanied by a photo? Why, yes they are, so here is a shot of G-tot, me, and my prize taken with Photo Booth moments after checking the mail. It may not be the most flattering shot of me but I don't care. This is reality at its finest people.

I hadn't showered yet, my hair is all funky, I've got a stupid look on my face, and I'm wearing the oldest shirt I own (that I still wear). It just happens to be the perfect shirt for this post.

It's my Pink Floyd concert shirt from their 1994 tour. It's full of tiny holes and is so ragged looking that I only wear it to bed—but it is one of the most comfortable shirts I own. Plus, it has sentimental value. Over the years I've owned dozens of shirts from concerts I've attended. And over the years those shirts have disappeared. Gone is my Motley Crue shirt from the Dr. Feelgood tour. Gone are my Anthrax shirt from the Headbanger's Ball tour. Gone are the Bulletboys, Metallica, Poison, Skid Row, Pantera, Tesla, and Faster Pussycat t-shirts—along with so many others.

I have just three concert shirts left—a Ted Nugent shirt from my very first concert (I was just nine years old with my Dad at Cobo Hall in Detroit), a Tom Petty shirt from a concert JQ & I went to in 2002, and my beloved Pink Floyd shirt. Which I wear all the time. I fear the day when I pull it out of the dryer and it's in shreds.

So, up there in that picture I'm wearing my Floyd shirt 14 years after I bought it. Oh…and I'm not wearing any pants.

I don't hang on to the shirt merely because of it's comfort factor. I hang on to it because of the memories entwined in its fibers. Memories that are full of music. Music has this amazing ability to touch our lives in so many ways. So many important moments in my life have a soundtrack connected to them. It sounds like that's also true for Emily in I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone. According to Lindsay, "Stephanie Kuehnert delivers a raw, pitch perfect story of a daughter longing to connect to her mother through music." I can't wait to start reading. Thanks, Lindsay!

Happy Birthday to me!

3rd place isn't so bad

Whoo-hoo! I won third place in Dutchy's "Rinse. Lather. Repeat." photo contest. I'm now the proud recipient of a $20 Amazon gift card. Oh what, oh what will I buy? Any suggestions?

The winning image? This cutie.

How could I not win? You can check out the rest of the entries (some not so innocent) here. Next time you should play along.

please mr. postman, look and see...

This past week the postman delivered more than just bills to my house. On Monday our prize for best knock-knock joke arrived from Mr. Fab. The jury said JQ had the best joke, but when Fab announced the winners on his February 3rd radio show, he said his favorite joke was mine. Since I have such a giving husband, JQ let me accept the prize—four soaps from Pandora's Chest. I chose one each of these blends: Lemongrass & Tea Tree,Oatmeal & Honey, Rosemary Mint, Bulgarian Lavender. When my package arrived there was a bonus! A small bottle of Cocoa and Shea Lotion in Bulgarian Lavender. As you can see, I wasn't the only one taken with my winnings.


On Friday I received another package. This cool little item.

It's a cigarette case from Camel. I don't smoke, but my name is on their mailing list. They sent me an offer for a free case. I could get it just by going online, picking the design I like, and putting in my promotion code. I figured I could keep business cards or something in it so I thought why not. I had no idea it would be so big—or have a lighter with it—but I dig it.

Did you get anything cool in the mail this week?

that's a thinker

Way back on August 1st, Shades kindly bestowed the Thinking Blogger Award upon me. Good thing it wasn't the Punctual Blogger Award—that one would have been revoked long ago. This is my first blogger award and Shades' reasoning behind honoring me with such a prestigious sounding trophy is really sweet. She says:

Pixie- I love how since she became a mother, her blogs are such heartfelt, honest posts, overflowing with love for Gideon. I am not able to better explain this- she's just so open when talking about parenthood, and her posts make me feel good.

Thanks Shades! I don't get to post (or comment) as often as I'd like anymore but I'm glad to know you're still enjoying when I do.

Now, apparently from here I have some delegating to do. According to the rules governing this award I'm to relay the following:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme,
3. Optional: Proudly display the 'Thinking Blogger Award' with a link to the post that you wrote. You can get a silver one by clicking on that link if the gold doesn't do it for you.

So, 5 blogs that make me think? Here we go.
1. Leezer
2. Egan
3. JQ
4. Naynay
5. Think Frustrated

Why these five? If you don't know yet then you should go check them out right away. Go. Do it. Leave them a comment and then come back here and leave me one.