Showing posts with label Pentatonix. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pentatonix. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 30, 2022

A Spectacular Christmas Spectacular

Nothing gets you quite in the Christmas spirit like a spectacular Christmas concert – especially one appropriately named the Pentatonix Christmas Spectacular. 

In a word it was, well, spectacular!

My friend Cindy and I got our tickets a few months ago, knowing that going to a concert all the way over in Green Bay on the penultimate day of November could be a gamble. Thankfully it paid off. Although there was crappy weather and a lot of snow and/or ice in the north and northwestern sections of the state, we managed to escape it! 


We enjoyed opening act entertainment from Girl Named Tom, a trio of siblings who won The Voice last year. Here they are (above) performing a song with Pentatonix.


And absolutely loved a couple hours of the amazing and talented a cappella phenoms referred to simply as PTX. 

They sang some older tunes and some from their new album – plus showcased their "beat boxer" who's also an accomplished cellist! So entertaining. And they're soooo good! If you can't see them in person, give a listen to their Christmas music. This was my second time seeing them in the past 5 years. 

The only part I didn't enjoy was a few random "Go Pack, Go" cheers from the sold-out crowd. But other than that, amaze balls! The concert got over after 10 and thanks to extremely high winds that dried the roads, we got home a little after midnight. Late, but safe. 

I was dragging today with my 5 hours of sleep, so I'll be snoring by 9:15 p.m. for sure. Probably with sounds of spectacular harmony and visions of sugar plums dancing in my head.

Sweet and spectacular dreams to us all!


Sunday, December 31, 2017

2017 :: Well That Was Quick

There's no shame in taking a nap in order to stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve, is there? I'm not sure if we're just getting old or, quite possibly, are just tired. As we look back, it's been a crazy busy year!

Again.

They all are, though, aren't they?

Here is a recap from our Christmas letter. Some of you saw this. Some didn't. I was shorted a bunch of envelopes from Walgreens and never took the time to rectify the situation or get others. So, not all cards and letters got out. I will try harder next year...

A few photo highlights to accompany the update...

Enjoyed spring break with College Boy. Especially loved seeing the Grand Canyon, experiencing that whole area with my sister Rayna and brother-in-law Paul, and touring through Antelope Canyon.

Got a new camera for my birthday so that made kayaking adventures even more fun!

Not to mention the great company – our friends Mike and Cindy.

Turned my photography into a little side business and created a logo (bottom right). Got to take some senior pictures, family pictures and a ton of sports pictures. Love, love, love it!

Got to "go crazy" at Prince Night at Target Field. Had nearly a dozen family members sitting together to enjoy Prince music, fancy umbrellas, Twins baseball, food, fun and fireworks! Awesome!

Had a long overdue Reporter Reunion this summer with my friends Kristin and Laura. We all worked up in Marinette and Menominee right out of college in the early '90s and we have kept in touch ever since. Now we finally got to SEE each other with a one-day road trip to our old stomping grounds. What a blessing.

Loved seeing Pentatonix this summer as my friends Carmen, Christine, Allie, and I ate our way through the Wisconsin State Fair.

Had lots of family time this year as two nephews got married. My nephew Zach in June and our nephew Colin in October. Carter was an usher for that one (above).

Probably the biggest change this year was a new job for me. Left my more technical-type writing position at Renaissance and started at the end of October at Sentry, joining some of my old publishing friends (above) in the marketing department. Miss my old co-workers a bunch, but it was the best move ever. I love it. Feels good to be creative again.

Overall, 2017 was a positive year for us. We have many friends and loved ones who lost someone this year and we keep our thoughts and prayers with them. For us, Jim's parents are doing well. And my mom turned 85 this year.
While we feel like we've been through some changes this year, Mom just experienced her biggest today. A majority of my siblings were able to move her out of her home of 50-some years into an apartment. This will be a major transition but we'll feel better about her safety and comfort. She's perfectly healthy and can drive, but she doesn't need to be worrying about heating a big house, snow removal or lawn care.

When we sell the house at some point this year, that will be my turn to transition into realizing my childhood home is forever gone to me. But Mom will help us all through that when the time comes, I'm sure.

Who knows what else 2018 will bring? I'm not worried. Overall, 2017 was a blessing. I will focus on that – well past midnight.

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Crash and Burn

I didn't have a two-day pass for the state fair but I did take a two-day pass from blogging. That's what happens when you act like a teenager but your 40-something self can't recover like one! Was on a deep-fried high all afternoon Tuesday but that sugar crash later, though. That and lack of sleep was a killer.

Worth it, though. Totally worth it.

My friend Carmen from work and I hit the road at noon-ish Tuesday. We took the route to Milwaukee with the least road construction – according to valid Internet sources. Still, there was enough construction when we were "almost there" to delay our arrival.

We didn't HAVE to be there at a certain time but I wanted to catch my "adopted niece" Megan perform with the KIDS from Wisconsin. That didn't quite work when we saw signs the fair parking lots were full and traffic was directed to park elsewhere and get a shuttle. By the time we figured that out and waited in line to "shuttle," we missed the afternoon performance. Still got to Megan and she said she had an "encore" performance at 6. So all was not lost.

The only thing to do then was, well, eat. Of course.


Not kidding when we saw there was a calorie fest of deep-fried food options as far as the eye could see. We're talking everything from deep-fried bacon-covered tater tots and deep-friend spam curds to deep-fried green beans and deep-friend old fashioneds – because, well, Wisconsin.

My first course was a Unicorn Twinkie. Oh that's just a deep-fried Twinkie with a cotton candy cream center covered with some frosting and sprinkles.

I heard sprinkles mean no calories. So yay, me.

Later, after we walked that off, touring the barns and checking out food options, we opted for what I hoped and prayed would be worth the trip... chocolate-covered cheesecake on a stick.

The answer is yes. Totally worth the drive for that!

We met up with my friend Christine and her niece Allie, who were going to the concert with us and in the same adventurous mode when it came to food. Christine had the very heavy and sweet deep-friend old fashioned. Allie tried the fair favorite creme puffs. Two thumbs up all around.

There's a good chance we were all in a food coma by the time 6 p.m. rolled around and we got to see Megan perform a solo and duet for the KIDS from Wisconsin show.


She did amazing as always. What a treat to see and hear her twice this summer.

After that it was straight to the grandstand and Pentatonix! In a word, it was aca-awesome!

Didn't have great seats but I had my camera with. Still haven't looked at all the pictures yet! The a capella singers are crazy talented and so fun to listen to. Had a really good time.


And the weather was so nice I only needed a $40 t-shirt not a $65 hoodie! Bargain shopper.

Naturally, by the time we exited the concert, caught our shuttle back to the Park & Ride and hit the road, it was after 10:30 p.m.

Yup. You're right. That IS way past my bedtime. It was a long, long drive home. Thankfully, I had someone riding shotgun to keep me awake! By the time I dropped her off and got home it was almost 2 a.m.

I do not know how I ever used to close down saloons and get to work early the next day and function and be productive. I was so tired Wednesday. Hard to recover from lack of sleep and a non-lack of SUGAR. Like a glucose hangover or something. Wow. Needless to say, I was in bed early last night and will be again tonight.

I'm caught up on sleep but hubby and I have had a cold or allergy coughing crap all week so we need to rest it out of our system before the weekend – when we have more food and fun on the agenda.

Maybe balance more fun than food this time.

Monday, August 7, 2017

A Diet You Can Stick To


Going to the land of Food on a Stick tomorrow! Yup. First time down to the Wisconsin State Fair in some 20 years I think and I am excited.

Sure I'm excited to play hooky in the afternoon. Yes, I am excited to have deep-fried ice cream or Snickers or cheesecake on a stick. Obviously, I am excited to meet up with my BFF. Mostly, though, I am way excited to see the Pentatonix concert!!

As soon as tickets for this amazing a capella group went on sale back in March, they sold out. By a quirk of fate, a friend of mine (who I feel terribly for) cannot go and had to sell her tickets. I was quickly at the front of THAT line!

I figured I'd buy the 4 tickets and figure out my squad later. I had offered them up to my fellow Gleeks (aka Pitch Perfect Pals) Christine, Jenny and Allie. Jenny couldn't get off work so I am meeting Christine there (since she lives south of Milwaukee) and her niece Allie, who is staying with her this week. My friend Carmen (self-proclaimed biggest Pentatonix fan) will ride shotgun when we skip out during the lunch hour.

Need to get some major Z-Z-Z-Zs tonight as tomorrow will be a long day of driving, dabbling in the deep fryer, dancing and driving again.

Definitely will not be sticking to any diet, but probably will adhere to the Stick Diet. Can't wait.

#WIStateFair #NoRegrets #DanceItOff