vacation/In Service

Sorry to my loyal readers....

I realize I was giving you "daily" posts and then stopped abruptly......

but that is sort of what my life did.....does.....

My life can be really fun/exciting/adventurous.....and then BLIP....I find myself working puzzles and watching every single episode of Hannah Montana that was ever made.
Don't cringe....I love that show!

During my last 7 days of NOTHING (and I love the nothing!).....
I realized that pretty soon I need to be preparing for the upcoming school year (5th and 7th grade) AND I need to get back on track on some personal things I have let go in my own life (random things....reading, bible studies, extra knowledge, maybe excercise.....nah)....

ANYWAY.....all this to say, I am going on a blog/facebook vacation so I can have a school/personal "In Service".

So don't worry about checking back until maybe..... August.......
I love my readers!! I love blogging......but I need to take care of a few things!!

Have a great summer!
MAZ

MAZ Earhart

Saturday morning, several boy scouts from Troop 86 had the opportunity to fly airplanes as a requirement for the aviation merit badge. The pilots actually gave them momentary control of the plane! Before the day got started, one of the pilots gave a tiny speech to the boy scouts.......

"Don't go near the planes without an adult........some parts of the planes are made out of fabric so be careful about touching them.......any questions?......"

And that was it!!! They put them in the planes, showed them the controls, and they flew!!.....kind of scary.....

But enough about them....This blog is all about ME!!!!

I flew a plane!!!!

The pilot was very nice and explained exactly how everything worked. He showed me how to keep the plane level to the horizon, how to "steer" and how to use my feet to control the "rudder". I actually flew the plane by myself, twice!! 

The first thing the pilot asked me was if I had a weak stomach.

"no"

"Well if you do, the bag is in there. (points to a glove compartment the size of a 3x5 index card) But we like to keep it in there"

We flew around for about 30 minutes and then he realized he was not really sure where our landing area was. He was not familiar with the area. It was getting hot. It was very windy and bumpy. The plane was very small and the gas fumes were giving me a headache.  I had asked many questions and he was flipping the plane back and forth to show me how this level thingy worked. I was starting to feel a tiny bit sick......but no matter what.....I was going to make sure that bag stayed in the compartment!!!

I looked on the ground and spotted the bright yellow plane that my boys had been flying. The pilot explained how to land the plane as he came in for a very odd landing. We came over the trees and then suddenly dropped a ton of altitude, swerved back and forth and then gently landed......I had grabbed the seat waiting for a bumpy landing from the sudden drop and the swerve! He was amused but explained everything to me!!! These tiny planes are SOOOO different from the big commercial ones!!

I had a blast!!! I asked Jeff for one for Christmas...........we'll see...........

oh, and Max and Jack both flew an airplane!! All 3 of us are still completely thrilled!!

A Night to Remember

WOW! I love my job, my fake job!

Last night I went to the best concert I have been to in a long time.

The first act was Amy LaVere. She plays the upright bass and I don't exactly know how to describe her style of singing. I LOVE it. She has an "old" voice....bluesy....jazzy.....different
All her songs tell a story. The lyrics are great. One of my favorite songs is Killing Him. It is taken straight from the Memphis news. A lady killed her husband of 30 years. Stabbed him. As the police were carrying her off in handcuffs, she yells at the camera "killing him didn't make the love go away!" Amy wrote a great song from this....

I loved watching the drummer. He looked at her with a happy, appreciating grin. He did an excellent job and got into the music. The guitarist cracked me up. He was very talented but never had an expression on his face and often looked like a zombie! He did an excellent job! I stared at him to catch an occasional glimpse of his eyes or upper lip groove to the music.....

Amy had such a great stage presence! She is so beautiful, classy, excellent musician.....just perfect!!

This is Amy doing a sound check and LOOK.....that is my new friend Paul. You read about him in my latest blog post!! (Amy is looking right at me!....hee hee hee)

I love watching Amy play and sing. When she starts a song, she does this march type thing then sways her hips and really gets into the song. You must go hear her on June 30th at the new Playhouse On The Square. She is going to have a horn section and strings......I am so excited!!

Amy has lived in Memphis for the past 11 years. Someone she knew brought her a Pink Panty Pulldown (drink). She laughed and said she would drink it because "when in rome...." AND since she was playing at the Italian Festival she wanted to drink their drink. Then she said she was a tiny bit afraid and drank it.....30 minutes later, someone yelled "do you need some water?" (because it was so hot and humid). Amy said "no I have a Pink Pully Pantdown" and then had a confused look and then laughed and said "well I guess it is working!"

After her set, Amy came back out on the stage to pick up some of her cords. I asked her if she minded if my husband took our picture. She said "Gosh, NO!" So then I said, "I write a blog, could I post it on my blog?" Amy said, "Sure! I am not vain!!" Then she jumped off the stage and we put our arms around each other. She said "Oh no!! I am sweatier than you!!" I said, "Good Lord, I am fatter than you!"

I bet after she reads my blog she will want me to be her professional double!!! We have the same hair style, shirt color.....everything......RIGHT????? (gritting teeth, bugging eyes)

The next set was JASON D WILLIAMS. Let me start by saying......both my boys have been wanting to play the piano. I have been trying to work this out. If I knew of a piano teacher that would teach the boys how to play like JD.....then I would sell everything I had for them to start tomorrow! 

One thing I really loved about his concert last night was how he would occasionally play a montage of songs and throw some classical pieces in as if to say "see, piano snobs, I can play this too!"

He is very talented. He has a great time and he puts on a fabulous show!! I loved him, my boys loved him, the crowd loved him......and he loves him....ha ha ha...

Have you ever tried to write upside down or backwards? Can you imagine playing the piano like this?

or this?

At one point he jumped off the piano and then crawled under the guitar player's legs......

Here are several things I heard from people last night.....Jason D Williams is Jerry Lee Lewis's illegitimate son, Jason D did all the piano playing in the movie Great Balls of Fire, Jason D is kin to Jimmy Swaggart........

Here is what I observed last night.......every woman that walked by the stage, Jason D looked her up and down like she was a piece of meat......disgusting like a pervert!

THUS......I did not attempt to get my picture made with him!!

Music is very important to both Jeff and I. We have given this to our boys and our boys took it to another level. Max plays the trumpet and Jack plays the clarinet. Jeff and I our thankful that our boys have the same taste in music too!! I see a future filled with concerts YIPEEEEEEEEEEE

The Man Behind The Music

Did you know that bands do not travel with their own instruments?? 

I didn't!! I guess I just figured that they travelled with their own .....
I actually never put much thought into it!!

Last night, at the Memphis Italian Festival, I met a very nice man with a very interesting job.

This is Paul Reding. He owns Keyboards in Black & White. He has a warehouse full of instruments and his company travels around and sets up the amps and instruments for concerts. They get it all ready for the musicians!! He has worked with Ronnie Milsaps, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and many, many others.

Last night, Eddie Smith and his band performed the opening gig for the Italian Fest. I do not prefer country BUT they were more of a "Johnny Cash" country and I really enjoyed their set! AND you can't beat a live concert!!

Here are some pics of Eddie Smith, his band AND Paul Redding's business in action (hee hee)

Paul did explain that most musicians might have special guitars, horns, saxaphones, etc....and they bring their own......but everything else is provided. Because "why would they want to bother traveling/lugging all that equipment all over the country".......good point!

This is Eddie Smith. I was told he often plays at Neil's on Overton Square, Memphis Tn.

This is Terry Bailey. He looked right at me and smiled for the picture! At this moment I decided that I started my own business and I was the boss and I gave myself a raise.....because I had walked right up to the stage and took this pic AND got the guy (that was in the middle of playing) to look at me and smile.....however, I wasn't very professional because I took the camera away from my face after I took the picture and grinned like a big idiot and then he really smiled and then I MIGHT have done a tiny dance and then turned and ran back to my big sis and said "look at this picture I got and he smiled at me" and I was all giggly......so I told myself that I would not get very far in my own company if I kept acting like that!!!

This is Jack Holder. Paul told me that his guy is very talented!! AND HE IS!! I loved watching him play his guitar. He has played with many people including Tracy Chapman!

Well, as you can see I am not a journalist! I did not know how to conduct an interview. I just really enjoyed talking to Paul and listening to his stories! I wish I had a tape recorder because when I got back to the house I had forgotten some of the names that he had spoken. He told some great stories!....like....

Steven Seagal had a birthday party for his daughter. Seagal lives in Memphis because his daughter receives treatment at St. Jude. Paul was at the Seagal house setting up for entertainment. Paul was washing his hands (they all had to wash up because of the sick girl) when someone introduced him to Seagal. Seagal was very nice and shook his hand. Then the entertainer started playing. It was very, very loud. They started saying "turn down the sound/amps".....then they realized that the sound and amps had never been turned on.....BO DIDDLY is just a very loud player!!!

After hearing his amazing stories, I asked him for a job! (kidding) I told him that I have always wanted to be a ROCKER but I can't play an instrument or sing. I love music and concerts!! His life sounds so exciting...... He said:

"are you married?"

"yes"

"do you have kids?"

"2 boys"

"then no!"

So I thought, my husband already travels and I can live through him.....so I asked:

"can you give my husband a job?"

"is he married?"

"to me"

"does he have any kids?"

"same 2 boys"

"then no!".....it is not a job for anyone with "ties"

My dreams for Rocker MAZ were squelched once again!

Then reality hit:

It poured down rain.....I looked over at Paul as he continued to rock under the sound tent. I wrapped my "apron strings" around me and went home to cook dinner for my "family ties".  I laid on the couch and listened to the beat....beat......beat......of the 9:30 concert and then happily went to bed...............

MAZ's view from the front yard

For the past 5 years we sit in my parents front yard, eat, sleep, stare, drink, melt, laugh, move our chairs with the movement of the sun (to stay in the shade)........................

just to watch the week long preparation for the 3 day Memphis Italian Festival!!!
We love it!! We look forward to it every year!!

While the company was unloading the port-o-johns, some of the volunteer boys were playing hide-n-seek. Some boys would count while others would hide in the pottys! Creative but GROSS!!!

Setting up for the Bocce Ball tournament. This game is strange but entertaining!! The first year my parents moved into their house, my mom walked all the little boy grandkids over and the guys let the kids play! The people that run this whole ordeal are SUPER nice!!! They treat my parents GREAT!!! 

I am interested to see what this is going to be! They also have a rock wall, the rubber band sling shot thingy, etc.....lots of rides, arts and crafts......

I was super happy to see this roll by the house!! I haven't noticed it any other year!! mmmmmmmmm

AND this is how a workaholic likes to relax......watching other people work their butts off!!!

For the Classic MAZ readers that are not from Memphis......the Italian Festival is a fund raiser put on by a local Catholic church (Holy Rosary) for the past 21 years. They raise money for their youth program. It started out small and is now incredibly HUGE!! People come from all over and set up cooking booths in this city park (which happens to be my parents front yard). They cook Italian dishes and sauces and then are judged. You cannot eat  this food unless you know someone that has a booth. There are food vendors like pronto pups, Pizza, Burgers, etc. They also have art and craft booths. AND.......Each day they have bands and entertainment on the main stage all day long. At night, they have pretty well known bands come play!!! Even after all the money they spend in putting this huge thing on every year......they raise a good amount of money!! It is a lot of fun!!!

Stay tuned......because I hope to have a post about the festival, the bands and the family fun!!!