My Ultimate Personal Jovi Playlist



It's Friday.  Friday is about favorites (in bloggerland).  My favorite band of all time is Bon Jovi.  I haven't done a Friday Favorites in a very long time.  So, here you have it.

 

It is entirely possible that the only person who will truly enjoy this post is Ericka, (although Jenn encouraged me to write it).  It's taken months to write.  My love for Bon Jovi started in 1984.  That's 32 years of love.  32 years of music and songs.  32 years of stories to share.  I still didn't share them all.  I culled songs and stories.  I swear I did.  But, this post is still a lengthy one.  No apologies.  (except, I apologize to the songs and stories that I cut but still mean a lot to me...sorry Bad Name, I still love you.)

I fully expect most of you to skip and/or skim over this post.  It breaks my heart a little to know that, but I'll be a realist.

These are the Bon Jovi songs that have shaped me.  My personal playlist.  I don't always pick the obvious choices because my personal faves are not always the obvious songs.  But, these are mine.  Condensed.

3 songs to have the biggest impact:

• Livin' on a Prayer - It is tattooed on my foot; It can be heard in bars, sports stadiums, movies, television shows, classic rock radio stations, and more.  It is the one song that anyone who knows that Bon Jovi as a band exists, knows this song.
• Wanted Dead or Alive - If you've ever been to a karaoke bar, you've heard this song.  I've told this story here before, but I'll tell it again.  Milton Keynes, England 2006; I cried real tears watching 60,000+ Bon Jovi fans sing this aloud at the top of their lungs during an encore.
• It's My Life - My personal anthem that I'm happy to share as an anthem with others; the song that showed Bon Jovi's career was not going to be only that 80s hair band; they were going to continue to put out hits, albums, and have hugely successful tours.
  
  
  

3 favourite ballads (I have a whole playlist of ballads, so picking three was just laughable, but here they are):

• Always - The epitome of a Bon Jovi ballad; I have sang this song in stadiums, in my car, in my shower; I have sang this song through tears and through smiles.  Jovi fan or not, if you don't think this is a good song, well, I'm not sure we can be friends.
• I Want You - A much lesser known ballad than I'll Be There For You or Bed of Roses, but it's a personal fave that remains so this day, 24 years after I first heard it.
• All About Lovin' You - Not all Jovi fans like this song, but I do, and this is my playlist.
  

3 favourite songs that break my heart:

• Lie to Me - With lyrics like "if you don't love me, lie to me"...this one hurts.  I've gone back to this one numerous times during numerous heartaches.
• Only Lonely - Another one that I'm going to guess is relatively unknown for most reading this, but again, these lyrics have been felt by me in my life, and I've sung them, crying real, painful tears: "Only lonely -- I can't stop hurting you -- Only lonely -- but I can't stop loving you -- Only lonely -- so tell me babe, how much pain can you take before your heart breaks?"
• This Ain't a Love Song - A break-up song that is really a love song with lyrics that are trying to tell you/convince himself that it isn't.
  

3 songs that tell the best stories:

• Blood on Blood
• These Days
• Just Older (even though someone had spotify erred in typing the title Just Order)
  
  
  

3 hidden gems:

• Hearts Breaking Even
• Edge of a Broken Heart
• I Am 
  
  
  

3 songs from the 2000s (and later ), were released as singles and should have been bigger hits:

• Hook Me Up
• Superman Tonight
• Have a Nice Day
  

3 songs that always make me dance:

• I'll Sleep When I'm Dead
• Bad Medicine
• Blame It on the Love of Rock 'n' Roll
  

3 songs that are fun live:

• Raise Your Hands - My mother took 4 junior high girls (including me) to see a Bon Jovi concert; my mother made up her own choreography to this song; I still do that same little dance during the chorus whenever I see this song played live.
• Who Says You Can't Go Home - If you've ever been lucky enough to experience a Bon Jovi concert, you know Jon loves to lead the crowd in synchronized jazz hand movements; this song has the perfect "it's alright, it's alright" lyrics in the song for just such a moment.
• Keep The Faith - When Jon picks up the maracas, you know the bass is kicking in and there will be booty shaking.
  

3 moments personally significant for me:

• She Don't Know Me - I know exactly where I was (my friend's house) when I saw this video on MTV; I fell in love and never fell out of love.
• Lay Your Hands on Me - Jon sang to me; I was on the second row during the Crush tour, he looked directly at me, shook a jazz hand my direction, raised his eyebrows and winked as he sang "I'll lay my hands on youuuuu"; I cried.
• Hallelujah - Without a doubt, the most spine-tingling, goosebump-producing moment in all of my concert going experiences; Sydney, the Circle tour, I was in The Circle; I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life, and I was at this concert solo; Bon Jovi cover's Leonard Cohen's song; the sky opened up and poured down rain; it was beautiful, amazing moment.  This shot is from that show:
  

 

3 songs to enjoy on a Saturday night:

• Someday I'll Be Saturday Night
• Saturday Nights Gave Me Sunday Mornings
• Never Say Goodbye - No, "Saturday" isn't in the title, but I spent many, many a Saturday nights in high school cruising around listening to this song and making memories like the song details.

  

  photo by David Bergman

3 personal faves that didn't hit any categories but can't be left off my playlist:

• Born to Be My Baby
• Wild in the Streets
• In These Arms - I can never pick one favourite Bon Jovi song.  Never.  But.  If I was forced at gunpoint to choose, this would probably be the one.
  

 

Okay...if you stayed with me this long...tell me your 3 favourite Bon Jovi songs (Ericka...you can tell me more).  Or tell me if I convinced you to listen to any of these songs. Or just tell me anything.  I'll just be impressed that you stuck with me.

Most pictures were pulled from notoldjustolder.tumblr.com

Linking with Amanda for Friday Favorites:

Friday Favorites: Costumes edition

We all know that Halloween is this weekend.  In America, Halloween was my favorite holiday because I'm a gal who loves to dress up in costume.  It's not the same here in Australia.  It's not a holiday that has generated a whole lotta interest.  The popularity is growing, but it's just not the same.  I've said that I wanted to throw a Halloween-tastic party ever since I moved here.  I shoulda done it this year - Halloween being on Saturday, and all - coulda, shoulda, woulda.

Anywho....April gave me the great idea to post a pic of a particular costume after we discussed costume favorites.  That is coming...but let's talk a walk down memory lane to see some of my favorite times to dress up in costume.

First grade school play ... I was an elf.  Those were the good old days when costumes consisted of tights and homemade outfits cut out of felt.

Seventh grade slumber party - I'm on the right - we had some kind of talent show thing happening, and we lip-synched a song.  I guess you could say we I was dressed like a member of a sad lookin' girl group.  I think.  I'm not 100% sure.  What I do know is that my hair is showing promise of my hair-teasing abilities to come.

Eleventh grade - dance/drill team officers' Novelty dance - Yep, that's me, your friendly, cowardly lion.  I loved this dance.  So...much...fun...and, we all suited our characters.

Before Britney Spears dressed up like a school girl to hit you baby one more time, I dressed up like a school girl for a college Halloween party.  I'm on the left.  Apparently, I'm a trendsetter.  

Another Halloween in college, another costume thrown together.  This time with the (then) boyfriend's cowboy hat and red one-piece pajamas/thermal underwear for a redneck cowgirl look.  You know, the kind with the flap on the butt.  Yep.  These had that. 

And...another Halloween in the college years.  Both KD & KMW used my leotards and tights (dance team comes in handy for costumes) for their costume inspirations.  I accompanied KD's Sandy (last scene from Grease) with myself dressed as Stephanie Zinone (Grease 2).  These were also the years that my eyes were always glow in the dark red because anti-red eye combatants hadn't been invented yet.  ALSO, these were the years without camera phones, and I can't tell you how thankful I am for that fact.

I'm disappointed because somewhere in the midst of these costumes, I dressed as a really cool looking Geisha Girl...had my make-up professionally done and everything...but I can't find a photo of this event.  Boo!

My one & only time that I ever bought one of those sexy costumes for Halloween.  Probably because I felt like my body was at its best.  So, sexy Snow White it was.  I was also taking diet pills (practically prescribed speed)...that's why my body will never look like this again, and I'm okay with that. 

This also started me trying out different hair colors because I actually liked my look in this wig (although I never actually dyed my hair black...maybe when I'm over pink  hair?)  That's my cousin with me.  She was pregnant and proud that she (for once in her life) had ample cleavage.

Last year, I dressed as a witch for a one year old's birthday party.  It was "fancy dress" witches, goblins, and fairies.  I dug my make-up, but I sweat like a mad woman in it.

In 2000 (or maybe 1999), we had a themed party for dress like your favorite decade.  This started a repeat showing of dressing like an '80s rocker groupie chick.  This is the only pic I could find of that night, but rest assured, I was rockin' an airbrushed Poison t-shirt signed by Rikki Rockett with vinyl pants.

In 2008, I resurrected the '80s rocker groupie chick twice.  I only have the photos above & below to show for one of those occasions.  This was while I was still on diet pills...so wearing latex stretch pants was an option.  No longer is that the case.  

And............my favorite night of all...for the fun of it, and for our costumes:  Halloween 2008 before I moved to Australia; my last Halloween in America.  *tears*

Allow me to introduce you to my E2.  We're the Erins.  Depending on who you talk to, I'm Erin 1, and she's Erin 2 (or the other way around).  With my group of friends, she just became "Two" or "E2".  Besides the skirt that she is wearing, I dressed both of us entirely from things in my closet.  Backstage passes and all.  I was proud of this ensemble. 

What's your favorite Halloween costume that you ever created or wore?

Never fear...Ten Things That Made Me Happy will return.  I just haven't been very organized.  Today, linking up with Amanda for Friday Favorites:

 

Friday Favorites: Food Edition

I admit it.  When I participate in Friday Favorites, I'm usually posting about fun things like songs, products, links, humorous posts from pinterest, etc.  This week, it's a little more serious.  Because I gotta be serious about getting myself seriously healthy.  (That's a whole lotta serious in this post.)

Monday, I went to a dietitian.  I am a girl whose weight has been on a roller coaster ride for almost 20 years.  Too long.  That's an entire topic for another day.  Back to the dietitian.  We talked about portion control, which foods to eat and how much, which foods to eat in moderation, the Glycaemic Index, "discretionary foods", and so on.  She is a big proponent of not excluding any major food group, but balancing them appropriately for better health.

Source

So...we looked at those food groups and discussed my favorite foods from each group.  We discussed the "favorites" and how much (or how little) of them I should be eating.  I liked this plan of action.  I don't have to erase potatoes or cheese from my diet.  I just need to know the portions of potatoes and cheese I should be eating, and what other foods I should be eating with them.  Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to have just potatoes and cheese everyday.  I have a food diary and a follow-up appointment in three weeks.  I gotta do something, and I gotta do something now.  So, I'm doing it.

Vegetables - 5 serves per day:

My faves (when I made this list, I realized that I like a lot more vegetables than I thought because I had more to list, and of course, I can eat the others that I like too):

• potato (I can have potato...I just need to eat a small portion and eat more of the other options)
• sweet potato (see above)
• carrot  
• onion
• salad leaves
• corn
• green peas
• asparagus
• broccoli
• cauliflower 
• green beans
• artichoke
• pumpkin
• cucumber

Fruit - 2 serves per day:

My faves:

• grapes
• raspberries 
• cherries
• avocados
• pears
• green apples 
• bananas
• oranges
• watermelon
• blackberries
• blueberries
• nectarines
• plums
• cranberries
• I like fruit.

High Fibre Grains - 6 serves per day:

My faves (this surprised me because of all the people who seem to cut this category out entirely, plus this is most definitely my most difficult category to determine five favorites; this will definitely be my most challenging category):

• bread (multi-grain)
• pasta
• tortillas
• crispbread
• muesli

Protein (lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds, legumes/beans) - 2 1/2  serves per day:

My faves (serves are closer to the whole method of size of your palm or size of your hand depending on the item; and I'm to try to avoid "deli meats"):

• chicken (no skin)
• beef (lean, no fat)
• turkey
• various legumes and beans
• various nuts, especially almonds
• peanut butter

Dairy - 2 1/2 serves per day:

My faves:

• cheese ((I can have cheese...I just need to eat a small portion)
• milk
• yogurt
• creamy salad dressing
• sour cream

So, yeah, those last two are on the discretionary list.  Oops.

Maybe, next Friday Favorites, I'll discuss those discretionary foods.  Shall I?

Linking up with Amanda for Friday Faves:

Friday Favorites Someecard Edition

I was cruising through my pinterest boards and realized how much these someecards can make me giggle.  I thought I'd share some all-time faves of mine with you.  Some of these have made the rounds, but I still enjoy them.  Hopefully, you'll have a giggle too.  Who doesn't want to have a giggle on a Friday?

Linking up with Amanda for Friday Favorites!