I am so ready for 2008, I know it will be a great year. I can feel it in my bones. Speaking of bones...don't forget to watch the Sugar Bowl tomorrow. Even if you are not a football fan, watch the beginning of the show as my boys Bonerama are playing the National Anthem!! The game airs on FOX, and I do believe it starts at around 7:30 EST. Granted it will just be a small taste of what they do, but you will be able to see how wonderfully talented the boys just are.

I am not making any resolutions.....just to be healthier and happier and be a better person overall.

Have a safe and wonderful ringing in to the New Year!!

I am back at work today. Other than the cough, the stuffy nose and the spins I am feeling better. I think the spins are on account of I kept waking myself up coughing last night. While I got a lot of sleep yesterday, it was an interuppted sleep. I will take it however. I will embrace it, because at least I got it. The following is pics of the awesomeness of the birthday bash.

The boys on stage at the Howlin Wolf. I cut part of Steve out so I could get Bert in. Some sacrifices have to be made.

Two of my most favorite musicians in town. Birthday Boy Mark Mullins and Mr. Leroy Jones. I am proud to call them both friends.

The other birthday boy of the night, musicial Icon George Porter Jr. Seriously, the man is 60, and is still going strong. Everyone loves him.

Phil, the man behind the scene for Bonerama. Is he an angel??? Is Katja the devil on his shoulder??

One of my most favorite people in the world. Tom. He has somehow been convinced he needs to help out Phil and drives Bonerama from town to town. I was so happy to see him the other night. He rocks. Even if he is a bit confused. I mean a Yankee fan?? He lives in Boston!!!

I sat on my couch all day and watch some DVDs (season 2 of Big Love) and cuddled with the kitties. That is if I wasn't hacking up a lung. I woke myself up at 3:30 this morning doing just that. So I ended up watching an episode of Brady Bunch (Cindy thinking she was the next Shirley Temple.) and Leave it to Beaver (Beaver ruins Wally's suit jacket) before I was able to finally doze back off. Too bad my alarm goes off at 5. Oh well!! I haven't been running a fever since Christmas Eve. I am just coughing a ton and am all stuffed up. I could use about 30 more hours of sleep. We know that won't happen with me however!

Tonight it is the big birthday party! George Porter Jr is celebrating 60 years today. Yesterday it was Mark Mullins' 40th. Art Neville turned 70 earlier in the month. So why not throw a party? I got my invite and immeditely RSVP'ed. It should be a fun night with lots of good music and friends. It should almost make up for missing my niece's first Christmas!

I am sitting here at my desk. At work. On Christmas Eve. When I should be in Phoenix, enjoying my family. There had been a small chance that I was going to get to go home, however my boss decided that someone had to be here and he already has taken today off. So there you go. Instead of seeing my niece enjoy her first Christmas this evening I will sit here and count the times the phone has rang ( 2 times in the last hour ) and stare at the empty IN box. Who knows...maybe it will pick up....maybe they will let us leave early. Oh and to top off all this joy? I have a cold. Spent all day yesterday with a sore throat, fever and aches. Today throat isn't as bad, but the aches are still there, no fever.

As for the weekend it ended up being quiet. Bonerama played Friday night and it was nice to see a decent size crowd come out for that. We got a sneak peek, rather listen to how the boys will be playing the National Anthem at the Sugar Bowl. They proceeded to rock everyone's socks off. It was a nice night that hasn't happened that often. It is kinda sad how few times they have played in NOLA this year. Someone even asked me if they were from Florida as they play there a lot. Nope, they are NOLA boys.

Saturday I spent doing laundry and the rest of my shopping. That evening I had Christmas with Kristen and her man. We had planned on going out that night, but I was starting to feel nasty and Kristen's flight was early yesterday morning.

After getting Kristen to the airport I spent the day cleaning and watching the Saints game. I am having fun trying to coordinate getting over to my friend's house to make sure Dart gets his pill (he was put on another weeks worth on Friday) and staying at my house to feed the cats. Kristen's cat is on a diet so you can't just leave a bowl full of food for him out. Made for an exeptionally early morning today. Oh well...it has to be done. :_)

I know for many of you that this weekend will be one of two things. A nice relaxing weekend with friends and family or a mad dash with you running around like a chicken with your head cut off. If things go the way I am planning (sshhh it could work) I will be frantic today and relaxing the weekend away.

Who really wants to be at work today? I know I don't. However I am and can make it till that 3:00 go home bell rings. I then have to race across town, wrangle a cat into his carrier and get him to the vet. I then have to get the rest of my christmas presents bought. I have to then race home and get merch together and then it will be off to the Bonerama gig at the Maple Leaf. Saturday will consist of sleeping, washing laundry and having "Christmas" with my housemate.

Kristen takes off early on Sunday, I will be watching the Saints Game. (Marisa you want to bet on it???) and more relaxing.

I am one of the poor souls NOT in retail who has to work on Christmas eve. Oh well.....I may be bored out of my skull or busy busy busy.

It all started on Thursday. I went out to see my friend Eric play at the Maple Leaf. He had Matt P sittin in with him and a few other dudes I didn't know. Half way through a jammin first set, Craig wanders in. He proceeds to sit in for the second set. The music is just so good. The few people there were all friends. I was talking, drinking, having a good time and all of a sudden it was 3. Yeah...not good when the alarm goes off at 5.

I did make it to work Friday, all day. The morning may have been rough, but I did survive. After work I attempted to take a small nap, however that didn't float so well. I then went over to a friend's house for a lovely dinner, conversation and a movie. Which I fell asleep within the first five minutes. On the way home, Kristen (who lasted until 15 mins into the movie before crashing) and I decided to swing on by the Maple Leaf. After all we had just napped. We didn't stay there too long but did get to hang out with some friends.

Saturday consisted on a run out the airport, Christmas shopping, and playing with the Playstation 2 that we bought. Kristen and I fell in love with the Sing Song game at Voo Doo Fest. We had to buy the game when we found out it was for Playstation 2 and not 3. Of course that also ment we had to buy a playstation 2. It was actually quite cheap. We both paid about $100. Merry Christmas to us. I then ran out to meet up with some friends down on Frenchmen. Ran into Neal Caine (bass player for Harry Connick Jrs big band) got to chat with him for awhile. I think he said he was here until Christmas. Then I ran down to Dos Jefes to see Rick play.

Yesterday it was Saints football, errands and carolling down at Jackson Square. Nice way to round out a weekend.

This came from the fan email that was sent around.

Bonerama has proudly accepted an invitation to perform the Star Spangled Banner prior to the kickoff of January 1st's Sugar Bowl Football Classic, which pits the University of Hawaii Warriors against the University of Georgia Bulldogs. The Fox Network's nationally televised broadcast begins at 7:30pm (EST), live from the New Orleans Superdome. Many of you may recall some highly regarded live performances of our national anthem, including Marvin Gaye's funky version prior to the 1983 NBA All Star Game, Whitney Houston's stirring rendition before Super Bowl XXV in 1991, and, of course, Hendrix's 1968 Woodstock incendiary interpretation. Many would like to forget Roseanne Barr's disastrous performance prior to a 1990 San Diego Padres baseball game. The pressure is surely on for the boys, but the honor is grand. Be sure to tune in early to show your pride for Bonerama, for New Orleans and for your country.

I can not express how happy I am for the guys. I will hope that the entire anthem is shown. There is someone at FOX that loves them. Last year during the playoffs (and I think a few games before) as they would go to a commercial break, I would hear Bonerama. I think I may have jumped up and down and squealed. May or may not have called both Mark and Craig. Now they are playing the National Anthem at one of the biggest bowl games, airing on FOX. I can't wait to hear their version, I know it will be good. I am so proud and excited. These boys are going to go beyond their wildest dreams.

Yes I feel like a proud mama hen. So who has tickets for me?

I just got off the phone with USPS customer service and they are going to report the problem of no mail delivery. This isn't the first occurence either. I know there have been some things that have been sent to me that I have never seen. I don't know what the PO is doing. I have mail forwarding in effect from when we moved just a few months ago, however I have changed all my addresses and still nothing. When you are waiting for something important and it should have been to you on Saturday and it is now a Tuesday, it tends to make things not so good. However at this point all I can do is wait. If there is no mail delivered at my house today? I don't know what I can do. Any suggestions? Other than go postal on the post office?

* I only went out on Friday night people. I think hell is defrosting as I type.
* Our mailperson must have decided that our neighborhood was too much of a hassle to deliver on Saturday because they never came. How do I know? I was waiting anxiously all day for them, there is something that should have been delivered on Saturday that I really kinda need. That and our next door neighbors put some mail out to be picked up early Saturday and it is still there.
* Since Craig let the cat out of the bag on myspace, I guess it is okay to say here finally. Bonerama will be playing the Star Spangle Banner at the Sugar Bowl!
* It is going to be a very busy week....most exciting thing is happening tomorrow night. Stay tuned!

It has been a crazy busy week. I think I am still going from this weekend. See whenever Bonerama goes out of town, I seem to get busier. I end up babysitting for a certain Sousaphone player and his lovely wife. Since she is also a musician she needs a bit of help when her husband is out on the road. I have been over there Friday night, Sunday night, last night and this coming Saturday night. And I have so much fun. They have a 4 year old and a 8 month old, both are just so sweet. I had the hardest time last night however. The things that were popping out of the 4 yo's mouth was just hysterical. He has just watched the Charlie Brown Christmas special and what did he take away from that? "Good Grief" He was saying that a lot last night. What really got to me however was when we were talking about something, I asked him why a superhero would do something and he looks at me and says "what the hell?" I froze for a second and trying not to laugh I said "what did you say?" He of course could hear the laughter in my voice and grins and says "what the hell?" I tried to explain that wasn't something you say that it wasn't very nice and he just looks at me and says "Good Grief" and walked away. It was all I could not to double over in laughter.

I could regale everyone of the weekend that just passed, of the music that was played, the conversations had, the decorations that had been put up, all that wonderful and good stuff. However I find this more important. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are back in town. The town they have adopted as their "home" I haven't seen them out and about, my guess is they probably stick closer to their house in the Quarter. (Although the Maple Leaf is nice and dark...I'm just sayin. ) It is nice to know that there are some people out there that still care about the city, people that have some kind of voice.

Apparently they will be in town for the next couple of weeks, mainly for the "Make it Right Project" I will definetly make sure that I go and check it out. While I didn't like the initial designs of the house, hopefully with the residents imput that may have changed. I didn't feel as though they had the "New Orleans" feel to them. In the end I guess it doesn't matter what they look like, as long as they get people home. That is what is important. Some people don't realize that we are 2 years and 4 months past the storm and people are STILL struggling to get home. Try being away from your home that long and see how you would like it.