Check! #13 from my 50 list is now completed.

I'm sure many of you are chomping at the bit, wondering how I'm making out with my 50 list. Well, I just wanted to showcase #13 which is now crossed off the list.

So, with my new guitar in hand, Springsteen t-shirt and favourite chapeau, I braved the "Spring" elements this past Saturday and let my friend Kristin photograph me. Despite the less-than-normal chilly April temperatures, rain – and even snow for a little while – we had a fun few hours shooting photos in a variety of locations around Barrie.

Here are a few of my favourites:

and my personal fave:

Thanks Kristin! My donation to your "Young At Heart" photo fundraiser will be arriving shortly.

If you want to check out more of Kristin's stuff, visit: www.writephotographer.ca.

What are sidewalks for?

I know winter is almost over, so this rant is probably past its relevance due date, but I just have to ask:

"Why don't people walk on the sidewalk?"

That's what it's there for after all. 

I know they might be a bit slippery this time of year, but chancing a fall can't possibly be more dangerous than walking on the road in the winter where you, your child and/or your dog, could get hit by a car.

It's winter, people. As hardy, Canadian drivers, we do our best to safely manoeuvre our city streets. But snow and ice can make things a bit unpredictable, so it makes our jobs even harder when we have to negotiate additional objects on the road. 

We don't want to hit you but it might be out of our control. We're dealing with weather conditions and other drivers — those who drive with reckless abandon regardless of the season and those pesky elements.

Please stay safe.

And if a slippery path is your reason for stepping out onto the road during the winter, what's your excuse during the other three seasons? 

To exit my neighbourhood there is a rather sharp turn, and I've lost track of how many times I've had to negotiate an even wider turn around it during the spring, fall or summer, due to someone walking on the road.

Why? The sidewalks are perfectly safe. There's no snow. No ice. No treacherous quicksand or slithering snakes. At least none I've come across when I'm out walking . . . on the sidewalk.

The only reason I can conceive is we're a population inundated with those afraid to step on a crack in case they break their mother's backs . . . 

While I'm sure your mother thanks you and is grateful for your diligence, you leave me quite perplexed and frustrated.

So, again, please stay safe this winter and we'll see you on the road . . . literally.

My 50 List

A friend of mine turned 30 last year and in honour of the auspicious occasion, she put together a list of 30 things she wanted to accomplish before she hit the milestone birthday. She had two months to accomplish all the tasks on her list and she successfully put a line through every single item before blowing out the candles on her birthday cake.

Way to go Kristin!

I'm constantly inspired by Kristin. In fact, she was the one who encouraged me to start my own blog.

So, although I hit the big 5-0 last April, I thought it wasn't too late to start my own list. I put together 35 items and sent them to a wide assortment of friends, asking them to submit ideas to complete my list. I figured this would challenge me into trying some completely off-the-wall things . . . things I would never have considered, such as define my personal brand.

I'm giving myself a year to complete the list which is comprised of work, personal, fun and just-plain-crazy items.

I've left #50 blank as I'm still open to suggestions for one last challenge. Please e-mail barriecrazyjaney@gmail.com or comment below with your suggestion.

My 50 List

1.       Upgrade first floor doors
2.       See a Bruce Springsteen concert outside North America
3.       Reach my goal weight
4.       Write a minimum of 24 blog posts this year
5.       Read every book written by Will Ferguson
6.       Start (and finish) Keith Richards, Paul McCartney and Janis Joplin biographies
7.       Run three-to-four miles comfortably three times a week
8.       Learn “I’ll Work For Your Love” and four other new songs on the piano
9.       Write five new songs (one currently in the works)
10.   Fix window well leakage problem
11.   Increase CSB contribution
12.   Go to a jazz concert
13.   Let Kristin photograph me
14.   Meet Bruce Springsteen
15.   Purge house of unnecessary items (on-going)
16.   Go on a road trip with no itinerary
17.   Take a course
18.   Upgrade my golf set
19.   Record video for Bruce and I documentary (Feb. deadline!)
20.   Take a golf lesson
21.   Break 90 at golf
22.   Say yes to something scary (out of my comfort zone)
23.   Wear a dress once this year
24.   Have a scrapbook weekend with the Soul Sistahs!
25.   Update my will
26.   Finally sync my phone to my car!
27.   Figure out how to utilize my Ford visor garage door opener
28.   Plan something nice for Andrea’s 50^th
29.   Visit family more often
30.   Kayak Paugh Lake
31.   Use my mountain bike this summer or sell it
32.   Watch full series of Homeland, The Walking Dead and The Wire
33.   Go on a date
34.   Go on an overnight back country camping in Algonquin with Pat
35.   Do something crazy
36.   Record one of my songs
37.   Plant a garden to grow beets and other veggies
38.   Get lost (so many possibilities with this one)
39.   Send three letters in the mail
40.   Spend an entire weekend in my PJs
41.   Collaborate on something creative 
42.   Random acts of kindness for strangers
43.   Treat myself to something I normally wouldn't get 
44.   Get Lori to teach me a recipe
45.   Leave an entire week open in my calendar (this one may not be attainable)
46.   Define my personal brand
47.   Meditate
48.   Visit the Scenic Caves
49.   Sky dive
50.

Surviving the Bruce Springsteen concert pit

On the afternoon of my recent Bruce Springsteen concert in Toronto, I tweeted, "The dehydration process begins" and my non-Springsteen friends did not know what this meant.

Let me explain: Since discovering – and experiencing – our first general admission (pit) section at a Springsteen show back in 2008, my friends and I have a hard time going back to sitting in seats ... well, not that we really ever sat in them.

The lure of the pit is just too strong. The absolute joy of being close to the front within drippage range of some Springsteen sweat, or God forbid actually touching the man or his guitar, immersed in a sea of singing and dancing Tramps is hard to describe, but it is joyous indeed.

That being said, the pit is not for everyone. So here are a few things to keep in mind to make your pit experience more enjoyable.

WEAR COMFORTABLE SHOES
You are going to be standing for a long time so comfortable shoes are critical. The pit is no place for your four-inch stiletto sling-backs. The line-up for general admission (GA) usually starts around 4 p.m. Once you get your numbered wristband, you are lined up in chronological order. Generally, you are let into the venue around 6 p.m. The concert will likely start anywhere between 8 and 8:30 p.m. Then the show itself will be at least three hours long . . . Toronto's Aug. 24 show was roughly three hours and 45 minutes. That was almost eight straight hours of standing. Some people do opt to sit down in the pit prior to the show but it's not always an option. Plus, you take the chance of being stepped on, spilled on or some other kind of on . . . none of them pleasant.

LIMIT YOUR BEVERAGE INTAKE
You are gong to be in a tight space, surrounded by hundreds of people for several hours. Trying to navigate your way out of the pit and more importantly, back to your space in the pit, is tricky, so you want to avoid or limit those trips. Hence, the dehydration process.  We usually try to have a good hearty lunch prior to the show and then cut off any beverage intake directly afterwards. It always amazes me to see people drinking in the pit.  The road in and out is not an easy one and I can't fathom why people would be up to that challenge multiple times. Hey, I enjoy a nice, cold beer just like anyone else, but I don't mind waiting until after the show. It's too much work to make that trek. And while there always seems to be extra space around you when you first position yourself in the pit, those spaces seem to tighten up as the concert start time approaches. Sometimes people don't make it back to their original spot.

MAKE FRIENDS WITH THOSE AROUND YOU
At the risk of sounding repetitive . . . you are going to be in a tight space, surrounded by hundreds of people for several hours. Why not get to know a few of them. They may turn out to be that new friend who gets you GA tickets for the upcoming Ottawa show in October – thanks Carolyn!

BE WARY OF THE TALL SPRINGSTEEN FAN
Bruce seems to have an abnormal abundance of extremely tall male fans. And by tall, I don't just mean 5' 11" or 6'. No, these guys are 6'4", 6'6", and even taller! Being vertically challenged (5'2") it's key for me to position myself in the section with the least number of tall people in front. You may think the best spot is at centre stage, but sometimes it's more prudent to be slightly off-centre based on what's in front of you.

But while the tall, male Springsteen fan can be a pain-in-your-sightline, it is part of the Springsteen concert enjoyment factor to witness the outpouring of man-love for Bruce. You would think it would be strictly females crowding the front of the stage for the opportunity to touch Bruce, but there are tons of dudes too.  They're there with their dude buddies (they're usually the ones who don't mind fighting their way through the pit quicksand for a few beers) singing at the top of their collective dude lungs, dancing in their dude styles and pumping their fists with equal abandon to "Badlands."

It's fun to watch.

MEDITATION SKILLS ARE NOT MANDATORY BUT DEFINITELY HELPFUL
Two hours into your pre-concert pilgrimmage you may find it necessary to go to your non-Bruce happy place for a few minutes in order to survive the next few hours waiting for the show to start.  In addition, Tweeting and/or updating your Facebook page may help pass the time, as well as waving to your friends in the stands who have opted for seats.

POST-CONCERT MASSAGE
I was over-the-moon excited to discover I was due for my monthly massage on the Monday after returning from my Springsteen show in Boston. Twenty hours in a car, plus the pit, equalled some pretty sore limbs. Needless to say I have pre-booked a massage for the Monday after my weekend of double-pit Bruce in Ottawa and Hamilton this October.

BE PREPARED FOR THE CHANCE YOU MAY NOT BE IN THE PIT
At the big stadium shows, everyone with a GA ticket makes it into the pit . . . the random number draw just decides positioning. At the smaller arena shows, only a portion of GA ticket holders make it into the main pit; the rest go into a secondary general admission area. When the random number is called, there are winners and losers on that train to the land of hope and dreams and I've ridden in both sections. If you don't make it in, do not despair. My friend Kimberly and I didn't make it in at a show in Cleveland but we ended up against the fence that divided the pit from general admission. Bruce generally travels during his shows and he ended up right in front of us for a few songs and we were both able to grasp a Springsteen limb. Magical!

Regardless of whether you're in the pit or dancing in the stands, you will enjoy your Springsteen concert experience. There is nothing else like it. It is a musical marathon of mystical happiness, and there is no other place I'd rather be.

What happened to my cone of immunity?

I used to brag about my cone of immunity when it came to my health. Being of hardy stock, it is rare for me to succumb to any bug decimating my fellow office mates. If I feel a sniffle coming on, I simply power drink some green tea and said sniffle goes away.

I mocked those who line up for their annual flu shot – just try and penetrate my cone of immunity little feeble flu virus!

One morning last week as I completed my post-shower ritual of washing down my blood pressure tablet, applying the Cortisone cream to my rash, and putting a drop of antibiotic solution into my right eye, I realized the cone had been severely breached.

May Day! May Day!

It appears that I am not having a good year medically since turning 50 ... or so it seems.

It started back in February when I noticed that the lines on my computer screen seemed a little bendy. I initially put it down to my cheaters – the drugstore glasses I use to read everything these days (they must be using smaller fonts). Perhaps it was time to move up to the real things. But, having the Internet at my disposal, I decided to Google "straight lines appearing bendy," and wouldn't you know it, got a few hits. When I read words like "retina" and "macula" in some of the explanations, I decided it was probably prudent to visit my optometrist, giving my father's history with Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).

Long story short, it turns out I have a bleed in my right eye – not early onset of AMD, though the treatment, an injection directly into the eye, is very similar.

Yes, an injection directly into the eye.

As scary as that might sound, it's actually quite painless. I've had five injections to date and they have helped decrease the bleeding and reduce the bendiness.

The waiting room on injection day is filled with a multitude of senior citizens and me. It's very entertaining and I've made some new friends. Apparently long life can be attributed to golf and bridge, or so I overheard the 99-year-old woman in the chair next to me tell another injection recipient. I want to ask her if cribbage is a suitable substitute since I don't play bridge, but I haven't mustered up the courage yet.

The day I received my first injection, I told the doctor, "If all those old dollies and dudes can handle a shot to the eye, I should suck it up and take my shot." He commented that women seem to handle the injections better. Good for us.


The blood pressure issue reared its ugly head around the same time, and no, they're not connected (I asked). I tried avoiding medication by making a few lifestyle changes to reduce my 180 over 99 bp but it didn't help. Sometimes you have to resort to drugs.

And the rash ... well, it appears to be some allergic reaction to a plant, or poison ivy. I had one spot on the palm of my right hand that was so itchy I wanted to take a knife to it. But it's finally going away, so I don't feel quite like a leper any more.

I can only hope that the cone is just going through a mid-life crisis of sorts and will soon be back on track.

Waiting for Dave

This song is a co-write by myself and my friend and co-worker Kristin Taylor. You can read more of Kristin's stuff here. While the lyrics don't reflect it, the song was actually inspired by my having to wait for my electrician to show up. He would say he was coming at 8 a.m., then show up at 8:30 a.m. The next time he was coming at 9 a.m. but arrived at 9:45 a.m. What can a girl do but turn it into a song? Thanks K!


Waiting for Dave
Just another red wine mistake
That you can't take back
So here you sit
With one more regret.

Waiting for Dave
Just another night
Another one night stand hindsight
So here you sit
Trying to hedge your bets

If only
He hadn't looked at you that way
If only
He hadn't kissed you that way
If only
You wouldn't be here.

Waiting for Dave
Just an exercise in patience
And self control
So here you sit
Trying to forget
Waiting for Dave.

Stop doing your online banking at stop lights

As a self-confessed, (albeit, mild mannered) road rager, this will likely be the first of many vents from my observations behind the wheel.

What do people do at red lights?

Did they just discover that Facebook went public and are feverishly moving stocks via mobile phones to make room in their portfolio for a few shares? Have they picked this moment to declutter their purse?

All I know is that once the light turns red, it shouldn't take more than two or three seconds to transfer your foot from the brake to the gas and move on through to the other side. But does this always happen? No. More often than not, I find myself waiting a good 10 seconds or more for the car in front of me to move.

Now, I know 10 seconds doesn't sound like a long time to wait in the grand scheme of things, but in the grand scheme of things it is a long time!

It's like some drivers put their vehicles in park during a red light, or suddenly forget where first gear is when the light turns green.

And don't even get me started if we're talking about a left turn flashing advance green light. It is the job of the lead car to get as many people through that light as possible. That's the only way the whole team wins. Be a good captain people – don't leave any soldiers behind! It is totally unforgivable when only the lead car gets through.

Unforgivable.

While I do find this frustrating, I have yet to be pushed over the edge enough to honk my horn. I did have an interesting dilemma on one occasion however, when I was travelling behind what appeared to be two Hells Angels motorcyclists.

It was a bit disconcerting to discover they were following the same route home as I, but I was even more perturbed to find myself waiting for them to get their bikes moving at each traffic stop. The third time l waited behind them at the red light, I pondered to myself: "Hmmmm. Would they think it was really ballsy of me to honk my horn at two Hells Angels to get them moving, and give me props or would they get off their bikes and pound the crap out of me?"

I didn't think it prudent to test my hypothesis but it did make me chuckle the rest of the way home. And I was more than relieved when they blew past my turn taking them (hopefully) miles away from my neighbourhood.