New Thing #101 - You Got the Right Stuff, Baby

June - A Little Piece of my Youth

June 15, 2019 - New Kids on the Block concert

You guys. I'm almost 40 years old, and I've never seen NKOTB live in concert. I know, I know, did I even grow up in the 80s? It was never fiscally possible for me as a kid, nor did we live anywhere close to where they were playing, so it never happened for me. Fast forward about 30 years, and I'm finally going to see their Mix Tape tour with my BFF Meredith in Chicago.

What started as a joking suggestion from Meredith turned into a super fun weekend! She drove in from Indy, and I made the 5 hour trek from StL (5 hours because of the rain and stupid Chicago traffic). Meredith had hotel points to use, so we found a hotel ONE BLOCK from Allstate Arena. When I looked it up online, I knew it was close, but damn, we didn't realize we could walk to the concert. That was super handy.

In our matching tanks I got us for her bday earlier this year. :)

Typical shenanigans!

Love this girl right here!!!

After a quick dinner and a wardrobe change - into some slightly more era appropriate clothing - we walked the 5 minutes to the arena and managed to make it inside before we got drenched. Our seats were directly at the back of the theater, next to the aisle, and we had a great view of the entire stage. Could we have sat closer? Sure, but we had just as much fun in the cheap seats.

Loving the side pony, Mere!

Did I make my shirt? You bet your ass I did.

Not the closest, but they were still great seats for a last minute buy.

To warm up the crowd, one of the Naughty by Nature guys came out with a local DJ and played lots of 80s/90s hits. It was great!

Getting the crowd pumped up.

Fair warning: lots of the videos are pretty wobbly. Don't expect me to just stand there and not move while I take a video!

Let's get this party started!!!! (Sorry about the big pole in the way...we didn't really anticipate that being there when we bought the seats.)

Once the hype man was finished, the concert began with NKOTB coming out in classic fashion. This concert truly was like a mix tape with each artist interweaving into the next. There were no breaks or intermissions. Each of the four others acts - Tiffany, Debbie Gibson, Salt n Pepa, and Naughty by Nature - provided the breaks NKOTB needed. Let's be honest, they're not spring chickens anymore, so I'm sure they needed a little bit of downtime. Or perhaps that was just for all of their wardrobe changes. :)

There's not much more I can say, other than this was so much fun. Seeing all the people in the crowd be just as excited for them now as I imagine they were 30 years ago, plus all the women my age bringing their young daughters, was a blast. Enjoy the photos and the videos, though I realize the sound quality isn't the best. Just go out and see them to experience it for yourself!!

IT'S HAPPENING!

Thank God for the big ass screen.

The 10 year old inside of me is so happy right now.

Thoroughly enjoying the throw back nostalgia with the boombox graphics.

Gotta have that fancy NKOTB footwork! ;)

Still hitting those high notes!

I'm wondering how many different NKOTB graphics they're going to have...

Well hello, Mr. Wahlberg...you've grown up.

There is so much happening in this video, it just makes me laugh!

Oh oh o-o-oh..oh oh o-oh!

Dang, these New Kids are naughty! LOL

It's a party up in here!

This was fun! The CD stage raised and lowered.

There was also smoke. Naturally.

Danny still has some B-Boy moves in him!

Well, this takes me back...TIFFANY!!

AND DEBBIE GIBSON!!

Joey is getting serious now...

Please don't go girl....seriously, just don't do it. Don't break this poor boy's heart.

OMG!!! Okay, full disclosure, I'm loving the New Kids, but I was probably most excited for Salt n Pepa, and they DID NOT DISAPPOINT!

It's none o' yo business!

Because of course, the crowd would want a live stream of their changing room...

With all this dancing, it was getting hot in here...so naturally, I had to do a pony. Meredith wouldn't let me get away with a regular one, so a side ponytail it is! (BTW, how freaking cute are we right now?)

Well this was unexpected, but I suppose they know their crowd well!

Oh Lord...I didn't realize how easily you'd be able to hear me singing when I recorded these videos. Whoops.

I couldn't stop laughing...

Oh, Donnie, this seemed unnecessary...not unwanted, but unnecessary. Also, I did not like Donnie as a kid. Maybe because he was such a bad boy and I was such a good girl. But, damn, time has been good to this New Kid.

No worries, we were all down with O.P.P. that night.

It's been how many years, and I still have no idea what they say in between the "Heyy....Hoooo" breaks. I'm not even sure THEY know what the lyrics are.

Debbie's back!

...only in my dreams....

This song was definitely a staple of junior high dances! I remember a few awkward dances to this song.

Well this is adorable.

I make no apologies for the shakiness of this video...I HAD TO DANCE TO SHOOP!

Tiffany's back!

One final Salt N Pepa song!

Closing out the night in their final wardrobe change (Boston Bruins jerseys). I think someone needs to update this change for the rest of the tour, because the St. Louis Blues just beat the Boston Bruins to become STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS!!

Hangin' Tough!

Final song of the night with all the performers.

After about 3 hours, the show came to a close, and Meredith and I had big stupid grins on our faces. We had so much fun reliving our youths. But, now we're tired, and it's time to walk the 5 minutes back to our hotel and go to bed. We aren't teenagers anymore! :)

New Thing #100 - Whole Body Cleanse

May - Detoxification

May 19-June 1, 2019 - Whole Body Cleanse

For the last year, specifically the last nine months, I've been focusing on my health - both inside and out. I've lost over 25 pounds, decreased a lot of stress and am just happier overall (perhaps turning 40 was just the motivator I needed!) Even with the weight loss, I'm still feeling a bit sluggish/foggy brained sometimes though. Not sure if it's just chalked up to aging or if my body just needs to finish shedding toxins. So, I decided to give a complete body cleanse a try. I've heard good things, and after  researching a few, I ended up just picking one from Whole Foods that had good reviews.

I could have chosen a 3-day, 7-day or 2-week plan. Something told me the 3-day one would either hit me hard and fast, or it wouldn't do anything. And I figured why just stop at 7 days when I can do a full two weeks? Might as well do this right. If this works, maybe I'll stick with a 7-day cleanse in 6 months.

So, here's what the box says about the whole body cleanse: "Every minute of every day your body is cleansing itself to minimize the effects of toxins. Along with stress, inflammation and external substances that we inhale, ingest or absorb, simply "being" creates toxins that need to be eliminated. The human body naturally works to keep itself in tip top shape. Various metabolic processes work to cleanse the body of impurities, many that are the result of normal, healthy metabolism. The liver, kidneys and digestive system work together to keep your body running right. Support their natural function with an occasional cleanse."

Within the kit is "a proprietary fiber blend to support the body's natural cleansing functions", "herbs traditionally used for liver support, including milk thistle", and "an herbal regularity formula with herbs traditionally used for gastrointestinal support." So, basically, just some fiber and laxatives wrapped up with a pretty bow?

While doing the cleanse, I really just need to drink a crap ton of water (I already do that), eat a healthy diet (already do that too), limit caffeine and alcohol (I don't drink caffeine, and rarely drink booze anymore) and avoid intense exercise (hmmm, this one will be hard for me). It says I will soon find myself feeling lighter, cleaner and more focused.

Week 1 - 4 fiber capsules in the morning and 4 at night, 3 herbal regularity tablets at night, and 1 milk thistle liver cleanse capsule at night. Yes, that's EIGHT pills before bed.

Week 2 - 4 fiber capsules in the morning and 4 at night, 2 herbal regularity tablets at night, and 1 milk thistle liver cleanse capsule in the morning and two at night.

Day 1 (Sunday) - Initial thoughts: Damn, this is a lot of pills. 4 in the morning, and EIGHT at night. I drink a pretty hefty amount of water, but after downing those four pills and a boat load of water this morning, I feel like I'm swimming around a bit. No real thoughts for the rest of the day, but I waited wayyyyy too late to polish off the night pills. Eight freaking pills, three of which should have their own gravitational pull, they're so big. So, not only is my belly full of water, but all of these added pills gave me the worst indigestion now. I'm going to have to try taking these earlier in the evening and spread out a bit more, because of course, with that much liquid so late, I had to pee in the middle of the night.

Day 2 (Monday) - Didn't really notice any significant changes, though I wouldn't expect any with only a day of the detox so far. I was pretty tired from my interrupted sleep last night. So, one of the biggest benefits of this detox is better/more regular BMs, but I'm prrreettttty sure ya'll don't want to hear about those every day. So I'll just say, mission accomplished. I did my normal workout routine today, but I think I'm going to skip it for the next week. For my evening regimen, I spread out the pills for a few hours before bed instead of all at once. Still didn't help, because I was once again up to pee around midnight. :(

Day 3 (Tuesday) - Felt fine all day until after lunch. I had a work lunch and didn't have control over the restaurant. It wasn't super unhealthy, but it was definitely not my normal veggies/protein/minimum carbs menu. I felt like total crap afterwards. Not sure if it was strictly due to the food or if my symptoms were exacerbated by the detox help. Either way, my tum tum was feeling pretty dumb dumb all afternoon. Once again spread out my evening pills a few hours before bed, but I'm seeing a trend. Looks like I'm going to have the night pees for 2 weeks.

Day 4 (Wednesday) - Nothing really different for today. Good BMs? Check. Up to pee at night? Check. I did miss out on my normal intense workout, not because of this detox, but because of some work-related things. I've been doing some running/walking, but it's probably a good thing I missed my usual hardcore stuff.

Day 5 (Thursday) - On the struggle bus today. Not only did I have to get up in the middle of the night again (despite trying to finish the pills earlier in the evening), a storm blew through and woke me up around 3am. Sadly, I never really fell back asleep, so I'm pretty dang exhausted today. If this detox is supposed to give me more energy, it's doing a crap job.

Day 6 (Friday) - Went to bed a bit earlier last night, but I'm totally spent today. I just want to take a nap under my desk at work.

Day 7 (Saturday) - Finally got some decent sleep last night and am feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Went for a hike this morning (which made me a bit nervous since I drank all that water for breakfast, plus I've been having some pretty regular BMs), but no major crises happened. Whew!! Had a decent amount of energy though, despite coming off of a few days of bad sleep.

Day 8 (Sunday) - Started the new pill regimen of 4 fiber capsules in the morning and 4 at night, 2 herbal regularity tablets at night, and 1 milk thistle liver cleanse capsule in the morning and two at night. Feeling pretty good today, but not sure if it's because of the detox or the fact that I'm getting more sleep. Thank goodness for the weekend!! I did completely forget to take my pills tonight though, and remembered at 10pm when I got ready for bed. So, I pounded 8 pills and a bottle of water before bed. Terrible. Idea. I had the worst indigestion and it took me awhile to fall asleep. Thankfully, I don't have to work tomorrow.

Day 9 (Monday) - Woke up today to my lowest weight since I started my weight loss journey last fall. Woo!! It's not a significant decrease or anything, but it's nice to continue to lose. I had sort of plateaued recently, and while I'm not using this detox as a weight loss tool, it's nice to know I'm not gaining anything. It could just be less inflammation and bloating too. Also didn't do my training session today due to it being the holiday. Went for a run and cut the grass instead.

Day 10 (Tuesday) - Another new low for my weight! It was a full pound less than yesterday. I realize that's not normal (or probably healthy) to lose a whole pound in a day, but 1) I ate my normal amount of calories yesterday, 2) Went for a run and did yard work, but nothing too strenuous, 3) I drank a ton of water. So, I'm guessing that after 9 days, this detox is doing it's job. Like I said before, I didn't buy this for weight loss, I did it to rid my body of extra toxins, bloating and inflammation. The added weight loss is just a bonus, and to be honest, it'll probably go back up tomorrow. Which is okay too.

Day 11 (Wednesday) - So, the weight didn't come back, but stayed low like yesterday. I'm getting used to the 5 pill mornings and 8 pill evenings, though I'm still not enjoying the late night rendezvous with my toilet. I also skipped my intense workout that I normally do. While I hated missing those heavy lifting days, I adhered to the box's instructions and stayed away from the super intense workouts.

Day 12 (Thursday) - Another few ounces lost. I can't say that I'm necessarily feeling lighter or more focused, like the box says, but my mood has improved. That could also be because I've had a great week. Between scoring a phenomenal contract at work (my first big one on my own), booking my big 40th birthday trip (EEEEEEE!!! Details coming soon), and hitting a total 30 pound weight loss, I'm on cloud nine. I doubt the detox has anything to do with that, but it may have helped?

Day 13 (Friday) - Nothing really new, just holding steady at or near my new weight. Feeling good, and ready to head in to the weekend!

Day 14 (Saturday) - Went for a run this morning and felt great. Ran for longer than I have in a really long time, didn't feel especially winded, and just felt strong the whole time. Perhaps it's because of the cleanse? Or perhaps just a combination of diet, exercise and the cleanse. Whatever the cause, it felt amazing to have a good run. And those of you that know me know I've never liked running, so this is really saying something.

Next Day (Sunday) - I totally meant to weigh myself the first day after the detox was complete and I totally forgot. :( I was really hoping to see what the total weight loss was after the two week cleanse, thought it might not have been great this morning given I splurged at my friend's wedding last night.

Overall Thoughts: Good BMs. I need to figure out my daily fiber intake because even though I'm eating fiberous foods, it's clearly not enough. This detox has been great to better regularity. (Sorry, TMI.) I didn't notice much in the way of results that first week, so I'm not sure a 7 day detox will work next time around. Or perhaps it will since I've already done this one. All I know is that the loss of sleep due to night time pee pee time probably cancels out the energy I'm supposed to get by doing the detox.

I'm glad I tried it, but I can't say I feel any big huge differences. It's only been a day though, so maybe the positive effects will continue to build over time.

New Thing #99 - Cahokia Mounds

April - A Hail Mary

April 28, 2019 - Cahokia Mounds

I'll be honest, this was a hail mary new thing. I've been struggling nearly every month to come up with something new to do. I've even asked numerous people and their ideas are usually great - but, either I've already completed them, or they don't fit in to my schedule. Btw, how the HELL did I find time to do a new thing EVERY. FREAKING. WEEK. a decade ago? I miss that energy and drive to complete all of those new things when I was 29.

But, this month, I was on the struggle bus. Some of the really cool things I've considered (trapeze, etc.) don't start until the warmer months, or things like a silks class or getting a fish pedicure didn't fit in to my schedule, nor could I find a reputable place in StL for fish to nibble my toes.

So, this month, I chose to head over to Illinois to Cahokia Mounds. It's actually been on my StL list for over a decade, and I've even considered taking my nieces for their birthday trips. But, it never really worked out, nor did I really think my nieces would like it. After a quick weekend trip to visit my brother, I opted to swing by this U.S. National Historic Landmark on my way home.

Here's the gist that I can tell you from the brochure I snagged. "As the largest prehistoric Indian site north of Mexico, Cahokia Mounds covered about 4000 acres and included at least 120 mounds. The State of Illinois now protects 2200 acres of the central portion of the site and 70 of the 80 remaining mounds. The site was named a U.S. National Landmark in 1965, and in 1982....was designated a World Heritage Site for its significance in the prehistory of North America."

As I pulled up, I immediately noticed the largest mound on the northern side of the road. I stopped first at the Interpretive Center to get my bearings, scrounge up a map and be on my way. They happened to be having a Native American art extravaganza going on, so it was filled with a variety of artisans selling their wares. Since I didn't see many people out walking the grounds, I imagine the full parking lot was due to the art fair and not the mounds themselves. After I arrived, I watched a short video on the rise of the civilization who lived here, the significance of the mounds and the decline hundreds of years later.

I'll give you the super paired down Cliff Notes highlights:

-The first settlements were around 700 AD by Late Woodland Indians.
-Around 1000 AD, the Mississippian culture began as highly structured communities arose with complex ranked social and political systems.
-From 1050-1200 AD, the population grew to 10-20,000 people, sprawling over six square miles. This was the largest community north of Mexico.
-The "Mounds" themselves were made of earth dug from nearby borrow pits and transported in baskets on people's backs.
-It's estimated that over 50 million cubic feet of earth was moved for mound construction alone.
-The rectangular platform mound was the most common, used to elevate ceremonial buildings and the residences of the elite.
-Conical and ridgetop mounds were used to mark important locations or burials of important people.
-Around 1200 AD, the population began to decline, and by the mid 1300s, it was nearly abandoned. The reason for the decline is unknown, but it could be due to depletion of resources, changes to political or economic power, disease or environmental changes.
-Although the site was named after the Cahokia tribe of the Illiniwek confederacy, they did not build the mounds and were late arrivals to the area during the 1600s.

Once I finished the video, took a quick tour around the museum (I could have easily spent a few hours here reading through all the exhibits and perusing the art vendors) and headed out to see the mounds first hand.

I will have to say that it was a gorgeous - albeit chilly/breezy - day, and there weren't many people out walking about. But, it was still underwhelming to walk around. The grass was either overgrown or patchy in places, the mounds were also overgrown with some bushes, etc., and I don't know, I was expecting more, I guess? Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the history of the place, but I guess I was expecting a bit more pomp and circumstance while walking around.

For obvious reasons (so as not to deface or disturb the earth), you couldn't walk up any of the mounds except the largest one (Monks Mound). So, I basically just wandered around an open field for 30 minutes, climbed Monks Mound (with the help of modern stairs), took some photos and left.

Intro video.

The screen raised to reveal this exhibit.

What Monks Mound perhaps used to look like.

Woodhenge.

3 types of mounds. This is the Platform mound usually reserved for elevated buildings and important people.

Conical mounds used for burying important people.

Ridgetop mounds believed to be marker mounds.

Interpretive Center.

Gorgeous day!

We've had quite a bit of rain.

There is a random house on the property...I have so many questions.

One of the twin mounds.

Partial reconstruction of the south stockade.

One of the Twin Mounds - thought to be a mortuary complex (though no excavations have been made) and was built on top of a platform mound.

Monks Mound where ceremonial buildings used to be.

These modern steps were added for safety and are in the same location as the original stairs.

Passing the first level.

Twin Mounds and the Interpretive Center in the background.

I zoomed in a bit, but you can see the orientation of downtown St. Louis to the site.

The Grand Plaza - where the heart of the city used to be.

Trail markers.

What remains of Woodhenge - what they used to help mark the seasons.

Had to drive down the road a bit to get to Woodhenge.

While this was a cool site and I'm so happy they've preserved its history, it wasn't exactly a huge bucket list item. But, it checked the box it needed to, and I can mark it off the list! (By the way, I grossly paired this blog down and didn't capture nearly enough history and photos. Stop by and see it to learn more!)