Good Golly Miss Molly

First blog post of 2012!  Figured this would be a great time to write considering I'm stuck at home with food poisoning.  Actually, yesterday was the worst of it.  I won't get into detail, but I'm pretty sure it's that rather than a virus since Dave also had the same thing at the exact same time.  We were a truly pathetic site yesterday, both laying on the bed all day writhing in pain.  I honestly cannot even remember the last time I threw up that had no relation to alcohol.  The worst of it has passed (sorry for the verbiage) but I'm all aches and pains now.  I've managed to eat honey nut cheerios and bread, so all in all much better!

My 2012 started off with a broken iPod.  Genius Bar analysis has determined that it will cost a mere $129 to fix a broken click wheel. The last time my iPod broke, the iPod doctor fixed it, but that didn't last long so this time I'm going to try these guys for $49 and will let you know how that goes.  So today is the first day I'm listening to my own music (best album of 2011 - Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, not just saying that because, it's really that good.) Up until now I've been listening to Slacker, Pandora, and the XFM app which of course don't work on the subway but have been a decent band-aid.  There are so many songs I've missed over the last few weeks!  Speaking of, I really don't feel up to writing a Best of 2011 song list this year.  Usually I have about 60, but I didn't discover as much new music, plus many songs were abysmal, so I may type out my top 30 or so next time I write a post.  Here are my list of 2011 gigs though (w/some videos):

Gigs 2011
Band/Opening Act - Venue
Beady Eye - Webster Hall
Beady Eye - Terminal 5

"The Roller"

British Sea Power - Koko (this was half in 2010/half in 2011)
Duran Duran/Neon Trees - MSG
Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds/The Hours - Beacon Theater

"Supersonic"

Paul McCartney - Yankee Stadium...video won't upload :(

Radiohead/Four Tet - Roseland

Southern Hospitality (Acoustic) Tour (Kevin Griffin of Better Than Ezra/Ed Roland of Collective Soul) - City Winery

"Good"

Subsonica - Highline Ballroom
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I also went to a lot of Broadway shows this year - Billy Elliott, Book of Mormon, Sister Act, Baby It's You, Jersey Boys (the best!!), and Hugh Jackman Back on Broadway
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Having been unemployed in February, I kept myself quite busy then as well by going to Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, Live with Regis and Kelly, and taking the test to appear on Jeopardy which I promptly bombed.
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The only new news is that this year was a "Very Special Fromkin-Lane Christmukkah" featuring both families (my parents also went to the UK for the holidays.)
  

Christmas Crackering

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Tony was very excited about something, not sure what.

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Must run in the family though as Nan was also VERY excited.

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Dave wearing my gift to him.

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Cam opening his stocking.

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Olivia sucking on a lemon (still don't understand her food choices...a 7 year old who loves wasabi??)

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This puppet (Molly) was our gift to Dave's mom.  You can tell she's a troublemaker.

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You may have already seen this as my FB profile pic, but it's my most favorite photo ever so I'm posting it here too.

We took an overnight trip to London with our parents as well.  On Day one, we ate, went to the British Museum to see the Rosetta Stone, and ate some more.  In the evening Dave and I went to Covent Garden to meet up with Ben and Charlotte.  The indoor market was decorated with giant ornaments.

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The next day, our parents taxi'ed it, so Dave and I walked from the hotel in Holborn to the Eye.  

Obligatory tourist photo

We took a boat ride on the Thames, and afterwards walked to Farringdon where Dave met up with his friends and I caught up with Joy and Andi.  The rest of the week was rather low key, mainly seeing more friends in Essex.  This was the first New Years I've stayed in since about 1997.  I think I've got all of my "adult" new years remembered:

2011: British Sea Power at Koko/wandering around London/Flu
2010: NME or XFM at Brixton Academy
2009: Shoreditch bar, can't remember what it's called
2008: 515?  Is that what that Camden bar is called?
2007: Balham Weatherspoons/me crying that I didn't want to be at the Balham Weatherspoons/watching the fireworks from Dave's bathroom window
2006: Bar at King's Cross when Erica & Heather were visiting
2005: Last New Year's I spent in the US?!  Piano's/The Bravery at some random Motherf*cker party
2004: Salmon River with tuna sandwiches
2003: Carroll Gardens house party w/Robyn and Vicki (I think that was new years)
2002: Cream w/Heather, Erica, & Melanie
2001: Chelsea Brewing Co./me and Julie getting stuck in the snow on the West Side Highway unable to catch a cab
2000: Sleepover party at Heather M.'s
1999: Erica's party where the Nazi punched a hole in the wall
1998: Times Square (well as close as we could get, about 10 blocks away)/getting into a dive bar that served us

This year Dave's parents had a few friends over, and Antony and Amy came as well as Dan and Bruna who were in town from Italy via Norwich.  We ate chili and did Karaoke.

My mom singing 'New York New York'

My dad's first time at karaoke (still can't believe that?!)

The back-up singers:

New Year's circle at midnight 

Watching Jools

Happy New Year!

Melinda and Molly

 Fromkins in England!

I'll leave you with Molly's karaoke:

One final thing I wanted to mention is this website: http://www.marcnesbitt.com.  I worked with Marc during my 3 1/2 years at MTV Games and he's a really terrific guy (and a personal favorite.)  He has a rare brain cancer, which is curable with vigorous treatment but is extremely costly and it's difficult for him to actually get to his chemo appointments.  If you read the site for more detail, you can get a better idea of the situation and what he's going through, so if you have anything to spare, even $5, please consider donating.  Thank you!!!

Current Music: Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - If I Had a Gun