Snow Birds Wanted!!

I've had my home on the market for 6 weeks now and feel like I'm living in a museum as I've got to constantly keep it "show ready"!

I could have sold it at least 3 times but then usually the husband asks "Honey, where's the steps to the basement?"

I don't have a basement and never realized it was such a big deal as I get along fine without one.

I keep hearing things like - "I can't give up that antique bed as my mother was born in it." or "Where will I put the boxes of my kid's schoolwork?" And it doesn't even matter that those kids are now in their 40s!

It's been extremely frustrating as I can fix or offer a discount for almost any other problem area, but I can't dig a basement so I need your help!

At 1240 sq ft, my home is considered small nowadays, which to me is ridiculous as the first home we bought when I got married was only 1100 st ft and that was plenty of room for 2 people. BUT, we've all gotten accustomed to McMansions that would house 8 people (even though there's just 2 or 3 in the family) and most people don't want to downsize even in retirement.

So, if you live in Florida, Arizona or anywhere else that's just too damn hot in the summer or have a friend who'd like to live in a beautiful, Active Adult Community in Colorado, please check out my listing! (I'd even sell it fully furnished!) It's a HOA maintained villa in Heritage Todd Creek with gorgeous views of the golf course and mountains! It's the perfect home for a single person or snow bird couple!http://www.cohomefinder.com/p/80602/1050701.htm

CONCERT JUNKIE

Thank God - I don't have many addictions as I managed to avoid the drug-induced haze of the '60s (too busy studying) and I have never even smoked one cigarette!

BUT, I admit it - I'm a "concert junkie".

My habit started way back in 1956 when I was 8 years old and my older cousins - Roslyn, Lydia & Ginny - took me to my first concert to see Elvis in St. Louis. I wasn't quite sure what all the screaming was about but I loved the music.

After that, I couldn't stop -- there was Bobby Darin, Paul Anka, the Supremes, Dick Clark Caravan of Stars, Ike & Tina, Rod Stewart, Sonny & Cher. I'm so lucky as I've seen the best rockers and the list goes on. BUT, when Elvis died I had to find a new rock idol and thanks to my sister Ginny, it's definitely Bon Jovi.

You might think I'm crazy because I've waited in line over 8 hours just to get into a Bon Jovi concert in Mannheim Germany; then left because the crowd was totally out of control and I feared getting killed in the stampede to the stage!

I even created a 10 minute video to try and win a Bon Jovi European Tour Manager's contest which of course I lost to a much younger chick. In October 2007, Ginny and I flew to New Jersey to see him open the Staples Center there.

So, it certainly didn't seem unreasonable when she asked me to fly to St. Louis in May to see his last USA 2011 tour date. See, he hadn't been in St. Louis in more than 10 years and the die-hard fans started a viral petition - emails, Facebook, Twitter - you name it. They took to the INTERNET and virtually demanded a Bon Jovi concert.

Even without Richie Sambora, it was one of my top 5 concerts as I think the band tried even harder to give a great concert! The visual effects were taken to another dimension with a jumbo tron screen that broke into smaller sections, then scrolled around to the back of the stage to create another performance venue for him. He needed a second stage - because those St. Louis fans came through -- the entire arena --even the area behind the stage was sold out!!

Check it out for yourself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FSXKKQNFLHI&feature=related

Rock of Ages

Baby Boomers like me rocked to the oldies but goodies of the '50s and '60s, but I also love the music of Journey and Bon Jovi born of the pop-metal music decade of the '80s.

Last night I saw Rock of Ages at the Buell Theater. It's a high-energy, arena worthy musical set in Hollywood with a skeleton-thin plot revolving around the romance of Drew & Sherrie.

Constantine Maroulis, former American Idol contestant, plays the lead of Drew. He owned it --easily shifting his character's personality from the cock-sure attitude of a rock star to a love-sick puppy dog when rebuffed by Sherrie.

But the music is the primary character of the play. From the minute the cast hits the stage, the music transports you to that feel-good era best portrayed by Journey's song, "Don't Stop Believing", made popular again by the show - GLEE. Those lyrics offer hope to anyone who has ever been in love or is willing to take that risk again. Check out the best version by Journey at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcjzHMhBtf0&feature=relmfu

So if you love the concert scene, then you're in for a fabulous trip down Nostalgia Lane, with great hits like "Sherrie", "Harden my Heart" & "I Want to Know What Love Is.

For ticket info: http://www.rockofagesmusical.com/tickets-2/