The final episode of LTD! This one is all about endings, new beginnings, and believing in your dreams.

The episode, titled "Dream On", is all about the end of the tour and how it is full of craziness, and in the case of the LMITE tour, home. We get to see the Guys visit some old haunts in their home town Wyckoff, NJ (The Garden Town, In The Garden State). We see them at their old school playground, attempt to get some water ice and custard (AKA a Rita's Gelati) and marvel at their final venue, the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a place they never even dreamed they would play (never mind sell out).

They are very sweet and nostalgic and talk about how it is so important for them to stay those humble boys from New Jersey. They also talk about how so many songs from Jonas Brothers were written in that little red house in Wyckoff. Kevin narrates.

Check it out after the jump! PLUS see Frankie's time in the spotlight and the finale of the tour!

Frankie Comes Out.

(The girl who filmed this video was very excited - who can blame her? I find it very sweet -I have been there, sister!)

We Are The Champions!

So what are your thoughts about the series?

[Via: Disney Channel, switchfootstar7 (YouTube), jessEkaaa (YouTube)]

Nah. I'm not going down like that.

Hey! What if we all did what we truly wanted to do with our lives without the fear of failing?! Well boys and girls I'm off on a craft/retail/party/inspired/Oprahish journey and expect to succeed. Yes success! My life coach says that I'm the only one stopping me from achieving my hearts desire, so now that I've shut myself up from doubts and fears and plan to move full steam ahead.

Yup, I'm changing careers. Completely. Anyone interested in the details, holler at me!

Get up early and do our morning tasks. At 9:00 am the two of us walk over to Nativo & get some fruit drinks para llevar and head to Scotiabank to pick up a new e-llave, the little security token we need to do our internet banking. Since all of the monthly tax payments have to be done via the internet, this little thingy is required for us to do anything with our bank account. The one we have stopped working, so we need to get a new one. No big deal, we think.

We wait in line 30 minutes for one of the account executives. He tells us lo siento, but they have no e-llaves. Of course not. Why did we think this would be easy? At our request, he calls over to the Centro Maya branch, a 20 minute drive across town, to confirm they do indeed have them. No problem.

Tony goes to the hotel to work & Cheri drives across town to the bank. She waits 40 minutes for an account executive. After ten minutes, he decides his computer isn't working properly, so she's handed off to another guy who enters some data into his computer and then tells Cheri to go stand in the teller line to pick up the token. After twenty minutes in line, the teller asks for Cheri's passport, which of course she hadn't thought to bring.

Back across town. Stop at the hotel and write some checks (might as well do the other banking at the same time). Pick up passport at home. Drive back to the bank.

Stand in line another 30 minutes. The teller tells Cheri to go stand in line for the account executives if she wants an e-llave. Trying hard not to explode, Cheri explains that she has already talked to him and he told her to pick it up from the teller and no, he didn't give her any paper with numbers on it. After Cheri refuses to back down, the teller hands her off to the manager. After the manager looks at his computer for awhile, then has a pow wow with two other people and then calls over the original account executive, the manager asks, "Quien es Anthony Head?" She replies, "mi esposo." Oh, lo siento, but the e-llave is issued to him, I'm very sorry but we can't just give it to YOU. Bank policy, you understand. After ten minutes of begging, pleading, frustration and explanation gets her nowhere, Cheri asks the manager if he's SURE he'll be there in 45 minutes when she returns with Tony. Yes of course, no problema. Then she asks if he can at least cash her two checks. No, sorry, you have to wait for one of the tellers for that. ARGHH!!!

Twenty five minutes later, she gets back in the Big Bastard & calls Tony and tells him to find his passport, because only HE can be issued this stupid little piece of plastic. THEY COULDN'T HAVE MENTIONED THIS ON EITHER OF THE LAST TWO TRIPS HERE???!?!? Tension level: very high. He goes home, finds his passport. Cheri picks him up so that she can return for the FOURTH trip to the bank today. We're not happy.

On our way into the bank we see the bank manager leaving, of course. When it's clear we're about to accost him the parking lot, he tells us no problema, go see Ana at window 3 and she'll help you. We go in and walk up to window 3, infuriating all the people standing in line waiting (do they KNOW this is our 4th trip to the bank today?!?!). Ana motions us over to another window where she spends the next 45 MINUTES looking at her computer, punching in numbers, looking frustrated, and getting nowhere. Finally we ask what the problem is. She says that her computer system is not working, but we can wait if we want to. By now it's 3:30 on Friday afternoon, the last banking day of the month. We're both ready to scream. She senses the frustration and says that she'll keep trying to make it work and as soon as it's ready, she'll call us and all we'll have to do is come back and pick it up. Yeah. We've heard that one before. Give 'em some hope so they'll go home & leave us alone.

We leave. She never calls. The bank closes at 5:00.

Total trips to the bank? Four

Mission accomplished? Not even close

Welcome to our world. Now you know why tequila is so popular in Mexico. :)

This week's episode of LTD is all about how "Jonas Brothers" is more than three brothers - it's a corporation.

The episode, titled "We Are The Boss", chronicles how the Boys are brothers, best friends, and business partners. We get to see that they want to call the shots on everything from posters to styling, videos to stage design.

We are treated to a brainstorming/planning session for the stage for the Burnin' Up Tour. They want to have control of every detail, but being that there are three of them, they don't always agree on everything (12 feet or 20 feet - I think Nick won that argument). Nick is the dreamer, Kevin the planner, and Joe the idea guy (which I think is totally giving Joe short shrift).

They also discuss how they feel the responsibility of being the head of a company that employs upwards of 70 people, and how it can be awkward to boss around adults. Kevin narrates.

Check it out after the jump.

[Via: The Disney Channel, mRsJoeJonaS4everr1 (YouTube)]

We came to Mexico with certain expectations. Some of those expectations ended up dashed on the rocks of reality, but some of them were fulfilled beyond our wildest dreams. On the plus side, the little backpacker hotel that we took over that day became a huge success. When we bought the Hotel Zanzibar, it was barely making a profit. When we left for Mexico, Cheri admonished us both that we would have to be very careful with our spending and pointed out that we wouldn't be able to afford even such luxuries as paper towels. This year the Luna Blue Hotel & Garden closed out high season occupancy at 99%. We still laugh about the paper towels. :)

During our trip to sign the papers for the hotel in February of 2005, we bought a small place in Paamul. We envisioned mornings swimming and kayaking in the Caribbean and then wandering into the hotel mid-day. As it happened, we never spent a single night there and ended up selling the place almost three years later. Turns out we were far busier than we ever imagined, and even the short commute to Paamul was way too long to make sense to us. Not to mention the cleanup required there after Hurricane Emily and later Hurricane Wilma. Luckily, it was the only really big mistake we made along the way.

Life in Playa was quite different in early 2005 than it is today. On our trip to sign the papers in February of that year, one of the questions we struggled with was: where would we find good fruits and vegetables? And what about pet food? At the time there were only a couple of supermarkets in town and their selections were very limited. So our plan at the time was to drive to Costco in Cancun every week with a cooler and stock up. When Walmart came to town, life changed drastically. It's funny, we never set foot in a Walmart in the States; down here we can't live without it. On its heels came Mega. Soon afterwards we were spending far less time traveling from store to store to find the most basic needs. Life sure became easier at that point.

Another change in our lives over these past three years has been our self-sufficiency in matters of basic housing. Back in the US, if we had the smallest leak under the sink, we called a plumber. We could change our own light bulbs, but any problem bigger than that required an expert. All we knew was the certainty than when you turned the tap, water came out and when you flipped the switch, lights came on. It was magic to us. In Mexico, we found out that things weren't so certain, and that the magic didn't always work.

Since moving to Mexico, we've had to become our own magicians. We've installed our own ceiling fans and air conditioners, learned the intricacies of wiring and plumbing and understand where water comes from and where to get it when it doesn't. We've hauled a water tank to the top of our hotel with ropes and pulleys and soldered broken pipes in the middle of pouring rain. We've even had the "joy" of shoveling out the sewage trap both at home and in the hotel. We sure never did that in the States!

The bureaucracy of Mexico's government was something else we had heard about but weren't quite prepared for three years ago. You can read about the corruption, but you can't really appreciate it until you have to live with it every day. Whether or not to pay bribes, called mordidas (literally "little bite"), is a problem everyone faces down here--Mexican and expat alike. The system built on offering little "gifts" runs against everything Americans are used to, i.e., direct access to a somewhat efficient and honest government. The prevalence of bribery here has frustrated us and sometimes scared us, but other times it has been a welcome opportunity to get things accomplished in a relatively quick and easy fashion. Good or bad, it's something that is now just part of life in paradise.

In the past three years we've had plenty of ups and downs. During that time, we survived the largest hurricane in history, months of hurricane relief in Mahahual, an architect who stole lots of money from us, the loss of three pets, several large construction projects, and the extra tortilla weight each of us found along the way. And sadly, we've been disappointed by some people we thought to be our friends.

But on the plus side, overwhelmingly the people we have met on our journey have been good to us and in many cases as anxious to see us succeed as we were ourselves. We've made several very good friendships, learned a lot about living in another culture, adopted three new pets from the streets, found that we were tougher than we ever imagined, and managed not to strangle each other even when the stress was more than we thought we could bear. And life here is never boring, as no two days are ever alike.

We don't get to the beach nearly as much as we thought we would, our Spanish still leaves a lot to be desired, and we still struggle with the mañana attitude sometimes. But the past three years have been an adventure we wouldn't have traded for anything the world. To those of you who have encouraged us along the way and have seen us through some of the low points, thanks from the bottom of our hearts. We're looking forward to more adventures and maybe...just maybe...we'll finally find some time to really enjoy this magical place we call home.

Tony & Cheri

P.S. Happy birthday, Don. You're the best brother (& brother in law) one could ever wish for.

P.P.S. VOTE OBAMA IN 2008!!!

Another unaired episode of LTD! This one is all about how the Guys are each individuals despite their perceived group persona and the fact that they really do spend nearly every moment together.

In the episode, titled "It Is Cool To Be Different", we hear how the Guys see each other and how they feel about their status as role models. We learn that Kevin takes his job as the oldest brother very seriously and feels the burden of having 3 brothers who look up to him. He is the responsible one, but is also gregarious, goofy, and amusingly histrionic. Joe is the "jokester" who entertains everyone with his self deprecating humor, unafraid to risk life and limb (and forehead) for a bit. Nick is the competitive perfectionist who is hard on himself if he screws up (he is even hard on himself about being a perfectionist).  We also hear how they pride themselves on being wholesome and positive examples for their fans, how they love their fans, and how no one should ever be afraid to stand out from the crowd. Nick narrates.

For anyone who has devoted any time to watching Jonas Brothers interviews and media, these characterizations of the Guys are not surprising, but it is cool to hear how they see each other (and themselves). They seem pretty self aware for their age. It was also cool, and a little terrifying, learning more about Joe's accident (50 to 60 stitches - ow, Joe! - there must have been blood everywhere - EEK!).

Check out the vid after the jump (plus a bonus)!

For some reason this episode made me want to share this vid with you.
My favorite concert vid of "Underdog" from LMITE! Enjoy!
(P.S. Nick is on drums.)

[Via: Jonasx3Rocks (YouTube), potterfan1496(YouTube), JBF]

 is a book that combines the breathtaking mountain life photography of Whistler, British Columbia, with words of wisdom and insight on the pursuit of dreams and inspiration by Whistler local, michael sean symonds.  Inspired by the original movie/slideshow and recently published [2008]:   ZEN Shredding: Insights, Questions and Confessions of a Meditator and Novice Snowboarder on the pursuit of dreams, inspiration, passion and change; this gift book version: "Living The Dream", offers an unparalleled opportunity to immerse yourself in the spectacular scenery and magic that inspired the slide show and book. "Living the dream" includes many insights and questions that have the potential to create the preamble for the effortless expression of change and transformation in your life and the world you live in... 

Partial proceeds of the sale of this book will be donated to Zero Ceiling, an unbiased charitable society that offers innovative snowboarding programs to at-risk and disadvantaged youth from Vancouver and Montreal on the slopes of Whistler BC, the Laurentians and  Mont Tremblant, Quebec. Through adventure-based learning, employment skills training and personal development, Zero Ceiling is making a difference.  For more information on this project please visit their site:    

 http://www.zeroceiling.org

Check out the short slidshow/video that started this all out:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae-HJELVVDQ

For more information on this new version of:

ZEN Shredding ~ Living The Dream

[ The Prequel ]

or

to order the book please follow this link…

http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/322380

That's right, all this week, members of the Northfarthing group get 20% off on several selected items at Living the Dream (make sure you have your group tag enabled!). Plus there are freebie shoes and bodices, skirts as low as $10L for a bundle, tights as low as $20L for a bundle...if you've been meaning to get some good garb for a medieval/renaissance/fantasy RP sim, then this is absolutely your chance! Come visit Living the Dream today--we do our homework, so you don't have to.

I have a theory about why the Law of Attraction has become so hot: It feeds the human compulsion to control. It's not that there is anything misguided or wrong with the Law of Attraction. It's just that it tells only part of the story. And the part of the story it tells makes people fantasize that if they just have the right thoughts and if they just have the right feelings and if they just do the right things, then they can control everything around them.

Recently, I have been getting questions and complaints about the Law of Attraction from people I know. Some complain that it just doesn't work or that it might work for others, but they cannot "make" it work for them. Some are confused about how, when, and in what way it works. Others suspect there is something important missing about it.

From my experience and vantage point, the Law of Attraction is real and valid. One of the most common problems faced by those trying to consciously understand and employ it is that they want to jump to the desired experience without acknowledging exactly where they are in the present moment. That's one step that cannot be skipped. Another problem is the strength and consistency with which the person chooses the supportive thoughts and feelings. But both of those issues are dealt with beautifully by others, so I'm not going to spend time addressing them. There are a few other things going on that I will address?

So what else might be coming into play?

Among other things, there is the energetic impact of others--other people, other creatures, and everything else outside of us. We might have a certain amount of control over ourselves (and, in my opinion, we overestimate how much that is), and it is true that our energetic state impacts everything around us. But we cannot control everything around us. Change yourelf and you begin to change your experience. Believe that you can energetically wrestle the world around you by using the Law of Attraction as the equivalent of a half nelson and you are going to be disappointed with what you experience. At best, you will fail. At worse, you will experience a boomerang effect sock in the jaw.

There is us and there is "the other" impacting our experience. What else?

In my model of the Cosmos (formed, among other things, through mystical experience), there is also the larger energetic source of which we are a part, the numinous presence that is both imminent and transcendent. Might we have made some agreements before we came into human form that impact our experience here? Yes. Might there be larger plans at play? Yes. Is there something called Divine Timing? Absolutely.

We love to focus on our part, the part that has to do with our thoughts, feelings, and actions. We hate to accept that our part is only part of a larger body of influences that impact our experience. We hate it. We try to manipulate others. We try to beat Mother Earth into submission. We try to make deals with God. We want control over everything and the truth is, we don't have control over everything.

There is a good reason to support and practice the principles that make up the Law of Attraction. For a species that has such a compulsion to control, we tend to exert control over our own thoughts and feelings shockingly little. Just attending to what we think and how we feel can change your life. Don't believe it? Try it.

But our thoughts and feelings, along with our actions, make up a sweet little package that is only one part of the complex mix of energies that is the creative soup of our experience. So if you are struggling with the Law of Attraction, it might help to step back, take a deep breath, and accept the fact (shocking as it may be) that you are not in control of everything. And if you contemplate that for very long, you just might come to like the idea.

A bonus episode of LTD that was only available online!

This episode, titled "Fashion Rocks", is (naturally) all about the Guys' love of fashion on and off the stage.  They tell us a little about their individual styles: Kevin - equestrian dandy; Nick - dapper gent; Joe - rocker chic, and how they love to get dressed in the morning.

We also get to visit a little more with Michelle Tomaszewski and see how the Guys are not afraid to assert their fashion opinions. We see how their stage clothes are designed to be ripped off and how they love that their fans find inspiration from their style. Other cool things include "Gangsta Gentleman", Joe's "Pushing Me Away" drop from behind the scenes, and learning all about how they need slip proof shoes so they don't fall on stage (because that would never happen). Kevin narrates.

Check it out after the jump!

[Via: Disney Channel, UrJonasBrothrsUpdate (YouTube), coolmom :) ]

Cow Chasing: I was awoken on the morning of my birthday to a rather unusual noise that one doesn't normally hear while living in the city.

"Mmmmmmmmooooooooooooo."

What the hell was that? My barnyard animal storybooks that my Dad used to read me when I was two seemed to esacpe my groggy mind. However, as soon as I peeked my head out of our luxurious cabin, my jaw dropped to see an entire herd of cows happily grazing 50 yards from our front steps.

I ran to get my honey who thought it would be a good idea to get the camera and film the birthday girl terrorize the bovine away from the property (and in my Natori chemise no less!) Thank goodness the innkeeper was already on the scene and had phoned the ranch next door (by next door I mean 20 miles down the gravel road) to come and fetch their stock. Oh well...adventure averted...

Since we were already up we decided to have a leisurely breakfast outside with the cows. Coffee in hand we lounged on the deck and took in the breathtaking view of the mountain range, the lake, the river -cow poop- the flora and birds chirping near by.

Without notice a distinct rumbling came audibly close and we couldn't believe our eyes when we saw two ATVs plowing across the property. The rancher and his wife, dressed I shit you not, in cowboy hats, bandanas and pointy boots, had manupulated their ATVs as modern day herding dogs to chase the cows off the property all 20 miles back to the ranch.

I was a little disappointed. I had hoped to see a horse. It would have been a little more "Dances with Wolves."

Frankie! Frankie! Frankie! This week's episode of LTD is all about Frank The Tank (AKA The Bonus Jonas).

In this episode, titled "Rock Star In Training", we get the opportunity to learn a little more about the youngest Jonas Brother. We get to see how "having rock star brothers sometimes hurts your ears", that his brothers adore and worship him (Joe wants "to be him so bad"), and that he is not afraid to play favorites (though they change from time to time). We also get to see Nick and Joe helping Frankie with some songwriting. It is very sweet. Nick narrates.

Get to know Frank a little better for yourself, after the jump (and then check out a humorous Frankie Jonas bonus)!

BONUS JONAS BONUS:

Check out this very sarcastic (fake) blog written by a bizarro-world, neglected, Metallica-loving Frankie Jonas titled I'm More Than A Bonus Jonas, Dad (thanks Mememoi!). I particularly like "his" analysis of ALBL.

Rock on, Frankie!

[Via: Disney Channel, Just Jared, KIERAxLOVE (YouTube)]

Tonight's LTD was all about Nick's diabetes. Those of you who have been to a show on the Burnin' Up Tour will recognize most of it as the video that precedes Nick's performance of "A Little Bit Longer".

The episode, titled "Nothing's Gonna Slow Me Down," focuses on Nick, but features his whole family. We hear how Nick is the "Commander in Chief" of the band, but he counts on his brothers and family when things get bad, like when he received his diagnosis. We hear how he manages his carb intake and blood sugar. We get to see his Omnipod and hear how keeping his blood in check is not as easy as he makes it seem. He also talks about writing "A Little Bit Longer". Nick narrates.

This episode made me cry. For real. The parts that got me the most were when Nick was talking about how "No one can ever really relate to how you feel,'" and when, while talking about how he dedicates "A Little Bit Longer" to anyone with a broken heart, or who is having a hard time, he feels a connection with the audience that says "I'm here for you, you're here for me. Let's sing." Having experienced that first hand myself I can say it is a very powerful moment (cue the sobbing tweens - and not so tweens).

I won't reiterate what I said in an earlier post about Nick, but long story short, I think he is amazing.

Check it out after the jump (grab some tissues on your way).

[Via: Disney Channel, Nugwin (YouTube)]

hey guys and gals!

if any of you have picked up my book Living the Dream: Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus, The Unofficial Story, i would love to hear your thoughts on it! post your comments, or email me (susanjanic at gmail dot com), or post a review at your favorite bookseller!

the book is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Barnes&Noble, Chapters.Indigo.ca, Borders, and a million other great retailers!

xoxo
susan j

p.s. for some wacky reason the color of the cover here looks way more purple flourescent than it is in real life...gah...

However, lately we have been spending more and more time at a not-so-well-known beach about 20 minutes down the road called Xpu-Ha. Xpu-Ha was a popular beach for awhile. It was wild, undeveloped, and had a cute little restaurant, the Café del Mar. Unfortunately awhile back the Café del Mar closed, and beach access became a little more restricted. However, there still are public roads to Xpu-Ha, still some wild undeveloped stretches of beach, and three beach clubs of varying style and cost.

Our favorite of these is La Playa beach club. The entrance is on the ocean side of 307, just south of the Catalonia resort. There’s a big sign saying “La Playa” at the entrance of a dubious looking dirt road. There’s a rope across the road. Nearby is a house from which someone will come to lower the rope and let you in for the cost of $25 pesos per person. As the old joke goes: they don’t own the beach; they don’t own the road, but they own the rope. This money is refunded to you when you leave if you spend $100 pesos or more (approximately $10) while at the beach club. To collect your refund, just bring your receipt and wristbands back to the “gatekeeper” when you leave.

Once inside the entrance, you’ll find about a half mile of curvy, pothole-filled dirt road. Drive slowly as you go over the bumps. The road will end at the beach. Pull your car into the sand parking lot and take in the sweeping view. Walk through the restaurant out onto the deck of the beach club and down onto one of the most gorgeous tropical beaches you will find.

La Playa is a typical beach club. They have lounge chairs and palapa umbrellas, the use of which is free with your $25 peso admission price. The several hammocks hanging on the beach are also available for free use. If you like fancier beach lounging, there are sun beds and very cool rocking loungers available for an additional fee. The restaurant food is…okay and typical of beach fare. The burgers ain't bad. Cheri says the pina coladas are big and yummy. You can eat and drink on the restaurant deck overlooking the ocean or on your chair on the sand. We’ve always found the service to be friendly and reasonably fast (by Mexico standards). Here you can also do a bit of shopping, with a large shady shack selling local handicrafts.

There are lots of activities—sailing, snorkeling, jet skiing, windsurfing, kayaking, etc. if that is your interest. We tend to lie in the sand and float in the water.

If you stroll along the beach south of La Playa, you’ll hit a very funky little beach area called Bonanza RV Park. There is space for camping, some undeveloped beach, a few lean-tos with some locals selling handicrafts, and a funky but very friendly feel. If you want to lay on the sand undisturbed, this is the place, but bring your own towel and shade. There are no chairs or umbrellas.

Walking even further south, what you’ll find is a long stretch of undeveloped Caribbean beach. And that’s not bad.

Here's a video of utter bliss: no music, no noise, no people. Just the sounds of the waves and the wind.

If you head north on the beach from La Playa, again you’ll find an area pretty much undeveloped. As you stroll, keep an eye open for a small wooden shack with brightly colored hammocks and string chairs hanging about. This is the store of Juan and Juan, father and son, who make and sell beautiful hammocks. We have a number of them in the hotel.

Continuing your stroll, you’ll eventually hit the Hacienda Vista Real (HVR) Beach Club. It’s normally for the exclusive use of that all-inclusive resort, but in low season, they tend to welcome walk-up guests and rent chairs for a nominal fee. It’s a small beach club with an even smaller restaurant. When we were there, the quiet is what attracted us. No pounding music, no DJs. Just the sound of the surf. Ah….heaven.

This summer, life has not been exactly low key for us. Opening a bar, dealing with some employee matters, and enlarging the house—with all the construction noise, dirt and hassles that go along with it—have made paradise a little less tranquil than usual. Getting down to Xpu-Ha on occasion has allowed us to remember some of the reasons we moved to Mexico in the first place. It forces us to slow down and get in touch with nature, each other and ourselves. Every time we float in that beautiful water, we always make a vow that we are going to do this more often.

Here are some more pictures of a day at Xpu-Ha beach:

A perfect Caribbean beach

Two Buddhas

La Playa Beach Club as seen from the ocean

A view from the La Playa restaurant

Cheri the Mermaid

The Caribbean as seen from a beach chair

Not-so-old Man and the Sea

Fishing boat

Cheri strolling on the beach

La Playa Beach Club on Xpu-Ha Beach

Cloud Mountain

A well deserved rest

7:55 a.m. crawl out of bed into shower

8:15 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. blow-dry hair, no makeup, throw on sweats turn on the computer.

8:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. sitting at new desk, perusing the daily news, writing a news release, filling up the travel schedule.  Attending to very important client needs. Yes I am back in action!

12:40 p.m.- 1:30 p.m. lunch with my new client then off to Office Depot for those necessary biz supplies: Rolodex, file folders, organizers and a sick sick paper shredder.

1:40 p.m. - 4:25 p.m. organize Rolodex, more important client related activities. I love my job.

4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. begin using sick sick paper shredder on a three-year pile of old phone bills, mortgage payments, Xcel bills. Loving the instant confetti machine.

5:35 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. shredder breaks. Obviously have too enthusiastically shredded stack of papers and jammed up the device. Commence de-jamming the shredder using a letter opener and a paper clip. Then remember to unplug paper shredder. I feel like McGiver.

So far so good.

Tonight's LTD was all about how each of the Brothers is an integral part of the "Jonas Brothers Puzzle" and how doing what each of them does best creates a perfect balance.

In the episode, titled "Musical Scrap Book", we learn how each of them see their role in the band, that they see their songs as a personal "musical scrapbook", and that the best songs write themselves. When it comes down to it they just write what is going on in their lives and are thrilled that it connects with people of all ages. Nick narrates.

Specifically Nick talks about how "SOS" was just him venting over a personal experience and they love how it is so upbeat at the same time. What is true of "SOS" is also true of "Tonight" and it is a wonderful way to get the angst out!

Check it out after the jump!

[Via:BubbleOnDrugsXP (YouTube)]

Communication continues via my newest addictions: Twitter and text messaging. I just upgraded to "unlimited text messaging" with AT&T so that I don't get screwed with charges. I have no idea how many texts I've sent this month, but I'm sure it's a lot. Hundreds and hundreds. I've got my Twitter hooked up with my phone now, both to post and to read other people's posts IMMEDIATELY via my cellphone.

The Twitter thing really took off for me during my last mini-tour with Cash'd Out. Suddenly I was plugged in and wanted to share all of the random, mundane, bizarre, whatever occurrences, thoughts, and goings ons of my travels with my "followers"... it's twisted, it's weird to me, and I'm having a really good time exploring this new realm of openness and banality.

The urge to Twitter is becoming automatic and reactionary. Yesterday, while stopping for a pee break while the Evangenitals were busking with the Collaboration Foundation on The 1 Second Film's Road to Oprah bus, I went in for the wipe prematurely and surprised myself by peeing on my hand. Immediately I wanted to Twitter, "Accidentally peed on my hand!" I thought better of it, though, and figured I'd keep that intimate accident to myself. Today, however, I had second thoughts. If I'm really going to give over to the Twitter phenomena for the time being, methinks I should truly GIVE OVER to it. I am reminded of David Hurlin's wife's first Twitter: "about to take my good morning dump" and am encouraged to be more honest about what's REALLY happening.

And what is really happening? That's is the question! I am having heavy philosophical/spiritually driven thoughts about my true nature and purpose lately. I am asking the universe what my purpose is and waiting for the answer.

In real-time, I am sitting on a porch watching my African Leopard Tortoise "Mr Turtle" just BE in tortoise-time. Right now he is struggling to crawl over a brick wall and his short legs are kicking in the air as his heavy shell teeters in the balance. He won't give up until he is over the wall. Eventually he gets his big 'ol shell on top of the wall, peers over the drop, and simply plummets to the ground on the other side. It is not graceful. There is much struggle. He really seems to enjoy it. No matter how many times I put him behind the brick wall, he keeps working at it until he can find a way over it. Free to explore the yard, to bask in the sun, to hide under a bush, to make a run for it down the driveway, to eat the clover, to stretch his legs.

It is a simple thing that makes me enormously happy, watching Mr Turtle the Tortoise walking around finding little things in the yard to eat. Tiny pink tongue visible between chomps from his sharp beak.

Right NOW he's making a run for it down the driveway toward the street. Must put him back behind the wall. Second verse, same as the first. :-)

This week's LTD was all about school and learning while on the road.

The episode, entitled "School Rocks," gives us a glimpse of how Nick handles going to school while on tour. We get to see how doing school work means that Nick gets left behind sometimes (and how his brothers miss him), and how touring the country presents some unique opportunities for learning. We also get to see a cute candid on stage moment of Nick telling us (the Las Vegas audience) about his experience at a Titanic exhibit. Nick narrates.

Check out the episode after the jump.

[Via: NickJisoffmychain2 (YouTube) ]

Upon arrival, I notcied two things immediately. One: it was at least 100 degrees outside and I wasn't sure I'd make it inside the park let alone withstand the sweltering heat for the rest of the day. (Note: it was only noon at this time and Tom Petty wasn't scheduled to start until 9:45). And two: I was painfully aware that I was older than about 85 percent of the festival goers. At the age of 24,I felt like a chaperone at Lollapalooza amongst the bikini topped girls with their shrill voices and fake IDs.

I was extremely impressed with the Fesitval's set-up. The first day brought more than 40,000 guests; however, the stages were spread out so far that you could go from place to place without feeling like cattle in a herd. And the FOOD. Denis and I were proud of ourselves for bringing a sensible cooler full of home made sandwiches and fruit (certainly an accessory that gave away the fact that we had no need for a fake ID), but we should have left it at home. Restaurtants from around Denver had set up booths along the entire complex. Music lovers could have NY style pizza, burritos from local delights such as Illegal Pete's, sandwiches from my fave, Steuben's and more.

Enough about the cuisine, we were here for the music. After selecting a beautiful parasol from one of the vendor's booths, a last-minute attempt at an shelter from the power UV rays, we camped ourselves in front of the main stage to await O.A.R and the headliner Tom Petty.

We danced, we sang, we sweat, between Denis and I, I counted seven blisters on our poor little feet. By the time Tom Petty had finished his rendition of "Free Falling" I was lost in the sea of bodies, the smell of marijuana, the sound of mass cheering and acoustic guitar, and the feel of Denis' arms wrapped around my waist as we swayed to the energy that hypnotized the 40,000 into one giant rythmn.

This was only day One.

I'm scared shitless.

I'm scared of losing relationships that were so dear to me. I'm scared of never being able to film another commercial again or have the opportunity to put another deserving family in People Magazine. I'm scared of living on a shoe string budget and having even less of a life than I did before I left.

I'm not afraid of failing.

If people were to stay in the exact same place because they were afraid of what would happen if they left, there'd be no growth. If people didn't take risks for the ones they love and sacrifice things that they'd never fathom for anyone else, there'd be no lasting partnerships. If people stayed in the lines of what was safe and "status quo" there'd be no change.

I needed change.

I'm scared shitless.

I'm going to succeed. I'm going to succeed because the only failure would have been to remain in place that I yearned to leave because it was safe and I knew it inside and out.

But I'm not going to be perfect. Honestly, where's the fun in that?

Stay tuned...