Happy Birthday Jon Bon Jovi!

Happy Birthday Jon Bon Jovi! Damn, 50 looks good on you.

I first fell in lust for Jon Bon Jovi when I was in high school and that lust has continued for over two decades. My high school boyfriend took me to see Bon Jovi at the Rosemont Horizon during the Slippery When Wet tour. We were in the 6th row.

Since then, I've seen live Bon Jovi a couple more times, including four years ago. And in 20+ years, Bon Jovi just keeps getting better and better.

Here are a couple of my favorite Bon Jovi songs:

I'll Be There for You because of a different high school friend and all that he meant to me during my senior year.

Hallelujah - such a beautifully haunting song. One of my most favorite songs ever.

Wanted Dead or Alive

It's My Life

(You Want to) Make A Memory

Finally, You Give Love a Bad Name - because of the first man to break my heart.

Lust Chapter 2 or I'm Still Hot for Rick Springfield

How did you spend your 4th of July?

I spent mine lusting over Rick Springfield in Lake Forest.

Yes, we've been down this road before. As you'll recall, in July 2007, my girlfriends and I sat front-row for the Rick Springfield concert at Frontier Days in Arlington Heights. I documented that night in a post titled Lust.

My friends Lisa, Wini and I arrived at 6pm for the 8pm concert and got great seats about 25 feet from the stage. Remembering how Rick ventured out into the audience at Frontier Days, I suggested we sit right next to the marked-out walkway from the stage to the sound booth. Smart move.

As we waited for Rick to take the stage, we did some great people watching. There were three women in particular who were decked-out head-to-toe in full 80s attire. From their over-hair sprayed two-toned hair, hoop earrings the size of my face, and too heavy black eyeliner to their t-shirts with puffy paint that read "Rockin with Rick 2011," rolled-up cut-off jean shorts, and scrunchy socks with their Reeboks, these women had style. I'm not sure, but I think they even arrived in their DeLorean. They documented the evening with the same disposable camera I used in the early 90s. Truthfully, I don't think they had to look far for their outfits; I think they simply never left the 80s. You may think I'm making fun of these women, but I assure you I'm not. They owned their looks and my friends and I were impressed. I wish I had pictures, but I didn't have the courage to take them.

We also saw some women, who I swear weren't a day over 12, wearing "Mrs. Springfield" t-shirts. That's just wrong.

An 80s cover band named Sixteen Candles opened for Rick. Given that we were in the late John Hughes hometown, it should come as no surprise that they sang Don't You Forget About Me by Simple Minds and from the movie The Breakfast Club. Seriously. John Hughes Forever.


Sixteen Candles was terrific and we all agreed they'd be a fun band to see in a bar.

Rick took the stage moments after 8pm looking just as good as he looked in 2007 and immediately, all the women were squealing. Yes, me included. You did read Lust, right?

My first tweet simply stated "It's RICK! Be still my heart!" accompanied by this picture.

Do you see how good he looks? He sounded just as good belting out all the songs we all knew by heart.

My next tweet: "Forget Jesse's Girl, Rick Springfield oughta be Jessie's guy!" Don't you think?

There was no tweet to accompany this picture. I just love how much fun he's having. He was clearly as excited to see me as I was to see him.

Finally, Rick wandered out into the audience to see me, but some chick got her hand in the way of my great picture.

I tweeted "OMG! I just got a little "Human Touch" in the form of Rick's sweat from about 2ft away!" Yep, the chick got out of my way. I love this picture.

A few minutes later, the concert was over. Or so I tweeted. "Rick is done. I need a cigarette. #IDontActuallySmokeGetTheReference" But I was wrong as he rushed back on stage and I tweeted, "Oh. My. God. Rick came back for an encore. HALF NAKED with rockin 6pack abs and tattoos. I can barely breathe. #JustGetMeThePackOfCigs" In a tweet that still makes me laugh, some unknown woman wrote me saying "Um, no. You don't need a cigarette." Seriously. Didn't she get the reference?

After we came down from our Rick Springfield euphoria, the fireworks started. I don't think I've ever seen fireworks like I saw that night. They were happening directly above us rather than at a good distance, which made for a much more intense experience. I know my DC peeps are going to be upset, but I honestly believe the Lake Forest fireworks were at least as good as the fireworks on The Mall with the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial in the background.

As the night came to the end, I was a little concerned that we'd be stuck in traffic getting out of the parking lot and over to Wini's condo or Lisa's house at the College. Much to my pleasant surprise, however, we were out of the parking lot within 5 minutes and through the congestion on eastbound Deerpath within another 5 minutes. Less than 15 minutes later, I was headed west on Deerpath on my way to Arlington Heights the roads were completely clear. Kudos to the Lake Forest Police Department for awesome crowd control and traffic management!

Time hasn't stood still for either Rick or me, but four years later, our relationship remains solid and he still sends shivers up my spine.

i like my body when it is with your

I really enjoy reading ee cummings. I became a fan in high school in an American Literature class. ee cummings poetry was the first poetry I "got." Earlier tonight, a blog buddy of mine posted the poem below on her fabulous blog Bethany's World. It's one of my personal favorites for many reasons.

i like my body when it is with your

-ee cummings

My Love Affair With Michael Jordan

I love Michael Jordan. Well, maybe lust is a better word.

I don't remember exactly when it started, but somewhere in the late 1980s, I became obsessed with #23. I can't say I was a huge basketball fan, but Michael Jordan had me captivated and never lost my attention.

Not only do I love him as an athlete and greatest basketball player ever, but as an inspiration as well. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team. He's missed thousands of shots over the years. He's overcome horrible tragedy in losing his father, his best friend, mid-career. No matter what, Michael Jordan gave the game of basketball his absolute best, scoring some of his highest per game point totals when he had the flu. He kept his dream alive and never let it go.

Why is Michael Jordan the greatest? Certainly because he has a gift and talent that few people in this world have. But more than that, he practiced harder and in a more focused way than anyone else. He was committed. He never played half-assed.

One of my favorite Michael Jordan quotes of all time speaks to this "whatever it takes" commitment.

"I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." - Michael Jordan

More quotes here.

I got to watch him play in person just a handful of times in Washington DC. One of the most memorable was the last game of the 72-10 season in 1995-96. Of course, the Bulls went on to win their 4th NBA Championship that June, on my birthday. It was also Father's Day and the first championship after he returned from his 18-month retirement and I'll never forget watching him drop to his knees on the hardwood clutching the ball and then lying on the locker room floor crying and saying he'd won it for his Dad. Quite a few of those championships came either on my birthday or were celebrated on my birthday. I always believed that happened just for me.

And come on, didn't we all want to "Be Like Mike"? Heck, every time I pick up a Gatorade now, I still think about this commercial.



Congratulations on your enshrinement into the NBA Hall of Fame, Michael! No one deserves it more.



UPDATE 8:03pm: The enshrinement just ended and Michael's speech was amazing. His closing comment is my new favorite Michael Jordan quote: "Limits like fears are often just an illusion." You got that right. Here's the Chicago Tribune's coverage of the ceremony.

Bradley Whitford is Gonna Be SINGLE!

Dear Bradley Whitford,

People Magazine is reporting you're getting divorced. You and Jane Kaczmarek always seemed like one of the cool Hollywood couples and like you had a solid marriage. I'm very sorry to hear of your loss.

That said, it's no secret I've lusted after you since I first laid eyes on you in 1999 when The West Wing first premiered and you played Josh Lyman. You are my perfect mix of geek and sexiest man alive. I'm still single and would be more than happy to help you through this difficult time in your life. Consider it my good deed for the year.

In case you didn't know, we actually have a lot in common. You're a solidly Midwestern boy from Madison and I grew up in the Chicago burbs, just 90 minutes from Madison. We're both political junkies and very liberal. You played Josh Lyman. I love Josh Lyman. You're about to be single and I am definitely single. You have 3 kids and I like kids. You worked in the (pretend) West Wing and I've been in the (real) West Wing.

It's a match made in Heaven.

Call me.

Jessica

Bradley Whitford on The Daily Show

If you've been a long-time reader of Little Merry Sunshine, you know about my lust for Bradley Whitford. To be sure, he and Josh Lyman, the character he plays on The West Wing are pretty much my ideal guy. Smart, political wonk, witty, kinda geeky. As far as I can tell, the only thing wrong with Bradley Whitford is that wedding ring.

My favorite Bradley Whitford line from this interview is "It's my standard autograph policy, you know, if you let me touch you down there, I'll do whatever you want." To be sure, he can touch me anywhere, anytime.

I'd be remiss if I didn't send a big thank you and a huge wet sloppy kiss to the friend who thoughtfully sent me this video this morning. There is almost no better way to wake up.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Bradley Whitford

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