I just read an article on www.cnn.com news regarding the baby animals pictured at left. They have become close pals - orangutans and tigers usually don't make the best of playmates - but in Sumatra they are. I love baby animals and thought this picture was soooooo cute!! Oh yeah, still home sick today and new Candy Band gigs are listed on the gig page. Rock on!!
xoxo A.Joy

Today I am home sick! The picture at left is kinda like what I feel like. Stuffy and ucky - kinda blaaahhh! Just wanted to let readers know that we have tons of cool shows this summer that are in the process of being put on the site. July 28 at Greenfield Village!!! April 29 at the Farmington Art Festival, August 15th at the Detroit Zoo and August 16th at Lemonade in the Shade in Trenton. We will be posting these and lots more very soon so be patient or you will get sick like me (see pic at left). xoxoboohoohoo A.Joy

We had a yukky ice storm yesterday in Detroit. I bet this poor fellow would have loved it. I love bears!! xoxo A.Joy

Today I am at a loss for words. I just woke up - it is raining ice outside (the usual Michigan stuff). Tomorrow the kids go back to school after having a week off, bla bla bla. But, here is a cool penny test my mother sent me this morning. See how good you do!! xoxo A.Joy

Take a look, and see if you can choose the right penny. No cheating; do not look at a real penny first- I know you've seen a real one! See if you can pick the correct one here.
Click on the common cents below. Common Cents

Okay - I admit - one of my favorite movies is Kingpin, I collect bowling bag purses, I have no less that 3 bowling shirts and I even love the shoes. I JUST CAN'T GET OVER 100 WHEN I BOWL!!!! I went with the kids this afternoon and even though we only made it to the 8th frame (time ran out) my score was 68. And - I love hanging out at bowling alleys. Anyone wanna start a league with me???
xoxo A.Joy

Yesterday was Fat Tuesday - we went to the neighbors house and drank Hurricanes (non-alcohol ones for the kiddies of course). My neighbors and I will look for any excuse to party. Anyways, on the walk home I was telling my kids about giving up something you love for Lent (we are not Catholic though). We thought it would be a good challenge. I decided to give up chocolate and Becca said she was gonna give up candy. Good luck - talk about a girl with a sweet tooth. I bet she doesn't make it a week. Here are some interesting facts about candy:

Did you know…
Candy is made simply by dissolving sugar in water. The different heating levels determine the types of candy: Hot temperatures make hard candy, medium heat will make soft candy and cool temperatures make chewy candy.
About 65 percent of American candy brands have been around for more than 50 years.
Halloween is the holiday with the highest candy sales, followed by Easter, Christmas and Valentine's Day.

xoxo A.Joy

Went on a trip to Toledo this weekend. Had a blast at a resort in Maumee Bay and also made a trip to COSI http://www.cositoledo.org One of the hightlights there was "rat basketball". Two rats actually played basketball with each other. It was the cutest thing you've ever seen. It makes me want to get another pet rat (RIP Cuddles and Cleo).

xoxo A.Joy

RIP Shelby Duchess of Royal Oak. It's amazing how attached we are to our animals. Yesterday we said goodbye to our dog of 14 1/2 years... a beautiful, sweet sheltie. We had her before kids, before we were even married. She was a great dog, she loved to play fetch, and "herd" us around the house. We'll miss her greatly.

ANNOUNCEMENT: This Saturday, Feb 17, my good friend Maggie McCabe and I will do a musical set at A Step Outside of the Box. They are having a fundraiser for the Salvation Army Bed and Breakfast. This provides meals to homeless people in Detroit and my good pal Alec is working hard to raise $1200 for this worthy cause. The event is from noon to 5pm with a minimun of $5 donation. There will be food for sale and a "dance-off". Please come out and support this - it's very important!!! Maggie and Almond Joy will perform at 2pm!!! Be there!!
xoxo A.Joy

Got the call at 6:45 that there was no school. I was up putting my contact lenses in - actually had one in already. After I hung up the phone - I took it out and went back to bed. Woke up when it was light out and thought - "did that really happen". So I put on the news - I was right - NO SCHOOL. I thought I was dreaming and we were gonna be late for school.

Happy Valentines Day snowbound Metro Detroiters!! Go and have yourself an Almond Joy. xoxo A.Joy

Char's tooth fell out on Sunday night and she didn't tell anyone. She wanted to put it under her pillow and see if the tooth fairy was real. She told us this on Monday (after the tooth fairy didn't come). Of course, we told her that we need to email the tooth fairy because she has such a busy schedule. Guess what??? The tooth fairy came last night!!!! xoxo A.Joy

Congratulations to Dan Zanes for winning a Grammy Award tonight for Best Childrens Album (Catch That Train). Way to go Dan!! xoxo A.Joy

Interested in a cool Candy Band souvenier? Last year when we played Lollapalooza in Chicago, they ran out of all shirts at the merch booth. Well that are finally in stock on their website. The shirt pictured at left has all the bands listed and we are in the list along with Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gnarles Barkley and Wolfmother. Way to go Candy Band!!! I'm gonna order mine this week!! xoxo A.Joy check it out at www.lollapalooza.com

It was so cold in Detroit this morning - I freaked out when I had to scrape my car windows. Uck. What to do??? xoxo A.Joy

I was trying to find a different picture to post this morning. Remember those old cartoons Happiness is..... (am I showing my age or what - I was really little when I saw them!!). Anyways, I couldn't find what I was looking for and this had more to do with my Happness is... of the day. Okay, here we go: Happiness is waking up in the night for water and noticing that it is only 2am!!! I love that because I have about 5 more house to sleep. Did I mention that I love to sleep!! Don't we all?? Oh well, that's over - I just woke up - BUT - Friday is my favorite day for some reason. It must be the anticipation of the weekend?? xoxo A.Joy

Lost was finally on last night. It was an awesome episode - kinda answered some questions. Pictured at left is Hurley - don't really like him but it was the only picture I could find quickly before I get my kids up for school. His story, I am sure, will get more interesting. But for now - he's dead weight (did he die?). Any other readers out there want to give last nights show a rating from 1 to 5? I give it a 4.
xoxo A.Joy

I rec'd this email from my Mother - I thought it was cute - but what are they going to do when the skunks grow up? I guess they will release them back to the wild?? Here's the scoop:

One week after being born, six baby skunks were abandoned by their mother. Luckily, we had just weaned five kittens off of our resident farm cat a day before and hoped that perhaps she might take them on as her own. She was reluctant at first, but she let them nurse - a positive sign. Two weeks have gone by and the six little "Stinkers" are thriving and their new mom couldn't be happier. She has become quite devoted to them and even carries them around to show them off to visitors
xoxo A.Joy

Today was another cold day - NO SCHOOL. So about half of our street went to Ceaserland. There were pizza pies everywhere. So, when I was searching the web for a cool picture of pizza, I came across this crazy web page. Check it out http://www.flatoutblind.org/pizza/

xoxo Ciao - A.Joy

It's 2 degrees above zero in Detroit today. It is so cold - school was cancelled. I just had to find a good beach picture to make me smile and think warm thoughts. I think this one will do?? Forecast for tomorrow - more of the same!!! :(

xoxo A.Joy

Global warming is real - I saw it on the news today. It worries me greatly. But, on a day like today (where it is -1 outside in Detroit) I find it hard to believe. Bbbbrrrrrrr!! Had a great show at the New Way Bar last night. It's fun to let loose with the adults once in a while. We played fast and loud and were sillier than usual. Rock on!! Over and out. xoxo A.Joy

Today I was going through a HUGE box of old letters from the past 20 years of my life. Guess what? I ran across FINALLY - the letter that Iggy Pop wrote to me in 1995. I will cherish it forever and post it on this blog very soon. Rock on Iggy - can't wait to hear your new album this year!!!

xxxooo A.Joy

This is weird. Someone sent me a bunch of pictures of kooky toilets. I thought this one was pretty cool. I would be afraid that this one would bite me in the butt!!

ouch - A.Joy

The other day I sent out one of those feel good notices to a friend of mine (I even forgot what I sent). Anyways, her reply was so funny that I asked her if I could post it and she said yes!!

"Thank you! I lost my voice yesterday and the kids are driving me nuts today. I took them outside to play in the snow for a change of scenery and Madi stood there and cried (taking her stuff off) until she peed her pants and now I have to wash all of her snowpants and stuff before school tomorrow. Reading this helped calm me and now I won't do what I was planning on doing to my kids!!!!"

xoxo A.Joy