5 Things to Consider When Going to a Concert

One of my absolute favorite things to do is see live music.  Listening to music in the car or with headphones is great, but nothing compares to experiencing music being played before your very eyes.  There a few things to keep in mind when going to see a live act.

1. Parking: Before going to see your favorite local artist or big headlining act find out as much as you can about where exactly the show will be.  If the venue is in a downtown area you may need to check and see where accessible parking is.  If the concert is held in a large arena you’ll want to make sure you park close to whatever entrance your tickets are for.
2. Seating: My general rule of thumb is, the bigger the event space the better seating will be.  For example: Going to see an orchestra perform in a large concert hall there will (should) be accessible seating that you can request beforehand.  Seeing a local musician in a club?  Chances are you will want to arrive as early as possible to get a table with a view that works for you.  What works even better is to befriend either the music act, or someone who works at the club and you can get a table reserved.  Calling the location beforehand may also help.
3. Restrooms: The same rule of thumb from above applies here, larger venues will most likely have more accessible restrooms.  In theory every place that serves food and drink is supposed to have an accessible restroom, however that is simply not a reality.  I can’t tell you how many times I have been at a show, filled myself with soda or coffee, and then had to hold it until the show was over and I could journey to a place with an accessible ladies room.  When you get to the concert space check out the restrooms first.  If it’s a “no go”, drink accordingly.
4. Food and Drink: For some performances it will be obvious that there will be no food or drink available (like seeing an orchestra).  Yet for smaller stages at clubs you may find something to nibble on and quench your thirst with.  It’s always a good idea to eat before you go out, that way if there isn’t any food you don’t suffer from low blood sugar (or being cranky because you’re hungry).  Throwing a pack of sugar-free gum or a few hard candies in your purse can help the scratchy throat that you may have from singing along with the band too loud.  Eating beforehand can also save you some cash : )
5. People: I love my independence, especially when I am in a new place where people are meeting me for the first time.  I want them to see me, not my chair.  However it’s important to be safe too.  It’s a good idea to go with a buddy, or even a group of people to events like this, especially if you are unfamiliar with the venue and it’s clientele.  Sometimes concerts get crazy and a little out of hand, it’s all part of experiencing the music.  Rocking out with fellow music lovers in front of the stage can quickly turn into violent moshing (trust me, I took an elbow to the eye once).  It’s good to know that you have a trust friend who’s got your back, at times quite literally, and can lend you a hand if you need it.

Live entertainment is a treat to the senses – hearing music, seeing movement on the stage, feeling the vibrations of loud music.  Even the smells of different venues (and sometimes people) can be… memorable.  What is important to remember is that nothing should stop you from experiencing some sort of live entertainment.  With warmer weather coming many towns and cities have free music in the park this time of year, or local theater productions running throughout the summer.  I encourage you to check and see what is available near you, and don’t feel daunted about going some place “new”.  With this handful of tips and smart thinking you should have a great time.

Operation Spring Cleaning

Twice a year our apartment building has mandatory cleanliness inspections of each residence apartment.  It’s not something I look forward to, but I do appreciate the foresight to make sure people are keeping our shared building free of bugs, rodents, etc.  Our inspection was scheduled first thing Monday morning, we were notified Wednesday afternoon.  Inspection day just happened to be after the weekend that the hubs had to work a special event for his company, and was tied up both Saturday and Sunday, leaving only me to do the deep clean.  A thorough cleaning isn’t fun for anyone, but it is especially challenging for someone who’s sitting down all the time.  I have some, shall we say, out of the box methods for cleaning that I thought I would share with you.

I start by vacuuming everything.  My chosen weapon is the Shark Navigator Lift-Away Pro.  When we were doing our wedding registry I chose this vacuum, or as Ohioians say “sweeper” for a few reasons.  One is it comes apart!  I often times take off the hose part and put the canister on my lap.  Vacuums tend to be difficult to maneuver while seated but with this model it is not so.  Also it came with a 36″ long detail attachment that allows me to clean up high (or down low) with ease.  Using the rug attachment isn’t an issue because it pivots side to side, instead of doing the back and forth dance to move the vacuum.  When it came time to cleaning the yucky dried on food debris from our stove I sucked it up with my vacuum.  I can’t reach to the back of the counter to get all the crumbs, so I vacuumed them up with my super long detail attachment.

Once all the big stuff is sucked up I use a Swiffer to pick up the dust.  Those dry Swiffer cloths also make great hand dusters.  When I think I’m finally dust free I follow it with a wet cloth to do the mopping.  What I love about the Swiffer is it is super light-weight which makes it very easy to use.  Also it’s little end is on a pivot too.  The handle has to be at least four and a half feet long which gives it great reach for places that you would normally have to get on your hands and knees to reach.  But wait – there’s more!  I use my Swiffer to clean the bathroom mirror (which I can’t reach).  I simply put a paper towel on the end, spray it with glass cleaner, and use it as extendo-arm.  To clean the shower I do the same thing, except with tile cleaner.  This is so much easier than carting around a mop and bucket.

Finally, the tool that I would be lost without, my trusty grabber.  I should really give it a name, it is so often used it’s almost developed a presence for me.  In my life there have been many grabbers, and never has one proved worthy of hanging onto before this one.  It is sturdy enough to reach to the top kitchen cabinet for a large can of fruit, but has the dexterity to plug in a cord in an otherwise unreachable outlet.  With this I pick up all sorts of things.  You never know how much clutter is really in your space until you pick it up piece by piece.  If you notice there is a small peg on the end of this reacher, this is especially helpful in opening upper cabinet doors.  Oh did I mention it is 48″ inches long?  That’s right, a whole four feet of extra reach!

I may use a Swiffer in my shower and a vacuum on my stove and counters, but I clean just like anyone else – with a lot of elbow grease.  When our building manager visited us Monday morning I felt approximately 70% positive we would pass (there really was a white glove involved).  We were thrilled when we were given a check that things were up to snuff.  Here’s to a successful spring cleaning!

If you have any out of the box housekeeping methods I would love to hear them.  You can share them with me and other readers of The Wheel Deal in the comment section below : )

*Disclaimer: I do not work for Shark, Swiffer, or the grabber company.  Those are simply the tools that work best for me.*