Hello and happy Monday again excitable friends!! Hope your weekend was full of fun, love and sun! Time for the latest 311 fan spotlight and we meet the wife of last weeks feature. Let’s read about Amanda Terrell!
Amanda’s first memory of 311 coming into her life happened the summer before her junior year of high school. She was sitting in the back of a bus with friends as they made their way on a trip through the United Kingdom. They all had a ton of CD’s with them and they often shared. A friend of hers saw she had the blue album and he had Transistor. They decided to swap and that’s when her real love for them began. “Something about Transistor really resonated with me at the time, and we traded right then and there. I can’t really explain in words what drew me to their music but I’ll try. I always liked 311, I liked them more the older I got. I went through weird music phases my entire adolescence, country, Christian music, pop, do-wop, swing music, hip-hop, jam bands, you name it, I listened to it but the 90’s rock scene is the only genre that has ever really impacted me in a positive light, it has always remained close to my heart and 311 falls under that compass.”
Live show tally stands at 18 (she said she’s a low man on the totem pole). Her first show she went to was right after she gave birth to their daughter. “I was in so much pain, but we rocked it, right on the rail. Nick was behind me like a sturdy stainless steel encased brick wall. Nothing was getting past him.” Since then they’ve seen every possible show they can make it to in the 13 years they’ve been together. Her favorite so far has been 311 Day 2014 and she says this even though they just came back from an amazing vacation on the last cruise. “The reason why I say 311 Day 2014 is because it’s where it all started. By that I mean meeting and building friendships with the most positive and uplifting people I ever met. I consider these people more like family, those infamous 311 lyrics, “Now I got a clique but it’s more like a family” those words ring true. I’ll be honest and I’ve seen a few people say the same thing, I love 311, I love their music, their positive attitudes, their musicianship, but it’s the people that really make 311, well 311. I was more excited about hanging out with my friends on the cruise than seeing 311. Some people may say blasphemy, but when your friends live in different random states across the country, being able to see them and share their energy as we’re jumping up and down listening to 311, that feeling is indescribable. That’s why I say 311 Day 2014 because it was the start of a journey for us, I only regret that we couldn’t start it sooner.”
When asked what song means the most to Amanda, her response was, “Ugh there are so many to choose from lol.” She managed to narrow it down to two songs. She chose “I’ll Be Here Awhile” because she’s know her husband since the 7th grade (it was actually supposed to be played at their wedding but the DJ sucked). Then the other song is “Large in the Margin” because the lyrics just really impacted her. “I got pretty emotional when I heard it on the cruise when I heard it during the Soundsystem set. Tears were streaming down my face.”
Amanda is from Houston, Texas and she said, “No I don’t have an accent and no I don’t own a horse haha.” She said the city is rapidly growing and while they have really great Mexican food, she would like a little more space than the city provides. She and Nick have been married for 13 years and have their two kids, daughter Kaylee, 11, and son Gunner, 9. She loves watching Kaylee gracefully dance and Gunner smile from ear to ear as he plays baseball. For work, Amanda is a neurodevelopmental specialist who teaches four and five year olds. “I actually really love my job. It doesn’t pay much as most teaching positions do but it’s in those teachable moments that you realize why it is you do what you do.” Amanda is also going to school though, for the field of Marine Biology, which she has been interested in since middle school. “It is my dream. I love the ocean and all of it’s inhabitants. There is a quote about the ocean that rings true for me: Blue is known as a sad color, but when I see the ocean, all my sorrow is washed away.”
It’s not only the inhabitants of the ocean that Amanda loves, she’s a lover of all animals and has cared for many since she was just a little girl. She even spent time in the animal care field and loved it. Her and the family now have four pets. The first is a fat orange tabby cat named Flip, age 12, who is a big cuddle bug and will eat tacos right out of Amanda’s hand. Then there is Boomer, their 11 year old Boxer, who has a super positive attitude in spite of his age. Next is their 5 year old Boxer/Pitbull mix Sampson, who is a big goofball that gives great hugs. The baby is their 1 year old grey tabby Eon, who Amanda says is so independent, and the total opposite of Flip. “She is definitely Nick’s cat, he has a huge soft spot for her.”
Amanda’s second toe is longer than her big toe, which she said some people think is gross. “But it is actually a sign of royalty so BAM!” Don’t mess with her, because even though she stands at only 4 feet 11 inches, she knows she can take on the world. “Gandalf the Grey said, ‘Even the smallest person can change the course of the future’ so you best look out! LOL! My stature makes me unique and it’s taken me 33 years to realize it.”
Amanda has a few guilty pleasures. The first is that she’s a total “Twi-hard.” “I love everything about Twilight and I’m so annoyed at myself for that, LOL.” She’s read all the books multiple times even though she doesn’t really think it’s written well by the author and if she has to answer, she is Team Jacob because she’s realized Edward is just a scary stalker vampire (I laughed out loud at this). Other guilty pleasures include TMZ and dirty tabloids (which drives Nick crazy), chocolate muffins (which she said she could eat all day), and she’s a total Potterhead. “I cannot wait until we’re able to go to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I will probably crap my pants the minute we walk through the gate, hahaha.”
Amanda also has a huge love for movies of all kinds, with horror being her least favorite. She loves going and sitting in a dark theater with her sour patch kids or dibs, and she’s super excited for some movies coming out this summer like Jurassic World. She’s also a huge fan of musicals and her favorite is Singing in the Rain. “I grew up in choir, and it’s actually where Nick and I met in the 7th grade. We were even partners in our show choir, the Safari Singers in high school!”
Amanda’s message to 311 is simple: “Thank you!!! I know it’s cliche, but for real what else could I say in just one sentence lol.”
To all the fans that make up 311 nation:
“Hook ‘Em Horns!!! Go Texans!! Clutch City!! Go Astros!! Oh yeah Stay Positive and Live Your Life!!”
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Now you’ve all met Amanda! I love reading and writing about awesome 311 couples, and they definitely are great! Thank you all for taking the time to learn more about another fellow excitable. Until we meet again, don’t forget to keep on giving out those positive vibes and spreading the positivity everywhere you go!
Much love! – The Runt