I Don't Care if I'm Repeating Myself
Easter has the best candy. Ever. I mean, peanut butter filled chocolate eggs?







Chocolate marshmallow eggs? Mini eggs? It's crazy. Maureen has a small dish filled with those mini eggs, which are like a highbrow equivalent of m&ms.

Sigh.

R.I.P. L5Y
So here are some action shots of us in the pit for L5Y at CAP. I'm still so bummed I'm not getting to play it again in the foreseeable future.

Gary and me posing for posterity.

Guy practicing some crazy run and Gary testing his pseudo-chime.

So Much Music, So Little Time
I have 6 scores in my possesion right now:

Pajama Game
Last 5 Years
Evita
Music Man
West Side Story
Little Women

It's crazy. What's even crazier is trying to keep them all straight in my head. Luckily, Pajama Game gets returned this weekend. I've fallen absolutely in love with the cello book to Evita. I'm having a wonderful time playing it. It's so inherently Andrew Lloyd Webber - fantastically crazy meters (10/8 and 7/4), lyrical parts, interjections, insane recitatives. The funniest thing is that in hearing one show you can instantly pick out what he used in his other shows. "Bustopher Jones" from Cats is the same as "Good Night and Thank You" from Evita. Too funny.

So-So Morning, Better Afternoon
Hit traffic right on the parkway. And why??? Not because people were rubbernecking an accident. But because people were rubbernecking the aftermath of an accident. How sad is that?

But I got to work and tried to call Dr. B's office to make sure my authorization went through. Which it hadn't up to that point. So I mentally re-arrange my whole schedule, and re-figure what I can do when.
Get through work in one piece and head to the rehearsal. Which I actually make on time and catch most of the music. Not bad. Evita's a nifty piece of work. Only about 2 hours or so, which is lightweight compared to the Rodgers and Hammerstein epics. Plus it's got some nifty little things here and there for strings. So I was done waaaay earlier than I thought. So I went to Target to buy new underwear in case I can't get to the laundromat this week. I figure underwear is something I can always use more of. So I walk in for underwear and a birthday card. Walk out with a fabulous black sheath dress, a black tee shirt (seeing a pattern here?), a birthday card, a gift, some "clean-as-a-whistle" soap, oh yeah, and some underwear. And a new dress always makes me feel good. Plus it looks slightly Holly Go-Lightly, so that's always cool.

Then I drive home (it's still light out at 6:45 p.m.!) and upon arriving home find out the doctor's office called with my authorization and I'm good to go. So I can kind of enjoy my day off on Wednesday and be all sorts of efficient.

What's in a Rob Roy Anyway?*
A day of cello-ing. That's what I thought I had in store for myself. I had the following schedule in my head:

8:15 a.m. - Leave for Bethpage for the first West Side Story rehearsal. Pick up coffee along the way.
8:45 a.m. - Arrive at rehearsal early in order to introduce myself get settled, etc.
12:00 noon - Leave that rehearsal and head to Freeport to assist Jill.
3:00 p.m. - Leave that rehearsal to head to C.A.P. to sink myself into bliss by playing "Last 5 Years"
5:45 p.m. (approx.) - Finish L5Y and find somewhere delicious to eat with Diane.

Here's what actually happened:
8:25 a.m. - Finally get out the door after futzing around.
8:27 a.m. - Discover heinous traffic due to parkway being closed at my exact exit.
8:28 a.m. - Swear profusely while trying to re-navigate route.
8:57 a.m. - Make it finally to Bethpage High School and practically run around the building to find rehearsal.
**During rehearsal, the director comes in to introduce himself. It turns out to be the pit orchestra conductor from when I did West Side Story SIXTEEN YEARS AGO. He tells the new conductor that I'm "really good." No pressure there now!**
12:00 noon - On my merry way to Freeport. Listen to my voicemail message from Chris. Which I think is going to be him confirming me using my comp ticket for Diane. He tells me that the last 2 performances are CANCELLED. WTF? What? I don't get to play my favorite show again? Not to mention that I'm still owed some money for doing the last show. I scramble to call Diane and tell her not to bother schlepping out to Old Bethpage, return a call to my mother and proceed to sob the rest of the way to Freeport. I also try to call Chris, whose voicemailbox is full.
12:30 p.m. - Make it to Freeport where I find the rehearsal in progress and play along. I play 2 songs and they break for lunch! (Do I have timing or what?)
3:30 p.m. - Finish rehearsal and take Shenique home.
4:15 p.m. - Finally get home and make plans with Diane and Kick to go to a funky restaurant.

We went to this odd restaurant. It's this Chinese restaurant that looks like it was in someone's house. But it had the requisite cheesy vinyl bar and same Chinese menu. I forwent my usual chow fun and got some sizzling something or other that had scallops, chicken and pork. It was pretty good. Since the restaurant looked so old school, I really wanted a Singapore Sling, which contains:

1 1/2 oz gin
1 oz lemon juice
1/4 oz sugar syrup
1 1/2 tsp powdered sugar
2 oz club soda
1/2 oz cherry brandy
lemon slice for garnish
maraschino cherry for garnish

*But alas. No Singapore Sling listed on the menu. They did have a Rob Roy, which sounded neat, but contains:

1 1/2 oz scotch
1/4 oz sweet vermouth
Angostura bitters to taste
maraschino cherry for garnish

Which wasn't really what I was going for. So I wound up ordering a Jack and Coke instead. Which actually hit the spot and was quite tasty. But we had good conversation and enjoyed dinner. We laughed a lot and just relaxed. Grabbed some coffee (and I a peanut butter sundae!) and went back to their house and watched "Curb Your Enthusiasm." All in all, a nice night. Not too shabby.

George and George on an Awful, No-Good, Bad Day
So today was just chaos, chaos at work, running around all aimless like and frustration. But now I'm nestled in after stuffing myself silly with Taco Bell, watching a cute little monkey talk to cows (George #1) and am now listening to George Gershwin. (George #2).

Slowly. Ever so slowly, the bad-ness of the day slips away. What is it about bad days that just linger, like a sheen of something you can't quite rinse off. It just permeates things.

I'm thinking it calls for a peanut butter filled chocolate egg to really banish it away for good. I'm convinced that Easter has the best candy. I mean, chocolate marshmallow filled eggs? Peanut butter filled eggs? Chocolate truffle filled eggs? It just can't get better. And that's not even mentioning those mini eggs that are like big m&ms.

So some chocolate, and then solitaire to properly cleanse my brain of this awful, no-good, bad day.

Observations at a Car Wash
Today was a semi-productive day. I taught 2 lessons and then on the way home, I put gas in the car and redeemed my free car wash. (Okay. It was more like a $250 car wash, since I got it when I picked up the car from service yesterday, but it makes me feel better to think of it as free.) And at the car wash, I was amused I guess by the signage I saw. Crudely made declarations of religion. Not really the placards you'd imagine you'd see at the car wash. I had to take pictures of them.

Confess Christ before man. He also I will confess to my father who is in heaven. Mat - 10:32

Judge not. That you be not judged. With what judgement you judge

you will be judged. Mat - 7:2

Jesus is the only way to heaven.

And just for randomness, this one was amongst the "paid ads" the signs you're forced to read as you crawl along the car wash line:

The Classical Station of the NY Times

I love WQXR. I love how classy they are. I love the little review snippets. And I love how their marketing people assume that their main demographic is wealthy people. Apparently because I listen to the classical station, it's assumed that I can afford a Lexxus/BMW/Mercedes, can travel internationally and would only have Bose audio equipment. I'm amused by that. And I love how their djs make little quips. Jeff Spurgeon was talking about Gershwin and how sad it was that he passed away really at the height of his creativity. And then he says "Well, I've certainly put a damper on that perky little piece." He cracks me up sometimes. I do miss Lloyd Moss though. He had this wonderfully soothing voice. He was the perfect drive-home dj. He'd make little informational comments on the pieces and inject his banter with things like "Now, doesn't that make this afternoon a little better?" I could feel the day's woes slip away listening to him.

Liberry
So I was having an off day yesterday. Bummed about not getting the car in the shop, just running around all crazy-like. And then after work, I decided to go to the library to get some books and movies for my automobile-imposed exile tomorrow. And as soon as I stepped into the library, this calm settled over me. It's as if I entered a little haven amongst the chaos in my life. I guess I've always liked libraries. I like how organized they are, how clean and neat they are. And how they're sort of predictible. They're always there, ready for you, available. If I need some time to just decompress, I go to the magazine section and settle into one of those vinyl chairs and read "Gourmet" for a while, or whatever magazine catches my eye. When I was little, Mom would take us practically daily to the library. We always joined the 'summer reading club'; entered all their contests, building haunted houses, making dioramas; gathered our treasures to display in the library's showcases; took workshops in the community room and read the "Librifax" religiously to find out what was going on. And as soon as I moved, I searched out our library. I originally thought it was this modern, fancy thing, but discovered we were in the district the next town over. So I dejectedly went to the older library, but found I love those more. All the new ones have such odd categorizations for the books. I like the upstairs/downstairs separation. I like the vinyl chairs. I like the pea-green carpets. I like how I feel safe at the library. How there's all these books and cds and movies I've never seen just waiting for me.

Chaos
Car still isn't quite fixed. We replaced the battery. We replaced the starter. And it was working beautifully until last night. So Dad thinks it might be the ignition switch. And I'd be handling all of this much better if I didn't have to bring it to the dealership. I hate that. I hate having to go there. I always feel like I'm a new fresh faced starlet on the corner of Hollywood and Vine and all these wolves are leering at me. It's like I have sucker on my forehead and on Hank's windshield. I mean, aren't cars just supposed to work?

Good Taste
I discovered Jason Robert Brown's (writer of Last 5 Years) list of cds to go purchase on Amazon. And it's the coolest thing - I now have to get some of them because they sound interesting, and not only that, but we share a similarity in cds! I must have incredibly good taste!

Jamie is Over and Jamie is Done
I seriously, seriously, seriously could play "The Last 5 Years" forever. I mean, it's just so......exquisite. I mean, it's got this amazing story, which on the surface doesn't seem so amazing, I mean, it's just a boy-meets-girl, etc. story. But it's all in the way it's told, through the songs and the language. Plus, the songs are just so brilliantly written. You've got a latin-flavored song, the show opens with this sad, Baroque inspired piece, there's some country twang in there, it's just so incredible. And plus, everyone just loves to play it so when we finally get all the bits and pieces together, it just cooks.

I still get butterflies in my stomach when I hear that opening piano part. And I feel it all through me. I get angry with Cathy when her tone changes in "See, I'm Smiling" and feel so pained when Jamie's agonizing over what's going on in "Nobody Needs to Know." It's one of those shows that just goes right through me. The only other shows that come close to that are "Ragtime" and "West Side Story."

If you want to come see this brilliant, inspiring, amazing show, visit the theatre website for more info.

Red Meat, White Wine, Blue Movie
Last night we had fun doing our taxes, having a nice dinner and just hanging out with friends. Steak is just too tasty. I think my renewed taste for it comes from the fact that after my first chemo treatment, I was finally able to eat and the first thing we had was an early bird prime rib dinner at the steakhouse down the road from the oncologist's office. So steak is something of a comfort food for me, since it was the first real meal I was able to actually enjoy after being sick for so long.

And as entertainment we watched the beginning of Pirates. Last time Diane and I were in Blockbuster looking for a movie, we saw this soft porn looking version of Pirates of the Caribbean. Little did we know this was actually a reduction of an award-winning porn! So we were quite curious as to how they'd cut it down to be suitable for renting from Blockbuster. Too funny.

With dinner we had the above white wine. I'm so not a wine person, but this was delicious. Two large glasses later...Diane and I were having a grand ole time. We beat the guys at Trivial Pursuit and pigged out on oatmeal chip cookies. Not a bad time was had by all.

Curiously enough though, I discovered this morning that wine gives me a worse hangover than Jack Daniel's. Whodathunkit?

Just Call Me Misha Manhattan**
Went to a "lap dancing" class at the gym. What fun. Everyone was just having fun and not taking themselves too seriously. Of course I haven't used my new skills yet, but it's good to know I have them just in case I ever need them.

**Stripper name taken from my first pet's name and my first street name.

As Far Back as I Can Remember
I Always Wanted To Be a Gangster
I had the craziest time just now. It was incredibly reminiscent of that scene in Goodfellas where Henry's trying to prepare drugs for smuggling, make a huge Italian dinner and run family errands. It's probably my favorite scene in the movie and it's just so tangible because we all feel like that at some time.

But there I was, running from picking out wine for tonight's dinner, to grabbing a wad of cash to pay for an auto part so I can get my car later after having had an eyebrow wax. (What a difference groomed brows makes. I can never get over that.)Crazy.

It's interesting though. I realized I can really handle myself in almost any environment. I feel just as comfortable at Lincoln Center as I do at an auto parts store. Now, of course I'd rather be at Lincoln Center, but I can do both. And that's empowering in a way.

On another note, I have recently fallen in love with a new hair product. It's cheap, easy and gives good curl. L'Oreal markets this stuff for texturizing shorter hair, but it works wonders on curls and my fellow naturallycurly.com girls agree. I've got good clumping and smooth, shiny curls. I can't believe it. And it's under $5 and I can buy it in the drugstore. Too good to be true almost.

Ode to a #2
I have recovered my love for number 2 pencils. I used to never use them, (save for marking music) just pens, even when doing crossword puzzles. But for some reason I started doing my sketches for involved queries and exports it makes sense since I'm constantly writing and re-writing. And I like it. I like how pencils write so smoothly. So I've been using them more and more. And hence why the little photoshop hommage to my number 2 pencil.

Lather, Rinse, Repeat, Ahhhh.....

This morning started out a little...bumpy. Car wouldn't start again. I guess Hank just doesn't care for below-freezing temperatures. So, in trying to re-adjust my morning, I took Tommy's car and was on my merry way. Just about made it to the gym, where I had to snag a less-than-optimal spot, but I was there. And then the gym manager went on a rampage, about purses and coats being on the floor, a fire hazard, blahdy-blah-blah. So she just glowered at me the whole time. The class was good though - not boring, a good instructor who toes the line of being supportive and perky but not annoying. So I left the class and ran some errands while I had vehicular movement.

First to CVS where I stocked up on sale stuff. Toothbrushes, body wash, stockings. But they didn't have my Suave Aloe Vera Gel. I can't find that stuff anywhere. So then off to Ulta to stock up on my holy grail of conditioners, Back to Basics Pommegranate Peach Conditioner. I love it. And a whole liter of the glorious stuff for ten bucks. Also picked up some gifts for Annie and some Oil of Olay face cleanser that I had run out of.

Then home again, home again to see if the car would start. And it did. So then off again, off again to Jiffy Lube to get the oil changed and see if I need antifreeze. But alas. So hopefully, the addition of new and more oil will make Hank happier. Then, finally, finally home.

So I decided to scrub the tub and acquire some order in my life. Then a nice, long, hot shower. Used some delicious Booth's Walnut Scrub which has a fine balance between exfoliating and scrubbing with a fine aroma of choclate and nuts. Then milk and honey body wash and before finishing, slathering a ton of Jessicurl's Weekly Deeping Treatment in my hair to soak in all day. Topped off with a dusting of Urban Decay's Sparkly Marshmallow Powder which I can then sniff all day on me. Wrapped up in spa clothes that are comfy yet I can be seen in public in should I need to dash out, I'm all set to just relax, read and drink coffee all day.

The Cure for the Laundromat
I usually hate the laundromat. I do. It's really noisy. There's denizens of small children running around like Lord of the Flies savages. The smaller machines are usually all taken. It's chaos. But when I walked in Monday night, what a pleasant surprise. It was (almost) empty. All the smaller machines were free. No running savages. No craziness. And then I remembered my iPod was in my purse. So I plugged in and hit shuffle. My laundry started with Fiona Apple's "Carrion" and ended with the last movement from Dvorak's American String Quartet. It was almost delightful. I shimmied and boogies as I folded and sorted. And while I was waiting for the wash, I read New York Magazine. It was almost a little bit of relaxation. But I couldn't resist taking the photo above. How often do you see caution tape in the laundromat?

I Have a Doctor Friend Who Could Help You
I love love love Edward Scissorhands. Love it. It's such a great movie. Tim Burton just doesn't overlook anything when it comes to a movie. I love how it's got this retro-old-school vibe to it. How it just totally encapsulates the idea of suburbia. And I mean, you can't get any better than Danny Elfman scoring this.

Lemony, Shiney, Curly Goodness

Ah ha! Finally realized why my hair has been a poofy, frizzy mess. I totally forgot about applying product to sopping wet hair. Which is challenging and messy, but it works. And I have this new product to thank for it. I've discovered two kinds of products that work well for me. Cheap ones, and ones designed for ethnic hair. Guess I'm more worldly than I thought I was! But my hair is just so inherently me and when I was without it, I just felt like I had no identity. So now I'm relishing in my longer, curlier (if that was even possible) locks. And it smells lemony and not fragrancy. And it's all natural, which is even better. I don't know why I'm making an effort to use more natural products, I guess I'm trying to be a better person in some way, or I feel like more natural products will be less detrimental to me in the long run. Or maybe I just don't like the idea of all sorts of preservatives on me.

But When the Day's Hustle and Bustle is Done
Saw Cats last night with Stephanie and Meghan. It was fun. Had a bite to eat first (as much as I don't like the idea of chain restaurants, it's hard to argue with the ease and affordability of Friday's 3-course menu for a mere $13) and then off to the theatre. It was a decent performance. But of course, all I could be reminded of was how I lived with this show for 3 months at just this time last year. And I had fun with it. I liked being the only string in the pit, I liked hanging out with the gang afterwards. I liked all the little inside jokes and carrying on once we were comfortable with the score. And it was a little bittersweet. And I always wonder. I do. I wonder if I would have been able to do it as a full-time job. Would I have had the drive? Or the inclination to really put in the effort to try to succeed at it? Would I still be here? Or would I have been forced to be somewhere smaller so I could survive?

But I digress...

The way home I had on WFUV as usual and the Grateful Dead came on. Now, I never really admitted this to anyone, for fear of being forced to turn in my "too hip for the average crowd" card, but I kind of like them. And I guess this fear stems from college. College had less clique distinctions than high school and everyone was welcoming to everyone else, but there was still this.....urging to reaffirm who you were and what you were not. Probably as a response to being so outcast or so ill-regarded in high school. So I was a unique, retro-wearing glamour chick who took great pains in getting dressed for classes and the such and cultivated such an aura. And there were deadheads, most of whom were in the art school but in the painting and sculpture classes, not the design classes. And everyone co-existed peacefully, and tried to respect each other's likes and whatnot, but you never really got into their mileu. But I do like the Dead. I like the song "Truckin." I like the way they totally go from an easy rock feeling to a total dead-on jazz jam. I actually respect that. So there I am. A confessed appreciator of the Dead.

Why Winter Sucks
My skin gets dry.
My hair gets dry and frizzy.
I have to wear sweaters that make me look fat.
The sun hides more than it's out.
It's dark when I get up.
The car has to warm up.
Bad cello weather.
Christmas and New Year's.
Christmas decorations still up mid-January.
New Year's resoluters in droves at the gym.

Aahhhhh.....Relief

This stuff is amazing. I'm always pleasantly surprised when I buy something in a magazine and it really works. I saw this while reading Lucky magazine while I was waiting for my class at the gym to start. And being that both Tommy and I are still congested and feeling blah, I figured I'd try to find it. So on a whim, after the class, I head next door to the Vitamin Shop where they carry the Kiss My Face brand. And on another whim I look at the sale table. Poof! Right there is a set with the shower gel and the room spray (misty menthol goodness) for less than the gel is advertised for. Bonus. I love sales. I love free stuff. AND the guy behind the counter gave me a deal on vitamin c and liquid vitamins. Now, I haven't taken either, but at least my intentions are healthy. But the shower gel is amazing. It makes you feel all tingly and opens those clogged nasal passages. And if nothing else, it makes having to wake up when it's still bloody dark outside that much easier. Go find some of this stuff before it's all gone.

I Want It

So today's a rainy, snowy, crappy day. But...I just heard a track from the new Brazilian Girls cd and it sounds killer diller. I want it. In fact, here's my whole "I Want It" list on amazon.com. I like the Brazilian Girls. They're a little different. Some loungish flavor, a little electronic, much in the way of acoustic instruments, a brass section once in a while. Definitely hip music. And I didn't go see them in NYC when they were there. Stupid.

Ugh. Are You Serious?
So, I read this morning that Donald Trump was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Why? Because he has a cookie-cutter reality show that reminds me of why I never wanted to stay in the corporate world? I can't believe this. And of course they're tying it to the whole Donald-Rosie "feud" (read: publicity shtick) and how she doesn't have a star. It's just so laughable how Hollywood bestows these "honors" on the most talentless, vapid people. Yes, I know he's a great businessman and entrepreneur. I know that. And I can respect him for that. But as an "entertainer"? Please.

Look Out Jayne Mansfield...
Since it's the first day back after a 3-day weekend, and it was dark out at 6:30 a.m. I decided to glam it up today and so I'm channeling my inner sex-kitten-glamourpuss. Wearing my new shoes (from Clark St. in Chicago!) and a matching leopard print scarf in my hair. So, when I look better than average I feel better and can face the day. And a small non-fat mocha from Starbuck's never hurts either. I've even got lounge-ish tunes playing to complete the whole look!

California Dreamin' on such a winter's day...

Luckily, I dragged my ass out to hit the gym. Holy moley was it crowded this morning. I guess the New Year resoluters are still at it. But it was a really good class, I sweat like a pig and felt good afterwards. Then grabbed a quick lip wax (discovered this great little place close to home when I can't run out at lunch at work: Maxi Nails), and came home to soak in a nice toasty shower. So I'm all squeaky-clean, smelling of mango butter and well-exercised.

I'm so excited. I'm so not a fruit person. I try to like it. Really I do. But it always seems so...sweet. Like unnaturally sweet. But I want to eat better, so I re-discovered that I do like Macintosh apples. So I've been eating those. And I plan to have some banana with my oatmeal (mmm....baked oatmeal). And I discovered this juice: a fruit juice I like! Bolthouse Farms Passion Apple Carrot juice. I think the trick is, is that the carrot kind of reduces the tartness of the other fruits. It's delicious.

And I think my hair is finally recovering from that haircut, which was over 3 weeks ago. It's growing in nicely and finally starting to make nicer curls. So now I can finally try the Oyin stuff I had ordered now that I have control group hair back. I slathered on some Shine and Define Serum to see what that'd do without my usual Aussie Dual Personality before it. It smells incredibly lemony, so that's a bonus. And I like supporting smaller companies who are committed to serving all hair types. Oyin is good stuff.

Choking On Nostalgia

I know. I know it's a bad movie. I know it won a gazillion Razzies. I know all of that. But that doesn't keep me from loving "Xanadu." I love the music. I love the costumes. I love that Gene Kelly is a good sport and even rollerskates in the finale. I love all of it. They're currently preparing a Broadway musical version of it to be released just in time for Tony consideration. How cool is that? I want to be one of the first yahoos on line to see it.

So all day I've been listening to cheesy music that I love. There's something comforting about Gino Vannelli and ELO and Olivia Newton-John. I love how they use these lush string parts and make everything seem just so dramatic. I love how the lyrics are almost nonsense, but still get the point across.

Reflections of Me

So yesterday was productive and I did my whole "go to the gym, get started early, run a million errands and return home with a proud sense of accomplishment" routine. It worked well. I did feel good that I got a lot accomplished. It felt good that I was able to do so. Purchased gifts I needed to, went to the bank.

And that was good. And I came home and dyed my hair and made plans for the evening. And was yet, still productive.

And then I started thinking. I thought about the class at the gym and how I felt like gravity was pulling especially hard on me. And how I don't just drop weight as easily as I did before. And even just thinking about how my life has become this big before and after. And how it just seems so unfair that I won't ever be the same as I was "before."

Musical Recap

Yikes. Three months since I last "blogged." And here I thought I was going to be so much better at it now. I have been busy though. So I should cut myself at least a little slack. Bagged two productions of King and I, one of My Fair Lady and one of Into the Woods.

Into the Woods I just adored. Loved every minute of it. I love the music, I love how I don't have any down time and how I'm playing non-stop. Love it. It's a great cello book - challenging, but not impossible or fear-inspiring. Good stuff. Plus, getting to play with the ole gang is always a good thing. I was incredibly bummed when that was over - it was too short a run to really get into it and I have nothing on the horizon for a while. At least until the craziness of the School Musical Season begins.

So now, what I really should be doing is practicing. Playing and polishing pieces. Will that actually happen? I hope so. I just want more. More out of what I'm playing. I don't want to be just a hack, grinding my way through music. I dunno.

I actually did come up with a good idea though - DH asked when and where I was going to get my new tattoo and I decided that before I can get it, I need to work my way through the first 3 Bach suites. It'll be better if I actually have to earn it.

I Could Never Be Rich
So I went to Bloomingdales to try to use a $50 gift card. $50 at Bloomingdales is almost silly. It's enough to get something, but nothing substantial. I mean, tee shirts were $35. $35!! That's insane. I can get 3 tee shirts for that at Target. Hence, why I could never be really "rich." I could be comfortable, where I don't have to worry about money or just go shopping at Target whenever I like, but I could never get to the point where I actually purchase $35 tee shirts.

So I looked at ridiculously overpriced clothing, totally expensive shoes, and just plain odd looking hats and scarves. Finally I reached the cosmetics department and circled around there for a while. I tried the Clinique counter, but it was occupied by annoying looking women and when I hovered around, the women in lab coats (is that supposed to make me think that these women know more about skin than the glammed up Chanel girls? it really makes me think the opposite) basically ignored me, so I gave up on Clinique for good I think. I cautiously made my way over to the Chanel counter. The girls there were really friendly and I just made my request as plain as I could. So then, lo and behold, less than 5 minutes later I'm walking away with a beautiful compact with pressed powder.

I think I'm going to start an almost all-or-nothing policy when it comes to cosmetics. Either I'll be buying Revlon and inexpensive makeup or saving my pennies for Chanel. I love it. It comes in this little velour pouch, and the compact is this simple black style with the delightful logo on it. Plus, the cosmetics are just such high quality. I'm definitely hooked.

Caution - Cello Under Construction

So I have to take Fred in for some minor work. There's a hairline crack that I've got. Luckily, it's nothing much, and should just take maybe a week to have fixed. Plus, I ordered a new A and D string and really, really need my bow rehaired. I'm thinking once this is all done, Fred will be in tip top shape and ready for the next marathon I have coming up. I have 2 free weekends and then non-stop action:

Sept. 23/24 - Free
Oct. 1 - Possible baseball trip/Oct. 2 - Free
Oct. 7 - Free/Oct. 8 NPSO Rehearsal
Oct. 14/15 - Fall Fair at work - working crazy-like all weekend
Oct. 21 - Free, Oct. 22 - NPSO Concert followed by rehearsal for King & I
Oct. 28 - King & I performance/Oct. 29 - King & I performance followed by rehearsal for My Fair Lady
Nov. 4/5 - My Fair Lady performances
Nov. 11 - My Fair Lady/ Nov. 12 - Free
Nov. 18/19 - My Fair Lady Performances

So basically, I have craziness till Thanksgiving. But it's all good - I'll be seeing my pals and just playing my little heart out. Nothing bad about that at all. It's just odd to look at my schedule and *poof* my weekends are filled. But what good is having weekends if you can't fill them with something you love?

Have You Seen the Way They Kiss in the Movies?

So, my run of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" has come to an end. It was an amazingly fun run. There was just this great dynamic in the pit that was so great and so synchronous. Plus, we're all talking about the next couple of shows coming up, so it's all good. The cast was great, we were smokin', it was all good.

Friday
Mom, Dad and Tommy come to the show. I'm extra excited to play and pay uber-close attention so as I don't make any stupid mistakes. Show goes well, audience seems to like it. Family enjoys it (which is always a plus) and everyone could actually hear me as an added bonus.

Saturday
Two shows on Saturday. An afternoon matinee which went fairly well - good crowd - and they had interpreters for the deaf. We all joked that if the audience was deaf - why would they need us? But it was another good show. Eight of us then piled over to Bertucci's where we drank (it was a 2 martini weekend - I had a Berry Smoothie type martini here), stuffed ourselves silly and just had amazing conversation. We all talked about music and how this generation now that we're all teaching has very little frame of reference when it comes to music. We all grew up watching Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry. Classical music galore. So when it came time to play the Hungarian Fantasy or William Tell or The Barber of Seville, we were already accustomed to what it was supposed to sound like. It's interesting. So we talked about that, we talked about movie music, about current and future shows happening. Jill had me try Sapphire Gin mixed with club soda with lime. Now, I'm not a fan of lime, but it was a pretty good drink - I'll have to keep that in mind. So we trek back to the theatre and it was just beautiful outside. Balmy, breezy, just nice. So Jim, Jon, Ed and Jill start up a frisbee game and I settle down next to Denise to just read the paper and enjoy the fresh air. They were having fun, I was having fun watching them and it was just great to be outside and soak up some last bit of warmth before fall really kicks in. We head back inside for our second show and that's where we all start getting punch drunk. All of us were chiming in when we could with what was going on onstage. It was just too too much fun. But then, at the end of the show, where I have this hugely exposed part I miss a G#. Argh. I was pissed all night. But I got over it.

Sunday
I get to Jill's house and we head off to Hofstra. Park far away to get some exercise. Then went on to the Italian Fest and ate a piece of bread stuffed with pepperoni, salami, ham and cheese. Argh. But we had a good time walking around, just enjoying the gorgeous weather and looking at different wares from different vendors. Then inside we went for the last show of Millie. It was quite bittersweet - lots of fun, totally jamming on the score but knowing it was the last time (for a while at least) we'd be playing it. Then after the show, Jill, Sandy and I hit Papparazzi for a nice, leisurely dinner, complete with martinis to celebrate the end of a real good run, good friends and good health.

It was just such a great weekend. And even though I was plenty busy without much time for myself, it was so fulfilling and wonderful. I mean, how many people really get to spend their free time doing something they enjoy thoroughly and get paid for it?

Pink Elephants on Parade

So I've been stressing all week about my appointment with Dr. B. I was trying to think logically, that I've been feeling really well, been doing good at the gym, not coughing, not having fevers or sweats or anything. But I can try to think as logically as I want and it doesn't matter. There's this tiny voice in the back of my head that continues to chant "You had cancer, you can get it again, it might come back." So I just needed the validation. And once I heard that my CT scan came back clear and that the scar tissue is shrinking yet even more, it felt like 2 of those pink elephants that plagued Dumbo after drinking the champagne-tinged water just floated off my shoulders.

So then I was able to enjoy a nice evening of playing my heart out and just generally enjoying the bliss of being healthy.

The Tube Music Network

So in flipping channels over the extended weekend, I discovered a new one I really hadn't given much time to. The Tube. All videos all the time. No reality stuff, no awards, no news, just videos. And it's so random, like one of those format-free radio stations. I mean, you've got an archived performance by Marvin Gaye, followed by the video for Dani California by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It's absolutely brilliant. The best thing since Vh1 Classic. I've done almost nothing all weekend but watch it. I'm soaking up old favorites and new-found treasures.

I Turned A Corner

Well, we opened Millie last Friday. It went pretty well. (With the exception of a misplaced prop and an actor then hissing "f*ck f*ck" into their mike) And it was fun to get back into the swing of being a musician again!

Plus I hung out with the fellow muscians, gobbling up free food at a party Friday night and staying out past midnight 2 nights in a row!! What a wild life I lead.

But each night as I was sitting in the pit, I actually took some time to just enjoy playing. I relished in it and looked around. I love how it gets so loud down there, I love how there's this little glowing light coming from all the stand lights, I love how as soon as the overture starts we all just sink into the groove like the show's on this track and just chugs along. I'm really lucky to get to do something I love so much.

Read this insane article on how Ted Turner is doing away with smoking scenes in cartoons.

He's absolutely insane. I mean, how can you just edit these cartoons. I guess he has the rights now or something, but I mean, it's just awful. Why not edit out the Mammy character from Gone With the Wind. Or edit out all of Humphrey Bogart's smoking in movies.

I just don't understand why parents expect it to be the responsibility of others to censor or adjust what their children watch. I grew up with a whole generation of people who watched Tom and Jerry and Bugs Bunny. And surprisingly enough, none of us go around hitting each other with anvils, blowing each other up with dynamite or lighting each other on fire. Hmmmmm....wonder why that is.

Queen of Free

So I've just printed out 2 coupons for freebies. I love getting free stuff. I revel in it. I love getting something for nothing, for beating The Man at his own game.

So I've got a free Seattle company coffee beverage and a free dessert from Ruby Tuesday in honor of my birthday. Doesn't get much better than that, does it?

So all this freebee stuff....can't get enough of it.

Could I be more of a dork?

C-o-n-spiracy

How is this fair? One location of Lucille Roberts is next door to McDonalds. One is next door to Baskin Robbins and one is next door to Cold Stone Creamery.

Is that supposed to be a true test of me or is it just a big cosmic joke?

Happy Birthday To Me...

I had to do a birthday post. It just screams cliche. And I've been to the gym (I figure that might help start the year on the right foot) and just chowed on a BLT and Cheetos. Hey, if I can't eat my favorite junk on my birthday, when can I eat it?

And I had a glorious birthday dinner last night. Delicious food, silly antics and even a game of "Pin the cherry on Curious George's ice cream." I was spoiled rotten and just basked in the warmth of being with my family. I even got weepy on the way home, feeling lucky that I have such support and love.

But my day isn't near over yet. I get to play my cello and get paid for it on my birthday - how cool is that?

Life is (still) good.

Can You Hear Them?

So I'm feeling slightly goofy and decided to do a hommage to the record cover for Beauty and The Beat:

Ahhhh....back in the day

So I watched Good Night and Good Luck tonight and was just wowed. What frightened me was how tangible and relevant it is to today. So eerie. I loved the speech that Murrow gave telling the television professionals that they need to change the purpose of television from mindless entertainment to educating and challenging people. Now then, could that possibly be relevant today with such gems on tv as Bridezillas and Jerry Springer?

A New Sensation

So there's this new singer on the block - Corinne Bailey Rae. She's got a breathy, soulful voice and sings great tunes. But more than that, she's got uber-cool curly hair that she wears beautifully.

And You're Like a 90's Kennedy

Well, so far it's been a delightful day. I woke up my sweetie to say goodbye, he squints his eyes open, smiles and says "Oooh, pretty." That's always a nice way to begin a day.

I get to the country club and it's absolutely gorgeous out. People are playing golf, are walking and there's this small spot where we're set up in front of the wedding. It was so intimate and quiet and lovely. And I get to play Bach and quiet wedding music. And then as people were leaving, we played some ragtime - how neat! And Lianne, the flutist turns to Meg and goes, "She's smoking." And I just beamed inside. You never know, playing with new people who have never heard you or played with you. So it's such an affirmation that's making me float on air today.

Then I stopped at the supermarket and picked up some stuff for a yummy, unconventional dinner - antipasto type items and that little square bread he's always saying looks so cool. AND....upon coming home, I discover he made the bed before leaving!! It just kept getting better and better.

So now, I'm relaxing listening to "Adult Alternative" and chowing on a baloney sandwich.

Sigh

A Red Letter Day

To start with, I tried to dress on the nicer side since I was meeting with a printer. So I sported a comfy, yet nice outfit. Polka dots galore - I always feel like I'm channeling a spirit from the 50's when wearing that. So I'm wearing something nice, go to put gas in the car, get free coffee (if it's free, it's for me!) and off to work I go. I get some work done, have a good meeting with the printer and back home I'm headed. Before I can even leave work, my friend Chris calls me and I tell him I'll call when I get home.

Get home and make a few calls, firm up this weekend's wedding (hooray!) and call Chris......who contracts me to do Into the Woods!! Hooray hooray!! We chit chat for a while and I'm thrilled. We're both so giddy to be playing together again. He tells me I'm his "number one cello!" He's just such a cutie and so talented that I'm honored to be working with him. He's also just so enthusiastic and so optimistic. Just the idea of doing so much more work is titilating. I was on an adrenaline high all night. So high in fact that I actually baked a cake at 9:00 p.m.

Diane stops by and we hit my new favorite "fast food" place, Panera. I could just sit and eat soup and bread all day there. So we get some time to chat, which is always good.

Come home and bake my cake for Mirek who has been saintly in helping me get my office relocated. I assemble, bake and clean everything and then retire to the bedroom to just unwind. Turn on the classical station, and with the first few chords I recognize the Elgar Cello Concerto. Dash to grab my copy of it and follow along. I realize, yes it's insanely difficult, but certainly not totally outside my realm, so I vow to at least try to get some of it going.

So, all in all, a really good day. Pretty good day. Can't really complain about one like that.

You're a Cookie Filled With Arsenic

Could this movie be any cooler? I watched it the other night and just relished in all the glorious bits of it. It's got biting dialogue, amazing shots of gritty pre-Disneyfied NYC, swanky costumes, a character who almost always wears a fur, old-school 21....it's too much, not to mention a jazz ensemble that has a cello in it. Too cool.

I think this is a movie I need to own, simply because I feel more glamorous just watching it. Simply a must for anyone who considers themselves a die-hard NY-er.

What? Are You Kidding Me?

So I have a regular day at work, made only marginally crazy by a training on software. Then go for a pedicure with my pal Patricia, which was long overdue and really relaxing. We were able to catch up and just enjoy some peace and quiet. So then I make my way over towards Huntington for my concert. I go to my favorite wrap place European Republic and get my favorite chicken and brie wrap and Belgain fries that I surely don't need. Yummy yum yum. I then make my way to the Italian ice place and ask when they close, thinking that an Italian ice would suit Tommy and I as we watch the eagerly anticipated week's installment of Project Runway. I run around a little and finally drop Fred off, hop back in the car and get the Italian ice and stash it in a backstage fridge.

The concert was agonizing. I poured sweat. I oozed sweat. I had sweat coming from places I didn't know had sweat glands. It was awful, but somehow I made it through without vomitting or fainting dead away. I was glad to get out of there when we were done. I grabbed my ices and hit the car as quickly as possible, cranking the ac.

Upon getting to the neighborhood of my neighborhood though, I saw a traffic light out and realized the power outages had finally reached us. I saw that some blocks had power and some didn't and the one before mine had power, so I was hopeful. What made me even more hopeful was the fact that the streetlight on the side of the house was on. I prayed, please please please. But when I got to the front door I knew all was in vain. The outside sensor light didn't go on and the doorbell was dark. I swore. Well, actually I cried first and then swore. So I trudged upstairs, with the cello on my back, in the dark, fumble for what feels like forever and make my way inside. I manage to get the cello away, somehow take a shower and go downstairs to sit on the steps to call Mom and Dad and the electric company. Tommy gets home an hour later, smiles at me on the steps until I say, "No power."

Long story short, we pack up, somehow get all our stuff and get to Mom and Dad's to sleep in my old room. What would we do without them???

Dinner and A Movie

So hot. Too hot. Heat wave. So when Tommy came home from work I gave him a deadpan ultimatum: Movies, library or the mall? He tossed the decision back to me, so I chose movies. We first hit Burger King and then saw Lady in the Water.

Burger King puzzles me. It seems to have this seedy side to it - like it's McDonalds' red-headed-step-sibling - that it knows it can't compete with, so it just tries to go the other way. I dunno. It just seems like their help doesn't quite know how to get it right. But I had a delicious salad with chicken and those cheesy tots, which are odd. I can't tell if I like them or not. (*Note - tried them again and really enjoyed them, so I guess it's one of those hit or miss items.) But it was just nice to enjoy air conditioning on such a brutal day and leisurely eat dinner. I grabbed a slice of Hershey's Pie to enjoy during the movie and we left for the theatre.

I love, love love the Farmingdale UA Stadium theater. It's never too packed, the seats are comfy and it's just smaller. Plus, I can use $6 movie coupons. Can't beat that. So Tommy grabs some popcorn, a soda and a honking container of water and we settle in to our seats. In lieu of the usual wacky pre-movie slides, they actually had previews of upcoming television shows which was more interesting. I found a show that I really think I might enjoy: Heros. It looks different, it's got Greg Grunberg from Felicity and Milo V. from Gilmore Girls, so I figure I'll give it a try.

I loved the movie. Loved it. I really like M. Night's way of telling a story, his characters, how he lets a story develop. People (critics) are just so negative about it. And I don't understand this, because they dislike his other movies for the same reasons they raved and gushed about Sixth Sense. I don't get it. I just know that I enjoy his movies and eagerly look forward to them.

So a real nice evening and at least a couple of hours relief from the disgusting, ungodly heat we were having.

Finally, Thai Food!

Had a really nice dinner with the gals at Nanking, a Thai restaurant. I got to eat all sorts of different food, since Jill is the queen of appetizers. It was decorated beautifully - tall bamboo shoots places around the restaurant - creating little screens and dividing up the space. It was dark, but inviting - like a little hideaway. There was a private room to the side, done in reds and gold with a huge Buddha - it looked like a little theatre. Plus a pretty, lit aquarium next to the bar.

We ordered drumsticks with a sticky, ginger sauce, lamb chops, fried lotus stems and a papaya salad. The drumsticks were good - a little too sticky for my liking though - I'm not a wing person, so take that at face value. The lamb chops were delicious, cooked perfectly with just a hint of spice to them - I could have eaten a plate of them. The lotus stems were surprising. They were fried and then coated in a sweet and sour type sauce. I thought they were kind of like zucchini or a vegetable that, when fried tastes of the batter and whatever you put on it. They weren't heavy, but were more about the texture than the taste. The sauce was good - not too sweet but a nice counterbalance to the other spicy items we had. The papaya salad surprised me the most though. I was thinking it would be very fruity but it was....fragrant, refreshing. The papaya and vegetables were julienned, so it was almost like eating cold noodles - very Asian, but so different.

Jill ordered eggplant in a garlicy tomato sauce, Steph ordered shrimp with black bean sauce and I ordered duck with curry sauce. We got 2 bowls of jasmine rice which sopped up the fragrant and unique sauces. I loved the shrimp - the black bean sauce was delicate, not cloying like the kind you get from the local Chinese take-out. The eggplant was tender and tasted just enough like garlic. The duck was different....but I'm not sure I liked it enough to order it again. It was cooked nicely, but I'm thinking chicken would better compliment the sauce. We all shared and there was enough to go around and for leftovers. (Of course, we were also sufficiently padded by the appetizers)

The owner was very nice and came over to us - chatted us up since the restaurant was still so new. It was nice to get the attention, and nice to see someone making sure that their patrons were enjoying themselves. He sent over complimentary port for dessert, so of course we ordered fried bananas with ice cream. The bananas were still firm, not mushy, and the coating was sugary and crisp. A perfect ending to the meal.

We gave it 4 #s out of 4!

(Last month we tried Peter's Pasta. The food was delicious, and the service attentive, but it was a little more expensive than we would have liked - good for a cheaper lunch, but expensive for dinner. That one we gave 2 1/2 #s)

Happy Birthday Rabbit

Got to go to a birthday party tonight and just have some relaxed fun.

Lesson of the Day:

Jack Daniels mixes much more nicely with Pepsi than Coke.

Just a personal observation is all.

When Did I Become a Woo-er?

So, I started my day off yesterday with a trip to the gym, which had touted a Salsa class instead of Kickboxing. I was all for that. I get there and just sit and relax for a little while. Women are trudging in and once word gets around that it's not kickboxing some storm off angrily. (Hello...there's been a sign in the front for weeks now saying this is what's going on.) Evelyn comes in and I'm relieved. She's a fantastic instructor and really is laid back. I really like her classes. So she gets us started and I got so into it. Loved it. My inner Alex Owens (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0085549/) was released. Thankfully there were no chairs or water release chains around. But it was just good fun - I didn't care about making a fool of myself or being self-conscious, I just had fun. And embarassingly enough, found myself replying with a "Wooooooo!" when Evelyn asked "How's everyone doing?" *hanging my head in shame*

So I felt mildly vamped up since I got my groove thing on, went food shopping and went home to chill before picking up Diane. I was glad I offered to take her since she was in a bit of pain after the doctor visit. Plus, I'm just so indebted to her after she did so much for me (and Tom) when I was sick. So I was glad to help her out. We hung out, ate Chinese food and actually had a nice evening with the guys who joined us after work. And, had someone told me about the glory that is cream ices at Ralph's long ago....my goodness. I'm slowly working my way through that menu. They're better than regular ices (which to me are always very melty, too sweet and too fruity), a little creamy, but not as pleghmy as regular ice cream. Delish.

Lessons Learned While Traveling To The Orange County Fair

Saturday came in gloomy. But I had faith that the weather might improve while I drove first to upper Manhattan to fetch Annie and Ahmed and then to Middletown for the Orange County Fair. http://www.orangecountyfair.com/

Lesson #1 - There is no need to go over the Triboro Bridge when going to Annie and Ahmed's. Yup. I made the error of not knowing that the FDR and the Harlem River Parkway were the one and the same road. So, I unknowingly got onto the Triboro Bridge, paid the darn toll and looped around Rikers Island. Luckily, I easily made my way back on course and still made it to their apartment in an hour, and we were on the road.

Lesson #2 - If you are heading anywhere near New Jersey, go on a half-filled tank or less. This is because gas prices in Jersey are at least 10-20 cents cheaper a gallon. I thought I was being well-prepared and smart in making sure the tank was filled. Alas. I could have gotten cheaper gas.

Lesson #3 - In-car snacks are very important. We didn't want to eat too much before arriving at the fair, lest we fill up before getting our hands on all that greasy/fried/cheap/stomach-ache-inducing fair food. We were looking forward to funnel cakes (of which Ahmed didn't know), cotton candy, corn dogs (for me, the non-Muslim), popcorn and homemade rural goodies like pies and other baked delights. But it was a good thing we had something to snack on, as we eventually got punchy and snackish. And if we weren't entirely starving, we'd be able to pace ourselves better. We slowly made our way north and west, the light drizzle we first encountered getting steadily harder. But since we kept hitting pockets of non-rain, we thought we had a chance....leading us to,

Lesson #4 - Always check weather forecasts before doing an outdoors activity. http://www.weather.com
We arrived at the parking lot, paid $5 for parking (Lesson #5 - There will always be free parking somewhere else, you may have to walk a bit, but it's better than being an out-of-town rube.) and sat in the lot while the rain poured down on the car. Ahmed did work and Annie and I tried amusing ourselves by coming up with alternate plans. We checked Ahmed's Blackberry and found that the rain would just keep getting harder and harder (3pm - Hard Rain, 4pm - Hard Rain, 5pm Strong Storms, 6pm Strong Storms) and it seemed that the fates just didn't want us visiting a fair. So we cut our losses, made tentative plans to hit the fair the following weekend and made our way back towards home. But before we left the area, we drove around the fairgrounds and found that they were quite extensive. We saw the bleachers for the "Masters of the Chainsaw" show, all sorts of food tents, a ton of nausea-inducing rides and even an "Old-Time Photo" booth. The anticipation of seeing Ahmed dressed in Old West gear gave Annie and I a good case of the giggles. So we scouted it out and thought maybe we might try again next weekend.

We then made our way back - stopping at Nyack, which I remembered to be a quaint little town "nestled in the lower Hudson Valley." So we stopped, parked the car and decided to look into the cute stores and find somewhere to eat. We went into a few nice stores, they bought some nicely scented soaps and Annie treated me to an "Arabic Groove" cd, which boasted the best of contemporary African and Middle Eastern songs. It is actually quite excellent and I love it. We searched for a restaurant which had promise and narrowed it down to a Northern Italian, Japanese, Thai and even an Irish Pub that touted a nice selection of seafood. So we went with the Irish Pub on the basis that we could always get good sushi back in the city. We had a lovely dinner (rack of lamb for me!) and then went in search of the little place that the local map was quoted as saying "Voted the best desserts in the Lower-Hudson-Valley." Sounded promising to us. So off we went in the pouring rain, giggling and getting sopping wet until we came across Temptations. http://www.nyackny.com/restara.htm Annie opted for a flourless chocolate cake, Ahmed for the chocolate mousse cake and me for the Kentucky Derby pie (think a nuty chocolate chip cookie in pie form.) We also grabbed for some of the vintage candy; Charleston Chew http://www.tootsie.com/cc.html (here then known as Chucky Chews) for Annie, (Lesson #6 - Chuckie Chews are the most amazing candy I've recently discovered. How come nobody told me about these things? I remember them being hard and tooth-dislodging, not fluffy pieces of vanilla-y heaven) and rock candy and Atomic Fireballs for Tom to bring him home a surprise (in addition to the mini-squirt gun and egg-laying chicken I nabbed at a toy store). It was a cute place, with incredibly helpful service. I'm always amazed that there are still younger adults who are happy to do their job. The only other place I've recently encountered this is at the local Ralph's Italian Ices, http://www.ralphsices.com/ where I was waited upon by not one cheerful teen but two. I was astounded. So we then traveled home, and quickly grabbed the Tappan Zee Bridge (which Ahmed had never gone across before) where we found Lesson #7 - The Tappan Zee Bridge is cheaper than the George Washington Bridge. It's $6 to get back into NYC if you don't have EZ Pass ($5 if you have EZ Pass during rush hours, $4 during non-rush hours) - $4 to take the Tappan Zee. So we were delighted to have "bucked the system" so to speak.

We make our way to Blockbuster on Broadway and 103rd Street and grab "Freedomland" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0349467/ to watch while eating our desserts. It was an okay movie, thought-provoking enough and has lots of good acting to it. (I took out the book today from the library.) After the movie I work my way home and make it home in less than an hour. Off to bed I go, not having visited the fair, but far wiser than I was when I left in the morning.

Shrimp, Broadway and Fabulousness

My fabulous night on Wednesday. First, I went to the gym and had a good workout. I noticed while checking in that this woman wearing a scarf in that tell-tale cancer person way was talking to another woman about her hair growing back. I got a little bold and walked over and said "Mine grew back the exact same way!" They both looked at me and marvelled at how curly and thick it is. I spoke a little to the woman and we compared notes and treatments and on the way out we both wished each other well. It's odd, but when you find someone who's been through the same thing as you, there's an instant kinship. It's nice and strange and sad all at the same time.

So I get home and relax (or try to in the 90 degree heat) till I need to get dressed, wearing a kimono-type top, black skirt and strappy sandals. I let my hair run free and grab my new knock-off designer bag. The train was fairly air conditioned. We get to the city (Mom and I) and start making our way uptown. We duck into a little body product store that was new to me (www.missha.com) I grabbed mango body butter, mango shower gel, a new natural sponge and a lipstick for mom. We meander further uptown to meet Annie and Ahmed at Avra, this amazing Greek restaurant (http://www.avrany.com/index.html) where I had grilled shrimp over the most amazing moussaka I've ever had. Even before the amazing shrimp was a little dish with olives, bread, hummus and olive oil. I could have just eaten bowls of radishes slathered with hummus. Annie of course ordered dessert as did Ahmed, so I sampled a delicious chocolate lava cake with fig ice cream and semolina custard. Then...off to the theatre to see the hugely acclaimed new production of Sweeney Todd, starring Patti "the original Evita" LuPone. (http://www.sweeneytoddonbroadway.com/) She's just a powerhouse. I sat there watching the opening number with tears in my eyes, just astounded at the people on stage. There were 2 Tony Award winners. It was phenomenal. The pared-down orchestrations were so intriguing, the bare set worked perfectly, and the fact that the actors played the instruments was magical. I didn't know what to watch - the actors singing or the ones playing. It is a mind-blowing production and so completely different than how it was done originally. So I somehow make it through the show without fainting dead away from ecstasy and we beat it over to the stage door to wait for the actors. We get autographs from everyone and I got my picture taken with Patti LuPone. I couldn't stand it. What a perfect night. Plus, it's always fun to be in NYC. So much energy, so much enthusiasm.

Sunday, Lazy Sunday
I had a truly relaxing Sunday. Went to the gym, where I really worked hard, which felt good. I was actually almost able to use the larger weights, which is rewarding. Plus, I sweat a gazillion times more from that weight training class than I did from the step class the day before. Then I ran a few errands; picked up some clear polish to give myself a proper pedicure (I'm Not Really a Waitress courtesy of OPI), and a bagel to toast at home. Got home, took a loooong shower and actually put on a robe to lounge in. I was able to read, watch a movie and do my toes. It was so nice just to pamper myself.

Since the new boss, I feel like my stress level has dropped considerably, which is so odd. You'd think a new boss would make more stress. I guess that's speaking volumes about the old boss.

Global Village
So I went on Saturday to a "barbecue" at the home of friends of Annie and Ahmed to celebrate her graduation. It wasn't a barbecue - it was more of a casual party in which we got to meet a lot of their friends which was really nice. And as I was sitting with this Egyptian/Palestinian/Iraqi group I noticed something. They were all mostly well-off; dentists, doctors, real estate moguls. They all drove nice cars and the home I was at was absolutely breathtaking. However....unlike "Americans" they never mention their wealth, never mention things they've acquired with their wealth and never really make distinctions about class. Which is so strange, since it's so huge in the countries of where they come from. Now, is this because they think it's un-American to do such things? Which would be ironic because I've found Americans to be so rude in this department. People think nothing of comparing what they have to what you have to see if it gets a response from you. Or is it because they are more polite than the average American? Just an observation/pondering.

But all in all, it was a really nice gathering. It was nice to see the people who care about A-squared and see them all together. For me, any time I can have Middle Eastern food is a good thing - everything was delicious and I always relish (no pun intended) in being able to try something different. With desserts there's such a focus on honey and semolina rather than chocolate and cake. It was so neat.