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.