Reminders

Today I was reminded that sometimes, little blades of grass or even flowers grow between slabs of concrete.  

The Election is Almost Over!

I have to get my ballot sent out and in a hurry. I want to have it sent by Tuesday...

Can I just say how glad I will be when it is all over with?  I'm a political junkie - I listen to my Air America all the time and I like the conversation about political things but I get so TIRED of election rhetoric.  Anyone's.  I get so sick of the political ads and the desperation that the candidates show as the time draws closer - particularly in local politics.  I'm glad we have the right to voice our opinions in our government and all, but man, I can't wait until we have voiced it already.

On a different topic - I still have "Spring Awakening" songs playing in my head.  The show is really catchy and was very well done.  I think my favorite character/voice was Ilse - both on the CD and on stage. They both have this husky strident voice.  The song that keeps haunting me right now is "Spring and Summer".  Just beautiful.

I don't have a show again until "The Color Purple" in January (on January 1, as a matter of fact), so I am plotting my movie-going schedule along with a listening schedule so that I won't be so frantic to get to know the music for the show.  I always put off listening so that I am a week or so shy of where I would feel REALLY confortable with my level of knowledge of the music.  I mean, they can't all be "Les Miserables" or "Rent" where I can duplicate every breath of the show.  In the perfect world, I guess that would be what I would do, but in my flawed, trying-to-take-some-time-for-myself world, it just isn't possible. 

What I decided was that I could listen to all the politics I want until right after the election and then I will go back to listening to politics/radio in the morning on the way to work (I justify this by knowing that I will be able to hear the traffic and weather reports which may affect my arrival time at work) and on the way home, I will listen to "The Color Purple".  Two months is actually a long time to listen for me...so, that's the plan.

Next movie up, "The Secret Lives of Bees" (I think that's the title).  I wanted to see"Ghost Town" but I think it is gone from the theatres.  I guess it will be a DVD watch.

"Spring Awakening" arrives in Portland

Ok, ok. So I listened to "Spring Awakening" a few times and the music was nice enough...still some odd undercurrents and storylines. Then I found a bunch of videos on YouTube...what would I do without YouTube? Interpreting will never be the same now that we have the internet and YouTube and Google. I used to have to spend days at the library or Powell's trying to find information about the background of different plays or to find literary references, etc. Now, I turn on my computer. Who knew things would go this way?

Anyway, I am slowly falling in love with some of the songs and voices of the show. In particular, I am really loving Lauren Prichard from the original Broadway cast recording. She played Ilse and sings some of the most gorgeous songs. All the actors have amazing voices and they sing with an energy and passion that I haven't heard since "Wicked" or "Rent". Very fresh, very new. I don't know that I LOVE the story - a little too over-the-top for me but still, refreshing to do something new instead of another round of "Oklahoma!".

Here is Lauren Prichard singing "The Dark I Know Well" on the Songwriter's Hall of Fame:



Here is a clip of the show from the 2007 Tony Awards:

Burglar Alarms suck

nuff said.

"The Duchess" - Puzzling

I saw "The Duchess" on the last day of my vacation.  It wasn't my first choice - I wanted to see the comedy "Ghost Town" but it was playing at the wrong time and in the wrong place.

"The Duchess" is beautifully filmed, the costumes are lovely, the acting is very good and the story...well, frankly, the story is kind of boring and common.  Young girl married to a rich older Duke, girl doesn't conceive sons, Duke has affairs, girl falls in love, girl suffers, Duke doesn't care.  I know it was based on a true story, but I still wasn't that impressed.

One of the reasons we went to this movie was that my companion said they had heard that Ralph Fiennes (pronounced Rafe Fines, BTW) was especially good in it.  I love him.  LOVE HIM.  This movie did little for me in regard to his acting ability or charisma or...anything.  If you want to see him BRILLIANT in a movie, see "Schindler's List".  I know, I know - hard to watch.  Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes and Ben Kingsley were amazing in this movie.  What hope lies there - even in the darkest times, someone can do something that turns out to save generations of people.  

I digress...back to "The Duchess"...

I didn't hate it.  I just didn't love it.  It was a pleasant enough couple of hours, but it just didn't create any kind of feeling for the characters.  I wanted to feel some kind of empathy or caring for the Duchess, but by the time it happened, the movie was nearly over and I was kind of done with it.   I don't know.  I guess my standards are too high.

Here are the visual high points of the film for me:

There were some GREAT previews, though.  I am excited for the coming movie season...

"Defiance", "The Soloist", "Doubt" and "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince" are all looking good.  I saw some print ads for other movies, too, that are coming down the pike.  I have been dying for some good dramas and some good comedies - not the "Dumb and Dumber" variety.  And all the dramas last year that caught any attention were all the manly, "There will be blood" or "No Country for Old Men" or whatever...yuk.  Not appealing at all for me.  I'm thinking this year is my year for movies.  Yay.

P.S.  I am working on "Spring Awakening" - interpreted performance on Thursday evening at 7:30pm.  Weird show.  Very odd.  Provocative.  Good music, but very dark.  A good fluffy show wouldn't go amiss. 

Back from Vacation and sad about it

It has been so nice to just BE for the past few days...Not have to worry about people or take responsibility for their actions, not be responsible for everything.  

I had a lovely vacation in Genoa, NV at Dave Walley's Hot Springs (my undisclosed vacation spot). Below are some images I got from the Dave Walley's Website, in case you want to go.  I saw one picture of the "relaxation pool" that was covered with snow and people in it smiling because of the warmth of the water.  I liked the picture, but it was definitely a misrepresentation of my trip there. I went to Carson Valley (first photo) and the rest of the pics are from Dave Walley's Hot Springs:

Preparing for a vacation

Sorry that I have not been more attentive this week...I have been working long hours getting ready to go on vacation.  I think that's why people don't take them more...there is so much to do ahead of time, then you miss all the stuff, come back to a big pile of catching up and at the same time, have to do all the regular day-to-day stuff, too.

I am being whisked away by friends...I am flying to Reno on Saturday morning, they are picking me up at the airport and taking me to an undisclosed vacation spot at some hot springs or something.  Frankly, I don't care if I go sit in a cave for a few days.  Or a sensory deprivation chamber...I am so ready to not be here...

And I am trying to get ready for "Spring Awakening"...I was listening to it..the music is beautiful in some ways, but disturbing...I can't quite put my finger on it...I have to read the script more in depth (I have glanced at it) and really figure out what the heck is going on...Should be interesting.

I may pop by here tomorrow to leave you some goodies while I'm away...If not, have a great week and I will be back soon. 

Update on "Give Me 5 Monday" Meme

Holy moly...I was worried because I hadn't clearly linked back to the maker of the "Give Me 5 Monday" Meme, so I was remedying the situation...I went back to the blog and on the sidebar, I saw a number ticking upward very quickly. I went over to read it...It said that the number was the number of people who had died since I had opened the webpage...I read on because I thought it might be some cause or a new genocide that I should know about and find information about...and here is what it said...I'm still in shock...

For clarity's sake, I DO NOT BELIEVE OR SUPPORT THIS IN ANY WAY.

"150,000 People
Will Die Today
The counter to the side is ticking off the number of people who have died since you opened this webpage. The vast majority of those people are entering Hell. Christ commanded his followers to share the Gospel with those who are perishing... who have you shared with today?
Click here for free Evangelism resources."

You can believe whatever you are going to believe. I don't have the right to tell anyone what to do or how to believe and I value my own right to believe what I believe. I cannot in good conscience, however, support a site that considers that the vast majority of people are going to hell because they don't believe the way that she does. I will not be participating in the "Give Me 5 Monday" meme any longer. For anyone who followed the link there and wondered what was happening, my apologies. For anyone who reads this blog and believes the above, you are more than welcome to continue reading, however, you should know that I don't subscribe to those beliefs.

Wow...I need to be more careful in the future. I'm sorry.

Harry, 24, Meg and Gandhi

In an effort to escape more commentary about the Biden/Palin debate on Thursday night, I put in "24" Season 4 last night. I have to wait between seasons...it is like crack or meth. I can't just watch one episode. I have loved Keifer Sutherland since "The Lost Boys" came out...but I also love the format, the suspense. I'm having a hard time reconciling my love of this show and most of the action movies I love with what I believe and who I am as a person. I haven't quite made it there. I see myself in peaceful ways and I understand the impact that viewing violence has on young people (as well as everyone else). In fact, my own viewing habits have changed greatly since I was a teenager. I used to be able to watch ANY scary movie. Then I saw "Nightmare on Elm Street" and "Aliens" a few too many times... As I get older, I find it harder and harder to watch violence of any kind. I have to look away and often have to cover my ears so I can't HEAR the shooting, screaming, punching, tearing... Weird, I know.

So, in the last 2 days, I watched the first 4 episodes of Season 4 of "24".


We were talking about "You've Got Mail" at work the other day, so of course, I wanted to watch it. I got up early this morning and looked for it. And looked for it. And looked for it. I'm sure the day after I rent and watch it, I will find my copy of the stupid thing. GRR. But I found out that I have 2 copies of "When Harry Met Sally" on DVD. I watched it about 2 weeks ago, so it wasn't really the replacement I was looking for. I put in "Sleepless in Seattle" and slept through the entire thing.


In an effort to not have a completely useless Saturday, I tried watching "Gandhi", which I am sad to say, I have never seen. I am a big fan of Gandhi and had the opportunity to interpret for his grandson, Arun Gandhi, a few years ago. He was amazing. I love Ben Kingsley - I think he is my favorite living actor right now...but I have never seen the whole movie. I started watching, but I just couldn't go there...So, instead, I am watching "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone". Not quite the same, but there you go.

And of course, episodes of "Buffy" to sleep by. :) Season 5 - Just finished the episodes where Joyce dies. Hard to watch.

Editorial comment:  So, yes, this is a lot of viewing time for just 2 days, however, I justify it by telling you that yesterday was one of my "don't leave the house all day" days.  I didn't finish "Harry Potter" either...No movie luck yesterday.  

Ethics, Integrity and Balancing Personal needs

How do we do it? I work in corporate America. I don't how to do this.