Another Sappy Love Confession

Last night, I watched an episode of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and cried. This is nothing new. I cry almost every week when I watch that show. This week I was touched by the beautiful, gracious gratitude of the Frisch family. The parents had 3 birth children (all boys) and adopted 5 boys from an orphanage in Haiti and 3 additional boys from Toledo, Ohio. The father is a firefighter and the mother a youth counselor until she was struck down by a disease I had never even heard of before.

Weekly, I am amazed at the generosity and kindness of these families who take care of people in whatever way that they can, against the odds, without thinking of themselves. I am always amazed at how kind, well-mannered and gracious the children in these families are.

This week, the boys who were adopted (but who were every bit Frisch) talked about how they wanted to make the world a better place. Some of the boys wanted to go into service - fireman, policemen, etc. Some of the boys wanted to return to Haiti to make a difference. The University of Toledo (I believe) offered all 11 children full-ride scholarships so that they can go out into the world and make it better.

I love good people getting good things, good people doing good things. I know I'm a sucker, but it just helps start the week off well.

Secret Movie Shame

My secret shame of movies is that I LOVE "Armageddon"! I know, I know. It's embarrassing, but I can't help it.

The summer that it came out, it came out around the same time as "Deep Impact", which I saw first. I really liked it - I love Tea Leoni and I came to appreciate Robert Duvall in a way that I hadn't before. I liked the characters in the film and the different ways that it depicted people in crisis. Leelee Sobieski was the current "it" girl in Hollywood (another failed attempt to force us into accepting someone as a star before they were ready to take on the mantle of it - see Winona Ryder, Gwenyth Paltrow, Scarlett Johannson). Vanessa Redgrave was heartbreaking in it, as well.

Then I saw "Armageddon" and I didn't like it at all. Compared to "Deep Impact" it was just a big blow-em-up movie. It was too loud and too long and I just didn't get the appeal. But I ended up seeing it a couple of times...and started appreciating it more and more. First of all, no matter what anyone says, Ben Affleck is looks GOOD in this film and he is a master tear-jearker (See "Bounce" and other films). I love Bruce Willis because he is who he is (love "Die Hard"). Yes, this does pose a dilemma when thinking about the kind of person I want to be, but I loved his movies before I was really thinking in those terms. I think Billy Bob Thornton was good in this, Steve Buscemi, and the ever-beautiful Liv Tyler. I love the true=blue Americana when they show the scenes of people listening to the president's radio address, the scenes from around the world as people waited and wondered what was happening. I think the whole Dad-as-hero aspect is particularly appealing, since my dad was in the military and I had always thought that he could protect us from anything.

So, why do I bring this up today? Because normally, I sleep through "Armaggedon" because I have seen it so many times. Yesterday, I put the movie in as background noise and I missed the very beginning, but then I watched the rest. Today, I was flipping the channels and the only thing on besides football was "Armaggedon". I somehow managed to catch it right as the movie was starting and I thought I would just watch it while I was eating lunch and then turn it off. Now, 2 hours later, it is still on and just ending. Obviously, if I am typing, I am not fully engrossed in watching it, but still...

Every time it is on television, I get sucked in. And I have it on DVD and VHS. What is that about?

Anyway, I am giving myself a break this weekend about it because I feel crappy. Weird what things comfort you when you don't feel well. Anyway, my secret is out.

I even like that Aerosmith song at the end...not my style at all!

"Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen"

I am not feeling good today, so I sat down at the computer to wear my headphones and play solitaire. I heard "Everybody's Free To Wear Sunscreen" for the first time in years and it made me cry.

Here it is with Portugese subtitles...It was the full version and the only one I could find...

Weekend Crack

I am on the last season of "24" that is out on DVD. I'm not sure what I will do without my weekend does of TV-crack. "Buffy" is still my fav, but now it has an almost narcotic affect on me...I go to sleep when I hear the theme music. I'm sure at some point I will only be able to watch it while sitting on a bed of nails.

I do experience a moral dilemma when I watch "24" - torture, breaking the rules, going outside of standard protocols, violence...but it is just a TV show. I love Keifer Sutherland (have since his "Lost Boys" days). I get some satisfaction on really bad days from thinking, "Well, my work could be worse...I don't get nerve gas set off in the vents." At the same time, propagating this kind of thing isn't the best idea. If I had children, I probably wouldn't let them watch this show. But I don't.

Anyway, it keeps me sane sometimes. Just some crazy, fantastical tv show that keeps your adrenaline pumping. Although I often fall asleep when they have those long policy meetings. And they say, "Jack!" too much - like in "Titanic".

Background color

I can't decide what I like for the background color. My favorite colors are pink and yellow. I don't like the pink color that is actually readable on this and I don't want to mess with the formatting too much without knowing what it will look like. I have tried a pale green, but I don't like that. So, I keep hopping between blue and yellow...I'm sure I will find something I like sooner or later. I wish I understood HTML or whatever more so that I could mess with it all on my own, but I just don't have the time or the inclination. Sigh.

LONG DAYS

I don't know what happened this week, but MAN, have the days been long. So long, in fact that I couldn't wait to leave work yesterday. Normally, that isn't me, at all. Usually, I am always working on "one more thing", but yesterday, I finally just left out of self-defense. The day just dragged on. I have a lot to do, but nothing I could have completed in a reasonable amount of time. So I only worked 8.25 hours! Yikes! It felt like I was playing hooky! (We can talk about how wrong that is at a later time...)

Anyway, I am finally going to make my way out of here tonight. Off and out into the rain.

Quack, quack.

Short and sweet

What is up with those Brooke Shields/Volkswagen?? commercials?

I don't get it. I know they say if you are still thinking about it, it worked, but those commercials just annoy me. They don't make me want to buy a car.

Blogphrenia

I feel like I should have some unifying theme that runs through my posts but I am always all over the place. Every day, some new thing catches my attention (sometimes an old thing) and that is where I go. I tried the whole theme thing with Nablopomo (National Blog Posting Month for the uninitiated), but that was also a failure. Who knew that posting about a single topic or single theme would prove to be so hard?

The other weird thing about Nablopomo is that I will go for a month and post every day, thinking nothing about it. That's when I decide - "Hey, I'm willing to commit to this daily thing...and a theme! That should help." NOT. Every time I commit, i go on a trip, I get sick, I'm too tired. What is that?

It feels like I'm back in high school again and Mrs. May is assigning us "The Scarlet Letter" and we have to write a 5 paragraph essay about the symbolism in the book. Blech! I love reading, but that forced reading was never my forte. In fact, it soured me on all things labeled "classic". I didn't even read "To Kill a Mockingbird" until I was 22 for goodness sake. All because I didn't want anyone telling me what I should read. For a person who loves books as much as I do, I haven't really read nearly enough of the classics. It makes me feel less than literate. At the same time, I am not really that interested in most of the classics. I am quite talented, in fact, at finding first time and one-time only authors.

I guess none of it matters in the long run. It is just funny how things happen. Every day I sit down to write about something and I always aspire to "deep and meaningful" but life isn't always about that. It's more about the little things, really. I shouldn't worry too much about it.

Must mean I've had a slow day. That's rare. Smile

Changing the Path

So, lately, I have been struggling with a situation. I can't really go into details here, but I have been looking at my own ability to deal with toxicity and what my contribution is to the situation. I know that I can't change people, so I am trying to change my own response to them.

Of course, my first response is to buy a bunch of books on the topic and try to research my way through it. I bought a bunch of books on Amazon today, so help is on the way.

I go through these cyclical periods where I fall into a pit of despair that this situation will not be resolved and then things calm down for 3-4 months and just when I think I'm clear, it comes up again. I hope that if I can arm myself with tools - at least things I can do so that I KNOW I am not just making things worse - maybe I can break the cycle or at least find some peace.

Sound vague enough? I know what I mean. I guess that's what's important at this point.

Weekend Dilemmas

Every weekend, I always struggle with the same decision: stay in the house and rest up or go out and actually do something social and interesting and not related to work of any kind. Staying in the house usually wins, but I do know that I enjoy social stuff.

I think it takes so much emotional energy to just be around people, sometimes I crave the lack of stimulation home provides. At the same time, I miss the rich social connections I had in the past. I think this is a natural age progression - people get older and more settled, so social opportunities have to be made rather than letting them just happen.

To that end, I thought I would post about last weekend - I went to see "The Secret Life of Bees". I have the book and started reading it but I didn't get very far (see postings about my failed reading renaissance). So I went to see it last Sunday. It was really good. It is just the kind of movie I love - tender, a little bit of social justice, good acting, southern flavor. Jennifer Hudson was really good - I love her. She is so beautiful and talented. Queen Latifah was grand. I love her. I love her presence. She looked great and just had a great role. Alicia Keys even impressed me...I'm not a big fan of hers. She is very talented, but her music just isn't my thing. Dakota Fanning is going to be a powerhouse actress like Jodie Foster if she keeps acting and making good choices of film and stays out of the Hollywood spotlight.

Here is the trailer:



I think, in light of Barack Obama winning the election, there is a special place for this movie this fall. To juxtapose the 2008 election of the first African American president and the civil rights movement in the 1960s with how difficult it was for African American citizens to vote without being taunted, bullied, beaten and even killed is a pretty intense thing. It struck me while watching this film that we have come so far and yet, not that far in all these years. I recommend this film. If you are a movie cryer, bring tissues.

November 7

Went to a conference today but just manning the booth. Good to see people. Takes a lot of energy to be social. More this weekend.

Figuring it all out

I keep reading all these business and management books, books about leadership and how to motivate people, how to help them have a more positive outlook, etc. I just can't seem to find what I am looking for. I've been thinking I would like to take a class on leadership...something.

I'm always on a search...I don't know if that is a good thing or a bad thing.

I bought an iPod shuffle yesterday as a treat for handling a very difficult day. It said it was going to autoload some music but it didn't. I then realized that there is no visible volume control on the shuffle. There probably is one, but I just don't understand it all. I will load some music on tonight. See what happens. Welcome to the 21st century, right?

Inspiration on a stick

Excitement in the air

Right now, at 7:01pm, the election is Obama 207 Electoral votes to McCain's 135 Electoral votes.

There is a buzz around almost everything today. The traffic seemed different today. As I drove by the Ballot Drop Off, there were police and pylons and a big reader board announcing that the drop off site had moved across the street to the KMart parking lot...On Saturday, it had been in front of the Police Department. So many people needing to get their ballots in on this final night - before 8pm- that they had to move the drop off to the Kmart parking lot.

People who never engage in political discourse talking in whispered tones about their hopes for the election either way.

We are having a "Resistant to Change" potluck tomorrow - comfort food only and wearing pajama bottoms to work - to recognize the historic day. In a couple of weeks, we are having an "Embracing Change" potluck. So much is happening at work and the election and people just seemed like they needed a way to manage their feelings about it. When I brought this up, it made them laugh, so we decided to do it.

Regardless of the winner tonight - Change is coming. Capital 'C' Change. We are ready.

Buzz. Buzz. I am ready. Hope bubbles up.

Voting done...Waiting for results

My voting is done. Now it is waiting time. I just want to be at home and listening to the radio. I hope we get good news.

November Badge for NaBloPoMo

Here is my badge for November. Hopefully, I will be able to put a completion badge at the end...We'll see what happens.

Book Meme without the Tagging

I don't know where this originated, but I really really really wanted to do it.  I know I won't be able to answer in one book answers, but I don't care.  I just love talking about books.  I also know this is kind of an old meme and I don't really have anyone to tag, but I wanted to do it anyway.

 1.  One book that changed your life: 

First books that changed my life:  "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish" which was the first book I ever read by myself.  Dr. Seuss wasn't whistling Dixie.

"Helen Keller's Teacher" - the story of Anne Sullivan.  My sister read this book to me when we were living in the Ameila Earhart Hotel in Wiesbaden, German when I was 6 years old and had just been transported to a foreign world full of sights and smells and sounds I was unfamiliar with.  Away from family and friends, it bonded us as sisters and served as the foundation of a life-long love affair with books.

"Roots" by Alex Hailey - stunning.  Amazing. Heartbreaking and triumphant all at the same time.

"To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee- released me from my almost-paralyzing fear of "classics", having been burned by "The Scarlet Letter", "East of Eden" and "Catcher in the Rye" - not at all my style and off-putting to a budding literati.

"A Woman's Worth" by Marianne Williamson - led me to her lectures which got me through the hardest years of my life.

"And the Band Played On" by Randy Shilts - opened my eyes to the bureaucracy and the prejudice that existed and still exists surrounding AIDS and the Gay/Lesbian/Bisexual and Transgendered communities.  As a guest in that world, it wasn't always so clear to me. And I was young.

"Letters from the Quilt" - a compilation of letters people had written to accompany their entry into the Names Project Quilt.  I realized I was not alone in my grief.

2. One book that you’ve read more than once: 
All the Harry Potter  books 1-5.  Books 6 and 7 are still waiting for their second read throughs.

"Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe" by Fannie Flagg

3. One book you’d want on a desert island: 

One book?  How impossible is that?  I would bring the Harry Potter series...should keep me entertained for a while.  And "Roots"...and maybe "Les Miserables" and "Wicked" (all 3 books).

4. One book that made you laugh: 

Barrel Fever by David Sedaris (especially "Santaland Diaries")

5. One book that made you cry: 

"Letters from the Quilt" - a collection of the letters people send in when they submit a quilt for a loved one to The Names Project.

6. One book that you wish had been written:

The story of Roby's life from his perspective

7. One book that you wish had never been written: 

Anything by Ann Coulter

8. One book you’re currently reading:

"The Wednesday Letters", "Twilight", "Discipline without Punishment", "It's Not About the Coffee", "The Book Thief"

9. One book you’ve been meaning to read: 
"The Diary of a Young Girl:  Anne Frank's Diary"

"Wicked", "Son of A Witch"

November Aspirations

The November theme for NaBloPoMo is to just write every day.  I have to add myself to the blogroll, but I don't have time to do it today.

I think my theme for the beginning of November is "Change".  Changes I hope for, changes I want to make, changes that are scary.  I don't know if I will stick to that the whole month, or not, but that is the goal.

Change #1:  Desired Change

I'm not sure what I will do if Barack Obama doesn't win the election.  This is a change we all need.  A little bit of light at the end of what has been a dark and terrifying tunnel.  I'm sure it will hold its own challenges - to adapt to a new way of looking at the world as a nation, but I think we are way past due and I think that the majority of people agree.

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.

Give Me 5 Monday Meme

Give Me Five birthday memories from your life or of someone else.

1. My 30th Birthday party- Julie, a friend and colleague of mine had a birthday party at her house for my 30th birthday. It was my second birthday after Roby died and she knew what a milestone it was for me, so she invited all my friends in the interpreting/Deaf world over. It was a lovely birthday...I have photos that I will have to scan and add later. Thanks, Julie!

2. Roby's 21st birthday - His birthday was on Thanksgiving that year - November 26, 1987 (I believe). We had dinner at his mother's house - the whole family was there. Shirlee and Bob, Debee and her husband and daughter, Teri and Chris and their son and daughter, Shirlee's sister Patti, cousins Tammy and Tanya. Bob's stepmother, Lucille, probably Bob's sister, Jane. Maybe Bob's son, Eric. Maybe some more cousins...they set up a big table (maybe a pingpong table) in the sitting room and everyone sat out there. I was always late to dinner because I had Thanksgiving with my family first. Roby always saved me a few mashed potatoes. He had to dish them up because if he didn't, they would all be gone immediately. Man, that family can eat. :) After dinner, they all started to get ready to go out. I wasn't really sure what we were going to do...they decided to go to this bar that is no longer in existance...on Broadway downtown...I will have to try to figure out a name. It was a PSU jock bar...ummm...hi?! So, for Roby's 21st birthday, Shirlee and Bob and Patti and Teri and Debee and Tammy and I got all gussied up to go to a jock bar. I was a little freaked out because I was only 20 at the time and I was pretty sure I would get arrested for being under age, so Teri gave me an old driver's license of hers. I shouldn't have worried...it was easy enough. The bar wasn't superbusy since it was Thanksgiving night...everyone was drinking, but I hadn't really had much alcohol before that except for some champagne and some kahlua and creme a few times. That night, we drank tequila poppers. Those things go straight to your brain. I don't think we got drunk...just had a few drinks. The next night, I'm pretty sure that we went to CC Slaughters and set the path of our lives after that...

3. My 12th Birthday party - I lived in Panama City, Florida and we were about a month from moving to Oregon. I had a party with all my friends there - Drew Keriakedes, Bart Sloan, Thalia Smith, Tina Ritter, Dee Dee Small, Mercedes Delory, maybe Nina Haanio. Those were the main people I remember. I had a HUGE crush on Bart and Drew. I think we actually played "Spin the Bottle" on the patio and I ended up kissing one of them...can't remember which one all these years later. I was really heartbroken about leaving all my friends. We stayed in touch for a couple of years, but then, as most kids do, we all lost touch. I don't have any photos from that year that I remember...I will have to look. I remember that I wore a blue skirt outfit with flowers on it. And my hair was cut in that short feathered way that I had for many years. My mom always loved it, but I thought it was too short. It was a bittersweet birthday.

4. January 9, 1996 - Just a day after Roby died, it was my dad's birthday. I don't remember much but my family offered to postpone the celebration. I couldn't think why we would do that because I felt like I would never EVER feel happy again, so why put it off? We had a nice party, but I could tell that my dad felt bad to be having a birthday party. It was low key - we had dinner and opened some gifts and probably had some cake. It wasn't very joyous, though. Sad. Now they are both gone.

5. July 13, 1984 - My 17th birthday (it might have been my 18th birthday...)...had a big party and all the drama people showed up. ALL of them...Jeffa was extremely late and disappeared into my bedroom for more than an hour...then disappeared for the rest of the evening. Roby and Duane were there, Charles, Jim, Angie, Jenny M. and Jenny R., some of the juniors and sophomores..Later, I found out that Jeffa had been making out with Jim somewhere most of the evening. When she arrived, she had gone immediately upstairs to write a long and lovely card to me for my birthday, but I was so mad that I couldn't really appreciate it...That night was a huge bone of contention for us - I just couldn't fathom that the person who I spent most of my time with for YEARS would behave in this way. (I was not that smart when it came to issues of raging hormones at the time). Thus began a rocky year...she was going through lots of stuff that I didn't know about and I guess I wasn't that supportive (I didn't know what was going on). I still have difficulty understanding the whole, "I'm in love and therefore I can't talk to you" attitude, although I am more familiar with the concept now.

So those are my birthday memories so far...I'm sure there are more, but these are the ones that came to mind.

Goodbye, Love

First - a clip from the 10 year Anniversary of RENT (OBC):

Goodbye, Love


I'll Cover You (no costumes- endears me to Jesse L. Martin all the more)


So, I saw the final performance of RENT on Broadway filmed and presented in the movie theatre. The final performance was Sept. 7, 2008 and they had the show up and ready this week. May I say that I thought it was BRILLIANT from all angles. The filming was beautifully high definition (as compared to some of the video on youtube anyway) with close ups and shots that allowed me to feel connected to the characters on an intimate level that sometimes is impossible in live theatre. It felt like live theatre except for the audience energy - I think people didn't know how to be in a play in a movie...do we clap? do we hoot?

Here's a promo with Will Chase as Roger:



The cast was amazing. I was particularly struck by Mimi played by Renee Elise Goldsberry - she had the sense of wildness, audacity and vulnerability that is sometimes missing from the character. Will Chase was a great Roger - I wasn't sure at first, but I have seen him in other Broadway shows and liked him. Once he sang "Glory", I was onboard for the ride.

I have read some criticism online about the editing and the filming being too close, but I LOVED IT. I loved seeing the tears pouring down Mimi's face and the subtle facial expressions between the characters. I loved the bottled up emotion of Roger in "Another Day" and Mimi's startled reaction when he comes at her. They had great chemistry.

Angel, played by Justin Johnson, was sweet and sassy and lovable. It was just the right touch of playfulness that the production needed.

It was great to have Gwen Stewart back as the SOL Soloist #1 again - no one has done the song justice after her that I have heard. It is always beautiful, but she really marked that territory as hers. I liked Tracy McDowall's portrayal of Mark's mom - very funny with just a few moments on screen and some great facial expressions.

I liked the actor who played Mark - Adam Kantor- he was witty and droll and had a great voice. Occasionally, it seemed like he was trying to make the music his own - singing a little faster or slower or off key or something...I'm not sure. I just liked his presence and most of the choices he made for the character.

Overall, a satisfying viewing. I hope it is released on DVD. This is the perfect venue to introduce people to Broadway as well as a great tool to use for teaching people to interpret musical theatre to interpreters...

Goodbye, love. (until the revival...)

"It's Not about the Coffee"

I'm reading a book about Starbucks Culture called, "It's not about the Coffee". It is about leadership and how Starbucks has cultivated an "authentic" leadership model...I only know one person who works for Starbucks, as a manager, and MAN! Do I want to have her as my boss...

Anyway, as I was reading along, the book asked this question (paraphrased here): If there were not criticism, who would you be right now?

What a loaded question... There are so many ways to answer it... from way back when when criticism and judgement first started taking affect or from the perspective of today - knowing what I know now...

So, if suddenly, judgement and criticism disappeared, who would I be right now? I think I would still be an interpreter. Probably Freelance. I would just take the jobs I was comfortable with and I wouldn't worry so much about everyone in the situation. When I was freelancing, I became consumed with worry that I was doing a disservice to the clients...Did the Deaf person understand me? Was my English good enough for the hearing people? What was my team thinking? Would they want to work with me again? Why did they hire me in the first place? Would they hire me again? What if they didn't?

Consequently (and there were other factors, as well), my income began to decline. The more work I got, the more I felt like maybe I wasn't "all that" and who was I to take all those jobs when there were lots of better interpreters out there. Ironically, I have never felt that way about my theatrical work. I feel pretty confident, but also, theatre is low stakes. No one is going to die if I interpret "Clam Bake" badly.

If I was free of judgement and criticism (self-generated and otherwise), I would already have written novels and books of poetry. I don't really write much in that way anymore, but I miss it. I think my heart is still there, but I have a lot of layers of self-protection piled up on top of it. I know that this blog is one step closer to that part of my life, although I don't write "like that" here...Maybe someday. Just stretching the muscles of writing is a good start. And to keep it up this long. I'm actually kind of proud of myself. I wasn't sure if I would be able to keep up this running conversation with myself...but it hasn't been too bad.

Anyway, that's what I have been thinking about in my tiredness tonight. Better than crashing on the couch in front of the TV, right?

Still tired...

I think it is fascinating that emotional exhaustion is more complete than physical exhaustion. Sometimes, when I am tired physically, my brain does all these acrobatics and continues to whir as if my body didn't matter. So, that's where I am right now. I have been falling asleep at 9pm like I did when I was a little kid.

I am thinking about all the things I want to do to right now - write more, reach out to some folks, read more, be more artistic/creative - but not really taking too much action. I have to get over the hurdle...

I am excited, however, to be going to see the final performance of "RENT" this weekend. I can't wait.

Nuff said.

En-Joyment Part I

In celebration of my newfound purpose (or newly defined, I should say), I left work a little early (having worked 4 days worth already before I started working today), went out to dinner and saw a movie with friends. Not a thinking movie, not a drama - just fun and friends and pretty scenery - with a little bit of lesson thrown in for good measure. We saw "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II". I'm pretty sure it will be out of the theatres soon and I had wanted to see it. I love America Ferrera and Amber Tamblyn. I like Blake Lively, too. Alexis Bledel is growing on me, but she is a little bland for my taste.

Anyway, it was good to plan fun and execute it. The down side to liking the work I do is that I am also a bit of a work-a-holic, so it can be a deadly combination, even for me.

Baby steps, right?

Michael Moore's new film is online for free

Come watch the trailer for the new Michael Moore movie entitled "Slacker Uprising". You will be able to download the entire movie for free on September 23rd if you sign up!

http://slackeruprising.com

Just thought I would share...

Clarification on Joy-seeking

I realized long after I had closed out of the computer last night that some of what I wrote last night either contradicted itself or sounded weird in my own brain...

I'm not saying that life is ONLY about joy...but that we should EN-joy life - add joy whenever we can. Seek joy and find unexpected things along the way...En-liven. En-ergize.

Yes, I have moments of joy, as I said. But I need to EN-verb it and make it more active rather than passive, hit-and-run joy. Purpose. Purpose-full. Joy-full.

Ok. Now I feel better. I needed to clarify for myself more than anyone else.

"Yes and joy was just the thing he was raised on..."

Things have been in crisis mode at work for more than a week now and it is exhausting, as I mentioned in an earlier post...

On Monday, I worked for 13 hours (plus the 2 hours of drive time) and collapsed when I got home. When I woke up on Tuesday, I was determined to find a way to make life at least a little more livable. I have purchased Moo cards with nice sayings on them to pass out to people at work and I thought I kind of deserved to have something like that, too (even if I have to do it for myself).

In all my nostalgia in the last couple of weeks, I ordered a couple of the CDs I mentioned in my "37Days: Write to Rembember" post. I spotted one of them on the counter - "An Evening with John Denver" - and I thought I would take it and listen to it at work. I usually don't listen to music at work because there are lots of auditory cues I have to listen for and music is not really an option, but right now, I felt I needed something to get through the day. I popped it in my bag and slogged off to work. When I was a few blocks from home, I decided to pop the CD in my car and listen on the way (instead of politics in the morning...I'm getting more and more depressed and panicked). Two notes into the first song and I started BAWLING. I had skipped to the song, "Matthew", which has always been one of my favorites. I tried others - "Grandma's Feather Bed", "Eagle and the Hawk", "Rocky Mountain High" - but I just kept bawling. Not just tears. Like BAWLING.

So I didn't bring the CD in to work. When I left work last night, I listened to it again and felt much better, but I was struck by a couple of lines. One line from "Matthew" - "yes, and joy was just thing he was raised on. Love was just the way to live and die. Gold is just a windy Kansas wheat field. Blue is just a Kansas summer sky." I cried again. This time it was not just a stress reaction or being tired. I realized how far away from that feeling I am. That I see the world as being really far away from that, too. I was raised on joy, too. Parents who played games and traveled and read and laughed. We didn't worry about the school levy not passing or the economy crashing or our cell phones, email, computer. I didn't know aobut my dad's job that much and my mom was home but she didn't run us to eight thousand different activities. Sometimes I wish I knew how to play the piano or how to dance. But we had FUN.

I miss FUN. And Joy. What happened to JOY? I have great moments of joy and that counts..."Buffy", Indian Food with Kevin, BookFest, theatre, music...But I remember joy. I remember life that was about seeking joy - not pleasure - joyful moments. I don't seek it anymore. I am just surprised when it pops up. The lack of seeking seems wrong to me, somehow. It seems to defeat the purpose of "Life is a Verb" and I want to change that. It really impacted me yesterday - just thinking about a life that is solely focused on work and a few distractions.

One of the other songs, "Annie's Other Song", has an introduction where he said, "The purpose of my music has always been to communicate the joy that I find in living and what is so about my life..." So, I am going to find joy - seek joy, and I will try to communicate it here. I think that is what I was trying to do by starting this blog, but it has taken me all this time to figure it out...each video or bit of music or photo has been something that touched me or moved me or made me laugh...that's the start of joy. Recognizing it. Embracing it.

I guess if being exhausted brings a touch of insight, perhaps all this chaos and craziness and crisis at work has been worth it to get me to this point.

Exhaustion

I was getting so good at not overbooking myself...then BOOM! Everything came down at once. I interpreted "Phantom of the Opera" a couple of weeks ago, taught a workshop (20+ hours in 3 days), rode the wave of a crisis at work and now I am gearing up to go back to teaching, in the midst of said work crisis.

Good news - I had a great night with Kevin! We went to an Indian restaurant called Vindalho in Portland. Upscale Indian - very nice place good food. More limited menu than we were accustomed to, but delicious food. Great company!



And we went to Music Millenium and bought the new "BTVS" soundtrack CD - released that day! It was meant to be. Sadly, I have been so busy, I haven't even given it a listen. I will do that tomorrow while I slog through the crap at work. Ha!

Also, geek confession - I already have all the other BTVS CDs. I have only really listened to the "Once More With Feeling" soundtrack but I have them. I know, I'm a dork, but I like it anyway.



Here are the others:

Closing "Rent"

Here is a great article about the closing night performance of "Rent" on Broadway from Playbill.com: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/121109.html/pg2

"RENT" filmed live on Broadway

Here is an ad for the "RENT" filmed on Broadway showings.

End of an Era, part II

Well, it is done. "RENT" closed today. I know they filmed either the last or the second to the last performance and will be showing it in select movie theatres later this month. I can't wait to see it.


Here is the first blog entry I wrote about "RENT" and other musicals http://wildrumpusing.blogspot.com/2008/01/musical-madness.html. This kind of gives an idea of why the show had such an impact on me.



In August of 1996, I flew to NYC for a friend of a friend's wedding and one afternoon when I had some free time, I wandered to the Nederlander Theatre to see if there were any tickets available. I didn't know anything about the show at that point, but I knew the story of Jonathan Larson - I had seen something on like 20/20 or some other tv entertainment/news show. No dice. Sold out. And at the time, the lottery seats required an overnight stay outside the theatre to even hope to get seats. They changed it later.

I remember the DAY that I got the "RENT OBC" CD. Kevin and I had agreed to buy it on the same day. I purchased mine at Borders in the summer of 1996 - the day it was released. I ripped open the package and put it in my CD walkman (no CD player in the car for many years to come)in the parking lot of Borders. I listened to it right then and there. At first, the music was a little jarring, but that isn't unusual for me. I skimmed the libretto to find lyrics that intrigued me and quickly found the next musical obsession I would have. I'm not sure, but I'm pretty sure that I called Kevin on my cell phone while I was there in the parking lot to see what he thought about it.

I saw "RENT" on stage for the first time in 1997 in Portland. The Touring cast was excellent and I loved the show. We interpreted it a couple of weeks later. It was the first time I ever cried while I was on stage - I interpreted for Collins and it was all I could do to get through the "I'll Cover You Reprise" in Act II.

As I grew to love the show more and understand it more deeply and personally, it became harder to see the show. I have seen the production in Portland (probably around 10 times), Eugene (4 times), Seattle (4 times), NYC (15+ times). I can remember specific shows - one viewing in Seattle, one in Eugene and a couple in NYC -where I could not stop crying. I cried the whole show and for 15-20 minutes afterwards. This show speaks to me on such a deep level - obviously, I'm not a herion addict, I don't live in NYC, I'm not a starving artist, but I can so relate to being the witness to the AIDS pandemic, to being young and uncertain about what life might bring as my friends were dying before their time. I could relate to holding on tight to the circle of friends that I had to try to get through it all.

I never spent the night at the theatre to get lottery seats, although one of the times I saw it in Eugene, I did get up at like 4am to go down to the theatre. I was able to get lottery seats for the matinee and it was so WORTH IT. To be so up-close-and-personal with the show meant a lot to me. Most of the time, I was content to just buy regular tickets, but I wanted to see it from the front couple of rows at least one time.

"RENT" ranks with a few other shows that make my heart ache. Every time I see it, I feel like I'm seeing it for the first time. I can't explain it, but it makes me sit on the edge of my seat, my heart beating just a bit faster. It makes me long for something I can't even define.

I'm so sad I couldn't be there for the last show, but I will be seeing the movie at least once. "RENT" will always have a special place in my heart and lives in my top 5 all-time-favorite musicals EVER.

RENT on Tony Awards 2008


RENT on 1996 Tony Awards


Manley Pope - "One Song Glory" (on Jenny Jones)


"Seasons of Love" Movie Cast on Today Show


"Will I?" - Movie Version


Viva la vie boheme!!

My "Buffy" Passion

My friend Kevin was really into "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" while the show was on TV (I'm always late to the party...). We were together one day and he asked me if I had seen the Musical Episode ("Once More with Feeling" from Season 6). I hadn't because when the show originally came on television, I couldn't get the channel with any regularity. I had thought, when the show came on, that Roby would have loved it - he loved all things vampire. Kevin mentioned the episode to me several times and really seemed to think that I would like it. At the time, I was sort of off scary things and since I hadn't seen the show, I just kept thinking it was going to be some bloody horror show that I couldn't handle.



Maybe a year or more later, as I was recouperating from surgery and laid out flat on my back for 3 weeks, I was flipping through the channels on a Saturday afternoon and I ran across an episode of "Buffy". I watched it, but I had NO IDEA what was happening. Turns out, I was watching the third-to-last episode of the entire series (this episode is still one of my favorites). My favorite Buffy and Spike scene are in this episode...when I finally watched the series, I kept looking for this episode because I didn't know where it came into the whole Buffyverse.

Touched - BTVS


Anyway, I watched that first episode and I was intrigued because I loved Eliza Dushku and Spike was very cool and dashing. Immediately afterward, there was another episode which I eagerly watched - but it was from Season 5 with Glory. I didn't know which one came first, but it was intriguing. The following week, I only caught the second one or I would have pretty much known how the whole thing was careening to an end.

I lost track of the Saturday/Sunday episodes (little did I know they played 2 on each weekend day - the 2pm following season 7 and the 3pm following season 5). Later on, Kevin mentioned the musical episode again. On a whim, I bought Season 6 on DVD - I figured I might as well watch the whole thing to try and understand it. But when I got it home, I realized how dumb that was. I don't know who any of these people are, I don't know how the musical fits in, would I understand what was going on? So I went on eBay and purchased Season 1 on DVD for cheap. I figured I would start watching and see if I liked the show. I started watching and I was hooked. I just kept watching each episode, each Season, slowly but surely. I am always happy I get to watch them all together - if there is a 2 parter or a cliff-hanger, I can just watch the next episode and not have to wait a week.

Tempting though it was to jump ahead and watch the musical episode, I didn't want to do it...I wanted to see it organically (ha, funny word to use). I wanted to have the show's history to have the full experience (I learned that from watching "Friends" - another show Roby LOVED, but I didn't full understand until after he died...the only reason I started watching "Friends" was to maintain some fragile thread to him - if he loved it so much and I watched it, it was another way to hold on to him).

Now, it is 5 years later and I have seen the series about 10 times through - give or take. I would rather pop in a "Buffy" episode than watch some of the crap that is on TV right now. Each time I watch it, there is some new joke, new look, new phrase that makes me laugh, catches my eye, or makes me think. I never thought I could be this attached to a TV show, but there you go. I love the strength of Buffy and the themes of isolation, confronting adulthood, friendship, grief, etc. Joss Whedon is a brilliant writer. I am even reading the "Buffy Season 8" comic books. This is a harder sell for me because I am not a big comic book/graphic novel person...the story seems too fragmented for me to follow, but I keep plugging away.

Anyway, that's my Buffy story. Thanks to KGV for the introduction - I owe you one. :)

Here's a season 7 promo:

More good stuff from the 70s

America - Horse with No Name



Four Seasons - December 1963 (Oh What a Night)


"Whoever Finds this I Love You" - Mac Davis

"Blinded By the Light" - Manfred Mann's Earth Band

What does this song mean anyway?

Well, it doesn't matter. "Blinded by the Light" was popular when I was about 10 years old (1977?). I loved singing it...I bought the 45 at the TG&Y store that was through the woods by our house. I used to squirrel away whatever money I had and save up to buy various things - jewelry, candy, records, beach chotchkies (is that the right spelling???). So, I bought my 45 of this song and took it home. I gathered my girlfriends and we made up dances to it. This one and songs by The Sylvers - "Boogie Fever" and "Hot Line". We choreographed and rehearsed and forced my poor parents and sister to watch us dance. I don't really have much rhythm, so I'm not sure what I thought I was doing, but it gave me such joy to dance around. And SING!!

I LOVED to SING!! I learned songs from the time I was really little and I made up songs all the time. I made up songs to the music books my mother had for her accordion and later her organ. I made up songs to the pictures in the Atlas we had. I made up songs for my dolls. And I was fascinated by all the variety shows on TV - Glenn Campbell, John Denver, Mac Davis, Sonny and Cher... I remember singing, "Brand New Rollerskates" when I was pretty young. And learning my sister's camp songs.

I don't sing much anymore...only in the car when I'm not listening to Air America (I love Thom Hartmann). I used to sing with Roby in the car all the time. Sometimes, we would find a song we were in love with and put it on repeat for days... He was a tenor and I have a pretty low voice for a woman. He would sing the female roles in Chess, Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera and I would sing the male roles... We could sing "Embassy Lament" acapella. He never told me I couldn't sing. We loved singing together. One time (a silly but cherished memory), we were in his apartment down by PSU - making his four-post bed, singing to Alison Moyet..."Is This Love?". He said to me, "You sound just like her when you sing this song..." I'm sure he never knew how special that made me feel. I was embarrassed but so pleased. It made me want to sing Alison Moyet all the time. What I wouldn't give to sing one more song with him in my car.

"Write to Remember" - 37Days

I have only completed the forward and like the beginning of Chapter 1 of "Life is a Verb" by Patti Digh (of 37Days)and already I am compelled to write here. My thoughts are pouring over each other because I keep getting this sense that I should write it all down before I forget. That's why I keep coming back to the blog...I don't live an extraordinary life or have original or extraordinary thoughts, but I want to remember the stories of my life and the things that have brought me comfort, sadness, satisfaction, joy, anger, ambivalence, peace...Now that I am 41 years old, some of the older memories seem almost crowded out, so I feel like this is the external hard drive of my mind.

So, in my previous post, I mentioned telling how "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" came to be an important part of my world...I will still save that story because I remember it clearly right now...I was thinking that I would write a couple of things down that I don't remember as clearly.

Last night, as I fell through the YouTube rabbit-hole, I was struck by the strange conglomeration of embarrassingly uncool music, popular and completely obscure obsessions I have in my collection. Today, I was thinking about Patti Digh's passion for Johnny Depp...made me remember some of the people, things, songs, books I have been passionate about in my life. Some of my passions were the objects of derision and mockery, some were popular at the time, some I have held onto all these years while others have fallen by the wayside. I want to enjoy the passion I have for things and people and not feel ashamed or embarrassed that something strikes my fancy. I'm pretty sure that this will be of no interest to anyone but me, but just think of it as sneaking a peek into my hard drive.

So here goes:

Music:

Most popular-then-unpopular-then-completely-uncool-then-popular again group: Peter, Paul and Mary



Singers I have been mocked for liking: Rick Springfield, Barry Manilow, Clay Aiken, Peter, Paul and Mary, John Denver, Air Supply(I know there are more...I just have to remember them all...I'm a music geek)

Groups I liked while they were unknown: Everything But the Girl, River City People, Wilson Phillips,

Artists I didn't warm to until well after their popularity had already peaked: Foreigner, Madonna, Pink, Paula Abdul,(it was the 90s - gimme a break), Culture Club, Duran Duran, Prince ("Purple Rain" era), Eurythmics (there are many, many more)

My most abiding and enduring crush/obsession/love: Rick Springfield (I have all his albums, I was in his fanclub, I had posters of him on my ceiling and I still LOVE him)

I liked the group BEFORE the lead singer got famous: Kenny Rogers and the First Edition (the first pop song I ever learned the words to was "Something's Burning" when I was about 4 years old. The 8 track tape came with the 8 track player my parents bought. I wish I had a video of it..."Something's burning da-na-na-na-na, Something's burning da-na-na-na-na, and I think it's loooo ooooovvvvve...")

She was better when she was only 15 years old but she is probably still at it: Tanya Tucker (Greatest Hits - she's in a car on the cover... I love "What's Your Mama's Name Child?" and "The Jamestown Ferry" and her version of "Delta Dawn", but really the whole album rocked)

I loved him and thought his stories were true - I remember listening to one of his songs and crying because I thought it was real...It was rare for me to meet anyone who really listened to him when they were a kid: Mac Davis ("Whoever Finds This I Love You" made me cry - even when I was 6 years old)

First album I ever owned: An Evening With John Denver
(All the classics are here. "Matthew", "Grandma's Feather Bed", "My Sweet Lady", "Rocky Mountain High", "Take Me Home Country Roads", "This Old Guitar", "Annie's Song", "The Eagle and the Hawk". I was born in Aurora, Colorado, my mother was from West Virginia, so I pretty much thought that all his songs were written for me or her. I wanted to marry John Denver when I grew up. I am still saddened that I never got to see him play live. )


First album I ever bought with my own money: Kristy and Jimmy McNichol (I'm not saying I'm proud of it...)






Best album I ever took from my mother after she bought it: Peter, Paul and Mary In Concert

First "cool" album I ever got as a Christmas gift: Journey "Escape" (and I saw them in concert for the Escape Tour - go uncool, me!)












First cool music I listened to because my sister had the album: Styx "Paradise Theater" (although I was a long time fan from the first time I ever heard "Castle Walls" on the "Grand Illusion" album)













Favorite songs while living in Europe (ages 6-9): "Seasons in the Sun", "Fernando", "Mandy", "WildFire", "Love Will Keep Us Together", "Cats in the Cradle", "Crocodile Rock", "Afternoon Delight" (I know but I didn't know what they were talking about...), "December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)""I'd Really Love to See You Tonight", "Sister Golden Hair", "All By Myself", "Dream Weaver", "Devil Woman" (more to come...once I open the floodgates...), "Laughter in the Rain", "Billy Don't be a Hero", "One Tin Soldier", "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves", "Cherokee People"

First music I was introduced to that was completely not what my friends were listening to: Indigo Girls

The first musical I ever listened to: "A Chorus Line"

The First musical album I ever became obsessed with and geeked out my musical tastes forever: "Annie" Original Broadway Cast

The first musical theatre cd I bought before I even owned a CD player: Original London Cast of "Les Miserables"

First professional musical I ever saw performed on stage: "Cats" with Roby and Shirlee and Bob.

First musical I saw on Broadway in NYC: "Starlight Express" in a Sunday Matinee with Roby.

First musical as a movie that I totally grooved to: "Grease" in 1977

First musical as a movie that I fell in love with and wanted to watch every day for months: "West Side Story"

Well, I am down another rabbit hole, but it is fun to reminisce...And I have always been a musical geek. I think that much is obvious. But I'm ok with it. I like what I like, right? It's all good.

**Please note that I have tried at least 5 times to bold all the categories I have listed here.  For some reason, the formatting is intermittently disappearing and I just don't want to do it again. Sometimes Blogger is great and sometimes it annoys me.  

Joss Whedon's Equality Now Speech - 1996

Someday, I will tell the story of "Buffy" and how the show came to be in my world. For now, I just wanted to share this video that I found in my wanderings on YouTube.

Joss Whedon’s Equality Now Speech 1996

Back Home Again

Well, I had a nice trip to Oakland. Stayed near a movie theater and saw "Traitor" with Don Cheadle. I went into the movie with very few expectations, so I was kind of ready for anything. The movie was quite good. I won't spoil it here, but it was worth seeing. Don Cheadle is such an underrated actor. I loved him in "Hotel Rwanda", too.

Then came the homecoming...I was scheduled to fly out of Oakland on Friday at 3:15pm - I thought it would be less busy at that time of the day. WRONG. It was a totally packed zoo, so when they asked for volunteers to delay their flight, I was first in line. I got a $200 flight voucher plus the price of my ticket returned and was booked on the 9:50pm flight - only to be delayed until 10:25pm...Um. I could have stayed at work, or gone to the Farmer's Market...or something... Oh well. I read an entire book. And worked on Act One of "Phantom". I guess that is something.

So, I am home. I was not able to get a copy of "Life is a Verb" in Oakland - the Barnes and Noble didn't have it yet. Disappointing. But I got it yesterday!! at Borders in Beaverton. Go figure. I would think that Oakland rated before BEAVERTON, but whatever. I'm happy because I have my book.