Sort of like torture

First of all let me load up on the good stuff. The nice words. The performance of "The Lion King" was stellar. The players were spot on and brilliant. I cannot say enough about them. Every move, every note, every word was perfect. And then some. The humor was great. Except I never laughed. Not once.

The beauty of the theatre was beyond compare. This building had age and grace on its side and every detail was exquisite. The chandelier was one of the most beautiful I have ever seen.

The ugly. I was miserable. I could not wait until the show was over. I have never been in such an uncomfortable theatre in my life.

There is NO leg room. I even had an aisle seat. I was able to stretch one leg out onto the side stairs. Others around me were just as uncomfortable. They said so. They squirmed. It got to the point where I was praying for the intermission. As it were, they timed the intermission at 3/4 the way through the performance and when we returned it was zip, zip and the show was over. The feeling in my left leg was not pain. It was so uncomfortable that I could not bear it. But it really wasn't pain.

And it was hot. The sweat was rolling down my back and my neck. There was plenty of air out in the lobby, but none in the theatre.

Since I purchased my daughters' ticket on line they sent an e-mail and asked about my experience. I told them. I told them it was the most uncomfortable show I have ever set through. I could not wait for the performance to end.

I will never recommend or return to the State Theatre in Playhouse Square in Cleveland Ohio again unless they revamp their air conditioning and rip out the seats and add more leg room.

One family member said "But what if they are upset at your review and send you free tickets to a future performance?"  I said "That's easy. I'll give them away."  And hey - I won't hold my breath. I lay odds I don't even get a response back.

The beginning of vacation

A suspension of work. Well, work I get paid for. I "hope" to be doing plenty of other work. Around the house. I start today with recycling. The trunk of my car is loaded with old technology equipment. Two big old ugly monitors (before the flat screens) and a bunch of other stuff. I am headed to the basement after this post to see what else I can throw in the car.

I have a plastic coffee container full of used batteries. Most double-AA. It is heavy! I did not realize how heavy batteries are.

I had 3.5 vacation days that I was going to lose if I did not use them. Never in my life did I dream such a thing could happen (to me). My one co-worker is always taking his vacation days this time of year because he has a risk of losing them.

Our year ends June 30th and starts over July 1st (for vacation days). School schedule, I guess. So I took this week off.

It is kind of a bummer because I have plans in July and August to go with different family members on vacation. I will be using up a quick 14 days by the time August ends.

My daughter and I will be joining my sister and her granddaughter to see The Lion King. Our second viewing. We went in April 2007 to see it in Cincinnati. Then we are going to an aquarium nearby.

In August it is another trip to Niagara Falls. Not my choice of destination but a branch of family are going and I told my sister I would go this year. My daughter does not know it yet, but she is staying home and taking care of the dogs this trip.

Sigh. But this week is a work week. Hopefully, outside work. If my back, arms and legs hold up. I am just coming off of a bad week of coughing, sneezing, an ear ache and sinus pressure. Not certain if it is a bad cold or allergies or both. Regardless, it was not fun. I am still a bit short of breath when walking the dogs.

My daughter went to stat care and was diagnosed with an ear infection. sinusitis and pharyngitis. I became sick a few days after she did, but not nearly as bad.

I have gift cards for Lowe's (thanks to my friends) - so flowers, mulch, potting soil, shovel, spade - here I come!

Oh, did I mention that my daughter's current beau took landscaping in school? Peruby gives a very devious and mischievous grin. Heh, heh, heh. Rubbing my hands together. Now, where IS that never before used hedge trimmer? Want a before and after shot? Okay, but promise not to laugh! I don't profess to be a yard expert (or any expert for that matter)! LOL!

So much! No time!

The father (I think it was the father) of this little tyke let me take his photograph. I was waiting for friends to arrive for dinner and was enjoying the outside (between raindrops).

I have so many stories since I posted last week. Ouch! I never go a week between posts, I don't think. I would have posted Thursday or Friday but as we all know - Blogger took a tumble! That does not bother me so much except for the fact I wanted to comment on some bloggers posts when the ideas were fresh in my mind.I should have created a text file in Notepad with my comments so that I could go back and comment later. Drat!

I left all of you with my so-so experience at the Gervasi winery. Came to find out that the caramels I purchased at the gift store were SUPPOSED to have coffee beans in them. I am such an idiot! I chewed a couple with the caramel when I needed that boost of caffeine. It worked. It was a bitter bean but it gave me energy. Then I threw the rest of the box away. Yuck!

The manager finally returned my call yesterday - a full week after our dinner. I was at work and busy with a school so she left a message. She wanted to wait that long to see if any other customers called in to complain.I am sure she, the owner and their lawyer were going over what she would say exactly. Anyway, nobody else called them and she hoped that all of us were feeling better and perhaps it was a stomach bug that was going around the house. What? She just assumed we were a family and all lived in the same house? Whatever! I touched base with my friends and they are all better and they all agree - no more Gervasi's. And we are telling everybody we know.

Now, Saturday the 7th. I managed to watch the Derby before taking off to see "The Wizard of Oz" - the production playing in my home town where I got to help paint the set. Oh my, it was fun. My nephew/sister/niece called that morning to let me know that they were descending upon my home later that afternoon. I told them I was going to kick their ass! I had e-mailed them two weeks ago and said to please let me know if they were coming into town this week-end so that I could arrange to get them tickets to the show. Since I had not heard from them - I did not get the tickets. Well, it took some fancy footwork and phone calling on my part but I got us all in and we loved it! 

Oh, and poor Toto took a tumble! They used a live Yorkshire Terrier for the show. The dog was amazing. He was in almost every scene. He was quiet. He was calm. He was beautiful. I asked a friend who built the set "Did they drug the dog?" He said "No, the dog is always like that!' Anyway during our showing when the Winkie takes Toto from Dorothy in the witches castle, Toto decided he had enough of that stupid basket and jumped out and fell down a couple of steps. Well, a little dog like that it could be serious. He was fine. He rolled over a couple of times, stood up - shook himself off and trotted away. Everybody in the audience gasped. But, all good news. The dog is fine. They did use a stuffed animal in a couple of scenes.

We went out to eat afterwards and continued our raucous fun.

Whew, enough for now.

The lights are on but....

And the fan works, too!

My friend returned yesterday and re-did the fan/light and all works well now. Too well in fact. I am freezing because I love running the fan. I need to flip the switch so it spins the other way and sends heat down. No, not yet. The lights are a lot brighter than my chandelier ones and now I can see how dirty my keyboard is. Yeecchh!

I was futzing around yesterday after my friend left and not feeling much like doing anything when my sister called. (The sister whose kitchen clock I clocknapped.) I had also taken some colorful glass ornaments out of her utility room window but I didn't think she would notice that.

Of course she had NOT read her e-mail to get the ransom message. As it turns out she jumped her son for knocking the glass things off into the recycle bin and they must have been thrown out and she didn't miss her clock at all! She was laughing but mad because now she had to apologize to her son for losing her glass things. Whoops!

Anyway, she wanted company going to a bag and bead show. I said "Sure". I was wasting my day away. I went. She bought a ring and I bought a handbag. I've been looking for a new one. Mine has been broken for about 2 months and I just could not find one I liked in the stores. It is a 'coach" knock-off. I didn't even know what a 'coach' was until last evening. Big deal. I like the purse, I buy it. I'm not one to care about who makes it. Never was. Never will be.

I also want to comment on a couple of movies I watched over the past week or so. One was 'The Spitfire Grill'. It was okay. I would have written it differently. Imagine my surprise when I looked it up online to find out that the musical is written the way I would have. It it more realistic and makes more sense, except for who wins the essay contest. That would certainly not be legal.

Another movie the kids ordered on Pay-per-view. "The Ugly Truth". Kind of raunchy like most movies nowadays. I guess that is what the kids laugh at. Yikes.

"The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" was okay. After reading up on it, I expected to see (and hear) more from this real life gang leader that the director had to have in the movie. Even though he had no acting experience. I'm not exactly certain which character he was but you didn't hear much from them. Victor is his real name.

Not sure if I have watched any others that I did not mention. I've been really out walking dogs and enjoying this unusually warm weather we are having here in eastern Ohio. No complaints at all except I am afraid that we are going to wake up one morning and it is going to be bitter cold and there was not time to ease into winter. It will just come up and smack us in the face like a 2 by 4. Ouch.

Giggling, grinning, girls

I wonder how they will remember this event. If they will remember it. I have memories from when I was four and there are images that I can recall but I don't know from where or when. It was as if somebody had taken me somewhere and the room or the building was etched into my memory but I was far too young to recall where I was and what the event was. Perhaps some of the images of the wedding will etch themselves in the minds of these young girls. A color, an image. Hopefully they will be good memories.

Weddings are beautiful things. I have attended many of them. None of them mine. I recall thinking about marriage but if I am honest with myself, I realize I never really wanted that lifestyle for me. I have had four sisters and two brothers marry. Three ended in divorce and three are hanging in there. None of them are pretty. I wouldn't want to be in any of the relationships that I see. I can't name one. Inside or outside the family.

I hope things smooth out before the girls get to the dating age. I am just having a devil of a time with my daughter and her dating woes. I try not to be negative, but she sees what I am exposed to. My sisters complaining about their marriages. Constantly.

A few years ago she was all for getting married. Now she wants nothing to do with it. Hey, it isn't for everybody. Maybe we are selfish, maybe we are controlling. I don't have any married friends. Divorced or NBM's like me (never been married).

I hear people speak of "I don't want to grow old alone" or "I don't like to be alone." Not much of a problem for me. I suppose I'll have a sister in one form or another living with me someday. We are a close (and large) family and there is always somebody needing a place to stay.

Back to memories, though. I had one memory that just haunted me for years. I finally got to the root of it. Back in the late 60's my older brother took me and another brother to see "2001: A Space Odyssey" at an old theater. It had these beautiful lit lanterns on the wall in red and blue. I was probably 8 since that is the year the movie came out (1968). And I remember pieces of that movie. Now really. You've seen the movie. Can an 8 year old grasp the concept of it? It just left me thinking "What is this about?" And it probably scared the bejesus out of me at the time.

One day (years later) I was watching the movie and I said "I've seen this movie!" And my brother said "Well, yeah. I took you to see it..." Oh. It left me feeling very strange until I unravelled the mystery. Come to think of it I still ask myself "What is this about?" when I watch the movie. LOL! "Daisy, daisy...give me your answer do."

Ah. I believe my mind is going. I can feel it. Dave! My mind is going.

Lips

If you have experienced seeing The Rocky Horror Picture Show, you will understand the above photo.

Now, about RHPS. People actually do this? I thought trekkies were bad. Watching the movie at home is one thing. Going to a production as to where they show the movie in a theater and quite a few members of the audience dress up as one of the characters in the movie was another thing.

You can get a prop bag and sort of participate with the show. For example, when the character says the phrase "Great Scott!" the audience throws their toilet paper into the air from their prop bag. There are also water pistols involved. I prayed that nobody filled their pistol up in the bathroom with any liquid other than water. You get a newspaper to put on top of your head.

It may have been better if I had actually seen the movie before I went to the show because for most of the time you cannot hear the actors. It is very raunchy. Not at all tasteful. It is gross, quite sexually suggestive and sadly sets one's mind to wondering if people actually do behave in such a perverted and obtuse manner. And if they do, I am so glad I don't know them or about them.

It was an experience and I will leave it at that. It certainly isn't for everybody. I knew the gist of the event and I was prepared for some raunchiness. It was absolutely bizarre.

At the beginning of the show the emcee asked for the youngest members of the audience along with the oldest. There were two young teens. One was eleven, the other thirteen. I felt sorry for them. At that age I may have been horrified by the movie.

In following the cult-like fashion of this showing, I am not longer a virgin so to speak. This is somebody who has never seen the movie. Well, it was on target in that respect. As some women do after their first sexual encounter, I was asking myself, "Is that it?" And you come away feeling disappointed and wondering what all the hoopla is about. There certainly were a lot of folks enjoying themselves. Perhaps as in the act itself, it takes time to get really good at it. I'll pass on seeing if that experience works for the show, thank-you very much.

Reflection

Here is a time piece of a bridal/wedding arrangement from the historical museum. A wedding dress (not this one) was on display that was supposedly sewn by Dean Martin's aunt. This town is the birthplace of Dean-o.

Presidential candidate McCain was very close to my house today. He spoke at the local High School's ball field. The Principal made it clear that the school was not endorsing either candidate and it was not mandatory for students to attend the event.

I am on my way to the theater tonight "Rocky Horror Picture Show." Ooohh. So Halloweenish? Cripes. I haven't even seen the movie. How lame is that? I will be getting me a prop bag, though. Hey, I'm cool. I "googled" the event. No surprises for me. Well, maybe no surprises. I'll let ya know.

Giraffe

I guess this is what he thought of my picture taking

This photo combines The Lion King and the Zoo. The show was absolutely stunning, of course. Performance and costumes. I went in with a slight migraine (any travelling or change of schedule will certainly trigger one) and had taken my medicine three hours prior. The lady that sat next to me must have emptied her entire bottle of perfume on that day. It was strong. I understand that a migraine kicks all of my senses up about a hundred notches. Smell, taste, hearing, sight and feel. All super sensitive to any activity. This is why they tell you to lie down in a dark, quiet room. Block all the senses.

We had a beautiful day for the zoo. The critters were lazy, but so was I. Six hours. I made it six hours with many rests. I was constantly looking for an outlet to charge my one good battery for my camera. That was okay with me as it gave me a chance to sit down. I think I may have had more fun watching every body's little children experience the animals. I recall why I don't go to the zoo. I love the excitement and I love to learn but I hate to see the total boredom of the animals. My daughter will be sixteen. I believe the next time I will visit a zoo is when I take a grandchild.

I do have a humorous little story. I was sitting in a tropical room (waiting for my batteries to charge - both mine and my camera's) and this family walked in. The father must have sneezed a dozen times. I said "Sounds like you are allergic to something in this room." There was silence for about ten seconds. Sometimes when I am in a good mood I try to make light chit chat with the folks around me and I am delighted when I find another light soul. I especially like to have fun with the little children. I don't pursue anything if the parent does not give me some kind of signal that it is okay to correspond with their child. I read them and if it feels like I am intruding I quickly move on.

After the ten seconds he turned around and said "Why don't you leave and we'll see if I quit sneezing." I had to laugh. I guess he had allergies and this was a two month process for him. He mumbled something about "Every year like clockwork, two months I have this!" I notice that his wife was not saying "Bless you". She just kind of gave him a sad smile as if she knew he were suffering and couldn't do anything about it. Well, color me "put in my place!" As he left he said "See, I'm leaving and I've stopped sneezing." I smiled at him. Pardon me.

Daffy

Relay daffodils

Each year I get the daffodils from Relay for Life. It fits me today. I feel a bit daft. Or, daffy.

I had a migraine earlier and my medicine didn't work. It was with me for six hours before abating. I was answering an e-mail to my sister about my upcoming Lion King show when it dawned on me. The tickets did not come. I went into instant panic mode. How did I overlook this little tidbit? To throw my head into a panic like this is not real good on top of a slow recovering migraine. I started to look into the matter when I had to shut down. I closed e-mail. I closed Google. I closed the URL for the show. I proceeded to forget all about it for the time being.

I aimlessly did other stuff. Picked up my daughter. Cleaned the kitchen. Watched a documentary on Chernobyl (The Battle of Chernobyl) on the Discovery Channel. I love stuff like that! Reminds me of this site I stumbled on about four years ago.

When I finally calmed down I went back to my computer, called the company and found out that all is okay. They did not proceed with the order ( I should have paid closer attention) I think they were a scam. I checked my credit card back for a month - no charges for that sale. And, I re-ordered through Ticketmaster. Whew. Back on track.