Thoughts on a Thursday

Thought one: I have had too much coffee and my tummy hurts.

Thought two:  I am a bit tired and dopey at the moment and am anxiously awaiting my dinner break.

Thought three: At least the weekend is here in a day and a half.

Thought four:  I really want to get the book I am currently reading finished because I really want to start another one. I am reading a biography (not my favorite genre) for a project at work and really would rather be reading a mystery.  And I have about five mysteries checked out and waiting for me.  And I really would rather be reading one of those but I am over halfway through with the biography and know I can finish it, probably this weekend.  Which is why I am glad the weekend is here in a day and a half.

Thought five:  I really don’t want to come to work tomorrow. I prefer to sleep in and catch up on my reading.  I wish I could manage to have a four day workweek. That would be optimum.  I hope someday I can retire and work part time… I would love to still be a librarian but only some of the time.

Thought six:  I am glad I am returning to blogging but I have managed to stop leaving comments on other people’s blogs and have lost all but a few of my readers. Not that it matters. This blog is my online diary and it can be just for me. I can write about whatever I want to write about. Sometimes I just get too lazy to write.  It happens.

Thought seven:  I have been working with Chris on being a vegetarian.  Together we seem to be doing much better than trying to go it alone.  I think I feel healthier by not eating meat.  I seem to have a little more energy and am not so sluggish.  Though, still a little sluggish.  I guess I always might be that.

Thought eight:  Gosh, I forgot to take my psych meds this morning again. I wish I could come up with a good way to remember to take them. I have them on the kitchen counter but I can’t take them with coffee. Maybe I should buy some juice.

Thought nine:  and I forgot to refill one of them, the one that helps me sleep. That is why I must have slept like crap last night.

Thought ten: Wow, then thoughts, I am on a roll.  Better stop for now. Don’t want to confuse everybody!

Finding Faith

As I may have mentioned, Chris rings the handbells for his church, St. John’s Episcopal Church, and he also has recently joined the choir so he is usually singing or ringing on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

So I decided to take a leap of faith and start going to church with him.  I think God must have been speaking to me because on the first day back to church I realized the class was starting that leads you to become an Episcopalian.   I decided to take the class.  After class I go to the 11:15 service.

I also have been taking part in the Lenten activities. The church has a dinner and classes and it really is quite nice.  I meet new people and it gets me out of the house.   I still will continue reading my Buddhist teachings because I learn and use a lot from Buddhism.  But I think I finally found a church to call my own.

When I was a small peanut we were Presbyterian.  We went to church on Sundays and I also went to Sunday school, participated in the youth group and even went to a church camp once a year that was quite fun.  I was a part of something bigger than myself, and it felt good.

Then everything changed.  The public high school near my house was a little rough and my mother thought that I might be picked on or beaten up while going there.   So, in a complete turnaround, she sent me to private school and the private school near me was Catholic.

Nothing screws with your head like a Catholic education.

It wasn’t the other kids I had to worry about.  It was the teachers, primarly of the nun variety.   I was made aware that a Presbyterian does not fit in.  Oh, they tried to pretend, and they made me go to mass, and luckily I did not have to attend confession but all in all, my high school years are not fondly remembered. 

But I do remember my little church fondly.  The one that I went to as a kid.  And I want that feeling again.  I want to believe in something out there that matters.  And I want to be around people that exert a positive influence in my life.  I want to belong to something.

When I was studying Buddhism I was a mess.  I only read the doctrines. I never went out actively seeking other Buddhists to commune with.  And I have NO idea whatsoever on how to be a Buddhist anyway.  I have no training.  I don’t meditate.  It was exotic  and lovely and makes a lot of sense.

But the things I DO know about are Christmas and Easter.  And I can experience these things with Chris and other members of my family.   I do love a Christmas tree and a wreath and the sense of peace you get on a calm winter night. 

Some people seem so sure of themselves when it comes to faith.  I was never all that sure.   I have a questioning nature at heart and it does come out in my thoughts and prayers.  But I think that is OK.  It is OK to question. It is OK not to be sure.   And I will give myself time.  I may never find any answers but at least I am on some sort of pathway again.

And that makes me feel really good.

Egads! A Leak!

Just to let you know, suddenly our water bill jumped up from 30 bucks to almost 1200 bucks. 

There is something amiss.

So, I think I might need a plumber.  Chris thinks that the toilet might be leaking and I am about to agree with him.  I called the water company to try and find out what could be wrong and I think I was connected with someone who was half asleep.   I am not the assertive one so I am not good at getting correct information.

Anywho, the long and the short of it is that they are sending someone out to reread my meter and apparently I should get a plumber, which might cost an arm and a leg and I have to pay that AND the water bill.   I guess it is always something.

So, hopefully I can figure this all out before they decide to shut off the water!  I would hate to have to go to work unshowered.  My coworkers would also hate that, I think.   I should get it all figured out!

Hopefully the start to your week is quite grand!

Curtains

 Here is the cast of Curtains performing “Show People” from the 2007 Tony Awards show!

It was an enjoyable show.   Hope you get a chance to see it!

President’s Day Part Deux

Ok. This video is much closer to the theme of President’s day…

It is the Tony Award Show performance of Christine Ebersole from Grey Gardens.

Grey Gardens was about the weird relatives of Jackie Kennedy.

I never got to see it.  I wanted to, but it didn’t seem to stick around on Broadway for very long.  Maybe it will tour.  It was supposed to be a really good show.  

At least we have this clip on Youtube!

Happy President’s Day!

And, in honor of the day, here is a clip from the Love Boat with Carole Channing, Ethel Merman, Della Reese and Ann Miller.

Ok, it really doesn’t have anything to do with the Presidents.

But it sure is good!

A Little Taste

Here is La Lupone singing Rose’s Turn from Gypsy.

And I am going to see her, live!    April 19th.  The date is set and I have the tickets.

Mama’s gotta go!

Incidentally, Chris has never seen Gypsy.  Even the movie.  I think he is in for a treat.   Everybody has to see Gypsy at least once.  Several times if necessary.   I saw Tyne Dailey do the role on Broadway I think in the 80’s.

I am sure he will love it!

The theater queens are on a roll!

One for the Tiger

Ok, Ok.  In the spirit of the 80’s, here is one of my faves, Pat and Mick’s Use it Up and Wear it Out.

I used to love going to the club and dancing to this one. I still have the cd dance mix!  So I can dance at home! And I do!

Huggles! 

The Big Apple

Yesterday, Chris and I took a bus trip to New York.  It was a great day!  I love taking the bus because you can relax and read and all the driving is done for you.  We use a company called Superior Tours and they always provide safe drivers and good service.   It makes for a nice day!

It was rather gloomy yesterday and although it wasn’t raining hard, the sky was spitting.  I wore my winter coat, probably too heavy for the day because it did get rather warm in the afternoon.  To escape the rain, we ventured into the American Folk Art museum and it was lovely. They had a special exhibition on Jewish immigrants and the extraordinary work they did when carving the Ark for the Torah, creating elaborate papercuttings and even creating some of the most beautiful of carousel animals.   I seemed to have learned a lot about folk art!

We went to a deli for lunch and then had a nice long brisk walk to 45th street to see the musical Curtains, with David Hyde Pierce and Debra Monk.  It was wonderful.  Light and fun, it was a musical murder mystery when the lead actress in a musical is poisoned on opening night of a show.  It also is a bit of a musical within a musical as the plot centers around the show itself and you see many numbers from that show as well.  David Hyde Pierce is wonderful as the detective that wants to be a musical star, giving hints about how the musical should be changed as well as trying to solve the crime.  The sets were elaborate and colorful, the music light and fun and the costumes were wonderful.   I really admired the work of the dancers in the chorus.  They can really do some amazing things.   We were in row B so we were pressed up to the stage itself and had wonderful seats, you could see everything very clearly.  I loved it.

Then we made another longish brisk walk to 51st street to eat at Johnny Utah’s.  I found this restaurant on the internet and it looked quite good.  It has a southwestern flavor and has a mechanical bull in the middle of the restaurant!   It was not turned on and no, Chris and I did not ride it but I bet it would be fun to see!  The food was very well done and the service was good and the desserts were fabulous if not a little expensive.  I had an apple cobbler and Chris had this banana pudding that looked divine.  The strange thing about this restaurant was the bathroom. It was unisex. You had your own cubicle but all the stalls were in the same room. And you had to wash your hands while women fixed makeup.  Bizarre!

Then we headed back to the bus for our trip home.  Amazing.

My next show in line might possibly be Patti LuPone as Mama Rose in Gypsy. I love Ms. LuPone and seeing her as Mama Rose would be an experience. I plan to buy tickets to something this week. I shall let you all know.

But be sure and see Curtains!   It is worth it!

Thank you, Linda Blair

Putting Hairspray aside for just a moment,  (I was really in NO mind to tease my hair) I decided to rent Roller Boogie to make me feel a bit better last night.   This disco musical sensation is just the ticket for all around good feeling, and although Chris was cringing, I was having quite the time, and it really helped to make my illness pass right away.

Linda Blair is all set to go to Juilliard to play the flute but she doesn’t want to go. She wants to win a Roller Boogie contest down at the pier.  “What a Bummer!” she cries.  As if I had her problems.  Needless to say, she does enter the roller boogie contest with the help of a stunt double.   And the disco music plays on.  Disco certainly is not dead in my house!

 Among the other cinematic gems I have recently added to the Netflix queue:

Car Wash (talkin’ bout the car wash, yeah!)

Can’t stop the Music with the Village People

Thank God It’s Friday (last dance, last chance for love)

Shampoo (which is supposed to be funny, I have never seen it. Not sure if it fits the disco theme, though. )

I need to add Saturday Night Fever and make a night out of it.

Tiger Yogiji, eat your heart out!  🙂