Friday: Random Bits

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Ti

This week has been a blur. In one sense, it has gone quickly but in another… slow as molasses! The Boy is still causing me grief and I have a patch of gray hair to prove it. Seriously, this patch showed up overnight. You can’t see it unless I pull my hair back but The Girl was kind enough to point it out to me. God love her.

As we roll into May, things do not die down. Instead, they pick up. The Girl was asked to join honors chorus. The only downside is that rehearsals are from 4-5pm, which makes it difficult for a working parent. The challenges never end but it’s just six rehearsals and a final show so it’s a short-term thing. I think we can make it work.

Beauty and the Beast is coming along. The Boy is becoming, ahem, transforming into Lumiere as I type. The French accent, the walking around with forearms help upward, the singing, the dancing…it’s all coming together. We haven’t seen the costume yet but it’s rented and apparently has the torches and everything built in. However, I don’t think the theatre will allow the use of propane so we’ll see how they handle the effect. Plus, The Boy wears glasses so we need to get him some contacts for the show. Wouldn’t it be funny if Lumiere wore some cool, hipster eyeglasses? Okay, I guess not.

Bryan Batt

Bryan Batt as Lumiere
Photo Credit: bryanbatt.com

In addition to the show coming up, The Boy is wrapping up track season with a few more races and the banquet. Then there is his choir banquet, then they both have a cast party for the last show (Music Man), May and June will be very busy before it begins to slow down again. The Girl had wanted to try out for swim team this summer, but it conflicts with her summer camp field trips, which are both offered through the city. You’d think they’d consider this when scheduling.

As for me, I’ve been feeling a little down. The events in Boston, followed by the tragedy in Texas and the fact that I am a complete and utter news junkie, meant that I was glued to the TV and/or computer while the entire thing unfolded. I can’t tell you how sad it made me to see Boston fall off the trend list on Twitter after just TWO days. Terrible things happen, people move on. Sigh.

On a happier note, and probably what’s kept me somewhat grounded through all this crazy, is the #winditup2013 read-along. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle continues to be a very interesting read and reading it with others has been an enjoyable experience. We are about to roll into book three, the final book, and right now the story could go anywhere. One of the participants described it as being Twin Peaks-y and I agree. It’s a little bit of everything for sure.

We had some plans for this weekend but they’ve been nixed since The Boy is helping someone with a video shoot and I stupidly scheduled eye appointments right smack, in the middle of the day. Doesn’t leave enough time for a road trip so I’ll spend the weekend reading. I am not joining Dewey’s Read-a-Thon officially since I never have enough time to dedicate to it, but for my reading buddies who DO participate, enjoy!

Filed under: Bookish Talk, Life | Tagged: , , , | 15 Comments »

Live Theater, Sickness, and the Broken Tooth that Never Was

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Ti

Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center

See that photo? That is where The Music Man debuts this weekend. Last night was my first night backstage and I am tired but I love it. I LOVE being back there. I am on the prop team and getting those props to the kids when they need them can be nerve-wracking sometimes (like the time I had to do an army crawl to get a kid’s hat that dropped behind a set piece, or the time Dorothy from Wizard lost her Ruby Red slippers). Oh! The stories I could tell.

But, it’s been a rough week. I usually have a handle on it, but busy schedules and lack of sleep turn me into a crazy person. I blabbed about my woes  here, and on Facebook and I think I even bled a little over at Twitter, too. Because there is nothing worse than over planning and then getting blind sided by a curve ball that you didn’t see coming. When The Boy got sick right at the top of production week for The Music Man, I think I cried a little. BUT, he is getting better.

Finally.

He is still lurching around and stuff, fighting a terrible headache and worried about coughing with a live mic attached to his head but I see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for all of your support, good thoughts and prayers. They worked! So far, The Girl is hanging in there too. Her first run through is tonight and shows start tomorrow. They are both really excited!

The other update I have for you that the tooth I thought was broken during my last procedure at the dentist, is in fact…not. It was a clump of bonding. Looked liked my tooth had broken off and it hurt because the alignment was off but nothing major  had to be done. Just a little bit drilling and polishing. I am good to go! PLUS, I lost ten lbs because of the tooth pain and stress. A nice bonus for being so miserable.

What am I reading? Not much. Too much going on but I am listening to The Shining for the #shineon read-along. I think King’s books are great but they are even more fun when read with a group and let me tell you, this is a fun group of people!

Well, that’s it for now. Maybe after this weekend I’ll have some good backstage stories to share. There are always a few…

Filed under: Life | Tagged: , , , | 17 Comments »

The Sunday Salon: Back to Normal

Posted on December 2, 2012 by Ti

Sunday Salon

After a hellish week of illness, I am back to normal. Well, almost. I am about 95% back but I feel so much better. Thanks for all your well wishes. They worked!

Part of getting back to a normal routine meant me going to the market (two of them actually) to stock-up on all the stuff we ran out of while I was sick. I hate the market! I hate spending all of that money but what can you do? The kids have to eat. If it were just me, I could live on grilled cheese and salad but the kids, they want (and need) a bit more. I got yelled at by cranky people though because all they had were two EXPRESS lanes open and there I was, with like…1000 items. I hate to be THAT person but it wasn’t my fault. I let someone in front of me but I couldn’t let everyone in front of me, or I’d be there all day.

All that food translated to a full day of cooking. I made tacos for tonight, and chicken tortilla soup for tomorrow night when my son and I will be standing in line to get tickets for the show my kids are in. The show is not until February, but to get the best seats, you literally have to camp out. Last time, we got there at 2pm and the box office opened at 5:30pm. This time, I can’t get their that early so we’ll see what kind of seats we get. Since they both have rehearsal as well, the soup will come in handy once they get home.

Some updates:

Winter Formal 2012

Winter Formal: Will you go with me??

The Boy got asked to the winter formal so all is good. I was on pins and needles! This “girl ask boy” thing is always a bit nerve-wracking. She gave him boxes full of candy with cute sayings inside. Oh, to be young again.

The Boy had his cross-country banquet last week and now he is heading into track. This is new to us as well but with a lot of the same people in track, I am thinking it’s going to be another great experience.

The Girl opted NOT to attend cheerleading camp. Say what?? She has been bugging me for over a year but she took one look at the brochure and changed her mind. Apparently, the girl doing splits in the air was not inspiring to her. I could tell she was freaking herself out, but I didn’t want to push her. Instead, she wants me to take her to a cheer/tumbling class first so she can see first hand what she’ll be expected to do. Sounds reasonable to me.

Well, I’ve said enough for today. I hope you are enjoying what’s left of Sunday. Tonight, my son is playing “waiter” at a holiday dinner show so we are going to try to capture a pic for the Christmas card before he leaves. Wish us luck. Hoping that the Otter Pup is a bit more discreet with her privates this year. Last year I had to photoshop them out which made her look very strange.

Oh, and in case you want to know what I am reading…I am still reading The Twelve. I read tiny bits here and there but I am almost done with it. I am also reading The Round House and This Cake is for the Party. What are reading?

Filed under: Bookish Talk, Life | Tagged: , , , , | 28 Comments »

My Reading Goals and How it’s Okay Not to Make Them

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Ti

The title of this post is the direct result of the cold meds running through my system. This entire week has been me just trying to make it to the weekend. I’m almost there, but not quite. I am still sick and haven’t had time to go to the doctor. Work is still crazy. It’s raining cats and dogs and my office is like a meat locker which translates to flippin’ cold (although I’d use a different word if I said it in person).

I wrote reviews this week. Interesting reviews that probably need to be re-written before I post them. The influence of medication on writing can be powerful. Reading books while sick can also be interesting too. I’ve read so many and yet, they are all so strange to me now. I’ve had nightmare after nightmare of worlds gone wrong. Those have not been fun but the conversations I’ve had about them have been entertaining.

What was my point? Oh! I won’t be making my reading goals this year. I can’t even blame it on me being sick. I got stalled with one book and it just went downhill from there. I don’t participate in challenges but I do set a reading goal for myself each year, and usually I make it. This year? I won’t. I am nineteen books away and currently reading a chunkster so I’ve given myself permission to not make my goal this year. There. I said it. I also promised to finally read a book by Austen and that didn’t happen either.

And it’s okay.

It’s okay because the month is flying by and December is coming up fast. I want to savor it a little bit. You know, squeeze out as much as I can before I have to take all the decorations down again.

It’s okay because there are winter concerts to attend, and show tickets to buy and visits with people that I haven’t spent time with all year.

It’s okay because there are new recipes that I want to try and there is nothing better than a weekend of cooking when it’s rainy and cold outside.

It’s okay because we still have to find THE pic for the Christmas card. I had planned to take one last weekend, but The Girl had a monster of a fever blister so that was definitely NOT the time to take one.

It’s okay because the pup sits on my head while I am reading anyway.

It’s okay and at the end of this year, I’ll set another reading goal (just for fun) and start the whole process all over again.

So if you find yourself struggling with your goal, I give you permission to say “It’s okay” because it really is. And if it really bothers you, you can just cheat and change your goal and then feel like a winner again.

See? I have an answer for everything.

Filed under: Bookish Talk, Challenges, Life | Tagged: , , , | 29 Comments »

The Sunday Salon: Recovery

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Ti

Sunday Salon

Today is a day of recovery for me. I am recovering from two things:

  • My neighbor’s ridiculous party
  • American Psycho

The party started very early Saturday afternoon and went on until about midnight. It consisted of very, VERY loud music. So loud that my windows felt close to shattering at one point. Plus, the music was just horrible. The playlist caused me considerable pain. If you are going to go to the trouble of hiring a DJ, play some decent music. I seriously don’t know how the older members of the family ate their dinner next to those speakers. They probably had to turn off their hearing aids or something.

I really needed a nice, quiet Saturday too because I had just been to a birthday party AND I was trying to wipe the images from American Psycho out of my brain. That book is seriously twisted! So twisted, that when I stuffed garlic cloves into my roast for this evening’s dinner, I imagined stuffing them into a body instead. How disturbing is THAT?

Well, I didn’t get a relaxing Saturday and I spent most of today running errands but I am home now. I’m not sure I can read. I mean, what does a person read after such a disturbing book? Everything seems trivial to me. I am thinking I may try to take a nap instead.

On a happier note, I received a letter from Care and it put a huge smile on my face! She’s on a mission to write seven letters a week and this week, I was one of the lucky recipients. I love to chat with bloggers online but whenever I get mail from one of them, it’s like visiting with an old friend. Thank you Care!

My kids have Fall break this week, but the Hub and I do not so it’s really not like a break at all. Plus, it is 105 right now and is expected to be hot all week long. It just doesn’t feel like Fall to me when it’s so darn hot. I don’t know how much more of this we can take. The hillsides are brown and crisp. Truly, it’s a recipe for disaster.

Okay, I am about to go off and do something (anything) to scrub my brain of American Psycho. That is going to be an interesting review. Maybe I should write it quickly so I can put it out of my head for good? Yes, I think so.

Filed under: Bookish Talk, Life | Tagged: , , , | 35 Comments »

Next Page »
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 320 other followers