What an unexpected weekend.
Filled with family, friends and theatre.. Absolutely fabulous.
The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles is an amazing venue. Outdoor theatre and music..under the stars and warm summer evenings that make LA sparkle. Make the city and the experience heightened with the addition of incredible music and stellar performances.
The Sound of Music was on the menu this weekend at the Bowl.
An annoying group of elderly white conservatives, who wished to enjoy the show in its pure form with silence in the audience, and the only voices to heard, that of this incredible cast. They obviously chose the wrong show to try to force silence in their surroundings. After many, many "shhhhh's" blown out in a mean spirited manner, they were overtaken by those of us who were simply overtaken by the sound of familiar music. All around, the crowd sang in unison with the company "Doe, a deer, a female deer; Ray, a drop of golden Sun. Me, a name I call myself. Fah, a long, long way to run. So, a needle pulling thread. La, a note that follows Sooo. Tea, a drink with jam and bread. And that brings us back to... "Shhhhh!" Doe, oh, oh, oh... None could restrain themselves and it was marvelous..
Until midnight, in the humid evening, I sang with a group of friends that filled the Bowl with the sound of music.
Tonight, I found a new personal mantra, as I sat, starry eyed in the Civic Theater, watching the back-story of the Wizard of Oz. Wicked, is fantastic. Surprising. I was Awe struck in the detail of what may have been missing in the familiar tale we thought we knew, and most certainly love. Your understanding, as did mine, of this favorite is shredded to bits and rebuilt, bigger and better than before.
I, too, will Defy Gravity! Join me...Be Wicked!
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Monday, July 17, 2006
Sigh...
Is what I say when I think of the fabulous weekend I had.. and of the week to come....
It has been so hot and humid lately, that I am making an effort just to keep my energy up.
No air-conditioning at work... None at home... So I spend as much time as I can in front of the one fan I have for my apartment..and the one, dusty, old fan I have at work. Living on the second level of my apartment complex only exacerbates the heat.
Saturday.. I ran a few errands. After which, I did my best not to move. I read, I slept, I drank water... Miserable.
Sunday, I was anticipating more of the same.
Fortunately for me it did not turn out that way.
Instead I went for a lovely bike ride around the ocean and the bay early this morning. Before the heat set in. Watching the waves, and the waves of people, filled me with inspiration to do more.
So I went to a Padre game today too. One the best I have seen in a while. The Padres played the Braves..and the Braves kicked our ass. Oh well. It was still a blast! I
When I came home from that, I thought I was done and could start preparing the workweek.
However, a friend called and we ended up at the movies. Fine with me because it got me back out of my still too hot living room.
Now I am back.. it is late.. and I want to do some work, but I really want and need to sleep. The heat is not cooperating with either of these goals of mine, so I toss and turn and turn the fan up higher..move it closer... Wait a bit impatiently for sleep... happy for the weekend as it was…
Sigh...
It has been so hot and humid lately, that I am making an effort just to keep my energy up.
No air-conditioning at work... None at home... So I spend as much time as I can in front of the one fan I have for my apartment..and the one, dusty, old fan I have at work. Living on the second level of my apartment complex only exacerbates the heat.
Saturday.. I ran a few errands. After which, I did my best not to move. I read, I slept, I drank water... Miserable.
Sunday, I was anticipating more of the same.
Fortunately for me it did not turn out that way.
Instead I went for a lovely bike ride around the ocean and the bay early this morning. Before the heat set in. Watching the waves, and the waves of people, filled me with inspiration to do more.
So I went to a Padre game today too. One the best I have seen in a while. The Padres played the Braves..and the Braves kicked our ass. Oh well. It was still a blast! I
When I came home from that, I thought I was done and could start preparing the workweek.
However, a friend called and we ended up at the movies. Fine with me because it got me back out of my still too hot living room.
Now I am back.. it is late.. and I want to do some work, but I really want and need to sleep. The heat is not cooperating with either of these goals of mine, so I toss and turn and turn the fan up higher..move it closer... Wait a bit impatiently for sleep... happy for the weekend as it was…
Sigh...
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Debbie Downer
My mobile phone is ringing. Again. I look at the number and see that it is Debbie. I click the side button to stop the noise and send the call to voice mail. I grab my keys and run out the door heading for some cool relief from what seems to be record heat and humidity in San Diego. The air conditioning in my car feels extra wonderful as I turn up the music and drive to the cinema to extend my escape into the cool air, while watching the Devil Wears Prada. No, this is not a movie review.
After a blissful two hours engulfed in air conditioning so strong it gave me a chill, I’m back out in the heat. On the way home, my mobile rings again…. It’s Debbie. Guilt makes me take the call and I am immediately sorry that I did.
Don’t get me wrong. I love my friend Debbie. I think in some ways she has it all… Single, great home that she is upgrading, cool job. But like many of us single girls in the city, we are still looking for that special someone. Debbie has had a special someone for almost 20 years. A very handsome white man with whom she’s had an ongoing relationship over these years. Problem is, for most of these years this man has been married. And during these years, he and his wife had 3 kids.
Suddenly… It always seems to be sudden, but it never is… He and his wife got a divorce. Debbie was not surprised really, and admitted to me that she was a little excited at the possibility that was now open. Maybe now they could be together openly. Maybe they could actually begin to build their lives together. She loves him. He loves her too in his own way. Unfortunately, his way of loving her now is no different from his way of loving her while he was married.
So now my conversations with her have become counseling sessions on the topic of “Why does he do me this way”, and this call is no different.
“Hello”, I say to her. “What’s going on?” I say trying to be extra happy. It did not work. Her voice was drawling as she told me that she was not doing anything. She was just going to watch movies and sleep because the heat was a little much. “Sounds like a plan”, I tell her. “Call me if you want to go out somewhere later when it cools off”. She says she will, and I think we’re done for now. Then she says she has a question. “What is it”?
Debbie then tells me that she is upset because her now divorced lover has told her that she has an open invitation to come over and use his pool. Today she called him and said she wanted to come over, get in the pool, and get into him. He told her that was not a good idea today, because his ex-wife is coming to pick up the boys, and it would be a scene if she were there as well.
Insulted and hurt, she asks me what I think about that. I told her I really did not know. I know that her feelings are hurt and that she wants something different from a man who is not going to give her what she needs which is a loving committed relationship. That he will make her feel special, desirable… She gets upset when he calls in the middle of night to request her company…but she always goes to him. She gets upset when he disses her privately to speak to his ex-wife, see her or be with people. We’ve spoken for hours about why he never says that he loves her, why he never does those “little” things that mean so much. Things that she does all of the time…Cards for his birthday, special surprises to make him smile and maybe slip and declare his love. None of this comes in return.
So what do I say? She is a smart woman. A beautiful woman. A tormented woman.
A woman who will continue to be depressed today. Who will sleep and self medicate until she feels better, or until his ex-wife leaves and he calls to request her company.
Ring... He called. She's headed over and is all smiles again. She's going swimming...
After a blissful two hours engulfed in air conditioning so strong it gave me a chill, I’m back out in the heat. On the way home, my mobile rings again…. It’s Debbie. Guilt makes me take the call and I am immediately sorry that I did.
Don’t get me wrong. I love my friend Debbie. I think in some ways she has it all… Single, great home that she is upgrading, cool job. But like many of us single girls in the city, we are still looking for that special someone. Debbie has had a special someone for almost 20 years. A very handsome white man with whom she’s had an ongoing relationship over these years. Problem is, for most of these years this man has been married. And during these years, he and his wife had 3 kids.
Suddenly… It always seems to be sudden, but it never is… He and his wife got a divorce. Debbie was not surprised really, and admitted to me that she was a little excited at the possibility that was now open. Maybe now they could be together openly. Maybe they could actually begin to build their lives together. She loves him. He loves her too in his own way. Unfortunately, his way of loving her now is no different from his way of loving her while he was married.
So now my conversations with her have become counseling sessions on the topic of “Why does he do me this way”, and this call is no different.
“Hello”, I say to her. “What’s going on?” I say trying to be extra happy. It did not work. Her voice was drawling as she told me that she was not doing anything. She was just going to watch movies and sleep because the heat was a little much. “Sounds like a plan”, I tell her. “Call me if you want to go out somewhere later when it cools off”. She says she will, and I think we’re done for now. Then she says she has a question. “What is it”?
Debbie then tells me that she is upset because her now divorced lover has told her that she has an open invitation to come over and use his pool. Today she called him and said she wanted to come over, get in the pool, and get into him. He told her that was not a good idea today, because his ex-wife is coming to pick up the boys, and it would be a scene if she were there as well.
Insulted and hurt, she asks me what I think about that. I told her I really did not know. I know that her feelings are hurt and that she wants something different from a man who is not going to give her what she needs which is a loving committed relationship. That he will make her feel special, desirable… She gets upset when he calls in the middle of night to request her company…but she always goes to him. She gets upset when he disses her privately to speak to his ex-wife, see her or be with people. We’ve spoken for hours about why he never says that he loves her, why he never does those “little” things that mean so much. Things that she does all of the time…Cards for his birthday, special surprises to make him smile and maybe slip and declare his love. None of this comes in return.
So what do I say? She is a smart woman. A beautiful woman. A tormented woman.
A woman who will continue to be depressed today. Who will sleep and self medicate until she feels better, or until his ex-wife leaves and he calls to request her company.
Ring... He called. She's headed over and is all smiles again. She's going swimming...
Monday, July 10, 2006
Snoop Dogg
The other day I was walking along a trail in the city. It was funny because as I walked along, through the trees, blithely kicking sticks out of my path, I realized that I had forgotten to change clothes. I was still in the costume I wore to the party earlier. With my white pants and pink top and butterfly wings firmly attached to my back. After a fleeting moment of panic, and figuring I was at that point in the journey where it was just as far to go back as to move forward, I continued to stroll along. Smiling to myself at the thought of what might be going through other people's heads as they ran across me. Oh well....
It was just about that time when I knew I was not alone on this particular trail.
As I turned down the path and turned my head in the direction of steps, the face I saw coming my way was familiar. A stranger to me, but someone I knew. Mr. Dogg himself. He had no posse, it was just him and me. He was much nicer and more approachable than I would have thought. I did my LA thing of simply ignoring famous people when and if you ran into them. (It assures them the opportunity to pretend they are normal, and you, the un-celebrity, to pretend you couldn't care less).
But he spoke to me and actually walked with me. While we walked out, I felt as if my wings could actually work. I felt them flutter at my back. Snoop noticed and said that was nice get-up I had on. Could be a little fantasy butterfly. As the blush left my cheeks, we winded the path that led toward the beach and headed down. All of a sudden there was this huge noise in the water. We saw what looked like a big wave, then the tail of a whale flung out of the water and back down again. We were both speechless.
We stood there watching for the whale again when instead we saw the slow rising of a submarine in synch with the arrival of a military helicopter. "Run!" I shouted. Snoop grabbed me by the collar as tried to make my way back up the hill, wings fluttering. I told him to hurry. That I thought I could fly us both away from there.
Snoop Dogg insisted that we just go up the way we came down. No need to use my little wings. We'd be fine. He grabbed my hand and we strolled up the hill and back to our original path, helicopter blazing in the background noise.
Then I woke up.
It was just about that time when I knew I was not alone on this particular trail.
As I turned down the path and turned my head in the direction of steps, the face I saw coming my way was familiar. A stranger to me, but someone I knew. Mr. Dogg himself. He had no posse, it was just him and me. He was much nicer and more approachable than I would have thought. I did my LA thing of simply ignoring famous people when and if you ran into them. (It assures them the opportunity to pretend they are normal, and you, the un-celebrity, to pretend you couldn't care less).
But he spoke to me and actually walked with me. While we walked out, I felt as if my wings could actually work. I felt them flutter at my back. Snoop noticed and said that was nice get-up I had on. Could be a little fantasy butterfly. As the blush left my cheeks, we winded the path that led toward the beach and headed down. All of a sudden there was this huge noise in the water. We saw what looked like a big wave, then the tail of a whale flung out of the water and back down again. We were both speechless.
We stood there watching for the whale again when instead we saw the slow rising of a submarine in synch with the arrival of a military helicopter. "Run!" I shouted. Snoop grabbed me by the collar as tried to make my way back up the hill, wings fluttering. I told him to hurry. That I thought I could fly us both away from there.
Snoop Dogg insisted that we just go up the way we came down. No need to use my little wings. We'd be fine. He grabbed my hand and we strolled up the hill and back to our original path, helicopter blazing in the background noise.
Then I woke up.
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