Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Leaving This Blog For a New One

I obviously am not a good blogger. I am tired by the end of the day and well, I don't do it. I watch tv, do dishes, laundry, read Facebook, read a book on my Nook, etc...

I am beginning a new blog that I will be more dedicated to...at least I hope! I am embarking on a new journey in my own life and will chronicle that. So please join me there. I will update here when I am ready. :)

-TC

Friday, April 30, 2010

Delicious and Wicked

I was lucky enough last night to have a fantastically delicious dinner and then see the fab musical, "Wicked". I was joined by my friend Alysia who apparently had as busy a day as I did. We were both feeling stressed but all that washed away when we drank fabulous margaritas at Mez, a contemporary Mexican restaurant in Durham. I had the fish tacos and they were simply perfection. Please go to Mez and eat them. You will love me forever. Seriously. They are that good.

After filling our bellies with yummy goodness, we made our way to the DPAC (Durham Performing Arts Center). After being redirected by several parking and traffic control peeps, we found ourselves at the entrance to the VIP parking lot. The lot is right in front of the theater. And it was $8 to park. We both laughed. A pointed out that this same lot would be $20 in St. Louis. And we both joked that there is no lot like this in NYC. God only knows what you would pay. I guess in my experience, you pay for good shoes so you can walk you butt back to Grand Central to take the Metro North. LOL.

Thanks to A's hubby's company, we were able to purchase tickets in advance and got awesome seats. We sat left orchestra, row F. It was 6 rows from the stage. Awesome view!! The set was fantastic although I felt a little sad for those that didn't read the novel. You wouldn't know the meaning of the dragon, the clock or the map of Oz. It wasn't made clear. The show itself had a lot of holes but was seriously entertaining none the less.

I guess I should take the time to point out what some of you already know. I was not a huge fan of the novel. I loved the basic premise and enjoyed the story, but not the actual way it was written. I felt confused at times and was pretty annoyed with it overall. But I love "The Wizard of Oz". I mean really, who doesn't? As a kid, the Witch of the West aka Elphaba scared the crap out of me. But I loved to watch her anyway. I thought her flying monkeys were cool and I always felt bad that her sister died. Having two sisters myself, I could relate to her anger and wanting her sister's shoes to remember her. Wouldn't any of us want the same?

Kudos to a wonderful cast and awesome crew. The sets were amazing. And the music was catchy and fun. My sister had burned me a copy of the soundtrack so I could prepare myself for the event. I still say my favorite song is "Defying Gravity".

I'm through accepting limits
'cause someone says they're so
Some things I cannot change
But till I try, I'll never know!

That scene between Glinda and Elphaba gave me goosebumps.

Go see the show if you can. It was fantastico!!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

My Funny Valentine

I love my husband. Anyone that knows me knows that I am madly in love with this man and I am not ashamed to admit it. It is hard to verbalize all the reasons why. He certainly is a good father, a wonderful friend and companion, selfless and generous. There has always been something so special about him. I was watching "Undercover Boss" after the Superbowl and was very moved by the words of the wife of Larry O'Donnell, the COO of Waste Management. She basically stated that she always knew her husband was someone special, that he was someone and was going to do great things. And she said it very matter of fact. It was her dogma.

It clicked immediately for me. I knew that this guy, this kid who wasn't that much taller than me but then later grew 6 inches over one summer, the kid that was always around but never said much, the one that seemed to always listen with a sympathetic ear- him. He was someone. He was always such a good friend not only to me, but to everyone. He was genuinely kind. I just knew that he was someone I always wanted to have in my life.

Lest you think I have landed the most perfect specimen of a man, well, ha! Sure, he leaves his dirty socks around. I trip over his size 12 boats, I mean, shoes daily. He sometimes forgets to call to tell me he is going to be late. I have to nag to get him to throw out the trash. He tunes me out. Despite my begging, he refuses to sort the utensils before putting them in the dishwasher. He waits for the garbage truck to enter our cul-de-sac before he puts the can on the curb.

But I will take all those annoying quirks. He sorts the socks. When traveling, I never have to lift a suitcase. He lets me sit in the aisle seat at the hockey games. He always coaches M's teams and never makes me go to a practice. Bunco, dinner with the girls, shopping, movies- he always encourages me to go. He takes me out for sushi even though he doesn't eat it. Sometimes be brings me fast food breakfast because he knows how much I love those darn biscuits. And when I need a hug, he throws his arms around me before I even have to ask. He thinks I am beautiful even though I know I am not. And he does it all because he loves me. How did I get so lucky?

So on this Valentine's Day, I want to tell my favorite person in the world how much I love and cherish him. He makes me a better person and makes me incredibly happy. Marriage is certainly a journey and is not always an easy one. But at the end of the day, who can't love a man that sorts the socks. I hate sorting the socks. And the more I think about it, he does too. But he does it because he loves me.

But don't change a hair for me
Not if you care for me
Stay little Valentine stay
Each day is Valentine's day

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Embracing Fear

That damn Oprah. I enjoy watching her show sometimes. But yesterday was interesting. In a freaky, scary, want to pull the blanket over my head kind of way. She had an open conversation with child molesters. This particular episode was with men (women are coming next week!)and she asked them candid questions about what they have done, how they chose their victims, etc... We are talking scary shit. Really.

The first couple of minutes were brutal. A very creepy old man was describing all the things he did to a five year old girl. He was so matter of fact about it and described everything so clinically, like he was talking about a hernia operation or something. It literally made me sick to my stomach and all I wanted to do was leap through the television and beat tbe crap out of him. He was caught by her mother, who walked into the room as the little girl pulled up her sweat pants and he was moving to a chair. He said it was obvious what was going on and the mother asked the child immediately. Can you imagine? I don't know what I would have done. I mean, I think I know but I hope I never have to find out.

It's funny because one of my favorite people (who happens to be my hair stylist) and I were talking about this the other day. Last week, Oprah talked about that sick feeling in your stomach. You know the one I am talking about. It's that sixth sense we all have, that intuition that something or someone is just not right. Other animals run from their predators, they trust their fear. We typically don't, out of wanting to be polite. We make our kids say hello when they don't want to. We force them to be polite. I know I am guilty of it. "M, the lady said hello to you. Please say hi." "Tell the cashier how old you are." I can't be the only one. Why do we do this?

We need to embrace our fear. Thank God (or whoever/whatever you believe or don't believe in) that we were made to feel this way. It really is a gift. In reading Protecting the Gift by Gavin De Becker, it basically dispelled the stranger danger information that I grew up with. I learned that I have been "doing it wrong". I really recommend that book to everyone. It will at least allow you to be smart about what you teach your children. That person may very well be a family friend, a teacher, a coach, a friend's parent. Look for a Mommy for help. Ever notice a kid lost in a store. Every woman within a 50 foot radius is running towards that kid or at the very least, looking around for a parent.

I will add more to this post when I watch next week's O. She will be interviewing the only woman to live at the Special Commitment Center at McNeil Island in Washington State. It made my stomach hurt to see that woman. But really, knowledge is power. Embrace the fear. Even if it does keep you up at night.

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Wow...it's been awhile

Wow...it's been awhile. I think I need to be more spontaneous and just post my random thoughts rather than edit them. If I did that, I would be posting more frequently. Something to really work on.

We are snowed in today and it has been a semi-productive day. I managed to bake a loaf of bread for dinner and then make homemade meatballs, cook up some sausage with peppers and onions and make spaghetti. It was pretty yummy! I am now drinking a glass of cab and watching my beloved Carolina Hurricanes beat the Chicago Blackhawks. Thank goodness for Cam Ward!