My Last Post Here
May I direct your attention to my new blog? I am a little miffed because I logged in this morning to correct a typo and lost my whole post! I know this could happen anywhere... but I have just moved over to wordpress. I like it already!
Peace to all

Holy Christmas - my whole f-ing post just disappeared - the one I posted last night. I don't know what happened? I logged in to edit a misspelling - and it's gone. I quit blogger - Blogger - U SUCK. I'm off to Wordpress and the comfort of my other blogging friends friends

I have this friend. Well, she started out being my son's friend, but she's mine now. Yah, I claim her!
She has a very cool blog but better than that - she is an author and her first book will be out this winter! I can hardly wait!!!
She's trying to get into this writer's colony so she needs some hits on her blog site. So do me a favor, please. Click here! Check out some of her posts - and the comments too - they're funny!
Refresh a couple of times if you don't have time or the inclination to read anything.
But when you do get time - check her out!
And look for her book, The Hard Way, available Winter, 2008.

Trash Talking
This photograph of Devil's Hole, Wyoming was taken by Michael (aka Messiest Objects). You can see it and other glorious pics in his gallery of favorites. Thanks to Julie for turning me on to Michael.
This is the story of how a seemingly innocent question can cause a whole crazy run-away-train full of doubts and fears.
So I get an email at work today that starts like this:
I desperately need some info on our xyz. The info I need is the Key Strength, Key Length, and Key Algorithm. This is some technical jargon for encrypting files that contain sensitive data. I'll just leave it that I found the answers to the algorithm and length. I had trouble (because I'm a bone-head) finding anything definite about the key strength so I summed it up as follows: the longer the length, the stronger the strength.
As I typed the answer, I could feel the inner struggle beginning... the one that starts with a subtle giggle and ends with a loud snort of disgust at myself for being such a pig. And also the disgust of fully acknowledging that I am a 55-year old married woman sending an answer like this to much younger gentlemen.
One of those men, the one who initiated the email, is a really nice guy who is, well, a little held back... that's the nicest way to say it. We give out moron stars to some of the duller pennies in our piggy bank and he has most of them.
The other man is an awesome guy that I've come to admire over the last 4 years. He is a good people person, ever the professional, who rarely loses his cool and who I totally respect for his ability to go above and beyond the call of duty.
The other guy is a great people person and very smart. I've admired his ability to embrace new technologies and learn ways to make the processes we deal with flow better. He is full of fun and also a musician (which never fails to attract me) and well, he is a self-admitted slacker. We have worked together pretty well over the years and we've done some jamming in off hours and he has become very near and dear to my heart. It doesn't hurt that his wife is awesome as well!
Being a woman and being older than all of the guys I work with makes me feel most often like a mother to them, or an older sister. They take a lot of pleasure in saying things that make me squirm... Things like "Now it's time to stick it in the mashed potatoes!" "It" being a euphemism for, well, IT!
I sometimes add my two cents but often it's me laughing and turning red. So, it did sort of shock me when I got this reply to my email: I thought it was all about girth? I could have left it. I could've pretended to have been shocked, or better, just plain clueless. But no-o-o-o-o, I have to take it to the next level, never content to just "leave be". So my reply is the plain and simple truth: Well - I WASN'T going to go there but since YOU brought it up - um, hmm. To which came this reply: Sorry, I just couldn't resist!
Because I just can't let someone else have the last word, I shoot back: Well - if you want to know the truth, as I typed this: the longer the length, the stronger the strength I couldn't help thinking about this: girth? To which I added as an afterthought: I really AM a ho
Well the verbal parry continued and got sillier but by no means got more suggestive... And then this gentleman has to walk in our office for some other business and suddenly, I AM embarassed. I am turning red and cannot, for the life of me, make eye contact. And by golly, I am squirming.
So, not so much the ho, I end my day laughing at myself as always. And thanking God that he has given me friends who say: You're rock and roll peg!

A friend of mine has a lame blog but he did turn me on to this site. If you've ever struggled with a personal computer, you'll enjoy these:

This is the site: http://www.xkcd.com/ You should check it out! I highly recommend it.

Why am I posting this? I don't know, perhaps to cover the ache in my heart. A friend died and she was pretty remarkable. It shook me to the core, this one... I've buried lots of folks, but this lady shouldn't be dead... no, not a bit. As my dear friend, Pam, said "How can someone so alive be so dead?"

This was a lady who took life by the balls. It just doesn't seem possible that she isn't raising hell anymore... Well, I believe that she may be giving God a run for Her (Betty Anne's image of God is not an old guy with a white beard) money! I hope Betty Anne goes easy on Her.

Well, here it is June already. What a wild couple of months!
Friday night I went to the Awards Dinner Dance for the little theater group I joined. Man of La Mancha won awards for Best Show and Best Technical Production. Albert won for Best Supporting Actor. Many of us were nominated for awards in other categories. It just cracked me up! And no, I didn't win, but was nominated for Best Actress in a Cameo along with my friend, Cathy from our production.From left to right, standing: Robert (DQ), Mike (Dr Carasco), Jeff (Sancho), Donna (Housekeeper), David (Anselmo), Tola (Maria), Jack (Padre), Mike (Pedro), Tim (Barber), Mike (Captain). From left to right, seated: Me, Jess (Aldonza), Chris (Tenorio), Cathy (Gypsy), Anne (Antonia).

Our director, Dana, sent us all an email after the Awards dinner and this was what she said:

Kudos to everyone for a great showing at last night’s Awards Dinner for Burlington County Footlighters!
We had 2 tables of La Manchers. In attendance were: Robert, Jack, David, Anne, Tim, Jeff, Tola, Peg, Deb and me (and assorted spouses and significant others!). Lynn, Iris, Bonnie, Andrew and Tony weren’t at out tables, but we were happy to see them there.
We came away with three awards last night. The award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role went to Albert. Great job, Albert! We were all so excited for you! The second award was a new one for Footlighters. They used to do Best Set, but they changed it to best Technical Production. This includes, set, props, costuming, lights and sound. And we won! Overall I think our tech was great (if you don’t count the on-stage radio broadcasts).
I was thrilled to hear that the audiences enjoyed us so much they thanked us with the award for Best Show! That is a great feeling.
I really want to thank you all for the most enjoyable productions I have worked on in a long time. What a wonderful bunch of people! I feel lucky to have met you all. Such talent, generosity of spirit and a lot of fun!
Before I get a teary (too late), I was hoping that anyone interested in seeing Mike's performance in Beauty and the Beast might want to go together and perhaps go out for dinner, and/or drinks, after the show. It opens July 13th (that’s right isn’t it, Mike?), so let me know!
With lots of love and best wishes to all ,
Dana

So I guess it's time to end this chapter... but what an amazing ride and, wow, I met some amazingly talented people and made some wonderful friends. This is perhaps the hardest part of doing a show... letting it go...

Peg took the free ColorQuiz.com personality test!

Take the ColorQuiz yourself right now!
Yup, I took the ColorQuiz!!! I'm not sure how it works but I'll tell you this - there may be more truth in this test than in any other...

Free personality analysis of Peg.
Generated on Wed May 30 03:35:54 2007.

Peg's Existing Situation
Working to improve her image in the eyes of others so as to obtain their compliance and agreement with her needs and wishes.
Well, of course, I'd like others to comply with my needs. Doesn't everyone? My wishes, not so much...
Peg's Stress Sources
Has an unsatisfied need to ally herself with others whose standards are as high as her own, and to stand out from the herd. Her control of her sensual instincts restricts her ability to give herself, but the resulting isolation leads to the urge to surrender and allow herself to merge with another. This disturbs her, as such instincts are regarded as weaknesses to be overcome; she feels that only by continued self-restraint can she hope to maintain her attitude of individual superiority. Wants to be loved or admired for herself alone; needs attention, recognition, and the esteem of others.
There are some valid reasons I agree with this statement - it's a pretty general statement that could apply to anyone... most of us seek attention, recognition and the esteem of others. Of course, I'm going to control my sensual instincts! Sheesh, I'm married.
Peg's Restrained Characteristics
Feels that she is burdened with more than her fair share of problems. However, she sticks to her goals and tries to overcome her difficulties by being flexible and accommodating.
Circumstances are restrictive and hampering, forcing her to forgo all joys and pleasures for the time being.
Wants to broaden her fields of activity and insists that her hopes and ideas are realistic. Distressed by the fear that she may be prevented from doing what she wants; needs both peaceful conditions and quiet reassurance to restore her confidence.
When was the last time you were prevented from doing what you wanted? Did that cause distress? Hells yeah!
Peg's Desired Objective
Longs for tenderness and for a sensitivity of feeling into which she can blend. Responsive to anything aesthetic and tasteful.
Doesn't everyone long for tenderness and intimacy and, and, and, who DOESN'T respond to tastefulness?
Peg's Actual Problem
Needs to achieve a stable and peaceful condition, enabling her to free herself of the worry that she may be prevented from achieving all the things she wants.
Good heavens, don't YOU worry about not being able to achieve all that you want?
Peg's Actual Problem #2
Wants to be valued and respected, and seeks this from a close and peaceful association of mutual esteem.

YOU take the color test! Let me know how YOU fare!

If someone were to ask me about my likes and dislikes, I’d have to admit that the thing I dislike most is goodbyes. When I left my job 5 years ago, it was hard saying goodbye to the friends I’d made over those 13 years. By the grace of God, I have managed to retain a relationship with 3 of those folks.
I am a horrible friend. My best friend from high school lives near Scranton now. She used to live 10 miles away and we saw each other so infrequently that I often got lost going to her house. We worked in high school theater for so many years. We shared so much and now that she’s in Scranton, I’m lucky if I see her twice a year. It’s interesting though, because when we see each other, we just pick up where we left off and it’s like we were never apart.
While looking at the video and pictures I’ve taken over the past few months, it’s hard to remember Robert when he was clean-shaven and had short hair.Speaking of Robert, last night as we left the theater, I asked him what he’s working on next and he said, “Oh I have a show on Sunday. I have an all day rehearsal tomorrow, our show tomorrow night and I open on Sunday.” I know Mike is already rehearsing as well as Dana. These folks are amazing.And I have had the amazing good fortune to work with them all!
I think Albert really said it well last night… He’s been on Broadway and been in touring companies of shows. He said he’d been in shows that have had million dollar budgets, but he’s as proud of this show as any of those! Everyone was just so talented and he really respected everyone’s abilities. I don’t think it was only the gin talking. I think he was sincere.
It’s funny that the end of this show is bringing out all of these feelings. I really tried hard not to care very much about these folks. They are all so talented and will continue to perform. It is sheer luck that I have been able to perform with them. I am continually humbled by their brilliance. And so when we take our final bow and all go our separate ways, I may not see them again. It is certainly a tragedy. And what’s more – it makes me very sad.
Then again… David said he’d like to sing with us at church. Anne said she’d help me find a song if I wanted to audition for another show. And I sense that I have not seen the last of Jack and Cathy. I hope that Jeff will keep in touch – especially when he comes back from Italy. I would like to go to see some of the productions that all of these talented people will become involved in. Maybe, if I just try to be a better friend…
It will be hard not to cry. I think I will not be alone!

last year before Christmas as I was shopping for groceries, I suddenly filled up with tears and sadness... nothing in particular seemed to be the reason - not the store music, or canned goods aisle or the season - just that overwhelming sense of loss. And after 11 years i was puzzled that it should have occurred.
An acquaintance happened to be approaching in the opposite direction and asked if I was ok "just having a mommy moment" I explained. Today I have that overwhelming sadness surrounding me.
Back before my mom was first diagnosed with breast cancer, I started running. I did it more for me because I had just had a benign tumor removed from my right breast and after that scare, I felt that exercise and clean living would help me fight diseases like cancer and heart disease which seem to have a place in our family. When mom was first diagnosed in 1991, I was running 5k's pretty regularly. And in April of 1995, when we found out the cancer moved to her liver, I was training for a marathon. She died on October 6 and I ran the marathon on Ooctober 21. Up until last year, my brother, Chris, and I ran the Race for The Cure in Philadelphia which is held on Mother's Dday. Bad feet and a bad back, in my case, had me walking most of the 3 miles. Last year it was terrible weather so we didn't go for the first time. Now Chris has bad health issues and we're not doing it but my heart and my registration fee is with everyone who runs to raise money for breast cancer research.
After mom died, it was a full year before I dreamed about her but the dream was that I was talking to her on the phone which is something that I did every day she lived after the liver cancer diagnosis. The sense of calm and serenity helped me at a very low point in my life.
I am blessed with a healthy marriage and family nearby and this time of year we support each other through the pain. Last year, mother's day was so hard for me because our son was in California. With any luck, he will be arriving this afternoon and staying through tomorrow - a proper Mother's Day!
My dad came to the show last night. I didn't know he was there - thought he was coming tonight. I heard his laugh and thought "There can't be two people with that laugh!" Sure enough, well into the 1st act, I spotted him and Peg and Pat. After the show, he told me he was proud of me and I was close to tears. I have dedicated these performances to my mom because she really was a "lady" and tried hard to raise me as a proper one. I have occasional lapses, but I try really hard to emulate her.

I have this theory about acting and actors – now that I have tried it. First - this part isn’t a theory: Acting is HARD… really, it is. Now here is the reason AND the theory – Acting is HARD because you have to completely be someone else – you cannot let a piece of yourself into the character you are portraying.

I feel that actors are entirely selfless. Actors have to step outside of themselves and never let their “real selves” be on stage. I am a prisoner and if I’m doing my job right, you are seeing a prisoner – not Peg. I think that I am way too selfish and self-centered to be a good actress. You should just see the folks that are in Man of La Mancha.

For instance, I remember a rehearsal when Dana was blocking the Abduction scene. The guys playing the muleteers were really trying to be polite while they were – um – molesting Aldonza. Jess tried to make it easy on them – I remember she told them, “I don’t mind being touched.” I think they might have felt less self-conscious knowing that she was less self-conscious. In addition, she has been amazing, every rehearsal and every show, she has gotten new bruises and she never complained.

Robert fell on Saturday night, when he “died” and bruised his head – I mean he drew blood! Almost everyone has cracked his or her head on the set. Poor Anne dropped a cube on her toe and bruised the nail bed. Donna had eye surgery and she is still bravely wearing that horse head. Chris fell of the stage and bruised his back – badly!

These folks are awesome – so many great personalities. Jack is such a kidder – always quick to toss out a one-liner that is sure to fill the room with groans. Jeff is the self-professed “worst thespian, ever.” He never knows the shows or characters that we discuss, but he is a natural actor. Albert is quiet and seems deep in thought, but has the most amazing tales of performing on tour. Mike and Chris regale us with tales of youth and daring.

David is so sweet and kind and always has great gardening tips. He worked so hard on the set. He has a wonderful voice and is a very giving actor. Tim is too funny, talking about his WW points and his adventures in theater. Tola is from Nigeria and has hysterical stories about her sister. Cathy is a darling, sweet girl who never fails to bring tears of laughter to my eyes as she does the Moorish dance. Mike (I’ve mentioned him in another post) has a wonderful speaking voice (oh and he sings real well too!). It seems he’s pretty good at doing imitations although he wouldn’t do Albert for us.

They all have very funny theater stories. Chris told us about doing Godspell right in a church and a Nigerian bishop was sitting in the front row. He sang his first line and (he’s a spitter) saw a wad of spit fly out of his mouth and, in slow motion, roll toward the Nigerian bishop. Of course, it landed over his eye and the bishop very calmly used two fingers of his right hand to wipe his brow.

Robert told a story about how he was playing Curly in Oklahoma at Longwood Gardens. They taught him to ride a horse so he could ride onto the amphitheater stage and sing “Oh What a Beautiful Morning.” As he rode on for his song, the horse stopped and took a leak.

I have some good stories too – from years in the pit. It’s a whole nother show in the pit! I can’t tell you how many times stuff (or even people) fell off the stage and into the pit nearly killing someone.

I am truly enjoying this experience. I am glad I took a chance and auditioned. I am so grateful that someone gave me a chance to perform. I will look back on this time fondly. And it doesn’t hurt that the show is near and dear to my heart!

An update!

I was nervous. Heck, my hands were shaking. Was it wonderful? It was awesome. I can't think of how it would've been a better opening night.

I talked to a former student when I arrived at the theater. "What did I ever tell you about not being nervous?" I asked him. I realized I never said much about it. He answered, "When I was young, I never got nervous but as I got older, I got more nervous. At 14 and 15, it never bothered me, as I got more serious about what I was doing, nerves actually helped. I'd say that if you're not nervous before a performance, you don't care all that much."

I liked the way that sounded! I really do care - so much so that I practiced guitar for nearly 2 hours and again after we warmed up and got in costume and makeup.

He also said, "Peg, if you think the rush you get from applause when you're in the pit conducting or playing is wonderful - wait until you take your bow!!" It was a total rush... but I like the safety of the pit... that's for sure!!

We open tonight and I am strangely serene… I should be frantic because I feel like missing those Friday night rehearsals put me at a disadvantage – I played catch up all week and still have to refer to my notes so that I know when to do what I have to do. It should be automatic at this point and it’s not. I also have to finish memorizing the songs I’m playing.
Monday night began “tech week”. We practiced in costume, got make up, (which consists largely of having our faces and hands dirtied), and dealt with lighting cues and props.
The set is complete and looks amazing. The space is small – the theater seats 98 and the stage and wing space are tiny, but Jim did a wonderful job with the set design and dressing. It just gets me all choked up whenever I enter the theater.
As a cast, we are having a good time. Looks like there’s an outing planned for Saturday night after the show and all are invited. The talent that is present on that stage is humbling. The acting is superb, yet, everyone is so down-to-earth.
After our final dress rehearsal, Robert, who plays Don Quixote (or DQ as the director nicknamed him) had a surprise for all of us. “In honor of our finally having a rehearsal with the entire cast present, I have some goodies for you.” And he produced a bag of ice cream novelties that he bought at”Dairy Queen”. I almost didn’t eat one because it was late, but I hadn’t had dinner and was having a huge headache because of the stress of the day and no food. Well guess what? That ice cream bar was the antidote and I slept like a baby when I got home.
Last night we had a night off and because I had to be in work at 6:00 am, I was asleep by 9:00 pm. I feel well rested and ready for whatever the day may bring.
I just hope I’m ready for the night!

So I was just watching some video from Big River. I took it this morning at our “dress rehearsal” for the 2nd weekend of performances. I put my camera on a music stand and hoped for the best and I really did get some good clips although the vocals are hard to hear because the music stand is right between the piano, guitar and bass amplifiers and the drums. Which was cool because it gave me an opportunity to hear some of the really nice drum fills my friend, Nathan, has been playing and also the neat stuff my brother Neal has been playing on the guitar.
I am in awe of what Neal does. He’s a full time guitar teacher and he also has a gig as a children’s entertainer with his best friend Ernie. Did I mention he has a wonderful wife (I love her like a sister) and two adorable children? Well if I didn’t mention it, their pictures are plastered all over my blog.
So to get back to awesomeness – My friend Nathan is also someone I am in awe of. He works where I work and he does some pretty technical stuff and yet, he is a totally talented musician and he just loves to play! I really respect that ability to balance creativity and technology.
So that got me thinking about the folks that I’m working with at our community theater. It’s funny because those folks are all super talented – I mean their voices are unbelievable. And their acting skills – they just blow me away! And they’re all so down to earth. I feel pretty comfortable with them.
And most of them also have jobs that are not music or theater related. Some of them are school music teachers but there’s a social worker, a FEMA employee, and office workers, professionals – oh and a retiree. Thank God Albert’s in the cast, or I would be the oldest person in the show!
Albert is a theater professional – he’s been touring companies and on Broadway. He’s really amazing as well. His comedic timing is impeccable and he still has a great voice.
I feel really comfortable with Cathy. We’re often clumped together in scenes and she has a beautiful voice and can dance as well. She’s in the Moorish dance and is a riot. I crack up every time I hear her sing in that scene.
David – too. He’s in the scene and he sings in this great falsetto. As a muleteer, he does some great bits and he has also helped build the set. He cracks me up in that Moorish scene.
Robert is Don Quixote and he is very believable. I really liked his audition – we were all in the audition room together so I saw a lot of the cast when they auditioned. I thought, physically, he should have been taller, but then I remembered when we did LaMancha at the high school, our Quixote wasn’t tall and gaunt. Robert has totally pulled it off. And he’s hysterically funny – he can go from complete silliness to total seriousness in three seconds.
I could go on and on – Mike has the richest baritone I’ve ever heard – Honestly when he speaks, it’s like music. Last night at notes, Dana, our director, said “I believe every word you say, Mike.” And it’s a true compliment. Oh and, of course, Jess – She’s brilliant! She has helped me immensely, both with acting and directing. Just by observing and listening to her, I’ve learned to think a little bit outside the box…
Which leads me to Dana and Deb – our director and music director – sisters, who do an incredible job of herding this disparate group into one cohesive, well-oiled machine!
I’d like to talk a little bit about the other folks, too- I’m sure I’ll add more soon.

Oh - did I mention we got our costumes????

Wow what a couple of amazing weeks. I feel like all I’ve been doing is sleeping, exercising, working, rehearsing and playing – oh wait… That’s exactly what I’ve been doing! Oh and a salad here and there…

Of course there was my little brother’s 40th birthday party last weekend and that was a total rockfest. He’s been in a lot of bands and there were representatives from several of them – Skinny Dick and the Wranglers , Ruder Than You, China White, and of course Ernie and Neal . And there were performances by all of them – all unrehearsed and still solid as a rock. Even Dooner and Denise performed.

Neal turning 40 was huge because he is the baby and it makes all of the rest of us feel ancient. I was 15 when he was born and my mom and dad had my younger brother, Rob, and I as godparents. I guess after 6 kids, they had gone as deep as they dared for godparents. There were probably 150 people there – well, our family counts for about 35 people and Denise’s family is another 12 or so. So she rented a hall with a stage and it totally rocked!

Of course we had rehearsal on Sunday so we were a little shaky but all in all, the week passed quickly and the performances have been really well done! The high school kids are amazing – their voices are so strong and they’ve worked hard and it shows in their energy and enthusiasm.

And it's so amazing to be in the pit when Marky and Neal are playing together!

For me, this week should be a little easier because I only have one rehearsal and that’s Wednesday night. I have Big River at the high school Thursday morning, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night and then I’m full on rehearsing for Man of LaMancha the last week in April. MOLM opens May 4.

We’re actually going out to dinner Tuesday night with our friends and, maybe, Dooner will be home a few days.

I will miss a rehearsal for Man Of LaMancha because of a Big River performance tonight. The cast is awesome and their voices are just wonderful. I’m playing guitar in a few scenes and I’ve been reading the music because I don’t have it memorized yet. I’m sure by opening, I’ll be ok but for right now, I’ll just be nervous.

And it looks like plans for moving are up in the air again… which is fine with me. I guess we’re going to try to ride the summer out and see what shakes out with Shelden’s company. It is a lot of ups and downs to deal with, but I’m not alone in the dealing and it’s gotta be rough on Shelden because his future is totally messed up!

I’m thankful that I have these shows to keep my mind off of the decision making and stuff. I guess we’ll spend the summer having yard sales and emptying the basement and attic. But for now - I'll have fun!

I Love Blog Quizzes

Your Inner European is Italian!

Passionate and colorful. You show the world what culture really is.

Who's Your Inner European?

In 1952 (the year you were born)

Harry Truman is president of the US Elizabeth II becomes Queen of England after the death of her father, George VI First explosion of a hydrogen device takes place at Eniwetok Atoll in the Pacific Christine Jorgensen becomes the first medically and legally certified transsexual US troops complete their pull-out from Japan Dwight D. Eisenhower is elected President of the US Sister Theresa becomes Mother Theresa and begins her charity work in Calcutta Rick James, Douglas Adams, and Liam Neeson are born New York Yankees win the World Series Detroit Lions win the NFL championship Detroit Red Wings win the Stanley Cup Charlotte's Web by E.B. White is published

What Happened the Year You Were Born?

Your Career Personality: Original, Devoted, and Service Oriented

Your Ideal Careers: Art director Book editor College professor Composer Film director Graphic designer Novelist Stage actor Psychiatrist Writer

The Quick and Dirty Career Test

You Are 100% Happy

It's unlikely that you know anyone happier than you. You know how to be happy, no matter what life throws at you.

How Happy Are You?

You Are a Chocolate Chip Cookie

Traditional and conservative, most people find you comforting. You're friendly and easy to get to know. This makes you very popular - without even trying!

What Kind of Cookie Are You?

Ok… I admit it. I was stupid to think I could do 3 shows in 3 months and still live my normal life. No I cannot. Last night, as I lay awake for most of the night, I came to the realization that I was actually looking forward to going to North Carolina this weekend because I just need to relax a little…
Don’t get me wrong – I love doing these shows – I love the shows and the folks with whom I’m working. I love my job and the folks there. I love my family. I’m just tired of thinking, thinking, thinking.
My poor shower curtain almost reached out and grabbed me this morning. I have three loads of laundry to fold. The dishwasher needs to be unloaded so the clean dishes can go in it. I need to pack to go away.
And speaking of going away, we’ll be staying in a nice hotel and we’ll be touring the county including the town where my husband will be working. Let me tell you about this town.
Apparently, the highlight of the year is the Collard Green Festival. Let me list some entries I found on the town’s website regarding last year’s event:
Mayor XYZ is calling the 32nd annual TOWN Collard Festival "A great success with record attendance." Crowds from various counties flocked TOWN streets near Town Hall for music, arts and crafts, cotton candy and funnel cakes, a Ferris wheel, parade, and sporting events from collard cooking and eating contests to horseshoes and a 5k road race. (ok a 5k road race – I’m totally down with that!)
Here’s another entry:
Due to lack of interest in the Womanless Beauty Pageant (Ms. Collard Blossom) this year, we had to cancel the event. The event was scheduled for Tuesday, 9/5 at 7:00 p.m. in the TOWN Arts and Recreation Center. Keep an eye out next year to see if Ms. Collard Blossom happens to 'pop' again! Have a great "Collard Festival" Week!!!! WHATTTTTT??????
And these folks are SERIOUS about collards:
Collard Eating/ Cooking Contest
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2006
1:00 PM ON MAIN STAGE/ West Avenue
(For Collard Cooking Contest, you must have your collards with you and ready to be judged on stage (West Avenue Main Stage) at 1 p.m.

Don't miss the 32nd annual Collard Eating contest. Come to the stage about 1 p.m. to sign up and eat a mess of Collards. We have 2 categories each year. One for the Males and one for the Females so there will be 2 winners. The only rule is you must eat each pound of Collards completely and you can add anything to it while eating them. Eat as much as you can for the 30 minute time period and you just have to keep them down long enough to get your prize and plaque.

We can only have a total of 16 contestants...So come early if you want some collards!!!

Oh there’s live music too – a band called TrainWreck” and one called “Super Grit Cowboy Band”. ‘nough said! And yet, I am looking forward to this trip…

Happy 55th Birthday to me!
I got up this morning, fully intending to go to the gym. I haven’t gone for 2 weeks mainly because I’ve had a stupid sinus thing and also because I’ve really been tired because someone has been snoring a lot. So I fall back to sleep instead of getting up.
Today, I didn’t fall back to sleep. I got up and checked my email and noticed I had a voice message on my cell phone. Apparently, one of the night shift supervisors called because someone was locked out of their computer. I guess it got resolved because I checked this morning and the person wasn’t locked out anymore.
I checked my work email and realized that the woman I was helping last night still had some printing issues. I can’t for the life of me figure out wtf they are doing over there! She’s a really nice lady so I’ll probably try to get over to her building today and actually watch, in person, what they’re doing.
When Shel left for work this morning, he said “Why don’t you come straight to Neal and Denise’s tonight instead of stopping here when you come home form work? And bring the camera.” Well I’ve been walking around with the camera in my pocket for a couple of weeks now, so that was a no brainer. Then I remembered it needed to be charged so I spent some time looking for the charger but, because I didn’t have my contacts in and I’ve lost my glasses, I couldn’t find it readily. I started cursing and realized I’d have to take a shower and get my lenses in… and since we’re having “Important visitors” today at work, I decided to find something that fits and looks more professional than jeans.
At this point I had procrastinated enough that it was impossible to go to the gym and get to work on time. So, I showered, got my yogurt together, found the charger, packed up and walked out the door.
Oh, I forgot to mention that it started pouring last night – I’m not sure what time, but I realized when I was doing my crossword puzzle in bed last night that it was lulling me to sleep, slowly but surely, which is why I never heard my cell phone ring at 10:30 last night.
So it’s kind of dismal today and it’s also trash day. As I walked out to my car, I noticed that the trash can lid was lying in the street and the trash can was empty, yet turned on it side awaiting a blast to blow it down the street towards Sue’s house. I picked up the trash can and lid and deposited them in the little corral that Shelden built, picked up the newspaper and ran back into the house to wash my hands. By the time I got in my car, my pant legs were soaked, front and back. Then I had to stop at the bank and since my bank is presently housed in a trailer, I was bathed again in rain.
At this point, I’m dried off and smiling still. In retrospect, it’s been a great week , what with Gianni’s birth, a nice snow storm, Dooner’s return from LA and a small gathering of family tonight at Neal and Denise’s. Oh and the wonderful birthday greetings I received by email and regular mail. And also the great song mix being played on LaunchCast this morning – Your Smiling Face, Dixie Chicken, Lawyers, Guns and Money, You’ve Got A Friend, Welcome to the Jungle, Tommy Can You Hear Me, Shake It Up, Free Bird, even some Sousa!
So we’ll see how the rest of the day goes. Maybe lunch with co-workers. And have you seen those photos of Saturn???

So I woke up this morning after a very restless night. Worried about my sister in law and the baby to come. She'd been contracting since Thursday but wasn't dilating. She was very uncomfortable. She went into the hospital yesterday but nothing much was happenning.

We had a funeral to go to this morning - before we left, Neal called and said that Denise's mom didn't want to go to the hospital so if Sue and I wanted to come over - it would be cool! SO we went to the viewing and paid our respects... very sad.

But then we went to the hospital and were allowed to be in the labor and delivery. Denise was unbelievable too- when we got there they had given her an epidural so she wasn't in much pain - just pressure from the contractions. And before we knew it, the doctor was there telling her to push.

We stayed at the hospital til about 3:30 - then I came back for church. Shel and I went out for Chinese food and my fortune read:

You see pictures in poems and poems in pictures. Here's a poem titled Gianni Robert

So this week things are picking up musically.
I’ve been contacting folks to play in the pit orchestra for “Big River” in April at my high school alma mater. It will be a small pit – bass, guitar/mandolin/banjo, drums, keyboards, trumpet, trombone, clarinet/flute/soprano sax. There’s also an “on-stage” group consisting of violin, harmonica and guitar. I’m not sure what the director has in mind, but I guess we’ll figure that out soon. I’ve done shows here for so many years and in so many roles – pit orchestra musician, vocal director, music director, conductor, director. When I attended this high school, we had a solid music program – 110 in the marching and concert band, probably 150 in the concert choir. Today there is no marching band, no concert choir – no music program at all. There is a group that leads worship for liturgies and they do a fine job. Unfortunately, there is not a single musician that attends the school that has expressed interest in playing in the pit this year.

I have another rehearsal coming up for “The King and I” at the local high school. I’ve played bass for them a few times and it’s always fun to get another perspective of high school musical theater -such a difference from my alma mater. At this high school, most of the pit is made up of high school musicians. I believe that there are only 4 musicians that are not high school or middle school students.

And then I had my first acting rehearsal for “Man of LaMancha.” The director blocked the first 30 pages of the script. It was an interesting process for me because I’ve never been the one who was told to cross right or left, upstage or downstage. AN interesting evening! In fact, the director told us that the man who was designing the set was supposed to be bringing a model of it to the practice. Imagine my surprise when a fellow alumnus of my high school and theater days at that school walked in carrying a brief case and a model! He did an amazing job and I really feel that when it is built, it will be an incredible set! Oh, and as he left he mentioned to me that he was dashing off to the high school to pick up his daughter who is in “Big River”.
Man of La Mancha Pictures 2-23-2007
In any case, I am excited and expectant. These next 3 months will be tough but so far am I looking forward to the challenge. Now if I could just figure out whether I have a cold or a sinus infection….

Well, here we go! Our high today was 21°f and that’s WARM. I’m pretty freaked that I have to go out tonight. I realized today how much I hate the cold. I mean I hate when it’s stinking hot too. I guess I hate weather extremes. I never minded the cold because I had a theory that you could keep bundling on clothes and such. Eventually you’d warm up… It just seems like sometimes it’s so cold you can’t get warm. I’ll try not to complain though. Like my 5-year old niece says “I’m hungry. I’m not starving. If I was starving, I’d be dieing.” God bless her little soul.
In any case, I do have to go out tonight. Rehearsing with Ernie for the CD release party on Saturday. It will be fun, but I dread going out once I get home! Also, Dooner will be home this weekend, so I think he is going to come to the gig.
I had my first rehearsal for The Sound of Music at my town’s high school on Sunday. I’m playing bass, which I love to do… and although I hate the show, I realized how brilliant the orchestration for this show is. I got goose bumps (or goose pumps, as the five-year old calls them) at certain points as we were rehearsing. Oh yes, I still hate My Favorite Things and will cringe as I play it, but some of the other music is wonderful.
Tomorrow night, I have my first rehearsal with Burlington County Footlighters, our local community theater group. This is the group I auditioned for and got a part in their production, of Man of La Mancha. It is a small part – just singing in the chorus and playing guitar, but I’m totally psyched to be a part of it. More on that in the future.
Thursday night, I will probably head up to the local Catholic high school, where I will be conducting Big River, a musical about Huckleberry Finn. The music is very cool for that show too – more modern than the other two shows. Some bluegrass and spirituals and then regular show-type tunes. Thursday night is call-backs for the students that auditioned. I’ll poke my head in and see what I have to work with!In the meantime, I’m listening to Rock the House! constantly so that I can learn the tunes for rehearsal tonight. These songs are also incredible – my brother Neal and his friend Ernie have written these tunes for their 5th CD and I think there isn’t a dud in the bunch! The tunes are catchy and the styles range from rock, to ska to jazz to Latin. They are very diverse.

lmao

Are You A Bam Margera Fan?
Congratulations!

Are you sure you're not Bam?
Well you must be his biggest fan cause you sure know alot about him. You are definitely Bam worthy!!!

Take this test

How ridiculous is this???? Well, the BAM quiz cracked me up!!!! So ,I took this one:

How well do you remember the 80's?

Totally Awesome, Totally Tubular, T

You know every 80's song by heart, and will sing them on request. A day spent watching The Muppet Show, Fraggle Rock, Mr. Wizard, or Inspector Gadget would totally rock; and you know about "I love the 80's", "I love the 80's Strikes Back!", and "I love the 80's: 3D" and wonder the the hell is taking so long for the next installment!

Take this test

Not much of a surprise with my answers to the 80's quiz, so I took this one:



I'd say the personality quiz is fairly accurate so I decided to find out what my eyes say...

What do your eyes say ?

Bashful

You have a shy personality, you only have a few friends that are close to you, and you are insecure. You are a follower rather then a leader, being in the spotlight brings out your insecurity. You think too much, you shouldn't do that! Your personality tends to bring out depression or Anxiety. Your talent is to be able to blend in with any surrounding or any person for that matter.
Take this test

Now this was a surprise... Bashful? I need another opinion...

ULTIMATE Music Challenge

Genre GENIUS

Good job on not sticking to one style of music to like. You\'ve apparently grasped what it means to explore music without limiting yourself to what\'s being played on the radio and on MTV. You have obviously done your homework, people should be jealous of you!

Take this test

Mad props to my family, WXPN and LaunchCast for exposing me to so many differnet kinds of music! So this one was just for fun:

What Disney Princess are you?

Belle

You see past the bad things in people. You also don't settle for someone who is below your standards. You care about your education and you love your family. It takes a lot to win your heart, but once someone does they can count on you to be loyal.

Take this test

Yup!

Well – last night, I was sitting at my computer clicking cards and the most amazing thing happened. The phone rang and the woman on the other end said “Hi Peg. This is Dana.” I asked her how she was doing and she said “I’m fine, but I’ll be even better if you say you’ll be a part of the ensemble of our production of Man of LaMancha.”
OH MY GOSH!!!!!!! I did it!
She said she was watching my reactions to the scenes and I was very expressive! I’m just so thankful that it was easy to react to so many awesome actors. So I guess now I will start my blog about this show.
We begin practicing on Feb 7 – just a read-through. And then we begin blocking on the 9th. Music rehearsals are on Sunday nights. And acting on Wednesdays and Fridays. Can you believe this?
But then on a sad note… our pastor of 12+ years has been transferred to a new parish and we will get a replacement in March. I am so sad… so very sad. He’s a very special person and worked very hard to bring our parish through some turbulent times. Also stressed spirituality and was one of our group’s greatest supporters. I will miss him incredibly and a lot. I just don’t know if we will get someone as open-minded as Fr Tom is. And someone who appreciates the type of music we do.
God – I hope we don’t get someone who is very conservative… Makes moving a little easier to take.
And then there is my Pyramids League. I signed up to become a Tournament Director and got trained by a very awesome trainer. And I held my very 1st tournament today. It was a little nerve-wracking but I enjoyed it mostly. Can’t wait for the next one!
Oh - Thanks to all the great Phoenix members for being so supportive Thanks to the Head TDs for their encouragement. And thanks to SATX for the great training!

WHAT WAS I THINKING?

So I did something completely crazy last night! 39 days short of my 55th birthday, I did something I never imagined I’d ever do. I auditioned for a show. Yup! I did.
Back story first:
This summer, we went to a local community theater to see some students perform in a workshop production of The Matchmaker. The president of the company (a former student, mind you) announced the new season and, among other shows, he mentioned Man of LaMancha. Now I must tell you that there are many shows that I love and many shows that are very dear to my heart. And of course, Man of LaMancha is in both categories. The reasons are many but I’ll be glad to list a few:
1) As a high school student, our music department traveled to Alexandria VA to see a high school production of MoL and it was very well done. I became acquainted with the show and purchased the LP (remember vinyl?) and fell in love with the show. Not to mention the story and songs are incredible.
The rhythms are just so neat. I love the songs. I still have that LP somewhere in my collection in the basement.
2) Freshman year in college, I auditioned to play bass in the college production of MoL and the experience was amazing because I had only been involved in high school productions and this was a quality performance.
4) Saw a production if MOL at LaSalle Summer Theater and it was a truly professional production. The next year, I became involved with La Salle Summer Theater playing bass for a couple of seasons.
5) Saw some professional productions of the show, most notably at Living Arts Repertory Theater.
6) Finally saw it on Broadway with Raul Julia as Quixote and (get this) Sheena Easton as Aldonza! Craziness! And then Raul Julia died soon after we saw him.
7) Actually was music director of our high school production back in maybe 1999 or so.
8) We are probably moving to North Carolina in the late fall. I just started thinking of all the things I’ve wanted to accomplish in my life.
Enough back story… now to the audition.
So I checked the website for audition dates and instructions and decided to sing 16 measures of “I’m Only Thinking of Him” from the show. We were also required to do a cold reading from the script. When I got to the theater, I filled out some paper work and then we were herded into a rehearsal room. There were 12 people auditioning each with varying degrees of experience. One woman had no experience whatsoever. And while I have scads of experience behind the scenes, I have never performed in a show.
And so we began, each person singing 16 measures or so of a song they prepared. Many sang songs from the show and they were just amazing! Most of them were well-trained and just blew me away. I started having second thoughts but then figured, what the heck! I couldn’t really walk out at that point anyway. Well, I could’ve if my legs would’ve worked! And then it was my turn…
Now I sing every week in church – at the very least there are 200 people there – often more. But in this room with 12 other potential cast members and about 7 members of the theatre company that would be involved in casting, I had my doubts. And of course, I was horrible – from the very start…. I mean – on the outside I appeared calm and collected and poised (acting skills) but my voice totally betrayed me. I can’t tell you how nervous I was… I even forgot to breathe and screwed up a phrase totally.
Well, then they gave us a break and told us they would have some discussions and have us come back in and do our readings. I suppose I could’ve walked out at that point, but I really wanted to see how some of these amazing voices would act. I also figured, the worst was over – I’ve been acting most of my life so this part wouldn’t be so bad. And I was right!
Some of these folks were truly the total package – great looks, build, voice and acting all rolled into one very lucky person. Some folks were wrong physically for the role they were most interested in, but had a great voice and acting skills. Some folks were just adequate all the way around. I put myself in that group and cross my fingers that there will be room for me in this production. If there is – maybe I’ll start a separate blog about it!
In the meantime, there is another audition session tonight and callbacks. I have not been called back, but we were advised that this is not necessarily a bad thing. It could mean that they were able to recognize our capabilities and didn’t need to see us again.
In truth, I read the same role 3 times. Maybe that’s a good sign…

You Are 48% Addicted to the Internet

You're somewhat addicted to the internet - but who isn't? You can keep it under check, and you're by no means a hermit.

Are You Addicted to the Internet?

So yesterday was a really neat day. I got up and went to the gym – 55 minutes on the treadmill and, of that, I ran a half mile. Came home and showered, got some breakfast. Got all the music together for church.
Then I went to a local salon for an Angel Deluxe Retreat spa day! I got a facial, a 45-minute massage, a pedicure, a heart-healthy lunch, and a manicure. Of course, I bite my fingernails down to nothing so I only had clear nail polish applied to them… But my toenails – now that’s a different story.
Back in September about a week before we left for Italy, I stubbed my toe on a piece of furniture in the dark and my toenail fell off. It was pretty painful and also caused blisters when we were in Italy. Jerry had to operate… But it’s growing back nicely…. Probably by April it will be restored to its former size.
In any case, I have a confession to make… It’s my fault the Eagles lost the play-off game against the Saints because I got my toenails painted Eagle Green in their honor. I’m sorry. I apologize. I’ll be sure to never do anything like that again. What was I thinking?