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...

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!

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!

Saturday was somewhat of a celebration. The weather was threatening but it didn't stop friends and family from gathering to welcome the Bald-headed Wonder back to Cinnaminson.

An opportunity in NYC brought Dooner East and he had the weekend off so he took the train and visited with us. It was very weird having him home - I'm thinking that we've sort of gotten used to it just being the two of us in this house.

In any case, it didn't rain and I didn't cry. The food was yummy and the laughs were many. Tim's shirt was salmon! There are more pictures if you click this link :

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28922249@N00/

We hope to see him a few more times before he returns to California! If the weather's nice on September 9th, we'll go up to Madison Square Park and check out the venue like we did last year. And perhaps he'll have a few days to stop home again at the end of his gig, do some laundry and catch up with a bunch of other folks.

I'm looking forward to that :-)

Got Wedding?

An amazing adventure began somewhere back in 1979. Two families became inexplicably bound – first, through the Spirit, then through music. I won’t get into the details except to say that this Saturday, we celebrated together the wedding of the youngest J. sibling after having celebrated a total of 10 weddings, myriad christenings and several very difficult funerals. The P.’s and the J.’s have shared a lot of ups and downs and although it seems impossible, more than 25 years have elapsed and the music still flows as does – the milk. In fact, two of the culprits in the picture are highly successful children’s musicians… but that’s a story for another day.

So the point of this entry is that sharing music with the J boys and my brother at Church was inspiring to say the least. There’s such a feeling of heaven when you share space and time with folks you love. So much so that we immediately went into buffoon mode at the reception – you know we really know how to balance our lives!

First, Mike spilled beer on Jerry, which, of course, prompted the “Spiller in the Family” discussion. We have one in our family too… although he wasn’t at the wedding. Sue asked Karen, “So which of your kids got the ‘spilling gene’”? “Oh,” she sighed, “Peter got it.”

Well, don’t you know? Peter comes over to our table with a gallon of milk which promptly slips from his grasp, hits the floor, pops the lid and spills all over the floor. (Thank God, they had the sense to stick us in a dark corner.)

Karen and Sue just shook their heads and sighed together. You can’t make this stuff up!!

Got Wedding Part A

So about the sharing time and space… the prep for the Wedding (I know – I’m working backwards here) was a hoot. Mike, Ernie and I met at Mike’s house one night about two and a half weeks before the wedding and attempted to put together the music that would be needed for the church.

This turned out to be a larger obstacle than I expected. First, there was the whole – “the groom wanted to get married by a lake so he could go fishing afterwards…” thing. Then, the bride only really wanted one song – and we were banned from singing it during the ceremony because, even though it’s based on scripture, it isn’t liturgical. Ah, well, the challenges of selecting songs for a church wedding ceremony…

The sub-plot was that Mike was in the backyard when we arrived, setting up a tent so that Rebecca and a friend could camp out that night – in 90+ degree heat!

Karen explained that Mike was frazzled because they had a toilet that he couldn’t fix and she had just noticed that the LED on the thermostat for the central air conditioner was faded out and she couldn’t read it. She was afraid to tell him, thinking he would freak. She swore Ernie and me to secrecy so that we could get some productive work done.

The music selection went fairly well – even Ernie had some positive contributions. We chose some oldies but goodies and some new songs. I promised Ernie and Mike I would send MP3s of the 2 new tunes. Of course, we neglected to set a rehearsal date, so that when it became apparent that I would be unable to attend the church rehearsal (because I was prepping for the dreaded colonoscopy), Ernie ended up not being available for when I COULD practice. Mike, Neal and I had a productive rehearsal on Wednesday before the wedding.

On Saturday, Wedding Day, Neal, Denise and I began the drive down to Camden (yes, Camden, NJ – City of Violence). As we passed the Old Ivystone, Neal looked over and said, “Hey, when did that place become an old people’s home? I saw Yngwie Malmsteen there!!” I am not lying when I tell you that place has been an assisted living facility for probably more than 15 years. And it’s not like Neal hasn’t driven past it once a week for the last 20 years!!!!

We arrived at the church early enough that we had a bit of time prior to the actual wedding ceremony and used that time to brush up some of the newer stuff and set harmony parts and beginnings and endings. Mike mentioned that at the wedding rehearsal Thursday night, Father Mike had asked if we planned to sing the “Our Father”. Mike said, “I told him we didn’t plan on it.” I thought to myself “Good, it’s been a long time since I had actually played the one that Father Mike would’ve wanted us to play”. Moments later, Ernie said, “Oh by the way, Father Mike wanted to know if we were going to sing the Our Father. I told him we weren’t going to.” I was just about to say “Good…” when Father Mike came up to us and said, “We’re singing the Our Father right?” In unison we responded, “No Father Mike, we didn’t prepare it.” I started to figure out the chords just in case. I got more than halfway through the song and Ernie looked at me. “No – we’re not doing it, Peg.” I nodded and we began the prelude songs as people were starting to come into church.

The ceremony went well and when it came to the part where we all would pray the Our Father, Father Mike looked right over at us and said, “Now let us all raise our voices in song as we pray the Our Father.” I couldn’t really see the paper where I had jotted down the chords, but I did my best from memory, completely ad libbing the ending… We all just giggled through the song.

When ever we do one of these church gigs, there is always one song that we fear will be a challenge and we had one for this gig. It happened that we needed it during a quiet prayerful moment of indefinite length. We had planned to sing the refrain twice hoping that we’d only have to do one verse because Ernie and Mike – who were doing the verses – weren’t real confident with the 2^nd and 3^rd verses.

As it turned out, our bride ended up NOT saying much of a prayer and we’d barely got through the refrain once when I saw her returning to her space in front of the altar. I signaled for a quick end to the song only to watch Ernie have a conniption because he had practiced and practiced that song and never got to sing a verse!!! “It was the best we ever did it,” he blustered.

AH – church gigs…