Trivia Tuesday

~ Insulting a person's music (I was neither the insultee or the insulter - just FYI) is a sure fire way to make that person all "stabby ragey."  Also, "stabby ragey" is the perfect way to describe anger.

~ For some reason, sitting in the corner - as opposed to our regular seat that was otherwise occupied - is responsible for our utterly horrible showing this evening.  At least that's what we're telling ourselves.  It's either that, or the person writing the questions this week is a member of Mensa.

~ The Lost City of Atlantis was written about by Plato.  My fascination for fictional places that may or may not have been located in Greece comes through for me at last.  Of course, no one knew about this fascination I had so no one believed me...

~ The absolute only person that could have answered tonight's half time question on patents was a patent attorney.  Someone seriously went down a rabbit-hole on google this week when they were writing the questions.  It's either that or a patent attorney wrote the question, which I suppose is possible too...

~ When determining who the oldest soul at the table was, EVERYONE pointed at me.  I suppose I didn't help matters by belting out Tommy by the Who when it came on but not being able to name a single song by Jewel.

~ A category on Pirates led us to the Pirate Name generator.  For the least applicable pirate name ever, I give you mine: Pirate Agnes the Drunk.  I sound like some sort of Pub-crawler in England rather than a fierce Pirate.

~ There is a museum of sewers in Paris.  Gee, I wonder why that's never mentioned in the same breath as the Louvre?

~ Pandemonium is a word that Dante used to describe one of the circles of hell but is used today to describe madness.  Now I know I'm using the correct term when I describe Time Square - at any point in the day - as Pandemonium.

Love for BroadwayCon

After spending the last 4 days in New York City at BroadwayCon, I'm prepared to say that I've never been so inspired and excited by an event in all of my life.  It was truly amazing and I can't believe that I had the chance to attend - I'm still pinching myself!  It of course, started as a way to see the Broadway greats and have some fun geeking out over theater, but after the first hour or so, I realized this event was so much more than that.  It's about new ideas, giving people a chance to belong where everyone shares the same passion, and mostly about doing good and being kind.  In 3 days, I saw no judgement, no harsh words, no anger.  All I saw was an outpouring of love and excitement from the attendees and the stars.  

If you're the least bit into theater, I would recommend trying to attend next year.  You will leave not only more excited about theater than when you went in, but you'll also be energized and full of new ideas!  Honestly, I started writing them down I had so many thoughts and ideas in my head.

Even with all of this fun, I did have a few favorites. So without further ado, these are the things that made me super happy.

Facetiming Lin Manuel Miranda: As a surprise treat, the organizers of the con created a surprise panel where the entire room had the chance to talk to Lin from London.  I mean, really?! How awesome is that!?  To top it all off, Oak stopped by to say hello too.

Artists as Activists Panel: This panel was hosted by Oak, and discussed ways to be an activist and an artist.  Panelists included the woman that started the Ghostlight Project, and the woman that started Broadway Advocacy Coalition.  They were so inspiring and shared so many different ways to get involved.  Hearing them share their own journeys to advocacy and change really showed that theater is so much more than just acting and singing.

The Opening and Closing ceremonies: The opening ceremony was a 45 minute skit with original songs and special guests.  What made it relevant and special is that the theme was inclusivity.  Since the con was being held on a weekend that saw our President trying to ban Muslims from entering the country, I'd say the organizers picked the perfect theme to open the weekend.  The original song that was sung in the closing ceremony as well, was about "singing a little louder and dancing a little harder" and "while the time we're in right now is just a scene change."  I'm hoping they're going to release it as a single, because it really was beautiful!

YouTube SingAlong: It is exactly what it sounds like.  For 45 minutes last night, the organizers broadcast theater performances from YouTube on the big screen and everyone sang and dance along. So theater nerdy and yet so fun!

CosPlay! - Oh my goodness! Theater lovers are so darn creative!  I saw Glinda, Hedwig, Elphaba, Mormons, Newsies, Mark Cohen, King George III, and so many more.  But I have to say, my fave (which isn't a surprise to anyone) is Whizzer from Falsettos.  So simple, and so perfect!

And this has absolutely nothing to do with the con but it was definitely a highlight - seeing the Falsettos cast sing at Barnes and Noble on 86th and then having them sign the album. Also, me not freaking out in front of them was a major highlight and win for me!

I'm Going on an Adventure!

Just as an aside, can anyone hear the title of this post and not hear it in Bilbo's voice? : )

This weekend is officially the start of Broadway Con in New York City.  And since April of last year, I've been trying to be patient for this weekend to get here.  And now that it is, I'm bursting at the seams! So many Broadway things to see and so many fun things to do!  I cannot wait. On top of that, I even get the chance to review it for BroadwayWorld too, so yay!  Do you think that means I can expense the whole darn trip as a business expense? Probably not...

Anyway, that's where I'll be for the next few days if you need me.  When I return, exhausted and bathed in the glow of 4 days in the city, I hope to have loads of fun things to share and fun pictures to show off.

Have a fabulous weekend - I know I will!

Trivia Tuesday

~ Personally, I thought writing Alternative Facts as the answer whenever we didn't have one was a solid choice : )

~ Oprah was originally born "Orpah".  I feel as this is going to take some googling as to why in the heck anyone would name their kid Orpah and why in the heck anyone would just re-arrange 2 letters instead of changing their name entirely.  However, it seemed to work for her career so who can blame her?

~ Finally an NFL question that had to do with one of our Ravens!  And bonus points for the answer being my favorite player - Justin Tucker!

~ When a question has to do with a spokesperson for a commercial.  Just being able to see that person's face isn't enough.  Recalling the person's name is usually the best bet.  It turns out the blonde woman that is mostly in Christopher Guest movies and usually plays a villain is named Elizabeth Banks.  

~ When the answer to a question is San Francisco (Be sure to wear flowers in your hair...), the 3 people that have traveled to San Francisco together will start reminiscing about the fun and the ridiculous occurrences they had on that trip.  And then of course, you start mentally planning a trip back since it's been WAY too long since you've been there...

~ There is (or was, I'm not really sure) a band called the "Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs."  This band apparently performed the background song that plays during Rock Band the video game.  There isn't a part of this question that I had ever heard of before.

~ The Largest Machine ever Built is the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.  I demand some explanation on this one? Wouldn't you assume the LHC was made up of multiple machines instead of one single machine?

~ 

New Fun Stuff

I've been trying to figure out something clever to title this post, but apparently New Fun Stuff is as clever as I can get at 9:15 on a very long Monday...

Anyway, I've been working on a new project that I happen to think is pretty exciting. On New Year's Day I came across a post from Broadwayworld.com on Twitter.  The post said they were looking for regional writers.  In a rush of New Year, New Me excitement I grabbed 3 theater posts I had written and thought were pretty good and sent them along with my resume.  And a few days later, I got the good news - I had gotten the job!  Woohoo!  

Now I say job, but it's not really a job.  There's no payment which I'm ok with because the perks are pretty nice.  Often, I can get free tickets to shows in the area.  And the best part is that I'm discovering all sorts of fun regional theaters in the area that I never knew about. I'm also trying new plays and new experiences that I wouldn't have about a year ago.  It, of course, has only been about 2.5 weeks, but I'm having a blast. 

I've met some lovely people and seen some great shows.  I've learned some things about writing, critiquing and even just little things to make life easier.  For instance, a notebook that's larger than the tiny one I have will come in handy the next time I get thrown into an impromptu interview with a theater director.  Also, I need a business card.  Torn pieces of paper with my email written on them are not wholly professional. 

I've also learned what I don't want to be.  I'm not Ben Brantley of the New York Times. Shows aren't living and dying on my word.  The shows I'm reviewing are fun and people are having fun doing them.  I'm not there to criticize or put them down.  I'm as happy to see what they're doing, as they are to be doing the shows.  So no note taking during the show and no backbite-y comments.  That's totally not me!

So yep, there you have it.  There are master plans in my head where this could or couldn't take me - but for now I'm just enjoying it.  If you have any desire to read some of my articles, you can head over to BroadwayWorld.com and hit the Maryland Regional area.

Tveiter Tots

So apparently, fans of Aaron Tveit call themselves Tveiter Tots.  Clever, right?  Well, before this evening's concert, I don't think I would have called myself that.  However, after seeing him at the Barns at Wolf Trap (VA) tonight, I'd definitely, proudly call myself a Tot.  He was fabulous in concert!  He has a beautiful voice, which I knew about already.  But he's also very funny and very personable.  He told a few cute stories and chatted with people in the audience.  At one point, we were all singing "Do you hear the people sing?" from Les Mis together.  Thank goodness it was the one song from that show I actually know!

He even sang "The Streets of Dublin" which is one of my all time faves.  The only thing I was sad about was the fact that he didn't sing a single song from Next To Normal - the show that made him famous.  Also, a show I adore!  Seriously?!  But I'll forgive him for that, because the rest of his set list was awesome!  

March Like a Girl

Earlier this week was the very first I heard about the Women's March in Washington DC.  I loved the idea, but I knew there were be thousands of people, and I knew no one would want to come with me, and I wasn't really willing to enter that madness by myself.  But I was marching with these strong women in spirit.  Imagine my surprise then, when I woke up this morning to pictures of thousands of people all over the world in cities great and small marching for equality.  It was gorgeous thing to see!

But then I went about my morning, keeping an eye on all the awesomeness happening in cities all around me.  However, sometimes it pays off.  Because I somehow happened upon a Women's March in downtown Annapolis, that was just starting when I arrived.  It was a sign so I marched. And I was super inspired by everything I saw. Women, families, men, children, young and old all marching for the same causes.  It was peaceful, and happy, and infectious! I'm extremely proud to be a girl today!

Friday Five

I know I've been a we-bit political as of late, but it's hard not to.  After today, I won't say I'll never be political again, but I'll try my best to withstand the urge to vent about the bad and focus instead on the good.  But today, it was very hard to do that.  However, there were a few wonderful responses to the very bad that made me very happy.

1. Last night's Ghostlight Project inspired me in new ways.  It's such a simple idea, that's been around for ages - light a candle for hope.  But by banding together and refusing to succumb to the hate and exclusion, theater people showed that they are, by far the most open and loving community out there.

2. Concert4America was held today, in New York City.  Seth Rudetsky and his husband gathered friends and family and put on a show.  Of course their friends and family were ridiculously talented people.  And instead of focusing on the politics of the day, they chose to focus on love. For 150 minutes, Trump's name wasn't mentioned once.  When was the last time that happened?

3. Traffic signs don't often make you laugh, but apparently someone at the MDTA thought it would be hilarious to have some fun this morning.  Due to the inauguration, all highways in and around MD, DC and VA were going to be swamped.  So this was the sign some that was used to warn commuters of this fact:

4. Spending the evening with a great friend and enjoying dinner, laughs and a terrible show was the perfect way to avoid any and all contact with the inaugural activities.  In fact, the bar that we were in chose to show Ice Skating instead of the news.  It was lovely!

5. And mostly because it's 11:15 and way past my bedtime, I'm so very, very happy to be cozy and warm in my bed and that I get to sleep in a bit tomorrow morning.  Sometimes, it really is the little things in life that make you the very happiest.

#BeALight

Tonight I went out of my comfort zone and attended a Ghostlight Project (an awesome way to make theaters across the country open to all as a safe haven) event where I only knew one person.  It was scary and awesome at the same time.  I learned that I'm perfectly able to make small talk if everyone I'm talking to is lovely and kind.  I learned that there are about a million theater-ish things happening in Maryland that I know nothing about.  And I learned that theater critics are awful (that was my second choice for the title of this post...) What was only going to be an hour long event, turned into a good almost 5 hours.  I loved it and the people I was fortunate to chat with!  Here's to new adventures in 2017!  And fighting for kindness and hope!

Information vs. Sanity

I read someone's Twitter post today that perfectly summed up my life right now:

"I'm in a constant struggle between wanting to stay informed, and wanting to keep my sanity.."

With everything that's going on in politics, I feel this way constantly.  The second you log on to any form of social media - but most especially Twitter in my opinion - you're bombarded from every angle on new reports of just how bad the country has it.  There's always new links and new issues and new rumors.  And the worst part is that it's increasingly hard to tell what's real and what's fake.  When the real news is so outrageous, how does one tell it from the stuff someone made up?

This is what I worry the next 4 years (god, I hope it's only 4...) is going to be like.  And if it is, I (and I hope it's not just me...) won't be able to stand it.  The second I hear about something that's unfathomable to me, I have to vent.  And when I vent, I think I lose about 50 IQ points because I get myself so riled up, that I can't speak.  And that's just no good for anyone - just ask my family and friends.  

And while taking a step back from the madness might seem like a healthy thing to do, it's not really.  It may be healthy for me, but protesting the injustice is the only way we can make our voices heard. So stepping back completely may not be the most positive way through either. 

What is there to do then?  I suppose we can try to focus the energy we're exerting on reading quite possibly false posts, and really get informed.  I'm going to try to only read sources that are reputable.  I'm going to try to delete some of the accounts I follow on Twitter.  I know they think they're getting the word out, but the constant posting isn't helping matters.  And I'm going to get involved and participate in events that focus on equality and inclusivity.

First up is the Ghostlight Project - making theatre a safe place for all.  Just check out their website and see if any theater near you is participating tomorrow evening.  I can't wait to see what people coming together for a common goal can achieve!

Trivia Tuesday

~ Breaking the screen of your phone into a million trillion pieces really puts a damper on the night.  Of  course when there's a Verizon store right next to the bar that allows you to get a new phone immediately for much less than you were expecting, things look up - momentarily.  Until you realize 2 hours later you're saddled with the dumb new iPhone 7 that doesn't have an ear bud jack - which means no more listening in your car. UGH!

~ Having a boss that loves Klimt and talks about the museum in New York endlessly comes in handy when the final question is on that particular artist.  Yay for being quite possibly the only art question I know the answer to!

~ The Red River runs through Hanoi, Vietnam.  Not the Yellow River - why I know random facts about the country of Vietnam and couldn't name a single river here in the USA is completely beyond me...

~ As much as I love Come From Away, you'd think I would have realized that New Foundland is an island and doesn't actually border the United States.  But no - have I mentioned I hate geography?

~ When you have a grand total of 3 gay guys on your team of 8, you better get the question on famous LGBT people correct.  Luckily, they did!

~ During the Belmont Stakes, the winning horse receives a blanket of carnations.  Doesn't that seem a bit cheap?  I mean the horse has just beat at least a dozen other horses, and all he/she gets is some cheap carnations?  At least upgrade a bit.

~ Gordon and Susan on Sesame Street have last names.  Has this been proven?  Has this ever once come up in a single episode of Sesame Street?  I'm pretty sure they're written in the script but not a single person on the planet would actually know what they are, except whoever wrote the question.  In case this ever comes up in your life - the answer is Robinson.

~ When there's a Crazy Loud Girl (CLG) at the table next to you, it's best to ignore her as she screams out answers, puts a turtle shell drink glass down her shirt and pretty much makes a ruckus all evening.  

A Possibly Final Problem

I've just come from the theater where I witnessed what might be the very last Sherlock ever.  I'm hopeful it won't be, but there are loads of rumors floating around, so I'm not exactly sure what to believe. If this in fact is the last Sherlock, I'd like to say that I loved it; that it was a fitting end to such a groundbreaking program.  But I can't.

I won't go so far as to say I hated it.  Like I've said many times, a bad episode of Sherlock, is still better than a lot of what's on television these days.  But it most definitely wasn't on par with the other finales - even the other 8 episodes. It was missing something - something I can't quite put my finger on.

There was loads to love.  Each fabulous character got some screen time, even dead ones.  Sherlock and Mycroft shared some lovely scenes, as did Sherlock and John. There was movement on a few fronts.  There was even a huge - GINORMOUS! - mystery to solve.  Can you tell I'm trying to be vague as to not spoil it for anyone?  But the mystery itself was the issue.  

In Sherlock land, you like to think you're clever.  You like to be able to figure out a few things for yourself and have Sherlock fill in the blanks with what you've missed.  But this time around, the case was so ludicrous and huge, that there was no way to keep the train on the tracks.  It lept one from cliff to another, never allowing anyone to follow it.   Also, and this is entirely shallow and personal, but I love the way cool camera angles and tricks the show pulls - there was hardly any of that this time around.

All in all, it was a pretty amazing hour and a half.  But in the end, if they don't come back one day, I'll be very disappointed.  Because this show and these people deserve a much better send off!

Reading as Fast as I Can

Pay no attention to the disheveled appearance. Like I said,
 I've been reading all weekend

I've spent every free moment I've had since Friday night, reading "Talking as Fast as I Can" by Lauren Graham.  And I need to say, it was by far the absolute best use of my time I can think of.  I mean, I knew it was going to be good.  I read her first novel "Someday, Someday Maybe" in just a few days and loved that as well.  (If you ever feel like buying me a present, you can buy me another copy of that book - I lent it to my least likely to return it friend, and I haven't seen it since...)  Anyway, based on that novel and my love of all things Gilmore Girls, I sort of knew Lauren's memoir would be a winner.

But I didn't realize it would be this much of a winner.  It's funny from start to finish.  I'm pretty sure she's secretly Lorelai Gilmore in real life.  No actor in the history of acting has been more perfectly cast than she has.  And as a real life person, she's pretty perfect as well.  Having the book framed around her first Gilmore Girls stint through her second was an excellent idea.  She's had such an interesting life in these years, and it's fun to hear her side of it - rather than what you may read in the press.

She's also very smart, and a fabulous writer.  So there's a whole chapter on how she writes and a new way she's discovered to make her process better.  I can honestly say, if it works for her - and based on her books, it definitely works - I just might give it a try.  Who wouldn't want to be just a little like Lorelai Gilmore.  Oops, I mean Lauren Graham!

Holiday Inn Live Blog

Tonight, Broadway HD is doing a live stream of Holiday Inn on Broadway.  That's why I now find myself on the sofa, warm and cozy, watching it with the bestie.  And what better way to accompany a live stream than with a live blog?  Probably many things, but I like the idea so I'm sticking with it : )

7:45 - Technical difficulties that apparently Twitter is quite angry about...

8:03 - Still having issues...Come on Broadway HD, get it together!

8:16 - Website down, and the FB stream of the opening number has now ended.  This was a whole lot smoother when we saw She Loves Me...

8:22 - The Live stream finally started - yay!  We've missed the first 22 minutes of the show - boo!

8:24 - There's now an inn - I wish I knew what happened in the first 22 minutes that made them leave showbiz for an inn..But hey, Blue Skies!

8:28 - Do you think if I showed up to an old house, a cute guy would sing and dance with me?

8:30 - This story is just a wee bit different than the old movie.

8:31 - How did the kid from High School Musical become a Broadway star?

8:32 - Hey, they sang this song on MASH! (We're having a heat wave, a tropical heat wave...)

8:33 - I feel like if we'd seen the first 22 minutes, it might make more sense why one dude is still performing and one owns an inn.

8:34 - This audience doesn't sound like they're enjoying the show at all - and they didn't even have to deal with the missed 22 minutes.

8:35 - This main guy could have been played by Blake on Madam Secretary.  They could be twins!

8:36 - Why is there a kid delivering bank notices? 

8:40 - Ok, the turkey outfits are super cute!

8:45 - Watching Broadway with a Golden Retriever staring at you is a little disconcerting.

8:45 - I wish we lived in a time when kids dropped by with homemade pies.

8:50 - The cleaning lady is very funny!  And apparently she went to my college - cool!

8:51 - And we've reached some more technical difficulties...ugh.

9:01 - It's Christmas for a moment (and it was just Thanksgiving before the technical issues!)

9:02 - Buffering....

9:07 - So in place of Holiday Inn which is still buffering, the Coro-Knee-tion of King George III the Fifth (Hamilton) will totally work in a pinch. 

9:08 - Now it's New Years, for about 7 seconds.  Then it's buffering again.

9:10 - #NetflixDoesn'tHaveTheseProblems (This is a solid bestie quote!)

9:14 - Intermission! And we only saw about 20 minutes.  Fabulous...

I feel as this Live Stream may be a bit boring - seeing as the show is still buffering.  So I'm calling it a wash and ending it at Intermission.  This time tomorrow, I may still be trying to watch this darn show...If so, I'll fill you in on the 20 more minutes I've actually seen.  Night!

Friday Five

1. Say what you want about Barack Obama and Joe Biden (though, don't say it to me, because I love them!), you can't argue with the fact that they are both class acts.  Their "bromance" over the last 8 years has been something wonderful to watch.  They both seem to have the utmost respect for each other - something that's quite lacking in politics lately. So yesterday's surprise award of the Presidential Medal of Honor to Joe Biden, while not completely surprising, was something beautiful to watch.  Just Vice President Biden's emotion alone, was enough to cause anyone to cry.  Such a beautiful moment!

                

2. When I was in NY last weekend, I wandered a bit through the NYPL to warm up.  While there, I happened upon this quote and fell in love with it!

"A good book is the precious lifeblood of a matter spirit embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life."

3. These 2 are amazing!  After Corden's amazing hosting of the Tony's last year, I feel this year he and NPH should team up and just host ALL of the award shows from now on!
            

4. I've been trying to focus on the positive this year.  There's definitely a lot to be negative about this year, so I thought by really trying to look at the good, I may feel just a bit happier in 2017.  So I've been Twittering (Tweeting? - I just don't know the intricacies of Twitter yet like our new president does...) #SmileaDay2017.  Each day it's something - something silly, or something fun, or just something that made me happy for a minute.  And so far it's working quite well!  (Feel free to follow along, if you so choose: @ScrappyTravels )

5. I have never been a big late night fan.  I like my sleep too much to stay up and watch. I do DVR it when I see someone good will be interviewed, but that's about it.  But with the election and the new administration being what it was and is, I have been keeping a closer eye on it than usual.  And since I've already declared my love for Corden - he never really takes on the issues, but he's fun and funny as hell! - I'll tell you who I'm most thankful for these days - Seth Myers.  He's also fun and funny as hell, but he's smart and he's doing some of the best interviews I've seen with celebrities as well as political figures.  His day after the election monologue on being angry with the outcome, but working towards change was beautiful and exactly what people needed to hear.  His fearless interview with Kelly Anne Conway this week, just cemented my love for him!  Go Seth!  My DVR has a few percent set aside for you for as long as you need it!

Discovering in the City

When I was in NYC last weekend, I wandered around the city.  It may not have been the best idea seeing as it was 23 degrees outside, but when I'm by myself, I take advantage of the opportunity to wander.  Because when I'm with other people, my wandering annoys them.  In my wandering, I made 2 fabulous discoveries.  Ok, maybe these discoveries weren't technically happened upon - I knew where they were, and they were both on the list, but they weren't in the plans for that particular day, so I'm calling them products of my wandering, so there.

First up was Penelope; a fabulous Brunch place on Lexington Ave.  I sort of assumed, based on the website that it would be a lovely and large place full of tables.  I also assumed that because there was snow on the ground and New Yorkers tend to sleep in, I'd be one of only a handful of people there.  Not the case at all.  When I arrived at 10:00 the line was about 10 people deep in the teeny tiny place of about 20 tables.

Luckily, being a party of one comes with advantages - snagging the one lonely seat in the corner at the bar, immediately upon walking in.  Slightly cramped, but fabulous nonetheless. From there I enjoyed a pot of NY Breakfast tea that was out of this world, and a Penny Egg Sandwich - scrambled eggs, bacon, mozzarella and pesto on a croissant.  So delicious! Everyone around me were ordering giant plates of crazy french toast and pancakes, but this sandwich was so much better!  I definitely planning on going back again with friends and family, but maybe when it's a bit warmer outside.  If it's more than just me, I assume we'll be waiting for a table for a long time.

After brunch, the goal was to go down to the Library to see a theatre exhibit I've been dying to see.  Of course, I missed the fact that it was Sunday, and the library opens at 1:00 on Sundays.  At this point, it was about 10:30 - great.  So that's when plans changed to The Strand aka Heaven on Earth.  The Strand in Union Square is a GIANT bookstore that houses "18 blocks" of books.  That's their claim to fame.  And they certainly live up to that slogan.

The place is enormous and stuffed to the gills with every book you can imagine - used and new.  On top of all the books, there are bookish prints, and bags, and toys.  They even have a craft supply section.  See what I mean? The place is a National Treasure.  It was by far the best hour I've spent in a very long time!

So the next time you're in NYC, I strongly recommend wandering and changing up your plans every now and then.  You never know what you might find!

Sick Day

So apparently traipsing around New York in terrible shoes in the cold was not such a great idea.  It was fun, but it may have had its side effects.  Off this evening to sleep away whatever this funk is that I've contracted...

Trivia Tuesday

~ When the guy that calls trivia - the guy you see once a week for at least a year - suddenly shaves his beard and mustache off, only 2/3 of the table will actually notice.  What's more is that 1/6 of the table will not even realize he had a beard and mustache in the first place.

~ When the game relies on being able to see the questions as well as hear them, maybe having auto-updates install every Tuesday on your computer is not such a great plan...

~ The Southern Ocean is in fact a thing - it's a thing that every person at the table but one disputed, but it's a thing nonetheless.  That guy deserved his bragging rights for the evening.

~ My fabulous high-school learned mnemonic for remembering the countries in Central America (My Grandmother Eats Hot Nacho Cheese Pizza) inexplicably leaves out Belize. In fact, I've been using this mnemonic for so long that I didn't realize Belize was even a country in Central America.  However, when the question is on what country borders Panama, knowing Cheese (Costa Rica) borders Pizza (Panama) is quite helpful!

~ The NYT crossword is 15 squares by 15 squares.  My lovely math for 18 x 18 was perfect for a change - it was just incorrect.  So here's my question then, if it's 15x15, how big are the squares then?  Because if it were 18x18, all squares would be 1/3 x 1/3.  See? Perfect math!

~ Katy Perry has more Twitter followers than anyone else - why?  How does she beat Ellen or even Kim Kardashian?  Also, the respect I lost for humanity on that particular statistic, I gained back when I learned that more people follow POTUS than Donald Trump.  Trump doesn't even crack the top ten.  Maybe there's hope for us yet!

~ We had a question which answer was George Clooney, and I didn't even realize it.  I feel like I should lose my fan card for that one!

~ Contrary to popular opinion (i.e. mine...) Versailles does have an "s" on the end.

~ An entire round that's sports themed is never going to end well - 0 points.  That's right, not a one. However, we did answer the Nascar question with an actual Nascar driver's name, so I'm taking the win.

Bravo Falsettos!

So yesterday I checked off a bucket item for myself.  I was able to attend the closing of a show I loved.  I'm not happy that it's closing, but I was happy to see it one more time. Falsettos is so heartbreaking and so beautiful at the same time.  It's one of those shows that gets in your head and your heart, and stays there for a very long time.

I won't go on much more about the show itself, because I'm fairly sure I went on and on about how perfect the cast and the music and the story are back in November when I saw it the first time. But it must be said - through its last show, it remained perfect in every way!

So what exactly happens at a closing?  Well, one of the reasons I wanted to go was the possibility of some star-sighting.  This cast is full of fabulous people that are well-respected in the theater, so I assumed there'd be a few big names in the audience.  The musical itself has also been well-reviewed and well-received and has always been close to the hearts of a lot of theater people, so there's that too.  And I'm fairly sure that there were definitely some famous theater types there - however, I wasn't sure who many of them were.  I did recognize Bill Finn (the writer of Falsettos), Jordan Roth (the producer of Falsettos and Something Rotten!), Sebastian Arcelus (Stephanie Block's husband and Jay on Madam Secretary) and Matthew Morrison (Mr. Schu on Glee).  But since I'm me, I let these gentleman enjoy the show without bothering them for an autograph.  (Nerd Alert: Bill Finn would have been the only one I would have asked - he wrote this amazing musical!) Then it was time for the show to start.

From the moment the curtain went up, you could tell this show was different for everyone. The cast has been very open about how much they adore each other and the material, so the thought of saying goodbye has been difficult for them.  And you noticed it a bit in the performances.  Not that it affected them negatively, you could just tell they were feeling the sadness of the story a little more than usual.  Anthony Rosenthal, who plays little Jason, cried through most of a song that's not too terribly sad.  Andrew Rannells cried through most of his big number as well, (already heartbreaking without the tears) which made it even harder for me to keep it together because when someone cries, I usually cry, and I was already crying because that's what I do...

What was really beautiful was the cast sort of taking care of Anthony Rosenthal.  He had missed his only performance the night before because he was sick.  But he very much wanted to perform in the last show.  You could tell in his singing that he still was feeling rough, but I think the whole audience and especially the cast was behind him, and he made it through.  At one point, when he did start crying, you could see Stephanie J. Block, notice and start to worry about him, but he still rocked the part. I held my breath each time he had a solo, because I so wanted him to succeed, but it looked like we needn't have worried. He's such a big talent in a little kid's body and he's so going to go far!

After 2 hours and 45 minutes of this amazing music and story, it was over.  At this point, I assumed some flowers for the cast, the creative team speaking, speeches, etc.  Nope, that's where I was wrong.  The cast took their bows and then brought their understudies up to take their bows.  They all cried.  And then that was it.  It was over.  Who knew, closings were so low-key?  But once again, you could just see how much they all cared for each other.  There were hugs and tears and smiles.  And a standing ovation of course - which had already happened earlier in the show for Stephanie J. Block.  See?  I told you the cast and show were perfect!

On my way out, I decided to not be me for a change and try the stage door thing since this was my last chance.  It turns out, it wasn't me that ruined my chances this time - it was the weather.  Also, I assumed the cast was all hanging out with each other for the last time.  It was a long shot, but at least I tried, right?

In the end, I'm so happy I had the chance to see it again live.  Like I said, I wasn't ready to see it go, but I get it.  However, I can completely understand why this cast didn't want to move on.  If I had the chance to perform this material every night, with these people, I'd never leave! Luckily for us, it's going to be shown on PBS soon. At least it's been recorded for posterity's sake.  But that's not the same as seeing it in person.  You feel so much more in a theater when you get to experience it with other people.    Whether you're sharing laughs or tears - both happen in this gorgeous piece of work - you feel a part of something more when you're surrounded by people that are having the same experience.  And that's what makes the theater so special.

Another Closing, Another Show

Seeing the closing performance of Falsettos - a show I'm so in love with that it's hard to explain - was definitely the Bucket List Icing on the Bucket List cake today.  I successfully completed a few things on my list, including something that wasn't on my list: walking - according to my phone - more than 7 miles around Manhattan in 25 degree weather.  I think I'll be cold until I'm 42.  Anyway, it was such a day that I'm still processing and what better way to do that than tucked in snugly in my bed.

Good night!

December Daily: Complete!

Until about an hour ago, this madness was my kitchen table.  You see, I decided that December Daily was going to be completed this evening.  And apparently, when I put my mind to it, things get done.  Because it's done, and it's adorable - in my opinion that is, in case you were asking.

I had every intention of completing it on the go like most scrappers do.  I have huge respect for those ladies - especially the ones that finish it, then photograph it, then blog about it.  It's a massive undertaking; one that I failed miserably at.  I managed to get to Day 10 before abandoning it in favor of actually buying, wrapping, and distributing gifts.  

However, I kept track of the photos I was taking, and the stories I wanted to tell, knowing that I would definitely get back to it eventually.  I just didn't think eventually would come so soon.  I mean, I hate to say this, but last year's still isn't complete.  So I kinda figured this year would be more of the same.  But it seems organization is the key.  I had everything Christmas all set and and ready to go.  So it was only the matter of printing the photos on my handy dandy Selphy, and writing the stories on my journal cards.  Add simplicity to the list as well.  My new motto is Simple is Better - apparently it's working well for me!  

So without further ado, here are just a few of my favorite pages. (Please ignore the weird shadows and carpet background.  I finished at night, and when you finish at night, you need to photograph at night, and there's NO good light at night - at least not in my house...)

One Very Long Week

After a very long week, in which I worked much longer than 8 hours everyday, there'll be no Friday Five.  Unfortunately, I didn't have any time to discover anything fabulous because I was much too busy trying not to lose my mind.

Though, I suppose the most fabulous thing though, would have to be getting everything that we needed to get done, done.  There was a far amount of scrambling, and a fair amount of whining.  There was some heavy lifting and some dull reading.  There was some greasy pizza and some outright cursing.  But in the end, everything made it out the door in the insane time limit that was given to us.  We won't know until next week how everything looks to the people with the checkbooks, but I do believe we rocked it hard.

Now, it's off to do what people that rocked it hard do - go off to sleep cozily in their beds at 9:00 on a Friday night...

Tea Totaller

In the book I told you all about yesterday, Susan Branch spent about a page and a half outlining her love of tea.  I most definitely could relate to her story.  I have always preferred tea over coffee.  I actually quite like the smell of coffee - if only it tasted as good as it smelled.  But it doesn't.  That's its major issue. 

Tea on the other hand is not as bitter as coffee.  It warms you up without giving you the caffeine rush. It settles your tummy if  you're not feeling well.  It even comes in all sorts of flavors if that's your thing. Though, as a strictly black tea lover, I don't understand you people that drink the weird passion fruit or cardamom or any of the other hundreds of flavors out there.  All you need in your cup of black tea is enough milk to turn it tan.  Nothing else. It's perfect!

This has always been my preferred method of drinking it as well - milk only, no sugar.  I first started drinking tea at my grandparent's house when I was little.  It was their preferred drink of choice, so it became mine too.  We would all have a tiny - teeny-tiny - cup of tea each afternoon as we sat on the front porch. At the time, based on the size of the cups, I'd say the ratio of milk to tea was about 3:1, but I loved it.  When I got a little older I was finally allowed to try coffee and I decided that it was terrible.  I don't understand how people get addicted to that stuff, when there's perfectly good tea in the world.

So that's when it all started.  This life-long love of tea.  I've tried all sorts of teas - loose leaf, tea bags, tea sachets.  And while it may not be the most sophisticated, I much prefer the tea bags to loose leaf. The problem with the loose leaf is that strainers don't always work, and there's nothing worse than having bits of tea floating in your cup.  Tea bags are quick, easy and delicious!  Though, in England, where most of the tea in restaurants are served in tea pots with looseleaf tea - I'm quite happy with it.  Somehow, the Brits have figured out the whole straining situation, and really should we argue with the foremost tea drinkers in the world?  It's best not to.  Just drink what they give you and enjoy!

Love for the Villages

Since I woke up this morning, I've been dreaming about coming home this evening and finishing up some craft projects I'm in the middle of.  However, after 10 hours - dark to dark - the only thing I could do when I got home was curl up on the sofa, where it was warm and cozy.  

Unfortunately, the craft projects were a bust, but it's ok because I did have about 30 pages in a fabulous book to finish so I dove right in.  Let me tell you, this book might just need to go in the top 10.  It's just so wonderful!

Susan Branch is a watercolorist and primarily a cookbook writer.  I actually have tons of her stickers for scrapbooking.  But I never realized she wrote other books as well.  Apparently, this is the 3rd in a series of her journals.  She and her husband live in Martha's Vineyard, but they travelled on the Queen Mary 2 to England for a 2 month adventure in the English Countryside.  I'm not I can express just how much I wish I could have gone on their trip!  What a chance!

What's really neat about the book, is that it's not just her observations about the places she visited.  Like I said, she's a watercolorist, so all throughout the book there are little paintings and doodles and drawings.  She's also included photos of the places they visited, quotes she loves, and recipes as well.  And, the whole thing is in her handwriting.  How fun!  It's not only a great tale of a trip of a lifetime, but it's also crafty and creative as well.  It's a total package for me which I think is why I loved it so much.

The other reason is that she just gets it.  She has the same sensibility about England that I have.  She loves the people for being who they are.  She loves the accents and the turns of phrase.  She loves the simple food and the very best tea.  She loves the beauty of the countryside as well as the fun of the big cities. And she loves the history and historical figures that have contributed so much to the world, that made their home there.  It's sometimes hard for me to explain just what it is about Great Britain that I love.  Reading this book, I realized it's everything I just said.  It's all of these things together that make it such a happy place for me.  And now, I'm just itching to return more so than I usually am - good thing there's a trip coming up soon!

The Return of Trivia Tuesday

Week 1 of 12: Second Place!  Woohoo!  It seems that a few days of Christmas break was good for our collective brains.

~ Because "they may have mentioned this on Madam Secretary" is an acceptable response for why you think an answer is correct.  Also, it will get you points.

~ When the Guinnes sales dude is in the bar and offers you some free Guiness glasses, be sure to check if they're engraved with some other couple's name first.  I'm quite curious now about how Bill and Char's romance is going...

~ Any question regarding the country of Turkey is made better (even if you don't know the answer at all) if it's accompanied by "Istanbul" by They Might Be Giants.

~ Florida has coastlines in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico.  I was a little off on my geography - I swore it was Texas which, I soon found out was ridiculous.  Thanks team...I didn't realize I don't think I'm quite that bad at Geography.

~ If the dude asking the questions, is also in charge of the question asking at a Turkish restaurant once a week, he may be biased when it comes to a question on Turkish food.  

~ My love of Billy Joel finally came in handy for more than just singing his songs badly.  He was married to Christie Brinkley and Uptown Girl was written about her.  Of course, when they finally played Uptown Girl, I also got to show off my talent of singing his songs badly.

~ Why is abbreviations such a long word?

~ If video killed the radio star, what killed the video star?  Ponder that!

~ To break our streak of answering EVERY periodic table question incorrectly, the plan is to buy a periodic table scarf and wear it each week.  I feel this is a winning scenario, don't you?