Happy Birthday to me and my blog

Two years ago tomorrow I started this blog. I started it after being prodded by my daughter, and also because I needed to do some self evaulating, some introspection on my life. Now, I don't put my innermost thoughts on here, because it is, after, viewable to the public. But I think it has helped me think about my life. And I like sharing the good things with the people I love.

I think people will understand me better if they know me better. Steven Covey said, "seek first to understand, then to be understood." I love that advice.

Today is my birthday. I used to love my birthdays, love celebrating, love the attention, yes, even love the presents. Now I don't care about presents (except for the new sod in the front yard, I would still like that!) and I don't care about celebrating. I still like the attention, don't we all, but I'm finding birthdays to be a little depressing. It seemed like I just started this blog, but it's been TWO years. Wow. Time going by so fast is what is depressing. I have so much to do and nevermind... I will try not to dwell on the depressing parts of life. I will try think happy thoughts.

Happy thoughts:
I have lost more weight and am now in my target zone. I am officially not "overweight" anymore (for my body frame at least.)
I have made lots of new friends this year.
I have traveled to Europe.
I have earned more money than I ever have before with my flute stuff.
I have finished a semester of college. With straight A's to boot.
I have become a grandmother. (Now the label that goes with that is *old age* but the fun that goes with it can't be beat!)
I have a social life, with aforementioned friends. (If I go out to lunch with a friend my kids are like- "aww, you have a fwiend")
I have a great relationship with my kids, even if they do tease me. I tease them more. ha.
I have a new car!!!
and a cool new phone!!!
and a very supportive husband...

So I guess having a birthday is a good time to count blessings, and not count time.

CRaZy

Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must lead.
- Charles Bukowski

Okay, so going crazy is a suddenly a good thing. I think I like that.

Songs and other thoughts

I was thinking the other day how much I like songs. I like lots of music from classical to the blues. But a song with words that touch me, well, I like that. I guess it's the communicating of a message, a connection with a certain emotion that gets me. Or maybe it's just that I'm a sappy sentimental gal.

My new favorite song is "Chasing Cars". My favorite line is "and just forget the world". Sometimes I just want to lie somewhere and forget everything. Lie on a beach and forget the world, lie under the stars and forget the world. Going to school and filling your brains and then emptying them on exams takes a lot out of you and you just want to do nothing when it's all done. I had forgotten how much exams did that to you.

Speaking of the beach, I'll be going there soon. The beach is calling me... the waves are beckoning me to come and listen and play and do nothing and hopefully not get a sunburn!

Man of La Mancha is over and what a fun gig it was! Next on my list is Twickenham Winds. We have several rehearsals this week, and then the concert on Memorial Day at Huntsville High. My life certainly hasn't been boring in 2007! There's always something going on.

My nephew, in a round a bout way, directed me to this funny, off beat, and sometimes irreverant cartoon. I guess my humor is twisted enough to appreciate it. Here's a couple of my faves:

I guess I'm in a weird humor today!

Some Favorite Quotes

I like words, words put together nicely that it. Words with a message that speak to me. So I like good books, good poetry, witty quotes and clever people.

Here are some funny quotes I found recently.

The real trouble with reality is that there's no background music.

If you think things can't get worse it's probably only because you lack sufficient imagination.

The problem with America is stupidity. I'm not saying there should be a capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?

Why do they call it PMS? Because Mad Cow Disease was already taken!

If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?

If We All Quit Voting Will They All Go Away?

Gene Police: You!! Out Of The Pool!

Warning: Reading between my lines results in blank verse.

More on witty quotes and witty people in another post...

To Dream the Impossible Dream...

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

This, and other songs, keep going through my mind, and often coming out as a whistle. That's what happens when you play the same music over and over again.

You see, I am in "La Mancha" mode. I'm playing in the "orchestra" for this musical which opens on Friday. (I say "orchestra" with quotes because it is very small: just one each of flute, clarinet, trumpet, horn, trombone, drums, piano.) And I'll be doing it 10 more times, so it will only get worse-- the music on the brain thing, not the orchestra! Hopefully we will get better each time!

It's a great musical, very clever with its play within a play plot. The theatre we are playing in is called the Renaissance Theatre. It's an old historical building that has been redone into an arts building. There are all sorts of nooks and crannies and interesting rooms. It's a small theatre, with an open stage on one end of a large room. The bathroom is right next to the stage. When I first showed up and someone was showing me around, she pointed out the bathroom, and said "it is right next to the stage, so no flushing during a performance!"

The orchestra is hidden right behind the stage. In most productions the orchestra is hidden, because it's all supposed to be in Don Quixote's/Cervantes mind anyway. It makes for hard communications between the cast and the conductor, but Dave is doing a great job. You really have to pay attention to be able to conduct a musical, so you don't miss any cues. We have a monitor, but the camera contrast is not very good, so it looks like there are white ghosts on the stage. The orchestra members are a hoot, so I'm sure this will be a fun experience for me. Not boring at all!!! I will probably be tired of the play by the end, but not the people I'm working with.

La la la la la

Every now and then I have to point my readers in the direction of someone else's blog. This is one of those instances. My granddaughter is SO cute in this musical video becca posted on her blog. Check it out.

New Toys

Let's hear it for new toys. First the big one.

I don't have a real picture of it, so here's a "fake" one, meaning it's not a photo of my new pilot.
It's a 2005 steel blue Honda Pilot. It's one sweet vehicle. And it's pretty. That's so important in a car! I have officially moved past the minivan stage of life!

Toy number 2:
A really cool new cell phone. Remember months ago when I was having cell phone envy?
Well I think I'm over it. I think I like this phone better. The coolest thing about it is it has wifi access. And a keyboard. And a mp3 player, and a camera. And does things like powerpoint, word and excel. And a voice recorder. Oh, yeah, it's phone too. But, sorry Kristen, it really doesn't julienne fries.