Sleeping In

It's Spring Break at work.   And even though I don't actually get the sacred college holiday off, I decided to use a vacation day today.

I slept in and went out to get breakfast.

And I felt guilty.

Why?  Because I took one of my rightfully earned vacation days.  heck, I didn't take a vacation day. I'm taking leave I earned by working overtime!

I felt guilty for not being at work.  And I'm not alone.  Before carefully busting my behind to leave work knowing that I don't have any pressing deadlines, I asked for a day off.  My Department Chair enthusiastically granted it.

For some reason, Americans have been taught to work until they fall over from exhaustion.  We're made to believe that taking the time off that we've been granted makes us less productive and somehow less than in our boss's eyes.  There are studies about it.  There are also theories.  But at this point it's so ingrained in our culture, it's hard to get around.

So now that we've established that I geel guilty for taking time off.  What am I doing?  Shopping?  Going to a museum?  Going out to lunch?

Nope.

Dishes.

Laundry

and taking out the trash.

Well, we all have to start somewhere.

Rent: Not Quite Live....

from PopCrush

(This may be edited when I watch it again)

Rent... I've been waiting for it for years.

I had my snacks all ready when I saw those little words at the bottom of the screen:  Previously Recorded.

What?

The internet told me what happened.  Brennin Hunt's foot was broken during last 10 minutes of Saturday's Dress Rehearsal.  The one they record as both a rehearsal and a back up recording.  Sadly, the back up now became the show.

The live audience saw views like this:

You wish you could see this version! @RENTonFOX #RentLive pic.twitter.com/HhEbHnN3HB

— Alison Young (@Foreverayoung) January 28, 2019

Before I get into anything else, I think the biggest regret is that the cast won't be able to give the performance they intended to give.  Some of the vocals weren't there, and I wonder if it wasn't because some of the performers were "saving it" for Sunday night.  We'll never know.

I know... forget regret and all... but I regret us not being able to see their finished product.   #RENTLive

— Meari (@DaneeneMeari) January 28, 2019

My #RENTLive thoughts: @Jordan_Fisher is amazing.  Cast him in everything please?

The audience is WAY too loud.  But I’m assuming they never thought they’d be broadcast.

Valentina was out of breath while singing.  Cardio, my dear...

And Roger’s broken ankle... suck!

— Meari (@DaneeneMeari) January 28, 2019

As per usual... I live tweeted the whole damn thing!

The vocals seemed to be rather shaky.  Especially Valentina's  Like seriously.. it was bad.

Roger and Mark are about the only ones hitting their notes!  #RENTLive pic.twitter.com/mAMhfiJsp3

— Meari (@DaneeneMeari) January 28, 2019

Jordan Fisher was spot on in all aspects.  He's a good actor and a fantastic singer.  Brennin Hunt was there vocally, but the acting wasn't.  The show starts with them, so it had to be good, and it was.

People noticed some lyric changes right off the top.  They specifically set it in 1991/1992, which is a nice thing for the younger audience that might not understand the AIDS Crisis of the 80's and 90's.  The show portrays the found families that many LGBTIQ folks of that era had (mainly because they were kicked out by their bio families for being themselves.  And I think younger people today forget that AIDS back then was a death sentence.  By naming the specific time, you remind people of the grim time in NYC this was.

But man, the opening number was electric... then Today For You came on.

I figured it out.  Most of Angel’s songs are sitting right on Valentina’s voice break.  I know the pain!  (She needed more vocal coaching to get around it)  #RENTLive

— Meari (@DaneeneMeari) January 28, 2019

Valentina's vocals were there during the soft parts, but her big number was.... odd.  I was especially wondering if she was saving her voice.  I think she could have done with some intense vocal coaching.  The performance was almost there!

So the show goes on... and then we get Maureen (Get it?  brown Cow Stunning?)

Bravo Vanessa Hudgens  #RENTLive pic.twitter.com/LCjNSim2In

— Meari (@DaneeneMeari) January 28, 2019

She definitely didn't phone it in for the rehearsal!!

I mean, Maureen and Joanne were amazing!

Take me or Leave me!   #RENTLive pic.twitter.com/G5Abbrqbhx

— Meari (@DaneeneMeari) January 28, 2019

As I watched, Twitter would explode if they changed lyrics, or did anything out of the norm for the show...

Controversial opinion:  I rather liked that staging of Seasons if Love! #RENTLive pic.twitter.com/3woXGViKEq

— Meari (@DaneeneMeari) January 28, 2019

But I loved staging, and the set.  When you have the advantage of cameras, you can use some inventive staging!

Did anyone notice Roger's costume change just before contact?  In the musical beds scene?  Where he is in a rob and takes Angel's place in the hospital bed?  Were they implying that he was hospitalized for a bit?

The second half picked up, then we got to Contact.  I'm SHOCKED they let it go on!  (Network TV and all...)

Then we got to the Cover You Reprise.. And Brandon Victor Dixon brought us to church.

Damn @BrandonVDixon!  Your Judas made me cry last year... now your Tom Collins is devastating me! #RENTLive pic.twitter.com/WgKlbwJGaA

— Meari (@DaneeneMeari) January 28, 2019

Which then led us to this moment:

And then @Jordan_Fisher is able to do this?????? COME ON Y'ALL. THE. TALENT. #RENT #RentLive pic.twitter.com/uhXEJIhkVE

— broadway.com (@broadwaycom) January 28, 2019

(hear that?  it was my hear breaking)

But honestly, this sums it up:

Ok y’all...@BrandonVDixon , @Jordan_Fisher and @VanessaHudgens are national treasure.  Cast them in all the musicals please!!!  #RENTLive

— Meari (@DaneeneMeari) January 28, 2019

The show was uneven.  It was a show that no one expected would be seen by everyone.  It's the show that we got.

And I enjoyed it!

Now NBC and Hair... get some darn understudies!!!!

Getting my sh*t in order!

How many people are making that resolution to get into shape?

Like everyone?

I've re-made that resolution myself.  I'm getting winded walking up the stairs.  It's really bad.

I've made these resolutions before, but sadly, I need to do it again.  And I'm publishing this to keep me honest.

1.) Working on my physical fitness.

• I'm starting Transform :20 on the 14th.  It's a 6 week program.  I need to challenge myself not to half-ass my workouts.
• Continue my weekly OrangeTheory class!
• Take the stairs at work!

2.) Get back into running.

• I need to pick a inspirational race.  I need a race to train FOR
• Start running two or three days a week starting in the spring.
• Don't skip my Saturday long runs.

3.) Working on my nutrition (and hopefully my weight)

• Get back into the 2B Mindset eating plan (with a bit of modification to deal with my acid reflux)
• Continue to work on smaller portions, and using smaller dishes to help that.
• Meal plan and eat more meals at home

4.) Working on my spending

• Now that Christmas is over, I need to stop buying stuff!!!  I'm setting a monthly "mad money" budget
• I'm actually deleting my credit card info from some websites, to make it harder!

I know that these are all resolutions, but I do have action steps and outcomes.

Today is January 4th

My Civic Duty

You know this case?

I know it very well.  Because I was on the jury.

It's all public knowledge now.  And it was truly an exhausting experience.

The facts of the case:

• the defendant got higher than a kite, broke into the home of a complete stranger and shot him.  he then faceplanted THROUGH a glass door, fell over a balcony then hid under a car like a 3 year old that is very bad at hide and seek and cried for Jesus.
• The defendant's DNA was all over the house.  His prints were on the gun found on the scene.  The ballistics report said the gun on the scene was the murder weapon.
• In the Commonwealth of Virginia Voluntary Intoxication is no excuse for murder.

I now double and triple check every door and window before I go to sleep at night.  I have nightmares about the video of the body on the floor with the dog jumping around it.  I don't know how I'll handle hearing gunfire.

The defendant's mother apologized to the family of the victim.  I knew if I started crying then, I wouldn't stop.  I came home numb.  Like I'd used all of my emotion for the day.

Folks, don't do drugs.  Especially at the home of someone that you met online and saw in person for the first time that day.  And for heaven's sake, if you are higher than a kite, don't pick up a gun!

It's been an interesting fall

Tuesday I was out walking the dog.  We were walking the neighborhood, I was listening to a podcast.

And I fell.  And fell hard!

I learned a few things as I lay on the ground:

1. Thank goodness I put the loop of Misty's leash through a belt.  If she was in my hand, i might have been hurt worse.
2. My poor knees.  My right kneecap is still hurting.
3. I don't know how the hell I fell, but I DO know that it was hard and fast
4. I bent my fingers back, and must have snapped my head back as I hit the ground.

I left work early that day because my beck was killing me.

The next morning I woke up and could hardly move!

I went to the chiropractor.  Yes.  I gave myself whiplash.

This is not the first time I've fallen so hard that I've injured myself.  A few years ago I fell in a parking lot and busted by face.

I hate to say it, but I've not been out for a long walk or a run since.  I'm a little scared to.  Thankfully after this weekend I don't have another race to train for.  I can focus on inside workouts that have a soft carpet for me to fall on.

#HamilTrip2018

Saturday, my Best friend and I took a road trip!

We drove from Newport News, Virginia to Durham, North Carolina.

Why?

Because we had tickets for HAMILTON!!!!

The BFF found us a great deal on a room at the 21C Museum Hotel.  Not only was the hotel (which contained an art gallery) really cool... it was 2 blocks away form the theater!

Yes, the hotel supplied a rubber duck.  If the bathtub could have been stopped to take a bath, it would have been perfect!

After a dinner of pizza at a local place, we went to see the show!

I picked up the tickets, and had to sign a paper acknowledging that the seats had limited view.

That's not TOO bad a view!!

I even managed to talk myself into some swag!

Now, what everyone is here for:  The Show!!

My Takeaways:

• This show is an amazing piece of stagecraft!  I love the way the choreography helps propel the narrative.  Most knows with dance breaks (I'm looking at you Anything Goes) the narrative takes a rest during the dance number.  Not Hamilton!  And the use of the turntable is amazing!!!  I also think having Burr narrate the show AND be the "villain" (in an unreliable narrator kind of way) is brilliant!
• As a theater nerd, I'd LOVE to get my hands on some of the costuming (especially the female dancer's outfits).  I want to see how they are put together!
• I SO want to learn the Yorktown Choreography!
• I've never seen the Broadway version, but just hearing variations between the actors is very cool!  
• The guy that plays Burr in the Philip Cast is Nik Walker, and he's hilarious!  
• I loved the Jefferson/Madison duo of Kyle Scatliffe and Fergie L. Philippe.  They played off of each other and it was a delight to watch! 
•  I spent most of the performance knowing that I'd seen the person playing Washington (Marcus Choi) before.  I have.. He was on Luke Cage!
• The Eliza/Hamilton duo of Shoba Narayan and Joseph Morales were simply amazing!  the dept of emotion these two brought was incredible.  
• I'd LOVE to see the show again.  I'm sure that I have more thoughts, but I was so wrapped up in everything I think my brain stopped working!

At least I finished!!

Yesterday I ran a race!

Well, run might be too strong a word.  I walked a race rather quickly.  And of course, this race was full of the super fact runners... so I got the police escort.

I finished, but I was dead last.

I had a few things against me:

• I have cold induced asthma, and it was just barely above freezing
• Since up until yesterday, the weather had been warm, I've had zero time to train in the cold
• And I was under trained.

So one third of this was my fault.

I had opportunity to be pulled from the course.  The medics knew of my distress, but instead of asking if I wanted to quit, they told me to breathe through my nose.  

I kept going.  I apologized to every road marshal and police officer that I ran across.  I was sorry that I was keeping them so long.  Everyone responded that they were happy to be here, and to help me on my way.

The course was long, and at times, very confusing.  I couldn't see the finish line until I was almost there.  When I was almost out of steam, a rather nice lady walked with me until I caught sight of the finish.

(I'm kinda upset that I didn't get played in with the Rocky Theme, like most last runners do!)

But I finished!  I ran across the finish line.  I got a medal and a hug from my vet (who also is a runner).

Then I skipped the free food and beer and shuffled to the car.

The next few hours were simply horrible!  I had to take breaks while walking, showering, going upstairs.  My arms were almost too tired to comb my hair.  My poor dog wanted to play, but I was so exhausted, that simply did not happen!

It was a long, exhausting day.  But in the end....