Five years later

When I set up this blog, I knew I didn't have much to say. Recently, I was describing my spring/summer travel, some performances I had attended, and just my life in general, and my friend said, "You should keep a blog." I still don't intend to publicize this blog to friends or family, so I guess it's more of an online diary. If I can figure it out, I'll post vacation photos from my phone. Since I attend a lot of music and theatre performances, I may post mini reviews. Or, another five years may go by before I write again.

"The Hollow"

First rule when producing a new musical: The leading man should be able to sing. It was painful to listen to Sam Ludwig straining to hit his notes at Signature Theatre's production of "The Hollow" on Sunday night. Perhaps it was because it was the end of a long tech/opening week, and he was tired. But, let's face it, he didn't have to work that hard - once again, despite a very small, acoustic orchestra, and the intimate space, Signature chose/had to amplify the singers. I don't know whether that says more about a poorly designed theatre space (if so, shame on you, Eric) or the ability of performers today.
It's too bad, because I think "The Hollow" has potential. There was some beautiful orchestral music, and some lovely tunes. The lyrics, hmmm, I think Matt Connor needs to find a lyricist. Awkword phrasing, as if the lyricist wasn't working with the composer - and how could that be true, when they were one and the same? And, since many of the performers seemed to be struggling vocally, perhaps Mr. Connor needs to learn a bit more about normal vocal ranges. However, all in all, I am thrilled that Signature Theatre supports new works for the musical theatre, and I would deem this one a work in progress with potential.

Exercise

I wonder if I were to log my exercise routine (or lack there of) whether that would motivate me. Since I know that no one reads this blog, I think my natural sloth will prevail. After all, I had a slot of time each morning this week, since my online training didn't begin until 11:00 AM. But, did I get on the treadmill. NOOOO. So the score this week - treadmill 0, couch 4.

Blogger is scarey. As soon as I published this post, links to sites where I could purchase a treadmill appeared in the browser. I think I'll start tracking the AI capabilities of this website, too.

My five:
Amazon.com
Chinese sauce in a jar
WebEx
Harlequin romance novels
sudoku

Why blog?

I dunno. Many people blog so their family and friends can keep up with them. But, I'm not telling anyone about this blog. Others blog because they feel they have something important to say/share. I wish I had that kind of ego. In some ways, I can't believe that I'm "opening the kimono" and sharing my thoughts. Yesterday, it seemed like a good way to start the new year - to write a little something every day. But, I could do that in a personal journal. So, perhaps I AM a bit of an exhibitionist. The web, twitter, blogs, camera phones, my space, facebook .... the culture of the 21st century is public, and maybe this almost 60 year old woman is trying to catch up. I do keep thinking about creating a facebook page.

My five:
my shearling coat
shopping when the stores aren't crowded
walking the dog and running into neighbors
Aunt Ruthie's cookies
cashmere

New Year/New Decade

Last night we had the monthly meeting of a breast cancer long-term survivor support group that I co-facilitate. Since confidentiality is one of our guidelines, I would never say anything about the actual proceedings. But, why do I volunteer for this group? It required training and passing a test. I was never a support group person. I went through my entire breast cancer diagnosis/treatment experience without participating in a group. I volunteered for this activity (sponsored by Breast Cancer Network of Strength) for the same reason that I do other volunteer work for that organization. I needed to feel that something good had come out of my breast cancer, and I hoped that I could help others by sharing my experience. Every hotline call that I have ever taken and every peer match phone call that I make seems to make a difference to someone. It also makes a huge difference to me. Just as I always learn something when I teach a software class, I also learn something from every phone call or meeting I attend.

In a blog that I read, the author posts 5 things to be greatful for each day. They aren't the big things (health, love, etc.) but the smaller blessings. My five for today:

. warm socks on a cold day
. watching my dog sleep in the sunny doorway of my office
. The promo video for the Volpone #Grammy nom http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tSuwsvImUw
. first cup of coffee in the morning (have you seen the McDonald's commercial?)
. fresh pears

Welcome

Welcome to the 21rst century and social computing. I really don't have anything to blog about, and set up this account to make it easier to add comments to the blogs that I follow. But, as I journey through life, I may decide to share thoughts about life, reviews of cultural events I attend, family, friendship, travel, work, my cancer story, or other "stuff". If you found me, you can let me know what you'd be interested in reading about.