It's now official...

...i've changed my mind.

Have you ever been SO sure of something? Your mind was absolutely, without a doubt made up?

yeah, me too

Things were discussed...changes will be made...
but the biggest mind-changer was talking to 5 teenaged girls and realizing the impact I made in their lives. and realizing just how much they impact mine.

Why do i do this?
one-because I love it
two-because, honestly, I'm good at it
three-because I get the chance to hang out with some of the coolest and funniest girls on the planet.

and that's why I changed my mind....even though I swore to many people this was it. (wonder how many bets were placed against me? )

So, give me a hard time if you will, but the reasons are important and I have not taken this decision lightly.

people are more important than projects.



(Please remind me of this blog when I bitch about things next fall, k?

and if you don't know what I am talking about here, consider yourself lucky)

WHY!!!

Why mess with a good thing?

Being the 80s child that I am, I absolutely adore Micheal Jackson's Thriller album. I have (still!) the cassette and I played the heck out of it back in the day. It turns 25 this year (dating myself here, I know)
They are releasing a 25th anniversary edition, but they have "remixed" 5 of the songs. If you get the chance, go to youtube and listen to some of them.
UGH! AWFUL!
The songs are charming and timeless enough and are way better than some of the crap that passes as music these days. Why mess with it??

Once you've listened to the crappy new versions, find the originals and listen to them. So.much.better.

Thriller, by the way, is in my top albums of all time list.

Just want you all to know-

that I am the poo.

At least that's what I was told. At parent teacher conference one of the parents said her kid thought I "was the poo"(her words)
That means I'm awesome! (mark, however, says it's because I smell... )


OH. I had a kid the other day ask me "Why do you read all the time? you're an adult"

...
Wha-?
I said because it was fun. I love reading.

another kid asked "but, is your tv broken?"

...
Wha-?!? I certainly hope THAT kid was joking.

We live in a scary world........

I gotta get me one o' thems!

file this under what tha....?
and in case you REALLY want to get one- here is their website
Hawaii chair

This can't be comfortable.

O.M.G-N.K.O.T.B!

People magazine is reporting that the New Kids on the Block, the 80s pop boy-band, is planning on making a comeback!



http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20174022,00.html

A piece of info about me- in the late 80s/early 90s I was OBSESSED with the New Kids. My bedroom was completely covered in posters. and I mean every free piece of wall was taken. I bought every magazine with them on the cover in order to get the poster. I had videos, all the casettes, anything else that I could find with them on it.

Joe was my "favorite" New Kid. I had a t-shirt, buttons, and a Barbie-sized doll of him.
I think it was the eyes that did it.


I saw them in concert TWICE (Tiffany was with them. In related news, I also saw Debbie Gibson, Slaughter, Danger Danger, and KISS-sans makeup- in concert. Not at the same time, of course.)

And I am such a pack rat and won't throw anything out....that I still have ALL of it. Everything is in a box in the attic. I pulled the shirt and buttons out a couple of years ago when we had an 80s party.

The last couple of albums they put out weren't really all that good (not that the first ones were, but Hanging Tough was pretty darn catchy, and Please Don't go Girl made my 16 year old heart swoon), and by 1992 I was heading off to college and being introduced to Depeche Mode, Nirvana, They Might be Giants, and other groups that weren't played on local radio stations, so I fell out of love with the New Kids.

I am not sure this reuniting is a good idea, but it is fun to meander down memory lane.

Here Joni & I at dress up for 80s night. Note the pinch-rolled jeans, pastel make-up and big hair...


Here Mark, as a Miami Vice wanna-be, and Glen shred some air-guitar

tagged-my turn again

you know the rules.....if you're tagged, you post 10 weird/random things about yourself. Then you tag others.....however I am just gonna leave it open ended and say whoever reads this needs to do it :)

1. I'd rather hang out with people younger than me than with people my age...they aren't afraid to laugh and act goofy.

2. I used to HATE pepsi...but I would rather drink diet pepsi than any other soft drink now.

3. I hate little green peas.

4. I watched all three extended editions of the Lord of the Rings movies in one day (they are about 4hours long a piece)

5. I email authors (or get in touch other ways) to let them know when I love their books....usually they write back and that makes me GIDDY!

6. Although I consider myself a tolerant person in most repsects, I have little tolerance or patience for stupidity

7. I dont like talking to the telephone.

8. I want more piercings in my ears.

9. I dont understand people's obsession with Grey's Anatomy, Sex in the City, Dancing with the Stars, etc.....

10. I love the theatre (not cinema) so much and I want to be part of that world.

now...I'm tagging everyone who reads this (heh, I cheated, I know)

Happiness is....

So I have been putting off writing this blog....I really cant describe the reasons. I think it has to do with the finality of it.

Of course, I am talking about the closing of Rent. (what else?)
It is really hard to explain to someone why the show has meant so much to me. Why it made the impact that it did....I suppose the main themes of acceptance, love, & sense of community speak volumes, as do the lyrics of the songs "Will I?" and "Seasons of Love".
After two of my friends died almost a year apart, Seasons of Love took on a whole new meaning to me. (How do you measure a year?) Life is too short to waste opportunities. (That is a whole 'nother blog.)

But that's not why I am posting THIS blog.....well, not exactly. If you remember when I went to NY this past November, I had tickets to see Rent but didn't get to because of the strike. It meant a lot for me to see it where it all began, even though I have seen the touring version several times.

What you may not know is that in addition to my full time teaching job, I have several little side jobs and stash what I make at those into a travel fund. The main purpose of that is to visit Europe one day. But the closing of Rent, and my last chance to see my favorite show at The Nederlander, is important.

So, I'm going to New York again with the main purpose of seeing Rent on Broadway before it closes. And the coolest part is that I get to share this experience with two of my favorite people, neither of whom have been to NY before, and both of whom love Rent as much as I do.

Crazy? Perhaps. But worth it....even if I do have to keep saving for Europe.

Totally Awesome

I think Joy Nash, herself, says it best, "No matter how you feel about yourself, there's bound to be SOMEONE who would trade places with you in a heartbeat. Maybe they're jealous of your hair, your smile, the easy way you talk to strangers- whatever. Like they say, the grass is always greener..."

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

This CANNOT be happening!
My precious, beloved show is closing (read it here)

I had tickets and everything and could have seen it in NY except for the damn strike. I hope they will at least keep the tour going.

But I wannna seeeeee it in NY! *weeps*

Dying right here is strictly prohibited!

List of the Day Engrish (<---click there) I stumbled across the list of the day blog a week or so ago. Some of the posts are great. Today's is awesome.
I have been laughing so hard I am crying. There is something lost in translation with some of these signs and the results are hilarious! (please, no offense intended here.)
My favorite: