I’m not sure how many people know this, but my feet tend to give me problems. Nothing really serious, but at the end of most days, my feet are always sore and tired. It doesn’t matter if I’m wearing dress shoes, casual shoes, running shoes, walking shoes, work boots or even no shoes, the end result is the same. Except for two days this week.

I have been looking for a pair of square toed harness boots. My brother had a pair that he wore until they completely wore out. He always said they were the most comfortable things he ever wore. I found a pair on Friday evening. They were a bit pricey for me, but I said what the heck. I needed some new shoes, and these could also be worn on stage. Two things for the price of one. Stage and shoes/boots for the winter months. Not the same brand my brother had, but they were a good pair of boots.

Anyway, I wore them all day Saturday (and into the early morning hours) and put them on again on Sunday. After 24+ hours of wear (and remember these are ‘new’ boots), my feet on both evenings felt fine. Good support all day without any binding. I don’t think my feet would have felt any better if I had stayed in bed all day…. That was totally unexpected.

And the strange thing about all this… My brother (even though he has been gone from this earth since 2003) was right again. At least this time he can’t rub it in….

I took my two youngest daughters to lunch today, and then scampered back home to allow my youngest to get her stuff together to head back to school. On the way to Fort Wayne, we stopped in Hicksville to see a play Jamiahsh was in. About 10 minutes into the play, I mentioned to my daughter that I was guessing Jamiahsh’s character would be the murder victim. Not just because he was annoying the ‘director’, but because, these shows are predictable. At least to some extent. I will admit that I didn’t get the ‘real’ murderer. A very fun performance.

Then off to Fort Wayne with a stop at a Walmart to get pictures developed and some scrap booking supplies. That took some time this evening. A rather late dinner and I got my daughter back to school some time after 8:00pm. Then the hour drive back home.

When I got here, I decided to relax and watch the end of Sunday Night Football. By the time I started watching, the game was just about over and it was only halfway through the 3rd period. At least during the game I did find out that most of the teams for the league championship series have been decided. Only the Phillies and Rockies need to complete their series. And they had a snow out…. I think some cities should have domed stadiums (or more exactly retractable domes) if they start competing in October/November. Sometimes it is just too cold for baseball.

I also heard that the Bears won, so we should see another Whatever post… 😉

for the first time since 2004.  While posting about the final performance and wrap party, I was watching the Yanks sweep the Twins to move on to face the Angels on Friday.  The “unbiased” announcing seemed to be leaning a bit to the other side.  During the marathon top of the 9th inning, I went downstairs to watch my mother nervously trying to keep her emotions in check as two of the granddaughters were sleeping on the couch  (no school tomorrow… not because of C-bus Day but for Parent/Teacher Conferences).  There was a bit of a delay in the bottom half as a crazed fan ran on to the field in an apparent attempt to throw of the pitching prowess of Mariano Rivera to no avail.  The fan was apprehended and the Yanks win 4-1.

The end of the season for the Minnesota Twins spelled the end of the teams home in the Metrodome as the team will be moving to Target Field in 2010.

Well today was our finale for You Have the Right to Remain Dead.  You just had to be there to understand how much fun the entire experience was.  The show itself was brilliant but the cast was another memorable group to work with and I befriended a 4th grade boy who was one of our “plants” in the audience.  Was it Saturday night when John exclaimed that he heard “gunshots  fired… sounding like Pt-oo! Pt-oo!” Today,  I KNOW it was him who nearly gave away the KEY clue to the entire show when he stated that instead of Harnell saying “Carefully” as he exited the stage he actually said “Careful, Leigh.”  Yesterday, as I mentioned previously, an innocent member of the audience figured out the clue by herself which is understandable.

And yes, I played Harnell Chesterton, “Your narrator for our little bit of mayhem.  A host to a muhdah as it were.”  And I WAS the one who was murdered.  I must tell you that the first few times I practiced being carted out in a wheelchair with my head down, eyes closed, and trying so hard NOT to move was some of the hardest times I have ever had on stage because some of the accents from the other characters and the lines are so funny that it was nearly impossible to not crack up.  Then I am covered up and wheeled off the stage “with the rest of the props” (how degrading).  The funny thing is… I never knew what position I would be in after the others are finished poking and prodding me to make sure I was indeed “dead.”  This afternoon, I was so messed up that my head was dangling over the side so far that I could not possibly fit through the door frame.  I attempted to slowly but unobtrusively straighten enough to be pushed off stage.

At the end of the show after the murderess is revealed, I am pushed back on stage still covered with the afghan (“You were knitting a dog?” a line that got a groan most performances).  Last night, I tried to raise my arm and give a royal wave.  This did not work as, somehow, I became caught up and ended up bringing part of the door frame with me.  I always did manage to have “Fat Daddy’s” hat on top of my head on top of the afghan.

Justj and his youngest were in the audience this afternoon on their way to Ft. Wayne.  He knew from the outset that I would be the one murdered (or maybe he was hoping that I would be but “Don’t assume”).  He however thought that the killer would be Blanche, the long suffering director who has had enough of Harnell’s “padding his part” by giving the audience insight on how to solve a murder.  She very nearly gives the narrator the old hook treatment while he is giving his spiel from his box seat.  I felt like both Statler and Waldorf but was not able to offer my sarcastic remarks to the play within the play.  Instead, I read “Doris’s” book of Complete Shakespeare (usually the Scottish play beginning with the letter M that is considered bad luck to mention in a theatre).

Following the show this afternoon of course came the striking of the set.  Travis and Mary came over after their Little Shop production was over.  Then, the remaining cast and crew members enjoyed pizza and each others company.  I have a really difficult time breaking away from a show; this one has been so much fun that I think it will take a bit longer.

Hopefully, I will not have to wait too long for the next show.  In a few weeks, I do plan to return to the Huber to audition for It’s A Wonderful Life.

It has been a few weeks now with nary a post from me.  You’d think in all that time I would actually have something to say, but sad to say I don’t.  Not much at least.  This new job so far is keeping me a little poorer than subbing alone.  Finding half-days for subbing to go along with this job is not easy and I have gone a few days without.  Also, I just learned my commission is based monthly so the couple of weeks I was ahead did not make up for the weeks I was behind.  Base only again.  Sigh.  Soon…  This season has been none too friendly for this job either.  About 70% rain in the last couple of weeks.  In fact, I had to completely take off Friday and go to one of the dealers Saturday instead.  I wanted to go to the other one tomorrow since it’s Columbo day (or something like that… 😉 ) and therefore no chance of subbing, but it looks like the rain will likely make a return.  Looks like I’ll have to take half a day off of subbing Tuesday instead.  I already took a half-day sub job, and have jobs for Thursday and Friday as well, so aside from Wednesday I’m pretty set for this week.

Speaking (writing?) of subbing, no interesting subbing stories I’m afraid.  Mostly upper grades (4th+) and once with a student teacher whose observing professor came in to watch her teach.  I am now two days toward the five I need in order to get paid for the annual sub-training in Hometown district- both middle school days.  The last one was science.  I essentially led a small chemistry project for 8th grade.  I hope their teacher gave them more time the next day as no one finished.

Then there’s church, something I haven’t written about much lately.  I have been able to give four of my five cabin kids their DVDs I made.  Unfortunately the fifth hasn’t been to church in awhile due to multiple surgeries- yes, the one with the dwarfism condition (is there an official name?  I suppose if I had ever watched Little People, Big World I would know).  They are just trying to fix his body, but even with a lack of an emergency which would normally lead to invasive surgery, I’m sure it is still trying for him and his parents- and undoubtedly painful.  I pray he recovers well.

Well, sorry there isn’t much here.  Hopefully I’ll have at least one more post before all of you come out this way.  I’ll try to be less lazy about posting interesting news and links as well.  I think there were a couple, but I can’t recall at the moment.

I’m talking about the nuptials of Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly, of course!  If you’re not a fan of The Office, you can stop reading now.  But for everyone else, how about that special 1-hour episode the other night?  Hubby and I thought it to be amazing – I laughed, I cried, I laughed until I cried…  Thursday’s episode was heartwarming,  hilarious, and humongous with its 1-hour run time!

Now I will be the first to admit that some of the plot lines contained within this episode were so outrageous that they were almost silly.  But given this show’s talented cast and production staff, things that would normally be ridiculous on other shows instead made for some great tv in this case.  I won’t waste your  time with a recap; you can get that here from the quick-witted tvguide.com writers.  But I absolutely loved this episode, so after much deliberation, here are my top 3 moments from The Office episode “Niagara”:

3.  Pam’s 80-year-old “Nema” saying, “I had to sit there while it happened to me.” – Pam’s grandmother is referring to the previous night in her hotel room when she couldn’t figure out how to get the tv channel switched from the movie “Bruno”.  Having been exposed to the same trash, her line echoed my sentiments exactly!

2.  This exchange was the one that had me crying laughing:
Pam Beesly:      Hey hey! Where are you? Can you take Andy to the hospital?
Jim Halpert:     What?
Pam Beesly:     He tore his scrotum dancing.
Jim Halpert:     What?
Pam Beesly:     He is in my room icing his balls.
Jim Halpert:     What?
Oh, my – TOO funny, enough said!

And the best moment of the episode was…  (drum roll please)…
1.  The wedding dance!  The attendants and attendees of Pam and Jim’s wedding danced down the aisle, imitating a popular youtube video.  I struggled deciding which version to post on my blog, the real one or The Office’s version, and I  went with the original.  Not only is it entertaining to  watch this happen at a real wedding (can’t believe they allowed this in a church, but if you look, the officiant is standing on the altar, grooving along!), but I decided not to post the clip from The Office because I think much of its entertainment value comes from being a fan of the show.  If you are a fan of the show, then you’ve already seen the musical montage in this episode set to Chris Brown’s Forever (shows what I know – after his arrest, I just assumed that Brown was another trouble-plagued hip-hop star, but this song actually has me tapping my toes.  Am I a Chris Brown fan?).  Non-Office fans wouldn’t appreciate all of the significance of the events that take place during this scene of the show, so I figured, why show it?  I LOVED this part; it’s the part that made me cry, albeit with happy tears, of course.  Every moment between  Pam and Jim for the past 5 seasons has been leading up to this moment, and despite all of the anticipation by fans and viewers, it did not disappoint!  I won’t say much more – don’t want to spoil it for fans who haven’t yet watched, but let’s just say (assume Comic Book Guy’s voice from the Simpsons):  “Best. Episode. EVER.”  One I will be watching over and over, laughing and crying each time.

The original version of the Forever wedding dance (this couple also made a parody of their own wedding video with them doing the Forever dance in court during their (fake) divorce proceedings if you want to check it out):

Day two of three of the play saw both an afternoon matinee as well as an evening show.  I am glad that we had the extra performance so that some of my friends in the Little Shop cast could come and watch our show.  I saw two of them, but the third must have been in a hurry to get out.  Lucky Mare pretty well gave away the huge clue of the show during the audience participation part and she swore that she did not know but just used her deductive talents.  However, the cast glossed over the revelation until the proper time.

Following the matinee, we walked to the nearby home of one of our youngest cast members who graciously hosted a cast party between shows.  Ate some chili and other goodies.  As a tip of the hat to the show, I took some donuts.  Really fun time getting to know the cast further.  Great times and we played some Apples to Apples.

I think our best audience so far was tonight’s crowd and not just because I had quite a few family members and friends who are like family.  And I got a  gift bag! Erasable highlighters… very cool with two bottles of Coke Zero and a can of Lay’s Chips.  And a surprise guest that I did not see coming… Cathy DUKES!  THANKS ALL!  Extremely easy to perform for an audience who is really receptive and participates.  I REALLY like these shows.  A small faux pas, I was responsible for some minor set damage, but we won’t get into that.

Tomorrow, the wrap up but like I said in a previous post… “whenever one door closes, another is soon to open.”

Goodwill has not opened officially yet, but they have gotten us back to work and hired seven new people. At the moment, I am putting clothes onto racks while everyone else is filling up racks and sorting clothes. Working full-time is a different experience and after working just one week at full0time, I am not used to it. My legs have finally stopped hurting after work, but my feet still hurt after only a couple of hours walking around. I have gotten very lazy around the house right now, since standing on my feet after work is very difficult to stand in front of the sink for about 15 minutes. By the time I am finally used to the full-time, eight hours on my feet, I will be back to my cashier position with only a couple of days a week and even less hours a day. 🙁 I was supposed to be either working in the back as a full-time sorter or going through the housewares, but that for some reason didn’t work out. Then I was going to be a head cashier, but that didn’t pull through either. I am not sure why, since Sarah, the manager, said to everyone who had be hired back that we would get first pick because we had waited so long to be back to work. Obviously, that did not happen for me and I am still a cashier. I  am full-time at the moment, up until the store opens, and then my hours will be cut.

Because of all the bills Tony and I have building up, I will have to find something else to do as well. Tony’s hours are being cut at KFC because they are not staying open as late and we keep having bills added to our already long list of bills. Next month, we have to add the electric bill to out list and then probably shortly after that, we will start paying rent for the house. We are staying at his parents’ old house and thankfully, they weren’t making us pay anything because I was not getting a lot of hours at work. Then, when Sarah and Sue went to work at the new store, I started getting more hours at the outlet store, so we had to get the gas in our name and start paying that. Once again, things changed for the worse, Sarah and Sue had to stop working at the new store because things became a standstill, so they came back to work and my hours were once again cut. We are hoping that things will change, that we can find jobs, either a second job or one that is full-time that will help us through this tough time. We are willing to stretch our food, just to make sure our cat and frog will be comfortable and have enough food. Our animals are so important to us and we want them to be happy. 🙂

Since I am a Tiger fan, I do tend to like the Tiger announcers, but since they did not make the playoffs 🙁 , I am listening to other announcers. So far, I’ve heard the Yankee announcers during the season. The lady they have (sorry I don’t recall her name) seems to really know her baseball. The Red Sox and Angels announcers are gung ho for their team (as expected) but seemed to do their homework on the other team. I feel this is very important. It bugs me when the announcer can’t pronounce the other team’s players.

I hope to hear the NL announcers before this round of the playoffs ends. But that will depend on my schedule and when I can get to a computer or radio that gets local stations.

I’m thinking the AL will come down to the Angels and the Yankees. I’ve been against the Yankees since I knew about baseball, so I really can’t root for them. (Sorry J…) I do think they will go to the World Series, my likes and dislikes won’t change that at all. They have a better set of pitchers and they can out hit any team on any night.

I’m not sure about the National League teams, since I didn’t pay as much attention to them. I would like the Dodgers to get to the Series, but I’m not sure which team has the best chance. Prior bias on my part hopes the Cardinals don’t get in (they beat Detroit in 2006). While it looks good for the Dodgers, I just just don’t know. As far as the Phillies and Diamondbacks, to me that is a coin toss.

Fearless prediction

Yankees, Dodgers in the Series. Yankees win it 6 games. Arrgh!!! I hate saying that….

Tonight was opening night for You Have the Right to Remain Dead and what an opening  it was.   For a Friday night during football season with many homecoming games going on, I thought the crowd was a decent size and it is very difficult to fill every seat in the venue.  I still cannot say enough how gorgeous and amazing it is to be on the jewel of a stage.  Both times I have been in shows at the Huber I have been spoiled.

I thought that among the best moments were some of the sound effects.  There are many great effects that heighten the atmosphere of the show and tonight we had the heater going.  Not to worry, because I was for a bit.  Everyone I talked to in the audience thought the noise was part of the show… including a few friends who had a great time playing “whodunit.”  The entire audience seemed to get into the participation act but it could have started a bit sooner.  And we were promised that the noise from the heater would be addressed.

Following the show while shedding my costume and persona of Harnell Chesterton, I learned that one of my castmates is a Red Sox fan (I won’t hold that against him).  My Yankee coat was hanging on a hangar and Alex noticed it and we each offered our condolences to each other.  By the way, the Bombers are up 2-0 in the ALDS after beating the Twins 4-3 in 11 innings.

And I think I have made a new friend who has found out about my sterling personality.  the director warned me to watch myself or she would find something to throw at me during the show.  What is it that I do… honestly?

I think I have found a new favorite show that will be really hard to leave when Sunday’s matinee is over.  I think this will be number 3 replacing Rooster and right behind Donnie and “you-know-who.”

Lets see… 14 hours 52 minutes to go….and counting.