"Bottles"

A friend in Tucson is a very gifted artist and does graphite pencil drawings which are truly amazing.  He decided to branch out into using color pencils and sent me pictures of 3 samples of his work.  I fell in love with this picture and really wanted it to use in my new house. He finally ended up giving it to me which was a big thing for him since he doesn’t part with his work. I have it on my cell phone plus an 8 x 10 print that was used extensively in choosing colors, styles, accessories, etc. for the whole apartment. The picture is currently at the framers and I can’t wait to get it home and hang it in a prominent place on the dining room wall where it will be visible throughout the dining room, living room and kitchen which is all in an open floor plan. 

Colors and Fabrics Overload

By brain is on overload with colors and fabrics for furniture. I decided to work with one locally owned furniture store that has 3 stores in the KC Metro area and use the services of their decorator.  She is probably in her early 30’s so I was leery about what she would want to go with.  I give her credit for quickly realizing that I was rather conservative so then she switched to slightly stretching my comfort zone on colors and fabrics. When I left Arizona I had planned on going with brighter non-brown colors since I had lived with browns and tans all the years with Larry. Those were his colors and I gave up early on but celebrated when I finally got him to wear a red shirt… All of the furniture I ordered is custom ordered (they don’t sell the floor models)  so there were hundreds of colors and fabrics to choose from for each one. I had to choose fabric for the sofa, recliner, accent chair and dining room chairs. It took me 5 minutes to choose the style of furniture and many, many hours to choose what color/fabric to have it made in.  I was at the store 4 days straight and finally ordered the pieces on the 5^th day. I started with a burgundy color scheme and then she and another designer nicely pointed out that I will be locked into that if I get tired of it in a year or so.  Then it was back to the drawing board to start over. I ruled out dark colors because I didn’t want to see all the orange Morris hairs when he got off the fabric.  There were some bright contemporary colors/fabrics that I really liked but I just couldn’t see living with them every day. I would think I had the perfect color but it completely changed when I brought it home.  My generation did not mix stripes and print so that was a big stretch for me. I ended up with these colors. The print in the picture is the recliner, the stripe is the occasional chair, the solid is the sofa and the light color is the dining room parson’s chairs. And yes, I have had second thoughts almost daily but kept telling myself that it will work.

Settling In....

Morris and I arrived here 3 weeks ago today and are getting settled in. About 1/2 the boxes are unpacked, furniture is ordered and today I'm going to buy a snow shovel. There is a storm coming in this weekend that could leave 6" of snow in it's wake. Yes, the streets and area in front of the garages is plowed.  However, I found that they can't get right up next to the garage door so you can have a high pile of now right by the door to back out over to get to the plowed area. I hope to get more boxes unpacked this weekend when the weather is bad and can't get out much. Yesterday I was with nieces from 11 am - 8 p.m.  I went to lunch  with Sheryl and then we came back to the apartment so she could see it and wait on Vivian to get here.  Vivian arrived around 2 p.m. and after visiting awhile, Sheryl left. Vivian and I went shopping for "house accessories", had dinner out and then she went home. I know it will be hard for some to believe but I didn't even check email until around 9 p.m. and NEVER set down at my computer all day! My thoughts last night was "Oh, so this is what it is like to be retired and not have a long list of appointments, things that must be done, etc". Pretty laid back day....

Vegetable Seeds

I was in Home Depot this week and walked through the Garden area.  A huge rack right along the aisle was filled with little packages of seeds for vegetable gardens. It brought back memories of my mother spending a lot of time each winter going through the Burpee seed catalog that came in the mail deciding on what to order for the garden that year.  Mom and Dad always had a very big garden each year. She always planted her leaf lettuce on February 14^th and potatoes on St Patrick’s day…. Good Memories.

Cultural Differences

Missouri/Kansas and Arizona/California may both be states in the United States but cultures are so different in many ways.  Having lived in the west and now back in the Midwest, I am really aware of the differences.  An example was last Sunday’s dinner at Bill and Vida’s (my brother and sister-in-law). First of all, I volunteered to take a salad and dessert to go along with the spaghetti and meatballs Vida was fixing for dinner.  My dessert was a Apple Raisin pie that I made fresh that morning, pictured below,  and store bought cranberry walnut cookies.  There was 8 of us there for the 1 o’clock dinner – Bill, Vida, 3 nieces, husbands for 2 of them and myself.  Yes, Sunday meals, if after noon, are “dinner” back here even if it is 1 o’clock….   The thing that really impressed culture difference on me was what happened after we were through eating…  The guys adjourned to the sun porch and the women settled in around the kitchen table. For over an hour, we discussed everything from the fit of jeans to decorating.  As we sat there chatting, it struck me that I have never seen this happen in the west… In the west, after dinner everyone (men and women) adjourn to the same room and the topics are usually very different.  No one was in a hurry to leave to get to someplace else as is usually the case in the west – especially California. Dishes were eventually done, leftovers were divided up and we all headed home leaving Bill and Vida to rest up for next Sunday.

And the weather is....

When I lived in Oregon, you knew the chances were pretty good that you would not see the sun that day and that went on for several months of the year. In Arizona, you knew the day would probably be sunny with completely blue skies.  Here in the Midwest, it can be sun, rain, snow, clouds – sometimes all in the same day.  And this is only winter….. Yes it is cold!  However, so far, I can deal with the cold easier than I could with a week of 100+ degree weather in the desert.  

Officially a Kansan

I now have both my Kansas car license plate and my Kansas driver’s license so I’m official. I was surprised that they only required me to have a current, valid license and pass the vision test.  It’s the first time I haven’t had to take a written test when moving to a new state. My eye doctor in Tucson warned me that I might have a problem with the eye test due to my cataracts.  Sure enought, I looked into the little machine and the numbers were blurry so I closed the bad eye and passed it 100%...... I only had to read off 8 numbers on a specific row.

Life’s Next Chapter

I said I wasn’t going to do the blog when I moved to the Midwest – but guess what?  It just seems right to continue it although I DO NOT plan on writing every day.  It won’t be a travel log like I have done in the past on trips. It will be a snapshot of life with Morris and me as we start the next chapter of our life. And besides, I may need it when I write a best-selling biography of our life together…….

Three weeks ago this time we were just settling in on the I-10 freeway heading east for what was going to be a very long drive. Morris was protesting at full volume and I’m thinking “How long can I stand this?”  I don’t mind road trips by myself because it is much easier when he isn’t in the car.  By myself, I can take as many stops as I want to, go in and eat a leisurely meal, etc.  With him, it is stop as little as possible since it takes a while for him to settle back down once we get on the road again. The good thing is that he does settle in very easily once we get into a hotel room and I can leave him in the room while I go have dinner. The only bad weather we ran into was in Oklahoma City where Morris saw his first big snow.  We got up the next morning and there was about 3” inches of snow on the ground, the car was completely covered in snow, it was really cold and a strong north wind was blowing. I waited about an hour before starting out so rush hour traffic could get out of the way and the roads were not as slick.  We had no problems on the road but it was a longer than usual drive to KC due to the roads not being totally clear and dry.  They were ploughed but the lanes were not quite as wide and were wet in places so I wasn’t taking any chances with ice. It was complete, total relief when we pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex on Thursday afternoon! The blow-up mattress felt really good that night....

Home!!!!

We got an early start this morning leaving Las Cruces at 6:30 a.m. With the time change, we got home at 9:30 so 4 hours as planned. Uneventful drive although we did run into some heavy rain about 50 miles east of Tucson but at least it wasn't as bad as what I hit in Kansas on Monday. 

Morris was really fussy today and maybe he was as anxious to get home as I was - or at least get out of the car. He quietened down after about 10 minutes this morning but there was frequent "communication" from him all the way home. No long naps like yesterday. We got home, I pulled into the garage, closed the garage door, took the litter box into the house, went back out and opened his crate for him to get out.  He looked at me for a minute and shot out of the car headed for the door into the house. After drinking some water and eating a bit of food he went to his favorite hiding spot which is the back corner of the master closet behind clothes.  It was an hour or so before he came out. He finally came out, checked everything, ate some more, used the litter box and is now back in his corner...

For me, I unpacked the suitcase and left everything else for tomorrow or the next day..... I'm beat!

Thanks to everyone here in Tucson for the "welcome home" gifts.  Looking forward to Friday at the bar so I can catch up on all the gossip....

After 74 straight blogs on this trip, the blog will go dark again after today.  I'll let you know when I restart it which will be when I have something to write about. Thanks for sharing the trip with us!

Day 2 on the way home...

Compared to yesterday, today was a boring day with no excitement which I was very thankful for. 

Morris shut up after only about 10 minutes today. However, he fussed at me a lot more today but it wasn't screaming.  I got lectured if I rattled a paper and woke him up or every time I stopped which was not very many times. And sometimes he would just wake up, we would have a "conversation" and he would go back to sleep. This picture represents mostly what I saw today while driving which was miles and miles of nothing. I had decided to take the road out of Amarillo that goes through Clovis and Roswell, NM on my way to the hotel in Las Cruces. Mainly I didn't want another day of just high speed freeway driving - I'll have more of that tomorrow.  Usually I do stick to freeways but Larry and I took this route 3 years ago on our first Midwest trip so I knew the roads were good and they were. The roads are state roads but all 4 lane. I went through many small towns so the speed limits today ranged from 25 MPH to 75 MPH.  That helped to break it up.

Morris doesn't like elevators any more than he does vehicles.  This morning after I got everything in the car, I went back upstairs to get him. He fussed all the way down in the halls and elevator. When we got to the lobby, he fussed just enough to get the attention of everyone who was in the lobby having breakfast. With his head held high, he shut up and enjoyed the attention and comments of "oh look, there is a cat", "he is so pretty', etc.

The hotel here in Las Cruces certainly isn't as nice as the one last night.  This one is older but it is clean.  There just aren't that many choices when traveling with a pet. Anyway, within 1 minute after walking in the door today Morris found this wall and has spent most of the time up there. He is currently stretched out on it sound asleep.  The wall is at least 6 ft tall. He got down a few times to check everything out and then went back up to his wall.

Another 4 hours of driving in the morning and we'll be home. Both of us will be glad to get the driving over with for this trip. If we wake up early in the morning, we'll go ahead and hit the road after a stop at McDonald's.  I got gas tonight when I went out to get something to eat so won't have to take time for that in the morning. Of course after we get home, there is the unpacking the car, unpacking the suitcases and boxes, get groceries, etc..  Oh well.....that part of going on trips.  8-)

Day 1 on the road home....

I overslept this morning since my furry alarm clock overslept.  He is usually up by 5:45 but this morning it was 6:10 before either one of us stirred.  Hence we didn't get on the road until about 45 minutes later than I planned since it took me longer to gather the final stuff up that I planned plus getting a late start. Oh well.....

His Majesty yelled at full volume for the first 1/2 hour and then there was a few silent minutes.  After an hour the was pretty quite except for some periodic  "meows" - some quiet and some at full volume but it was tolerable. He was really quiet this afternoon.

My excitement for the day was the storm I ran into about 40 miles before I got to Wichita. I could see the dark cloud in the distance and I admit it didn't look quite as dark as it does in this picture but it was pretty dark. The rain started  light and then was coming down moderately - still OK driving.  The car in front of me pulled out to the left to pass a big tanker truck.  I pulled out behind the car as did the car behind me.  I was about 1/2 way to passing him when it was like I drove into a waterfall.  I don't think I have ever driven in such heavy rain.  I knew there was a car in front of me, the median wall on the left, a car behind me and the truck beside me but I could NOT see it due to the amount of rain plus the water the truck was throwing up on my windshield. I tried slowing down but the water from the truck got worse .  Every few seconds I could see the yellow line on my left. I knew the road was straight since I looked ahead when I pulled out. All I could do was speed up a bit, keeping an eye on any yellow line I could see and get to the front of the truck where the tires wouldn't throw so much water up. I was basically driving blind. And...I could also feel my car hydroplane a couple of times. Once I got around him, it was just really heavy rain for a few miles and then started to lighten up.  Yep...I was scared and my blood pressure was probably up a few points! Thank goodness that was one of those times when Morris was not making a sound. Otherwise, the drive today was uneventful. I only stopped a couple of times for gas and pit stop so we made really good time.

I wasn't sure what to expect of a Best Western hotel in Shamrock, TX but it is actually very nice. It has 3 floors with interior corridors.. With a cat, it is easier to be on the ground floor where I can park right in front of the room and carry stuff in - having to use an elevator makes it a little more complicated.  I get everything in the room and then go back to the car for Morris.  As I was carrying him through the lobby a guy who was checking in said "that is one big cat". His Majesty does not like elevators but was fine when we got inside the room.  He has checked every square inch out and is now up on the window sill looking down at whatever is out there.

One day down and 1 1/2 more to go.... 8-)

Last day here for this trip

The apt is about 95% packed - only things Morris or I need in the morning are left.  Most of the bags, suitcases, etc are already in the car.   His Majesty is not a happy camper.....  I keep telling him that if I could, I would just wiggle my nose and we would be home but it doesn't work that way...

My sister-in-law cooked all my favorite foods today for dinner plus some.  Here is my plate and I simply couldn't get some of everything on it but I tried.  There was pinto beans and ham, cornbread (mine is under the beans), fried new potatoes, cucumbers and onions, wilted lettuce, baked ham, pickled beets, new sweet corn, macaroni and cheese, new tomatoes, watermelon, cantaloupe, banana pudding and lemon cake.  I think I remembered it all.....  I took pictures of everything but they will have to wait for the book since I don't have time tonight to edit them all and put them in a collage. It was a wonderful meal and we all enjoyed it. Thanks B & V for having us all over and fixing my favorite foods.

Packing

 

"Don't lie to me....I know what stuff going in suitcases means!"

Serious packing started today and His Majesty is royally unhappy!  Instead of sleeping several hours at a time so I can pack peacefully, he sleeps with one eye open and then follows me from room to room watching me with "the look". Not a sound - just "the look".  He is immediately up in my lap whenever I sit down for a break. He has thoroughly checked out every bag I have staged in the entry to be taken to the car.  At home, I could discretely move stuff out into the garage and then go out there, shut the door and pack.  I can't do that here so it may get really interesting tomorrow when I start loading stuff into the car.

P.S. I didn't list family on yesterday's list since to me that is just understood.... 8-)

10 Things I will miss from here.....

..... the abundance of greenery in the trees and flowers, all the different kinds of flowers that bloom and the almost constant gentle breeze that blows.

.....watching the birds outside the window and hearing them all the time.

.....my sister-in-law's home cooking.

.....looking up at the sky and seeing lots of white,  fluffy clouds almost every day.

.....the walking trail that is so close by with something to always look while walking plus walking under a full canopy of trees.

.....the soft water that makes  your hair soft, doesn't leave water spots on windows or the car and makes it a breeze to keep the stainless steel sink in the kitchen clean.

.....the best BBQ food in the world.

.....the great mattress on the bed that is not to hard and not to soft - just right.

.....the water that flows all the time in creeks, streams and rivers.

.....the lack of graffiti and litter on the streets.

Bored....

It's too soon to pack up the apt. Don't have anything left on my "go see list" for this trip. Can't afford to go shopping after the last Vera Bradley Store. Just finished my book and need at least a few hours before starting another one. Just plain bored! Guess I could set here and watch the birds outside, especially since I just saw a beautiful cardinal land on a limb by the window.  I have a list of stuff to do to get ready for the trip home and most of it is on the list for Saturday and Sunday. Oh well, I could just sit and watch old reruns of Dr. Welby....

Other Tidbits:

I did go back over to the genealogy library yesterday and after pouring through many books, only found one thing of real interest. It was in a book of cemeteries in the Missouri country where my maternal grandmother is from.  I ran across the "Molder Cemetery" which was her maiden name. There are inscriptions for the 16 tombstones there and almost all of them are her ancestors going back several generations. I have been to the cemetery and you can barely read the inscriptions but the book was done back in the 40s when the inscriptions were easier to read. Interesting!

We had a very short but heavy storm come through yesterday afternoon. There were 3 really, really loud claps of thunder and then it just poured for a few minutes. Rain stopped and the sun came back out. I missed Morris after the mini-storm was over and finally found him under a bed.  He HATES thunder.

It has been pretty hot here the last couple of days.  I listen to them say   95 degrees for a high and think that isn't so hot when you are from the desert so why are they making a big deal out of it.  But they really put an emphasis on the Heat Index temperature - not just the official temperature. We aren't used to the Heat Index in the desert and I finally realized it is because in the desert there isn't much humidity so the heat index is usually the same as the temperature. Here, with the humidity, the heat index can be 5-10 degrees more. So that 95, feels like 105... But....there is still a light breeze and that really helps.

Odds and Ends for a Wednesday

Jess & Jim's Steakhouse: This popular steakhouse has been a landmark in Martin City (south of KC) since 1938. The restaurant was started by 2 brothers and the 4th generation is now being groomed to manage the business by working there. Jess & Jim's has been ranked numerous times by national publications as one of the best steakhouses in the United States. In 1972 an article about the restaurant appeared in Playboy Magazine. The original restaurant was leveled in 1957 by a tornado although the owner's parakeet survived unharmed. The decor is the restaurant hasn't changed much in decades and is what you would find in a classic rustic Texas steakhouse.

 

For some reason, and I don't know why, I don't remember ever eating there when I lived in this area back in the late 60's and early 70's.  I have been there 3 times on this trip - twice for lunch and once for dinner. The lunch draw for me is there homemade French Fries. However, last Saturday night I went for dinner so I could try out the steaks that they are so famous for. Above is my KC Strip steak, baked potato and the pickled beets they serve as an appetizer. I like my steaks med-well to well done and always know it may not be as tender due to how I like it cooked. However, this steak was perfect and yet juicy and tender.  The thing that really amazed me about the steak was that it has been seared over a very hot fire and there was almost a crust on it yet the inside was perfectly done and tender.

 

 

Morris: A Victim of Discrimination

Last week I spent some time doing serious research on apartments that had made it to the top of my list. I chose 3 out of about 20 that I originally considered and looked at about half of them. My first choice is where I'm staying now.  My 2nd choice is now off the list due to their discrimination against sweet, shy, little Morris.  I downloaded their application and was reading through it before I went to talk to them. In the application, they say small dogs and cats are O.K. but only "declawed cats". I was told to send them an email asking for a variance which I did and they said "sorry - only declawed cats" even thought I offered to submit a letter of "good behavior" from the place I am currently in and from the apt in Little rock. No luck... Apparently little dogs pooping and peeing on the carpet are o.k. Wonder if the Supreme Count would hear a case of discrimination against a cat......

 

Twinkies:  I didn't get the Twinkies yesterday but did get some of their little chocolate Donetts which I love!  Larry LOVED their Ho Ho's and said Miss Debbie's just were not the same.

 

Car Wash:  Yesterday I went to the car wash which is quite a different experience here.  They don't have all the people to dry the car, etc.  I didn't get it until I realized they aren't needed to dry the car since the water doesn't cause water spots.  The dryer at the end of the wash is adequate. I was also really surprised at how little dust there was on the inside of the car. Quite a change from the desert.

 

 

Ward Parkway Boulevard

I have driven down to the Plaza or downtown many times in the 8 weeks I have been here.  Most of those trips were done by driving on Ward Parkway Blvd. I remember it from when I was here before but  didn't appreciate it until this trip.  Maybe it's just that it is such a contrast to what I'm used to driving on in Tucson. The boulevard is a 12-mile road that starts in the Plaza and runs south near the Kansas-Missouri State Line. The road has a wide, and I do mean wide, landscaped median that is decorated with fountains, statues, flowers, trees and grass. The area near the Plaza is full of "mansions" that date back to the turn of the century. Parkway maintenance and enhancements are funded in part by a portion of  revenue from a improvement sales tax that was renewed in 2007 for 10 years. J. C. Nichols, Country Club Plaza developer, created the Parkway as part of the overall plans for the Country Club District. He traveled to Italy and England to buy large decorative urns, statues and monuments to place at periodic points on the boulevard's wide median in addition to the many fountains that were built in the median.  There was very little traffic on the blvd yesterday morning when I drove down to the Memorial Gardens so was able to get some pictures along the way. In 2012 the American Planning Association named Ward Parkway one of the 10 Great Streets for 2012. It was singled out for it picturesque scenery, ornamentation and homes that line the boulevard. Fifth Avenue in New York City is also on the list.

Seahorse Fountain is one of KC's oldest fountains and is located in the Meyer Circle on the boulevard. Mr. Nichols found the center sculpture of the fountain in Venice, Italy where it had stood for over 300 years. The statue was incorporated into the fountain and it was completed in 1925.

 

Landscaping in the front yard of a home along the boulevard.

 

 

This bronze sculpture, titled The Eagle,  sits in the median. It dates back to the 18th Century and for years stood in the courtyard of a Japanese temple before being brought to this country. The Japanese Embassy displayed the eagle in its exhibit at the St. Louis Exposition in 1904.  J. C. Nichols Company purchased it from a New York art dealer in 1935 and donated it to the city. The Eagle itself is 11 ft 6 inches high and sits on a 6 foot tall base so it is quite tall.  The wing span of the eagle is 14 feet. This picture does not do it justice but the sun just wasn't in the right position to get a really good picture of it.

 

 

The Mirror Pool Fountain was built in 1924 and sits in the median. The fountain was renovated in 1965 and contains 3 spray rings.

 

 

This is one of the houses along the boulevard, not far from the Plaza.  I don't know the history on the house but would love to know more about it. I always enjoy seeing it when I drive by. It is truly magnificent!

 

 

Ewing and Muriel Kauffman Memorial Garden

Yesterday's newspaper featured a full page about the director of the Kauffman Memorial Garden in which he talked about the gardens, color schemes, what they have been planting lately, what's currently in bloom, etc. So....this morning I drove down to the Plaza area to check it out.  What a gem it is. The 2-acre garden is part of the Kauffman Legacy Park and was opened in 2000. The garden is free to the public and is open every day between dawn and dusk. There are about 7,000 plants and varieties planted in the garden includeing vintage and modern perennials, annuals, scrubs, bulbs and trees. The beds are changed out 4 times a year and they have just done the 2nd change for this year.  In November, underneath the winter planting, will go 6,000 tulip bulbs for the spring season. Mr. & Mrs. Kauffman are buried in a secluded corner of the garden.

Behind the Green Garden is the Conservatory building.

Inside the conservatory, which is air conditioned for comfort, are six large pindo palm trees.  These palm trees have orchard plant in discrete moss containers secured to the trunks of the palm trees. You don't notice the moss, what you see are the beautiful orchids.

 

One of the orchids on a palm tree.  This is probably the largest orchid bloom I have ever seen.  It was about 4-5" in diameter.  Stunning!

 

 

The Parterre "Canal" Garden contains a long pool where bronze figures dance in the water. The pool is lined on each side with beds of annuals and tropical that are changed each season.

 

 

I have no idea what kind of plant this is but it sure is pretty.  It is about 2 feet high and the blooms are in clusters like this.

 

 

Dahlia blooms.

 

 

And then there is the Hidden Garden located behind the conservatory. You don't realize this is a fountain until a periodic burst of water comes up out of the ground. There are 3-4 of these in the Hidden Garden. I stood there a long time trying to get the burst of water. 8-)

 

 

 

 

Starlight Theater

Last night my niece and I attended a show at the Starlight Theater here in KC. As I said yesterday, it has been 41 years since I last saw a show there. Going to Starlight was high on my list of things to do while back here and now I can check another item off my list... It was warm and humid.  There were a few raindrops while we were parking but they stopped after a couple of minutes. The clouds remained so at least we were not setting in the sun for awhile before the sun went down behind the trees.

We started the evening by having dinner at the theater. A catered buffet is set up in one of the rehearsal halls.  You have to make reservations ahead of time. The food is pretty good.  Having dinner there just seemed easier than stopping at a restaurant and then having to watch the time. They open at 6 P.M. and we got right in which left us enough time to take a free facility tour before the show. The tour was kind of interesting although we just walked through the dressing rooms and across the stage with no stopping so you had to look quick. They explained what we would see ahead of time.

Starlight Theater opened June 25, 1951.  At that time it cost $1 million to build and today's cost would be around $65 million. The theater is a non-profit corporation and seems to be very well run - it's history is evidence of that. Besides Broadway productions, the theater is also used for concerts and other events. Back in 1971-72 when I went to several performances at Starlight, there was no roof over the stage and the orchestra pit was in front of the stage. In the early 1980's the stage was permanently extended out over the orchestra pit which brought the stage closer to the audience. In 2000, the stage was reworked again into a 10-story, climate controlled stage. Personally, I think these changes to the stage has caused it to loose some of it's charm and character. Now, it is just like a stage inside a building. There were once 38 self-producing outdoor theaters in the US and today only 3 remain with Starlight being one of those. Starlight Theater has been listed as one of "Six Outdoor Music Venues to Visit in Your Lifetime" by a theater magazine. The magazine lists it after the Hollywood Bowl in LA and the Red Rocks Amphitheater outside Denver.

 

Earlier this week, the show was reviewed in the Kansas City Star newspaper and the reviewer said it was far too long a show. He did not give it a good review and my niece and I totally agreed!  The show is a stage adaptation of the 1983 film Flashdance.  The show premiered in 2008, had an extensive tour of Great Britain and is expected to go to Broadway later this year. They added 15 new songs to the stage show that were not in the movie. The show itself might be O.K. but the production we saw was not. The female lead had a very high-pitched, screechy voice when she sang. Only one person had a good singing voice in our opinion.  They totally butchered some of the original songs by shortening them. The choreography was pretty good. It was done by a guy who has done some choreography for the TV show "So You Think You Can Dance". The sets were the best part of the show. The show started at 8 o'clock and with intermission, we got out at 11:30!  We talked about leaving early but decided to stay for the last number which is the big finale in the movie but they totally butchered her audition for the dance academy - both the dancing and the song.  We wished we had left early...  Oh well... that's the way it goes sometimes. I would still go again, but would prefer a concert.

Not much happening today....

Sunny, warm but mostly overcast.  Since I'm going to Starlight Theater tonight and it is outside, I hope the overcast sky continues.  However, I think it is still going to be warm....  The last time I was at Starlight Theater was in 1972 when I saw Jim Nabors in concert. It was rained out after about 15 minutes but he stayed over an extra day and did the concert again for the ticket holders of the rained out show.

I was driving through an outdoor mall this morning on my way to Barnes and Noble when I saw this sidewalk sale and all these people around the tables. I glanced up at the store name, saw it was Vera Bradley, made an immediate turn into a parking place and joined them. We have to really search to find Vera Bradley Products in Tucson and they seem to be everywhere here. I even saw some in Barnes and Noble. The sale was for discontinued patterns with discounts up to 75% off. Everything from pencils to luggage. There is no way I could resist those prices plus get a free lunch tote thrown in. 8-)  I could not believe how much some people bought. I saw one lady leaving with 3 HUGE shopping bags full and it wasn't me. 8-)  I commented on how long the line was to the cash register person and she said after looking up at the line "Oh this is nothing, yesterday the line took about 2 hours to get checked out." By the time I got close to the cash register, I wished I had gotten one item in a different color but there was no way I was going to go back out, change it and get in line again.