Luck Be A Lady

Oh brother........I have not been paying attention to my poor little blog and I bet she feels lonely! I'm back.......although I can't guarantee I'll be back daily just yet. Christmas season in retail is definitely distracting! It's not been too crazy at the store but I get home pretty late so I feel wiped out. Then I can't seem to sleep before 2 or 3 in the morning so I'm dog tired by the time the alarm goes off in the morning. A pretty vicious cycle to deal with don't you think? Oh well......not much longer to go and then a few days off! Feeling strange with X-mas coming up. I have been struggling to come up with gifts since my truck repairs have been draining me financially. I decided not to fly down to San Diego and hang out w/Mark's family so I'm kind of feeling lonesome and out of sorts. I haven't had to face a birthday or X-mas w/o family before so it's going to be an interesting weekend. My mom will be around but she doesn't rea

Yikes.......this is an ongoing comment on my blog but I'll say it again: 'where does the time go?' I have not been very faithful to my wonderful blog as of late. I have no excuse other than 'I'm tired' these past few weeks. Now that all I have to worry about is work and normal everyday things I have had little to no energy. Ironic, isn't it? Of course, I let my exercising & gym visits go by the wayside which doesn't help my energy levels either! That's going to change this weekend I hope. I need to get on the ball w/all that. I did accomplish one major goal this holiday season.....Christmas cards! I can't believe I did them by the 1st! They are in the mail! Now of course I wait to see who sends me cards that I didn't send them to so I can rush right out and reciprocate. This behaviour cracks me up but I can't let a Christmas card go unanswered!!!! It's okay if the folks I send them to don't send me one....honest! I feel prett

I'm amazed at how fast this year has gone by. I was just asking Mark if it 'felt' like November to him. I still can't believe Thanksgiving is this Thursday and Christmas (and my birthday - the horrors!) is a month away! I haven't bought more than a couple of items and gifts and while I'm really good about shopping I don't feel that with it this year. Ever since my dad died I'm kind of melancholy about the whole thing. I'm sure this is a 'normal' feeling but I have to admit my heart isn't in it like it used to be. Gosh, I hope I'm not getting callous about the holidays. I've always loved this time of year in the past.....

The beautiful pregnant Kimberly w/Cindi Williams at the Boat Shed.  

Jon 'lifting' Evan at Kimberly's baby shower! 

Can you tell it was a busy week or two??? No blog entries....too much going on! Now you can see the reasons why! We held a shower for Kimberly and Jon Delmendo at the Boat Shed. Nice turn out of friends and we all had a fabulous time! My Way ended last week so now I am finally posting a pic or two of the gang. Lot's of fun....we had a after the show cast party over at the Engelhards on Friday. No pics from that but it was still a blast!

The 'young' Franks and the 'cranky' Franks! 

The talented 'Suntan Trio' of "MY WAY" 

Cast of "My Way" hamming it up! 

This is annoying.......still up at 1:30 (or almost) after an especially long day and a previous night of little sleep! I don't know how my body does this. I thought I needed more sleep than this! Oh well, I'll just keep working at a few things around here. Planning a baby shower is fun so I keep myself occupied with that!

Time does fly way too fast sometimes.....I can't believe I haven't been here in over a week. I tried a couple of times but my computer was acting up so I gave up. Anyway, the show is over and I am sad although I'm glad to have some time to just work and enjoy life a little bit. Mark and I really enjoying doing 'My Way' together and are considering trying to keep a little jazz group going. I think it would loads of fun! In the meantime, I finally got to go to the movies today. We finally saw 'Team America' which was hysterical!

No, I'm not being a pirate..... it's been a frustrating day! Why does work have to be so hard sometimes???? I have to laugh because my horoscope said something about things not being as 'hard as it seems' if I just take a step back. It was still a frustrating day! At least now I get to go sing and dance a little at the theatre. That should put me in a better mood!

I've had lots of questions from people about 'Drood' so I thought I'd say check out this website! Rupert Holmes , the writer of 'Drood' has a cool website that's devoted to his various plays and books. If his name sounds familiar to you, it's because he had a 'one hit wonder' back in the 70's! Do you remember the 'Pina Colada Song'??????? LOL! It's true!!!!

Wow.....tis the season! In addition to Jon & Kimberly and Wallace & Julie, I can now add Chris and Anna Borer to the list of prospective parents! Anna is currently in the show I'm doing at BCT (and doing a mighty fine job, I might add) and now their next production will be a beautiful baby! Congrats to you two and the excited grandparents, great grandparents and future uncles!

After a busy week of work and a weekend of work and shows, a group of us went to Capital Playhouse to see 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood.' This is the show I plan to direct at CSTOCK next spring. I have to say that I really enjoyed their version of the show. I've seen it before (which is what sold me on the show the first time) and I came away with new ideas as well as reinforcing certain directorial, design and lighting issues that I already have been thinking about. This show is awesome so if you have a chance, go see it!!!!

Hey! I've been ignoring this blog for a few days. Life has been busy.....work is slowly getting finished (the remodeling is almost done!) and 'My Way' opens on Friday and we preview tomorrow night! If you're reading this, please come on down (it's free!) and enjoy a show. We definitely need an audience to react to what we're doing so be there for an 8 pm curtain! I'll try to get some pix up here in a couple of days. I keep meaning to bring my digital camera and I have forgotten it every time!

Hurray.......Julie and Wallace are expecting! What terrific news! I tend to get really down and out when I'm sick and this was just the news to pull me out of my funk! Congrats to the Ross family! I can't wait to meet the newest member of the family!

Well, I seem to be coming back from the dead. I felt so much better today. Still didn't have a singing voice (rehearsal was kind of a joke for me!) but Laura gave me some tea bags that she made and I tried some of it tonight. Man, it works! I am not in full voice by any means but it is doing the trick of drying me out and getting that mucky gunk out of me! Wow........herbs are an amazing thing. I spent the evening watching the Edgar Martinez tribute after the Mariner's game. What an honorable man. Eighteen years with the same organization.....that's something you rarely see in professional sports anymore. What a treat to watch him accept all the accolades he truly deserves.

Dang it.......this cold/flut thing is settling into my lungs now. I can barely talk. Luckily, work isn't too strenuous right now. We're trying to finish the construction on the new store. Looks like we're going to open by the end of the week. Of course, not being able to talk means not being able to sing. Bad timing w/rehearsals......hopefully, the voice will be back in a day or so.

Yuck.......I'm sick. Stayed home today......fever is still there but it's broken a couple of times. I hate the flu.

I'm amazed..... I feel icky today (trying to catch a cold, I think) and I still managed a lower intensity workout. I don't think I would have made it through the 1 hour program. As it is I did almost 50 minutes so I'm happy. I've now lost 8 lbs. and about 5 inches all over. It's a pretty good feeling although I can't really see a difference yet. I'm being pretty patient about it all though. I'm sure it'll take time for me to really notice anything other than my stamina which has improved a lot. I like the fact that I'm not breathless after a vigorous walk or a run up a down a set of stairs. And I think it's way cool that I can do 20-25 pushups! Not bad for a couple of weeks of work!

Gosh, it's Friday but it doesn't matter because I've got so much going on at work. It feels like an 8 day work week. I guess it doesn't help since I've got rehearsals on the weekend too! Not really complaining about that but I'm just stretching myself to the limit right now. I really backfired on the diet yesterday. I didn't have time (first mistake) and went thru Burger King (second mistake) and got a cheeseburger (third mistake!)!!! I have been doing really well as far as keeping the fat intake down. My body is paying for it this morning and now I understand why I had so many physical problems in the past. When I eat cleaner my body really appreciates it! I did manage to not drink a diet soda (well, I took 3 sips) and I only ate about 6 or so french fries so I controlled myself to a certain extent! I know I'm trying to unlearn a lot of bad habits so it's getting easier to not eat all the crap that's out there tempting us! Despite

Dang it, I slept in until 7:30 today! I set my alarm for 6:30 and did not hear it! I have to go to bed earlier. I'm trying to work out as soon as I get up and can find my work out gear so I had to shortchange the workout today. I'll make it up tonight when I get home. Well, I cheated and ate some chocolate frozen yogurt at 11 pm but I weighed myself and still lost another lb. so now I'm down 7 lbs! Woo0-hooo! Hopefully, I slept in enough to keep me going today! The workout certainly energized me for the morning portion of my day!

What a beautiful day........and it was the last day of summer too! Stunningly gorgeous out there..... too bad work was so insane I couldn't enjoy it much! Work is good when it's busy but I couldn't think straight today! Wow, band season is continuing to rev up. Hopefully, things will settle down next week just in time for us to move all our things over to the new store location! Rehearsals for My Way are keeping me out of trouble. I love singing this music. I think I was born in the wrong decade. This stuff is fun, fun, fun! Now if I can actually memorize the dialogue and the dancing too! Yikes! Being busy is good.....and my workouts continue too. I'm in my second week of my program and I've lost 6 lbs and 3 inches so far. I don't expect this all the time but what a nice surprise to measure myself and see the loss! I'm supposed to really notice a difference in about 2 more weeks. Can't wait to see what happens next. I'm sti

Life is full of ups and downs and we're all well aware of that. I guess it's always a sad day when you find out something bad or someone has done something that is not so nice. I don't want to be cryptic but since I have friends popping in now and then to read this blog I will leave the intimate details to my personal journal. Deep down I know I can forgive but I'm really pissed off for the moment. I have a very long work day ahead of me.......I hope that the busy schedule will keep me from getting too angry.

Wow......I'm so tired. I have had a helluva long week with work and rehearsing. So what do I do? Well, after Mark and I went out to lunch/dinner (whatever you call it) and shopped we came back to his house. We watch "Singin' In The Rain" (My all time fave movie) before he leaves for the show. After he leaves I fully intend to sit and read and study my script and instead I go into cleaning fever mode! I took on the biggest pile of dishes I've ever seen, I cleaned the stove, I collected all the garbage I could and then I CLEAN the fridge! What the heck is up with me? I'm supposed to relax! LOL So now it's 9:30-ish and I'm just sitting down to 'relax' and do whatever I'm supposed to do. I have NO idea what to do! I will drink some water and sit down for a little while! At least that will be restful!

Well, well........just saw West Side Story and it's terrific! Lots of young talent on that stage....I'm really proud of my buddy Josh on his directorial debut. That was a huge undertaking and he went above and beyond the bar on this one! Mark was absolutely fabulous as the jerk cop.....you'd never think such a nice guy could be such an a$$ onstage! I'm really, really proud of him for taking on such a meaty part and I didn't have one single criticism of his performance. Go see it!

I know........why did I have to quote Olivia Newton John? Well.....my alternatives were much worse, let me tell you! I am seriously on a workout kick now. The fast over the weekend yielded a weight loss (not that I was really trying) of 5 lbs. and it was mainly something to help get the toxins out and help all the internal organs prep for this onslaught of health and wellness! You'd think it wouldn't have taken me this long to try to get moving in the right direction but I'm finally doing it. I guess carrying these extra 25 lbs did it to me! Getting up extra early to work out and do ab work and yoga stretching at night is tough especially since I'm working all day and in rehearsals now. Trying to eat on a schedule is really tough too but I'm working at it too. Now that I'm focusing on the 5 small meal concept I'm finding that I'm really not that hungry. Night time is still tougher since I'm a habitual nosher but I haven't snacked at nig

I'm doing a 'cleansing' fast this weekend. I was pretty terrified of the idea of not eating 'real' food (i.e., solids) for 48 hours but I'm doing okay so far. I'm on my second day and not feeling hungry at all. I actually feel pretty good internally - no problems w/the stomach or intestinal track. That's the big surprise. Well, the bigger surprise is how much my feelings are floating up to the surface. I feel kind of like a raw nerve. Things upset me quickly, I feel a little teary-eyed and I'm certainly more sensitive to comments than usual (God, forbid....I'm sensitive enough already!). Of course, then I go read the news and wonder why I'm feeling so sorry for myself. I keep having to put my little 'sufferings' into perspective. All those poor people being hit by the hurricanes...maybe the whole 9-11 anniversary is affecting me too.....I've been getting my heart stomped on everytime I see a clip of news from the day. Hmmmm....

So after an incredibly busy day at work I chose to go to the casino! LOL - I guess I'm trying to have a last hurrah since work is getting nuts and rehearsals start next week. It was a silly way to spend an evening but I have a new favorite game and it has been really generous! So lucky me won $150 and I skipped out of there pretty darn happy! September has been a pretty good month so far~ Now, I'm crossing my fingers because I have a huge shipment for a school due in tomorrow. I pray that nothing screws this order up! I will have my head on a chopping block if it doesn't arrive! I'm sending out a huge prayer for UPS to deliver that order to me!

WOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO! What an awesome way to end my day! I got cast in "My Way" at BCT! It has been WAY too long since I've been in a musical and this one is ALL Frank Sinatra tunes. I am in heaven! Check out the link.....it goes right to the website of the authors of the show. They've even put together a Christmas show of Frank tunes and are in the process of doing a Tony Bennett show. Fun, fun, fun! So I get to be 'woman #1' who is basically a female version of Frank from the Rat Pack years. Singing low and doing alto harmonies......fun, fun, fun! I can hardly stand the wait.....first rehearsal is Sunday! Wooohoooo!

One of my all time favorite Frank (Sinatra) tunes. Yes, I'm still up and it's after 1 am. I was just working on a little project (Marni's script) and all of a sudden it's after 1 am! Yeesh.......I need to get to bed! Yes, I auditioned for 'My Way' at BCT tonight and I was a nervous wreck. Thank goodness Daryl played piano for me so that I would have a little luck! He's such an amazing pianist and accompanist. I am lucky to be able to say he's my friend! Now that it's done, I feel tons better but I still don't feel I did my best. I was really tight in the body but at least I hit all my low notes. Whether it was good enough to get cast is another story. I'll just have to sit and wait and see! Bed time! Got a LONG day ahead! Board meetings to attend and the long wait ahead!

Argh........school has started in one district but not in Poulsbo so it wasn't as bad at work as it could be. Oh boy.......I'm dreading the next 3 weeks of work because it will be insane! On a lighter note, after lessons tomorrow Mark & I will join the gang camping at Fort Flagler for a couple of relaxing days! Hurray! I'm baking brownies and getting some other goodies together for the weekend. I know, brownies aren't on the diet but I didn't even lick the bowl so I 'done' good! Yes, I'm on a new diet & exercise kick. Little or no sugar.....not as harsh about carbs this time although I'm trying to maintain a 'South Beach' style. I haven't had a diet Pepsi or a coffee in ages. Have to admit that I'm feeling better for it but I won't give up my English tea. That is my caffeine crutch and I'm not letting go! The exercise is an intensive aerobic/yoga/dance program. I'm in the beginning phase, just trying

Oh my gosh......it's September! Can you believe it? I'm shaking my head in part because of disbelief and of course because it's almost time for back to school here at the store. I will relish every moment of my weekend since I will have Labor Day off! Have you heard? Kimberly and Jon are expecting another boy! Hurray - Evan gets a little buddy and Kimberly will be surrounded and protected by her Delmendo men! Jon will have his family rock band and Kimberly can sing lead! Can't wait to meet the little guy (I already know his name but think it's more appropriate for Jon to tell the world on his blog so I'll keep mum for now! And everyone knows how hard that's going to be for me - LOL. I'm still under the weather but battling whatever this ailment is. I took off early from work yesterday and feel lots better after taking a long nap and eating some healthy stuff. I worked w/my friend Daryl on my upcoming audition and despite a sore throat w

Mark and I spent the day in Seattle. Gosh, I love that city. I've lived there off and on throughout my adult life but moved back over to the other side of the pond back in 2001. Whenever I can walk around DT (my old neighborhood) Seattle I get the fond memories back, especially on a nice sunny day like today. :-) Well, we went to see Rent at the Paramount today and it is just as enjoyable as the last time I saw it. Mark and I both cried during the 'death' scene of one of the characters. Touching..... Went to Pacific Place afterward to get my Coach fix (big sigh - can't afford anything there right now) and had dinner at a new restaurant there called Mexico and boy was that yummy! We love Mexican cuisine and this was great! Sat outside on the balcony and it was gorgeous. Afterward, I got to visit B&N and get a couple of Broadway CD's which was within my budget. Can't wait to open them up and pop them in the CD player!

Brady playing some rockabilly! 

Greg taking us on a 'Magic Carpet Ride' 

Mark S. jammin' on his cool bass! 

Hey y'all! I've been ignoring the blog and I hope she'll forgive me! It's been a crazy week being a 'tux shop' and 'shoe store'. I feel like a multiple personality! With the additional duties comes all the problems and having to smooth ruffled feathers of more customers.T An interesting experience to say the least. I won't go any further than that because I'm in retail and that should say enough! Well, this weekend ought to be fun. I'm 'working' this a.m. going over the big store on the other side of the pond and delivering some things and then the rest of the weekend is MINE! Hoo-ray. We're going to see The Wiz at WWCA in Port Orchard tonight. One of my employees, Matt Borer is playing the Tin Man and his dad Dale is the Gatekeeper so we'll get to laugh a lot I'm sure! Tomorrow we're seeing Rent at the Paramount.....yee-haw! I thought I'd add a few more pictures from the Del Rays' gig la

LOL - it's obviously the first day of 'band camp' around here. I was swamped w/customers today. We are selling all the acoutrements as well as shoes, tux shirts and bow ties! We feel like a music store with a tux shop attached these days. Kind of a bizarre feeling to be selling clothes and shoes in a music store! Oh well....it's really nice to have the business here so I shouldn't complain. It's just an identity crisis! I spent part of my evening looking for a body fat caliper. "Why," do you ask? (Be honest, I know you did) Well, part of this joining the health/fitness forums is finding out exactly where I am at. I'm very afraid (haven't stepped on a scale in ages) to know but they do say that knowledge is power! Maybe I won't be afraid of it once I know the horrible numbers. Oh well....it's time to go find that caliper and face the music!

I recently joined a couple of communities (i.e., forums, bulletin boards) on health and fitness since I'm trying to lose about 25 lbs. I was reading a story from a person who was plateauing after an initial loss of weight. It reminded me how important it is to appreciate the times God makes us wait in a holding pattern. There's always a reason.....and I need to learn to be more patient. I am sure that is my mission in life!

Check out the pics! The Del Rays did a rockin' set of music last night in DT Poulsbo. The weather was perfect, the crowd was filled w/lots of theatre friends and locals picnicking and dancing....a fun night all the way around! Now I'm exhausted.....I have to be on the ferry in an hour after all the excitement but what a way to start the weekend!

My buddy Cameron (4 years old!) break dancing to the Del Rays! 

There's my honey jamming on the drums! 

Del Rays jamming at Waterfront Park in Poulsbo!

So what if Evan's soon-to-be sibling is a little boy? Then who will be the cutest boy in the world? Oh the horrors! :-) I guess they'll have to share the title! The answer of course is for his sibling to be a cute little girl! Things are getting busy around here.....I think my life is about to take the turn around the corner into back-to-school hell. Back to the 6 or 7 day work weeks with 18 hour days ahead of me. Oh the horrors...... that's the nature of retail. I'm off to Bothell today and tomorrow for meetings and delivery pick ups. Oh the horrors.... On a happier note (Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! - my happy note!) Tonight is the Del Ray's performance at Waterfront Park in DT Poulsbo! Cannot wait to see my honey and his compadres jamming up a storm! I was told that I would be there as a landmark festooned w/balloons. I wonder who's providing the balloons?

The cutest little boy ever! This is Evan, son of my good friends Jon & Kimberly. He has got to be the cutest almost 3 year old boy ever!

It's no secret that I've loved Southpark forever and it always perks me up when I'm feeling down like I was a little earlier! My friend Jon spotted this fun thing to do and if you're a fan you should do the same thing! Create your own Southpark character and see what you would look like if you lived with Cartman, Kyle, Stan and Kenny! Loads of fun for the entire....well almost the entire family!

What gives with the world? We're having glorious summer weather here in Washington and Florida gets devastating hurricanes. The news is so incredibly sad. At least we have things like the Olympics and team spirit to keep us going. Of course, I was reading about the Iranian judo champion who withdrew from the competition because he would be fighting against someone from Israel. I guess there are some Arabs who won't even come into contact w/Israeli citizens because of their continued conflicts. It goes against their' beliefs.' I've been reading a lot about that lately (trying to keep up with the whole thing since the war started) and I can understand the difficulties involved. Not that I want to get into all that right now but it's tough to take sides as I educate myself more and more on the subject. I think I'm feeling a little depressed because I'm not feeling well today and did absolutely nothing on my one day off. Hearing and reading about all these t

I miss you! I hope I see you soon!

I hate break-ups. To put it simply, they just plain suck. I was discussing this with someone who is going through this right now. It's so strange to see nice people become jerks or asses or whatever word you use to describe stupid boys! (j/k - girls can be awful too) But ultimately, it's a personal journey between 2 people and they have to figure out the whys and the wherefores and move on. I can only hope that each person has learned something good from the experience. So as always after a pretty deep conversation, I turned inward and thought about my experiences. I have made some dumb mistakes in my life. I have a failed marriage plus a few stupid relationships and one in particular that sent me to the psychiatric couch for almost a year. I have such a perfectionist streak in me that I tend to beat myself up over the mistakes and the failures. I know that I used to think that I was undeserving of these 'fabulous' people. I think I tended to give them too

Went to Capitol Playhouse and saw their kids' summer show (one of four!), Les Miserables with Dan and Bob (the directors for our version of this production next summer), Margie (the costumer), Karen (tech staff), Josh, Evan and myself (the producer). After seeing this done professionally years ago I was wondering how a group of kids would be able to pull this 'opera' off. Les Miz is one of those shows that has been elevated to near heavenly status by many theatre geeks. It's still NOT available for community theatres to do (what gives with that?) but a few years ago the publishers and authors gave way to a 'school' edition to be done by the American youth. This of course sets off a dialogue of why they won't let the grownups of the world perform the show. I love working w/kids and am thrilled that they have this opportunity. But I was concerned that they wouldn't 'get' it and try to mimic the recordings. Do I sound a bit sarcastic today? Well,

What is it about the karaoke phenomenon? I find it to be a little uncomfortable, personally. We were celebrating the birthday of my dear friend Leslie (Happy Birthday, Leslie!!!!!) and they have a terrific karaoke system and lots of music to pick from. Some people take to karaoke like fish to water. Others, like me find it very foreign and as I said a few sentences ago, uncomfortable. I think it's a terrific venue for those who can't play a musical instrument or for those who don't get the chance to perform onstage. I like using it for rehearsing a song for an audition but find it tough to use them as a performance tool. I don't know......I'm one of those people who will look and look through a karaoke book of songs and even though I love a million of them can't find one song to sing. Several of my friends with the most fabulous of voices are the same way. I wonder about this......... I'll have to write a book on it someday! I guess the other thing I don&

Yikes......where did that rain storm come from? It was cold and pouring and I just happened to be on the road in the worst traffic ever. One thing I absolutely hate about living in Washington is that we have some stupid drivers. Okay, maybe these drivers are not born and raised Washingtonians so I'll try to give the residents a break here. We're obviously NOT used to 80+ temps around here but lately our summers have been more reminiscent of CA or Southern Oregon. No rain for weeks and weeks and then surprise! We get slammed with a downpour. Our roads are full of slick oil and muck from weeks of dry weather and becomes an ice rink. Accidents galore and traffic will come to a virtual standstill. I happen to work in an area that gets slammed by not one but two major ferries and being at this crossroad is annoying at best. Usually, I'm just looking out my store window laughing and saying how happy I am to NOT be out there in the middle of it. But this time, well I'm in a wo

Fun times.........my first show as a producer ended last night and we hosted a big party for the kids afterward. Lots of music, food, dancing was enjoyed by all. I think the kids enjoyed themselves too! My friend Andrea did a great job directing and those kids were super talented. Mark also did a spectacular job for his first turn as stage manager. It can be a thankless job but Mark really did well and I think the kids loved him as much as I do! I loved watching them grow and change and gain confidence as the show went on. That's the best part for me as a director. Luckily, since I was producing I got to be there frequently so I could still see the growth. If you didn't see the show I'll have some pics up on the CSTOCK website very soon!

Gee whiz...... I can't believe 6 days has passed since I last wrote. Work wasn't that busy but I guess time still manages to fly by! Last night and tonight the 'blue moon' sure has been lighting up the night skies. I guess we have two of these moons....heck.....I can't keep up with all this stuff. But I do know the words to the song so I will hum a few bars if requested! Anyway.... the moon does have a bluish tint about it and it sure is a beautiful sight. What else have I done? Well, I went out for sushi at one of the county's best Japanese restaurant, Hakata's. This place rocks! Please, please go there some time. Sugi is a terrific chef! I recommend the baked green mussel appetizers! I also went to the casino w/friends and lost a bundle. I guess it was time for me to lose some $$$ at some point. I've been doing too well and I guess it was my time to bomb! Luckily a few of the friends hit a few jackpots and walked away happy. I a

85 degrees.....and it's only 8:30 am!

Wonderland on parade

Oh my goodness....this weekend was a hot one! Haven't checked to see if we broke any records but I wouldn't be surprised! Friday and Saturday were in the upper 90's for sure....what a day for me to be out in the sun during a parade! The kids at CSTOCK had the show to do plus they were in the Whaling Days Parade . I was fortunate enough to have the greatest volunteers help out with the building of the float and all the kids were enthusiastic despite the high temps. When we walked by the bank out on Silverdale Way the thermometor read 96 degrees at 11:38 am! That's too darn HOT! One of the volunteers discovered a new gadget called a Misty Mate which is a portable water mister (typically large hotels have misters by their pools). Wow....that thing saved our lives! We got our smaller misters at Walgreens but an even cooler one is over at the Sportsmans Warehouse which is a total haven for campers, hunters, gun afficianados and any other outdoor types. It's hard to ke

It's deathly quiet in the store today!  That's not necessarily a good thing in retail!  I can only clean and reorganize for so long so I decided to sit down and tell everyone out there in blogger land that it's deathly quiet!  I understand it's supposed to get blazing hot this weekend.  I've got a parade to be in so I'm hoping it won't get too hot before noon!  Speaking of parades....doing anything this weekend?  Check out the Whaling Days website  to see what's going on in Silverdale!  Fun for the whole family!

Mark and I went to the Clearwater Casino  last night for the buffet and it was quite yummy!  I'm not normally a 'buffet' type but I wasn't in the mood to cook and Italian food sounded good!  For $9 we got all we could eat and I have to admit their spaghetti and meatballs were excellent although a little spicy.  I think we definitely got our money's worth! Of course, I couldn't pass up playing my favorite slot machine (Neon Nights) but it was absolutely cold as ice to me.  $40 went by the wayside quickly and I was bummed.  On our way out I saw my Las Vegas favorite (Wheel Of Fortune) and said $10 more and Mark was kind enough to sit and play $5 with me.  Somehow, Lady Luck decided to smile upon me because I kept hitting in a little over 5 minutes!  For a little nickel machine I walked out of there $70 up for the night....insert picture of Trina doing a happy jig!

Thank goodness, the temperatures have come down a bit!  It's been way to muggy for my tastes.  I hate that sensation of slowing down when you have way too much to do.  Sleep is difficult at best....especially since the house I've been at (I'm housesitting) is a bit warm.   Now, things are back to 'normal' albeit for a day or so.  I understand that temps are going back up into the nineties by Thursday!  I like dry heat, people!  The humidity is a pain in the butt!   Okay....enough complaining for one day!  :-)

I love a good story....especially one that makes you laugh so hard that you either cry, cry and cough, cry, cough then throw up, etc.   I spent the evening over at my bestest friends' house (Jon and Kimberly) hanging out w/our 'long lost' buddy Chad Rogers catching up on each others' lives.    Jon is one of those guys who is so funny that it's rare to see him really crack himself up to the point of hysteria.  Typically, he's a chuckler and reserves his big laughs for the things that deserve them!  When he does get hysterical, you see this ritual dance of sorts.... you'll see him start to arch his back (he's typically sitting in a chair at first) and twist himself around, then he'll start putting his palms out in the 'get outta here' fashion and then he'll laugh so hard that he can't breathe.   Then the whole routine starts again with the body contorting.  After that happens a few times you'll see him get up and walk around in

I'm kind of obsessing on Frank Sinatra a bit.  A local theatre is going to be doing a revue of Frank tunes with a story loosely attached to it.  It features 2 couples (an 'older' and a 'younger' couple...whatever that means!) singing many of his famous songs...some not so famous.   So I'm spending my spare time researching his music a bit and trying to bone up on my jazz singing again.  It's been awhile since I've really done that.  I spend most of my time teaching singing so I don't get to do a lot of that.  It's been fun to rediscover my voice again plus learn (or re-learn in some circumstances) some Ol' Blue Eyes' tunes again.  Whether or not I am lucky enough to be cast in the show, I sure am having fun singing!

I am so tired...but not sleepy! I hate that but my brain is working a million miles an hour.... Just spent the evening trying to help a good friend and his team cast his production of 'West Side Story.' What amazingly talented people we have in good ol' Kitsap County. That doesn't surprise me in the slightest but everytime I sit through an audition I am blown away. You'd think all these people would be in LA or NYC trying to make it as actors but no....they do this as a hobby! Yowza....I can't wait to direct my next show......if the young talent is as good as this....I can't imagine what it'll be like when I get all those adults! Oh, what show is that, might you ask? I'm doing The Mystery of Edwin Drood which is a musical version of Charles Dickens' last and unfinished novel. Kind of a trip since the audience has to vote on who the killer is....remember that Dickens died before he was able to reveal who the bad guy (or girl) was!

Joe & Betsy Connors boogie down at their wedding!  I attended one of the best parties in my life on Friday night. Joe & Betsy (Osterhaus) Connors put on the most fun wedding and reception! We all had such a good time and there sure was a 'lot of love' in that room. Toast after toast to the happy couple by the crowd attested to that. I feel privileged and honored to be a friend to these two wonderful people. Joe, you're just like a brother and I love you....Betsy, you're an honorary 'brown' girl now and I love you too!

Joe with with his 'best men', Jon & Mark  I love this picture I took of my dear friend Joe at his wedding. Joe asked my honey (the token white guy!) and my other dear friend, Jon to stand up with him at his wedding. I think it's a great picture of 3 wonderful guys!

Cast of 'Follow That Rabbit!'  I'm so proud of my friend Andrea. She's directing a musical version of 'Alice In Wonderland' at CSTOCK , our local theatre. Lots of people I know are involved and they're doing a great job. Come on down and see the most talented kids in Kitsap county if you have a chance!

Fun times.....my good friends, Joe and Betsy are getting married on Friday! They're doing this in style having the event at a lovely place called Kiana Lodge in Poulsbo. Seems strange but this amazing couple planned this huge event in 8 weeks flat. I am so impressed....I think they should do this for a living! I have been having a great time checking out a flash website called albino blacksheep . It has some of the funniest and most entertaining videos I've ever seen. Check out my personal favorites: the Gollum Rap , Badgers Japanese Pingpong . Incredibly stupid, a waste of time but it's funny stuff, man!

I've been pretty fortunate in life. I've definitely been lucky in a lot of ways if I do say so myself. Lots of things come easily to me and as I get older I can actually notice that I'm getting smarter - thank goodness for that! There have only been a few things I've struggled with and even that list has whittled down as I've 'matured.' Without getting too into it (at least today!) the one thing I've really been losing the battle with is my weight. I can't get over the fact that I've thought I was 'fat' for most of my life. I look at pictures of me from 5, 10, 15, 20 years ago and dang it, I looked good! I look at me now.....I'm at least 25 lbs. over the weight I'd like to be. Ironically, when I go to buy clothes I seem to think I'm a size smaller than I actually am. Still living in the past I guess. I just re-joined a gym after a long break. I had managed a 13 lb weight loss in November but then I stopped losing n

I got to thinking about the guys (or gals) who actually measured the roads we drive on day in and day out. I can remember being a little kid travelling up I-5 on from California to here and looking for those darned mile markers. I'd get so excited knowing that we only had 150 miles to go, 100, 50, etc., etc. Someone had to actually measure the darned road! Everytime I am on a road trip w/my sweetie I look to see the distances on the handy dandy AAA map. I know this seems like a major rambling but I've been wondering who does all these bizarre jobs. I was reading (re-reading is more accurate) 'Harpo Speaks' by the famed pantomimist, Harpo Marx. He listed people with his favorite bizarre jobs and I think that mile marking has to be one of my favorites. Don't ask me why....I think it has more to do with the memories of my excitement when I was road tripping and a little kid w/my folks back in the 60's and 70's. Remembering those mile markers....I know

I hate the letdown after you get home from an awesome vacation. It's beautiful and sunny here in the Pac. NW but there was something incredible about being in the desert and looking over the great expanse of Nevada. Yes, I like to gamble a little but the treat was being there and looking at the landscape from my hotel window while sitting in the jacuzzi! Well, that was only part of it. We got to spend some time with one of my best friends and her husband (they're the ones who got us this lovely hotel room at the Monte Carlo affectionately nicknamed the 'porn suite' LOL). They also got us comped tickets to Cirque du Soliel's Mystere which is one of the best shows I've ever seen. Check it out if you ever go to Sin City. Anyway, it's back to work and the normal routine. My honey is at home while I'm 'slaving away' here (actually it's deader than a doornail!). Luckily I only have a 4 day week since two of my good friends are getting marr

Thanks to my good friend Jon I am attempting to put my thoughts out there. ;) I like the idea of being able to rant and/or rave about whatever pops into my mind! So why 'lady luck?' Well, I just got back from Las Vegas...and yes, I gambled and won a little! I also love the song 'Luck be a Lady' from the musical 'Guys and Dolls' (the version sung by Frank Sinatra rocks!) so I figured why not?