Haines His Way

Thanks, George!  I was just attempting to do that, but not having much luck!

Thanks, George!  I was just attempting to do that, but not having much luck!

No problem.  As soon as I did it I thought, what if Jed really wanted to do it himself?  What if he'll be mad at me for stealing his thunder??  But, if you're cool with it, I'm happy to oblige!

Watching THE TOWERING INFERNO... So dramatic...

I never watched horror movies. They were too frightening. This was frightening enough:

SWW - I remember going with my mother, a superb cook, to visit my then in-laws for the first time. My mother-in-law had gone through a great deal of trouble to prepare a meal for the occasion. Her cooking was what my mother used to call "Canadian"... meaning bland beyond belief. (Sorry to the Canadian HHW-ers - but I say this lovingly, proudly waving my Canadian citizenship.)  I remember vividly that my mother ate this incredibly boring meal - commenting on how utterly delicious each item was - even asking for seconds and saying, "Ruby, you must give me the recipe for this marvelous vanilla pudding."
My mother was a person with class.

Jed - You have your mother's eyes.

On the little monitor speaker next to our conductor, there is a pile of eyes - sticky eyes, a set of "bloody, just torn out of your head eyes, "alien" eyes, etc...  We also have a few sets of those coke-bottle glasses, and a set of those "slinky-surprise eyes".  So, everytime that line comes up... "You have your mother's eyes...."  We gesture to the pile...

-Things you do during an 12-week run...

 Just had a major scare.  I was eating my steak and tried to swallow but it caught in my throat.  My dear deaf Mother sitting next to me had no idea I was choking to death.  I managed to get up, get outside and get myself over a deck chair.  What happened next wasn’t pretty but I got the steak up.  I’ve been shaking ever since.  Whew.  Close one.  

To continue my NYC tale.  Wonderful Town proved to be a cute play but here is one of those times when I can either lie or tell the truth and shame the devil.  I enjoyed it but it wasn’t anything that struck a cord.  

It was like watching an old movie.  Enjoyable at the moment but forgotten when it was over.

 Wednesday was a double feature day for me.  I saw Aida in the afternoon and Wicked that night.

I knew I would like Aida before I went to see it because it had to do with Egypt and I love anything from that time period.  I was in the mezzanine, seat AA 8, so I brought my new binoculars and was very glad I did.  

I could see everything.  The male lead, Will Chase, had such beautiful blue eyes. Ahhh, of course I was in love with him the whole show.  The female lead was played by an understudy, Saycon Sengbloh, who did a wonderful job.  My kudos to the entire cast.  They all did a wonderful job.

I also had the unexpected treat of seeing Micky Dolenz.  Oh the memories just seeing him brought back.  My dad and a friend of his teasing me about liking Micky over any of the other Monkees.  I can still see myself (I think I was 8-10?) clutching the new “Monkees Headquarters” album in my arms as the friends said, “Why do you like Micky? You should like Davy, he’s more your height!”  Of course, the more he teased, the madder I got, which tickled him and the more I was teased.  I remember I was quite put out.

Back to Micky, it was just nice to see/hear him.  He looked in good health and had a very strong voice.    The lady I was sitting next to and I had a nice conversation about him and the Monkees during intermission.

I’ve still got “A Step To Far” stuck in my head.  I had to buy to the CD.

I don’t want to give anything away but it is a GREAT show and I highly recommend it.  I think it was easily my favorite of the ones I saw while there.

It was a good day to go in the theaters.  It rained and (for me) had turned cold.  I was kicking myself that I hadn’t brought my coat but after being saddled with it on the trip to Utah and never wearing it, I had left it home.  I really could have used it that day.

I went and grabbed some dinner between shows at McD’s.  I really wasn’t in the mood for a sit down dinner.  Then I went back to the hotel, redressed and went to see Wicked.

Another very enjoyable story.  Not sure it was worth the $160.00 I shelled out for the ticket but it did teach me something.  I’ve said this before and I know now that it is true.  Unless you really are going to see a certain person, the plays we get on the tours here in Tampa are just as good.  

I didn’t know anyone in Wicked so I don’t think it would have mattered if it was an understudy or the lead. I would have liked it just as well.  This is one of the reasons I don’t think I will long for NYC.  Unless someone I like, (Mr. Ball, Mr. Crawford to name two) is there to see I’ll be just as happy with the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center.

I have to also mention the smell.  Again, I am sorry but that is something I will never forget about NYC.  As Bruce would put it, “It made me want to vomit on the ground”.  At times it was just that bad.  I’d be walking and catch the smell of something just horrible.  I don’t know what it was and to be honest, I don’t WANT to know.

I guess this is also the time to mention the water.  I had been warned not to drink it but I did use it to brush my teeth so I did get to taste it.  It really wasn’t bad.  I’ll confess it was better than the water in Tampa!  You can smell the water at our water fountains from at least 5 yards away.  Ugh.  

I also must say I loved the way it made my hair feel and look when I washed it.  It never has behaved better or looked better.  I don’t know what was in it but it kept all the fly a ways down and it curled with just my fingers.  

If there was a difference in the pizza dough, however, I didn’t notice it.  I was also told I had to have a slice of pizza because it was so much better in NYC but to be honest, I couldn’t taste a difference.  Pizza isn’t exactly my favorite food so that may have had something to do with it.

I wish I had taken to binoculars with me to Wicked.  It was an Orchestra seat but pretty far back.  I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had remembered to take them.  I had to buy the CD for that show as well.

It was foggy that night.  I couldn’t see the tops of the buildings on my walk back to the hotel.

Thursday was my last full day in NYC.  I decided to take one last long walk ro Central Park.  I knew where it was from the tour.  I do have a fairly good sense of direction and rarely get lost.

It was a VERY long walk to get there but I have to say it was a highlight of the trip.  It was the first quiet place I found.  I could have stayed there forever.  I loved the paths and the park benches and the dogs and the horses (who I felt very sorry for).  Some of them looked like they were never fed.  I could easily pick out the ribs on many of them.  I was going to hire one but seeing that, I changed my mind.

If I lived in NYC it would have to be someplace close to Central Park.  I would have to have that escape or I would never last for very long.  The city would drive me mad.

I found my rock while on my walk though Central Park.  I had thought I wouldn’t be able to have that kind of memory of the city.  There certainly were no rocks anywhere to be found on the city streets.

I must have started looking like I knew what I was doing because 2 ladies came up to me to ask directions.  That had happened the day before as well.  I know I had started to cross the street just like everyone else did when the light was red.  The first day I had stood on the curb until I saw the light change to green.

I’m getting long so I’ll stop here and leave the last for another time..

And Betty and Bam-Bam are played by whom?

I was thinking the same thing!!!

Once again a big thank you to Danise for sharing her story (not necessarily the steak!).

And, no, I was playing Abel, not Barney Rubble.

And Betty and Bam-Bam are played by whom?

I was thinking the same thing!!!

Yup yup, Barney Rubble was the first comment made by just about everybody around when I first put on the costume (which was about 5 minutes before curtain, due to the last minute nature of the whole thing).  The best part of being done with that show was being able to grow my facial hair back!

Great chat going on with a roomful of lovely denizens.  Be there or be round.

'Twas lively and sparkling, indeed.

Good Evening!

I'm sorry I made yet another brief appearance in chat... But since Monday is my only full day off (well, today is my last Monday - after Friday, I'll just be plain off all the time)*...  And since I slept in really late today... And since I wanted to try to get some stuff rearranged in the kitchen... And... And...

-You get the picture.
*Of course, some people would say I already am off all the time.

In any case, as you may have guessed by now, I did not get anything accomplished in the kitchen.  However, I do have it all planned out mentally, and I may tackle the project before heading to bed.  But since I have to be up early tomorrow - and I mean HAVE to be up EARLY... And since I will most likely find myself wired if I end up staying up past 1:00am... And... And...

DR Danise - As DR Jason stated, New York City tap water is actually quite good.  -It's the pipes in some of the older buildings that can make it taste off.  However, it does contribute to your recommended daily allowance of 12 vitamins and minerals!  There have even been taste tests, and New York Tap water has "won" a bunch of them.  *The same thing applies in New Orleans - I've had more than a few meals there where the waiter/waitress has "advised" me to save my money and get good ole New Orleans Tap rather than some marked-up bottled stuff.

As for the smell... All cities have their smells - especially in the summer... Heck, even DC has quite an odor at times... And there's that stretch of 95 just south of Richmond right by the water treatment plant...  So... If it smells, just hold your nose and/or your breath as long as you can.

And, yes, Central Park is indeed a marvel.  And it's soooo big.  Did you make it up and over to the area by the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the East Side?  I love that area - especially the "pond" where a lot of people sail their toy boats.  Oh, and the Boat House too.

Hmmm.. So, if I rearrange the kitchen, and I'm wide awake afterwards... I could just go ahead and head back up to DC under the cool cover of night... Hmm...  -And since I'm normally up until at least 3:00am anyway... And... And...

And if you think "A Step Too Far" has been running a through your head...  I remember after my second week of playing the show, that I soon adapted the alternate title that some of the guys in the pit had come up with: "A Verse Too Long".

"Whoa-oo-oo-ooo.... Whoa-oo-oo-oo-ooo...."
Isn't that a great lyric?

But it is a catchy tune, and it was fun to play.

...And when I first saw the title of today's column, I thought today's topic would have been, "What are your favorite (Richard) Strauss tone poems?"

I guess for myself, "Til Eulenspiegel einmal anders" (Til Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks), and "Don Quixote".  -Although the wind machine in "The Alpine Symphony" is quite an affect.

Missed the chat.  8-(

Great picture DR JED.  It bespeaks theatuh.  DRLAURA I have been on a plane like that as well.  The flight attendant, loaded the luggage, and sat in the co-pilot seat as well.  It was an interesting flight.

DRDANISE...yikes - a carnivore horror story!  I am so glad you liked AIDA.  I enjoyed it SO MUCH when I saw the tour last year.  Mickey was on the road with the show at that time, so I saw him as well.  I really like the show, MOST of the music, and the ending is very very sad....well it is AIDA after all!   The CD is one of my favorite cast CD's!

FORBIDDEN PLANET or GIGI?  No contest!  Robby the Robot all the way!