And this concludes today’s broadcast
of “Sand Bats and Flying Monkeys.” Join us again on Monday for more fun and mayhem, as the gang attempts to spread peanut butter on balloons floating in a pool filled with sharks!
I know that doesn’t really make any sense, but that’s what I wrote to JH and ST – two people on my team at Evil Corporate Job – on Friday (“today” ahem) around 4:00 p.m.
Because it was just that weird and crazy of a day.
I don’t know. We laughed!
The evening was chock full of fun – but no mayhem, thank goodness!
It started with making dinner for DS2. G arrived around 5:40 and we headed out to MSM friend MS’s birthday party at nearby Erte restaurant.
I always forget about this little gem of a place here in Nordeast.
We ordered a drink and some appetizers, because we couldn’t stay for dinner. We couldn’t stay because MA had called at around 4:30 with 4 FREE tickets to the touring company production of “Grease!” I’m telling you it only pours abundant opportunities for avoiding housework here at Chez Journey!
So we left MS and the assembled merry-makers at Erte around 7:15 and headed downtown to the Orpheum. Of course, we hit every read light and I was a little tense about being late. Luckily, we didn’t really have to struggle to find a parking space (and for only $8! just kiddy-corner from the theater!!) M and her husband D met us outside the theater. When we got all settled into our seats I realized what a boon these tickets really were.
Not only were they in row R (the closest I’ve sat to the stage at the Orpheum) but none other than Taylor Hicks was performing the role of Teen Angel during the “Beauty School Drop Out” number!
The production was quite a hoot. The guy who played Vince Fontaine (the DJ) was out warming up the audience about 10 minutes before the show. Asking where people were from he was flabbergasted to learn that we have a town called Coon Rapids. (The name comes from a small rapids on the Mississippi river northwest of Minneapolis that was known for having a lot of raccoons. I’m not kidding.) Anyway, he thinks this is hilarious.
During the sock hop scene when he’s making out with Marty he shouts out “Whoa! That’s only legal in [name of local town here]” Except he says Coon River instead of Coon Rapids. So everyone in the audience is laughing at him, not at the line.
As for Mr. Taylor Hicks, let me just say that I like when the giant ham knows and plays to his strengths. Except for during the reprise of all the numbers after the bows. Whatever it was he did with the theme song was simply weird and you think the band would have picked him up after the third night of it. Or the third night here, anyway. That part was so bad it wasn’t even funny anymore, it just made me uncomfortable.
After the show Hicks was signing autographs and selling his new CD, but we all took a pass. DS1 was getting home between 10 and 10:30 and I wanted to get home to see him. Of course, now that I’m home, he’s upstairs playing x-box with his brother and I had to interrupt to even get him to say hi to me. But that’s really the way it’s supposed to be, so I’m good with it.
— — —
A year ago (or longer) on This Journey…
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Ciao, baby! 2008
Best Present Ever; 5 weeks to Christmas 2007
Bill the trainer 2006
