All About Me | Redefining Perfect

Top Ten Tuesday – Favorite Musicals

by Sarah | Aug 5, 2014 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday

I am an unashamed theater geek. I’ve done community theater, auditioned for Disney & a Broadway tour, and I’ve went to see many shows on Broadway and right here in Indy when they’ve come through on tour.

I am even an official “Twittic” for Broadway in Indy.

I LOVE musicals.

To the depths of my soul.

Of course I have my favorites.

(And a few I’m “eh” about).

Narrowing the list down isn’t easy, but I’m going to try. Some of these I have not seen, some I have. I’m going to just mix it up. 🙂

So, off we go to my top ten favorite musicals (numbers are reversed b/c numerated lists go 1-10 instead of 10-1. So my fav fav fav is 10…just sayin’.)

Memphis. To be honest, I have Broadway in Indy to thank for my love of this show. I had never even heard of it before I got to go as my first Twittic assignment. The music, the dancing, the characters were all amazing. Even my husband was almost dancing in his seat (& Erik doesn’t do that…like, ever).
A Chorus Line. As a dancer, of course. I also remember the day my dad, trying to discourage me from a career in the arts, told me to watch it to see what it was really like out there…I think that backfired a bit. Granted, I didn’t end up a starving artist in NYC…but it certainly discouraged me from nothing. I still live a life of rejection (just in writing instead of theater 😉 )
Phantom of the Opera. Yes, the show is good, but in all honesty it’s the nostalgia of it. For years my dad and I would go see this one every time it came in town. My mom hates it, so I always go to go. Every time.
Rock of Ages. My 80’s hair band loving heart has to mention it. I have not (and will not) watch the movie because, well…TOM CRUISE MAKES ME HURL…but otherwise, love my sound track and would love to see it live, like ASAP.
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. I have decided I was destined to play Lucy…too bad no one around here is doing this show. I would give my right arm to be in this one. Love the music, love the whole story. I listen to it (& sing at the top of my lungs to it) in my car frequently when I actually drive.
Avenue Q. Sesame Street on crack. I mean, seriously. Laugh out loud funny. LOVE this crass and crazy show to pieces and then some.
The Lion King. Holy crap did this one take my breath away. The spectacle and beauty of the costumes and puppetry. It’s true magic.
Wicked. ‘Nuff said.
Aida. I saw it with Mickey Dolenz in the cast. I mean, I had an honest-to-god “HOLY CRAP IT’S A MONKEE” moment when he came on stage. But I’m digressing. The musical itself is beautiful, the story line ages old, and the update they gave it for stage was spot on and so much fun. Amneris won my heart more than the H/h. I would love to see it again some day.
Cats. I remember the first time I saw the show, vividly. We were living in Buffalo, it was the first ever national tour. Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer still wore their clown costumes during their number (you have to be a fan to know what I mean). During Memory – I remember quite like it was yesterday – Grizabella walked down the aisle as she sang…and me on my aisle seat was mesmerized as she past right by me. The dancing, the songs, the costumes. I was in love…at a very young age. Then, I went to see it again in my 20’s with my mother and that was the beginning of the end. I saw it 12 times on Broadway before it closed, I met the actors, danced with Tugger and walked on the infamous stage of the Winter Garden. I’ve sat front row and been teased by cats, I’ve sat front row mez & watched the actors crawl along that narrow ledge, I’ve sat in the on-stage seats and had an actor scare the crap out of me by pouncing me from behind…and yes, I’ve even gone in costume & have the pictures to prove it. I had the dances memorized (still do in some parts)…and the songs, of course. I can tell you which version of which song from which country is best. Yes. Cats IS that much my favorite musical (much to my husband’s chagrin).

I could go on, but I won’t…because I said ten and ten is ten. 🙂

There are the musicals I’ve been in – Side Show (Love it, heard it’s being reimagined & am eager to see the results), The King & I (eh…I got gypped out of the lead by politics & it sort of sucks if you aren’t 1 of 3 characters), Two by Two (oh yes, yes…so much fun even though I had to sing the most difficult song ever a cappella)….and the hilarious show Sugar Babies (The Burlesque Musical…where I got to do a belly dance, oh yeah.).

All of those musicals hold a dear place in my heart…although they didn’t make my top ten, they are so worth the mention. I had a blast in community theater. It was an amazing year. 🙂

My Sweet Addiction

by Sarah | Jul 31, 2014 | All About Me, All of Us, Crap, Personal, Random, Redefining Perfect

I have an addiction.

I freely admit it.

On a regular basis.

I know I should quit.

I’ve come close so very many times.

But always it calls me back.

Fountain pop.

Specifically, Dr. Pepper.

I get 1…2…sometimes 3 a day.

When I have will power, I can back off to one a day.

But stopping hasn’t happened…

I blame it on my old allergies.

And current allergies.

Being forced to drink juice and/or Kool-aid all the time every day for years even to the point of eating my rice krispies with orange juice in place of milk–well, it makes you pretty much hate any and all juice and never want to drink it.

And then you can’t drink milk because of an allergy (to the protein, no-I’m not lactose intolerant, thank you…it’s an allergy)…

Your options are slim.

And I’m not a water girl.

(Although the husband is a water boy – even works for a water filtration/softener company)

So there is pop.

One day I will quit.

One day.

But not today.

~sips her pop as she hits publish~

Top Ten Tuesday – Retro Toys

by Sarah | Jul 29, 2014 | All About Me, Blogging Life, Redefining Perfect, Top Ten Tuesday

I guess you could say this list was a long time coming.

I’m often stuck in the past, reminiscing about how things were. It helps that a lot of my old toys are still around the ‘rents house, some were even used by my kids.

This time around I’m going with toys I actually owned & used myself. There were a fair amount I would have killed for (like My Little Pony’s) that I never got (and now lavish on my girls…seriously, they have SO MANY PONIES).

Anyway, onto that magic list of 10 Retro Toys I owned & adored.

Waterful Ring Toss. Yes, I know it’s horribly cheesy and simple, but I adored this game. I played it all the time at our cottage on lake Erie. Actually, we had two, but this is the one I remember clearly. The other was more of a maze. 🙂
The Tupperware playset. My aunt sold Tupperware and our house was filled with the stuff. I didn’t just have this playset (which I used in my Holly Hobby kitchen, thank you very much), I had the miniature cake holder (which I used with my easy bake oven, yes sir, I did).
PUFFALUMP!! My uncle worked for Fisher Price (talk about JACKPOT), so probably 85% of our toys were Fisher Price. I’ll admit to getting this gorgeous purple kitty before they were in stores (which was a rare treat…usually it was just at holidays/birthdays). I loved it almost as much as #4 here…
Cabbage Patch Dolls, of course. That one there was my first, and her name is Daisy and I still have her. The other 5 are gone now, but Daisy was my girl. The first. And she came with a story. Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE was begging for Cabbage Patch dolls, but all of the stores were sold out in Buffalo. Well, we happened to go on a hockey tournament to Toronto. Everyone was chilling in the hotel when one parent rushed in and hollered down the hall “They have Cabbage Patch at the Toys R Us!!” Mass exodus occured. ALL of the parents rushed from the hotel to go to the conveniently located toy store across the street to buy. And so Daisy showed up in her big yellow box in a hotel room in Toronto and I will never forget my excitement in that moment.
The Fisher Price doctor kit. I used this constantly. The syringe that looked like it filled and emptied by turning the knob. The stethoscope that you could actually heard your heartbeat with. Seriously, the pain wore off the crap we played with it so much.
Merlin. Does anyone else remember this? I had that exact version with just the spots that light up, not numbers. It kept me occupied for hours.
Spirograph. ‘Nuff said.
Lite Brite, of course. Didn’t we all have and love this one?
The Millennium Falcon. This sucker is still parked in my parents garage. The sounds haven’t worked in years…but I remember every inch of the thing, and playing with it all the time.
ATARI. Seriously. That is all. (Fav game – Pitfall, of course)

And that is it for this list. I’ll revisit retro toys and the giant wish list I had once upon a time. Of course, in this list I didn’t touch on my Barbie’s which were as dear to me as any of these toys…but they were as much present in my worls as my girls Barbie’s and Monster High Dolls!!

Speaking of which…next week I cover my favorite Monster High Dolls…(Hint-hint…Christmas is coming 😉 & I hold no shame about liking these as much as my girls and wanting some that are MINE, not theirs.)

Never Say Never

by Sarah | Jul 28, 2014 | All About Me, Redefining Perfect

9 years ago when Molly was born I left the banking industry.

I have said many times in the span of nine years – NEVER AGAIN.

There would never, ever be another day you would see me behind a teller window.

Well, you know what they say…

Never say never.

Because here I am again.

Sitting behind a teller window.

The hours are perfect (or will be when my schedule goes to what it’s supposed to be next month).

The pay is excellent (especially for PT).

And…it helps us breathe again, financially speaking.

We’re not rolling in the dough, but we can breathe.

The most surprising thing?

I don’t hate it.

With a maximum of 15 hours a week (and a likelihood of only 2 days/week tops in a couple of months)…I’m not there enough to hate it. I like the people I work with, and have worked with one of them before (I actually trained her in my old branch).

…

Now if only the kids would go back to school…maybe I’d get some of my other job done. You know, this writing gig…

Healing a Family – Pour Your Heart Out

by Sarah | Jul 9, 2014 | All About Family, All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Pour Your Heart Out, Redefining Perfect

My relationship with my family has had its ups and downs. In the most recent years its been strained, to say the least.

Two years ago(ish), I cut off all contact with my brother.

All of it.

No holidays. No visits. No phone calls.

I was done.

No nephew time (and I adore my nephews).

No sis-in-law time.

Because I was hurt. The hurt was inflicted during a time I was very scared, and so it was magnified into a great pain.

One I haven’t fully recovered from, mostly because it has not been dealt with. I haven’t told my brother why.

But several weeks ago a crisis arose.

My dad’s Parkinson’s took a left turn and the world sort of turned on its head for all of us.

It brought us all together again. My brother, my parents and I all sat under the same roof to deal with the situation and where to go next.

Sometimes it takes a crisis to get over your own stubbornness, your own pride, your own pain. In those moments, all of that is forgotten in the adrenaline rush, the fear, and the chaos. Those are the rough moments, but they’re also the moments of clarity. The moments when what’s really important comes out.

Suddenly we are talking. Phone calls are being made. Family outings are being planned.

We’re taking baby steps, and I still have to sit down with my brother and explain how the rift started, how I was hurt. Our lives have been too chaotic for a good heart-to-heart.

But we’re making pathways.

Moving forward.

I feel a long-taut string loosening. One I hadn’t realized was stretched so thin.

Maybe someday soon the family will be whole again.

*~*

Written for Things I can’t Say’s Pour Your Heart Out

I’m a Fake – Pour Your Heart Out

by Sarah | Jul 2, 2014 | All About Me, All of Us, Blogging Life, Crap, Personal, Pour Your Heart Out, Random, Redefining Perfect

I like to act like I have all the answers.

It’s better to be in the know.

But I’m a fake.

There’s so many minutes of every day that I’m lost.

I don’t know how to handle all of the things life has thrown at me lately. Sometimes the littlest thing sets me off in a tizzy and I’m gone for hours.

My mind eventually catches up to my panic and eases my internal panic, but in the interim I’m lost.

The past month has been overwhelming in a seemingly never-ending stream of issue upon issue. Most of which I have no answers for, no way to resolve in the real world in any matter of real time.

99% of the time I do my best not to show it (this past month has been an exception).

I’m a great actress in this respect. I’m great at the “fake it ’til you make it”.

When all I want to do is cry.

Scream.

Hide.

Crawl into a dark hole until the worst passes.

I wish I had all the answers. I work better with facts. Knowledge. They say knowledge is power, and in most ways it’s true. Unfortunately, too many of the current events are great unknowns.

What will happen with my dad’s Parkinson’s?

Will my sons CF issues crop up again this year?

Will my daughter’s erupt in a way they haven’t in years?

Did we make a mistake putting the middle on meds?

Will SSI resolve fast or do I have more fight ahead?

Will my new (old) job really help us out? Or hinder us in some way?

Too many questions and not enough answers.

If I could get some solid answers, maybe I’d be better off.

Until then, I’ll keep faking it until I make it, I guess.

*~*