What's A Little Change?

Change. It happens. And there is nothing you can do about it. You have no choice but to accept it. And that's easier said than done. I have never been a very big fan of change. In fact, just days ago I would have said that change is bad, but in the last 36 hours, I have learned that that is not the case. I have finally come to understand that, while change can be utterly gross, it is absolutely necessary. Change produces growth. Change builds character. Change strengthens who we are as individuals, and makes us better people. As I look back on the changes that have taken place in my life, and I remember the sadness, the fear, and the anger, I have no choice but to recognize that through it all, because of it all, I have come out better on the other side. We don't have to love change. We don't even have to like change. But we should at least take the time to appreciate change and all that it brings into our lives.

Compressed Air

So, my mom has discovered air...in a can, and has now taken to using it on EVERYTHING! The tv screen, bookshelves, bugs on the wall....everything. If you see dust, stand back, mom is coming in with the compressed air. What the crap? I tell you what I think is fun...the steam blaster on the iron. Now, that is good times. I had to iron my shirt for church this morning and I steam blasted that thing until the water ran dry. Mom made fun of me, but let's remind ourselves that she's the one who blows bugs with compressed air. Hello! So, alas, it is the simple things in life that amuse us. Who needs Broadway when you have air in a can and steam-blasting irons? Go figure.

WICKED

As some of you may know, I am a HUGE Wizard of Oz fan. I own several copies of the book, I have lots of memorobilia, and I even own the t-shirt. I am a HUGE WoO fan! So, naturally, when the Broadway show Wicked rolls into town, I am the first one in line to see it.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the storyline for Wicked, allow me to give you a brief synopsis. The musical is based on the novel by Gregory Maguire and it follows the story of the witches of Oz before Dorothy flies a house into it. It tells how Glinda the Good Witch became the good witch, and how Elphaba, the green one, became the Wicked Witch of the West. As if that weren't fascinating enough, it even delves into how the Tin Man became tin and the Scarecrow became a scarecrow. Trust me when I say that whether you read the book or see the musical, you will never look at the story of Dorothy and Toto the same!

Back to my story, I finally got to see Wicked for the first time this past Wednesday. My mom and aunt got me the ticket for my birthday and the three of us plus my sister an uncle all went and saw the magic that is Wicked. It was amazing! Glinda, previously known as "Galinda," is absolutely hilarious. She has such a bright and bubbly personality and is an absolute hoot! Elphaba, again the green one, is also funny in her own way. As you can imagine, growing up as the only green person anyone has ever seen, she has never had many friends and has, therefore, found her own way of looking at life. She has such a dry sense of humor, it was great to see her portrayed as a person versus a wicked witch. In addition, the "special effects" were amazing. There is one scene where Elphaba flies and it was both powerful and spellbinding. Another thing that I absolutely loved was how much of the movie they subtly have thrown into the dialog. It is truly remarkable how well everything from the concept of Wicked flows into the idea we have all know as the land of Oz. If you ever get the chance to see Wicked, you MUST take it! It is an unforgettable experience and I am absolutely serious that you will never look at the Wizard of Oz the same way again!

Thank you, thank you, thank you Mom and Aunt Tracy for taking me to see Wicked. I absolutely loved it and cannot wait for a chance to see it again!

Day Trip with the Siblings

Yesterday I took my brother and sister to Six Flags and we had a lot of fun. Well, 2 of us did. After getting there and riding about 3 rides, my sister was not only ready to go, but also informed me that Six Flags "was not her thing." Thanks for the heads up! However, she perservered and continued to be a good sport while Luke and me rode all the rides. It had actually been a while since I had been to a Six Flags, and I was very excited to ride all of the new roller coasters they had acquired since my last visit. Fortunately, the lines to most of the rides were not very long and so we got to ride a majority of the rides with very little wait. The Batman ride is awesome! We got off and I was ready to go on it again. Same for the Mindbender. The Georgia Scorcher was another story. It was fun but if I don't ever ride it again, I think I will live. However, the lines to the Goliath and the Superman roller coasters were quite long, and so we decided to forego those until next time. We were there for about 3-4 hours and we didn't get to ride half of what we would have liked, but it was getting hot and we were tired and hungry, so we decided to call it a day and head home. Overall, it was a good day, and I am thankful that I got to spend it with my brother and sister.

New Material

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I have decided that I need to find new reading material. Up until now I have read not only the same kinds of books, but also the same books. I have always stuck with Mary Higgins Clark books, and the Harry Potters, and, now, the Twilight series. However, I have been inspired to move up in the world and read something a little different. I mentioned earlier that I was going to start with the classics such as Shakespeare and Jane Austen, but I think that the first books on my new reading list will be two books by Gregory Maguire: "Wicked" and "Son of a Witch." These are the story of life in Oz before Dorothy, and then life in Oz after Dorothy. For those of you who don't know, I am a HUGE Wizard of Oz fan. I have seen the movie many times, I own many different editions of the book, and I collect memorabilia. So, when I learned about the musical and the books alike, (and I heard of them a while ago; I'm just now getting around to reading the books.) I absolutely could not wait to see the musical. So, the second week of October I will FINALLY get to see Wicked on Broadway and I am absolutely pumped! And, in order to prepare myself, I am getting ready to read the books on which the musical is based.

In addition, I was also excited to learn that Gregory Maguire has not only told the story of Oz in his own version, but he has also ventured into the land of old and written stories along the lines of Cinderella and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. So, once I am done with "Wicked" and "Son of a Witch," I think I will go on to read Maguire's own versions of these other fantastic stories. Of course, I will keep you posted!

Under the Weather

Being sick is just gross. I can't hear. I can't smell. I can't taste. I also can't breathe-which is my personal favorite-not to mention that my nose will probably fall off my face before this is all said and done. Life is just good all around for me right now while I battle this lovely head cold. However, my brother had this just the other day-that's who I got it from, the little poohead-and his only lasted 2 days, so I am hoping that that will be the case with me. I'm not really worried though, because my body has a rockin immune system and it usually knocks out these kinds of illnesses in 48-72 hours. Now, let's all just hope that I haven't jinxed myself and that my immune system won't fail me now!

Just A Bit Of Light Reading

I am about to finish reading the Harry Potter series for, oh, the 4th or 5th time and I have decided that the time has come for me to broaden my horizon. There are many great classics out there that I have never even bothered to pick, and I think that now is as good a time as any. I think I will start small with something familiar like Shakespeare, and then move on to others that I am less familar such as Wuthering Heights or Jane Austen. If any of you have a favorite classic that you would like to share or recommend, please let me know.