Good Stuff/Bad Stuff

First the good - Last night was so much fun! But then an evening with the little girls always is. Can I still call them that? They're 14 so probably not. Anyway we had a great dinner and the show was awesome.

I have to confess I never saw the movie version of Footloose. For some reason I really didn't like Kevin Bacon at all back then and I wasn't into dancing so I skipped it. Never got around to it even though Kevin's grown on me. Riley however, has and in her opinion it's much better as a musical. Go see it if you have the chance. It's long but worth it.

Now the bad - My car. Remember when I was a good girl and went off and had the oil changed? A few days after that I noticed some oil on the street. It took a little while but I determined it was coming from my car. I called and was told to bring it back, perhaps the filter is defective. So at 5:45 this morning I scooted off to the garage.

I got to be there today when the mechanic put it up on the lift. Normally I have to wait in the waiting room but it was just the two of us so he let me in the garage with him. Actually it was because we got there at the same time and he hadn't even turned all the lights on before he pulled my car inside. Up it went and instantly he started shaking his head. Nope, not the filter. Or the drain plug. He suspects it may be the head gasket. Since it's a Saab you can't really tell without taking the top of the engine apart. If that's the cause, I'm well and truly screwed here. It'll cost more to fix than a) I paid for the car and b) the car is worth.

I have an appointment for next week, just in case it's the breather valve thingy malfunctioning. That's fairly cheap and easy so it's worth checking. In the mean time I am to drive as little as possible and always carry oil to add frequently as the leak will continue to get worse.


Yep, life really sucks some days with how it can go from fun to depressing in a flash.

Stomp!

Eva May and I, along with Riley and her daughter, had a girls' night out Tuesday. We started with dinner and then went to see a travelling company of Stomp. Have you seen it? If not, you sure are missing something truly fun.

The show was almost two full hours of non-stop energy. Eight performers who created incredible rhythms out of average items you'd literally find on the street, from push brooms, to paper and plastic bags, to rubber hoses, inner tubes, trash cans, paint cans, road signs, plastic water bottles, wooden sticks, newspapers, their own bodies, even the kitchen sink, they used everything.

And don't think they just stood there and beat on these things. No, they were in continual motion the entire show. You really should see how these people can stomp their feet, tap dance, snap their fingers, clap their hands, twirl around in mid-air, click their six-foot long sticks together, smash trash can lids against the person next to them, toss paint cans and plastic jugs in the air all while continuing to drum, not missing a beat or dropping anything or hitting anyone or themselves. Seriously, go see it. If I didn't have edits to do tonight, I'd go back again. It was that good.

If that doesn't have you convinced, it's also funny. There's absolutely no talking but the facial expressions are a riot. There is one character who is the scapegoat for all the skits though I'm not sure that's the appropriate word. He's the one who cleans up when the sinks splash water and catches the paint cans at the end of that segment after not being permitted to join in and has the small, wimpy section of rubber hose as opposed to the big, manly hose. Yes, they do hold them up and compare. There's lots of little things like that throughout the whole show.

On top of that, it's interactive. We, the audience had our assigned clapping to do too at various times throughout. At the end they attempted to teach us some more involved rhythms. Eva May was much better at it than I was because she's more coordinated but we had fun laughing at me. I didn't feel bad. Lots of other people there couldn't do it either.

Ever Have a Pear Martini?

I just did. Incredibly sweet but not to be avoided.

My friend, Neeley - you'll be hearing lots more about her in time, is home from med school for a few days. I joined her, her sister who is also on spring break, their mom, and another friend for a girls' night out.

Great food, yummy shared desserts, posh drinks and awesome company. What more could you ask for?