Day 174-Salome, Pittsburgh Opera-regretful lust

When I ask most of my friends to go to the opera I often get a polite, “no thank you. ”   I would like to point out that  opera is all about the overall experience and this blog is about the overall experience of trying new things  especially in the midst of a life change (see Day 143).   I say go for the hyped up  experience of the opera with the symphony, singing, dancing, extravagant sets, costumes, and drama.

 You really don’t have to follow every detail of the story to understand what the show is trying to convey.  Pittsburgh Opera's   Salome,  is all about uncontrolled lust and desire fueling one to behave in an unusual or in a bizarre manner.  We all have performed  regretful acts birthed from something that we think that we need or must have!

The New 2017 Scarehouse and Day 173 Scarehouse-Happy Halloween

During Halloween weekend,  I  experienced the adrenaline thrill of  fear  again at the ScareHouse.  As a girl who sleeps with the lights on after watching a scary movie, I had to invite someone for a  sleepover after I experience these 3 ScareHouse  haunts!

There is a new Sunset Lodge which is a old hotel that  has been  taken over by serial killers. The hotel was just like a horror film movie set. The ScareHouse  room details continue to amaze me and the 70 plus actors always seem to stay in character.

There was  a new  3-D circus themed haunt with some really scary looking clowns. This was my favorite group of rooms. I laughed at myself as I jumped, when turning back from  looking at my friends behind me, I came face to face with a clown with a scary huge grin. In  3-D it protruded out as if to bite me!

The Infernal Haunt with  more demons and scary dolls always seems to produce that feeling of "get me out of here"! There is something  about those big eyed dolls that just creeps me out.

I am not sure why we enjoy the thrill of a little fright but ScarehHouse did it again! I am still not ready for the basement experience.

Happy Halloween. 

Day 173 Scarehouse-Happy Halloween

 I am a girl who sleeps with the lights on after  watching a scary movie and who turns her head during horror movie  TV clips. I must  be getting brave  in this empty nest period because this was my third annual Scarehouse visit. I wondered if this place would still give me that scare thrill. In case it did, I had friends join me for support this time.

He moved! Foggy

Reflection

I  wonder why we enjoy  that heart flutter adrenaline spark  when something unexpectedly jumps at us or when  the presumed mannequin is real and  moves toward you. I guess there is a dopamine rush that keeps us coming back for more.

Day 172 Colbie Caillat-Carnegie Music Hall in Homestead/ Personal touch/ Malibu

 I first saw Colbie Caillat on the Today Show  over  10 years ago. She was playing her first solo hit single, “Bubbly.”  I loved her pop/jazz/soft sound and I ran out and  got her  first CD, CoCo .  I still love every song on that CD.  I was surprised to see that she was coming to a small venue, the Carnegie Music Hall  in Homestead. Even on a week night, I was off to rediscover her  and check out this music venue.  What I discovered was great music delivered with a personal touch.



Day 171 PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh/Finding Neverland-imagination

 

My Blog inspiration book, “Everything I Need to Know I Learned From a Little Golden Book,” reminds us to, “use our imagination.” That is just what playwright,  JW Barrie, did when he embarked on his journey  to create the story, Peter Pan.  The PNC Broadway in Pittsburgh musical, Finding  Neverland, is  about this journey. This is not just a play for children, but is really a play about  tapping into something inside each  of us  that inspires us to imagine, dream,  and be childlike.  

Day 170 Rapper Kuf Knots-Positive Light

Kuf Knots at the Pittsburgh Winey with Multu

 I thought that I would be the  last person on the planet to ever  listen to Rap music. However, I got hooked on this guy Kuf Knotz because of his positive message when I experienced his music  at the Pittsburgh Winery (see blog Day 169).  According to my blog inspiration psychologist,  Maslow, viewing the world in a positive light is a  characteristic of a person who is Self- Actualized or who has reached their personal best.  Rapper Kuf Knot’s  new  CD,  A Positive Light  is filled with  inspiration and  positive energy. This is what most of us need as we  navigate through  life.

Day 169 Pittsburgh Winery/romantic, interesting music and wine-Mutlu

Pittsburgh Winery stage

My blog inspiration book, Everything I Need to Know I Learned From A Little Golden Book, reminds us to, “be adventurous”.  I felt adventurous when I tried,  the  Pittsburgh Winery, which is an urban winery located Pittsburgh's strip district.  Urban wineries do not grow grapes but import them. Thus they have  a variety  of grapes  to make the wine.   The Pittsburgh Winery  offers an opportunity to sample good  wine, and hear national artists  in an intimate setting.  

Day 168 Pittsburgh Broadway, Kinky Boots – Change your world and Remembering my Friend

The Pittsburgh Broadway series is bringing some great  musicals to town. Kinky Boots, which is based on a true story,  had a unique plot-Charlie revitalizes  his late father’s bankrupt shoe  factory by finding a niche making sexy boots for men who dress as women. Kinky boots was about confidently reinventing  something which is in line with my blog  inspiration, Maslow, the father of self actualization , or being your personal best.  This show was also about acceptance and  looking beyond appearances into one's heart.  As stressed in this play, by doing this you can "change your world. "

 Maybe it’s my  current  perspective (see Day 167) but every song in this show seemed to be screaming at me: Take What You Got, Sex is in the Heel , History of Wrong Guys, and of course, What a Woman Wants .  I have to admit that my eyes welled with tears during, Not My Father's Son, and Raise You Up/Just Be. I  remembered my best friend, Paul, who left this world much too soon. He dared to be himself when it was so difficult in the 80's. He sure sparkled just like those Kinky Boots!

167 Off Balance-Try a Unicycle

No hands

From Everything I Need...

 

This blog has  always  been  about  moving forward after  life changes by trying new things. I believe  that  moving forward is a way to find  a  path to being  our personal  best  or as the theorist  Maslow would say, becoming self- actualized. My childhood best  friend  recently  advised  so well,  “Cindy, you can’t really move forward when you’re off balance.” Many things in life can get  you off balance.   As one of my blog inspiration books, Everything I Need to Know About Love, I Learned From A Little Golden Book,  states,  "a  broken (relationship) ..can leave you flat on your back.”  A few months ago,  an unexpected event put a  hatchet to my relationship, my son went back to college and  a close family member had to fight a serious  illness. So yes, I was a bit off balance but once I found some balance again, moving  forward  is refreshing because of my new perspective, goals, and  chance to start "better".    

Day 166 Trip with Mom-Bradenton Florida

Two years ago, right after starting this blog, I took my mother to the beach with my cousin. Before that, it had been over 10 years since I had a trip  with my mother.   I always traveled with my son, a significant other, or friends. When my mother would  ask about  going on vacation together,  I was busy with life and just like in the  song  Cat's In The Cradled, responded :

"I don't know when
But we'll get together then
You know we'll have a good time then."

In this empty nest period even though you're still a parent to your child, it's like retirement  because your child is now an adult and busy with his/her  life. My mother turned 80 this year! It’s time to try a new kind of vacation, one with my mother.   

Day 165 Dali Museum/St Petersburg, Florida

Daddy Long Legs Evening Hope

Enjoying art has always been a passion of mine. I have explored this more fully during my empty nest period (Day 14-Absorb Art Degas, and Day 86-Art Institute of Chicago). When I heard that there was a  Salvador Dali   museum in St. Petersburg, I packed up my beach chair and I was on my way. 

Day 164 Happy 4th of July/Riverhounds- Pittsburgh soccer

I watched the World Cup a few years ago when the US was a contender but I have never been to  a professional or semi- professional soccer game.  I have been trying sports events in this empty nest period (see Day-91 Penguins, Day-95 Steelers, Day 11- Spring Training Baseball). Therefore, on  the  4^th of  July, I thought that  going to a  Riverhounds  game  would be a good way to enjoy the holiday  and watch the fireworks since the  stadium is located along the river with a perfect view of the city.