Day 178-A Christmas Story (Musical) –stories and traditions

Photo by Jesse Scheve

When I heard that the 1983 film, “A Christmas Story”  was adapted  into a musical, I thought that it would be a great way to kick off the holiday season with my son.  It’s a tradition for us every year to watch the movie that takes place on Cleveland Street in Indiana in the l940’s. We laugh over and over again at  Ralphie’s  quest  to get a Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot BB gun for Christmas!  The holiday movie, "A Christmas Story” is so appealing to the masses and we never get tired of watching it over and over again because it  fuels our memories of  our own holiday stories. We all can remember a time when we worried that all the “bad stuff" done that year would keep Santa from giving us that one special, must have, childhood toy. My coveted toy was a Barbie convertible.

Day 177 Joe Beretta Foundation-Story of Family-Giving Thanks

I have seen many of my friends use an unexpected adverse experience to  catapult them into some type of positive action (see Day 60- Skully's Wish, Day 28-Support A Friend, Alzheimer's, Day 57-Ovarian Cancer).  We  participate in various causes because we are affected personally, because of friendship, or because the story behind the action makes us want to help. It’s the story behind  my childhood best friend’s loss of her husband to heart failure and her family’s  amazing dream to make things better for others in similar situations,  that fuels my desire to help and share the cause of the Joe Beretta Foundation. (see TheJoeBerettaFoundation.com) 

Day 176 Try Running/Never Thought I Would

The days are getting shorter and it’s a race to get some activity in before the sun sets. Jogging gives you a work out in a short period of time.  I have to admit that I hate to run and I  would do anything to avoid any type of running.  I would joke that  I would be the first one in a group to be eaten by a bear because I am so slow.  

I never  thought that  I would even attempt to run  at my age, especially because I need to save my knees for skiing. However, I was inspired by my college friend who finished the Boston half marathon. She also hated to run and her efforts fueled a  competitive nerve that I did not think I even had. I thought that  if my friend can master a marathon than I can at least try to run a 5k. Conquering a weakness is a quality of a being self- actualized or  reaching  your  personal best, so  I started to jog.

Day 175 Red Hot Chili Pipers- A Bagpipe concert?

This empty nest period has been filled with an explosion of new music experiences ranging from  Jazz (Day 15), banjos (Day 54), alternative Rock (Day 137),  to Rap (Day 170 ).   However, I did not expect my new music exposure to  include a  bagpipe concert!  I must admit that I never imagined  listening to  bagpipes without attending a St. Patty’s Day celebration, some type of memorial, or watching clog dancing, until I heard The Red Hot Chili Pipers, (not peppers but pipers).

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!