Whatever You Do...Don't Go to the Bathroom

After a characteristically long gap, I am now back on the blog! Did ya miss me?

And boy do I have a story for you. Shane and I had a lovely date night scheduled last night - we planned to go out to dinner at the new-ish Japanese noodle place on Pratt Street called Tanuki and see the show THWAK! at Hartford Stage.


Everything was going along very smoothly and we were having a lovely time. The noodle place was fun and the food was good. We also had one of my FAVORITE desserts there. It's called mochi ice cream and at Tanuki they serve it creme brule style with caramelized sugar on top. It's hard to explain and, in all honesty, I like regular mochi ice cream better...but it was still very good!

So then we headed over to the theater for the show. We didn't know where our seats were (don't ask) so when an usher guided us to the cabaret style seating right in front of the stage...and then to the table that was smack dab in the middle of the first row...well, needless to say, we were very surprised. A little while after we got there a very nice couple joined us at our table and we made small talk and sipped drinks while we waited for the 90 minute, intermissionless show to start.

I think you may see where this is going...

A little over 3/4 of the way through the show I noticed Shane had stopped laughing...which was odd because the show was very funny (you should really watch the clips on the Hartford Stage's website...the show is there until August 2!!! ::shameless plug on behalf of my Greater Hartford arts comrades::). I turned to look at him to see if something was wrong and he had a very concerned look on his face. I asked him if something was wrong and he whispered to me the three most dreaded words one could possibly udder while being seated in the front row, dead center, at an intermissionless show..."I have to pee."

Now one might think, "What's the big deal? Just get up and go to the bathroom." Under normal circumstances, even though it's somewhat gauche, this is acceptable. But we knew better. Earlier in the show a woman who was also seated near the front of the cabaret area got up to use the restroom. IMMEDIATELY one of the actors began screaming, "GET OUT!!!! GET OUUUTTT!!!!" and the two launched into merciless taunting (much in the same way stand-up comedians do if you get up in the middle of a show...this show had a similar feel to something like that). It was very funny....but it also made you think "thank GOD that wasn't me!"

So now fast forward to Shane's predicament. He has to use the men's room and we're not sure how much longer the show is. Like a trooper, he tried to stick it out for as long as he possibly could. But just when I saw beads of sweat forming on his brow and a look on his face that made me think he was going to be sick he said "That's it...I'm not gonna make it," got up and walked out. He received some mild taunting but when he didn't respond one of the actors just said, "he doesn't give a shit, does he?" So true...so true. ;)

About 5 minutes later the show was over. Damn. But no matter...we both agreed we had a wonderful time in spite of the jeering.

So the moral of the story? If you're going to see a 90 minute, intermissionless comedy-type show...go potty before it starts or you may just get some unwanted attention.

The Little Things

I promise this story has a point...bear with me.

As many people know, Shane and I have been doing our best NOT to buy lunch at work every day. And we've been doing a pretty good job! For at least a few weeks we've been making each other peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day and saving our pennies as best we can. But as time went on those peanut butter and jelly sandwiches got so old I could barely stomach them anymore. Using chunky peanut butter helped change things up a bit for a little while...but soon I wanted to gag when I even THOUGHT about a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

So we decided to make a change once again and bought some cold cuts and cheese last night. I made a couple sandwiches and brought them into work for us.

My God. I swear to you it tasted like the best sandwich I've ever eaten in my entire life. It had been so long since I had cold cuts straight from the deli...not from Subway or Quiznos or Blimpie. And we got rolls instead of regular bread...mmmmm. When I was done with it I wished it wasn't over.

It just goes to show what a deep appreciation one develops for the little things in life when one is deprived of those things. Ever since I've really buckled down...like really REALLY...and started desperately trying to save money so that I don't go completely broke my appreciation for so many things has deepened. Anything new...new clothes, shoes, or whatever. I rarely go shopping now so when I do, it's like a special treat. Money itself...when I'm able to get a deal on something and not spend so much money it's like a huge victory. And of course...lunch meat.

*Picture borrowed from the Internets. Thank you, Internets.*

Glorious. I am oh so grateful for those little things in life. They bring me such joy.

I Will Try to Fix You

When you try your best, but you don't succeed
When you get what you want, but not what you need
When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep
Stuck in reverse

And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can't replace
When you love someone, but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace
Tears stream down your face
And I...

Tears stream down on your face
I promise you I will learn from my mistakes
Tears stream down your face
And I...

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

~ Coldplay, "Fix You"~

Today I went to my mom's house to pick up some things I'd left there and gradually try to chip away at the clutter that accumulated in my bedroom there over the better portion of my life. When I was there I came across some letters from an old friend that I'd received in my early teen years and I became completely overwhelmed with a feeling of time passed...in that moment I remembered so clearly the person that I was then and how dramatically different I am now. It blows my mind.

It made me think of all the beautiful and painful things that have formed who I am today...all the things I thought I'd never let go of or never get over that, in time, I was indeed able to leave in my past and move on to a surely better and brighter future.

And as I was listening to the song mentioned above while I drove home I felt sort of a bursting in my heart that I can't quite explain. I felt a new resolution to continue to grow from the mistakes of my more recent past and allow those mistakes to, in fact, be in the past and not so much a part of the present. Each passing moment presents the opportunity to embrace life in a new and different way...shaking free the weight on my shoulders that I choose to carry around, if only for the moment, and then choosing to take a route of optimism and growth. Yea, sure...adolescence is a time of dramatic change and development...but for me at least, I don't think it ever stopped. Self discovery continues on.

That was my 4th of July weekend epiphany. A little sunshine can do WONDERS for the optimist in me. :)