Mame!

So last night I had the distinct pleasure of seeing a play called Mame.

It was put on by local theatre house- Minneapolis Musical Theatre. I was blown away. I thought it was so well done, and the creativity and unique elements made the show really different. I knew very little about the production, so when I heard that a man was going to play the title character I was excited to learn more. Men performing in drag is nothing new for me (huh?), and it can easily be taken in a strange direction. This was NOT the case. The actor, Kevin Hansen was magical. His voice was top notch and his character was believable and fun. You immediately wanted to be friends with the character, Mame and I was beaming every time he... I mean SHE hit the stage.

My co-worker, Christian Unser played a southern gentleman... Beauregard Jackson Pickett Burnside. I was so excited to see him "in character" his accent, his jokes, the singing and dancing. I was really impressed by the whole play and all of the actors and musicians who made this show possible.

I like plays. I like the arts and seeing people who have full time jobs do this on the side. It's just amazing to me to see the amount of talent incorporated into a single production. This musical was very a funny, likeable adaptation. The story was one that any theatre-goer would latch on to. There was few dull moments, and all the characters were smart, witty, and generally well liked by the audience. 

I've been fortunate enough to catch a few MMT productions and I have never been let down. If you have the opportunity in the next few weeks to check out Mame, I would definitely recommend it. Warning, I am not a critic, but I do know goodness when I see it. 
Few quick plugs:

Who: MMT's  "Mame"

See It: Through June 27th

Where it's AT: Illusion Theatre, 528 Hennepin, Downtown Minneapolis
(Upstairs from the Lonetree)

Tickets: $28-$25

IMHO I think you should go check it out. Have a good weekend, folks.
Kelly

Love-Hate NBA

Kelly claims to be such a huge NBA fan but hasn't blogged about the NBA finals at all.  Here's the deal, I have a love hate relationship with the NBA. There I said it.

I have never been someone to listen to conspiracy theories of how David Stern waves his magic wand and the Lakers magically appear in the Finals. But seriously, I am sick of the politics and I have gone on record saying this before but... I don't like sports dynasty's.  I will almost always root for a underdog and I just hate seeing both the Lakers and the Celtics in the final. That being said, I hope the Celtics win. I like scrappy, I like players who all come to bleed on the court, and I like athletes who generally give a damn about their squad. And I just hate the Lakers. I have never been a fan, I think they are pathetic and I am still questioning how they got Pau Gasol for first round draft choices and gave up Kwame Brown and Javaris Crittenton. That is just amazing to me. Yes, I have been thinking about this for 2+ years.

I have caught a very limited amount of the Finals on TV. For the NBA fans out there, they are making it worthwhile. Some of the highlights show two teams that seem somewhat desperate to win a title. And Boston seems fed up with the hype that is the LA Lakers. I will say that Kobe Bryant is making a case of being the Finals MVP-- and will most likely win if the Lakers turn this thing around and force a game 7, Boston is a little bit more tricky. I say it will be Paul Pierce again. He hasn't had the cleanest games or even been a high scorer but he has been effective on both sides of the ball. Pau Gasol has been a game-changer when Kobe hasn't shown up in the 2nd half.

Okay ENOUGH. I am over the Finals, and will watch NBA basketball when Dirk plays Summer League. I love you DIRK!

xoxo,
Kelly

Sound Senses

What is the SOUND you most like to hear?
This is really weird, but I was just thinking about the sounds I love to hear. And one of them is: children laughing/giggling/singing.
Just had an awful thought if this is my biological clock ticking loudly. Barf. And no, I am not talking about children singing Kid Bopz at the top of their lungs. When little girls make up songs when they are playing or they are humming, its the sweetest sound you will ever hear. Or when kids are genuinely laughing at something that made them laugh, its so endearing.

Worthy Others:

Ocean Waves

When a Golf Ball is being hit really hard

Tiny Sneezes

Frogs and Crickets (I should say that if a Frog and or a Cricket were in my presence I would shriek and soil myself but hearing them from afar is just splendid)

Classical Music

Am I missing anything?

Kelly

i'm BACK!

i know... i know.. i have fallen off the blog train. And I sincerely apologize to my 13 readers. :) HA HA just kidding. But really, I have been so overwhelmed by the move, work, other stuff, that I have really stopped blogging all together. Many apologies.

The move was incredible. I have some of the best people in the world in my inner circle of friends. They helped out immensely and -- I am so thankful to have them in my lives. Right now the unpacking is causing me to go crazy. I need a professional organizer to work on my mounds of clothes and shoes. I have started to purge though!! Getting rid of clothes I haven't worn since my days in St. Cloud. Yeah. That OLD.

What has been keeping me busy?
Besides the move? Hendrix. He is adjusting slowly to the new digs. Barks like crazy at the neighbors who have all been really sweet. I am taking him on walks to make him familiar with the 'hood. I think he likes it so far. Work has been very busy. The start of the Summer leads to a lot of events, and even more segments for TCL. I like the pace and during the summer I feel like stories are easier to come by. I created a new series and the excitement about it has been AWESOME. I love it. I will tell you more soon.

Domestic Life: Sucks. I bought a brand new lawn-mower from Menard's, I figured I would need one and I need to learn how to tackle daily chores of being a homeowner. I unpacked it, put it together, and added gas and pulled the cord thingee. I finally started it on the 4th try and it worked for about 80 seconds. Then I tried pulling the cord and it would only pull out like 9 inches. And I tried everything to make it pull out more. Didn't work. Sooo I have a brand new broken lawn mower and long grass. It really sucks. I should have just paid someone to cut the damn grass, but I wanted to do it myself. So -- the next job is to find someone to fix said lawnmower. Oh-- and DON'T BUY from Menard's -- Once you put gas into a mower you buy there, no matter how soon you bought it, they will not return it. So I am just stuck with it. I am really upset. Ugh!!!!

This is kind of a hodge-podge of thoughts and ideas so sorry if I am all over the place. I promise to write more regularly. Promise!!

Hugs!
Kel

Kelly Belly

Which one of us is pregnant anyway?  I have never been a hypochondriac but I really think I have this syndrome. It’s called: Couvade syndrome, basically it is when the husband or partner of an expectant mother experiences some of the same symptoms and behavior as the mother. The behavior I have taken up is over-eating and emotional eating. I believe I have gained more baby weight than my prego roommate. How is this possible?? And to be technical, I am not really the “partner” of my pregnant roommate… She has a husband, and I have yet to notice him gain weight. I could also have weird hormone levels, morning nausea, and disturbed sleep patterns. None of these things have occurred, but I sure feel more fluffy around my dreaded mid-section.
As my roommate gains weight with her tiny and adorable baby bump, I am also gaining a bit of a bump. But, my bump will not be a bundle of joy. I am hoping to ditch the round midsection sooner than later.
Okay…to be fair I am not necessarily out of shape, but as the weather has become seasonally warmer I have noticed that my body looks a little bit different. I am a pretty slender person but something seems a bit more round around the middle. Does everyone notice a difference when the spring arrives?
Well, in an effort to be somewhat prepared for even warmer weather I have been going on walks every evening with Hendrix. This has made him very happy and me very happy, too.
Tonight I walked around Lake Nokomis with Tiffany and the pup. It has been so gorgeous outside. I have to take advantage. I have a new process…before I even think about it; I lace up my sneakers and throw on my black gym shorts and jet outside. If I even ponder my next step…I will talk myself out of going. Yesterday I walked around my neighborhood with my Zune turned up so loud, and I even jogged. Hendrix likes to stop and smell quite a bit so it allowed for a very easy pace. And he was so tired he even let a few small children pet him. Boy that was a break-through.
I hope to lose this baby weight soon. I would hate for anyone to approach me and ask me when I am due. *smile*


xoxo Kels

OT: & I apologize in advance for talking about my weight. I know how annoying it can be. Cheers to HEALTH!

Fascination with Craigslist

Most of you know that i am planning a big move! i really can't wait. We are still about 3 weeks away from closing and then the real fun begins. Lately I have been on a big Craigslist kick. Searching for new and curious items to fill my house.


One thing that has become painfully apparent, I don't have too many possessions. I have moved all around the country for my various reporting/anchoring jobs and then when I moved overseas I got rid of pretty much everything! So I have to build up my worldly possessions. Anywho... I have been cruising CL for everything from a console table to a bench to mediocre things like I really want a birdcage, and a neat old school coat rack.

I just have one bone to pick. People who sell their items grossly overpriced. Really? I mean, really?? You cannot price your items for the exact same price you purchased it at... like 7 years ago! I am not much of a haggler but when I see a chair that was popular during the Reagan era for sale for over $100.00 I am mortified. Who has the guts to take pictures of these horrendous items and straight up expect to get what you are asking for? It's simply embarrassing.
Here is some of my helpful advice:

Examine the photos on the ad with a fine tooth comb. look at it, and keep looking, and then look again. Find the flaws and ask the seller about them. Usually they are honest, but you don't want a SURPRISE when you arrive to pick up your supposedly "gently used couch"

Look for a reasonable price. Just because the buyer bought it at "Crate and Barrel", "West Elm", or "Room & Board" doesn't mean you have to pay top dollar for it.

Utilize the SEARCH function. If I am looking for a higher end item I will just search for the specific brand. It makes wading through the crappy furniture almost bearable.

Keep an eye out for the desperate seller. It sounds sad that you are preying on people that need to get rid of their stuff but when people are moving, in a bad situation, or need a quick buck you can get some really great stuff. 

Happy Shopping!

ps, here is a sampling of what I found...

Cool piece of furniture not for 899.00

One Man's Trash....

Well used Chaise lounge. 500 bucks?

Awkward

i stumbled across this quote. It made me momentarily happy   xoxo kelly

"awkward is: beautiful/sublime self-deprecation/moments of complete truths/subconscious bravery/where falsities fall away/fun wrapped in situ/ awkward is: human."