"Doing lunch" with legends

Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about three years, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.

We will be posting bi-weekly as life keeps getting in the way.

This week, Darwin Shrugged chose the topic: Write about two people with whom you would love to sit down and have a meal. One must be living, and one must not. To make it easier, do not write about any family members.

First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic. I will be only posting links to posts on this same topic from my group. So check back if you were hoping to read their blogs and don't see a link yet.
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m [only just a little] fixated on Lin-Manuel Miranda. However, this started long before Hamilton came about. I first heard of him in 2008, when In the Heights came to Broadway and I couldn’t stop listening to the music. I was all excited to see him on the cover of a magazine on our Amtrak trip that fall. I didn’t get to see him in In the Heights, but it was still an amazing show and I was so blown away (“Blow us all away…”) by his music and script writing talent. (Side note, as I’m writing this, “Breathe” from ITH just came on Spotify. Darwin Shrugged is probably snickering right now. Of course, the title of the song is something I would not be able to do in Lin's presence!)

So when this topic came up, I immediately thought of Lin to be the living person with whom I’d want to dine. Heck, I’d be happy just to have a quick cup of coffee (café con leche, perhaps) or tea, in my case, with him. And along with that, the dead person I’d want “In the Room” with us is none other than Jonathan Larson, who is one of Lin’s incredible inspirations. Again, if you know me, you’ll know that Jonathan is the creator of Rent. Unfortunately, he died way too young (younger than I am now) 20 years ago, on the night before Rent was supposed to open off-Broadway. He made something truly amazing and was not around to see it, bask in the "[One Song:] Glory," or receive his much deserved Tony award. Social media wasn’t prevalent back then, so he didn’t miss the accolades on that end.

I’d love for Jonathan to come back to life (or perhaps as a ghost) for this opportunity to be surrounded by greatness. Once I am able to speak in coherent sentences, I’d want to ask both Jonathan and Lin what it was like to write such legendary musicals that have such a huge fan-base. I’d want to know about the highs and lows of the experience. What it was like to work with the talented actors in their shows. Why they chose to focus on certain aspects. What their favorite song is. So many things to ask in such little time!

After the meal, Lin would treat both Jonathan and me to a private performance of Hamilton. (A girl can dream!) Then we’d all head to Marie’s Crisis Café (can you tell that I love going there after only one visit?!?) for a late night sing-along to just songs from both their musicals.

"Hey, what a way to spend a day!"

In relation to this special experience, here are some fun treats.

A recent video of the “Schuyler Sisters” (Renée Elise Goldsberry, Lexi Lawson, and Jasmine Cephas Jones) performing “Out Tonight” from Rent:



A video from a while back of Lin, Karen Olivo (Vanessa from the Original Broadway Cast of In the Heights) and Leslie Odom, Jr. (Aaron Burr, sir) performing scenes from Tick…Tick…Boom:



Okieriete Onaodowan "Oak" (Mulligan/Madison) performing "Over the Moon":



Finally, my dream Rent cast starring actors from Hamilton:
Mimi: Jasmine Cephas Jones or Lexi Lawson
Roger: Lin (obviously!!!)
Mark: Jonathan Groff
Benny: Leslie Odom, Jr. or Christopher Jackson
Joanne: Renée Elise Goldsberry
Maureen: Phillipa Soo or Mandy Gonzalez
Collins: Daveed Diggs or Okieriete Onaodowan
Angel: Anthony Ramos

The show I'm "crazy" about

I started watching Crazy Ex-Girlfriend at the beginning of this month and was immediately hooked. Not only is it funny with a chick-flick feel, but it also has musical numbers. Rebecca (played by Rachel Bloom) is easy to relate to, whether or not you’ve done something drastic for love. Some things that have come up in her life have definitely struck a nerve. Not to mention that Rachel Bloom is my new girl crush, given that she’s cute, funny, and can sing really well. I can also relate to Paula, a mom who is looking for something interesting to do outside her home and finds that by investing way too much into Rebecca's quest to be with Josh. And of course, I adore Greg. He's like my replacement for Danny Castellano (from The Mindy Project), yet he is eerily similar to him. He's played by Santino Fontana, who also reminds me a bit of Christian Campbell, and who did the voice of this guy (so we know he can sing really well):

The character I both love to hate and hate to love is, of course, Valencia. Like when she's nice, she's so awesome and I would totally want to hang with her. When she's mean, watch out for the claws. She really knows how to go for the jugular. Then there are times when I really feel sorry for her. In second place for both categories is Naomi, Rebecca's mom. She can be totally overbearing and shallow, but other times she's proven herself to be caring and loving. Josh is a mixed bag too. I want to like him because Rebecca does, but it's hard to with Greg being a potential option. I like Josh best when he stands up for himself.

Finally, I really like Heather. She sounds so vapid, but she has a good heart underneath her "what do you want from me, I'm just a student" attitude.

I love how quirky the show is, even without trying too hard. It's just so naturally funny when done the right way. (Some of it reminds me of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, but unlike season two of that show, this series is actually hilarious and I hope it has similar humor in season two.) Like at the end of each episode, there's something funny based on something that was said or that happened during the episode.

And, of course, there is the music. The songs are so funny and done in different musical styles. The theme song is catchy and reminds me of the one from The Nanny, especially since they have all the animation. I love that she tells the sun that "the situation is a lot more nuanced." I also love the way she says "West Covina, California."

Now that I’m finished with season one, I’m already going through withdrawal until season two starts next month. I'm sharing my favorite episodes and songs. There are spoilers, so don't read any further until you've watched the season in its entirety and can come back to see if you agree.


Here are my favorite episodes from the season (may contain SPOILERS):

Episode 4-I'm Going on a Date with Josh's Friend!: Because, well, Greg! I did enjoy the moment he and Rebecca had before she went and messed everything up.

Episode 8-My Mom, Greg's Mom and Josh's Sweet Dance Moves!:Paula as a British Jew, Naomi's song, Heather getting Greg to see that he's wrong about his mom and then kissing him and quitting her job on the spot, what Naomi thought Rebecca gave her as a gift, etc.

Episode 10-I'm Back at Camp with Josh!: Just a really cute episode. I loved the girls giving Rebecca a pep talk. I also like that Josh stood up to Valencia at the end.

Episode 11-That Text Was Not Meant for Josh!: The text situation itself (sooooooo mortifying); Paula and Scott bonding over Rebecca's love life, which included them talking out the theme song.

Episode 13-Josh and I Go to Los Angeles!: JAP Battle, Les Miz style song, B.J. Novak cameo, Greg realizing he really does like Rebecca, heightened drama at the end, Valencia getting shut down.

Episode 16-Josh's Sister Is Getting Married!: The ending was well worth it. Lots of cute and funny moments. I love how Greg had more face time this episode. It was cute how he helped Marty try to woo the girl at the store and how he learned something about himself in the process.

Episode 17-Why Is Josh in a Bad Mood?: Living vicariously through Rebecca's "relationship" with Greg. So many funny moments too.

Episode 18-Paula Needs to Get Over Josh!: Lea Salonga! Paula's Gypsy style song! feeling angry with and sad for Greg at the same time. The "crazy" ending.

Favorite songs (may contain SPOILERS):

In no particular order, other than alphabetical. I'm too lazy to link a video to each song, but they're all here. Just for fun, here's a ranking of all the songs.

"After Everything I Have Done For You": This Mama Rose number was perfect for Paula and she did it so well.

"Face Your Fears": Paula sings it really well and I love the background chorus

"Flooded with Justice": Definitely inspired by Les Miz and I love it for that reason.

"Getting Bi": Has a fun 80s feel and the words are so funny. I love how Daryl felt he needed to out himself at a work meeting.

"Group Hang": Fun song with a salsa feel. I love how she's questioning the authenticity of the restaurant.

"I Gave You a UTI": So funny and upbeat. *And Greg sings it! He's so cute how he sings it too.

"I Have Friends": Reminds me of something from Teen Witch. I love how people describe themselves instead of using names. I also love the duet with her younger self.

"I'm The Villain in My Own Story": Clever song and fun video to go along with it. Has a Disney feel.

"JAP Battle": Best line "Sheket b'vaka shut the hell up." I also love that this song was inspired by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

"Oh My God I Think I Like You": I like how Rebecca is realizing her feelings for Greg and it also has an 80s feel.

"One Indescribable Instant": Reminds me of Enchanted. 

"Put Yourself First": Fun girl power song, even though the message isn't totally clear.

"Settle For Me": Reminds me of the Big Band era music. Plus *Greg is singing it! The music video for it is cute.

"Textmergency": Has an 80s big hair band feel. I love how they're arguing about what the situation should be called. I like "textastrophe" better.

"West Covina": Has a Broadway opening number feel to it.

"What'll It Be": Sounds like "Piano Man" at first but then is all passionate and intense. And it's *Greg singing!

"Where's The Bathroom?": Tova Feldshuh is hilarious with this song. It's the ultimate nagging Jewish mother song. It reminds me of this thing I wrote in HS when I listed everything my mom would say to me all the time. (She saw it and said "you were listening!")

"Women Gotta Stick Together": This is a funny country-style song, regardless of the fact that Valencia sings it. I love how she's insulting everyone but they are all following her anyway.

"You Stupid B*tch": This self-berating ballad is so perfect for the show and I love how Rebecca sings it so convincingly and with all the shame in her voice.

*The only song I have to make an exception for, when it comes to Greg, is "I Could if I Wanted To." That song doesn't appeal to me, even though it was ranked high on the article I posted above.

All at Sea

So...four months ago I went on a cruise with my family (husband, kids, and my parents). Although I haven’t written about it until now, it’s been fresh in my head the entire time. However, I am not planning to go through the details of each and every day. Instead, I will share the highlights.

*The pool area for the kids. Since my kids love swimming and water activities, this was perfect for them. They had a shallow pool, splash park, current pool/mini-lazy river, and a hot tub that felt more like a bathtub so kids could go in it too. We spent a lot of time by the pool area. There was also a soft serve ice cream machine, as an added bonus.

*The shows. Probably the best part of the trip was all the entertainment in one place. We saw a full Broadway production of Mamma Mia on the first night. My daughter loved it and made me sing the songs with her afterward. There was an ice rink, where they put on Ice Capade quality shows. One of the shows was about the cruise ship in the style of a Monopoly game. The other was a How to Train Your Dragon ice show. One of the nights, there was a show in the main theater where they did singing, dancing, and acrobatics (Blue Planet). It had a bunch of popular songs done in different styles and sung by some of the actors from Mamma Mia. It was visually pleasing too. Another night, they featured a ventriloquist, Ronn Lucas, who was really funny. There was even an aquatic theater where they did a water show. (The water show was probably the least of my favorites because it felt slow and repetitive, but some of the stunts were cool. My husband liked it a lot.) On our final night, we saw a family-friendly comedy act, which made up for us not getting a chance to see the adults only comedy acts.

Waiting to see Mamma Mia

The ice rink turns into a regular floor for watching other shows

Oceanaria at the aquatic theater

Blue Planet (photo credit: www.royalcaribbeanblog.com)

*The excursions. We weren’t always at sea. We spent one day in Labadee, Haiti, which is privately owned by Royal Caribbean. The kids were happy to finally spend time at a beach and loved playing around in the water. The next day was in Jamaica. We docked at Falsmouth and then met our tour guide who took us to Ocho Rios for our visit to Blue Hole. That was really impressive. I’m a coward when it comes to jumping into depths of water from any height, but the tour guide there was really nice about it. He even carried my daughter the entire time. Later that week, we went to Cozumel and went to a stingray beach. We had lots of stingrays swimming all around us and the guides showed us how to feed and pet them. (I did not feed them as I wasn’t going to hold a dead fish in order to do so.) Then my husband and sons went snorkeling and they enjoyed that a lot. (Again, so not my thing.) We got back onto the boat earlier than most people, so the dining areas and pool were not crowded.

Labadee

Labadee

Blue Hole

*The ship itself. Allure of the Seas is huge. There are different sections, like the Promenade, which has restaurants, shops, and entertainment areas; Central Park, which actually looks like a section of Central Park in NYC and also has restaurants and little sitting areas; The Boardwalk, which has the aquatic theater, a carousel, stuff for kids to do, etc.; a kid’s activity center that has a science lab, craft room, movie theater, etc.; the area with the ice rink, jazz club, and comedy club; three large dining rooms, as well as snack bars and lounges. There is just so much to explore and take in!

Promenade

Carousel at The Boardwalk

*Evening entertainment. You basically had to clone yourself to do it all. There were so many things going on at one time. My favorite was The Quest. It was like a scavenger hunt game show. Each team had two captains, one male and one female. The game show host would give a task to one of the captains to get an item from the audience and do something random with it. It was so funny and involved a lot of audience participation. (Here is a video I found online from someone else, as we didn't get one the night we did it.)
Another night, I participated in this game called “If You Know it, Sing it.” I ended up helping our team win by knowing the words to “Mamma Mia.” (Thanks to my daughter who made me sing it with her all the time.) There was a woman on my team who was clearly drunk and kept hogging the microphone even when she didn’t know the words. I was especially annoyed when she did it during “Obladi, Oblada.” (Anyone who has watched Life Goes On in the 80's should know all the words to that song!) There was another woman on my team who balanced out my annoyance for the drunk lady, as she grabbed the microphone from the other team during “Beat It” and just rocked out. One night, they had dancing to 80's music. The music was super loud though. However, my younger son was dancing all silly and someone on the entertainment staff gave him a prize. Good thing I won the same prize at the singing contest because my daughter was so jealous and wanted it too.
One of the evenings, my older son and I went to a jazz concert where they were performing songs from movies, TV shows, and musicals. The lead singer’s name is Simon Drew and he was giving away his CDs at the end, so I got one of them. My son and I got a kick out of him saying that every song was his “all-time favorite.” (In a British accent, no less.) We’d say that about every song after that night.

*Food/Dining. The dining staff was accommodating to our dietary needs and even gave us challah and Kosher wine on Friday night. They were even good about getting our reservations changed so we didn’t have to eat so late with the kids. Since we had limited options, it was easy to get bored of certain food items after a while.

We didn’t make any new friends, as it was too hard to socialize while focusing on our kids. We saw a lot of the same people around the boat, but never made the effort to chat with them or introduce ourselves. One person who stood out was this woman with extremely frizzy hair. My hair has a mind of its own, but I’m not brave enough to avoid conditioner or gel. I applaud her for not caring how wild her hair was and just letting it go the way it wanted.

Also, unless your kids are really close in age, the child care programming doesn’t work well if they want to stay together. We found that out the hard way and it was very frustrating. Needless to say, we did not have a “date night.” We also had to take turns relaxing during pool time, as someone had to be watching our daughter. I did get a little reading time in, but I usually wanted to sleep when I had the chance to relax by myself.

Overall, we had a great time and the kids already want to go on another cruise. If that’s the case, I’d probably want something even more kid-friendly with opportunities to socialize with other families. Not to say this wasn’t kid-friendly. It was sponsored by Dreamworks! However, if the kids don’t want to go to child care because of their lame rules, there should at least be more entertainment options for them at night. You know a cruise will make them into insomniacs! Perhaps a late night sundae bar would do the trick? Or another family friendly show?

Clearly it was a memorable trip if I had all this to share four months later!

Check out some video and photo montages from my husband:
Day 1 (Boarding the ship and first night at sea)
Day 2 (At sea, formal night)
Day 3 (Labadee and the singing contest)
Day 4 (Jamaica)

There's one more coming that I'll share once it's available.

The summer I turned 40

Blog Project 3.0 has been going on for about three years, even though one of the group members changed after a few months. I love blogging with this group and I hope we can continue to inspire each other.

We're finally back after summer break, but will be posting bi-weekly as life keeps getting in the way.

This week, Froggie chose the topic: My summer

First, read what everyone else had to share on this topic. I will be only posting links to posts on this same topic from my group. So check back if you were hoping to read their blogs and don't see a link yet.
Darwin Shrugged
Froggie
Moma Rock

This summer went by in a blur. At least it feels that way! I can’t even remember most of what I did in June. It started off with “Will” visiting during Memorial weekend. He stayed with us for a couple of days and we got to do some exploring in DC. I even had a reunion for him and “Jack” at our house. Like the good old days!

The big thing in June was my daughter graduating from Pre-K. She narrated a story during the performance part of the ceremony and spoke so well. I was verklempt! At the end of the month, we all saw Finding Dory. I enjoyed it a lot.

July was the month of the big 4-0. It started out with Fourth of July weekend. We had one of my online friends and her family over for a BBQ that Sunday. On the actual holiday, it was raining a lot, so we went to an indoor pool nearby. They had a shallow splash pool for the kids that included a little water slide. The kids had a lot of fun and the water was the perfect temperature.

A few days before my birthday, my husband threw me a little party for our friends in the neighborhood to attend during Shabbat. We had a great turnout and he even made this “time machine” for me.

The next day, I saw a community theater production of Rent with two of my close friends. It was decent, but the rhythms were off a lot of the time. And Angel’s makeup made him look like one of the Golden Girls going for a night on the town.

My actual birthday was…interesting. It started out with a trip to the pediatrician because my younger son wasn’t feeling well. Turns out, he had strep. I spent most of the day with him and we watched The Karate Kid (the original version). My in-laws were in town, so they stayed home with him for a little while so that I could get my hair cut. (They also stayed with the kids that evening.)

At night, my husband and I went out for dinner and frozen yogurt, and then saw Evita at a local professional theater. It was a different kind of production in comparison with the movie version, but they did a nice job with it. The dancing was kind of strange though. The next day, he and I went to a Nats game with my office. It was fun, but too hot to stay out the whole time. When we got home that evening, I got a manicure and pedicure. It was really nice! I enjoyed all the Facebook posts I received on my birthday, as well.

The weekend following my birthday, we went to our cousin’s Bat Mitzvah. It was nice to see some family that we don’t normally get to see. There was also a brunch at their house and we spent some time at their pool too. The Bat Mitzvah reception was a lot of fun and my older son had a blast dancing with the other kids. My parents were there too, even though it’s on my husband’s side. They’re best friends with my husband’s cousins, through whom we originally got connected to more cousins. The Bat Mitzvah was for their granddaughter.

At the end of July, we went to a really nice water park by Chesapeake Beach. There were a lot of slides, including a cool one that you go down on a raft. They had a lazy river, as well. We had a great time there and I am glad I got the Certifikid deal when it was available.

August was more low-key in the beginning of the month. We took the kids to a butterfly exhibit at a nearby nature center. The butterflies seemed to like my younger son. My daughter kept telling me to take a lot of random butterfly pictures. It was really hot in the exhibit though.

The exciting part of August was when we took the kids to NYC for a few days to spend time with my in-laws and tour around the city. It was more for them to really experience NYC, as the last time they were there, my older son was three and doesn’t remember anything about it. He’s wanted to go for a while, so he was really excited. The days were filled with visits to museums, Ground Zero, seeing the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, going up the Empire State Building, and eating at some delicious Kosher meat restaurants. We also saw Matilda. It was cute, but sometimes I had trouble understanding what they were saying since they used thick British accents. I was verklempt from the ending though.

I didn’t tell a lot of friends I was going to be in NYC because the focus was on spending time with family and exploring. However, we got to meet up with a friend I hadn’t seen in a couple of years. And the last time she saw my kids, my daughter was a toddler. And we also had a random meet-up with another friend who just happened to be at the Museum of Natural History at the same time we were. Only in New York, right?!?

Random meet up with my friend from HS

Planned meet up 

We didn't get to see the show,
but we couldn't resist stopping by!

At NY Historical Society, which had a Hamilton
exhibit, as well as a cool kid's museum and a
Mo Willems exhibit.

We ended the summer (as in right before the kids went back to school) by taking my cousin out to dinner, as she moved across the country to study at University of Maryland. It was nice to spend time with her and I hope to see her again soon!

Labor Day weekend was pretty uneventful, but a friend from Chicago was in town, so we got to see her and meet her new baby.

As for TV shows...I watched Orange is the New Black, Odd Mom Out, The Goldbergs, Orphan Black, Stranger Things, and am now getting into Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. I didn't see a lot of movies. Just one in the theater and a couple on DVD (Room and My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2).

I obviously read a ton of books! One of my favorites from this summer is Everything We Keep by Kerry Lonsdale. I also got into audio books for the first time. I started off with In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume and am now almost finished listening to The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg.

That’s about it for my summer. I’m not into hot weather at all and am glad that autumn is almost here.