Mull of Kintyre

I posted this once on my Beatles blog, but love it so much that I decided to post it on this blog. This is one of my top ten favorite songs of all time, and that's saying a lot, because I really love music. I heard this song first performed by Celtic Thunder, one of my favorite groups, and when I found out Paul McCartney wrote it, I thought to myself...not surprising at all that Paul would have written this beautiful song. It's also a fitting post, as this blog is primarily a travel blog. Enjoy it. I know you will love it, and will play it again.

Apologies...

Apologies to my blog readers. I have had a terrible case of the flu, and have been out of commission for some time. I will post something new as soon as I can. I hope everyone is having a delighful March, and anticipating spring weather as much as I am. Take care of yourselves!

Skunk, 2009

There are places I remember all my life
Though some have changed
Some forever not for better
Some have gone, and some remain

All these places had their moments
With lovers and friends I still can recall
Some are dead and some are living
In my life, I've loved them all.

~Lennon and McCartney

We will miss you, Skunk.

And the Academy Award goes to...

You Would Win Best Actor / Actress

You are confident and talented. When it's time for you to shine, you step up. You have a strong personality. You love attention, and you can command an audience of any size. You tend to be a bit obsessive. You're the perfect person to immerse yourself in a big role. You're both empathetic and expressive. You understand and communicate well.

What Would You Win an Oscar For?

Congratulations to my favorite actress Kate Winslet for winning her first Oscar of six nominations! You deserve it!

26 candles.

Happy Birthday to me...

John Lennon & Me

"Just like John Lennon, I should enjoy every moment of time I have left on this planet...however long that is."

A piping hot bowl of soup and a fine coffee beverage...

According to my readers, a piping hot bowl of soup comes in first for a favorite winter treat. Second, is a coffee beverage. What is your favorite soup? How about a coffee beverage? Leave a comment and share. I personally love chicken tortilla soup or broccoli cheese soup. My favorite coffee beverages are caramel macchiato, mocha frappuccino, and (only sold at Christmas time) holiday mint latté at Starbuck's. There's nothing quite like a bowl of soup when it's cold or rainy, or a nice coffee beverage at the end of a bad day. Add some Beatles music to that, and it's basically pure bliss.

A Sesame Street kind of day...

Sunny days sweeping the clouds away... (I hear some windy, gusty weather is in store later, so right now I'm going to enjoy what's left of the sunshine...it's just a Sesame Street kind of morning.)

On the road again...

Since this blog normally deals with travel and related diversions, I have to decided to dedicate this post to bad driving, and things that really burn my biscuits, so to speak. Yesterday, I was in 3:00 traffic in my university town, and my nerves were in shreds by the time I returned back to my town of residence. For this reason, I am compiling a list of driving habits that annoy me the most, and I hope you will leave comments with some of yours! (For all you drivers who never get ruffled by anything, I'm sure there's something that annoys you. You just don't say it. So now you have the opportunity to state your driving grievances in the comment box!) And away we go...

1. Slow cars in the left lane. I want to pass, but you are clogging up the lane. The car on the right is riding along side you and there is no way around. Why don't you move? The left lane is for passing. (Yesterday a car was doing 10 under the speed limit in the left lane. She then proceeded to turn off into Blockbuster. I guarantee she'll have a late fee.)

2. Tapping brakes for no apparent reason. There's no one in front of you. Why are you tapping?

3. Slow cars that suddenly decide to speed up. You weren't going fast enough. I start to go around you, and you suddenly speed up 20 mph. Why?

4. Pulling out in front of me on a major highway. I don't have time to slow down. What are you doing?

5. Challengers. It's late at night. I'm very tired. I'm trying to get home. You pull up next to me and go the exact same speed in the alternate lane. I can feel you staring at me. Do you really think I'm going to do anything? And...you force me to slow down 10 mph to get you away from me. I just want to go home, and now it's going to take me even longer.

6. No signal. I'm traveling along happily on my journey. Suddenly, and without warning, you slam on your brakes. My heart rate hits an all time high. You proceed to turn into Dunkin Donuts. Why couldn't you have signaled?

7. 4 way stops. It's really quite simple. He goes. She goes. I go. He goes. We all take turns. Just like we learned in kindergarten. Yet...you go right after the car in front of you goes. It's not your turn!

8. Tailgaters. There is an entire left lane for passing. Use it. I do. He does. We all do. You should too.

9. Texters. Do you really think you can drive and send your friend a text about how you can't possibly understand why he stood you up again? No! First of all, you're upset and putting extra emphasis into that text. Have you forgotten that you are behind the wheel of an enormous metal apparatus that could a) run over someone b) run into someone's car. Stop it!

10. Finally, music blasters. You like Diddy. We get it. Do you have to blast it so loudly that all we hear is a loud thumping sound? I love the Beatles. I don't blast them to let people know I have a Beatles CD. Anyone can buy one. I don't need to share it with the entire highway.

Thank you for this cathartic post. I look forward to reading your comments. And...drive safely.

Go, go, go see Joseph at Barter Theatre...

Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has always been a favorite musical of mine. I adore the version PBS produced with Donny Osmond starring as Joseph. Donny played Joseph in the Toronto production of the show, and has a beautiful voice and I love what he does with the character.

Today, I went to Barter Theatre and was really looking forward to seeing the show. As I walked in, I was immediately impressed with the set and awaited the show's start with anticipation. That's when the mimes (dressed in various colors) came out and started interacting with audience members (i.e. juggling, getting audience members to do the wave, etc.). I found it quite bizarre and wondered what in the world was going on. Then, the mimes approached the stage and became Joseph's brothers! I looked at my mom with a disappointed face, and was honestly not looking forward to the rest of the show. I couldn't believe it.

THEN...Joseph in Godspell-esque makeup (not in mime costume) began singing "Any Dream Will Do" and everything changed. His mime-like, ballet movements were beautiful and conveyed his message perfectly. I actually truly admired the way they used a small ensemble to play all of the roles. The brothers changed into various roles (some of the brothers were played by women, so they could easily change into the various dance costumes and sequences). I left the show wanting to return again. Richard Rose (artistic director of Barter Theatre) has outdone himself with this creative interpretation of a beloved musical. It just goes to show you that sometimes quirky non-traditional approaches to shows we love seeing a certain way can end up being our new favorite.

Joseph... runs through April 18th at Barter Theatre in Abindgon, Virginia. I encourage you to see this amazing show. You will not regret it! (And odds are you'll leave in a peppy, perky mood singing every song for days and days...)