Weekend in Fairfield

Just got back from a LOVELY weekend in my hometown...Fairfield, Iowa.  MAN, I LOVE that place! GREAT restaurants...GREAT stores...and GREAT friends with which to "catch up"!!!!

Crashing the cast party as soon as I got to town!!!

Tena in front of the mural on Revelations Bookstore/restaurant

Me in front of the mural

Waiting for my mocha

Tena waiting (and waiting...and waiting...!) for her chai

"Into the Woods" starring TENA!!!!

Last day of the "old" Hy-Vee grocery store

I really LOVE Hy-Vee!!!!

Andrew and me at Revelations for lunch

I was also able to stop in at the 40th anniversary open house for Roger and Diane.  It was a TOTAL "time warp", as it was held at the First Baptist Church...in which I spent MANY Sundays (and otherwise!) growing up!

Me and Diane at her 40th anniversary open house

My main reason for coming down was to see my friend Tena play the baker's wife in "Into the Woods". WOW!  She was FABULOUS!!!  I think this is probably the FAVORITE role I've seen her play.  I LOVED her as Miss Hannigan in "Annie", and I've loved every other character she's played, but she has a special "nuance" with this role (which she played about 15 years ago at Spayde Theater) that is very touching and sweet.  I actually CRIED during her last song.  I was SO PROUD of her!!!!!

LaDawn at Vivo...looking GOOD!!!

Outside the Sondheim before the show

Sunset by the Sondheim

Denyce and Eric before the show

Me and LaDawn before the show

Intermission!

Me and Tena after the final performance of the show...did I mention how AMAZING she was in this role??!!!

It was an AWESOME weekend, all around...from mochas and (later) wood fire pizza at Revelations, to shopping the "quirky" stores around the square, to dinner with LaDawn at Vivo, to the play, to brunch with Denyce and Eric on Sunday...a truly FABULOUS visit "home"!!!

Hey! Look at My New GLASSES!!!!

FINALLY went in for an eye exam, and here's the result...!!!!!

I've actually wanted glasses for YEARS...(I won't tell you how many...!), as I've always thought my blond eyebrows and blond eyelashes left me looking really PALE and PASTY.

I'm assuming that SOME DAY, I'll get the hang of the whole "bifocal" thing...right now, I can't figure out WHICH part of the lenses to look through for what!

Here's hoping YOU made a "cosmetic change" recently that helped YOU feel better about yourself too!!!!

End of Spring Break!!!

What a CRAZY week of spring break!!!!  After getting back from Amsterdam, I threw my clothes into the wash, dried them, and repacked for a workshop on pedagogical leadership in New York City. Wow...crazy!

I LOVE New York (I know...how cliche!).  I really do!  SO MUCH TO SEE...SO MUCH TO DO...SO MUCH TO ENJOY!

I got to play tour guide, as several of the people who went (including my superintendent...no pressure there!) have never BEEN to New York before.

It was actually fun to do the "touristy" thing...we hit Canal Street, had FABULOUS food in "Little Italy", viewed the city after dark from the "Top of the Rock", took tourist-y pictures in Times Square, walked through Central Park, took a SUPER FAST tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and sauntered down 5th avenue.

Lynn and Terry at Ray's Pizza

Terry and me in front of Ray's Pizza

Me and Lynn on Rockefeller Plaza

Lynn being a tourist!

"Newbies"!!

Lynn and me on the red steps

Terry, Lynn, and me on Canal Street

Dave, Lynn, and Terry waiting on the subway platform

Ahhh...Central Park in the spring

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dinner...day 2

Lynn being a tourist!

Me being a tourist (and a "ham"...big surprise there...!)

I "bit the bullet", and paid A HUNDRED AND EIGHTY NINE DOLLARS to see "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" on Broadway, and have to say it's probably the BEST "almost two hundred dollars" I've ever spent...WOW!  What an AMAZING show!!!!

Here's a clip from one of the numbers...you can see more at the following link: http://www.priscillaonbroadway.com/video.html!!!  

Will and me before the show

I REALLY loved this musical!!!!

FABULOUS trip....FABULOUS company...FABULOUS chance to explore one of the most AMAZING cities in the U.S.!!!!!

Here's hoping YOU were able to experience the COOLNESS of a great American city recently too!!!!!