Lazy Circles

Getting Bendy Again

I may have a few extra minutes on my hourglass figure, but I've always been very flexible.  Maybe the seven years of dance paid off (they certainly didn't make me more graceful)...maybe it helps that I'm double-jointed and have hyper-extended elbows (and knees I think)...whatever the reason, I consider myself blessed and lucky to be bendy.

Currently,only 80% or so of my body is bendy.  I mean I'm lucky that my doc finally let me bend my knee after a month of keeping it straight in my immobilizer, and I'm thankful that my two sessions of PT have thus far resulted in me bending my knee to 88 degrees. (Yay for progress!) But, patience has never been my virtue, so, of course, I want to be 100% bendy now.

I believe things happen for a reason, so this surgery (along with several other things this year...goodnes...what a year!) is God's way of teaching me that good things come to those who are patient.

So, when I'm doing my PT exercises tonight, I will start making a mental list of some of the good things that will be waiting for me.

Long Live the King

Michael Jackson died today.  While he became possibly the most eccentric person on the planet in recent years, you can never forget that he was called the "King of Pop" for a reason. The depth and breadth of his work - from his years with the Jackson Five to his solo work - will remain among the best works of art ever created.

I'm a little embarrassed to admit this, but ...when I was in elementary school, I was a HUGE Michael Jackson fan.  I even had a poster of him on my door, which really said something - that's the only performer's poster I ever had. There he was sporting a pale yellow sweater vest looking like a preppy college student.

  

I'd look at the poster and be reminded of all those wonderful tunes that made me want to moonwalk.

At the height of his popularity, I went to a gifted-and-talented program once a week, and the coolest teacher ever - Mrs. Garrett (way hipper than the one on the Facts of Life) - had a Michael Jackson center in her classroom.  We could earn Michael Jackson stickers for our folders, if we completed all the assignments at the station. (You know I earned mine.) As an added bonus, her class got to watch the making of "Thriller" video, which was so much better than learning about the Mayans or Wall Street.

Now, MJ is gone, which means a part of my childhood is over.  I have to wonder if this is what other generations felt on the day the music died or when Elvis left the building for the last time.

So, let's try to remember the little guy singing "I Want You Back" with his brothers and moonwalking into history ... the once and permanent King of Pop ... Michael Jackson.

L-ADA-di-dah!

I've always been the type of gal that wants those around me to be comfortable in their surroundings. I know, at times, I take being a hostess with the mostest to the extreme, but I'm doing better at managing that side of my persona. (Plus, having been at my parents' house this past month recuperating from my surgery, I can say the apple didn't fall from the tree.) I'm an empathetic and compassionate person, so whenever I see anyone - no matter their age - struggling to walk, go through a door, etc. - I try to assist them.

The government made significant strides in making life easier for several thousands of Americans with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). I admit that I'm not familiar with every aspect of the ADA, but I do know a thing or two about the building codes.  You see, my friend KW and I spent a few weeks one summer helping with the ADA Audit for Southwestern Oklahoma University. We assisted the architects assigned to the project by doing such glamorous things as measuring the height of every toilet, the slope of every sidewalk and the width of every doorway on campus.

Having been in a knee brace and on crutches since May 19, I've come to really appreciate the ADA.  However, there is still a long way to go in enforcing compliance. The little things you don't think much of when you can walk just fine, really  jump up and bite you when you can't. Think about it:  Why do they put the handicap accessible stalls furthest from the door of restrooms? (If there's a legitimate reason, I'd love to know.)

Most businesses may think they're compliant, but they have some little quirks that make for a less-than-comfortable environment for some of their patrons.

Next time you see someone on crutches or struggling with a package or a door, please take a moment to see if they'd like a little help. It never hurts to ask.

Training Wheels

I got to bend my leg yesterday for the first time since my knee surgery.  Today, I've made it without using my crutches or icing my knee. Woo hoo! However...

If someone offered me training wheels for walking right now, I would SO take them up on that offer.  My balance has never been superb...no, 7 years of dance really didn't help. So, imagine me off kilter with a brace that allows me to only bend my knee 60-70 degrees. It's comical. No wonder folks keep asking me if I'm supposed to be walking without my crutches.  I'm just happy to be making progress. PT starts next week.  Bring. On. The. Pain.

Now, I wonder if they make training wheels for driving...that's my next project...

(Promise to warn everyone when I'm street legal! :)

Why is it ...

... that most firemen drive pick-up trucks in their off hours?

... that some people let their egos get in the way of doing what's right?

... that my dog first hides certain treats, so she can find them and eat them?

... that I am more productive when I have a gillion things to do and a pressing deadline?

... that we can't always get what we want?

Anyone?  Bueller?  Bueller?

Chess

I need to learn how to play chess.  How I avoided learning this game of thoughtful strategy in all my years of gifted and talented classes is beyond me. Now, one of my dear friend's 4 year-olds has learned to play chess.  He can already skunk me at Stratego, so the thought of further humiliation by this very smart and logical little guy has stoked the fire. Aunt Lee Ann needs to bone up on her strategic thinking anyway, and this seems like a good place to start.  Wish me patience...

Oh...Chess:  In Concert will be featured on Great Performances on PBS on Wednesday.  With Josh Groban, Rent's Adam Pascal and Wicked's(and Rent's) Idina Menzel, it's sure to be worth a watch or a DVR.  A musical created by the boys from ABBA and TIm Rice, which features "One Night in Bangkok" and US/Soviet relations ... really, what more could you ask for?

Mindset

Recently, I picked up not one but two works by one of my favorite authors, Sarah Vowell.  I've read all of her other works and couldn't put them down.  With my recent post-surgery downtime, I thought what a perfect time to finish reading the Vowell collection.

I was wrong. The Wordy Shipmates, about the Puritans, and Radio On, a diary of Vowell's radio listening in 1995, just didn't do it for me.  I used to be able to plow through a book ... or at least make it past the first 20-30 pages or so. However, not this time ... I could not make myself concetrate.

So I wonder ... was I in the right mindset to read these works? Should I have waited until I had some down time when I wasn't also on pain meds?  Or, had I built up my expectations about these works based on my previous pleasant experiences and ended up disappointed?

I may give these books another shot ...

... or I may not.

Broadway Baby

My love of the musical theatre started when I was a kid. I saw "My Fair Lady" on television and decided the Cockney accent was delightful.  After a week or two of mispronounced vowels, my parents were SO glad when I went back to my Okie twang. When I was in elementary school,  "Annie" was very popular.  I memorized all the lyrics to all the songs. I got a perm. I believed the sun would come out tomorrow. "Annie" was the first live theatrical experience I attended, and I was sad when I fell asleep in the second act and didn't wake until the very end. 

When I was in college, I worked for the head of the Musical Theatre department for a semester.  I even wrote my Master's thesis on how pieces of literature were converted to the musical stage.  Now, I'm the president of the Theatre Guild at my alma mater.

So...I **heart** the Tony Awards!  Last night's show was a spectacle (despite numerous technical difficulties, which - considering the event and skill level in the room - was regrettable).  I saw "Billy Elliot" when I was in London and was thrilled when the boys who rotate in the leading role won.  Their dancing skills have to be phenomenal to carry the show, and their acceptance speech was precious.  You could tell they were so nervous despite their professionalism and showmanship. 

I was thrilled when I heard Neil Patrick Harris was hosting the show, and I hoped he'd be given the opportunity to sing.  He has a great voice. (If you haven't seen Dr. Horrible's Singalong Blog, you should do so immediately.) Finally, as the credits were rolling, they gave him a chance to flex his pipes on the Radio City Stage.  It was a great ending to the show.

Now, I must decide which cast albums I must add to my collection ...

Anniversaries

While today is the 20th anniversary of the milestone events in Tiananmen Square, June 4th is important to me for different reasons. In 1966 - yes, that's 43 years ago, my parents married.  I know for my generation having parents who are still married to each other is a huge thing, which I think is sad.

My parents and grandparents (who have been married more than 70 years) found their best friend for life. I hope to be so lucky when I cross paths with my bashert.

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Dad!  Thanks for putting up with me. :)

Root Beer Floats...Free to a Good Home

Tonight, all across the U S of A, is Free Float Night at Sonic.  You have four hours (8pm-Midnight) to get your float on!  You can get any soda flavor in your float - not just root beer - so don't let that be an excuse for you.

The last time Sonic did Free Float Night, I personally had a hand in making 1,000 floats at the drive-in on 24th in Norman. I'm actually sad that I'm on crutches and can't work tonight's event. Let me tell you, working in a drive-in is HARD work.  So, if you go, tip your Carhop or consider buying some tots or other goodies to go with that float.

This is Sonic's way of saying thank you for supporting us!  (Plus, who doesn't love a float...better yet, a FREE float!)