Passing strange

Not the most clever of posting titles, as it was the name of the Broadway show Liz and I saw last night, which was fantastic. I've never been a great aficionado of the theatre (I loathe the whole Sondheim-type of musical), but this was a brilliant and original piece of work with an amazing performance and cast. I won't attempt to describe it; if you're in New York, just go see it. Finally, something fresh on Broadway.

Prior to the show, walked up from the office to the theatre; a good 17 block trek gets the circulation going again to clear the cobwebs out of the brain. Certainly made me feel good.

The positive news of the week is that my father was released from the hospital on Wednesday and moved to a rehab nursing home for the next three weeks to improve his walking so he can get back to his own place. I've been told he's already making progress. Thank God for that.

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Wish I was in D.C. this weekend; start of the cherry blossom festival, plus the opening of the new baseball stadium for the Nationals. Even though I'm a Mets fan, I hope the Nationals are a rousing success this season. Such a great town. Not to mention having family and some very good friends there.

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This is the "spring cleaning" weekend; not that I have a lot to get rid of since I regulate what I have but there are a few things I think it may be time to say goodbye to (either outdated or outworn!). Purge the last of the "rock" shirts and toss the pseudo-"new wave" sweater!

Sun shining and I'm actually feeling pretty good this morning. Give the good vibe a spin...

Some of this, some of that

I know it's been a quiet, if not strange, time--hence, my lack of posting. I haven't been or felt musically active for a few weeks. My father's health problems continue (and as always, words are not enough to thank everyone for their concerns, e-mails, calls, etc.) and it's been a consistant worry. A full month in the hospital (after initially being told he would be out in less than a week) has made moments unbearable. The busy-ness of work and the stress related to it has also played a factor. Getting the flu was yet another annoyance and not having been to the gym hasn't helped. Why post when you have nothing good or interesting to say?

Nontheless, I am feeling physically better, which is a plus. I've been slowly readjusting my weekends to actually enjoy the time alone with Liz (i.e. last weekend was a lovely dinner at a bistro around the corner from us; this Friday night, we have tickets to a Broadway show). Last Saturday, my aunt and uncle (who I hadn't seen in several years) came with my cousin to the hospital to see my dad and I could not have been happier to see them. So there are some positives to report. I'm hoping that this coming weekend allows me the time to go to the gym; I know I've been a little lax about recording, but at the same time, I'm under no time constraints, thankfully.

All it boils down to is focus and the availability of time.

Climbing out of the hole

Happy to report that this flu/cold/virus/whatever is nearly out of my system. I no longer have the inclination to let just the echinacea and other homeopathic remedies work their way through; Mucinex and Advil helped speed the process along with two nights of solid, restful sleep, which I cannot stress enough was sorely needed.

While I didn't go to The Pogues' show last night with Brian and Liz, I managed to sweat out the fever and sleep off the illness. An early morning breakfast and off to New Jersey to get Brian on the train before we did the groceries. That's the weekend in a nutshell; rest and the minor chores--Target run yesterday morning before lunch at Golden's--that was the first time we'd taken B. there; even the matzo ball soup didn't fend off the fever that came back. I thought I'd gotten enough sleep on Friday night, but you can't gauge how long these damn bugs last in your system.

A chance to unwind, not think about work or any of the other things that have caused my recent stresses; it's now about focusing in on getting completely well and enjoying the week ahead. If this all sounds too pedestrian, sorry. Just nothing more than what's happening at the moment. And I prefer less angst filled, anyway.

Juggling on the highwire

Still fighting off this cold/flu that's been going around in general, but has been hitting my colleagues particularly hard. Lack of sleep, lack of seclusion to take a day off and recuperate--this thing keeps generating through everyone and it's got a hold on me. Enough echinacea, zinc, etc. should help put this down, but it's the discomfort.

I'm re-learning (slowly) the art of diffusion in my after-hours again. I will balance the scale quickly.

Looking forward to seeing B. this weekend again. It will cheer me up no end, no doubt. But it'll also be nice to be busy enough to not think about things. And the good news is my father may be discharged from the hospital soon, so, here's hoping and praying.

Obviously, with all that's been going on, no music news to report, but hopefully in a few weeks, I can resume the pattern of normalcy (again, here's hoping...).

And I never thought that you could be so mean...

I know I put a link to this video once before, but to get myself out of the emotional rut I've been in as of late, I thought I'd post this in its' glory. This way, you could see (without having to search for) my favorite band of all time.

The antidote to pop montony.

Stopping for a moment

When I try to stop and think, I sometimes cannot believe how fast the days just rush past me. Suddenly, it's March and time seems more compressed than ever. Work (with great intensity, a lot of pressure and strain); the normal duties of home/family, social commitments and my own interests (gym--music--you name it); unquestionably, a full and balanced life. However, I've been feeling the pangs of adjustment and major changes in my life recently--most notably, the shifts in jobs. I'm sure it's a normal growing pain, but it certainly gives me pause. Having changed jobs is still something I'm coming to terms with. I was proud and loved my last job; the realization is that jumping ship for more money is not always the best of moves. So I still have my reservations and uneasiness with what I've gotten myself into. Time will tell, but for how long?

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Thank you to everyone who's been calling and e-mailing for the last few days about my father. He should be out of the hospital and back at the nursing home in another day or two. I will catch up soon.

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Check out this month's Utne Reader; its' prime focus is on the workplace (very salient topics) and music.

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Being that so much is going on at the moment, I'm giving myself breathing space from recording this week. It doesn't help that my back is hurting again (which puts the kibosh on going to the gym today or tomorrow).