The Nuts Have Been Cracked

Whew! Two weeks of non-stop symphony work is over. Lots of work, lots of unnecessary headaches and lots of sore joints. But the performances went well, and everyone is happy. No one moreso than me! And I still have over 10 days until Christmas! Most years it's less than that, so I'm a happy camper!

Some observations from the past two weeks:

• There's nothing quite so unwelcome to an early morning rehearsal as the mix of cologne (guys actually wear that stuff?) and beer farts. No, neither of them from me. Sitting in close quarters and without the chance to run away--nasty, nasty, nasty.
• Also ranking right up there--coffee breath. Do coffee drinkers have any inkling how badly their breath stinks?
• I think I've said this in years past, but I will never take potshots at the masculinity of male ballet dancers (or dancers of any type or gender). I watched more hours of warmups than necessary. The things that they can do with their bodies, and with such ease, is downright unnatural. Their muscles pop out like statues. And that's just the girls! Makes me think naughty thoughts about Minority Report! But the guys have the same muscles and flexibility. And that extra pouch in their tights that the girls don't have. Some of these guys have every right to be proud!
• I hate the sense of entitlement that family members seem to have about getting access backstage. There's a lot of stuff backstage that is, for lack of a better term, dangerous. The last thing any of us needs is something being tripped over or falling down on someone and causing injury. Family members were told about the no-access rule, yet the number of people trying to get past the poor usher guarding the door was embarrassing. And when he successfully kept his cool, and the door shut, they'd run over to the other side of the stage and try the same thing. Without success. When did being the mother of the Third Mouse become important enough to be allowed in back?? And why did you buy the girl a bouquet of flowers? She was onstage for all of three minutes, and screwed up her dance??? I'll never understand a parent's mentality!

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Speaking of a parent's mentality...I'm beginning to get some Christmas cards. Surprising, since I haven't actually sent out a Christmas card in ages. I appreciate them. I love them. I love them even more if I get the newsletter along with it. HOWEVER...I know that your kids mean the world to you. They are God's gift to us all. I know that Susie is building her own particle accelerator from pieces from her Easy Bake Oven. And Johnny has already signed with the city of Boston to be the Celtic's power forward AND to play hockey for the Bruins, while ALSO becoming the home run leader for the Sox--this just months after he graduated from crawling to standing and tripping over the cat. But I don't know these little people! So when you send your Christmas photos and newsletter, why can't you include the people I DO know--theoretically, you and your significant other! Is it so hard to get the entire family together for a picture? Or throw an extra one in along with the rugrats?
</ChristmasCardRant>

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Can't let the weekend go by without mentioning my Griz! They kicked butt on the national stage (aka ESPN). They demolished the #2 team in the country, Northern Iowa, by a score of 48-10. UNI fans had complained that they should have been seeded above the Griz and hosting the game. Obviously, they were mistaken. Next up...a trip to Sam Houston State, the #1 ranked team in the FCS. To be televised on ESPN this Friday night. SHSU beat the Bobcats pretty easily last week, 49-13. A shocking showing for the Cats, even for the most avid Griz fan. So we won't have the chance to see Gucci lose another bet. Dammit. Can't count on the Cats to do anything right!

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Theme Alert! - The first of the Christmas themes comes this week for HNT! Hope you've all gotten your trees up!

Dec. 15th - Christmas Tree HNT - I want to see you half-nekkid with your Christmas tree. If you don't have a tree put up, then with any other Christmas decorations. If you don't celebrate Christmas, then you're off the hook. But the rest of you--I really want to see your Christmas trees!

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It's been years in the making, but I finally got my first real jackass comment (well, not the first...) on last week's HNT! Of course, it had nothing to do with me, the MG, or even HNT. It's the guy who's boycotting American women. I left it up for those of you who haven't had the chance to read his "logic". He's real piece of work. I feel like I've hit the bigtime!