Tick Tock

1 week to go. In a week I ride the fun train a couple of times.

It'll be a mightily packed weekend of the arts on stage and of the hand.
Adam will be in town and I'll get to see a show in the city. The first time in a very long time.

As a part of a Christmas present, Kim and I will be down in the city to see Million Dollar Quartet. I can't even remember the last show I went to see. Hmm...I did see a straight show with CH/Leo a few years back, though I can't remember the name of it to save my life. But, for a musical, I fear the last show I saw was with Adam and it was "How to Speak Minnesotan without Really Trying." That's sad. Wait, no, I take that back. Kim and I saw Wicked. That was fantastic. How could I forget Wicked? Yikes. Oh Christ, and how could I forget the show I erased from my brain...oh boy.

A year or so ago, my dad got Kim and I tickets to see a show...why am I writing this...to see High School Musical, the stage production. I have never felt more like a pedophile in my life. Where we appreciated the free tickets to a show...seeing a play based on a Disney movie...that...was...well, High School Musical? Yikes. But, we went and enjoyed ourselves the best we could. The coolest part about that whole night was rushing back to the train station to catch one of the last trains and, while scurrying as fast as we could, we saw a lot of the set from the latest Batman movie. That made the awkwardness of that show subside and we made the train.

This time around, we're seeing the show on our own accord. I don't know much about the show but that will work out for the best. It's been described as Jersey Boys who can play an instrument. According to the website, "On December 4th, 1956, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presely, Carl Perkins (who?) and Jerry Lee Lewis played together for the first and only time - the night Rock 'n Roll came alive." I'm not sure you can argue how that couldn't be awesome. I'm sure there'll be more to report on after we see it.

At the same time, Adam is in town for a Snow Carving Competition. It's something he participated in every year when he was in college. Plus, any time Adam is in town I'm happy to find a way to hang out with him. For those reading and curious of where it is - it's on the southern end of Grant Park. More information can be found here - http://bit.ly/8AVRCQ

Hopefully, we'll be able to get down there after the show to see the snow sculptures. If they're already down then I'm hoping to get to share a drink or 4 with Adam just because and because it's a good excuse to celebrate his birthday early. If the play wasn't going on, I'd be there earlier to see the judging and snap some fun shots of everyone making their creations. If anyone else wants to hang out in the city for drinks or to check out the snow sculpture competition let me know. The more the merrier and I don't see Adam or Sally turning down a ride on the fun train.

It'll be a good day/night to take my mind off of my dad's upcoming surgery. Last I heard, it'll be early in February plus the additional joys of a couple night hospital stay. Hooray? I'm just hoping he goes into it ok and comes out of it for the better and with the outlook of a healthier body.

Which reminds me. Cancer is a terrible thing, not that it's news to anyone out there. And people always talk of how they want to do something to help the cause. Lucky for you there is. You could help and donate $1 or $100 to Kim's Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. I know that donating to her cause isn't the same cancer type as my dad's prostate cancer but any research towards cancer is better than no research towards it. There are worse things to donate to, right? Right. Plus, it helps Kim inch towards her goal, makes her happier and you can feel better for giving to a good cause.

On any note, that's all I have to really ramble about for this Saturday. I'll get to music eventually. As I listened to the albums over and over again I began to change my mind on how I felt about them. For example, the Matt & Kim CD is good on the whole but not track by track. 1/2 is awesome and 1/2 is...eh. But for the $6 it costs on iTunes...why not? So, I'm seeing if my musical mood will settle long enough to blog about it.

Now it's time to return a gigantic wine fridge for one that doesn't have a mega dent in it and hopefully maintains temperature more consistently. That'll be fun and I'll keep looking forward to a week-away night of fun.