"Wicked" Was So Wicked!

Today I headed down to LA to see the matinee performance of the megahit musical Wicked, the prequel to the Wizard of Oz. Wicked was INCREDIBLE!!! The singing... costumes... and set designs were gorgeous and tastefully elaborate. The chemistry and talent between the actresses/singers that played the 2 lead characters, Elphaba (wicked witch of the West) and Galinda (good witch of the North), were remarkable. Surprisingly, Wicked followed the book, but I was thankful to see that some of its darker elements were left out. Another delightful surprise was discovering Carol Kane, veteran film actress and Broadway star, playing the role of corrupted head school mistress, Madame Morrible. Afterwards, a friend and I had dinner at the Roosevelt Hotel, located diagonally across Graumann's Chinese Theatre. In its heyday, this hotel was the romping ground for movie stars like Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, and Carole Lombard. Today, it remains a 5-star hotel dripping in affluence and elegance. Although our meal was overpriced, we found it to be a perfect ending to an otherwise perfect afternoon. Wicked was so wicked!

Holiday Progressive Dinner

Tonight the Wardroom (a.k.a. Officer Association) hosted their annual Holiday Progressive Dinner. If you've never experienced a progressive dinner, the concept is very simple - it's a mobile potluck! Four homes within walking distance of each other host a different meal course. All persons participating contribute food or drink items to one of the courses. Length of time at each house is about 40 minutes, before everyone moves on to the next house. It's a creative and enjoyable way to celebrate the holidays, and allows one to see how each house is decorated festively for the season. The first house serves Cocktails and Appetizers; the second is Soups and Salads; the third is Main Courses; and the fourth is Desserts and Coffee. By dinner's end, everyone leaves feeling completely satiated and completely in the mood for the holiday season. If you live in a neighborhood that is conducive to a progressive dinner, you and your neighbors should give it a whirl.... and you'll see just how festive it really is!

Side Note: We experienced a 5.5 (richter scale) earthquake during our progressive dinner. Rumblings were felt. Dishes rattled. Walls shook. SoCal residents' reactions? We furrowed our brows... mouthed the question, "Earthquake???"... received confirmation... and kept on eating. It was, afterall, just another earthquake.

House #1: Cocktails & Appetizers

House #2: Soups & Salads

House #3: Main Course

House #4: Desserts & Coffee

Sexiest Man Alive!

Today was a slow day at the hospital as our Commanding Officer (CO) imposed a "Training Stand Down" for our enlisted staff, thus bringing the hospital down to minimal staffing. Since full services could not be provided until 10:00 am, I found myself with tooooooo much time on my hands and was thus compelled to do a little mischief. One of my friends, a Navy pharmacist and esteemed member of the "COT" (a.k.a. Circle of Trust), which we coined our group after camping trips spent bonding around the proverbial camp fire.... will be celebrating a birthday on Sunday. The big 3-5!!! As a result, I crazy glued a copy of his I.D. badge pic on the cover of People magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" issue, and made several copies to hang as posters throughout the hospital. He was so mad at me. LoL. Happy Birthday, Raoul! You still look sexy after 35 years!

Dinner at the Deckers'

I'm about a week out from leaving the Mojave, and while I'm excited about my move to Egypt, I am sad that I will be leaving such dear friends, who have made my time in the desert memorable and fun - all the barbeques, road trips, parties, and dinner outs will be missed. Tonight a group of us went over for dinner at the Deckers' for a much overdue dinner party. They are the newlyweds in our group (their nuptials were over Labor Day week-end), and they have been busy with getting their house organized, finishing the back patio, and other projects that were placed on their "post-honey-I-do" list. The meal they served was delicious: grilled chicken, beef, cubed potatoes, seasoned vegetables, Spanish rice and a choice of cheese cakes and pumpkin pie for dessert. We ate outside and while it was a bit chilly, the fire from their new chiminea provided a pleasant warmth. Lights were strung on the gazebo and the sound of their hot tub was bubbling in the background, which made for a soothing ambiance. Dinner at the Deckers' turned out delightful, and was best seasoned with a company of friends, laughter, and a delectable meal.

Crazed by "Twilight"

Something phenomenal has swept popculture America recently with the new release of "Twilight", a movie based on the first book of a 4-book series written by Stephenie Meyer. The movie has inadvertently catapulted the book saga to best-selling phenomena, thereby finding it compared lately to the Harry Potter craze. Both book series had the successful ability to transcend the age barriers and find its burgeoning mass appeal amongst adult readers. In the last year, I remember BFFs from various parts of the States hooked on these books - and their ardent attempts to sell me on them. I heard buzz words like "vampires", "werewolves", "love story", "teenagers".... {SCREEEEECH!}.... and like that I was no longer interested. C'mon! A teenage love story involving vampires and werewolves? How lame is that??? This series did NOT have me at "hello".... AND to top it off, this series would be found under the "Teen Literature" section of the book store. I mean, sheesh. Just the fact that "Twilight" would be found in the same section as the "High School Musical" novels made me cringe. Pull-eeese!!! And then {SNAP!}.... the strangest thing happened. The debut of the "Twilight" movie right before Thanksgiving smashed all Box-Office expectations.... and the hype was heard around the world. Enough so, that it pulled THIS reluctant bookworm to try it. So, last night with "Twilight" in hand, I started reading at 7:30 and by midnight I had read 310 pages ---with another 188 to go!!! I was so mad that I had to go to sleep because of work! The book is FANTASTIC!!! It draws you in like a spider weaving a web for unsuspecting victims.... and I was the victim! Tonight I rushed home after work and read like a crazed lunatic from 6-9 pm AND FINISHED IT. The only thing was that it made me hungry for more. I called furtively around until I was able to find friends who would loan me the remaining sequels: "New Moon", "Eclipse", and "Breaking Dawn". Fueled by the high of the first read, I spearheaded a team of "Twilight" moviegoers to go watch it with me tomorrow; a movie that I was initially going to wait for its release on video. Now, not so much. Siggghh. (I hate it when my OCD traits kick-in. LoL.) My plan of action is to have the ENTIRE series read within the week, albeit a busy schedule... and seeing that I am a speed reader only when captivated, the fruition of this goal will be distinctly - and assuredly - met. So, if you haven't started reading them yet, jump on the "Twilight" magic carpet ride and get those books a crackin'!