That Time Again

I've been participating in the National MS Society MS Walk since April of 2001, some years in NY, some in NJ.  This year, I'll be walking with my team, Chicks that Click, in Bergen County, New Jersey.

If anyone feels inclined to donate, or even join our team, please use this link.  I'd appreciate it ever so much!  Thanks!

What's doin'?

A lot of life has been happening, so I thought a "what's new" post might be in order.

For instance, Eric and I went to our very first opera!  We saw Wozzeck at the Metropolitan Opera House in NYC.

This awesome chandelier was right int he lobby.  Fab!

We chose Wozzeck because Eric was pulling for a German opera and because it was only 1 hour and 40 minutes.  Plus, it was touted as being pretty twisted, dark, and intense, which we both like.  What we didn't realize was that box seats can be really cool, but you definitely want the lower level of them.  We had to go into this passageway, which was neat.

It's hard to see behind that railing, but there's a door there to the lower tier of the box.  The door at the top of the stairs was ours.  Our box had just the two seats, so we loved that, but it did mean a bit of straining to see the show.  We also didn't count on the fact that a lot of this particular show took place in the downstage right corner (the corner most difficult for us to see).  So that was kind of trying.

And the last bit we didn't know was that Wozzeck is known to be a great example of really discordant music.  Of which I'm not a fan.  I actually don't like jazz.  (Gasp!)  Eric loves it, so he loved pretty much everything about this opera.  I'm bright enough to realize that the orchestra was freakin' phenomenal, they really were.  And I enjoyed a good portion of the music.  But then there were those jarring bits.

So this was probably not the best starter opera for me.  The voices were incredible, the story engrossing, and the acting terrific.  But it wasn't 100% me.  I definitely want to go back and maybe see something a bit more traditional.  Maybe Italian and more melodic.  Betcha I'd like that 100%.

We definitely enjoyed getting dolled up for the occasion, even though some of the people there were wearing jeans.

Sigh.  What's with the jeans, people?  OK, maybe a red gown and a black suit were a little much, but how about a skirt and blouse?  Nice pants and a sweater?  Jeans?  Really?

Then again, jeans to a Broadway show kind of make me cringe too, and you see that all the time.

In other news... we have daffodils!  You'll remember that we moved into this place in September, so we really had no idea what Spring here would be like.  Turns out we've got some daffodils in the front yard.  So bright & cheery!

And, in keeping with the theme of yellow and happy... we've got forsythias too!

I've also (finally) been decorating my office the way I like it.  I still have one more wall to do and a few more knickknacks to bring in, but it's pretty good so far.

And then, this past Sunday I did the annual MS Walk with some friends.  It's our 11th year doing it.  Most of those years we've done the Manhattan walk, but this year we chose to do it in Ridgewood, NJ.  Nine miles, and my legs are still sore.  If you're keeping score, it's now Wednesday!  Ouch.  We did see some new sights, though.  Like this front yard with a strange sculpture thing happening.

I'm still trying to figure out what they were going for.  I kinda like the flowerpot as a piece of wall.

And the skulls in the coffee pot were definitely interesting.

This little guy was cute.

I'm just not sure what the correlation is between the broken brush and the baroque electrical plate.

Or whether the sneakers really fit with the theme.

The best photo I got was when I got home, though, and Eric posed Meg with her newest stuffed animal.

So that brings you up to date with our lives.  How about yours?

It's supposed to be Spring.

I could swear it is.  A few days ago, it was even Summer!  I distinctly remember 91 degrees and Sun.  In fact, I blogged it!  The high today?  61 degrees Fahrenheit.  61.  And it's cloudy.  It's OK, I'm still going to take Meg for a walk.  We have soap orders to get out, and there's no reason not to walk them down; we both need the exercise.

And this Sunday, I'm still doing the MS Walk.  It's supposed to be 56 with showers, but my friend and I will walk the six miles through lower Manhattan and Brooklyn.  It wouldn't be right not to after collecting donations.  I'd feel guilty.

Besides, I have to bring my friend some soap.  I gave her a bar of the coffee soap to try, and now she wants to buy some more.  I love that she loves it!  And that also means it doesn't aggravate her allergies, since she's got those.  I'm thinking I'm also going to bring her a bar of our brand new soap, Garden Party.  I absolutely love the stuff, and with the Red and Yellow Kaolin clays that are in it, it's great for oily skin, which she's combating.  Hey, we all have our issues.

Plus, it smells like Spring - we used geranium and sweet orange essential oils, and it's fantastic.  On a day like Sunday promises to be, I think bringing something that smells like Spring is in order.  To lift our spirits, y'know?

New Shampoo - Day 4

My friend Lisa called me today, from Mississippi.  She went ahead and, braver soul than I am, used our Honey Chocolate Soap as a shampoo last night!  She wanted to let me know today that her hair was clean, bouncy, shiny, and soft.  It wasn't dry and the color was still good (she hennas her hair red).  She loved it.  And she doesn't use conditioner.

This prompted me to be brave as well, and when I used our shampoo, I didn't use conditioner either, my first time ever in life not using conditioner by choice.

My hair is fine.

I don't mean the type of hair, which is fine but thick.  I mean my hair is doing well.  It's soft, and not straw-like.  Any other time I've been somewhere sans conditioner and washed my hair with commercial shampoo, my hair has been straw when I got out of the shower.

I also didn't use any styling products today.  I figured if my hair annoyed me, I was mostly home anyway and could just throw it into a ponytail.  Tomorrow, I plan to use the shampoo with no conditioner, and then my CHI Volume Booster.  I think I don't need the Silk Infusion anymore, but the Volume Booster keeps the curls better defined and separated.

So we'll see.

In the meantime, I must put in a plug for my brave friend, Lisa.  She's a great face painter and henna artist in Mississippi, so if you'e down there, make sure you contact her for your events!  And if you're not in Mississippi, visit her website anyway and pick up some cosmetic glitters or shimmer powders!  The Ultra Shimmer, Diamond Frost, or Golden Frost, housed in one of her applicator brushes is perfect for dusting your chest, arms, and neck before going out on the town.  She makes them herself, and she lives as close to chemical-free as she can, so you know they're good stuff.