Dance, Billy! Dance!

Our trip to Chicago was one of the more eventful day trips we've taken. For starters, I had no idea they had an actual Red Carpet event for Chicago Broadway debuts. Had I known, I might have brought my camera so I could have taken a better picture of ELTON JOHN WALKING TWO FEET IN FRONT OF MY FACE. Here's me: :) -----------------------------> Here's Elton [: Yeah, that close. For real. Oh, and Jesse Jackson, too, but I firmly believe his crowning achievement was his reading of "Green Eggs and Ham" on Saturday Night Live.

We did *not* eat at Subway, for those of you who read my previous blog. We ate at a very cool English Pub called "Elephant & Castle" I had a sirloin which came with English chips (I subbed sweet potato fries, though... sooo good) and baked beans and onion rings. We also shared a piece of Bailey's Irish Cream cheesecake with chocolate and coffee sauce drizzled on it. Steve's new favorite phrase of the day, I believe, is "Bang on" (according to the napkin: British slang meaning Excellent; exact; right on: E&C's fish & chips are Bang On!")

The show itself was exceptional, if you like dance. A lot of tap and ballet which was executed exquisitely. Even in our nosebleed seats, the sound quality was ... well, Bang On. Heh.

We got home around 1:00am, and shortly thereafter I plopped into bed where I promptly did not sleep most of the night, due to the snoring and the shivering (one was the husband, one was the dog). Little dog must have ripped his toenail on something and laid by my face shivering until I figured out what his problem was around 4:45am when I took him outside and saw the injury. Vet bill: $70, and I had to leave the room when the vet began explaining the "two ways to rip off a bandaid" theory that he had. I said do whatever needed to be done, but Mommy could not watch it happen. And I went out to the waiting room and cried on the inside so that the golden retriever and the bunny that were out there could not see my fear. I took the newly taped Doobie-Doo for a walk (or a limp, as the case may be) in the park next to the office where he got to poo on new and exciting things before we went home. I could not explain to Nikita that he didn't get a walk, he got a surgical procedure. All she saw was the leash, and I felt guilty for not taking her with me. It's okay, though, she gets to go on Monday. For shots! Yay! (Won't be so excited next time she sees the leash, now will she?)

I started and finished a short inspirational collection called "The Dance of Heaven" this weekend. It's a series of writings by singer/songwriters in the Christian music industry. Some of them were quite powerful, especially the story by Nichole Nordeman. Most of the names I didn't know, since I didn't really grow up listening to that sort of music and only recently (as in, the past five years or so) listened to it at all. But the stories were good, and they all laced together with Psalms in a way that I've never really enjoyed the Psalms before, so it was nice.

I'm finishing up with the Stephen King audio book and I think I'm going on to "Let the Right One In" before I watch the movie.

And the plumber's coming in the morning to see if he can fix my evil faucet fixtures in the bathroom. Should be another busy week! If we can pay for it all without selling our kids or dogs, it might actually turn out well...

SJS