Wicked Review

Book Review: I read Wicked between jobs after starting the first chapter while visiting Adrienne in Atlanta. She was reading it for a book club and I ended up going out to buy it. This is not a fast read or an easy read. This is not Harry Potter. I would describe this as political science fiction with an emphasis on class discrimination in a multi-race society. What defines "person". I loved it and it made me ponder quite a bit about politics in a very make believe society. It was unexpectantly rich in both detail and thought. And it was a nice change from the medical nonfiction I've been reading lately.

Musical Review: I saw this last night-- stood in line to try to win a lottery ticket to one of the $25 seats and ended up purchasing a $40 ticket when my name didn't come up. I sat in the front corner of the side orchestra section and it was a wonderful seat with a great view-- usually is sold for $90 but it was all by its lonesome, and so was I, so we matched quite well. This musical is funny, entertaining, and not at ALL thought-provoking like the book. It is the eye- and ear- candy of this story. The politcal veins that run through the book are at the edge of the story, with a typical musical love story right in the middle. That being said, it's shallow and entertaining songs had people laughing and cheering throughout--myself included! Unlike Les Miserables, Phantom, Miss Saigon or Rent, it does not pull you into the story-- the story remains a story and the references to the original movie are sprinkled with glee throughout. There's a moment or two of "awwwww", and a moment of sadness, but mostly it's puzzle pieces filling in a backstory you didn't even bother to imagine. There's even a "Lemons and oranges and Pears-- oh my!" and other such puns on original quotes. I loved it also.

So I think OZ universe has 3 different stories. The musical is more related to the movie than to the book, though I know the book inspired the musical. Does that make sense? I love both- but for very different reasons. The book left me disturbed and thinking....the musical left me all happy and gleeful inside with lots of new tunes running through my ipod this morning.

If you get a chance to see Wicked, especially on reduced tickets, go for it. It's Wicked cool. (Had to say it, I am in Boston afterall).

Busy Weeks and a few Random Pictures

The last few weeks have been fun but stressful.

Mom visited Sept 13-18. We ate at the Legal Seafood Test Kitchen- cool play toys including a small touchscreen TV/Computer/Sketchpad that is delivered to the table to play with while waiting for your food. Or option #2- a small ipod speaker set you can put your ipod on to play music while waiting for dinner. The wait, I'll have to say, was better than the dinner. Dinner was a lobster roll that had been recommended by 2 different people-- if this is the best, then maybe I don't like lobster rolls. Yeck. The mojito was okay-- the ones in Baltimore at Club 1 were better. Mom and I managed to shop, eat at interesting places,explore, and shop some more. Mom likes shopping.

Highlights included birthday dinner (for her, not me!) at Hamersley's-- nicest meal I've eaten in a long time. Everything was perfect except for the fact that they were supposed to bring desert with a candle in it for mom. The runner started to deliver the deserts and I said, "whoa-- uh, you have the wrong table. Go check your notes!" He started to say something, got a look in his eyes, said, "sorry about that!" and rushed back to the back with the two sweets. A minute later BOTH deserts came out with candles. The waiter apologized-- they had taken poor notes and didn't even know whose birthday it was. The food, however, was amazing. The waiter (other than the birthday mess up) was amazing and attentive. The drinks were amazing. The price... um... well we'll just say that despite the good food, I'll probably not have another reason to go to Hamersley's!



I cooked dinner for mom two nights. One night was Italian-- all the ingredients from North End. Our final night we had lobster and Alaska king crab legs from Shaws grocery.

On Sept. 21 I met up with a traveling buddy as she stopped over in Lowell, MA on her way back from her traveling therapy job in Maine. I have now spent Friday night in a place called Lowell. I can't say I'll be back any time soon! K- and I talked about how the company she recruited me for has suddenly become crazy. Since they are currently trying to charge me $17 an hour for taking off two prearranged days for a conference, and when I do the math for their daily expendature for me I come up with $9/hour, I'm agreeing pretty strongly with her. If they can't figure this out, and maybe even if they do, I think I've had enough. The decision will be to go back to Sunbelt, or try out Core Medical. Core has a cruise once a year for anyone who has completed 3 assignments. Bon Voyage, I think!

My friend Rachel from Baltimore came to visit Sept 26-30th and we had a blast. We hit up the Comedy Connection for some REALLY dirty jokes (I thought HBO was bad, now I know true crassness). We ate at Giacomos (oh my gosh so yummy EVERY visiter will now eat there!), hung out at The Black Rose (Irish bar with good music). We maybe had a little too much to drink at the old Black Rose, and on the way home I somehow convinced two voice majors that were sharing the subway car to sing a little opera for us. It was pretty funny.

Next morning, we had breakfast at Centre Street Cafe (awesome brunch) and wandered around Jamaica Plain Open Studios and admired lots of creative art. I bought homemade artistic soap. We hit up the Boston Ticket booth for 1/2 price tickets to The Blue Man Group-- all visiters will be forced to attend this show (just warning you)-- it was so awesome also. Music, lights, comedy, social commentary-- all wrapped up into an audience participation performance art by 3 blue guys. One of which was staring into my eyes from a space of about 6 inches for a few seconds-- he picked the guy in front of me to go up instead-- so close, but so far away! I still had loads of fun. And Rachel claims she did too! We finished the night at JP licks for ice cream.

And now, for some interesting pictures from around Boston. I somehow managed not to take a whole lot of pictures during my visits-- but still have a few cool ones to share anyway.

First is the Albino squirrel that mom and I saw at Jamaica Plain Lake. Apparently, he's been around for years.



Here's the really cool Lamborgini I saw outside of one of the fancier hotels here in Boston:



A very amusing site from the public gardens (double click to get the joke):



And a picture of a stain glass window made by Tiffany's- with and without flash: