Karen’s Place

Wow, I have so much to write about and none of it relates to the other.  This will be another one of my very interesting, all over the place blogs…

Okay, first let’s start with my trip.  We had such a great time, it all went so smoothly.  We flew on Delta and I have to admit I had some concerns; a co-worker had just come back from a vacation a few days earlier flying the same airline with nothing but horror stories.  We actually had pretty good luck.  In fact, on our flight from KC to Cincinnati (where we would only have a 30 min lay-over) we were bumped up about 5 rows allowing us to get off the plane and run to the next gate all that much quicker.  Here’s the cool thing – when we arrived to get our rental car (a very inexpensive $15/day compact car ordered through Priceline), I was trying to make jokes with the agent.  She says do you have your ID?  I said yep, do you need my first born? She says no and gives me a deadpan stare.  I said good cuz I don’t have a first born, but I’ll give you hers (pointing to my friend).  More deadpan stares.  Okay, note to self this ladies having a bad day no more jokes…So she starts calling on the radio for our compact car she gets no response (guess we weren’t the only ones afraid of her that day), she calls for about 5 minutes.  Then finishes the paperwork and tells us where our car is.  We hike the 3 1/2 miles with all our luggage through the parking lot to where our car was parked and realize she has directed us to a 2008 Toyota 4-Runner.  WHAT???  I look at the paperwork again, cuz surely she wrote down the wrong lot number.  I was supposed to get a little Ford or something.  Nope it said my car would be in “B-4” okay that was “B”, 1, 2, 3 holy cow! okay let’s look at the receipt.  Yep, that’s our vehicle all right.  Sweet!  So for 5 days, we got to drive an ‘08 4-Runner for $15 a day.  Our guess, all because that lady was having a bad day.  Might I say it was so much fun to drive too?  Parking however, a completely different story!

We took pictures before we even left the rental car lot, we were so excited!

The rest of the long weekend went as planned.  We visited my friend’s pub Thurs through Saturday night.  We made a LOT of new friends.  Okay, well one new friend and a lot of new acquaintances.  One thing about North Carolina is the people are so friendly.  Our first night at the pub it was so crowded that a gal and her friend asked if they could join us at our table and of course we agreed, and by the end of the night we had probably 6 people there.  I’ve stayed in contact with that gal since I’ve been home and she’s looking forward to me spending my birthday down there.  I think she has my party already planned. 

 Here’s Tricia and me Friday night at the pub

 This is my friend Paddy

As you know from my previous entry, Saturday morning we drove down to South Carolina.  I’d found out from the Chamber of Commerce in Myrtle Beach there was a ranch that had a private beach in which you could ride horses.  How could we pass that up?  It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.  We headed out early in the morning for the two hour drive.  It was just beautiful!  I didn’t realize how many cotton fields there were down there.  Take a look at this -

Our trip ended with a lazy Sunday exploring a little bit of the town of Fayetteville.  Tricia found this really pretty park I wish we had a place like this near my house, I’d be there all the time.

Each time I visit North Carolina, it gets harder and harder to come home.  Not just because of my friends, but as I’ve said before I just feel at home there.  Tricia kept trying to talk me into checking the want ads while I was there.  I think she’s trying to get rid of me.  ha ha.  Seriously though, my company does have an office in Charlotte, if it wouldn’t be so hard for my house to sell right now and if I thought I could transfer I would really consider it.

So Friday night was Halloween.  What better way to celebrate than to watch a live production of Rocky Horror Picture Show.  I’m sure I’m dating myself by saying you could find me midnights my entire 15th year at the movie theatre seeing Rocky Horror.  For those who aren’t familiar, it’s too difficult to explain.  I was a little unsure a live performance could do the movie justice or that anyone could hold a candle to Tim Curry as Frank N Furter.  I had nothing to worry about, it was stellar!  The boy who did Tim Curry’s role couldn’t have even been born in the hay day of the movie yet he had the part down pat.  If he continues to pursue acting, he’ll go far I have no doubt.  For those who aren’t familiar, the character is a transvestite and therefore spends the entire movie/play in fishnet hose and high heels.  I have to share what the actor put in his bio listed in the program:

Doogin Brown (Frank-N-Furter)  I have a purpose now – a quest of sorts.  When this show concludes, I will sell my worldly possessions, buy a sturdy iron rod, and scour the globe until I find the man who invented high heels.  I will walk up to him and say, “I am a harbinger of karmic retribution,” and then I will beat that man with my iron rod to within an inch of his life to exact a karmic penance for every blister, every sprained ankle and twisted knee of every person who has ever had to wear a pair of high heels.  And when this colossal, earth-shaking epic beatdown has run its course, I will drop the iron rod and I will say, “Now you understand our pain.”  Doogin has worked for a bunch of theaters in Kansas City; Eubank Productions is one of his favorites.

When I read that, I thought you know? Men love a woman in high heels, maybe they aught to wear them for a while like this young man and they’ll feel differently.

Yesterday I took my Goddaughter to see Broadway’s Lion King which is touring through here.  The Lion King was and still is her very favorite Disney movie even though we had an arrangement that she wasn’t to get any more birthday or Christmas presents until she is 16 years old (because of the cruise we went on a couple years ago), I had to get tickets.  This show deserved every single Tony award it has received, if you have the opportunity to see it you must, and if possible get get seats in the orchestra level.  There are many times during the show where the characters come down through the isles singing and dancing.  I just can’t put into words how amazing it really was.  At the end the man who played zazu stopped and told everyone they were selling posters autographed by the entire cast with all the money going to the Red Cross, of course we had to get one!  Problem was we weren’t sure where they were.  Sammi headed downstairs while I waited upstairs in line at the merchandise booth.  She came back after about 10 minutes with poster in hand, I jumped out of line to join her where she informed me she received her signed poster from none other than the man who played Timon and also got to meet Simba and a few others.  I was so happy for her, she was over the moon!  You guys know how I am with Youtube clips, here’s a clip from The Tony awards and The Lion King.  It’s not the same cast we had, but you get the idea of the costumes.  Take note of the gigantic elephant, that’s what walked right past us.  Truly awesome!