how's that for scoring beaucoup points?

Garrett bought 2 tix for Maddie & me to see The Nutcracker. Nikki heard us talking about it a couple weeks ago & complained that she had never been but would like to do. Last week the ballet gave a courtesy call to Garrett to inform him that we should plan to arrive an hour & a 1/2 early. Garrett enquired whether there might be another seat available anywhere near the already purchased two. Why yes! there was ONE seat...right next to ours!!!! He quickly called Nikki to ask if she was free that day. She called back after finding her work schedule to be off that day (she had requested the whole weekend for finals study). And lo! yesterday we three girls attended our very first Nutcracker ballet!!!! It was fabulous! The sets, the costumes, the feats of physical exhibition, the unexpected humor. Maddie's favorite bit was Mother Ginger & the polichinelles. I was blown away by how fit the dancers were -not one ounce of fat, just pure muscle. Maybe I should take up ballet for exercise?

The only disappointing part of our day was the chatty Cathy sitting behind me. She was talking for most of the second act. I wouldn't have minded if it were strictly discussion of what was happening onstage, but do I (and everyone around you) really care that you had to get a new dishwasher this morning? Maybe the $100 seats were comp'd to you; maybe this is old hat & it's your umpteenth time seeing this show; maybe you have $100 to blow on your ticket & each of the seats with yours. Not so for me. I almost turned around to say something but really I didn't want to sacrifice any of the action happening onstage to tell you something that should have been common knowledge (shut the fcuk up in a theatre), courtesy, & just plain good manners. I kind of felt sorry for her. Either she's the kind of person that you can dress up but can't take out (in which case I felt bad for her friend). Or she's the kind of person who, growing up, had to be the center of attention (in which case I felt bad for her parents). It wasn't so bad that I couldn't hear the production, but then she also involved the small child & teenager as well as the other woman with whom she was previously chatting. Annoying. The dude sitting beside Maddie was talking a bit when the 2nd act started but he caught my look & quickly quieted himself. Not so the woman who was the chatting partner to the woman seated behind me. Eye contact did not compel her to tell her friend to shut it. Some people's kids....

Back to the beaucoup points...and straightening the playroom -several times in the past 2 weeks. And occasionally washing my coffee mug. And buying MOST of the grocery list items. Actually pouring my coffee too, on occasion, and making me tea one night. We might be working our way out of a deficit here...crap. What will I have to be angry about then???? More on that later....