Tracy: Countdown To What?

We've all seen them, the calendars with the big x's, marking off the days. What exactly is the goal of that countdown? Are you marking off the days till your demise, the end of the world, your last hurrah? It seems a bit morbid to me. Why not celebrate your life and your days and your accomplishments? Those big x's scare me. If you want to put an "x" somewhere, play a game of tic-tac-toe...

Andrea - bad day blahs

well I had a whole blog written about my day yesterday and when I went to post the blog, I received and error message and despite the fact that there is an auto save on this blog, my entire blog that I had written was gone. Knowing that I can't recreate what I had written and thinking that maybe the universe is trying to tell me I should not have published that blog I am not even going to attempt to write that same blog or one like it.

So instead I am going to say thank you to the people that listened to me vent yesterday during a bad day (a bad day for no reason at that!) and for being there for me. I am here to return the favor if ever needed. And Thank You for the good day I am having today.

I hope everyone that reads this has gotten over a bad day and having good days.

Andrea - Westport County Playhouse

Last week I attended the performance of "Of Mice and Men" by John Steinbeck at the Westport County Playhouse.

I had read the book in high school and have to admit that it was not one of my favorite books. However when the chance to attend this performace at the Playhouse came up, I was not going to pass it. The Playhouse is a most beautiful place in Westport that I have not taken enough advantage of in all my years living in this area (and that is my whole life) It is a very rustic and warm building with pictures of performers and performance proudly displayed throughout the building.

The theater itself is a very intimate theater and I don't think there is a bad seat in the house. As I sat in my seat waiting for the lights to dim and the show to start, I took some time out of my conversation with my friend to just enjoy my surroundings. I observed the people around me as eager as I was for the curtain to go up. I checked out the decorations of the room and rustic setting of the theater and I caught bits and pieces of the audiences converstations remembering Paul Newman and what The Playhouse meant to him. It was very heartwarming.

Then the curtain went up and I was whisked away into another time and place. The stage had a minimal set and even if it were elaborate, it surely would have been overpowered by the actors on stage and their performance. I can't say enough about how wonderful each and every actor in the play was. I forgot where I was and all of my thoughts as I became engrossed in the goings on of the play. Now as I mentioned, I had read the book in high school and remembered most of what the book was about, and even though it was a sad story and I knew what was going to happen (I won't spoil it for those who have not read the book) I was still so affected by all the took place on the stage and how the actors up there brought it to life.

This play has been extended through November 1st and although it might seem like short notice, if you can make time to see it, do it, even if Steinbeck and sad are not your first choices of entertainment (just like they are not mine) you won't be disappointed in this play and The Playhouse.

And be sure to keep your eye on their upcoming schedule, I hear the Christmas Show is not one to miss either and it is right here practically in our own back yards! Enjoy the shows and let me know if you see them and what you think.

Tracy: Celebrity Look-alikes

I was working at a wedding this weekend in Shelter Island. Back in the days of high school and college, I worked at an inn as a waitress over the summers. On occasion, I still help out working weddings in the fall when the college kids go back to school. Quick, easy money is always enticing.

I am walking by a table and this guy says to me, “Hey, wait a minute. Sarah Palin. You look like Sarah Palin.” Now, any of you that have worked in a restaurant, you know what it’s like to be wearing black pants, a white shirt, hair in a pony tail, sticky, sweaty gross as you walk through a steamy, un-air conditioned dining room. I stopped, looked at the guy (and the multitude of beer bottles in front of him) and just smiled. I told him that I wanted to have a back up plan in case the vice president thing doesn’t work out.

This isn’t the first time I’ve had a celebrity look alike comment. One time, again I think this person had a multitude of liquor in front of and in them, someone told me I looked like Charlize Theron. Seriously? Have you seen Charlize? Tall, blond, movie star, pilates-driven looks? Have you seen me? Short, brunette, walk to the vending machine, couch-potato style? Close, but no cigar.

I wonder what it would be like to actually look like a celebrity. There is a former swimmer, turned reporter that looks like Michael Phelps. He was swarmed in China last month by mis-informed fans. The attention must be fun for a while, but I still like the anonymity of being just me.