Birmingham Trip Report

[NoHall]

For those of you who thought the last trip report was too long:

We had funn while it lasted*.












*It ended with some sadness, but I'm not going into that. Just give someone you love a hug or a phone call right now. Life is precious.

 

[Lynnie]

Hugs, kisses and love to those I know and love....and, to those I don't know and don't particularly love!

So glad y'all had funn and sorry to hear the news that it ended on a sad note. Hope you made it home safely and that the funn outweighed the heaviness!!

 

[Miss Kitty]

Is there a punch line somewhere?

 

[NoHall]

Hugs, kisses and love to those I know and love....and, to those I don't know and don't particularly love!

So glad y'all had funn and sorry to hear the news that it ended on a sad note. Hope you made it home safely and that the funn outweighed the heaviness!!

Is there a punch line somewhere?

No, no punch line...

Sadness--Two of our party got really sad news as we left. I'm not at liberty to share someone else's story, but I'll share mine: I found out just after I got on the road home that one of my co-workers lost his very short battle with lung cancer at the age of 49. He thought he had bronchitis before Christmas--he was still at work. He leaves a wife, two sons, and a bunch of grateful students and faculty.

As for the funn, we were all glad that we didn't get our bad news until it was over, because it was a truly wonderful weekend. BB is always the sweetest hostess!

She took me to a play on Friday night...I hope she chimes in here somewhere...it was called "Southern Baptist Sissies," and I knew that it had something to do with young gay men growing up in a Texas church, but I was expecting something along the lines of "Smoke on the Mountain." It really was a great story, written by the same guy who wrote "Sordid Lives" (which we watched this morning) but I was not prepared to see so much...um...manliness...

If I'm not careful, you'll end up with another really long report, and I'm tired. Saturday we went to the Lebanese Food Festival, to a great restaurant, and to see "Wicked." It was all wonderful and magical and perfect...maybe I'll tell you about it when I have time. (That should be sometime around April 28th.)

 

[Minnie]

So sorry to hear about your co-worker, prayers for all. Glad you had a good time though prior to that. Can't wait to see Wicked when it comes here.

 

[NoHall]

So sorry to hear about your co-worker, prayers for all. Glad you had a good time though prior to that. Can't wait to see Wicked when it comes here.

Fer sher! I hate to jump on a Broadway band wagon, but I really like that show. I've always like Stephen Schwartz' songs--they're singable, they're sweet, they work. It's a sweet story, and it's an interesting story. Everyone knows the story of the Wizard of Oz, so the backstory is fun to watch.

The set and the costumes are wonderful, too. Really creative, beautiful to watch.

We had really good seats, too. When I saw it at the Fox, I could just see figures on a stage. I could see faces this time. The girl who played Elphaba was spectacular. Glinda had a great voice, but Elphie just blew me away.

Best $75 I've spent in a long time. (The other best $75 was for the really cute stilettos BB helped me pick out before the show. LOVED them! They're similar to the ones below, but not patent leather, and they have a cute buckle on the toe.)

 

[Lynnie]

Fer sher! I hate to jump on a Broadway band wagon, but I really like that show. I've always like Stephen Schwartz' songs--they're singable, they're sweet, they work. It's a sweet story, and it's an interesting story. Everyone knows the story of the Wizard of Oz, so the backstory is fun to watch.

The set and the costumes are wonderful, too. Really creative, beautiful to watch.

We had really good seats, too. When I saw it at the Fox, I could just see figures on a stage. I could see faces this time. The girl who played Elphaba was spectacular. Glinda had a great voice, but Elphie just blew me away.

Best $75 I've spent in a long time. (The other best $75 was for the really cute stilettos BB helped me pick out before the show. LOVED them! They're similar to the ones below, but not patent leather, and they have a cute buckle on the toe.)

Umm - I have the same shoes!

I haven't seen Wicked, but everyone I know who's seen it, had the same sentiments as you! Delightful!

 

[Minnie]

Really wicked shoes, NoHall.

 

[Matt J]

Sorry to hear there was bad news. Glad funn was had and clearly I have some phone calls to make tomorrow.

I love Sordid lives, we have the DVD.

 

[drunkkenartist]

This was a wonderful weekend. Filled with friends, food, and fun. The Lebanese Festival was delicious. The Falafel was good. The stained glass windows in the church were beautiful.
Dinner at "26" was incredible. It was my second trip there. So hip, so trendy, so oooh-la-la.
Wicked was better than I ever could have imagined. I've read Wicked, Son of a Witch, and have started A Lion Among Men, and had a hard time understanding how they could make such a war filled, politically turmoiled, tragic book series into such a delightful Broadway Musical- until the curtain went up. Its easy. Just rewrite the whole thing, Disney-fy it and let everyone live. It made so much sense. I absolutely loved it. I had already had plans to see it again in San Antonio in June, but now am considering hopping over to Jacksonville to see it while it is there for two weeks as well!
**** IF YOU HAVEN"T SEEN IT, GET OFF YOUR DUFF- GET ON YOUR BROOM AND GO SEE IT****
LIFE IS SHORT. Live while you are here. Now. Don't wait. For anything. Just go and do it. Which leads to the next issue. I was one of the ones that recieved sad news.

I turned my cell off before dinner Saturday night right before 5 and didn't turn it back on till I was leaving B'ham the next day at noon. Ironically we had just finished watching Sordid Lives, "A black comedy about white trash", about mommas funeral....
Let me back up by saying that the previous week I went to go see my Mom in the hospital in Oregon. At 85 years old she seemed to 'collect' heart attacks, strokes, and finally a blood clot in the lung.
Saturday at 5pm, she layed down, saying she didn't feel well, and peacefully made her transition.
When I turned my phone back on the Sunday noon, I had two messages that Mom had passed the night before. I had just left BB's. Nohall had seen me do the u-turn, and came back as well. I can't thank BB enough for letting me hang out for a couple of hours, make the necessary phone calls and regain my composure before making the drive back to Sunny Hills.
For some reason that 4.5 hour drive took 7 hours.... hmmm.
The weekend was wonderful, and being with friends, the dinner and show, is just where Mom wanted me to be. She said her goodbye to me in Oregon in a special way, which I'll never forget and will hold next to my heart forever.
But I am also so graytful to have such special friends to have spent this special weekend with.
Yes, "I miss my mommy", but I know she is in a better place in every aspect. She is finally getting the rest that she deserves.
And NoHall got some fabulous shoes!