home honig family theatre spot journal links
January, 2005
January 30, 2005
Tired!
We
did a lot of organizing and cleaning today and I finally feel like we're seeing
the light at the end of the tunnel. Billy moved out right after Christmas
so as we were trying to "dismantle Christmas", as I like to call it, he was
moving things out and the house was in a bit of upheaval. He left things
in the room that we wound up having to deal with, either to pack up for storage
or throw out. Then, with Kim and Carl working on the room for her use,
it's been a bit crazy. The room is done and ready to decorate and we
finally packed up things that had been in the living room or in our bedroom
waiting to be straightened out. It's slowly getting back to normal.
I feel good about it but tired as well.
So, it took the entire month for me to notice I've been typing 2004 all month! Even after saying happy new year, I continued to type 2004. Hmm, I guess I just didn't want to let the old year go. Ah, well.
I'm so glad the weather is back to the 30's. Maybe some of the snow will melt now. It's such a mess. Back to work, regular schedule tomorrow. Last week was regents week so hours were shorter.
Yawn, I'm going to try to stay awake through a movie on TV! g'nite.
comments?
January 23, 2005
Fourteen inches of snow
No pictures yet. I didn't go outside! Bill and Kelly did the shoveling, with the aid of a small snowblower I'd even forgotten we bought last year, and I stayed inside, cleaning and cooking. I'm roasting a chicken now. It's making the kitchen nice and warm.
This week should be a little less crazy and I should be able to start to get things organized. Tomorrow is a regular school day but the rest of the week is for testing. He's got a science test at 9:30 on Wednesday morning and we still have afternoon tech so I'll be able to sleep in Tuesday through Friday. Tech doesn't start until noon. Nice.
I'll take some pictures of the snow scene this week. Don't think it's melting anytime soon! I will use the new camera and try that out.
Stay warm!
goodnight
comments?
January 22, 2005
Big Storm and Naked Boys
Well, folks, if you believe the national
weather service, it's Armageddon. Kelly was telling me that the national
weather service bulletin says this is a "life-threatening emergency". The
storm, that is. Not Naked Boys Singing. Anyway, we're apparently
expecting a whopper. I'm planning to run to the store once I'm done here
and stock up on all the necessities for a couple of days snowbound in the house,
milk, bread and snacks for the hours of watching DVDs.
Bill and I revisited Phantom of the Opera on Thursday evening with Jan and Eric. Jan had never seen it and had recently seen the movie so we all decided it was a good time to see the play. This is the fourth time I've seen it and the second time seeing Sandra Joseph as Christine. Hugh Panaro is playing the Phantom and he sounds so much like Michael Crawford, it's a little freaky. The ending, with the beautiful light on the mask, still gives me chills. I just love that ending. I'm anxious to see the movie now. Jan says that the movie stayed close to the play, which is good, but that the Phantom is a little too "pretty" and his voice isn't the best. That's disappointing.
Now, Naked Boys Singing last night. The first thing that strikes you is the very emphatic announcements about no photography of any kind. That's usually a standard warning in the theatre. This one, for obvious reasons, is a bit more involved, as in, the show will be stopped if anyone attempts to take a picture. If they see photos taken, film and camera are confiscated and you'll be asked to leave. The same will happen if you take pictures with your cell phone and even if you just look at your cell phone, they will assume you're taking a picture and the show will be stopped. Whew! Got past that and the show started.
Holy cow. My second thought, as all these guys stood stark naked on the stage, was the cold weather last night. The theatre was not exactly what you'd call toasty warm. I was bundled up and still had my coat over my shoulders because I was chilly. I felt bad for the actors. The show is cute. I didn't realize that it's so gay-oriented and my tactic in this totally nude environment was to concentrate on looking at their faces! Laura and I agreed that when we see a show where the actors are fully clothed, we look at their faces, right? Made sense. Anyway, it's not a play but a revue of songs, basically about nudity. There is one ballad which I kind of liked but Kelly thought was not necessary. I thought it was sweet. Frank's solo song is about Robert Michum and how he prefers men from that era. Some of the songs are really funny. We talked to Frank after the show and he said it was indeed freezing backstage and on as well. It was noticeably colder last night. It was cold Thursday night but last night, it was painfully cold. I was bundled up as well as I could be. I hope that after the snowstorm, it will warm up a little bit.
Stay inside and stay warm, wherever you are. Remember, it's a life-threatening emergency.
comments?
January 20, 2005
Still Cold and More Snow
And we'll be in the city tonight. It's been ok since I'm in and out of buildings and my car (although tech is freezing) but tonight, I'll feel it. Walking through the city, there's no escape from the cold. Yikes.
I saw Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged at Smithtown Friday night. It's so funny. It's interactive so your enjoyment really depends on how well the audience reacts to it. Friday's audience was into it, including some English teachers who understood all the jokes. It's a really fun show.
Off to work,
comments?
January 18, 2005
12 degrees, folks, 12!
Nothing
much to add to that, I'm afraid. I just wish I could curl up in a blanket
like Pooh. Eeek.
Try to stay warm
comments?
January 17, 2005
Ok, it's winter! We get it!
We had some snow last night. It's not
much, just enough to be annoying. However, it's cold! It will
be cold all week. Time to get out the real cold weather gear, heavy socks,
warm gloves, hats, scarves, boots, etc. Sigh. How long until spring?
I'm glad Pooh and friends enjoy it.
Home today for the MLK holiday. Just relaxing and enjoying the warm house.
ttfn
comments?
January 15, 2005
Yum!
I have added three recipes to the recipe index. They're really holiday recipes but you can use them other times during the year, if you're in the mood. One is for Hearty Turkey Soup with Parsley Dumplings. I always make turkey stock after dinner on Thanksgiving and Christmas. By the end of the day, I have stock ready to go into the refrigerator. Later in the week, after we've exhausted the leftovers, I'll make a turkey soup. This one has become one of my favorite recipes. The dumplings are delicious. I also included a recipe for Wassail or spiced apple cider. This is great. If you like caramel apple cider at Starbucks, you should try this recipe. It's delicious. The other recipe is Bruschetta, an appetizer I'm sure you've had in restaurants, also very tasty.
Here's a recipe I've used several times lately. It's from my friend, Ste, and it's wonderful. I don't feel right putting it on the page so I'll reproduce it here. Ste has this recipe on his online journal so I guess it's ok to share with all of you. Try it, you'll love it.
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place 1/2 cup sliced unblanched almonds on a baking sheet and bake about five minutes until lightly toasted. Don't burn. Let cool.
Ingredients:
1 2/3 cup flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup plain pumpkin (half a one pound can) Make sure you get pumpkin and NOT pumpkin pie mix
1/2 cup butter (one stick) melted
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Grease muffin pans (or use foil or paper baking cups) or spray with cooking spray (pam). Thoroughly mix flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt. Break eggs into a different bowl. Add pumpkin and butter. Whisk until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds. Once the wet mixture is blended, pour it over the dry ingredients and fold just until dry mixture is moistened. This is pretty standard when making muffins. You don't want to overmix.
Spoon batter into muffin cups. An ice cream scoop actually works nicely for this. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. The texture, when done, should be puffy and springy to the touch. Remove to wire rack to cool.
Now, check out amazon.com for a link to Ste's book, The Sweater Book. If you buy this beautiful book, you'll benefit BC/EFA and discover that Ste made these muffins for the celebrities he photographed as an icebreaker. I highly recommend this book, the photographs are beautiful. Kelly's favorite is the picture of Sarah Michelle Gellar bathed in soft light.
Onto my week ahead. Bill and I will join Jan and Eric in the city Thursday evening. We'll see Phantom of the Opera. Jan's never seen it but she enjoyed the movie. There's a good discount now so it seems like a good time to go. On Friday evening, Kelly and I will join Ken and Laura for a trip to see Frank in Naked Boys Singing. I will report on that one!
Enjoy the new recipes!
and
ta ta!
comments?
January 12, 2005
No Inspiration
Hello, all. I'm sorry I've been away from here for so long. The truth is, I didn't have anything to say! I have been enjoying a little more free time since we left "Oz", though. Kelly managed to get away for two overnight trips, one to the city and one to Atlantic City. Good for her.
Bill and I saw Meet The Fockers this afternoon. It's cute. Bill thought the first one was funnier. I really enjoyed both movies. There were some really funny scenes in this one and Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand are just great, both so funny.
The weather has been weird. It gets a little cold, in the 30's usually, and then gets warmer, up into the 50's. Strange. It's been so dreary, though. Lots of rain and even a little bit of freezing rain/sleet. I hope we have some sunshine soon. It's so depressing!
ta ta for now, all.
comments?
January 6, 2005
Finally... Happy New Year!
Sorry this took so long! I think I'm still recovering from the last few months, particularly Wizard of Oz. Quite an experience. I should have all the pictures from the show on the yahoo photo page later tonight. Again, that can be found by following the link on the Honig Family page.
Here's the 2004 version of the Christmas
tree. It was a really nice one, not too wide or too tall. Again, we
bought this tree from the fire department tree sale.
My gift this Christmas was a new digital camera. It's beautiful, really professional looking, Panasonic lumix. I will need to read the instructions. It will do the point and shoot thing but you can also set all the adjustments, all those things I don't know how to do. Well, last year I learned how to use the mp3 player and I didn't have a clue how that worked. So, I'll get it, I just have to do some reading.
I'm
halfway through Twice Upon A Time by Allen Appel, the sequel to Time After Time.
I like these books. I like historical fiction and books involving time
travel and these stories have both those elements. I have two more waiting
after this book. In fact, I have a whole stack of books to read.
They should keep me busy for awhile.
Billy moved into an apartment with his friends this week. It's a little bit strange. Kim will take over his room. With all that activity and the continued dismantling of the Christmas decorations, the house is a bit upside down. I hope I can get everything straightened up a little bit this weekend. That's really what took me away from setting up the new month (and new year) here on the site. I still feel so tired from the holiday season and everything else that's been going on. Oh, the floor tile in the bathroom looks great. What an improvement!
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday. take care and ttfn!
comments?
