It's Cherry Blossom Time

While we had a couple cold days this week, may I offer a little proof that spring is kind of here.

A couple days ago while I was in DC, I went to the Kenwood Neighborhood  (in Maryland) to see the Cherry Blossoms. This neighborhood IS THE PLACE when it's cherry blossom time. Here's what it looked like driving in...

 

Then I wandered around and took a few shots....

 I had to do at least one selfie, right? I think it's a law these days.

 Everyone was out enjoying the beautiful trees and it turned into pretty much a neighborhood picnic under the blossoms...

 

And my personal recommendation on how to enjoy the Cherry Blossoms...with a brownie and lemonade....

Just look for the young ladies with the wagon and they'll serve you up!

Rocky Horror and Broadway Memories Combined!

So, here's the headline of the  press release that came into my e-mail box today... and made me literally squeal!!!

TONY-NOMINEE

WILL SWENSON

TO HEADLINE CAST FOR

THE BUCKS COUNTY PLAYHOUSE

FALL PRODUCTION OF

“ T H E   R O C K Y   H O R R O R   S H O W ”

 

DIRECTED BY

HUNTER FOSTER

 

So, there are a few memory reasons for my excitement.

First, is the most recent. Will Swenson, who will be Dr. Frank-N-Furter, was truly a pleasure to watch on stage on Broadway last year in Priscilla Queen of the Desert and I had the pleasure of interviewing him about the show as it reached it's one year anniversary. He was one of the kindest souls to chat with and the interview was filled with touching moments and heart felt stories. Just a beautiful soul!

Second, it takes me back to my first trip to New York (the only trip before I moved north). I saw Hunter Foster on stage as the lead in Urinetown. It was a show that a friend recommended and when he did I gave him that 'are you nuts?' look. But, he was 100% right that it was definitely the show to see. He's directing this time around.

Third, I lost many a weekend to that movie theater in Melbourne, Fla to watch and participate in Rocky Horror in my teens and early 20s.

So memory lane... here I come!!! Who wants to grab tickets with me?????

Give this Girl a Gun... or a Lot of Guns!!

Women and Guns. Hot, right? Well lucky me I got to be the woman playing with a lot of guns!

I lucked out and stumbled onto the Women On Target event sponsored by the Central Jersey Rifle and Pistol Club and Friends of the NRA this month.

The event is meant to be an intro to guns for women who don't know much about them... or a chance to play with guns you may not usually play with for those who are comfortable with guns.

I signed up and paid my $20 fee. Cost wise, great deal. It covered eye and ear protection, lunch and LOTS of ammo that I used while shooting everything... not to mention about a dozen clay pigeons. )

About 50 women (the first group of the day) converged under the tent to get our intro. We got a welcome and then... it started raining. Never fear, women who want to shoot will not be deterred. So, we improvised. May I introduce you to our line of rain gear.



with a little adjustment, trash bags make great ponchos.

We were split into groups of 15-17 and sent to one of three stations... my first station was with the cowboy shooting folks. There were a half dozen or so people with their guns... and I chose the guy with the prettiest guns... No really...



look at the leather work on these!!! Yeah, I know... just like a woman. First I shot a 38 special handgun.



Now we were shooting at metal plate targets, like these.


They are fun to shoot at. Why? Because they're metal and make a PING when you hit them. LOVE LOVE LOVE that!!! It's instant gratification baby!!!

The targets for the revolver were pretty close, so I hit them every time. I was then handed a lever-action .38 rifle



The targets were further out for this one... but I also hit every target.... and finally I got to play with the 12-gauge shotgun, a model 97.



This was my first time shooting a shotgun... and after hitting my targets on all counts the guys said I should get some guns and join them. What do you think - plains woman or can can girl who carries?

My next station was HP, high powered rifles.... My eyes first locked on this baby....



An AR-15. I had seen them, but never shot one.

By the way, here's my little PSA for the day. AR does not stand for assault rifle as is often said. It stands for Armalite, the company that made them early on. Ok, PSA over, moving on....

The targets for these were about 75-100 yards out.



This was my first test of how to shoot something I couldn't see. I am nearsighted. Things that are far away, they are pretty much a blur. I aimed for the 'blur', pulled the trigger and watched the target go down.

Did I mention I love targets that fall over and reset themselves, too? Again, that instant gratification is nice! It was a very very smooth firing rifle, and surprisingly almost no kick. I can see why people like these!

And hitting the target that one time wasn't a fluke. I did it repeatedly. I was very happy with that!

Next up the gun that really left a mark on me.... a bruise...



This is a M-1. I call it the shoulder-killer. I was braced just like I was supposed to be when I shot it, but it didn't matter. It kicked, and a lot. My shoulder felt it after the first shot. But of course I was given a handful of ammo and was not going to let it go to waste...so I fired a number of times more and had a souvenir bruise pop up the next day.

Next up, the Skeet and Trap Range. Ok, I went into this one pretty sure I was not going to have any success. Not only did I have to hit a target, but a moving one at that. They shoot this little orange clay pigeon into the air and you have to try and hit it as it flies across the field.



Really? You're kidding, right? Nope.... The first time I tried the instruction I got didn't have a lot of technique tips... and I didn't hit anything. Not too surprised. But then I was told there was another station open if I wanted to try again...and the guy there gave me some better tips for 'being the shotgun' which you really have to do to follow that little orange piece of clay and hit it.

I hit 3 out of 6 that time and was doing the happy dance. I really didn't think I was coordinated enough to figure out how to fire while the thing was still in the air much less actually hit anything!

Finally I was off to the pistol range. I decided to shoot a .45



and a 9mm.



My recommendation to you is to shoot the 9 first then the 45... I did this in the reverse order... Here's the problem with that. The .45 has a lot of kick...and after you fire off a bunch of rounds on that one, you are automatically preparing (i.e. compensating by pulling down a tiny bit) for the kick. When you then pick up the 9mm and are compensating, it makes your first two shots low



and my target shows it. The instructor who was standing there looked at me...said 'remember, its the 9, not the 45' and I refocused my head and was happy with the next three that made that pretty little triangle by the bullseye. I even got a fist bump from the instructor for the triangle artwork :)

In all, the Women on Target event was about a 3 1/2 hour day that ended with lunch under the tent.

This is a great thing for any woman, whether you have ever picked up a gun or not, whether you ever want to own a gun or not. I looked at it as a way to try out guns I may never have shot otherwise. But I think this should be on your list ESPECIALLY if you have never picked up a gun.

Every station is manned by a gun expert, usually an instructor who talks you through anything you are uncomfortable. It's all about learning safety... not fear. Brilliant!

The CJRPC holds this once a year, so the next one won't come around until next fall, but ladies, go find them online and keep up on their schedule and sign up next time around.

The Wide Open Road of Philly.... almost....

So, I found myself back in Philadelphia today.... After a little training and some meetings I found myself wandering about a little outside Philly proper wondering what to do. Well... if you leave a wench to wander around too much (even on in a blouse skirt and heels) she'll come across a pirate. Except this pirate didn't have a ship... Nope, Pirate Wayne had a beautiful Harley and offered a tour of the Delaware River.


Note to all women!!! Today is why you always have a pair of shorts in the car to change into. I have no doubt my blouse looked a little funny with the shorts, but at least I had a change of clothes for the ride without flashing the world! I'm also not sure the helmet went with the blouse, but I think I made it work.... you tell me....


& here was my view from the back of the bike....



Unless you're my mom looking at this blog... in which case the below view was my view as we were of course driving slowly and carefully.....



So, more things I did not realize... how much green space is JUST outside the city limits of Philly. This was beautiful country.


Not to mention lots of history. I saw where Washington crossed the Delaware.... the American Revolution Library and a LOT of hold homestead and farm museums and historic sites. And homes like this one that are even privately owned and lived in, but still the way they were hundreds of years ago.



I also went through cute New Hope, Pa, a nice little Victorian town, that I had heard about from some of the Philly radio station folks earlier in the day. It really was as adorable as they said, but my phone was dying so I only got one picture... of a dog walking a parrot.... :)



And as all great tours must have, there was even a stop for ice cream!

All I have to say is I really love the spontaneous moments in my life!

And now I have more places that I want to go back and explore!!

Always Squirrely in Philadelphia

So... part two of my trip to Philly mostly relates to after I returned home.

While I was in the city I found a street-side fruit vendor that had hazelnuts by the pound. I know. You're thinking 'Who cares?' Well, I just happen to have two adorable little girls at home who care a LOT!!

I haven't found places to buy just hazelnuts of pecans (in shells) in NY/NJ....unless I buy a huge bag of mixed nuts that has only a few of them... Not worth it. Unfortunately, I have raised at least one snob squirrel. Observe.... this is Amelia with a bowl of nuts... almonds, peanuts, and walnuts. But she will dig through the bowl until she finds the one hazelnut that is buried, even passing up some 1/2 opened almonds...



Meanwhile, Susie, my post-surgery cancer squirrel is just learning how to venture out and play more (She had been in a small cage as a breeder most of her life before I got her, so playing is new to her) Since she had surgery her 'leaping' skills aren't great so I have a couple cardboard ramps for her to use to get around. But she too was thrilled with having some hazelnuts to hide and eventually eat. (I realize this video is darker, but she doesn't deal with the light as well as Amelia does)



Both girls were very exited to have lots of hazelnuts to hide. How do I know? They were vocal.. Here's a clip of what 'alerting squirrels' sound like. They chirp. Both of them chirped non-stop for about 30 minutes as they were hiding hazelnuts all over the place...



I think that means I can go to Philly anytime I want as long as there is a bag of hazelnuts in my purse when I come home.

Well Hello Philly!

There are a lot of cities pretty darn close to NYC.. and a couple big ones too. I know, all the northerners are saying 'Duh!'. Hey! I'm a Florida girl. It used to take me 4 hours or more to get to another state! But just 2 hours from my North Jersey home sits Philadelphia and that's where Sunday took me.

The Ben Franklin Bridge was my transition bridge..... out of NJ and into Philly...



My first observation driving through town is that Philly looks like a big city, but has a lot of beautiful, old architecture... Say hello to City Hall.



I arrived a bit before my tour guide so I wandered a couple streets and found this continued to be the case.... beautiful old buildings interwoven with the new...



and in what I can only refer to as my "1776" moment, I saw this little alleyway beside a home and pictured John Adams and Ben Franklin going to Thomas Jefferson's place in the movie.




I am very fortunate in that my pirate life gives me the opportunity to know people that live everywhere. This was no different. I knew Colin, whom I have known for years as a part of Valhalla's Pirates, lived around here. So in my typical sweet way, I sort of volunteered him to give me a tour.



At least he doesn't look totally miserable... but this is also BEFORE 8 hours of walking :) Check out the tour-guide hat. Yep, he turned into the official tour guide for the day, although I question how much of the 'historical' tour was real and how much was stories he created on the fly. Thankfully I don't have to take a factual Philly test.

I did not take a lot of pictures... there was a lot of talking and listening going on as we walked and I kept forgetting to snap many. And before someone else takes the shot....Yes, I even did a little of that listening :P

Here's Independence Hall...where I was able to stop for a few moments and imagine my dear sweet John Adams walking about as he worked on the Declaration... Sigh.....



And being a good pirate..Colin pointed out the reference in the Declaration draft. It was later removed.


The lower box reads "He has incited treasonable insurrections of our fellow-citizens, with the allurements of forfeiture & confiscation of our property. He has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it's most sacred rights of life and liberty in the persons of a distant people who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither. This piratical warfare, the opprobrium of INFIDEL powers, is the warfare of the CHRISTIAN king of Great Britain. Determined to keep open a market where MEN should be bought & sold, he has prostituted his negative for suppressing every legislative attempt to prohibit or to restrain this execrable commerce. And that this assemblage of horrors might want no fact of distinguished die, he is now exciting those very people to rise in arms among us, and to purchase that liberty of which he has deprived them, by murdering the people on whom he also obtruded them: thus paying off former crimes committed against the LIBERTIES of one people, with crimes which he urges them to commit against the LIVES of another."

We also walked through the City Tavern which was just adorable... and you'll have to trust me since I didn't take any pictures or you can go here and check it out.

I found something that reminded me of home... as in Florida and the Conch Republic. Yep, this was actually attached to a street sign on a residential neighborhood in Philadelphia!!!



And then there was lunch..... I figured if I'm in Philly, I'm going to do a Philly Cheesesteak. The decision was between Pat's & Geno's. They're literally across the street from one another.



The thought was that Pat's has the better cheesesteaks (which I was also about to learn allows them to be meaner...) I read the sign about how to order....



and then watched people being rushed through the line and yelled at if they weren't fast enough. I looked at Colin and told him he was ordering. I was not about to get yelled at to order lunch.

He pretty much got barked at for not shoving the person in front of him so he could get to the window faster... then ordered "two wit whiz" and we moved on...

There was an addition of ketchup (because almost everything is better with ketchup) and we grabbed a table. I forgot to take a picture before I started eating. I was hungry. So I nabbed a shot about 1/3 of the way through.



The sandwich was very yummy but I knew I would not be going back to Pat's. I just can't be yelled at when I order lunch. So Colin suggested we check out Geno's to see if the service was the same. Thankfully it wasn't. There was a sweet older guy at the counter taking orders. It was almost like Santa Claus was dishing up cheesesteaks!! Whew! At least I know where I can go now and I hear they have great cheese fries!

I also saw this sign as we were walking down the sidewalk between the two cheesesteak joints.



Lucky for me I won't be facing any fines any time soon!

And we were back to walking... for hours... No really, hours! There were refueling stops with ice cream and soda... but generally we were on the move most of the day. In hindsight sandals were not the right footwear, so say the blisters on my feet today.

And I could regale you with stories about the cute parks that mark four corners of the old city (and how you're walking on bodies.... if you read the history you'll find out... lots and lots of bodies buried under those parks... great ghost walk material!) , about everything on the waterfront, memorials, the curiosity shop that I needed to dash out of because they had stuffed baby ducks, cobble stones vs. belgian block, the theater district, art district and oh so much more, but at that point you really should just go for yourself!

Suffice it to say, Philly to me was a smaller NYC without as much neon and glitz, but still a little bit of everything and a LOT of history, which I really want to go back and spend more time delving into!

They also have one thing NYC is missing, independently owned coffee shops!!! Those are very hard to find in New York, but Philly has them all over. Small indie coffee shops! I think I'll need a cup of joe next time I go!

For those of you that haven't spent a day with me just wandering around 'playing', if you will, imagine watching a child with no behavioral boundaries in a toy store right after they got jacked up on sugar at the candy store. That's pretty much me with new places and experiences. Add in some caffeine and well.... thank you Colin for putting up with me - stopping me from stepping out in traffic as I was looking at things, gently nudging me forward when I would stop moving for no particular reason, humoring my 'soundtrack of life', patting me on the head as you had that 'Yeah.... you're freaking nuts' look, and catching on pretty quickly to the 'Squirrel!' dashing off tangents of the 6-year-old me.

Broadway Bares - See A Strip Show For A Good Cause

Well this weekend is it - a major fundraiser for Broadway Cares / Equity Fights Aids. It's Broadway Bares, a massive strip tease with 200 Broadway performers taking it all off for a good cause.

I did a story on this a few weeks back, but this is your reminder! And it gives me a good reason to show you a picture of Nick Kenkel, one of the gentlemen I interviewed. He's a top notch choreographer who and one of the dancers. He is definitely Prince Charming!

Now, sure, we make cute comments about the concept of stripping for charity, but what these 200 men and women are doing is truly awesome. They give a lot of time and energy of themselves to make this happen. And if you don't know about Broadway Bares, I've attached a highlight reel below. They are not just standing there and stripping, but these are fully choreographed Broadway numbers.

Last years event raised well over one million dollars - all going to a good cause. Let's hope they break the ceiling and raise even more money for charity this time around!

Didn't get tickets yet? They are already sold out, but some will come up for sale on Sunday. According to the website:

"A limited number of tickets may be available between 3 pm and 7 pm only on Sunday, June 17 at will call in the lobby of Roseland Ballroom. Ticket availability will be based on cancellations and returns. Tickets will be first-come, first-served only. Cash or credit cards will be accepted."

So, there's still a chance to see an amazing show that is one night only and give some cash to a great cause!

Here's a video reel with highlights from a few years ago. And yes, there is some nudity. After all, it is called Broadway Bares....

Inappropriately Funny Moments (aka Darn you Bobby Lopez!)

You know how a sound, image or smell can bring back memories? Or perhaps trigger a song to start playing in your head? Maybe a song that you hum out loud only to realize it might have been seen as a bit inappropriate? Well, let me take you to the NY Subway system today.

I hopped on the 1, on my way to a press conference uptown.

At the first stop along the way, four young Mormon elders stepped aboard.

Everything was just fine until I combined the image of these young men with the sound of the doors of the subway door closing...

The image and the ding-dong of the train sent my head off in it's own direction and that direction was to start playing "Hello", the opening song of Book of Mormon. (If you are not familiar with it, listen below).

Now you can see how I made the connection. The visual of the elders in their white shirts, ties and name tags (as in the opening scene), and the chimes from the subway were just too much to ask my mind to overlook! My brain started singing the words and I caught myself humming along, all the while standing just a few feet away. I am not sure if they heard me, but Elder Malm did not look very entertained.

At least he didn't tell me I had earned myself an express trip to burn in hell.....o!!

The Right Way To Watch The Tony's

So, I've always been a Tony's fan. But this year it was far more enjoyable a show to watch as I watched it through the eyes of one of the performers.

I interviewed Lee Siegel months ago, as Jesus Christ Superstar was opening on Broadway. He plays Simon Zealotes. He is still one of the most positive people I've met and has a truly amazing personality.

Since JCS was up for a best musical revival Tony, they got to perform. So instead of just watching the show, I was also watching his facebook page... Here are few of the updates...

8:14 PM - Ok friends. It's overly thrilling to be backstage... Sitting beside Matthew Broderick!!!

8:18 PM - See that stage?! Gonna be on it!!!!! Seize the day Friends!!!!!

When they show went to commercial break with some of the music from JCS, this popped up -

8:25 PM - Loud cheers to hear our theme song backstage!!

8:30 PM - Alright it's time to get ready friends. Loads of love from all here behind the scenes!! Enjoy the show. Xoxoxoxoxoxx. So freakin excited!!

8:40 PM - Just met Matthew Morrison!! ;) and we're on the stage ready to perform! ;).

And then I watched the performance. When the whole cast is on stage he is right between Jesus and Mary.

And I got to follow him after he got off stage.

8:59 PM - What a Freaaakin rush!!!!!!'. And we literally just exited the theater and onto a bus. Now back to our theater to prep for a party!! ----- Freakin rush!!!!!! We're so proud. No matter what happens for the rest of the night.... Our rush was insane!!!!! :))

There were plenty more updates, but you get the idea. It was a great way to watch the show, with that extra personal touch. Thanks, Lee, for letting me tag along on your special night!

See the rest of his behind the scenes photos on his Facebook Fan Page

Fleet Week Photo Op in Times Square

Looking for a New York photo you can't get the rest of the year?

It's time to head out to Times Square for Fleet Week photo ops.

With all the miltary men and women checking out the city, there are also a lot of people out looking for a photo op with the men and women in uniform.

To be honest, it's mostly women. Among the women I met 'hunting photos', was Aisling (on the left in the picture) who went out and bought a complete nautical-themed outfit for her pictures. She even showed off an anchor tattoo. She and her friends were searching for and snapping shots with as many guys in Navy whites as they could find.

They didn't have to work too hard, every where you look you'll see a handful of uniforms - Navy, Marines, Army. The harder ones to find seemed to be the Coast Guard.

And Aisling and her friends weren't the only ones out on the photo hung. There were plenty of groups of young women all dolled up dashing around Times Square trying to snap as many pictures as they could with the men in uniform.

Even reporters fell prey to the charm of getting one of those photos.

What do the guys think about all the attention? Listen to the story below:

Fleet Week - Sunset Parade USS Wasp

I was invited to join a number of military families and dignitaries for the Sunset Parade aboard the USS Wasp during Fleet Week.

The Sunset Parade featured the Marine Corps Band from Quantico and USCG Silent Drill Team, a ceremonial lowering of the flag and a reception afterwards.

Below are pictures and videos I took during the evening. Enjoy!

First things first. When you walk up the first few ramps into the Wasp you are inside the ship, in the Hangar area. So, how do you get topside for the ceremony? Well you could climb more ramps... or take the faster way up - the elevator. And when I say elevator in this case, I mean the elevator they use to transport planes from the flight deck down inside the ship....

This is definitely more people than you can usually fit in an elevator!

When I arrived on Deck the Marine Corps Band was wrapping up playing New York New York, and once we all got up there and in place, the ceremony began.

Here's a video of the Coast Guard Silent Drill Team. They were phenomenal:

And as we know what goes up... must come down.. . Here's my view on the elevator as we were taken back down into the ship.

The reception was in full swing

We were even treated to a performance from the crew of the Indonesian Tall Ship that is taking part in Fleet Week.:

And what event is complete without some USO girls!