“Imagination is more important than knowledge…”

-Albert Einstein

Is anyone else just as frustrated with the fact that it is snowing and more snow is supposed to fall tonight?  Now, I do realize, that YES, we DO live in Western NY and its just expected that we should never be surprised with the weather around here, but sometimes its just frustrating!  I do wonder though if the weathermen on television are truly happy people, or if they find themselves to be depressed!  I mean, if I were a weather person, I can’t imagine it being a happy job; knowing that its going to snow for a week in April and be 10 degrees in June.  Haha.  Eh well, what can you do?!  I hope for you reading this, that you are greeted with a warm and cozy evening.  Stay tuned…

This is a video from the musical Side Show – starring Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner who portray Violet and Daisy Hilton; conjoined twins two make a change from being a circus act to becoming famous stage performers in the 1930’s. 

The happenings in my life as of late have been not much different than usual.  I have though, been writing a weekly blog on The Batavian with my movie review.  Nothing special, but its something different that people have seemed to been reading once in awhile!  It also gives me excuses to watch movies more often, hahah!

Our small group has still been meeting every other week, its been a blast, to get to know each other and just laugh with a group of people who are all unique and different, yet who share a lot of common interests.  Its great to have all of them in my life to adventure with.  Kristen and Andy got a new little puppy – Chloe Bea – a chocolate lab puppy who is full of energy and gives Chester (their cat) a run for his money.  Although Chester is quite the fighter and will stand his ground.  Last week, Chester bit Chloe’s ear and that was the end of that fight.  It was reminiscent of the Mike Tyson fight years ago, haha!  Although, Chloe still has her ear.  And… its official, Megh and Anthony have news of something kind of like a puppy (although, we hope Anthony doesn’t drop their baby!) – WAHOOO a baby!!!  Its so fun to see pictures, and try to figure out if the leg is the head or the hand is the nose, or if it will be an Asian baby or a Sweetbutter baby or maybe its a Mary baby or an Andy baby.  Anthony has already passed over babysitting duties to Mary because he thinks since she does a lot of duties like that for her job, she can clean up their babies “doodie” – - – Thats our group, we are a fun group of people who never let a week go buy without laughing about something and its been great. 

I’ll post some more later, and try harder to keep this blog updated (thanks to Kristen who thought I fell off the face of the blogging world).  But in the mean time, you can always go check out my movie reviews!

PS:  We’ve had a crazy April so far, and its only 6 days in.  We’ve seen a 62 degree day with nothing but sunshine… and TOMORROW IT IS GOING TO SNOW!   There is actually a winter advisory out for tonight and tomorrow, and THAT IS JUST REDICULOUS.

I recently mentioned I went on a little bowling outting with a few of my friends from a small group.  Well, I just thought that I’d elaborate a bit and give mention to the Oakfield Hotel.  For those of you who have been there you know that you are greeted by the hundreds of little stuffed heads of animals and little statuesque figures of critters and wildlife (sorry for those of you who might be professional taxidermists who prefer to use other terms than “stuffed”).  I believe there is a 2 headed calf head mounted, and your normal squirrels and chipmunks and deer and all of those types of objects.  I believe there is even a butt of a deer mounted with eyes on it to make it look like a funny face.  Now, for those of you readers who might object to the killing and stuffing of animals, please keep reading, I am not necessarily disagreeing or agreeing either way with mounting animals on your walls as a showcase, but it was part of the Oakfield Hotel experience!  And it is what you are greeted with upon arrival.

But its a quaint little place that really is in the middle of nowhere to most people!  I tried to give directions to someone and said turn left at the greenhouse, and they thought I meant an actual green house!  When you find your way there, its a place that might seem startling at first.  You walk in and every single person turns at the bar to see who is walking in the door.  But admit it, you could be sitting at the bar and you’d be curious to know who comes in also!  We all do it!  At first no one says hi, but give it a few minutes and its like Cheers!  (Come on!  I know you all know the theme song…. WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME!!! ::singing:::) 

At first glance most people would think, “okay, the Oakfield Hotel is nothing more than a little dive bar that is full of locals.” — Give it a minute!  Just wait for it….

AND THEN the doors open in the back to a bowling alley!!!!  A private little area, with maybe 13 lanes.  You pay $0.50 for shoes and something like $2.00-$2.50 per game!  I MEAN that is a good time!  Everyone is looking to save these days.  But we had a group of friends there on Friday, we played 2 games and basically had the whole place to ourselves.  We ordered pizza and soda and wings, great food, its not one of those nights you have a good time with  and not go home crying that you spent too much money.   We all laughed and joked around and had the occasional bowling lane issues, where the guy who ran the desk was more than happy to help us out a bit. 

And I am glad that Mancusos is here and bowl there also, but sometimes on a Friday night you just want to have a fun personal night with your group of friends and its hard when there is Rock and Bowl and you are squeezing your groups into the last two lanes available.  So I do recommend this new discovery!  We had a blast.  Everyone there is either playing darts, or socializing at the bar, playing pool… they even have horseshoes in the summer!  But the Oakfield Hotel is a pretty good place to go!  I’ve suggested it to many friends and they’ve all given it a try!  I think our night of bowling cost $5.50 a person to bowl for 2 hours of fun and $5.00 a person to eat pizza and wings.  Really thats a cheap date!  But it makes for lots of laughter and good times.

I’m not sure really the depth that this particular blog will go.  Perhaps it is more for a “shout out” to Kristen, Andy, Raf, Brian, Mary, Megh, Justin and Anth and our bowling endeavors at the Oakfield Hotel.  But nonetheless, we had a GREAT time with our gathering.  What can beat, bowling, pizza, good friends and weird names?  I believe the name thing all started when Kristen asked Mary what her full name was.  And then the rest of the group wondering what on earth Kristen meant by that!  BUT, the point is that its nice to have good friends that you can have those stupid moments with once in awhile and they still love you even after that!  I’ve posted in a past blog, the beginning of this small group with some people from my church.  I believe its a good journey thats taken place here, and one we are all having fun travelling together.  I think the best thing, is that its a group of different people, people who all have different views and opinions.  Who make different jokes, and laugh and smile and who love to have a good time.  I’m thankful for this group and the hearts I hope we touch.  Here is a “cheers” to more good small group times, more bowling for Jesus, the name Tietty (the last two cheers of which I’m not sure go appropriately together!), tattoos (which Megh is planning on getting one portrait of our small group on her back!),  Mary “whatever her full name is”, Kristen and Andy (who are both spouses of the year), that is MISTER Sweetbutter to you, Brian, Justin, and Anth who has a sweet “Harley Davidson” – well, which is more like a “snarley melvinson”, but who is really paying attention!

There are Rent fanatics, there are those who enjoy it, some who don’t enjoy it and some who have never seen it.  I am somewhere between a fanatic and one who REALLY enjoys it!  I will say, I believe everyone should allow themselves the priveledge of seeing it once in their life!  This video is actually the music video to one of the more popular songs of the musical, “Seasons of Love” – it was created for the movie production of the musical.  So, I thought I would make this the second post for the little broadway musical collection here.

Awhile back there was a survey posted on MySpace or Facebook or something that was entitled the “Soundtrack of My Life” where you were given categories to fill in the appropriate song that suited you best.  So I thought it would make a fun, laid back little post tonight.  So here is the soundtrack to my life (currently), and according to my iPod.

OPENING CREDITS:
(Struggling for this one, its hard to pick just a one or a few songs sometimes, but I think the rest of my list is pretty on cue.)

WAKING UP:
Oh What A Beautiful Morning – Oklahoma
Feeling Good – Michael Buble

AVERAGE DAY:
Viva la Vida – Coldplay
Hung Up – Madonna

FIRST DATE:
Come Fly With Me – Michael Buble

FALLING IN LOVE:
Lost – Anouk
Dancing – Elisa
Who Am I To Say – Hope
I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
Mmm… – Laura Izibor

FIGHT SCENE:
Beat It – Michael Jackson

BREAKING UP:
Goodbye My Lover – James Blunt

GETTING BACK TOGETHER:
Karma – Alicia Keys
Love Heals – Cast of Rent

SECRET LOVE:
Bubbly – Colbie Caillat
Almost Lovers – A Fine Frenzy
Bleeding Love – Leona Lewis

LIFE’S OKAY:
Brave – Idina Menzel
You Pulled Me Through – Jennifer Hudson
Come To Me – Mary J. Blige

MENTAL BREAKDOWN:
Slow Me Down – Emmy Rossum
All Fall Down – One Republic

DRIVING:
Run Around Sue – Dion and the Belmonts
We Break The Dawn – Michelle Williams

LOSS:
Photographs and Memories – Jason Reeves

LEARNING A LESSON:
The Best Is Yet To Come – Michael Buble
No More Drama – Mary J. Blige
Apologize – One Republic
Moving Mountains – Usher ft. Timbaland

DEEP THOUGHT:
Wild Horses – Natasha Beddingfield
Superwoman – Alicia Keys

FLASHBACK:
Meet Me In St. Louis – Judy Garland
It’s Not Unusual – Tom Jones
Come On Eileen – The Cure

PARTYING:
Kids In America – Cascada
Heaven – DJ Sammy
‘Til the Dawn – Drew Sidora
Whine Up – Kat De Luna ft. Elephant Man
This Is How We Do It – Montell Jordan
Break It Off – Sean Paul ft. Rihanna

HAPPY DANCE:
There are too many songs to list for this category! 

REGRETTING:
Your Guardian Angel – The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Without You – Cast of Rent
Broken – Secondhand Serenade

LONG NIGHT ALONE:
Invisible – Jennifer Hudson
Fall For You – Secondhand Serenade

DEATH SCENE:
I Will Never Leave You – Side Show

CLOSING CREDITS:
When Angels Fly – Tony Ransom

HAPPY HOUR:
I Love This Bar – Toby Keith

SUNDAY TUNES:
Nothing Without You – Bebo Norman
Waging War – Cece Winans
His Strength Is Perfect – Cece Winans

MISCELLANEOUS LOVE:
No One – Alicia Keys
Angel – Natasha Beddingfield

MISCELLANEOUS SONGS:
Single Ladies – Beyonce
Mercy – Duffy
Love Affair – Regina Specktor
Ramalama (Bang Bang) – Roisin Murphy
The Heart Of The Matter – India Arie
Take Me As I Am – Jekyll and Hyde
Come And Go With Me – Dell Vikings
Hooked On A Feeling – Resevoir Dogs Soundtrack
My Funny Valentine – The Ahn Trio
Show Stoppers – Danity Kane
Come To Me – Diddy
Walk It Out – DJ Unk
Beautiful – Akon, Colby O’Donis
Miss Independent – Ne-yo
Green Light – John Legend
Departed – Brandy

ARTISTS WORTH LISTENING TO ON A RAINY DAY:
Louis Armstrong
Madeleine Peyroux
Ella Fitzgerald
Andrea Bocelli
Melody Gardot
Eartha Kitt
Frank Sinatra
Dean Martin
Il Divo
Josh Groban

If anyone reading has any suggestions for new songs or favorite songs or artists, drop me a note, its always fun to explore the horizons of the music world.

I’ve been MIA for a little bit and thats because I got sucker punched by a bad cold and a horrible cough, the cough of which I’m still trying to rid myself of.  So on that note, I’m going to leave you with a few “tid bits” that are flying through my mind as of late.

- Indoor soccer starts on Saturday, and I’m very excited for that.  We have a great team lined up and it should be a great time!

- I hate snow, I hate winter.  Enough said.

- We weren’t able have our small group for a few weeks now because of the holiday and its about time that we have our little gathering.  So I’m looking forward to that this week!

- I miss playing darts with my good friends.

- I am addicted to tea.  To be more specific, I am addicted to peppermint tea.  But I love all tea… I could drink it all day.

- Thanksgiving was laid back, but it was overall a good day.  I’m thankful for all of you!

- Does anyone want a rabbit? 

- I still have no cable, so I’ve been doing a lot of college basketball watching, and other stuff on CBS.  (CSI was a good episode the week before Thanksgiving!)

- We need to have a poker night soon, anyone up for it?!

THE END (for today!)  I’m off to work.

I hope that you have been fortunate enough to experience the joys of broadway and musical theatre.  It is a wonderful journey of storytelling at its finest.  And if you haven’t been able to see a show, I suggest sometime in your life you allow yourself the priveledge.  I believe that broadway performances have to rank among the top of my lists, and so I figured, why not once a week post a new video of some of the greatest performances from some great musicals! 

And so why not start out with one of the oldest and longest running musicals on Broadway which everyone should be familiar with… THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.  The video is from the movie that was made a few years back.  If you don’t have 8 minutes of your day to sit and watch the whole video, at least watch time spot 6:50 to the end and try to honestly tell me you don’t get chills!!!