Saturday night I went to see Wicked the Musical with a group of friends. It was great! I had listened to the soundtrack a few times before the show and liked a lot of the songs, but after seeing it on stage these are a couple of the bits of songs that really have stuck with me.

Defying Gravity
Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I'm through with playing by the rules
Of someone else's game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It's time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!

It's time to try
Defying gravity
I think I'll try
Defying gravity
And you can't pull me down!

For Good
I've heard it said
That people come into our lives for a reason
Bringing something we must learn
And we are led
To those who help us most to grow
If we let them
And we help them in return
Well, I don't know if I believe that's true
But I know I'm who I am today
Because I knew you:

Like a comet pulled from orbit
As it passes a sun
Like a stream that meets a boulder
Halfway through the wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you
I have been changed for good

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You'll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend:
Like a ship blown from its mooring
By a wind off the sea
Like a seed dropped by a skybird
In a distant wood
Who can say if I've been changed for the better?
But because I knew you:

I love that! I’m very lucky to have a number of people in my life that I’m better for knowing and that have changed me for the better. I hope that people can say that about me.

We saw the understudy for Elpheba who was really very good! Tonight we’re going again and I hope to see the regular person for a comparison. Carol Kane was in it, she’s Madame Morrible. Other than her, I didn’t recognize any of the names in the show, but everyone was great. Gah-Linda was hilarious! I didn’t get from the book or the soundtrack how funny she was. She sort of stole the show! I’m excited to see it again tonight.

Sunday was church and then giving Addy to her new family. That was tough, I sure do love Addy (don’t tell anyone, but I cried a little when she left)! She’s doing very well though and her new family is really having a good time getting to know her and love her.

Sunday night we went to the Hollywood Bowl to see 50 years of Disney music and fireworks. The show was given access to the Disney vault so some of the numbers had never been performed live. They also did music from the parks around the world. Then the fireworks were GREAT!

Monday, the 4th of July, Linda Laura and I went to Ojai for the parade, partying with Tammy and her family and fireworks. The parade was unremarkable, some very cool cars, the local schools, etc. At 11:00am there was some sort of jet fly-by. I asked my mom who it was and she didn’t know…it was planned, they arranged it, but she didn’t know who it was “probably some air force person or something”. Gee, thanks mom! After the parade we went to Wendy’s and had lunch with my mom, then headed over to my friend Tammy’s mom and dads house. We had a BBQ and swam and chatted. Then we headed to the high school for bands and then the fireworks. They ALWAYS have the same bands playing old 70s stuff. It’s fun and over the years the band has gotten much better. Thank goodness!!

Yesterday I had to go home early from work, I’m not sure if I ate something that didn’t agree with me or if I had a touch of the flu. I fell asleep on the couch at 12:30 and didn’t wake up until my friend called at 5:30, then I went to bed at 10… Today I feel “safe” not being at my own house!