FORTUNATE

1. So it was announced yesterday that Elton John and Billy Joel are coming to Nashville. Together. I kind of started hopping up and down in my chair and panting a little bit when I read this. I think attending this concert would be akin to watching Michelangelo and Da Vinci paint together. Tickets go on sale next Saturday. We're going. It's happening. Let me know if you want to come with! See you soon, Elton!

2. I reorganized my desk yesterday. Previously, I had photos and supplies kind of everywhere. Organized, but everywhere. And I never felt like I could properly focus or that I had room on my desk to do billing and other paperwork. So yesterday afternoon, I decided I wanted to move the work stuff to one spot and the photos, mementos, decorative stuff to another. My desk is shaped like an L with my computer in the middle. So now I have all my work files, calendar, phone, basically all things official, to my left. Then to my right are all the picture frames and a bulletin board I made with a stapler and some ribbon. And my diploma is on the partition behind me! It looks much cleaner and more efficient and everything flows. And I have much more space! Hooray, organization.

3. C and I went to see The Wizard of Oz on Tuesday. I didn't know what to expect. I was not aware that it was ever on Broadway. It was really good. Dorothy, even through her overacting, was great as were the other main characters. Surprisingly, when the lights went up at intermission I noticed in my program that Dorothy was being played by this underwhelmer. Glad she found a role that suits her. My favorite scene was the Munchkins. They pick 12 children in each city where the tour stops to play munchkins (one of them was Trace Adkins's daughter). My least favorite scene was this song I thought was so random and horribly out of place until I read that it was actually filmed and recorded for the movie but cut in post-production: the Jitterbug. Yes, in the movie's original script, the WWoW sends a pink and blue dancing bug (the Jitterbug) to into the haunted forest "to take the fight out of Dorothy and her friends. When the Jitterbug bit one of the characters, he/she would start dancing helplessly." I thought that was the dumbest song in the history of musicals. I completely understand why they cut it from the movie -- it didn't flow at all. But nonetheless- the sets were bright and colorful and clever and the talent was great; Jitterbug aside, I really enjoyed it.

4. Lots of other fun things coming up - a holiday Monday, Inauguration/sister's 28th on Tuesday, Bacch Society on Thursday, possibly the circus next weekend?, a baby shower for Little Baby Fufu and more.

5. I just feel really fortunate right now and I had to share. It's like I told C on New Year's Eve: It was a very challenging year, but at the end of it I still had a job (let alone a job I adore), a roof over my head, a reliable car, friends, family, etc. It's been so cold here in town and I've even seen people trying to sleep on the grates on the sidewalk. And then the whole plane thing yesterday... I just feel really blessed, really grateful and really happy.