Happy Halloween!

The only possible way I can open this email is to say, "thank goodness it's Friday."

It's not that it's been a long week. It actually hasn't been that bad, actually. It's more just a question of me not getting enough sleep this week topped off by the horrible fact that I might be coming down with the flu. I'm desperately hoping that it's just because I stayed up too late, ate the wrong thing and didn't sleep well but today is definitely one of those days that I had to fight to get out of bed.

Naturally, today is also a day when there's no way to miss work. I have three long meetings today, meetings that aren't the type of meetings I can miss. It means I'm going to be counting down until 4:30 p.m. this afternoon so I can get out of here and go home.

It's mostly my own fault. Last night, I went to see the touring production of "Rent." Yes, again. This was actually my third time seeing this tour with Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal, two of the original leads from "Rent" from almost 15 years ago. Ironically, while I love the show, I'm really not as much of a groupie as saying I've seen it three times makes it sounds. It's just that I have friends in L.A. who love the show like me and I happened to see it while I was there. I also have best friend in Washington D.C. who loves the show and so we saw it while I was there. This time, I mentioned to a coworker who's seen the show 12 times already, although not this particular tour, and she wanted to go. I figured that it'd be a good chance to check out downtown Cincinnati as well as enjoy the show again.

It was a good show. It always is. Anthony Rapp continues to amaze me with his enthusiasm and ability to play his role. The problem that both he and Adam Pascal have is that everyone who's ever heard "Rent" has, most likely, heard the original soundtrack in which the two actors are forever framed in their roles. Thus, it's impossible to see them both without comparing it to that Original Broadway Soundtrack. I can't imagine how hard that has to be, that almost 15 years later they're reprising their roles and they've become legendary because they created the roles and are forever going to be the standard that everyone sets for them. Anthony Rapp, the original "Mark" in the show is flawless. He still plays the role as though it's new to him. He still surprises me with how strong and familiar his voice is. Adam Pascal, on the other hand...I think it must be hardest for him. Somewhere in the past 15 years, he's gone from being a raw-edged rock performer who happened to get a job on Broadway to being a Broadway singer who tries to sound rock. It's not that he's bad, per se, it's just that he sounds like he's auditioning for "La Boheme," the show on which "Rent" was based, for a large percentage of the show. It's like watching Eliza Doolittle go from being a fiery little cockney to being a somewhat more dull polished lady.

Still, it was a great night. I had fun. We stopped for dinner at one of those fancy upscale Mexican restaurants that tries to make every dish sound fancy. Since I'm the Food Network junkie that I am, I saw the opportunity to try pork belly tacos and I took it. Pork belly is one of those things that doesn't sound appealing but it seems like it's one of the most ubiquitous meats for chefs because of it's flavour. I've never tried it so I thought I would. The tacos were delicious, a mixture of a bacon flavour with tender pork in the middle. It's probably not something I'd try often, mostly because despite my new 'foodie' status, I'm also not planning on turning into a beach ball. However, I'm glad I tried it.

Unfortunately, I wasn't so glad when I woke up at 2:30 a.m. when my stomach was disagreeing with me. Pork Belly tacos are much better on the way down. I think it was mostly just the richness of my food not agreeing with me.

So, by the time my alarm went off, I was groggy and really, really wanting to use one of those precious PTO days. Unfortunately, since two of the meetings are with my boss and my boss's boss, it wasn't like I could not come in.

It didn't help that I woke up in one of those slightly fuzzy moods in which I had a horrible song stuck in my head and it buzzed around and around like a fly that would not be swatted. I think they call songs like that "ear worms". Do you ever wake up like that? Where you wake up with a song in your head, an idea on your mind, a phrase in your mouth that won't go away no matter how much you try to replace it with something else? Well, that's what happened to me. The song I had stuck was, "Under the Milky Way Tonight," that song by The Church that was popular in the '80's. I like that song. The only problem was is that I had that diabolical version used in the Lincoln car commercial that's on at the moment. I hate that version. It's sung by one of those women who try to sound both edgy and sensitive, sort of Avril Lavigne meets Feist while trying to dance on a stripper's pole and be sexy.

So, waking up with that song in my head did not make my day begin well. Then, when my alarm went off, Coldplay was on. I mostly dislike Coldplay. I like that song, "Vida la Vida" but I don't like their whiny, dreary, rainy Sunday afternoon sound. I find this a shame because I rather like Chris Martin, the lead singer, in interviews. He's nice and English and has a dry sense of humour.

Then, when I turned on the news, Mr. Weatherman did his typical, "it might rain today!" thing. Except instead of being Mr. Weatherman, he was Mr. Bare Bones. It was still his voice but the TV station had animated a skeleton who could present the weather to celebrate Halloween. I quite liked Mr. Bare Bones but it would have been better if it wasn't Mr. Weatherman in disguise. Especially as Mr. Bare Bones was as vague and unhelpful as Mr. Weatherman.

So, I begin this Friday not feeling like I want to be here. However, since that's pretty much the way I begin every day, I don't feel that bad. Also, the very fact that it's Friday, that it's Halloween tomorrow and we get an extra hour to sleep in as of Saturday night means that today is automatically better, no matter how much I don't feel like eating or how that annoying song gets stuck in my head.

I even have a Halloween Party to go to so that's even better. I've never been to a real Halloween party before. I was invited last year but I got rear-ended on the day of the party and didn't feel up to going. This year, it's got an '80's theme. I'm bound and determined to go because I have my hideously '80's costume all lined up. I grew up in the '80's. I was also a child through most of them so my view of the '80's is a bit skewered but then again, I am Captain Monkeypants. Would you expect anything else? It should be a fun time. I'll let you know on Monday.

See? So even though I could be in the foulest mood thanks to rich food, annoying songs, Bare Bones Weather Reporters and work, I'm still thinking positive. That's the way I planned to start the week and since I'm ending it in the same way, I would say it's been a rousing success. Even if it is all relative.

Happy Friday and Happy Halloween!