Thursday, January 27, 2011

Swan Lake

Two nights ago I went to the ballet for the first time.  The Russian National Ballet Theatre was performing just 6 miles from my home at Armstrong Auditorium.  Now mind you, this is all from the perspective of a girl from Texas/Oklahoma who has only ever learned the two-step and Cotton-eyed Joe, but I believe, if you are going to see one ballet in your life, it should be the Russian Ballet performing Swan Lake.  (Too many commas?  Anyway.)

You can find several places on the web with a better report of the story, but here is my quick version.

Boy comes of age, has big party, and is told he must marry soon.  He's not thrilled with the prospect, goes hunting with friends.  Meets beautiful girl, who along with many other girls, is a swan by day, girl by night.  this of course is due to evil wizard.  (Isn't always?)  The spell can only be broken by true love.  Wizard finds out boy has fallen for girl/swan.  Takes his own daughter to boy's next party.  She looks like the first girl and he professes his love for her, making it impossible to break the spell.  Boy realizes mistake and returns to the lake to seek forgiveness, which he is given.  Now here is where it gets murky.  There are several endings.  She commits suicide, or they both do, breaking the spell due to the act of love.  The wizard is killed, breaking the spell.  Another has her dying but resurrecting to human form.

It was really interesting to see this acted out in dance.  The costumes were beautiful as were the stage settings.  Some were still in use from the 1960's.  One thing, if I'm going to watch men in tights, it is much more fun when they have 100+ more pounds one them and a star on their helmet.  (I am an girl from Texas!)

I really did enjoy the evening and would go again in a heartbeat!

The Black Swan-Odile

The White Swan-Odette, Prince Siegfried, Von Rothbart-the sorcerer

Armstrong Auditorium-Edmond, OK

Tabitha-she's a guide at Armstrong Auditorium, and my daughter

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Eventfulness

Well, it has been a fairly eventful couple of weeks!  We have been to Dallas and New Mexico.  We went to an aquarium and concert as well as snowboarding.  All-in-all it was mostly a great time, mostly.

It started 2 weeks ago with a train ride to Fort Worth.  We took the Heartland Express from OKC to Fort Worth, rented a car and headed to Dallas.  Of course to get there you have to pass through Arlington, the home of Cowboy's Stadium.  What an amazing building!  It was closed to tours because they were preparing for the Cotton Bowl the next day :-(  Next time.

We checked into our hotel in Dallas, then walked about 4 blocks to American Airlines Center.  The whole reason for the trip was to see the OKC Thunder play (and defeat) the Dallas Mavericks!  It was a lot of fun and we did indeed prevail!

The next day we went to the Dallas Aquarium.  It was a little oasis in the middle of downtown Dallas.  Then it was off the the train station to head back to OKC.  That was Friday night.




Saturday after church, we headed off to New Mexico.  Early the next morning we hit the slopes.  After about 4 runs downs, we hit the lodge for lunch and then I headed back to the slopes.  This is where "mostly" comes into play.  After getting off of the lift, and down the ramp area, I fell.  I fallen getting off the lift, at the bottom of this ramp, in the flat area where you get your board strapped on, lots of times going down the mountain, and lots of times much harder.  This time was different and I knew it immediately.  Although it didn't really hurt, I knew I had broken my wrist.  Removing my glove confirmed it. After ski patrol, a trip to Taos and the ER, I spent the rest of the week inn the lodge.  I did have the company of my little buddy Brendan on occasion and the evenings were nice with friends.



My buddy




Michael from ski patrol


Back home we went to the George Strait/Reba concert.  Another thing to check off the bucket list!  It was a great evening and our first date night since August.

Reba and her Reba costar-funny!

Fancy

This is Where the Cowboy Rides Away

Oh yeah, now I have a great blue cast!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Look at My Kiddo!

Okay, this is completely a brag post.  Elijah has had several opportunities to interact with OKC Thunder player in the past few months.  He has attended 2 Thunder basketball camps and players always come for one day to play with the kids and teach them a few things.  In the first camp last August, on of the players stole his shoe then the other one in a fake slam dunk, set it on the back of the rim.  Last week we were at the Lego OKC City scape and saw him on the video running at the OKC Arena display with Daeqwon Cook.  Pretty neat.

Before the first game against the Rockets he was chosen to be the ball delivery boy.  For that he was to simply give the ball to the ref and get his picture taken.  Well, the ref asked Elijah who he favorite player was and then the ref called Kevin Durant over to meet Elijah.  The guy who picked Elijah said that never happens.  As far as we know it hasn't since then.

Last week he went to his second Thunder camp.  He was able to meet James Harden and Eric Maynor.  I went to the Thunder website to find out about that night's game and the first image to pop up Had Elijah clearly displayed.  You could look at more photos and video as well.  He was in one more photo and the video.  He actually "scored" against Maynor!




So enough bragging, for now.