"Saw Cinderella in a party dress, she was looking for a nightgown. I saw the devil wrapping up his hands, he's getting ready for the showdown. I saw the ending when they turned the page, I threw my money and I ran away.
Sent to the valley of the great divide, out where the dreams all hide. Out where the wind don't blow, out here the good girls die, and the sky moves slow. Out here the bird don't sing, out here the field don't blow, out here the bell don't ring, out here the bell don't ring, out here the good girls die.
Now, Cinderella, don't you go to sleep, it's such a bitter form of refuge. Why don't you know the kingdom's under siege, and everybody needs you? Is there still magic in the midnight sun, or did you leave it back in '61? In the cadence of a young man's eyes, out where the dreams all hide." ~the killers

I am really loving The Killers' new album. The above song ("A Dustland Fairytale") is one of my favorites.

Gran sent me this article from Newsweek ("I Am Not a Babysitter"). It's a great piece on what we teachers put up with and the misconceptions about our profession. It's sad but true that teachers in America don't usually receive the respect they deserve. And it's frustrating.

I went to see the Broadway production of Pal Joey last night. Nicole got us comps, and we ended up with fabulous seats (front row center mezz). Martha Plimpton stole the show. She's fabulous. She was cast in Matthew Perry's new Showtime show, and I don't want Broadway/NYC to lose her, because she's most definitely one of the best (and hardest working) stage actresses working today. Anyway, Pal Joey was fine. Nothing special, but not awful. Christian Hoff was recently replaced by his understudy, Matthew Risch, and although Risch gives his all, I think the role needs more charisma. Stockard Channing's acting is solid in the show. I was glad I got to see it.

I've been trying to get my Christmas shopping done (I'm nearly finished), but I'm an awful shopper. I always end up buying things for myself.

Tomorrow I'm going to my aunt and uncle's apartment in Chelsea to help make/decorate Christmas cookies. I'm excited. My cousin D.J. is a freshman at Princeton and I think he'll be home, and Bess will be there, and I always love spending time with my cousins.

This coming week should be a busy one. On Tuesday I'm going to a screening of The Wrestler (I cannot wait) and next weekend I'm ushering at Prayer for My Enemy and The Cripple of Inishmaan (written by my favorite playwright, Martin McDonagh); they're two plays that I am dying to see. I'll report back. I hope I get through the school week, because the kiddles are getting crazy (even moreso than usual).

"Our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up." ~the arcade fire

Things aren't going so well right now. This has been a bad year for my family, and Thursday was a particularly horrible day (although I didn't hear about any of it until Friday). On Thursday my parents put my dog to sleep. I spent two days crying, and now I'm breaking down in spurts. I can't put into words how devastated I am. She's been my dog for 15 years. I loved her more than I can express. Also on Thursday, my grandpa had a stroke. This has been an awful year for both of my grandfathers. My Grandad had his leg amputated, broke his pelvis, and injured his shoulder. My Grandpa has been in the hospital for most of the year after breaking his hip. He's had pneumonia countless times and on Thursday he had a stroke. Neither one of them is in good shape at all. To add on to all this bad stuff, my Aunt Dot and my Uncle Henry (my great aunt and great uncle, from different sides of my family) both died last week. Like I said, it's been a really, really crappy year for my family. I don't know how much more I can take.

I went to a new church this morning. The people there were so welcoming and friendly. It's a very small church, which is nice. I'll probably go back there.

"All of the lights on Broadway come down and I see the flame that sits all around my dream. I watch the lights that shine down on Broadway, I watch the snowflakes tumbling down on me. I guess it's gonna be Christmas. I don't want to go home." ~counting crows

"Sometimes it snows in April, sometimes the skies are grey. Sometimes it all looks so familiar to me, sometimes it's just so fuckin' strange. Can't you hear me? 'Cause I'm screaming. Didn't I go outside yesterday? Don't wake me, please don't wake me, 'cause I was dreaming, and I might just stay inside again today. I don't go out much these days. Yes, sometimes I stay inside all day." ~counting crows

"I'm too old for Playboy, too young too die." ~the bacon brothers

I went to Winter's Eve at Lincoln Square tonight, which was an event with lots of very tasty, cheap food from nice restaurants (all food items under $4) sold at tents lined up on the sidewalks around Lincoln Square and music and a tree lighting. It was incredibly crowded, which was the main downside to the evening. The Bacon Brothers performed, and I managed to get a spot in the front row. I know Kevin Bacon is old, but he is incredibly gorgeous in person. And he can dance. I got a Footloose flashback. I took a video but can't upload it onto my mac, so that will have to wait. But here are a couple of pictures that I took:




Some snow flurries started to come down right before the concert started, but luckily they didn't last. It was a fun evening.