School Is Starting

So begins SENIOR YEAR for my daughters, and the one year that ALL FOUR of the Mighty 4 are in High School together. Should be fun. ;-)

THEATER: Peter Pan

Seaside Music Theater's production of Peter Pan was "okay". I wasn't that thrilled with it.

1. The introduction was waaaaaay too long.

2. The first Indian dance number was... dumb.

Captain Hook was very enjoyable. Peter was just as "okay" as the musical itself. I think they spent so much time getting the flying-by-wires routines done that they must not have realized that it just wasn't that good. I hate to say such things, because I really love the work that Seaside does in general, but it's how I see it.

Next up for the Malena family: Broadway Across America in Orlando!!

THEATER: Snapshots

By the man who brought us "Wicked", this play/musical was VERY GOOD! It was a great story of love and life, from teenage angst to post-children decision time -- it really is a well assembled story of a couple who's life goes through various twists and turns, ending with a bittersweet finale mixed with just a drop of hope. "Snapshots" encompasses childhood, college, life lessons, humor and a healthy dose of reality for those young enough not to have experienced most of it yet... I was pleasantly surprised that this was such a good production (what I considered to be a "filler play" during this Summer Season at Seaside Music Theater).

Mentos, The... Death Maker

I happened upon this video, and I was ROLLING...

Throwing Away Your Childhood

So my firstborn has decided that it's simpler to just throw away the majority of her belongings, in the process of living with her boyfriend's mommy and still being in high school. This is yet another disturbing turn of events in her life. After paying her money to help her get the vehicle she has running and licensed, and subsequently using it as an offroad playtoy, she's now said goodbye to band, memories of family (pictures, music, books, momentos) and basically thumbed her nose (figuratively) at me (yet again).

It's very frustrating to watch a loved one make "bad decisions". It's even worse having to sit back and wait (weeks, months, perhaps years) to see if she will make her life even worse as the decision making process continues downhill. I've tried to "be there" for her... but I'm the one she was "fleeing from" so I guess it was foolish to believe she'd come around. Foolish, or the hope of a father who wants her to have everything in life she deserves... not what she's currently headed for. :-(

MOVIE: I Know Who Killed Me

Lindsay Lohan is a slut. She likes to cuss. Lots of people took their young (very) kids to see this movie in the showing I went to with Amanda. I felt dirty being there with my 17 year old. I can't imagine having a 7 year old there. This movie was a dud, overall. Dumb plot, really. If it had handled better, and had an actress leading the movie, it might have been decent... like a low-grade Stephen King short story. But alas, it's not worth more than a matinee showing.