This Week’s Shopping Cart

Since I’ve been on a bit of a personal financial lockdown (i.e. trying not to spend too much money), I was astounded to find out that I had more money in my accounts than I thought I did.  I couldn’t figure out why until I got to the office on Tuesday and saw an email from accounting saying that they paid out my 2011 sick leave.  Sweet!  More money in the bank? 

Well, for now, there is.  But that doesn’t mean that there weren’t some extra purchases made.  My first stop was to find a new rug for the office, because the one I purchased, doesn’t match at all with the decor.  I kept thinking while I was in Ottawa, I need to order the gray rug like I originally planned.

Well…a little search at Home Decorators Collection for a new rug…and I found an Eggplant jute rug that would match the room PERFECTLY!

3’x5′ Rug, $18.99 (comes in 4 colors)

Not a bad price, right?  I think after shipping and tax it was around $30.  Plus, I used Ebates, so I got an additional 3.5% back.

I purchased the dragonfly rug last week, laid it down before I started packing for Canada, took one look at it and thought…this is so not going to work.  Surita doesn’t even like it.  She’s liked everything we’ve done so far…this rug was a NO on her part (who knew the cat had taste).  I may end up moving the rug into the living room or the kitchen.

My next purchase was actually travel related…but very important.  On my Goodbye USA bucket list, I have “See Constantine Maroulis.”  Well, as you know on this site, I’ve seen Constantine…a few times.  But for some strange reason I feel like I need to see him again and again.  Odd thing is…I can’t call myself a fan of Constantine’s…I just really enjoy his work.  He’s one of those artists that make you feel what he’s doing…that passion for what he does.  He kind of invokes a little nostalgia from my rock and roll days.  It’s like I can safely revisit my 20s without getting my heart shattered all over the place.  He just makes me remember the things that I loved about those days…the part where passion for what you’re doing IS everything.  He reminds me of how I got to where I am today.

So I booked my ticket to see him in The Toxic Avenger the musical…in Houston, Texas. 

I’ve been reading the reviews and articles for it ever since he started rehearsing.  The behind-the-scenes looks reminded me of how much fun I used to have when I was acting once upon a dream.

So I’m off to Houston next weekend to see Constantine in his latest musical.  BUT of more important news, I found out while I was in Ottawa that there will be a Jekyll & Hyde revival on Broadway.  That really made my doctor’s 12-18 month medical lockdown worth staying in the country for.  But alas, even better news…Constantine plays the lead in my all-time favorite musical.  And yes, I know every word to every song. 

I’m beginning to think that Constantine and I share the same soul or something…they say that in each new lifetime your soul splits…well, if you’ve had a few lifetimes, that’s a lot of splits.  Thus, another reason why I’m going down memory lane…not only was Jekyll & Hyde my favorite musical…it was also the music that was in my music binder at voice school.  In other words, those were the songs I rehearsed and sang in voice school…back in my 20s. 

In a way, I keep looking at Constantine as if he’s living that dream that I walked away from all those years ago when that rockstar broke my heart.  I walked away from the ‘expected to head to Broadway,’ the ‘rocker life’ and everything that went into being an actress/singer.  I walked away from it all.  It’s what happens when someone shatters your dream for you.  So in a way, I feel like I’m living vicariously through Constantine.  He’s living that life I had always dreamed of living. 

Why HIM and not anyone else? 

See him sometime.  It’s that passion he puts into it.  It’s a lot like the passion I have when I talk about living the dream.  It’s 100% genuine.

So with theatre tickets comes hotel reservations and plane tickets to Houston, Texas for the final weekend of The Toxic Avenger (next weekend).  I think I’ll be all over the country when Constantine takes the role of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, that is, before it hits Broadway.  The show will be on the road first.

If anything I’ve learned from recent Constantine events…book him when you know for a fact that he’s performing.  The whole Ghost thing…I was really upset he didn’t get the role, but eh…he got something way better…Jekyll & Hyde.  I’d take seeing that show every night of the week over Ghost. 

What makes J&H so special?  “This is The Moment” and “Someone Like You” defined me in my 20s.  I remember hearing my instructor tell me, “You sing that like a young Barbra Streisand.”  Those songs helped pit me at the top of the school.  Why?  Because the songs defined who I was and still am…someone looking to find their dreams.

So between booking a trip to Houston and shopping for a new rug…that’s it for shopping this week.  I am trying to decide on my next handbag.  Maybe I’ll purchase one in Houston, because I did not buy one in Ottawa (even though I’ve been scouring The Bay’s website looking for the bag I saw in their store). 

This weekend, I’m in Philadelphia (Jagr’s groin better be okay…just saying).  Thanks to all the Philly tweeps and media who keep emailing me and tweeting me about Jagr’s comings and goings…I find it funny that he is the only hockey player that fans/media constantly update me on.  I think Russ Cohen just finds the whole ‘synchronicity’ thing hilarious…and he covers the Flyers.

So for the next week and a half, I’ll be researching Houston to figure out what to do while I’m there.  I’m thinking ‘antiqueing’ will be on my main agenda when not at The Toxic Avenger. 

Oh, and since I’m on medical lockdown in this country for the next 12-18 months (doctor will not let me permanently leave the USA for Africa)…I’m coming up with my very own USA bucket list.  I’ll be posting it up soon…